The Grace of Christmas Memories

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings

of great joy which will be to all people.”

(Luke 2:10) 

Shepherds received this message from an angel while watching their flock at the time of Christ’s birth.  One can only imagine what they experienced – an angel appearing to them amidst their daily routine!  The angel told them not to be afraid and said they would find Him in swaddling clothes lying in a manger – and so they did.  The shepherds then made their experience widely known throughout their community.

Today, perhaps we can bring their experience present by acknowledging the meaning of Christmas.  Something that always helps me be true to this special time are my childhood Christmas memories.

Beyond the excitement of “What is Santa going to bring?” there were always moments I could count on that are now etched in my heart.  The time was one of “coming together.”  We would visit friends and family or they would visit us.  With the tree lit and the manger scene displayed, it was a reminder that we were all acknowledging the birth of Christ.  Perhaps it was something like what the shepherds did – share in the knowledge and joy of what has taken place.  Our family would attend midnight Mass, which brought its own special moments: the angelic sounds of the boys’ and men’s choir, the smell of incense wafting throughout the church, the stained-glass windows darkened by the night, the candles flickering, the sound of my Dad’s voice resonating deeply inside me when he sang O Holy Night, the drive home in the cold darkness – once home, we’d share hot chocolate and cookies around the kitchen table.  It was always memorable, a wonderful feeling, one filled with awe and wonderment.  It was Christmas.

The shepherds were also told to give “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:14)

In our current society, many have become hesitant to acknowledge the true meaning of Christmas in order to be politically correct.  Wishing someone, anyone, a Merry Christmas is a gift to be given when we understand the true meaning behind it.

I wish each of you the promise of joy, peace and goodwill.

A Blessed Merry Christmas and Happy, Healthy New Year!

The Grace of Spiritual Growth

Often in my life, I have received visuals, quick little scenes in my mind that only last a second or two but bring great teachings for spiritual growth.  In one of those visuals, I was walking through quicksand up to my shoulders.  It was not horrible, nor hard; it was just slow moving and required a steady stride.  I knew, instinctively, this represented my spiritual growth.  Shortly after that, I had another visual—I was coming out of the quicksand—Jesus was holding my hand, helping me to step up and out onto a rock.  There He was in His beautiful, white robe, ever-so-gently assisting me.  Overwhelming!  The feeling I had in my heart from the second visual was that Jesus was pleased with my work toward my spiritual growth.  At the time, I had just come through a very difficult period in my life, a time when I was grieving and needed to forgive.  I realized that visual showed me that God had walked beside me during my difficult time and was now helping me up and out of those lessons.  Some years later, I read the following passage from the Bible, Psalm 40:1-2:

“I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up and out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”

This passage described exactly what I had experienced in my visual – once again, I was overwhelmed!  It has since become a prophetic verse for me.

Some years later, another visual came to me—a little plant growing out of rocks.  We’ve all seen a dandelion growing up through asphalt, a daisy creeping up through a crack in the sidewalk, or a full-grown tree, thriving through a bed of rocks.  Plants extend their roots toward a source of water; they also curve around to reach the sun’s rays.  What does that tell us?  The plant’s reason for being here is to grow!  This visual taught me: our reason for being here is to grow.  Some of us get tremendous nurturing and some grow amidst rocky soil.  Our growth is not only through nourishment for our physical bodies but through nourishment of our spiritual selves.  Even under the worst of conditions, God’s love comes through our hearts and souls; and like plants need water and sun, He feeds our souls even when we are downtrodden and lost.

He will find a way to teach us; He will find a way to give us messages of His Love—no matter how strongly we shut Him out.  He sheds His Light on our life even when we are filled with darkness.  He is the One who sets our foot upon a rock, brings us out of the miry clay, to receive His Light.  Grace.

Wishing you a beautiful Thanksgiving!

 

Zion National Park, Utah  8/2013

The Grace of Resilience

“Be utterly humble

And you shall hold to the foundation of peace.

Be at one with all these living things which, having arisen and flourished,

Return to the quiet whence they came,

Like a healthy growth of vegetation

Falling back upon the root.

Acceptance of this return to the root has been called ‘quietism….’”

 

(An excerpt from #16 from The Way of Life, according to Lao Tzu, translated by Witter Bynner, 1994)

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to share on this blog post and how to begin.  I recently returned from spending the month of September at a nursing home in Naperville, Illinois, caring for my 92-year-old Mother.  It’s hard to put into words what that experience entailed.

