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Saturday, February 27, 2016

Peace?

When I was young, I dreamed of world peace. I did various things in an effort to foster peace. I worked on myself to be peaceful, for how could I ask the world to be at peace if I myself was not? I got groups together to enter a consensus that peace was possible, the first step I thought. If one thinks it impossible, then whatever is done is a push pull - try this, but it's not possible anyway so why try? etc etc etc

In reading some more of Teilhard this week, I find a piece of my peace puzzle. He says that as we come closer together physically, by virtue of the fact there are more and more of us, we need to come closer together at the heart. He sees it as a next step in evolution. Sympathy for one another is required. I would add and maybe replace that with empathy. Love for sure.

The old ideologies that divide must go. Humanity must grow up.We need to look at one another with a wider eye, not just through the lens of what has always been. We need to drop the old shell, come out of the cocoon, emerge as a sparkling new being.

Prayer, contemplation, deep spiritual practice can lead us there I think. Yet how do we get a significant number of people to sincerely, regularly enter such practices? How do we get individuals to begin working on themselves to become peace, letting go of ego's strident stance? How do we get people off the constant, stupefying immersion in electronic life of phones, computer, television, etc? How do we get bad actors out of stone age, tribal, violent mentality that serves no one, including themselves?

I can see the possibility of peace. I can see a leap up in consciousness. I can see a spiritual evolution. I know it is possible. Whether or not it is possible in my lifetime, I do not know. It seems that perhaps we as the humanity of earth are on a downward flight just now. Perhaps as with an addict, we must hit bottom in order to get up and find a better way. Let us pray about it.

Holy Presence, enter our hearts and minds with Your Peace. Lead us to walk this earth softly, with empathy and love. Reveal to us what we can do to help bring peace on earth. Help us to be part of the shift of humanity growing up. Open our eyes, our hearts, our minds, our whole being to You. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me...

Friday, February 26, 2016

Just a Little

I was just pondering how sometimes a tiny thing can have leverage and end up making a big difference, and low and behold on the television came just such a story. I'll try to recall the details. A man in prison for killing his landlady with an ax was unhappy that he was not allowed to vote, He sued. The court agreed. He changed voting for felons and may change the course of some of the elections.

Actually, I had been thinking about changes because of small acts of kindness and goodness. A tiny act can open a tiny crevice in the heart and leverage good things for years to come. And, I guess it's partly the old adage that you may be entertaining angels unawares, and Jesus' thought that whatever you do for the least among us we do for him. I thought of some of the small acts of kindness that people did in my long gone past. Let's see:

  • Aunt Eleanor painting my little girl fingernails bright red, and also honoring my art and getting me panting lessons.
  • Kathy Emshaw across the street letting me use her bike to learn how to ride - it took me all day, but I did it.
  • Kathy Peterson having me for week-ends at her house in Friendly Hills. Lots of brothers and sisters and running freely in the orange groves, eating frozen orange halves like sherbet, and simply having a couple of days feeling free.
  • My daddy building me the most wonderful swing, putting in a tetherball, helping me with my science project and everything else.
  • Mother taking me with her on buying trips to L.A. for the store where she was the buyer.
  • Ms. Crowell taking me under her wing and introducing me to theater, to caviar and many special things,
  • and a thousand little things from countless people.
Each little kindness adds up, opens up the heart, moves us in positive directions. I was thinking about how wonderful that every good and kind act done for us is also done for Jesus. It all adds up to another step on the spiritual path for the person being kind, for the person receiving the kindness and for Christ. 

Unintended consequences can be a good thing when they start a chain reaction of light. Let's see how many little kind things we can do this week.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Halls of Memory

This morning, as I awoke, I saw a shadowy picture of 3rd grade me, and I heard the haunting violin music of "Red River Valley." I was so very happy, standing in that long ago dining room playing that song. I did not know that the next day I would be grieving because my mother sold my violin and told me I was tone deaf. It was one of hundreds of times she took something from me without discussion or warning and gave me a nonsensical reason.

But what I experienced was more cosmic than the experience itself. I saw that every moment of our lives is alive in the corridor of our journey here on earth and before. It weaves itself into the fabric of our experience. That moment is one of zillions of moments. They are there as part of us. They inform us and show us where we are on our journey.

