Stepping Out
Our course was inspired by Choosing Presence: How to Access God’s Peace and Release Fear, Anxiety, and Stress by Jim Heaney Turning Stone Press, 2020.
Congratulations!
You’ve finished the course.
We’d Love to Hear from You!
Thank you for being part of Awakening to Presence. Your experience matters to us, and we’d love to hear your thoughts! If you have any feedback on the course—what resonated with you, what could be improved, or anything else you’d like to share—please reach out.
You can email us at course@choosingpresence.org and let us know how this journey has impacted you. Your insights help us continue to grow and refine this offering.
Awakening to Presence
Through the Awakening to Presence self-paced online course, you've embarked on a transformative journey that deepens your spiritual practice by integrating the concept of presence into your daily life. This course, based on Jim Heaney's insightful book, aims to guide you toward a profound understanding and application of presence, a practice rooted in contemplative prayer and meditation.
Remember to download the free Practicing Presence – A Christian Way app!
Start your day with a morning meditation and get hourly reminders to return to presence with three conscious breaths. This free app is an essential tool for deepening your practice and staying connected with God’s presence.
Course Summary
This course has not only introduced you to the foundational concepts of living in the present but also encouraged you to integrate these principles into your daily life actively. By engaging with the lessons, reflections, and guided practices, you've embarked on a spiritual journey towards greater peace, presence, and connection with the divine. Remember, the practice of presence is about action—living your way into a new state of being where every moment is an opportunity to connect with God's eternal peace and love.
Key Concepts and Learnings:
The Unconscious Self: You've explored the origins of stress and anxiety, understanding the impact of the unconscious mind, ego, and emotions on your inner peace. This module underscored the importance of shifting from unconscious living to a conscious engagement with the present moment, where true connection with God’s spirit lies.
Meeting God in the Moment: This part of your journey emphasized the shift from intellectualizing faith to experiencing God's presence directly in your heart and spirit. It highlighted humility and the present moment as essential for nurturing an intimate relationship with God, moving beyond traditional religious practices to a personal experience of divine love.
Stillness: You learned about the power of stillness as a gateway to experiencing God's presence, distinguishing it from mere silence. This module addressed the challenges and misconceptions that prevent us from embracing stillness, guiding you to a life marked by deeper fulfillment and spiritual presence.
Accessing Presence: Delving into the essence of being fully present, you've learned that presence is an actionable spiritual practice that requires daily intention. Through practical steps, you discovered how to cultivate and sustain awareness of God's immediate presence in everyday life.
Inner Conditioning: This module emphasized the importance of building a spiritual foundation through regular practice of presence, contrasting moments of peace with periods of discord to consciously choose peace through intentional action.
Resistance: You confronted resistance, the main obstacle to experiencing true peace, learning to identify and overcome barriers through stillness and presence, aligning yourself with God's spirit.
Stopping Negative Thinking and Gossip: You've gained insights into breaking the cycle of negative thinking and gossip, understanding their impact on relationships and self-perception. This module equipped you with practical strategies for fostering a more positive and peaceful inner life.
We All Want Peace: Finally, you explored the universal quest for peace, distinguishing between worldly peace and God's peace. Through the practice of presence, you've learned to access a deeper, more sustainable form of peace, connecting with the divine energy that pervades all aspects of life.
One More Thing Before You Go
Benefits of Practicing Presence
What are the real benefits of practicing presence? — In this powerful conversation, Jim Taylor and Brian Mueller explore how presence transforms our lives, moving us from anxiety and self-doubt into a deeper sense of belonging, love, and acceptance. They discuss how stillness creates momentum, how virtues naturally arise from presence, and why checking in—but not checking out—leads to a more fulfilling, connected life. If you’ve ever wondered how presence can reshape your experience, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
Why We Practice Presence
Why do we practice presence? — In this engaging conversation, Brian Mueller and Jim Taylor explore why practicing presence matters. They emphasize that presence is a foundational spiritual discipline, not an end goal. It’s a posture where we meet the Divine and our true self, helping us awaken beyond distractions and the “false self.” Tools like the Practicing Presence app and simple rituals—like a bell or breath—can ground us in stillness. Ultimately, presence supports a deep longing within us for wholeness, connection, and transformation.