My Mom has always been filled with energy and she is one who loves meeting people and talking with them.  However, I was called back home at the end of August because my Mom’s illness had taken a turn for the worse; and the doctors felt she literally had only a few days left on this earth.

 

When I arrived, she was out of the hospital and in a rehabilitation center to rebuild her strength.  She was actually sitting outside of the center in a wheel chair waving at me.  I had so prepared myself to be ready to support her in her last moments on this earth.  Instead, she appeared to be fine, in good spirits and not ready to leave this plane yet!

While spending time at the rehabilitation center, as I’d walk down the halls to my Mom’s room, I couldn’t help but notice many aged people who were barely hanging onto life.  They appeared to be literally withering away.  Of course, there were people of younger generations who were healing from surgeries or illnesses, too; but they were experiencing more of a temporary situation as opposed to a terminal illness.  I couldn’t help but ponder the whole process of life.

As Lao Tzu stated in the quote above, healthy vegetation begins “falling back upon the root.”  I think of my little great-nieces and great-nephews, who are like little sprouts just beginning to grow, taking in the energy of the sun.  Later, as plants gain strength, they blossom – humans do the same when they mature and begin to create and build their lives.  Just as plants have to withstand the wind and rain and heat and cold, so do humans as they weather the storms of their lives.  Eventually, those little vibrant plants begin to wither away – they have served their purpose, and so do we as humans.

However, plants seem to accept each day as it comes – you don’t see a plant storming off in anger because it’s tired of being rained upon.  Also, plants don’t seem to fight the process of aging.  They accept their time here on earth and reach what Lao Tzu calls “quietism.”  I like that word.  I wondered if some of the elderly people were reaching a point of “quietism” – accepting their last days here and allowing the aging process to be present – no resistance, no anger, no fear, just acceptance.

Meanwhile, my Mom is now in a long-term care home so that she may have constant nursing care.  Her resilience amazed us – she has come back many times from being very close to death.  It is like the little “plant” in her keeps finding sustenance to keep growing instead of “falling back upon the root.”  Also, many people were praying for her health; no doubt God’s Healing Hands gave her strength to carry on.

The Grace of Becoming "Unstuck"

A number of years ago, I worked in the field of behavioral health, supporting persons with a serious mental illness to get their life back on track.  I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about life.  What I found most often was that people were “stuck” – their illness had so changed their lives that they had forgotten what they used to do to enjoy life.

One example involved a woman in her mid-30s.  Her mental illness was due to tremendous abuse as a child, so she carried a very strong bravado – a football player ready for her next tackle!  Her mantra was like Clint Eastwood’s “Go Ahead – Make my Day!”  Unfortunately, there was no one she could trust, so she led a very solitary life of fear.  Each day, she dug in her heels a little deeper and would not budge from her stance.  What I learned when she got the courage to become “unstuck,” was that it was like taking a huge leap; however, the huge leap was all in her mind.  This required taking a step away from her ego to take a step toward trust; once there, she learned that taking this huge step was not like crossing a chasm after all, it was more like stepping over a thread.

As in her case, fear is what often causes us to become “stuck.”  Perhaps we’ve experienced a bad relationship, or we were abused as a child or we’ve gone through abandonment or some type of loss during life.  Often, we hang onto what we think is a “life vest” for survival; however, unfortunately, this is only an illusion, created by our mind to help us to feel safe.

Blame is another way to become “stuck.”  There is a great statement related to this: “The day you stop blaming is the day you take responsibility for your life.”  Often we blame someone in our life for why our life didn’t turn out as we had hoped or we feel we’re “stuck” in our current situation because of what we experienced in life.  However, as long as we stay in blame, we give our power over to that person who hurt us or abused us or left us.  Herein lies the being “stuck” part.  Once again, we dig in our heels a little deeper to strengthen our stance.

Our ego wants us to stay in fear because it has “control” over us; however, this brings about a lot of suffering.  Often the first step to getting “unstuck” is to accept the situation exactly as it is.  This is a way to honor our life and who we are.  From an “accepting” standpoint, we’re no longer “resisting,” which then opens the door to seeing things in a different light.  This releases the struggle that’s around the issue or the way of life and allows Healing Light to come in.

