A Change in Perspective

Posted on April 2, 2020 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

This brought to mind René Magritte. "L'impire des lumières".

Good Evening, God!

This photo taken tonight brought to mind René Magritte. “L’impire des lumières”. Magritte loved transforming our perspective. And I am beginning to suspect You do too.

Just this evening I had a reversal of how I have been seeing things. For many years I have decried the GREEDY . . . those who seem unable to arrive at the state of ENOUGH.

Sigh, judging is never a worthy activity.

And tonight I saw that those I have considered “greedy” are actually folks who have never had their value and worth affirmed — just for being themselves. Just as plants grow toward the light . . . so we humans grow toward what we are admired for.

Golly, God. I thought of all the times I had admired someone’s new car . . . new item of jewelry . . . new item of clothing. My intention was just to connect. But, really, I was sending the wrong message. These are people I value for themselves.

Sometimes I haven’t even been honest — about the new car especially. My wonderful husband is a reverse snob …. proud of driving a 2001 RAV 4.

Now, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN if we all STOPPED admiring or praising STUFF? Or on a more positive note — what if we smiled and chatted with each other. Just being a fellow human being is ENOUGH.

And as sheltering in place and social isolation take a firmer hold we have noticed more waving at folks. Our daughter said she was driving down a country road and a walker WAVED at her. The next walker she drove by SHE waved at. How wonderful to connect!

How loving.

Tagged with: growing toward the light, Re-seeing GREEDY
Posted in connecting, judging, Judgmental, Light, LOVE, Perspective, perspectives, The daily details of love

Unexpected Delights

Posted on March 29, 2020 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

Good Morning, God!

And how good it is to begin my day with You…. Coming back from our morning walk I caught another glimpse of this beautiful green gecko on the bright red heliconia. Hmm. I see that this gecko might be the Gold dust day gecko. Amazing!

My response to seeing it . . . but not capturing it on camera . . . was to find this earlier photo and share it with my wonderful husband, Kit. And then I thought — why not share it with MORE people! That was a rhetorical question as I find as much JOY in sharing as I do in perceiving.

I am thankful, God, that You have lavishly strewn “Unexpected Delights” into our lives. Stopping to SEE. Stopping to experience DELIGHT. And maybe even the JOY of SHARING . . . makes me both happy and thankful.

Tagged with: evanescent delights, Gold Dust Day Gecko, heliconias
Posted in Awe, beauty, clapping our hands in joy, JOY, simple joys of daily life, the joy of sharing

My Involuntary Sabbath

Posted on March 22, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God,

I saw this on my morning walk with my wonderful husband. And as I took the photo I thought about how good it is to focus on SMALL. Small beauties. Small joys. Small interactions.

Now that my pace has slowed — it is easier to see — and appreciate.

I feel as if I have been wrenched out of my busy life . . . even retired . . . I was still TOO BUSY. And now, I am not. I am on a sort of Sabbatical. And I am smiling ruefully. How many years have I known that Jesus was right. Humans were not made for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for US. It is presented as a COMMAND…..one of the Ten Commandments. But, it is so good for us. Let’s start with our Body. Resting helps move us from ON to semi-off. That is a state in which our body can CLEAN and HEAL.

Then, refraining from work gives us time to PLAY . . . and playing is good for our Heart and Mind. . . and our Creativity too. I just ordered a paperback book titled PLAY.

Then, too, a sabbath rest gives us time to PROCESS STUFF . . . old emotional stuff . . . like grief . . . that we have stored . . . waiting for time and energy. And on a lighter level . . . closets and files. Processing STUFF maybe be hard . . . but it leaves us in better shape.

So, I am feeling like this is an opportunity . . . well many opportunities . . . on HOW TO RESPOND. Like maybe money saved on not eating out could go to the Food Bank. Or taking the time to write a Thank You Note. Can we create NEW ways to contribute to our family, our friends, our community and our world? I feel the need to ponder that.

Tagged with: how can we help one another?, involuntary opportunities
Posted in a new view of Commons, Caring, caring for the stranger in our midst, caring for the widows and orphans, Growth Opportunities, Sabbath as PLAY, sabbath dreaming, sabbath rest, the Growth Mindset

United in Prayer Day

Posted on March 20, 2020 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

You are Invited to Participate in the United in Prayer Day
in Community online

Saturday 3/21/2020 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
https://zoom.us/j/928471152
If you don’t have a Zoom account when you go to the link you will be prompted to create a free account.

