FOOD Inc. — Can we live on this?

FOOD, Inc. A DVD about CHANGE that needs to happen.

FOOD, Inc. A DVD about CHANGE that needs to happen.

Good Evening, God!

Never again . . . that’s how I feel now, God, after watching the DVD FOOD, Inc. Never again do I want to eat meat in restaurants or anywhere else. We had already switched to mostly grass fed meat for me and wild fish for Kit. But after seeing this DVD I plan on eating a lot less protein and making sure it is GRASS FED or WILD FISH. 

Most of the facts weren’t new to me. BUT I had them located in assorted compartments in my mind. Seeing this DVD brought them all together AT ONE TIME and the impact is appalling!

Grains are government supported and thus sold to the food companies below what it costs to produce them. Because of this we can buy processed food for much less than real food. Of course, another reason is that REAL food will spoil. The microbes love it. But processed food will almost never be eaten by microbes. And that includes our own internal microbial helpers who often have to deal with non-food.

What I didn’t know is that we can be sued for telling the truth about food products . . . some sort of Veggie Law. . . gosh, God, they sued Oprah for talking about the feed lot beef. Yikes! Oprah won. Most folks can’t afford to fight.

Kit and I are fortunate, God. We have the ability to make healthy choices. But what about all the low paid workers who can’t afford healthy choices? What about the folks who haven’t seen this DVD? What about folks who depend on others for their meals?

Still, I sure do wish everyone would watch FOOD, Inc. Each food purchase is a VOTE!

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Posted in connecting

Choosing LIFE

Shower tree at Kokua Market

Shower tree at Kokua Market

Good Morning, God!

I love the words Moses spoke to the children of Israel — I set before you this day Life and Death. Choose Life. For years I had seen this as an either/or question. A no brainer, really! But now I am seeing that really Living is all about choosing. Living is a constant flow of making choices.  Choosing Life in very small things . . . not just large ones.

A More Beautiful Question

A More Beautiful Question

I’m thinking these thoughts, God, because of the book A More Beautiful Question by Waren Berger. He has pointed out that children are overflowing with questions . . . up until they go to school. In school we learn that our job is to learn Answers. As I listened I thought — wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could harness the deep question asking power of young children!

It isn’t that my wonderful Kit and I don’t bicker over small factual questions — only now Kit just says “GOOGLE it!” And then we know. But those are not the DEEP “Whys” of childhood.

This is sad. And I bet You feel that too — as You are the one who designed us to ask questions! Big Questions. Not just the ones we can find answers for on Google.

I guess, God, what I am calling the Big Questions are the ones that lead to Vision. A vision of what Life can be. A vision of what we are Called to be. A vision of what we humans could become — if we were better able to enter into Your Kingdom of Love and Respect.

Proverbs 29:18 says: Without Vision the People Perish. And my heart is singing — Be Thou My Vision . . .

 

 

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Posted in Books, choices, Choosing Meaning, Choosing to respond, connecting, respect

Organic Patterns and the Joy of Creating

Leaves, Branches and Light

Leaves, Branches and Light

Good Evening, God!

I really like random patterns — like this photo of branches and leaves. In Glass Fusion class, everyone else was making beautiful creations that usually involved straight lines. While I — who had temporarily mislaid my ability to cut straight lines — was randomly arranging my odd shaped pieces.

Well, since I was “arranging,” I wasn’t really doing random. But, I couldn’t help but notice my pieces were much closer to random than everyone else’s.

Small green bowl with slightly arranged elements

Small green bowl with slightly arranged elements

I suppose this preference might be related to my being mostly right-brained. Or maybe I just couldn’t come up with a design?

But I noticed the same thing in my metal working classes. While other students made precise pieces — quite lovely — I hunted through the scrap box. It was such a joy to find a rejected piece of copper and think, Aha! I see a FISH — a fish that lives

my deep DEEP sea fish

my deep DEEP sea fish

very deep down in the ocean. Of course, it was too flimsy to wear. But, just a few weeks ago I soldered it on to a brass piece and I am strangely fond of it.

Creating things . . . even when it is more “stuff” than art . . . makes me aware of how much JOY You must get in all that You create. It is an activity that takes us out of Time and into Flow.

If I can take delight in my odd fish, it makes it easier for me to “get” that You, God, take delight in us!

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Posted in appreciation, Art, being a beginner, Being ENJOYED by God, Caring, connecting, Creating, Fun

A glance at the ocean — and at my life

Kailua beach as seen from Buzzes

Kailua beach as seen from Buzz’s restaurant in Kailua

Good Morning, God!

This photo was taken from Buzz’s restaurant in Kailua. A dear friend and I had a lovely lunch after getting haircuts. Before we left, I stopped to admire the ocean at Kailua Beach. Such a lovely color!