God has given us a tremendous gift – our life – it is amazing just how intricate it is.  I think it’s important to take responsibility to unload all the hurts and the pain, to let go and to allow only the positive juices to flow.  By so doing, we honor our life, we then become more open and gain more confidence in extending love to others, which is the gift that God wants us to share here on earth.

The Grace of Connecting to Spirit

Today, I would like to talk about connecting to Spirit – the vast spiritual power that is available to us.

Perhaps a good place to start is to discuss the feeling of being disconnected, which happens often in our society because there are so many things demanding our attention.  I feel most disconnected when there is too much over-stimulation from modern-day technology – I find this “clutters” my inner being, my intuition, which is where Spirit comes through.  Years ago, I heard someone say – when you feel most disconnected, you are not connected to your intuition.  Our intuition is very important to us because it brings us information and answers to our questions.  Often it comes in the form of that “soft-still voice” – Spirit.

One way to unleash the clutter in our mind is to meditate.  Often people feel afraid of meditating because they’re unfamiliar with it.  But, it doesn’t have to be anything formal – just sit quietly with no interruptions and try to calm your mind.  A good way to start is to focus on something in your life that you would like to improve.  The more we quiet our mind, the more peace and serenity we will find in our life.  In this way, the quiet times will help us connect to Spirit to hear intuitive messages.

I find I connect most easily in nature, which offers me peace and serenity and provides a space for connecting.  Nature always provides something new to see – something that doesn’t clutter our minds but calms our minds instead.  For example, below is a cactus flower I captured in Wickenburg, Arizona.  Can you even begin to describe the whiteness of this flower or the intricacies of the delicate green and white or the little touches of mauve?  It was just sitting there, being all it can be!  Taking in nature and all its beauty is a good way to find our inner stillness.  Eckhart Tolle, in his book A New Earth (2005) states: “Seeing beauty in a flower can awaken humans, however briefly, to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being, their true nature.”

 





Music is another way to connect with Spirit, which offers an ethereal experience and one that reaches deeply within us.  One song that comes to mind is The Prayer – no matter who sings it (Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Charlotte Church), it’s a song that pulls us away from societal noise and into a place of silence and awe.  Music has the ability to reach deeply inside our soul, where we can then feel the touch of Spirit.  Here is an example: Years ago, I was listening to the soundtrack from Les Miserables.  Just prior to that, I had asked God how we are to know what He looks like – we have an idea of what Jesus looked like but I didn’t know how to visualize God.  While listening to the soundtrack, the following words were sung: “And remember, the truth that once was spoken, to love another person is to see the face of God.”  I knew that was the answer to my question but we have to watch and listen for these intuitional messages.  We know that God is Love and this was my confirmation.

 

Lastly, I’d like to share a quote that I just read from Deepak Chopra’s website, which seems to state so beautifully this same message:

 

“When going about your daily life, continue to cultivate stillness whenever possible.  Spend time in nature, absorb its beauty, and notice how its abundance is spread before you.  Bask in the energy of beautiful music; uplifting and inspirational stories; optimistic, like-minded people.  As you do this, you’ll find the field of all possibilities will open wide to help your dreams, hopes and desires come to fruition.”

 

Today, capture the sunset or a flower; be in awe and feel connected to Spirit.

 

With Deepest Gratitude for the Grace of 19 Heroic Arizona Firemen, June 30, 2013

Today is a difficult day for all of us across America, within Arizona and within the communities of Yarnell and Prescott, Arizona, as we hear of the fatalities of 19 brave and courageous men of the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Crew of the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.  However, our sadness pales in comparison to the suffering of the families, friends and fellow Firefighters, as they begin to take in the reality of this sudden and devastating loss.  At this point, we can only pray:

Dear Lord, it is in You that we place our trust.  In these times of tragedy and loss, feelings arise that we do not know how to handle - it is overwhelming.  How do we understand this loss?

Nineteen men, with tremendous skills and amazing bravery were on the fire line doing their jobs – protecting community members and their homes.  Yet, no matter how skilled and knowledgeable, we are not always aware of what we do not know, what will happen next, where the winds will pick up and where the fire will proceed.  These brave men know this is a part of their job.

