Gary Player, Golfer and Role Model

Posted on April 13, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Gary Player, golfer and role model

Good Morning, God!

A couple of days ago Kit came into my office and said, “Here’s a blog topic!” He had been listening to Scott Simon’s interview with Gary Player and he had printed out the complete transcript for me.

Kit knows my heart for Africa and Gary Player was responsible for breaking the line by having an African American golfer play in South Africa. It can’t have been easy, God, for Gary to do that.

Back when South Africa was under Apartheid there was a lot of social pressure on whites to conform. So, it was a Big Deal for Gary Player to arrange for Lee Elder to play there. I bet there are still folks in SA that don’t like him.

Grit, God! The man has grit! He is 75 now — 76 on November 1st. Hmm. That’s our daughter’s birthday. She also has grit, God! Thank You, God, for people with GRIT and with Principles.

Back to Gary Player, God. He has a charity foundation and for years has been raising money to help underprivileged children — he grew up poor, himself. Besides being generous he is also incredible fit — doing 1,000 sit ups 4 days a week and climbing double height stairs up a mountainside. But, he points out that exercise is only 30% — eating right is 70%. He eats organic food grown on his ranch.

No wonder Kit liked the interview with Gary Player — Kit, too, has grit, is principledn, generous, really fit and eats well. Thank you, God, for men like Kit!

Oh, and Thank You, God, for the miracle of Apartheid being overturned without bloodshed!

Posted in choosing HARD, Choosing Meaning, exercising, grit

Maintenance with Uplift!

Posted on April 12, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Two maintenance trucks working together

Good Morning, God!

My special projects are almost over and now — as I look around me — it is onward to MAINTENANCE.

I’d like it, God, if maintenance got more RESPECT. In my internal “games” I give LOTS of points for “projects” but very few for maintenance tasks — like putting things away.

I want to change that, God. In fact, maybe I will pause now and put away a few things. Yes! Now it is a little easier to think. Help me, please, God, to embrace the small acts of just “putting things away.”

Another change long overdo, God, is to ask for help — or maybe it is to appreciate how much better two minds are than just one? No, it is BOTH. Asking for help is really hard for me — even though I love giving it.

I think it might go back to my schooling where “asking for help” was cheating? Or maybe it is a cultural fear of being “needy?” Both of those have a “point” but I have clearly overdone them.

Ah, but You just pointed out that I need to begin by acknowledging that I NEED HELP! Of course, I do! And, besides, it is so much more fun to work with others than, alone.

So, today, God, help me give myself MAJOR POINTS for taking care of myself. Both my body and my office show signs of excess accumulation. IN is easy. OUT is hard. But, not THAT hard. Here is a New Day WAITING for me to process tasks that have been kind enough to wait. So, ONWARD to a day, at least partially devoted to MAINTENANCE.

Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, accepting my need for help, living within limits, Maintenance, self care as maintenance

Rocks into Walls? Or into Roads?

Posted on April 11, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A section of Hadrian's Wall, Engladn

Good Morning, God!

I was chatting with a friend who was telling me about going into a doctor’s office and seeing a group of men sitting there. What struck her was how “alone” they were. Each one was avoiding eye contact and sitting as if with “an invisible wall” around him.

Both my friend and I thought this was strange so I shared it with Kit and he said, “Of course they were!”

Of course, God? They were in a stressful situation and they were ISOLATING themselves? No WONDER women live longer than men! A study — by women scientists — came out a few years ago that said that women under stress — mostly — come together and chat.

Can it be, God, that men are especially fond of building Walls? I think of how men seem to think it is WEAK to TALK to “enemies.” Building a Wall of Silence and Disrespect is going to help us? HOW EXACTLY?

But, I digress, God. My friend’s experience did get me thinking about WALLS. Hadrian’s Wall across the North of England was created to keep raiding tribes OUT of Romanized Britain. Walls often seem intended to keep “Danger” Out.

What about our Inner Walls, God? Walls we build with Rocks of Resentment and Regret? Ah, God, I wonder how many of our resentments would turn out to be misunderstandings? Mistakes that could be explained — IF WE ASKED — IF WE WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO INQUIRE.

Since there IS no NON-COMMUNICATION there are endless opportunities for misunderstanding. Maybe, God, we women could take it upon ourselves to talk together. To take Rocks and Turn them into Roads?

Posted in Communication, listening, Possibilities, Stress, systematic rebuilding required

Inside a Palace, Inside our Hearts

Posted on April 10, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Inside the City Palace in Jaipur, India

Good Morning, God!

I was looking at our friends’ photos of India and loved this shot of the inside of the City Palace in Jaipur.

Palaces — and the homes of the rich and powerful — seem to exert a pull on us.

I think of the mansions that we can “tour” in England — where the no-longer-quite-so-rich live in one of the wings? And the MacMansions that are squeezed into small parcels of land along Kahala Avenue?

