For some there comes a time when a second chance is given.That time then becomes a celebration of the unrecognized gifts of the past and humble gratitude for the wonder of present.
This then is a collection of reflections and comments on life,work,love and faith to be sung ,and danced to, in thanksgiving for a second chance.
"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
—T.S. Eliot
“ Hope is a great tool when it comes to forming new habits and letting go of
Older, obsolete habits. Hope opens the door to possibility and allows us to
envision change, particularly change that we desire.”
- Andrew Mellen
And so another 12 months are marked off the calendar and someone says
“Here we go again” but the pilgrim with eyes closed senses that this body is just a vessel on this odyssey. He let the music that played during his settling into preparation for inspiration be the reflection today.
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. “
Welcome Oliver Rich - Born November 25, 2018 to Hal and Leigh Rich
“Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe”
- Cry of a Tiny Babe, Bruce Cockburn
May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay
May you stay forever young
- Forever Young , Bob Dylan
"Dear Child of God, you are loved with a love that nothing can shake, a love that loved you long before you were created, a love that will be there long after everything has disappeared.”
Well, here you are. Welcome! Some say that children born at Christmastime get cheated. I believe there is a little extra special blessing when born around Christmas . Ask your Zia Lindsay and cousin Caroline about this. The moment our eyes connected I felt the overwhelming power of the most mystical unconditional love. I wondered if I was about to hear the great truth ,that secret of the universe , the message that all the mystics and saints have understood . A new born baby has come directly from the eternal spark, the source of all life, and being in your presence I was just humbled to behold such a living grace. You came into this world as result of love between and from your mother and father. When I see them see you, hear you, speak to you or hold you you I see and feel their love for you.
I worry about how fast human beings become so distracted, corrupted and detached from the all-encompassing pure love and peace so quickly when we enter this world. I worry about the world of the Herod’s of all origins and types and pray for the innocents, and their parents , they have taken before they even started out on the great journey back home. I worry about the ignorance, greed/self-centeredness and violence that tries to spit in the face of God and undo all the good. I worry about those who cannot help themselves and suffer needlessly. It is said
“If a problem can be solved…why worry and if problem is unsolvable, worrying will not help.”
Worrying has not helped me much and worry really does not resolve anything does it? So, here are a few things I have learned along the way that you may want to think about :
We are born out of love and and are loved constantly more than we will ever know;
“Fall in love , stay in love because that is everything”
Our purpose is to be genuine , use the talents we have been given to share that love and reflect that natural perfect peace;
Follow your heart and listen to the great voice within and you will know what to do and what to be;
Be grateful and humble as you make your way through the calm seas and storms of this great passage;
Know and nurture the goodness in this world. Admire and help the “good “ people in this world ( You’ll know who they are.) Be one of those good people that others want to be around( They will find you and your parents are good models of this);
There are those who are less fortunate and need your help and care;
Nature teaches us a lot if you are present to it’s beauty ,peace and truth;
Everything is evidence of the sacred …if you don’t get stuck in thinking or worrying too much about it;
Music, poetry and art are channels of the truth ( don’t ever forget to dance your heart out);
Trust your intuition always….
Always be amazed by everything in this world and you will amaze everyone!
( Though your brother may annoy you at times…remember brothers do that and deep down he loves you more than your know. I have a brother too.)
Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
The stairs are your mentor of things
to come, the doors have always been there
to frighten you and invite you,
and the tiny speaker in the phone
is your dream-ladder to divinity.
Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into the
conversation. The kettle is singing
even as it pours you a drink, the cooking pots
have left their arrogant aloofness and
seen the good in you at last. All the birds
and creatures of the world are unutterably
themselves. Everything is waiting for you.
Too Long in Exile - Van Morrison
https://youtu.be/A9gRbpe7LUU
The Ballad of the Refugee
Nervous and fidgety , sweat slowly dripping from his brow,
harshly rubbing his hands against his pant legs
before grabbing for the tattered worn wallet,
scrambling to secure frayed folded pieces of paper
from private hidden compartments that everyone knew about.
He secretly glanced down hoping that no one was looking
at his information.
The worry grew as the sweat increased in volume with each
tempered step further up the line .
Glancing up forward he witnessed how some on the line
were being separated into separate groups.
The anxiety and blood pressure built up like
some volcano ready to blow. Another step, more pressure,
more sweat. Surely they would find out! He didn’t know
what they would find but he believed that they would find something.
There was probably some great secret
from his past that even he forgot about.
He was aware of his imperfection but he also knew he
wasn’t evil. Loved sinner?He abandoned conjuring an escape plan
as he was aware he had nowhere to run. This was it.
This was the day of truth, the great reckoning.
Was this long journey all for naught?
Maybe it was his credit score?Maybe it is his skin
color or ethnicity? Maybe it was his not getting that
job promotion? Maybe it was not being able to provide
his family with all the things they desired? Maybe his wife
reported some secret about him? Maybe the local
priest turned him in for not frequenting services or turning in his weekly envelopes after the allegations of sexual abuse by the
clergy hit thepapers and courtroom?He even thought about how
his doctor may have turned him in for not following
the recommended diet and medical regimens. He didn’t
need anyone to tell him he was too long in exile,
A perpetual refugee.
Was he as good a person as he could have been?
How did his family ,friends and neighbors really feel
about him and did that really matter? He thought he tried to live an unselfish life and tried to avoid behaving or doing
things just to get recognized or rewarded. He often
thought it a little narcissistic to behave this way or
that in order just to get a reward at the end.He wrote
somewhere , “I don’t think one loves others just to
so one can be loved in return.”
Did he remember to leave that letter in the desk?
Did he update the list?
Maybe he should have thought more about scoring
more points and making sure he had achieved more and
received the proper recognition. He finally turned
his head in humble grateful prayer. No one knows
what he whispered to the divine but rumor has it
that mystical universe knew precisely what was in his heart.
The time then arrived where everything would be answered.
Another surprise surfaced that there was no real
wall or massive gathering of armed guards at a gate .
He worried that maybe this was all a dream. As a matter
of fact there was no one there who was separating
and screening the hungry souls, who were now also gone.
A soft gentle consoling voice from an unseen source
