Category Archives: Nature

Moments of Life

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There are moments when we all feel unappreciated. Unfortunately. But sometimes these moments… drag out. They become days, weeks, months. Sometimes they become years. And we can’t remember the last time we felt anything other than unappreciated, sad, dulled down somehow. I think the word is blah. Depressed. In despair. Or just, “I haven’t been myself lately.” But for how long?

Some of us know we have to reach within for connection. But even that seems hard. Well, not just hard, impossible! And even as we try to tell ourselves that all things are possible, we laugh. You know, that mirthless laugh, “Ha. Yeah right. Like fun all things are possible! Maybe they are for so-and-so, rich people, you name it, but not for me. Not now. Not ever.”

And on it goes.

Until one day, one moment, we get tired of it! Something, thank God, snaps us out of that vicious, downward spiral. The tiniest thing. I think I can safely say it’s always a tiny thing, but to us it seems so huge!

The dark night of the soul has ended. Dawn is breaking through. Once more we can hear the birds sing and feel the butterflies take flight in our hearts. And why? Because someone said, “I love you.” Because someone sent a birthday card. Because someone asked what we were up to or how we were, and was truly interested. Because someone complimented us for what they probably thought was nothing, really. Except that to us, wow! It was the spark that rekindled the fire within.

And it happened in a single moment..!

Just as we can have these moments, we can give them to others. That stranger you smiled at today? It’s quite possible you were part of their moment, an unknowing witness to the break of dawn on the renewed landscape of that person’s life. You may never know for sure. But we are here for a purpose, a Divine, God-given, ordered, unique, personalized purpose. And that purpose includes being a Light to others.

As we give, so we receive. And as it is given to us, it’s passed on through us, to others. What is? Light, Love, Peace, inner connection. So though we feel isolated at times, we are never alone. Someone, by the God-Presence within them, will be our Light, our moment. And we will be a Light to others.

Because no vacuum can exist for long! Giving and receiving must take place. Light and darkness must converge. And we must play our parts in the lives of others, and they in ours, even for just a moment!

And so it is!

Halloween Prayer

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for All Hallows’ Evening

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.*
May all that is in your kingdom
In Heav’n be on Earth the same.

No matter how deep the darkness,
The glimmer of Light won’t fail.
Whatever our many trials,
We see you beyond the veil.

The mind is a maze of mirrors
Reflecting what we hold back.
May you be the Truth to guide us
And lead us upon your path.

And time is a grand illusion
We let ourselves make believe.
But may we know all is flowing
As life, death and birth complete.

For you are the Light in darkness.
You are the Peace in storm.
You are the breath inspiring
Creation to be reborn.

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
May all that is in your kingdom
In Heav’n be on Earth the same.
So mote it be!

* Matthew 6:9, King James Version (KJV)

To those who find this offensive, I’m sorry you feel that way. I stand by the Truth that God is, and is within, everything, and this prayer was written from that knowing.

Be the Pumpkin, A Personal Story

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I remember, sometimes people called me Pumpkin when I was little. Little and cute, it seemed to me, because no one does that now. But what I remember most is being a pumpkin, actually being one for a few moments one year at Halloween.

Mom made the costumes for all of us. I was probably in first or second grade, and I don’t remember if all my older brothers and sisters were also pumpkins, or just some of them. I do know there were at least four of us who dressed up that year. And so there we were, in our homemade costumes, winning a prize at some school dance or another for the older kids. The whole family could go, so I got another chance to wear the costume, after trick-or-treating and the school Halloween parade. “Third time’s the charm,” as they say.

But it took a long time to get to that point. First, Mom had to make the costumes. To this day, over 20 years later, I wonder what possessed her to make them all! But we were to be pumpkins, and hers were the hands that made it so.

Mom always was crafty. Yeah, take that any way you like, because she was and is. She could do anything with some felt, a big ole’ trash bag, and a sewing machine. Oh, and the tape. Don’t forget the double-sided tape! Because that, my friends, was important.

So, the costume. What was it like? Well, if memory serves, I had a green stem with green leaves on top of my red hair. Sounds more like a Christmas tree, but it worked. That was all felt. And it was glued together, so it pretty much formed a hat.

Then, there was the trash bag. With holes for arms and legs, it went on like a jumper. But being plastic, we didn’t want it to rip. So it took some doing and at least one other person to get me into the bag.

