In Search of Direction (Spiritual Directors International)

For a period of about two years each, I've had two different spiritual directors (see Spiritual Directors International).   These separate periods of sessions ended for two different reasons:  the first director moved away and although I could have continued the sessions via phone, I like to meet with someone in person.  The second one helped me significantly work through a childhood trauma and it felt right to stop at a point that I felt closure.  What stuck with me, however, is that she suggested I could now begin to work on the deeper part of my own self.  In other words, I had already dealt with the external forces on my life, and now it was time to know myself.
To this, my knee-jerk reaction was, "YUCK!," "Not yet!," and "No way, no how!" But it stuck with me.  And when something sticks with me, it means there is something there.  Now, four years later, I am feeling an urge.  I think it's because, in talking to other women, I realize that part of my need is due to moving through peri-menopause and towards menopause. I have read about the physical aspects, but I have yet to find much on the feeling side of this stage.
In the meantime, I hope to begin with my third Spiritual Director in the New Year.  Now that it's on my heart, I know that I will be led to the right person.  Thank you God*.     
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What's pushing your buttons right now?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

"I Wrote Three Poems" (Thank You Readers)

One of the things I've heard after reflecting on whether or not to write a book and asking the question, "God*, what else should I know?" is that if we can help just one person, it is enough.  So even though self-publishing is daunting, I knew that if I could help one person, my heart would sing because it would be enough in God's eyes.  Well, my heart is singing.  Here's why.....

The kind of book I have enjoyed reading in the last ten years (examples:  Sabbath by Wayne Muller, God is Always Hiring by Regina Brett) is the kind of book I wrote.  It is a self-help book with exercises that help us discover our inner spirit wisdom .  So it touches me to hear that the book, Sprouting Spiritual Growth:  A Memoir and a Guide to Spiritual Journaling, is moving people to curiously consider their own spirit wisdom.

Here are some comments:

• "I wrote three poems yesterday." 
• "I looked up the meaning of my name."
• "I am doing the book slowly to allow for reflection of the questions.  They are written differently than what I have seen before."
• "I realize I am also no longer coming, but I am going."         

Being read is one of the greatest gifts to an author, so please know, readers, that you have helped me, too!  I appreciate your comments, your invitations to your homes to do an author's talk, the opportunity to sign a book that you're giving to yourself or someone else, and conversation.  I've met so many new people as a result of this, and for this, I thank you!
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  How can you help just one person today?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH, super moon at dawn, PP meadow

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Integrity is Sexy (So is Silly, Honest & Kind; Litter is Not)

Recently a friend and I hiked to the top of majestic Council Rock where, legend says, Lenape used to hold meetings.  I think the face of it looks like one of these ancestors.  Whether or not it's true, what's true to me is that it feels like sacred space.  Except for the litter.  It drives me crazy, my friend too.  I picked up a lone orange lid and some paper which my friend then took to the trashcan only twenty feet away.  We then sat on Council Rock until our rumbling stomachs told us it was time to fix lunch.  But we parted in different directions purposefully. 
Before the climb, we had each picked a word to use with walking mediation for the return trip.  I had picked "integrity" and grumbled about it.  My friend said, "integrity is sexy," and the phrase stuck with me. Because we were returning in silence, we each chose a different path.  I decided to go back the way that we had come which meant I would need to boulder down and hold on to tree roots.  I was especially ill-prepared, wearing dress boots with no grip to counter the slippery leaves.  Also, I found more trash at the start of my climb down.  Because I needed my hands free, I had to throw the trash a few feet in front of me and keep doing that all the way down.  I had to laugh at how "unsexy" this must have looked to nearby hikers, but I didn't care because "integrity is sexy" was playing over and over in my head.
After journaling about this experience the next day, I picked a postcard from A BOOK THAT TAKES ITS TIME, An Unhurried Adventure in Creative Mindfulness by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst.  The decorative side of it said "Be silly, be honest, be kind."  This seemed to fit the walking meditation experience perfectly! It will also be something I know I will come back to at some point in my journal which is good, because it's not easy to pull off, "Be silly, be honest, be kind."         
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Consider the word "litter," literally and figuratively.  Which one defines the state you are in today?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Give Thanks (Making Comparisons)

