Fully Rounded Moments

Today I've been working on a proposal for a book on scrapbooking. I've spent the whole day immersed in beautiful images, wonderful colors, textures, photos, buttons, letter blocks, ribbons. I ventured out to the scrapbooking store (we actually have a whole store full of scrapbooking supplies here in my midwestern town) and was shocked to see no less than 20 different people--mostly women--shopping in the late morning, buying scrapbooking supplies. The ladies behind the counter were wonderful and smiling. They know a secret to life I've only begun to discover. Time. Time to do things, just because. Time to save a ribbon from a package, pull it out of a drawer, straighten it, put on a bead, and hot glue it to a scrapbook page. Time to cut a hundred little shapes out of their favorite patterned paper. Time to plan a page, a fully rounded page, that captures a husband's return from the war, complete with scraps of his letters from overseas, the postage stamp from France, a sepia-toned photograph with those colorized cheeks, and much, much more. Time to think, to dream, to feel the emotion they felt when the moments first occurred. Time to relive the great gifts of love and challenge and joy those items mean to them.

It's something I want to learn to do--savor the moments, the fully rounded moments in which I'm aware that life is happening at its fullest, right now, in me and around me. The time we can take to fully experience the color, sound, taste, feel, and touch of this moment is up to us--in spite of what I say or think, nobody sets my priorities but me. No one else is keeping me from slowing down and letting time expand into a greater meaning. Maybe it's just a question of focus, of making more room. I'll give it a try and keep you posted. In the meantime, keep those scrapbooks handy. :)

Clarity

Little shining silvery moments make everything sparkle for a moment. A laugh at the dinner table. A quick but fully-meant hug on the way out the door. A child who misses you. An unseen fall cyclone, lifting a dozen leaves and swirling them magically, happily through the air. A breaktaking curve down through a tree-lined valley--red, orange, gold, and brown. God is here, inside, and there, everywhere. Sometimes the beauty is just too much and I wish so much that I could take it all in, capture it, remember it, keep it. But I know it's not mine to have and hold; just to accept for now, to pile up, to jump into, to embrace, to love. When it goes, it goes. But there's more God where that came from. :)

Witness

I am thinking this morning about the importance of knowing people for whom the promise is working--people who make daily choices to live by faith and see it working in their lives. People who face frightening times and tell stories about a God who took every step with them, never leaving their side. People who can nod and smile when we tell them our struggles, who can assure us they've been there, too, and that God was faithful.

Perhaps more than anything else, this witness is what we miss when we haven't yet found a community of faith where we feel welcome and at home. We need not only to hear the words of the sermon and accept the challenge of the readings; we need to see God's love working, uplifting, embracing, transforming the lives of those around us. It's God's witness, reaching out to us through one or maybe dozens of people who have gone before, that makes the difference for us now, today. And one day soon, we will be the storytellers pointing God out to the ones coming after us on this path.

Transformation

Last night, after running errands all over town, a quick dinner, the carving of pumpkins, bathtime, and bed for the little one, I settled down in a quiet house and turned on the television. I had intended to finish a chapter I need to read for class--but instead I found myself watching Style Court. Style Court! I laughed at myself as I watched the "plaintiff" and "defendant" present their cases, I listened to the "judge" issue a verdict about the attire of the defendant, and saw him send her off for a complete makeover. I was aware that I was wasting my time in a big way, time that I should have been spending on homework. And yet...as I watched, and endured the second story in the show, I realized that what I was waiting on was transformation. I was eager to see how the defendant turned out, with her new corporate-casual clothes and more sophisticated haircut. I wanted to see her smile and know she was happy with the attention and the results. I wanted to see the "plaintiff" satisfied and smiling at the change. I waited, despite all my other obligations, to see what the result would be.

I think as people, we love transformation. We wait for it, we know it's coming, we know God's up to something--in us, in our lives, in those we love. We know we are in the midst of a great makeover, from likeness to likeness, from struggle to peace, from fear to love. Transformation is our hope and promise. A look in the mirror shows us how much we've changed--and not only in physical ways--as we grow and learn. A look up or within reminds us that we still have a way to go. But we can trust our Stylist, and we can know that the change will ultimately bring out our natural, sacred beauty.

No-Stress Moments

Yesterday as I was on my way to Cameron's school to supervise the after-school activities of fifth and sixth graders, I was thinking about how much I love to be in certain places at certain times. I love being in schools, hospitals, churches--at least in part because the priorities are so much clearer there. Unlike in business, where the "bottom line" is always a ghostly shadow hovering around all goals and expectations, in helping professions, the focus is on the individual: slowing down and helping a child learn, becoming sensitive to and helping alleviate another's pain, taking tender care to be present with the spirit of another.

As I thought about this, a new thought occurred to me. I wanted to take that idea deeper. What was it about having those clear priorities that was so freeing to me? The answer--the struggle for right and wrong goes out the window. The illusory division between being "good" or "bad" disappears. The striving to achieve dissolves and acceptance floods in. There is only the person, the child, the spirit, God. There is joining and there is peace. And the empty categories we strive for in the dollar-driven world-- "smart", "strategic," "business-savvy," "successful" --fade as we learn to be tenderly present and available to another.

I realized then that as I was driving through the October-colored countryside, seeing the sunlight filtering through orange and red leaves, I was living a "no-stress moment." Right then. I just wasn't noticing it. What stands between us and the peace of God in this moment? Maybe only echoes of expectations that don't really matter when we choose to turn our minds and hearts to God.

Leaning into the Day

This morning on my way back from taking the boys to school, I sat at a four-way stop next to a man in a little red sports car. He looked ready for the day, in his crisp white shirt and dark sunglasses. His left hand clasped the steering wheel as he waited his turn; his right held a danish he was munching hungrily. He leaned forward, eager to go--not anxious, not aggressive, just eager. As I drove past him, I thought, "How often do I so eagerly lean into my day?"

I love these early mornings--they are thoughtful, reflective times. In the many years since I started my business, I've changed from "hitting the ground running" every day to "spending a little time leaning on God's windowsill." The mornings are calm, simple. The busy-ness comes soon enough.

But my thought this morning was that sometimes, particularly in times of uncertainty and struggle (like now), I hesitate before the day, tentative but hoping things go well, counting on God to bring the right projects, to open the way, to calm the anxieties. There's a power that's missing, a claiming I forget to do, when I allow myself to peer through a cloud of nameless worry into the day (and days) ahead. How much better to claim God's promise and presence and lean eagerly forward into the day, excited to see what God will do, confident that we are helped and blessed and loved, knowing--and acting on the knowing--that the way will open as we share ourselves and our days with God.

Witness

Journal entry, early this morning: "All is peaceful. A quiet rain is falling on this First Day morning. I see myself as part of the movement of the leaves, the ripples on the lake, the sound of the rain, the gleaming droplets of water on the back of the chairs. I am part because I witness--I am linked through experience and appreciation to what I behold. And so I am to God, a changing part of Divine Expression as I participate in this life. How good God is!"

And tonight, late, my mood plummets as I hear that words of reassurance I gave to a loved one were used in a hurtful way against someone else. How I wish I'd fought the impulse to make everyone feel better! Sometimes the words of comfort that come so easily really would be better swallowed. Perhaps others sometimes need me not to comfort them. Perhaps in some situations I am meant only to be a witness to their struggle and stay connected with them in its midst.

Sovereignty

Well, I had one of those tough phone calls just a little while ago. A project I dearly loved, something that was wildly creative, fun, fast-paced, and collaborative (with a partner I looked forward to working with every day), got cancelled. Just like that. We'd been running flat-out to launch a new magazine within a very short timeframe--we saw everything falling into place, beginning to take shape, emerging in layout with color, energy, life. It was beautiful--it was good--it hit the mark. Every day I thanked God for this gift of a project, an unusually bright spot in what can often be a quiet, studied, solitary type of work.

I got off the phone and the waves of disappointment rolled over me. I went outside to sit and think and pray, trying not to grumble and complain or cry. And the words, "plans to give you hope and a future..." echoed in my head. Yes, Lord, I remember that verse. It's Jeremiah 29:11, a verse that has pulled me out of many dark places in my life:

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

I know that wherever I work and whatever I work on is God's call to make, and I know there is a reason underneath all this that has something to do with trust, love, hope, and faith. But I come face-to-face, yet again, with the difference between God's will and my own. And I choose His, I really do. Even when I don't understand it.

Just last weekend I was talking to a friend who was having trouble with her teenager. "The great thing is that God isn't done with this situation yet," I reassured her, "the story isn't finished." Now those words can comfort me. There's more to come. The God of creation is still creating in us, through us, and with us, this very minute. When I remember that God is busy at work creating, even in this disappointment, I find that "hope and promise" for the future and know that soon...in the next hour, maybe two...I'll be able to thank God even for this, knowing and claiming that what God has done before, He will do again--and more.

Within

A poem presented itself to me this morning, watching the birds and the breeze in the early light:

Every thought flies to God, within God,
Every movement moves the Divine,
Every choice is the Universe in action,
Every tear feeds the ocean,
Every laugh sends a bird into flight
or causes a flower to open.

