Category: Spirituality

Beach Read for the Summer

As you are planning your vacations and adventures this summer? Don’t forget good reading material. People are loving this book and reading it one to two days because it’s so compelling! Now, we’ve reduced the price so that it is accessible to everyone. I want you to experience what I experienced when I wrote this.…

The Problem with Pastors

I was a pastor for 20 years, mostly in smaller towns. I would blend into a community and relate with them and help them rehabilitate their church. Mega Church pastors told me the struggles of pastors are the same, no matter the size of the church. I came from the business world, but I obtained…

246 – Dr. Siri K. Zemel – Return to the Flow

Siri K. Zemel, PhD is an advocate for integrative healing, including the incorporation of spiritual experiences alongside traditional healthcare. Dr. Zemel received her PhD in Mind Body Medicine from Saybrook University, with a concentration in healthcare systems. She holds a Master’s Degree in nutrition science with a graduate minor in counseling psychology from the University…

Evaluate Your Religion

Whether or not you are directly involved with your religion, it’s time to make an honest evaluation or organized religion in the 21at Century.   In our book, Out into the Desert: Thriving Outside Organized Religion, we ask these questions and more: – Is Christianity sometimes more like a multi-level marketing group than a sanctuary? –…

It’s Okay to Evolve

People have always been drawn towards things like religion to try to explain the things we could explain. The ceremonies and communities we built around our understanding and misunderstanding helped us shape some meaning into the world. I believe we can honor those traditions and, sometimes, even memorialize them while boldly and consciously moving into…

Help The Desert Sanctuary

‍ DESERT SANCTUARY – YEAR-END FUNDRAISER As you may know, I have been recovering from a stroke since January and am now on disability. Your donation to The Desert Sanctuary will help us: * Provide FREE copies of our books to those who can’t afford it.* Occasionally mark down our books for affordability* Continue to…

Outgrowing Our Religion

In my best evaluation, people have always been drawn towards things like religion to try to explain the things we could explain. The ceremonies and communities we built around our understanding and misunderstanding helped us shape some meaning into the world. I believe we can honor those traditions and, sometimes, even memorialize them while boldly…

The Church is Out of Space

Recently I listened to a discussion about a book I’m involved with called Parenting Deconstructed. It’s a great book for people that are making changes in their spiritual life and exploring different options, commonly known as deconstruction. A couple of the authors that I love talked about making space for their children. What they meant…

We want you to have the Book

Laura and I want to get our book, Out into the Desert, into the hands of people inside and outside the church. For that reason, the Kindle version of the book has been marked down to 99 cents for the month of October. Please take advantage right now, and consider sharing with your friends. Kindle…

Riding the Wave out into the Desert

I know the metaphor doesn’t make much sense, but I wanted to get your attention and ask for your help. Last night, our new book, Out Into the Desert surged back up to number 1 in new releases for Ecclesiology. Help us ride the wave by sharing this amazing news with people you know. Description…

Book Release – Out into the Desert

Two years ago, Laura and I wrote this book called:  Out into the Desert: Thriving Outside Organized Religion.  It will finally be published on Monday, August 15th.  Below is a brief summary of the book. Order Out into the Desert Sometimes when we begin to question our faith or have doubts about our tradition, it…

Out into the Desert releases 8/15

 Sometimes when we begin to question our faith or have doubts about our tradition, it can feel like we are wandering out into the desert. When we take a step back and honestly evaluate organized religion in the 21st century, many times it doesn’t make any sense. The more we cling to it and try…

The Hotel – Releases Today

It’s finally here! Every time I release a book it seems like I’m having a baby. The Hotel started as a curiosity about an old building. Then, I learned some facts and let my imagination run wild and 45 days later I had a novel. My very first novel! I was so surprised that not…

The Hotel

Have you ever looked at one of the buildings downtown and then just let your imagination think about what it was like 100 years ago? That’s what Karl Forehand did when he was standing in the Opp Hotel, in Rock Port, MO some time ago. He knew a few facts and some of the rumors…

