Out in the Rain — Looking through Layers

Posted on November 27, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

raindrops on the windshield in Hawaii Kai

Good Morning, God!

Last night I really wanted Korean food and Kit, my wonderful husband, agreed. So off we went to our local Yummy Korean BBQ. I love viewing the world through car windows, God. When I am the driver, that is a challenge that I have to work to resist. Ah, but, what fun to be the passenger!

The first thing I noticed was the beauty of the raindrops on our windshield. Then, just as I had my iPhone out and on camera, Kit ran the windshield wipers. Aargh! And, of course, God, then the rain let up.

But, it did resume and Kit resisted running the wipers and I happily took several photos. Although I never quite captured the delight of actually seeing the “invisible windshield” as Something — something beautiful.

That makes me think of all the layers we deal with — mostly without noticing. For example, Kit has an Editor Layer. And the other day — while I was reading him an article from the paper — he corrected my pronunciation of a phrase. (Which, I would tell You what it was, except I can’t spell it any better than I could pronounce it.) And, for some reason my “Impervious Manini Corrections” layer wasn’t in place. (“Manini” means tiny in Hawaiian.) Off I went in a huff! Mostly, God, I KNOW that his Editor Layer comes and goes and I don’t mind a small “upgrade” or two.

But, there You are, God. Or here we are . . . managing — or not managing — invisible layers. It’s challenging. But, I am feeling Very Thankful for having been able to SEE that they exist. Thanks, in part, to Kit being willing to venture out on a cool and rainy, windy night to eat Korean food! Please, help me remember, God, that we are all juggling invisible layers!

Tagged with: communication difficulties, invisible layers, male female worlds, my "impervious to corrections" layer
Posted in Communication, complexity, gender universes, layer upon layer, mental maps

Sunsets and the Light of the World

Posted on November 26, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Sunset out our back window

Good Morning, God!

The Heavens do declare Your Glory! And looking into the beautiful sky brings me joy — as day by day Your Sun rises.

Of course, I understand that the earth is turning on its axis and that makes the sun rise in the east each morning.

But, there is an older primitive part of me that sees it rise every morning and rejoices. (As if the Sun might change its mind?)

We are only a month away from the Winter Solstice, God. That’s the point in the year when the lengthening night stops “eating up the day” and begins to shorten. I can certainly understand why people celebrated that Time — That Turning! How appropriate it is that we celebrate Jesus’ birth at the Winter Solstice Time.

As John says at the beginning of his gospel — His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it

I love those words, God. I love the hope in them. The promise that is there for us. I just have to remember to remember. All day the sun crosses the sky . . . but, mostly, I only notice it at sunrise or sunset. The rest of the day I take the Light for granted.

How easy it is, God, to forget about You. In the retreat center at Snowmass there were bells to call us to prayer. While in Istanbul I heard the call to prayer broadcast out to the city. Reminders, to seek You, God.

Now, surely, I could get my smart phone to chime during the day? Or my computer programed to do that? Ah, but You are reminding me that You do send out “nudges,” which sad to say, I ignore. I have to WANT to focus on You — more than I want to focus on playing Angry Birds.

Please, God, help me seek You with my Whole Heart.

Tagged with: noticing the Light in sunsets and sunrises, the heavens declare the Glory of God, The Light shines in the darkness
Posted in Heavens declare the Glory of God, Light, rejoicing

On Loving God, My Brother, and Myself

Posted on November 25, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Fall Trees on my brother's 20 acre wood

Good Morning, God!

My brother sent this glorious photo of one of his trees. And just that day I was pondering I John 4:20, which asks: How can you love God, whom you have not seen, when you do not love your brother, whom you have seen?

Fortunately, my brother is very easy to love, God. But, I take the meaning of the verse even if it is often easier to love out-of-sight people than up-close-and-daily people. Still, the command is clear. And the solution is in the previous verse: “We love, because He first loved us.”

Sigh. The difficulty isn’t only in the loving but in the definition of LOVE. Children seem to define being loved as “getting what I want.” That definition is hard to shake. Later on we gradually broaden it to politeness, small acts of kindness, and donations to food banks and Salvation Army kettles.

