No Umbrella

No Umbrella

I know we have umbrellas here,
but I have no clue where they are.
I should know,
especially with all the rain lately,
because without an umbrella
I will get soaked.
With no umbrellas,
we will get soaked.
I have always felt safer
under my umbrella.
Then the day came
when the rain of tears came,
and I could not stop crying
and it was raining inside and out
and I realized my tears,
my ability to just let it rain
was my new umbrella.
It was the courage I found
in the midst of the rain,
that served as my umbrella.
My emotional, mental and spiritual umbrella
protected me from the storm
of fear, lies, and the nightmares
my lack of faith wanted to make up.
My faith is my umbrella.
It will send rain into my life
and in the midst of the rain,
in the midst of the storms,
I open my faith
and I walk in and through the rain
I walk through the rain,
like I walk through the anemia,
through the cancer,
through the challenges I face as I age
and that which could soak me,
makes me stronger,
and braver.
It may not look like I have an umbrella,
to protect me from the rain,
but the rain shows me where my umbrella is
and I walk as if I have no umbrella,
but I do.

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My Inheritance

My Inheritance

As I have been thinking about
the inheritance I will leave behind
I realized how blessed I have been
to inherit all that I have.
I am not talking about what others have left me
in their wills,
but what I have inherited
by all that have come before me.
I am grateful to all those who have allowed me to inherit
their gifts and wisdom.
I give thanks for the inheritance
I have received from
all the people who have been in my life,
whose books I have learned from,
who have shared their wins, losses, and lives.
My inheritance has come from times of joy and sorrow,
from people and places
and from animals, plants, and
all other sources of wisdom.
To all those from whom I have inherited,
I am grateful.

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It’s the Little Things

It’s the Little Things

It’s not the big things we do in life,
but the little things
through which we show our reverence,
our deep respect
for our Higher Power.
It's not about going to worship,
but about the praying,
the singing,
the listening,
and every little aspect of the experience.
it's about our chants,
mantras,
meditations,
every repeated action and pattern.
It’s about our sitting quietly.
it's about every little movement we make
or don’t.
it's about every little thing we do
that helps us be fully present
in this moment
with the Ultimate.
It's these little things
that see us through the good times and the challenges.
It's these little things
and the repeated practice of them
that gets through the suffering and into the joy.
Slow down,
break your rituals down
and honor each part of them
and recognize the importance of
the little things and do them
with reverence.

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Finding the Oasis

Finding the Oasis

One of my students asked me
“What’s your favorite part of worship?”
I smiled and said
the time before the service begins,
when no one is with me
and it is just me and the Ultimate.
This is just one time when
I can sit in an oasis of silence
with the Ultimate.
That oasis can be anywhere.
it can be a church,
a corner of the library,
a private park,
or for me,
our prayer and meditation garden.
It is in this oasis of silence
that I am surrounded by the symphony of Spirits
I can only hear in the oasis of silence.
it is in this oasis of silence,
that I receive clarity and wisdom
that is more powerful and penetrating
then any sermon.

It is in this oasis of silence,
that my soul is watered
and my spirit soars and grows.
It is in this oasis of silence,
that I am reminded of my fertility
from which I will birth knowledge,
dreams,
understandings,
While every part of life can feed us,
I intentionally look for my oasis of silence.

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Tears

Tears

What have you been taught about tears?
It takes so little for me to tear up
and for them to flow freely.
My Bubby would say they came from God,
Others would ask me if I needed something to cry about.
I choose to listen to Bubby’s wisdom
and remember that tears are a sign
I need to stop, breathe and rest.
They are a sign I need a sabbath moment.
My tears are a sign I am swimming
in the stream of the Ultimate.
I swim with others who have come before me.
My tears are a reminder I am not alone,
I am not falling apart,
I am not weak.
My tears remind me I am alive,
the Ultimate is working in me
and my soul is alive.
My tears are not a sign of pain,
but a sign of healing and life.
My tears come from the ancestors
with whom I swim
and whom swim with me
My tears encourage me
to stop and listen
to what my heart and soul are telling me.
Tears give me insight and understanding
of life and my journey.
Next time you tear up,
stop, breathe and
swim with the Ultimate
and grow in your tears.

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Do Something

Do Something

I don’t like this!
it really doesn’t matter what the this is,
it can be something about you,
about a situation,
about what is happening at home,
in your state,
in your country.
What matters is that the Ultimate,
knows all about it.
The Ultimate knows your situation
and knows you.
In the midst of your storm,
it is easy to feel helpless,
as if there is nothing you can do,
or what you can do
won’t make a difference.
The lesson is that you are of value
and you can make a difference.
You cannot do everything,
none of us can.
But you can do something,
each of us can.
When each of us changes one light bulb
we light up an entire field.
Don’t worry about doing it all.
Just ask for guidance.
Ask what must I do?
then do it.
None of us has to do it all.
But we all can do something.

