By Lynn Lusby Pratt Part 1 of this series told of the ACLJ’s action against Buddhist meditation being forced on school kids. The ACLJ’s researchers dug into general (not just school-related) reports on mindfulness/meditation. Turns out that with this current craze, mindfulness being trendy and cool, studies don’t report the negative side effects (or they … [Read more…]
By Lois Putnam It’s a fact that the sloth is so adored zoos are having a hard time finding enough of them for all of the would-be onlookers. It seems many are all agog over sloths. Zoo keepers have found that some zoo patrons are so in awe of the sloth that they break down into tears when they first see a … [Read more…]
By Berit Kjos And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 33:6) “Softening Up” … [Read more…]
See also Part 1 of our 2018 Year in Review. The following are the top ten out-of-house news articles. These were posted throughout the year for informational and research purposes and not necessarily as an endorsement of the content or the source, but we believe the information is important to be aware of. Listed in … [Read more…]
Today, a Lighthouse Trails caller asked if we could tell her what “breath prayers” are and wondered if we had any information on them because someone in her church is advising others to practice them. Thus, we are posting some information we have previously posted on breath prayers. Breath prayers, like lectio divina, are a … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following news story is posted for informational and research purposes and not intended as an endorsement of either the content or the source. By Naomi Thomas CNN More Americans are turning to forms of complementary medicine such as yoga, meditation and chiropractors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: Eugene Peterson (d. 10/22/18) and Catholic priest Thomas Keating (d. 10/25/18) have died. The article below (which is promoting Peterson and Keating) is written by Carl McColman (author of The Big Book of Contemplative Mysticism) and is posted for informational and research purposes and not as an endorsement of the content. Both Peterson … [Read more…]
By Caryl Matrisciana Caryl Matrisciana grew up in India and later as a young adult in England and then the U.S. became deeply involved with the New Age movement. (Used with permission in May 2016) I’ve had several e-mails asking about Pilates as a form of exercise and if it’s connected to a spirituality as … [Read more…]
The article below is a few years old, but it’s worth reading in light of the fast-growing move to get mindfulness meditation into ALL public schools in America. The headline, “Mindfulness Meditation in Public Schools: Side-Stepping Supreme Court Religion Rulings” certainly drew our attention when a reader recently sent it our way, partly because the … [Read more…]
Lighthouse Trails has known for several years that Calvin College is a contemplative-promoting institution, but it looks like that influence has seeped into a ministry of Calvin College, Hymnary.org, an online resource that provides the lyrics and information for thousands of hymns. A Lighthouse Trails reader brought to our attention this week that on the … [Read more…]
To Lighthouse Trails: I’m grateful to God for helping me come across your site tonight! I found out the Walk to Emmaus was demonic when I went on the walk this last weekend. It was the most horrible thing I’ve been through in my life. I believe God was protecting me while I was there. … [Read more…]
The acceptance of contemplative prayer has hit an all-time high in the church. And is it any wonder? Christian media, Christian publishers, pastors, mission societies, Bible societies, authors, radio hosts, youth leaders, women’s group leaders, and Christian ministry leaders are all promoting it more than ever. The video below that was posted on Charisma Magazine’s … [Read more…]
A summer 2018 Relevant Magazine article titled “Why Learning to Breathe May Be the Best Way to Pray,” tells readers that, Breath prayer [are] an ancient Christian prayer practice with origins in the lives of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, is a vehicle we can use to live out Scripture’s call to “pray without ceasing. (1 … [Read more…]
The September 2018 issue of The American Legion magazine has a cover headline: “Warrior Pose—Veterans Find Healing Through Yoga.” The article states: American Legion posts host yoga sessions for veterans grappling with PTSD. . . . After leaving the Marine Corps, Jeff Drake felt alone. He lacked a community. He felt angry and hostile. Drake’s … [Read more…]
Mandala Color Books: Relaxing Fun or a Tool for New Age Meditation? By Lois Putnam Adult coloring has recently become a national passion. In fact, of the top twenty best-selling books on Amazon.com, ten of these were adult color books. Proof of this can be found in any bookstore where the first thing you’ll see … [Read more…]