We all do it.....make comparisons, that is.  It is part of the human condition.  I write this today because I recognize that this Thanksgiving my family was able to participate in our usual traditions.  Last year we could not because of illness.  That's why this year it was so wonderful to do the "usual" and really take notice of it.  The planner in me doesn't always like the usual.  I like to do new, try new, meet new.  This year I was thrilled with the usual.
When I ask God* what I should know about this, I'm drawn to the opening prayer of last weekend's silent retreat:  "Creator, we celebrate your overflowing love, and we give thanks to all that we have, all that we are.  We know abundance because of you."
I believe we know abundance because we make comparisons.  Sometimes the comparisons lead us to feeling that we are in a space in which life is hard and there are obstacles to overcome.  We might feel scared or alone.  This can be a difficult time to be grateful.  For me, during these times. writing down my thoughts, concerns and fears is helpful.  It's also takes me to a place of calm when I write out gratitude lists in my journal, especially during stress-filled or anxious times. I try to come up with 36 things.  I list the events, people, places and things that happened the day before.  Often it is about the time I have spent outside because being out in "The Big Book," where everything is Creator-made, is a space where awe and wonder live.  It's here that if I can't find gratitude within, I can find gratitude from outside:  the various colors, different cloud types, the names of the birds and animals the weather, the wind, what's happening in the current season, and so forth.  Don't believe me.... go within and outside, make a comparison. Either way, give thanks.  You'll feel the difference.   
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Do you feel like you're in a space of "less than" or abundance?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Empty Days (Another Call to Stillness)

I've been told I'm a Golden Gal, defined as a woman fifty or older.  I like that term because it has an uplifting ring to it!  I must say, however, that I've been challenged these last few months with a sense of emptiness that comes with age.  My youngest is now off to college, leaving the house quiet, and while the first month was very freeing, I found the second two months leaving me feeling a little empty, especially in the afternoons.  Because I work from home, I enjoyed my kids coming and going, especially coming home from school mid-afternoon.  Now no family is with me until my husband gets home from work.

While I've added some freelance work to the work I do from home, it still leaves something to be desired during this afternoon space.  It's been suggested that I write during this time, but I do my best writing really early in the morning.  While this empty space is only a few hours, some days it is daunting.  That's why I wasn't happy when the twenty-four hour silent retreat rolled around.  Usually I long for it and love the November ones because it is right before the start of the holidays.  I had signed up for this one months ago, though, and now wasn't so certain about it. 

But of course it was just what I needed.  Twenty-four hours of silence can give us time to listen to our spirit's hunger, and for me, surprisingly, God/Spirit* said to "trust in the blessings of God's presence in our most empty days" (excerpted from the Opening Prayer the first evening of the retreat).

If you've been following my latest posts, you might have noticed a running theme which is a call to stillness.  Spirit keeps reminding me right now because it's in my nature to run full speed and fill this space.  But I haven't.  Not even at the retreat.  I didn't write prolifically like I usually do.  Instead I mostly read for pleasure and I tooled around with watercolors and then consciously left the paintings behind.  Bringing them home with me would have meant that I needed to do something with them, but that didn't feel right.  After all, Spirit had spoken.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Do you long for or fear empty days?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Knowing Part II (Use our Senses)

One of the ways I was taught to pray with the Bible is using the Lectio Devina Method.  You can read more about that here:  https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-what-how-why-of-prayer/praying-with-scripture.  It's about putting yourself into the story and asking yourself, "What do I see/hear/feel/taste?"

I was reminded about this method yesterday when I considered the pond fish and whether or not to feed them anymore.  There's so much advice out there by experts.  In this case, it's the pond experts, the fish experts, and the fish food experts.  They all say something a little bit different.  So who is one to take advice from?

The best advice for me (the advice that made me say "YES, YES, this feels right") is to put myself into the story, to put myself into my life by asking what do I see when I watch the fish?  Margaret Roach, who blogs about gardening, put me on to this thought wave with her latest blog post.  She wrote, "My fish actually tell me around October that they are done eating:  even if I toss pellets into the pool, they show disinterest once it's cold." 

How simple!  I can take advice from what's in front of me - in this case the fish - and determine next steps based on what I see, hear, taste and feel.

As a result, I used this advice again today.  In front of me I found a memoir I haven't read yet and also business cards from three women I met recently who asked me to speak at their synagogue and/or women's groups. It gave me a moment of pause and discomfort because they said they would contact me but I haven't heard anything.  I needed to decide on whether or not to follow up. 