I don’t know if the bag was already orange, or if painting was another of Mom’s talents put to use that year. But I know the result was me, with the pumpkin head and orange body. And I was big, let me tell you. Big and round. That impressed me so much, how such a skinny kid could be made so pumpkin-like by filling the bag up with, paper, was it? I sort of recall making a rustling sound as I walked, so I guess it was.

And the tape? Well, that kept the pumpkin-bag shoulders on my shoulders. It stuck to my shirt or dress or whatever I wore under the costume. Like I said, the tape was really important. And I felt important carrying a roll of tape around. That was the coolest thing!

Now would probably be a good time to explain why this pumpkin thing meant so much to me. Halloween, if not before that, has been my favorite holiday ever since. And it wasn’t just because of the candy. It’s the pumpkins! I love pumpkins! It goes back to “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” Thanks to Charles Schultz for this enduring character. So I was honored to dress as my favorite Fall fixture.

I didn’t care who liked it, though clearly, people did. I didn’t care who noticed. I didn’t care who helped me into the costume. I just had fun being who and what I was. And every year at Halloween I vow I’ll be a pumpkin. But I’ve never pulled it off again. Although I admit, I came pretty close the year I was pregnant!

Now I realize I don’t have to be little and cute, or big and round for that matter. I just have to have fun being who and what I am. Not just at Halloween, but all year long.

The Sound of Creation

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God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
–Genesis 1:3 (World English Bible, WEB)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
–John 1:1 (WEB)

Maybe it was spoken.
Maybe it was sung.
Sound began the process,
The Sound of God the One.

God made all creation
First there came the Light
From the Sound it echoed
And made the darkness bright.

God said, let’s make humans,
Put them on the Earth,
In a Word He gave us
Our Spirit, Life and birth.

That’s why we love music,
Sung and spoken Word.
Heart and soul, it moves us,
The voice of God is heard.

Sheep – Spiritual Poem

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The world sees sheep
As conformists
Flocks of dependents
Stupid, ignorant, unable to think for themselves.

Sheep need permission to breathe
Guidance every step of the way
Shelter from the world
Ingrained fear, “Don’t do that, or else…”

Sheep are followers
Of everyone else
And this is bad.

You don’t want to be a sheep!

The Spirit sees sheep
As unique
Flocks of a web, One Spirit
Intelligent, creative, making Right Thought reality.

Sheep have permission to breathe abundantly
True guidance lighting their path
Shelter from what would drag them down
Choice, “Do that if you will, and pay the consequences.”

Sheep are followers
Of a larger, brighter, knowing shepherd
And this is beautiful.

Do you want to be a sheep?

Yum!

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Take a bite of Life,
And be surprised!
Be very surprised
Because it’s Good!

It’s not the drama it was.
It’s not the rush it could be.
It’s not the drudgery it’s been for so long.
Life is Good!

And why?
Well, who cares?
Good Life doesn’t beg for
Analysis,
Intellectualizing,
Questioning,
And its biggest, fastest, quietest killer,
Waiting for the other shoe to drop!

Good Life is just that:
Good!

Take a bite of fruit,
And be glad!
Be exceedingly glad
Because it’s Good!

Everything it needs
Is already there:
Seeds,
Pulp,
Juice,
Color,
Skin,
Texture,
Veins,
Stem…
Seeds!

Everything Life needs,
Your Life,
My Life,
All Life,
Is already there
Within Itself!

Life is Good!
So for Goodness sake,
Take a bite!
And say,
“Yum!”

“Thank You!
Thank You very much!”

Spirit Manifest

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The substance that creates the wind,
The earth, the sky, the sea,
Is manifest in everything,
Including you and me.

It is the One, the Great I Am,
The Spirit of all things.
It knows the highest good and asks;
The Law then pays It heed.

Our thoughts, attracting like in kind,
Create the world we know.
By way of the subconscious mind,
They manifest below.

The wisdom has been passed along:
We are what we believe.
What Spirit asks, the Law provides.
Our thinking is the key.

There is no wish, no fear, no hope.
Be clear and be direct!
Intend to serve the highest good,
For this is what you’ll get.

Creation is continuous,
Transcending time and space.
For Spirit, which creates all things,
Can never be erased.

The world that we experience,
Evolving in its form,
Is changed by Spirit’s conscious Thought
That’s neither dead nor born.

The all-in-all, the Universe,
The is, was and shall be,
Eternal Word of Thought and Law
Resides in you and me.