It is because of You in us, dear God,
That Your creation continues,
Alive now and ever unfolding.
May we live this day in Your Holy Presence,
Alight with wonder and
Delighting in You."

Blessings on your day, everyone! :) k

Really and Truly

I've started taking classes at Earlham School of Religion and my mind is jumping for joy with all the new ideas, connections, associations, and possibilities it is discovering. What a gift to be able to explore God in this way, in a community of faith, at this stage in my life! I've been devouring the reading, reflecting on it and turning it over in my mind, posting my thoughts and discussing with others the new ideas this is opening up. It's fabulous, and I'm thankful. :)

But this morning, before my eyes opened, I heard myself thinking about a fellow classmate's posting in our online course. My brain spun around and around the issue, tapping at it, toying with it, trying it on for size. About 12 inches south, my heart sighed. "The brain's getting all the attention," it complained. "What about me?"

I realized very quickly after waking that all this study about God is going to ultimately be a good thing only if I enjoy it with God. I missed the quiet, the calm sense of One, the deep breathing in of Spirit that I traditionally allow for in the early morning hours. My brain was so excited that it jumped right into the day and began processing and associating from the first minute of consciousness. My heart, my spirit, understands the brain's excitement, but needs to be the listening power. I realized that what I needed, really and truly, was a bit of together time with God.

So I sat. I didn't read. I closed my textbooks. I withdrew my eager energies from solving online puzzles. I just sat, and looked at the lake, and waited for the ducks to wake up. And slowly, I became aware of God's presence again--in the crickets' song, in the sunlight dancing on my hands, in the movement of the leaves. I felt the peace spread and my brain relaxed and I just settled in to wait, soaking up that remembering. Ah. That's what I needed. Really and truly.

Congruence

Have you ever read, The Game of Life and How To Play It, by Florence Scovell Shinn? It's a practical little book written in 1925 by an amazingly clear woman who understood that "the power of life and death is in the word," and "as a man thinketh, so shall he be."

Written in Christian terminology, The Game of Life shows us how what we say impacts, blocks, or twists what we create in our lives. The book found me in a Columbus, Indiana library about 10 years ago...it literally fell off the top shelf on my head when I was reaching for something else. I started to put it back because I didn't like the title (I first thought it was some kind of manipulative sales tool), but something prompted me to open it and look inside. The clarity of thought--the power of the word and the beliefs behind it--jumped right off the page. I knew I needed it. I checked it out and read it, and then I bought first one copies, and then many copies.

I've underlined and reread the book probably twice a year every year since. I'm called back to it when I get stuck in something in my life--the clarify of thought helps release me. I remember what to pray for and how to pray it--I remember how I get in my own way with the words I speak and the thoughts I hold, and it helps me dissolve them and get back into the nestle of God's arm.

I've been trying to hold on to a clear idea I gathered from Florence's book just a few days ago. The section was on taking responsibility for creating (in partnership with God) the highest ideal for my life. She said the only thing that gets in our way is a conflicting message or thought in our desire, our faith, or our words. So I began to work on the idea of congruence, and I came up with three questions that help me determine whether I'm all in line with what I think I want to create in my life:

What do I desire? (get a clear picture in my mind; confirm with God that it's right for me)

What do I believe about what I desire? (do I believe it's reachable? Do I believe it's God's will for my life? If not, go back to question 1)

What do I say about what I believe and desire? (do I go around saying, "it's too much for me," "there's no time," "I can't do it," "I'll never get there"? Those negative words and others diffuse the desire and the faith so that ultimately whatever I'm hoping for won't happen.)

That's what's on my mind today. I hope you desire good things, believe they can happen, and speak what you know about our faithful God who draws us ever closer in truth and in love. "And mercy and goodness shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." :) k

Making Do

In the last 24 hours, Indiana (specifically, areas surrounding Indianapolis) received just under 10 inches of rain. It's a new state record. I've never seen anything quite like it--torrential, constant, unrelenting rain. I awoke half a dozen times in the wee hours of Monday morning, wondering sleepily, "Is it still raining that hard?" Yesterday we watched the water rise. It swallowed our dock and made its way toward the house. The dogs were nervous. Neighbors wandered about in raincoats and t-shirts, pulling logs from the water, shaking their heads, watching the rain. Cars stopped short of venturing into what could be fast-moving deep overflows across nearby roads. At one point our small community was an island, for an hour or two, while the creeks and drainage ditches struggled to accomodate the sudden outpouring of abundant water.

Everything changed in those few hours. We went out only if we had to. We allowed more time. We knew it was likely there would be impassable roads, roadblocks, and traffic backups. We were ready for anything. And when it came time to go, prayers were said and hugs were tight. "Be safe," and "Call me when you get there," and "Don't take any unnecessary chances," replaced our regular afternoon goodbyes.

What struck me, though, was how grateful we were. Grateful and slow. Glad simply just to be dry, to be safe, to be able to care for each other. Someone who might otherwise be irritated at me for being late was now simply glad I made it there. Pressure I might have otherwise put on myself to go to the store and cook a big family dinner faded to the comfort of homemade potato soup and BLTs. We made do, because we remembered what was important. Care, concern, prayer, and compassion ruled.

Today we've got the mess, but we've also got the memory. We know what's important. We instinctively return to it in those times when our priorities are once again made priorities in our lives. I can see why into every life a little rain must fall. In fact, I think a good flood now and again (Indiana, not Genesis-style) is good for the soul. :) k

Simplicity Rules

Today I had the good fortune to sit and listen to an experienced chaplain and teacher talk about families and the systems they are born into, create, and perpetuate. He began the meeting with a simple prayer that touched me and I wanted to share and remember it:

To everything that has been, we say "Thank You."

To everything that will be, we say "Yes."

May your day tomorrow be filled with the sunlight of acceptance and the gentle breezes of grace. :) k

A Waking Thought

I woke up this morning praying this little poem! Perhaps I was more awake than I thought, or maybe my spirit was having conversations with God through the night and my conscious mind just overheard a bit of the end of it. :) Whatever it was, here's the poem I "heard":

Many things to think about
But only one thing to be:
A part of true Divinity.

Many things to organize
But only one thing to do:
Be fully present, now, with You."

Tell Me What You Love

Tell me what you love,
Because then I'll see God alive in your eyes
And your smile will spread
To enfold me with with the gentle arms of His tender light.

Tell me what you love,
Because that's where we can truly meet
Not as storytellers of worries and woe
But as children who know our God is with us, faithful, real.

Tell me what you love,
Because that's the path God walks with us
Alive in love, growing in each season, blossoming for harvest
Every good thing, a million different forms of love--all His, all ours, all Him.

Blessings on your day, everyone! :) k

If We Really Believed Our Prayers Were Answered...

There would be no sickness, no hatred, no wars, no poverty. There would be nothing to fear, nothing to lose, nothing to wait for, nothing to want. We would smile with understanding when a friend seemed to have a bad day, whisper a quick prayer, and say with confidence, "Things will get better now." We would beam at each other with the Love of God because we'd know That's All There Is. We would notice the ripples in our day--a broken garbage disposal, a funny clunking sound in the car, a burnt piece of toast--but recognize them for what they are: little details that are handled easily, not the "final straw" that breaks the camel's back and sends us into the doldrums of worry for an entire afternoon. We'd know in our heart of hearts that God's got everything covered and that we are his children, each and every one of us--none of us more than another, and nobody ever less.

When I follow this IF all the way out to its logical conclusion, I see an image of a peaceful world, filled with kindness, cooperation, and love. Maybe I don't need to pray more. Maybe I need to believe more in the prayers I pray and in the promises of the One who listens.

Blessings on your day! :) k

A Prayer for Work

Just a few minutes ago my son Cameron and his friend Justin appeared in the door of my office. I'm sitting here writing, trying to get an article done by the end of the day.

"Would you take us to the pool?" he asked, hopefully.

"I can't, honey..." I said. "I've got to work."

"Well, Justin's dad might do it, but he's on the Internet looking for a job."

Only a 10-year-old could throw that out, so unflapped by the significance of the information. He was just interested in going to the pool. But suddenly I was washed through with a wave of compassion for Justin, for his dad, for their entire family. And I reeled for a moment, thinking of all the people I know right now who are out of work. Several people in my immediate family are struggling, out of work, or looking for work. Every which way I turn, people are experiencing layoffs, downsizes, or company reorganizations. Most of my work comes from the technical publishing industry, and we've all been hard hit in the last two quarters--some people are saying computer publishing is down 50% across the country. These are not just numbers. They represent great anxiety, family troubles, bad moods, and huge looming fears for the future.

I've been self-employed for 15 years, and a single mom for most of them. I know what it means to go out to the mailbox, reminding myself with each step, "My checkbook is not my savior." I remember the feeling of relief when the check would finally come and the feeling of worry as I watched it go immediately out again. I lived through those late night panics when I would suddenly sit bolt upright in bed and look at the ceiling and say, "You do have a plan for this, right? I mean, I know you have your eye on the sparrow--but you're not going to forget my mortgage payment, are you?"

