Unfurl your sails — the Winds of Love are blowing

Posted on March 15, 2022 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

A training ship of the Polynesian Voyaging Society

Good Evening, God

This morning, early, as I was Centering, my Sacred Word* changed itself! I had started with “unfold” as in unfolding a blanket. Midway through, it became “Unfurl” as in unfurl your sails. And I felt as if that was addressed — not just to me — but to each and every one of us.

For surely, the Wind of the Spirit, is once again blowing over the waters. Calling us to turn away from Fear. Calling us to turn away from Hate. Calling us to care — to dare — and to set sail — blown by the Winds of Love.

I wanted to share. But what image? I thought of the clipper ships that set speed records just prior to the age of steam. Or maybe the galleons of exploration? But, no, not those. I wanted one of the Polynesian Voyaging Society sailing ships that had traveled the Pacific and circumnavigatined our Earth — using the Old Ways.

What better image could I have of people bringing a dream into a profound and moving reality. And that is just what we need now. To rediscover the Old Ways. To IMAGINE a thousand better futures.

The sacred word is not “sacred” in itself. It is a symbol of our willingness to consent to the presence and action of the Indwelling Spirit within us. It is used when we find our mind has wandered, to reaffirm our intention to consent to the Spirit’s presence and action within us.

Tagged with: Hōkōle'a
Posted in Centering Prayer, connecting, Imagination, imagining, LOVE, The Endless Flow of God's Love, water and love

We come: bleeding and believing

Posted on March 13, 2022 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Morning, God

The scripture this morning was Mark 5 — about the woman with the issue of blood being healed when she touched the hem of Jesus’ robe. I really identified, God. Maybe women feel this story more than men. Twelve years! And, the society made her “unclean” — a societal leper — making anything she touched unclean!

Our pastor Mary went on to say that she had come “bleeding and believing.” Wow! That phrase hit me. We are all invited to come — bleeding and believing — to be healed.

I am real clear on the bleeding. Alas, my believing could use a lot of help. Do I believe You can heal? YES! I DO! But, I falter when I am believing You will heal me. And I fall down flat, when it comes to believing You will heal our World. Why? I believe it is Your Desire to heal! But, I have this feeling that I have to 1) want to be healed and 2) follow Your instructions to receive healing.

So, God? What would be so awful about healing us against our will?

Oh, hmmm. It is this “free will” thing. And free will bleeds into our “personal responsibility” thing. Yes! I sort of understand. We are Your Children. We are not Your Puppets. And so . . . I mess up. We as species mess up . . . mess up frequently and horribly. Freedom is messy. But, perhaps it is WHY we are here on Planet Earth?

Please help me. Help me to redouble my efforts to offer to You the Sacrifice of Praise (Hebrews 13:15). Praise founded only on trust. . . what little I have.

Posted in a prayer for healing, Believing, connecting, Faith, Prayer, praying, Praying for our enemies, Sacrifice, The sacrifice of praise, trust, Trusting God

Let’s IMAGINE love overcoming evil

Posted on March 10, 2022 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Me, standing next to a crop of super weeds.

Good Evening, God

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if LOVE grew like the weeds grow? These weeds used to be ordinary sized weeds. But, I am guessing that Roundup was used on them. And those that survived were the hardiest. And they have flourished!

I suspect that is what happens then we try to eradicate almost anything. Those that survive, are hardier. And as we try even harder to kill them — they become hardier and hardier.

That is why you tell us to “Overcome Evil with Good”. That is why we are commanded to “Love our Enemies”. Because, otherwise we get super weeds, super bugs, and super enemies. Aaah, but the worse of it is — we become like our enemies. Angry, hateful and scared.

So, God, I am sitting here IMAGINING a world in which each believer Prayed FOR Putin. Prayed for him to be enveloped in Your Love. Blessing him, instead of cursing. That does not mean approving of the damage and trauma he is causing. But, it does mean seeing him as a fellow human being. A person that needs Your Love and Your Healing. Just as I do. It means trying to overcome evil with good.

Actually, I am imagining a world in which we pray for those in authority over us. All the elected leaders and the non-elected rulers. Praying for the Oligarchs all over the world — not just in Russia. Blessing people, loving them as fellow humans, tends to soften their hearts. Judging people seems to harden their hearts.

