A couple of months ago, I made a wonderful purchase at the local drugstore - sunglasses. Not just any sunglasses - but MAGIC sunglasses. Actually, I call them my "happy glasses." They are certainly NOT attractive...they fit over my regular eyeglasses and they make me look like the Bugwoman from Mars - so I make anyone who sits in the passenger seat promise to remind me to take them off when I get out of the car. The lenses are a dark gold - and they make the world look BEAUTIFUL! The greens are greener - the blues, bluer - and everything appears fresh, and inviting.
I started thinking about all the different "glasses" we choose to wear in our day and how it affects the way we see things. For example - if we look at life through the lens of negativity - nothing feels right. We are more critical and discouraged - and we can easily become depressed. If we put on "glasses" that are tinted with superiority - then we become judgmental and harsh with a false sense of importance. If we choose to see life with gratitude and appreciation, then every moment becomes a gift filled with promise. There are the "glasses" of compassion and grace which motivate us to reach beyond ourselves and our immediate world and move on behalf of others. If we wear "dull" glasses, then our life is stripped of color - and if we choose to wear the "glasses from the past" then we never move beyond yesterday and we miss the discoveries and splendor that wait for us in the "now". If we wear the lenses of suspicion then we can't trust anyone so we can't see the good in them. That leads to a very isolated existence because we are paranoid of being hurt or disappointed.
The thing about my "happy" glasses is that I have become addicted to them! I wear them even when it is cloudy! And, I think that also applies to the way we view life. We can get in a negative rut or a judgemental rut or a self-pitying rut with very little effort. But, the reverse is true also. We can become "addicted" to seeing the world through positive lenses - and what a difference that makes, not only in our personal life, but in the world we live in.
Just try it. And, if you want a little reminder - go to the drugstore and buy a pair of my "happy glasses!" Just don't get out of the car with them on! Believe me - it is not a good look!!!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
MEMORIAL DAY
I am currently reading "Angela's Ashes". I know - I am really behind the times since it peaked in popularity years ago. But, better late than never. One of the things that is so apparent in the book is "prejudice". If you were from Northern Ireland, then you were discriminated against by people who lived in Southern Ireland. Even specific towns within the country carried their own stigmas. And, certainly, there was and continues to be the conflict between the Protestants and the Catholics. All of this made me think about war - which is more than appropriate to think about on this holiday.
The fact is that there is always war - on some level. I'm not sure, but it might simply be human nature...this business of never being able to get along with one another...this business of judgment and labels and comparisons...this need to be "right" at all costs. And, where there is war, there are always casualties.
Is war ever worth it? I can't answer that with any authority. When I think about the horrors of the Holocaust, or Rwanda, or Dafur, etc. then I think fighting to end genocide is a worthy reason for war. But I'm not sure that war is always the best option - I just know that it seems to be the most popular. But actually, then everyone loses something. We can't have a war without loss.
And, so, on this holiday we remember our losses. We remember the cost our nation paid for whatever cause we found worthy to fight over. We play patriotic songs, watch old war movies, maybe shed a tear or two - and then go on. Actually most of us will skip that altogether, and just head for the pool and a big barbeque. I don't understand the significance of that connection, either. Remember the dead and eat a hamburger??? Hmmmm....
This year, more than any other, I seem to be thinking about the mothers whose children are no longer able to come to the family cookout. I keep thinking about the price they have paid for this current war. I'm not even thinking much about whether Iraq is a worthy cause or not - instead I just have this heaviness in my heart and I want to tell them how sorry I am for the pain they feel. It seems ludicrous and inappropriate to offer the traditional holiday "Thank You". I feel too sad.
So, on this Memorial Day, I am remembering...and thinking about the cost paid. I do wish war would end forever, but I know that will never happen. So, I guess as long as there is life on earth, we will have a need for this wretched holiday.
The fact is that there is always war - on some level. I'm not sure, but it might simply be human nature...this business of never being able to get along with one another...this business of judgment and labels and comparisons...this need to be "right" at all costs. And, where there is war, there are always casualties.
Is war ever worth it? I can't answer that with any authority. When I think about the horrors of the Holocaust, or Rwanda, or Dafur, etc. then I think fighting to end genocide is a worthy reason for war. But I'm not sure that war is always the best option - I just know that it seems to be the most popular. But actually, then everyone loses something. We can't have a war without loss.
And, so, on this holiday we remember our losses. We remember the cost our nation paid for whatever cause we found worthy to fight over. We play patriotic songs, watch old war movies, maybe shed a tear or two - and then go on. Actually most of us will skip that altogether, and just head for the pool and a big barbeque. I don't understand the significance of that connection, either. Remember the dead and eat a hamburger??? Hmmmm....
This year, more than any other, I seem to be thinking about the mothers whose children are no longer able to come to the family cookout. I keep thinking about the price they have paid for this current war. I'm not even thinking much about whether Iraq is a worthy cause or not - instead I just have this heaviness in my heart and I want to tell them how sorry I am for the pain they feel. It seems ludicrous and inappropriate to offer the traditional holiday "Thank You". I feel too sad.
So, on this Memorial Day, I am remembering...and thinking about the cost paid. I do wish war would end forever, but I know that will never happen. So, I guess as long as there is life on earth, we will have a need for this wretched holiday.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
THOU SHALT NOT WHINE!!!
Yesterday, Oprah finally aired the program of her trip to Auschwitz, with Elie Wiesel. Earlier this year, (Jan. 23, 2006 - check my archives) I wrote a review of Weisel's moving account of his imprisionment at the death camp in his book entitled "Night" and I have been anxiously awaiting Oprah's show. I hope you saw it. It was truly moving and well done, and I was reminded once again of the indomitable human spirit and what an important role our attitude plays in our quality of life and many times, in our survival.