Trust in God is the single best investment I have ever made. We draw heavily on our trust when we move into the uncertain and unpredictable situations in our lives. When we're out of work, our feelings can overwhelm us--it feels like we'll never find work again. But I hold to the belief that God knows what he's doing. We don't always understand the plan in the moment (or even afterward), but I trust that if he can keep a whole generation alive in the desert by delivering daily bread with the morning dew, he can figure out a way to keep our finances afloat until the next position or project appears. I just stay very close to God in prayer and do my absolute best with any work I have; then the rest is up to him. And even if he wants to change my priorities, moving us to a smaller house, causing us to shed some of our debt, helping us to refocus ourselves on him instead of our income, we know he'll be with us to face whatever lies ahead. I'd like to offer a prayer for all those who are seeking work and going through worrysome financial times (please join in if you feel so moved):

Dear Father, help us to turn to you in the big and small things of life. Give us a real sense of the abundant universe you have created; help us to notice the richness in our lives and the many, many gifts you place in our paths every single day. Please comfort us and make your presence so real that we know you walk with us always. And help us not to place our belief in the scarcity we see, but to affirm, like the king you told to dig ditches in the desert before the rains began, that you are surely bringing good to us. Also, Lord, remind us of the many things we give each day--service to others, love, encouragement, forgiveness, blessing--and protect our hearts from becoming miserly in fear. Giving is your way. We know you are total love and total blessing. We thank you for your love and guidance, and pray that this time will bring us ever closer to you, dear God. Amen.

Understanding Deeply

Today I had the wonderful experience of taking a walk with a dear friend--someone I've known since high school, someone I've traded husband stories and kid stories and life stories with for a span of decades. We walked together on this beautiful summer morning--cool and cloudy--and I listened to the joyful things happening around her and felt how in love with life she was. I heard myself offering stories from my own life and learning right now, but I was very aware of something different--on a deeper level, in our hearts, there was such a feeling of connection and understanding that the words I used seemed so little and weak in comparison. I'm a person who works with words for a living and I know the power we give them--words can join and words can separate. They can bring reconciliation or division. They can carry thoughts of love or judgments that wound. But today, walking and loving, I understood clearly the difference between experiencing joining and talking about it. Lord, keep me close and draw me to continually understand you better--not just talk to and with and about you. :) k

Lift Me

A wonderful piece of a poem from St. John of the Cross (also from the book Love Poems from God):

Lift me into your arms, dear Lord,
Like something precious that you dropped.

May we each be lifted above our circumstances today and feel the safe and constant comfort of his presence.

Aha!

Moments ago I was sitting out on the deck, reading Love Poems from God, a collection of poetry by Rumi, Hafiz, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, when my Japanese neighbor, Madori, called over to me. She is wonderful and sweet--we've found our way through several conversations, gesturing and finding words we can share to make ourselves understood. Our interactions are always filled with smiles and laughter and those moments of Aha! when we realize we have found the right words to connect. Today her musical voice lifted my attention from my book and I looked over and smiled. Seeing that she wanted to ask me something, I got up from my chair and walked over to her yard. She reached for the words: "You like your book?"

I smiled and said yes and explained that each morning I come out with a cup of coffee, and read and write in my journal.

"What do you read?" she asked.

"Books about faith," I said. Her eyebrows drew together as she tried to decipher what I meant.

"Books about God," I said, trying again.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Yes!"

God, I just wanted to say how nice it was to see you in my neighbor's eyes. You flow across all barriers, you light up all things, and when we look closely, we find that you're there before us, smiling, waiting for us to recognize you. :)

Divine Opportunities

Do milk weeds grow where you live? Here in Indiana, in the mid- to late summer, milk weeds grow tall and brown and stalk-like, reaching toward the sky. They develop pods with a hard casing, large enough to fit in the palm of your hand. When I was little girl, I would sometimes walk to a friend's house through a field filled with milk weeds--the prickly exterior of the pods would catch on my shirt and hair as I made my way down the path. But late in the summer, something magical happened. The pods opened by some unseen force and inside revealed a beautiful white cotton--the bed of an angel, I imagined.

This summer seems to be a time of breaking apart for many people. Jobs have been lost, illnesses diagnosed, accidents experienced. Relationships are strained by stresses and the weight of the unknown future. Daily, faithfully we try to see and hear and know God, a little more, and then a little more. This morning I had a sense that this breaking apart is really an opening, like a milk pod, that comes when we're ready. Our circumstances break open--the illness, the job, the accident--and inside, we see that God is offering us an opportunity--to heal, to love more truly, to be free of circumstances that don't fit us, to remove every obstacle that gets in the way of our growing experience of him.

May we each be awake to every divine opportunity we are given today and cup each unexpected challenge gently in our hands, waiting patiently for God to open the pod of our circumstance and reveal his soft comfort and tender love within it.

Blessings on your day! :) k

Einstein's Friend

I love the way God shows up everywhere when we have the eyes to look. Keeping our mind's eye, as well as our heart and our ears open is important in welcoming the voice and face of God wherever, however, and whenever we can. Moments of recognition, or remembering God, sometimes come on me in the smallest things. Seeing a cardinal. Noticing a salmon-colored sunset. Hearing a certain musical chord or a child's laughter; looking into a baby's big, beautiful, wondering eyes. God is truly everywhere and we can feel his presence any time. The only trick is in being open to it, keeping ourselves from being bound to the earth by the worries of our fleeting-but-incessant daily concerns.

Right now I'm reading The World As I See It, by Albert Einstein. This closer look at Einstein was sparked by my recent wondrous journey through E=mc2, by David Bodanis. I love the way Einstein describes God as "The Old One" and the source of all life and reason in the universe. In the essay I read last night, eulogizing one of his dear friends, he writes about the gifts a true friendship offers. He talks of how we can help each other break free of those things that bind us to the small, absorbing circumstances of life:

"We both felt that this friendship was not only a blessing because each understood the other, was enriched by him, and found in him that responsive echo so essential to anybody who is truly alive; it also helped to make both of us more independent of external experience, to objectivize it more easily."

Through our friendships and connections, we help each other break free of the ties that bind us to the earth, helping us remember what is important and lasting, pointing us to the eternal divine within us all. May we each have a moment today in which we remember that we are the living reminders of God's eternal love and faithfulness, placed side by side in this world to give each other strength and point to The Old One who holds us together in an embrace that will never end.
Blessings on your day! :) k

Father Knows Best

There's a downside to being a person with a "helpful" personality. If you have been blessed with the gift of being able to see where things hurt, a desire to want to make things better for people, a hunger to improve conditions, a longing to leave the world better than you found it, you (like me) run the risk of thinking that you know how to fix things. When a friend loses a job, you know where to tell her to look and which role will be "right" for her (I'm notorious for this...just ask my daughter!). When someone close to you suffers a disappointment, you sift through the damage to find the root of blessing that's in there somewhere. Neither in itself is a bad thing. The problem comes when we forget that there may be countless other options, and we lose sight of the fact that God may be at work in the situation in a way we can't even imagine.

What I've found in my own life is that the "helpfulness" that comes out in the form of making suggestions, offering reassurance, giving encouragement, or suggesting interpretations, is an attempt to make the other person feel better and perhaps offer a solution they haven't thought of yet. The catch-22 is that in so many of the most difficult situations in our lives, the real point of change happens only when we dig in and begin working through things with God. While we struggle within ourselves, or listen to the counsel and suggestions of others, we may still unknowingly be trying to put a temporary bandaid on something God wants to heal and wipe completely away. When we reach out to help others, we mean well; we simply want their pain to go away. But God may have something deeper, something eternally healing in mind. Would I step in and reassure another if I knew all my "help" did was delay the moment she turns to God?

Our companionship with each other is vitally important as we walk through this life. Our joining is God's purpose; our love and compassion for each other is the greatest visible manifestation of God at work in our world. I do think God gives us insights and ideas we are meant to use to help those around us. But perhaps I need to be more discerning about the "help" I offer. If I listen very closely to God, I hope I'll learn when my "counsel" is an idea from Him and when it is my own intense desire to help. And as I continue to learn, I suspect I'll discover that in many cases, the best way for me to help others is not to try to change them or solve their problems, but to love and understand them and demonstrate what I'm learning in my own life--that I need to look to God for the real answers, the lasting gift, the eternal Love.

The Place of Rest

This morning I was rereading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence (I love this book!), and this quote jumped out at me. Just last night I was writing something and trying to describe that feeling of "home" or "fit" I found at certain moments, in certain places, with certain people. This quote says it perfectly:

"...I found myself changed all at once; and my soul, which till that time was in trouble, felt a profound inward peace, as if she were in her center and place of rest."

