As I read the internet, peruse my emails, and get lost down endless trivial rabbit trails of fascinating information, I collect and save some interesting stuff. Today I thought I would share with you some this n that potpourri of maybe useful but probably not material that has caught my attention lately. How do you organize your books? I see photos all the time of other people’s bookshelves compiled by color. All the yellows on one shelf; reds on another. Not me. I want to find the book I am looking for. In my little brain and way of thinking there is only one way - alphabetized by author’s last name! Apparently, I am not in the majority as one study revealed: The vast majority of you are nuts. How can you live in the sheer chaos?• Topic: 39.5%• My own particular method: 28.7%• Vibes: 16.4%• Alphabetically: 7.6%• Color: 6.8%• Acquisition date: 1% Great New Word Susurration – meaning A whispering sound; murmur. It comes from the Latin “susurrare,” meaning “to whisper.” It … [Read more...]
National Simplicity Day
National Simplicity Day? Never heard of it. Have you? National Simplicity Day on July 12 honors transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, a man who advocated a life of simplicity. Thoreau was a supporter of living the simple life and encouraging others to do the same. Thoreau believed a life of simplicity could lead to greater happiness and a deeper connection between us and the surrounding world. He advocated a life free of unnecessary complexities; free of details. He declared “our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify!” What an invitation: to pause and consider what details in our lives are squandering the joys and vitality in our existence. “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” Hans Hofmann Simplicity means slowing down and appreciating what we already have. We no longer feel the pressure to acquire more things. We have time to pursue adventures and spend time with people we enjoy. God calls us … [Read more...]
Which Way to Go?
A grief burst is an sudden huge burst of emotion that you can’t escape. Bursting upon your heart unexpectantly you are grabbed and slammed into a dark pit. You become overwhelmed by grief emotions you may have not even known you held inside your soul. I learned this in my recent classes about grief but then experienced a grief burst myself the other week. The class taught me the definition, but life brought me the reality. For two nights, I cried. No, I sobbed. I could barely catch my breath. Overwhelmed by losses I wept. My brother died June 14. We were not close and as adults barely communicated, but still my sibling was dead. Then another broken relationship shattered once again reopening a deep wound. My soul hurt. I wrote in my journal: What am I grieving?Yes, the loss of a siblingBut more than that.Tears rise from broken relationshipsA life not fully lived.All the “what could have been.”The loneliness of what actually is. My prayer those two nights were sniveling … [Read more...]
Divine Flow
What comes to your mind when you read the phrase “Divine Flow”? To me, flow implies a continuous, open movement, back and forth between two entities. If you are “in the zone” you are immersed and experience energy and delight. Things that flow merged and become one. Divine of course means of God or with God. I yearn for divine flow. Perhaps this deep desire within me is one reason why Brian Plachta’s new book attracted me. Its title is Divine Flow: Reclaiming the Lost Art of Contemplation for Every Day and today this new book became available wherever books are sold. Plachta is a spiritual director and pastoral counselor with more than 30 years of experience Plachta writes, “Divine Flow is a modern way of describing the contemplative path—a lifestyle rooted in presence and inner stillness that nurtures and sustains a deep, personal relationship with God. It invites you to move from merely knowing about God to experiencing God—in the quiet, in the heart, and in the flow of … [Read more...]
Project Hail Mary
My new favorite book/movie: Project Hail Mary. I am obsessed with this charming and inspiring story right now. I have read the book twice. Watched the movie only once so far but have been binging on movie clips of various scenes on YouTube. I am not much of a movie theater attender or a fiction reader so my reaction to this story has fascinated me. I love the very likeable characters. The inspiring and thoughtful themes. The laugh aloud humor. The smartness of this story. The friendship. The optimism even when times are rough. This movie/book has heart and somehow speaks straight into my soul. I have learned to notice when something resonates deeply within me. Pay attention when my soul is stirred – either in a positive or jarring way. My spiritual director reminded me to listen to my tears. Frederick Buechner wrote this about tears: “You never know what may cause them. The sight of the Atlantic Ocean can do it, or a piece of music, or a face you've never seen before. A pair … [Read more...]
Signposts Along the Way
Way is my word of the year. I love this practice as it wakes up your mind and heart to notice, to listen, to seek new understanding of a word that resonates where you are on your journey. You begin to pay attention to where "way" appears in various forms and often within people and even difficult circumstance. The Word of Year practice offers opportunities to grow, to learn, and to be stretched in new ways. When my hubby drives on long trips, I love reading the billboards – some are so funny. Some point us to possibilities. Some I just shake my head at and wonder what it would be like to be that cheesy-accident-call-me-first attorney and do that for a living. So I have been noticing “WAY” as signposts on this year’s journey. I’m collecting, listening, and noting Way Signposts that are appearing this summer. Signposts Other signposts are on the horizon but in the power practices of noticing and naming what I am experiencing is showing my WAY. The year is halfway over … [Read more...]
Overriding Overwhelm
Ever get overwhelmed? I bet I am not the only one to experience this suffocating feeling where even the smallest tasks loom so large your body abruptly stops in paralysis. I know when I am faced with too much on my to-do list, my breath becomes shallow, I feel out of control and ready to quit, and I find it difficult to focus on anything. Brene Brown writes, “The definition of overwhelm that I could FEEL the moment I read it is from Jon Kabat-Zinn: Overwhelm is the all-too-common feeling that ‘our lives are somehow unfolding faster than the human nervous system and psyche are able to manage well.’ Our bodies and minds are experiencing that quicksand feeling.” Last week too much stuff cried out to be done all at once. Overwhelm engulfed me. I stared at the big projects not sure what next step to take while the tiny ones scream for just as much attention. Urgent outshouted the important. Brain-dumping all I had to work on helped me to name what had to be done, but the waves of so … [Read more...]
Wayfinding
I have lost my way in exploring WAY. What I mean is this: WAY is my word of the year, yet I have been neglecting it. Not noticing it lurking around me. Ignoring its rich meanings and life lessons for this point in my journey. The word of the year practice for me has in the past been rewarding and insightful and a connecting point with the Lord. I value this practice yet… “Way” sits on the shelf, waiting patiently for me to wake up and hear its call. How do we restart a spiritual practice what has laid dormant? Prayerfully thinking about this question, I decided to start small. WAY still resonated with me and seemed to have more lessons for me, so I decided to stay with this word. Since I enjoy playing with words maybe having some fun with WAY would be the first step. What phrases contain the word WAY? WAY PHRASES Too many to list all of them. Here are a few that stood out for me: • The Way, the Truth and the Life• And that's the way it is (A catchphrase … [Read more...]