Considering the hearing, seeing, feeling pieces, here's what I know: 

• Chasing a lead is what I was taught, but it is not what I feel to be best for me.  I am grateful that these women took steps based on seeing the promotion about the event and feeling that they should come to meet me.  They acted upon what they saw and felt and therefore our interaction that day was good.  The ball is in their courts again and that feels good to me.  

• Taking time to be still allows for hearing.  What I hear in my prayer time is that right now I will reach the destination by being instead of doing.  It's not to say that I should not work, it's that I shouldn't push.  Instead, I should relish this journey by taking time.  The right people are right in front of me, I see them, and I should savor (taste) these moments.  

• I have started reading that book.  It's called Waking Up in Eden by former journalist Lucinda Fleeson about leaving her career in Philadelphia and beginning a new one in Hawaii.   Doing so is putting me into a story where I am seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting with my imagination.  My senses are alive and this is where I KNOW I am to be at this moment.

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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What do you KNOW based on what you see, hear, feel, smell and/or taste?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by EJH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

How Do We "Know"? (Developing Inner Spirit Wisdom)

So how do we KNOW it's God* that is with us and directing us? This is a question I've gotten in response to the content of my book, Sprouting Spiritual Growth.  As is usual for me, I don't have an answer right away (I'm one of those people who has the right answer hours after the conversation is done).  The good news is the question wasn't forgotten.  I've been collecting my thoughts because it's a tough question.  Today, when looking back in my journal, I found another nugget to help me formulate an answer. 

The answer I have today is that as we develop a deeper relationship with God (we sit in the stillness, we ask for direction, we ask questions), we come to KNOW by taking notice.  Here are things to notice:

• Our body gives us signals.  Our bodies were made to move back to equilibrium, to homeostasis.   We are not meant to stay at the edges of the continuum that is flight or fight at one end and total lethargy at the other.  Because I believe God created man, I believe that God made our bodies in a way that keeps us in relationship with God.  
• Our minds notice when a thought is good and when a thought is wasteful.  When we move towards the good, we come into a space of self-acceptance and self-love, of God.    
• Our hearts/souls repel from certain activities.   If we are doing activities that have been thrust upon us as "you have to do this", and "to be successful, you must do that, and they don't make our hearts sing, it's time to stop those activities.  Moving away from the activities which repel our heart will God will give us direction.  The right people and ideas will be on our path.  If we are drawn to it, we can KNOW that it is good.  If we repel from it, it is not right for us.

This is not to say that it's easy to stay in this space.  It requires action on our part.  It requires faith. This is not easy for me!  That's why I'm grateful for the reminders of the body, mind and soul.  Lately my shoulders have been tense, I've noticed it and I've journaled about it.  My heart has not been singing because I am rushing (to write another book, to follow through on too many marketing ideas).  I sometimes find it hard to not jump on what others who have been successful tell me I should do.  When I do follow my heart's desires, like in the last two days, there is a KNOWING that it's all I need to do because God is in these very simple desires (enjoy the people who are in front of you, who have asked for a relationship, who are drawn to you). 

When I recognized that my body was talking back and I asked God* what I should know about this, God reminded me to stop pushing so hard (I'm getting off the November National Novel Writing Month train), enjoy what's in the every day (look out my windows at the birds, the more I do, the more likely I'll see a migrant), come back to stillness (God waits for me here).

If this repels you, it is not your niche.  Shelley Hitz, author and speaker, said to me and other conference attendees recently, "Your niche should repel the wrong reader."  If the idea of journaling, giving consideration to your body, mind and soul is repelling to you, move into the direction that you KNOW.  
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What do you KNOW?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Allowing Your Story to Unfold of its Own Making

I'm not done yet.  I like that I probably still have more time on this earth to play, to learn, to grow.  I also like to watch the days unfold of their own accord.  I can fathom some of it from the outset simply because of the intentions I set.  They're not goals, really, but the way that I want to feel when I go to bed at night.

Last night I went to bed content that I didn't over-manage my day.  I considered rearranging my dinner plans so that I would not have to wait for my companion and so that I could be closer to home at the end of the evening.

If I had done that, I would have spent time texting to change the plans and phoning for a new reservation.  Instead I enjoyed the person who was driving as I was the passenger.

