Holy Noticing - by Charles Stone (Paperback)

About the Book

Does your life ever feel like one series of rushed moments after another?

Do you want to feel more present and connected to those you love? Do you want to feel less distracted, less busy, and more whole? Most of us spend our distracted lives wanting to get to the next, better moment and fail to notice the present one. Social media, TV, work deadlines, and family stress steal our enjoyment and engagement in the moment.

Holy Noticing will teach you to:

• become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and environment
• recognize Christ's presence in the moment
• reduce your stress by developing the ability to focus on God and people rather than tasks

Dr. Charles Stone shows you the historically Christian and biblical roots of holy noticing, teaching you the BREATHe model so you can be more engaged with Christ in the everyday moments that too often slip right by us.

Book Synopsis

Does your life ever feel like one series of rushed moments after another?

Do you want to feel more present and connected to those you love? Do you want to be able to listen without thinking the whole time of what you're going to say next? Do you want to feel less distracted, less busy, and more whole? Most of us spend our distracted lives longing to get to the next, better moment and fail to notice the present one. We lack space between one task and the next, one thought and the next, one email and the next. Social media, TV, work deadlines, and family stress steal our enjoyment and engagement in the moment.

Holy Noticing will teach you how to:

• become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and environment
• recognize Christ's presence in the moment
• reduce your stress by developing the ability to focus on God and people rather than tasks

Many today think mindfulness is dangerous, unchristian, or associated with Eastern religions--and often it is! But Dr. Charles Stone reveals that the art of holy noticing--purposefully paying attention to God as he works in us, our relationships, and our world--is a spiritual discipline Christians have practiced for millennia. Holy Noticing explores the historically Christian and biblical roots of this lifestyle, as well as Dr. Stone's BREATHe model, which teaches you to be more engaged with Christ in the everyday moments that too often slip right by us.

Discover the lost spiritual discipline of holy noticing today and learn to engage the world like Christ.

From the Back Cover

Have you ever arrived somewhere and realized, "I don't remember how I got here"?

That happens when you drive mind-less-ly. Your body was in the car, but your mind was somewhere else entirely. And, in fact, we live most of our lives this way... on some form of autopilot. We push to get to a next better moment and fail to notice the present one.

But imagine if

...you rushed less?

...you felt less anxious in your day-to-day life?

...you could read the Bible and pray without your mind constantly wandering?

...you were more present for your kids, your spouse, your friends, yourself, God?

That's what holy noticing is all about. It's a spiritual discipline that's been practiced in some form or another by Christians since the first century, and it can fit right into your daily quiet times. Learn what the Bible, church history, and neuroscience have to say about a mindful lifestyle, and discover practical, manageable tools for practicing it in your own life.

Flip the page to see more benefits of holy noticing.

Studies show that a spiritual discipline like holy noticing practiced a few minutes a day has lots of potential benefits, including:

• greater ability to regulate our internal mental and emotional responses
• enhanced attention to the body language of others
• more restful sleep
• improved physical health
• less reactivity
• greater presence and engagement with others in their pain and their joy
• improved relationships
• more controlled thought life
• greater comfort in your own skin
• strengthened spiritual life
• increased compassion and empathy
• less distracted Bible reading
• growth in character and wisdom
• improved memory
• less anxiety
• increased sensitivity to sin and injustice
• greater appreciation of creation and people

About the Author

DR. CHARLES STONE (MDiv, DMin, PhD) has served for forty-three years in vocational ministry, thirty of those years as a senior pastor. He recently completed a nine-year role as lead pastor of West Park Church in London, Ontario, Canada, a multicultural congregation with over a thousand attendees. He has authored eight books and now serves as a coach-consultant to pastors and leaders. Over three hundred of his articles have appeared in magazines and online in publications such as Outreach Magazine, Leadership Journal, Pastors.com, SermonCentral.com, and Churchleaders.com. Charles and his wife, Sherryl, have been married for forty-five years and have three adult children and five grandchildren. You can reach him through his website at www.charlesstone.com.