Forwarding negative emails — a form of Lying?

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

Michelangelo's statue of Moses

Good Morning, God!

Yes, I have done it, God. I’ve gotten an email that upset me and quick as a flash forwarded it to others.

Only to get an email back from a more clear thinking friend, who checked the facts in Snopes.com, then explained that the email I sent was misleading — or just plain WRONG.

Sigh. I felt foolish, God. But, not once did I think I was breaking the 9th commandment:

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Exodus 20:16)

However, yesterday You “rapped my knuckles” and convicted me that if I forward a scare-e-mail or hate-e-mail without first checking it out — then I am, indeed, guilty of lying.

Yes, I am pretty sure You said LYING. I know that when we translate the 9th commandment as “not bearing false witness” it makes it sound like this only applies to a Court of Law. But, that definition would mean we could lie as long as we weren’t on the witness stand. And that is just plain foolish.

We NEED high standards of Truth Telling, God! We need them NOW more than ever. I fear that the omnipresent “lies” of advertising have dulled our senses. But, that is only part of it. We WANT to believe ill of those we disagree with. In fact, we want to believe whatever will buttress our beliefs.

Oh my. I’m like that, too. And I am feeling very “Called to Account” about it. I promise You I won’t forward scare or hate emails without checking them against Snopes.com. And maybe, God, I will become responsible enough that I can send an email back to the sender — citing Snopes.com.

Posted in Moral Failures, responsibility, The Ten Commandments

Spinning the “Wool” of my Life in to Stories

Posted on July 19, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The fleece or raw wool from a pet sheep named Haru

Good Morning, God!

I had such a worthwhile time talking yesterday with Mavis, my therapist. Is it just me, God — or do most “extroverts” need help in retrieving, reviewing and spinning out the threads of their lives?

At the end of our session the analogy “hit” me. Each week I take Mavis the wool that my memory has collected over the years. We sort through the bits and pieces and slowly over time spin them into more or less coherent threads. I was quite taken with the image. Of course, God, I haven’t been sheared. It feels more like I have a storeroom filled with cast off bits of wool.

The Three Fates spinning a person's life

I thought that wool HAD to be carded — wire brushed into having all the fibers go the same direction. But I found a lovely video in which a woman was spinning grease wool which hadn’t even been washed — let alone carded. Ah! That seems doable! Carding seemed like a lot of work, God.

Hmm. The idea just popped into my mind that sitting in Centering Prayer helps bring about a certain degree of inner alignment — I imagine that’s a sort of “carding.”

The ancient Greeks assigned three goddesses to spinning, allotting and cutting the “thread” of each life. It’s a nice image. But, I’m thankful, God, that You have given us a bit more say over our lives than that. In fact, maybe You have given us MORE say than we really want? Responsibility is both heavy and uncomfortable. How much easier to blame our parents, or our genes or even fate. Sigh.

Please, God, help me to be AWARE of my power to choose — and then make good use of it.

Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, accepting my authority to set limits, responsibility

A Sabbath Day of Slow, Deep, Underground Sorrows

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

Under Fishbone Clouds

Good Morning, God,

I had a strangely sad day yesterday, God. Even spending the afternoon in a “Party of Celebration and Thanksgiving for Lives Spared” didn’t totally remove the heavy feeling that began with the U.S.A.’s loss of the World Cup in soccer.

How odd to sit and ponder sorrow, God. Yet, it feels as if that is my assignment — to sit and let the rivers of diverse sorrows flow through me. Can I name them? Well, God, I will try to do that later today when I talk with Mavis.

Meanwhile, I have immersed myself in the perfect book for a time of sorrow — “Under Fishbone Clouds.” The book is narrated by the “Kitchen God,” whose life story was one of continuous hardships. He takes us into the of a story of one couple — a story steeped in the agonies of China from the time of the Japanese occupation. Yikes, God. Such suffering!

In the past, I might have felt that my small sorrows were not worthy to be compared to such trials. Ah, but now, God — NOW I understand, that I am called to pour my small cup of sadness into The Great River. Everyone’s cup — large or small — overflows.

And, I am thankful, God, that yesterday I was willing to sit beside the River of Suffering and let it flow around me and through me — respecting sorrow, as I never have before. There are realities that call for sorrow. To Weep with the World and for the World is part of my calling as a human. And, it is a sacred calling, isn’t it, God.

Posted in Sorrows of the Deep, Stories, the cold snow of reality, various backlogs in my life

All things Bright and Beautiful

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

Keanae Red (hybrid)

Good Morning, God!

Oh, COLOR and LIGHT — the utter joy of SEEING! These flowers were for sale Saturday, at the KCC Farmers’ Market. But, had I bought them and taken them home, God, I wouldn’t be able, inside, to see the light pouring through them!

Diamond, Rubies, and Emeralds are nice, but I would be as pleased with colored glass. Actually, I might be MORE pleased because I wouldn’t have to be careful and protective of them.

It is interesting, God, how we humans assign Value to things. Researchers have found that most of us think that $30,000 more a year would make us far happier than taking a walk with a friend every day. But research shows that a regular walk with a friend adds FAR more happiness to our lives.

