Super Full Moons and a Day of Rest

Posted on March 21, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The Super Full Moon, March 19, 2011

Good Morning, God!

Ah, what fun it was, God, to walk out with Kit looking at the Super Full Moon. The full moon was only one hour away from its perigee (closest point) on Saturday. The closest full moon in 18 years.

But, the moon was so bright that we never did get to see Saturn which was rising later but still close to the moon.

A lovely evening — and a Sabbath eve, too — making me understand why the orthodox Jews begin Sabbath at the sight of the first star.

Days of rest vary — Friday, Saturday or Sunday — but they are a key part of life.

Am I getting better at keeping them, God? Or is the idea of “grading” myself on how well I am keeping the Sabbath, in itself, a misapprehension of what the day is all about? I think so! Perhaps, more important than how well I refrain from work, is how much I am beginning to look forward to the Day of Rest.

I had prepared a pad with a list of “non-work activities” that I could do on the Sabbath. Then, when we came back from our walk, I picked up the pad and scrawled DRIFT NAP across the list. That felt RIGHT, God.

And that is what I did . . . I napped and read and played games with my mom and enjoyed dinner with Kit and drifted through the day. Smiling. Thank You!

Posted in sabbath rest, seeing myself as a sheep, simple joys of daily life

Willful Blindness — A Must Read!

Posted on March 20, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Willful Blindness by Margaret Heffernan

Good Morning, God!

I’ve been listening to Willful Blindness for over a week now. I’m only half-way done, but already it is having an effect on me.

Wednesday, at a meeting I spoke up and said what I thought. And then yesterday I also said some things that I believed needed saying. In truth, I didn’t want to even think them, let alone SAY them.

But, my energy level is back up now. I have just experienced how much energy it takes NOT to look at the obvious! Knowing that is good, but EXPERIENCING it is so much more powerful! Thank You, God!

The information in the book covers just about every aspect of our lives. Yesterday I learned about how we are “hardwired” to follow orders. As individuals we have a keen moral sense. However, as members of a group — even just barely “groups” — we switch over into wanting to be good members of the group. We do what we are told. This behavior is something the military works very hard to balance! And business schools seem to be starting to talk about it.

The book is FULL of information that helps me better understand myself and others. Seeing willful blindness as something we ALL suffer from helps me be more understanding and less judgmental, God.

Ah, God, the more I learn the more I understand the difficulties in our changing and growing and being more fully human. And, that understanding, in itself, makes reading this book worthwhile. But, God, You will have to help people read it. Knowing all of this is HARD!

Posted in choosing HARD, Compassion, seeing, Understanding

Mom gets a Perm and a Smile

Posted on March 19, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Mom with her new perm -- a good hair day!

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday was a Good Hair Day for Mom. After two set backs with an outer ear infection she was well enough to go off to the Cinderella Beauty Salon right there in the Hawaii Kai retirement residence.

HURRAY! I teased her and said I should have taken BEFORE and AFTER photos. Only, what woman wants to have a photo taken of her with her hair looking like Albert Einstein’s hair! Electric!

Somehow, God, looking like we are “in control” helps us get back in control. Nothing is so good for our morale as having our hair done!

Ah, God, I think of the people of Japan. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and losing family and friends pretty much slams our normal sense of being in control. Resiliency is really a matter of regaining our sense of control. I don’t mean “cosmic control.” What I mean by regaining control is assessing of WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT DOES IT MEAN, and WHAT CAN I DO!

I suppose, God, that is sort of like having a RESET button we can push when our circumstances change drastically. Doing that brings us back into balance. And being in BALANCE means that we are better able to respond. Maybe not right away and not without having to turn around.

Still, having YOU, God, in my life — the GROUND of my being — means I am able to put my roots down into You. That really helps with stability and balance! And I am very thankful, God.

Posted in a hand up, attitudes

A Long Climb

Posted on March 18, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Moro Rock: the stairs going up

Good Morning, God!

For some reason this photo really caught my eye, yesterday. Perhaps, it is because I have been thinking of the long, hard job the Japanese have to rebuild and recover after the earthquake and tsunami.

Or, it could be, that listening to the book Willful Blindness has been bringing me nose to nose with things I have to change. And even small changes feels like climbing.

Yesterday I heard that drivers who are legally drunk do better than drivers talking on a cell phone. AUWE! I didn’t want to know THAT!

Hmm. Did You just say that I had heard that fact before but “disremembered” it? You’re right! And the author is right in that we (we, as in ALL of us) have LIMITED attention. We simply cannot focus on more than one thing at a time. Not talking on the phone while driving will be a big change for me.

