Welcome: An Introduction

Sharing the insights I discover as I explore and experience the mystery that is our reality. Join me in my journey and share yours.




Friday, September 30, 2011

This Moment: A Friday Tradition

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
“This Moment” is a ritual found on Life inspired by theWee Man adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Sarah-Jane. If you find yourself touched by a Moment and would like to participate, post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comments section.
 
 
 

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

YouTube Tuesday



Each week a growing group of bloggers are seeing how creative they can get in selecting thought provoking, and sometimes just fun, YouTube videos that have stood out to them. Each month the creator of the project, Josh, will be selecting a winner and presenting them with the "You Tube Tuesday Award".

Do you have a video that you found hilarious, thought provoking or inspiring? Come, join the project and be sure to leave your link on Josh's site: http://networkedblogs.com/l9C9c  And of course in the comments section here too!
 
 


 

Monday, September 26, 2011

Guest Post: Growing Up

Growing Up

Guest Post
Writer: Mike Print
Visit his blog @ http://mikegprint.wordpress.com



Courtesy of Google Images




After a break of a few months I had the opportunity to delve into a little more of Rowan Williams' theology. For anyone who has followed my blog (and I think Jessica is possible the only one!!) they will have noticed that in the past I've been challenged and encouraged by the present Archbishop of Canterbury who has cut quite a controversial figure in England over the past few years. In trying to get to grips with what Rowan believes, which because he is an academic is far harder that just reading his books, I decided to read Mike Higton's 'A Difficult Gospel: The Theology of Rowan Williams'. This post is a reflection upon on of those chapters 'Adulthood and Childhood'.

Childhood in its extreme can, of course, best be seen in the new born baby. For him or her, their entire world, rightly revolves around them. They sleep until they want something and then they scream until they get it and this is 'infantile' in its most basic form. As we look around the world and as we look inside ourselves we, to a greater or lesser extent, see the infantile in many who are no longer infants. Whenever we're selfish or demand our own way we are showing those around us that tendency which has been with us from birth. What matters to us is what is most important and we are metaphorically going to scream until we get it. The other day I went shopping with Natalie, my fiancee, and being selfish as I wasn't in the mood for shopping, I was grumpy and made sure she knew it. I was infantile and acting like the world revolved around me and tried to manipulate the world to get it to conform to my desires. As Higton puts it, Williams believes that:

'We are beset... by the infantile temptation to imagine ourselves on the verge of completeness. If I just had that thing, we say, I would be happy: I wouldn't need anything more. I look at myself, calculate the size and shape of the gaps in my life, and then hunt for the things or people or experiences that will fill them.'

So as you can see being infantile, being a child has nothing necessarily to do with age. Anyone from the person who has turned one hundred down can all be or remain infantile their entire life.

Adulthood then is the moving away from the subconscious belief, backed up by selfish actions, that the world revolves around me. To become an adult we must come to realise more and more that 'I' is not the centre of the universe, that others exist and have a say and that in fact the world may care little for my selfish desires. Becoming truly adult then is something which many people do not fully obtain regardless of how long they've lived and whether or not they can legally drink alcohol, vote or drive a car. As Williams says:

'The self becomes adult and truthful in being faced with the incurable character of its desire: the world is such that no thing will bestow on the self a rounded and finished identity.'

The problem then is how we move in the direction of the adult; how do we set aside the infantile desire to be the centre? For Williams, and for me, the answer lies in God and His grace in doing what otherwise could not be done - the continued movement from infant to adult in those who trust Him, Higton sums up:

'Grace awakens us to a vision of the self not as controllable and nearly complete, but as continually being given more, continually receiving not just neatly packaged extras, but transformation, real growth, unexpected reordering, from others who genuinely are others, rather than projections of our own desires. Grace invites us... into an economy of giving, which is grounded ultimately in the complete self-giving of God.'


It is only in recognizing that God should be at the centre of our world, that we become free to interact in the correct and most meaningful way with others with whom we share that world. No wonder Christ sums up the teaching of God as loving God first and people second, because we can only love others as ourselves when, in the first place, we love God completely (Matt 22:37). As I think back to my behaviour when shopping the other day I realise I continue to need God's help to love Him more, putting Him more at the centre of my life, so that I can love Natalie more and love her as much if not more than myself.