With Gratitude, with Clarity,
Just ask for what you seek.
Then trust that it will manifest,
For You’re the “powers that be!”
–And so it is!

The Miracle of Life

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It sounds simple, and it is. But because of its simplicity, most of us take the miracle of life for granted.

We are sustained by something, no matter what we choose to call it–God, Spirit, Lifeforce, Energy, Cosmic Consciousness, Universal Life, Chi, Ki, Prana, or any other name. It’s not the name that’s important; it’s the concept and the underlying force. We are sustained; therefore, we have breath. That’s miracle enough! But the true miracle of life and living, is that of ebb and flow.

With every breath we take, life is either ebbing–with the exhale–or flowing–with the inhale.

Each step we take is a rhythmic balancing act. If something in our bodies didn’t work properly, we could not take another step. To keep walking, balance must be maintained, and to start walking from a state of rest, balance must be restored.

We sleep, and we wake. Unfortunately again, we truly underestimate the power of sleeping and waking! We waste our waking hours with thoughts of “What if,” “If only,” “What’s next?” and “Not now.” And we miss the opportunities Life offers us–the chance to release old patterns, beliefs, thoughts and situations, and allow new ones to flow to and through us.

And we all know we don’t use our sleep wisely! We skimp on rest, drink caffeine-laced beverages and energy drinks to stay awake, because we don’t have time to sleep. Time is irrelevant. It, too, ebbs and flows. Some days it seems time is on our side. That’s when we’re in the flow, working with Life and its gifts. Other days we have no idea where time is going and where it’s taking us. That is ebb, and it’s perfectly natural.

What is not natural, is how we respond to ebbing time. Rather than giving thanks that time is shifting in our favor, we lament not having more time. And we know that what we resist, persists. So, learn to live with time’s flow, as well as its ebb, and to be grateful for both.

We are not linear beings. We are cyclical, spiraling, evolving beings. We have Life to thank for that! As we put aside society’s notions of productivity, good work, right and wrong, we realize that the ebb and flow of the universe is mirrored in our own hearts, minds, and bodies.

And that is why we need sleep! Sleep is a time to rest and rejuvenate the mind, as well as the body. It’s a time to assimilate, work out, and release parts of our lives. That is why we dream; it’s a tool to help us work with Universal ebb and flow: Working with it, not against it.

Sleep is also a time to reconnect with that Presence of Life within us. Before falling asleep, we can simply affirm a restful night, dedicating it to God or Spirit. And we can respect ourselves enough to truly rest, without escaping first into books and technologies. Sleep is a blessing, and we can shift and learn to embrace it as one.

We take time to be with other people. But just as important is the time we take for ourselves. This includes hobbies, interests, and creative activities. But more than that, it includes meditation, going within, quieting the personal ego mind, and contemplating and experiencing the Power and Presence of Life.

Next time you breathe–and hopefully you won’t wait long!–let yourself experience the ebb and flow of your breath. Yogis, mystics and meditators speak of this often. But only when we experience it for ourselves, can we truly appreciate the ebb and flow that is the miracle of Life.

What Time is It?

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The following is from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, King James Version (KJV). For a musical version try this Video–Turn Turn Turn by The Byrds

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

“What time is it right now in my life?” I’ve been asking myself this question in prayer and meditation, so I can know and follow divine guidance. This text is comforting to me, and its rhythm and poetry speak to my heart, and keep my mind occupied. 🙂

Taken literally, this text doesn’t make much metaphysical sense. A time to kill? Inevitably we kill things sometime, but is that an image we want to hold for long? Generally, no. SO I take this symbolically. I believe the different stages in this text are all saying the same thing:

There is a time to actively participate in all things, and there is a time to rest and go within. There is a time to create, and a time to release. There’s a time to hold on, and a time to let go.

These times are rarely well-defined. We can’t say, “Ok. In Winter we don’t work at all. We just take it easy and rest by the fire. In Summer we work all day every day, no breaks, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just work work work!” Because then, what do we do in Spring and Fall?

No, these times can be much more subtle. They are above all, inner times, or inner seasons. They can and do overlap, but I feel they are a dominant state. The concept of “time” in this text is a guideline. You probably work in Winter, both on a mental and spiritual level as well as physically. But our dominant state, at least for those of us who live in cold climates, is more rest than outside work.

The author of Ecclesiastes is sharing the Truth that life works best for us when we flow with its seasons. We need to learn how to work with our inner seasons and landscapes, rather than resisting them.

