Trees

Posted on November 19, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

We parked next to this tree and as we returned from swimming I glimpsed it out the car window. The tree seemed lit up. . . like I was seeing it for the first time. And that brought to mind Psalm 1:3: That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither . . .

Ah, we are like trees . . . planted in You . . . the Ground of our being. The Bible is referring to those whose delight is in You. But, I think You are always hoping that each of us will come closer and grow in our delight in You. For me that is one of the many ways in which You pour out help.

In my mind Your help is limitless . . . endless . . . how else could You care for BILLIONS of us and countless creatures and billions of galaxies and so forth. So for me it feels natural to ask for Your help.

And this morning, while saying grace I did ask for help for all of us present. Afterwards, a dear friend remarked that those of us present really didn’t need help compared to most of the world’s people! And that is certainly true!

My friend is an extraordinarily good and generous person. And I appreciated her observation. It is good to be reminded that our needs are not to be compared to the refugees and homeless and abused.

So I am thinking, God, that in addition to the various way I seek Your help — I need You to help me be more generous in giving and in caring. And more grateful.

Posted in connecting

So great a Cloud of Witnesses

Posted on November 18, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

My wonderful husband Kit was driving us home from church this morning when I saw these lovely clouds and snapped a photo. The photo had several lights show up in it. No doubt reflections of some kind. But, they made me think about how there is far more “around” us than we realize.

Hebrews 12:1 says: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. Of course, four or five lights do not a cloud of witnesses reveal . . . but they make me think.

And it is good, God, for us to stretch our minds and hearts . . . and our imagination too. That reminds me of how the English prosecutors told Joan of Arc that the voice of God she heard was only her imagination. She looked at them (I like to think she was puzzled) and said, “How else would God speak to me?”

How indeed!

So, as I trundle off to bed . . . I am imagining loving beings . . . a cloud of witnesses . . . encouraging me. And my dear friend JoNetta is surely among them.

Tagged with: more than we can see, So great a cloud of witnesses
Posted in Being With, Blessing, encourage and comfort, Expand my Heart, imagining, Light, Light shining through, Possibilities

Queen Keopuolani

Posted on November 17, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A portrait of Queen Keōpūolani done in 1816 by Louis Choris

Good Evening, God!

Today, for the first time I heard the story of how you used Queen Keōpūolani in 1819 to break with the Kapu system – the old religion of Hawaii — and welcome the Christian missionaries who came in 1820. She was absolutely pivotal. Because she was the child of the King of Hawaii and the Queen of Maui she had by birth tremendous “mana” or spiritual power. This is not a concept we Westerners really grasp — the idea of inherent power due to bloodlines. But, it made her the most powerful person in Hawaii, more powerful than her husband the king. And, although King Kamehameha had other wives and other children — it was her sons who became kings following Kamehameha’s death in 1819.

How amazing that this kind woman — called the mother of the people — was in the proper position to influence so many key events. Actually, God, it seems as if she could better be said to have determined the outcomes. It was due to her influence . . . her presence with her son, King Kamehameha II, that saw the transition made with a minimum of violence.

After hearing this story this morning — masterfully told by Kaipo’i Kelling — I marveled that I had never heard of this powerful and influential queen before. She needs to be lifted up!

To me, God, she is a reminder that all things are possible to You and with You.

Tagged with: A Pivotal Person, Queen Keopuolani, The end of the Kapu System, The welcoming of the missionaries to Hawaii
Posted in God's Provision, Help me to see, power and peace and gentleness

Enchanted by a large school of small fish

Posted on November 16, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

How amazing are Your Creatures! This morning I got back in the water to do my exercises. As I swim along I mostly stare at the sand and odd bits of coral. I was in a relaxed state when a school like this came right at me! Yikes! It takes a nanosecond or two to recognize and then welcome the oncoming traffic. Once again, the joy of BEING WITH them bubbled up and over. My Laughing sounded funny coming out a snorkel but laugh I did.

Then I relaxed into flowing with them and before long I found myself in the center of a Ring of Fish. They swam around me — maybe two or three feet away from me. Around and around as I circled around too . . . gazing at them. Then I would speed up and swim AT them. I enjoyed being in their midst for a moment or two before they swam past me. This went on for several minutes. I was mesmerized. . .

At one point I thought about how folks pay money to swim with dolphins and even sharks. And, I can see that would be wonderful.. But, my joy meter had hit the top with these little fish. I’m not sure I could enjoy even dolphins more than I enjoyed this.

