Saturday, November 30, 2019

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.

Friday, November 29, 2019

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.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

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.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

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.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

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...

Monday, November 25, 2019

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.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

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.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

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?

Friday, November 22, 2019

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...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Don’t be afraid


Life can be full of surprises.
Keep watch,
And don’t be afraid.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

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.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

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.

Monday, November 18, 2019

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...

Sunday, November 17, 2019

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.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

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.

Friday, November 15, 2019

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.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

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...

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

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.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

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.

Monday, November 11, 2019

In memoriam


Today we sit in silence
and remember...

Sunday, November 10, 2019

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.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

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.

Friday, November 8, 2019

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.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

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.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

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.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

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?

Monday, November 4, 2019

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.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

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.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

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.

Friday, November 1, 2019

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...