Rightfully Yours

I assume it would be safe to say that if you pressed your open hand into the dirt, whatever stuck to your palm would be rightfully yours.

And I assume that if the creak of an old door suddenly awoke something deep within the historical memory of your ancestral DNA, it would be wise to listen. Wise to enter that moment where you intersect the spiritual vortex that leads to the crystal clear absolute now.

If we could, for that fleeting moment, be so deeply "in our shoes" that our socks were squishy with the sweat of God Himself, we would see with our own two eyes that the Bush still burns - that our lives are changed! How different we are!

This is the secret of life. To fully live in the present moment. To drink in the Truth that all of life is sacred down to the last crumb of bread in an ant's grasp . . . if we are there and truly awake to it.

The House That Holds the Soul

If You would be so kind, my God,
to meet me in this quiet place,
and hold me in the Light of
light and love and hope and grace.
Where Face to face we reconcile,
the only distance that exists,
a veil as thin as dewy mist,
within the mind of man forgot.
In Truth, there is no distance here,
and never was if tale be told,
it only was because of fear,
instilled by those who sought control.
And now their places are mere dust,
and ashes left to blow away,
for all are priests and free to come,
into The House that holds the soul.
Which has no walls or floor nor roof,
and yet is better Home than hearth,
for weary traveled souls as ours,
and all who come to seek the Light.

[Written during a Quaker Meeting for Worship sometime in the mid-1990's]

Let Go

Let go of things you can't change, but be sure to change things you can to make this world a better, kinder, more accepting place. That's the real challenge. Knowing the difference. And remember it's progress not perfection. We do what we can even in small seemingly insignificant ways. Over time the effort gives way to reality.

Promise and Reflection

Daybreak and sunset are miraculous times of the day. One holds the promise of what is to come and the other reflection on the things that were. Likewise, we begin our own lives with anticipation and hope and we end our days in thoughtful reflection on how we spent it.

It's not surprising that our lives are reflected in nature. We are after all creatures of the earth. And yet of all the inhabitants of this world we seek a life beyond mere survival and existence. We seek meaning and purpose. We seek that of God, whatever that may be.

Now is the time to create goodness. Now is the time to do amazing things. Now is the time to partner with The Light. Don't hold back. Reach high. Lean in strong. Put force behind your convictions. Give all you have to give until there is no more.

There will be plenty of time later for reflection on the way things were.

The Two of Me

We are a dichotomy. Two apparent personalities. One that strives to obtain and one who seeks the intangible. There's a time and place for both. A balance of earthly purpose and spiritual consistency. To succeed in life and still be true to our values.

Happiness isn't a limited quantity. It doesn't have to be wrestled away from those who have it. It's not measured by possession or position. Oh sure, there are those who will tell you success is measured by what you have, but the truth is it's measured by what we do with what we have. Happiness must be shared for us to reap it's full benefits.

Likewise kindness is not a commodity. It doesn't follow the rules of supply and demand. There is no limit to it's goodness. It only exists in the giving and it's only limit is how much we are willing to give.

Love and Meaning

Every person on the face of the Earth desires three things: to love, to be loved, and to have a meaningful life. These are the highest goals we can have - not power, not money, not greed. And in the end, when all our trappings have failed to comfort us, love and meaning will hold our hand and remind us that the life we lived was a wonder indeed. On that day she will look us full in the face and say, "Oh, how rich you were my friend and what precious intangible possessions we shared."

Encouragement

I had an out patient procedure today and I got to talking to the nurse taking my info. She asked what my occupation was I said, "I'm a computer person, I fix stuff, but really what I do is help people." I told her my mission was to encourage people like the young people I work with who are trying to figure out what to do with their lives. I tell them if you have something in mind, something you love - chase it! The nurse got this far away look in her eye and said, "I wish someone would have told me that. My parents weren't very supportive." I had a feeling it was something other than nursing. Then she said, "It's a wonderful thing you do." And I thought to myself . . . Oh yeah, I'll keep doing it.

Control

The world can be an unsettling place sometimes. Things happen. Unexpected things. Things we can't control. I like to think someone or something does have ultimate control, but it's hard to say. Truth is the only thing we can control is how we respond to things that happen out of our control. And that's okay. It would be too much of a burden on this simple soul to carry any more responsibility than that.