Outsourcing our Worries — Prayer?

Posted on December 11, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Choke by Sian Beilock

Good Morning, God!

I don’t think I’ll read this book, God, but I really enjoyed the article about Sian Beilock’s research in Discover Magazine.

Choke isn’t about failing to do our best — Choke is about falling into the abyss of suboptimal performance. A lot of her research shows that one cause of choking is having the Mind interfere with tasks that belong to the Body. Another point the article makes is that when we are doing a cognitively demanding job — like responding to on-the-spot questions — then if we add “worrying about screwing up,” we run out of brainpower.

That point really rang true for me, God. When I took tests, I tried hard to stay IN the test. If I let my mind step out to observe how I was doing, my performance DROPPED. It’s like we can only have ONE focus point.

But what I like BEST in the article, God, is the idea of writing out our worries. “The idea is that you cognitively outsource your worries to the page. Writing about worries for 10 minutes right before taking a standardized test is really beneficial.”

WOW! I LOVE that idea, God! I love the idea that I can clean up my mind by writing stuff down — OUTSOURCING IT TO THE PAGE! I journal, God. But, I haven’t ever considered the possibility of engaging in constructive worrying. That sounds like and oxymoron. But now I can see that it would be like vacuuming up my worries and depositing them on a page. Then, I would give the PAGE to YOU! Burning it?

Maybe the real value is that I would be LISTENING to MYSELF. Giving myself that Basic Respect?

Posted in choices, Prayer, respect, Worries

Christmas is Coming — Joy is Here

Posted on December 10, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Christmas wreath at the Oahu Country Club

Good Morning, God!

The rain held off last night and we had a lovely “family dinner” up at the OCC. It was really a Stanford Club function, but we — plus Kit’s brother, RC, and Larie and Martha Lee — had our own table. Martha Lee has been family since she was a neighbor of Kit’s when they were little kids. Thank YOU, God! Thank YOU for friends that have BECOME family — and for family that have become friends.

Connections are so important, God! Hearing one another — and being heard — that is the BEST of gifts. Accepting one another, accepting ourselves, as we ARE. Oddly enough, acceptance of what IS maybe well be where CHANGE begins.

And now I am yawning, God. I have gotten up early to have a few minutes with You. Mostly, I just wanted to say THANK YOU. Now the sound of the rain is lulling me back into sleep. I shall return to bed for a bit more sleep and then arise — rejoicing at a New Day. Thankful for family. Thankful for Friends. THANKFUL!

Posted in connections, Conversations, family visits, gratitude, thankfulness

Seasons of Snow and Expectations of CHANGE

Posted on December 9, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Ireland with SNOW on 12/4/10

Good Morning, God!

Here is lovely Ireland — almost totally covered in snow. I suspect they feel like Seattle feels when a rare snow fall hits. I’m sure that there are some folks saying. “SEE! Where is the Global Warming?” I wish they were right! It would be better if we called it Global Weirding.

Our world is so delicately balanced, God, that it doesn’t take much to tip us over into another Ice Age. I think I have that right — we have been in a warm “between” period for the last 12,000 years — the Holocene. But ice is “standard.” One possible scenario is that the fresh water coming off of the melting Greenland glaciers submerges the warming Gulf Stream and it gets COLD again.

But, we really don’t know what YOU have in store for us, God. It is tempting to disregard science and go on doing what we are doing. In fact, that is pretty much what almost all of us ARE doing.

This is such a lovely world. And I live on such a special part of it. As Mark Twain said about Hawaii, we are “The loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.” So here I am — oscillating between great thankfulness — and mild anxiety. Well, perhaps on occasion it is more than mild anxiety, God.

And so I go back to the basics — We love BECAUSE You FIRST loved us. And I pull my Mind back from ASSORTED FUTURES and focus on NOW. I am so thankful for the Gift of Life. For being. And then I ask myself HOW shall I live — and WHO CAN I SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH? Help me, God, with TODAY.

Posted in background / foreground questions, Balancing and adjustments, climate changes, our small blue dot, thankfulness

Other Vantage Points — and Processing

Posted on December 8, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The Eastern End of Honolulu

Good Morning, God!

It’s fun to see things from different vantage points. Looking at this photo I can see where we live and I can see where my Mom lives. This photo is from a site called the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Kit’s brother, RC, and wife, Larie, are arriving today. Aiee! Still, knowing that our comfortable albeit cluttered home was going to be seen by them — helped ME to SEE the clutter and piles. “Seeing” through their eyes gave me another vantage point. And that has motivated me to at least move STUFF out of the common area.

My piles are not yet all processed. I am reluctant to just PUT THEM IN THE TRASH. WHY is that, God? I want to take a “last look” and then I forget that I don’t have to do EVERYTHING — or READ everything! I am taking books in this morning to share. Sharing helps.

