Boil It Down

Recently I attended a service in which the sermon mentioned Mary Magdalene and stated that she was not a prostitute.  I had to think about that because I have also heard the opposite teaching. When I searched the Internet, I found that it is a long-standing controversy.  For me then, I need to figure out which one is the "fake news."  

In fact, however, I can't, because I did not live in the time of Mary Magdalene and can't "know" this information.  However, if I "boil it down," I can come to a conclusion that I can live with in harmony.

What I know from the commonality of the Gospels is that Jesus lived among sinners and made all feel welcome.  He asked that sinners leave that path of sin.  Whether or not Mary Magdalene was a prostitute doesn't matter to me.  He would have asked that she and everyone else he encountered to leave their sinful ways, whatever that constituted; for her, it might or might not have been prostitution, but it would have been something, because we all sin.  The harmony then, for me, is that what matters is that all of us are welcome.  This is the space where I can live and thrive and not pass judgment on who believes Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and who believes she was not.

Boiling things down in this way allows me to live in harmony.  It's helpful to do this because no two of us have the same pathway.  No two of us are exposed to the same information.  For example, I recently became aware of the teachings of Buddha.  Specifically, I watched a PBS special called The Buddha The Story of Siddhartha by David Grubin.  With this information, I will need to continue to "boil things down" because my path now includes yet another perspective to incorporate.
-----------------------------------------
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.  What have you bumped up against lately that provides two different viewpoints?

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 by MH (Full Moon Tree Limbs)
Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net)

Whimsical Wishes

Do you have a silly tradition that you do every day for another person?  If you read the New York Times published essay by the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal's March 3, 2017 called "You May Want to Marry My Husband," (https://www.nytimes.com/.../modern-love-you-may-want-to-marry-my-husband.html), you might have honed in on the daily tradition her husband carried out.  Specifically, he made a smiley face out of random objects and placed them near the done-perculating coffeepot before he left for work. Because she was asleep when he left, he managed to still connect with her upon her waking.  My guess is that she got to the point where she would anticipate it daily and smile back.

I wish I could go back and do something whimsical like this daily for my children but alas they are grown. If I can find some substitute to this I will do it.  It's on my heart now so God* will point the way.  And so I ask God to help me.
-----------------------------------------
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.  Name a whimsical desire of your heart.

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

Latest Technology, Gadgets, Services Keep Us in Community

My daughter thinks that in some cases my friends are too old for me!  She says this in jest of course and hopefully she sees the value of being friends with people of all ages.  What she's talking about specifically is that I hang with women in their 70s, 80s and 90s.  I think it's because these women are very, very active and I want to be like them when I grow up.

One reason I admire them is that they stay current with the latest technology, gadgets and services. For example, these women all use social media, have smart phones, laptops or similar devices, e-readers, and so forth.  I must admit, I am not an early adopter to technology.  In fact, it took me a bit to want to learn how to blog and when my TV wants to "update" I find it a little frustrating.

I ask myself why do these women learn these new technologies?  Well, I think it's because it helps them stay in community, especially with younger generations, including their family members and friends, new and old.  For me, this is enough to put up with the ever-changing landscape of technology.  If you hear me complain about this (something else my daughter says I do a lot LOL - see the irony in the LOL?) then please remind me that it keeps me in community.
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Do you feel that you are in community?

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 by MH March 2017 Pennypack
www.cardinaltouch.net

Dreams Provide Insight

Sometimes I have periods where I remember my dreams daily and other times not so much. Sometimes my dreams are rich and exciting and other times they leave me uneasy.  When I write them down in my journal and make an attempt to interpret them in writing, too, it can provide great value to the state of my spirit and what God wanted me to know.  The added value is that I am able to look back on my journey.

Someone once told me that everyone in your dream might actually be a different part of you.  So when I dreamt of me and two grade school friends in an industrial kitchen I considered they were all me.  I was going about my own business, one friend was picking up Madagascar cockroaches and putting them in a soup pot laughing all the while because they kept climbing back out.  The other friend was looking on agitated.

My interpretation was that sometimes I am frustrated when I backslide, sometimes I laugh at my humanness and sometimes I just keep moving.
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Do you remember your dreams?

