Silent Saturday

Posted on April 20, 2019 by a moment with god — 4 Comments

Good Morning, God!

After what seems like a very long time . . . I am back . . . daring to write again. I was stopped by a day in which four or five folks started following me. Yikes! This really was a public place. Not just my private meanderings.

That is something we all forget, isn’t it? That we ourselves, our lives, our words and our thoughts even, have a wider effect. And, so when I take myself to a church service . . . or to Centering Prayer as I am this morning . . . I am WANTING Your help. Knowing I need help . . . knowing that being human is a big and complex deal.

I remember YEARS ago, complaining to You that the human brain was too thin to deal with my powerful reptilian brain. Sigh. I do have upwellings of my deeper selves. But, they have ENERGY and STRENGTH in them! They are MY RESPONSIBILITY to manage . . . to love and care for. Double sigh!

So, today, Silent Saturday, — that profound gap between the Death of Jesus and the Resurrection of Jesus — seems like a very good time to resume our conversation. I think it was Father Keating who said, “Silence is God’s first language. All else is a poor translation.”

Ah, help me to be silent, too. And to listen with my heart.

Posted in connecting

Being and Doing

Posted on February 7, 2019 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Image of an electron . . . a spherical shell

Good Evening, God!

My spiritual director has been working with me on the importance of Being. This is because I am an extrovert and greatly addicted to Doing. Doing, I understand. Being was a mystery.

It is, of course, still a mystery! But now I have an image of what it is. In the science I grew up in — and electron was a busy creature — endlessly spinning around the center. But, as near as I understand it — electrons now inhabit a spherical shell of “energy”. They are not so much “doing” as “being”.

My understanding is probably totally wrong. But, it has been incredibly useful for me. When I do my Centering Prayer and sit quietly — doing nothing other than welcoming You in — I can “see” myself refreshing my spherical shell of Being.

Sometimes I even see my “colors” changing — all in my imagination, of course. But, still, a JOY!

Tagged with: Being, centering prayer, Joy, nourishing our Being, Spiritual Director
Posted in connecting

Rebuilding Lives!

Posted on January 13, 2019 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Jan Rader, Fire Chief Huntington, West Virginia

Good Evening, God!

Sometimes, I hear something so clearly analyzed and thought out that it takes my breath away! That’s how I responded to Jan Rader’s TED talk on “In the opioid crisis, here’s what it take to save a life.” Basically, she observed that just resuscitating someone is not enough. Even after being resuscitated for the 3rd or 4th time the person still doesn’t know they have a problem! Addicts just don’t know they have a problem.

In addition, the drug that saves them makes them feel horrible. It isn’t a great time to talk sense to them. So, they created a Quick Response Team (QRT) composed of a paramedic, police officer, someone in the recovery community and someone in the faith community. They go and visit those who have overdosed within 72 hours. And right now around 30% of the folks accept some kind of help.

They also created a free-standing specialty clinic – PROACT – for assessment by an addiction specialist. First responders can take or refer patients there who do not want to go to a hospital. This helps the overloaded hospitals, too.

But what moved me the most is that they have started a first responders self-care program. If you are seeing 5 young people die every month . . . many of them classmates and friends . . . you need help! So, now they have yoga in the firehouses and on-duty massages. And they have off-duty programs like pottery and cooking classes.

Bottom line? Overdoses are down 40%. Overdose deaths are down 50%. As she said, “This epidemic is far from over. But each and every one of us has a part to play in this epidemic. Just by listening and being kind to somebody, you have the ability to make a difference in their lives.”

Tagged with: first responders, Huntington West Virginia, Jan Rader, opioid crisis, self-care
Posted in connecting, developing helpful definitions of love, Help me to see, kindness, listening, Rethinking, stopping to listen, Thinking and Feeling

Thoughts beyond Words

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

Good Evening, God!

I’ve been listening to this book . . . slowly ( I’m now on Chapter Three) . . . as the ideas don’t fit easily or quickly into my head. . Thinking of You as a VERB instead of a NOUN is a big change. It seems that Aristotle considered Nouns as on the top of the hierarchy. Nouns had substance. And, I guess, tended to have an objective reality. That led us to seeing you as A Big Bearded White Man. Looking back I can see that gave rise to a lot of problems that are still with us. Mind you, I would hope other cultures don’t picture You as white . . . but, still definitely a human male.

