Why Can’t I Hear Cat — and Myself?

My Mother's Cat --Willing me to understand

Good Morning, God!

I must say, God, I have never had a Cat speak so INSISTENTLY as my mother’s cat does. It feels as if she is using “telepathy” to communicate. Only I rather think telepathy doesn’t require quite so much “effort.” Alas, I am not receiving her message. I try. I check her food bowl, water dish and her litter box. Still, I don’t understand.

Hmmm. Looking at this photo has brought to my mind my own Unconscious. Yes, God, that feels right. I am pretty sure that I have a Number of Parts of Me that WANT to communicate with the Conscious Me just as badly as Mom’s cat wants to communicate.

I was going to ask You: WHY DON’T THESE INNER PARTS JUST SPEAK UP? But, of course, I know that for reasons known only to You, God, there is a barrier between the Conscious Me and the Creatures Swimming in my Unconscious. Are they REALLY me, too?

Aargh. They ARE! They are Parts I have rejected or denied. And now I am thinking back to Jack Deere, the speaker at the conference I just attended, who shared how he insisted (angrily) the he DID NOT have an Anger Problem!  I heard that. Anger runs in my family, too, God. I thought my anger problem had gone away. But, it just got better at hiding.

You are right, God. The rejected parts are waiting for me. I am feeling that YOU want me to love them with Your Love. Love them and absorb what they have to offer me. Even Anger? Yes, even Normal Anger. Normal Anger is Energy and a Protective Force. It, like all the Other Submerged Parts, has qualities to contribute. And, they are waiting. Wanting me to Understand them.

But I feel “nudged” God, to ask a friend to pray for any Excessive Anger that might be hiding deep down inside me!

Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Posted in Anger, interspecies contact, responding to "nudges", responsibility

A Supernatural Gift of Encouragement

The Beginner's Guide to The Gift of Prophecy by Jack Deere

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday I bought on Kindle The Beginner’s Guide to the Gift of Prophecy and I’m already over halfway through it. That is totally due to the Life in the Spirit Conference I went to.

I’ve shied away from prophecy in the past. Let’s face it, God, Your Prophets were a pretty grim lot. Who would want the “gift” of prophecy? Who wants to deliver Bad News? That was me, God, until lunch on Saturday.

At lunch I sat with three young women who were seniors in high school and who were attending the Youth Track. They were all excited about prophecy — only they said their leaders called it “A Supernatural Gift of Encouragement.” They explained that the leaders called it that because pretty much everyone didn’t know what “prophecy” was.

How smart of the leaders! And what an attractive name for a gift. Everyone I know — including me — would really appreciate some encouragement. Their experience sounded like a lot of fun. I was wistful.

Ah, but then after lunch we in the “No Longer Youth” Track got to experience it, too. Each of us paired up with someone we didn’t know. Then we were asked to pray for one whole minute — asking You for an image that might “speak” to the other person  Whoosh! Right away I got an image of a “heart” that looked like a stone. That stayed for 10 or more seconds. Then in quick succession: a white picket fence, a solid higher fence, then a door appeared in what was now a wall — then the door opened, showing a sunlit garden. And I heard the words, “I make all things new!” 

You Do “make all things new” don’t You, God. Thank YOU!

Tagged with: , , , , ,
Posted in Belonging to each other, Choosing to respond, connections, Expand my Heart, gifts and giftings, intentional and invited sacred space, Prophecy: a Supernatural Gift of Encouragement, responding to "nudges", responding to God's Spirit, Risky living with the Holy Spirit, Trusting God, words to strengthen

Two Nourishing Days at “Life in the Spirit”

Jack Deere, speaker at Life in the Spirit at Koolau

Good Morning, God!

Hawaiian Islands Ministries put on a marvelous two-day seminar, Life in the Spirit, this Friday and Saturday. It had a therapeutic effect on me, God. I feel closer to You and closer to everyone else. And most of it was due to the speaker, Jack Deere.

Jack is a former associate professor of the Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary and author. I must say, God, I’m amazed at how You managed to take him from Dallas Seminary’s dogmatic belief that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased to such an effective presenter of how those Gifts are still very much with us.