In this particular time in the history of the United States, many feel that we as a Country have lost our integrity and are faltering – we often find  among us, less-than-ethical politicians, people wanting to take advantage of others, a growing lack of human decency and respect – yet, also among us, we find these 19 brave men of amazing ability and integrity.  This grave loss actually gives us hope in the Human Spirit.  To know that these young men saw their potentially imminent death and took the last and final cover for their own safety, not knowing the outcome – on our behalf, makes our every-day complaints trivial.  Dear Lord, please help us to strive, as individuals of this Country, to realize what we are capable of, as individuals, as a community and as a Country.  In order to honor these men, we must each do more to make the community of the Human Spirit of these United States better for everyone and for all of us.

At this time, let us lead with prayer for the Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, Spouses, Children and extended Families of each of these fallen men.  There are no words to comfort their sadness, to replace their loss or to lessen their grief; but let us honor these heroes so their families know we are standing with them and by them through this most difficult time.

Dear Lord, let us also remember all the families who have been displaced and have lost their homes or their livelihoods; let us ask for healing for each of them in their grief and in their loss.  Let us also pray for the Firefighters who are still fighting the fire and risking their own lives, knowing they have experienced this immediate loss of their fellow team members and comrades.

In Your Name and with our deepest gratitude, we ask for your gracious blessings.

The Grace of God's Abundant Nature

Sit back, relax and enjoy the journey….

Your journey begins in the White Mountains of Arizona – a land with pristine forests, meadows and streams.  As you wander across Interstate 40 and head through Flagstaff, Arizona, you are awestruck by the San Francisco Mountains, standing tall, the snow-capped peaks stark against the deep blue sky.  Your journey then takes you through Tuba City, Arizona, where the Hopi Reservation and Navajo Nation meet.  The deep history of these Tribes can be felt in the ancient red and beige rock formations.  Before you know it, you are crossing into Utah, where vibrant, yet muted, red rocks greet you.

You are surprised to learn you have entered Zion National Park – you’re actually there!  You learn that the rock formations are mostly Navajo Sandstone, dating back millions of years and that the Native people, the Anasazi’s, date back thousands of years.  It is no wonder Native People have such reverence for Mother Earth.  You find the intricate rock formations reach deeply inside you and touch your heart.  The little town of Zion is sweet with many shops to explore; galleries filled with colorful pieces of art, depicting the local scenery.  The Park itself is welcoming and breathtaking!  Rock formations carved out by the Virgin River for many centuries greet you, while the beautiful, little flowers that find their way to sunlight through rock crevices, amaze you!

 

 

Back on the road again, you wander northeast to find Bryce Canyon National Park.  You can’t imagine that these rock formations could be any different; yet, they are vastly different.  As you climb higher and higher in elevation, snow pellets lightly accent the amazing structures of this Park.  These structures silence you – they have a spiritual quality to them – you feel you have entered sacred ground.  You witness many amphitheaters filled with structures called hoodoos, spirals of sedimentary rock formed by weathering and erosion that range in color from beige to coral to orange.  Legend has it that these hoodoos are people turned to stone by the trickster, the coyote.

 



As you leave Bryce Canyon, you travel up and up in elevation toward Brian Head, Utah.  The snow thickens as you climb until you’ve reached the sky – a summit of 10,420 feet!  Breathtaking!

 

  

The next day, you awaken and you journey northbound through the center of Utah.  You’re surrounded by rolling acres of farmland, each with a backdrop of snow-painted mountains – farmhouses and barns sprinkled far apart.  As you proceed northeast, you enter Idaho.  Immediately you realize the scenery has changed.  It dawns on you that the color of the earth in each of the States you’ve traveled is entirely different – the red earth of Arizona is contrasted by the brown earth of Utah’s farmland and then contrasted further by the chestnut-colored earth of Idaho.  You see many huge truckloads of potatoes along the way.  Somehow, you know an Idaho potato will never be the same again – you realize that chestnut-colored earth imbeds nutrition into that potato for your own health and wellbeing.

 

Now that you have that long travel day behind you, you have much that awaits you today.  You travel through tiny towns that signify small-town America, where you see school buses on their routine runs and small shops opening.  You meander along the Targhee National Forest to the Bridger-Teton National Forest; once again, you’re climbing and then descending – into Wyoming.  The town of Jackson stops you in your tracks!  What could this be in front of you?  An arch of antlers?  You must get a picture - maybe two!  Then the kid in you arises as you see this cowboy on a bucking horse atop an old bar!  It’s the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar – oh, if it could only talk, what stories it would tell!