I recently read the account of Steven Callahan's 76-day ordeal of being lost at sea in a life raft. In 1982, he was in a small boat that was capsized by what he believes was a whale. His story, as told in his book "Adrift" reads like fiction - but is riviting because it is not. It details all the things he did to survive - but the thing that impressed me most was how he managed to keep himself going when it seemed as though all hope was gone. He was starving, dehydrated, exhausted, his life raft was leaking - he SHOULD have simply given up - but he did not. He survived - just like Elie Wiesel. What is it that makes one a "survivor"? It is something that happens NOT in their circumstances but in their minds.
"I tell myself I can handle it," wrote Callahan in his narrative. "Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over, building up fortitude..."
Attitude. How we choose to look at our circumstances.
I am sure that all of us have met "whiners". I met someone the other day who complained nonstop about their health situation. This person said there were days when she simply didn't get out of bed because she was so tired - she just watched TV. She had given up. Honestly, I wanted to strangle her. I have lupus - I don't feel top notch myself - but I never give up. I refuse to just let the disease dominate my life. The truth is, our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. Others have been through much worse. I can turn on the news any day of the week and hear about people who are truly suffering - just look at the people in Dafur! I am so lucky to live in America and have the comforts that I do. We are all lucky to be where we are, living when we do, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies of a perfect existEnce. There is always someone somewhere who is in worse shape than I am.
Viktor Frankl, another Holocaust survivor said, "...everything can be taken from man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances..."
Coming to us from the extreme edge of survival, Frankl's words can give us strength.
Whatever you are going through, keep telling yourself you can handle it. Compared to what others have endured, you are fortunate. Never lose sight of that. Your attitude makes the difference between existing and surviving and thriving.
The Bible says, "In the world you will have tribulation..." See? It's not something that is unexpected! It is not something that is happening ONLY to you! Louis D. Brandeis said, "If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you."
Good point. Don't whine. Change your attitude and do what you can to make the most of every day. Remember, things could always be worse! Be grateful that they are not.
I recently read the account of Steven Callahan's 76-day ordeal of being lost at sea in a life raft. In 1982, he was in a small boat that was capsized by what he believes was a whale. His story, as told in his book "Adrift" reads like fiction - but is riviting because it is not. It details all the things he did to survive - but the thing that impressed me most was how he managed to keep himself going when it seemed as though all hope was gone. He was starving, dehydrated, exhausted, his life raft was leaking - he SHOULD have simply given up - but he did not. He survived - just like Elie Wiesel. What is it that makes one a "survivor"? It is something that happens NOT in their circumstances but in their minds.
"I tell myself I can handle it," wrote Callahan in his narrative. "Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over, building up fortitude..."
Attitude. How we choose to look at our circumstances.
I am sure that all of us have met "whiners". I met someone the other day who complained nonstop about their health situation. This person said there were days when she simply didn't get out of bed because she was so tired - she just watched TV. She had given up. Honestly, I wanted to strangle her. I have lupus - I don't feel top notch myself - but I never give up. I refuse to just let the disease dominate my life. The truth is, our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. Others have been through much worse. I can turn on the news any day of the week and hear about people who are truly suffering - just look at the people in Dafur! I am so lucky to live in America and have the comforts that I do. We are all lucky to be where we are, living when we do, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies of a perfect existEnce. There is always someone somewhere who is in worse shape than I am.
Viktor Frankl, another Holocaust survivor said, "...everything can be taken from man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances..."
Coming to us from the extreme edge of survival, Frankl's words can give us strength.
Whatever you are going through, keep telling yourself you can handle it. Compared to what others have endured, you are fortunate. Never lose sight of that. Your attitude makes the difference between existing and surviving and thriving.
The Bible says, "In the world you will have tribulation..." See? It's not something that is unexpected! It is not something that is happening ONLY to you! Louis D. Brandeis said, "If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you."
Good point. Don't whine. Change your attitude and do what you can to make the most of every day. Remember, things could always be worse! Be grateful that they are not.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
THE DA VINCI CODE
I read the book when it first came out, and frankly, I have been amazed by all the hoopla surrounding it. Especially since it is clearly a work of FICTION (translated: made up - not true - invented for entertainment purposes.) As with any good fiction writer, Dan Brown has taken a situation and played "what if?" within the parameters of various theories and possibilities. In other words - this is not, and was never intended to be, an accurate account of history.
So - here is the problem: the religious right seems to over-react to EVERYTHING! There are protesters at the theater, for goodness sakes. And, my question is: What in the world are they afraid of? Do Christian leaders have so little regard for their congregations that they honestly believe they do not possess the mental capacity to distinguish fact from fiction??? Are their beliefs on such tenuous ground that the slightest suggest of something other than doctrine could completely collapse their faith? And is their concept of faith actually closing their eyes, covering their ears and loudly singing "la,la,la,la" so no sound gets in? Is that faith?
I felt that the movie goes the extra mile to assure the religious right that all is well. Tom Hanks character states numerous times that these ideas (that Jesus was married to Mary Magdelene, etc.) are all just myths. And, in the end of the movie, his character tells of a childhood trauma in which he prayed to Jesus and he KNEW that he was not alone - and that Jesus helped him survive. Seems like that moment in the film SHOULD alleviate any of the established church's concerns.
BUT - unless they SEE the film, they won't know about it - and many will continue to make spectacles of themselves in protest, only revealing their own ignorance. Obviously, this is a subject that infuriates me. I have always said that the conservative church seems to be better know for what it is AGAINST than what it is FOR. And, that is sad.
There was even talk about putting a disclaimer on the screen before and after the film. If it comes to that - then I suppose we need to put disclaimers on ALL films. For example, I wouldn't want anyone to go see X-Men 3 and think that Wolfman is real! And, obviously, there are people who believe that our intelligence level has dropped so low we can not tell what is imagination and what is reality.
Oh well...if you are secure in your personal grasp on reality - by all means, go see this film. It is entertaining and exciting - and a great topic for stimulating conversations!