Leaning Forward 2021 – Video Recordings

Video recording of all 13 speakers – reserve now Description of the Conference Last year, the Desert Sanctuary initiated the Nomad 2020 online conference during the pandemic. Ever since that day, I have been dreaming of this event. I wanted to lean forward and look toward the future with all the other spiritual nomads and…

The Desert Sanctuary Presents – Leaning Forward

  Photo by Rafael Polendo October 16th – Online – Free – Reserve a Spot Aaron Tomlinson * Dr. Paul Fitzgerald * Dr. Amanda McKinney Alana Levandoski * Karl Forehand “Addressing Religious Trauma”“Transforming Negative Reactions into Thoughtful Responses”“The Planet, the Animals and our Health”“The Way of the Mystic”“A Journey Toward Presence & Authenticity” ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­________________________________________________________________ “The…

The Being Journey Companion Guide

Did you know Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity has a companion guide? It was released on May 11th, but I wanted to wait a while to make a big deal about it. I really hope people will read the book first, then go experience the 30-day journey with the companion guide. So why…

Release Date – Being

Good News:  We have a cover and we have a release date for the new book.This is going to be a deeply transformational book for people and what Laura and I will be focused on. Please mark your calendar for MAY 11th, and help us promote the book on opening day.  Here is the cover,…

Focussing

About two years ago, I thought my whole world was ending.  I had done some internal work that was changing my life, but I also discovered something else.  I discovered my shadow.  Shadow material are things we ignore, deny, or repress that create stuck places from the trauma in our lives.  If you have ever…

Cover – The Tea Shop

It’s been about 2 years since I traveled to Taiwan and visted my son. Laura and I were prepared for an adventure, but it turned out to be something differnt than we thought. The highlight was a 2 hour visit with a local shop owner. This adventure had a significant impact on my spiritual journey.…

BEING with My Body

Being with My Body We get all kinds of mixed messages from society and religion.  My tradition taught that my body was a temple, but it also stressed that it was some sort of evil machine that just thought about sex all the time and could not really control itself.  Sometimes they stressed it was…

BEING with the Divine

This morning, I was a little upset for a period.  I woke up later than usual and poured a cup of coffee.  Laura was already up which is unusual.  Most mornings, I come to my chair and experience some very quiet, peaceful time alone.  Today was different as I needed to take the dog out…

BEING with Solitude

“Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving.  When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means for escape”  Anonymous We are currently experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic.  It has required us to practice what is known as social distancing.  Americans seems to resist any…

BEING with Pain

Recently one of my friends shared how she has practiced yoga for 99 days straight.  Many people congratulated her, but I didn’t hear anyone that said, “Me too.” Why? Because exercise, getting in shape and creating healthy habits is hard.  We take a long walk and our bodies seem to scream out warnings that even…

BEING in Crisis

As I write the words to this chapter, the world is amid what most would describe as a crisis.  It is described on a government website in my home state as, “an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in many locations internationally, including in the United States.…

61 – Brandon Vedder – Stange Negotiations

Brandon Vedder is an award winning documentary filmmaker. Brandon’s career began touring with and making films about musicians. His early days had him shooting for concert film’s like Pearl Jam: Live at the Garden. In 2013, alongside Transcendental Media, Brandon produced, edited and shot the acclaimed documentary La Source, narrated by Academy Award nominated actor, Don Cheadle.…

Finding Community – 3 of 3

Several months ago, when we stopped going to church, the most common injunction from people was, “Community is important.” As I said before, “I couldn’t agree more.” The best way I can answer this issue is to describe my current communities. That’s right, it’s plural. I don’t think any of us just have one community.…

What’s Next?

(Thought I’d give you a few updates) The Tea Shop   If any of you read my last book, Apparent Faith:  What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, you might have read the chapter called “The Tea Shop.”   It’s about a chance encounter with a Buddhist man in Taiwan when we went to buy a tea pot. …

Asking Questions

For over 20 years, I held my theology close to my chest.  There were some things that were considered “essentials.”  I often recited what is usually attributed to Augustine, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”  Essentials are considered by many groups as the things that are written in stone—we don’t change…

The Role of Women

My mother is a strong person. I have heard her talk about having low self-esteem, and while that may have been true, she raised 5 children without a lot of support. My dad worked hard, but he never developed the skills to lead us effectively. Many of us were raised in systems that stressed the…

The Main Thing

Karl I am pretty sure I heard the phrase first from one of my mentors.  Although I very well could have heard in a secular boardroom. The phrase goes something like this,  “We have to keep the main thing the main thing.”   It is a little more than establishing goals or even priorities.  The phrase…

Aside

This is a part of a group of blog posts about a tea shop I visited in Taiwan. I hope it will be a book soon, but for now, enjoy this part of the visit.