This mental shift to relating to You as a VERB is HUGE. You are not so much LOVE (a noun) as LOVING (a verb). I’m smiling, God. As I was telling my spiritual director, I am realizing how little I know. This hit me a few weeks ago when I thought after a time of Centering “That was poor!” Immediately, it was made clear to me that I am not able to judge or evaluate a time of Centering. And, in truth, how could I as I have no idea of what exactly is happening while I center. I do try though. Astot first I used male words like repair, rewire, reconstruct. But, now I’m thinking it’s more like nourishing and nurturing.

But, these are only words. And words are appallingly inadequate. Except when they are used to tell stories! I love the stories that Jesus told. Stories can be revisited and see from so many different angles. And stories stay with me . . . in ways that abstractions don’t. Ah! Perhaps this is why You came in person . . . enfleshing Yourself . . . becoming a Story of Loving and Forgiving.

Tagged with: centering prayer, Fr. Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance
Posted in Being With, Books, connecting, Stories

Empathy: A Key

Posted on November 25, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

I was idly flipping through this book when I was stopped by his use of EMPATHY. It seemed that was a key to one of the best Venture Capitalists in Silicon Valley. I had thought of “empathy” as a virtue . . . a stand-alone sort of character quality. I’d surely never thought of it as being essential to successful Venture Capitalists! Or to generals, spies, etc.!

Our secular culture tends to ignore or deny the practical benefits of being able to put ourselves in other people’s shoes, minds and hearts. Yikes! I was doing it too.

Apparently, empathy allows us to understand a much wider array of people and thus learn more. And updating our information . . . learning and growing and adapting . . . is essential. As Laurence Gonzales said. “Some people update their [mental] models better than others. They are called survivors.”

Hmm. One last point — from a book FULL of them — was about the different “success rates” of Foxes vs Hedgehogs. Hedgehogs know ONE area very well. Foxes know a lot of areas. And when asked to make predictions on what would happen in five years — the foxes were way out in front and the hedgehogs way behind. The foxes were widely interested in the world around them. They updated their understandings frequently. And they were skeptical of one big answer.

I can understand curiosity as useful. But empathy — the ability to feel with other quite different people — that was a huge surprise. But, then isn’t empathy intertwined with love? And so as You are Love . . .it shouldn’t surprise me that love would be a useful virtue . . . not just “spiritual”.

Tagged with: Joshua Cooper Ramo, Laurence Gonzales, The Age of the Unthinkable, useful virtures
Posted in Curiosity, Empathy, Laurence Gonzales, learning, LOVE, mental maps

Feeling a bit bleak

Posted on November 24, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

I’m tired. After a great night’s sleep on Thanksgiving I was up and down most of last night. And I am feeling a bit bleak. So this photo fits my mood perfectly. The view is of the beautiful blue ocean . . . but it is seen through the shadows of a Lauhala tree. Sigh. This tree was planted as a memorial for a friend’s son. Somehow, God, my normal UP mood is down.

It feels like the wonderful rest I’ve had is giving my Body and Heart a chance to “Clean Up” and “Clean Out”. Bringing up worries and fears for the future — up to the surface so they can be brought to You. This feels like a good thing. It’s kind of like cleaning out cabinets and closets.

Acknowledging this is hard for me. I’m an enneagram Seven. I’d rather turn away and make a joke. But that is not showing backbone! I need backbone. And that means consistently working on developing discipline . . . so now I will go do my stretches and lift my 5 pound weights. And keep track on my iWatch.

I’m back. I am puffing a little but I’m already feeling less bleak . . .

Posted in adoring Easy, authority over my life, becoming the change I wish to see, Changing, Cherishing our Bodies, discipline

A RESTFUL Thanksgiving Weekend

Posted on November 23, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

I was busy as usual on Wednesday . . . but then Thursday I slept in and then napped later on. We were joining a dear friend’s family at 6:00 for dinner. Around 3:00 I made the fresh cranberry relish and at 5:20 gathered up the pumpkin pie and wine and off we went. A lovely and delicious evening!