So - here is the problem: the religious right seems to over-react to EVERYTHING! There are protesters at the theater, for goodness sakes. And, my question is: What in the world are they afraid of? Do Christian leaders have so little regard for their congregations that they honestly believe they do not possess the mental capacity to distinguish fact from fiction??? Are their beliefs on such tenuous ground that the slightest suggest of something other than doctrine could completely collapse their faith? And is their concept of faith actually closing their eyes, covering their ears and loudly singing "la,la,la,la" so no sound gets in? Is that faith?
I felt that the movie goes the extra mile to assure the religious right that all is well. Tom Hanks character states numerous times that these ideas (that Jesus was married to Mary Magdelene, etc.) are all just myths. And, in the end of the movie, his character tells of a childhood trauma in which he prayed to Jesus and he KNEW that he was not alone - and that Jesus helped him survive. Seems like that moment in the film SHOULD alleviate any of the established church's concerns.
BUT - unless they SEE the film, they won't know about it - and many will continue to make spectacles of themselves in protest, only revealing their own ignorance. Obviously, this is a subject that infuriates me. I have always said that the conservative church seems to be better know for what it is AGAINST than what it is FOR. And, that is sad.
There was even talk about putting a disclaimer on the screen before and after the film. If it comes to that - then I suppose we need to put disclaimers on ALL films. For example, I wouldn't want anyone to go see X-Men 3 and think that Wolfman is real! And, obviously, there are people who believe that our intelligence level has dropped so low we can not tell what is imagination and what is reality.
Oh well...if you are secure in your personal grasp on reality - by all means, go see this film. It is entertaining and exciting - and a great topic for stimulating conversations!
Monday, May 22, 2006
CONCERT
Just returned from a weekend in Alexandria. Marilyn and I went to the Birchmere to see Cris Williamson. So GREAT! She was joined by 4 incredible musicians. Barbara Higbie played the violin - and all I could think about was how much my daughter-in-law would have enjoyed her. Heidi plans a "mean violin" herself! Anyway - I didn't realize that Barbara is one of the "Women of Windham Hill" musicians. I probably have her on many CDs, since I am a big fan of the Windham Hill music, and never knew it! Small world.
Also in the ensemble was Vicki Randall - who plays for the Tonight Show band - what a guitarist! She also played the drums and sang backup. Anyway - all in all - Cris surrounded herself - and her music - with the best. Cris was just as wonderful as I knew she would be. I had never heard her in person - but have all her CDs.
The traffic on 95 north was TERRIBLE! We left here at noon - and arrived at the Birchmere around 4:40. It should have been a 2 hour trip. There were accidents - going and coming home. I think if I do this again, I will go a different route.
We met some really nice people and enjoyed chatting as we waited for the concert to begin - and during intermission. All in all - it was a great time. I decided that I definitely need to do something like this more often!
Also in the ensemble was Vicki Randall - who plays for the Tonight Show band - what a guitarist! She also played the drums and sang backup. Anyway - all in all - Cris surrounded herself - and her music - with the best. Cris was just as wonderful as I knew she would be. I had never heard her in person - but have all her CDs.
The traffic on 95 north was TERRIBLE! We left here at noon - and arrived at the Birchmere around 4:40. It should have been a 2 hour trip. There were accidents - going and coming home. I think if I do this again, I will go a different route.
We met some really nice people and enjoyed chatting as we waited for the concert to begin - and during intermission. All in all - it was a great time. I decided that I definitely need to do something like this more often!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
I WORK HARD FOR THE MONEY
Didn't sleep well last night. My mind was whirling with all the things I DON'T know about marketing but that I have to find out! Marilyn and I went to several bookstores in the area today to get them to stock a few copies of the book. The first Barnes and Noble went smoothly - but the next Barnes and Noble informed me that the book was listed in their system as a TEXTBOOK. On what? The clerk gave me the name of someone to talk with - who, of course, is on vacation now. sigh. Borders was also a disappointing experience. The manager was out back throwing out light fixtures (Honestly! That is what they told me!) and could not come in to talk with me. So - I have her phone number. The clerk that was assisting me at Borders was REALLY laid back....I expected to see dead flies falling off of him.
So - we returned home - and I decided to continue this effort by phone. Seems like showing up in person doesn't do much. I posted the picture of the book on Amazon - since they were slow in doing so. And am in the process of registering with them as an author. We'll see how that goes. Yesterday I signed up for the James River Writer's Conference in October. I wish they would have a speaker who could provide information about marketing. Maybe I just have to learn it by myself and then volunteer to be on the panel next year.
Okay...enough whining. I am still excited - still positive - and REALLY puzzled about the TEXTBOOK thing. Go figure.
So - we returned home - and I decided to continue this effort by phone. Seems like showing up in person doesn't do much. I posted the picture of the book on Amazon - since they were slow in doing so. And am in the process of registering with them as an author. We'll see how that goes. Yesterday I signed up for the James River Writer's Conference in October. I wish they would have a speaker who could provide information about marketing. Maybe I just have to learn it by myself and then volunteer to be on the panel next year.
Okay...enough whining. I am still excited - still positive - and REALLY puzzled about the TEXTBOOK thing. Go figure.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
IT'S HERE!!!!!
At last! I cannot tell you how exciting it is to hold my book in my hands and realize that I wrote every word! I am very pleased with the finished product - looks great!
I checked and it is available for purchase already at Amazon.com...and Barnes and Noble.com. The picture of the book wasn't uploaded yet at Amazon, but it is there on Barnes and Noble's site. But, I have it posted here so you can get an idea of what it looks like.
Just enter the title, "Tell Me That You Like It" in the search box of either of these online purchase places and it should come up.
So - order away, my friends! And, after you read it, please post a review at Amazon (and Barnes and Noble, if they have a place for that.) I know it is easy to do at Amazon.
