#001 - Spiritual Formation enthusiasts, brain science fans and relationship skills seekers unite! John + Sungshim Loppnow seek to bring together people who want to grow in love by connecting to God in effective ways as well as relating to people in loving and kind ways.

For additional info about John & Sungshim’s ministry, Presence and Practice, visit this site.

https://www.presenceandpractice.com/

In our first episode we share a bit of our story; where we were born, how we met and a few of the things that shaped our core values and vision for what we sense is the good life in Christ.

We think you will enjoy this first conversation as you can see how we learn to podcast and in the midst of sharing you can learn with us and from us. We want to share all the good things and good people we learn from and with.

Join this community of practice and hit subscribe!

If you would like to get the links and show notes for this episode head to:

https://www.presenceandpractice.com/blog

#002 - John & Sungshim Loppnow do a quick review from their 4 week class at Montrose Church. They discuss the VISION of life in and with Christ. Name a few key mentors and the Big Brain Question we are all asking one another.

For additional info about John & Sungshim’s ministry, Presence and Practice, visit this site.

https://www.presenceandpractice.com/

We think you will enjoy this conversation as you can see how we learn to podcast and in the midst of sharing you can learn with us and from us. We want to share all the good things and good people we learn from and with.

Join this community of practice and hit subscribe!

If you would like to get the links and show notes for this episode head to:

https://www.presenceandpractice.com/blog

We learn that anyone who rates the podcast and leaves a review helps us get seen by more within the Apple (and other) podcast Universe. Would you be up for helping us be seen by more people as we participate in Apple's Algorithm?

John Loppnow, Sungshim Loppnow, spiritual formation, neuroscience, brain science, relationship skills, meditation, breath prayer

Thank you!
That would mean a lot to us.

#003 - Breath Prayer Practice
In this episode John leads you through the breath prayer practice using Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my Shepherd (IN breath)
I have everything I need (OUT breath)



***Note: If you have listened to the entire episode and want to jump to the beginning of the practice you can head to 4:15.

004 John and Sungshim dialogue about breath prayer as God's Big Yes to you!

The things we learned teaching breath prayer at Montrose Church.

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions [Eph 6:18]

Pray continually or pray without ceasing [1 These 5:17]

Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, [Phil 4:6]


The Big Brain Question from Mark Brady.

Brother Lawrence - The Practice of the Presence of God

The Way of the Pilgrim

Prayer - Richard Foster


“Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time. And it makes our life programs new and overcoming.” - Thomas Kelly


BLESSING

God bless you

May we become the kind of people who experiences

The God

who sees us

who hears us

and knows the depth of what we experience

so that we know that He is with us

and He is doing something about this

by strengthening our spirits.

May we become the people of love.

For more info on Presence And Practice
https://www.presenceandpractice.com/


Our private practice Loppnow Relationship Center
https://www.loppnowrelationshipcenter.com/

005 John introduces you to a breath prayer integrating scripture from this week's sermon from Montrose Church.

We will use Ephesians 2:4-8 as the basis for our breath prayer: “My Grace Makes You Alive!”

“ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

• Pause and set your intention to become fully present to God who is with us in this moment.

• Breathe IN and hear God say your own name, __________, in the most loving and joy-filled way, then continue by saying the following phrase, “My Grace”.

• Breathe OUT and hear God say, “Makes you alive!”

• Repeat by taking three intentional slow, deep breaths to engage in listening to God.
• Notice the effect this prayer has on you.

• Original version
  • Breath IN: (Your name) My Grace
  • Breath OUT: Makes You Alive
• Short version
  • Breathe IN: Grace
  • Breathe OUT: Alive

For clients who are open we share breath prayers with them as a resource. Considering sharing breath prayers on our website
https://www.loppnowrelationshipcenter.com/emdr-trauma-therapy

As always we share on our ministry website at Presence And Practice.
https://www.presenceandpractice.com/

Remember, You are loved!

006
In this episode John leads you through a simple breath prayer using Brennen Manning's Abba, I belong to you breath prayer.

A fitting prayer at this time.

Brennan Manning years ago: “Abba, I belong to you.” This breath prayer is known to have brought healing to many in suffering by restoring their true identity as the beloved child. Let us remember that it is God who breathed His spirit on us (John 20:22) and enabled us to call Him Abba (Romans 8:15-16).

In Ephesians 3:2-13, Paul describes how God initiated our belonging to Him, included outsiders in His family, and invited you and me to carry the message of inclusion (belonging to God) to the world.

Let us begin the journey of bringing the message of God’s inclusion by appreciating our Father for establishing a way HOME, where we find rest and strength in times of uncertainty and insecurity.

To learn more about Brennan’s teaching on “The Abba Experience”, check out his book “Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging”.

Use today’s breath prayer to ground yourself into a deeper reality. First, remember that you as an individual belong to God as His beloved child. Second, think about how all humanity belongs to God as His beloved children.

Thus we encourage you to engage yourself in this breath prayer twice as follows:

1st round:

• Pause and set your intention to become fully present to God who is with you in this moment.
• Engage in Breath Prayer
  • Breath IN and say, “Abba”
  • Breathe OUT and say, “I belong to you!”
• Repeat by taking three intentional slow, deep breaths to ground into this deeper reality.
• Notice the effect this prayer has on you.
• Original version
  • Breathe IN: Abba
  • Breathe OUT: I Belong To You
• Short version
  • Breathe IN: Abba
  • Breathe OUT: Belong

2nd round:

• Pause and set your intention to become fully present to God who is with us in this moment.
• Engage in Breath Prayer
  • Breath IN and say, “Abba”
  • Breathe OUT and say, “We belong to you!”
• Repeat by taking three intentional slow, deep breaths to ground into this deeper reality.
• Notice the effect this prayer has on you.

