A SURGE of HOPE

Posted on November 17, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Bird of Paradise in my valley

Good Morning, God!

On a recent jog around our neighborhood, I came across a Bird of Paradise bush. I was pretty ratty, God. But, I found one beautiful bloom and took its picture. One bloom affects us. We can SEE it. But more than three? They seem to disappear.

Somehow this reminds me of the “truth” that when One Child is harmed, everyone rallies. But, let that number grow so that many thousands or millions of children are hungry or abused or crippled — then we shrug it off as too big to fix and too hard to focus on.

I had, I confess, accepted that as just the way things are. But, recently I saw a TED talk that gave me hope! Actually, just the fact that there ARE TED talks gives me a lot of hope, God!

This one was done by Bruce Aylward, who is head of the World Health Organization. He was talking about how close we are to eradicating polio — and how important it is to wipe it out, not just contain it. That’s because viruses like polio can morph and then, with global travel, emerge in ten or twenty countries in just weeks. And, unlike smallpox, you can’t tell who is a polio carrier.

But the good news is that there is a Worldwide Web of Volunteers, who have just about finished the job of vaccinating at risk children in the furthest reaches of our planet. Volunteers who are going into slums and jungles and war zones. These volunteers are primarily from Rotary Clubs around the world. They are extremely well organized and they are working together with governments and other agencies to help others.

Watching the video I wondered: What might they work on once Polio IS eradicated? I felt a SURGE of HOPE, God, when that idea came. Please, God. Help us continue to work together!

Tagged with: a worldwide web of volunteers, Bruce Aylward's TED Talk, ending polio, Rotary International, volunteers doing good
Posted in connections, health, hope

For Real: Women ARE Better Listeners

Posted on November 16, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Michael Gurian: author of Leadership and the Sexes

Good Morning, God!

I admit it, God, I laughed gleefully when I saw photos of the Male Brains at rest. Worse, yet, I called my beloved husband in to look! The Male Brain at rest is basically OFF. I mean, the brain stem was working to support breathing and digestion. But, that was pretty much ALL that was going on.

Of course, I wouldn’t have laughed except that Female Brains at rest look fairly busy. Also, it turns out that men only use half their brain when listening. Only the left side lights up. Females use both halves for listening. That really does explain a lot, God!

Leadership and the Sexes

Sigh, You made us very different, God. No doubt so that both genders would have to work at understanding the other. Differences + Love do combine to work together to expand our Hearts.

The photos of brain scans were shown in a talk at Google given by Michael Gurian. I would never have heard of him, God, except that Punahou invited him out to talk to teachers and parents about the brain differences between boys and girls. Gurian has two daughters and he wants to do what he can to help schools and businesses make the best use of women’s gifts.

He is doing his part to get the word out. The science is clear and is consistent in brains all around the world. Gurian has consultants that give presentations to businesses and educational institutions. Once people understand they begin to alter their behaviors.

Here are my favorite points, God. 1) Men need lessons in listening. 2) Women need to be more concise and clearly ask for what they want.

Tagged with: Leadership and the Sexes, male female brain differences, Michael Gurian, The Male Brain at Rest
Posted in Communication, Diversity, gender universes

Playing Games and Designing “Games”

Posted on November 15, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Queen Katrina playing "Brave Cat"

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday I was at my Mom’s — playing cards with her. In order to get more fresh air into her apartment I turn off her A/C and open her sliding door and the door to the hall. This produces a nice air flow. It also allows my Mom’s Cat to venture out.

While we are playing cards and scrabble, my Mom’s cat plays “Brave Cat.”

She ventures out the door and sits there in the hall. Not too far into the hall. And she often looks back to check and make sure we are still there. If people down the hall make a noise or open their door she dashes back inside.

She’s a “scaredy cat” but she love playing “Brave Cat.”

Ah, God! Don’t we all love playing! Sometimes we even play “Brave.” What is that line from the King and I? “I whistle a happy tune and no one ever knows I’m afraid!” [Click here to hear the song.] Asking preschoolers to “pretend” to be guards help them stand up straight and tall. Pretending and playing are basic elements of learning and growing.

Right now, I am pretending to be a guard at Buckingham Palace. I am sitting up straight in my chair — instead of slouching. And, much to my surprise, pretending does make it easier! Roy Baumeister, in his book Willpower, says that doing even little things like sitting up nice and straight strengthens our Willpower.

But, to make a “game” of good posture requires a bit of thought. [I’m reading Game Frame and that may help.] I do know I’ll have to observe myself and figure out how to “keep score.” Please help me remember, God, that You designed us not just to be Game Players, but also to be Game Designers.

Tagged with: Game Designers, Game Frame by Aaron Dignan, Game players, Roy Baumeister, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Posted in courage, Fun, Play, Uncategorized

Seeing Clearly — Seeing Beyond Symptoms

Posted on November 14, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

street lights, tail lights and the moon

Good Morning, God!

