Data and DELIGHT

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

Solar Dynamics Observator (SDO) Image from Space Daily

Look what I found, God. Here am I — so in love with Sunsets and Sunrises — and here is this geosynchronous satellite focused on our sun non stop for at least five years. Tons — well terabytes — of data will flood in to The Max-Planck Institute in Germany.

One purpose is to forecast solar flares and thus be able to protect equipment and people in space and power grids here on earth.

Solar flares are THAT powerful! And they seem to vary as part of an eleven year cycle. I think they are at the low end of activity now. I find it interesting that our sun has cycles too. And as for our human cycles — I found this graph in Wikipedia:

All of us are affected by our own multiplicity of cycles and now I find my mind edging back wanting to actually read the article on Chronobiology. Perhaps, later. There is so much to learn in this amazing world. Thank You, God, for making us Learners.

My simple enjoyment of sunrises seems to pale in the face of such massive scientific inquiry. But actually, even this small peek at what we are learning about the sun increases my appreciation — deepens my awe — for the sun, and the universe we live in. Data and Delight can walk hand in hand.

Posted in cyclical nature of the universe, so much to learn

Meticulous? Me? Don’t laugh!

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

Jade vine at the Oahu Country Club

Good Morning, God. I sort of failed to keep my Sabbath Day, yesterday. I had made ONE exception — to stop by Arcadia after church and find the last name and phone number of a person so I could confirm a computer lesson today. But when I got there the right side computer wasn’t letting folks get into their gmail. Total DISTRESS! I could have waited until today. But it felt like a case of my neighbors ox falling into a well — or whatever it was Jesus said to the pharisees — so I made an appointment with the Genius Bar for that afternoon and they FINALLY were able to fix it.

So maybe only a Silver Star for yesterday. But, I didn’t say “Oh well, I might as well do all the other work that is waiting”! I let it wait! And I got a GIFT of WANTING and WELCOMING a new virtue from You. The virtue of being METICULOUS.

You might have noticed, God, that up until now, I dismissed even the idea of being METICULOUS. It wasn’t until yesterday morning, when I HEARD myself saying cheerfully “I don’t have the gift of being meticulous” that I realized THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO BE.

Maybe that is why I am listening to the book The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. I need a few checklists! But more than that, I need the humility to be willing to redefine who I am and what I can do.

Yes, God, I want to embrace humble — formerly scorned — gifts. And as I look up at the photo of the Jade vine, I can see — just off to the right of the vine in bloom — a very small beginning vine. Perhaps that is me? I like to think of myself as in FULL bloom. But, Smile, perhaps I am still JUST BEGINNING! Thank YOU!

Posted in being a beginner, blooming, both / and, Meticulousness

Happy Valentine’s Day

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

Crab Claw Haliconia at KCC's Farmers' Market

So good, God, all this focus on love . . . hearts and flowers — especially red flowers and, of course chocolate.

Yesterday the Farmers’ market was filled with red flowers — great armfuls coming in and going out.

It was a lovely morning and I indulged myself with my regular coconut full of thirst quenching liquid. . . better than water, not sweet or even flavored — just the essence of nourishing. I read that they used it as plasma during World War II. That would seem to make it perfect for us, God.

fresh coconut at the Farmers' Market

After I’d finished the drink I took the coconut back to have it cut in half and the coconut meat scooped out so I could eat it. I looked up to see two young women taking my photo. Then they asked me in their language what it was. I think that is what they asked. I told them the name, the cost, and offered them a taste. They both accepted and ate a small piece. We parted smiling. And I thought — or maybe realized more fully — that sharing is such a gift. I shared a moment in time — a little bit of fresh coconut — and a small connection that felt very close to sacred.

Yes, God, we are social beings. We are meant to be connected — designed to share. You Designed us to love and care for one another — THAT is what gives meaning to our lives. I think it was Viktor Frankl who explained that when our need for Meaning isn’t met — that is when we try to make do with Power or Pleasure. But they do not quench our thirst for meaning! They may distract, momentarily. But, it is meaningful moments that — -like coconut water — satisfy, nourish us, and help us grow.

Thank YOU, God, for giving us this marvelous gift of BEING. . . and of being together.

Posted in connecting, connections, sacred space, simple joys of daily life, small meaningful moments

The Jesters of Diversions and Distractions

Posted on February 13, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Court Jester -- my cartoon

Yesterday, God, the same friend who took the side that You don’t waive Your rules — send me a post from InwardOutward.org.

