Practicing The Way of Love
“Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change is the experience of love. It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine of change.”
― Richard Rohr
February 3rd, 2025
📍Denver, Colorado, USA 🇺🇸
Greetings from the wilderness!
For those who don’t already know, while I wander along in the wilderness as a digital nomad exploring monastic practices, God is teaching me a lot about myself and how He uses the desert seasons of life to shape and mold us (just like the Israelites). He’s inviting me into a lot of new territory and asking me to keep storytelling.
Painting my prayers in the sunshine is my favorite way to spend the afternoon with God.
We had a great conversation at book club this past weekend. We read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and discussed the spiritual disciplines identified by John Mark Comer. As an author, he is so gifted in using his words to invite his readers into his practice of The Way of Jesus and overcoming hurry, which has greatly influenced my practice. The question was asked of me: what do I do to rest with God? My answer, Loto.
While the business aspect of Loto (which means lotus flower in Spanish) is clearly occupational and work-related, the experiences God and I have designed and the content we’ve curated for you is an invitation into my ever-evolving personal practice of being present with God’s Presence—Deep intimacy that leaves me feeling known, seen, and loved in every fiber of my being. I want this for all of you, too.
All of our experiences are an opportunity to enter into my personal rituals of communion with the Holy Spirit. I want to inspire you to create your own practice of The Way by embracing the power of these spiritual disciplines: silence and solitude, Sabbath, simplicity, and stillness. Reimagine your quiet time with God and create a lifestyle of rest and refilling, where intimacy can thrive and you can flourish.
I’m always traveling with art supplies of some kind, even if it’s a digital coloring book.
Too often, I think it’s easy to mistake these spiritual disciplines (the acts themselves) for intimacy. Those of you with the love language of quality time will understand the difference between quantity and quality. The Sabbath isn’t just a gift of rest for our bodies once a week, something to check off our to-do lists, it’s an invitation into deep communion and intimacy, a refilling regularly. If we’re just going through the task-based motions of rest and the other spiritual disciplines, then we’re missing the forest through the trees.
Since packing up my life in Denver to launch as a digital nomad in July 2024, I have had much more time for solitude with Jesus. I am exploring what deep intimacy with Him feels and looks like in our relationship. While some of this must remain between me and Jesus, He has asked me to share what I’m learning with you. You’ll hear me talking a lot more about receptivity over the coming weeks and months.
Without trauma dumping, suffice it to say that I have intimacy issues—receptivity wounds that have hardened my heart under anger and people-pleasing. And I know I’m not alone in that—The Lord told me that humanity as a whole has a receptivity problem.
My favorite dates with God are the ones walking through nature and listening to “soaking” music. #lotolistens
What YHWH is breathing into me right now is changing my whole approach to rest and refilling. I believe that God is moving in the world in instrumental ways right now to soften our defenses against the dark (our fears) so our hearts can receive the Light of His perfect Love (that casts out all fears).
While the spiritual disciplines (which I like to refer to as rituals) help us move into an intimate environment, the foundation of all of this Way of Jesus is a heart posture: receptivity.
God doesn’t just want our attention and our time; Jesus wants our hearts.
He longs for us to receive His blessings.
His greatest blessing is His Presence.
Healing is learning to soften our hearts and receive His Presence.
To be one Spirit with God, like Jesus was.
This is the Way of Jesus.
The spiritual disciplines are how we practice what He modeled, but the end game is the same: the renewing of our minds (metanoia), bodies (rest & digest), and souls (softened hearts) to become One with the Lord.
It’s a divine romance with every aspect of our being. A love affair. Can you hear His heart calling yours?
Come to me, my beloved. Come to me, get away with me. Be with me. I want your attention. I want to love you. Will you receive me, my darling?
With Love,
Jennifer
PS- 2025 has been off to a rough start. Are you a prayer warrior or in need of prayer? Add your request to the #lotoprays chat in The Collective community spaces on WhatsApp and Facebook.
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