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 by MH of lichen and moss
www.cardinaltouch.net

Repeating Themes (Fox Take II)

I draft my latest post at least a few days ahead of time.  Then on the day I post I just double check it to make sure its content is understandable and spell-checked.  The last post was about the fox theme and on the same day that I needed to make sure it was good to go, I had three fox "sightings."  All three had to do with the earlier lesson from fox; that is, it's OK to spend money.  Here's what happened Monday:

1.  At breakfast I read the latest issue of Organic Life and they had a feature on organic clothing, specifically organic underwear.  The sample children's underwear had a fox on it.  The sample men's underwear is the kind I started buying my husband last year (made by Pact, he loves them!) and it made me think that I should buy myself some of the ones they feature for women.
2.  I purchased tickets for the theatre for this weekend called "A Fox on the Fairway."
3.  I was at Women Entrepreneurs Connect at a member's home and a fox ran through her yard as I watched out the window; I almost missed it but someone else called it out just in time.  At these meetings we talk about what's been working.  I had just mentioned that I had purchased a membership to Natural Life Business Partnerships last week.
4.  I posted the January 23 post about the earlier fox theme.

Do you think maybe I got confirmation that I am following God's lead?  Thank you God*!
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Have you been revisited by an earlier theme in your life??

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 and Artwork by MH

Gratitude in Verse (Journaling Brings Possibilities)

Backyard, MH

I love going back through my journals and reading what I have long forgotten.  Even the gratitude lists are interesting to me, revealing some of the most wondrous items from a specific point in time. A few months ago I decided to write a poem based on a gratitude list in a previous journal. Now when I come across other gratitude lists of the past I do the same.  It might be something you get inspired to do as you look back.  Here's one of mine.

PASSING THROUGH

The white-throated sparrow still sings

So content am I it wasn't quickly passing.

The early flowering plants pop through the softening earth

Bleeding hearts, wild ginger, bluebells

Hostas and ferns, too.

One child still gathers at our meals,

The first child's time so quickly passing.

New and old recipes nourish this life of ours

Friends and acquaintances, too.

Constant is the God who blesses me.

Please keep me in my passing.

-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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. What comes to you to consider when you look back in your journal? (If you don't keep a journal, pick the last holiday or the last week or yesterday).

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. 

Just Keep Trying

Photo by MH, PERT

Sometimes I find the Bible to be harsh.  For example 1 John 3:10 says "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are:  Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." - Study Bible, (Zondervan) New International Version

On the day that I read this verse it was during my reflective time and I journaled about it. What I wrote is that this seems like an impossible task.  It's asking us for perfection. I also wrote what I think God* put on my heart in answer which was "just keep trying."

It reminds me of when my kids were little and I was off to a terrible start to my day.  It might be that the kids weren't moving quickly enough to get to daycare or that I didn't do enough prep for work the night before so I was grumpy.  If I recognized that it was not how I wanted the day to begin, I would ask my kids for a do-over.  They always said yes which would give me the opportunity to try again.
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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. Is there a segment of your day today or yesterday or every day that you'd like to 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. 

Sensibility

Photo of PERT by MH

     One of the things that has changed for me as I have aged, and because of my journaling I recognize it, is sensibility.  I have asked for it in my labyrinth walks (Lord* teach me sensibility). It has come in the form of letting go of established doctrines and learned behaviors.
     For example, I have recognized that setting up the boundary that I do not work on Sundays is beneficial as a sacred call to rest and to be in community; however, if I am away for a few days vacation earlier in the week, work on Sunday may be sensible.
     Another example is that I do not always have to finish what I've started.  Amazingly, during the same week that I had asked for sensibility while walking in the labyrinth, I was walking the labyrinth again and one of my children called me and asked me to come home.  Sensibility* taught me that I should not take time to do the ceremonial walk out of the labyrinth, but simply go.
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  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. 