 

At this point of the journey, you realize you have witnessed so much beauty in nature that you think you must have seen everything by now – until you reach the Grand Teton National Park.  You then wonder how these massive structures were ever formed – how they landed in this most-perfect setting.  But you learn that these amazingly jagged peaks of the Teton Range are a geologic wonder, rocks nearly three billion years old at the core, some of the oldest rocks in North America, yet some of the youngest rocks in the world.

 

 

As you wander through the Park, you realize everything is at peace, gentle rivers flow, while Canada Geese nibble at the fresh, spring grasses and all is well.  You stop to take in one more breathtaking view and wonder how you will ever retain all of these precious moments.

 

 

Refreshed and energized by the beauty, you journey toward Yellowstone National Park.  Your interest is peaked because it’s something you’ve always wanted to see.  Once there, you’re very surprised at the sights you see – geysers, bubbling mud pots and gray land with skeleton-like trees.

 

 

Then, while you await the entrance of Old Faithful, you enjoy an ice cream cone with Huckleberry Ice Cream, something everyone talks about in this area of the Country!  And then it happens!  Old Faithful, once again, puts on a show for everyone!  It happens at approximately hourly intervals.

 



Having now gone through four National Parks, you feel a tremendous pride to be a citizen of this Country.  At each Park, you hear languages from around the world – all just as awestruck as you at the beauty before you.  You realize the huge amount of labor that is required to manage these Parks, yet you feel grateful that your Country finds value in honoring this amazing nature and sharing it with all.

 

After your visit to Yellowstone National Park, you wander around the town of West Yellowstone and it feels invigorating to know how many people find their way to this town from all over the world; this time, you get to share in that excitement and you’re very grateful!
 

A new day begins and you leave Wyoming and head toward Montana, which is wide-open territory with, yet again, more beauty, more nature and more to see!  In order to visit Glacier National Park, you head north to Columbia Falls – on the way there, your travels align Flathead Lake, a most pristine and lovely drive.  You then come upon rows and rows of cherry orchards.

You’ve now seen the vibrant rock sculptures of Zion National Park, the spiritual hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park, the jagged rock masses of the Grand Tetons National Park and the geologic surprises of Yellowstone National Park and you wonder how you could still see something more and something different.  Then, you enter Glacier National Park.  This Park imparts a feeling of longevity, a feeling that this scenery is steeped in history, in geology and in beauty.  Once again, you are awestruck by the simple beauty of rock, water and sky.  You see glass-like waters and waters rushing – rushing from the constant influx of snow melt and you know deeply that this is all a part of the plan that happens on God’s time and per God’s plan.  Once again, you are in total amazement by such beauty.

 

Your National Parks Tour may have come to an end but your journey is still alive and you continue onward.  You leave Columbia Falls, Montana and head westward toward Washington State.  Along the route, you see the beauty of many Montana lakes and White-tailed Deer eating their morning grasses and then the flight of a Bald Eagle, his head stark against the morning sky, flying briskly over a lake with so much determination.  In your heart you know that, in this moment, all is right with the world.

 

For your next stop, you arrive in Leavenworth, Washington, a Bavarian town, filled with much to see and much to do!  The little shops so quaint with German flair make you feel as though you’re in Europe!  You enjoy a delicious German meal at Café Christa and in your mind, you ask your German Grandfather, whom you never had the opportunity to meet, to let you know if this looks like the town where he grew up.  You begin to eat your meal and a song begins to play in the background – it touches your heart instantly and deeply – you realize it’s a German song your Father sang to you as a child.  You haven’t heard the song in over 40 years.  All you can remember from the song is the refrain: “Val da Rih, Val da Rah, Val da Rih, Val da Rah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Val da Rih, Val da Rah….”  You later learn that the name of this song is The Happy Wanderer and the beginning lyrics are:

 

I love to go a-wandering

Along the mountain track

And, as I go, I love to sing

My knapsack on my back!

 

How appropriate!  Here is a YouTube version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQRzTtkIP64
 

 

The next morning, the staff at the Alpen Rose Inn prepare a nourishing breakfast for you; then you head out to “do the town!”  It’s fun, invigorating and beautiful!  You realize, you are still on the “mountain track!”

 

Later that day, once again you are climbing in elevation, through Stevens Pass and the Snoqualmie National Forest – such beauty!  You then reach Bellingham, Washington – your farthest destination!  Bellingham is a beautiful, Victorian-like town with lots of energy and outdoorsy people!
 