Trips are great — but, I wouldn’t trade my daily morning coffee and chat with Kit, for a trip to anywhere. Small times of sharing — being heard into speaking — these are the foundation stones of a good life, God.

I suppose, that is how I feel when I sit here — Aware of Being In Your Presence — I feel heard into speaking. It is hard to speak fully from our hearts without someone hearing us. Preferably, someone who knows us and accepts us and values us — someone who loves us. And, more and more, God, I am understanding how much we need to speak — need to be heard.

I think it is part of how we process and digest the events of our lives. Attending a Christian Healing Ministries workshop in 2008, I felt amazingly Light and Joyful after 90 minutes of confessing to total strangers. I shall never forget that! Ah, God, thank You for the Gift of People who hear us into speaking!

Posted in being heard into speaking, being together in a compassionate presence, Belonging to each other, Forgiven!, healing, Hearing

Cleaning a Corner and Embracing Being Needy

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

A newly cleaned out corner in my office

Good Morning, God!

Yikes! Yesterday my office reached such a state of FULLNESS that I didn’t even want to be in it. Fullness is a very charitable word. It felt as if years worth of undone work was lurking in this particular corner.

I suppose, God, that it would really only several months process it. And it had only backed up for maybe a couple of years. I don’t want to exaggerate — TOO much.

Now, I have not done anything other than remove the piles to the dining room table downstairs. I still have three or four more piles to go. But, I am SO MUCH HAPPIER sitting here now that the corner has been cleaned! The idea came to me while I was doing Centering Prayer.

I do understand, God, that during Centering Prayer we are to let ideas float past us. But I couldn’t resist snagging this one. Actually, the best part of the idea was putting one of my small palm trees into the clean corner. The palm has a calming influence. Do You suppose, God, it is the oxygen it is putting out?

Anyway, God, I am so eager to RELEASE Papers, Fat Cells, Traumatic Memories, Regrets, Fears and To-Do Lists. Yesterday, it became clear just how MUCH I have to process and release. Being busy wasn’t just a way to “excuse” myself from doing that work. It was a way of keeping myself from even knowing that I have major detoxing work to do!

What was it Suz said to me yesterday, God? Something about acknowledging my need for help? Yes, God, I have a FEAR of being NEEDY. How foolish I am. Please help me!

Posted in a prayer for healing, A Spiritual Spring Cleaning, accepting my need for help

Dragonflies, Water Lilies and Seeing

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

Dragonfly and water lily: Photo by David Nurse

Good Morning, God!

My brother has a wonderful eye and seems particularly interested in dragonflies. He pointed out that we could see (on top of the flower) the dragonfly’s double wings against the dark green of the lily pad.

So we can! I’m glad he pointed that out, God, because I’m sure I would have missed it. I would have been looking at the flower and maybe wondered what that “mar” on the flower was. Hmm.

We see what we are accustomed to seeing. I’m in the habit of looking at flowers — not dragonflies. I can SEE flowers — even driving by, I notice them. This makes sense, I suppose. After all, there are millions of bits of data whizzing by us every hour or maybe every minute! We have to “choose” what we “see.” I suppose, God, that we only see what somehow is indexed as “important” to us.

Then, too, we humans seem to specialize in particular Senses. Kit has wonderful hearing. He appreciates music far more than I do — because he hears nuances. On the other hand, I see better than he does. I am the Finder in the family. Last night he asked, “Where is my second coffee Thermos?” It took me a several minutes, but I found it.

Finding isn’t just about Seeing. It is also about Expecting to Find what we are looking for. Expectations, Assumptions, and Sensory Aptitudes all combine and conspire to make us unique. Now, God, if ONLY we could UNDERSTAND AND VALUE OUR DIFFERENCES! Ah, God! You must LOVE diversity! Loving All Creatures, Great and Small — loving us. Thank You!

Posted in Diversity, Flowers, Hearing, seeing, web of life

Full Moons and Other Transitions

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

Koko Crater from the Marina's edge

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday was the day before the full moon — and once again we dined at The Shack. Kit and I watched the moon rising over the waters of the marina — well, I watched the moon and Kit watched me. It was lovely.

It has to be the day BEFORE the full moon, God, because the full moon rises later — at or after our bedtime.

I recounted to Kit my adventures in Transitioning the Library Committee — speaking, listening, encouraging, with just a dash of exhortation. Perhaps, several dashes of exhortation. I felt unusually directive yesterday, God. But only because at one point I could see a Territorial Incursion looming.

It made me realize that I was finally “seeing” a lot of the emotional swirls that flare and then sometimes subside in groups — and Territorial Incursions generate the equivalent of massive Solar Flares. Aah! God, so much of what is REAL is so unseen.

I think it is in the book, Blink, that Malcolm Gladwell talks about the microsecond in which our faces “Tell the Truth” before our minds retake control. Our Bodies are such good communicators — and less is more. Last night, wanting to remind our server of my request for A1 sauce I caught her eye, smiled and slightly raised one finger. She responded instantly.