And when I judge people, my heart is hardened. Please, God, help me. Please help us all.

Tagged with: Praying for Putin, Praying for those in authority
Posted in hope, Hope as a gift from God, Over come Evil with Good, Overcoming, praying, Praying for our enemies, the JOY of praying together

Imagination and Lent

Posted on March 8, 2022 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God

We just finished a Lenten meeting — focused on the Poetry of Lent. Tonight we focused on Wild Geese, a poem by Mary Oliver. We each shared lines that hhad caught our eye. This one caught mine:

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,

The World offers itself to my Imagination! My imagination!!! The line hit me — reminding me that I HAVE an IMAGINATION! And, I confess, God, I have been using it to imagine bleakness and darkness. That felt so wrong. It felt like a horrible misuse of a vital part of me.

Just yesterday, I was talking about not being taken captive by the Dark Forces. . . not being led into judging, anger and hate. But, here I was, doing something very similar by letting my imagination dwell on fearful futures.

You have told us so clearly to “overcome evil with good”. Told us that we are to pray for our enemies. To turn the other cheek. And if our enemy thirsts to give him water. Sigh. . . I keep thinking, God, that if You were to give me the power — I would do that. But, of course, I have it backwards! When I begin doing that –THEN, You’ll give me the power to continue.

So, I would ask, God, that You help me loosen the ties that bind my imagination. Set me free to imagine praying for peace — in the hearts of those losing violence upon others. Help me to imagine leaders everywhere repenting of threatening, bullying and violence.

Well, come to think of it, help me to come to You for cleansing and redirection. Ah, yes! Help me imagine a new way of living — a new way of loving in myself.

Tagged with: Putting my imagination into Hope, Wild Geese poem by Mary Oliver
Posted in hope, Hope as a gift from God, Imagination, LOVE, Lovingkindness, Over come Evil with Good, power and peace and gentleness, The daily details of love, The Endless Flow of God's Love, the essential nature of hope, the gift of persistent love

WHY we pray for our “Enemies”

Posted on March 7, 2022 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Sunday morning, my wonderful husband Kit came in from getting the morning paper — fulmination about how evil Putin is. Kit is normally a kind hearted soul filled with good will. So I was distressed to see him so angry and hateful. Evil DOES hateful things for just that reason — to stir up anger and hate in us!!!

We are in what I call “Replication Wars”. Lovingkindness wants to bless and create more lovingkindness. While Evil wants to create Fear, Hate and Labeling — and more evil.

Sigh, it is all too easy to get caught up in responding to horrid acts with judging and anger and hate. But, that is falling into the trap that has been set. Killing and wounding others are dreadful acts. It is easy to think that the people doing them are dreadful too.

But that is failing to see the love and compassion that You, God, have for them. It is failing to see that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO YOU. When I MAKE MYSELF PRAY for these people I begin to see them as fellow human beings. As people in need of Your lovingkindness and healing. It is a slow process. And it is a humbling one — as I quickly begin to see how I need healing.

Now, praying isn’t magic. I believe that You do not heal people against their will. Still, as I pray and bless these people — I like to imagine it is helping to soften their hearts of stone. I know that it is softening my heart!

And, alas, when I angrily judge and condemn them, I am helping to harden their hearts. . . and hardening my heart as well. Praying for our enemies is not easy. But it is so very important.

Posted in a prayer for healing, acknowledging my need for prayer, Blessing, Hearts of Stone, Lovingkindness, Ongoing Transformation, Personal Power, power and peace and gentleness, Prayer, praying, Praying for our enemies, Replication Wars, The Power of the Spoken Word

Healing and Praying

Posted on March 5, 2022 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Good Morning, God

The other day a friend asked, “Does Prayer Work?” And I found myself saying, “That’s the wrong question!” I went on to say — that is the question we ask about objects. Does this blender work? Does this medicine work. Prayer is our interaction with a “higher” level of reality. Or maybe it is a “deeper” level of reality? I do not have words to describe something so “other”.

But, God, I do have a deep desire to share how I am now experiencing prayer. Before, I felt like I was begging — well, earnestly pleading — for Your Help. I felt as if You were not “paying attention” and I had to get Your Attention.

