One Quadrillion Synapses

August 10, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

I recently came across an article by Mark Batterson, author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, and Wild Goose Chase. I found this while doing some research on the five senses and faith. So I thought I would share this with you this week.

One Quadrillion Synapses

I came across an interesting factoid today as I was researching for my next book.

The human body has approximately 100,000,000 (one hundred million) sensory receptors that enable us to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. And that is a testament to our Divine Designer. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. By the way, when was the last time you thanked God for each of your senses? We have seven million cones that enable us to perceive about ten million different colors. Doesn’t it seem like we owe God seven million thank yous?

A Lesson in Faith

August 3, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

I was so moved when I watched this video on faith. In the cover article for our monthly newsletter, I had written about how faith is a multisensory experience. I had talked about how the Universe provides us with answers to our prayers in a wide diversity of ways. In the story told in this video, this man’s prayers were answered via a license plate. Something had to draw his eyes to that license plate. Normally, when we are driving, at least from my memory of having driven, we are not paying attention to the license plates of cars on the other side of the highway or road. Even if he had pulled over to the side of the road, as in the video, the chances of him having seen that particular license plate without something directing his vision seem minimal.

It’s cheering time!

July 28, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Recently, a few of my students and I engaged in a discussion of the film, But I’m A Cheerleader. While the film had little to do with actually being a cheerleader, it did get me thinking about who the cheerleaders are in my life, who I am a cheerleader for, and the role of cheerleaders in our lives.

It got me thinking back to high school, which for some of us is longer ago than others, and one thing I remembered is that when they were on the field they were always smiling. It did not matter whether the home team was winning or losing, they just kept smiling. It seemed as if on the days when our home school team was doing the worst, they came in smiling and cheering louder and more enthusiastically than ever. We may have thought the situation was hopeless, but their enthusiasm and cheering made you continue to hope for and cheer for the players on the field.

Are you juicy?

July 20, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

When I told a friend, this is what I was going to title my blog, she suggested I rethink it as I might offend a few people. Although I could not find an official definition of juicy people anywhere, I found numerous references to them as those people who are photographed wearing outfits that make people take pictures of them and post them on Facebook. It seems one of the more popular stores to find this type of juicy person is at Wal-Mart.

However, that is not the type of juicy people I wanted to talk about today.

Emil's Sunset

July 6, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

There is this series of videos on YouTube from the Spiritual Literacy Project which illustrate spiritual practices and capture the sacred in everyday life. In a video about enthusiasm, they share a story about Emil’s Sunset. Emil was a gentleman who each night would gather people at the family cottage just to watch the sunset. He would make people stop what they were doing and come and sit in the fully experience the beauty of the sunset. In the video, they talk about how one day after he had passed away, they were busy doing things and someone mentioned there was an Emil sunset. They all stopped what they were doing and sat and took in the beauty of the sunset.

Everything is Energy

June 30, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

At the end of every Qi Gong set, we always say I am Qi and Qi is in me. Then our Qi Gong teacher, Mary Meissner says it in Chinese, but I am not even going to try to spell that out. While it means that I am energy and energy is in me, it reminds me of something greater. For me, the Divine is love and love is energy. Therefore I am the Divine energy and the Divine energy is in me. It is not just in one thing or one person, the Divine energy, the Divine Qi is in everything.

Baraka

June 23, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Growing up I remember hearing a number of sayings that all pointed at the same lesson. Phrases like actions speak louder than words. A picture is worth a thousand words. You can hear the symphony in silence. Each of these sayings gets at the same point. One must not speak to make a powerful statement. One must not understand the language, to understand the meaning. When I was in seminary, Dr Gail Ricciutti showed a film in our Introduction to Preaching class of people preaching. Interestingly, the preacher that really captured my attention the most was a woman who did not preach in English. I could not understand a single word she said, yet I understood every word she said.

This morning I stumbled upon this image that I used for our thought for the day. It is just a picture. No quote, no author, yet it speaks volumes

Is it important to you?

June 17, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Growing up in my household, periodically I would, like many teenagers, “forget” to do my chores. My parents would always put me in my place by saying something like, “But you remembered to call your friends, didn’t you? You seem to remember what is important to you!” They were right and it is a lesson I carry with me even today.

As a teenager, doing chores was not important. They were always going to be there and unless I really needed my allowance, which was important, spending time doing chores was not near as important to me as being with my friends. At the time, the choice was simple, time with friends or time without them doing chores. The problem was when my chore was to do laundry and my favorite outfits were not available; then doing laundry was more important than time with friends.

Who Is Our Neighbor?

June 2, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

As I watched this video, it reminded me of a scripture from the New Testament which said there were two commandments we are to follow, First, “the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31). Other spiritual writings teach a similar lesson; we are to love God and we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

That raises a question similar to the one raised in the video. Who are our neighbors? Who are they?

