I cannot believe I forgot to include Metropolitan Kallistos Ware's books on my list in my last post. So I am including some of his thoughts from his book The Orthodox Way here. He has definitely been a lighthouse for me and so many others. “Joyful thanksgiving, so far from being escapist or sentimental, is… Continue reading Wise words from Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
I set out in the beginning of the Lenten season with the intention of taking a deeper look at the divine image I carry. You can read my intial post here if you so desire. It seemed good to set it aside for a bit but I have had to revisit the topic because I… Continue reading healing the divine image (part 2)
"The miracle of Bach has not appeared in any other art. To strip human nature until its divine attributes are made clear, to inform ordinary activities with spiritual fervour, to give wings of eternity to that which is most ephemeral; to make divine things human and human things divine; such is Bach, the greatest and… Continue reading Beautiful words and music from Pablo Casals
There are about six weeks left until the official end date of my Emily project on May 15. It has occurred to me several times during the current situation that Emily would have fared very well given the same situation as she was already practicing self isolating as a way of life. A dear friend… Continue reading good work
"We can discover this meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing something or encountering someone; and (3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering" and that "everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms… Continue reading find the meaning
When I was in graduate school, an age ago it seems, one of my professors told us that synthesizing of concepts is one of the highest forms of thought. And although I am still trying to practice "one thing at a time," with regularity, weaving different threads together has proved to be fairly exhilarating as… Continue reading synthesis
"Let me seek, then the gift of silence, and poverty, and solitude, where everything I touch is turned into a prayer: where the sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is all in all." ~ from THOUGHTS IN SOLITUDE by Thomas Merton The… Continue reading this is also prayer
*I am taking a page from one of my heroes, Cal Newport, and blogging about things other than the thing everyone else is already talking about. NOT because I don't recognize the seriousness of the virus, but my mind and heart needs a break from it, even if just for a couple of minutes. I… Continue reading in the affirmative
When Bells stop ringing—Church—begins The Positive—of Bells— When Cogs—stop—that's Circumference— The Ultimate—of Wheels. ~ Emily Dickinson Today is International Pi Day which is a favorite of mine for several reasons. I grew up thinking up I was ridiculously bad at math, however I did very well in Geometry. I loved the logic of setting up theorems… Continue reading Circumference
I am taking a "mindfulness break" from the series on healing the divine image as it seems important with all that is happening on the world stage currently. I am also (for the time being) making my entries on mental illness private as I don't want to cause anyone undue stress at this time when… Continue reading Mindfulness Break
"It seems natural for man to experience the world as opaque, and not shot through with the presence of God." ~ Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World After I wrote my last post, I felt that it should be followed up with some thoughts on the eucharistic, or sacramental life. One of the… Continue reading a eucharistic life
"Silence is so accurate." ~ Mark Rothko In my last post, I set the intention of laying out my connections with religion and faith over the past few decades and how my inner health (or lack thereof) drew me to the toxic aspects in a fairly predictable pattern. My spiritual autobiography, as it were, will… Continue reading silence as medicine
Many Christians are in the middle of the Lenten journey right now, including myself. For eastern Orthodox believers this means fasting, prayer, longer and more frequent church services, and alms giving. A couple of years ago, my doctor told me that the vegan fasting was not a good idea for me because of the vitamin… Continue reading healing the divine image: a series for lent
Two nights ago I had a dream that was so vivid I was able to record it the following morning. In the dream I was in a swimming pool talking to an unknown woman standing on the side of the pool about her two children. I gave her advice about her eldest child and she… Continue reading saving the baby
I almost wrote a post last week about my lifelong struggle to feel like I fit in, to seem normal. Something on the inside stopped me, and I am learning to listen to that inner voice. I will give a bit of context by saying that I live in an area where I am an… Continue reading the lie about the lines or realizing i do belong
...silence is the key. I don't always find that key, but when I do, I simply enter. ~Br. David Steindl-Rast I find myself needing to go back to the beginning so often. I know enough about myself to be fully aware that when I try to take on too many things they all fall apart… Continue reading little stitches in silence
I have spent my adult life in the company of children: as a mother, as a teacher, and as a researcher in the science of play. I don't think I would have defined what I was doing during my career as play, but as I look back at the most joyful moments of my teaching… Continue reading permission to play