You provide so many moments of beauty and delight during our days. And, were it not for light pollution the starry sky would astound us nightly. How good it is to pause and wallow in delight.

Tagged with: swimming with a large school of small fish
Posted in appreciation, beauty, delight, Enchantment, gratitude

Turning my prayer life right side up

Posted on November 15, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Father Keating

Good Evening, God!

What an amazing retreat! I went to be trained as a presenter. They asked for help . . . and I thought . . . why not? Well, to be honest, this is a very full time and there were a number of good reasons for “why NOT”. But, I’ve been enjoying the good work of others for years and it felt like time to give back. Of course, I was the one who was blessed by the retreat. In going over the talks well enough to present them I rediscovered so much. I was like being given the give of Centering Prayer all over again!

But the best surprise was when I read this sentence from Father Keating’s book Open Mind, Open Heart: “Contemplative prayer is the world in which God can do anything.”

I believe that is true, God. But it had been true for me as a theological truth. Somehow when I read it at the retreat it became a visceral truth. And, as I rolled that truth around in my mind and heart I heard myself asking You God, “Since that is true, why is our world such a mess?” And on that question I went to bed and off to sleep.

This morning I felt as if You replied by saying something to the effect that . . . Perhaps if folks didn’t make plans and then ask me to bless them . . . but rather came to Me first to hear if I had plans . . . and then sought My help in each small step . . . things might be better.

WOW! It felt as if You had just turned my prayer life right side up!

Tagged with: Father Keating, Saint Anthony's Retreat Center
Posted in asking for help for myself, Centering Prayer, connecting, Possibilities, Prayer, praying, Rethinking, setting my life in context, Silence, solitude and silence

Walking a free-form labyrinth

Posted on November 14, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

Imagine my delight, God, when I was lead by a dear friend up to the the labyrinth at the Saint Anthony’s Retreat Center. My delight was compounded by finding it was a “free-form” labyrinth. It wandered in among the trees in a clearly marked path . . . but not with a clearly observable pattern. Indeed, no pattern at all.

How much more like our journey through life is that! Doubling back and then back again . . . I often think, as I make a mistake yet again . . . haven’t I been here before?

With an ordinary labyrinth you can see at the beginning where you are going to end up, And you can see the pending loops and the doubling back places. That is comforting. But not like my life. This morning’s wandering through the trees was much more reminiscent of my life. I suppose they constructed the labyrinth that way because they were fitting into the space available. And again, God, that reminds me of my life!

I’m smiling, God. What fun to feel the comparisons and to feel Your Presence here at the retreat on Centering Prayer.

Tagged with: centering prayer, Kalihi Valley, Saint Anthony's Retreat Center
Posted in delight, Enjoyment, Inner Journeys, Labyrinth, layer upon layer, learning, letting the Holy Spirit flow through us

A Retreat on Centering Prayer

Posted on November 13, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

This week I am blessed to be going to a Centering Prayer Retreat at Saint Anthony’s Retreat House in the Kalihi Valley. I’m being trained to be a presenter. But, as they say: To teach is to learn twice. And today I realized that the goal of Centering is to keep returning to You — after being distracted by thoughts and feelings, memories and emotions, etc. The goal isn’t a blank mind or even a mind clear of thoughts. It is the gentle effort of returning to our “sacred word” which is a symbol of our intention to open ourselves to You.

I also realized that my Conscious Mind is not designed to comprehend or understand WHAT You are doing in my innermost being. This, is of course, exactly opposite of all of my years of schooling. In school, our conscious mind is trained to retain and make sense of data. But, when I center my conscious mind is clueless. And, I confess, also irritated. My conscious (Western educated) mind feels left out and somehow undervalued.

But, upon prayer and reflection, I can see that BALANCE is being restored. Or should I say, You are rebalancing me. So that I can more fully appreciate what the parts hidden from my conscious mind are doing. Appreciate how my Body is a Self Regulating System of great complexity. Appreciate how much goes on in my innermost being . . .

All of this is humbling for my Conscious Mind which is infatuated with being Queen of the Hill . . . so to speak. Well, it just never occurred to my Conscious Mind that I need to appreciate and respect my Body, Heart and Unconscious.

Hmm. I suspect that the dominate elites in a country are very much like my conscious mind. Unaware. Unappreciative. And without Respect.