Now — after years of Centering Prayer and Welcoming Prayer — everything feels flipped. I am the one who isn’t paying attention. I am the one who has wandered off to do my own thing. And You, God, have given me the image of Alfred P. Doolittle as he says to Professor Higgins, I’M WILLING TO HELP. I’M WANTING TO HELP. I’M WAITING TO HELP.

I’m sitting here smiling! But this image feels so true that I just have to share it. You ARE WILLING, WANTING AND WAITING to help us. But, often, not the way we want or expect. I think of prayer now as my coming to You and saying “Please, let Your Will be done in me.”

I really do not know How or What You do — when I sit, silently, consenting to the action of Your Indwelling Spirit within me. But, as I grow in TRUST I am becoming more comfortable with that. As I look around me I hardly know where to begin in Asking Prayers.

Well, less judging, less anger, less hate — in me an ongoing awareness of how little I know — and how much fear, pain and grief I have to let go of. Because, somehow it is that Fear, Pain and Grief that give rise to Judging, Anger and Hate.

All those are abstractions. What I can say is that I retired in a very resentful and angry state. A few weeks later I was invited to nine days of Centering Prayer at the Benedictine Monastery in Snowmass. I came in filled with toxic judgments. And every day as I sat — intentionally — in God’s Presence — I was very slowly helped to see things from a different perspective. It was mostly imperceptible. But, slowly I saw myself as part of the situation and I released the multiple toxins — forgiving others, forgiving myself. I am convinced those nine days of Centering Prayer saved my life.

Bodies housing anger and hate have very little energy left for healing.

Posted in a prayer for healing, acknowledging my need for prayer, Centering Prayer, Prayer, praying, Praying for our enemies

Thy Will Be Done

Posted on March 3, 2022 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Good Evening, God

More and more I am becoming aware of how little I know. This is progress. Sigh, so much of my life has been lived in the realms of Certainty. THIS is RIGHT. THAT is WRONG. Oh, my . . . oh my. . . such certainty. And the trouble with “knowing one is right” is that it makes it just an easy step or two to INSIST on that “right” being done. Just a step or two more until violence is justified. This is the violence of the majority that the Bill of Rights sought to limit.

But, enough of the Body Politic. Let me go back to my individual world. I am still wanting to share . . . but, I am more aware of my need to respect the views of others. Respect now seems the very foundation of Love. You have given us that kind of loving respect in giving us free will. The freedom to be wrong. The freedom to mess up. Trusting us to an amazing degree. It is scary.

As I pray I am focusing more on wanting Your Will to be done IN ME. I think of my loving husband. And my need to exercise more control over my tongue. But that’s not all. It is all about HOW I chose to exercise my free will and personal responsibility. And, I’m realizing that it is foolish to expend energy on regret and worry . . . or on judging. Especially, judging!

Bless BLESS, and do not curse! Now I am beginning to see that judging is a form of cursing. Even if we are not near the people we are judging — I believe it has a negative effect on them. Sort of a solidifying effect. Making it even harder for them to soften. YIKES! It has that same effect on ME as I judge!

So, more and more when I pray — I am asking for healing for myself. Asking for a cleansing for myself. Asking for compassion for myself. Asking for healing and compassion for all my fellow human beings as we struggle to live in Your Light and in Your Love. And as we relax and trust enough to let that light and love shine through us.

Posted in a prayer for healing, A Spiritual Spring Cleaning, Cleansing, Compassion, developing helpful definitions of love, healing, judging, Light, Light shining through, LOVE, Personal Responsibilty, self care as self compassion and humility, The daily details of love, the gift of persistent love, trust

Ash Wednesday: Beginning Lent

Posted on March 2, 2022 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Good Morning, God

I confess to having begun yesterday by splitting a chocolate bar with my beloved husband, Kit and then I had pancakes for breakfast. Fat Tuesday, indeed! And now I sit — pondering the Journey of Lent — so lovingly set before me. Set before me as an opportunity to offer myself. That sounds noble. It isn’t. Why wouldn’t I want to dig deeper into this annual invitation to grow?