What is the point of huge houses, God? It is the nature of the people inside the house that makes it a “home.” Hmm. I suppose that is a bit like our bodies? Being “fit” and “in shape” is great — but You look on our INSIDE — on our Hearts.

I wonder, God, what it would be like to be taken on a “TOUR” of my Heart? My heart is FULL of all the people I love. But if YOU took me on a TOUR I am afraid that You would take me down into the dungeons where people I have JUDGED are confined.

Down in our innermost hearts — are people who have hurt us — or hurt those we love. Do they stay FOREVER?

How I wish, God, when I hear of someone still hurting at an injury, that I had the Authority to Apologize to them. Apologies are powerful. They Acknowledge the Reality of the Hurt. They Accept Responsibility. And they Express Regret. I think, God, Our World NEEDS Official Apologizers! How busy they could be!

Posted in Apologies, Forgiving, Grief, healing, Hearts

Lighting up the Sky and Our Hearts

Posted on April 9, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Buttermilk Sky above Kalanianaole

Good Morning, God!

Yes, the Taj Mahal is beautiful! But Your sky last evening was alive with LIGHT. How GOOD it is God, that You LAVISH BEAUTY on us all — rich or poor.

Your Heavens are for all of us. And You send Your Blessings of Rain on the Just and the Unjust alike.

This morning I will go off to the Farmers’ Market and see the bounty of Your Land. Buying some to take home — and stopping just to admire the orchids, hibiscus and anthuriums.

We are, God, SHARING this World You have given us. One SMALL World. And IT SPINS. Earthquakes in Japan send WAVES that sink boats here in Hawaii. Radiation leaks also flow out and around the World. And just yesterday I saw a map showing how the huge aggregation of broken buildings and things from Japan was going to slowly float across the Pacific over the next few years — ending up in the enormous North Pacific Garbage Dump.

CONSEQUENCES. And in the Face of Such Traumas we Ask, WHAT CAN WE DO? Last night, God, I sat next to a woman who was making quilts to send to Japan. She has already sent three and is working hard to get two more done. Quilts for children, made in Hawaii, going to Japan. Kit and I have given money — and need to keep on giving. But, handmade quilts carry so much more love. Please help us, God, to send forth LOVE — ALL AROUND OUR WORLD.

Posted in Heavens declare the Glory of God, LOVE, perspectives, Sunsets

The Taj Mahal — and living “temples”

Posted on April 8, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Taj Mahal

Good Morning, God!

The Taj Mahal is a glorious building and this photo was taken by dear friends who just got back from their trip to India.

My Dad took a photo of it too, many years ago, and a lovely enlargement of it hangs in my Mother’s apartment.

It’s monument to a beloved wife — Emperor Shah Jahan’s favorite — the Empress Mumtaz Mahal — whom he married in 1612. By the time she died in 1631 she had had 14 children. I suppose, God, that is a fact that women might notice — much more so now that women are having only one, two or three children. And, I must say, God, it puzzles me that some of the groups most zealous about You seem to think having a LOT of Children is a good thing. War by reproduction? Sigh.

Taj Mahal at sunset -- side view

As for me, God, I would not want a building in my memory. Although, judging from the number of buildings NAMED for donors on the various school campuses, many people, do.

For that matter, Empress Mumtaz Mahal may not have wanted it either.

Ah, but, God, we humans LONG to do something LASTING. As if that will make our lives meaningful. As if, the simple living of our lives is not enough. Ah, God, for me it was not enough until YOU filled that God Shaped Hole within me.

When we invite You to enter into us — to forgive us, cleanse us, and renew us — then we become Your Dwelling Place — Your Temple. Your Taj Mahal? Hmmm. I find that a scary thought! Please, God, help me to CLEAN UP!

Posted in a series of molts and upgrades, A Spiritual Spring Cleaning, LOVE, New Creatures in Christ

Caring — all around the World — and back home again

Posted on April 7, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

seed pods in a friend's garden

Good Morning, God!

I woke up late this morning — and I am still not AWAKE! I am not, God, totally HERE in my office. Part of me is still back in this lovely yard in the upper Niu Valley where a dear friend was telling me about her “evangelical” work sharing the book ANTICANCER with folks taking chemo with her. THEY NEED TO KNOW!

Another part of me is in Swaziland with Heidi and Noah and the Holck Family as they work together with local pastors to plant vegetables in a huge garden to feed and help orphans. It is a JOY, God, to pray for their mission of HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT.

Then, too, I have “been” in San Jose praying for the Head of the Advocates for Africa’s Children’s Prayer Team and her family. Thank You, God, for the incredible gift of PRAYER. The very idea that YOU want us to come before You with our requests and concerns must seem foolish to many people. But, it is such a JOY to KNOW that You LONG to have us come — into Your Presence — asking for Your Help and Guidance — CARING about others all around the World, and at home.