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All Of Us

All Of Us

We live in a world.
It is not me
or you
but all of us.
We are responsible for
the tragedies and troubles
our world is in.
Not me or you,
but all of us.
Some may bear a greater burden
for what we are going through
but all of us are responsible
for our words, our behaviors,
our actions and inactions.
All of us
are responsible for our choices.
Every day all of us choose what
we will do or not do
in this moment
about each event
 about each change,
about each trouble,
about each tribulation.
Some may be guiltier then others,
but all of us,
not just some of us,
all of us
are responsible and
the buck stops with all of us.

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Finding the Holy

Finding the Holy

It was one of those conversations,
where people make you realize,
just how different you are.
Where does your inspiration come from?
From everywhere.
From what I see around me
the sounds I hear,
the sensations I feel
the food and beverages I taste,
the aromas and odors I smell,
from everything.
Not from the Bible?
Sure, but also everything else I read,
books,
other sacred writings,
emails,
poems,
text messages and more.
Those are not Holy.
For some the Holy is found
in specific times, books and places.
For me, the Holy is anywhere
I see God’s presence,
I experience God’s guidance,
in all that helps lead me,
and in all in which
I see the sacred in everyday life.
Where ever you experience God is holy.
Your holy is yours
and mine is mine.
Where ever we find it is holy.

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Seeing the Sacred

Seeing the Sacred

My life is crap.
I am really struggling.
I can’t catch a break.
Give thanks for what?
In the midst of the storms,
it is hard to see the sacred.
Hidden in the everyday,
in the ordinary,
are moments of sanctity,
beauty,
blessings,
and awesomeness.
I can taste it in the sweetness of my tea.
I can feel it in the warmth
which radiates through me,
as I sit and hold it in my hands
and sip my tea.
I can experience it in the comfort it gives me
like a warm blanket hugging me
inside and out.

I smell it in the fragrance
which floats through our windows
from the freshly cut grass
perfuming my world.
I am surrounded by the sacred
hidden, yet not,
visible, but not,
quietly telling me I am here
with you and for you.
No matter what you are going through,
you are still surrounded by the sacred.

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Stop!

Stop!

Stop in the name of love,
just stop breaking your heart,
your mind,
and your soul.
We are the ones who inflict
some of the worst punishment
on our lives.
So stop!
There are enough people in the world
who strive to inflict pain in our lives,
there is no need to contribute to our own
so stop!
Stop putting yourself down.
Stop diminishing yourself.
Stop doing,
saying,
thinking
or behaving in ways that
diminish your overall well being.
Stop harming yourself
and start loving yourself.
Stop the negative energy
and start the positive
and once you start
don’t stop!

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Connect the Dots

Connect the Dots

Twinkle, twinkle little stars,
we used to sing as we stared at them,
my parents and I.
Connect the dots
That is how you see the wonders.
You think you just see little stars,
but there are constellations
you see when you connect them.
Connect the dots
they would say
as I stared at a sheet of dots
then, like the stars,
I would connect them
and see the wonder before me.
Connect the dots
it is what I still do
When I do I see I am
part of something larger
and like as a child I see something
deeply wondrous
all because I remember
to connect the dots.

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Triggers

Triggers
I cannot blame them
for my unhappiness.
It is not the person or place,
the smell, the sound, or the taste
or the season or the date
that triggers me,
it is me.
I may not like them,
or how they make me feel,
or the memories that emerge from them,  
but I give thanks for them.
They are blessings in disguise.
Through them I see my reactions
and where I need to heal.
My triggers ,
force me to respond
to my emotions.
Through them I grow and heal.
I release the past
and embrace the present,
all because I deal with
my triggers

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I Break Free by Yuanyuan Li

I break free from the doubts in my head,
No longer bound by the words they’ve said.
My mind is vast, my vision clear—
I claim the power that’s always been near.
I rise beyond the fight or flight,
I choose my path, I own my light.
With purpose strong and heart aligned,
I build the life I once designed.

Yuanyuan is a former student of mine, who allowed me to share this with the world

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Stop Listening

Stop Listening

We all have people in our lives
we need to stop listening to,
starting with ourselves.
Our ego fills us with fear and insecurities.
We lie to ourselves about how important we are,
we fill ourselves with fear and insecurities
or speak words to move us to
a state of denial and avoidance.
We are not the world,
just part of it.
We are not what we have.
Our possessions do not define us.
We are not what we do.
We are more then any act or achievement.
We are more then what others think about us,
we are not their beliefs,
we are ours.
When we stop listening to the ego within,
we realize we are more then what we have
or do not.
When we stop listening to the ego,
we listen more to the Ultimate
who lives within us
and through us.
When we stop listening,
we focus on being a part of the world,
not thinking we are it.
May we stop listening to our ego
and start sharing
with each other.

