An American Spring?

Posted on October 8, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

a sign from the OccupyWallStreet movement

Good Morning, God!

Hmmm. Not long ago one of my blogs had a graph showing the top 1% of Americans having wealth going UP UP UP! The next 2% were mostly holding their own. But the other 97% were getting poorer.

At that point no one seemed to care. Well, I take that back, God! Warren Buffett and 40 other billionaires — who have pledged at least half of their wealth to charity — care. Forty billionaires. That’s 10% of the billionaires in America. It’s a start, God!

So, could this growing inequity be at the root of the new OccupyWallStreet movement? Is it that Americans’ sense of fair play has been violated? The folks who amped up the housing bubble walked away with billions — leaving a lot of home owners and institutions holding the bag. In fact, the World’s economy is in shambles.

Now, God, I know that greed is not limited to the rich. And I know that regulation is always a step behind need. But, it is kind of like Sony who after suing computer hackers didn’t even put basic security in place on their computers before they were really hit. Responsible organizations — and governments — ought at least to try to protect themselves.

Back to the 99%. I remember Kit’s mom saying that she was “thankful” that they had to pay so much in taxes. That statement looks amazing. And I remember my dad saying he didn’t want to soak the rich — he wanted to join them! I think that is what a lot of folks felt — until the scales tilted just a little — or a lot — too far.

So, God, I don’t really want another American Revolution — from the Left or the Right. But, I would like to see an adjustment.

Tagged with: a moment with God, Occupy, Occupy Wall Street spreads, on being a community
Posted in a hand up, adjusting, Anger, Compassion, courage

Beauty, Life and Weeping with Those Who Weep

Posted on October 7, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A small heliconia (I think) in our common area

Good Morning, God!

I’m headed off this morning — EARLY — to get my mom to the doctor’s by 7:30 A.M. I want to get to her apartment in time for her to have some coffee and a bite to eat. All my mother wants to do is CANCEL the appointment. I understand that. I really do, God. To be sure, it is “only” Mohs surgery for a squamous cancer that popped up on her arm in the last two months. Small in the face of life threatening cancers.

Still being “responsible” isn’t easy. I am so glad she is here and I am only a mile away.

More and more, God, I am appreciating the wisdom of “weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.” No one should weep alone, God. In fact, in times of trouble we need to band together — to have someone WITH us. The body seems to speak best when we are beyond words.

I wish I could weep, God. You and I need to “talk” about that some other day. But, I do find that I can keen quietly. Hmmm. I just looked up “keen”and it means to wail in grief. Obviously, one cannot keen quietly — that would be an oxymoron. So, I guess, all I can do is make small sounds of distress. That seems grossly inadequate, God.

Grossly inadequate. Hmmm. Yes, God. I can feel that I am moving closer to humility. And, I am dependent on YOU for hope — for my very existence. You CARE. And I believe You weep with us. Thank You!

Tagged with: grossly inadequate, humility, rejoice with those who rejoice, the simple gift of being "with", weep with those who weep
Posted in accepting my need for help, Caring, responsibility, Sharing, The daily details of love

Steve Jobs — Icon and Inspiration

Posted on October 6, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Steve Jobs -- 1955 - 2011

Good Morning, God!

A sad, sad day, God. Yesterday Steve Jobs left us and went to be with You. Has he been after You yet to “Make Your Universe More User Friendly?” Just joking, God! But, then, maybe I’m not.

I remember the first time I saw the Mac II with a COLOR screen. A color screen with 256 colors. PCs had 16 colors at that time. What a difference! I took out a $5,000 loan from my credit union and bought it — plus a black and white laser printer and a 2400 baud modem. High Living!

There was an article in the NY Times recently claiming that brain scans showed that people really do LOVE their iPhones. This was not a surprise to me. We DO love them — no matter that brain scientists have pointed out the flaws in that article’s science. Apple products ARE somehow lovable.

“Lovable” may not have been the best word for Steve as a person. He was incredibly “exacting” — knowing exactly what he wanted and getting it. But then, Steve was bringing us exactly what we wanted, too. Of course, most of us didn’t know we wanted it — until we saw it or held it.

I just picked up my iPhone 4, God. Several months ago I took the heavy duty protective case off of it — simply because I enjoy touching it. I listen to books on it. I log my runs on it. I take photos with it. And often I do all three of those things at the same time. I also read my email, search the web, play games, check my stocks and my check my heart rate. And, oh yes! I make phone calls. What’s not to love?

Please, God, take good care of Steve!

Tagged with: caring about the user, innovation, loving my iPhone, Steve Jobs, the importance of great design
Posted in Art, beauty, Communication

The sky’s the limit? — or living within limits?

Posted on October 5, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Sky over Kahala Mall

Good Morning, God!

I used to think of my days just like I did my suitcase — always room for one more thing! Oh my! That was back in my childhood (say last year?) when I thought limits were nasty things imposed to keep us from having fun.

