Each
friend
represents
a world
in us,
a world
possibly
not born
until
he or she
arrives.
I have a bouquet
of friends,
each one
different.
I find
myself
revealing-
sometimes
discovering-
different
aspects
of myself
with each
of them.
livinglinesreflections.com
Artists know that
negative space
defines
a composition.
Musicians know that
the silence
between
the notes
is as much
a part of the
experience
of the music
as the notes.
Think of
space
and
silence
when you
breathe,
knowing
that
the pause
between
the
in-breath
and the
out-breath
fills you.
Paying attention
to one’s breath
is a
reminder of
how full of life
we are.
Imagine
soothing
oxygen,
filling
your body,
reaching
every cell.
It is a way
to stay
in the moment.
livinglinesreflections.com
May
the road rise
to meet you.
May the wind
be always
at your back.
May the sun
shine
warm upon
your face,
the rains fall soft
upon your fields,
and when
we meet again,
May God
hold you
in the
palms of
His hand.
There are many versions
of this Irish Blessing.
There are many
who claim
Irish ancestors.
The Irish diaspora
spreads
far and wide.
Even our first
African American
President
has Irish roots
on his mother’s side.
As the 69th
Regiment
parades down
New York’s
Fifth Avenue,
I claim a
great-grandfather
who was a member of
the “Fighting Irish Brigade”.
I can do a bit of the jig,
dancing to the
Irish Washerwoman toe tapping music.
In 8th grade,
I soloed
the lilting
“Rose of Tralee”.
In cap and gown,
high heeled shoes,
with my college freshmen class,
we marched in the
parade in the snow.
Memories linger
smiles especially broad
on this green day.
Do you have
a bit of Irish
on this day?
May the road rise to meet You.
Cold
No snow yet.
The bird feeder
put out
yesterday.
Now a ballet
of swirling birds
discovering
with delight.
A rogue squirrel
discovering
dropped seed.
More birds
than before
a lovely neighbor
offered an array
of feeders and suet.
She moved
before last winter.
Her son said
she had feeders
outside the window
and new birds
feasted.
Before she went
to sleep one evening,
she e-mailed him:
“I made the
best of my day.”
Those were her
last words.
I smile,
remembering her.
Our days
are made of
moments,
each
a little seed
of our twenty-four hours.
Some moments
are sad,
others
happy,
even joyful.
Being in
each moment,
living
the best we can.
Making the
best
of our
day.
God guides us
on the
long way round.
And sometimes that
means
winding
through a dark wood.
It doesn’t mean
we’re lost,
however.
The darkness
is part
of the trip.
Too many of us
panic
in the dark.
We don’t understand
that it is
a holy dark
and that the
idea is
to surrender to it
and journey through
to real light.
When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Directions for Life’s Sacred Questions
Sue Monk Kidd
Two inches
of mail
awaited
after time away.
Standing by the trash bin,
catalog after catalog,
three of the same,
campaign
requests,
no idea how
my address and name
on their lists.
Snail mail
names and addresses
are sold.
Annoying
and wasteful,
all of it!
A few bills,
still paid by check,
marketing circulars,
trash, trash,
Trees
wasted
in making the paper.
Nestled
in the pile
was a small envelope
hand-printed.
Smiling,
excited,
I opened it
gently.
Inside
a thank you
note,
from
our newly
nine year old
grandchild.
Treasure.
Thank you words
by e-mail
or snail mail,
so rare
these days.
I keep
these special
thoughts,
sometimes displayed
perhaps tucked in
my top drawer
for discovery,
in a week,
months later,
or
when the year
has passed and
the next
arrives.
Always
grateful.
Treasures of gratitude.
Thank you.
Look at Gratefulness.org
Thought Leaders
are especially
important
during times of
Disruptive Innovation,
a concept
used in
this time
when things
aren’t working
and ways of thinking and doing
must be changed.
Since Pope Francis was chosen,
he has become a
powerful
THOUGHT LEADER.
From his first moments
Pope Francis
showed his
humility
asking for us
to pray for him.
He chose
simple garments,
comfortable black shoes,
paid his own hotel bill,
moved into a
simple apartment.
During Holy Week,
he washed the feet of the poor,
not all Catholics.
