Blessings come in many forms. We use this form of prayer in a variety of ways. I had a friend bless me the other day. She prayerfully raised her hand. Said my name. Acknowledged gifts God had given me. Thanked me for giving them to her and to others. Then reminded me who I was – a beloved child of God. A moment of peace, holy ground between us and love. God’s presence was very strong in that room and in our hearts. Blessings – we may use this word all the time. What is a Blessing? A blessing is a special prayer given from one person to another, as in sincerely wishing the best for somebody. Another way of defining blessing is an unexpected, perhaps undeserved gift. Or to give someone your blessing is to give them your permission, an approval to go ahead with their plan, such as when a young man asks his girlfriend’s parents if he can marry their daughter. Blessing can be the words we say before a meal to express our thanks for the food … [Read more...]
Word of the Year
Each year I choose a word of the year that walks with me, guides me, forms me, teaches me lessons along the way. This is a spiritual practice I have enjoyed for more than 10 years and find it deepens my self-knowledge, adds clarity and meaning, and helps me grow closer to God. Some years the word is fun; some years it is challenging. Some years I find a word easily; others I have to dig, wait, search for just the right one. But occasionally the word finds me. That happened this year. I usually begin in late fall listening and looking for what words sound interesting or keep reappearing. I start a list and keep it handy on my desk and jot down possibilities. Later I write them in my journal and begin to prayerfully consider each one, seeing if one bubbles more to the top. I may circle a few that draw my attention. I may write down a couple of new ones. One morning mid-December I quietly sat with my journal open staring at the words: hope, now, behold, walk, near…all circled. … [Read more...]
May You Have a Blessed Christmas!
May you be filled with the wonder of Mary,the obedience of Joseph,the joy of the angels,the eagerness of the shepherds,the determination of the magi,and the peace of the Christ child.Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever.—Author Unknown … [Read more...]
Anchor
Being on the cruise ship for 30 days gave me lots of boat and ocean metaphors to dance in my heart. One of the strongest images was ANCHOR. Three times the cruise ship didn’t dock in the port but anchored off shore and we “tendered” on smaller boats to the islands. “Tender” is another interesting word as they use the ship’s lifeboats to transport us back and forth from the boat to the shore and it is NOT often very tender to board these smaller ships from the larger ship with all the rocking and rolling of the waves up and down. Yes, they had several large crew members standing on both sides of us, steadying us as we entering the smaller tenders to head to shore. But it was sort of scary to take that step from one side to another on such uneven, precarious shaking surface! What an adventure. Like an amusement park ride thrill! As we enjoyed our time on the islands the large cruise ship waited, anchored in the port. ANCHORED but not still. The waves slowly moved … [Read more...]
Travel Treasures
Traveling offers treasures that enrich our lives and stays with us even after the trip is over. I have often said vacations come in three parts: the first third of the fun is the planning, imagining, creating all the arrangements. I love that preparing and dreaming about an upcoming vacation. Afterall I am a planner! The second part is of course, going on the vacation: enjoying the present and discovering surprises and the unexpected. Being in the moment. Savoring the time. But often the best part is the grand finale: the final third: coming home: ahhh, the comfort of home, and then the enjoyment of the memories that no one can take away. That someday you will look back and say I am sure glad we took that trip. No regrets! Where did we go this time and what treasures can I share? Here are a few tidbits: The Trip My hubby and I took quite the adventure this time: a 32-day Viking cruise from LA around Hawaii and French Polynesia and back to LA. Yes 32 days. Yes, lots of … [Read more...]
A Traveler’s Thanks
Gracious Lord,Thank you for the joy of traveling. For the honor of seeing your creation. The joy of being alive in your world. Of experiencing the ocean breezes and the mist on my face. Standing on the deck losing count of all the variation of shades of blues in the waters before us. The loving companionship of my hubby. The deliciousness of the food, both familiar and unfamiliar. Meeting friends from around the world. Breathing in new cultures and learning histories that impact us all. Deepening understanding of varying ways of living. Watching wildlife leap for joy in the air and sea. Waiting for the clouds to pass at night to catch glimpses of the Southern Cross and Orion in your great universe across the heavens. So often, Lord, I felt blessed and thanked you for this time away to see your vast creation. The wonder of your amazing world. And now grateful for returning home and the comfort of routine, family, and beauty even in my … [Read more...]
Adult Friendships
Are you lonely? I have to admit as an adult, sometimes I long for the close friendships I experienced in high school where we giggled through long phone conversations and dreamed of the future. We shared deep discussions and possibilities. We invented ideas of what to wear and how to do our hair. We spent time together. We were real together. There was a closeness that doesn’t exist today in friendships. We do have adult friends now. Some are traveling buddies. Several are “let’s try this new restaurant with” types. In fact, looking at my October calendar I have had several morning coffee dates with good friends to share catch-up-with-each-other-moments and perhaps a few deep meaningful ones too. Yet I find it so difficult making new friends as an adult. Not just because I am lean more towards being an introvert, I think our culture makes it difficult too. I read this article recently: “Is making friends as an adult really hard, or is it just me?” The article shares: “research … [Read more...]
Word of the Year Fun
Sometimes I am just too serious! I decided to play. I love words and words are great toys to play with. So I took my word of the year – WELL – tossed it into the air, let it land, kerplop! right into a big pot of other words. I reached into the mystery stew and grabbed out some new words all containing my word of the year to see what I would discover. Ready to see what I found? Farewell – Not a big surprise here. Of course this is used to express goodbye. May we bid you a fare-well upon your leaving. Welly – now this one is new. Also spelled wellie. Is abbreviated for Wellington boot. But also can be slang for energy, concentration and commitment. Maybe I could use this one with intention with my word of the year. I could give my word, well, some welly, in the last months of the year. Wellspring – The source. Usually the water source of a well and refers to something of an abundant supply. One expression of wellspring I like and will use with my word of the year … [Read more...]