Jack Deere speaking at Life in the Spirit, 2011

But, what made these two days so very special wasn’t just what Jack said — but how he said it. I’ve heard him speak in the past — great content but his heart seemed a bit stiff. But now — now his Heart is even bigger than his Mind.

What a difference that makes, God! Humility and Transparency bespeak the presence of Your Spirit even more than miracles do.

What I was most affected by, God, were his words on Anger and Forgiveness. He pointed out how in failing to recognize our anger, we fail to deal with it. Anger is toxic and opens the door of our Hearts to multiple attacks.

Acknowledging and confessing our anger will help us take the next step of forgiving the person at whom we have been angry. Then we can come before You, God, and ask You to forgive us AND ask Your Help in forgiving ourselves. But this isn’t just between You and me, God. Jack made the importance of “community” clear. We work at this — over time — with trusted friends. Such good words, God. Such Good Hope!

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Anger, Forgiven!, Forgiving, friends, healing, hope, humility, responding to God's Spirit, sacred space

Helpful Research on Will Power

Will Power: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Baumeister and Tierney

Good Morning, God!

A few days ago a friend told me about the article, “Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?”  in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. The article presented research that showed that one can temporarily EXHAUST one’s Decision Making Capacity.

That makes sense to me, God! In fact, I’m feeling like my “decision making cup” is close to empty. Perhaps that is why my piles of papers have not yet been filed or put to their final rest? Hmm.

The article goes on to point out that what we like to think of as Will Power can be thought of as the “muscle” that we use to make decisions. This “mental muscle” consumes energy and is subject to fatigue  just like physical muscles. It is also sensitive to our blood sugar level — when it dips we find it harder to make decisions. Sugar gives us a temporary boost. But, a high protein breakfast is a better bet for a more stable supply of glucose to the brain.

The author of the article, John Tierney, was basically writing about Dr. Roy Baumeister’s research. Their joint book, WILLPOWER: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, is coming out September 1st and I am looking forward to reading it. But, the article provided several good ideas. The first is the power of doing something every day. You have pre-decided to do it. The second is to avoid important decisions when hungry. And the third is to creatively structure life so there are fewer decisions to be made.

But, perhaps, God, I’d be best off remember that my Decision Making “Muscle” — like all muscles — gets stronger with exercise. I rather like thinking of “disposing of papers” as building my decision making muscle!

Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Posted in choices, Energy, exercising

Stopping to See: The Aloha Tower and Hard Facts

Aloha Tower on the Honolulu waterfront

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday I was off to downtown to get my teeth cleaned and checked. As I was walking along, I looked to my right and there was the Aloha Tower. There were only a few yards of visibility — a few more steps and I would have passed it by, unseen.

I forget exactly how many data bites we take in each day, God. Billions? Or more. But our conscious mind can only register a small fraction of the whole.

Whole? As I typed that word I laughed! The billions of data bites our senses absorb are a minute portion of an Ever Expanding Whole. Of course, that is just the part we have managed to “see.”

But what we do know sets us in an Amazing Context of Time and Space. I like that, God. I like having my Framework STRETCHED. Of course, it snaps back. I suppose it tends to snap back to 1) Beliefs we were taught when young and 2) Things we WANT to believe.

But back to my walk. I was listening to the book Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War. She was such an iconic figure, God. I’ve admired her creations so I was distressed to learn of her antisemitism! The author “explains” it by saying she was taught antisemitism in a Catholic orphanage where she lived from the age of 12 on. But, that just distressed me all the more — thinking of how people using Your Name taught hatred.

Can we “unlearn” hatred, God? I think the evidence shows that bringing “enemies” together to interact side by side does help to break down negative stereotypes. So did South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation sessions as people shared their injuries or confessed and repented from hateful deeds.

The trouble is, we have to WANT to unlearn hatred. For that, we need Your help, God!

Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Posted in a prayer for healing, Forgiving, Humility or Needing Help!, Ongoing Transformation, Repentance, respect, Rethinking, stopping to see

What happened to MY Overfill Alarm?

A small Overfill Alarm at my gas station

Good Morning, God!

