Opportunity Sandy remembered

 

Last year we were  battening down the hatches. The notice was given that Super Storm Sandy was on her way. Did we listen? Some people did. But I did not. I was only back to work a few months from maternity leave. my baby was 8 months old and I was exhausted. My friend Rose was losing her battle with Breast cancer. My sister was celebrating her victory over the same disease. Who has time to look up?  

A few days before the super storm I sat in the hospice with Rose, trying to make sense of a friendship and a life that was all too mysterious, very beautiful (with all its blemishes) but really all too short! It was hours before she would die, & I had a fury in me with her. She was dying and had not done the work of prepping her family. So much stood naked and bare the light of death, The skies were ominous. It's ok ! It's ok! Three hours after I left she died with Joel there as perplexed as I.

Joel and I meet for dinner frequently hands up & shrugging: who knows? Yet... I am left with this ponderous question: Am I living up to the challenge the opportunity that stands before me. What an opportunity this life offers me! We have the chance to shape it, to take big bites out of it, we have a chance to really Love one another and let people in to see us as we are. We can look out at this world with the eyes of a child like my 18 month old boy in utter wonder & exuberance, or we can look up! We can use our days to care for & nurture the world we have inherited. 

New Year New View!

What a difference a few years make. Its been a while since I have posted anything here. My world has turned as worlds often do. I am so very new New job new man new baby in my life, & yet it all feels so familiar and so known.

Floral Essences

Wednesday, May 26, 2010
9:03 AM

Floral Essences
Clematis clematis vitalba



For ME : Prayer & Love; (in order to be effective) are best when they effect life action. When I feel helpless I try to get to work moving in someway! God ultimately gets all the Glory for sure but I enjoy being apart & aware of His Marvelous design. Isn't is amazing that every thing has a use. Lorraine Hansberry's last play was entitled What Use are flowers and it has hung with me for many years as a beautiful reminder That God uses everything for GOOD!

Over the next little while I want to look into some healing herbs and flowers. Again as an affirmation of the Mercy and Grace of GOD, of the resilience and power that He put in our Earth and also in our Human Spirit . I just ma end up planting a few of these herbs and flowers for their healing properties.

Please note that these are not in any alphabetical order just in order of what my Soul is crying out for on any particular day:


Clematis Vitalba

is aka "Old man beard" and is a member of the Butter cup family. It is considered a weed which can grow up to 30 ft long and develop fragrant blossoms. They are also very delightful in appearance in my opinion.

According to : The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, the type of people who can be helped by Clematis ( travelers Joy) are those of us who live in a Dream World ( boy is that me! )Treatment with clematis is reported to stimulate creative potential.
Signs of a Clematis State
• Indifference & daydreaming
• Inattentive & absentmindedness
• Drowsiness & need of sleep
• Poor memory
• Escape into a fantasy world
• Tendency to faint
• Blocked creativity

Signs of Transformation
• Revived artistic creativity
• Being grounded I reality
• Idealism & energy
• Renewed concentration & focus
• Liveliness and cheerful openness
• Realistic thinking and behavior
• Objectivity and clear thinking
• Ability to find solutions to problems

Taking the remedy : Add a few drops of clematis flower essence to a glass of spring water & sip through out the day. Or pour some of the mixture glass bottle and drop under your tongue several times per day. I also like to add a few drops to my tea to inhale the aroma as well.

Please let me know your experiences with this flower essence! Taking any of these remedies in no way should replace or decrease the medications you are currently taking. If you are taking medications please consult your doctor before making any changes in your regimen.

Reasons to be HOPEFUL

Reasons to be Hopeful

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

7:34 AM

"For you shall go out in Joy, and be led forth in Peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Isaiah 55:22

The oil is still flowing! It is difficult not to panic and despair. The question is: 'what are we doing'. We have not put the proper safeguards up for our world in the face of such times it is so difficult to have hope. Our areas of ignorance and immaturity as a people are stark here. We are exposed as the children in need of supervision that we really are. This is not the only area. Yes, we can yell at the BIG OIL men because they have deep pockets but the blame is all of ours as the consequences are all of ours as well.

There is also healthcare, education not to mention Wall Street and the media outlets all have behaved out of alignment with the greater good of culture and Society. Every sector has shown that when the bottom line is the dollar you miss tremendous opportunity and tremendous folly is not far behind. We have got to grow up and measure our actions on the basis of what will bring us closer to God.

