Opposable Thumbs and Opposable Virtues

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

There are cats with opposable thumbs!

Good Morning, God!

Polydactyl cats? Amazing, God! Who knew that some cats are polydactyl) — that is, have “opposable thumbs!” I thought only humans had opposable thumbs. By “thumb” I mean a digit that can meet another digit — pad to pad — enabling gripping and grasping and other useful functions.

Apparently a genetic change occurred giving some cats an extra thumb-like digit, making them better at climbing and hunting. They thus became considered “good luck” by sailing captains. And this special ability was spread from port to port.

I was thinking about opposable thumbs, God, because I was thinking about Opposable Virtues.

You tell us to Speak the Truth in Love. To me that is clearly a case of delicately balancing two Opposable Virtues. For example, a dear friend “confessed” to me that she was incredibly “sensitive” to perfume. As I was wearing perfume at the time, I stopped wearing perfume.. She spoke “truth” about herself in a loving way to me. But, all too often, God, “Truth” is used as a hammer — to FORCE change. The nuanced bringing together of truth and love — acting in concert — allows us to “lift” problems to a higher level.

This has caused me to see in Virtues the need for a Pairing of Opposites. Just as with the cats with opposable thumbs, when we judiciously employ both virtues TOGETHER — we can better grasp problems.

Now, God, all we humans can use our Thumbs. We can bring our thumb and fingers together and pick up eggs. We’d laugh at someone who pushed too hard with her thumb and put it through the egg. But it seems to me, God, that ALL of us humans have a very hard time employing opposable virtues.

Perhaps, God, it might help us — including me — to speak the Truth in Love if we embrace this concept of Opposable Virtues.

Posted in Balancing and adjustments, confession, the difficulty of doing Both And

Words of Wisdom from Kit

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

The Marina from the Blu Water Grill

Good Morning, God!

When Kit was asked by a dear friend if he had any Words of Wisdom he instantly replied: Marry Well!

Needless to say, I was pleased to hear him say that, God. But, I was also profoundly impressed. Kit’s RIGHT. Marrying well does more for the quality of our lives than almost anything else.

The old definition of “marrying well” used to mean marrying for money, power or status — preferably all three. One has only to watch the news to see that is still many people’s definition. I find that sad, God.

Looking at this photo of the marina I’m reminded of Dr. Hart’s talking about a good marriage as a Safe Haven — a Safe Harbor where we find protection from the buffeting of the Wind and Waves of Life. Not a “Dry Dock” where we are overhauled and renovated.

Not, God, that we don’t all need to improve — but that is far different from “being improved.” That reminds me, God, that I did — FINALLY — become punctual. But only AFTER Kit had given up trying to “help” me become punctual. Hmmm.

We both have changed over the years. Harbors need dredging and breakfronts need repairing. Being loved and valued by YOU, God, makes it easier to love and value each other — and ourselves. And, of course, Harbors do have dry docks — because self care and repair are also essential to living well.

Going back to Kit’s wise words — Marry Well –that’s hard to do, isn’t it God. Because, a good marriage requires a Good Man. It makes me think of what I have often said — It is better to be Lucky, than Smart.

Posted in attunement, clear waterways, LOVE, Maintenance

Mr. Wonderful’s Birthday

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

Kit indulging me in a Moon Rise dinner

Good Morning, God!

First — I want to ask You for a BLESSING on Kit on his birthday, today. No. 77. Actually, I asked You last night . . . I’m just “reminding” You now.

Yes, God, I know that You don’t need reminding and were surely intending to bless Kit — even without my asking. But, it feels good to ask for blessings (Your Gifts and Favors) for our loved ones! And it is so easy to ask that for Kit!

Hmmm. St. Paul told us to Bless, Bless and do not curse! (Romans 12:14) One might wonder how “not cursing” got in there until you realize that the first half of that verse is BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU. Oh! We are not just to refrain from cursing — we are to go much further and BLESS.

Sigh. I’ve been working on that, God. Not that anyone has been persecuting me personally. Still, there are plenty of people stirring up fear and anger and hatred. And I consider that to be persecuting (or polluting) our wider community. Sandy feels the same — so I call her and we pray for such folks to be filled with Your Peace and Love — to be Healed and made Whole.

I remember Marge Terpstra praying for people to be surrounded by Your Light. Marge was a marvelous role model. And when it comes to BLESSING folks who upset us – we NEED a good role model.

Better yet, God, we need someone to call us up and pray with us — to pray with us FOR people. Maybe I should enlist Kit more. Ah, God, what a World this would be if we seriously began to BLESS and PRAY FOR our “enemies” and those we feel are “wrong.”

Posted in a prayer for healing, Blessing, choosing HARD, Choosing to respond

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

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

Sunset over Sans Souci Beach: Photo by Lois Bruce

Good Morning, God!

The heavens DO declare Your Glory, God. THANK YOU!

This photo is from a batch that Lois took a year or so ago — intending to share them with me — and I finally got them yesterday. She said she had seen the unusual cloud formation in the late afternoon and hurried down to the beach — just in case there was a glorious sunset. “Just in case” struck me as Appreciation plus Planning and Foresight. She was Prepared to Appreciate. I admit, God, that made me wonder if I couldn’t improve my Appreciation Skills? I hadn’t thought about what preparations I might make to better appreciate life.

Hmm. It is true that RUSHING makes it almost impossible to appreciate what’s around us. That means “planing ahead” so that I don’t rush is really important. Maybe that is part of Appreciating Time — sensing when I have put one or two or three too many things in my day — and fallen into the Vortex of Busy.

I’m laughing, God! If the Heavens declare Your Glory — surely the Vortex of Busy is an Entrance to Hell. Perhaps the real trouble with Busy is that is generates an ADRENALIN RUSH that drugs us into a High that’s so very addictive to some of us — like me.

Back to Sunsets — they happen over Time — a slowed down time — so that as we focus on them and drink in their beauty — our inner metronome is reset to Your Time.

And, I think I am hearing a nudge from You about Appreciating the People around me. Slowing down to truly be together with others — together in Your Compassionate Presence.

Posted in appreciation, being together in a compassionate presence, embedded in God's Time, Heavens declare the Glory of God

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