I need to sell as many copies as possible so that I can get the attention of a larger publishing house. I am not really making money on this - so you are not helping me to get rich - just helping me to get noticed!
Did I mention that I am excited???!!!
I AM AN AMERICAN
I think our country must be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. That seems to be the only explanation I can come up with for our passive response to the chipping away of our freedoms and our willingness to make excuses for governmental actions we never would have tolerated before 9/11.
I confess that I am just as guilty of blind acceptance as the next guy. When faced with the possibility that some nut might blow up the plane I am in - I certainly don't mind being frisked and having my luggage searched. After all, I want to be safe, right? And if this is what it takes to be safe - well, okay. And, if Big Brother needs to know who I call and why and for how long, and what I talk about - well, okay. After all, I want to be safe, right? And, if the U.S. has to abuse prisoners at Abu Gharaib and ship detainees to secret prisons abroad where, presumably, they can be tortured - well, okay. After all, I want to be safe, right? And, if the government wants to arm the Mexican border with National Guard troops - well, okay. After all, I want to be safe, right?
But am I safe? Can any of these things make me safe? No. Nothing guarantees safety. And, by just nodding my head - like those goofy dogs in the back of cars - I am letting bits and pieces of my freedom, and my sense of ethics disinergrate forever. I will NEVER get back the personal freedoms that have been legislated away. None of us will.
Last month, Rev. William Sloane Coffin passed away. He was a Presbyterian minister who served as chaplain at Yale University and pastor at Riverside Church in New York. He was also an advocate for civil rights - for all of us. His latest book, "Credo" was published in 2004 and is a collection of his writings. It is said that Coffin spent his life trying to atone for having followed military orders in 1945, putting 3,000 white Russians who fought against the Stalin communist regime, on a train from Germany to Moscow - and sure execution.
After 9/11, he said that the U.S. government should have vowed "to see justice done, but by force of law only, not by the law of force." He also said that "the world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love." Words to consider.
Most of us have realized that attacking Iraq was a huge mistake. A little late, however. And, I think we believe there is nothing we can do about it now - so we have lost our outrage. Instead we focus on high gas prices (which is another one of those things that crept up on us in our PTSD state). We tell ourselves that we don't want to be unpatriotic - we want to support the troops - but if we were honest, we would realize that this war was not really about defending America - it was about attacking Iraq. And our troops are not being called on to die for their country - but instead they are being asked to kill for their country. Big difference. How unpatriotic is that?
If this was all about Osama Bin Laden - then why is he still alive and well. Our government can use satellites to listen to our phone conversations...they can see a specific leaf on a tree from SPACE, for goodness sakes - and still, they insist they cannot find Bin Laden??? Yeah, right.
It is time that we shake our heads and clear away the dust from the horror of 9/11, and reclaim who we are as a people - as a nation - as Americans. We aren't stupid - so we have to stop acting like we are. We want to be safe - and yet, we have stopped defending ourselves. It isn't up to the government to keep us safe - it is up to each individual to decide to reclaim their voices. To rise up from the ashes of 9/11 and say - enough. Our country is barreling down the wrong path and we have already lost a lot of ground.
It isn't unamerican to stand up for what is right. It is unamerican to remain passive and uninformed while decisions are made by people we put in office that are changing what an American looks like. And, not for the better. I know it is easier to just float along - to not make waves - but if we look at our history we know that being an American meant fighting for what was right - REALLY right. Not just for us - but for mankind.
I am an American - and I want to be proud of that again.
I confess that I am just as guilty of blind acceptance as the next guy. When faced with the possibility that some nut might blow up the plane I am in - I certainly don't mind being frisked and having my luggage searched. After all, I want to be safe, right? And if this is what it takes to be safe - well, okay. And, if Big Brother needs to know who I call and why and for how long, and what I talk about - well, okay. After all, I want to be safe, right? And, if the U.S. has to abuse prisoners at Abu Gharaib and ship detainees to secret prisons abroad where, presumably, they can be tortured - well, okay. After all, I want to be safe, right? And, if the government wants to arm the Mexican border with National Guard troops - well, okay. After all, I want to be safe, right?
But am I safe? Can any of these things make me safe? No. Nothing guarantees safety. And, by just nodding my head - like those goofy dogs in the back of cars - I am letting bits and pieces of my freedom, and my sense of ethics disinergrate forever. I will NEVER get back the personal freedoms that have been legislated away. None of us will.
Last month, Rev. William Sloane Coffin passed away. He was a Presbyterian minister who served as chaplain at Yale University and pastor at Riverside Church in New York. He was also an advocate for civil rights - for all of us. His latest book, "Credo" was published in 2004 and is a collection of his writings. It is said that Coffin spent his life trying to atone for having followed military orders in 1945, putting 3,000 white Russians who fought against the Stalin communist regime, on a train from Germany to Moscow - and sure execution.
After 9/11, he said that the U.S. government should have vowed "to see justice done, but by force of law only, not by the law of force." He also said that "the world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love." Words to consider.
Most of us have realized that attacking Iraq was a huge mistake. A little late, however. And, I think we believe there is nothing we can do about it now - so we have lost our outrage. Instead we focus on high gas prices (which is another one of those things that crept up on us in our PTSD state). We tell ourselves that we don't want to be unpatriotic - we want to support the troops - but if we were honest, we would realize that this war was not really about defending America - it was about attacking Iraq. And our troops are not being called on to die for their country - but instead they are being asked to kill for their country. Big difference. How unpatriotic is that?
If this was all about Osama Bin Laden - then why is he still alive and well. Our government can use satellites to listen to our phone conversations...they can see a specific leaf on a tree from SPACE, for goodness sakes - and still, they insist they cannot find Bin Laden??? Yeah, right.