Never — in my lifetime – has there been a better time to join together in prayer. Sheltering in place makes sense. But it is isolating. I don’t have a balcony to sing from….nor do I have a lovely Italian voice. But, I can join together with others via Zoom. I have been doing that since January as co-host of Welcoming Prayer and Centering Prayer every Monday evening at 7:30-8:15 p.m. HST.

Sitting together in SILENCE? My wonderful husband says that with disbelief mixed with laughter. But, Silence is God’s first language.

And in today’s world of fake facts, lies and labels . . . silence has the virtue of being hard to contaminate.

So . . . come join us as we sit in silence . . . consenting . . . welcoming even . . . God’s loving presence and action within us.

Posted in Centering Prayer, connecting, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Silence

Praising God . . . a few of the benefits

Posted on January 11, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Morning, God!

To praise you for an amazing sunrise? That’s almost automatic! But, to seriously consider praising You for ALL things . . . PROBLEMS even? Sigh, that is best begun with very small steps. But, after chatting with the younger of my beloved daughters, I have been moved to try to list a few of the benefits that I have experienced.

First, Praising You for a Problem sets that problem inside a much BIGGER CONTEXT. I do believe nothing is impossible to YOU. Right away the problem seems less overwhelming. And I have a bit more emotional room to focus on possible options I might take.

Secondly, when I focus on the Problem my body secrete stress hormones and other toxic chemicals. Yikes! Anger and Fear and Hopelessness are bad for my health and bad for creating options. The very act of praising You for the Problem slowly helps my body relax and return to the parasympathetic state where cleaning and healing take place. Perfect Love does cast out Fear . . . and even my imperfect attempts really help!

Thirdly, as I praise You for a problem or situation, I feel like I “expand.” The problem seems smaller and takes up less room inside me. Praising You for the problem seems to SLOWLY OPEN me up to HOPE and that opens “doors” inside me for Your Love and Help to seep in. Sometimes they seem to FLOOD in!

It strikes me that this is somehow related to Your command to PRAY for those that persecute us (or the planet) . . . but that will have to wait for another blog.

Tagged with: Hidden benefits of praising God, how to generate options, How to reduce stree
Posted in connecting, generating options, hope, Hope as a gift from God, LOVE, Options, Praise, Stress, the essential nature of hope, the gift of persistent love, The sacrifice of praise

Lies that Disappear but leave Disaster in their wake . . .

Posted on January 8, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Carole Cadwalladr talks about Facebook and Brexit

Good Day, God!

I watched Ms. Cadwalladr’s talk on TED . She talked about how many lies were posted on Facebook during the Brexit elections. And was struck by the difficulty of fighting lies that pop up on our Facebook feed and then disappear. The memory lingers on. But there is no “paper copy” so to speak. And that absence of evidence makes it hard to refute and to prosecute for libel.

Alas, Facebook could provide “evidence” but chooses not to do that. And perhaps because of the number and volume of the lies produced they have so far refused to monitor them. Although that may be changing.

Free speech is really free money. The folks producing the lies are backed by big money. How easy to say . . . they have a right to their opinion! And pocket the money.

It makes me think of Justice Oliver Wendell Homes declaring that free speech does not give a person the right to falsely cry FIRE in a crowded theatre.

And indeed these “ads” are fueling the fires of fear, hate and division. Myself, God. I am trying hard not to be inflamed. Trying to pray FOR people — including myself!

If ever there was a time for mutual respect and charity it is now! So help me keep balanced. Help me release fear. Help me choose love.

Tagged with: a flood of lies, an inflamed body politic
Posted in Compassion, connecting, fears, LOVE, Personal Responsibilty, respect, responsibility

You are Invited!

Posted on January 5, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

Well, I am now at the point of knowing that I NEED to do my Centering Prayer twice a day. I’m not up to 30 minutes, yet. But, I can feel the changes happening in me. I’m tempted to list possible changes. . . but, the best testimonial I can give is that my oldest daughter said to my youngest:

Centering Prayer is the best thing that ever happened to Mom!

So, come on in to our online chapel and join us . . . sitting in silence . . . with one another . . . with the intention of inviting God in to do whatever.

