Bromeliads, Microbes, and Nourishment

Posted on August 19, 2012 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A Bromeliad Bloom

Good Day, God!

After entering Week Three of Not-Being-Well, I now have a whole new respect for Viruses and for our immune systems. My latest relapse was just a slight sore throat and one or two Sweating periods. But, it resulted in my canceling my long anticipated Day Out and going to bed.

Sigh. This is Humility Writ Large, God!

Oh? . . . No? . . . This is Humility in a Very Small Dose. Dang! You are right. It is a very small dose. Not like a Major Illness. Just a Nudge reminding me of my Mortality . . . need for self care . . . and an awareness of my Impermanent but Lovely Body.

Why has this taken me so LONG to learn, God? Oh! I say that as if I HAVE finally learned how to care for myself. I haven’t. I am learning. That too is humbling. Oh such slowness!

Speaking of slowness I just read in the latest Discover magazine about microbes living in muddy sediment from 86 million years in our “past.” They have been living in that mud for that long. But, to do that they have to utilize the scarce oxygen at a rate two-millionth that of the cells in our human bodies. The scientist who discovered them, Hans Roy says that “they are hanging on in a state of sustained starvation.” Talk about living on the Slow Track!

Gosh, God. That phrase — a state of sustained starvation — conjures up all sorts of thoughts. You have set us in a Time and Place of Great Nourishment. All around me is food for my Mind, my Heart, my Body and my Spirit. I am free to feed myself — to nourish and be nourished by beautiful bromeliads, by family and friends, by tsunamis of information — and by You.

Let me go now and sit quietly before You in Centering Prayer.

Tagged with: a state of sustained starvation, microbes, nourishment, self-care
Posted in accepting my authority to set limits, acknowledging my need for prayer, Centering Prayer, healing, humility

Balancing — Falling Down and Getting Back Up

Posted on August 17, 2012 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Ear Chart at our Hawaii Kai Costco

Good Morning, God!

All I could think of as I looked at this chart was: We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are! You have done a marvelous job, God, and I am thankful!

I noticed on this chart that the ear is not just an organ of hearing but also of balance. Ah, Balance! If ever we need a good solid sense of balance it is during Life’s Little Transition Periods — like Kit getting hearing aids yesterday.

Our Entire Being has been designed by You to improve with exercise and with proper care. Improve at any age! That’s the Good News. The Bad News is it involves Effort and Hard Work. OK, OK! Not HARD as in the Chinese workers we saw carrying iron rebars on their shoulders up the side of a mountain. That’s Hard Work.

Perhaps it is more a matter of diligence and discipline, God. Practicing to the point of fatigue — keeping on . . . keeping on. But, it isn’t just keeping on. It is also rotating what we do. Balancing, weights, aerobics, stretching, relaxing. And that’s just for the body.

Our Mind needs exercise too. We CAN grow new brain cells — with focused application. Kit and I are both “playing” Lumosity and there are times when my Brain actually Hurts. Playing until I hurt is the Point! Getting better is a by-product.

Then there are our Hearts and Souls to exercise too. Praying, Loving, Forgiving, Encouraging — and saying NO. That means Accepting and even Setting Limits. It means Balancing Doing with Being. Balancing Work with Rest. Balancing Time Together with Time Alone.

And in all of this We are In Charge. No Bosses. No external deadlines. No grades. Yikes! Please help me learn to help myself.

Tagged with: Balance, Being In Charge of Ourselves, diligence, effort
Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, accepting my authority to set limits, accepting my need for help, Balancing and adjustments, balancing free with supported

Contemplating Sprites and Sickness

Posted on August 14, 2012 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

photo of a Red Sprite from the Space Station

Good Day, God!

I am growing BORED with being sick, God! BORED and IRRITATED! Part of me feels like I am under attack and another part (more full of faith) feels it has all been a gift.

Tomorrow I see our favorite doctor — to find out about this viral plague. But ENOUGH about me!

