Water of Life and Love

As the water of the day flows, 

Let us protect and care for one another in this community

Railroad Creek, Holden Village

Out of town

Time to head to the beach.  I leave in the morning for a trip to Hawaii.  It is work ... but work in a warm place.  That is particularly nice knowing that there is a winter advisory posted .... with the anticipation that there will be about 12" of snow the next 24 hours!

If you don't hear from me for a while ... 

Aloha!

Molokai, HI

So that all our children can fly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-0NvkuPHZI

Its Not Personal

                                                                                                   Corbett's Glen 1/09

Its not personal ... 

its not about you ... 

its not about me ... 

it just is ... 

Sometimes we need to just let it flow ... 

we just need to let it be ...

Let it go

Let it flow

What do you need to let go of?

Together

Woven together as family.  

birth family

extended family 

One family of God throughout the world.  

And families come together 

to care 

to serve 

to love 

and to pray 

Let us work for peace

in our family 

to forgive

and to do justice

On this Sabbath day

reach out, 

tighten loosened weaving

so together we may live fully

Details

Its in the details

In the rush of life there can be a tendency to overlook the details.  We build structures, lay foundations, and provide supports, and then jump to the next project.  But when we can slow down and pay attention to the details we can move from ordinary to extraordinary.

 

My grandfather was a furniture builder.  He would say that it was as important to put a beautiful knob on a drawer to enhance the piece.  He likened it to a woman wearing a beautiful piece of jewelry ... that they complemented and brought out the beauty of one another.

So as we move forward today, slow down, attend to the detail.  

Finishing and moving onto the next project is not the goal.

Attend to the detail

The words spoken.

The feelings not named.

Attend to the detail

The food you taste

The flavors which enhance.

Attend to the detail.

The light bouncing off the snow

The patterns of water frozen in the pond.

Attend to the detail.

The quiet of the scene.

The lapping of the wing.

Attend to the detail.

The softness of the quilt.

The individual stitches of the thread.

As you build the foundation

Pay attention to the detail.

Take time to add the jewelry.

Move from ordinary to extraordinary

Left Behind

Left behind

Empty and hollow

Once full of life

full of color 

a place made of dreams

Whatever happened

to what I left behind

I had such dreams

Such hopes

Such plans

Even in the forward movement

Living the dreams 

Living with hope

Loving with love

There is something I left behind

empty

hollow

quiet 

alone

 

What have you left behind?

Quiet Observation

Sometimes its good to just sit. Pick a spot settle in and see what you can see. Snow drifting down from the limbs, a flock flying above. Listen to the still small voice, sounds of water flowing, leaves rustling, and an animal scurrying. Feel the expanse and contraction of your lungs. Listen to your heart. Give thanks for the moment ... the solitude ... the life.

Shhhhh

No matter how hard we try, I don't think there are five channels in our brains to process all the noise / chatter /conversation / music and sounds that surround us these days.  While I want to absorb the breadth and depth of what is happening, I just need some quiet.  Do you?

I'm going to turn out the light in the room, watch the flicker of the flame and see the gentle flakes of snow following outside.  

Then in the quiet I can reflect, slow my breathing, and let things settle before the work of the day begins.  

Merced River, Yosemite Valley

Fall 2009

At Last ...

These words have been going through my mind all day. Okay, I admit it ... Beyonce sang it just right. We are each in search of the "at last". For some it came to fruition yesterday ... doesn't "at last" just mean "the beginning". Someone opened the door ... now we need to walk through it and be the makers of our own history.


Christ's death ... was at last
Christ's resurrection ... was the beginning.


What door has been opened for you?

Bergen, Norway

A Hopeful Day

Hope, optimism, and responsibility.  Three words that have swirled the airwaves these days.  We are called as individuals to come together to take responsibility for our future and what is ahead of us.  Yes, I am excited about the history that is being made in our country today.   I had the the opportunity to attend Jimmy Carter's Inauguration on January 20, 1977.  It is a pretty powerful experience.  

You and I may not agree on politics

You and I may not agree on religion

You and I may not agree on how to solve the problems of the world.

But ... we can work together

Let us look into one another's eye and hearts and and see love, hope, and future.

Let us work to insure that all have the essentials to thrive.

Let us give hope to the children 

Let children play again

Yes ... it is our responsibility

Live lighter

Live simpler

Live in love.

So ... make a pot of soup and invite your neighbors for dinner. 

Play a game of cards.

And next week ... introduce yourself to another. 

It's not up to Obama ... 