I just happened to notice this small little box the other day while I was getting gas. I didn’t remember ever seeing it before. It clearly says it is an “Overfill Alarm.”

My instant response was WHY DON’T I HAVE ONE OF THOSE? I guess I was thinking, God, that IF I had an alarm like that — one that FLASHES and SQUEALS — I would have retired a few years ago.

Ha! Guess again!

You are right, God. I would have ignored the flashing light and put in ear plugs. Actually, I am pretty sure I DID have ear plugs in. I just really didn’t want to hear or know that I was on “overflow.”

What You had to do for me, God, was send me off to Snowmass for a 10-day silent retreat. That loosened the grip that adrenalin had on me. Busy wasn’t just about “helping” and being “useful” — there was an actual addiction to adrenalin.

Now I have slowed down and I have space in my day. I look back and I am dumbfounded that I was so slow to get it. Worse yet, I look around me and see a lot of folks on “overfill.” Since I was so determined to keep on doing all I was doing, I am at a loss as to how I might “help” others. Is it possible? 

I had read all the books. I could repeat Dr. Arch Hart’s words on anhedonia — about how busy builds a WALL around our pleasure center. I loved Richard Swenson’s book on Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives. But, I just couldn’t apply it to myself.

I am thankful for Your help, God.  Now, please help all the others who are just like me!

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Borrowing from the Body's Bank, busy, setting my life in context, systematic rebuilding required, The difficulty of changing

Rereading Keats — Time and Timelessness

A Grecian Urn (from Bai du site)

Good Morning, God!

Listen to Myself? Listen to Literature? Me? Well, maybe. The thing is, God, that I have invested so heavily in being 1) useful 2) cheerful and 3) a happy-ending-sort-of-person that listening to my “unheard” self seems like descending into the Dark Regions. It is like being asked to go Spelunking! Arrgh!

But, what is Life if not to Dare and Grow — to appreciate Beauty and Seek Truth? So, I am planing on doing what Mavis suggested and investing an hour in HEARING myself.

But, before that — for that IS scary — I thought I would take a page from my English major daughter and read Ode to a Grecian Urn. It was good to read it again — after a full life.

In youth, I think we mostly resonate with “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” But now the line that caught my eye was Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu. My response, after many years of bidding Spring adieu and dropping leaves — is to feel the benefits of leaves dropped — to anticipate the joy of unfurling New Leaves. I have no desire to be frozen in Timelessness. Time itself, is precious.

Just yesterday a friend sent me a text — asking if I see “humans on earth as a failed experiment of God.”  I love out-of-the-blue questions like that, God! Because I get to have an Out-of-the-Blue response. Mine was, “NO WAY!!! We are an ongoing exercise.” Hmmm. An Exercise, not an Experiment.

Perhaps part of the “exercise” is to grapple with the Great Mystery of Our Temporal Existence? And, then to “choose” our Context? Ah, as St. Paul said, “someday we shall know, even as we are known!”

Tagged with: , , ,
Posted in healing, hearing myself, humility, Inner Journeys, Ongoing Transformation, Transitions

Respecting Others: The CORE of Good Manners

A Pair of White Hibiscus

Good Morning, God!

A friend loaned me the book, Essential Manners for Couples, by Peter Post (yes, the great grandson of The Emily Post.)

Actually, it was more like an “assignment,” so I have been dutifully chugging along, about one third through. Still, I know it is one of those simple books that everyone ought to read.

As the author puts it, the book is about: Ensuring that you always treat each other with consideration, respect and honesty.  Those sure are the Big Three of Relationships. In fact, Respect is SO important that Consideration and Honesty seem more like add-ons. In fact, I hope he has a separate chapter on honesty as that can be a devastating “virtue” when we forget that honesty is best coated with vulnerability.

While the book is intended for couples, many of the ideas work for relationships in general. We are immeshed in such a complex and movable web of relationships that I am pretty sure we could all use some help. I’m pretty sure, God, that most of the time we don’t even see the small momentary contacts we have with others as “relationships.” But they are. And they can be important.

You let me experience that potential importance when Kit and I were flying home from Princeton. I got into a conversation with a woman, seated next to me, who lives in Colorado and it became deep enough that we exchanged addresses. She sent a letter and I sent a card and then Mango Days, our Patty’s book. She has sent back two cards and even bought the book AntiCancer that I recommended. Who would have guessed?