So, You can understand, God, how when the Terra Daily posted an article about Sprites I thought that is JUST THE THING to take my mind off of myself!

Looking at the photo — there is what looks like a pillar of red slightly above that bright white patch of a storm. That’s a Sprite. Sprites last one thousandth of a second.

The article says that Sprites are discharges of positive electrons that go UP . . . 50 miles up . . . above the storm. Apparently, lightening consists of negative electrons that go down toward the ground. Of course, God, You know all about this — how it works, and so forth.

But, we humans are just starting to understand. In fact, we are just beginning to acknowledge Sprites exist. Pilots have been talking about Sprites for years but their reports were mostly dismissed. We do that, don’t we God — ignore stuff that doesn’t fit into our World View. And, I am afraid we do that to You a lot, God.

Let’s face it. You DO NOT FIT into our mental map. Even those of us who believe You exist don’t really have the right of it. Hmm. Maybe those of us who try to fit You in are further off? Drat! That’s quite possible. Please, God, shake up my Mental Map. Please make more ROOM — in me and in my map –for You!

Tagged with: ignoring what doesn't fit, mental maps, positive electron discharges, Sprites
Posted in being repotted, Expand my Heart, Faith, Praise, Trusting God

Simple Days: Beads and Books

Posted on August 11, 2012 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

the view from my sick bed

Good Day, God!

Under the thumb of my flu-like illness resting has been relatively easy to do. I only overdid on the day I had real tea — too much of it. But, without caffeine I have been more than happy to stay in bed.

I was particularly happy yesterday after I spent a few minutes removing clutter and making my “sick room” LOOK nice. Thank You, God. It was a lovely lesson on the “practical importance” of beauty.

Now I am in my office which is overflowing with beads. Not just the beads I brought back from Prescott and Quartzsite in Arizona but years’ worth of beads. Today I took a necklace Kit that bought me at the Hall Museum gift shop in Prescott and I turned it into a shorter necklace, earrings and a bracelet! I am sitting here smiling, God. Smiling even if my desk is piled with “potential projects.” Maybe tomorrow they can be set aside . . . or maybe assembled?

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child

I’ve been zipping through Dearie, a biography of Julia Child. The book starts with a history of Pasadena of all things.

Being free to spend time with books is almost worth the pain of being sick. I confess that it took a few days of mindless reading before I could move on and mostly up to Eli Broad’s (to rhyme with road) autobiography The Art of Being Unreasonable. Eli delighted me. I love it when billionaires care about giving to good causes!

Hmm. You are right. All of us can experience the joys of giving!

Speaking of giving, God, I have been well enough to wash the sheets, do dishes and some cleaning up. I’m finally giving a wee bit back to Kit after he has spent so many days doing everything!

Tagged with: moving from sick to well
Posted in healing, health, thankfulness

Tiger Lilies and Water Lilies and other blooms

Posted on August 10, 2012 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Barba’s beautiful Tiger Lily

Good Day, God!

Mostly, I feel like this Tiger Lily! Open and maybe a little TOO colorful? Very confident seeming, I hope. Or, at least, that is how I feel most of the time.

That is my preferred way of thinking of myself. But, of course, that is only part of me. I have other parts that are cowardly and slothful and adore easy. Let me correct myself, God. I (the dominant persona) have named them cowardly and lazy.

They are not. They are perhaps far wiser that I am. They would rather let things unfold than rush in to fix. I must say, God, that it is Hard Work, this integration of my Diverse Selves. Teasing out Selves that my Culture has shaming names for isn’t easy.

They are like the Water Lilies that open in the warm light of the Sun — only to close up when removed from the sun’s light — or when they feel the Darkness of Shame.

a water lily from my brother’s pond

We are all of us any of a thousand different blooms that can flower under the right care and feeding.

I am thinking more about “care and feeding” now as am entering my second week sick with sore throat and coughing. I am feeling now more like a potted hothouse flower — being tenderly cared for by Kit — albeit at a distance. Surely he deserves a Gold Medal — and a Gold Halo too!

