Beneath the surface

On closer examination,

Most humans and situations;

Most problems and solutions

are far more textured and complex

Than they initially appear:

Don’t be afraid to look 

beneath the surface of the simple

For deeper truth.

In stillness, strength

Each of us is born with our own

Unique gifts and purpose to share.

In stillness we restore our strength

While coming to a deeper understanding

Of how we might best offer

Those gifts into the world.

In gratitude

Today let us celebrate together

the glory of the harvest,

The generosity of the earth,

And all the blessings, past and present, 

we’ve experienced in this life.

Fan the flame of love

There is a darkness in the world;

Darkness, like coal dust, choking us as we breathe.

Reach deep within,

And fan the flame of love at the root of being;

Breathe light and hope back out into the world.

When anger looms

When anger looms, it’s good to remember

It’s often rooted in fear.

These thorny situations

can sometimes be assuaged,

If the fearful one can be reassured

And the fears be set to rest...

A bridge to a kinder world

We pray today, not just for ourselves,

But for all in need of prayer.

We act, not just on behalf of ourselves,

But for those who will benefit.

... and we reach out today, not just to those

Whose opinions mirror our own,

But in hopes of building a bridge to a kinder world.

Honoring the well-used and reliable

When and why did we as a society decide

That something had to be new

to be considered beautiful?

Today let’s celebrate the appeal

Of the tried and true; the practical;

The well-used and reliable;

Of all that has kept and still keeps us safe

While helping us move forward on this journey.

This tangled situation

These days I often stop and reflect:

How did we get to this point —

And how will we ever extricate ourselves

From this tangled situation?

You can choose

You always have a choice:

You can focus on what you’re leaving behind,

On what’s happening in this moment,

Or what you’re moving toward,

But make sure it’s a choice,

Not just a habit,

And a choice that feeds your soul...

Don’t be afraid

Life can be full of surprises.

Keep watch,

And don’t be afraid.

Search with an open heart

Sometimes what you’re looking for 

Will turn up where you least expect it.

Keep searching,

But with an open heart

And an open mind.

You are so much more

You are so much more

Than that which contains you:

Your body, your job, your circumstances,

The roles you play —

None of these convey or define

The true brilliance of spirit

That enlightens and enlivens you 

at the core of being.

Accepting our shadow

Like orphaned beggars, shut off from society,

The awkward, incoherent aspects of ourselves

Yearn to have a voice.

Listen to them, learn from them,

And find a way to love and honor

The quirkiness that lurks in our shadows...

Preparation for the journey

Today let us rest in preparation for the journey;

Quieting the voices in our heads that keep on asking,

“Did you remember this, or that?”

And trusting that we’ve spent our lives

Gathering strength and whatever’s needed

for the challenges to come.

Make time for joy

Find some time in your life today for joy:

Think of it as fuel 

for the work you need to be doing.

What you bring to the world

Keep your heart strong

And carry what wisdom and beauty you know

Out into the world for its healing.

Let your spirit unfurl

Quiet yourself.

Open yourself. 

Listen to the rain.

Feel the spirit within you unfurl its sails,

Eager for the day’s adventures...

On seeking perfection

How many messages a day do we get,

Telling us we need to be younger, prettier,

Smarter, thinner, or more productive;

That if we simply purchased this item

Or joined this group, or read this book,

We could finally become 

the more that we’ve been seeking?

When will we learn that we are enough,

and carry within us the resources we need

To become who we were born to be

And do what we were born to do.

We needn’t continue shaping ourselves 

Into someone else’s idea of perfection:

We only need to continue becoming

More perfectly, completely 

the souls we were sent here to be.

Until the new arises

The time has come to shed the skin

Of who we think we might have been;

To rest in vulnerability,

awash in the shadows of our fears

until the new arises.

In memoriam

Today we sit in silence

and remember...

Start small and trust the growth to spread

What may seem as a backward slide,

A vast and deadened political landscape

Could also be viewed as an open field,

Awaiting the dawn of consciousness.

Now may be the perfect time

To sow the seeds

of a more compassionate future.

Don’t be afraid: start small,

and trust the growth to take root and spread.

What brings you joy?

Each of us is born carrying a gift:

Some precious cargo we alone

Can bring into the world.

How can you recognize your gift?

Keep watch: what brings you joy?

What fills your heart

with colors like a rainbow?

Discover what you love,

and find a way to share it.

The gift of stillness

In making time for stillness,

You offer the world a gift,

That others might see themselves

More clearly reflected in you.

Trusting in the future

As the tree offers her final leaves to the wind,

Trusting in her future,

Let us welcome the stripping away of time,

Trusting in the rebirth that awaits us;

Trusting that the old is simply making way

For what’s to come.

Tethered to Now

Resting in the moment,

In the fullness of being,

We become more aware

Of both the potential for action

And the fragile ties that tether us to Now.

Creativity the flame

Creativity is the flame, burning in our hearts,

That helps us to remember

That we are alive, unique, original, gifted;

Born to bring something special into the world

That stems from the spark of the divine

That ignites our souls.

What will you create today?

Beneath the mask

Who are you beneath the mask?

Who am I beneath mine?

And how does the face we offer the world

Reflect — and color — the self within?

Remember this: who you are is deeper, truer,

And more like me than either of us imagines.

See things as they truly are

Our beliefs are like a camera:

A lens through which we view the world,

The use of which can cut us off

From experiencing it directly.

Perhaps today, at some point,

We might set those thoughts aside

And see things as they truly are,

Not just as we perceive them.

Imagine possibility

You’ve spent a lifetime walking

In the shadows of others’ expectations.

What would it look like

To step out into the light?

Take a moment today, and imagine the possibilities.

Dance, Pray, Row

In each day there’s a time to pray,

A time to dance,

And a time to keep on rowing.

Do your best to make time for each:

The balance will help keep you afloat...