Like Potatoes in a Tub

May 12, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

It’s funny how stories have a way of drifting up into your memory from your childhood when you are meditating and reflecting on a specific word or practice. As you may have figured out by now, the theme for this month is connection and I have been working on being intentional this month about practicing seeing the connections in my life. I hope you have as well.

This morning I found myself thinking about a story my father told me about washing potatoes. Decades ago, my father served in the Korean War. Amongst many positions in which he served, was that of a translator. He also spent some time working in the kitchen. One of his least favorite tasks was cleaning and peeling potatoes. Often times he would find himself assigned to this task, ordered to do hundreds of potatoes, one at a time. While he became efficient at cleaning potatoes, it was not one he enjoyed doing.

Cosmic Computer Connection

May 5, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Have you ever been working online and have a problem loading or page? Have you ever been on a call within others on Skype or Zoom and been told your internet connection is unstable? Most of us have experienced some sort of “connection” related problem when it comes to us being able to work (or play) efficiently on our computer.

What if we thought about our connection to the Divine as us being connected to the Cosmic Computer? How would you describe your connection to the Divine? Would you say you are still on dialup or are you hardwired? Do you power down at night or do you stay connected? How much of you is connected to the Cosmic Computer? Is it just your spirit? Mind? Body? Or is every cell of your being connected?

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.

Compassion and Anger

April 7, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Have you ever found yourself getting angry or irritated at someone? One of the things I learned about anger, and any emotion, is that it can only stay alive for so long on its own. So when we stay angry or irritated for a long period, it is because at some level we have made a commitment to keeping it alive. Did you know an emotion has a natural life of about 30 seconds? If it lasts longer than that, it is because we are choosing to keep it alive. So when we stay angry all day, or for years, it is because we are choosing to stay angry. There is nothing wrong with a feeling, however, it is important for a feeling not to control us or become our identity.

The other night someone asked me if I ever got angry.

Be Still

April 1, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

As many of you know, the theme for March has been about being present and the theme for April is about compassion. This week, I decided to talk about something which blends these two spiritual practices together. Being still is about being present and sometimes being present means that we have to be compassionate with ourselves as well as others.

Those who know me, know that being still is not something I do easily. I am generally always doing something. However, I am intentional about taking time in the morning to meditate, sit, and be still!

Harry Chapin, Ian Colvin and Me.

March 24, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

A few months back, I remembered reading a story about the importance of being present. It was a column in The Huffington Post by Ian Colvin, where he began with a story of a dialogue between him and his son. It started like this:

"Why were you looking down when I was skating tonight, Daddy?"

"I wasn't looking down, buddy," I answered. "I was watching you."

"But I saw you looking down, too," my son responded. "Why were you looking down?"

"Busted!" my husband laughed.

And I was busted; I had been reading and responding to work emails on my BlackBerry during my son's skating lesson.

Was I proud? No. But I was proud that I had made it home from work on time to take my son to skating; something I hadn't been able to do the week before.

Yet, what's worse, not being there, or not being present in the moment?

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.

The Gift of Presence

March 10, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is our presence. As I shared in this month’s newsletter, Recently, I came across a story about practicing being present in a book by Sandy Boucher, author of Opening the Lotus: A Woman's Guide to Buddhism. She wrote about the practice of being present from a Buddhist perspective. “The word 'practice' covers everything that Buddhists do in their efforts to achieve clear understanding and benefit other beings... Last week I spoke with a Buddhist friend who had just had a baby. ‘How is it caring for a little girl?' I asked. She replied without hesitation, 'It's twenty-four hours a day of practice.' She was being called upon to pay attention to, and to act with compassionate caring toward this tiny human being constantly throughout day and night. And she was attempting to do it, not by rote but, with full presence of mind and spirit. This is Buddhist practice."

Here and Now

March 4, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

When we talk about being present, it sounds easier than it is. It is not that it is difficult, it is that we start off in the present and then begin our time travels as we tell our story. For example, the first question I ask when we begin our love and inspiration gatherings is how are you doing today and/or what are you dealing with today? So often, what happens is someone may begin with what they are dealing with today. However, then we travel into the past to hear the explanation of how the person got into this situation or what they have learned from the past. Sometimes we travel to the future and talk about what the person would like to see happen next or what they would like the outcome to be. I laugh as I write this because I know that there have been times in our gatherings that I have done my own share of time traveling and not being present. I would like to say that I was not as present as I could be, but one is either present or not.

Pied Beauty

February 24, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Recently, I was challenged to see the beauty in a series of things mentioned in a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, called Pied Beauty. For those who are not familiar with it, and for those who are, here is the poem.

Glory be to God for dappled things –

For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;

Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;

And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;

Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

Praise him.

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.

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