Good Morning God!

I am having technical difficulties — I have reached my storage quota with Picasa and although I Have just raised my limit — for $ 5.00 a year — they say it takes 24 hours for it to go into effect. I feel a bit like this bird! Harnessed!

Mind You, God, here I am blogging in bed with my iPad — and, if I wished — I could get my laptop and blog the old AT HOME way and not need Picasa. Actually, now that I stop to think about it — I could do that on my iPad! It is just that I would have to stop and think — about HOW to do it.

What I am using now, Blogsy, was a fun kind of “work-around” I needed BEFORE I learned from WordPress how to do it on my blog. And, it was easier to keep the work-around. So easy that I forgot I could be doing it with fewer limitations. Ah, yes, the “work-around” became an Assumption Harness! I LOVE THAT PHRASE, GOD! I shall go shower and ponder how many unseen or forgotten Assumption Harnesses I have — keeping me from “flying.” It is so Lowering to consider how I limit myself!

Back from my shower, God! And, thanks, I guess, for showing me how much I am inclined to blame Others for my problems and situations. I can ASK for what I want! When I FEEL that it is PERMISSIBLE to ask — then I can ask pleasantly — and not have it spew forth at a scalding temperature.

Dang! I can see how Kit will “limit” himself by saying — “I’m like my Dad.” But, it is much harder for me to see how I LIMIT MYSELF. Did You just say, God, that I could start by listing all the people and organizations I BLAME for something or other?

Aargh! How humbling! How Totally PAINFUL — but, useful. Now, please, God, help me be strong enough to DO IT!

Good Morning, God!

Free Range Chickens — being raised for their eggs — right here at Matthew and Jen’s home! It is exciting, God, for me to see real chickens! I understand about chickens and foxes — the memory of seeing a fox carrying off a free range hen that was bigger than he was — is still in my memory. So, I wasn’t too surprised that they have a dog to guard the hens from foxes. But hawks? I hadn’t thought about hawks! Hawks love hens as much as foxes do.

Matthew explained to us that because they have this small pond on their property, they don’t have to worry about hawks. Why? Because red-wing blackbirds love the pond and live there — and red-wing blackbirds will MOB hawks and other birds of prey. MOBBING a HAWK? I found that I could picture it, God, and even understand how the blackbirds would band together to protect their nestlings and themselves.

Still, the idea of red-wing blackbirds acting as guards for the free range hens delighted me! Talk about complex ecosystems! Wonderful!

It makes me marvel, God, at at how effective Your Natural System is! Especially, God, when I compare it to our culture’s prevailing WAR MODEL! Blackbirds on patrol vs attempting to KILL ALL HAWKS! Ah, God, I am shaking my head. Will we ever shift from Our WAR Model to Your More Complex “GARDENING” model? Sigh.

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday was one of those FULL days that I may never digest properly. There are just too many images and feelings and thoughts. The morning was filled with two more Forums — one on the “future” of print media and another on 9/11 ten years later. That was where I finally realized that we failed to see it coming — not just because of a “Failure of Imagination” but because before we could imagine, we had to UNLEARN.

Unlearning is close to impossible unless you go and get help from someone OUTSIDE your culture/mindset. Now, that requires humility, God! And, I am thinking of America — but, of course, I ought to be applying that to my own life. Hmmm.

Five years ago I marched with Kit in the P-rade and experienced it in a very special way. Joan had blown up the Sports Illustrated cover of her husband and Kit playing their trombones in the Princeton Band. We carried those posters next to our husbands as they played their trombones in their class’s “Born Again Band.” it was an amazing experience! They sounded great!

This reunion, Joan is undergoing medical treatment. And so I chose to “watch” and not to march. I suspect watching is an activity that tips us toward becoming outsiders. At least, that is what happened to me, God. And this morning I talked with Kit about WHY didn’t his band PLAY more often? It turns out that the professional musician and conductor had NOT played in a marching band! He didn’t know that marching bands are started by “rolloffs” — a drum roll that lets the musicians start without the conductor. What a hash! They — the players — ought to have explained it to him. But, he was The Leader and as such he was separated by specialness.

Perhaps, God, it is the Horrible Awareness that this happens OVER and OVER AGAIN in our various worlds that makes yesterday so difficult to digest. Then, of course, there is the fact we will HAVE to change if we are to survive — let alone, thrive! Can we change as a culture. Can we unlearn something so basic — and for so long, so useful?

Can I change? Can I SIT in Centering Prayer and give You opportunities to change me? Aargh! Please, God, help me — help us all!

