I began writing this blog 2 1/2 years ago...what can only be described as several lifetimes ago, from the perspective of the events that have transpired in my life since May of 2010. I won't take the time to recount those events, but suffice to say, I never imagined that I would use this space to contemplate politics, or the place that our political perspectives may take on the path of our individual spiritual journeys... To rightly share my story, I must go back in time to January of 2008, when I, like many Americans, first heard then-candidate Senator Barack Obama speak after his groundbreaking win in the Iowa caucus. I remember the experience quite vividly, because I was mesmorized by the ideal he seemed to represent. As I sat in a theater this afternoon watching the Dinesh D'Souza political documentary "2016", I was struck by the fact that much of our political consciousness is defined by what each of us projects upon the candidate of our choice. ...
What if we could wrap a box of love, and put it under the Christmas tree? What would it look like? Would it rattle if you shook it? Would it be heavy or light? I am woefully behind on my Christmas preparations this year...there's no Christmas tree in my front room...no Christmas candles around the house....no presents wrapped, or even waiting to be wrapped! What is wrong with me?? When I was a kid, my Dad sometimes traveled for work, and periodically, my Mom would let me sleep with her while he was away...on those nights, she would tell me stories from her childhood...and one that comes to mind is Christmas. When my Mom was a young girl in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Christmas festivities didn't really begin at all until the week between December 18 and 25. During this week, the general mercantile store would add a toy department, and for just that one week...the kids would ooh and ahh over all the toys in the display window. Christmas trees went up on Christmas Eve, and of...
The Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. This short prayer has been used for many years in 12-step fellowships around the world. For my part, I've been aware of it's existence since the late 1970s, though I can't say that I began to understand it's power until very recently. When it comes to the subject of prayer, people seem to be separated into a few distinct "camps"...those who don't pray at all...those who pray without ceasing...those who pray "in case of emergency", and those who see themselves as experts on the subject. I've come to love The Serenity Prayer for its simplicity, and for its accessibility to anyone...whether they see themselves as a pray-er , or not. How can we unpack the prayer in a way that can be immediately helpful to us, on an everyday basis? Let's break it into 3 parts: God, grant me the sere...
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