My name is Wayne McDaniel. The idea for Experiencing the Light is rather recent. I was contemplating how to bring all the elements and activities of my life mission together and this is the result.
I have had an interest in God for as long as I can remember. I attended a Presbyterian Church growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis. One key moment in my spiritual life happened at a church camp following sixth grade, when surrounding a campfire, I threw a stick in the fire, dedicating my life to following God.
A few years later, in High School, I met a Catholic on fire for God. At the time, I did not even know Catholics could be Christian! But Joe drew me in. I attended prayer meetings and was eventually “baptized in the Spirit” and felt an overwhelming sense of the love of God. I went on to go to Oral Roberts University where I met Jude. We got married, moved to Lawrence Kansas, started a family and became involved and a leader in our church. After a while, my neat, tidy theology began to crack, which eventually led to an unraveling of everything and a “dark night of the soul.”
Yet, the deconstruction of my rigid beliefs, the breaking open of my religious shell, also allowed the Light to enter and opened my eyes to a more expansive view of the Divine, Creation and Humanity. More importantly, I feel as though my heart has awakened to the constant presence of the Light.
I still consider myself a Christian within the rich mystical tradition. I love Jesus and seek to follow his gospel of the Kingdom of God. My mission is to help individuals deepen their connection to the Light, finding the Divine within and around them, and living with more AWE – Awareness, Wonder, and Enjoyment.