The one she sent was from 2/10 with the last line reading: Jesus’ truth is greater than all the opinions about him put together.

I went to the site and LOVED the one for 2/12 — a poem by Denise Levertov.

In it she talks about how problems jostle for her attention — “along with a host of diversions, my courtiers, wearing their colored clothes, caps and bells”. I immediately smiled at the idea of all our Diversions and Problems as being our Court Jesters — there to distract us from YOU. She goes on:

And then once more
the quiet mystery is present to me
the throng’s clamor recedes:
the mystery that there is anything,
anything at all,
let alone cosmos, joy, memory, everything,
rather than void: and that
O Lord, Creator, Hallowed one,
You still, hour by hour sustain it.

I loved her poem and went online to buy it (The Stream and the Sapphire) and to subscribe to InwardOutward.org. Then I searched and searched for an image of a jester . . . finally being reduced to drawing one myself. I WANTED an image of my distractions — my mind full of Martha usefulness. Perhaps, God, the jester image seems disrespectful of worthy activities — and some of mine ARE worthy.

But I see it as an image symbolizing PERSPECTIVE! Thank you God, that YOU STILL — hour by hour — SUSTAIN Creation!

Posted in busy, Perspective, putting down daily diversions

Adrift on the Sea of TIME

Posted on February 12, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Seagull on ice off of Chile

Here I sit in Hawaii, God, warm enough to be going swimming this morning. Meanwhile, WINTER has the World in an icy grip.

Friends back East are praying their power stays on as neighbors without power have come to stay with them.

So, people laugh at “Global Warming” even as we see photos of polar bears on ice flows. That is an image much too sad to be staring at while I sit pondering Life with You. We are small creatures — wondrously made — but TIME is so HARD for us.

Yes, I know, it isn’t just TIME that is hard for us. And HARD doesn’t mean we just dismiss it. The polar ice IS melting. The oceans ARE warming. And even just a degree or two warmer means BIGGER STORMS. I think of the photo of the damaged container ship that was caught in Big Storm crossing the Pacific and had to dock in Honolulu.

I guess what I mean, God, is that envisioning AHEAD — seeing ahead — and then ADJUSTING OUR COURSE — that is HARD. Are we Adrift? Rudderless? Or distracted? Or all of the above?

Do I hear You say relax? Please, God, help me Relax and in so far as I can — DO JUSTICE, LOVE MERCY and WALK HUMBLY with You — and with all those who love mercy.

That’s a good word, God. Micah 6:8 still rings true. So then help me gather my focus back to now. . . and me . . . and help me let my PRAISES RING FORTH! You have given us LIFE! You have put love into our very being and nature. Let us join with YOU in LOVING and LIVING OUT LOVE MORE FULLY. THANK YOU!

Posted in Life is hard., Life isn't supposed to be easy., living by every word that comes from God, LOVE, mindfulness, perspectives, time

Hello, Dolly — an Image of God?

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

Carol Channing as Dolly in "Hello Dolly"

In a class after church we were discussing You, God. In my group most people thought You were bound by the natural laws that You have created.

How SAD that would be!

I prefer thinking of you as a “Hello Dolly” sort of Being!

My very favorite line in Hello Dolly is when Dolly hands out her card and says: I meddle! She then launches into a song about how she pulls a little here and pushes a little there . . . Ah! What a wonderful JOY FILLED musical! There should be MORE Dollies in this world.

In my experience, You LOVE to interact. Love to be ASKED. Long to be allowed in — to comfort and to rearrange our hearts – and our bodies too.

As for breaking Your own laws — well just my passing awareness of quantum physics makes me realize things work very differently when they are really small. Maybe Your “Laws” are designed for Your Participation? Afterall, when I had to write a Fining Policy for the UH Libraries at Manoa, I made sure I gave myself the power to “adjust” the rules. Now, God, would YOU do LESS?

When I pray with friends — it feels as if we are sitting together — in YOUR HEART. Something happens inside me. Something good. Even if I never know what it is or how it works. Please, God. Come and Meddle in my life!

Posted in processing on deeper levels, sacred space, the essential nature of hope, the JOY of praying together, Trusting God

The Eiffel Tower and A Matter of Scale

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

Eiffel Tower

Good Morning, God. I can still remember how surprised I was by the Eiffel Tower. I was so familiar with the image that I discounted it as “touristy.” But as I approached it I was blown away by its size. I didn’t have the scale right!

