The Presence Project is a way of helping you find home-base in the heart of God. It’s also a personal quest. As a woman who suffers from anxiety after an adolescence full of shame-based bullying (is there any other kind?), my brain was constantly stuck on fight or flight. Finding prayer practices that calmed my nervous system in the Presence of God has been like finding the journey home. Yes, I’ve had to do the internal work. As a woman on a healing journey, I fought and wrestled through toward the truth of my identity in Christ, the story my wounds were telling, but never learned to regulate to the heartbeat of God. God, our adopted Father, is always turned toward us in a full-hearted welcome though many of us are still living as orphans
As St. Augustine said:
“Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You oh Lord.”
So now, this is what gets me out of bed in the morning:
Questing to practice the Presence of God, creating tablespaces where you can sit and rest in God’s love, and teaching the simple tools of ancient contemplative prayer practices. Oh yes, and I’m a brain science nerd. Maybe you’d like to know the why behind the struggle as well.
You can find the Presence Project all of these places:
- The Presence Project Podcast: Simple, repeatable tools. Ancient contemplative practices. Modern brain science. – found wherever you find your podcasts. Check here on Libsyn or on iTunes
- The Slow Word Movement: lectio divina videos found here on youtube
- On our community’s Presence Project Facebook page full of deep wells – Join us here
- In our weekly newsletter “Presence Project Mini Retreat:” subscribe by adding your email to the newsletter list here or on the pop-up. (Join and receive a free PDF of a Simple Prayer Practice to Calm your Nervous System in your inbox.)
- The Table of the Beloved: Our twice a month gathering “The Presence Project podcast LIVE” where you can ask questions, I’ll share my latest learnings, and together we do the practice in the most recent podcast. Join here on patreon.com/thepresenceproject
- Spiritual Direction Groups: We do hard things best together. Also on patreon.com/thepresenceproject
- Or on Instagram where I share what’s inspiring me now: instagram.com/revsummerjoy/
What a joy to journey with you!
Warmly, Summer Joy