It’s time to let God’s love cover all things in your life. All secrets. All hurts. All hours of evil, minutes of worry.
– Max Lucado
The scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope.
– Romans 15:4
New Issue of Songs from the Valley!
Successful relationships are built upon the foundation of bringing committed love to the table every day, communicating your feelings, receiving your partner’s feelings and setting healthy boundaries to maintain a sense of independence within the relationship. This allows for love to be given and received, proper adjustments to be made if the line of communication gets fuzzy and still gives each of you the freedom to be yourself and bring forth your unique creative expression.
This combination will manifest the strongest and healthiest relationships in your life.
And remember, the purpose of relationships is to be happy, to learn and to CO-create a life together.
– Jackson Kiddard
New York through the Lense – Vivienne Gucwa
I watch the dark skein swerve and wheel
and return to its purpose,
each bird defined
against a misty grey sky.
The rain-stained glass
and traffic noise
keep me from their calls,
and I feel apart
from life itself.
Rhythms and drives
are sanitised and commoditised,
rituals removed
more and more
from root and purpose.
The outstretched necks
and curves of wings
are living shorthand messages
for those, like me,
without direction,
left behind
to the hard shoulders and cold hearts
of a lost people.
Nancy Somerville, ‘Wild Geese Flying South’, from Pushing the Boat Out: New Poetry , Wild Goose Publications, Kathy Galloway (ed.), 1995
In receiving we heal others
In giving we heal ourselves
– unknown
Both sides of giving are equally as important and this truth is one of the most important parts of healing – ourselves, others and our world. We are here to help each other. It takes understanding of both parts and the willingness to be both the healer and the healed. Vulnerability and tenderness. This is community. This is my path of learning today – my dear friends, so many God has brought into my life right now – are teaching me so much! God is definitely in the neighborhood. 🙂
This is actually a surprise to me. I have been so busy surviving over the past 47 years, I haven’t really faced the truth of how long I want to live. In fact, I don’t think I meant to, but in the back of somewhere, I don’t think I believed I was going to live a long and happy life.
I have just tried to live thankfully in each moment, but I haven’t looked ahead.
Last night, reading Love, Medicine & Miracles, by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, I faced that surprising fact, and made the decision! Yes! I want to live to be 100!
I want the next 53 good and happy years to connect with community and live all the lessons I have learned through these hard years. I want to love my children and (coming sometime) grandchildren! I want life!!! haha It makes me giddy just to write it and read it back to myself! Lalala! I want to
So, once again, I think about how I need to do that! I know I need to eat healthier, drink more water and EXERCISE!!!! I must take care of my body and treat it with respect and honor if it is going to be my home for the next 53 years! It is interesting how differently I am already thinking this morning, having realized this choice! So exciting!
http://him.uk.msn.com/health-and-fitness/surprising-tips-for-living-to-100
This is my living faith, an 
active faith, a faith of verbs:
To questions, explore, experiment, experience, walk, run,
dance, play, eat, love, learn, dare, taste, touch, smell,
listen, speak, write, read, draw, provoke, emote, scream, sin,
repent, cry, kneel, pray, bow, rise, stand, look, laugh,
cajole, create, confront, confound, walk back, walk forward, circle, hide and seek.
– Terry Tempest Williams
Thank you to
A Small Group Community
Peter Block, Ward Mailliard & every participant!
A Small Group Intensive Learning Opportunity
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. It is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
It’s not just that you found me
at the foot of the cross
But that you reached out and
joined me there
with Christ
All one
It’s not just that you met my real physical need
You left me with so much more than dollars
You bound my wounds with your prayers
and You became my neighbor
All One
It’s not just that you took the time to ask why I cried
You made my heart glad and dried my tears
with the balm of your truth
You bound us together
with your understanding and your vulnerabilities
All one
It’s not that we spoke
but that you spoke to me first
You took the initiative
to reach out
to dare
to ask
to enter into community
to live dangerously
to get messy and personal
with me
All one
It’s so much more than
just a few moments of time that you have given me
You have given me a most precious gift
Yourselves
Our spirits
poured out
connected
together
All one
at the foot of the cross
We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down. – Eleanor Roosevelt
life: acoustic & amplified 