{"id":84,"date":"2018-02-13T21:42:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T21:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/"},"modified":"2018-02-13T21:42:00","modified_gmt":"2018-02-13T21:42:00","slug":"mindfulness-and-meditation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/","title":{"rendered":"Mindfulness and Meditation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>Mindfulness and Meditation.&nbsp; Mindfulness is a catch-phrase these days and becoming a popular concept.&nbsp; It means not just going through the motions, it means taking pause from busyness, it means being present in the moment. Meditation is focusing on a particular object or thought or teaching.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Why are these becoming increasingly more popular? I assert it\u2019s because if we take a moment to pause and a moment to look up, we see our hearts ache for more.&nbsp; Career, consumerism, accomplishment, and adventure are just a handful of the things we often wish would fill this void (but they just can\u2019t completely do it).&nbsp; People long for meaning, for attachment, for love in its deepest, purest form.&nbsp;&nbsp; When people have opened up to me and shared what it has meant to them to learn of my diagnosis or when they have lost someone else to cancer I see the ache for \u201cmore\u201d.&nbsp; The questions spill out, \u201cam I living as I truly wish to be living?\u201d \u201cAm I making the impact or difference that I want to be?\u201d \u201cAre my energies being poured out where I want them to be?\u201d \u201cDoes x, y or z really matter?\u201d.&nbsp; And the biggest questions of all &#8212;- \u201chow can I get through life when it falls apart?\u201d&nbsp; \u201cWhat can I depend on?\u201d&nbsp; \u201cWhat is this life all about \u2013 the ancient question of the meaning of life.\u201d&nbsp; These are universal questions.&nbsp; They are inside you and I waiting to be heard, waiting to be answered.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>PAUSE.&nbsp; <\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>My oncologist told me last week that research has shown that 30 minutes of daily meditation increases longevity.*&nbsp; Meditation helps you live longer!&nbsp; These are not just catch-phrase concepts, they MATTER.&nbsp; I\u2019m attending a workshop called \u201cHearing God\u201d.&nbsp; It is teaching me to spend half an hour daily pondering scriptures.&nbsp; I read the bible, I bathe myself in the scripture and it becomes ALIVE.&nbsp; Hebrews <st1:time hour=\"16\" minute=\"12\">4:12<\/st1:time> tells us that \u201cThe word of God is alive and active\u2026it penetrates.\u201d&nbsp; I testify to this scripture, the words of the bible have become alive to me.&nbsp; The Holy Scriptures are my LIFELINE they call me to TRUST, they call me to BELIEVE.&nbsp; Exodus 34 God says, \u201cI can be trusted\u201d.&nbsp; Faith is trust.&nbsp; I am trusting that the holy scripture of the bible is true.&nbsp; Jesus asks repeatedly \u201cDo you believe?\u201d&nbsp; In Matt <st1:time hour=\"9\" minute=\"28\">9:28<\/st1:time> Jesus says, \u201cDo you believe that I can do this?\u201d then in John <st1:time hour=\"16\" minute=\"31\">16:31<\/st1:time>\u201cDo you finally believe\u201d that I came from God?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>I read the scriptures and they speak into my life.&nbsp; Exodus tells the story of Moses.&nbsp; This man started off by asking God to please &nbsp;send someone else to do his work, because he is not equipped. (Sound familiar? \u2013 it does to me).&nbsp; But then this man leads the Israelite group of people out of slavery into freedom!&nbsp; I\u2019ve just read how Moses was on the mountain talking to God. \u201cThe Lord came down in a cloud and stood beside Moses.\u201d (Exodux 34:5, CEV) And God\u2019s light shone so brightly that when Moses came down from the mountain his face glowed! Moses encountered God firsthand.&nbsp; Powerful!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In Matthew I\u2019m reading about Jesus.&nbsp; Jesus blows me away.&nbsp; What I see at the end of Matthew is incredible.&nbsp; Jesus is approaching his time to die on the cross.&nbsp; He knows it.&nbsp; He goes to the <st1:place><st1:placetype>garden<\/st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Gethsemane<\/st1:placename><\/st1:place> to plead with God for his life (I\u2019ve been there, I get it) he brings his buddies as support and they keep falling asleep.&nbsp; I feel it, seriously, when Jesus needs you, so desparately needs you, you fall asleep?!&nbsp; I feel Jesus\u2019 loneliness.&nbsp; His support has left him.&nbsp; But it gets worse.&nbsp; They deny they even know him! He is rejected not only by the Romans but by his closest friends!!!&nbsp; He is humiliated, He is tortured and ridiculed.