Free Condoms

Free Condoms

What has prompted you to write,
she asked.
All I could think about was free condoms.
Instacart had accidentally included
3 boxes of free condoms,
which would get no use in our home.
I followed Instacart’s directions
and gave them away.
I did what I do every time this happens,
I offer them on social media
and within five minutes they were gone.
You should have charged for them,
someone said,
but I told her I couldn’t,
I was blessed with them
and so I blessed someone else.
These boxes of condoms
were just another gift from the Ultimate.
Clearly not for me,
but I was able to bless someone.
We all make what seems to be a mistake,
someone gave this to me accidentally,
but it’s about how we respond
and grow in the moment.
I got to make a dear friend laugh,
I made one man very happy
and his taking them came back to bless me.
I gave him free condoms
and a Pampered Chef catalog.
His wife placed an order.
These condoms seemed like an accident,
but they were a gift that blessed
so many.
The customer service rep
and all those who laughed at the story,
the guy who took them,
the woman who found me,
and me.
Whoever thought
I could be so inspired
and grateful
for 3 boxes of free condoms

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Saying Grace

Saying Grace

Do you say grace
before your meals?
I can’t speak for others,
but I take a moment before I eat
to give thanks.
The other day it hit me,
why do I just say grace before meals.
If I say grace to give thanks,
am I only grateful for my food?
What about all the other things I do?
What if I stopped and gave thanks
before every thing I did?
What if I said grace for just being alive?
What if I said grace for those who have blessed me
or to ask for grace who are in need
or to give thanks for everything
which sustains me emotionally,
mentally,
physically,
and spiritually?
Today I said grace before grading,
reading,
cooking,
and talking with friends.
Of course I said grace
before I started working on my thank you notes.
Saying grace before everything
makes me realize just how much
I have to be grateful for.

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Which Way Do You Hear It?

Which Way Do You Hear It?

Sometimes it is not what is said,
but how you hear it.
Give thanks in all circumstances,
the New Testament says.
My Bubby would say
when you can see the blessing
in any situation,
then you know you will be okay.
Then there was Robin Williams who said
Bad things draw our attention to
the good things we have overlooked.
I have been told they have nothing in common,
but as they sit with me
I hear different twists on the same thing
Give thanks!
Doing so will help me see the blessings.
Doing so will shift my focus from what is bad
to what is good.
Doing so reminds me to not take for granted
the everyday blessings.
Sometimes I have to stop taking things for granted.
I have to give thanks for the bad
because they help me see the good
and all the blessings I had become blind to.
I have to give thanks in all circumstances
and know that when I or others stop,
the Universe will find a way
to make me stop and see anew
and it won’t be so important which way I hear,
but that I do.

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Intentional Silence

Intentional Silence

How do you feel about silence?
Those moments when nobody is speaking.
Recently I was asked why I don’t speak more.
I thought about it
and realized
I have a few rules about speaking.
If it is not truthful,
and necessary
and kind,
or in other words
meaningful,
I just sit and
enjoy the silence.
I can enjoy it
because I have not lied,
I have not hurt anyone,
and not spoken
what is not meaningful or necessary.
So I sit in the silence
and enjoy it
instead of filling the space
with words that do not
need to be said.

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Adapt

Adapt

Life is filled with changes.
Nothing is ever the same twice.
Everything is ever changing,
and sometimes faster then we can imagine
or sometimes even like.
From my birth to now,
my life has been filled with changes.
My name changed,
then it changed again,
and then my parents adopted me
and it changed again
all by the time I was 2.
Life is filled with things like that.
you learn them,
they become obsolete,
so you unlearn what you knew
and then you relearn
how it is now.
Change is not about succumbing
but about learning how to pivot
develop new ways of thinking,
asking questions,
challenging assumptions,
digging deeper and
developing new ways to minister
to the world.
There will always be times we are called
to act and be servants of change,
but one approach does not fit all ways
or all times.
So we adapt,
learn, unlearn and relearn
and approach our calling
with new ways of speaking up and out
and leading ourselves and others.
Sometimes leading means
we adapt to not having a title
or a role.
Titles and roles do not lead
people do.
We step up,
we talk with each other,
we ask questions,
we listen
and we create space.
We adapt within ourselves,
step forward
and know that others will follow.

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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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