Loving others usually involves the Gift of Things — or in this season, cards. Both are indications of love, or at least of “being thought of.” At this point in life, “stuff” doesn’t hold that much appeal for me. But, I value time with loved ones more and more.

For me, God, since we are to love others AS WE LOVE OURSELVES, the question is, how are we to LOVE OURSELVES? I’ve been mulling this over. Loving myself is finally beginning to mean developing habits of personal care: watching my posture, choosing wisely what and when I eat, getting enough sleep, enough exercise . . . and so on.

With Your Help, God, I’m even creeping toward appreciating the gifts of “doing without.” Going off to the Snowmass Retreat Center was giving myself the “gift of silence” — the “gift of emptying my days and my heart.” Please, God, help me do that At Home.

Tagged with: re-defining love, The gifts of caring for myself, The gifts of Doing Without, the gifts of limits and self-management
Posted in LOVE, loving myself, Maintenance, people as gifts, Silence, solitude and silence

Flowers and Families and Friends

Posted on November 24, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

small oleander flowers on an ordinary hedge

Good Morning, God!

Happy Thanksgiving Day! My husband, Kit, just set off to run 10 miles in the Turkey Trot. Hey! Thanks, God, that I’m not running!

This morning I lay in bed letting all the things (and people) I am thankful for — run through my mind. Wow! So many wonderful people!

And, the VERY FIRST ONE in my life is my Mother! My first friend — source of half my genes — and most of my nurture. My mom was the one who introduced my Dad to Science Fiction. And when I was showing her my new iPhone the other day she said, “Why don’t I have one of those?” Maybe for her 97th birthday, next month? THANKS, Mom!

Families are our primary “school” in which we learn about life and — if we are lucky, God — we learn about You. My dad taught me that we aren’t on Planet Easy or even Planet Fair. We are here on Planet Earth to do the best we can.

Later on, it was friends who helped me understand just How Much You Long to Help us! And friends have grown into “families of friends” and continued the nurturing and nourishing that families provide. We are blessed that our children (and grandchildren) have also grown into friends — friends who encourage and inspire us. And sometimes, thankfully, correct us.

I am profoundly thankful, God. Psalm 100 says we Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving. And, I believe, that as we give thanks, we do, somehow, enter in through Your Gates. Ah, but the psalm goes on to say And into His Courts with Praise.

It is in opening my Heart — REJOICING and PRAISING You — that You become closer.

PRAISE YOU GOD — for flowers and families and friends — for stars and sunrises and sea creatures — and for the awesome gift of LIFE! Thank YOU!

Tagged with: And into God's Courts with Praise, Entering God's Gates with Thanksgiving, Praising God, The Gift of Life
Posted in Families, friends, Praise, thankfulness, Thanksgiving!

Draining the Inner Swamp — with Help

Posted on November 23, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland

Good Morning, God!

Many years ago, when we went to Disneyland with our girls, we loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. And afterward we went to eat in the Blue Bayou Restaurant. No alligators there. No mosquitos. No Water Moccasins. It was a lovely, Disney-type Swamp.

Swamps came to mind, God, as I realized that Fears and Worries and General Irritations had turned me into the Beginnings of a Bog. Pretty swamp-like!

All these realizations flowed out of listening to a talk on How to Receive the Holy Spirit. It was given by a Scot, an Anglican Bishop in London. I must say

Bishop Sandy Millar, A Scot preaching in London

the British present the Holy Spirit in such a lovely matter-of-fact way. Bishop Sandy Millar quoted Jesus: “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” [Luke 11:11-13]

Sandy Millar has seen what a Help the Holy Spirit is. He has seen the Holy Spirit heal. And he states that the Holy Spirit longs to give us the Gifts of the Spirit — for the blessing of those around us. It was close to the end of his talk when I realized — I hadn’t been asking the Holy Spirit to drain my swamp!

I had wandered off on my own again. Just as, when I was a toddler, I got down out of my Mother’s Lap to run around. Ah, God. Please help me remember to keep on asking!