When I ask God* what else I should know, God reminded me that I still need to get outside today and that daylight is fading.  What a simple request.  They usually are!
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What are your goals for today?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Nature for Nature's Sake, a Turning Point

My current journal is a lovely hardbound one with the title Nature Notebook from Northwind Press, Inc.  I found it in a stack of free stuff from a gardening club and I am thankful to be the benefactor.  It has loads of lovely printed animal and plant drawings as well as quotes about nature.  The one that stays with me today is by Khalil Gibran:

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet 

and the winds long to play with your hair.

It's a reminder of something I don't remember learning until well into my forties; that is, that it's not all about me in a man versus nature sense.  Sure, I can delight in nature, but I also need to remember that nature can delight in me.  For example, the great blue heron which eyed me as I stood at my window was possibly delighting in me, too.  I know he saw me because its neck turned as I moved from one window to another.  I wonder how long before I am able to recognize that it is the same or a different heron returning to my yard.  I wonder how long, if it is the same heron, before it recognizes it's the same eyes looking at it?  I wonder if it will sense that I am wary of it eating all the frogs and fish.  I wonder if it will be surprised when I let go of my man versus nature instinct and trust that not all will be taken?  When I ask God* what else I should know, God tells me that the heron will drop some of its feathers and leave me with beautiful memories if I let it.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  How do you delight in nature?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Slow Down Said the Apparition

Hi Readers, I'm back!  I've done the work to self-promote my book and now I'm releasing my energies to get back to writing (the blog, just once per week, and my next book) and letting God* get to work to have the right people find it.  Thanks for all your support and please enjoy the blog again. Post a response when you feel moved to do so and happy journaling.
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SLOW DOWN SAID THE APPARITION:  This morning I was having a late breakfast, looking out into my backyard.  Behind a five-foot blue spruce moved a whitish figure that appeared to be doing tai chi.  I was mesmerized and also so excited when I realized it was a great blue heron moving very slowly and deliberately.  I was so grateful to have been sitting there at just the right moment to see it.
This sighting and slow pace fit right in with what is missing in the world for many right now.  I see, read and hear it all around me.  Examples:

1. People don't have time to read books anymore.  "I'm still reading my summer beach read," one person said to me this week.  It's the third week of October.
2. The New York Times just published an article about a young thirty-something journalist who died from sleep deprivation and heart issues attributed to the amount of overtime she chose to work (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/world/asia/japan-death-overwork.html). 
3. In between periods at the pro hockey game yesterday, everyone around me was on their cell and one woman even had an iPad with her.  Sadly, some people were plugged in to their phones the entire game, including children.  In these cases, they were missing out on opportunities to slow down and at the same time, be an active participant in their own lives.

As I type this, I see a hawk alight on a branch up high, two frolicking blue jays and many morning doves.  I sit still as I reflect on what to write. 
I hope I can convince people to stillness.  It's hard because when it comes to specifics, I don't have answers for each individual person, but it's because I don't need to know.  I only know to put my own desires on my heart and be very watchful for things in front of me, including a ghostly-looking great blue heron, to give me hints at the right direction. Fortunately, I can say that it takes very little time which seems to be exactly what people say they have.  But don't ask me, ask God*. 
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Are you being called to unplug from this blog site or to follow the prompts?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

The Gift of Having Been Lost

Hi Readers, I'm back!  I've done the work to self-promote my book and now I'm releasing my energies to get back to writing (the blog, just once per week, and my next book) and letting God* get to work to have the right people find it.  Thanks for all your support and please enjoy the blog again.  Post a response when you feel moved to do so and happy journaling.
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THE GIFT OF HAVING BEEN LOST:  What I am finding from my clients is that since having left corporate America in 2009, people have more work responsibilities than ever - ever greater numbers of direct reports, unending emails, routine task management once done by secretaries (scheduling, coordinating, responding to routine tasks).  People are getting lost in carrying through the to-dos.
What God* wants me to know is that getting to the top of the mountain after having been lost is so much sweeter because we can appreciate the struggles.  I wrote this after writing about my meditation experience.  Part of that experience is I teach meditation to people who are seeking peace from their chaotic worlds.  Meditation is a perfect way to help us find ourselves (to recognize our thoughts).  It's a way for us, in the words of Gautama Buddha, to find enlightenment.  Enlightenment, more specifically, is recognizing that we can experience peace and joy even amidst suffering and dissatisfaction and then experiencing the joy amidst the suffering and dissatisfaction.  The first part is simply acknowledgement.  The second part is by putting it into practice.  Meditation is one way to do this.  Spiritual Journaling is another. 
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What is your definition of joy?