Yes! Exactly! I hope you have had moments when your soul is in her center and resting in peace and love. In fact, I hope we each experience it today. In times like these, when everything seems unsettled and chaotic, isn't it nice to know that we can still hear and know God in the center of our being? Blessings on your day! :)

Beyond Obedience

People talk a lot about being "obedient" to God, doing what we feel He wants us to do, even when we don't feel like doing it. This is living up to a standard, keeping within a certain boundary, faithfully netting out small habits and flaws that would in some way go against the ten commandments. This morning I've been thinking about "obedience" in a new way. When our children are very small, they need to obey us in order to stay safe. They learn to stay away from busy streets, avoid touching hot things, and generally learn to stay out of danger. As they grow, we teach them obedience in the smaller things that help them get along better in--and give more to--the world. They learn manners, respect, faith, charity, and compassion. As they grow to adulthood, our expectations of their "obedience" fade away as we recognize that the lessons they needed (first to stay safe, and then to live a good life) are now internalized in them, part of their thinking, knowing, and living process.

Many people think of God as a judge, a great omnipotent being who see our every mistake, knows our every flaw, and plans--sometimes by bringing pain and hardship to us--to net out those unsavory characteristics so that we might be perfect one day like Him. I think of God as an all-loving Father, One who loves us with a perfect, endless, all-encompassing love that is beyond what we we can fathom. Our obedience to Him is not a prerequisite for His love; in fact, our obedience isn't for Him at all--it's for us. By listening to Him and faithfully applying what we hear, we learn what it feels like to walk with Him at the center of our hearts. This reduces our guilt (and the separation that comes as a result of it) and enables us to allow more of His love in. By obeying the sense and essence of His message, we gradually trust Him enough to allow His healing light to illumine all the hurting places inside us that so need it. By keeping within the parameters we are given (no other idols, love our neighbor, put God first), we stay safe and learn to live a good life in Him.

I believe there's another stage beyond obedience when much of the self-training is done and the lessons of Love are internalized in us. That's where we enter an adult partnership with God, sharing in His work, working side-by-side with Him, full of His spirit and sure of His love. We no longer need to focus on "obedience" because we understand. We know. We live immersed in His love. We can throw away that picture of God as a judge with a big shoe, waiting to squish us for saying or doing the wrong things. We are no longer children. We can stand up tall, look Him straight in the eye (whether we find that eye in a flower, a loved one, a piece of music, or even a storm), and tell Him that we love Him. Not because we're afraid of doing otherwise, but because we mean it.

Being Miserable

Yesterday was a tough day for my son Cameron. It was a night game and the lights beamed down on our team of 3rd and 4th graders (the "Mets"). Cameron stood on the pitcher's mound and took a few warm-up pitches to the coach. At 10, this is his first year in little league ball, and he was selected to be one of two pitchers early in the season. This is the first year they play team-pitch ball (meaning the kids pitch to each other instead of the coaches pitching) and Cameron has done a good job in the six or so games they've played in learning how to focus and get the ball to the catcher's mitt in such a way that he hears the great sound of the ump's call, "Strike!"

But some games you win, and some games you lose. And yesterday had the earmark of the unexpected. As the coach returned a ball, it went high and struck Cameron right in the mouth. The crowd went "Ooh!" and I fought my mom tendency to jump up from the bleachers and hurry out to the field to see whether he was all right. The coach hadn't seen the ball hit him, and Cameron stood out there on the mound, pushing his tongue against the inside of his mouth, resolving not to cry. He blinked hard a few times and kept his face as blank as granite. I zeroed in on his eyes, watching for signs that I needed to do something. He looked back and I mouthed the words, "Are you okay?" and he nodded.

But as strong and admirable as my son's stoic, "the-game-must-go-on" attitude was, after the first pitch, his focus began to deteriorate. Ball after ball he threw--inside, outside, high, low. Twice he struck the batters and they walked to first base. I watched Cameron go from a proud, in-control stance to my little, hurting boy--and how badly I wanted to go out there and comfort him! I called out some reassuring things from the bleachers--but not too much, because I've learned that moms' voices on the field can be a bit embarrassing for 10-year-olds. The inning was agony; I kept wishing the coach would just take him out and let the other pitcher finish the inning. But the coach left him in, and Cameron kept throwing; the other team moved ahead on the scoreboard; and eventually, we heard, "Strike three! You're out."

When the game was over, I watched anxiously for Cameron to emerge from the dugout. He came out, still with a bit of a swagger in his gait. But as soon as he saw me, his eyes filled with tears, and he pointed to the huge goose-egg bruise just below his bottom lip. His lip was swollen and the inside of his cheek was cut. "I didn't want to spit out the blood," he said. "That's gross." I hugged him and mussed his hair, kissing him quickly on top of the head. We headed home, mom and her weary warrior. On the way, he described all his aches and pains and spilled out the worst moments of the game. "Everything hurts," he said. "Anything that anybody could ever be to be miserable, I'm it."

At home, I fixed him ice cream while he took a shower. When I tucked him in, I said, "You know, you had a really tough game tonight and a few bad breaks. But you fought valiantly, and you stuck it out. You should be proud of yourself for that."

He lifted his head off his pillow and looked at me with a crooked, swollen-lip smile. "Hey, that gives me something good to dream about!" he said, and nestled happily under his covers, ready for well-earned sleep.

For Cameron, this is just one event in a lifetime of what will no doubt be many unexpected happenings. We get hit by balls and beset by bills; we find ourselves in situations we didn't ask for, and we face problems we didn't create. We don't always have a cheering section, and we sometimes have no clue what to do next. But we know we are loved by One who does know--One who walks with us, helps us to see the good in any situation, and gives us the strength to stick it out. And at the end of the day, those words, "Well done," will erase all memory of the bumps and bruises we get on our way back home to Him.

Quick Wisdom

In unpacking one of the many catch-all boxes that have successfully made the move to my new office, I discovered a journal of unusual quotations that I'd read (and forgotten) long ago. I liked rereading them so much that I decided to post them...so if you'd like to take a look, click this link: Discoveries. Have a good weekend! :) k

The Process of Partnership with God

This is what's in my head this morning. Someone close to me is going through a rough time. I've been through similar situations in my own life, more than once, and I have been praying for clarity on how I can best help now. As I was writing in my journal a little while ago, I found myself replaying my own experience and some very clear steps I took (and continue to take) with God came into focus. I thought I'd share them with you, too.

When I am faced with a difficult situation I don't know how to resolve, I follow these general steps:

• I pray, listen carefully, and do exactly what I receive in prayer--immediately. In the prayer, I ask God to reveal to me anything I am doing to cause the circumstance and tell Him that with His help, I'll face it honestly and allow Him to show me how to heal it. (invite God in)
  
• I take full responsibility for my situation and accept it as a learning. (face myself clearly without judgment)
  
• I weed out self-pity at all costs because self-pity tells me that I'm powerless and a victim of the situation, which isn't true. (recognize the power of change is within me)
  
• I make sure I'm willing to do the work--and I do it, even if I don't want to. When God reveals something in me that is unhealthy, I immediately begin to apply what I learn. This takes self-discipline (which I often need to pray for help with) and humility (because I am often surprised that I have so much to learn). Luckily, God provides more of both of these things when we ask. I've learned that if I don't apply what I learn, the situation will continue or come back in another form until I do. (apply what I learn)
  
• I try to stay thankful for the experience, no matter how dark it seems, because it is drawing me closer to God and revealing those places in me that have not yet been healed by His light...but they will be. (be thankful)
  
• I watch for even the smallest signs of change and growth--and claim and give thanks for each one as it appears. This keeps me moving forward--I can see that God is leading me out of the situation, bit by bit. (watch for the good)
  
• I diligently step forward into that new place and refuse to be dragged back by fear or doubt into the place I'd been before. (claim each step and move forward)

This process with God has worked many times for me in many different circumstances--through divorce, financial troubles, illness, and more. You may have a much different process, but in the end we can all be sure that God will bring good from our situations in many ways. At the very least, the situation will be healed, God will be at the center of our lives, and we will have been given an experience and a witness of faith that one day may help another person find the path out of a dark valley.

Small Things, Faithfully Done

My brother and I had an interesting conversation yesterday. We're both old enough now (in our 40s) to talk with some perspective about life. We discussed the path of growing more peaceful--the sowing and reaping metaphor--and thought about how much the small things, faithfully done, help shape our days this week, next week, and next year. When I think of the things I do faithfully each day--care for my family, study about and talk to God, write about what I discover in faith and in the technical realm--I realize that I can see pretty clearly what I'm investing my love in for the future. And it fits me. I like it.

What do you do faithfully, each day? Those activities are building your tomorrows--they are an investment of your love and energy. I hope--for you, for your family, and for us all--that it's something that brings you joy. :) k

The Truth Does Set Us Free

This week, Christ stepped into a conversation I was having with a client who was struggling with his business communications. He offers a good service and people are always pleased with the work he does (they get more than they expect), but he continually wrestles with how he communicates what he does. He was so knotted up about ths issue that he couldn't see the simple. And that's what I'm always drawn to. I asked, "What's the truth about what you do?" He succinctly told me what he does for people. I told him what was in my heart: If you know what you offer and you tell the truth about it, you don't have to work so hard at pithy messages and consistent approaches. If you know there's something true, something clear, something focused about what you do, share that. And if you don't yet have that clarity, pray, meditate, walk in the woods, listen until you know what's true about you and what you offer people.