“..as was His custom..” (Luke 4:16)

The events in the Tea Shop were hard to put in chronological order, but I think it happened just after we began to share tea and before his wife brought out the food. He just stood up and began demonstrating what Tanya described as part of his “practice.” To be clear, he wasn’t describing his beliefs—he was sharing his practice. In one of the pictures, Tanya captured him holding his hands in a certain way. Shortly after this, he interlocked his fingers and then twisted them in the most interesting way. It was kind of like that thing some of us did in Sunday School where we said, “Here’s the church, and here’s the steeple…,” then we would turn our hands around and say, “…and, here’s all the people.” It was kind of like that but much more complex. He went on to do a sort of prayer pose, but his hands were behind his shoulders instead of in front. I think I pulled a muscle just thinking about it.

All of it seemed to have a flexibility theme. Later, he also demonstrated balance by standing on one leg on a stool and doing something similar to what Ralph Macchio did in the movie, Karate Kid. It was impressive to see a sixty-year-old balancing like that. I have seen that happen in McDonalds before, but it wasn’t intentional if you know what I mean. I was impressed and was more than ready for him to offer to sell me a book or DVD on the process. I would actually have paid top dollar for it—here was living proof that it works. His practice was effective and I wanted some of that in my life. But, the DVD offer didn’t come—he just returned to making tea for us as we waited for supper. This was his personal practice, influenced by his teacher probably a long time ago. He was excited about it, but it was personal.

The first thing that I notice from my friend in the Tea shop is that practices are both prescriptive and personal. There was an element of the practice that had been “passed down” to him but also there was an ownership of the practice as his own personal journey. Tanya told us his mentor taught him this practice, but she described it as “his” practice. The New Testament uses a Greek word, ethos, to describe the practices of Jesus and Paul and even the people. So, there is always the element of what we inherit in our practices and what we make personal in our situation. Jesus went up to the temple, but also went out in solitude to pray. His “Spirit and Truth” speech to the woman with questions seemed to indicate that although practices are passed down to us, they can also change over time.

My personal practice has evolved over time. I was raised with very little structure—no liturgy or practice really except that we were told to read the Bible, go to church and pray. When I taught 7th graders in Sunday school, that was their answer to everything. I have found some value in things like “well-crafted prayers” and liturgies that follow the church calendar. I have also incorporated the ancient practice of centering prayer, along with yoga and meditation. The writing that I do is also part of my practice. It helps me understand what I think—it clarifies my thoughts and helps me crystalize my intentions. Some people do this in a journal—it helps me to know that I’m sharing it with others—something about accountability. But, let’s get back to the Tea Shop. I think there are several lessons to learn from the man with no name.

The thing I remember most about his practice was that he was excited about it. His face lit up like a school boy at show-and-tell as he spoke and demonstrated how effective his practice was in his life. There was no doubt he believed in the practice, was committed to it and would most likely share it with anyone. People often get a little irritated because I want to talk about being vegan. Just like this man’s practice, I have to fight the urge to talk about it because it has done so much for me. It has reversed many of my health issues, I feel better, I believe in it! And, speaking of beliefs, he didn’t talk about his core beliefs at all. He didn’t try to “evangelize” us or share his gospel with us—he shared his practice with us. That meant so much more. I am curious about his beliefs because he shared his practice.