So this is not only a lament but also a cry for God's help!

Dear God,

I am holding your promise up in supplication LORD! Please help us. We need your might, your Love and your Grace! Show us in our individual lives what we should do to stop the oil contamination but also help us collectively live together better. Help us find PEACE and Purpose that brings us closer to you! Although these may not be easy actions to take show us the way Lord Show us the way! Amen

So here is my list why have hope:

1. God is real
2. Miracles can happen
3. More eyes are opening

Many more reasons to have HOPE are popping up everyday but these are a few to get us started!

It is Warmer in the Sun

It is Warmer in the Sun

Friday, May 14, 2010

2:02 PM

This Oil spill has touched me in a way I did not expect!

Initially:

I waited to hear the news of some easy fix, but my gut was saying : 'that would not happen." Man's Hubris and lack of proper safeguards have caused one of the biggest manmade disasters in our contemporary memory .

These kinds of

thoughts were followed by my concern about the wild life that will be effected and the notions about 2012'. You know my mind can get real dark.

We know: God is good! There is a teaching that I have used in other dark times. It came to me when I started working with the terminally ill: "When a need arises the wherewithal to manage it will emerge and may even make us better!" I do however think this requires a huge amount of our attention, our reform, & our awakening. Even as I shake my head in utter disbelief and the shame at this disaster, I must acknowledge God's wondrous presence in my life and in the events in the world.

God is the source of all, the love in all, and really the goal of all! So as my title indicates it is warmer in the Sun. Just to sy that when you know God stay with HIM in all things. So if you will; Pray with me. God can make a way!

Dear God Show us the way to care for one another and our world better and better AMEN.

Blue Mountain

Recent Blue Mountain Adventure

Monday, February 22, 2010

11:41 AM

My torso is aching! I have been shoveling and lugging and trudging a bit more than I would like to lately. I am grateful to God for the strength of my back & legs and defiantly need to work on my arms they often feel weak.

Julia came over last week & helped me to shovel and laughed at me because she said I was lifting that is why they call it shove..ling (Ha Ha Ha)as she pushed the snow to pile on the side. She is very funny really and now that she has found her Joneeba groove watch out !! World.

I took the 5 hour trip up to Blue Mountain Lake. To celebrate somewhat Belatedly Mom's Birthday. I was not prepared for the beauty . Her home sits nestled or perched facing the mountain and the lake. I looked in awe as the iced over lake seemed to say back to me that's right I am gorgeous! Robby has captured the Deer the Blue jay s and the beautiful view in a series of photos you can see on face book. Mom's smile says it all.

We will have to all go to visit in the warmer weather. Mom has snow often and needs to heat her home with the aide of a wiood stove which gives it that little house on the Prairie feel. Mom amazes me and reminds me to Go For it! Nothing is impossible~

Patience

Patience

Everything has it's own Season. I think the quote goes more like this: "To everything there is a season." Sometimes I am impatient. Muffin once noticed my character flaw& respectfully pointed it out for me. When I stopped to mull that over, I found that it is true . I only recently stumbled upon a possible cause: I want to get things over with. This is not the way! This is not the way at all.

To have patience is to have a form of faith to know that God has got things in perfect order and that you will be alright.

My acting teacher mention Muhammed Ali and his total belief in himself and what that meant during the Civil Rights era. Her mentioning this spurred me even further. I watched his fight on TV on the classic channel a few years ago with a friend. I was struck by his endurance and his patience . It was that classic Joe Frazier fight and Ali was against the ropes. I held my eyes because the pounding was brutal and Ali's arms were at his side he took a tremendous beating and maybe it was the 15th punch Frazier looked at to see if he had enough when Ali met his gaze with a sly smile he said something and Ali did that stutter step and began floating & stinging as he told us he would. Frazier was devastated and it was not long before he and the mat met in 'matrimony'.

I don’t like pain at all. I do not like punches in any form but this was such a great lesson in the power of Patience in the power of faith & endurance and well Belief in our innate ability to carry on even after a significant pounding.

May this be a season of finding our second wind and the season when our Stutter step kicks in and weGo For IT! ~with gusto. I am really inspired by those who have made it possible for us today I hope to contribute in my own particular way for those who follow after. By the Grace of God may I have a little more Patience.

You can fast forward this You tube to the end if the pounding is too much! Fighting is too much !