When it comes time to head homeward, you leave Bellingham very early in the morning but still hit the Seattle/Bellevue, Washington rush hour head on!  Once beyond the thick of things, it’s time for the fast-track home!  Today, you head for McCall, Idaho – a long journey.  You cross the width of Washington State and then venture into Idaho – on the way, you come through the Nez Perce Indian Reservation and you feel the depth of the rich history of these Native People.  You stop in a store to linger for a little while, just to feel akin for a moment to the history of this Tribe.

 

Again, you are mountain climbing and following switchbacks into Idaho – the scenery is unbelievable.  You follow the Salmon River into McCall, Idaho and find the river is rushing with the lifeblood of the winter’s snow melt.  The town of McCall is vibrant with energy and has so much to offer.  An outdoorsy town situated on the Payette Lake, McCall is brimming with lots to see and do.  Being at an elevation of over 5,000 feet, the next morning, you find the mist soon turns to sleet and then to snow, which only adds to the beauty of the town.  You wander through the downtown area and then come upon the Ponderosa State Park and you picture the vibrancy of the summer months to come.

 

 

 

 

As much as you may want to stay in this town, it’s time to head southward; next destination, Ogden, Utah.  Once again, you’re following beautiful switchbacks and the South Fork of the Salmon River – amazing scenery.  You reach the town of Boise, Idaho, which is bustling with the lunch crowd.  You cross the Snake River so many times, you’ve lost count!  It’s a long drive and you finally cross into Utah – one more State closer to home!

 

You find Ogden, Utah to be a sweet town and you enjoy a wonderful meal at the Prairie Schooner, where you dine under the stars in covered wagons.  Well fed, you get a good night’s rest to make the trek southward through Utah to reach Flagstaff, Arizona by dinner time.

 

Flagstaff, one of your favorite towns, is always bustling.  Being so close to the Grand Canyon, you can always find people from around the world walking around the town.  You enjoy a wonderful meal at a Latin Restaurant, Criollo’s.  After a good night’s rest, you eat your breakfast at your favorite spot, Macy’s, also a favorite of the locals.  You wander through the shops and galleries of Flagstaff, one of your favorite things to do and then you hop onto Interstate 40, homeward bound!

 

You arrive in the beautiful White Mountains and the area is full of activity because it is the Memorial Day weekend – many people come to the White Mountains to get out of the heat, to hike and fish and enjoy the outdoors!

 

Your journey has included many sights, much beauty and a new lease on life.  In the process of clocking over 4,000 miles, you pass so many acres of farm land; you see many farmers in their fields, way off in the distance, where the only way you can tell there is a farmer at work is by the huge wake of dust behind the tractor.  You see farmhouses so far back into the fields, you wonder how long it takes to get to them.  You see so many irrigation systems along the way – too many to count!  Since this is the planting season, some of the plants are not visible and some are only tiny sprouts; yet the huge irrigation system makes its way across the acreage very slowly, appearing to be some large spider-like creature, gently offering a life source of water to the food Americans will eventually eat.  You gain an appreciation for all the farm workers across the land, as you pass cherry, peach and apple orchards, vineyards, potato fields, grain – oh how many fields of grain you pass, beans and many other plants.  You realize you would not survive without all those hands at work in the fields.  You are thankful and so grateful.  You wonder just how tired a farm worker is at the end of the day and how long it takes him or her to reach home.



 

Flora and fauna abound on your journey and you realize how much joy they bring you throughout the day.  For as much as the flora offers in the varied colors, shapes, sizes and beauty, the fauna offers its own varied colors, shapes, sizes and beauty, as well.  From Columbines growing out of rock crevices in Zion National Park to the little Chipmunk who joined everyone watching Old Faithful release its power at Yellowstone National Park; to all the farm animals (cows, sheep, goats, bulls, long-horned steer, horses and pigs) and birds along the way (the Bald Eagle, many Magpies and many, many Hawks).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



You find appreciation for all the workers along your path who run grocery stores, gas stations, hotels/motels, restaurants – the lifeblood of your Country.  For small-town America and its citizens, who often pay the most for gasoline, who drive so far to the local grocery store; to all the Town, City, County, State and Federal workers who keep your Country running, re-routing traffic in Stevens Pass in Washington State to protect drivers from the potential of falling rock, due to the heavy snow melt coming through the rocks – moving boulders off train tracks that had fallen through the night.  All of these people go to work each day in order to make our lives easier, our roads safer, working along highways and byways, while cars quickly pass them without acknowledgement.  You find such deep gratitude on this journey for workers across America, your beautiful, beautiful land.