For example, that memory for me was poignant, shadowy, tender. I felt love for that little girl part of me. If it were sharp edged and painful, it would tell me I have more forgiveness work to do.

I developed a technique to lead a person to the moment they got off course and their negative pattern began, and to help heal it. I used to do it many times for people. As a retired person, it has been a long time since I've counseled and healed as I once did.

Anyway, there are successive moments of who we have ever been, and we can heal the moments that stand shouting and sharp edged. They can be woven into our depth of faith and compassion, once forgiveness and understanding have healed them.

If there is anything I've learned, it is that forgiveness is real, required for spiritual growth, and it is possible. The sharp edged resentment keeps us under the sharp edge, and we apply that sharp edge to others and to current situations. The sharp edges keep us out of communion, deep relationship, oneness with God.  Forgiveness releases all of that. 

I come ready and willing this day to shift my story to forgiveness. Lead me to that place of the forgiven and forgiving.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Thoughts on Original Plans

John Duns Scotus said that Christ was Plan A from the very beginning, and that Christ came from God's perfect love and perfect and absolute freedom. Richard Rohr said that The Great Mystery could not be a mere mop-up exercise after folks messed up. I hope you will read Richard Rohr's daily mediation of 2 days ago on this topic:  

One of the things that grabbed my attention in that mediation is this: 
Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity; 
Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God.

As I look at my life, the life of others and the history and current affairs here on earth, I definitely see the need for attitude adjustment. It occurs to me that re-reading the Gospels with this in mind, we might discover a new Gospel that speaks to us more directly. We might find a coherent study in how we can live more fully in relationship with The Presence.  

In what ways does Jesus talk to us about changing our minds about God? 

This leads me to some other questions. In what ways do we need to change our minds about God? Do we know God as a loving Presence that is with us always, speaks to us, listens to us? Do we fear God and imagine God far away and sometimes violent? Can we understand God of the cosmos, can we comprehend the Cosmic Christ, can we find an expanded idea of God in the new physics, or do we need myths to protect us? Are we willing to change our minds about God? 

Friday, February 12, 2016

Playing with Time

A couple of the most frequently questions asked of me are: "Do you sleep? How do you get so much done?"

My usual answer is: "I play with time."

I think that is an accurate reply, but it is really difficult to explain. There are elements such as: I can multi-task, I focus in this moment, I am subject to Inspiration - to aha moments - to suddenly knowing things, etc. I trust. I may begin a bleach drawing on dark Kona Cotton, for example, and I may not know exactly what the outcome will be. I just go with it. I allow Life to operate in me. It may end up to pretty, or maybe whimsical, or maybe it's perfect for the trashcan. (Below are 2 of my Clorox drawings slightly embellished with color from fabric dye pens. They came out the way they came out. I allowed them to come through me, and they came very quickly.)



I am extremely creative. I think to be creative, there is an element of holding it all lightly with lots of space, allowing, accepting - not trying to control. I see a lot of people who begin something new all tied in knots, tight, controlled, afraid of making mistakes. The creative energies that spurred the original inspiration just freezes up and seem to be gone. The person then thinks/says, "See I knew I couldn't ___________."

When we risk trying, we realize there was no risk. I mostly deal with people in the sewing, quilting, political and spiritual areas of life. Say you're a quilter and a new technique is presented to you. What is your response? Resistance, fear, pulling back, tightening up, a need to control? What I do is just try it, go for it. By missing all the time spent on the resistance gang, I'm already done when you're just working up to starting.

There is the context in which we hold our lives that plays a part in playing with time. Mostly what our decisions are about are NOT about world peace, ending world hunger, the final cure for cancer or some such monumental thing. But, many act as if trying out applique, for example, is just that important. Really? What's the worst thing that can happen? Maybe it gets donated to charity or goes in the trash. So what. The planet still is in orbit and the cure for cancer still looms in the future.

Another aspect is starting the morning with some moments in quiet, prayer, reflection, and inspirational reading. That sets up the day in a positive way, encourages a relaxed and trusting approach to what the day holds.