It is time that we shake our heads and clear away the dust from the horror of 9/11, and reclaim who we are as a people - as a nation - as Americans. We aren't stupid - so we have to stop acting like we are. We want to be safe - and yet, we have stopped defending ourselves. It isn't up to the government to keep us safe - it is up to each individual to decide to reclaim their voices. To rise up from the ashes of 9/11 and say - enough. Our country is barreling down the wrong path and we have already lost a lot of ground.
It isn't unamerican to stand up for what is right. It is unamerican to remain passive and uninformed while decisions are made by people we put in office that are changing what an American looks like. And, not for the better. I know it is easier to just float along - to not make waves - but if we look at our history we know that being an American meant fighting for what was right - REALLY right. Not just for us - but for mankind.
I am an American - and I want to be proud of that again.
Monday, May 15, 2006
PRAYER
I'm not sure what has made me decide to write a brief blog entry today on prayer. Perhaps it is simply that I spent most of the day paying bills and balancing the checkbook. I guess that would make ANYONE turn to prayer!
Through most of my years in the organized church, there was a lot said about the correct way to pray. I know some religions have prayers that are simply words repeated over and over. Some conservative Christians feel like you need to praise God first before you begin your prayer in earnest...actually, it is: praise - then repent - then prayer for other's needs and then your requests, followed by expressions of gratitude....or something like that. I always thought that seemed manipulative - like you had to butter God up first and try and slip in your personal requests quickly before distracting God again with thanksgiving. Smacks of insincerity.
For me, prayer is simply a way to communicate with the Divine. It is letting my heart cry out. It is a time for me to be who I am before God - no tricks, no cover-ups, no excuses - and it is a way to welcome in a wider vision of life. I don't have to use words - sometimes silence conveys so much more. It can express a longing for God in ways that words can never do. Simone Weil said, "Pure attention is prayer."
I guess that is what meditation is all about. Just being quiet inside - giving God your complete attention - wanting nothing but to be...simply "be". Maybe prayer is being aware of God's presence always...in all we say and do - and in the world around us. Maybe it isn't an "event" - something that we DO - but more who we are and how we live.
John Fox wrote this:
Nice. I can feel the stress of paying the bills floating away already. I hope those words do the same for you.
Through most of my years in the organized church, there was a lot said about the correct way to pray. I know some religions have prayers that are simply words repeated over and over. Some conservative Christians feel like you need to praise God first before you begin your prayer in earnest...actually, it is: praise - then repent - then prayer for other's needs and then your requests, followed by expressions of gratitude....or something like that. I always thought that seemed manipulative - like you had to butter God up first and try and slip in your personal requests quickly before distracting God again with thanksgiving. Smacks of insincerity.
For me, prayer is simply a way to communicate with the Divine. It is letting my heart cry out. It is a time for me to be who I am before God - no tricks, no cover-ups, no excuses - and it is a way to welcome in a wider vision of life. I don't have to use words - sometimes silence conveys so much more. It can express a longing for God in ways that words can never do. Simone Weil said, "Pure attention is prayer."
I guess that is what meditation is all about. Just being quiet inside - giving God your complete attention - wanting nothing but to be...simply "be". Maybe prayer is being aware of God's presence always...in all we say and do - and in the world around us. Maybe it isn't an "event" - something that we DO - but more who we are and how we live.
John Fox wrote this:
Teach me to set aside
all thoughts of this and that
to remain centered in my heart,
remember God, and let the rest
flow past. To make a still breath
or holy song the poetry
to fill my day, and leave behind
the chatter, clatter in my heart.
To be open to the smallest pulse
of Light felt there, beginning now
to see God in all and everywhere.
Nice. I can feel the stress of paying the bills floating away already. I hope those words do the same for you.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
MOTHER'S DAY THOUGHTS
I started reading the new book by Natalie Goldberg last night - The Great Failure. She wrote a terrific writing book that I enjoyed entitled Writing Down the Bones. This latest book is more personal, however - dealing with her failed relationship with her parents. After I read the first 20 or so pages, I realized that many of us harbor a sadness - a regret of some sort - when we think of our parents. Maybe we wanted more from them then they were able to give - maybe it was truly a generation gap...one in which they were prisoners of their own parents - maybe we just wanted more time with them, or wish we had said or done things differently. Perhaps we just wish they could have understood us and loved us just as we are - not constantly trying to change us. sigh.
My son is coming over today. He is nothing but a delight. When I think of things that I have done right in this world, I think I have been a good mother. Not perfect - but good. I am most happy with the fact that he and I are friends...and I never use guilt as a manipulator. I don't have to. We simply "are" and that is wonderful.
My thoughts wander to all those mothers who have lost children this year...I cannot imagine the heartache - the emptiness. I hope they are not dealing with regret. Perhaps today should be about loving and honoring our children just as much as it is about honoring mothers. Perhaps today should be about hugging our children a little tighter and saying the things that need to be said. Perhaps today should be about eliminating any future reason for regret.
Just my thoughts. I know that I will hug my son extra hard today and be sure to let him know how special he is.
My son is coming over today. He is nothing but a delight. When I think of things that I have done right in this world, I think I have been a good mother. Not perfect - but good. I am most happy with the fact that he and I are friends...and I never use guilt as a manipulator. I don't have to. We simply "are" and that is wonderful.
My thoughts wander to all those mothers who have lost children this year...I cannot imagine the heartache - the emptiness. I hope they are not dealing with regret. Perhaps today should be about loving and honoring our children just as much as it is about honoring mothers. Perhaps today should be about hugging our children a little tighter and saying the things that need to be said. Perhaps today should be about eliminating any future reason for regret.
Just my thoughts. I know that I will hug my son extra hard today and be sure to let him know how special he is.
Friday, May 12, 2006
WHAT ARE YOU READING???
"This day will bring some lovely thing."
I say it over each new dawn,
Some gay, adventurous thing to hold
Against my heart when it is gone;
And so I rise and go to meet,
The day with wings upon my feet.