CARING — not judging or condemning — LONGING for ALL of us here on Earth to CARE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER AS YOU CARE FOR US.

And, yes, I must not forget caring for myself, too. I have just finished my last “exam” and it seems all is well. But, Japan has given me renewed perspective, God. There is no point in storing up goods here on Earth. It comes to me that all we really “HAVE” is what we have GIVEN AWAY.

Posted in LOVE, Perspective, Prayer

Courage and Humility — A Tribute to the Japanese People

Posted on April 6, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A Physical Map of Japan

Good Morning, God!

In the past few days I have gotten two memorable posts on Japan. The first was an email from a friend who has a son living in Japan. It contained stories of the Japanese people’s responses to the assorted traumas from the Earthquake, Tsunami and what followed.

In one of them a person reports “I saw some small children speaking to the train conductor. The said, “Thank you for working so hard yesterday to keep the trains running.” The conductor started to cry. I did, too. In another report a man said to a a train conductor, “Things sure are tough” regarding the decision to run the trains all night. The conductor smiled and said, “The times call for it.”

Another report was of a woman giving out free bread, and another of a woman holding a sign to people walking by — for hours — saying her bathroom was open to people in need of it.

Ah, God. affirming one another — by word or by deed — is a strengthening act. These quotes gave me hope. Courage has a ripple effect — in the Tahrir Square, or on the trains in Japan. Thank You, God, for people making me proud to be human!

The second email was about the Tsunami, not people, and it humbled me. It was a video of the ocean water flowing in to a Japanese city — flowing in and in and in — picking up cars, then trucks, and finally large buildings and just floating them off. I kept waiting, God, for the water to stop. To recede. It just kept coming. My understanding has been STRETCHED way beyond comfort. But, that, too, is good. Thank YOU, God!

Posted in Affirmation, courage, humility, imagining, Meaning

When to Affirm and When to Laugh

Posted on April 5, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Over-the-Top BLING! A smart car covered in Swarovski crystals

Good Morning, God!

I’ve been thinking about affirming PEOPLE — as opposed to affirming THINGS. I’m not sure I’ve made this distinction before. But, it is beginning to seem very important.

I’ve been conditioned to be polite and admire stuff. A friend buys a new dress and I tend to find something to admire or affirm. And since I don’t hang out with folks that buy flashy cars or boats I haven’t had to “draw-a-line.” But, if I had a friend rich enough to buy this car-covered-in-crystals, God, would I be able to LAUGH at them? I hope so!

This incredible acceleration of bigger houses and longer yachts deserves to be held up to social ridicule! What are people thinking, God? Do they think that stuff will give them anything more than a momentary “HIT?”

Of course, we are free, God, free to spend our money anyway we want. But, as I think of a person spending THIS much money to say LOOK AT ME — I feel really sad for the person. Such a poverty of imagination, God! Or maybe, as Dr. Arch Hart has pointed out, when a person is TOO BUSY for TOO LONG they have built a wall around their pleasure center. Small ordinary pleasures can’t get over the wall. It takes something spectacular. That person is STARVED for JOY!

It makes me think of what Mother Teresa said: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Please help us, God, to remember and experience the joys of belonging to each other.

Posted in Belonging to each other, Meaning, simple joys of daily life

Affirmations and Relational Seas of Respect

Posted on April 4, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

90% of an iceberg is underwater -- and not seen

Good Morning, God!

Icebergs? Did You wake me up, God to talk about ICEBERGS?

It feels as if You woke me up to have me see — just how FAR from what I “intend” — my words and deeds may extend. Yes, as in an iceberg!

So, I’m thinking — if the TIP of the iceberg is my verbal output — then there is 90% that I don’t see or hear . That would be my tone of voice, my facial expressions, my body’s stance and gestures. In this aerial photo of an iceberg I can see that the iceberg doesn’t just extend down — it extends OUT to the sides. Beware to passing ships — or people!

And that takes me back to Watzlawick’s Communication Axiom #2: Every communication has a content aspect and a relationship aspect such that the latter classifies the former and is therefore a meta-communication.” Put more simply, the RELATIONSHIP we have with someone will “determine” how we understand the CONTENT of what is said or done.

Or, God, to continue on with the metaphor — the iceberg is my CONTENT but it floats in a sea of RELATIONSHIPS. Hmm. So, God, maybe MORE BASIC than my desire to AFFIRM is the question of what sort of sea does my iceberg float in? A SEA of RESPECT? Or a Sea of Judgement?

Does that mean that my desire to affirm those around me must BEGIN with my entering into an “Assumption of Respect” Relationship toward them? Hmmm. I need Your Help, God!

Posted in Affirmations, Communication, LOVE, respect