So Great a Cloud of Witnesses and Mango Days

Posted on June 20, 2010 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

Mango Days: A Teenager Facing Eternity Reflects on the Beauty of Life

Good Morning God!

Yesterday I worked VERY hard getting everything I could think of DONE so I could ENJOY a full Sabbath. This morning, I observed that if I had loaded the tea kettle last night, and put the tea in the pot — I wouldn’t have needed to do that this morning. I’m grinning, God! Is that ADVANCED LEGALISM? Or am I just getting the feel of Refraining from Work?

So, here I sit with my tea and half a BIG mango — a melt in your mouth, mango — pondering the 29th anniversary of Patty’s Death. Marveling at how YOU got us all through it. And at the same moment realizing we are all still IN IT! Just recently a new friend shared about her sister’s death and I realized that we are never done with the adjusting. It is an amazing Overload of Feelings. There is still sorrow over the loss . . . still thoughts of WHAT DID I DO or NOT DO that might have kept this cup from us. . . they are muted now . . . I have to turn and seek them out.

Cumulus Clouds: Photo by Peter Essick

And at the Same Time there is GREAT REJOICING for LIFE! I had Patty for 18 years! I still “have” her . . . waiting and maybe watching as part of that Great Cloud of Witnesses. And I have Sandy and Suzy and Kit and I am GRATEFUL!

When I see puffy clouds I often think of Patty DANCING above the Clouds. Actually those words aren’t part of her poem The Hike. Here is the last stanza:

Someday I’ll sleep below the grass
And dance above the sky
But now I lie between the two
and let the wind blow by.

Thank You, God for EVERYTHING — even the DARK DARK — for YOU are with us in it! And You LONG to comfort us and walk with us through it.

Tagged with: Dancing above the clouds, God WITH us, loss of a child, sorrow
Posted in a hand up, breathing in Your Spirit, Choosing Meaning, Grief, thankfulness, Trusting God

Shower Trees and the Joy of Sharing

Posted on June 19, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A Golden Shower Tree near my Mom's retirement residence

Good Morning God,

The World is so FILLED with lovely things that they crowd into my vision — WAITING, WANTING to be appreciated. Here in Hawaii, the Trees mark the seasons. We are now in the Season of the Shower Trees. They begin with the Yellow Showers, and then move on to the Rainbow Shower trees. I thought this photo was of the Golden, but perhaps it is another hybrid.

I look forward to the flowering of Shower Trees — and I especially enjoy them on morning walks — when I can catch their subtle fragrance. And, now You remind me that they, too, allow me a glimpse of TIME TURNING. So, it isn’t just Dawn and Dusk, but the Seasons. Seasons marked by flowering trees and FRUIT! It is Mango Season! And I am about to go off to the Farmers’ Market at KCC and look for lychees and mangos. Ah. THANK YOU!

The challenge in all this appreciation is BALANCE! Are we back to Opposable Virtues, God? I suppose so. Appreciation is NOT gluttony. Perhaps, gluttony comes from NOT TASTING. We seem to be designed to taste in descending acuteness. The first bite is best, second a bit less so, and after the third I am not getting the full taste experience — unless I cleanse my palette. Of course, THIS is yet another reason why we are to eat slowly! (Please help me with this!)

We are also designed to EAT TOGETHER! Solitary food consumption is a bit like solitary drinking. And this week while Kit has been seeing our daughters — I have had five lovely dinners WITH family (my Mom) and WITH friends. As I balanced my attention between friends and food — I enjoyed both more.

Thank You, God, for people who INVITE OTHERS OUT — invited them IN — into their lives. SHARING is such a JOY!

Tagged with: appreciation, eating together, opposable virtues, the joy of sharing
Posted in Abundant Life, acknowledging another's existence, appreciation, Balancing and adjustments, beauty

Getting out of my routine – and recover time

Posted on June 18, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Nieman Marcus at night

Good Morning,God!
I realized last night that I don’t get out much — or should I say, I don’t venture out of my routine. This came to me when I was leaving Morton’s Steak House in the Ala Moana Center. It isn’t that I haven’t been to Ala Moana hundreds of time. But I haven’t been there AT NIGHT.

It was like being in a new place! I looked over at Nieman Marcus and thought it was lovely. Things look different at night.

I suppose, God, that is one of the reasons we travel – to see new things – to see in new ways – to meet new people.

I certainly wouldn’t have gone to Mortons without having gone with my dear friend, Martha Lee. Ah, now I am smiling as I remember: once Kit got home from work he didn’t want to go back into Town. He didn’t even want to go toward Town.

Which brings up the point that NEW requires more of us. Hmm. We have Energy and Time for NEW when we travel. When we are immersed in Daily Life — NEW can seem more of a burden as it exceeds our “budget.”

Hmm. Could it be (I’m so SLOW, sometimes!) that You command us to REST from Work on the Sabbath Day so that You can Balance our Budget? Not just balance our budget but RESTORE US — POUR IN YOUR RESERVES, as it were.

I confess, God, I don’t think I have taken a WHOLE DAY OFF FROM WORKING (I’ll do just this little bit, I tell myself) when I am home. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE! I can’t afford to overspend. Please, God, help me to PLAN and use BOTH my lovely RIGHT BRAIN — and my SCARY LEFT BRAIN — to work TOGETHER to redesign my life!