Then later that afternoon I got a call from Medicare asking me to respond to a survey — over the phone. I don’t like surveys. But, then I thought, “Hey! They are paying for most of my cataract surgery I’m having tomorrow!” So, I said a reluctant OK.

As the survey went along I got to feeling more and more “privileged.” No, I don’t wait more than one hour to see my doctor. Yes, I can get an appointment when I need it. And when she asked if my doctors treated me with respect, I laughed and said I wouldn’t go to one who didn’t.

Right about then that it began to dawn on me that this isn’t true for an awful lot of other people. Somehow that word respect captured the plight of the poor in a very visceral way. I am at this point in life accustomed to respect.

Wake UP, Margie! A lot of folks don’t get respect — not by doctors, not by employers, not by government officials. And if they try to insist on respect, they are considered “trouble makers”. Worse yet, God, I’m thinking of women who have been so badly treated they don’t even have enough self-respect to expect — let alone insist on — respect from others.

Back to the picture above: I live surrounded by a gorgeous multicolored ocean. I’m a very fortunate person, on many fronts. I am thankful! And yes, God. I remember: those to whom much is given, from them much is required.

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Posted in appreciation, beauty, connecting, gratitude, respect, Responding, responsibility, stopping to see, thankfulness

The Last Cat and Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

Maxx, the Maine Coon Cat of Rachel Naomi Remen

Maxx, the Maine Coon Cat of Rachel Naomi Remen

Good Evening, God!

I haven’t had a cat for years . . . we are still traveling and that’s hard on cats. But, I am definitely more of a Cat Person than a Dog Person.

I think the problem is that Dogs live in a hierarchy and I don’t. Neither do cats. Unless, of course, it is we humans who are the subordinates.

“Dogs have Masters. Cats have Staff!”

This cat (a Maine Coon Cat) lives with Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen who is one of those GOOD people that radiate compassion and wisdom. Hard to beat that combination! I bought her books for the retirement library I was helping at . . . and devoured both of them.

Now she has a webpage which is filled with all sorts of interesting pieces — like the one on the difference between Education and Training.

She is a doctor — a doctor who has experienced illness. I guess that is a really good way to develop compassion — although, illnesses can sweep us out to sea for a while as well.

Anyway, God, I just feel that inspiring people should be shared — and read — and absorbed!

And if they are Cat People — all the better!

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Posted in connecting

Pentecost and me

This is an image to go with Father Meninger’s blog which I’m reposting.

There are lots of images that show the Holy Spirit in her POWER MODE and that’s great!

But as I long for an increased AWARENESS of The Holy Spirit to fill me — I need to be reminded that i need to sit quietly — patiently, waiting. Rather as I would behave to get an ordinary bird to approach me.

The Holy Spirit longs for me to ASK for her help . . . to request her Healing and Cleansing Presence. And to “move over” so she can do her loving thing in me.

So simple. So profound. And all too seldom requested . . . .

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Posted in connecting

Pentecost 2015

A truly RIGHT ON blog by Father Meninger

contemplativeprayer1's avatarMessages from Fr. William Meninger, OCSO

Pentecost May 28, 2015

Three of the most important feast days of the church’s calendar are Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.  Christmas is surrounded by stories, legends, and traditions all addressing the incredible mystery of the birth of the Messiah.  Easter has its own embellishing traditions symbolic of the resurrection.  Pentecost however presents a problem.  In fact it is theologically considered the birthday of the church but there are not the plethora of stories and traditions and symbols that are attached to its celebration as there are to Christmas and Easter.  At the heart of Christmas is the birth of a baby.  At the heart of Easter is the resurrection of a dead man.  At the heart of Pentecost is the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church with the sound of rushing wind and the sight of tongues of flame.  Humanly speaking, this does not give us much to…

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Posted in connecting

ART BEFORE BREAKFAST

ART Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory

ART Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory

Good Day, God!

Sometimes I just read the first few pages of a book and go WOW! And that is exactly what happened this morning with Art Before Breakfast!

My takeaway? Even 5 minutes of doing ART pulls us our of our normal BUSY time and into that NON TIME that the Greeks called Kairos but I like to think of as Your Time, God.

Of course, the trick is to be MAKING something instead of making SOMETHING!

Over focusing on products and outcomes can interfere with the JOY and TIMELESSNESS of creating. Of course, as a lover of the Material World, I know that producting has its own joys.

Anyway, this book — which I bought to give away — has an inspiring idea or suggestion on every page. Every page! And, because Danny is using drawings to illustrate each idea — each idea is CLEAR and memorable! I find that in normal books there are too many ideas on a page and it is way too easy for me to loose the good ones in the constant flow of words.

