Space shuttles, Politicians and the Future

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

Our space shuttle Endeavour blasting off May 16, 2011

Good Morning, God!

I was VERY surprised to learn that all Chinese journalist were barred from attending the launch of our space shuttle last week. Had I missed some major new event? Was China no longer a “friend?”

It turned out that Congressman Frank Wolf from Virginia is NOT a friend of China, and he is sufficiently powerful to have put an amendment into our Federal Budget that forbids any money allocated to NASA by congress from being used to: “develop, design, plan, promulgate, implement or execute a bilateral policy, program, order, or contract of any kind to participate, collaborate, or coordinate bilaterally in any way with China or any Chinese-owned company.”

Hmm. Why would he do that? True, the Chinese are putting up their own space station — I guess that’s instead of helping with the International Space Station. Are the Chinese worried about their “secrets”, too? I looked a little tiny bit deeper and apparently the congressman might be concerned about us partnering with China to go to Mars. Going to Mars? I would be happy to go to Mars with the Chinese, the Brazilians, the Indians and any other assorted humans who were eager to go.

But, then, I suspect, God, that I am not properly “fearful.” In Science progress comes about by SHARING what is learned. Somehow in Politics it is all about WINNING. But, the problems we face are not a GAME, God. I think of Benjamin Franklin’s statement — “If we do not hang together, we shall most assuredly hang separately.” Please help us God. Help us ALL to work together.

Posted in Common sense and reasonableness, courage, fears, Focus on what unites us, Space stations and the Future

Inner Fire and The Fanciful

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

A water lily in upper Niu Valley

Good Morning, God!

I know it is “just” the Light, God. but it looks as if there is an Inner Fire glowing inside this Water Lily. Fanciful? Aaah, God, we NEED more fanciful in our Lives.

Fanciful like Fairies and Elves and even “Things that go Bump in the Night.” The Fanciful loosens us up. “Fanciful” keeps us aware that there is MORE than what our eyes and ears and even Science can apprehend.

It was a Great Moment in my life, God, when I realized what a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum we actually see. Such a SMALL part of only ONE way of experiencing Reality. Humbling! Delightful!

Hmm. Well, Yes, good point, God. Enjoying feeling Humbled might very well depend on our degree of TRUST in You. Mind You, God, after losing Patty at 18 I don’t trust that You will keep me pain free. But, I do Trust in Your Power to Transform and Redeem! I have experienced it.

Nothing is Impossible to You — and while that doesn’t mean that You will always (or even Often) give us what we WANT — it does mean that YOU are WITH US in WHATEVER! With us. In us. Redeeming and transforming both how we experience and interpret events. Amazing.

You LONG to light that Inner Fire inside each one of us. Or, perhaps it is better to say You HAVE put that Inner Fire in Each of Us — and want us to know it is there and honor it — in us and in Others. Thank YOU, God!

Posted in Adventures, an invitation to abundant life, beauty, Expand my Heart

BEING Back Home

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

pink ginger in sunlight

Good Morning, God!

I’m HOME! This morning I went for a jog off to the post office — two miles, or so, of being BACK in Hawaii.

First the pink ginger — before I even got out to the street. And then a spider lily that spilled forth its petals with JOY. Yellow hibiscus and even oleanders called out to be admired.

I was back in my Technicolor World, God! Inside buildings, which seems to be where I spend a lot of my time, it is easy to forget COLOR and FLOWERS

spider lily with accent threads

In Colorado, they had only had three days of sunlight in the whole month of April. Hmmm. We did “bring” the sun and the snow covered mountains and tiny bluebells were delightful. Even the Spring Snow that blanketed the ground on our last day was a thrill.

It was all beautiful and enchanting. But, I am so thankful to be living in Hawaii! Not just the flowers and colors and climate, God.

I sort of feel we in Hawaii “discovered” diversity. We have no “majority.” We are ALL MINORITIES. And we belong together.

Now, when I was in LA, Suzy and I did the marvelous ethnic restaurants of LA. And the mix of peoples is so much richer than when I was growing up in LA. The World is coming to us, God, and bringing Great Food.

But, in LA there are still neighborhood that are distinctly Ethnic. In Honolulu we are much more interwoven — and I love it! It is so GOOD to be home, God!

Posted in Colors, connections, Diversity

Holy Places and Separate Spaces

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

The Chapel after mass in Easter Season

Good Morning, God!

I’m up EARLY and have Centered and decided I would take a few more minutes — staying conscious of Your Presence — before going back to bed.