It's up to us, the people.

 

A Red White and Blue Breakfast

Dress Up

Some things just make you smile!

Dressing up gives us permission to laugh.

Go buy yourself a new hat ... and see what happens!

:)

Below the surface

There are many ways to look at the world and people.  When we see it at eye level we sometimes miss what is below the surface.  

I have driven over this bridge many times but never saw the beauty of what is below.  The patterns of the bridge are beautiful and the ice glitters as it hangs off the span.  The snow hugs the trees, limbs, and bushes.  Across the way time is reflected on the walls of the gorge.

How often do we look below the surface to see those around us?  How do we move from focusing on the problem rather the person?   

As you move about this beautiful world today and you come across someone that "pushes that button" ... focus on them as a person ... see the beauty that lies within and underneath.  

The Present

So often we hold onto the past particularly when we are hurt and angry.  We remember the event, the word, the action that caused us such pain.   As we hold onto the past the pain and anger resurface.  This sequence clouds our ability to welcome the present and celebrate what is before us.  

Yes, remember the past.  It is part of who we are.  It is important.  But when we allow those memories to pull us down like an anchor we become hard  and disenfranchised from those around us.

But first this is today.  

Focus on the present.  

Celebrate the now, whatever it holds for you.

May you find the gold that is laid before you!

Baby It's Cold Outside

In the bleak cold days of winter  

Simple Beauty

Shades of white.

Hues of blue.

Grays and browns 

Drooping limbs

Heavy with ice 

Formations of

Strength

Weakened only by sun 

Shadows stretch 

Waves freeze

Majesty displayed

How will you get to the other side?

There are many ways to cross the bridge over troubled water although we typically just walk forward.  Some of us walk, others run, a bird flies, a fish swims under.  Some say we should build the bridge before we walk over it, others say we should build the bridge as we walk on it.  There are so very many options available ... and each of us will find whatever works best for us individually.  

But ... you will never get over the bridge if you just worry about it.  

Take the first step.

Home II

Home.   

A place to crawl under the comforter.

A fire glowing.

Shoes scattered about.

Dirty dishes in the sink

Teddy scratching his neck.

Its good to be home  

Sleep well

A Quilt of Friendship

Friendships come in many different colors and designs.  

Together they are patched together into a quilt of beauty.

And overtime there is often wear and tear on them.

When we don't attend and care for them they may fade away.

If we hang them on the wall ... we just look at them.

When we curl up in them ... they keep us warm and protect.

Sometimes they are packed up and put away away for safe keeping.

Grandma Johnson made this quilt utilizing fabrics of my childhood and my life.  It has hung on a wall, now it is away for safe keeping.  When I see and touch it I remember her, the mother daughter dresses I see in pictures take on colors. Friendships come alive.  Sometimes they are set aside ... yet when we bring them out they come alive again.

At my parents home is another quilt handcrafted by my grandmother.  It is kept on a bed, turned back nightly, and is used to provide warmth.  The handiwork of my grandmother still keeps my father warm.    Like this quilt friendships transcend generations and while developed in one era serves in another era.

These precious quilts .... precious friendships.

They come and go ... they are intricately woven ... 

They are sewn together with love

They take time

Pieced together they are beautiful.

Thanks for your friendship

My friendship quilt is so beautiful!

Gratitude Revisited

The following is from a daily email that I get from Henri Nouwen Society. Thought it was interested ... more to follow in the days and weeks ahead.

"To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives-the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections-that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for."

Connected

We are connected to one another. 

Whether we like it or not. 

Even when we try to be independent we are dependent. 

In our independence we set a comparison to others

Even when we are alone we are connected. 

In our aloneness we are alone in relation to others

Even when we reject others we are connected to others. 

In our rejection we acknowledge our connection.

We grow and develop with and from one another 

not in isolation from others.

We are much like the tree ... 

connected ... 

nurtured ...

dependent ... 

All of this while we reach toward the sky.

And if by chance a fierce wind blows us and we break away

Let us graft onto a healthy root

Sprinkling of snow

I just came in from walking Teddy.  I could have walked for hours.  

A crisp 20 degrees

Light from the full moon

A sprinkling of snow. 

Fresh on my face 

Pieces of crystals tingling the skin.  

The water of baptism sprinkling in the winter night.    

Lila

Early in the morning she wakes her husband.  Throughout the night she wondered if this is the time.  Soon the baby will be born.  