Tagged with: Getting OUT, recovery time, Redesigning my life, Sabbath Rest
Posted in A weekly day of rest, accepting my ability to REDESIGN, adoring Easy, doing what I know

Sunsets and Appreciation and Opposable Thumbs

Posted on June 17, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Sunset over my back fence

Good Morning, God!

Last evening I was going out to get the mail when I saw the sky! I rushed back in to get my camera and spent 20 minutes taking photos! GLORIOUS! And, it felt as if the SKY responded to my delight by getting brighter and even more colorful.

Now, that is anthropomorphizing, isn’t it, God! But it is true that many of us creatures do respond that way — showing off more and more to a delighted audience or observer.

Appreciation is such a GIFT! My mother gave it to me as she pointed out things for me to see on early childhood walks. We learn so much from those early years.

I suppose we learn criticism, too. Only I don’t picture THAT as a gift. I see it more as wasp eggs and larvae. There are wasps that lay there eggs inside caterpillars! The eggs hatch and EAT the caterpillar on their way “out.” A truly disgusting image! But that is how I think of the Critical Spirit.

Now, I KNOW we need to be analytical and have common sense! Being perceptive means seeing BOTH the good (to be appreciated) and the bad (to be resisted or redone). I am coming to understand that ALL VIRTUES COME IN PAIRS! You tell us, God, to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. Truth is one virtue — Love (or kindness) often acts as its OPPOSABLE VIRTUE.

I wish I had been taught this concept when I was young. Hmm. I wish I understood it better, NOW!

It is like our Opposable Thumb! We have risen as a species because of our Opposable Thumbs (Stephen Jay Gould said that?). And may I add, God, we shall disappear as a species if we don’t learn about Opposable Virtues!

Hmmm. A rather daunting word to end on! Our two halves of the brain have to act the same way — all gifts require an appreciation and a WORKING TOGETHER with the opposing gifts. Now that is something for politicians to consider!

Oh, yes, God, and me too!

Tagged with: opposable thumbs, opposable virtues
Posted in appreciation, Balancing and adjustments

Dawn, Dusk and Transition Times

Posted on June 16, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Dusk at the Blu Water Grill -- looking at Koko Crater

Good Morning, God,

I love dawn and dusk — transition times let me see Time Moving. Looking at the phases of the moon is almost like that. Maybe THAT is why the Before and After Photos were so motivating? It was like capturing time.

Mostly, when I am doing things – putting away things – there is never that ALL DONE moment. Hmmm. Graduations are ALL DONE MARKERS, too.

In truth, we are never done, are we God. We are offered opportunities to continue growing right until our Earthly End. That quote from David K. Reynolds book, Water Bears No Scars speaks to that: To try while dying, to love while changing, to play while acknowledging the impermanence endows a kind of nobility to the simplest act”.

I have felt the compulsion to finish. And I feel, even now, the tug to finish — to go on to the NEXT THING. Please pull me back into Your Numinous Now.

Sigh, that is my Prayer for the Day. Please PULL me back into Your Presence. Let me BEHOLD YOU in the People and in the Creatures as I go through my day — surely Your Heavens DO DECLARE YOUR GLORY!

Help me to PAUSE, SEE, REJOICE and GIVE THANKS!

Thank YOU, GOD!

Posted in a hand up, rejoicing, sacred space, time, Transitions, Uncategorized

Aeroship Giganticus Robustus – Our Past, Our Present and Possibilities

Posted on June 15, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Morning, God!

I had dinner last night with a young man who is dedicated to bringing back airships! Mike Voorhees is the CEO of Skylite Aeronautics and was here for his Punahou Reunion.

Airships! Gosh, God, what would our world be like if we had stuck with lighter than air craft and skipped the planes? I love thoughts like that of alternate histories.

Well, Mike is out to make history. This prototype is 133 meters high — the Washington Monument is 169 meters high — and 500 meters long. THAT’S BIG. It is very quiet, very clean, very efficient, and very doable.

I guess my question, God, is WHY isn’t it ALREADY DONE?

Two thoughts tumble into my mind. The first is: if you offered a “boy” a toy that was NOISY, DIRTY and FAST vs one that was quiet, clean and slow — which one do you think he would take. DUH!

The second thought is more of a cluster of thoughts about all the CHANGES I want to make in my life but haven’t due to “SET POINTS”, INERTIA, HOMEOSTASIS, and . . . just a touch of gluttony . . . or in the Big Bad World’s terms . . . GREED.

Ahaaa. Thought number 3 is FEAR! Even thought what we are doing is UNSUSTAINABLE — it is familiar. The unfamiliar is scary. And as changes have a way of compounding themselves — with unimaginable and unexpected consequences — that is wise. But, I feel You pointing out to me that to CONTINUE ON THE WAY WE ARE GOING — IS TO CHOOSE INACTION.

Hmmm. This is about much more that AEROSHIPS isn’t it God. This is a CALL. This is part of the GREAT CALL to a GREAT TURNING!

And, as Gandhi said — We must BECOME the CHANGE, we wish to see.

And You are here, ENCOURAGING ME.

Change! Turn! Come! Dare! Take a step toward me and I will take 10 steps toward you.

Posted in a matter of scale, accepting gifts sight unseen, accepting my ability to REDESIGN, choosing HARD, Choosing Meaning

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