2.  What helps you to feel the joy amidst the dissatisfaction and suffering?

3.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

The Gift of Community

Hi Readers, I'm back!  I've done the work to self-promote my book and now I'm releasing my energies to get back to writing (the blog, just once per week, and my next book) and letting God* get to work to have the right people find my writing.  Thanks for all your support and please enjoy the blog again.  Post a response when you feel moved to do so and happy journaling.
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THE GIFT OF COMMUNITY:  For city dwellers, not having a car may not be as much of a problem as for suburban dwellers.  For suburbans, given the right dynamics, it is doable, but still sometimes presents a challenge.  For me and my husband, we decided not to buy a fourth car so that each driver in our household could have a car.  We also decided that we'd give each of our children a car for this school year and then evaluate what should happen at the end of these ten months.
This means that my husband and I must communicate our schedules and be flexible because we are sharing a car.  We've done this before - when we first married.  What it means is that we are back to sometimes needing to be dropped off and picked back up, sometimes using our bikes, walking or taking the train, and sometimes we rely on other people.
The beauty of it is that it allows us to be in community with each other and others.  When he and I drop each other off somewhere it gives us time in the car together.  When we ask a friend for a ride, we get extra time with that friend.  When we are in a pickle (spouse goes away for the weekend and the homebody still needs a car), it always works out that someone has a car to lend us.
When I ask God* what else I should know about this, what I hear is that my community is dependable and generous.  For that, I am thankful.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Are you as dependable as you could be?

2.  Who do you depend upon?

3. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo and artwork by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Called

This morning I wrote one paragraph in my journal and thought, "Is this is all I have to write today? What am I going to do with this extra space?" After all, it's only 5am and I don't need to leave for chair massage until 8:15.  

I guess I just don't have a lot to write today. Maybe it's because I wrote a total of 10 pages in my journal between yesterday and the day before. Usually it's about two to three pages per day.

I've never done this before, but I feel called to give you an example of one of my journal entries. It makes sense to be called today because it's so short:

I'm still doing lots of book stuff/marketing  Next week is a short week with the holiday and New York (for a day) so the week of September 11 is the week I get back to writing my novel.  I don't have much else to tell You today.  

God,* what else should I know?  Use your book today to get a message from one of your poems and use the extra time to stretch.

So I opened to to a page in the back of the book and rested on page 146, the last two stanzas of Coming and Going.  The last stanza speaks to me and so I write in my journal:

This is the creation story, isn't it?  The beauty of ...delights and struggles - the comings and goings. Do a blog post today.  

It's now 5:15am.  Time to stretch!
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  How do you utilize your extra space?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Why No Recent Posts from CardinalTouch.blogspot.com?

Dear Reader, thank you so much for visiting my blog site!  Right now I'm on hiatus from blogging in order to create space to speak at events and spread the word about spiritual journaling, which includes book promotion.  Events include poetry readings, book signings, speaking as part of a book panel, spiritual journaling workshops and other similar activities. These things are already happening and will continue to be scheduled.  You may find them on the events page of www.CardinalTouch.net.

I am also asking God* to lead me to a paid position as a column writer about holistic topics.  If anyone has any suggestions or leads, please let me know.

God* wants me to know that I am now sharing my completed idea and therefore am transforming myself, my career (this is an add-on) and my relationships.  What this means to me is that I still need to make time for stillness because it is in this space that I develop a more personal relationship with God*.
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* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo of Book by Marie Higgins:  Sprouting Spiritual Growth, a Memoir and a Guide is available in print or as an e-book at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.  

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Journaling Brings Possibilities (from the Looking Back Series 1/10/17)

When I look back in my journals so many outcomes result.  It's one of the many blessings of spiritual journaling.

Sometimes I am reminded of a practice and I restart it.  Examples include setting intentions for the day of how I want to feel when I go to sleep at night or restarting the practice of writing gratitude lists.  Sometimes when I look back I am inspired to write a poem.  Right now I am writing a poem whenever I look back and come across an overnight dream I had written about.

Here's a new poem from this dream series called PUSHED.

PUSHED

I know the truth.

My baby fell in the deep end, but,

my arms paralyzed,

I did not reach for him.

I coddled and nourished them,

as was necessary, 

but did I tie their shoes for too long,

or, not long enough?

Their eyes grew big, and 

bigger still, 

as they came to rest

on the bottom.

It is the lifeguard 

who rescued them.

Turns out,

my child is fine.