I remembered a friend who once told a small lie that escalated into a big one. The small lie--about where he went and who he went with--became a huge cover-up that eventually spread into all areas of his life. He spent so much time and energy trying to keep his partner from finding out about the lie that he began to feel as though his whole life was a lie. Finally, when his partner stumbled across one small piece of the lie, the whole story came out and both people were hurt and reeling by what began as a silly little lie.

When we are truthful with ourselves and others, we don't have to carry around past conversations, coverup stories, false faces, and exaggerated histories. We don't have to worry about what others may one day find out about us. We don't have to live looking back over our shoulders. We can simply stand wherever we find ourselves, doing our best in each situation, and moving forward. In this way, the truth really does set us free. When we live with truth as our priority, we are free to connect authentically with each other and we can be more open to the presence of God in every moment and every exchange.

Blessings on your day! :) k

Looking for Why

The other morning as I was driving Cameron to school, I noticed the faces of people driving--the person in my rear view mirror, the lady waiting to turn as I went by, the people in the cars in the oncoming lane. I was struck by the seemingly vast differences of us all--our backgrounds, our families, our careers, our hopes, our struggles--and I thought of all the diversity within each individual life. An affluent person today might have been hungry as a child. And that same person might experience financial struggles in the years to come. Some are healthy; some are not. Some have loving homes; some do not. Some have overcome the hurts and hurdles holding them back from childhood; some have not...yet.

As I thought about the very great differences in our lives, I also was aware of our sameness. As Bonhoffer said, "We are all equally in need of salvation." Throughout our lives, somehow, perhaps even unknowingly, we will be drawn closer to our loving Lord. Our circumstances--financial, health, relationship, and emotional--may simply be doors inward to the place where eternity, and eternal blessing, live in us. Looking at it that way, does it really matter that some people have more money, some have better health, and some better relationships than others? If our outward circumstances are the door inward to God, we can be happy that we each have doors of opportunity that take us closer to Him, no matter what those doors might look like.

So often when something goes wrong in our lives, we begin to look for reasons...searching for the why. The thinking is that if we do everything right, if we play by all the rules, watch our health, eat right, listen to our consciences, and pray regularly, nothing "bad" will happen. And then when something *does* happen, we feel, as Henri Nouwen says, that we are "living under the curse, instead of knowing our blessedness." But Jesus already explained how this whole curse-blessing thing works in relation to circumstances. When he was asked whether the man's blindness was due to his or his parents' sin, Jesus said, "Neither. This occurred so that the glory of God might be known."

So when someone falls from grace--Martha Stewart's empire is dismantled, the preacher's affair is discovered, a friend is diagnosed with cancer, or we lose a job, do we believe that the circumstance is simply an opportunity for God to make himself known, to that person and to us through them? Or do we look at their (or our) lives and say, "Well, we should have seen it coming. Power corrupts. Stress saps the immune system, and corporate America is only interested in the bottomline." The choice of vision is ours. What are we looking for? That's what we'll find. As for me, I'm going to reserve judgment and keep my eyes open and my heart awake, waiting for God to appear in the open door.

Being Poured Out

I begin each morning by "leaning on God's windowsill" awhile, spending time in the breakfast room, watching the sunlight touch and awaken the houses on the other side of the lake. I read from my favorite devotional books, I write in my journal, I think and pray. Yesterday morning I felt such a yearning to be doing more, and doing it more directly, for God. As I was praying about it, a sudden, clear thought emerged in the middle of my outwardly bound words: "Who is this 'I'?" And I was instantly made aware that I was telling God what I wanted Him to do. I wanted Him to provide the outlet for me to write more about Him; I wanted Him to bring the channels and outlets for sharing with more people; I wanted Him to let me know--in an unmistakable way--that I was doing what He wanted me to do...

Katherine, who is this 'I'?

I quickly felt a ripple of embarrassment, and then I began to pray--instantly, unintentionally--the words and thoughts just poured out without my looking for or forming them. It was odd and wonderful. One by one, people sprang to my heart and I lifted them up and into the light of God. I felt led to pray for some people I didn't even know as well as those I did. I felt a great love for each person as I prayed. For Kristy, who needs clarity in her career; for Andrew, who needs healing in his marriage. I don't know these people, and yet they sprang to mind and I prayed for them with all my might and let the prayers fly to God. I know it may sound strange, but that's what happened. I decided not to question it and simply lift whoever God put on my heart up to Him to do what He knows is best.

Perhaps that was the answer to my prayer...perhaps God was using me the way He saw fit and letting me know in an unmistakable way that it came from Him. I'm not sure. But I do know that I felt, for a brief moment, what it was like to be poured out for others...to let the well-defined and protected 'I' go and let my spirit relax and float along in the love of God. I cannot tell you that I understand these moments; only that I felt very blessed and felt that God was very close. So many small and miraculous gifts He gives us each day! May yours sparkle brightly for you today and draw you closer to Him. :)

Being Willing to be Revealed

There's a line from Rumi that says something like, "Even if all our friends are sleeping, we have to allow ourselves to awaken and move. Movement brings us to a new place where new learnings can come..." I'm finding that this move to a new house has also created internal movement in me. New awarenesses. Things inside are bubbling up in this new environment that I'd forgotten I had--or would like to forget. Things like feeling sorry for myself when I'm overworked; wanting to run away when I feel misunderstood; allowing myself to simply react to situations around me and feel powerless instead of taking responsibility for myself and my choices and remembering that it's within my power to say No at any given moment.

But God and I have an understanding. I'm willing to let Him reveal all these bumps and wrinkles and self-absorbed tendencies in me, but I ask Him to heal them and take them away. Up and out--revealed and dissolved. That's the plan. That's my intention. And that's what's going on. Seeing myself in this light isn't flattering, but when I remember that God's light shines away the darkness, I know He can illumine all the shadows of fear that still hide in the corners of my belief system about myself, about Him, about the world. If I accept all these revelations as opportunities for the touch of His healing love, I'll move through them gracefully, learning and loving and letting them go.

Blessings to you in your revelations today, as well. May He help us to regard ourselves with kindness and love as we allow ourselves to become more and more like Him. :) k

View from the Pew

I have a friend who sits in a different pew at church every week. Through the years, I've seen her bounce around from place to place. One week, she'll sit with me in my traditional spot (third row from the back, as far to the left as I can get); the next week she might be way up front or over on the other side. She told me once that she intentionally sits in the places of people who choose the same spot week after week (although she's taken occupied my place). She feels she's doing them a favor, breaking them out of their familiar routine, forcing them to experience worship from a different perspective. I always thought that was a bit pushy--I mean, why bump someone out of their seat who enjoys that feeling of comfortable sameness?

But this week I think differently. Because now, on the other side of my move to the new house, I can see that I had gotten so comfortable in my old surroundings that it was very difficult for me to move to a different place. My seat was chosen. My life was set. I liked my spot and even though the place I was moving to was a great blessing and something worth doing, my flexibility muscle had atrophied to the point that moving beyond the familiar was a great struggle for me. I've always thought of myself as very flexible and easy-going, but after this past week I know I need to change the "very" to "somewhat." I'd like to build back up to "very" so that I can accept with a smile and full gratitude whatever God has for me, wherever He wants to put me, however He wants things to look. I know in my heart that I really *don't* need things a certain way, at a certain time, in a certain pew. God is with us everywhere, every time, in all things. There is nothing we can do and nowhere we can go that is outside the love of God. So why do I cling to the familiar when I've got a relationship with the Known? I think I'll sit on the other side of the aisle next Sunday and find out. :) k

Life and Life Again

I'm writing to you from a new house. Funny how unsettling it is to move from one familiar set of surroundings to new territory. When I was younger I didn't get nearly so attached to places...my work often caused me to move from place to place; I didn't have strong family ties, so location wasn't central to my thinking. But today, with three kids (and several others I've adopted as my own), two dogs, two cats, a home business, neighbors, a church, friends, clients (oh, and a turtle), moving is a much bigger deal. I'm dug in. I'm connected every which way. I'm at least partially defined by those I see and know and visit with--I'm at least partially affirmed by my accomplishments at work, my vision of achievement, my understanding of the expectations of those around me. How much I need a strong inner remembering of "God with me"! How much I rely on knowing that God is opening these doors and then I step through them, listening carefully...how much I count on God preparing the way and blessing our moments--and our future--with his love. When the change-stress grips me, I take a deep breath and say "Thank you," for where I am, what I'm doing, who I love, and those who love me. My outer circumstances have changed, but God hasn't. Thank you, God, for reminding me. :) k

A Personal Equation

This thought occurred to me this morning: I know God loves me. People, I'm not always so sure about. But if I believe there is that of God in everyone (and I do), doesn't it follow that there is the spirit of Love, for me, inside each person I meet? Of what (or whom) then shall I be afraid?