We posted the following article in 2007. It is written by Yogi Baba Prem, who is a Hindu Yogi, a Vedavisharada trained in the traditional gurukural system. Because Yoga is growing in popularity among Christians today, we decided to post this again. We hope that Christians who are considering Yoga will read this. And please read some of … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following is a chapter from the Lighthouse Trails book Castles in the Sand, the only novel we know of that exposes the dangers of contemplative spirituality and spiritual formation. The story, based on true facts, is about a young Christian college girl who is introduced to mysticism through her spiritual formation professor. … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: From Beth Moore to Chuck Swindoll to Dallas Willard, Christian leaders are telling us we can’t really know God without the silence (stilling the mind). But is this really a biblical mandate? By Lynn Lusby Pratt Have you heard the rumor going around—that God can be found “only in the silence”? Don’t buy … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: As millions around the world rejoiced when the Thai boys and their soccer coach were rescued from the flooded cave in Thailand, the world also learned that the boys credited much of their survival to meditation, which they learned in the cave from their soccer coach. Now, to show their respect and sorrow … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: Our hearts (and prayers) went out to the Thai soccer team that had been trapped inside a flooded cave in Thailand. We were as happy as so many others when we learned they had been rescued. However, our hearts became heavy when we learned, after their rescue, that meditation was attributed to their … [Read more…]
URGENT: If you know any families with children, please make sure the parents are given a copy of this booklet. Right now, efforts are under way to bring mindfulness mediation into every public school in America. NEW BOOKLET: Mindfulness: What You May Not Know And Should Have Been Told by the editors at Lighthouse Trails … [Read more…]
By Kevin Reeves and the Editors at Lighthouse Trails A number of years ago, a book written by emerging-church leaders Brian McLaren and Leonard Sweet was released. The book was called A is for Abductive: the language of the emerging church. Going through the alphabet, the authors identified many terms they hoped would be picked … [Read more…]
Dear Friends at Lighthouse Trails: Just thought I would send a few articles from our local paper about what is going on in our part of the country. Sounds like the many issues you so faithfully address. Thank you for your faithfulness to God’s truth. John Related Stories: Fresno, California “Church Calendar” Illustrates Major Paradigm … [Read more…]
YWAM (Youth With a Mission), an evangelical missions organization (founded in 1960 by Loren Cunningham) that trains about 25,000 people every year for world-wide mission trips, has issued an announcement regarding its commitment to teaching contemplative prayer. On Saturday, a reader alerted Lighthouse Trails to a June 2018 YWAM promotional audio piece on the … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The fact that Roma Downey’s recently released, New Age-promoting book, Box of Butterflies, is being endorsed by numerous evangelical leaders like Rick and Kay Warren, Focus on the Family, Jonathan Falwell, Craig Groeschel, John Hagee, Max Lucado, Erwin McManus, Luis Palau Association, Hillsong, and Ronnie Floyd (the last SBC president) is reason … [Read more…]
NEW BOOKLET: The Big Picture—How the World and the Church Are Being Deceived: Ten Spiritual Devices by Warren B. Smith is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet. The Booklet is 18 pages long and sells for $1.95 for single copies. Quantity discounts are as much as 50% off retail. Our Booklets are designed to give away … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes and not as an endorsement of the content or the source. To learn more about the dangers of practicing Yoga, please refer to our Yoga category on this blog. Also type in “mindfulness” in our search engine for articles on mindfulness meditation and the … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes and not as an endorsement of the source or the content. It is not surprising to Lighthouse Trails that the Pope would be drawn to those who teach meditation as he is a contemplative advocate and told the U.S. Congress he considers Thomas Merton … [Read more…]
To Lighthouse Trails: After 1-2 years of practicing “chair yoga,” attempts at meditation (it didn’t work for me), and a Chinese practice called qi gong . . . I completely turned my back on ANY Christian ways I might have had! I quit Bible reading, study, most praying; my Christian life just disappeared. These two … [Read more…]
By Lois Putnam Conscious Discipline, the creation of Dr. Becky A. Bailey, is a program used in hundreds of educational settings the world over–Head Start, private schools, day cares, Montessori schools, Christian schools, public schools and more. This discipline program loudly touts its shift from a reliance on “fear to love,” and from “punishing to … [Read more…]