Off Balance But Correctable

Backyard Photo, MH

     Today* I had an aha moment.  It was a culmination of moments that led to it.  The first moment was when I was unsteady during the balance segment of a yoga class.  I was wearing socks and stood on my yoga mat. I could not hold the pose without waving my arms and occasionally putting my foot down and starting over.  That was Wednesday.  On Thursday I did stretching and balance moves successfully standing next to my car as I waited for my walking partner. I had on strong sturdy hiking boots.  That was the second instance.  The aha moment came when I read something spiritual that basically said that we may lose our balance from time to time and that it's okay.  It doesn't mean that our lives are out of control or that we are failing.  It just means that we need to continue to take care of ourselves and that this temporary imbalance will allow us to grow and gain strength.
     This made me realize that there is a metaphor here that applies to where I am today physically and emotionally.  It is this.  On Wednesday at yoga I did not have enough support.  On Thursday my shoes gave me the strength I needed to balance effectively.  I sensed that my balance was a little off and I was wary, but by leaning a little to the left or to the right my shoes provided the support to steady me.  Additionally the walk provided me an outlet because I could share what I was feeling.  Afterward I realized that it felt really good to be able to balance successfully, physically and emotionally.  I was able to do so because I had the support I needed.  Which begs the question, when I feel unbalanced, what do I need to do?  Where do I get the support I need?
     The good news is that I have many, many choices:  I can share my situation with a friend who knows my story; I can schedule an appointment with a medical professional, a religious person such as a minister or pastor or with a spiritual advisor; I can join a support group for whatever ails me at the moment (grief, over-eating, etc.); and I can continue to journal and ask God** directly, what else should I know?
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  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?)

*Written in August 2015
** 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. 

Seek and Find Patterns (Be a Pattern Hunter)

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 timeframe 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..  

-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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 it's not journaling, what else are you putting off?

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. 

Sometimes Crazy Works

Some of the stories I tell about my journey make me think "Wow, people must think I am a little bit crazy."  I might have cared when I was younger, but now I know that "the crazy" is what makes me sane.  It's because I believe that many thoughts that come to me are Spirit* inspired.
One example is that when spiritual direction is something I was seeking, I was recommended to find someone using an international directory.  I followed the sites cues on how to narrow my search but it was still too wide and daunting.  So I went the crazy route.  I know that it wasn't the rational way, I can only say that I am a bird nerd and God often speaks to me through nature.  What I did is I narrowed my search by adding "bird" to the criteria.  Where it led me is to someone who had this word as part of their email address.  It turned out that this person was exactly the right person for me.
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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. Do you have a similar story, a "crazy" story?

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. 

Noble Characters

Ruth was my grandmother's name.  I have been hearing the name a lot lately so it has given me pause.   In October I read Into the Magic Shop by James R. Doty and have been recommending this book ever since.  The woman who taught him how to relax the body, meditate and place desires on the heart was named Ruth.  One of the esteemed birders in my area is named Ruth.  I just went to Delaware Bay with her.  On Sunday a seminary student told a story about his Aunt Ruth who was full of life. I watched the movie Race last week about Jesse Owens going to the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.  His wife's name was Ruth.
If you google "Ruth" what comes up first is the Hebrew biblical character Ruth.  The entries say things like "protaganist" and "noble character."  This fits the description of my grandmother and all of these women.  All of these women have either left a legacy or are leaving one now.
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Is your name one you hear often?  How do you feel when you hear it?

2.  What kind of legacy are you leaving?

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, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide. 

Career Pivotal Point II

As my kids grew they had daycare and then before care and after care.  But once they got into middles school they would be coming home to an empty house unless I made other arrangements. Although I don't remember the exact time (because I didn't journal then), my guess is that my hope was to leave the working world when my son started middle school.  What happened instead though is that as the time kept slipping by my answer was always the same:  "In three more years I will quit."  However, if the same number of years remains your target time frame, the end time never comes.  So for me, time kept moving forward with no change.  As a result, my son started middle school and came home to an empty house.

In 2008 I had outpatient surgery for melanoma.  It was considered phase zero meaning it had not invaded the skin, but it did eventually give me a kick in the pants because a few months later my sister in law was diagnosed with end stage melanoma.  She died about 8 months later.  As her illness was progressing my mantra of "just three more years" became "you only have one life to live." Within a month of her death I gave my notice.  To this day I still can't believe I resigned, but man am I glad that I did!

-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Is there something that you keep putting off?

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.    