Tagged with: asking for the Holy Spirit, Bishop Sandy Millar, Gifts of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity Brompton
Posted in a prayer for healing, A Spiritual Spring Cleaning, Holy Spirit, lap time, responding to God's Spirit

Noticing the World — and Myself

Posted on November 22, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A White and Blue Sky

Good Morning, God!

Sometimes the clouds and the things of the world are just so delightful that I have to STOP and take a photo. Thank You, God! These moments feel like gifts and I love them! And, maybe I’m wrong, God, but I feel as if You really like people noticing them.

Now that I am retired, I am beginning to notice myself a bit more. It is all too easy to notice my messy desk and miss the lack of habits and structure in my life that result in the mess. All of this isn’t Rocket Science, God! So, why it is taking me so long is a puzzle.

Hmm. Maybe I think HABITS are boring? But, habits free me to do what I want with the least amount of energy. Going to BJ Fogg’s website got me started thinking about this. Establishing a habit takes commitment and then a trigger or a trick or two to wedge it in the rest of the day. I’ve kind of wanted to floss. But, it wasn’t until the dentist pointed out that I could do it while I was reading that I was able to wedge it into my day. And then, after a month or so, it got so that an un-flossed mouth was distressing.

Another example is how I have wanted to pick up my office before I go to bed. But, upon a small moment of reflection I realized I often don’t go to bed until I am really tired. So, it seems OBVIOUS that I need to wedge the 10 minutes of picking up my office in earlier. And doing it before letting myself do something I like to do.

Today, God, please help me notice and analyze myself — noticing the commitment levels and triggers — or lack of them.

Tagged with: analyzing my behaviors, behavioral change, BJ Fogg, noticing myself
Posted in being a Slow Learner, Changing, choices, Common sense and reasonableness

Stepping BACK to 1958 and Hearing Pearl Buck

Posted on November 21, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Pearl Buck looking like she did in her 1958 interview

Good Morning, God!

1958 is a long time ago! Still, when I watched this interview that Mike Wallace did with Pearl Buck in 1958, I was astounded by what had changed and what had not changed.

(But first, my jaw dropped as Mike Wallace opened the show smoking a cigarette and then gave a commercial for Parliament cigarettes! YIKES!)

What hadn’t changed was a fairly basic male failure to understand women. Mike Wallace kept trying to push Pearl Buck into either/or positions. He wanted to label her a feminist when clearly she was a humanist. She wanted the best for her fellow human beings, both men and women.

She observed that Americans, men and women, suffered from loneliness. The freedom we cherish had resulted in the breakdown of many of the social support bulwarks that existed in Asia or Europe — traditions that surround us with social connections. This was certainly true for me in the early years of our marriage. Kit went off to work and I stayed home. The lack of ongoing stimulating daily social contact was painful!

Mike Wallace wanted her to choose — home or work. She allowed as how staying home when the children are young was preferable. But she said that doing both was a matter of “organization” and “concentrating on essentials.”

Speaking of “essentials,” she observed that American women seemed to measure their men and children in terms of “success” while Asian women seemed more content to enjoy their men and family as individuals. Hmmm. That makes me think of parents pushing their children toward high status colleges.

So, God, perhaps we could make better use our Freedom? Maybe, even, redefine “success?” As for me, I want to do a better job of “concentrating on essentials” — like quality time with Loved Ones.

Tagged with: loneliness, men and women, Pearl Buck speaking in 1958, Pearl Buck's wider vision
Posted in gender universes, social support networks, the difficulty of doing Both And

Education being turned Right Side Up

Posted on November 20, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Salman Khan of the Khan Academy

Good Morning, God!

Last Friday night Kit and I went to hear Dr. Philip Pizzo, dean of the Stanford Medical School. Dean Pizzo is super bright and super articulate — information just flowed out of him.

But when Dr. Pizzo talked about the Khan Academy he really got my attention. It seems that Salman Khan started out making a few 10 minute videos to help his cousins learn math. In the videos you hear Khan’s voice and you see his writing on the chalk board. Very simple but surprisingly effective. Now the Khan Academy has 2,700+ teaching videos.

Our grandson Mark had complained to me about his physics textbook and teacher so I thought I’d share Khan Academy with him.