According to one unofficial internet source  245 children are born every minute.   But this one, this Lila, she is the first born of her parents.  The first grandchild for her maternal grandparents, a first great-grandchild, and my first grand niece.   We gather in hope, we gather in anticipation, we gather in love.

A baby touches our core.  A sense of new beginning, of life, of what is to come.  Let us join together to make this world a better place for little Lila and the other 244 babies born at 2:44 the afternoon of January 7th.

Bless this child of God and join me in a prayer of thanksgiving for her life. 

DCA: The airport

Midnight
The temperature is dropping
so are the chins

waiting
wondering
watching

9:10 departure
9:40 delayed
It disappeared

No word
Quiet
Folks on phones
Sharing rumors

He arrives
"Flight cancelled"
We’ll get you a hotel
Tomorrow morning 10:05

Waiting
Waiting
Whoops not cancelled
The plane is coming
Relief (sort of)
We share horror stories

In slow motion
Settling into uncomfortable chairs
I think the heat has been turned off
The temperature is dropping
Eyes closed
Chins on chests

Waiting
Soon they say
Just another 30 minutes

I might be home
Maybe 2AM

Protection

I wake to the sound of sleet hitting the window.
What will today bring? Sun, rain, sleet, snow.
Rain soakes parched lands, raises rivers above flood levels.
The ice protects the buds, coats roads, cuts power.
Snow, comes in huge drifts, roofs peak.

Floods, avalances, accidents, power losses.
Quenched thirst, summer water, winter sports.

Weather is a lot like life and our emotions ...
Constantly in motion ... constantly emoting.

For those who today are in the "face" of winter harshness.
Prepare ... be with others ... stay warm.
Know you are not alone.

Community ...

A community might also be consider a communion of all the saints. Now no one I know of has ever called me a saint ... but I too am a member of the community, of the church, the communion of the saints. So I guess I am a saint.

Coming together in community, be it the church or a community in the cascades, the shared belief of the trinity ... the three in one ... that gives strength.

No panacea, no promises of perfection, not always of one mine or accord .. but heck ... give me a communion of saints ...

That's pretty special.

What communion of saints give you strength?

Warmth

For all who this day are living in the deep of winter.  

A bit of spring colors to warm your heart

bring a smile to your face

I leave this afternoon for a two day meeting in DC ... so I might not be able to update the blog.

Take care ... be safe ... 

What warms your heart?

What happened to the Sabbath?

"There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord." Lev 23:3

What happened to the Sabbath?

Wasn't that supposed to be what today was?

Now I'm not complaining mind you, but it felt like a lot of action today.  

The highlight of the day was worship ... listening to the word, praying, singing.

But there were a few things that seemed work related, 3 loads laundry, making chili, kitchen cleaning, vacuuming, changing beds, packing to leave tomorrow, running to the office, ...

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Maybe next week.  

Isn't it time to honor the sabbath?

A Work In Progress

Each of us is a work in progress.  Somedays it feels like one step forward and others it is two steps back.  The steps backward are part of the progress.  The good news is that there are more forward steps ... 

What direction did you go in today?

P.S. remember ... whichever way you went was part of the progress.  

What Next

There were lots of moments in time today. 

Feeling accomplished ... going through four boxes of papers and getting them down to one.

Feeling humbled ... going to a gallery opening and seeing how much there is to learn.

Feeling amazed ... that others like my work. 

Feeling lost ... is it Friday or Monday?

Feeling frustrated ... how come is there always so much to do.

Feeling annoyed ... come on Teddy, its 23 degrees, how long do we have to walk?

Feeling grateful ... I have been blessed beyond measure.

Feeling silly ... playing Phase 10 during break and lunch.

Feeling full ... I ate too much during break and lunch.

A colleague came into my office today and said that God told her to come and give me a hug!

Earlier in the morning when I started feeling annoyed ...  I caught myself needing to reframe what my thinking.  I needed to go to the person and see her for the child of God that she is ... rather than judging and wanting her to be someone else.

Lots of moments today ... I wonder what is next. 

 

The First Day of 2009: Expecting A Surprise

"Each day holds a surprise.  

But only if we expect it can we see, hear, 

or feel it when it comes to us.  

Let's not be afraid to receive each day's surprise, 

whether it come so us as sorrow or as joy.  

It will open a new place in our hearts, 

a place where we can welcome new friends 

and celebrate more fully our shared humanity."  

Henri Nouwen

The Photographer Crystalized

Teddy Watching and Waiting for a Surprise

The Quiet Snow Waits

Nature and Man CoExist:  Surprisingly Pretty

Surprising Winter Colors