Coming home last night I had my eyes on the just-past-full moon, as well as the traffic. This photo was set up during a red light — snapped as the light turned green.

The camera didn’t record that big a difference between the light of the moon and the street lights. But, my eyes had no trouble telling which one was brighter and more eye catching.

Being busy can feel like a life filled with headlights and taillights and street lights — but no moon, no sun, no stars. It is the Tyranny of the Urgent, isn’t it, God. Or maybe, the Difficulties of Distraction? There is such a reductionist mindset in today’s world, that the parts and pieces dominate our mind’s eye.

Dr. Mark Hyman put his finger on this when he said: It’s more important to understand the imbalances in your body’s basic systems and restore balance, rather than name the disease and match the pill to the ill. But, God, like the moon on a cloudy night — balance is hard to see and a whole lot harder to understand. I suppose it is the difference between photographing the moon and predicting lunar eclipses.

The Whole IS more than the sum of its parts, God. And now that understanding is showing up in ideas like DIABESITY — a continuum of disease from insulin sensitivity on to full-blown diabetes. Dr. Hyman goes on to say that diabesity “affects 1 in 2 Americans and is the leading cause of most chronic disease in this country including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer, not to mention its leading role in weight gain and obesity.”

Alas, the treatment — taking charge of our food selection, our activity level and our attitudes — isn’t nearly as simple as taking a pill. But, I’m grateful, God, that awareness is a big first step.

Tagged with: continuums of disease, diabesity, Dr. Mark Hyman, health, taking charge of our food
Posted in a matter of scale, health, seeing, web of life

Marriage: Pushing and Pulling Us Toward Growth

Posted on November 13, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Pastor Tim Keller

Good Morning, God!

I love this man’s voice, God! He sounds kind — compassionate and intelligent — which is a great combination for a pastor. Well, for anyone. I’ve heard some of his sermons on podcasts and enjoyed them.

Then a dear friend sent me a link to an interview that he and his wife did about their newly released book, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God.

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim and Kathy Keller

What a delightful couple, God. I watched the entire video and enjoyed watching them react and interact with each other as the interview went on. Respect and appreciation are excellent buttresses for LOVE.

Kit and I are blessed, God. We were born into a generation that took commitment for granted. It was a given. And it was “role modeled” for us. My mother attended her grandparents’ Golden Wedding Anniversary, her parents’ Golden Wedding Anniversary, her own Golden Wedding Anniversary and Kit’s and my Golden Wedding Anniversary. That’s four straight generations.

Marriage — like life — isn’t supposed to be easy. At one point in the interview where Kathy “corrects” Tim, he turns to the interviewer and says, “Like iron sharpens iron . . .” How true! Husbands and wives DO sharpen each other. There are qualities in each of us that we need to learn to appreciate — and other qualities that we need to challenge and confront. The difficulty is figuring out which is which!

Gender differences, cultural differences, and individual differences all conspire to challenge us and push and pull us toward growth. Thank You, God, for adding the Pleasure Glue that makes marriage a joy and a delight — as well as a challenge.

Tagged with: appreciation and love, four generations of Golden Wedding Anniversaries, respect, The Meaning of Marriage, the pleasure bond, Tim and Kathy Keller
Posted in connecting, connections, JOY, living within limits, LOVE, people as gifts, respect

On Feeling Like a Pile of Pick-up Sticks

Posted on November 12, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

: Rainbows as Signs

Good Morning, God!

After hearing myself say something to the effect that I felt like pile of “pick-up-sticks” it came to me that I needed to do something about it.

So, I called a old friend who is a Spiritual Director and set off to see her. This photo of a rainbow was taken just before I went in to see her.

It feels good, God, to be seeking help.

Yesterday, I got additional help on my “pile” from the book Willpower. It seems there is something called the Zeigarnik Effect named after the Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik who discovered it in 1927. Things that have not been completed or “done” keep popping up in our mind. They “nag” at us or at least “remind” us that the decision or action is still pending.

After coming home from my three weeks on the road visiting our daughters and grandson sitting I found myself “free.” Nothing needed to be done right away. There really wasn’t anything urgent in my life. No “urgent” stuff to keep the countless undone or unfinished tasks and projects in my life pushed to the back of my mind.

Pick-Up-Sticks -- color coded, yet!

With that pressure gone, God, I’m pretty sure all the unfinished stuff in my life flowed out and over and flooded me. Truly, a big pile of pick-up sticks! The book Willpower discusses David Allen’s Getting Things Done system. The author and researcher, Roy F. Baumeister, says that when Things Still Not Done pop-up into our minds (the Zeigarnik Effect) we don’t have to do them. We just have to make a plan on how and when we will do them. That’s Allen’s GTD program. Even writing it down in the mystical Maybe Someday category will help.

Hmmm. Maybe, Someday, God, I will have picked up all those sticks. Or maybe not. But, I feel a lot better having some idea of what’s going on.