Hmmm. It comes to me that I have INNER PILES, too. Not nearly as many as I had before going to Jacksonville Florida to the Christian Healing Ministries organization and spending 90 minutes confessing everything I could think of!

Wow, God! Total strangers that were willing to hear me in love and anonymity. Of which the latter was more important. Too bad EVERYONE can’t have that opportunity! Thank YOU, for that GIFT, God!

Thank You, also, for reminding me that I can’t move my inner piles out of Your sight. And reminding me that you LONG TO HELP ME — TO HELP ALL OF US — PROCESS PAST PILES.

Posted in A Spiritual Spring Cleaning, accepting my need for help, processing on deeper levels, Vantage Points

Praying Together — A Call

Posted on December 7, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The spire at Central Union Church, Honolulu

Good Morning, God!

Here I am — at home — not going anywhere. Thank YOU, God! Even busy little extroverts need down time. Actually, what I need is to sit silently in Your Lap. And I did go and do that for maybe a whole minute. But, You sent me back into the World of Interconnections!

I am SO THANKFUL, God, for That World, That Web of Connections — for Life.

I was thinking of the number of people I can call to pray with — pray OUT LOUD with — that is such a gift. The Spire at Central Union used to be visible way out to sea. It was a visible reminder of Your Call.

The phone has made it possible to connect across space — and we can call now for almost nothing. We can call to pray — call to talk and to hear — to confirm our existence and value as human beings . . . or just beings.

In my heart there is a yearning for everyone to have “prayer connections” — people that they can CALL on for prayer or just a listening ear. We need that, God. I know I need it. Trustworthy people who will hear and join us in CALLING YOU.

There is a reason that Jesus said “where two or three are in my name I am there.” C.S.Lewis said that two Christians are ten times more than one Christian. We are designed to pray together!

But, we are not taught that — not told that — not helped to do that. Hmmm. I wonder if ANYONE would come to a session on Praying Together? Or just come to our Wednesday 7:00 a.m. Women’s Prayer and Laughter Group? Yes, God, we need to ASK!

Posted in connecting, connections, intentional and invited sacred space, JOY, Prayer

No sooner asked for, than “HARD” arrived

Posted on December 6, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

The standing ovation at the end of the Messiah

Good Morning, God!

It was JUST yesterday that I was asking for Your Help, God, in the HARD WORK of learning. And then this very morning I find myself “learning” the new iLife computer program in order to transfer a photo. I am HAVING to unlearn the old program and relearn the new one — with a certain amount of frustration. As my mother asked yesterday, “Where is the MANUAL?” Where, indeed, God!

There are no manuals as we are now completely launched into the World of Heuristic Learning! That used to be called “Trial and Error”. Muddling Through, is another description.

Ah, God, if only we could try again and again and keep on trying with our interpersonal learning! Hmm. Yes, that IS what we do. The only complication with human relations is that sometimes it is ONE STRIKE and you are OUT. We need a better Forgiveness Program, Sigh. You say You HAVE ONE for us? If only we ASKED?

Today, God, let me ASK YOU for an upgrade to my Forgiveness Program! I ask with fear and trembling, God! You are SO QUICK to respond! And I know that an “Upgrade” will require unlearning and relearning and frustration and — INCREASE MY HUMILITY.

Hmmm. Humility seems to be a KEY FACTOR in forgiving. “Forgive us our debts AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS.” Ah, on to the DAY — with humility and thanksgiving.

Posted in growing toward up, humility, learning, Life isn't supposed to be easy.

My Role Model and her new iMac

Posted on December 5, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Marjorie the First, my mother, at Thanksgiving

Good Morning, God!

Thank YOU for my marvelous mother! For some time she has been telling me her computer was dying. But, I kept thinking it was just a power surge that had turned it off and turned it on again. However, she was right! Her 8 year old iMac was dead.

So yesterday I rushed off to the Kahala Apple store and got her a NEW iMac. As she said in an email “I must be crazy but at the age of 96 I bought a new computer!!! The one Barba gave me finally died…dead as a doornail. And I felt absolutely lost without one!!!”

My Mom's new iMac

I told the young man at the Apple Store who I was buying it for and he was so envious! He said his grandmother wouldn’t even consider a computer! I bet his grandmother was a lot younger than my mom!

Queen Katrina

Too bad they can’t use Mom in Apple ads, She’d be a great poster girl!

She and her cat have a lot of CURIOSITY! Yesterday, as I was unpacking the box and preparing Mom’s desk, her cat kept staring at me — as if demanding an explanation. When I finally stopped and talked to her — telling her what was going on — she stopped staring at me and began to explore the empty box.

Am I anthropomorphizing, God? I think, not!