Ah, God! That we should be Gardeners to one another — and to our world!

Tagged with: Becoming Gardeners, caring for ourselves, diverse hidden parts
Posted in blooming, healing, people as gifts

The UPSIDE of Being Sick

Posted on August 8, 2012 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The Blow Hole: Photo by Pulelehua Quirk

Good Day, God!

Oh JOY! At the moment I am upright and well enough to want to do a blog. This is my seventh day of being sick. As my Spiritual Director observed — it’s humbling!

And, perhaps that is the point of our illnesses, God? That we should realize our vulnerability? That we should feel our utter dependence on You? It has certainly resulted in some anguished prayers!

And then there is the gratitude that comes from even small steps forward. I can swallow now with only minimal pain and I don’t recall ever having even thought about being grateful for that.

How I wish You would push through me as You do through the Halona Blowhole. There is a lot of “clutter” inside me, God. More than I realize. And somehow being sick helps me let go of some of what I normally hold on to. Hmm. Yes, even a very minor illness does bring an enhanced perspective!

I have managed to cancel everything that I planned on doing this week. For a person like me — compulsively dutiful about doing what I’ve said I would do — this feels both unsettling and liberating! Does this mean I might be shedding my focus on “being useful?” Useful is such a deliciously “virtuous” god to put before You. Truly, if the devil can’t use our “vices,” he is more than willing to use our “virtues” to trip us up.

Gosh, I hadn’t thought of my desire to be useful or helpful as more important to me than being with You. Yikes!

Once again, God, it seems as if You are pulling me back toward simply Being. And more to the point — Being in Your Presence.

Tagged with: help, humility, illness, Spiritual Direction, surrender
Posted in connecting, gratitude, healing, humility

Soaking in Hot Springs

Posted on July 27, 2012 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

moon over a hot springs pool

Good Evening, God!

Aaah! Such a lovely day — driving down from the ponderosa pines of Prescott to the hot springs above Interstate 10 west of Indio. Beautiful land. Empty land. No, not empty — just very few people.

Tonight we are poised just east of the metropolitan area of Southern California. The sky this afternoon was a beautiful blue. Kit and I floated about in a mineral rich natural hot springs pool at the Miracle Springs Spa in Desert Hot Springs.

It would be lovely to stay here for several days — soaking and spa-ing. But, we hadn’t planed even one day. We were going to drive on to LA to pick up daughter, Suzanne, and then drive on to Santa Barbara. But, then we found out that the host and star of the birthday bash, Kit’s older brother RC, had fallen while doing balance exercises — and broken three ribs! Yikes!

So, less stress for everyone if we stopped on the way and arrive tomorrow. Kit had that great idea. I tend to continue on — on the path — no matter what.

vortex map by Roger Sunpath

While looking for information on the source of the hot springs I found an interesting article describing this area as a positive energy vortex. Smile. I love pondering things just past the edge of acceptable science. I still remember the copper dowsing rod that plunged down in my hands at the top of Glastonbury Tor as I “crossed a ley line.” Ley Lines and Energy Vortexes and Things-that-go-Bump-in-the-Night, Oh My!

Still, God, I am constantly amazed by what science does discover. And I know that “what we don’t know” far exceeds “what we do know.” So, I am relaxing, soaking, and inviting You in to help me become more positive.

Tagged with: Desert Hot Springs, hot springs, mineral rich springs, positive energy vortexes
Posted in asking for help for myself, Curiosity, growing toward up, healing, mysteries, Possibilities

A Restful Vacation and a Return of Hope

Posted on July 26, 2012 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Thumb Butte as seen out our hotel window

Good Evening, God!

My loving husband, Kit, drove me out of Prescott and up to Thumb Butte early this afternoon so I could get some good photos . . . and maybe walk a short way up the trail.

