ContemplativeJourney

I'm continuing to ponder some things I heard in a conversation on Saturday morning. The topic of discussion was "change." Some folks really enjoy change...they look for change...create change when things become stagnant...they thrive on change. I've never been one of those folks. I enjoy routine. That isn't to say that I don't enjoy some amount of change, because I do. But in general, change isn't one of my favorite things. Routine...more often than not, feels secure to me, and stable...and I like security and stability. I heard someone tell a story on Saturday morning about working with her elderly parents to re-locate to an assisted living facility. The elderly couple committed to move...then backed out...then re-committed to move...then backed out again...and the cycle of indecisive decision-making continued. The reason given by the elderly Mom? Change. She didn't like it, and didn't want it...and she thought that staying in her home of many ye...

I wrote a few days ago about the wind...today is one of those days! The wind is blowing my windchimes, and blowing the leaves...and it is spectacular in the shade! If I had to sit in the direct sun, I would probably have a different assessment of the weather, but I'm sitting in the breezy shade, and loving what is! Earlier today I participated in a conversation about the subject of change, and how it effects us. I heard some things that made an impression on me, and that reminded me of tornado survivors from Joplin, Missouri who have been interviewed on TV this week. I'll start with the tornado victims...amazing people, really. I wonder how I would respond in similar circumstances...? Truly, I cannot see myself being as positive and resilient as some of the people I've seen interviewed. There was a woman interviewed last night who had on a pink "Life is Good" t-shirt...I couldn't help but notice the shirt. I love the "Life is Good" brand, and own num...

I love windchimes. How 'bout you? I'd buy more of them, if they weren't so expensive...the nices ones, I mean...they are expensive. I bought a new set just this last Saturday...longer pipes, deeper tones...beautiful sound! Last night we had severe thunderstorms in the Dallas area, and several tornadoes touched down, though I haven't yet heard about any major damage or casualities (thankfully). My windchimes weathered the storm, and were hanging quietly from the back of the house when I left for work this morning. Wind can be a fickle thing...gentle and quiet one moment, ferocious and threatening the next... I've always been fascinated by the wind...I love it actually. It can be bothersome to your hairdo, blow away your paper plates during a picnic, throw cars and boats around like tinker toys, or gently kiss your face on a quiet spring day. It's mysterious and wondrous, and for me, carries with it the sense of our Creator's presence. Sometimes I sit outside ...

Yes, I'm going to use last night's Dallas Mavericks win at Oklahoma City as the basis for a discussion about spiritual life lessons...hopefully, you won't tune out because you're not a sports fan, because life lessons are always universal, no matter the source of material! In last night's playoff game between Oklahoma City (OKC) and Dallas, OKC led for the entire game...and for the most part, had a pretty significant lead. With about 5 minutes left in the game, their lead was at 15...not insurmountable, but it was highly unlikely that Dallas would be able to mount a comeback substantial enough to win. Dallas took the lead for the first time...in overtime ...which got me to thinking... Sometimes, when the game seems over, it is not over. As the final minutes of regulation ticked away, and Dallas had tied the score, the fans in OKC were on their feet, rooting their hometown boys on toward victory...just a few minutes later, but before the game was over, the TV commen...

I had two slogans in mind when I sat down to write this morning: Let it Begin with Me, and Expect a Miracle. As I thought about both, I was struck by the fact that the ideas are somewhat at odds with one another...I mean, isn't a miracle something that's super natural, beyond our control or power to influence? And "Let it Begin with Me," on the surface, suggests that I am the one with the power. I don't know if the trapeze artists will pull the two ideas together for anyone but me, but the picture helped me to make sense of things...this process of letting go and trusting the miracle, while at the same time focusing on the part that remains within our control to influence. If you look at the picture, you'll notice that it's difficult to discern which of the artists is going to "let go" and trust their partner on the receiving end...and yet, someone has to let go. The one who lets go must trust the other. If I'm not mistaken, the process requ...

Well, before I had even had a chance to read anything inspirational for the day, I already had a relational "splinter" in the palm of my hand. It can be a gift and a curse to try and write about life and life's lessons, especially when my own experience reveals how far I have to travel on the road to maturity. I won't belabor the details of my splinter, because the truth is, the splinter could have been anything that I found unpleasant or painful...or, anything that you find to be unpleasant or painful. Here's the important thing: what am I going to do with the splinter? Will I rush to cover it up, avoid its presence, or otherwise miss it's available gifts? Or...will I take to heart the lessons of the pearl, and actively seek that which could become beautiful as a result of its presence? I suppose this is an opportunity to test that which I say I believe...that I have the ability to choose how I respond to every circumstance of life, and to determine whether I...

My daily reading today included timely wisdom on the subject of how we tend to deal with difficulty and conflict in our lives. For most of us, the prospect of dealing with a crisis or relational confrontation is an unpleasant thing...something to be avoided whenever possible. But what if we could see difficulties with new eyes, and actually change our perspective so that we could genuinely welcome difficulties and conflict as gifts to be cherished, rather than a curse to be avoided? I thought about the story I've heard many times about pearls, and the fact that they are created through a process of friction within the oyster. When I looked up the subject, I was surprised by what I learned. Apparently, the creation of a pearl doesn't even begin until a foreign substance slips into the oyster and irritates the oyster's mantle of protection. The process is compared to what we experience when we get a splinter under our skin. What is the oyster's reaction to this irritant...

