No Umbrella

When we know what is coming,
we know what to do.
If it’s going to rain,
we grab an umbrella
If it’s going to snow,
we put on our boots
We know what is coming
and so we prepare ourselves
for what is to come

However, there are times when
we are not prepared.
We are in the rain
without an umbrella.
We are in the snow
without apparel to keep
us warm and dry.
We do not what is coming
so we are unable to prepare
for what is to come

Then the rain
becomes our umbrella
the snow
becomes our protective clothing.
We learn in the midst
of the moment
to deal with
what is happening,
We find the strength within
and from our Eternal
to make it through
what is happening
in this very moment.

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Prayer

Prayer is not just the words we utter,
It Is also the deeds.
it is the way we walk through life
it is the way we interact with the world
it is the reverence we bring
into our words and deeds.
it is about our awareness,
our ability to see the Divine
to hear the needs and cries of others
it is about our ability to sense God and
the people of God in the world
It is about us knowing God in ourselves
and others

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Paper Tabernacles

It was decades ago
when she left three little pieces of paper
on my treadmill that said
I
Love
You

They still are with me
in my drawer.
They are sacred, holy and
a paper tabernacle
holding the gift of love
from the one who loves me
unconditionally

Her notes are not alone.
They are accompanied
by sacred notes from others
images,
gifts of sacred love from others

Through writing we can express
our intimacy,
our friendship,
our love,
what others mean to us.
Our letters have the potential
to become someone’s
paper tabernacle

A holy space
where the sacred gift of love is stored
where one keeps reminders of what one means,
the friendship we share,
the intimate moments,
which bond us together.

They are more than just pieces of paper.
They are sacred and holy.
They are paper tabernacles.

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Brave in the Grief

Twas the night before Thanksgiving

and all through the house, not a creature was stirring

not even our cat, but I could not sleep.

Then the news came via Facebook posts

one more friend had passed away

one more loss

one more heartache

one more wave of pain and sadness.

Grieving is not easy

it hurts

it angers

it is never the same

it goes away

when it is ready

Grieving is not easy.

You have to be brave

to feel the pain

to feel the emotions

to not stuff it or

try to medicate it, but

just to stand brave

as the waves of grief

wash over and through you.

When we are lucky, it is that one loss

but sometimes the losses are many

and the pain feels crippling,

but even then we put on our armor

and be brave, as we

fight through the emotions,

letting them crash on us and over us

and know that we are stronger then

all the waves of grief

Then one day we are standing

and there is a calm

and the waves are gone

and we are not quite sure

how we made it through

But we did because

We are brave

And then we give thanks

for bringing us through

for having the strength

to be brave in the grief.

Wisdom

How do I know what I know
I know because others taught me.

I learned from
the people I have met
those who have loved me
and those who have not.

I learned from the
cats, dogs, hamsters,
and other animals
which have come into my life.

I learned from those
who strove to teach me
and those who did not

I learned from those who
provided opportunities
to grow,
to experience
to appreciate
and to honor.

I learned from those
who were hateful
hurtful,
and harmful

In all this I found
wisdom;
that priceless gift
which has blessed me.
So today I bless those
who have shown me wisdom.
I bless those who have helped me
deepen my relationship
with the world
I bless all who have brought me wisdom

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Start at Home

Change the world,
start at home
that is what HGTV says.
This reminds me
to see myself
to understand myself
to get in touch with my own
deep and innermost mysteries

How can I begin to understand
the one I call the Ultimate
if I have not yet opened myself
to seeing the invisible in myself,
or the mysteries within myself

The journey to the
deeper mysteries of the Divine
begin with me exploring
the mysteries within myself.
If I want to connect on a deeper level

With the divine,
I must remember the wisdom
of HGTV and start at home.

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Respect

It dropped.
It fell.
it was not about
being intentional or not
it just was.

It was just a thing
or was it more.
Was it symbolic of
the Holy
in everyday life.

Pick it up,
kiss it and apologize
Salmon Rushdie would say.
apologize for the
disrespectful way
you treated it

What if we did that
all the time.
What if we kissed all things
to see the holiness
in everyday life.