I was telling all this to a dear friend who reminded me that my car COULD be a sacred space — a place where I might hear You with my innermost being — a place of quiet.

Yes. I believe it can be. And that brings me back to the people in Sendai. I received an email passed on from a Teacher of English there. She talked about how the people helped one another — those who found that their water was turned on would put up a sign so others could come and fill their containers. Their doors were left open. And, with no light pollution, the stars were filling the sky.

Dear, God, You long to fill us with Your Spirit, just as Your Stars Fill the Sky!

Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, adjusting, Changing

Honolulu 2011, Coming Soon!

Posted on March 17, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Morning, God!

Not this weekend, but the next, Kit and I will be attending Honolulu 2011. It is massive overload — but I love it! It is: wonderful speakers both local and flying in from all over! Old friends gathering, coming together to hear and sing and pray and talk.

And, then there is the sense of JOY that comes from Your Holy Spirit!

HALLELUJAH! OH YES, HALLELUJAH!!!! Surely it is good to Bow before Your Beauty, God!

And after earthquakes and tsunamis and nuclear disasters, I feel like prostrate is even better than bowing. It is a comfort to join together with friends and pray for Your Mercy to be poured out on us. I have to confess, we humans have not made wise decisions, God. Yes, You have noticed.

I remember my grandfather shaking his head about home builders putting homes in the Arroyo Secos of Southern California. On average, every 50 years a major flood would wash through them. Ah, but 49 years seems like a long time to us humans. And people built.

So we design nuclear power stations that resist BIG earthquakes — but not HUGE ones. What kind of “cost benefit analysis” was going on there, God? Ah, but, The Unexpected, is just that — unexpected and unanticipated. And we are all vulnerable. Please help us all, God, to live more wisely in this active, changing world! And, maybe, give us better “imaginations?”

Posted in choices, Compassion, imagining, intentional and invited sacred space, Prayer

Confirming One Another’s Existence

Posted on March 16, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

People we haven't given ourselves permission to feel comfortable with

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday, My Favorite Curmudgeon was telling me that she was upset that she was the only one who hugged “Mike” or made a point of acknowledging him. (Not his right name to protect a lot of us.)

Mike is in a wheelchair and — after I saw how my friend Geri from Kauai lavished Mike with attention and prayers — I do try to say “hello.” But, God, I needed Geri’s example to even get started on the absolutely basic task of confirming another person’s EXISTENCE AS A HUMAN BEING!

So, now, after a good burst of indignation from My Favorite Curmudgeon I am shamed into overcoming my “social awkwardness” and will be more aware of my obligation as a fellow human being.

But, God, this isn’t just about Mike. It is about so very many opportunities we have during the day to Pause and Pay Attention. Not just show interest — BE INTERESTED — in our fellow humans. Smiling at the people I jog by — learning and using people’s names — sending a card to show I care.

Years ago I came across a quote by Paul Watzlawich, “The Primary Purpose of Human Communication is to Confirm Our Existence as Human Beings.” As soon as I read it, God, I thought THIS IS TRUE!

It seems to me, God, that maybe words are the least part of communication. Smiling, nodding, waving — aaah, and LISTENING — these are things we can all do. The only word that really matters is the NAME of the person we are with.

After all, I can ask You — call all the Stars by Name — to help me learn and use people’s names.

Posted in Communication, connections

A New Heroine — Alice Stewart

Posted on March 15, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Alice Stewart 1906 - 2002, British Epidemiologist

Good Morning, God!

A new day — and a new gift! Thank You, God, for showing me yet another unsung woman hero.

It was when I was reading the book Willful Blindness yesterday, that I learned about Dr. Alice Stewart an English epidemiologist — famous for her 1950s discovery that “exposing pregnant mothers to X-rays doubled the risk of cancer in their children.”

One might have thought, God, after that study was published, that would have been the END of exposing pregnant mothers to X-rays! But, they kept right on doing it, criticizing her data.

Her data was excellent! But, there were problems: 1) the medical profession was thrilled with X-rays — a new toy. 2) doctors — like the rest of us — resist knowing that they may have harmed people, especially babies. 3) there was a theory that radiation didn’t hurt us until it reached a “threshold” amount.

The threshold idea was particularly attractive — in fact, scientist even thought a little bit of radiation might be good for us. Alas, ANY X-ray a pregnant woman was exposed to harmed the fetus. Gosh God, this heroine seems quite relevant TODAY with our renewed worries about nuclear power plants.