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Just Ask

Just Ask

You have not
because you ask not.
My father,
who passed 20 years ago today,
drummed this into my head.
Just ask!
Not just for my prayers to be answered,
but to learn.
Anytime I did not understand,
he would say,
just ask!
Ask about what you do not understand!
Seek clarification!
Do not make assumptions, ask!
He would paraphrase a scripture
and say
you know not,
because you ask not.
He taught me how to be a scholar.
How to enjoy learning
and want to study.
That is his legacy to me
just ask!
Ask the Ultimate,
ask your friends and family,
ask others who are studying
ask people to help you
ask people to teach you,
ask people to share with you,
but most importantly
be prepared for others to
come to you and
ask.
Ask of others,
he would say,
as you prepare for others
to ask of you.
Just ask!

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U Can't Pluck This

U Can’t Pluck This

Woke up hearing MC Hammer
U can’t pluck this.
We live in a time where forces are trying
to pluck the goodness and kindness out of us.
My response in all situations is
u can’t pluck this.
You can’t pluck the goodness out of my heart.
you cannot pluck the kindness.
You cannot pluck the joy.
You may pluck things which affect my happiness,
but there are somethings to which I consistently say
U can’t pluck this.
I may pluck some kindness to share with you,
but that is me cultivating with you,
not you plucking out of me.
Kindness is easy to share
and propagates in others.
It spreads happiness, and
makes people feel loved.
Kindness begets kindness.
We can pluck it to share,
but it is ours to pluck out
or not.
Others can take the external
but they can never pluck
our kindness
Like MC Hammer
we need to rap,
I told you, world
You can't pluck this
Yeah, that's what we believing, and now ya know
You can't pluck this.

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Freeing Forgiveness

Freeing Forgiveness

We live in a time
where we hold on to grudges,
hurtful words,
harmful acts, and
feelings and memories
and actions and attitudes
which do nothing in our life
but poison us.
It is not that I want to forget,
but I do not want to keep drinking the poison.
I have the ability to spiritually divorce myself
from all things poisonous.
I see others who are so unforgiving
all they do is ingest poison.
It is about how they poison
their heart, body and soul.
The inability to forgive,
leads one to retaliate,
to seek revenge,
and blame others.
We blame others
for the poison we feed ourselves.
Then we make our poison seem so amazing
that we invite others to drink with
and ultimately die with us
Forgiveness does not mean forgetting.
It just means we
forgive and let go
We forgive and
fight for freedom
from all the poisons
that come to us and
try to move through us.
Freedom comes with
our forgiveness
and the healing to
set others free.

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Are You Ready?

Are You Ready?

There was a moment,
we were like seedlings
starting off on a journey.
We start off in a small pot,
 thinking we may never leave.
We become so comfortable,
that we fear being transplanted
then it happens.
Life moves us from one pot to another
we grow and evolve over time,
knowing it is time to like a seedling move
from one pot to another,
until our roots are so strong
and staying where we are
is keeping us from growing.
Sometimes we need to leave the pots.
Leave the containers, off all sizes.
which have held us for so long.
We need more then a pot.
We need a plot of land
where we can grow and evolve.
The pots were what we needed
while we were in them.
Pots, can inprison us,
constrain us,
and keep us from evolving.
Plots can be scary and liberating.
They offer the space we did not know
we wanted or needed.
It is our time,
our season
to spread our roots
and grow beyond
anything we had previously
imagined,
whether we feel ready or not.

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I Am Sorry

I Am Sorry

I am sorry,
I periodically feel the need to say.
Apologizing can be healing.
Apologies come from reflecting on the past
and the trauma which still exists today.
Others experience the trauma of the past,
even today.
Some still walk the trail of tears
and mourn for the memories.
Some still walk with the memories of slavery
and live with the chains still worn today.
Apologies do not wash
the sins of the past away,
but they help to heal.
Apologies require recognition,
reflection,
and a willingness to acknowledge.
Saying we are sorry
is like sweeping the cobwebs
off our soul.
It means we recognize the harms
we have contributed to
intentionally or not.
It means we recognize our complicity
in the perpetuation of those harms.
What if we also recognized
our complicity as well.
What if we apologized to each other
for the ways we have hurt each other
intentionally or not,
recognizing the pain we have created
and releasing the pain we hold
and giving others the chance to release
theirs as well.
Apologies come from the ability to forgive.
It means we release the need to
retaliate and seek revenge.
What if we could say I am sorry
and contribute to an environment
of love and compassion
and not of hate and harm.

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By Any Other Name

By Any Other Name

The golden rule is clear,
do unto others,
as you would have them do unto you.
It is not as they have done unto you.
Violence is violence,
no matter what you call it.
Acts against humanity
by any other name are still that
acts against humanity.
Redemptive violence,
they called it,
is still violence.
Call it by any other name,
but it is still violence.
Calling it redemptive,
does not minimize the harm done by it.
Calling it redemptive
does not minimize the pain.
You can call it by any other name,
but violence is violence
and pain is pain.
Redemption does not come from violence,
it comes from forgiveness,
from hope,
a need to make amends,
a desire to change, and
to bring about transformation.
Call it by any other name
redemption is about that,
not violence.

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