I come upon it unaware,
Some sudden beauty without name;
A snatch of song, a breath of pine.
A poem lit with golden flame,
High-tangled bird notes, keenly thinned -
Like flying color on the wind.
No day has ever failed me quite -
Before the grayest day is done,
I come upon some misty bloom,
Or late line of crimson sun.
Each night I pause - remembering
Some gay, adventurous, lovely thing. "
Grace Noll Crowell
This poem is a favorite of a friend of mine - she can recite it - and often does. There is a lot of truth in these few lines. We really do have the power to choose how we see things. Maybe we are surrounded by so many blessings that we lose the ability to appreciate them. Maybe we can so easily focus on the things that are less than perfect, that we become blind to the miriad of perfect things that glisten and sparkle just waiting to be acknowledged.
Maybe our attitude about life has to do with what we are feeding our mind with. There is so much negativity bombarding us - we really have to actively pursue the positive. We have to seek out the uplifting books, movies, music...we have to choose to fill ourselves with things that are life-giving. I remember reading in some little book SOMEWHERE (I have been searching for it for nearly an hour, but cannot find it) about a patient who was seeing a counselor for help with depression. They had experimented with all kinds of medications, and meditations, etc. Finally the counselor asked her patient what she was reading, to which the response was "The autobiography of Sylvia Plath." DUH!!! How depressing would that be?!!!
My point is that we have the option. Something I remind myself of daily. And - I have discovered that the more you practice actively pursuing the positive - the more you will find it just waiting to be discovered. Makes a difference - believe me!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
TIME-OUT
Some days the Lupus just takes over and all I can do is go with it. Today is one of those days. I am not whining...I am simply stating a fact. The challenge is to still find a way to make the day count - to find some spot of wonder in it all.
It is cloudly and dreary, but pleasantly peaceful inside. Plans to go shopping have been scrapped and I will just stay home. Jane Austen said, "There is nothing like staying home for real comfort." So true.
As I sit here at the computer, I am surrounded with books - everywhere. They contain worlds of wonder, just waiting for me to pick them up and spend a few moments letting the words fall over me like soft rain. Music is only a few feet away - countless CD's to choose from. There are art supplies - a plethora of markers and pens of bright colors, just waiting for me to pick them up and put them to paper. And, there is always the promise of a restorative nap on a gray afternoon.
So maybe on the days when Lupus wins - I do, too. Maybe on days like today, blessings wait for me that I would have not experienced otherwise.
So, off I go to claim them.
I'll let you know what I find!
It is cloudly and dreary, but pleasantly peaceful inside. Plans to go shopping have been scrapped and I will just stay home. Jane Austen said, "There is nothing like staying home for real comfort." So true.
As I sit here at the computer, I am surrounded with books - everywhere. They contain worlds of wonder, just waiting for me to pick them up and spend a few moments letting the words fall over me like soft rain. Music is only a few feet away - countless CD's to choose from. There are art supplies - a plethora of markers and pens of bright colors, just waiting for me to pick them up and put them to paper. And, there is always the promise of a restorative nap on a gray afternoon.
So maybe on the days when Lupus wins - I do, too. Maybe on days like today, blessings wait for me that I would have not experienced otherwise.
So, off I go to claim them.
I'll let you know what I find!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
CONVICTED OR CONVINCED
I have a calendar on my wall of word art by Mary Anne Radmacher. This month's verse says, "Embrace your convictions proudly." Every day, it has made me think about what my convictions ARE. What are the things that I really believe?
Years ago, while I was recuperating from numerous surgeries, I became an avid listener of Joyce Meyer. She was not as well known as she is now - but I thought she was a fresh, honest voice in the crowd of televised Christianity. She brought her "convictions" down to the every day level to see how they truly impacted the way she lived. She was also very willing to confess where she had "messed up". I remember a lesson she was teaching on integrity. She admitted that when the supermarket had a sale on chickens and limited them to 2 per family, she had her family members each take 2 chickens and get in different lines, being careful to not even look at each other so no one would know they were exceeding their limit. Integrity, hmmmmm?
How firmly do we hold to our beliefs - and is everything in life so "black and white"? The other night, while flicking through the TV channels, I happened upon a show with Bill Maher. He had our former governor, James Gilmore, on his panel as the token conservative. They were discussing abortion rights and the death penalty - and they asked Gilmore if he was a Christian. He proudly proclaimed that he was - and then they asked him how he could be pro-life and pro-death by supporting the death penalty. I watched him uncomfortably sputter and spew and try to answer. And, I wondered what I would say, if asked the question.
It is one thing to declare that I am against the death penalty...but to embrace that conviction proudly, is another thing. I know that if someone murdered my son, I would want him put to death immediately! It is easy to be magnanimous and argue for the life of a convicted murderer who has not offended me personally - but everything is different when I am asked to apply my convictions down to the everyday level.
Last night, on Boston Legal, (one of my favorite shows) the writers had the character, Alan Shore, give one of his thought-provoking speeches about black and white issues. He lamented that our country has become so divided that we have lost our ability to come together and "reason". We live in "red" states and "blue" states...we are conservatives or liberals...Republicans or Democrats...Christians (a group that sadly cannot even stand together but must divide into warring sub-groups!) and all other beliefs. I found his statements so true - and wish the writers would run for public office!!!
I know it is easy to divide ourselves up into little groups where the rules are carefully and clearly outlined...where we can close our eyes and ears to other opinions and just continue to repeat the mantras of whatever our little group says is "right". We don't have to think, then. We don't have to "live" our convictions - we only have to proclaim them. And, we have the comfort of knowing that we don't stand alone. We can look to others in our little groups and reassure ourselves that it THEY believe the same things, then it must be right!