He told priests
to be merciful and compassionate
towards those who are divorced
women who have had
abortions.
When asked about homosexuals,
he replied,
“Who am I to judge?”
Smiling,
he loves everyone
and in return,
he is loved.
The rules have not necessarily changed,
but the
TONE
has completely.
This change in tone is
Francis’
greatest achievement,
and it is HUGE!
In this
political season,
candidates
could learn
because Pope Francis
is an astute politician
in the best sense of the word.
As a South American
he sees the entrenched Vatican
as needing to be cleaned up,
finances and favoritism,
swept out.
Reflecting
compassion.
the tone,
the message
is that God is a God
of LOVE,
not JUDGMENT.
The Church’s role
is to make God
accessible.
Coming to the United States,
his first trip to North America,
he will speak
at the United Nations,
address Congress,
say Mass in Madison Square Garden.
Popular entertainers will
engage people,
using their words and music
to
open up people’s senses
to the music of their hearts.
Disruptive Innovation.
Bring it on!
Gazing out my breakfast window
a hummingbird flew
to face me and stayed there
wings fast fluttering
for
time standing still seconds.
Looking out the same window
at lunchtime
the evanescent bird
savored the nectar of the row of
hosta flowers.
Over summers past
we have put feeders
in the garden.
Rarely did this offering
compete with the real
usually pink, red, purple
real sips of
the 1,500 flowers
needed in a day.
Once,
holding a young grandchild,
a hummingbird came almost
eye to eye
with me.
My red flowered hat
attracted a very close visit
and then
flew to the garden
for the real thing!
Hummingbirds
breathe
250 times a minute
with a resting heartbeat of
500 beats per minute.
In flight their hearts rev to
1,500 beats a minute.
600-800 insects daily
provide more energy.
East Coast ruby-throated hummingbirds
migrate to the
Gulf of Mexico in the winter,
a 21 hour non-stop flight!
When first seen
there,
they were called
“resurrection birds.”
Close encounters
are ordinary miracles.
Through the virtual world
we come together
to celebrate
triumphs like
the U.S.
Women’s Soccer Team winning the World Cup.
We mourn
together when tragic events
occur
all too frequently.
Recently,
in my town
adults and children
gathered on the lawn
of one of the churches
for an interfaith service.
Each different clergy person
spoke or prayed
with those gathered together.
Some places of worship
no longer
are filled weekly
with people of their faiths.
Coming together
from time to time
as members of the community
strengthens each in their own faith
and
conveys that
even though it is
important for us each to pray
in our own traditions
that we realize that we are
on the
same wave length
acknowledging
our God,
our Source,
our Light.
Whatever side of a bridge
each of us stands,
no one
can be
untouched by the events of this week
June, 2015.
Sharp divisions
on civil rights
about race and same-sex marriage
have permeated
hundreds of years of our history.
Shock shook us.
A young white man
entered the historic
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
in Charleston
sat with nine black people
for an hour
of Bible study
and then shot them.
At his court hearing
the families of those slain
forgave him.
Within days, the governor
called for the removal of the Confederate flag,
still held high while
the American flag
honored the dead
at half mast.
On Friday morning,
the Supreme Court
announced its decision
on same-sex marriage.
In Justice Anthony Kennedy’s eloquent words,
“No union is more profound than marriage,
for it embodies the
highest ideals of
love,
fidelity,
devotion,
sacrifice,
and family.
It would misunderstand these
men and women
to say
they disrespect
the idea of marriage.
Their plea is that they do respect it,
respect it so deeply,
that they seek to
find its fulfillment for themselves.
Their hope is
not to be condemned to live
in loneliness,
excluded from one of
civilization’s
oldest institutions.
They ask for
equal dignity
in the eyes of the law.
The Constitution
grants them that right.”
In the afternoon
on the same day,
President Obama
gave an eloquent eulogy
at the funeral of the slain
Pastor Clementa C. Pinckney.
Pausing for a moment,
President Obama began to sing
Amazing Grace,
how sweet the sound.
When he sang
“I once was lost,
but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see”
6000 people and a 1000 outside
joined him in the
hymn.
Perhaps others like me
joined in.
“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieve’d;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”
GRACE
GRACIOUS
DIGNITY
For ALL.
PEACE
Living Lines Moment by Moment 