I — like my mother — have read a lot of science fiction. There is far more going on in this Universe than we can imagine. I love it, God! There is so much to learn, to see, and to ponder! Thank YOU! And please help me do the HARD WORK of learning!

Posted in Curiosity, learning, role models

The Awesome Creativity of LIFE, but ARSENIC?

Posted on December 4, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

The Tufa formations at Mono Lake Photo by David McNew

Good Morning, God!

Aaah! Yet another scientific dogma SHATTERED! The building blocks of life were known to be: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and sulfur. That was THAT! But a young NASA scientist, Felisa Wolfe-Simon, was fascinated at how crustaceans use copper instead of iron to carry oxygen around in their bodies. So, she thought, how about arsenic? Myself, I find that a BIG LEAP, God. How about arsenic, indeed!

They chose Moro Lake as an arsenic rich environment and tested. Sure enough, some bacteria from the lake had adapted and were using arsenic instead of phosphorous. So, God, we are beginning to appreciate how diverse life CAN become. And NASA is VERY interested in astrobiology. I guess, God, that the realization that life CAN adapt to arsenic means that our definition of LIFE needs expansion.

I like that, God! Definitions are so important! Right now there are a lot of LABELS being hurled around. Labels that are being used as a means of separating the US from the THEM. I was going to say that I don’t approve. But, then it came to me that I might do this, too. Yikes!

Flexible minds, God! We all need to stay flexible and open to facts. Really, all that Wolfe-Simon did was WONDER and TEST. It sounds so simple, but to do that in the face of hundreds of years of DOGMA is an amazing accomplishment.

Hmm, I feel You saying that flexible and open are nice BUT that RESPECT and APPRECIATION of OTHERS is key. Yes, God, help us to HEAR one another.

Posted in appreciation, Hearing, Life on other planets, respect, Rethinking

Optimism? — an interesting viewpoint

Posted on December 3, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley

Good Morning, God!

I’ve listened to this book. And it feels a bit like a kick in the head! WHACK! Things are getting BETTER! WHACK! WHACK! It’s odd, God. I have always thought of myself as a “biological optimist” — one who is optimistic as a matter of biological set points.

But as I listen to Ridley’s book, I realize that I, too, have been suffering from the sense of approaching doom that seems to have enveloped our entire culture. Hmmm. A “sense of doom” CAN be useful if it gets us ACTIVATED to analyze and organize positive responses. But, I suspect it more often leads to a “state of hopelessness” in which people choose short-term pleasures to silence feelings of helplessness. Brief pleasures or excessive busy-ness both distract us.

Ridley is pointing out the quantifiable trends have been UP for the last ten thousand years — life expectancy, general level of health, level of knowledge, and the abilities of people to use their individual gifts. So, God, why do we look back with such nostalgia?

Even the Ancient Greeks felt that there had been a GOLDEN AGE before their time — and that they had devolved into a lesser age. Hmmm. Are we dimly sensing an earlier Time with You? A Garden of Eden, Time? And then, there is the desire to Have You Return and take us to a Future City of God. Yes, YES! I remember Patty saying, “I want to go to my Heavenly Home.”

There is that LONGING, God, for REST in YOU. Once again, I need both — to REST IN YOU, and to be BE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. Please help me with the BALANCE!

Posted in a hand up, meaningful work, rest, Rethinking

A View Through A New Window

Posted on December 2, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Seeing through a "new window"

Good Morning, God!

Last month, friends and I were lunching at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Afterwards we looked around the gift shop. I was making my usual slow circuit of the room when I came to the far corner and all of a sudden THERE WAS A WINDOW that I swear I had never seen before. I called my friends over and asked them, “Is this NEW?” They both agreed they didn’t remember a window there.

Now, really, God, I don’t think they cut into the stone and installed a new window! But, maybe it had been covered over by a display or bookcase? We asked the staff. No, the window had ALWAYS been there. I went back and took photos — so if it disappeared I would have a record!

Life is FILLED with things — that have always been there — that we suddenly see. I had an historical “new window” show up yesterday. Delancyplace.com had an excerpt from John Keegan’s book, The First World War, talking about the strike that the French Army held in 1917 during World War I. It wasn’t a mutiny — they didn’t kill their officers — it was rather a “reluctance, if not refusal, to take part in fresh attacks.” In other words, they didn’t want to participate in the senseless slaughter of attacking point blank into the enemies’ machine guns. But, they did fight if the enemy attacked.

Apparently this started in April of 1917 and continued on through the entire year. Imagine, God, half an army engaging in a sort of civil disobedience! In resisting the madness of trench warfare they showed more good sense than any military leader or politician. Bravo, French Army of 1917, BRAVO!

Posted in accepting my authority to set limits, seeing, the layers of life, Vantage Points