They had learned to breathe

under water.

When I asked, "God*, what else do I need to know about this?" God wants me to know that I find answers in the stillness.  That's another blessing of spiritual journaling.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What ideas come to you when you look back in your journals?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH, OC NJ 

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Just Keep Trying (from the Looking Back Series 1/6/2017)

I make the same mistakes over and over and over again.  Thankfully, in many instances, I recognize them more quickly or they are far and fewer in between, but I still make them.  They are good reminders of the need to just keep trying.

Here's an example.  When my kids were little, it often happened at the start of my day, that I didn't like how my day began.  It might have been that, in my mind, my children weren't moving quickly enough and I kept pushing and rushing them, even yelling at them.  The circumstances were either that I needed to drop them off at daycare before work or I was behind in my work which was making me grumpy or agitated.  On days when I recognized that this was not how I wanted the day to begin for us, I would ask my kids for a do-over.  They always said "yes" which thankfully gave me the opportunity to begin again.

Now, even though my children are young adults, I sometimes lose myself to to-do items and I snap at them when I'm in the middle of something.  A recent example is that I was working at my computer at the kitchen table when one of my children came out for lunch and wanted to converse.  Instead I kept working.  After the third interruption, I said "what?", with that sarcastic tone that says "what now?"  I immediately regretted it.  It was enough to remind me of what's really important.  I took time to converse.

When I asked, "God*, what else do I need to know about this?" I was compelled to open the Bible to a psalm.  This day, it's Psalm 80, which is very repetitive with words beginning with "re" such as restore, revive, return.  This prefix means to do again.  Restoration, specifically, is about fixing or mending things to their original wholeness.  For me, this includes restoration of relationships, which is exactly what God is asking me to do.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Is there a segment of your day, yesterday or today even, or a specific segment of every day in which you'd like a do-over?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH, Hanging Lake 

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Sensibility (from the Looking Back Series, 1/2/2017)

Are you attached to outcomes?  I know I am.  I'd like things to go a certain way and yet if I'm living a life in which I say, "God*'s will be done," how is it that I don't let go?

Here's one example.  I attended a book writer's club this past weekend and obtained a whole list of things I "should be doing" in order to get the most book sales.  I sent myself four emails of things I "should" do in order to be a successful writer.  After about an hour I decided to leave the meeting early because I didn't want to hear any more.  I had gotten some good nuggets, but more would have been too much, overwhelming even.

Today when I looked at the emails I had sent to myself, I felt that overwhelmed feeling again.  The list of to-do items did not seem relevant to me (learning WordPress, finding free writing events, writing to agent's desires, the #MSWL-manuscript wish lists, etc.).  It's not that the speaker should not have spoken about all these things.  It's that not everything needed to be for me and I did not need to take all of it on.  Sensibly, I needed to take the information that felt helpful to me (what to expect at a book signing, for example) and then get back to the stillness (journaling/meditation/prayer space) that leads me to a simpler, God-filled life.

God wants me to know that I should keep grounded and centered, do the work and follow up when I feel an urge to do so.  (Note:  I picked the "badger" meditation card from Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson, Illustrations by Angela Werneke and James Finnell).
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Do you feel a call to change something in your life but can't let go of it because of some previous notion that holds you to it?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Off Balance But Correctable (from the looking back series - 12/31/16)

Several days ago, when I asked God*, "God, what else should I know?" the meditation cards I picked (from The Sacred Journey Cards by Cheryl Thiele) included the words integrity and courage. The phrases included "even in chaos (find) balance" and "stay steady through uncertainty."  I had no idea what this was about because I felt grounded on this day. The next day I felt confused and uncertain. On this day, when I opened my journal to find the next available open page, I first came upon the previous journal entry and found the messages of integrity and courage. It's exactly what I needed to hear!

God* wants me to know that prayer and gratitude help immensely during times of chaos and uncertainty.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Do you feel balanced today?  Why or why not?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Finding Hidden Talents (from the looking back series - 12/26/16)

"You're an angel," is a saying often heard after an act of kindness.  If the defining quality of an angel is an act of kindness, then I have more angels in my life than I can count!  For me, recent angels include those who invite me to showcase my writing or art, people who improve their own craft or skills in order to help others, including helping others find their hidden talents.  This last type really helped me to find a new career in 2009.

