By Any Other Name

March 10, 2025 Sharon Jacobson

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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That One Memory

August 9, 2024 Sharon Jacobson

That One Memory

Do you have one?
Do you have that one memory
that you store in your heart and soul?
A memory that brings you joy,
happiness, and
makes you feel connected to the Ultimate.
It is that memory you wrap yourself in
during those times you need to feel loved
because no matter what else is going on
this one memory wraps you in peace and happiness.
We all have one,
at least one,
that we store away for those moments
we need to feel loved.
This memory
is what I hold on to
in the roughest of times
because it reminds me who will see me through.
It makes me feel connected to the one,
to the Ultimate,
and sets me up on a cloud of peace
like it did when I was three
and protected me while it
removed all the obstacles
and filled my world with new beginnings.
Sixty five years later,
this memory
still sustains me.
Hold on to yours
it is still there where you left it.

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difficult Teachers

June 14, 2023 Sharon Jacobson

Difficult Teachers

I would love to say
all my teachers have been amazing
and a pleasure to work with.
I can’t.
Some of the most amazing teachers
have been difficult people to work with
and to learn from.
However, often times they are the ones
who teach me the most valuable
and hardest to learn lessons.
Those lessons I need to learn,
but do not want to learn.
Those lessons that require me
to explore my beliefs, experiences and expectations.
Those lessons that challenge me to become aware,
to take responsibility for my reactions,
forgive myself and others
and evolve to a space of peace and joy.
Often we find out we are their teachers as well.
We not only learn from them,
but teach them in how we work with them.
We are each teachers in peoples lives
and others are teachers in ours.
Sometimes we are the easy ones
and sometimes we are not.

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Peace Be Still

January 11, 2022 Sharon Jacobson

Peace Be Still

I remember reading the story
of Jesus and the disciples,
where in the midst of the storm
he looks at the storm and says
peace be still.
There are times in my life
when I am in the midst of a storm,
some worse then others,
and I can fill the shift in energy,
as if there is a source within me that is saying
peace be still.
Other times I can see the storms all around me
but the energy surrounding my life
is peaceful and calm.
it is like there is a protective force around me
which has said peace be still.
It makes me wonder how many times
have I felt peace in my life
and not been aware of the storms
I have been protected from.
How differently might I move
through life if I was conscious
of the force in my life which constantly whispered
peace be still
and thus there was peace.

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Alone Time

November 15, 2021 Sharon Jacobson

Alone Time

I have always enjoyed my alone time,
but in all honesty
I was not alone.
My alone time
is really about me
hanging out with the Ultimate
and just being
in each other’s presence.
Usually my alone time
is in mini blocks of time
but yesterday I spent
the whole day alone.
I experienced what it was like
to have Sabbath
to have a major block of
alone time
where we were together.
It doesn’t mean we are talking,
we are just being present.
Being alone with the Ultimate
allowed me to travel to a space
of peace, rest, clarity and rejuvenation.
It was a time of enjoyment,
laughter,
and dreams.
Alone time
can be any place,
any time,
for any length.
it is just about being alone
with the one you know
created you,
sustains you and
transforms you.

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Fantasy

December 23, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

We all fantasize,
but how many of us
fantasize
about being of greater service
to the one we call our Higher Power

What do you fantasize about?
Is it about fighting for equality
amongst all of humanity?
Or is it about working to bring about
world peace?
Perhaps it is about practicing patience
or compassion with all of humanity.
Perhaps it is about promoting
healing and wholeness

May we open
our heart, mind, and soul to
fantasizing about
making it on earth
as it is in Heaven
or at least
as we fantasize
it to be.

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Smiling

April 15, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

Smiling

Have you ever watched someone smile,
but it does not feel
like joy, peace, or happiness.
Sometimes you can watch them smile,
but it feels sarcastic.
Sometimes their smile reminds
you of how politicians and diplomats
smile at each other.
Sometimes their smile makes you want to leave
and avoid them .

Then there are those smiles
that brighten up a room.
There is something about their smile which is like
a breath of fresh air.
It may leave you feeling hope
fill you with their overflowing joy
make you share their happiness
or experience their piece

A smile is not just a smile.
It is a way of communicating
what is in our heart,
soul,
and mind.
It is how we share
the one who lives within us
and who wants others
to experience the love and warmth
all through a simple, but genuine
smile.

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Praying

January 21, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

Sometimes when I pray,
I wish I could forget
my personal agenda,
my list of what I think I need.

