Pneumanaut

Neuma what? That's the name of your company? Yes! Many years ago, I had the privilege to work with a very cool youth group at Light St., Presbyterian Church, in Baltimore, MD. For fun, we created a pose, sort of like a yoga stance.  We held one hand high over our heads, arm stretched, fingers pointed up, and the other one straight out, then slightly bent our knees as if we were surfing. It became a way for us to symbolize that we were tapping into the power of the Spirit and catching the wind. I'm using a capital S because I'm referring to the Holy Spirit. We were spiritual windsurfers. Later on, while attending an education conference, a dynamic and inspirational speaker named Lynn Sweet introduced me to the word Pneumanaut.

Pneuma is Greek for Spirit. Naut is, well, like an astronaut. He referred to us participants as Pneumanauts or windsurfers. The Spirit-Wind is the force that propels our life journey. We don't generate this power; instead, we collaborate with it. This Holy wind is not random, like the natural wind rustling the trees. It's intelligent and intentional, blowing where it wills. It is the life-giving breath of God, bringing with it newness, transformation, and hope. 

Pneumanaut is perhaps a better name for a ministry than a company. It's a celebration of the Wind in my life. Also, it's an invitation to this wonderous soul-surfing adventure. 

In his book “Story Engineering,” Larry Brooks said this about writers, “we are alive in a way that others are not. We are all about meaning, about subtext. We noticed when others don’t. It is the purpose of the human experience to immerse ourselves in growth and enlightenment, moving closer and closer to whatever spiritual truth you seek – hopefully, we have a few laughs and a few tears along the way – wearing a name tag of a writer makes that experience more vivid.” (Pg 299). 

I'm a writer, filmmaker, and more, a Pneumanaut.