What if we treated
all of life
all of humanity
all objects
with dignity and
respect?

 

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Live Your Truth

The world is full of liars
Those who fill us with doubt
Who tell us we are worthless
Who tell us what we lack
Who tell us what we cannot do.
Who make us doubt our ability to grow,
to transform,
to scale mountains

There are also those
Who speak truth in love.
Who remind us we are amazing
Who help us see the gifts within us
Who point out our strengths,
our gifts,
and our abilities
to make something out of nothing
and overcome the mountains
we learn to climb

We each come
to this world
with a purpose
with a gift
with something we are called
to complete.
We each have our way of
transforming the world
of overcoming the mountains
in our lives.
We can do this,
when we choose to
live our truth.

The question is
are you living your truth.

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Sabbath

Take some downtime
Take a day off
Words I hear from
Those who love me.

Not everyone has a life
which allows them take
A one day sabbath,
so we improvise
and find the sabbath moments
in everyday life.

Sitting in the shower
Time in the waiting room
time being transported to and from
time when I can’t do anything
so I sit and be still
and listen
to the voice from within

Then I write.
I write prose
poems
ideas,
Thoughts,
words that came to me in the silence

Sabbath
isn’t always a day
sometimes it is those moments
the use of your downtime
To replenish your soul

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Be the Change

Be the change you want to see in the world.

I heard it.

I read it.

I thought about it.

I did not get it.

Well, not really

Then it clicked,

She tried to get on my last nerves

She was rude

irritating,

disrespectful

and all the qualities,

I do not like and wish

would go away

Then I remembered the advice

Kill them with kindness.

I did.

I was extra respectful,

loving,

patient, and kind and

I am sure for a while

she wished I would go away.

Then it changed,

she changed

I changed,

the environment changed

So be the change

You want to see in the world

embody reverence,

kindness,

respect

and be grateful.

Trust the process,

watch judgment disappear

and miracles happen.

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I am Me

I am Me
I am who God created me to be
I am unique.

There is not
Never has been
Never will be anyone
Like me

I am divine by design
Because I was designed
By the divine
I am me

I am who I was created to be
What you see as a flaw
The Divine placed as a gift in me
What makes me different
Is an asset
It is what makes me who
I am me

Nobody else brings
To the world
What I bring
To the world because
I am me

What God gave me is for me
What God gave you is for you
So let’s celebrate each other for
Who we are
You are you and
I am me

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Vision

Build a wall
To make American great again
Greatness comes with bridges
Not walls
It comes with unity
Not division
Loves sees one
Hate and fear see many
When separation disappears
God’s presence is visible
Oneness or separation
Love or fear
Goodness or hate
You choose to
Unify or divide
By the way your mind
Sees the world

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Like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

They glide
They slide
They look so graceful
They always make each other
Look good.
They skate
They jump
They leap
They make it look so effortless
They always make each other
Look good

As a dancer in life
I hold my wife
We glide
We slide
We jump
We leap
We make it look so easy
And we focus on making each other
Look good

You may not see the practice time
The workouts
The rehearsals
The work we do
Out of our love for each other
And the desire to make each other
Look good.

We dance daily
Finding ways
For our love to shine
For us to express kindness
Towards and for each other
As we dance together in life
Always making the other
Look good

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Words

Words are powerful
They can harm or heal
Lift up or diminish
Criticize or empower.
How you use them is your choice

You can speak
Without thinking
Criticize others
Make them feel unwanted.
That is easy.

Or you can stop
and think before speaking
take a moment to think first
ask yourself are they honest, kind and necessary.
Think about what will pick someone up,
empower them,
make them feel good.

Criticizing is easy
praising takes effort
Your words can focus on their strengths
And overlook their weaknesses.
Words are powerful.
How are you going to use yours?

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Beginnings

Beginnings
Not endings
Unlocking
Not closing
New doors
New pathways
New possibilities
Giving
Doing
Learning
Sharing
Growing
Continuing
Serving
Loving

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Be Silly!

Be silly!
The message came loud and clear.
Be silly!
Silly is selig
Selig is blessed.
Be silly.
Silliness can be sacred
So be silly.

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