Alice Stewart kept on researching, working and speaking out. She didn’t retire until she was 90. But she was so unpopular with the establishment, because of her findings, that the British embassy in Oslo wouldn’t even send a car to pick her up when she arrived to receive an award.

Change IS hard. And I am afraid, God, that most of us find it TOO HARD. I’m now coming to believe that CHANGE might best begin with repentance and humility. Sigh. Please, God, help me repent of my busyness.

Posted in busy, Changing, choices, courage, health

A “Failed” Sabbath — is Still a Gift

Posted on March 14, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

CUC Spire early morning

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday was another Sabbath. I was going to say another “failed” Sabbath, but I’ve decided to reframe it as a “learning” Sabbath!

I don’t like confessing failures, God. And that is in spite of my dramatic experience back ’08 where I was given the gift of 90 minutes of confessing to “sacred strangers.” It was an incredible gift!

I felt SO CLEAN and FORGIVEN and WHOLE!

But, as You so clearly showed me — confessing is a bit like upchucking. It makes us feel much better. But, we have to feel really bad before we do it.

As if to further make that point, yesterday’s sermon was based on the 32 Psalm in which the psalmist said in verses 3 and 4 “When I kept silent, [not acknowledging my sin] my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

The psalmist starts by talking about how BLESSED is the one whose transgressions are forgiven. Ah, God, I have experienced that relief! So then, let me confess that I had intended to “just take care of myself” yesterday. That being my current version of “rest.”

But, as the day went on, I found myself angry and grumpy — mostly at myself, but my dear Kit got the spill over. Angry because my life is too full. Angry that I am not “taking good care of myself.” And, maybe just ANGRY!

Ah, but that is where the learning came in. My feelings knew they needed to be FELT and up they came in all their ickiness — to be dealt with — ready or not. I hope/intend God, that those FEELINGS will lead to CHANGE — with Your help!

Posted in A Spiritual Spring Cleaning, confession, sabbath rest

Working Together — Making Music & Donating to Quake Relief

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

Trombones -- in the Honolulu Community Band

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday evening we went to what was to be a joint concert with the Honolulu Community Band and the Omiya Community Band. Only their flight from Japan was scheduled for two hours AFTER the earthquake! They couldn’t get out!

But, the concert became an opportunity to collect donations for the quake relief efforts. After the performance we went to Kaimuki and walked by a Japanese restaurant that was also accepting donations.

I thought about B.J. Fogg and his “triggers.” It really helps to Put Opportunity in the Path of People! So, anyone who wants to donate to the quake relief via the Red Cross can just click on the underline word, Red Cross.

Honolulu Community Band

But, back to the Band! Kit is going to rejoin the band. He was one of the charter members back in 1973 when the band began. I’m very pleased he is returning as he really loves music and playing his trombone.

The concert ended with the Stars and Stripes Forever — REAL band music. MARCHES!

As the band was playing, God, I was thinking about how marvelous it is to see so many people working so harmoniously together for the greater good. It made me wonder why it is that we don’t have MORE examples of that, God? Is it for lack of good conductors? Or lack of the equivalent of “musical scores?”

Now that I think about it, God, I’m sure we have LOTS of examples of “volunteers” working together — it’s just that their work doesn’t lend itself to offering concerts! Thank You, God for people working together to help!

Posted in Giving, meaningful work, Music, organized, supportive organizational structures

Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Awareness is Key

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

A Thermographic image of IBC

Good Morning, God!

I’m using a thermographic image of Inflammatory Breast Cancer — so as not to be TOO graphic. Ever since one of my dear friends came down with IBC I’ve been aware that most of us women are NOT aware of it. The problem is that what we have learned about regular breast cancer doesn’t apply. There are No Lumps with IBC.

My friend is VERY fortunate that her dermatologist is up on these things and spotted it right away. Some poor doctors have told women “It’s just a bug bite” and sent them home. AURGH! Not to blame anyone, God, we all make mistakes.

In fact, I just bought a book entitled Willful Blindness about how we let fear keep us from “knowing” and “doing.” Perhaps, God, “not knowing” is part of how we keep the knowledge of Death away? Anyway, I feel called to share because being aware of this type of cancer really can keep death a bit further away!

Please, God, help us be willing to learn. Please help folks watch this piece on YouTube about IBC by clicking on the colored word IBC. Gosh, God, it is so much easier to let people know about things now than even just a few years ago.

Meanwhile, God, I’m also asking You to help us to find cures for cancer. Please, God, gifts of wisdom and knowledge for researchers — and for all of us who just want to lead healthier lives — wiser lives.

Posted in a prayer for healing, health, so much to learn