Monday, May 25
I woke up out of sorts for the last four days. This is the first day since that 4-day streak that I’ve not dreaded my morning journal question. “What will you do to make this day great?”
Today’s answer: Absolutely nothing. I will use this meaning of the word great: of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average, and say, “Life is
of great interest to me. Plain old life is great. Not just mine but yours too.
Today I will celebrate being alive, celebrate your life, and mourn those who have departed from us through war, famine, harm, accident, and illness.”
Tuesday, May 26
One tree can start a forest;
One smile can begin a friendship
One word can lift a soul;
One candle can wipe out darkness;
One laugh can conquer gloom;
One hope can raise your spirits;
One touch can show you care;
One life can make the difference;
be that one today!
One smile can begin a friendship
One word can lift a soul;
One candle can wipe out darkness;
One laugh can conquer gloom;
One hope can raise your spirits;
One touch can show you care;
One life can make the difference;
be that one today!
Adapted from http://www.act-as-one.org
There is so much we can’t do these days. And yet the most powerful of what we can do is still quite doable! Be love to the ones in your quarantine bubble. Wear a mask and social distance to be love to others. And remember a smile and your respect can easily be seen and felt when you wear a mask! Help in your community- give to the less fortunate. (Harrisonburg locals help here: Rockingham County VA COVID-19 crisis support. This group is helping 250 families in the Rockingham/Harrisonburg and Page County areas.)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ry762-rockingham-county-va-covid…
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ry762-rockingham-county-va-covid…
Wednesday, May 27
Beauty isn't seen by eyes.
It's felt by hearts,
Recognized by souls,
In the presence of love.
by Darren C Swartland
I was trying to find a quote about beauty being love but couldn't find it. I found the above. As for the other, I'll have to rely on memory. It equated seeing/absorbing/savoring beauty as an experience of love. And Love. (with a capital L) , as in Love - Soul - God - Spirit - The Divine.
Sometimes when I companion others in their life journeys, I hear their laments not being able to see, experience, or know love. Or God. It always makes me sad, especially so when we are sitting or walking outside and there are birds singing cheerily in the trees, flowers exploding in riots of color around them.
As a student in spiritual formation, I learned of an 'awareness' exercise - where I go outside, sink to my knees on the ground and observe one square inch of earth for 30 min to an hour. It is simply astounding to become aware of the web of life in one tiny patch. Imagine that expanded out by the whole local ecosystem, country ecosystem, earth, universe; it's heart-opening and mind-stretching!
If you have trouble experiencing love or hope, start with going out and staring at a flower, a bee, a bird, a patch of earth, or water. Study for your mind, marvel for your heart and soul, lie on your belly, and let your body absorb the earth's sweet grounding energy. Allow yourself to feel held by an Intelligence, a Lover of Wonder and Beauty that began all this, that continually weaves and watches intimately with you this astounding web of life
This will be my own exercise today, my healing for weariness and anguish. I'm so weary of the stupidity of people's comments on social media, frustrated with our country's deepening divisions, and absolutely horrified by news of yet another killing of a black man by a cop. (George Floyd's life matters!) And, all the mockery and taunting of others from the president on down. I see it everywhere and it hurts my heart. So I shall pause for some awareness of beauty.
If you have no access to the great outdoors, here is a photo you can meditate on - simply take in the beauty, or go into deep reflection - Photo is of pink Columbine with mist rolling down Little North Mountain in the distance.
What draws you in this photo? What shines? What in you, or in our country is coming into focus in this time of upheaval? What is the light exposing? What is still obscure, hidden by mist? Is the mist like a warm blanket right now, or is it chilling? Do you want the mist to lift?
It's felt by hearts,
Recognized by souls,
In the presence of love.
by Darren C Swartland
I was trying to find a quote about beauty being love but couldn't find it. I found the above. As for the other, I'll have to rely on memory. It equated seeing/absorbing/savoring beauty as an experience of love. And Love. (with a capital L) , as in Love - Soul - God - Spirit - The Divine.
Sometimes when I companion others in their life journeys, I hear their laments not being able to see, experience, or know love. Or God. It always makes me sad, especially so when we are sitting or walking outside and there are birds singing cheerily in the trees, flowers exploding in riots of color around them.
As a student in spiritual formation, I learned of an 'awareness' exercise - where I go outside, sink to my knees on the ground and observe one square inch of earth for 30 min to an hour. It is simply astounding to become aware of the web of life in one tiny patch. Imagine that expanded out by the whole local ecosystem, country ecosystem, earth, universe; it's heart-opening and mind-stretching!