• Original version
  • Breathe IN: Abba
  • Breathe OUT: We Belong To You
• Short version
  • Breathe IN: Abba
  • Breathe OUT: Belong

https://www.presenceandpractice.com/

007 John and Sungshim dialogue about rest during "Safer at home" in CA.

Go Deeper with Rest (optional):

• Set your Intention to grow your capacity to rest in God’s love. The life-changing information related to COVID-19 comes at us quickly. It demands us to stay alert; it urges us to move into action; it commands us to master our protective skills. The idea of rest - lowering our alertness, slowing down our action, relinquishing our mastery - sounds unrealistic, irresponsible, and even foolish. And yet, we are urged to “make every effort to enter into that rest” in Hebrew 4:11.
  
  
  The challenge we face is that we rarely experience a sense of completion. Rather, more often than not, we experience a sense of incompletion and lack, which causes us to be in a physiological state of fear and a physical condition of weariness. This makes it almost impossible for us to obey God, by enter into that rest. What we need first is to enter into an honest conversation with God, who sees our weariness with great compassion and restorative power. Listen to Jesus’ initiation of this honest conversation and step by step instruction on how to find rest:
  
  "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me -watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” - Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)
  
  Let us see the deeper reality where God’s love and power flows in us and through us and never ceases. Real rest begins when we have an honest conversation with God. Real rest is found in the context of real conversation/relationship!
  
  Ponder on the questions below for your conversation with God:
  • In what area(s) of your life do you seem unable to trust in God’s love where you find your ultimate belonging?
  • In what area(s) of your life do you hear loud voices like these? You better hurry, for there is not enough to go around! You better worry, for you are not good or worthy enough yet! You better be tough, for the world is harsh! You can't stop, or you will fall behind!
  • What keeps you from enjoying the awe and wonder of life?
  • What keeps you from welcoming each morning with gratitude?
  • What keeps you awake at night?
• Have a conversation with God about your struggle. Share what came to your awareness with God, in a conversational way, and ask Him to help you to hear His voice (My child, you belong to me; You are safe in my hands.)
  
  
• Engage yourself in a posture of rest. When you are finished interacting with God, engage in a posture of rest by actually entering into stillness. For this process, we will use the key line from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
  • What do we do? You are invited to recite the key line from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and Know that I am God” 5 times. Each time the line is recited, the key words are taken away and you will find yourself simply ‘being’ in His presence.
  • How to do it? Recite/chant/sing as follows:
    • Be still and know that I am God, (pause)
    • Be still and know that I am, (pause)
    • Be still and know, (pause)
    • Be still, (pause)
    • Be
  • If you desire, linger in the silence.

https://www.presenceandpractice.com/

https://www.loppnowrelationshipcenter.com/

008 Breath prayer :: Let It Be : Done Unto Me

To complement this week's sermon theme "Challenged", we will use the phrase, “Let it be done unto me!” as our breath prayer. We will breathe IN, “Let it be” and breathe OUT, “Done unot to me”. Our hope is to see our heartbeats pulsate with Mary’s surrender as we engage in this week’s breath prayer.

Mary was an human like you and me living an ordinary and yet well-ordered life. However, one day she was greatly challenged and her heart was gravely troubed with Gabriel’s visit. Gabriel brought a ‘good’ news that would change her well-ordered life into complete disorder. She knew that her well-ordered life would be called into a complete disorder if she let His order land on her heart. And yet, she welcomed that disorder.

How did Mary’s heart begin beating with a new rhythm?: the rhythm of letting go of her order and letting in of disorder; empyting order and welcoming disorder. Did she somehow know that God would not end with disorder but bring reorder?
This seems like a perennial truth: order-disorder-reorder.

We do not know how Mary did? One thing we know is that we would not let go of our well-ordered life unless we have to; we would not accept God’s invitation for transformation unless disorder sets in. Suffering in the course of our life - mental, physical, emotional and relational suffering - bring us disorder and challenges us to accept the fact that there are things that we can not easily fix, control, change or explain. It seems like we find ourselves or the whole world in disorder and destabilization.

What if we pause and receive this disorder as God’s invitation to follow Him in bringing ‘reorder’ in our life and the world? It seems like the ‘oder’ that once worked nicely was built upon many private and separate selves who constantly in competition. It seems like the ‘reorder’ God desires to bring will be built upon collective body that continually in cooperation. God is inviting us to become a kind of people who let go of our order and welcome this disorder as a necessary suffering to bring reorder into our life.

Jesus said to us, “Come, follow me!”

Let ‘I-Thou’ encounter take place as we closely follow Him today!

Let Jesus’ face reflect back to us who we are! We have Jesus’ DNA in us.

Notice what Jesus said at the end of his life, “Not my will, but yours, be done”

Those who are drawn to use Jesus’ phrase as this week’s breath prayer please feel free to use it as an alternative one. Mary’s phrase in the beginning of her life and Jesus one at the end of his life both share the same spirit of complete surrender and trust in God!

• Pause and set your intention to become fully present to God who is with us in this moment.
• Breathe IN and say, “Let it be”
• Breathe OUT and say, “Done unto me”
• Repeat three times
• Notice the effect this prayer has on you.

If you want to study this passage more check out biblehub to get some background on the original language.

Please visit our website.
https://www.presenceandpractice.com/

If you or someone you know is interested in Relationship Coaching or therapy visit
https://www.loppnowrelationshipcenter.com/


We love to teach, train, equip people in the relationship skills they need to live a fulfilled life.

All relationships are built on learnable skills.
The question becomes, do we want to learn skills in community?