At my Silent Retreat in the Benedictine Retreat Center at Snowmass, Colorado I walked down to this Chapel every morning to partake of communion — very like the communion of my Episcopal childhood — and I LONGED to take a photo of the glorious stained glass window. But, it didn’t seem “permissible” to take a photo in a “sacred space.”

Perhaps, that is why some indigenous people regard having their picture taken as having part of their soul stolen? Some primal notion that an attempt to “capture” the image of a thing is to diminish its essence?

I DID ask Father Joseph if I could photograph the lovely stained glass window and he walked back with me and took a photo too. It felt good to have an “escort.” Although, now that I think about it, I didn’t mention putting the photo on the web. Hmm.

One of the JOYS, God, of this Retreat was that I was helped out of my “separate space” and into “holy places.” We 18 strangers BECAME a Fellowship — fellow pilgrims on our Inner Journeys. Not that we talked about our inner journeys. Indeed, God, INNER journeys tend to leave our Poor Dear Conscious Minds behind! So HOW could we “discuss” them? Ah, perhaps the silence was to keep us from the futility of trying?

Meanwhile, my Conscious Mind has only a handful of Images gleaned from that Inner Journey. Ah, but that I have ANY is a gift from You, God!

Posted in images, Inner Journeys, intentional and invited sacred space, Transitions

The Prairie Dog and Me

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

The Prairie Dog on my lanai

Good Morning, God!

I’m VERY THANKFUL for my 10-day silent retreat. Not totally silent, to be sure — but silence removed the obligation to talk to my fellow retreatants — so, even at dinner, when conversation was allowed, it was very relaxed.

Talking is pretty much overrated anyway. Words are a HEAD THING. I was awed by how much I “connected” to people just by sitting with them in silent prayer — three hours a day. Even now, I can FEEL the people next to me and around me in the Centering Prayer Room.

That “BEING WITH-NESS” completely eroded the fleeting negative judgments that my mind occasionally formed. I wonder if just sitting together in silence might be a path toward peace? Or at least toward a fundamental / basic appreciation of one another? Hmm. And, oneself, too.

Centering Prayer is without words. Words and thoughts and images come — but they are intended to be gently released — and sometimes I did that. But, once or twice it became very clear to me that YOU were “talking” to my Unconscious or my Innermost Being — talking about ME, the Conscious Ego Self — and I could feel That Self getting paranoid. Because You were discussing needed “changes.”

Changes are coming, God. Changes I desire, mostly. But, change is hard. And part of me wants to “freeze” and hope You won’t notice me — just like that little prairie dog. Please, God, help me to trust You MORE — trust You enough to Sit with You in Silence.

Posted in Centering Prayer, Changing, Silence, Transitions, Trusting God

Out of the Monastic Corridors and back into MY life

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

in the halls of the Benedictine Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado

Good Morning, God!

I am MOSTLY home. But, part of me still yearns for the simplicity of life in the Retreat Center. Three hours of sitting in Centering Prayer a day. Sitting intentionally in Your Presence — saying YES to You. It was a GIFT.

Looking at the simplicity of this hallway — leading from the gift shop to the chapel — I am mindful of the amazing clutter of my office and of my downstairs guest room, now my unpacking area.

And my assignment is? To go slow? To do less? To listen?

Ah, God, so many years of my delighting in BUSY and FAST! This is change is HARD! It makes me think of the time it takes to turn a large aircraft carrier. Turning does take TIME and EFFORT.

Did I MEAN the YES I said? I DID! But, now comes the logistics of simplifying. Of making room for the BEST which will mean? Hmm. I suspect PAINFUL CHOICES.

Upon my return from church, God, I shall SIT in SILENCE. And, perhaps, You will suggest SMALL CHANGES of my Heart — as well of my schedule. Maybe, just maybe, You have JOY in mind for me?

Joy AND Pain? Ah, well, into Your Hands, God!

Posted in a hand up, self care as self compassion and humility, Silence, slow incremental change, Transitions

The Getty, Living Well, and Sugar

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

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday, Suz and I went to see the Paris Exhibit at the Getty Museum in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was all about the daily life of the wealthy in the time of Louis XV — 1723 – 1775. It gave me a “funny” feeling, God.

I stood in front of one of the portraits — a bright and happy man in his 40s — and felt as if we were somehow related — family, even. These were people who worked at living “well.” They valued reading and thinking as well as beauty. And they loved the “latest technologies” such as pocket watches. Many were involved in scientific pursuits. It was clear that “learning” was important.