Good Morning God!

Such a full day yesterday! Perhaps my favorite forum was the one on the future of health care in America. Four men and a woman — but the woman had the best line! When there was a question from the audience about WHY it was so hard to move on health care — she responded “When we separated from England we made a point of setting up checks and balances — to make it HARD to make changes easily.”

Another panelist said, “there is a lot of money in the status quo.”. And, if 10 people want change — for every one who warns x changed — there are 9 who prefer the status quo.”. I must say, God, it sounded very discouraging! We need help!

The SYSTEM needs help! But, God, so do all of us individuals! For example, at the Alzheimer’s forum the most articulate and exciting speaker was a doctor who was morbidly obese. How is it, Kit asked that such a brilliant individual — and doctor, too — could be so overweight?

I had an answer, God! She is a Helper and a Woman. My take is that 99% of her energy is going to help others. And when her body says NAP NAP NAP – she keeps going by eating. She is also a doctor and doctors are trained to disregard their physical needs — think 36 hour shift in Residency. Some doctors may use drugs instead of food to keep going. So, here she is — a Woman, a Helper, and trained as a doctor. She can’t go slow enough to give herself the gift of losing weight.

Hmm. that is kind of a new thought for me, God. I’m pretty sure it came out of the book The Slow Down Diet which is a book that talks about how our Bodies NEED to be in a relaxed mode to digest properly — and that eating slowly is part of “telling” our Body — all is well — we can relax.

Yes, God, I hear You. I hear Kit, too. And it isn’t just about eating slower! I must Stop Overvaluing Speed! I must Stop Stuffing into my Life every last appealing activity. Please, God, when I get home, help me take the eight weeks to read and digest
The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss.

Good Morning, God!
I’m here at Princeton and mostly awake and happy to be here! I have sent Kit off to have breakfast while I snack on nuts and cheese left over from my flight provisions. Soon, I will shower — and start the days activities — talks to attend, people to chat with, and so forth.

Princeton does a good job with reunions, God. And, I very much enjoyed my conversations with the women I met at dinner last night — under our reunion tent. These are smart women. Although, the man who “joked” and cut in front of me in line made me wonder at the fine line between senility and inebriation! Ah well!

So now, God, I shall ask for Your Help in being READY before Kit returns — so as to reduce his stress — and mine!

I AM READY! Now just a few thoughts on elite colleges and what might have happened if I hadn’t gone to Stanford. Life can take some funny turns, God. I was going to apply to UC at Riverside — but, I only applied to Stanford — and that, only because my friends were. My dad and his family were all CAL people. Looking back, I was singularly unaware. Hmm. Yes, in many ways I am still unaware.

Still, that time was a fork in the road — UC Riverside or Stanford? How different would I be? How different would my life be if I had gone to another school? And, then comes the question, God, of is there another Me living Life as if it were a Duplicate Bridge Game? That question comes from my just beginning a book on quantum physics and parallel worlds.

I hope not, God! I think One life is challenging enough! Thank You for this GIFT — or is it an assigned responsibility — of Life!

5:50 p.m.
Good Day, God!

Who KNOW what time it is inside me. But it is around 6 p.m back here in New Jersey. We left home yesterday at 5:15 for the airport and flew over-night directly to Newark — got our rental car and got lost! But, we discovered we were lost right near the Short Hills Mall. So we just nipped in for me to get sandals and a cell phone charger — and Kit to get khaki pants.

I will not go into how stressful it is to be a Navigator without a map. I will just thank You for Your help! You provided a gas station with an attendant who didn’t know, but, who asked a lady at the next pump who knew EXACTLY how to get to Princeton. Then, less we miss Your Hand, the attendant pointed heavenward and said, “God provided!”

So, now here I am in our dorm room — well, actually MY dorm room as Kit’s room is adjoining with a common bathroom — staring out the window — waiting for dinner at 6:30 and wondering if I can stay awake. ZZZZZZZ. How I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

I’m afraid, God, that it wouldn’t take much in the way of sleep deprivation to have me spilling secrets. I mean, I would do my BEST — but, sleep deprivation is such an effective torture! And then the whole question of torture brings up Rodney King’s plaintive plea of WHY CAN’T WE JUST GET ALONG?

But, then I think back to my yelling at Kit:left, LEFT, LEFT!!!!!!! etc. So, I suppose You are helping us to do as well as we are. A daunting thought! Now, God, I think a shower will help me get through dinner — and to dinner!