Career Pivotal Point I

     

In 2000 I was still working in Human Resources.  I had a love for recruiting people to places I enjoyed working.  It was still fulfilling, but the work was getting away from me because I had other demands.  I had two small children, endless resumes to look at, and constant turnover of staff who left with the experience I worked hard to give them.
In October that year I went to a conference where the keynote speaker was life coach Cheryl Richardson.  Her message contradicted the working world but was so much of what I wanted to hear.  She spoke about how we each needed to take time for our lives.  When I look back I think about the irony of the situation and I have to laugh.  Our companies sent us to this professional conference to hear a keynote speaker who said we should work less; indirectly, of course, but the message to me was loud and clear. Her question that so resonated with me was where and with whom did we spend the most time and would those people be at our death beds?  I worked in a hospital and my answer was even "no!"
For me, it didn't mean leaving the profession but one month later I did leave that employer to work for a company that had more resources which enabled me to work smarter.  I also signed up for Cheryl Richardson's electronic newsletter which gave me a checklist surrounding things like self-care and creating the life I wanted.
---------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Who do you spend the most time with?

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.

A Longer Quicker Looking Back

Sometimes our lives are so full that we don't have time to journal.  When I am on vacation, a time one would expect to have time to journal, I often find that I skipped a day or two or even most of the week sometimes.  This is because I am busy living, enjoying my extended family and the joys that come from discovery, primarily from being in a new place.

If you haven't been journaling, don't despair.  You can either start journaling today, or if you want to look back over a longer period and get a lot of your history down in a short time, try something different.  Here's a method by Abigail Thomas that comes from her memoir What Comes Next and How to Like It.  She suggests picking a ten year period of your life and writing three word sentences to tell the story.  If you like this method you can do it for all the ten year periods of your life.  I have done 4 already and think I will go back and do it again at some point in order to compare them to each other.  This will be a powerful way to look back.  I can't wait for the Spirit* to move me to do it!
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Is there a ten year period of your life that you'd like to forget?

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.

Giddy as a School girl (God is in our Enthusiasm)

This past weekend I participated in a 24 hour silent retreat.  I have done them a few times before.  I never know what the outcome will be but I always know that the time will be productive.  This time was no different but I was more excited than usual, you might even say I felt giddy as a school girl.

I think it's because I am so enthusiastic about things I have been creating lately.  The woman who provided spiritual direction at the retreat told me that my enthusiasm is tangible, also pointing out that the word enthusiasm consists of the root word "theos".  When I looked it up the listing showed a second root word "en" meaning in.  As a result, enthusiasm means "God within."  No wonder I felt giddy!!!!!  - - http://avp.byu.edu/wp-content/documents/notes/godwithin.pdf

At the silent retreat I spent some time looking back in old journals (I have been journaling for about 7 years now so I have a few).  These journals include gratitude lists of things I was thankful for from the day before.  When I reviewed one of the lists which generally has at least 30 items I decided I could write a poem based on it.  When I finished, it gave me a heady feeling.  I went on to write two more poems.

The thing is, if we give ourselves the freedom to follow what our heart desires, interesting things happen.
------------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Have you ever put yourself in a position where you could fail but you were still enthusiastic enough to try?

2.  Can you think of a time when something clicked and you felt giddy?

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, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

When People Do the Right Thing

Over 20 years ago I found an envelope on the floor of the Acme Supermarket with over $200 cash in it.  I turned it in to the customer service desk and they said they would put it in their safe and call me in a week if no one had claimed it.

I called my grandfather to tell him about what happened because he was always telling stories about finding things like money in the coin return slot of pay phones, a bag of potatoes and cold beer (wink, wink to the last item, I just figured out that was a joke!).

Grandpa said I would never see that money again because it would be claimed by someone who had access to the safe.  Well fortunately he was wrong!  I got a call a week later that the money was mine.  It felt really good to tell my grandpa the ending to this story.

Essentially whoever had safeguarded that money had done the right thing.  It feels so good when we can count on the kindnesses or righteousness of strangers.
------------------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Do you count on the kindnesses of strangers?  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, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Feel Good Without Comparisons

On January 26 I wrote about how I feel good when I don't compare myself to others.  So then, why do I still do it?  For me, there are certain things which I will probably always need to work on and this is one of them.  I think it is part of the human condition.

Right now this relates to creating an art portfolio for someone else's review.  So much to consider when creating something for someone else's critique.  One sizeable consideration is the ever-present question "Am I good enough?"    

The human side of this answer is that we instinctively compare ourselves to others.  For me, it sounds like this:  "I am not as good at drawing as her;" "I don't know how to sculpt at all and others do;" "I am no Monet."