We can shed limitations. Know that Infinite Intelligence is with us. We are not alone. We can accomplish amazing things, and some things that do end up in the trashcan. It's all good. It all teaches. It all adds depth and texture to the tapestry of our lives.

Ultimately, do we want a life that we savor and are present for moment by moment, aware, fully alive, or do we want to live a shut down life not fully alive to the moment, holding back, not risking? Or I could ask, "Do we want a life that honors the gift of life the Divine has given us?"

Sunday, February 7, 2016

The Mystic Journey

Teilhard de Chardin liked nature's landscape in some of his metaphors. I am intrigued by one he used describing the mystic journey. I will paraphrase it and add some to it from my understanding.

Imagine with me that you are a traveler on an extremely foggy mountain, and you are climbing toward the summit which is bathed in light. You were placed on this precise spot on the mountain by the current moment in history, the place of your birth, your individual vocation or mission or reason for coming to earth. This is your starting point. One of your tasks is to climb to the Light. To get there, you pass through obstacles, a series of footholds, slips, advances. Some ways you try, are dead-ends, so you go back a bit and try another assent. You must experiment with various approaches and test different barriers. At the same time, you must keep the passion for the climb strong. Without passion, there will be no assent. 

I see here on earth just a few who passionately climb that mountain, determined to reach the Light. Rather, sadly, I see many who give up and just live in whatever spot they find themselves. These are the deflated, the adherents to other people's beliefs, the people a bit slumped over with no twinkle, little light in the eye.

It is my firm belief, understanding and teaching that no matter how long one has nestled into some crag or other, the Light still calls. No matter what - we can still renew ourselves and again begin the assent to the Light at the mountaintop.

Let us climb on.What a glorious Light awaits.

I come this day ready to stand up and resume my climb. Grant me the vision and courage and passion required to not only go on, but to reach the mountaintop. Lead me again on the mystic journey. Guide my steps. Fill my heart. Lead on.

2016

It's 2016. What does that mean? I was thinking about this today. There are billions of 2016's, one or more for each person on the planet.

There are people who live in deep jungles and are not aware of any of the things we hold as common. There are people in the slums of poor countries. There are people in wartorn places. There are people who live under dictatorships and daily fear. There are people who live in mansions and have staff to care for them. There are healthy athletes, feeble elderly, bouncing toddlers, busy people and lazy people. There are creators and destroyers. Each has a different version of what this year means to them, if they even are aware that it is 2016.

The earth experience, this year, life on earth is not one thing. Sometimes people tend to think everyone is like them and knows what they know or think they know. But even in crowded highrises or slums, life is an individual experience. My life is not the same as my neighbor's, my way of interpreting this or that is not their way. We each see through eyes that come to the moment with an array of different experiences and conclusions.

And yet, we are all called to learn how to love. That's our common mission. We don't seem to be doing so well if the news reports are accurate. I guess, no matter how it is in our shoes, we need to somehow tug on our own hearts and rise up to be the love God calls us to be.

Lord, lead me to wipe the lenses of my life with Your Love so that I may see as You see. Lead me to Love so purely and completely that I fulfill Your challenge to me to learn how to Love You, my neighbor and myself. Let this year be remembered as the year Love triumphed.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Twinkling of An Eye

It fascinates me how life can turn on a dime, change in the twinkling of an eye - totally change. Down becomes Up. Sorrow becomes Joy. Lost becomes Found.

The funny thing is that it oft times seems to come on its on, outside of our personal power or skills or efforts. For weeks or months or maybe years, there were prayers and various efforts and attempts to make "it" happen, but nothing seemed to change. Then, all of a sudden, there "it" is.

What I think happens is that during the process we just went through, we were changed. We became "ripe" to receive. Prayer is not to inform Infinite Intelligence. Prayer is not to persuade Divine Presence, for we are already loved and held in Light. Prayer is to change us, to change our relationship to the Divine. Prayer makes us more whole. Prayer opens spiritual channels in us. Prayer purifies us of ego. We are changed.

I know that I feel different today than a few years ago when we entered our strange years of living "down the rabbit hole." My prayers for freedom from this bizarre experience, have actually been working inside of me, shifting, healing, lifting, revealing, bringing me closer and deeper to the Divine Presence.

Today is a new day. Today I am a new me. Thank You, God!