But, the exhibit was made bittersweet by the knowledge that the Revolution of 1789 was to sweep so many of them away — away to England, if they were “lucky.” The American Revolution had inspired the Thinkers — while the unbearable Poverty of the People on the Land fueled terribly destructive anger. Did any of the people described in this exhibit SEE THAT COMING? And, if so, how did they respond?

Ah, God, then I think — not historically — but personally, about myself. I think about how I SEE Sugar is bad for me, and yet I find it so hard to resist. Living WELL involves so many dimensions. Knowing and Doing. Loving Self and Loving Others. Spontaneous Child and Responsible Grownup. Creating and Organizing.

Not either / or choices but moment by moment blending. Thank You, God, for this incredible Life!

Posted in Uncategorized

A Few Thoughts On Food And Tradition

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

Good Morning, God!

I know from the Book of Leviticus that FOOD is important to You. There are a lot of Rules in that Book. I confess, it has been years since I read it. Hmm. Yes, You’re Right. It would be a good idea for me to pause and read SOME of it before continuing our Conversation!

That was a Surprise! It was only Chapter Eleven that talked about food — clean and unclean MEATS. I guess I was hoping to find a section on eating vegetables. Hmm. Yes, that was in the book of Daniel, wasn’t it. I suppose that was because Daniel and his friends would have had no way of telling if the King’s food was clean or unclean.

Meanwhile, what’s been on my mind is how colorful traditional diets are! The photo here is of a Persian dish — sabzi — mostly green herbs! Suz wrapt them in a piece of flatbread and dug in! An older man next to us asked her, “Are you Persian?” And then added that he had NEVER seen an American eat like that!

I think back, God, to the iceberg lettuce of my childhood — or the creamed celery of my Canadian father. So Colorless! What is it that Michael Pollan said? That ALL tradition diets support life and good health — EXCEPT THE AMERICAN DIET!

Suz observed at our Persian meal that we have become “unlinked” from our Traditions. We are like Children, Set Free, to chose what we WANT! No wonder we have wandered into the Land of Excess — The Land of Sugar — The Land of Tastes Good.

It is kind of scary, God. What will it take to deliver us from “The Sugar Serpent?” Please help us, God! Please help ME!

Posted in Uncategorized

Walking and Talking

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

Good Morning God!

Yesterday was quite a day. I knew Suz loved to walk but my walks with her have been short ones — maybe an hour at most. Ah, but yesterday we basically walked and talked from 12:45 to 6:45 — a half marathon of walking and talking while Suz’s car was given an “oil change” which morphed into an Intermediate Service + New Tires and New Front Brakes. Yikes!

I feel for Suz’s car, God! I identify! It has 70,000+ miles on it and it NEEDED AN OVERHAUL! Oh, if ONLY it were so easy for Humans, God, to go in for Oil Changes, New Tires, and New Brakes. Smile! At least I know that is what I need. And being at Suz’s does feel a bit like being up on those hydraulic lifts that garages have — Suz has been checking my tongue for clues and probing my psyche. I feel loved and cared for — if just a wee bit sore from the walking.

It was a beautiful day, God, and — as we set out from the Santa Monica Toyota Dealers — I couldn’t resist talking a photo of the “ice plant” that is so typical of Southern California. We walked up to Brentwood for salads at La Pain Quotidien and then found our way to Free People — one of Suz’s favorite stores. Then, after we checked in with the Toyota dealer via cell phone, we made our way to the Montana Street shopping district and stopped for iced hibiscus tea at Peets.

All of this on a Glorious April Day! Clear blues skies. Temperature in the low 70s with a very light breeze blowing. LA at her best! Suz was at her best, too! I feel indulged and slightly “spoiled” God. I have the great luxury of spending Time and Money on Myself. It feels — ODD. I realize that I feel UNCOMFORTABLE if not GUILTY about it.

A day or two ago Kit called from my Mom’s where he was playing scrabble with her. He asked if she’d wanted to talk with me. My Mom called out, “TELLL HER TO COME HOME!” There is that PULL, God! The Pull of Love for my mother. Love for Kit. These are very Strong Pulls, God! Important Pulls, for which I am Grateful!

But my own Dear Self is pulling, too, God. And that is why I am soon to be off to my Silent Retreat in Snowmass. Thank You, God — and Kit — and my Deeper Self — for making this possible!

Posted in Uncategorized