In today's daily reading, I found this quote: Anticipating enjoyment is a good way to begin my day. If I lose my place, I'll remember I can start my day over at any time. I liked the quote for a few reasons, one is that it reminds me that I can choose to be happy today. There is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln on this subject, though I don't know if he ever really said this: "Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be." You can argue with Honest Abe if you want to, but I don't think you'll get very far. Why? Because regardless of our circumstances, we can always find someone who is in a worse state of affairs than we are...and in fact, it is objectively true that some of the happiest people in the world are those who have the least. There are people who have all manner of health problems or disabilities who are happy, and there are people who are poor that are happy. Happiness is not about our circumstances. The other thing I like abo...

Last night I was in a 12-step meeting, and one of the ladies present was talking about the fact that she loved the meetings because the environment is calm and stable...people may share some very intense emotions, and sometimes the stories that are shared involve extremely painful circumstances...things that are upsetting to hear...still...there is no chaos or upheaval in the room, because the nature of the program is such that the atmosphere remains calm, even serene. It got me thinking this morning about how life works. Without question, into each life a little drama must come, and if you're in a family with an addict, or in relationship of any kind with an addict, you'll probably experience a healthy dose of chaos and drama along the way... With that being the case, how do we take a sense of calm with us into the drama of life? How do we remain serene in the face of chaos and uncertainty? These questions apply to all of us, not just those who have been touched by the disease...

I was reading an article by Mastin Kipp this morning about what it truly means to love someone...it seems like an important topic. At its core, the message of the author was this: To love someone is to let them go...to give them freedom...to allow them the privilege to love or not to love, with no coercion or manipulation. And then I started thinking about God, and how God loves humankind...in Christian circles, we speak often of God's love...and among theologians, there is much debate and disagreement about the balance between God's love and man's free will...and what all of these things mean to the question of salvation and our destiny in the afterlife... The Bible says, "For God so loved the world , that he gave his only Son..." If you put any weight in the authority of the Christian scriptures as God's means of revealing himself to mankind, you might have to conclude that God loves everyone ...not just a select few...I believe that he does. And what of the...

Here's a quote that I've been looking at and pondering since May 3 (the day it came up on my Daily SparkPeople.com inspirational calendar): It is never too late to be what you might have been. -George Eliot I'm not sure why George's quote has captured my attention, but I find myself thinking about it quite often, and wondering what it means. To be candid and very practical, it is too late for certain things to happen in my life...like becoming a professional athlete, or becoming President of the United States... So, what does it mean then, to say it is not too late to be what I might have been? Could it be that the quote is talking about the inner person , rather than the exterior accomplishments? At it's core, I like the quote because it effectively snaps me out of complacency...you probably know what I mean...it's very easy to get into a rut with our lives...to quit growing and learning...to give up trying and experiencing new things and knowing new people. Wh...

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...

I had an "Aha!" moment this morning. I am a "high maintenance" person. Actually, I've been told for years by friends who are close to me that I am "high maintenance," but I never really got it until this morning. What I mean is this: I've always thought about being high maintenance in terms of what it meant for other people to be in relationship with me, and never in terms of what it meant for me in terms of self-care. Maybe the concept of self-care is new to you, so let me explain just a bit of what I mean... As much as we aspire to be unselfish and mature in our relationships with those around us, there is a need for each of us to practice good self-care. There are moments when we need to set boundaries, say "no" to things that are asked of us, and spend time taking care of ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. Whether we realize it on a conscious level or not, the failure to take care of ourselves will reveal itself event...

As we walk along the path of life, there are times when it seems we're running downhill with the wind at our back...and other times, life can feel like a long and winding staircase...an uphill climb, so to speak. In my life, I find that when life feels like an the uphill climb with the wind in my face, it is often a reflection of circumstances that frustrate or sadden me...stealing my momentum. The question is, how can I get my momentum back when life throws a curve? While reading a devotional today, I came across a passage that was helpful to me...helpful for perspective, particularly on the days when I face the staircase and momentum is in short supply...the passage talks about living one day at a time. In itself, the idea of living one day at a time is solid counsel...worthy of taking to heart. Beyond that, the author talked about something even more meaningful to me, because it spoke to the role that God plays in our lives, and how his involvement weaves together with the idea ...

Over the years I've been involved in various lines of work, much of which has involved some kind of selling or another...actually, some people would tell us that we're all selling, whether we realize it or not...and that's where the law of attraction comes into play... From a business perspective, there are scores of well-dressed, successful looking public speakers who will tell you that the secret to your success is linked to the law of attraction...and coincidentally, there are also scores of people who traffic as relationship-gurus who will likewise tell you the secret of your success in dating relationships is...yes, you guessed it: The Law of Attraction. I find myself wondering what God would have to say about the law of attraction...or even Jesus. What do you think? By most all accounts, Jesus was never described as an attractive person (as humans typically define attraction), and yet...he attracted followers and devotees unlike anyone before or since. What was it...