life: acoustic & amplified
poetry, quotes & thoughts about life
Archive for the category “Today”
Who is my neighbor?
“Love your neighbour as yourself” the Gospel says (Matthew 22:38). But who is my neighbor? We often respond to that question by saying: “My neighbours are all the people I am living with on this earth, especially the sick, the hungry, the dying, and all who are in need.” But this is not what Jesus says. When Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan (see Luke 10:29-37) to answer the question “Who is my neighbour?” he ends the by asking: “Which, … do you think, proved himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the bandits’ hands?” The neighbour, Jesus makes clear, is not the poor man laying on the side of the street, stripped, beaten, and half dead, but the Samaritan who crossed the road, “bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, … lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him.” My neighbour is the one who crosses the road for me!
– Henri Nouwen
http://www.henrinouwen.org/
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Last week Ann Voskamp, and her son Caleb, were in Haiti for Compassion http://www.compassion.ca/child_list.asp read her blog posts about this experience http://www.aholyexperience.com/ – if you are not moved to action, you must be dead!
Check out the newest issue of my newsletter at www.songsfromthevalley.com – it is a very personal one. At the preent moment, I am in the middle of a big faith walk, so please pray for me today as God calls me to your mind.
I read Martin Luther King, Jr’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail yesterday and one sentence especially jumped out at me – ‘Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively.’
What are we going to do with our time here? It is always our choice!
We are what we continually do – Aristotle
Habits Die Hard
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest asset or heaviest burden.
I will push you up to success or down to disappointment.
I am at your command.
Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me.
For I can do them quickly, correctly, and profitably.
I am easily managed; just be firm with me.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a
machine and the intelligence of a person.
You can run me for profit, or you can run me for ruin.
Show me how you want it done. Educate me. Train me.
Lead me. Reward me.
And I will then…do it automatically.
I am your servant.
Who am I?
I am a habit.
by Mac Anderson & John J. Murphy / simpletruths.com
Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Rest in peace.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life’s principles) 
are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your choices and the consequences that follow.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Prioritize, plan, and execute your week’s tasks based on importance rather than urgency. Evaluate whether your efforts exemplify your desired character values, propel you toward goals, and enrich the roles and relationships that were elaborated in Habit 2.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Genuinely strive for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Value and respect people by understanding a “win” for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten his way.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Use empathic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring, respect, and positive problem solving.
Habit 6: Synergize
Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one person could have done alone. Get the best performance out of a group of people through encouraging meaningful contribution, and modeling inspirational and supportive leadership.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle. It primarily emphasizes on exercise for physical renewal, prayer (mediation, yoga, etc.) and good reading for mental renewal. It also mentions service to the society for spiritual renewal.
7 Habits – repost from http://thedailylove.com/
be still and know…
Just found these comics thanks to my new friend Rex Lai! Awesome stuff!!! Love it!!!
This is a little about the creator of these amazing comics –
Hi! My name is Leah. I live in San Francisco, CA. I started drawing comics in 2010 when i ran out of words but still had something to say.
The name DharmaComics is a double entendre. “Dharma”, a sanskrit word, has many translations. One of which is “Truth” – but rather than an objective truth, it refers to the truth inside each of us, our personal compass, guide, knowing.
Another is “Nature”, as in, our individual nature, that which we were born to be and do. The example is often given of an acorn, who’s dharma is to grow into an oak tree; and not just any oak tree, but the specific one it becomes.
To me “Dharma Comics” refers both to my quest to reflect deep personal truthfulness, and also, i experience these comics as something i am meant to do. I don’t have to believe in some big master plan, i know because like the acorn into the oak, they come naturally.
friends with benches
Benches are special things aren’t they?
They themselves sit and rest, in the sun, in the shade, in the rain, in the snow, at three in the morning…
there to welcome whoever might pass by.
And for what purpose?
To give a soul a moment to rest, to look out, to think, to plan something, or to get over something.
And in their most special times, most special for these benches, are when two people meet and share themselves. Communicate and think more completely than they could or would if they were still walking.
Then after minutes or hours the people rise.
They are different forever because of those minutes, or hours.
Different in very minor ways most times I’m sure.
And at other times, profoundly changed.
They look back and the bench seems physically unchanged, but we know otherwise.
A person was there, moments after measurable warmth remains,
albeit slowly spreading out to be no longer measurable.
The world is different.
Relationships,
interconnections,
changes in perspective.
A reaffrimation of love in the broadest sense.
That maybe god did not make man in his image. That maybe man arrogantly makes god in his image.
God did not make only man,
and I don’t think everything else was made for only for man’s purpose.