If you have trouble experiencing love or hope, start with going out and staring at a flower, a bee, a bird, a patch of earth, or water. Study for your mind, marvel for your heart and soul, lie on your belly, and let your body absorb the earth's sweet grounding energy. Allow yourself to feel held by an Intelligence, a Lover of Wonder and Beauty that began all this, that continually weaves and watches intimately with you this astounding web of life
This will be my own exercise today, my healing for weariness and anguish. I'm so weary of the stupidity of people's comments on social media, frustrated with our country's deepening divisions, and absolutely horrified by news of yet another killing of a black man by a cop. (George Floyd's life matters!) And, all the mockery and taunting of others from the president on down. I see it everywhere and it hurts my heart. So I shall pause for some awareness of beauty.
If you have no access to the great outdoors, here is a photo you can meditate on - simply take in the beauty, or go into deep reflection - Photo is of pink Columbine with mist rolling down Little North Mountain in the distance.
What draws you in this photo? What shines? What in you, or in our country is coming into focus in this time of upheaval? What is the light exposing? What is still obscure, hidden by mist? Is the mist like a warm blanket right now, or is it chilling? Do you want the mist to lift?
Thursday, May 28
Richard Rohr on St Francis' teachings: "Without a sense of the inherent sacredness of the world—in every tiny bit of life and death—we struggle to see God in our own reality, let alone to respect reality, protect it, or love it. The consequences of this ignorance are all around us, seen in the way we have exploited and damaged our fellow human beings, the dear animals, the web of growing things, the land, the waters, and the very air. It took until the twenty-first century for a pope to clearly say this, in Pope Francis’ prophetic document Laudato Si′. May it not be too late and may the unnecessary gap between practical seeing (science) and holistic seeing (religion) be fully overcome. They still need each other."
I'm not Catholic but I love St Francis. I have a few statues of him in the mediation path at Starry Meadows. I wish Anabaptists had saints like this. I grew up with a steady diet of martyrs and a demanding God-image. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate someone choosing death over tyranny, but how I would have loved also hearing about a God who laughs and plays in flowers and fawns. And be taught about great, gentle people who experience nature as sacred.
I'm not Catholic but I love St Francis. I have a few statues of him in the mediation path at Starry Meadows. I wish Anabaptists had saints like this. I grew up with a steady diet of martyrs and a demanding God-image. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate someone choosing death over tyranny, but how I would have loved also hearing about a God who laughs and plays in flowers and fawns. And be taught about great, gentle people who experience nature as sacred.
Friday, May 29
THE HEALING SONG by John Denver
Let the mountains talk, let the river run
There's a wisdom here, there is much to learn
There's much to know, much to understand
In this healing time all across the land
You have heard my songs, oh so many years
You have laughed with me, washed away my tears
You have shared my joy, you have felt my pain
In this healing time, walk with me again
Through these darker days on this narrow line
Help me find my way, help me see the signs
I am not afraid, I am not alone
You have taught me well, you have brought me home
Let the mountain speak, let the rivers run
As the world awakes to the rising sun
In each brand new day, in our own rebirth
In this healing time on our mother earth
Let the mountains talk, let the rivers run
There is wisdom here, there's so much to learn
In each brand new day, in our own rebirth
In this healing time for our mother earth.
A friend posted this wonderful video link a few days ago, and I've been playing the song over and over. It was great watching and hearing Joh Denver's voice again and seeing his smile. (hat tip to Beth Weaver-Kreider) I love that he sang this song to a live audience while it was still a work in progress!
https://www.youtube.com/
Let the mountains talk, let the river run
There's a wisdom here, there is much to learn
There's much to know, much to understand
In this healing time all across the land
You have heard my songs, oh so many years
You have laughed with me, washed away my tears
You have shared my joy, you have felt my pain
In this healing time, walk with me again
Through these darker days on this narrow line
Help me find my way, help me see the signs
I am not afraid, I am not alone
You have taught me well, you have brought me home
Let the mountain speak, let the rivers run
As the world awakes to the rising sun
In each brand new day, in our own rebirth
In this healing time on our mother earth
Let the mountains talk, let the rivers run
There is wisdom here, there's so much to learn
In each brand new day, in our own rebirth
In this healing time for our mother earth.
A friend posted this wonderful video link a few days ago, and I've been playing the song over and over. It was great watching and hearing Joh Denver's voice again and seeing his smile. (hat tip to Beth Weaver-Kreider) I love that he sang this song to a live audience while it was still a work in progress!
https://www.youtube.com/