But, living our beliefs is what makes them real. The older I get, the more I realize that very few things are clear cut. Every choice we make has a good and a bad result. What may be good for me, may be bad for someone else. So, I have limited my convictions that I proudly proclaim to some very basic beliefs. Then, I have the freedom when confronted with controversial issues, to admit that I don't know. I can take the time to listen and ponder and reason - before forming my opinion. AND, I do not have to force that opinion on anyone else. I simply take responsibility for my own actions.
Embrace your convictions proudly. Not as easy as it sounds. Especially if we want them to be genuine.
Years ago, while I was recuperating from numerous surgeries, I became an avid listener of Joyce Meyer. She was not as well known as she is now - but I thought she was a fresh, honest voice in the crowd of televised Christianity. She brought her "convictions" down to the every day level to see how they truly impacted the way she lived. She was also very willing to confess where she had "messed up". I remember a lesson she was teaching on integrity. She admitted that when the supermarket had a sale on chickens and limited them to 2 per family, she had her family members each take 2 chickens and get in different lines, being careful to not even look at each other so no one would know they were exceeding their limit. Integrity, hmmmmm?
How firmly do we hold to our beliefs - and is everything in life so "black and white"? The other night, while flicking through the TV channels, I happened upon a show with Bill Maher. He had our former governor, James Gilmore, on his panel as the token conservative. They were discussing abortion rights and the death penalty - and they asked Gilmore if he was a Christian. He proudly proclaimed that he was - and then they asked him how he could be pro-life and pro-death by supporting the death penalty. I watched him uncomfortably sputter and spew and try to answer. And, I wondered what I would say, if asked the question.
It is one thing to declare that I am against the death penalty...but to embrace that conviction proudly, is another thing. I know that if someone murdered my son, I would want him put to death immediately! It is easy to be magnanimous and argue for the life of a convicted murderer who has not offended me personally - but everything is different when I am asked to apply my convictions down to the everyday level.
Last night, on Boston Legal, (one of my favorite shows) the writers had the character, Alan Shore, give one of his thought-provoking speeches about black and white issues. He lamented that our country has become so divided that we have lost our ability to come together and "reason". We live in "red" states and "blue" states...we are conservatives or liberals...Republicans or Democrats...Christians (a group that sadly cannot even stand together but must divide into warring sub-groups!) and all other beliefs. I found his statements so true - and wish the writers would run for public office!!!
I know it is easy to divide ourselves up into little groups where the rules are carefully and clearly outlined...where we can close our eyes and ears to other opinions and just continue to repeat the mantras of whatever our little group says is "right". We don't have to think, then. We don't have to "live" our convictions - we only have to proclaim them. And, we have the comfort of knowing that we don't stand alone. We can look to others in our little groups and reassure ourselves that it THEY believe the same things, then it must be right!
But, living our beliefs is what makes them real. The older I get, the more I realize that very few things are clear cut. Every choice we make has a good and a bad result. What may be good for me, may be bad for someone else. So, I have limited my convictions that I proudly proclaim to some very basic beliefs. Then, I have the freedom when confronted with controversial issues, to admit that I don't know. I can take the time to listen and ponder and reason - before forming my opinion. AND, I do not have to force that opinion on anyone else. I simply take responsibility for my own actions.
Embrace your convictions proudly. Not as easy as it sounds. Especially if we want them to be genuine.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT THE HIPPO AND THE OLD TURTLE???
I received an interesting "forward" from a friend yesterday about a baby hippo and a giant century-old tortoise in an animal facility in Kenya. The baby hippo was swept down the Sabaki river into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore when the tsunami wave struck the Kenyan coastline on December 26, 2004. The traumatized hippo was rescued by wildlife rangers and taken to the Lafarge park animal facility where it bonded with the turtle. Hippos are by nature social creatures who like to stay close to their mothers for at least four years. The article, complete with pictures, said that the hippo and the tortoise sleep, swim and eat together, and that the hippo follows the tortiose exactly as it would do its own mother. The male tortoise seems delighted with this arrangement.
I couldn't help but think how this little scenario of nature speaks volumes to us about the ridiculous boundaries we create as human beings because of our perceived differences. Nothing could be MORE different than a hippo and a giant, ancient tortoise - and yet - in the face of disaster, all boundaries were erased and they found comman ground.
Immediately following 9-11, Americans united in compassion for one another. There were no racial divisions, no financial divisions - all of America came together in a shared need for comfort and understanding. Of course, it wasn't long before the "us vs. them" mentality took over and America was united in opposition to the "enemy"...and now we are engaged in a war that has lost all focus and meaning (if focus and meaning ever really existed!)
There is the horrific situation in Sudan - where thousands of people are being slaughtered and are forced to live in conditions that are simply inconceivable to most of us. But, because it is "way over there in Africa" we do not seem to have the same sense of outrage and compassion that we would be experiencing if it was happening on American soil.
Why is that??? Does Nature know something that we don't? Or do we choose to focus on our differences instead of acknowledging that we are all the same? Each human being has the same needs...the same basic desires. Nothing sets us apart except external circumstances. And, as long as we choose to embrace this seperatist mentality, we will continue to destroy one another, our world, and ourselves.
We lose something important when we make judgments based on differences - when we categorize one another...placing labels and levels of value on the members of this earth family. We lose that sense of connection - we lose our ability to recognize the unique gifts inherent in each of us - we lose the wonder and we lose the joy of belonging.
The hippo and the old turtle...the Christians and the Muslims...the Democrats and the Republicans...I could go on and on. But, you get the message. I wish we could ALL REALLY get it....not simply entertain the thought and then return to the status quo. What would our world be like if we lived as though we were one? If we didn't operate from a place of fear and distrust but from a place of compassion and understanding? If we really "loved our enemies as ourselves"?
I wonder.
I couldn't help but think how this little scenario of nature speaks volumes to us about the ridiculous boundaries we create as human beings because of our perceived differences. Nothing could be MORE different than a hippo and a giant, ancient tortoise - and yet - in the face of disaster, all boundaries were erased and they found comman ground.
