The Loving Mother Within

I attend a small church.  By small — I mean — 100 members give or take.  We may be a small community but rich in many ways.  Recently, two of  our members passed away within six months of each other.  Granted, they both lived long lives, but the wisdom vacuum they leave behind will definitely be hard to fill.5671957090 043ae6b540 m The Loving Mother Within

 

Then this past weekend, we lost a single mother in the prime of her life.  This summer, she shocked us all with a stage-four cancer diagnosis and before we knew it — she was gone — leaving behind a teen-age son.  All this loss seems to be taking a toll on this tiny little church, shaking well-established paradigms of faith and posing all sorts of questions.

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2012, It’s Up to Us Now!

 2012, Its Up to Us Now!

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So much speculation about 2012.  The ancient Mayan calendar predicts doomsday.  The fundamentalists talk about the rapture.  The New Agers call it a shift to a higher consciousness.  So what is it really?  I don’t think anyone really knows for sure but it’s hard not to notice that something is going on.

Whether it’s the global economy, the weather or political mayhem, most people would probably say that they are being affected by these changes on a personal level.  So why all the angst?  My guess is it’s because we don’t like change.  Who does?  It’s uncomfortable, it’s weird and it’s just plain annoying to not know the future.

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Follow the Bread Crumbs

 Follow the Bread Crumbs

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This is the first year that I have made a personal connection to the Advent season.  All that waiting didn’t resonate with me much before but this year, I get it!  It’s been a year of transition for me but in a good way.  Lots of things shifting, moving and stretching me that aren’t so comfortable for the Taurus in me.

What does all this transitioning have to do with Advent?  It’s about listening and waiting for me.  Waiting for the next crumb to fall so I can follow it and listen for the meaning behind it.  Whether it’s my kids mirroring back to me a new part of myself or meeting new people and having new experiences.

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Just Keep Moving!

A wise-old friend and mentor said to me at lunch one day: Remember to just, keep moving!  Not sure what he meant but intrigued by the firmness in which he said it, I knew that his words would be significant for me someday.  They had a sense of urgency to them, a kind of warning that made me feel inspired rather than afraid.  Not knowing what else to do, I stashed his words away in a special place.  A place I knew I would visit from time to time.  The place where things are a bit wild and untamed, yet full of mystery and grace.  The place that resonates with my soul but not yet ripe or ready to be fully absorbed.

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Image by Bjørnli Foto via Flickr

So I observed these wise words from a distance.  I visited them on occasion but never got close enough to make them my own.  It wasn’t time yet.  I was on my way toward befriending them, that I knew, but how I would submit myself to their truth, I hadn’t a clue.  All I knew was that a change was imminent and I could either resist it or accept it.  Knowing my warrior-like nature, however, I knew the journey to acceptance wouldn’t be easy.  And it wasn’t.

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What is a Creative Shift?

 

300px NGC7293 %282004%29 What is a Creative Shift?

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What is a Creative Shift?

It’s when a bridge is being formed between the old and the new so transformation can occur.  A transition or renaissance of sorts.

What might this mean to you and the world around you?

A Creative Shift seems to be happening on a global scale and moving into the transformational state.  It is not only affecting individuals but groups, communities, organizations and even the environment itself.  As old structures fall and new structures form, it will be important to stay as grounded, realistic and practical as possible when moving through this transition.   Let’s face it, no one likes change, especially human beings.  Fear is usually what holds us back and if this fear accumulates over time, it can reek havoc on our mental, emotional and physical health.  It’s best to learn to be gentle with yourself and allow yourself to “go with the flow” and move at your own pace.  Not only will the fear diminish but you will grow, expand and acquire more freedom for yourself which will also affect others and the world around you.

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Intentionality, Not Always a Slam Dunk!

300px Dunking Intentionality, Not Always a Slam Dunk!Image via WikipediaA dear friend and I started  playing tennis again.  Well, not actually playing, mostly just hitting back and forth.  We both found competitive tennis extremely stressful in our youth but now find the mantra-like sound of hitting from one baseline to the next, very soothing.During one of these healing sessions, we decided to become more intentional about the next phase in our lives.  Both facing lots of transition in our family lives, we decided to focus on our work instead.  We decided to be specific with the universe about where we saw our work lives heading in the next couple months.  We witnessed each others intentions and continued to play, hoping for the best.

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What is Is-ness?

Zen motorcycle What is Is ness?Image via WikipediaWhat is isness?  Some may call it being in the moment.  Others may say it’s about  presence or paying attention.  And some may even see it as grace.  Whatever your take on it,  isnessseems to resonate with a group of twenty-something year olds I know.How we came to this term and it’s meaning was an interesting journey in itself.  Apparently, the term is used in the book: The Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.   After starting this spiritual direction group for twenty-something year olds, I thought we should come up with a term for a higher power that resonated for us all.  This term did not come from our heads but only after some internal mining did we discover that our hearts were aligning with it.  It was an awesome discovery, really, because we all knew that we didn’t choose isness but rather it chose us.

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What the World Needs Now is More Bieber Fever!

 What the World Needs Now is More Bieber Fever!Image via WikipediaI am the first to complain about television programming for teens.  I can barely stand it!   Shows where the parentsand teachers are depicted as complete morons or where the parents don’t even exist yet somehow the kids live in a downtown loft and wear designer clothes is so beyond reality that I begin to wonder if my kids will ever want to work.  And why should they?  Everything they see in the media today is about slacking off, doing nothing yet living off the manna that somehow magically sustains their “have it all” life style.So, how my daughter talked me into watching the Justin Bieber movie Never Say Never with her, I’ll never know.  I suppose being asked to do anything with my fourteen year old daughter is an opportunity I didn’t want to miss, besides I was curious about all the hype surrounding this child star.  I assumed he was just another Disney formulated star but boy was I wrong!

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A Good Kind of Tired

300px North Shore of Lake Superior A Good Kind of TiredImage via Wikipedia
This past weekend, my family and I had the pleasure of what Minnesotan’s lovingly call, “going up north!” Essentially, it means communing with nature either on the north shore of Lake Superioror in the North woods/Lakes area.   It is also understood that what you experience up there is a profound secret only relevant to those who truly “get it!”

My Dog, My Rock and Even My Clock!

 My Dog, My Rock and Even My Clock!

I’m not big on schedules and structures, though I would like to be.  I admire those who create their own schedules and stick to them as well as those who accept institutional structures that tell them where to be, what to do, when to show up and how long to stay.  I, on the other hand, am one of those people who is often held hostage by my artistic temperament.  In fact, I can quickly become resentful of any person or institution that tells me what to do or when to do it Continue reading