&nbsp; He has to watch his mother watch him die.&nbsp; This is the passion of Christ!&nbsp; And He is separated from God himself as all the sins of the world fall on Jesus\u2019 shoulders.&nbsp; This is a weighty unfathomable burden. (And we haven\u2019t even talked about his physical suffering.)&nbsp; THIS IS WHAT JESUS EXPERIENCED FOR OUR REDEMPTION.&nbsp; Take a moment to sit there.&nbsp; Let it wash over you.&nbsp; Let the cost of it soak in.&nbsp; We sing about Amazing Grace.&nbsp; Why is it so amazing? Because Jesus did this for me a wretched lowly human!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Oh my GOD!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Jesus endured the exact opposite of what I needed to keep going when I was diagnosed with cancer.&nbsp; I needed to know I wasn\u2019t alone, I needed to know I was loved, I needed to know I was cherished. Treasured.&nbsp; That someone saw my desperation and brokenness.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>I needed LOVE, penetrating love!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Jesus took on the loneliness, abandonment, humiliation, rejection so I don\u2019t ever have to.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Jesus says \u201cremain in my love\u201d (John 15:9)<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>My experience:<\/div>\n<div>My mom shared that she saw God\u2019s love afresh when she had to face that her daughter might die and her heart longed for me to live.&nbsp; She then encountered the magnitude of the God\u2019s love for her.&nbsp; My mom doesn\u2019t want me to die; but God gave up his son to die for our sake.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>My Dad has always loved me well.&nbsp; Lately he has shared more tender words with me proclaiming his love for me.&nbsp; He loves me immensely.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>There is a song I learned in childhood which has lyrics \u201c[God\u2019s] love [is] like an ocean.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As I was praying God communicated this to me:<\/div>\n<div>\u201cMy love is an ocean.&nbsp; OCEAN! An Ocean!<\/div>\n<div>Cheryl, you know how much your Dad loves you?\u201d<\/div>\n<div>\u201cYes, he\u2019s made it very clear and I feel it deeply.\u201d<\/div>\n<div>\u201cI love you vastly more.&nbsp; Your earthly father\u2019s love for you is like a drop in the ocean.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>My God is LOVE.<\/div>\n<div>MY GOD IS LOVE.<\/div>\n<div>God\u2019s banner over me is love. (Song of Solomon 2:4)<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In Exodus 17 Moses won an epic battle.&nbsp; To commemorate the victory Moses build an altar and named it \u201cThe Lord is my banner!\u201d.&nbsp; Then he says \u201cHold high the banner of the Lord!\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In the preceding chapters you read about words like this: \u201cThe Lord will fight for you. You just keep still.\u201d(<st1:time hour=\"14\" minute=\"14\">14:14<\/st1:time>)&nbsp; And \u201cThe Lord is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation; this is my God and I will praise Him, my father\u2019s God and I will exalt him. \u201c<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>And then I read in Psalms (27)<\/div>\n<div>The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?<\/div>\n<div>The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Do you feel it? God the Father fighting for you in love? Fighting for you to be able to have life to the full.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>My response:<\/div>\n<div>Oh Lord, You are my banner that I wave victoriously!!!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Lent is tomorrow. Historically and traditionally I do not practice lent.&nbsp; But this year as I feast on what Jesus has done for me I am compelled to commit to keep meditating on the Holy Scriptures of the bible.&nbsp; My life depends on this! (arguable yours does too. And remember there\u2019s science behind meditation increasing longevity?)&nbsp; I am choosing not to \u201cgive up\u201d something for lent (this seems too reminiscent of the \u2018rules\u2019 Christianity seemed to historically teach).&nbsp; No this lent I choose to ADD in to my life meditation on the bible in order to push out the less important.&nbsp; What could be more lovely and worthy than meditating on Jesus?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This sort of mindfulness is absolutely vital.&nbsp; Keep adding in exactly what you want your life to emulate and naturally you\u2019ll find the junk or trivialness and all that which doesn\u2019t fit will simply get pushed out.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Consider this with me:&nbsp; What do you want more of in your life?