This morning I slept until 7:30 a.m. Got up and had a bite to eat with my wonderful husband Kit and then I went back to bed until 12:20. Sleeping longer at one time than for months and months! I’m thankful!

I’m also thankful that I now know rest does not mean that I stop moving! The body is designed to MOVE. And thankfully a friend was willing to go swimming with me. Swimming with a friend means twice as much time in the salt water — which is good. And a little less time swimming hard which isn’t good . . . but worth it to be in the water longer.

Now I’m home and hoping to get to bed soon and sleep-in again. Appreciating what feels like it might be a sabbath type rest. Hmm. One day in seven of full rest. What a loving Commandment, God! Meant for our good. But oh my! So hard for me to keep!

Posted in awareness, connecting, healing, health

Being Stretched – Being Thankful

Posted on November 22, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

I have so very much to be thankful for, God! My amazing husband . . . our darling daughters . . . our growing grandsons. Our family and our dear friends. The people we interact with . . . humans are mostly good folks.

I had a thought come to me yesterday — while I was swimming with the giant school of little fish — that has stretched my heart. I was looking at the fish. And I noticed that while pale they did have colors . . . a thin yellow line down the side and other subtle shadings. I, of course, couldn’t begin to tell one fish from another. But then I thought — God knows them all by name!

I laughed! I really don’t know if You have “named” them, God. But, I am quite convinced that You “know” each of them and that they matter to You. I pondered that thought. You know the stars by name . . . why not fish? Really, this whole idea is stretching my heart and mind.

As Madeleine L’Engle said in a Wind in the Door — size doesn’t matter. Nothing is too big or too small for You.

Somehow, pondering Your love for each little fish helped me come a little closer to the height and depth of Your LOVE . . . You ARE Love! And I am THANKFUL.

Tagged with: being loved, being stretched, size doesn't matter
Posted in a matter of scale, a series of molts and upgrades, Abundant Life, acknowledging another's existence, gratitude, Growth Opportunities, LOVE

Time, Tides and Change

Posted on November 21, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God,

This is the view from my wonderful husband Kit’s beach — where he lived until he was eight. It is actually called the Hunakai Beach . . . right at the start of Hunakai Street. This was taken at low tide. And much to my surprise there were folks sunning themselves on the beach. At high tide there is no beach. Timing is so important.

Time is so important. Eighty years ago the trees did not have their roots exposed. They were back from the water . . . back from the erosion zone. And even just in the last two years the changes have been noticeable.

Years ago I bought a book called Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision Makers. The only point I retained was that we humans are not good in thinking in time.

The example that has stayed with me was asking people to construct a computer model for helping a small village. The designers of the computer model put in wells and provided medical clinics and the village became sustainable — for a decade or two. But then the uncontrolled population growth (lower infant mortality and no birth control education) erased all the gains.

Considering all the factors is hard. Looking ahead . . . far ahead . . . is even harder. Then too, even when the future is clearly seen — like rising oceans . . . warmer oceans . . . stronger storms . . . we don’t want to see.

Tagged with: erosion, Hunakai Beach, rising sea level
Posted in Books, Changing, courage, Responding, responsibility, time, Transitions, Trees

A walk down memory lane

Posted on November 20, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

This morning my wonderful husband Kit and I left home at 6:20 a.m. to get to the Toyota Service Center for my car’s 7:15 appointment. On the way home we stopped at Kaimana Beach for me to swim . . . and Yes, the giant school of little fish were there to greet me! After my exercise time Kit suggested we stop at his old homestead. Actually, I’m not sure leased land qualifies as homestead — but Kit’s family lived there from 1930 to 1942.

The walk down to the beach is so different now. The big trees that shaded the walk are gone. The old fences with greenery on both sides are gone. The homes are gone too. All that remain are the concrete remains of the World War II pill box. We chatted with a man – maybe in in his 60’s – who was going into the water to hunt octopuses. Kit shared about living here when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941. The man nodded and said . . . that was a long time ago. We chattered on. And wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving.

I was left with a sense of how impermanent things are. But I also have a new awareness of just how precious the folks are who share our past. . . who remember the same things . . .with whom we can replay the times long gone.

Tagged with: Kahala Beach, Pill boxes on the beach, World War II
Posted in friends, memories, Perspective, relationships, stopping to see, time