Immediately following 9-11, Americans united in compassion for one another. There were no racial divisions, no financial divisions - all of America came together in a shared need for comfort and understanding. Of course, it wasn't long before the "us vs. them" mentality took over and America was united in opposition to the "enemy"...and now we are engaged in a war that has lost all focus and meaning (if focus and meaning ever really existed!)
There is the horrific situation in Sudan - where thousands of people are being slaughtered and are forced to live in conditions that are simply inconceivable to most of us. But, because it is "way over there in Africa" we do not seem to have the same sense of outrage and compassion that we would be experiencing if it was happening on American soil.
Why is that??? Does Nature know something that we don't? Or do we choose to focus on our differences instead of acknowledging that we are all the same? Each human being has the same needs...the same basic desires. Nothing sets us apart except external circumstances. And, as long as we choose to embrace this seperatist mentality, we will continue to destroy one another, our world, and ourselves.
We lose something important when we make judgments based on differences - when we categorize one another...placing labels and levels of value on the members of this earth family. We lose that sense of connection - we lose our ability to recognize the unique gifts inherent in each of us - we lose the wonder and we lose the joy of belonging.
The hippo and the old turtle...the Christians and the Muslims...the Democrats and the Republicans...I could go on and on. But, you get the message. I wish we could ALL REALLY get it....not simply entertain the thought and then return to the status quo. What would our world be like if we lived as though we were one? If we didn't operate from a place of fear and distrust but from a place of compassion and understanding? If we really "loved our enemies as ourselves"?
I wonder.
Monday, May 08, 2006
I'M BACK!!! DID YOU MISS ME???
Have you seen the TV commercials with the Mucus Family doing the congo in your lungs? Or, how about that annoying Fungus Creature, appropriately named "Digger", who digs underneath toenails, turning them yellow and thick? Gross. I think there is yet another bizarre creature out there - and it lives in our computers. I am convinced these wonder machines are actually filled with manically grinning gremlins who, for their own personal entertainment, mess with our minds!
For weeks, I was unable to access my own blog. No reason. I had done absolutely NOTHING different. So, when the computer acted up, I was forced to enter the twilight zone known as "Customer Support". sigh. Customer Support is where they stick all the Gremlins that are so full of techinical knowledge they are unable to communicate. They can only repeat geek-speak until they wear down the customer seeking the help. Actually, this technique is infinitely more effective than the proverbial Chinese Water Torture.
My adventure in Customer Supportville consisted of a plethora of e-mails. The problem was that while my e-mails continued to be more and more explicit and explanatory, Customer Support continued to simply send me the SAME FORM E-MAIL with the SAME STUPID INSTRUCTIONS that DIDN'T WORK!!! (Note: Bold caps indicate screaming frustration!)
After weeks of torture, the Head Gremlin must have decided that the fun that gone out of the game because, just as suddenly as the problem had appeared...it disappeared. No reason. I did absolutely NOTHING DIFFERENT. Yet - here I am...nestled safely in my own little blogspace, once again.
The experience has left me confused, and a little suspicious. I find that I am typing FAST - as if the plug will be pulled again at any moment! ARRRGHHH!!!!
During my blog-less weeks, I lapsed into a laziness of sorts. I shied away from deep thoughts (since there was no forum in which to share them)...I didn't read much (a REAL change for me) and I simply drifted into something akin to Spring Fever. I even lost that edge of anxiety that had been dogging me as I waited for my book to be published. (Still waiting, by the way - but it should be out in a couple of weeks! - More on that later.)
This morning, I decided enough was enough - and I pressed forward to begin again. So, dear readers, here I am and I hope you missed me.
I leave you with a quote by Helen Hayes that seems particularly applicable here: "If you rest, you rust." Hmmmm.....so - I will take out the WD-40 and move on! Writing seems to get easier with each word I type! Sort of like the tin man and his oil can.
Tune in tomorrow!
For weeks, I was unable to access my own blog. No reason. I had done absolutely NOTHING different. So, when the computer acted up, I was forced to enter the twilight zone known as "Customer Support". sigh. Customer Support is where they stick all the Gremlins that are so full of techinical knowledge they are unable to communicate. They can only repeat geek-speak until they wear down the customer seeking the help. Actually, this technique is infinitely more effective than the proverbial Chinese Water Torture.
My adventure in Customer Supportville consisted of a plethora of e-mails. The problem was that while my e-mails continued to be more and more explicit and explanatory, Customer Support continued to simply send me the SAME FORM E-MAIL with the SAME STUPID INSTRUCTIONS that DIDN'T WORK!!! (Note: Bold caps indicate screaming frustration!)
After weeks of torture, the Head Gremlin must have decided that the fun that gone out of the game because, just as suddenly as the problem had appeared...it disappeared. No reason. I did absolutely NOTHING DIFFERENT. Yet - here I am...nestled safely in my own little blogspace, once again.
The experience has left me confused, and a little suspicious. I find that I am typing FAST - as if the plug will be pulled again at any moment! ARRRGHHH!!!!
During my blog-less weeks, I lapsed into a laziness of sorts. I shied away from deep thoughts (since there was no forum in which to share them)...I didn't read much (a REAL change for me) and I simply drifted into something akin to Spring Fever. I even lost that edge of anxiety that had been dogging me as I waited for my book to be published. (Still waiting, by the way - but it should be out in a couple of weeks! - More on that later.)
This morning, I decided enough was enough - and I pressed forward to begin again. So, dear readers, here I am and I hope you missed me.
I leave you with a quote by Helen Hayes that seems particularly applicable here: "If you rest, you rust." Hmmmm.....so - I will take out the WD-40 and move on! Writing seems to get easier with each word I type! Sort of like the tin man and his oil can.
Tune in tomorrow!
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