Hmm. I am ONCE AGAIN aware that I much prefer the search for new — even better — ideas — to the rather tedious effort of USING the ideas I already have. So, I am going to STOP and DRAW.

FUN! And not just fun — it was ENERGIZING! I started with a starfish and then drew it again as I would make it into a piece of jewelry.  And then BAM BAM — more ideas on what I want to do in my jewelry making class this week. Better yet, they are captured in a new small notebook.

Then I went and cleaned out another kitchen drawer! So many small and humble types of creativity! I’m thankful, God!

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Posted in Art, Books, connecting, Creating, Energy, JOY, Kairos

Healing . . . entering into God’s Time

Sunset at the Halekulani

Sunset at the Halekulani

Good Evening, God!

This was where my wonderful husband Kit took me for  Mother’s Day dinner in Waikiki. It has got to be one of the most beautiful spots on the island!

I confess, God, that I haven’t quite gotten used to Kit’s now remembering important dates. Without a word or hint he made reservations and bought a lei.

Hmm. Well, yes, God, I might have noticed this earlier if I had refrained from hinting and announcing upcoming dates.

I’ve stopped hinting — OK, prodding — because now I really enjoy dinners at home. We look out from our dining area on an expansive green of park/school grounds. And while we don’t get sunsets on the water, we do get green grass and the slow fading of the sky into dusk.

Going Out and Doing are fun. But, Rest and Relaxation are healing. I keep thinking that a few moments of rest here and there are enough for my parasympathetic nervous system to do its cleanup and healing work. Alas, no. It needs TIME. It needs good deep sleep at night and periods of relaxed time during the day.

The Mother’s Day dinner was certainly relaxing. But what I need now, God, are long periods of puttering without goals — and without a desire to zip on to the Next Thing.

The lines of William Blake come to me:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

Ah, to have Time slow down . . . to enter . . . into Your Time, God. That is Healing.

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Posted in connecting, healing, health, relaxation, rest

Home, Sweet Home!

A small shell from the State Beach on Martha's Vineyard

A small shell from the State Beach on Martha’s Vineyard

Good Evening, God!

My wonderful husband Kit and I have spent (invested) our day curled up at home. Snug. Relaxed. Happy. We have not gone out. We have not worked. Well, I have sort of puttered. But, slowly. And only intermittently.

There is a lovely quote from George MacDonald about how “Work is not always required of us. There is such a thing as sacred idleness which is now fearfully neglected.” If that was true in MacDonald’s time, which had a legally enforced  Sabbath — blue laws requiring stores to be closed on Sunday — how much more true it is Today with our  24/7 lifestyle! Yikes!

The trouble is, God, that busy is sort of addictive. Being busy makes us feel as if we matter. As if the world — or at least our local part of it — can’t do without us.

We DO matter, God! We matter to You! And we must matter to ourselves as well. Matter just as we are . . . not as we might become if we only work harder, learn more, earn more, do more.

Hmm. Your message of LOVE is far more counter-cultural than I let myself realize. WOW!

The interesting thing is, God, that scientific studies show that when we practice Self-Compassion (loving and respecting ourselves), we do better. We do everything better! Well, of course YOU know that. That’s why You said that we are to Love our Neighbor AS we Love Ourselves!

But, of course, I am having to redefine what LOVE means to me . . . undoing the World’s definition that Love is GIFTS, TREATS, ADVENTURES, and CONSUMING.

To me, Love is often just Time Together, as when Kit went with me looking for shells. This shell is far more precious for my finding it with him. Time with loved ones . . . time with You . . . that’s LOVE!

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Posted in busy, connecting, LOVE, loving myself, putting down daily diversions, recovery time, time

Blogs I Follow
No Days Adhesives

Stained Glass, Glass Fusing and Mosaic Adhesives

Brené Brown

chatting and sometimes, listening

Rachel Naomi Remen

chatting and sometimes, listening

A Moment with God

chatting and sometimes, listening

Sacred Dance Guild Journal

Since 1958 articles by members & guests offer news about activities, history, Sacred Dance practices, profiles of Sacred Dancers, choreography, images & illustrations.

Victoria Paulsen

How to Step In -- Substitute Teaching

No Days Adhesives

Stained Glass, Glass Fusing and Mosaic Adhesives

Brené Brown

chatting and sometimes, listening

Rachel Naomi Remen

chatting and sometimes, listening

A Moment with God

chatting and sometimes, listening

Sacred Dance Guild Journal

Since 1958 articles by members & guests offer news about activities, history, Sacred Dance practices, profiles of Sacred Dancers, choreography, images & illustrations.

Victoria Paulsen

How to Step In -- Substitute Teaching