But, first, I wanted to learn more about it. So I watched Khan give a TED talk. Watching it, I realized Khan represents a movement turning Education RIGHT SIDE UP! There are high schools that have dumped their standard math curriculum. No textbooks. No lectures. The students watch the videos on their own and do the “exercises” in class. The teacher then answers questions and helps individual students. Meanwhile, the computer charts and graphs the students so the teacher can see where they are. Time is spent teaching — not lecturing and grading.

This isn’t about Grades — this is about Mastery! Students don’t move on until they have answered correctly 10 test questions in a row! Since learning is incremental, this makes such good sense! Miss a step and 3 or 4 steps later, nothing makes sense.

Ah, but, God! The very BEST thing is that students who start out slower than others often catch up and end up even better than the “fast” students! I really like that!

Gosh, God. We need this for the “soft sciences” — like how to get along with each other.

Tagged with: a moment with God, Khan Academy, learning available for everyone, Mastery not grades
Posted in hope, learning, small meaningful moments

Aloha Ke Akua — God is Love

Posted on November 19, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

The left section of Aloha Ke Akua by David Behlke

Good Morning, God!

Stained glass makes me think of You, God. Maybe it’s all the stained glass window in the Episcopal churches of my childhood? Or maybe it is just that LIGHT puts me in mind of You?

So, what could be more wonderful than this huge stained glass mural entitled Aloha Ke Akua — God is Love. This creation — plus its other half — is on the top floor of 15 Craigside Retirement Residence. It is glorious God! I want to go back and photography it again . . . panel by panel. And let Your Light shine through it and on to me.

Now that I am back in the Creative World . . . even if it is in the shallow end . . . I find that my appreciation of the creative process has quintupled! First comes the opening of the senses to possibilities and then there is the working and reworking of the initial vision. So many layers, God, so many layers!

In my small world of Found Art, I love it that someone else has hammered the metal — textured it and even punched holes in it. That “scrap” of metal comes with layers already done for me. The much younger students in our class are busy turning out perfect objects. No scratches, mars or marks — shiny and flawless. I, meanwhile, am hunting in the scrap bin for hammered, dented and discolored pieces. Pieces with character.

The concept of layering, or maybe the appreciation of layers, seems to carry over into Life, God.

The longer we know someone — the more we have shared together — the more layers there are to our friendship. And, God, if this is true for friends — how much more for families.

I’m smiling, God. I’m hoping, You too, like working with the “hammered and dented.”

Tagged with: Aloha Ke Akua by David Behlke, stained glass, the layers of life
Posted in Creating, Diversity, friends, gratitude

Letting Life Unfold

Posted on November 18, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Me, sitting in the Tree's Lap

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday I was sitting in the backyard of my Spiritual Director (note: she prefers Spiritual Companion) and talking about my mind being like a jumble of “pickup sticks.” That was the topic of our meeting last week.

I told her that the “sticks” have gotten a whole lot bigger — but much less distressing. Now they are sort of like the branches of a tree. Then I remembered how I loved sitting up in my grandfather’s avocado tree when I was a child. That’s a very positive memory, God.

One thing led to another and the next thing I knew I was sitting in her lichee tree. It is much older and bigger — as am I — and I missed being surrounded by big green avocado leaves. Still, it took me back to my childhood. And I felt as if I were sitting in the tree’s lap.

I’m pretty sure, God, that You are calling me to sit in Your Lap. But, just as when I was very small, I want to run around doing things. Not sitting. Not soaking up Comfort and Love. I am obviously NOT a Natural Lap Sitter. I guess I fall in the category of Remedial Lap Sitter. Which would be funny — it is funny — if it weren’t also sad.

But, back to the unfolding. I have been playing solitaire of late, dimly sensing that the random situations and patterns have something to teach me about life. Yesterday afternoon it felt as if I GOT IT! I found myself playing as Observer! I relaxed and watched the game unfold. I released striving and “winning” and entered into flowing. I was still “playing” but I had let go of “outcomes.”

Now, God, please help me. I really want to transfer that attitude to the Game of Living.