 

For this, for all this, you give gratitude, deeply felt, for your safety, for all the joy you experienced, for the newness, the expansion of your breadth of knowledge, the appreciation of many more things than you could ever imagine.  You realize, God's abundant nature, something you've always found to be overwhelmingly beautiful and amazing, is yet even more than you can take in as a mere human.  You thank God for every moment, for every snapshot your eyes captured, you thank God for your sight, for your capability to journey on, the strength and stamina that only He could provide in order to make your journey one of memory, one of fulfillment and one of peace.

 

Thank you, Dear Lord, with all my heart.

The Grace of Those Who Have Given Their Lives for our Country

On this Memorial Day, May 27, 2013, as taps play across our Country, as our hearts beat synchronously with each note, let us deeply thank all those who have given their lives defending and honoring the United States of America.

Let us acknowledge that their death was always untimely, that their lives were taken on the open seas, in desert lands, in barracks meant to protect, and in moments of horror, often without warning.  Let us remember the courage of each soldier and the fear he or she must have felt, yet onward each of them marched, on our behalf.  Let us remember the hopes they must have carried in their hearts for their life’s plan and the heavy weight of war that ravaged those plans.  Let us remember the loss of wisdom, intelligence and energy to our Country’s bank of knowledge, because of their early demise.

Let us also remember every tear shed by every bereaved parent, grandparent, sibling and sons and daughters.  Let us remember the children who never got to know their Father or Mother.  Let us acknowledge the ongoing pain of family members in their grief and ask God for His Healing Light.

Let us pray, today, for our serving Veterans, all across our Nation and all across the world.  Let us also ask God’s Blessings on those who are maimed and/or suffering because of injuries to body and mind.  Let us ask God for their continued safekeeping, for their health and welfare.

 

Let us pray for peace.

“America, America, God shed His Grace on Thee….”

The Grace of Prayer

The theme for the National Day of Prayer (May 2, 2013) is the scripture passage: “And in His name Gentiles will trust.” (Matthew 12:21)

Dear Lord,

Today we take time out of our busy schedules to reflect, to humble ourselves, and to pray.

It is in You that we place our trust.

In this modern era, we are bombarded with communications, media, technology and a fast pace of living.  It is often hard to calm ourselves, to stand still in silence, to let all the noise turn to quiet.

Today, let us stop the process.  Instead,

Let us acknowledge our neighbor who is without a job and ask for opportunities to arise.

Let us be cognizant of those with financial burdens and ask that their weight be lifted.

Let us remember those who are ill and/or hospitalized and ask for their healing.

Let us acknowledge our soldiers serving around the world and ask for their safe keeping.

Let us remember the children who go to school hungry and ask that their hunger be fed.

Let us validate those who experience abuse, children and adults, and ask for Your mercy.

Let us be cognizant of the aged, the crippled, those who suffer from mental illness, those who are blind, deaf or hearing impaired, and ask for Your blessings upon them.

Let us think about those who feel lost or shunned in our world and ask for their acceptance.

Let us validate those who cannot see a future and ask that they find hope.

Let us honor our fellow Americans who were maimed or who perished at the hands of violence in the past year, especially those impacted by the recent bombings in Boston, MA.

Let us recall those who wish harm on others and ask that they be shown Your Light.

Let us appreciate the world we live in and ask that we be better stewards.

Let us recognize our Governmental stewards and ask for Your guidance upon them.

Let us remember those who experienced damage or loss due to weather occurrences and ask for Your care.

Let us acknowledge all people around the world and ask for Your blessings upon them.

Let us be cognizant of those without freedom and ask that their control be lifted.

Lord, please help us to remember that we are all interconnected, we are all souls who are on this earth to learn and to grow and that we are much deeper than our exterior selves.  Please help us to let go of our ego, the need to be right and/or the need to hold power over others; instead, let us humble ourselves and offer lovingkindness to one another.

Our Nation has seen so much strife, yet violence continues.  The sadness of parents in Newtown, CT; the shock experienced by athletes in the Boston Marathon and the heartbreak from loss of children and young adults on our city streets must come to an end.  In each of these cases, individuals were simply living life.  As a Nation, we can do better than this; we must do better than this.