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>And if you love Jesus, take a fresh look at all he has done for you as we enter this season.&nbsp; <\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Much love to all you readers who take the time to read my words.&nbsp; I pray diligently that God will give me wisdom in my words, that I am not just sharing my heart but the heart of God as well.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>XOXO<\/div>\n<div>Cheryl<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div>(*I hope to track down this source to cite)<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mindfulness and Meditation.&nbsp; Mindfulness is a catch-phrase these days and becoming a popular concept.&nbsp; It means not just going through the motions, it means taking pause from busyness, it means being present in the moment. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mindfulness and Meditation - Cheryl Rostek<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mindfulness and Meditation - Cheryl Rostek\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mindfulness and Meditation.&nbsp; Mindfulness is a catch-phrase these days and becoming a popular concept.&nbsp; It means not just going through the motions, it means taking pause from busyness, it means being present in the moment. [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cheryl Rostek\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/authorcherylrostek\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-02-13T21:42:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cheryl Rostek\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cheryl Rostek\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Cheryl Rostek\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ddb3d653ca2f4b6dcfad77892f0d630a\"},\"headline\":\"Mindfulness and Meditation\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-13T21:42:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1462,\"commentCount\":0,\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mindfulness and Meditation - Cheryl Rostek\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-13T21:42:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ddb3d653ca2f4b6dcfad77892f0d630a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/13\\\/mindfulness-and-meditation\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mindfulness and Meditation\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cheryl Rostek - Glioblastoma Survivor, Author and Cancer Coach\",\"description\":\"Finding Hope in the Hopeless and Impossible Situations of Life\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cherylrostek.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ddb3d653ca2f4b6dcfad77892f0d630a\",\"name\":\"Cheryl Rostek\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Cheryl Rostek\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mindfulness and Meditation - Cheryl Rostek","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mindfulness and Meditation - Cheryl Rostek","og_description":"Mindfulness and Meditation.&nbsp; Mindfulness is a catch-phrase these days and becoming a popular concept.&nbsp; It means not just going through the motions, it means taking pause from busyness, it means being present in the moment. [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/","og_site_name":"Cheryl Rostek","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/authorcherylrostek\/","article_published_time":"2018-02-13T21:42:00+00:00","author":"Cheryl Rostek","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Cheryl Rostek","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/"},"author":{"name":"Cheryl Rostek","@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ddb3d653ca2f4b6dcfad77892f0d630a"},"headline":"Mindfulness and Meditation","datePublished":"2018-02-13T21:42:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/"},"wordCount":1462,"commentCount":0,"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/","url":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/","name":"Mindfulness and Meditation - Cheryl Rostek","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2018-02-13T21:42:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ddb3d653ca2f4b6dcfad77892f0d630a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/13\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mindfulness and Meditation"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/","name":"Cheryl Rostek - Glioblastoma Survivor, Author and Cancer Coach","description":"Finding Hope in the Hopeless and Impossible Situations of Life","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ddb3d653ca2f4b6dcfad77892f0d630a","name":"Cheryl Rostek","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Cheryl Rostek"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylrostek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}