As You know, God, I can’t say that I have made the transition into loving limits — but I am starting to appreciate them. Yes, You remind me that an engine run at 75% of capacity can run for years — while one run at 90% will quickly burn out.

I have the feeling that I am not the only one who has problems with limits. America lives by a 24/7 beat. People have vacation time that they just can’t seem to find time to take. And our press views Europeans as lazy layabouts with their six-week vacations and short work weeks.

Are we addicted to work? Or is it that we are trying to keep up with an almost diabolical work ethic? For goodness sake, God! Even the nose-to-the-grindstone Puritans took one day off from work each week.

What to do?

In the old days — back before we all loved our iPhones almost as much as our families — it was against the law to have stores open on Sunday. Society agreed on laws limiting our personal freedom in order to help us keep a day for resting.

Repeatedly failing to keep the Sabbath has shown me that I am doing too much. This has come as a surprise to me — even though my mother has told me that for years. But willful blindness is a powerful force. Retiring has not kept me from over filling my days. I’m afraid this might be a humility thing, God. I need Your Help.

Tagged with: 24/7 work week, humility, overfilling my days, Sabbath Rest
Posted in humility, Humility or Needing Help!, living within limits, sabbath rest

Orphaned Elephants in Kenya — and Hope

Posted on October 4, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Orphan Elephants in Kenya; Photo by National Geographic

Good Morning, God!

I’ve been reading more National Geographic magazines, God. It comes with sitting in waiting rooms.

Yesterday I learned about an orphanage for elephants in Kenya. It’s the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi. There’s a lot of Youtube videos, too. Seeing humans feeding young elephants with huge baby bottles was very touching.

The killing of their mothers — for meat and money — is so distressing, God. It’s distressing enough that it is happening. Even more distressing is that it is being done by my fellow humans. We ought to know better, God! We ought to see elephants as fellow sentient beings on this planet.

Hmmm. About the pork ribs I ate last night. Pigs are pretty smart, too. Drat! I didn’t want to get into my being a “meat eater” — I am not wanting to go there. Not now. Later!

Sigh, well, there’s the problem, God! I suppose Gandhi was right. We must become the change we wish to see.

Change comes with experience. In the National Geographic article they showed how baby elephants were being taken to schools to let the children see them and touch them and experience them as fellow creatures.

Fellow Creatures. Oh, would that we could see our fellow human beings as fellow creatures. Please help us, God. Help us reach out. Help us not to give up. Fill us with HOPE.

Tagged with: compassion, orphaned elephants in Kenya, sharing the planet with fellow creatures, understanding
Posted in Changing, choices, growing toward up, Help me to see, hope, Understanding

Spark! Reading, Thinking and Running

Posted on October 3, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

Good Morning, God!

I’m listening to the book, Spark, for the second time and am realizing I need to hear it several more times. In fact, I have ordered a hard copy. I want to be able to copy and cite several facts.

The fact that really hit me was that we have a brain because we move. Dr. Ratey then goes on to illustrate that by talking about a small sea creature with a 100+ neuron “brain.” The creature goes swimming along amongst the coral until it finds a place to anchor. Once it has its place on the coral, it proceeds to digest its brain. It isn’t going to move and it no longer needs its brain.

Yikes! I think a lot of us no longer “need” our brains. We aren’t moving — not physically and not mentally. That’s a scary thought, God.

In fact, that is one of the many facts in this book that have pushed me into jogging again — and going to the gym. It isn’t so much self-improvement as it is self-maintenance. I at least want to stay where I am as long as I can.

Our brains are certainly underutilized gifts, God! At least, mine is. I want to keep on learning. But not just facts or interesting new ideas. What I really need is to keep on upgrading my Mental Maps. I need to resist the need to stay stuck in Being Right.

This is a new concept for me, God. I confess that I suffer from the syndrome of “being pretty sure I’m right about almost everything.” That is no way to learn and grow and change!

Maybe it’s the exercise that is helping me embrace (well, consider) humility?

Tagged with: humility, motivation, moving, Spark: the new science of exercise and the brain, The Thinking I'm Always Right Syndrome
Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, choices, choosing HARD, exercising, hope, humility, Motivation

A Pet Fox? Physical clues to Domestication

Posted on October 2, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A Domesticated Fox

Good Morning, God!

I guess everyone knows that some wolves — way back when — figured out that hanging out with humans was a good idea and slowly became dogs.

That worked out well for dogs and for humans. And, it seems clear that an early human with a dog had a better chance of surviving than a human without a dog. Actually, I had never thought about that Dog / Man relationship helping both parties. I’d just thought it was good for the dogs.

In fact, God, I hadn’t given much thought to the process of domestication until I read an article in the March 2011 issue of National Geographic. Over 50 years ago, a biologist named Dmitry Belyaev gathered 130 foxes from fur farms with the idea of re-creating the evolution of wolves into dogs. It was a planned experiment in which the researchers selected for breeding the foxes most “comfortable” with people. It didn’t take long before they had young foxes that wagged their tails and wanted to bond with humans.