The God*-side however is the side where I feel good because God is not comparing me to others.  "Of course you're not Monet, I already have one of them;" "Look within instead of around you;" and "Don't look at what you're not good at, consider the gifts you do have and put them forth."

My daughter is in the midst of completing college applications and she has about five different essay prompts to respond to.  One of them stumped her because it asked how she was unique.  "I am not the only one who does these clubs, sports and mission camps," she said to me.  But fortunately, one of the admissions representatives solved her problem and my own as well.  She said, "You know how you just told me about yourself; well, that's what you write about in the essay question about what makes you unique.  It's the combination of interests and experiences that you have had which make you unique."

In essence, she said, "Feel good about you.  Do not compare yourself to others.  Consider your gifts and put them forth."

------------------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Do you compare yourself to others?

2.  If yes, maybe another follow up question is in order:  Who do you compare yourself to?  Why?  What impact has it had or is it having on you?

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, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Coincidence or God? (A Case of Three Pings)

Earlier in the life of this blog, I wrote about my favorite Einstein quote: "Coincidences are God's way of staying anonymous."  This time I have a specific example of how this applies to my life.  I call these instances "a case of three pings," described as three separate instances, when considered together, are more than just coincidences.  In this instance, it was in the course of this last week that I have had three unique experiences with injured birds.

The first was on one of my early morning walks.  On this particular day I spied a cat bird dangling upside down, entangled by a prickly plant.  I was able to free it and it hopped into the underbrush.  Today it is one week later and the cat birds that have been in my yard all summer are gone, having migrated.  I like to think that the cat bird I freed was able to join all of its kind on the journey.

The second was a goose near the last hole of a golf course.  Its comrades were under trees away from the hole but this one just sat in the middle of the fairway, grazing lazily.  I was determined to not go around this "stubborn" goose so I walked right towards it. When it stood and walked, it immediately hobbled, having one injured leg.  I felt awful watching it limp towards its flock.

The third was in my backyard. It was a bird I could not readily identify because it was molting.  I expected it to fly off with all the little brown birds which dispersed the second I slid open my door.  This one didn't budge, however, and as I walked toward it, it just took a few more steps forward, never getting more than a few feet in front of me.  Within a few minutes it went into the brush and because I needed to go inside, I just assumed it couldn't fly and went back in.  I still wonder what happened to it.

As soon as this third incident happened I knew I had to spend time with it.  Why?  Because I have learned that if something related happens in threes, it's time to consider it's meaning.  What is God* trying to tell me?  For me, these situations related to some other pieces of my life and boiled down to how I feel after different scenarios, scenarios of when I do something good, or something foolish or I don't do anything at all.

------------------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Is there something that keeps happening to you, the same thing, or three different related "coincidences"?

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.

God Moments Discovered in the Looking Back

In the last post I said I'd share with you one of my own experiences in the value of looking back.  For me, it's about seeing how God is at work in my life. Often things start as a small seed and then a little seedling emerges while the roots are also setting up, and before you know it something noticeable has taken place.

On April 28 Grace H., a member of a Facebook Group I belong to, wrote, "This is my latest Zentangle drawing inspired by the May Birds & Blooms Extra cover."  It was a lovely piece of doodled artwork of a bird and flowers drawn with white paint or chalk on black paper.  It was really bold.  The image hooked me as did the word Zentangle.  I had never heard of it before so I googled it and learned that it's a method of creating beautiful images through structured patterns. Some of the artwork images that I found during the search were just breathtaking.

Shortly thereafter I was at Barnes and Noble at the clearance tables and I saw this boxed kit entitled Zentangle for Kids by Jane Marbaix.  I "knew" it was there for me so I bought it.  On June 11 I made my first Zentangle drawing, also a bird, inspired by a raven I had just seen in my backyard.  I was so tickled by the outcome that I did a lot of the pages in this workbook for kids!

Also in this kit was a book of suggested projects and I found one that I thought would be fun to do on vacation.  It's a seek and find board that is unique to an individual or in my case I used it with family to create two unique family boards (see the picture at the top).

But even bigger still than this specific example is the theme of creativity that has been running through my journals for months into years.  I see a path forming even though I don't know where it will lead.  But the looking back sure makes it exciting.
--------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you and the community 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.  Is there a theme or a persistent thought that has been running through your life recently?  (If ;you journal, do a three-month lookback to see if any common themes emerge.)

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.