The Power of Images — and Stories — and Sharing

Posted on June 14, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

My Office, as of Saturday

Good Morning, God!

On Friday, my daughter, Sandy, sent me Before and After photos of the inside of some rooms in her house. Before she put stuff away and AFTER! Those photos had a profound effect on me. I really WANTED to do before and AFTER photos of my home, God. (I used to call that cleaning up.)

So, on Saturday I went around and took Before photos. That was EASY as I had arrived home on Thursday from a 10 day trip and while I was mostly unpacked — stuff was strewn everywhere. I’m good at strewing.

I have to laugh at myself. I was a woman possessed. I HAD to get my house ready for those AFTER PHOTOS. It has been a while since I worked up such a sweat just putting stuff away! I will admit that the After Photos were focused careful. This is the GOOD portion of my office. Still, I am amazed at how MOTIVATED I was to get it done — how really GOOD it felt when I was done — and how MUCH I wanted to share it.

Images truly ARE PRIMARY. Words ARE Tertiary. I suspect that is why Jesus came telling stories. Stories are the movies of the mind. We see them play out. They are concrete – visible – real. And they lodge in our minds and hearts.

Hmmm. It comes to me that this works both ways. Violent stories — stories that send our adrenaline up and over the top — stay with us, too. I understand how important food is for my body. I need to remember that I am feeding my mind and heart with what I see and read and hear. Thank You, God, for the reminder! And now, ON TO A GOOD DAY!

Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, authority over my life, images, imagining

Butterflies, Systems Theory, and Emerging from our Chysalis

Posted on June 13, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

The Kamehameha butterfly, native to Hawaii. Photo by Pete Oboyski

Good Morning, God

I came across a “story” that is a favorite of mine (retold, I believe by Adrian Rogers):

A man watched a butterfly trying to emerge from a cocoon. Thinking that he would help, the man took his penknife and slit the side of the chysalis, and the butterfly flopped out. It lay there for a while, feebly beating its wings, then collapsed and died.

“How tragic,” you say, and you are right, because God had a plan for that butterfly. The struggle to break free built the strength he would need to fly. God doesn’t want you to live weakly and to die feebly. He wants you to grow and mature. Find the wings in your trial today. Strengthen them by the promises in God’s Word.

Helping isn’t easy, is it God! In fact, it is complex. And as the systems scientist, Jay Forrester said: “In a complex system, you almost always get the opposite of the result you intend”. Rereading this story makes me appreciate the IMPORTANCE of struggling.

And now a surprising thought: if I were to UPGRADE the things I STRUGGLE with, the small things I struggle with now would become easier. Wow! I am going to go and sit in Centering Prayer and ponder that! Thank YOU!

Posted in a series of molts and upgrades, Abundant Life, accepting my ability to REDESIGN, adjusting, complexity, web of life

Before and After Photos — Motivation Writ Large

Posted on June 12, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A Before Photo from the Cat in the Hat ride

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday my daughter, Sandy, sent me BEFORE and AFTER photos from her home. They were amazing! Once again, the POWER of images spoke to me. But, I don’t want to show MY before photos — or her’s — so here is a lovely blurred one from the Cat in the Hat ride at Universal Studios.

The Before and After photos also showed me the POWER of a good role model. And they helped me understand how it is that the 2nd time we do something is so much easier than the FIRST TIME. The first time — we don’t know how. At least, our BODY doesn’t know how — even if our MIND is quite sure IT KNOWS!

I suppose, God, that is why it is so hard to give up an addiction. Our Body KNOW what it WANTS. Of course, we can be redirected. I think WAY BACK to a cigarette ad that said “Reach for a Lucky, instead of a sweet”. Gosh, cigarette advertising! UGH!

Our culture WANTS us to choose BUYING and CONSUMING. No wonder our dear bodies are obese and our closets stuffed — not to mention storage lockers. Let me back up. It isn’t our culture. It is the commercial media who DEPEND on advertising — and advertising depends on selling products or experiences.

It comes back to choices. It comes back to what we choose to focus on. DRAT! It comes back to personal (that would be ME) responsibility! And how shall I respond?

I shall go and take a few BEFORE PHOTOS of my house. And I’m thankful I can’t take photos of my jumbled MIND! Off I go — asking for Your Help!

Posted in a hand up, authority over my life, Balancing and adjustments, choices, The power of images

Choosing images, choosing changes – choosing to face fears

Posted on June 11, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

A homegrown anthurium in my office

Good Morning, God!

Good MORNING from my home and my office and my HEART FULL of events and experiences and people — and photos.

Photos / images are so much more PRIMARY a means of communicating. Words are, TERTIARY! 97% of human communication is body language and tone of voice — of which the sender remains UNAWARE. We CAN focus our camera. And to some degree we can focus our conscious mind. But that is just the surface, isn’t it, God?