Less is more in many areas. I think, God, that my Heart and Body have finally released my Attachment for the last 14 years to my “job” as library consultant. I can feel how well the committee is going to do without me. I understand that while I was an innovator I was also an unintentional bottleneck. Finishing up finally feels good, God!

Posted in Communication, Heavens declare the Glory of God, meaningful work, seeing, Transitions

Smiling Dogs and Random Thoughts

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

One Happy Dog

Good Morning, God!

Such a smile on this dog’s face — I had to take his photo and that brought smiles to his owners’ faces. Actually, he looked happier before I came closer. Here he looks just a wee bit concerned — not worried — but clearly evaluating.

I’ve been thinking about our relationships with animals, God. I’m grateful that dogs were willing to become domesticated both to help us and live with us. And I’m pleased that cats deign to live with us. It’s true, God. Dogs have masters — cats have staff.

Queen Katrina

At the moment, God, my only real relationship with an animal is with my Mother’s Cat.

But Kit brought up the topic of our “relationships with Dead Animals” when he shared how upsetting it was to read in the July 11, 2011 issue of Delancyplace.com abut the future chefs having to kill the animals that they will later prepare as meals.

I had found that idea distressing too. As Kit said, if we had to kill our own food — we wouldn’t. Of course, God, I can “understand” killing for food. I have friends that do that. And, I understand that wild game is much better for us than feedlot animals. Then too, wild game does have a “life” and a “chance” unlike feedlot animals.

Now, I’m looking at the photo of that dog, God, and remembering how the Nazis who wanted to be part of the Gestapo had to kill the dog they had been given to work with. That was the way they “passed the test.” Aurgh. How did they do it? I suppose that first they had to kill a part of themselves.

I fear, God, that all of us have killed parts of our True Selves. Please, Revive and Restore us.

Posted in a prayer for healing, healing, inner paths of the heart, interspecies contact

A Mid-Week Sabbath Day of REST

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

the non-fiction collection at 15 Craigside

Good Morning, God!

A lovely S*L*O*W day awaits me. Actually, it has already been a good day as I lingered over my tea and then a little coffee in bed.

Kit likes to tease me, God, about Bed being my Natural Habitat. And he is mostly right. Beds after all are the Domains of our Bodies.

And my Body deserves and needs a nice slow day of recovery, today. Because yesterday I labored as go-fer, box mover and book arranger as I joined with the noble Library Committee members to put the non-fiction collection up on the new shelves at 15 Craigside. Boxes of often random Dewey Decimal books were opened, sorted, shifted, put in numerical order, reshifted, reordered — until DONE! I sort of planned to just rough sort the books — but the informal committee of librarians and teachers wouldn’t rest until all was in order.

And all of this Hard Work was just the culmination of Jean’s two years of selecting, cataloging and processing each and every book on these shelves.

So, here I sit, God. Feeling pleased. And I intend to STAY pleased. Stay Pleased and on OFF. Of course, I really know that only my Eager and Purposeful Mind will be on Off. My Body will be doing it’s Noble Work of Sorting Things inside me.

Relaxing and Resting for the Whole Day, God? Taking a Mid-Week Sabbath? YES! SMILE! Perhaps, later on, I might putter about a bit — putting some of the stuff on my desk in piles for later. But, maybe not. I will be consulting with You about that, God!

Thank You, God, for my Body that finally put her foot down, so to speak. Depriving me of the energy level needed for GO GO GO. We Slow Learners need help.

Posted in reframing, relaxation, rest, sabbath dreaming, sabbath rest

After the Launch — the hard work of keeping up

Posted on July 11, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Opening the hatch and into the space station

Good Morning, God!

Why are these people wearing regular clothes? I guess part of my mind was expecting astronauts to still be in space suits. I haven’t kept up, have I God.

Keeping up is getting harder! I have an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2 — and I’m looking forward to the iPhone 5. But, that is just the tinsel. The real changes are more profound.

There are changes like overturning the idea we couldn’t grow new brain cells. That was held to be a scientific FACT for over 100 years. Now we know that it isn’t true. Click to see how we can grow new brain cells. Well, a few folks know that. Most people are stuck back in the Old Science. It takes time for new research to become so established that it is taught to the teachers — who will teach it to the next generation.

I asked a doctor recently if his hospital had started doing checklists. He just looked at me. But actual practice shows that instituting checklists for surgeries can cut death rates by around 40% and complications by around 30%. But have the doctors kept up?

They might, God, because reducing complications saves money — so the insurance companies will push hard. Gosh, there are really cost effective alternatives to prisons, too, like Delancy Street. They cost a lot less and they work. Then there are ideas in the AntiCancer book that could help us all live healthier and longer.

Maybe our society is like me, God. Maybe we are all having trouble focusing. There is so much going on. And even when we “learn” important stuff — who helps us apply it and then practice it? Hmm. Please help us, God!

Posted in a series of molts and upgrades, asking for help for myself, being a Slow Learner, compassion to care for myself, courage