Child of the invisible

Each of us is a child of the invisible,

brought into being to make manifest

something that, without us, 

might forever have remained unseen.

Alight with awe

There is, if we can learn to pay attention,

a constant source of hope and inspiration,

welling up from deep within us:

it is as if our souls are alight with awe.

The tides of creativity

The tides of creativity are as natural as the sea:

that joyful surge forward to the shores of new adventures

always balanced by the gentle gliding back to safety and sameness,

gathering strength to rush forward into hope again,

dancing on the rocks and sand of new techniques and textures.

Let Spirit Flow

We close our eyes; 

let spirit reinvigorate our souls.
Love fills, then overflows our cells

And splashes on the shores of wonder.

Freeing questions

What  question could you ask yourself today,

that would free your creative soul 

to dance, to flourish, and to flower?

We need to talk...

Sometimes the conversation you don't want to have

is the conversation you need to have.

Not all stories are true

Each of us has stories to tell. 

The important thing to remember is this:

Not all the stories -- not even the ones we tell ourselves --

are true...

Uniquely you

Though you clothe yourself to fit in with your surroundings,

you will always remain totally, uniquely you.

The incompleteness of things

Our lives are spent in an endless search

for wholeness and completion.

But it is the incompleteness of things

that pulls us ever forward into the light...

The grounding of Now

Both life and art are about striking a balance:

between light and dark, between work and play,

between the grounding of Now and the blue sky of Hope;

between the momentum that comes from longing 

and the grateful, grace-filled acceptance of belonging.

Family ties

Sometimes those family ties get us tangled up in knots.

But what ties us down may also be what's keeping us afloat...

What every parent knows

Just because they're not cute little babies anymore,

just because the project is close to done, not nearly so much fun,

just because the end is near and you are getting tired --

that doesn't mean you can walk away:

you still need to keep an eye on things; 

keep everyone in line...

The path not followed

Take a moment; pause, breathe --

allow yourself to be refreshed;

appreciate a path you were never meant to follow.

The color of hope

Feeling bereft? Alone? Burnt out?

Find a forest or garden,

and let the scents and colors of hope

revitalize your soul.

Healing grace of love

When the rhythms of our daily living shift,

if only for a moment's brief vacation,

we've been offered yet another opportunity

to rediscover the healing grace of Love.

When the path is unclear

There are times when it's hard to see beyond

the obstacles ahead;

when the path that lies before us is unclear...

Gather and store, live and grow

How much of our lives do we spend living and growing,

and how much do we spend gathering and storing?

Where is the balance that works best for you?

Anticipating replenishment

The more the clouds loom,

The more the water sparkles,

Anticipating replenishment.

Self-protection

We were born, created to advance, explore, and learn.

Perhaps it's time to stop being quite so self-protective...

A territorial view

One of the unexpected pleasures of aging:

learning to appreciate a simple territorial view...

Souls blessed with bodies

We are not bodies who have souls;

we are souls who've been blessed with bodies --

and oh, what a difference that makes!

Unexpected blessings

Each spring, my garden yields new and unexpected blessings...

In the caves of the heart

There are many obstacles to keep us from deepening,

from seeking the serenity that lies deep in the caves of the heart.

Not alone in loss

Aching for dear friends whose daughter/granddaughter committed suicide last week. In search of a laugh last night, we went to see Baywatch. The moon greeted us as we left the theater, as if to say whatever losses you endure, I will still be here for you...

And now, this morning, these words from Anne Lamott's Hallelujah Anyway:

"This is the purpose of memorial services, to cry and hold on and stick together, as well as to release ourselves from the grinding regret: How could this have happened? How can such pain exist? What else should we have done? ...

God doesn't give us answers. God gives us grace and mercy. God gives us Her own self. Left to my own devices, I would prefer answers... 

As we sit, sharing our memories of Jay, every release inside us releases whatever energy inside us tethered Jay here, to this realm that was just too awful for him. We were saying, this is hard, but not as hard as it was for you here, weighed down by the anchors of so-called reality. So go now, go, unfettered."

So, yes: however hard it is for us to say goodbye to those who make the terrible choice to leave -- the moon reminds us, waxing or waning, whether visible or not, that we are not alone in our grief.

Time for adventures

It's a sunny day today. 

Where will your adventures take you?

Love anyway

Know this: No one escapes

death, illness, loss or aging.

Love anyway!

Ready to serve

After a night of rest,

we stand before you, ready to serve again...

Run with it

Today marks the start of a grand new adventure,

so take that ball and run like the wind!

A lesson from the flowers

In the midst of all this darkness, we still turn

our faces to the light...

Our home is here

Wherever we may have come from,

wherever we may be headed,

our home is always here, this moment, now.