Any thoughts? Please share them in the comments section! Thank you!

Friday, September 23, 2011

This Moment: A Friday Tradition

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
“This Moment” is a ritual found on Life inspired by theWee Man adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Sarah-Jane. If you find yourself touched by a Moment and would like to participate, post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comments section.
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Tithing our Time

                                                                      Courtesy of Google Images

I recently returned from a trip from Florida with my family. It was nice to see my in-laws again. It had been two years since my husband's mother had seen our children so it was a heart-warming reunion. As with any family vacation, though,  there was definitely a limit on the personal time each one of us had to ourselves. A whole new routine ensued. If it could be considered a routine at all, more like a chaos filled "jam everything you can into nine days" itinerary!

Family vacations, in my view,  seem more like family "boot camps", as the space that usually provides a nice cushion of personal comfort is stripped away and we oftentimes are left exposed to the personality traits in both ourselves and the others in our family that we find least desirable and on a regular schedule are digested in smaller doses. As a mother, who finds myself referring all of this and striving to keep the bickering to a dull roar, more than ever I am seeking clarity and a sense of peace and direction during such times.

It wasn't until the third or fourth morning, after a couple of days that consisted of many temper tantrums from the kids and harsh words from both my husband and I, directed at both one another and them, that I found myself waking up at four in the morning. Almost like clockwork, when my spiritual thirst is at its peak and oftentimes hasn't found its source for refreshment, I wake up at these hours to spend time with God. Eagerly, and very carefully, lest I rouse one of my slumbering children, I tip-toed down stairs to the living room.

After making a cup of coffee, taking some long sips, enjoying it's flavor and the feel of hot ceramic in my hands, a juxtaposition to the cool air in the living room, I eased myself upon an over-sized recliner, though not reclining, and opened myself to the Lord. Letting all thoughts rise up and then fall away, like gentle winds, attempting to distract, yet remaining transparent and fading from my internal view and perception. The winds picked up, distracting thoughts beckoning me to interpret them, alluring seeds promising to birth new thoughts rose up. I just let them fall, as Eknath Easwaran puts it, "like pearls into the sea of my subconscious".  It took some time, but eventually there were no thoughts, and a peace and love broke upon me, like the sun breaking upon a new day.

 Glory be to God for the mercy and strength, the hope and love He touches each of our souls with in our hours of spiritual thirst. We have only to seek and He will lay before us all the fruits our hearts desire.  Clarity in times of confusion.  Hope in times of despair. The sense of union with His infinite love when before entering His presence only a disconnect was felt, the clutter of the world crowding the pursuits of a heart reaching out to Him.

After my time with God, I settled back to write and pray. I realized how oftentimes irrational my words can be to my children. How I can lack compassion when they need it the most. I repented. I fall chasms short from any sense of being like Christ. Yet, we are expected to strive to conform to his character, a daunting task made only possible by His Spirit within us. Perhaps it's not wise to think of it as a  "task".  It's much more positive to see it as a natural progression, as we allow our hearts to be continually opened, more and more, by God's grace and love. Once open wide,  His light  flows unfettered and unobstructed through us and then naturally out to others. We are indeed His feet and hands, as Teresa of Avila once put it,

"Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world....".
 

Christ has the power to transform the world, if only we would let him work through us..

Reflecting upon all of this led me to realize that it is only after mornings such as this one, when I find time to open myself up to God, to seek Him in the throne room of my heart, to pray, to meditate, to write, that the rest of the day that follows is a much more fruitful and peaceful one than other mornings when I rise with my children and stumble through yet another hectic day. When I am filled with more peace and a renewed sense of discernment and clarity I am much more effective in living my life as God would have me and a lot more productive in the ways my family needs me to be.

All of this reminded me of the concept of tithing. Giving God the first fruits of our labor. When we give God the first fruits of our day, the first portion of time that we have in the morning that sometimes can mean the only time we have to ourselves for the whole day, He, in turn rewards us with unspeakable spiritual riches. He blesses us greatly because we are sacrificing something that is precious to us in order to honor and seek Him. Such an act acknowledges His glory and presence in our hearts and our humble need for Him to provide us with continued sustenance. It brings us closer to our Creator and allows our hearts and minds to have the opportunity to be renewed and strengthened, aiding us through the challenges of a new day.