Malcolm Gladwell talked about this in his book, Blink. He talked about how in playing back interviews you could “catch” the person’s true feelings/intent in MICRO expressions. Because, God, I guess you have designed us to TELL THE TRUTH. We can lie with words — but our BODIES WANT TO TELL THE TRUTH.

In the book I’m reading right now, The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks the author talks about how our Bodies will sometimes kick in with “problems” to “punish” us, to “prevent” us from doing something that our unconscious thinks forbidden or unwise. Our unconscious, is just that, God. UNDER our minds awareness.

But, apparently it is connected rather closely to our body. Now, THAT is a thought to ponder. And it brings me back to my intention / desire to RESPECT my BODY. And, I guess, God, I want to respect my unconscious, too. Although, that does sound dangerous.

As I was sitting here wondering just HOW I might do that, I thought (did You help?) I COULD LISTEN TO MY DAUGHTERS — and MY MOM! WOW! Now THAT is a radical thought. And it might lead to radical behaviors. . . and I feel that fear of change tiptoe into my being.

OK, GOD! Help me breathe into the fear and keep on going.

Posted in a hand up, a series of molts and upgrades, accepting my need for help, asking for help for myself, becoming the change I wish to see, breathing in Your Spirit

Luminous Clouds and a Numinous Life

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

A Glorious Sky over the Santa Catalina mountains

Good Day God!

I’m home – home in Honolulu – and ready for bed. But, first a BIG THANK YOU, God! Thank you that I was able to go and the I had such wonderful times. I am blessed!

Last night the sky was magical – it was as if the clouds were alive — and unusually luminous. I went out to take photos and as I went down closer to the street swarms (well, o.k. a number) of insects buzzed around me. I didn’t get bitten. But they buzzed in my ears and I finally retreated.

I have noticed, God, that I let little things bother me — not so much things that bite — as things that MIGHT BITE. I’d like help with that. Help to keep on with my purpose and not be distracted or deterred. Yes, I did notice that I said MY purpose . . . I’d like that to be OUR purposes . . . Please bring me into a better alignment with YOU!

Now I am going to take myself off to bed. I am going to see how long I can sleep. Tomorrow I shall make plans. Tonight I shall give thanks, and sleep.

Posted in thankfulness, Thanksgiving!

Upgraded Hard Drives, Resolves and Respecting my Body

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

Mark, our family Techie and Apple fanatic

Good Day, God!

My visit is coming to an end — maybe that’s why today seemed so much fuller that usual. Not too full, God — just right!

We ARE made in Your Image, God. We love to create — or as Mark is doing in this photo, UPGRADING. My laptop now has a bigger hard drive and Mark got my old one, which is bigger than his old one. Two upgrades at once!

I was going to ask You for a bigger hard drive, but before the thought was formed I “heard” You saying I’m not using half of what I have! Sigh. True! Please help me as I resolve to do more to use what You’ve given me.

And speaking of resolves — I was FULL OF THEM during a massage this afternoon.

Renate's massage table in Sandy's master bedroom

Never had my body made itself clearer about wanting BETTER TREATMENT! I have resolved to stretch! After all, if I can finally floss — I can stretch!

Then, of course, I resolved to exercise more — really exercise! And, of course, to eat right EVEN when I am traveling.

Bodies are WISE! They have their own intelligence and my mind is finally ceding my body RESPECT! So slow . . . I am so slow. But, PRAISE YOU, GOD! I am a Biological Optimist — so I keep on resolving! Ah, the importance of KEEPING ON!

Posted in a series of molts and upgrades, asking for help for myself, Cherishing our Bodies, Praise, respect, responsibility

A Grandmother Saguaro and Me

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

A particularly good looking saguaro in Sabino Canyon

Good Day God!

Another lovely family day in Tucson — THANK YOU, GOD! I started early with a cup of coffee brought to me by Sandy and then I was off to breakfast with Ian. I was stopped on the way out the door by Mark who let me know that he expected breakfast with me tomorrow!

You know, God, it feels really good to have grandsons who WANT to have breakfast with me. Of course, smile, it could be the chocolate chip pancakes.

I feel a bit like this saguaro cactus — with my arms full of family — and hands raised in praise, God. Odd to think that this cactus is maybe 150 years older than I am. That’s a lot of history, a lot of cloudbursts and a lot of droughts. I particularly like picturing her extension roots wrapped around large underground rocks to hold her fast in the wind and storms.

We are told to build our house on the Rock and not on Sand. Belief systems can be either rock or sand. I suspect even folks who consider themselves atheists have a “belief” system. I remember the quote from Norbert Wiener about how you can’t make sense of a system without setting it within a larger system.

Even in that, God, You give us the freedom to choose. We can choose Meaning or Meaninglessness. I remember telling the doctor — when Patty was ill — that the real battle is not between Life and Death, for we all die. The REAL BATTLE is between MEANING and Meaninglessness. I have chosen MEANING. But, even so God, I can’t help but feel YOU have HELPED me to choose. Thank YOU!