All the Best

When I was a little girl, I spent hours pouring over pebbles. It didn't matter where--on the playground, sitting beside a creek, in a driveway, or in the yard. I was always fascinated by the shape and color of the small stones I found. Much to my mom's dismay, I often had pockets half-full of dirty white or pink treasures. The smooth, white pearly stones were special to me, but the pink stones--which may have been a kind of rose quartz--were my favorites. They meant something really good; they meant I was lucky to find them; they somehow told me I was blessed.

I have no idea why, but this feeling and activity--watching for signs of blessing in the common world around me--has grown with me into adulthood. Today when I see a cardinal, I think "God loves you." When I see a rainbow in the sky--particularly those morning and evening rainbows that appear in high clouds on sunny days--I remember with gratitude the many blessings we're given each day, but that we often miss. When I hear certain strains of music, feel another's genuine concern, watch the miracle of forgiveness happen right before my eyes, I know God is very close. In the past, some people have said I'm looking too closely at things--studying those stones for blessings. But for some reason, that's the way I'm made, and that's what I tend to do, in my life, in my work, internally and externally.

This morning after I dropped Cameron off at school, I was driving home through traffic. It was a perfect spring morning--I noticed the beauty around me and felt peaceful within. Suddenly inside, I heard: "All the best you believed is true," and I had an image of myself, gathering those wonderful little pink stones. I understood this to mean that all the times I hoped coincidences in my life were God communicating with me, it was Him. All the little messages I interpreted during a day's time to mean God was reminding me He was with me were true. All the best I believed--of God, of myself, of others--is real, and right, and eternal.

I hope this makes sense to you, wherever you are in your faith walk and however your draw God close in your day. All the best you believe of Him--and of yourself--is true. Next time you see a cardinal, or a pink stone, remember that.

With love :) katherine

A Moment

I have just finished reading The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence. Amazing, amazing. And attainable. I'm convinced. :) Then I ran across this quote, which made everything sparkle:

I held a moment in my hand,
brilliant as a star,
fragile as a flower,
a shiny sliver out of one hour.
I dropped it carelessly.
O God! I knew not I held an opportunity.
--Hazel Lee

May we each enjoy many precious moments today spent whole-heartedly in the presence of God. :) k

And then...Joy

Yesterday was packed. I had a list of about 10 errands to run, one chapter to write, and one chapter to edit. Plus it was Cameron's first day of baseball practice for the season and we had to get Christopher ready for a four-day high school trip to Dayton, Ohio (meaning he needed to find all the clothes he wanted to take so I could make sure they were washed and ready). My approach to days like this, when work and life entwine so much, it usually very methodical and logical. I make a list, I set priorities, I make a plan, and I carry it out, step by step. But yesterday, because the errands were scattered all over town, I was trying to figure out the best route, the best way to approach all these things and get them done before baseball practice. Instead of my logic kicking in, I just felt frustrated. I couldn't make sense of it. For some reason, a clear route wasn't emerging. At one point, I thought, "This is silly. Why can't I figure this out? I do this all the time..." and I prayed about it and tried to leave it with God to solve.

By 2:00, the answer hadn't occurred to me. I looked at my list of things to do and tried to put them in a smart order. My frustration grew. The only thing I knew to do was the first step. I knew I needed to get something notarized for my daughter so I could Fedex it to her by the end of the day. That was my priority. That's all I knew. So I started there.

The people at the bank were very friendly--I didn't have to wait, everyone was pleasant. I felt my spirits pick up. Walking out to the car, I knew what I needed to do next. So I did it. After that was completed, I knew which task to work on next. So I did that. By the time I picked up the boys from school, most of the errands were done and a surprise by-product had appeared in my day: Joy. The boys and I laughed and talked. We stopped and had a fun dinner together. I got the rest of the errands done and Cameron delivered to baseball practice (a half-hour early, in fact; I had the time wrong) and the feeling of joy stayed with me through the night and I still feel it today.

Amazing how something I struggled with, something I tried to turn loose to God, came back step-by-step to bless me in such a wonderful way. I could see no answer but the next step, but I know now, sitting here, that when I stepped forward into what I knew to do, the next step presented itself. This is a good lesson for me, because I'm a map-maker, a planner...I like to have the experience sketched out before I jump in. But God has another way. And it mixes my own skills with his guidance; my listening with his speaking; my trusting with his leading; and my action with his direction. Thanks for the object lesson, God! And for a productive--and joyful--day. :) k

And then...Peace

It's been such a busy time (this is an old refrain for me), and life sometimes seems to accelerate without my realizing it. One day I wake up feeling overwhelmed, out of time, edgy, and put-upon. The boys need to go here and there. I have this meeting and that meeting. A passel of deadlines pop up around me like spring flowers. My head hurts.

And then I remember God. And relief washes through me, along with the thought that, even in the midst of a busy life, my relationship with him is growing. I'm seeing him and feeling him more and more in my day. I think I'm beginning to understand "presence." The love I feel for others is ever at the ready--even for grumpy drivers and out-of-sorts clerks--and I know it's God changing me, loving me, healing me from the inside out. Life is good, right now. Life's seeming acceleration can seem to bring me stress for a moment, until I realize and embrace what's really going on in my life. I'm getting closer to God. And that's what I truly want.

Enjoy your day! :) k

The Soothing Voice of Prayer

This afternoon I received a newsletter from India, written on behalf of a holy woman known as Amma, "the hugging saint," who spreads a motherly divine love to all she meets. This quote particularly touched me:

Today, voices in protest against the on-going war are rising all around the world. The voice of prayer should rise along with the voices of protest. May that chorus of voices of prayer soothe the hearts of all. May there be peace and contentment everywhere, in everyone, always.

Amen and amen. :) k

Endings and Beginnings

Today I'm posting the last prayer from Prayers for Peace. Thank you for allowing me to share these writings with you, and thank you to those of you have sent encouraging and uplifting notes in return. I so appreciate each of you and feel very strongly that our prayers and loving thoughts really make a difference. If you've missed any of the prayers in the last few days or want to revisit one, you'll find them as links on the Practical ~f a i t h~ web page. Please stop by or send the link to others as you feel so moved. I hope you're all doing well and keeping the faith and growing ever closer to our true source of Love. Please continue your prayers for peace and hold firmly to the vision of a peaceful world that God has planted in our hearts. :) Katherine

~ Prayer for Our Hearts ~

"He has ordained for you the faith which He enjoined on Noah, and which We have revealed to you; which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, saying: 'Observe the Faith and do not divide yourselves into factions.' " --The Koran, 42:9

Father, you see the good, the loving, the kind, the giving in each of us. You alone see us as we are revealed in Spirit and know the true Oneness that we share with each other and with you. Bring us back, O Lord, to an awareness of our sameness. When we are tempted to see ourselves as separate, help us to calm our minds and listen to our hearts until we can hear the knowing voice of Spirit, saying “Do not be afraid.” Each day you draw us closer, and each day you teach us more. Let us remember we travel together on this road back to you. And show us how to remove our agreement—and thus our power—from the belief that we are separated by our faiths and philosophies. We are all your children, now and forever. Amen.

The world we see paints fearful pictures of war and conflict all around us. But, as we have heard so often, we choose the reality we see. And what we pay attention to grows. Is it possible for us to look for the signs of love beneath the violence? Are we able to see that of God in everyone—and focus on their Higher Selves—in spite of what they would show us on the surface? Let’s not let our differences define us, but instead choose to feel and know and understand where we are all the same. The peace that beats in a loving heart, a heart truly free of fear, would be enough to bring light to the entire world.

~ Prayer for Vigilance ~

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." --1 Corinthians 15:58

Oh Father, we're faint. Tired and spent, we are exhausted from carrying our own troubles, trying to solve our problems, spending our effort on tasks that seem fruitless. Take our burdens, dear Lord, that we may rest in You. Help us to remember that we alone are not enough for this task of peace, and enable us to turn to you and let you be the work that fuels us. Bring peace to our homes and our lands, dearest Father, and endow them with new life, new hope, and complete healing. Show us moment by moment how we can help you in that effort, dear Lord, but let us not forget that we cannot do this work in our own strength. We are coworkers with you in peace--not more, but never less. And one day we will all realize, in unison, that we are already joined together in peace and love in the center of Your heart. We will then know, truly, that All is Well.

There is so much to be done in the world today--so many people, so many needs, so many hurts. In our efforts to take care of our families, to work in service to others, to help further the thought and cause of peace, it is easy for us to get caught up in the doing and forget the most important thing: simply being in the presence of God. This is what makes a life blossom; this is what brings love where hate used to walk; this is what calms the fears that make people lash out and begin the cycle of violence that only love can heal. Our time alone with God eventually brings us inner peace, which radiates outward to our families, filling our homes, schools, places of worship, businesses, communities, nations, and ultimately, our world.

~ Prayer for Compassion ~

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
--Colossians 3:12-13

Lord, help us to remember that others don't always see the way we do, hear what we hear, feel what we feel, or understand things the way we've come to understand them. You give each of us gifts that are uniquely ours but so often we fail to value the gift in another, judging other gifts as wrong or somehow less important than our own. Give us the compassion you want us to have, O Father, and teach us to embrace each other with compassionate arms, no matter what our age, color, creed, history, or belief. Help us to remember that you are Life Itself, and that you are using every one of our unique gifts to bring us together with you once again.

