In the Midst

In the Midst

It is easy to see the presence of the Divine
when one is intentionally looking
or in one of those clearly spiritual moments.
However, what about in the everyday?
What about when you are
in the midst
of just living?
Like when you are stuck in traffic,
or dealing with an angry customer,
or someone in your family is upset,
or you are bored
confused,
or tired.
What keeps us from seeing what we see
when we see it?
Is it because we do not see or hear or understand
the way the Divine does?
Did you feel the presence as you breathed?
How about when you turned the water on
or brushed your teeth,
or washed your hands,
or just smiled at you?
What keeps us from sensing the presence of the Ultimate
in that which we see,
hear,
taste,
feel?
When we are in the midst of life,
may we remember
we are in the midst of the Ultimate.

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How Do You Do It?

How Do You Do It?

How do you do it?
A friend of mine says that to me all the time.
She is amazed at how I juggle so much.
She said you manage Inspiritual
teach, grade, and work with students,
do your Pampered Chef parties,
work with all your consultants and hosts,
cook, clean, time with Zoe,
and I am sure there is more.
So how do you do it?
The answer is simple.
and one that many have answered before.
Different person,
but same answer.
Martin Luther King Jr said it this way.
“I give the first hour to God,
God gives me the rest”
My first hour is about my time with the Ultimate.
I give thanks, pray, meditate,
listen to the symphony of silence
which ministers to my soul
and then the rest of the day falls into place.
This is how I do it.
I put the Ultimate source in my life first
then the Ultimate makes room for everything else
which needs to get done in my life.
Honestly, it is all about my priorities.
This is how I do it.

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La Confidence

La Confidence

Have you ever seen an image
that transfixed you,
drew you in to a space
you could not seem to leave.
A piece of art that
that had such a powerful effect
on your soul
that decades later
you still remember that feeling.
It was the day I walked into the Museum of Art
at the University of Georgia
and stood before this painting
that was as tall as I am short
and literally took my breath away.
As I stared at these two women
whispering secrets to each other
I could see the blood moving through their veins.
I could hear them breathing.
I could feel the bond they shared.
I was not looking at an image.
I was in the garden with them
and had accidentally entered into this moment.
Art, is transformative.
It takes the pain and hurt in the world
and brings it to life in a way
that draws one in
and allows one to experience the Divine
in undescribable ways.
Whether is it paintings, sculptures, film, prose, poetry,
or other art form,
it has the potential to draw you in
and reveal to you
the presence of the Ultimate
in the unexpected.

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Value

Value

I used to think I had to be of value
to be loved.
Then I realized I am of value
for one very simple reason;
God created me.
God creates value.
God’s love created me
and in doing so made me of value.
The same is true for you.
We are each created
by the one who loved us
and makes us of value
to those who know us
and those who don’t.
Value is not about how much you have.
It is not about your possessions,
or net worth.
Value is about the love in your life.
It is the people who love you that make you invaluable.
It is the love you create in your life and
the love which created you
which makes you of value.
Your value doesn’t come from what you own,
but from the love
which flows to you and through you.

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Leting Go

Letting Go

Zoe reminded me the other day,
that I used to be better about letting things go.
I still let things go.
I have the same basic rules.
Have I used it in the last year?
Is it still working?
Is there a real reason I am keeping it.
if not, I let it go
The only things I have left are clothes I still wear
books I still read or use
and a few things I inherited from my parents.
The one thing I have an excess of
is the Pampered Chef I have earned.
I have been giving that away to rescues
to help them save others.
I am now putting packages together
to bring to women’s shelters
to help people restart their lives.
I have all I need.
As I release things
I make room for the Ultimate
and I never have too much room
for the Ultimate’s presence.

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This Little Light of Mine

This Little Light of Mine

This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine.
I will remember those lines forever.
I also remember how often I have
not let my little light shine
There were time I did not express, or act on, my own ideas.
I did not listen to my inspiration.
I did not listen to my soul.
Each time I not only betrayed myself,
but the Ultimate who was whispering
to me and through me.
So now I embrace the song
and this little light of mine,
I let it shine.
I listen to my soul
I honor myself
and my Ultimate
and let it shine.
This little light of ours
May we let our light shine

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Why Not Now?

Why Not Now?

My brain has been on this learning curve
or has it been my mindset and my faith.
I use to ask why?
Why should I do X or Y or Z
Why should I grow?
Why should I learn?
Why should I work so hard?
Why should I believe in a Higher Power?
Then I was challenged to ask why not?
Why not try something?
Why not step out in faith?
Why not take risks in my life?
Why not believe in my dreams?
Why not believe I can be of service to others?
Why not?
Why not me?
Why not believe that the Ultimate can use me?
Why not believe that I can make a difference?
Why not believe that I can be of service?
And then someone made me ask why not now?
Why not work towards my dreams now?
Why not believe I can make a difference now?
Why not believe that now is my moment to inspire others?
Why not now?