But, the program wasn’t just to breed friendly foxes but to study the genetics of the process. After just nine generations a “domestication phenotype” began to appear. The kits were born with curlier tails and floppier ears, and their coats were no longer a solid color. They didn’t just act different. They looked different.

The article concludes that domestication “appears to be a very complex phenotype.” So, I am sitting here thinking, God: What if “friendly” humans came with a telltale phenotype? What if we had “markers?”

Hmm. But, we can’t. And now that I think about it — isn’t that what prejudices try to get us to believe? That we can tell — by looking — what a person is like inside?

Ah, God, please give us a spirit of discernment.

Tagged with: a moment with God, changing, pet foxes, selective breeding, tame vs domesticated
Posted in Transitions, web of life

Our Water World

Posted on October 1, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The Water off of Waikiki

Good Morning, God!

It is a Water World that we live on, God.

And the water yesterday off of Waikiki was clear and green and gorgeous. And I enjoyed it even more than usual because I got to go out on an outrigger canoe!

Oh what joy! We caught two waves and paddled by the Sheraton and the Halekulani hotels. What fun to see them from the ocean side.

In fact, God, I longed for a waterproof camera. The absolutely BEST view of Diamond Head is off of Queen’s Beach. It is wonderful to see that iconic crater without buildings in the view!

But water isn’t just about beauty. Water is about Life. I was just reading about the opposition to the TransCanada pipeline that has sprung up in Nebraska. The problem is that the Keystone XL Pipelinee will cross the Sandhills — a wilderness area in Nebraska — and under the Sandhills is the giant Ogallala aquifer. And it isn’t way down under, it is only a few feet under.

The Ogallala aquifer is under 8 states and supplies 65% of our country’s irrigation water. Hmmm. Oil in our primary aquifer? Not a good idea. And the TransCanada pipeline into Illinois already has had spills. Of oil. It seems, God, that oil is causing quite a few problems.

Will these protesters stop the pipeline? They might, God. Part of my reason for hope is this photo of a protestor marching while wearing a tie. Conservative, land owning, protestors? Hmm. I think they are a force to be reckoned with.

Posted in Rethinking, Transitions, water and love, web of life

Ah, For An iPhone Life

Posted on September 30, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The iPhone

Good Morning, God!

When I first saw an iPhone it was love at first sight — or as my husband Kit calls it, techno lust. And now, having had an iPhone for over a year, my connection with it is even stronger.

It was the black space around the apps (applications) that drew me in. I knew I wanted my life to look like that. I wanted more space around my activities.

Of course, I don’t want to have as many activities as I have apps! In fact, God, there is now a scanner app! It turns the iPhone into a scanner. Amazing! The trouble, God, is that just as with life, there are so many wonderful apps to choose from.

Speaking of apps, God, I just learned how to turn them off. That’s important because, as I just learned, apps say on, draining the battery, if they are not turned off.

All it takes is a “tap tap” on the home circle. Then the apps that are ON appear at the bottom of the screen. If you press and hold one of them down, they all start to shake and have a red circle with a minus sign appears at the top left. If you touch the minus sign for an app — that app turns off. It works for the iPad, also.

Apps running in the background and decreasing our battery strength . . . . That makes me think of the “responsibilities” we carry as, invisible energy drains. Ah, God! Maybe that is one more reason I like to “share” my responsibilities with YOU! — and sometimes just dump them all in Your Lap!

Posted in Abundant Life, an invitation to abundant life

A Relaxed Time, Waiting for the AAA

Posted on September 29, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

looking up at the Spire through a monkey pod tree

Good Morning, God!

There are days when locking my car keys in my car would have been a disaster! But, thank You, God, yesterday wasn’t one of them.

I was at my women’s prayer group at church. And it was just my car keys I’d locked up, not my purse or cell phone. So after calling Kit (not home yet), I called AAA and wandered into the church thrift shop, spent $4, chatted, and then sat down near this tree — to wait. To wait peacefully!

I played solitaire on my iPhone, took photos, and talked on the phone. In a little over an hour, AAA arrived.

There was still time to go to the gym, shop at Longs, and visit my Mom before coming home for lunch. How good it is, God, to go at a slower pace. I’m even doing better at eating slower.

I guess, God, that Superman — Faster than a Speeding Bullet, Leaps Tall Buildings in a Single Bound — influenced me more than I realized. We are all prisoners of culture, God. Chained with invisible expectations and unseen aspirations.

Years ago while setting up the software specifications for a library circulation module, I had to fill out a matrix. It was a complex list of yeses and noes for each category of borrower and loan period. That is as close as I can come to “visualizing” what our inner invisible “programming” might be like. There must be thousands of options . . . millions?

My first thought was that I sure would like to be able to edit them!

But, on further thought I realized that if You gave me that gift I could — very quickly — make a real muck of things. Sigh. So, I guess, changing will just have to be done the old, slow, hard way. Just as well, God. Just as well.

Posted in Peace, relaxation, time