How long has it been since we walked in someone else's shoes? Today, we can honor and respect those people we meet who come from different backgrounds, travel on different roads, choose different lifestyles, express themselves differently, or come from other parts of the world. We can look at them with eyes of love and know that our differences show the unique character of our individual gifts, but the life that animates us--the light at the center of our souls--comes from one source, the source we all share.

~ Prayer for Courage ~

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
--Joshua 1:9

How dark the horizon sometimes looks. How clearly we see the fence against the sky. Does it hold our bodies back? Yes. Does it contain our spirits? No, definitely no. Lord, one day, in your timing, all fences will be gone and we will move freely as your children, in peace throughout the earth. In your time, in your way, healing with come, and we will sing freely and rejoice with all those who live and breathe in you. Give us the courage, Father, to stay the course, to keep praying, to keep believing, to focus on the good you are bringing about as you heal our idea of separation with each other and with you.

Have you ever thought about the word "discourage"? To discourage someone is, literally, to take courage away from that person. Today we can recognize others who would, perhaps because of their own discouragement, discourage us in our hopes for peace, our vision of the future, our dedication to love. We can encourage them, and bless our surroundings and all those we encounter with showers of joy and peace. And we can ask for renewed courage, a new sense of heart, to do the small tasks we are given this day in the work for peace.

~ Prayer for Tenderness ~

“Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another.”
—1 John 4:11

Father, in each moment is perfect peace. When we look within, we find no war. When we look within, we find no violence. When we breathe in your Spirit and picture a world in which your people are safe and loved, delivered from the fears and struggle we each carry, we are filled with tenderness for each other and for you. Make our hearts tender to the needs of those around us—those in reach of our touch and in reach of our prayers. Blanket your hurting world, Father, this frightened, hurting world that knows not its own goodness—and whisper to each of us the realities of your love.

Finding compassion and forgiveness for those who love us is a fairly simple task—it’s something we do every day in families all over the world. But finding tenderness in our hearts for those who have wronged us, who dislike us, or who are at war with us—that’s a different matter. That type of tenderness comes only from God. Today, we can ask him to fill our hearts with love for those who need it most, not only for those who are able to give it back to us. As A Course in Miracles says, “There is only love and the cry for it.” Today we can feel compassion for those who hurt us, knowing they are driven by their own pain.

~ Prayer for Patience ~

“Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up.”
—Galatians 6:9

Our most gracious and attentive Lord, help us to remember that you move in your time, knowing as only you know the perfect time and the perfect way to answer our prayers. The flower begins at seed—a seed we neither see nor understand. And gradually the seed sprouts, still deep within the damp earth, hidden from our vision. We may be tempted to believe it is not growing, and yet if we dig it up to calm our doubts, we will damage it and stunt its full blossom. Help us to be ever mindful, dear Father, that you have planted the seeds of peace for your children. Help us to continue to walk with you and know you more, growing ever stronger in our faith that what you have promised you will do, even when we do not yet have the physical evidence we seek.

How hard it is to wait after we’re prayed a particularly earnest prayer! How long is a minute to God? Sometime today, we can choose to sit quietly for 10 minutes and simply wait on the Lord. We can sit in stillness, available to God, not thinking, praying, or reading. Just waiting on the Lord can be a wonderful, restful, and rejuvenating experience. We may even find that getting what we prayed for becomes less important than spending this quiet time with God.

~ Prayer for Families ~

“All your sons will be taught by the Lord,
and great will be your children’s peace.”
—Isaiah 54:13

How many babies are sleeping in the world right now, O Lord? How many children rest fitfully, awaking to sirens in the streets or the sound of gunfire beneath their windows? How many mothers look sadly at their sons, young and strong and passionate, and feel dread of the future in their hearts? Restore your world, my Lord. Restore your people. We know you are the champion of the widow, a friend to the fatherless. Your children have been in this wilderness so long, Father. Give us the vision and the resolve to look for the day when children sleep peacefully and young men and women plan for productive futures. We celebrate knowing that you are rebuilding and restoring your land, even now when things look so dark to the human eye. We rest on your promise of peace, dear Father, and ask that you help us to do what we can to hasten the day of peace. And if it is our job to wait prayerfully on your timing, we ask you to give us the grace and courage we need to do what you want us to do.

Sometimes it is easy for us to confuse love and worry. As parents, we are never far in thought—or in our hearts—from our children. We carry our concerns with us, worrying about their health, their education, their safety, and their happiness. But a life in faith reminds us that God has no grandchildren; our children are not “ours” but God’s children, along with us. We are all perfectly loved by Love Himself.

We can trust that God has us all—mother, father, children, grandchildren, and all the children of the world—in his hand. He cares for each of us tenderly and completely—not one hair on any of our heads is harmed without him knowing. Life in faith allows us to release our worry for our children and replace it with trust in an all-loving Lord. Today we can try to remember that none of us—adult or children—is ever beyond God’s reach. There will not be a single moment today when we are outside the love of God.

~ Prayer for Healing ~

“Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
—Psalm 42:11

Precious Lord, we know that help is on the way. We know that you are even now answering our cry to you, “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.” Look for those places within us that need your healing touch, dear Lord, and give us the courage and resolve to let you work within us for our own healing. Only then can we be used as instruments in the healing of those around us—in our homes, our schools, our places of worship, our businesses, our cities, our nations, and our world. We ask, believing you hear and answer all prayer. Thank you, Father. Amen.

Do we notice the healing God does daily in our lives? We often miss the most obvious and simple things—thanking God for colds that go away, for fevers that break, for cuts that heal. We overlook opportunities to thank God when tempers are calmed, when families reunite, when governments talk peace. Sometimes our fears get in the way and keep us from believing in and receiving the gift of healing. Science may bring us tools to help facilitate healing, but life itself—and the healing of that life—comes from God. Today, we can fully accept our own healing and give the thanks to him.

~ Prayer of Praise ~

“Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
How awesome is the Lord Most High,
the great King over all the earth!”
—Psalm 47:1-4

Oh our most wonderful, omnipotent Lord, how often we forget that we are all in your hand! How thankful we are to be here! How grateful we are that you love us and see us not as bad sheep gone astray but as your beloved children who are returning home to you. We feel the great love working to bring us all together again with you in safety and peace. Thank you, O God, for keeping our hearts in your care. Thank You, O God, for keeping your hand on all world leaders. Thank You, O God, for being with us, in all life, in all love, in all peace and joy, goodness and growth.

Praise is the most amazing thing--it doesn’t just shine a light in the darkness, it turns the darkness into light! No matter what the outer world looks like, we always have something to praise--God’s love, God’s presence, the very fact that we live! If we have eyes to see it, we can know there is love all around us, given to us moment by moment, day by day. The psalmist says we should praise the Lord “seven times a day.” How many times do we stop to really say thank you during the day? We can pay attention to our hearts today and find out whether they are singing a grateful or a gloomy song.

~ Prayer for Guidance ~

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”
—Psalm 32:8

Sometimes, Lord, it’s so hard to see. We squint and struggle to make sense of what you’re showing us. Help us know when you are guiding us, Lord, and when we are clutching at the wrong answers. Help us know, as this peace process unfolds, how to best follow your voice, how to love each other with your perfect love, and how to continue to turn to you and, when it’s your will, to wait until the time you choose to answer our prayers. Thank you for teaching us how to live in your care and respond to your voice.

Just for today, let’s not be too quick with our human judgments. When we’re deciding whether to go to the store or stay home, we can ask God what he wants us to do. When we’re trying to decide which clothes to wear in the morning, we can ask God what he thinks, and then listen. The more we turn to the Lord for the small issues in life, the more clearly we will hear him in the midst of big issues.

Prayers for Peace

Last summer I wrote a short book of prayers for the healing of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and this morning I felt led to revisit those prayers and found they were helpful for our current painful situation of almost desperate uncertainty. I am trying to keep my mind stayed on God, focusing on the Power and not the problem. God can heal even this situation--He can calm hearts and open opportunities and settle spirits. For the next 10 days, I'm going to publish in this space one prayer and meditation from the booklet. I hope you enjoy the prayers and find they bring you a little peace in your day. Please pass them along to anyone you feel might be blessed by them, or click the link in the left panel of the Practical ~f a i t h~ site to view the entire booklet in PDF format. Remember...God hears us, God loves us, God is with us all. Love, Katherine

~ Prayer for Peace ~

“I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints—but let them not return to folly.”
—Psalm 85:8

What is peace, my Lord, but your presence in our midst? What is peace, my God, but our thoughts stopping for a moment, resting on your love, breathing in your comfort? When is peace but now? Help us, we pray, to reach out our weary arms to receive the peace you long to give us. Come, Father, and abide with us, bringing your still and perfect peace to our loud and threatening world.


We can reflect today on where we need to make peace in our lives. Do we hold a grudge against a friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor? Is there an unforgiven hurt within us? Are we at war with our circumstances? Let’s agree to let God heal our conflicts and bring us peace—in our hearts and in every heart throughout the world—through His grace.