Maybe what we find so beautiful and comforting is that nature,
the cosmos,
god,
free will,
the opportunities to do good or ignore other’s needs,
the choices to try and give more than we take,
or take all we can,
the always present capability to pursue happiness…
are all here as are we,
with a purpose we will always look for,
and never completely find,
and all of it as part of a whole incomprehensible to us.
Such joy possible just knowing we are so fortunate to be part of it.
God has no limits, none whatsoever.
On a bench,
realizing we are part of it all,
and always will be,
and sharing
that there is no necessity to understand it all.
– Sunny
Nine steps to transform yourself into a river
by Paulo Coelho on July 11, 2012
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2012/07/11/be-like-a-river/
“A river never passes the same place twice,” says a philosopher. “Life is like a river,” says another philosopher, and we draw the conclusion that this is the metaphor that comes closest to the meaning of life. Consequently, it is always good to remember::
A] We are always doing things for the first time.While we move between our source (birth) to our destination (death), the landscape will always be new. We should face these novelties with joy, not with fear – because it is useless to fear what cannot be avoided. A river never stops running.
B] In a valley we walk slower. When everything around us becomes easier, the waters grow calm, we become more open, fuller and more generous.
C] Our banks are always fertile. Vegetation only grows where there is water. Whoever comes into contact with us needs to understand that we are there to give the thirsty something to drink.
D] Stones should be avoided. It is obvious that water is stronger than granite, but it takes time for this to happen. It is no good letting yourself be overcome by stronger obstacles, or trying to fight against them – that is a useless waste of energy. It is best to understand where the way out is, and then move forward.
E] Hollows call for patience. All of a sudden the river enters a sort of hole and stops running as joyfully as before. At such moments the only way out is to count on the help of time. When the right moment comes the hollow fills up and the water can flow ahead. In the place of the ugly, lifeless hole there now stands a lake that others can contemplate with joy.
F] We are one. We were born in a place that was meant for us, which will always keep us supplied with enough water so that when confronted with obstacles or depression we have the necessary patience or strength to move forward. We begin our course in a soft and fragile manner, where even a simple leaf can stop us. Nevertheless, as we respect the mystery of the source that gave us life, and trust in His eternal wisdom, little by little we gain all that we need to pursue our path.
G] Although we are one, soon we shall be many. As we travel on, the waters of other springs come closer, because that is the best path to follow. Then we are no longer just one, but many – and there comes a moment when we feel lost. However, as the Bible says, “all rivers flow to the sea.” It is impossible to remain in our solitude, no matter how romantic that may seem. When we accept the inevitable encounter with other springs, we eventually understand that this makes us much stronger, we get around obstacles or fill in the hollows in far less time and with greater ease.
H] We are a means of transportation. Of leaves, boats, ideas. May our waters always be generous, may be always be able to carry ahead everything or everyone that needs our help.
I] We are a source of inspiration. And so, let us leave the final words to the Brazilian poet, Manuel Bandeira:
“To be like a river that flows silent through the night, not fearing the darkness and reflecting any stars high in the sky.
And if the sky is filled with clouds, the clouds are water like the river, so without remorse reflect them too”
just one of my adventures with God
In 2008 God took me to live up near Boston – some people may think it was for other reasons, but I know the tru
th. It was one of the most amazing times in my life and it set me up for these years that have followed. Sooo many adventures to talk about, but today I need to talk about Brian Stack.
The first place I ended up is a little town called Woburn, MA (pronounced by natives: woo-burn) it has one of the coolest libraries ever built http://www.woburnpubliclibrary.org/ a gas station that looks like the Taj Mahal (the original builder was planning to franchise these, but unfortunately, they didn’t take off! Darn it! He only built 2), it was the city in which the movie, A Civil Action, was taken from (I worked very close to that dump site for about 6 months) and Horn Pond, where our adventure story for today, takes place!
Anyway, there is so much to tell you about and so many fun things to add in to this story, but my time is short today and so I must stick to my main agenda. To introduce you to Brian Stack.
Everywhere I go I look for ‘spots’ beautiful places in nature, with a bench or rock near by for sitting and talking with God. I have ‘spots’ all over Connecticut, MA, several towns in Florida, in Kentucky, and in Ohio. They are holy and special to me. God meets me there. We sit a spell and talk about things.
It was maybe a day or so after I got to MA that I inquired about a nature spot and someone told me about Horn Pond 
and I headed over there as soon as I could to find it. It was amazing and beautiful! Everything I was looking for in a ‘spot’ and I was within walking distance!!! I had no car, so that was a huge blessing.