Have you tithed some of your time today? Have you set aside a portion of time to spend with God? I have a confession. Though I have made a concerted effort lately to do just that, I find it very difficult to maintain a regular habit of it. Distractions abound, that's for sure! Just this morning, my son came down twice while I was meditating! But I firmly believe the more persistence we put into our practice, of entering  into His presence, the easier it will become to find opportunities to enter more into it. Even with the uneven gait in which I stumble through my practice,  contemplative moments have broken upon me spontaneously throughout my day and ordinary moments have become more and more permeated with His presence. And we all can experience such moments...all that's needed is a heart that simply seeks the Divine :)


Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Please leave them in the comments section! Thank you!

Monday, September 19, 2011

YouTube Tuesday



Each week a growing group of bloggers are seeing how creative they can get in selecting thought provoking, and sometimes just fun, YouTube videos that have stood out to them. Each month the creator of the project, Josh, will be selecting a winner and presenting them with the "You Tube Tuesday Award".

Do you have a video that you found hilarious, thought provoking or inspiring? Come, join the project and be sure to leave your link on Josh's site: http://networkedblogs.com/l9C9c  And of course in the comments section here too!
 
 


 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Guest Post: Hiding Out

Hiding Out
Guest Post
Author: William Meli
Check out his blog: http://akingdomreflection.blogspot.com









After walking out of the movie theater recently, out of the corner of my eye, one movie patron caught my attention. Why?

Well she had purchased one movie ticket for a movie that started in ten minutes and she was asking the movie attendant if she could buy another movie ticket for the next movie after the first one ended and then she asked if she could buy a third ticket for the next movie after the second movie ended. I know some of you have secretly wished you could just sneak away and watch one movie by yourself, but two movies, or three movies? Maybe she probably had a day off and wanted to catch up on some new movies. But my spirit told me otherwise.

 She was lonely. How could I tell? I just felt the Spirit of God tell me that she was lonely. Was she lonely enough to buy three movie tickets in a row and hide out in the movie theater all day? Yes she was. I often think of the biblical story of the woman at the well; the lady that went to the well to gather her water in the middle of the day, in the absolute heat, at the worst possible time to gather her water. Yes, that lady.

I believe that water represents life’s nourishment and that without water to our soul, we die. Maybe not all at once, but we die over time. Without friends, without loved ones, without others to check up on us, we die. If I had been able to talk to the lady, I would have liked to have reminded her of Psalm 68:6, “God places the lonely in families or another version reads, “God makes a home for the lonely.” What did Jesus tell the lady at the well, in John 4:14, “But whomever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”


 We have the nourishment of Jesus Christ inside of us and it is up to us to remind others that it can be inside of them also. They can have the nourishment, friendship, and love of a Savior that is beyond time, beyond reason, and beyond human hope. We have that hope inside of us. Letting it out  allows others to experience the same freedom you experienced at one time.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Guest Post: Two Plus Two and Universal Truth

TWO PLUS TWO AND UNIVERSAL TRUTH
By Bill Huffhine







Donna could predict with bored certainty all that she would experience every single day of her advanced algebra class. But at precisely 8:04 yesterday morning she was proved wrong.


The complexities of the mind-numbing web of formulas and calculations that very few actually ever understand were briefly set aside. Instead, Mr. Hayworth stood with his checkered tweed clad back to the class and wrote in broad sweeping strokes upon the white board:


2 + 2 = 4


He then turned, and with an expression far too serious for the moment said with
unquestionable authority, "Two plus two equals four. Would anyone like to argue with this fact?" The room was quiet. Of course nobody could argue. And everyone wondered which of his desk drawers hid the flask he'd apparently been sipping from. Mr. Hayworth, the highly respected, published, mathematical authority, nodded slightly, without a smile, and then sat quietly behind his desk.




A couple of odd, awkward moments of silence passed before the door opened. It was Miss Umba Mingawa, the curator of the local art gallery located at the corner of Mayfair & Poplar. She smiled as she strode, or more accurately stumbled, through the door wheeling in a stone sculpture which she placed in front of Mr. Hayworth's desk, facing the class. It was a beautiful granite structure about two feet across and slightly taller than it's width. Carved into the face of the stone were three human figures. The first holding two fingers in the air. The second, with the opposite hand also holding two fingers in the air. And the third, head turned as if looking at the other two companions, held four fingers slightly outward, about chest high. With her broken english, flavored with a subtle Kenyan Bantu dialect, she said pleasantly to the class, with a sweeping of her right arm across the face of the structure, "Two plus two equals four."