I suspect that is one of the things we have “wrong” in our “understanding” of YOU. Our minds just can’t do the order of magnitude adjustments needed — yes, I am overlooking the qualitative surprises as beyond contemplation. Just the SIZE question staggering. Kit and I were touring Duke University when I happened upon the photo taken from the Hubble Space Craft of what I thought at first were stars. But, as I peered at it — I could see that the little dots of light were GALAXIES. Oh my. Moments like that plunge me into a state of AWE.

Early Galaxies as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope: Photo by NASA

God, with AWE comes the thought that maybe YOU are TOO BIG to CARE! But, I HEAR — TOO BIG NOT TO CARE!

Even so I sense that CARE is too SMALL a word for what You do. For it feels to me as if You WANT us to invite You IN — to extend, balance and renew us. Those words are close but there is so much MORE. We are being invited to “TAKE PART” in LIFE. Ah my . . . AN ABUNDANT LIFE . . . in more ways than we can imagine.

Posted in a matter of scale, an invitation to abundant life

Silverswords, fresh from God’s Hand

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

Silversword at the top of Haleakala, Maui

So, God, what is the idea hidden inside this photo of a Silversword?

I found it in my photos last night and as soon as I saw it I WANTED to put it in my prayer. But, Why?

I remember when I saw my first Silversword — I thought THIS PLANT IS PART ANIMAL! I could “see” it — when the moon was full — pulling up its roots and dancing! Just being near it gave me an awareness of OTHERNESS.

Yes, there is a lot more OTHERNESS in the Universe than we want to acknowledge. I met the Silverswords when I was hiking into Haleakala — and as I hiked I thought: ALL OF THIS IS SO FRESH FROM THE HAND OF GOD. And, God, as the volcano is quite new, geologically speaking, I suppose that was actually true.

And that brings me to my point — I want to BE – to BECOME – FRESH FROM YOUR HAND. But, am I willing to pull up my roots and dance? Or is it as Madeleine L’Engle said in A Wind in the Door — a matter of PUTTING DOWN ROOTS — AND DEEPENING? I live in NOW and while I have come OUT of THEN — what is key is what I am looking TOWARD. In his book The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein says, that the car goes where the eyes go. Such a simple truth — said about car racing (of all things!) — but so TRUE! So, God, today let me look for YOU.

Let me see You in everyone I am with and in all the twists and turns and challenges of this particular NOW.

Posted in Becoming FRESH from God's Hand

My Ferris Wheel Life

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

Ferris wheel at Punahou Carnival

Good Morning, God. It’s Monday and the cycle of the week begins. Around and around go the days of the week — structured and predictable — yet still managing to hold surprises. Ours to fill, or leave open and even in open we can make some choices.

Yes, kind of like this ferris wheel. And I like it like that. No over the top roller coaster rides for me, God. At least, I’m not signing up for any — I’m not volunteering.

Hmmmm. Sunday morning in a small group at church I was talking about what Paul said in Ephesians 1:19: — That the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is at work in us.

Inviting Your Holy Spirit in to be at work in me? That involves RISK, doesn’t it. I rattled it off so effortlessly — as if it were easy — as if YOU would be doing all the work.

I’ve been acting if my life consisted of just getting on the ferris wheel . . . and having You turn it around and around. Hmmm. I am beginning to feel as if I might have missed the point in my being here. . . like, maybe my being comfortable and content and happy –yes, even my being grateful and thankful and full of praise — isn’t exactly what YOU have in mind for me.

Now that is NOT a comfortable thought! But, I have to admit, it is a good thought to start my week on — my ferris wheel week? We will see, won’t we.

Posted in adoring Easy, courage to see myself, Risky living with the Holy Spirit

A Day for Play — imagine THAT

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

Sunset over Orvis Auditorium

Good Morning, God!

A Sabbath Day — rest — recovery — reconciliation? Reconciliation with myself? An interesting thought.

So many Parts – People – Creatures — inside me. Layers? A Rainbow? A Spectrum? And we want to talk together – play together – work together.

I love reading books on our brains — how our mind works. Because there ARE lots of interactive Parts working together inside us. I like that.

But, back to TODAY. What shall I do?

Dream? Create an integrated FUTURE? Well, God, not so far. Hey, that is a GOOD REQUEST!

Today, I’d like to PLAY with various Parts of Me and CREATE something meaningful to me. Maybe not CREATE — but IMAGINE! Creating sounds like work. Imagining is PLAY!

We’ll see — I hope we’ll see — With YOUR Help, God, WITH YOUR HELP.

And now, to shower and go off and meet Kit at the balcony at church.