At that time, I had left the corporate world to pursue life.  I could not see talents outside those I used in the business world, and I didn't want to use those talents anymore anyway.  One of the angels in my life, a woman retiring from the place I was leaving, had had so many varied careers that she knew I must have talents that were not evident to me.  That's when I began a skills list for myself and I included the gift of touch (my sisters and I scratched each other's backs when we were little).  In 2010 I graduated from massage school.

Now, new hidden talents have been popping out. One is writing poetry.One of the angels I mentioned above wrote "I LOVE your poems!  Very simple and unpretentious."
 
God* wants me to know that I have a strong sense of self that comes from doing the work of spiritual journaling.  To that, I say, "Thank you, God!"
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Do you recognize "angels" when you see them??

2.  What are your hidden talents?

3. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Why Pray or Meditate (You Know Because It Makes Your Heart Sing)

What I'm feeling right now is gratitude because my headache is gone.  My heart is singing because I know how to get rid of a headache fast.  I didn't always know how to do this, but thanks to a variety of teachers, I can do this myself through a combination of hydrating, utilizing essential oils, massaging my neck and scalp, stretching and being still (praying and meditating).

What's also on my heart is that my sister-in-law texted me over several days to tell me that her sons had been talking about me all week while they were at the beach.  They said things like, "Aunt Marie would know what bird this is," and "We have to get the watermelon beach umbrella because that's what Aunt Marie uses."

God* wants me to know that sitting still, meditating and praying, leads me to setting intentions to be the best I can be, including being present when I interact with others. God also wants me to know that I often receive gifts from others, that I need to recognize these gifts more often, and that I need to make good on my promises, such as to my nephews and friends.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What's on your heart right now?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH, Hanging Lake 

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

What's Makes Your Heart Sing?

In the summer, my work environment (my home) changes dramatically because, instead of just me there during the daytime, my husband and two young adult children are back to greatly utilizing the space alongside me.

I treasure this time because they, and their friends, come and go, and it is in the in-between spaces where we have some great conversations.

What I have learned is to let go of some things over the summer, such as art and big writing projects, as well as piano lessons and all the practice time that goes with it.  Letting go allows me to really sink into and take a healthy bite out of summer.

Going with the flow doesn't mean that I ignore the call of these other pieces that make my heart sing. It's just that I might do these other things on a smaller basis such as write a poem or sit down to play the piano when I feel called to do so.

When I ask God* what else I should know what I hear is that this is a balanced approach to living.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What makes your heart sing?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH, Hanging Lake 

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

God* What Should I Do?

This August will be the two year mark of starting this blog.  It was a slow start.  I did one post and then let it sit for about six months.  By then I had figured out the structure of the blog and I've been faithfully posting once or twice a week ever since. Recently I've been wondering if the blog had run its course because it seemed as if I was repeating themes.  One idea that came to me then was this: should I answer the reflective questions that I pose to the readers? In considering this, I went back to the first post that hadn't yet been archived, read it, and I considered the reflective questions from that post.  They seemed really, really hard.

As a result, while still sitting with this dilemma during my journaling time, I asked the question, "God, what should I do?"  The answer I got (the first immediate thing I thought of after asking this question) was Sleep On This.  So that's what I did.   

The next morning I moved into my journaling space thinking "I'd like to write something creatively, like a poem."  But nothing came so I thought about my process which is this:  generally, I write poems from looking back in my journals and reading an old gratitude list or a nighttime dream. My process is to read the list or dream one day and then write a poem the next day after I HAD SLEPT ON IT.

This was my God moment!!!!  As a result, I knew I needed to look at that old post now that I had SLEPT ON IT and see if there had been a change.  The answer is YES!  These same questions didn't seem so hard and I had answers for them right away.  

That old post was from December 17, 2016 and these are the questions and my answers:
Questions:  What are your every day struggles?  How about the shape of your mental, physical or spiritual weight?