I wish I could lay
it all down
and focus on trusting
the one to whom I am
praying

If I trust you
when I am praying
then I remember
you know what is best,
not me.

Today I release the conflict
I free myself of the confusion
between what I want and
what you want for me.

I thank you for knowing
what I need,
and knowing that I do not
always know best
even when I think I do.
So thank you for not always
listening me while I
pray

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

November 30, 2016 Sharon Jacobson

I have heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words. So this week I thought I would do something different and post some of my favorite images that evoke a feeling of peace in me. As you gaze at them, may they do the same for you

This is Washington Allston's Landscape with a Lake

Peter Severin Krøyer's Summer Evening on the Southern Beach

A Day of Peace - Paintings by John Lautermilch

Karna Bahadur Dura - Art From Nepal

World Peace Painting by Deborah Ronglien

SEVEN PRACTICES FOR PEACE

November 16, 2016 Sharon Jacobson

In a time where there seems to be a real need to practice peace more then ever, I thought I would share Deepak Chopra's Seven Practices for Peace May we begin it now and continue practicing these until we have universal peace on earth

The program for peacemakers asks you to follow a specific practice every day, each one centered on the theme of peace.

Sunday: Being for Peace
Monday: Thinking for Peace
Tuesday: Feeling for Peace
Wednesday: Speaking for Peace
Thursday: Acting for Peace
Friday: Creating for Peace
Saturday: Sharing for Peace

"Our hope is that you will create peace on every level of your life. Each practice takes only a few minutes. You can be as private or outspoken as you wish. But those around you will know that you are for peace, not just thorough good intentions but by the way you conduct your life on a daily basis.

If I were President

November 8, 2016 Sharon Jacobson

I have been sitting here today, praying about what I can write about peace. The anger so many are expressing privately and publicly about the candidates they are supporting is a cue that as a country we are out of balance and are not in peace. This morning, one of the first things I was asked was who I had voted for and rather then say, because it really is no one’s business, I said I was voting for a Pampered Chef Facebook party. At least there we are having fun, laughing, talking about our favorite products, and supporting the host. In this election, there is little fun, joy, or positive energy. There is hurt, anger, sadness, and frustration.

So how do we move from this space of hurt and anger to a space of peace. How do we build bridges where walls of hate and anger have been constructed. As I sat here and thought about this I was reminded of a sermon I once read by Florence Spearing Randolph, a black woman who preached a sermon about what she would do if she were white. Years ago, I preached a sermon inspired by hers where I talked about what I would do if I were male, female, black, white, biracial, rich, poor, middle class, able bodied, disabled, lesbian, bisexual, straight, cisgendered and transgendered. So today, in hopefully my first and last piece the is political in nature, I want to share what I would do if I were elected President to restore peace in our country and what I would do if I did not.

Love Your Enemy

April 29, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

For the last several weeks, our Wednesday night group has been listening to a five-hour workshop by Pema Chodrom about releasing fear and living with courage and compassion. In it, she has talked about how Bodhisattva training encourages us to give up our separateness and act upon our deep connections with others. Over the course of these conversations, we have focused on how similar we are to each other. Yes, we have things about us that are unique, but we have far more in common with each other then we often times realize. As we practice being compassionate, we begin the process of releasing our resentments and cravings, and opening our minds to new relationships, courage, and compassion for others. Chödrön demonstrates ways to practice the four limitless qualities of loving — kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Last week, we did a meditational practice where we began by breathing in relief for suffering for someone we were close to and exhaling peace and healing in their lives. We could have actually started with ourselves. However, in her workshop she began with those we would want to pray for, then to more neutral parties in our life, and finally with those whom we would resist praying for in our lives.

One at a Time

March 17, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Spending this month thinking about being present has helped me to not only think about it, but also be in it. It has helped me remember the things I can do in my life to bring calm and peace into my life, especially on those days that are overflowing with things to do and have the potential to be stressful and chaotic. One of the things the writing of Thich Nhat Hanh reminded me of is to “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” That quote reminded me that everywhere I am and go is Holy Ground and every place I am is where I am supposed to be. As Hafiz once wrote, The Place you are right now, God circled on a map for you.” When I remember that where I am is a calm, peaceful, holy place the Ultimate created just for me, I can feel the stress leave my body and the calm fill it. How can one experience anything but that peace which surpasses understanding while standing and walking on Holy Ground.