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University

University

Throughout my academic career,
there were courses that I wanted to take
and those I dreaded.
They were usually the mandatory requirements,
those courses everyone had to take whether you wanted to or not.
Whether I wanted to take them or not,
I had to and
whether I wanted to take them or not,
I ultimately wound up learning from them
and in the long run being grateful for what I learned.
Sometimes life is like that as well.
We wind up having to deal with difficult people and
go through difficult experiences
which are the mandatory faculty and courses
in the university of life.
I am enrolled,
even as I write this,
and as much as I would rather not be enrolled,
I am.
I may not want to be here,
as I have not wanted to take similar courses in the past,
but I know this much to be true.
I will learn powerful lessons for my journey,
that are taught only in this way
and through teachers like this.
How challenging it must be to be the teacher
nobody wants to take,
but show up and teach the material
which you know they will need to learn in life.
What would I be, had I not been enrolled
in those mandatory courses at the university of life.

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Being Present

Being Present

Have you ever been having a conversation with someone,
but feel like you are in a conversation by yourself.
There seems to be a lack of reciprocity,
a lack of energy and focus,
and the inability to be present.
It is hard to have a meaningful conversation
when others are not present.
The same is true for me.
I have had to learn how to stop
and explain that I want to be present,
but at the moment I just can’t.
I belive in being honest,
present,
and polite
with those trying to engage with me.
When I can’t I honor all of us,
by politely exiting the conversation
and rejoin when I can be present

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Don’t Talk With Your Mouth Full

Don’t Talk With Your Mouth Full
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” my mother would say.
When I was younger it was what my mom said
when my mouth was full of food.
It’s about balance,
my mother would say.
You have to balance eating and talking.
Now I see people talking with their mouth full,
as do I at times,
but in a very different way.
Sometimes we forget to stop talking and listen.
We forget conversations involve
two people taking turns talking.
it’s shouldn’t always be about me.
We should be sharing with each other.
When we are talking with our mouth full,
things come out that would not if we chewed first and spoke after.
If we thought before we spoke,
we may not say things that can hurt or harm others.
We would spend more time enjoying
and less time apologizing.
What if we tried to remember those simple childhood lessons,
like don’t talk with your mouthful
and apply them to our adult lives.

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Unconditional

Unconditional

The one that I commune with daily,
does all things unconditionally.
My challenge is to also be unconditional.
It is to not put conditions on what I surrender to the Ultimate.
I am to go with my grace and my groaning,
my joy and celebration
and my gripes and grieving.
There are no conditions on what I can bring
nor are there conditions on what I receive.
The challenge is to also love others
as unconditionally as I am loved.
So I look for the Ultimate in all I meet,
in the homeless
the stranger,
the bus driver,
the Instacart shopper,
the people who answer the phone,
the people who respond to my posts,
emails, and other electronic media.
If I honor them as creations of the Ultimate,
perhaps they will the Ultimate in me.
What if we treated each other with
the unconditional love and acceptance
we are offered?
What if we saw the Ultimate in each other?
How much more loving would the world be,
if we saw the Ultimate here on earth?

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My Refrigerator

My Refrigerator

So much in life is automated,
my refrigerator, on the other hand,
is filled with produce that is hand picked.
it means that someone is working hard
to harvest the tomatoes, carrots, peppers, berries
and so much more that is in my refrigerator just waiting on me
to prepare it.
My refrigerator is filled with the labor of others.
None of this just appeared in my refrigerator.
It was hand picked by others.
Someone sweated,
strained their bodies
wiped away their sweat,
got callouses on their hands,
and gave so they could put food on their tables
and on mine.
So much cannot be machine harvested
because of its individual ripening times and
it's delicacy.
What if we thought about where our food came from and
gave thanks for those who helped get it to us?
What if we remembered those who labored
so we could be fed?   
Would it helps us eat with an attitude of gratitude
instead of just eating?

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Finding my Hallelujah

Finding my Hallelujah

I remember hearing Andy Grammar sing about
finding your hallelujah
and thinking about all the times
I found my hallelujah
and how good it felt to be alive at that moment.
It is in those moments, that I feel
filled with this so much joy that I feel as if I am going to explode
and all I can do is give thanks
because I am alive
Every part of my being is so delighted
that all I can do is celebrate and sing.
I am not concerned about anyone else
just celebrating my life and singing
my Hallelujah
with every part of my being.

If you feel my energy and want to join me,
tap into your own Hallelujah
and together let’s celebrate how
great it is to be alive right now.

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Home is in my heart

Home is in my heart

Growing up, I would hear
Home is where the heart is.
for me, home is where the Ultimate is,
which is in my heart.
Home is that space where I gather
with the Ultimate,
those who have shown me kindness,
those I was kind to,
those who I was not able to be kind to
and those who were not able to be kind to me.
It is in the light and grace of the Ultimate
that we give thanks to those who showed us love
and seek forgiveness from those we hurt,
intentionally or not.
Home is that space where people experience the ,
the healing,
the grace,
and the wisdom of the Ultimate.
Home is not always an easy place to go,
but it is where the transformation continues.