As oddly as she entered, she turned, pushed the sculpture out the door, and waved goodbye.

A couple more minutes passed before another gentleman entered the room with a rather large wooden box. This was Sir Michael Bennett, a famous British historian visiting America as part of a traveling exhibit on British naval warfare. He pulled from the box two model ships, named them, and explained a bit about their structure and function. These were the first two ships to arrive offshore of the Isle of DeBrolay, weakening her defenses with their cannon fire. He then pulled two more models from the case, read their names, and continued the tale of these two ships joining the first pair some twenty-three hours after the assault began. They had been delayed by bad weather and a minor skirmish with a Spanish privateer, nearly costing the empire the battle over this small, but strategically significant island. The arrival of these two final ships turned the tide. And according to Mr. Bennett, the Battle of DeBrolay was won by four of the king's finest vessels.

 In the course of just under an hour the absolute truth of the mathematical calculation 2 + 2 was demonstrated by three different individuals, from three different cultures, educated in three different disciplines. The speakers, vastly differed in style, background, and personality. The medium of communication consisting of white boards, dry erase ink, stone structures, and model ships, all communicated the same universally understood truth.


From where does the mathematical truth of two plus two equalling four originate? From the mathematician? From the artist? From the historian? Neither. It simply...is. Wouldn't it be absurd for the mathematician to spend his life trying to convince the artist and historian that two plus two only equals four when it is found written on a white board with a black dry erase marker or is taught within the context of an advanced algebra class? How silly it would be for the artist to argue that unless it is portrayed artfully, preferably in granite sculptures on wheels, this simple mathematical formula breaks down and is brought into question.

 Truth is truth, wherever it may be found and however it may be communicated. Join me at www.christiandropout.com in the coming days as we further unpack this little parable and explore the ways in which it applies to followers of Jesus and how we look upon and interact with others throughout the world.

Friday, September 9, 2011

The Perennial Philosophy: Learning from the World's Mystics



I am currently reading Grace and Grit. It is a deeply moving narrative that includes the thoughts and reflections of both Ken Wilber and his late wife Treya Wilber as they journeyed through her trial with cancer. A trial that ultimately claimed her life. It is an inspiring read despite its already known ending. It not only touches on Treya's struggle with cancer but throughout the whole book philosophy permeates from both Ken and Treya's reflections and conversations with one another. In one part of the book Treya is helping Ken prepare for a lecture on the Perennial Philosophy and she helps him by conducting a practice interview.

I first learned about the Perennial Philosophy in a book by Huston Smith, The World's Religions. This philosophy gives shape and form to a concept that has been slowly developing in my own mind and heart as I've come to see threads of similarity woven throughout many of the religions. These similarities have been mainly expressed through the voices of the mystics ascribed to each religion.

The parallels that can be drawn from the encounters  people from all different cultures and religions have had with God strike me as an amazing testament to God's infinite nature. It also points to me to the truth that God can indeed be experienced and manifest Himself outside the realm of any particular organized religion. Our God is a creative God. No matter how we might try, we just can't stuff God into any one box, for He undoubtedly encompasses that box and goes far beyond it. I believe one can take this view while holding fast to the genuine sacredness and meaning of their given religion. If anything, to realize how God shatters boundaries and permeates all of reality, gives much credence to our conceptions of His omnicience, omnipotence and the mercy and love that we have used to define His grace-filled character.

I don't want to write too much for I have a generous sized excerpt I'd like to share. This is why I am titling this post as Part 1. In his interview Wilber relates what he feels are the seven most important points of the Perennial Philosophy and then goes into detail on each point. In this post I will share the first three and relate the others in a post that will follow.  This is only an excerpt and I'm using snippets of what actually exists in his dialogue to illustrate each point. So if you really are intrigued by this philosophy I'd definitely suggest reading the actual book. I hope you enjoy the following excerpt and would value and appreciate your thoughts!