For a Growing Faith

I ran across Tennyson's In Memoriam a little while ago...and these verses from the first poem touched my heart:

Our little systems have their day;
They have their day and cease to be:
They are but broken lights of thee,
And thou, O Lord, art more than they.

We have but faith: we cannot know;
For knowledge is of things we see;
And yet we trust it comes from thee,
A beam in darkness: let it grow.

If you feel so led, you can find the entire poem online at http://tennysonpoetry.home.att.net/0.htm. I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday! :) k

Reflections

This morning, after rain and rain and more rain, the sun rose into a perfect blue and pink sky. About half-way through our drive to school, the sun made it over the horizon, huge and orange. As we continued driving east, the sun rose to meet us, filling in all the spaces in frosted the Indiana cornfields and spreading to buildings, through trees, over hills. I noticed, driving on the country road that leads to my son's high school (the same road where his brother and I had a series accident two months ago), that the people in the westbound lane had illumined faces. One by one, as each passed me, driving away from the sun, I saw their entire faces--brightly lit and framed by the morning light. For a moment, I wondered how that could be possible. And then I knew: reflections. The sun was reflecting off my car, reflecting off their rear view mirrors, reflecting off any surface it found available. The sun, like God, radiates everywhere and touches everything. Others are "lit up" by our presence, our passing, our smiles, our thoughts. Even in a dark car headed the wrong direction, light finds a way to do what it does. Even a life seemingly hurt and battered and bruised and lost is never outside God's reach. Don't give up on anyone, ever. God might be using you to light their faces.

Many blessings to you this weekend! :) k

Storms: Before and After

This morning at 5:00am I awoke to the sound of a strong spring storm. The room flashed full of light and then the thunder rolled in...the wind pushed at the windows and the downpour roared against the roof. It was wonderful, cleansing, powerful, releasing. Before storms arrive--the external weather-related kind or the internal, emotional kind--there's always a build-up in the atmosphere: things unsaid, emotions unclaimed, energy cells stagnating. The force of the storm pushes away the stalled or stuffed energy, moving through as a living force and releasing what's real, what's new, what needed to come out. Now we can have spring. Thank God. :) k

War Fries

This morning an almost unbelievable story came to my attention. The U.S. House of Representatives have renamed "french toast" and "french fries" in the House cafeteria because they are mad at France. Here's the link: CNN Fries Article

Can any reasonable adult think this will take us toward peace? Is it possible that humans--so eager to be caught up in the passion of collective, self-proclaimed righteousness--can completely miss the fact that they are acting like third graders and fanning the fires of hatred? Do they not realize that they are modeling behaviors that show an entire country how to act? This completely baffles me. How I wish peace were our nation's priority! No, I wish God was truly first in every heart and mind on Capital Hill. Then the passionate rhetoric would stop and peoples inflamed egos would dissipate and we'd begin talking rationally about what we can do to heal the world. That's my prayer today. Peace to you all. -k

The Lights Go On

It's been an amazingly snow-heavy winter here in Indiana. As soon as one layer of snow begins to melt, another falls. Last Saturday night my son Cameron and I sat in the dark for 4 1/2 hours (with candles and a battery operated radio) because a heavy snowstorm knocked out our power. We talked, we read by candlelight; I crocheted a blanket I started three years ago. What do we do without busy-ness? Without noise and electronics and Playstation 2? We talked, we thought, we listened, we waited. And then the lights went on, as mysteriously and as suddenly as they went out. Beyond our control, simply requiring our acceptance. That's the way I'm learning from God these days--accepting what is, being grateful for it, and learning to meet Him in the quiet moments underneath the rush and clatter of our modern life. :) k

New Forum

I love blogging (and especially this blog), but this particular forum is limited in that it can offer only the stories and thoughts that occur to me throughout the day. I'd like to hear what you're thinking and experiencing, too. Douglas Tindal, Producer at FaithandValues.com (www.faithandvalues.com), has asked me to host a community forum on their site to help us all explore "the sacred in the ordinary" in our lives. I'm excited! I hope you'll come visit me at that forum (go to http://forum.faithandvalues.com and click Practical Faith) and write in and say hello!

Have a good weekend! :) k

The Gift

A friend sent this story to me just a few minutes ago and I wanted to share it with you:

In a remote village in Central America, the word got out that one of the missionaries who had served their country for many years was about to return home for her remaining years. The nationals desired to honor her for her long service with a public time of appreciation. News of the event spread to all parts of the country where the missionary was well-known. One very old and poor man walked to the ceremony over mountainous terrain for four days to bring his gift to her. The gift consisted of two coconuts, but it was all he had. The missionary recognized the man as he was approaching. "Brother," she said, "I cannot believe that you would walk so far to present me with this gift." He responded: "The long walk is part of the gift."

In our modern, goal-driven world, we want to see the fruits of our efforts, the effect of our labor. We can easily think that the results of our actions--the successful stewardship campaign we led, the wagon we built, the science project we assisted in, the prayers we offered--are the important part. But each moment, each breath, each smile, each step is part of the gift; the gift we offer God, the gift we offer each other, the gift we offer ourselves. Let's live today joyfully! It's a gift we're always sharing. :) k

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There Is Peace

This moment, all around me, there is peace. Just outside my window I see sparrows on the branches of the leafless burning bush, chattering to each other and soaking in the sun. The tops of the snow mounds along the walks and driveways in my neighborhood glitter like they've been sprinkled with diamond dust. My sons are at school, well-fed and secure. My relationships are harmonious. Life is good. Peace is here, in this moment, all around me in this world I see, this world I've been given, this world that blesses me. Is it peaceful where you are, right now? In your life, in your mind, in your heart? Let's thank God for it with all we've got. There is peace in this world. And what we pay attention to grows--in the Name of God. So let's agree to love the peace God has placed in our homes and souls so much that it magnifies and instantly extends to embrace the world. Can peace be more than that?

Blessings on your day! :) k

A Wonderful Gift

A friend sent this poem to me just a few minutes ago...it's wonderful. I love Rumi (thanks, Chris!). I wanted to share it with you, too. Here it is: :) k

Zero Circle

Be helpless, dumbfounded,
Unable to say yes or no.
Then a stretcher will come from grace
to gather us up.

We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.
If we say we can, we’re lying.
If we say No, we don’t see it,
That No will behead us
And shut tight our window onto spirit.

So let us rather not be sure of anything,
Beside ourselves, and only that, so
Miraculous beings come running to help.
Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,
We shall be saying finally,
With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.
When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,
We shall be a mighty kindness.

--Rumi

Increasing Still-ability

This afternoon, right after lunch, I was standing at the kitchen window watching my now-big-100-pound Newfoundland puppy Georgie bound joyfully through the snow in the backyard. I was munching shortbread cookies. As I finished one cookie and started another, I heard myself wonder, "Why am I eating these? I'm not hungry...and they don't even taste good." The answer was, "I'm having trouble being still," and I knew that it was true.

The last few weeks have been an incredibly busy work time for me. I rush through my morning routine--which typically involves 20 to 30 minutes of meditation, reading, and writing in my journal--do a quick version of yoga (which really negates the whole point of yoga), and talk to God on the run, in the car, in-between paragraphs as I write. I don't feel distant from God, but I sure haven't given him the focused attention I usually do. As I stood there crunching cookies, though, I suddenly understood the frenetic cycle I was in...running from one thing to another, tapping my foot and thinking of the next thing, jittering, planning, moving...

The problem with incessant activity is that there's no listening time, no clearing in a mind that rests, no receptivity to new, healed, or blessed perceptions. There's simply a fast management of life as I perceive it, navigating through deadlines, getting the kids fed, trying to plot the fastest way to school with the least traffic. I suspect that making stillness a priority once again--perhaps especially in the midst of such time pressure--will give me focus and rest and a knowing that I miss when I'm running through my days.

So thanks for the cookie, God, and for the realization that went along with it. I'm going to find a clear spot in my afternoon and just hang out with you for a while.

Blessings on your day! :) k

Answered Prayers

A word of encouragement for all of us who pray for peace, for love, for healing in these days, taken from today's entry in God Calling (Jove Books, NY):

Remember, trembling heart, that with God, to hear is to answer. Your prayers, and they have been many, are answered.

May we all feel God with us today and claim the divine reassurance that our prayers are always heard and answered.

TGIF! Have a great weekend. :) k

The Little Things of God

* a smile * a touch * letting a grumpy person go before you in traffic * reassurance * waking up on a cold morning under a pile of warm blankets * being truthful because you believe it's right * being truthful because you know it's healing (for you both) * being truthful because you know God is in the words you speak and carries the spirit of healing between the two of you * letting small annoyances pass * not getting insulted when your kids take you for granted * taking time to listen when you don't think you have it * getting a sudden glimpse of the preciousness of life * being thankful for everything * seeing your friends perfect just the way they are * remembering that everything God created, He named "good" (including you and me) * glimpsing beauty in falling snow, majesty in forceful winds, peace in raindrops, and love--and the need for it--in the faces of all those you see today.

Many blessings on your day! With love, :) k