Our society, even amidst all this chaos and tragedy, offers so much more.  Small children and young adults do beautiful things in our communities.  Many adults extend themselves in various ways to better our society.  Please make that love of others, that energy, outshine the horrific acts of a small few.

Dear Lord, we thank you for so many gifts and place our trust in You today.  Thank you for sustaining us, for bringing us toward Your Light, for helping us to make good choices that impact all of us.  As we go about our day today, please bless us, please open our hearts to how we can each better ourselves so that the ripple effect of those good deeds provides a much better world for everyone.

In Your Name and with our gratitude.

The Grace of Survival

“…sometimes we have to have one hand on this rock here,

one hand on that one, and each big toe seeking out firm

if temporary footing, and while we’re scaling that rock face,

there’s no time for bubbles, champagne and a witty aside.

You don’t mind that people in this situation are not being charming. You are glad

to see them doing something you will need to do down the line, and with dignity.”

 

This quote reminds me of rock climbing in the 1980s; however, this is instead a beautiful metaphor about survival, written by Anne Lamott, in her book Bird by Bird (1994), where she points out: “[survival]…this is the task before all of us.”  I’d like to share with you, with deep gratitude, an experience of survival. 

 

I was raised in the mid-west.  My parents were hard-working - 1950s genuine, caring people.  Our family was close-knit, extending to my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.  Without warning, my Father died suddenly.  In outward appearances, we stayed strong.  Life, as we knew it, changed forever.  "I need to figure out how to make a living" was my first thought.  I grew up instantly.  I told my Mom I would use my part-time job money to buy my clothes, purses and shoes (the necessities of a 16-year-old girl!).  Then, I marched through life.  I completed high school and got a full-time job at a large corporation.  I marched into my 20s, my marriage and buying a home – I marched into my 30s, divorce, night school, learning to date again; yet, being responsible all along the way, paying my way wherever I went, taking care of anyone in my path.  No one was going to die on my watch again! 

 

In my 40s, I learned this was called survival.  Survival is highly respected in America – I was a single woman, with a home and a good job; I was going to night school to earn a degree; I had all my bills paid; I was crossing all my “T’s” and dotting all my “I’s.”  I was trying to take care of everyone so they wouldn’t die on me!  I thanked God when my 50^th birthday came—at least my age was telling me I could no longer keep up this pace; nor did I want to do such a thing—filling my days with work, keeping my mind occupied and thinking I could actually keep people breathing! 

 

Staying in survival is remaining a victim and staying in ego—it is not truly living life.  The way we choose to respond to troubles is through fear (attempting to control life) or through love (trusting God’s Will).  My ego (my security) taught me that I was doing fine.  However, the little girl inside of me had been placed on a shelf at 16, never to be heard from again!  There was no time for play—life was very serious.  It is still sometimes hard to relinquish that seriousness. 

 

Once I understood survival, I had this distinct feeling that I had left a piece of my emotional self at 16 – how in the world would I bring it from 16 to 40-something – this could take years!  Instantly, I had this visual in my mind of a large rubberband that had been stretched out fully – all of a sudden, it came right back into place – without snapping my fingers (without hurting)!  It was God’s way of saying: “Ask and you shall receive!”  It was a perfect metaphor, one that expressed God’s most gracious and unconditional love.  When we ask to be healed, He brings it to us – no shouting, no yelling, no belittling and no judgment.  The rubberband came back into place gently and quietly – my 16-year-old emotions came forward instantly!  Emotional Grace! 

 

So, if you find yourself seeking a toehold on life, maybe this will provide some inspiration: 

 

I believe we are each on a Path.  Every space on the Path is a good place—in fact, it is a Sacred place.  As we journey along the Path, there is this most beautiful and loving force ever so gently guiding us, pulling us toward the Light.  I liken this pull to the feel of an undertow.  Think about how very gently an undertow tugs at you; yet wields its vast, innate power.  I consider this Guidance to be God’s Will—within that, we are using our free will.  God is always there with open arms, with the most gracious welcome—every day, every moment.  Unfortunately, we get into our ego and think we are in control of the game of life—that’s when we make it hard and in walks fear!  In life, we can choose fear or love!  If we pay attention to when we’re using our ego, we will find that things become difficult, and we will have more life trials!  Instead, when we open our hearts, trust, we welcome God to lead our lives - we find Peace—we find Love—we find Grace—and Gratitude for His Grace – even for the Grace of Survival!