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Sabbath

Sabbath

Do you still honor the Sabbath?
You should take the Sabbath off and rest.
I love it when people tell me how
I should spend time with the Ultimate
and when.
When I was young,
we would light the Shabbat candles on Friday evening
and go to Shul.
It was a tradition
until my parents stopped going.
Then I was taught to not work on Sundays,
which is hard to do when you are leading worship.
Sabbath for me is not so much about the day,
but about the time I intentionally spend
with the Ultimate.
Time in prayer,
meditation,
time spent in silence
journaling,
reading,
and reflecting.
The quality of the time,
not the day
or the quantity.
The quality of the time
I spend with the one
who I make time for
in the midst of all my days,
no matter how busy,
because I make that time a priority.

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Grits

Grits

I remember driving up to Nora’s Mill
to get stone ground grits at a time
when I didn’t know what they were.
I just knew they tasted so good,
especially with cheese and jalapenos mixed in.
To this day I still love grits and made the same way.
My wife reminds me that not all grits are the same.
She likes them white and I like them yellow.
She likes them commercially ground and I like the stone ground.
Beyond all the difference though grits are the same,
ground corn.
I was sitting there thinking about making grits
when I began thinking about not only the grits
but the word.
Grits is not just about what you serve with
whatever you enjoy eating with it.
Having grits is about having
the inner desire, drive, and tenacity
to achieve your goals and dreams.
you might experience times you are ground down
finer then others,
but the inner grit that lives within you
will bring you through
and cook in the experiences of life
to bring you to the consistency, texture, and flavor
you were created to be.
In part this happens because of you
and what lives within you and in part
because the Ultimate keeps stirring you
knowing together you will produce
grits that show what lives within you
and shine through you and let your
true grit shine.

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Us

Us

I love you.
There are so few people I say that to.
You and the Ultimate.
There is something about sitting with you
and listening to your deepest thoughts
and challenges.
As I sit here and just spend time with you
it is like music to my ears,
and in the process I feel so blessed.
It is those opportunities to be present,
to be of service,
to know that I am still
of use to the Ultimate.
I know we feel the same,
relationships like ours are rare
and gifts from above.
Giving thanks seems so inadequate,
but it is all I can do,
for all that you are to me
and all you allow me to be for the one
who is always there for me.
The more we surrender to each other,
share,
grow,
evolve, and
be ever present,
the closer we become
not just to each other
but to the One.

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Compliments, Criticism, and Encouragement

Compliments, Criticism, and Encouragement

A spiritual director once taught me
to listen to how my body responds
to compliments and criticisms.
I became aware that it was not just my heart
that responded,
but my whole being.
Criticisms, especially when not constructive,
make my body tighten, cringe, and
want to become invisible.
Compliments, even criticisms when presented with love,
make my body relax and loosen
and sometimes feel like it is floating.
However, what I realized one day was that it was
words of encouragement
which made my body feel stronger
and more engaged
as if it were ready to take on the world.
If my body responds to the words of others,
how does it respond to my own thoughts and words.
How does it respond to my compliments, criticisms and words of encouragement?
How does your body respond?
What if we change the way we spoke to ourselves and others,
to all of humanity,
including animals and nature?
Healing ourselves and others,
begins by changing the way we think,
the words we speak,
and the manner in which we speak them.
May we be aware of the power we possess
to heal and harm
through out compliments, criticisms and words of encouragment

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Sometimes

Sometimes

The Universe has a sense of humor.
You know those times when you say you want to work on X,
then things happen to help you work on X,
just not in the way you had hoped to work on X.
Sometimes it seems like you have lessons to learn,
that you really did not want to work on. 
Sometimes it is not the lesson you don’t want to work on,
but the teachers you do not want to work with.
Sometimes it is the people who come into your life
who you least want to work with
but have the most valuable lessons to teach you.
So what if, I looked at what I don’t like in others
and apply it to myself.
Sometimes I see aspects of myself
I did not want to see,
but doing so allows me to learn from others
and make the changes I want or need to make in my own life.
Sometimes, the lessons come how I want them and
sometimes they don’t.

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Veins and Arteries

Veins and Arteries

Every time I go to the lab
they draw blood from my veins,
but my arteries are important too.
They are what distributes the oxygen, nutrients and hormones
to every part of my body.
We have the physical veins and arteries in our lives,
but we also have them in our daily lives.
They are the people in our life who nurture us
and help us grow
and grow and are nurtured because of us.
They are the good we do in the world
which flows back to us.
They are a reflection back to us
of what we radiate into the world.
They can only feed and nurture us
if we feed and nurture them.
The veins in our lives cannot function
without our arteries,
so may we remember to honor
both and remember their role
in the cycle of life

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