But, we never did find the parking lot for the trail and the photo I like the best is the one I took out of our hotel window just a few minutes ago. I suspect there is a message in that, God! I certainly get the message that traveling helps us to appreciate better what we have at home.

These three days off by ourselves have been eye-opening. I have begun to realize just how tired I was. And not just tired — flat — not my hopeful self.

Now that HOPE is returning, I appreciate it more than I can say! Thank You, God! It came to me at dinner, as Kit and I were talking, that Hope isn’t so much hoping for something as it is a general pervasive buoyancy.

It is not yet quite clear to me how I am going to take care of myself so as to maintain this buoyancy. But it is now a very clear goal. Oh my. I am back to the old topic of “Caring for Myself. ” All of us “Oldest Daughters” in my Wednesday Prayer Circle are having the same problem. Caring for others is easy. But caring for oneself? Sigh. HARD!

Hard, but essential. And yes, I know. You are waiting to be asked for help!

Tagged with: buoyancy, hope, rest, self-care
Posted in hope, Humility or Needing Help!, responsibility, rest, Rethinking

An Old Fashioned Vacation

Posted on July 25, 2012 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Mexican Bird of Paradise in back of Sandy’s house

Good Morning, God!

The World is so FULL of wonderful things that noticing is a full-time job. I suppose that is part of what I love about photography — training the Eye to See and Appreciate .

Right now Kit and I are in the Hassayampa Inn in downtown Prescott, Arizona. That’s because Sandy is busy with her intensive ESL course. Dave is busy arranging funding for his consulting business. Ian is busy with his video mash-ups. And Mark is away at band camp.

So after a lovely Family Visit, Kit and I are now having a Vacation. Not a Marathon Trip. Not a Grand Circle Tour. Just an old fashioned vacation — getting up late and walking around investigating a new place. It is a sort of Not-Home-Alone-Together time. Precious!

The lobby of the 1927 Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona

And, as always, God, it fills me with a desire to DO LESS! To spend more time with Kit — enjoying his company. Of course, he will have to be less busy, too.

Ah, BUSY. Such a vital part of growing up and finding our who we are — or might be. But, so different from Simple Mindfulness.

And speaking of that, God, now it is time for me to stop the busy-ness of blogging and go off with Kit for breakfast. But first he has to edit this!

Thank You, God, for Slow Days — Days to BE and BE WITH!

Tagged with: being alone together, busy, Hassayampa Hotel, mindfulness, old fashioned vacations
Posted in beauty, busy, family visits, lap time, LOVE, putting down daily diversions

A Birthday Celebration

Posted on July 23, 2012 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Ocotillos with new leaves

Good Day, God!

I’m sitting here virtuously sweating from a brief jog around daughter Sandy and Dave’s neighborhood. Meanwhile, my amazing husband Kit is running UP Sabino Canyon. He’s getting hill training for his Kauai Marathon this September.

I am sitting here full of thoughts, feelings, and food. There is something about us humans that dislikes austerity, God — even though there is little doubt that austerity is better for us. There is nothing like the World War II rationing of fats and sugars to lower the civilian death rate.

Kit’s 78th Birthday Cake

Or maybe it is that stress about “real things” — like bombs falling around us — is somehow easier to handle than the stressors conjured up out of our own imaginations? After all, when morning comes and bombs did not fall — or at least didn’t hit our neighborhood — then we are flooded with relief. Ah, but imaginary fears never stop. Hmm. An interesting thought, God.

Alpenglow on the eastern mountains as we dined outdoors

This isn’t just Kit’s birthday. We are on our way to celebrate Kit’s brother’s 80th birthday with his family. Suzy will be with us and Sandy had planned on going too, until she was accepted at a one month intensive class in ESL teaching. Families and our Families of Friends are so important!

So my heart is full of . . . well, just FULL! Ian wants me to go out to breakfast with him this morning so I will be off to shower in just a few minutes. Before I go, I want to say Thank You.

Thank You for Kit. Thank You for our Families and Friends. And thank You for moments in which I truly know how blessed I am.