Tagged with: a jumble of stuff, hope, Prayer, Roy Baumeister, Willpower, Zeigarnik Effect
Posted in accepting my need for help, being together in a compassionate presence, compassion to care for myself, complexity

“Found” Art — or is it a Cartoon?

Posted on November 10, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A piece of scrap copper is found to contain a fish

Good Morning, God!

I remember seeing and loving Deborah Butterfield’s horses — made out of “found” materials. Today I have a much humbler example of “found” art.

This fish pendant was “found” hiding inside an old piece of scrap copper in our jewelry class’s scrap box. I’d missed three classes so after the demonstration I didn’t have anything to work on.

What to do? I looked through the scrap box being sure I’d find something. I didn’t. After a period of “wanting” the sample pendant the instructor had used — I regathered myself and went back to the scrap box. This time I persisted and found a heavily textured piece of copper with a big hole punched in it. Aha! That was IT!

I knew it was what I wanted to play with. And I did play. Cutting a bit off here and a bit more off there. Then, all of a sudden there was this FISH! All she needed was a mouth — which I quickly gave her. Then we smiled at each other.

And I remembered being in high school and taking a drawing class at Art Center. One of my fellow students told me I was a “natural cartoonist.” I was devastated. Not an “Artist.” A “Cartoonist.” Sigh.

But, now, as I look at my “fish,” God, it comes to me that I LIKE being a Cartoonist. I accept the fact that I don’t even want to make “perfect” pieces. I like the surprises and joys that come with “interacting” with my creations.

Hmmm. I surely hope, God, that is how YOU feel about us! Maybe THAT’S what the “gift” of “Free Will” is all about? We are — for better or for worse — interactive. And, I’m pretty sure that You like that!

Tagged with: "found" art, art and cartoons, creating, interacting with the created, whimsy
Posted in Creating, interactions, JOY, Responding

A really BIG iceberg is coming!

Posted on November 9, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A long crack on the Pine Island Glacier

Good Morning, God!

Apparently NASA has a new project called IceBridge — keeping an eye on Earth’s polar ice. On October 14, 2011 they noticed this crack on Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier.

You can barely see the crack in this photo, but it is 18 miles long and 260 feet wide and 165-195 feet deep. That’s a BIG crack, God!

Close-up of the crack that's 260 ft. wide and up to 195 ft. deep

The last time scientists noticed a crack on this glacier was late in 2000 and the iceberg didn’t break off until late in 2001. It took a year? I wondered why until I learned that the ice at the crack is 1,640 feet thick. So, 165 feet deep is only about 10% of the total depth. Yes, I guess it will take a year.

This is going to be one BIG iceberg, God. I wonder what the wave will be like when it breaks off? I’m curious.

I’m also interested on a personal level about how much ice is flowing into the ocean. We live on an island and sitting here in my office I’m 38 feet above sea level.

The article says: “As a primary outlet for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the Pine Island Glacier is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in global sea level rise projections.” They are talking “the next couple of decades.” Hmmm.

The thing about this sort of change is that it accelerates — creating a “positive feedback loop.” It doesn’t just stop or “go away.” I wish I didn’t know that, God! I don’t like thinking about sea levels rising. I don’t like thinking about how Thailand is flooding and how much of Bangladesh is under water when the high tides and storms sweep in.

We humans will need a lot of help from You, God, to respond appropriately.

Tagged with: climate change, icebergs, NASA's IceBridge
Posted in a matter of scale, Changing, choices, climate changes, web of life

Making our way back to non-industrial food

Posted on November 8, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

my brother's cat going back down the ladder

Good Morning, God!

Sometimes, God, I feel like this cat as I try to get us back into non-industrial food. Tradition used to set our tables.

Mothers used to make sure their children ate their “greens.” Not just vegetables but herbs, too. Gosh, God. Vegetables used to be grown in backyards.

Now mothers have been replaced “experts and studies” — often paid for by the food conglomerates. In the 1970’s, the cigarette companies diversified by buying up food companies like General Foods. They gave us what we wanted — Frankenfood — made to taste addictive, sit on the shelves forever, and sell.

What else besides “greens” are “missing” in our Standard American Diet? Here’s one thing most of us don’t think of: Microbes. That’s the fauna and flora that are so essential to a well-functioning gut. Louis Pasteur and his pasteurization won the battle against botulism and some other nasty germs — but the long term effect on our health is just beginning to unfold. Now, it seems we can be too clean.

Antibiotics are even more of a double-edged sword. “Taking antibiotics is like setting off a bomb and hoping more bad guys die than good guys,” is a quote from an article in the March 2011 Discover magazine on our gut. Yikes! [Click here to hear the article.]

It wasn’t that long ago that we humans stored food by fermenting it — in effect, growing enough Good Bacteria so that the Bad Guys couldn’t get in. Kim Chee and sauerkraut spring to mind. Imagine that God — life BEFORE canning. Sigh, Most folks can’t even remember life before Pringles.

But, the Tide is beginning to turn, God! Even if we are all picking our way along like my brother’s cat. Going back, isn’t easy.