Beauty in Tears

February 18, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

All this month I have been thinking about and reflecting on the practice of beauty. I have practiced seeing the beauty in everyone I meet, every situation I am in, and every place I go. The other day I was having a conversation with a dear friend who is going through a challenging time. I had to stop and ask myself where is the beauty in an illness, which makes someone suffer and feel as if the Divine has abandoned them. When I prayed with her, I was somehow about to express all that was in her heart and that she had not been able to find the words for in her own prayers. While I have never been in my friend’s place, I could empathize by thinking about the times I had felt broken, forsaken, and abandoned. It was during this time that I discovered a simple truth.

Out of the Shadows

December 23, 2014 Sharon Jacobson

About this time last year, I was reminded of a story I had heard once about how the difference between evolving and revolving is an R. When we keep doing or believing the same thing repeatedly, then we are not evolving. It is as if we are trapped in one of those revolving doors, which we often see in department stores. We are just revolving through life and not evolving.

Part of this revolving is our inability to put closure to things in our life. Whether it is putting closure to an old job or an old relationship, if we do not put closure to the feelings and situation, then it follows us with us into the next situation or relationship. Sometimes we need to put closure to some of the beliefs we grew up with in our lives. As we grow and evolve, what we believe also changes. These beliefs only have power over us as long as we agree they are true and give them power in our lives. When we realize they no longer need to reside in our minds, we can say to them, “you are no longer true” and put closure to that part of our belief system.

Share the Peace

December 16, 2014 Sharon Jacobson

As we move closer to the holiday season, people’s lives tend to become increasingly hectic. We love the holidays because they are a time filled with presents, food, and time with friends and family and for some people even time off from work. However, sometimes this time with family is not always filled with peace. I was reminded of this recently as an associate shared with me how the holidays are her house quickly turn into a time for arguments and sometimes have been so stressful that she has left and come home. We cannot enjoy the peace of the holiday season when we are arguing with each other and pressing each other’s buttons.

P.E.A.C.E.

December 9, 2014 Sharon Jacobson

Recently, I was rereading a reflection by Iyanla Vanzant and she listed Peace as an acronym for Please Excuse All Crazy Experiences. We all have “crazy” experiences in our lives. By “crazy” I mean anything which causes us to be extremely enthusiastic or extremely angry, irritated, frustrated, agitated etc. Crazy can include all those experiences that take us to the extreme from being crazy about shoes (i.e. I know someone that has over 300 pairs of shoes and keeps buying them) to that place of extreme agitation and anger where one is in need of therapeutic care to help restore balance. Sometimes we have those experiences in our life, which can easily pull us off balance and make us feel “crazy”, such as pain, anger, loneliness, being tired, hunger, and sickness. I know when I am extremely tired, due to the lack of sleep I am experiencing, I have to work intentionally at staying focused and centered and am constantly asking the Ultimate to give me energy to balance out my tired.

E is for Empty

January 1, 2013 Sharon Jacobson

This might seem like a strange way to begin my first blog for this New Year, but empty for me is an awesome space to be at in my life. I am not talking about the stressful kind of empty like when you run out of gas on the highway because you did not realize your gas tank was empty. Nor am I talking about that space when you may feel like you are running on empty because you have no energy left in your life. Nor am I talking about how you feel like your life is empty of love, life, and meaning, although that too would be a great focus for a reflection. Rather, I am talking about this state of happiness and bliss, which comes when one is empty, and in need of nothing.

Temporary and Permanent Residency

August 13, 2012 Sharon Jacobson

A friend of ours is interviewing for a job in another state. As she has talked about the idea of moving, she has thought about taking up a temporary residence somewhere until she can decide where and in what neighborhood she wants to live in. As I have listened to the stories of those whose homes were lost during Hurricane Katrina, there was a clear sense that where I am at right now is a temporary situation, but soon I will be moving back to or into permanent housing again. When it comes to where we live, most of us have a clear sense of when the place is our temporary and or permanent residence. So why is that some of us have trouble doing that with our feelings.

What are you aligned with?

February 27, 2012 Sharon Jacobson

Michael Beckwith once wrote, “The daily headlines describe a global culture that has been cur off from the soul.” One need not look farther then the headlines on any form of news media for stories about violence, whether it is overt, subtle, verbal, physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual. We manifest violence through our words, actions, and thoughts. Violence is associated with power, either the misuse of the power one has or an attempt to feel powerful in a world where they have felt disempowered. Violence can be individual or structural. We hear about individual violence in stories of wars, abuse, neglect, murders, rapes, bombings, terrorism, etc.

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