The references to gathering stones, war and peace, etc, are cultural references of the time the text was written, as well as metaphors for the building up and taking down, the letting in and letting go that we experience as the evolution and change that take place in our lives.

Verses 9-15 read:

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

There are beautiful images and great affirmations here! And the question is put bluntly enough: “What’s in it for us?” What’s the point of working or laboring? And what, do tell, is our God-given task?

The affirmation that put the whole thing into perspective for me is:

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

So, we labor not only to receive God’s gift of joy to us, but also to participate in that gift. We, too, are the gift. We are a gift of and from God our Creator and Father; the same Father who makes everything, including us, beautiful in its time. And that gift is given to us, as merriment and a good life, as well as through us. We can only receive what we allow God to give through us.

But, God has not only made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

What does this mean for us? It means the world is within us! We already have everything we could ever need, imagine or co-create with God. We just do not, because we cannot, see that whole world at once. We cannot, in our own mind, know God’s work from beginning to end, why things happen, or how they will play out. It is not ours to know. In fact, if we knew, our ego would explode–it is not equipped to handle all that! God knows this and keeps silent, rolling out the tapestry of our lives to us just a little at a time. What a blessing!

We need to trust God, because in our limited mental and intellectual understanding, we will never know God’s work from beginning to end. The thought “Give God what is God’s” comes to mind. We need to allow God to take care of us. He will do it anyway–but if we really allow it, we experience much more good, and less struggle.

The text ends with the greatness and eternal nature of God:

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should *fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; **and God requireth that which is past.

*this is not dread or ego-centered fear as we know it, but awe and wonder

**God sees the big, eternal picture, and everything in every time, existed for His glory. Everything was required, from the eternal perspective.

I encourage you to read this text or another on seasons that resonates with you. Ask yourself that question: “What time is it right now in my life?” You will receive guidance. And by following it, you will live in the flow of God-Life within and around you.

And as we let it be so, so it is!

Your Father Knows – Metaphysical Song

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As I have for all but 2 times I’ve lead a Sunday service, I shared a new song with Do not Worry: Why and How? I hesitate to say I write these songs, though the ideas, words, music and form come through me. I know it is really God who writes them, and I’m thankful for that!

This song is very special to me. As a child I was intrigued by the New Testament verses about lilies being more glorious than Solomon in all his splendor, and the birds being fed. I imagined it as auto-feed – the birds need food, and they just magically receive it from God? Wow! And the lilies just stand there and grow to be so beautiful!

Now, I’m still intrigued, and I’ve been blessed to experience the peace of that state of oneness. We’re not separate beings that need to feed ourselves and clothe ourselves, because we’re all alone and no one will do it for us. When I thought about this before, the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves” came to mind. So that blows the whole “Your Father takes care of you” thing out of the water, doesn’t it?

Actually, no! “God helps those who help themselves” means God helps those who are one with His Presence. God helps those who help their own state of consciousness. And when we are one in mind with God-Mind, we know that truly, we don’t need help. And we know that no one outside us, will take care of us, no matter what appearances seem to say. Instead, we have a deeper knowing that our Father – the God-Power within each of us – is the Source of all care.

This song is special because it was a tool for me to experience these truths. And the experience of writing it was amazing!

I was camping, spending time in beautiful weather, in an area with lots of birds and trees. I took my ukulele and sat quietly, letting things flow around me and thoughts flow through my mind. Whenever I played a loud chord, the birds stopped singing. When it was quiet, they sang again. And when I played the notes in the song, they kept singing. This was truly a blessing and a gift, and again I feel thankful to the Infinite God-within, that helps us experience such beauty.

So, as you take in this song, take in the birds, their peace, their song and the beauty of how God cares for them. Christ said, “Are you not of more value than they?”

Matthew 6:26,28-29,32-33 NKJV

See passage.

Your Father Knows – Lyrics

Instrument: Lady – tenor Flea ukulele

1. See the birds! They neither sow nor reap.
Yet they’re fed. Are you not loved as these?
For your Father knows and supplies all their needs.

Chorus:
Lay down the struggles and burdens you bear;
Pick up the peace that is yours in God’s care.

2. See the lilies! They neither toil nor spin.
Yet they’re clothed better than Solomon,
For your Father is pleased to provide all for them.
Chorus:

3. When you seek the Kingdom of God within,
You shall have all that you need to live.
For your Father knows and is ready to give.
Chorus: (twice)

Pick up the peace that is yours in God’s care.