It makes me think of the White Hibiscus bush outside our door. I focused on two hibiscus “together” but, in truth the bush is FULL of hibiscus — all connected, knowing it or not.

Posted in relationships, respect, web of life

Same View — Different Vantage Point

Koko Crater from a slightly different vantage point

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday, while running an errand at Kale’s food store, I thought I’d take some photos from behind Queens’ Hawaii Kai Clinic. What fun to have a different vantage point!

Later I was thinking about how badly I need slightly different vantage points on lots of things. I don’t think of myself as “rigid,” God, but I have noticed I tend to get “locked in” to my viewpoints. Hmmm. I hardly ever stop and think, “I could be wrong!”

Sigh. It takes energy to stop and reconsider our “world views” — energy we often squander on Worries, Fears and Angers — or just plain busy.

Then, on my way home, the Public Radio station had a talk about how so many of us spend way too much time in the Fight or Flight Mode. That is the direct opposite of the REST & DIGEST mode. I remember reading Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky some time ago, God, and being struck by how hard on our Bodies to be set on ON all of the time. But, of course, I failed to take it “personally.” Duh!

I sort of understand why I didn’t get it. I wasn’t angry or scared — I wasn’t feeling like fighting or fleeing. I was just busy. Busy doing. Resting and Digesting wasn’t even there as a “phrase” in my mind.

So here I am, God. I have borrowed a lot from my Body’s Bank. I haven’t gotten a statement — not a numerical statement, that is. But, now that my “Addicted to Busy Mind” is not giving orders, I can feel the debt . . . feel my need to pay it off by Resting and Digesting. And, now that I reflect on it, I have a lot more than just food to digest. Thank You, God, for all Your Help!

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,
Posted in processing on deeper levels, refraining from work, rest, Rethinking

Watching Time Flow By — And Flowing With It

Watching the Sun light up the base of Koko Crater

Good Morning, God!

I love sitting outside at twilight and watching the movement of both the Sun and the Moon. We go to this restaurant a day or two before the full moon because I also love going to bed early.

The evening that this photo was taken I was able to see the sunlight slowly move up Koko Crater. I could “see” Time Passing, God!

When the sun is overhead I have trouble seeing it move. Even over the course of several hours I can’t see it move.

There is something very satisfying about being able to see Time Passing. Transitions are happening all the time — all around us, and, YIKES, even in us! But these are mostly too small to notice. Usually noticing requires something dramatic — like having to buy a larger size pair of pants — which I did have to do a few weeks ago.

Buying larger pants was an unhappy marker for an unhappy transition, God. So, I am back on my NO GRAIN DIET and I am digging in to fight Entropy — that appalling tendency of things to unravel and slide into disorder! I am fighting it in my Body and in my Office.  But, mostly God, I feel this is a battle being fought in my Heart.

My Heart wants to feel that both Body and Office can be reordered and reorganized. My Heart wants to have Hope for what is coming next. A Hope that leads to Anticipation and Joy. A Hope that sustains us in the ongoing discipline required to reorder our lives.

Please, God, replenish my Hope — I need it to change — I need it to flow into the future.

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Changing, hope, Hope as a gift from God, Transitions

Blogs I Follow
Brené Brown

chatting and sometimes, listening

Rachel Naomi Remen

chatting and sometimes, listening

A Moment with God

chatting and sometimes, listening

Sacred Dance Guild Journal

Since 1958 articles by members & guests offer news about activities, history, Sacred Dance practices, profiles of Sacred Dancers, choreography, images & illustrations.

Victoria Paulsen

How to Step In -- Substitute Teaching

Brené Brown

chatting and sometimes, listening

Rachel Naomi Remen

chatting and sometimes, listening

A Moment with God

chatting and sometimes, listening

Sacred Dance Guild Journal

Since 1958 articles by members & guests offer news about activities, history, Sacred Dance practices, profiles of Sacred Dancers, choreography, images & illustrations.

Victoria Paulsen

How to Step In -- Substitute Teaching