I am sure that his practice has some spiritual elements to it. It is very hard to separate the spiritual and the physical in this world. I understand them to be intricately connected, but he focused on the physical dimensions of his practice. I have seen people in religious circles almost make fun of anything physical. In Christian circles, the body is labeled as a temple. But, if we are going to espouse this as true, then how can we keep defiling this temple with what we put into it and how we treat it. This man was approximately 60 years old and moved like a teenager. I didn’t get the impression that he worshipped his body like a body builder might, but most of his practice was centered around caring for his temple. I don’t know if that’s what he called it, but he certainly treated it that way.

This care for his body even included his diet. It is pretty evident in Asian countries that there a lot less obesity and disease. This is changing in countries like China where they have heavily imported American food. Before I delve off into a rant about the benefits of a plant-based diets, suffice to say that part of our practice should be the care and nurture of our “temple” that serves as a vehicle to transport the and interact with the more spiritual parts of us. I have seen too many people claiming to be spiritual and laughing at people that care to have a practice of fostering good health. My friend in the Tea Shop found that he could do both—he was able to tend to his body and his soul through effective practices.

Since he didn’t have a DVD, I probably won’t adopt his practices. But, I probably shouldn’t do that anyway. If we lived close together, maybe I could learn more from him and that might be something I could incorporate into my practices. But, for now, it’s enough to observe and implement the things that I have inherited from my faith. Then, as I come to understand God and myself better, I can implement the practices that foster a body and soul that is healthy and vibrant and connected. By the way, I still read the Scriptures, but it much different than just a prescription handed out at a conference or a counseling session. I still pray but in a much deeper, fuller way than ever before. My new practices don’t replace those things, they only enhance them.

Like my coach used to say, “practice, practice, practice.”

Karl


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Addicted to Church?

“Religion is the opiate of the masses.”  Karl Marx  Recently, we interviewed Cindy Wang Brandt on our podcast, The Desert Sanctuary.  Don’t blame her for anything I say, but her suggestion inspired this thought process.  She stressed that everyone should take a “gap year off” from church.  Although I agree with this now, I couldn’t…

Would Jesus Go to Church?

Recently we decided not to go to church anymore.  We don’t really know whether this is a permanent decision or just what we are doing right now.  It probably depends upon which one of us you talk to and what day it is.  One thing is for sure, we need some time to heal up…

Being Where We Are

Earlier this year, I began working at a hardware store.  I had been off work for about 2 months and I needed to start earning some regular income.  I also did not want to move across the country to continue in my previous profession.  Our grandchildren are both nearby and I just built a deck…

Let Me Get This Straight

I used to be certain about most of the aspects of my faith.  But, over time, some questions arose and I started to examine my faith that is rooted mostly in Western Evangelicalism.  Today, some of the things I encounter in that brand of spirituality don’t make any sense to me any more.  It’s not…

The Universe

I paused a few days ago to contemplate the universe.  I know, I know and I hear you saying, “that is either going to irritate your tummy or make your head hurt.”  It’s certainly no small endeavor, but like all things I tend to gather in some information — whatever I can endure at the…

Darkness and Shadow

I grew up in a large family where it was never quiet. Nothing was ever totally still and there was never complete darkness. There always seemed to be a light on somewhere and, when I was young, I could fall asleep anywhere except in the dark. My children, too, could never sleep in total darkness.…

The Map is Not the Treasure

My new boss got me interested in the television show, The Curse of Oak Island.  It is a “reality” show that combines myth, legend, some history and quite a bit of mystery.  It centers around finding a treasure that seems to always be just out of the reach of the treasure seekers.  Like most reality…

The Little Things

I just got in from taking the dog out.  Honestly, it seems like we play a lot of games with things like this.  I try to do my fair share with the little things around the house, but to be honest, Laura always comes out to be the champ in that area.  Over time, little…

Invincible Preciousness

Occasionally, when I am walking, I see something that catches my attention.  There are not any specific things that I look for—it’s usually just something out of the ordinary than causes me to want to investigate further.  If I am walking, I make mental note of it and circle back to it later to discover…

Time

““I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.” ― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World For most of my adult life, I have aspired to be a good time manager.  I am…

Unknowing

“Paradoxically, the challenges of our day-to-day existence are substantial reminders that our life of faith simply must have its center somewhere other than in our ability to hold it together in our minds.”[1]  Peter Enns Today, I find myself in an interesting place.  For the first time in 25 years, I find myself transitioning between…