Posted in cacti, choices, Choosing Meaning, God's gifts, interspecies contact

Gila Monsters and Being a New Creature in Christ

Posted on June 8, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Sandy on a huge smooth rock in the stream in Sabino Canyon

Good Day, God,

What a delight to wake up early and go for a walk with Sandy up into Sabino Canyon. Sandy showed me the area where she goes for a weekly 3 hour retreat — sitting with You, God.

One of the joys of taking photos, God, is that it exercises one’s eye. It is ongoing practice in SEEING what’s around us. It is so easy to walk along — not seeing — not noticing — not appreciating Your World. And speaking of seeing when I stopped at a restroom and gave Sandy my camera to use — she saw a Gila Monster.

A Gila Monster - maybe 18" long or a little longer

She took several photos of it. Perhaps it didn’t dash off like the lizards I saw because it is poisonous and not particularly worried about other creatures? Our attitudes about ourselves make a big difference in how we behave.

I think that is one of the most powerful things about “Being a New Creature in Christ”. When we are apprehended by that reality we realize that we are neither stuck nor helpless.

You WANT to help us grow and extend ourselves. You WANT to heal us of past hurts and physical problems. I wish that was talked about more, God. It seems to me that the miraculous nature of Your Gift to us is kept distant — when I feel so certain that it is to be up close and personal. How much more joyful we would all be if we knew how much we are loved.

Yes, bad things happen. But I know what a difference it makes to know You are going through them WITH us. Consider these two different attitudes: The Gila Monster who is fearless because he is poisonous. And we who CAN be fearless because we are LOVED! Thank You, God. THANK YOU!

Posted in attitudes, Good News!, healing, LOVE, Prayer, responding to God's Spirit, stopping to see, thankfulness

Seeing, Envisioning, and Becoming

Posted on June 7, 2010 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

The Santa Catalina mountains from Sandy's home

Good Day, God!

Isn’t this a beautiful view! Sandy and Dave’s home faces these lovely mountains — but the patio was in the back of the house. Dave had double glass doors put in the front and then had a brick patio put in all along the front of the house — facing the mountains. And this view is through the covered grilling area he had built. I really like it.

I also like that he could SEE what he wanted to do. We have friends that can SEE what COULD BE. I did do that with my loft, but, it sure took me a long time before I could see what could be done.

Change begins with seeing . . . with Vision and Envisioning. You did tell Isaiah that “Without Vision the People perish”. I love that. I KNOW it is TRUE. But, I am beginning to realize that I still haven’t unpacked that idea. It has been like a seed lying quietly inside me that only needs a little water (attention?) to sprout UP and STRETCH OUT and EXPAND ME.

Smile, that could be WHY I haven’t given this idea much attention. Staying the same is comfortable and seems risk free. It isn’t, of course. It just feels that way. I feel that if I don’t change then nothing around me will change and we will keep on as we were. Gosh, God. Now that I say that I can see how foolish it is.

Yet, it is true that when a person changes it sets off a ripple of changes. Yes, God. Let me restate that: AS I CHANGE it will set off ripples — unintended ripples — unintended consequences. So, harboring the illusion that I don’t have to change is understandable.

God, I’m smiling again. Mark is going to “help” me organize my thousands of bookmarks into folders. Not the change I was envisioning. But it is a start. Thank You!

Tagged with: Change, Vision
Posted in a series of molts and upgrades, asking for help for myself

Stars, Small Drops of Water and Perspective

Posted on June 6, 2010 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

water drop "stars" and the half moon

Good Morning, God!

This photo was taken EARLY yesterday morning. I was waiting for my airport shuttle at 4:15 a.m. and looking up at the moon. The Portofino Hotel has a lovely fountain in front and the plumes of water from the fountain caught enough artificial light to look like stars.

It is all a matter of perspective. Small drops of water seen up close can look the same as HUGE STARS far far away.

Small gestures and ordinary words from an acquaintance can be EXPERIENCED as CRUEL when coming from a beloved family member or friend. It’s The CLOSENESS FACTOR! The best example being the feedback Squeal from a mike too close to the speakers.

What are we to DO, God, when this happens? Wait? Explain? Carry on? All of the above?

Hmm. Do I hear PRAY? Could it be that STATIC can exist as an independent Force — not just the failure of signals to get through clearly? Now, that is an Interesting Idea. Actually, it is an attractive idea as it seems to argue for our blamelessness.

Dang! You are bringing to mind a quote from years ago — when Bruce Larson said that he had learned when his wife Hazel said he had been hurtful — he HAD been. Meaning, I guess, that we can’t always hear ourselves. Meaning we DELUDE ourselves? Ouch.

Well, yes, God. That too. All part of the Blame Game of wanting to be LESS blameworthy than those around us.

And I hear You say: GET OUT! GET OUT OF THAT GAME! ALL ARE FORGIVEN! Yes! God we ARE forgiven! PRAISE BE! THANK YOU!!!!

Posted in a matter of scale, Communication, Forgiven!, Forgiving, Perspective, perspectives