I think it was my first trip around the loop, I met Brian Stack. (If I am on a bench, and there is a plaque, I always read it and say a prayer for the family of whoever has loved so much they want their love to live on by dedicating a tree, or a bench, a building, for someone else to enjoy. It is a beautiful expression of love and caring. I love it and I acknowledge it with gratitude and prayer.)
As I sat down in a really beautiful spot I read the plaque, and fell in love. I fell in love with Brian, and I fell in love with his family. I had no idea who he was, but this was a special and blessed place and I knew this was my ‘spot’, along with Brian’s. I could feel the spirit of Brian and of God very close. This was holy.
I went to this spot as often as I could. I took other people there, I had picnics there, I had one lone swan who would come and
sit by me very often when I would go there – we hung out a lot. I told a few of my close friends about Brian Stack. I had no idea of who he was, but I knew he was special. The more I hung out there the more I knew it.
In May of 2008, I went to a Women of Faith conference in the TD Banknorth Center, where the Celtics play (the name could be different now), at that conference, which was so amazing – the girl next to me (complete stranger) turned to me about half way through the day and said, ‘God told me to tell you that you are made whole from the inside out.’ I had been feeling this, but to have it confirmed in this way was wonderful, and my spirit soared.
The next day was Sunday, May 11 – the day 12 years earlier when my life exploded. I felt called to Brain’s bench. After church walked over to this amazing spot. I felt sure I was expecting something, or someone, I wasn’t sure what or who.
As I say there people kept walking by and I kept turning my head to my left to look for someone. I was only seeing backs. I noticed it was always the back of the person, and I heard the voice of God say in my spirit, ‘the past is behind you.’ I knew that was my gift, my message from God. I sat and wept and praised God, that He had healed me and brought me to this place in my journey.
This past Sunday, I just ‘happened’ to be in Woburn, MA and I felt the same calling to go to visit Brian Stack. It was very important that I go. I felt a real urgency to go to this spot. As I walked up I couldn’t believe it. There was a picture taped to the bench with duct tape, and, for the first time, I met Brian Stack!!! I sat and talked to him and God for a few minutes and said ‘thank you’ for this amazing gift.
I
left straight from there to drive for the next 20 hours to Ohio! I didn’t think I would ever get here!!! I took a shower and went straight to work, and when I had a moment I looked up Brian Stack from Woburn, MA. Here is the headline from 1987: A funeral Mass was said yesterday morning in St. Barbar’s Church, Woburn for Brian C. Stack, 17, of Woburn, who died Wednesday at Children’s Hospital in Boston after a heart operation.
But, the story didn’t end there, because love is eternal and, we are His Beloved! God had a plan for Brian Stack that nobody could have guessed. They hang out together at a gorgeous spot at Horn Pond and they talk to people, and encourage them – the ones who are listening. I am so very blessed.
have no fear…they are all God’s Particles
GOD PARTICLE
Last week they found the Higgs boson! For all you non-calculator-carrying mystical meditating un-geek poetry-reading hippie types, this is a really big deal.
When scientists came up with the math that explains how the physical universe holds together, they had a perfect equation, except for one thing. It explained a universe in which nothing had any mass—there was no substance. In order for things to have mass, there had to be one more factor, that they called the Higgs field, named for the guy who did the math. It’s a dimension of the physical universe that gives things mass when they interact with it. If it’s there, the math says, then there should be a tiny particle, called the Higgs boson. If they found that particle, it would prove almost everything. Trouble is, for 48 years, since it was predicted in 1964, nobody’s been able to find it. It’s been humorously called the “God particle”—not by scientists, but the popular media. In fact some scientists have suggested calling it—pardon the scientific jargon here—the Goddamn particle, for its elusiveness and the trouble and expense it has caused among those trying to find it. Until last week.
(Higgs Boson walks into a Catholic church. Priest says, “How dare you call yourself the God particle! Blasphemer! Get out!” Higgs Boson says: “Well, OK—but without me, you can’t have mass!”)
One thing I love about this whole thing is the “faith in something not seen” they had. Another is the sense of wonder. And another is the Higgs field. Present in all the universe, it gives things mass when they interact with it. Isn’t that sort of like God? God is present in all the universe, and when you interact with God, you are given substance. Nothing else gives you substance, not what happens to you, not what you do, not what others think of you. It’s God’s interaction with you. You aren’t responsible for the substance of your existence: it’s a gift from God. In a way youare a God particle, a tiny manifestation of the holy mystery that holds everything together.
So celebrate with the particle physicists. Like the Higgs boson, it turns out you’re more than just a figment of the world’s imagination. You’re proof of the existence of God.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
I am finally in Ohio!!! More tomorrow!
I am so thankful for this amazing trip I just took to Connecticut & Boston!!! Still driving! 3 more hours…
life: acoustic & amplified 