Answers:  If I am struggling, which means I have anxieties about something, it is generally because I am not staying grounded in the present.  The best way for me to get away from worrisome thoughts or just general unease is to look outdoors or go outside.  My mental, physical and spiritual weights are healthy because I continue to do the things that I feel God has led me to do:  meditate with a sangha and alone, stretch my body, utilize the holistic services of others (massage, Reike, chiropractic, medical care), enjoy the foods of the earth, eat something such as sweets when my body wants them, get outside often (alone and with others), journal, and ask God questions directly when I am stuck.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  What are your every day struggles?  How about the shape of your mental, physical or spiritual weight?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH (field of clover, Genesee Park)

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

Developing Your Inner Spirit Wisdom (A Reminder)

I thought today would be a good day to remind you about what I am teaching.  Specifically it is a way to use journaling to develop your inner spirit wisdom.  It's quite simple really in terms of the steps:

1.  Use a journal and write down whatever is on your heart on a regular basis.  I do this almost daily now but when I started years and years ago it was something I did every once in a while, then once or twice a week, and now I hate to miss it.  I am a morning person so I do it first thing or after a few chores.  It often starts off with what I did the day before or what's coming today but then I also get into what's bothering me or what's making my heart sing.  I might also write my gratitude list in my journal but not always.  You decide what time of day is best for you and what you include in your journal.

2.  When you think you have written out what's most pressing on your heart, write out the question "God*, what do you want me to know?"  

3.  Then write down what comes to you.  If you feel compelled to use a tool, use a tool.  Tools include things like meditation cards (I like the ones with one word on them), a book that you open up randomly and read what's on that page (I often use the Bible or Psalms for Praying by Nan Merrill but nonreligious books work too). If you're not sure what tool to use, let the Spirit* guide you.

This is the daily practice.  It can take as much or as little time as you have.  Doing it often provides value because it gives the opportunity to look back over your journey.  You can look back over a period of time to see what was happening in your life and what your Higher Power* was telling you, often repeatedly.  Maybe you want to look at the last week, the same week from a year ago, the last whole journal.  Whatever time frame is on your heart is right for you.  Be a pattern hunter:  was the same thing on your heart last year, have you pulled the same meditation card 3 times in the last month, did you write about the same place or person?  Write down what you uncover.

The hard part is making the time to do the work.  For me, it has made a significant difference in that I have found an easier way to live, allowing the Great Spirit* to be my guide..  

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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.

Reflective questions:
1.  If spiritual journaling is not a call for you, what are being called to do to nourish your spiritual self?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, God, what do you want me to know?)

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo of Fireworks LB, DE
Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net)

I Know a Guy I'd Like to Emulate (Part 3 of Series)

It's when I am still and in that reflective space that I come up with ideas to blog about.  This series of posts is no different.  I don't even know yet how many people I will write about or even who the next person will be, only that I should write about people I'd like to emulate.  It's a great method of self reflection, don't you think?  That, paired with asking God* what else I should know, will definitely lead to more inner knowing.  So here goes.....

There are many people I'd like to or have already chosen to emulate and most of them are friends, some old, some new. The third mention are actually two of my sons mentors whom I know mostly through that relationship.  They chose to be small group leaders to about six young men beginning in middle school.  That relationship was meant to last for a two year period, but this group decided to stay together and now the young men are in college or recently graduated from college. I'd like to emulate these two men for these reasons:

• They utilize various forms of communication to stay in touch with these young men, either as a group or individually.  The group also still gets together once each winter break and summer.
• They show up for important milestones (for my son, an important milestone was a senior recital event and one of the mentors drove over an hour to get there).
• They are good role models because they have families of their own and are able to balance the demands of their individual families with their service commitments. 

When I ask God what else I should know, what I hear is that they say "yes" when they could just as justifiably say "no."
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Is there a service opportunity that you are feeling called to say "yes" to, even when you could justifiably say "no"?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH (Colorado)

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).

I Know a Guy I'd Like to Emulate (Part 2 of Series)

It's when I am still and in that reflective space that I come up with ideas to blog about.  This series of posts is no different.  I don't even know yet how many people I will write about or even who the next person will be, only that I should write about people I'd like to emulate.  It's a great method of self reflection, don't you think?  That, paired with asking God* what else I should know, will definitely lead to more inner knowing.  So here goes.....

There are many people I'd like to or have already chosen to emulate and most of them are friends, some old, some new. The second one I'll mention is actually a group of people. It's people that are spiritually connected, whether by position or spiritual practices.  They may be preachers, teachers or the like.  The ones I have on my heart as I write this have these reasons I want to be like them:

• They admit that they don't have all the answers.
• They seek spiritual direction themselves. (Note:  there are many ways to find a spiritual director such as referral from a friend, someone in religious life whom you trust, an organization like Spiritual Director's International).

When I ask God what else I should know, what I hear is that they also share what they've learned as a result of asking the questions themselves.
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Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
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Reflective questions:
1.  Does this post tug your heart strings to find a spiritual director?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH (Colorado)

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net).