Posted in Being ENJOYED by God, being together in a compassionate presence, Being With, Centering Prayer

Looking Back and. . . Ahead

Posted on January 2, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

My wonderful husband Kit is well, and while he has signed up to run the Kauai half marathon in September, he no longer aspires to run marathons. And he is working with me on balancing exercises!

Last year the concept of Personal Responsibility slowly unfolded itself. I used to think of being personally responsible as mostly outer focused. Was I being a responsible member of the family and community? But, more and more I am understanding that personal responsibility starts with being responsible for ME. Responsible for my variety of Inner Beings who each bring gifts. They want to be acknowledged, respected and deployed. But, of course, they don’t all want or need the same things. This requires balancing!

Actually, just as learning also involves unlearning, balancing involves REBALANCING! And indeed, last year involved a lot of rebalancing! First of all, I have come (finally!) to appreciate my body and to realize I am responsible for caring for her! Oh! She just reminded me that I have more rebalancing to do. And that is true! But my respect for her is growing! And specific actions and changes that she wants are being sketched out.

I have to say that doing Centering Prayer twice a day has really helped my inner awareness. I had no idea how much I needed Your help! And I am looking forward to more help from You in 2020. I have lot more rebalancing to do.

Posted in a hand up, a series of molts and upgrades, acknowledging my need for prayer, Centering Prayer, connecting, growing toward up, Personal Power, Personal Responsibilty, Rebalancing

Thoughts about Choices

Posted on December 15, 2019 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God

The planets and moon are predictable . . . their paths known. Not so we humans who have been given the power to make choices. I hadn’t thought about this as a key part of being human until I read Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. He was in a German Concentration camp and saw that many people died soon after entering. So he asked a long time surviver how he did it. The man told him that one purposes of the camp was to take away the ability to make choices. He said, I have only four choices: On / Off and In / Out. But, I work at exercising those choices!

That story keeps coming to mind when I think about making choices. And, it reminds me that “not making a choice” IS a choice. I realize that most of my choices are within a fairly narrow range. Habits and patterns prescribe most of my days activities. And I LIKE my comfortable range of choices! I like my life as it is!

But when our grandson, Ian, went to a Climate Rally . . . holding a sign that said, I STAND WITH GRETA . . . it called me to make new choices. This afternoon I put away the two loads of clothes that I had hung up to dry indoors. (We are in a townhouse with no outside clothes line.) Cutting down on using the dryer is such a small thing I’m embarrassed to share it. BUT, it was the third time I’d done it. And I realized that it felt easier this time.

I am becoming conscious of the fact that there ARE choices for me to make. And I’m aware that I have to WORK at making them.

And as I do my small acts of hope I think of Vaclav Havel’s quote: “Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”

Tagged with: everything matters, small acts of hope, Vaclav Havel on hope
Posted in choices, choosing HARD, Choosing Meaning, Choosing to respond, Climate Crisis, connecting, gusts of hopelessness, hope, Hope as a gift from God, Meaning, small meaningful moments, the essential nature of hope

A Morning at the Beach

Posted on December 10, 2019 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Morning, God!

I love silhouettes! That way I don’t invade people’s privacy. And these folks — either going out or coming back from surfing — caught the JOY of the morning. Then too, there is the BLUE of the water and the sky . . . which I figure must be one of Your favorite colors. It is surely one of mine!

Actually ALL COLORS are favorites of mine. Seeing Moorish Idols fish with their yellow stripes with the black and white stripes brought me joy. Even the black and white Convict Tang were a joy!

My wonderful husband Kit suggested last night that we could go to the beach this morning. I really appreciated that because he is not a “Water Rat” the way I am. So he takes off his shoes and socks and walks around on the sand . . . working on his balance and grounding . . . while I snorkel away.

Our trip to the beach was such a good example of the blessing of being in the NOW. Yes, there are problems and worries . . . and even fears ahead. But, I am learning that RIGHT NOW is almost always wonderful. And I am also learning that my imagination is almost always worse than reality.

Then too, I have been through AWFUL TIMES and YOU were there with me. And I made it through to the other side. Not with out pain and loss and sorrow. But with HOPE.

I guess, God, that believing that You do love us and will not simply abandon us . . . is a VAST COMFORT! Perhaps that was why it was so easy this morning to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the beach. And the joy of being alive!