Because, that is what I am now reframing Lent as — an invitation to COME AND SEE — or just come and sit quietly in prayer. Consenting, Asking, Desiring Welcoming the action of Your Indwelling Spirit within me.

One Wonderful Thing about growing older is I am becoming more comfortable about being brought nose to nose with my faults. Last night — just before I sat down for a period of Centering Prayer — I fussed at my sweet husband for unplugging the lights instead of switching them off. (I had just replugged them 5 minutes before.) I sat in “prayerful” silence. Then it was as if I heard a Voice saying: Have I given you so much energy that you can afford to waste it on irritations?

Well, no. . . of course not. Another gift of aging is that I no longer imagine myself with unlimited energy. So, clearly, I was foolish to waste it on harassing my beloved husband. Notice, my behavior was named FOOLISH as opposed to BAD.

And, so I was not shamed or scolded. I was just helped to reframe my behavior as foolish. To me that is how YOU operate. Lovingly calling me to turn away from foolishness — and into lovingkindness.

Posted in becoming the change I wish to see, Being ENJOYED by God, Centering Prayer, Changing, Inner Journeys, JOY, Lovingkindness, pondering the purpose of Lent, reframing, simple joys of daily life, the joy of sharing

Connecting a few more dots on Healing

Posted on February 22, 2022 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Simon & Garfunkel singing Feelin’ Groovy in Central Park

Good Evening, God

A few weeks ago a dear friend told me I had to listen to Feelin’ Groovy by Simon and Garfunkel. I heard the lines “Slow down, you’re going too fast. You gotta make the moment last.” And realized this was sort of a Word from You, God. Because, I was going too fast.

But, then tonight I realized WHY I should slow down. Going fast tells my body that I am “under pressure” and to my body that signifies DANGER. That took me back to the Polyvagal Theory of Dr Porges. Apparently, our body cares a lot about feeling “Safe”. In fact, only our body can really tell if it feels safe or not. Our mind can assure our body all it wants. The body does its own assessment. Dr. Porges created the term neuroception to describe HOW the body knows.

So, it turns out that feeling SAFE is the foundation for releasing the body’s energy to heal. I knew about the importance of parasympathetic nervous system for healing. I just had never thought about the importance of my body feeling safe in order to turn that on. Even less so, had I ever linked rushing / going fast / trying to do too much — with my body feeling safe.

Actually, I have never given any thought at all to my body having her own criteria for Safe. Nor had I understood how important feeling safe is for healing. Now, that I know, I have a REASON for slowing down. That is important because all my life I have needed to understand WHY in order to do something consistently .

Now, I’m real clear, God. In order to heal, I need help to slow down. I am working on Centering Prayer and Mindfulness. I both cases the idea is to sink into NOW. Letting go of regrets of the past and fears of the future. And embracing THIS MOMENT as it is. But, a bit of help from You would be very much appreciated.

Meanwhile, how good to have help from our friends!

Tagged with: Feelin' Groovy, Simon & Garfunkel, slowing down to heal
Posted in Centering Prayer, healing, Humility or Needing Help!, mindfulness, needing help, Polyvagal Theory, safe, slow incremental change, Slowing Down

The Lungs of our Earth need help

Posted on January 31, 2022 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Good Night, God!

Or maybe I should say Good Heavens! It is 1:05 a.m. and here I am writing a blog. But I woke up with it stuck in my mind. So here goes.

We think of the Amazon basin as the lungs of earth. And we decry the logging and pollution — as we should! But, tonight, I realized that we are poisoning the Great Plains Farmland of North America so they cannot do the work You created them to do!!!

These great stretches of grasslands were created to breathe in carbon out of the air and breathe out oxygen through the healthy plants growing in healthy soil.

All that has changed with Industrial Agriculture! The soil has been deeply damaged by chemical fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides. It cannot absorb carbon nearly as well. And it cannot absorb Water nearly as well, either. These endless miles of soybeans, corn and wheat are kept alive artificially by the very chemicals that are killing the soil.

Sigh.

Just few Big Companies have the power to change all this! It takes about three years to restore soil to health. So? Change could happen far more quickly than we can imagine.

All is not hopeless. When we stop — or even slow — damaging Your World — it heals!