Bypassing

About three years ago, I started eating a vegan diet.  The reasons weren’t really ethical.  The main reason was that, at age 50, I was beginning to have some worrisome health issues just like my father and grandfather.  To make it more relevant, my brother-in-law dropped dead of heart condition while at the gym working…

Evangelism

There is something of a drive in all of us.  When we believe something, we want everyone to believe it.  I imagine part of the reason is because it has “saved” us in some way.  I feel that way about my plant-based lifestyle.  I feel like eating differently has literally saved my life and restored…

The Practice

The events in the Tea Shop were hard to put in chronological order, but I think it happened just after we began to share tea and before his wife brought out the food.  He just stood up and began demonstrating what Tanya described as part of his “practice.”  To be clear, he wasn’t describing his…

My Wife

I’ve noticed when most people talk about their spouses or their children, they talk a lot about them being the “best.” I may have even done that in this series of essays. If I did, please scold me later. It’s most evident when people say, “my wife (or husband) is my best friend!” Personally, I…

Where is God?

Occasionally, my dog Winston reminds me of who he is and most of the time it irritates me.  Just a few minutes ago, he nudged me when he wanted me to go in a different direction.  I yell at him because I surmise that “one day you are going knock me down.”  He just looks…

My Son

I have always been able to relate to the “one and only son” reference in the Bible.  Although my daughters have a most special place in my heart, I only have one son and that makes it special in a different way.   He is also my firstborn, so there is that different dynamic.  But, the…

The Host

I can’t imagine what a trip to Taiwan would be like without a host.  Many of the people there speak English, but it would still be much more difficult without a host that was interested in making our trip better.  My son met Tanya and Phil through the Taiwanese family that ran the restaurant where…

What I Didn’t Do

     “It’s no what I did, It’s what I didn’t do”  George Jones (I realize that I just took “No Show Jones” out of context, but hopefully it sticks in your mind, like it did for me.) So far, most of the things I have discussed were the things that happened leading up to…

Love

If I speak with the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal[1]    The Apostle  Paul Several years ago, I was officially categorized as a missionary.  When I replanted a church in Nebraska it was considered mission work, even though I…

Delight

            This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.[1]     God In the Tea Shop, I experienced a wave of emotions.  Many of them took me a long time to decipher.  There was satisfaction, a little bit of fear, some good old fashioned joy and even some sadness…

Present

 Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.          Buddha Don’t worry about tomorrow…each day has enough trouble of its own.       Jesus Recently, a friend of mine said, “All my thought experiments involve a time machine.”  That makes a lot of…

Listen to Him

      “This is My Son, My Chosen One, listen to Him!”  ― God       “Whatever He says to you, do it.” — Mary Often our theology can be tangled up in a lot of stuff.  For twenty-first century Americans, I think it is a dual problem.  Most evangelical faiths tend to lean…

Into the Mystic

“In the days ahead, you will either be a mystic or nothing at all.” ― Karl Rahner Recently, I have discovered the music of Van Morrison.  It’s one of those things where you say, “Where have you been all my life?”  Most people my age that like Morrison probably discovered him decades ago, but I like…

The Next Courageous Step

All the women in my house suddenly gathered around our grandson, Jackson. We were celebrating Christmas a couple of days late and were opening gifts. My mother-in-law was holding this child that was born eight weeks premature. Because of this and some other complications, his parents keep a close eye on developmental milestones. One of…

Simply

Not a cause Not applause Not performing Not reforming Not success Not finesse Not tripping Not skipping Simply present, no matter where Simply loving, no matter who’s here Simply conscious, of all that is there Simply thankful, for all that I bear. Karl Forehand _________________________________________________________________________________________ Message me at any time if you have questions: karl@karlscoaching.com…

How I Got Inspired in Kansas

This morning I got inspired.  I’m blessed that it lasted throughout my busy day and I still have some left to, hopefully, finish this blog.  Being inspired always makes me think of a word in the New Testament, theopneustos, which is sometimes translated “inspired,” but more often translated “God-breathed.”  Since theo relates to God and…