Tagged with: Balance, Innermost being, respect, unconscious, Wisdom of the Body
Posted in being a Slow Learner, being together in a compassionate presence, breathing in Your Spirit, Centering Prayer, Cherishing our Bodies, respect, setting my life in context, Silence, Stillness

Dick Tracy and Me

Posted on November 12, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

I remember reading the comics as a young child and loving Dick Tracy’s 2-way wrist radio. WOW! I thought that idea went back to the 1930s. But, while Dick Tracy started then, the 2-way wrist radio debuted in January of 1946. I would have been 7 and an instant fan. Who didn’t think that was the best thing ever! But by 1964 when it was updated to a 2-way TV I was busy with babies and forgot about the comics. Our grandson was one of the first to get an iWatch . . . but it passed me by.

Until the iWatch 4 came out and a dear friend regaled me with what it could do . . . showing me her old iWatch 3 to illustrate. Ah . . .I was hooked! It arrived and she helped me put on the band and gave me basic instructions. Since then I’ve called Apple for more help and I am sure there is still a lot to learn.

But, one of the features that delighted me the most was how — when I went swimming — it recorded the distance I swam breast stroke, crawl, backstroke and mixed. Oh my! What’s next?

The Smithsonian had an article about 10 inventions that were inspired by science fiction. One of the inventors quoted Jules Verne, saying “Anything that one man can imagine, another man can make real.”

That quote would make me happier if science fiction were not quite so apocalyptic. I wish authors were creating stories about HOW we might deal with the rising oceans . . . floods of refugees . . . and the unintended consequences of so many things.

We need help, God. And perhaps, we need to imagine together before we can work together.

Tagged with: 2-way wrist radio, cell phones, helicoptors, IWatch, submarines, Things that were imagined and then created
Posted in Creating, hope, Hope as a gift from God, imagining

God’s Treasures

Posted on November 11, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

I went to a marvelous workshop this weekend. It was on Prophecy. . . on hearing You — believing that You are still speaking. And our presenter, Wayne Drain, actually had us “pray and listen” and then venture forth to offer an encouraging word to our fellow participants. As he said about many churches — they BELIEVE the STUFF . . . they just don’t DO the STUFF.

The STUFF being the signs and wonders that caused the early church to expand so rapidly and so far. I’m supposed to have the spiritual gift of encouragement. And I do love to encourage folks. But, being put in a group of three and then told to pray about what “word” You might want me to give them — that was scary! But the two with me received my brief words happily. Good of them!

What was more fun was picturing a person in the room we had a word for. That was much easier and felt more as if You did indeed have a hand in it. It felt good and it felt like a nudge from You to share more kindness and encouragement.

But, the point that made the biggest impression on me was when Pastor Drain talked about searching for Treasures! His church has teams that pray over clues about the person You might want them to share with. Then they go off on a Treasure Hunt to find that person and say “we think you might be the treasure we are looking for!

Pastor Drain believes that You see us — each one of us — as a Treasure! I just about cried. . . not so much because I feel like a treasure. But, because it hit me that really is how You see us!

Now, if only we could see each other – and yes ourselves — as Treasures. . . .

Tagged with: First Presbyterian Church at Koolau, Life in the Spirit, our fellow humans as beloved treasures, Pastor Wayne Drain
Posted in encourage and comfort, Expand my Heart, experimentation, Faith, Hearing, Prophecy: a Supernatural Gift of Encouragement, Prophetic Voices, responding to "nudges", responding to God's Spirit

Jesus Don’t Like UGLY

Posted on November 10, 2018 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

Thank You! Oprah summed up this hate laced political season in four little words. Jesus don’t like ugly. I watched her short statement 5 or six times and I believe with all my heart that it is a true statement! She was referring to a racist robocall (of which there have been too many) about Stacey Abrams who was running for governor of Georgia. But, it is true in every aspect of our lives.

I must confess . . . at first it did not occur to me that I might have some ugly in me. But, it didn’t take long before I realized that hating the purveyors of hate . . . is ugly too.

Jesus clearly tells us to BLESS BLESS and do not curse. And, when I make myself think and pray about it — it is clear. Folks stirring up hate surely do need Your Blessing.

Golly, God! Hate is on a continuum . . . and judging is on that continuum. I’m not talking about making thoughtful decisions. I’m talking about a knee jerk tendency to “judge and find wanting” that I have noticed in myself. Hmm. Judging and hating both keep us from hearing one another. Hearing with respect.

It is coming to me, God, that hearing with respect is a pretty good definition of love.