"The perennial philosophy is the worldview that has been embraced by the vast majority of the world's greatest spiritual teachers, philosophers, thinkers, and even scientists. It's called "perennial" or "universal" because it shows up in virtually all cultures across the globe and ages...

... I will give you seven of what I think are the most important [points].

Point 1: Spirit exists

Treya Wilber: But how do you know Spirit exists? The mystics say it does, but on what do they base their claims?

Ken Wilber: On Direct experience...Their claims are based, not on mere beliefs or ideas, theories or dogma, but rather on direct experience, actual spiritual experience. This is what sets the mystics apart from merely dogmatic religious beliefs...

TW: But the mystical experience, which seems so certain to the mystic, could in fact simply be mistaken. The mystics might think they are becoming one with God, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's what's actually happening. No knowledge can absolutely be certain.

KW: How do we find out? We check it against more experience-which is also exactly what the mystics have historically done, checking and refining their experiences over the decades, centuries, and even millennia...

Point 2: Spirit is Found Within

KW: The stunning message of the mystics is that in the very core of your being, you are God. Strictly speaking, God is neither within nor without-Spirit transcends all duality. But one discovers this by consistently looking within, until "within" becomes "beyond"....The individual self or ego is precisely what blocks the realization of the Supreme Identity in the first place....Rather , the "you" in question is the deepest part of you...the subtle essence, as the Upanishad put it, that transcends your mortal ego and directly partakes of the Divine.

In Judaism it is called the ruach, the divine and supraindividual spirit in each and every person, and not the nefesh, or individual ego. In Christianity, it is the indwelling pneuma or spirit that is of one essence with God, and not the individual psyche or soul, which at best can worship God. As Coomaraswamy said, the distinction between a person's immortal-eternal spirit and a person's individual-mortal soul (meaning ego) is a fundamental tenet of the perennial philosophy I think is the only way to understand, for example, Christ's otherwise strange remarks that a person could not be a true Christian "unless he hateth his own soul." It is only by "hating" or "throwing out" or "transcending" your mortal soul that you discover your immortal spirit, one with All.

TKW: St. Paul said, "I live, yet not I, but Christ in me." You're saying that St. Paul discovered his true Self, which is one with Christ, and this replaced his old or lower self, his individual soul or psyche.

KW: Yes. Your ruach, or ground is the Supreme Reality, not your nefesh, or ego.


Third Point: A World of sin, separation , and duality block us from realizing the Spirit Within

KW: The various traditions...all essentially come down to this: I cannot perceive my own true identity, or my union with Spirit, because my awareness is clouded and obstructed by a certain activity that I am now engaged in. And that activity, although known by many different names, is simply the activity of contracting and focusing awareness on my individual self or personal ego. My awareness is not open, relaxed, and God-centered, it is closed, contracted and self-centered. And precisely because I am identified with the self-contraction to the exclusion of everything else, I can't find or discover my prior identity, my true identity, with the All.

...According to the perennial philosophy, awareness dominated by the self-contraction, by the subject/object dualism, cannot perceive reality as it is, reality in its wholeness, reality as the Supreme Identity. Sin, in other words, is the self-contraction, the separate-self sense, the ego. Sin is not something the self does, it is something the self is.

Furthermore, the self-contraction, the isolated subject "in here", precisely because it does not recognize its true identity with the All, feels an acute sense of lack, of deprivation, of fragmentation. The separate-self sense, in other words, is born in suffering-it is born "fallen". Suffering is not something that happens to the separate self, it is something that is inherent in the separate self. "Sin", "suffering", and "self" are so many names for the same process, the same contraction or fragmentation of awareness. You cannot rescue the self from suffering. As Gautama Buddha put it, to end suffering you must end the self-they rise and fall together.

...It's true that the equation of Hell or samsara with the separate self is strongly emphasized in the East, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism. But you find an essentially similar theme in the writings of the Catholic, Gnostic, Quaker, Kabbalistic and Islamic mystics. My favorite is from the remarkable William Law, an eighteenth-century Christian mystic from England; I'll read it to you: "See here the whole truth in short. All sin, death, damnation, and hell is nothing else but this kingdom of self, or the various operations of self-love, self-esteem, and self-seeking which separate the soul from God and end in eternal death and hell." Or remember the great Islamic mystic Jalaluddin Rumi's famous saying, "If you have not seen the devil, look at your own self." Or the Sufi Abi 'l-Khayr: "There is no Hell but selfhood, no Paradise but selflessness." This is also behind the Christian mystics' assertion that, as the Theologia Germanica put it, nothing burns in Hell but self-will.

Thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Please write them in the Comments Section. Thank you!

This Week's Moment in Time

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
“This Moment” is a ritual found on Life inspired by theWee Man adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Sarah-Jane. If you find yourself touched by a Moment and would like to participate, post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comments section.
 
 


 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

YouTube Tuesday


 
 
Each week a growing group of bloggers are seeing how creative they can get in selecting thought provoking, and sometimes just fun, YouTube videos that have stood out to them. Each month the creator of the project, Josh, will be selecting a winner and presenting them with the "You Tube Tuesday Award".

Do you have a video that you found hilarious, thought provoking or inspiring? Come, join the project and be sure to leave your link on Josh's site: http://networkedblogs.com/l9C9c  And of course in the comments section here too!
 
 


 

Monday, September 5, 2011

Gratitude Revisited After Irene

A couple of months ago I was fortunate to find myself reading, alongside an unforgetable group of mothers, a book that I believe truly has the power to transform lives. This book was, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.  You can read my book review here: http://ascendingthehills.blogspot.com/2011/06/one-thousand-gifts-book-review.html


It was a particular joy to be able to read Voskamp's novel with others and get the chance to discuss its contents, chapter by chapter, as we dove into her personal journey of spiritual transformation. We witnessed her once tormented life resurrected into a living testament of hope and joy. It is a journey which has helped spark countless others to re evaluate the way in which they perceive the reality that rests poised to take form and be recognized in their everyday ordinary moments. There were a couple of articles that were conceived by my reading this book, you can find the first one here: http://ascendingthehills.blogspot.com/2011/05/gratitudes-greatest-gifts.html and the second one here: http://ascendingthehills.blogspot.com/2011/05/dare-to-live-fullyann-voskamp.html


                                                            Courtesy of Google Images


It wasn't too long ago that Irene swept through our state, leaving in her wake a twisted trail of fallen trees, powerlines and inward groanings, and sometimes very loud outward ones, from those of us who found our daily routines severely interrupted by the lack of running water and electricity.

I found myself trying to find the silver lining amidst the gloom that constantly threatened to spoil our moods much like the food in our refridgerator had. It had been cut off from the source that maintained its freshness and lost its initial appeal, in the end turning toxic. When we allow ourselves to be cut off from joy, negativity threatens to sink into our subconsciouses, spoiling our perceptions and altering them. Clouded perceptions doused with negativity hinder us from seeing the blessings that abound in each given moment and oftentimes turn our moods toxic to ourselves and to others. It is then, much like with the rotten food in our refridgerator, a purging needs to take place.


What  blessings and gifts might be conceived and encountered in the wake of a source so turbulent and unpredictable as a hurricane? Read the blessings and gifts I experienced and I'd love to have you share those of your own which you've encountered in moments where, if we allowed, we'd only see the the negative but instead we chose to see the imprints of God's handiwork and presence rythmitically injecting itself into the reality and fiber of our lives in moments so seemingly bare.


*   flames of candles flickering, their warm glow scattering darkness
*   more silence, less sound, as tv remains off
*   tiny hands wielding flashlights, imaginary worlds of shadows dancing on walls
*   bedtime stories read outside on picnic blanket stretched out wide
*   getting over my fear of cooking on the grill, cheese melting on bread
*   a child's simple delight of eating literal "grilled cheese"
*   laptop closed causing more books to open
*   writing by candlelight
*   lulled to sleep by the sounds of nature
*   early darkness gathering us together as a family, technology no longer dispersing
*   extra days off for my husband, more time to make memories
*   a windy walk down sidewalks, tiny hands clasped in mine, eyes wide with wonder



What are some gifts/blessings that you have encountered during times of natural disasters or other events that might, at first glance, be seen only in the negative?  I'd love to hear them!

Thank you for sharing!

Friday, September 2, 2011

This Moment: A Friday Tradition

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
“This Moment” is a ritual found on Life inspired by theWee Man adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Sarah-Jane. If you find yourself touched by a Moment and would like to participate, post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comments section.