Formed by the journey

 

"To be formed by the journey of being alive,

we must let the wisdom of ending

ground the intoxication of beginning

and let the freshness of beginning

soften the poignancy of ending." -- Mark Nepo

Welcome life's embrace

Our goal for today -- and any day:

to welcome the weight and power of life's embrace 

with childlike trust and joy.

The lesson of the flowers

To be flexible without being a pushover;

to be firm without being rigid;

to be fully alive and radiant one day

and unafraid to drop your petals the next --

such is the lesson of the flowers.

A lesson from Gilgamesh

 

Be kind to the obstacle in your path:

It may hold some vital gift

That will pave the way

To a future alight with joy.

What meditation feels like...

Reaching for the light

Everywhere we look

we see creation

reaching for the light...

The Wisdom of Unknowing

Speak to me of certainty,

and I will share the wisdom of unknowing:

those moments when we seek the flame

that burns within our hearts

and find nothing but ashes --

perhaps we'll find a truer path

while stumbling through the dark.

The Buddha in my Yard

We moved last week, and as we begin to meet our new neighbors, I find I'm feeling somewhat self-conscious about the Buddha in my yard.  What assumptions, I wonder, are they making? And then of course, the next question is for me: Why DO you, if you know yourself to be a Christian, surround yourself with statues of the Buddha?

Because (comes my response) the closest I have come to the living Jesus has been through prayer and meditation. These statues serve as a reminder to stay centered, non-judgmental, and serene...

Tethered in the moment

What do you see? The battle scars?

The wounds, the bumps and bruises of a life well lived?

Or the simple dappled beauty of her lines;

the way her purpose seems to glow from within;

how, tethered in the moment, 

she's still so clearly built to sail before the wind?

Clear skies ahead

I sit, and thoughts gather

like clouds on the horizon.

Come, breezes of compassion, come,

and blow this self away.

From this perspective

What we see depends so much on where we stand.

If today you're seeing red,

perhaps it's time to take a few steps forward --

even if it means forging a new path...

Seek out the light

There is One Light that burns in each of us --

good or bad, rich or poor, powerless or mighty.

Seek out that light, in all you meet,

and find a way to encourage it to shine.

A safety net

As new growth begins to unfurl in us,

we watch, and see how what has gone before

informs our progress, and provides

a safety net, to catch us if we fall.

More like the water

Help me to become more like the water:
To absorb what falls into my life
Rather than break, fracture, or shatter.

Life's unfolding

Over the course of life's unfolding,

Hearts open like petals,

Eager to welcome the Light.

Be patient

We share this common habitation, earth --

you, so young, and crisp, and pink,

and I so wrinkled, green with age:

we drink its showers and streams together, 

and bask together in the warmth of our shared sun...

Be patient with my slow and thoughtful evolution

and I'll be patient with your eager rush to light.

The roots of stress

It's not the list you carry round

of all those tasks, all needing to be done.

It's the time you spend in worrying,

avoiding and procrastinating,

planning and regretting

that causes all the stress.

Let the world go

How long will we, like children,

Fill our pockets with dirt and stones?

Let the world go.

Holding it, we'll never know ourselves;

Never be airborne. 

-- Rumi

A luminous balance

In the luminous balance

of both dark and light reflections

we find peace.

There will always be light

Though the path ahead 

may lead you into the woods,

don't be afraid, but trust: 

there will always be light 

to guide you on your path.

Dancing into the light

A warm sun, a cool breeze,

and the wild iris lifts her skirts

and dances into the light.
You, too, can become the iris;
you, too, can be filled with light!

On Mothers' Day

"The choice is always ours. Then let me choose
The longest art, the hard Promethean way.
Cherishingly to tend and feed and fan
That toward fire, whose small precarious flame,
Kindled or quenched, creates
The noble or ignoble beings we are,
The worlds we live in and the very fates,
Our bright or muddy star." -- Aldous Huxley

 This Mothers' Day, let's celebrate

all those who nurture and protect

the innocence of the world...

The Web of Being

From time to time our focus shifts,

and we no longer see our differences --

only the web of being that unites us all.

Only one oar

I've been paddling with only one oar,

and I'm tired of going around in circles,

so I think I'll tie up here and rest

until the fog lifts...

Cradled in the arms of light

Know this: that you are loved;

that you are watched and guided,

protected from the storms,

and cradled in the arms of light

with unimaginable tenderness...

Keep watch

 On the days when the clouds loom, 

dark and full of menace,

keep watch and don't despair --

at some point they may part, and give 

a momentary glimpse

of heaven...

Take what you need

Take what you feel you need to survive --

just remember that the ripples of your choosing

will spread farther than you know or can comprehend...

The time is right

Though the path seems clear,

there may still be those moments

when the next step isn't obvious,

when the connection's not secure,

when one false move may send you tumbling.

But look: the time is right --

the tide is out,

and there's not that far to fall...

What drives our choices

So much of what we choose to do

is driven by fear of loss

or hope for gain.

But what is it that is gained or lost?

Appearances? Approval?

Possessions? Power?

Serenity? Safety?

What's driving all your choices today?

Let the light shine through

The wind blows, the curtain rises,

And then it falls again.

As life flows by, we lift and fall,

And lift and fall again,

Yet still the light shines through...

Smile like a flower

Today I smile like a flower: 

not with my lips, 

but with my whole being. 

--Rumi

Transitions

 

Transitions can be so difficult. 

Sometimes we just want to curl up on a rug 

and sleep through them...