I am reposting this although it was a fairly recent post. I need this reminder and it might be helpful to someone else as well. Most of us, even if we didn't grow up in the Christian tradition, are familiar with the story of the good Samaritan. It is a powerful story on so many… Continue reading On the side of the road
Yesterday was a difficult one. Two friends entering hospital in addition to my own struggles with impatience in parenting of my eight year old had me feeling sad and discouraged for a bit. But the good news is that I am learning to be more gentle with myself. Before I got too far down the… Continue reading let the light hold it
Listening to Cal Newport's Deep Work on audible this week combined with the writing inspired by #bloginstead has confirmed something that has been forming for a good while. This something is the reason I started this blog and the MO behind much of the ethos in the way I think and live. If I had… Continue reading Follow the spiral
*Another repost. I have many thoughts for a new post but it is late and I want it to be coherent. In the spirit of spiritual mindfulness which seems to be a theme in #bloginstead, I am submitting this previous reflection. When I was a freshman at a small Catholic University, a charming and wise… Continue reading Brother Andrew’s universe
*This is a re-post from almost a year ago. But in reading through the thoughts gathered in the #bloginstead experiment started by Melinda Johnson, they seemed pertinent. I would add a few things now if I were re-writing it, but I will leave it alone for the moment. Like many folks, I have spent the… Continue reading space on the shelf
I am excited to be part of #bloginstead hosted by writer Melinda Johnson, and am truly grateful that she has inspired a group of us to focus on deeper writing and responses through blogging for a few days rather than the quick reactions we are prone to on social media. I have been reading a… Continue reading whole and part
To see the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wildflower hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour. ~ William Blake This poem just speaks to everything that I would like to embody in my life. To be able to take something tiny, or seemingly insignificant… Continue reading in a grain of sand
As has become fairly common in recent years, I like to choose an intention word for the coming year. My birthday happens to fall two days before the New Year so it always seems that I get a little boost in thinking of possibilities for the upcoming 12 months. Last year my word was "deliberate,"… Continue reading Unfolding
When I started this new blog the mantra that kept coming to me over and over again was taking small but deliberate steps. I honestly didn't know at that time how many other folks were thinking along similar lines as it seemed that everywhere I turned I was being inundated by messages of my need… Continue reading the (gentle but deliberate) pursuit of peace
Most of us, even if we didn't grow up in the Christian tradition, are familiar with the story of the good Samaritan. It is a powerful story on so many levels. I always internalized the message about helping others and to the best of my understanding tried to put it into practice. When I started… Continue reading On the side of the road
When we are in the process of healing, sometimes it becomes apparent thatour therapist is no longer the right fit for us. Sometimes as we gain clarity,we may even recognize some unhealthy patterns in the therapist/clientrelationship. While it is important not to cut ties at the first sign oftrouble to ensure we are not… Continue reading Letting go of your therapist
As a former classroom teacher and a parent, this post has been germinating for quite some time. It has been difficult to know how to put into words these thoughts and experiences as some of them are still quite painful to remember. But if it can help even one it will be well worth the… Continue reading recognizing a toxic school environment
It has been exactly one year since I began the ACA recovery process. This has been a packed year that started with someone guiding me to these "Laundry Lists," which continue to bring so much clarity. As I have said before, this process is NOT linear, but it is more like a spiral, and in… Continue reading Dirty Laundry: Seeing myself in the ACA Laundry Lists
Image by Michael Breiva from Pixabay A poem inspired by Emily Dickinson's Tell All the Truth but Tell it Slant. In honor of the feast day of Saint Martin. Bearer of Light If you have been named a bearer of light, Mind how you go about your sacred art. A lantern held up to the eyes is too… Continue reading Bearer of Light
Since my teen years, I have studied and been fascinated by personality typing, starting with the well-known Myers-Briggs and the increasingly prominent Enneagram. I have vascilated between telling myself that personality isn't important to thinking it is critical to our understanding of ourselves and others. In terms of Enneagram types, there is so much to… Continue reading How important is self-awareness? (Enneagram thoughts)
I first became acquainted with the term wabi-sabi years ago when I had the privilege of managing a one of a kind bookstore and art gallery. We opened up our space for events and classes and one such offering was a series on wabi-sabi art. It spoke to me deeply at the time on many… Continue reading wabi-sabi: pathway to joy
I started this blog as a reminder to myself that focusing on small living and internal health were the pathway to inner stability. I still believe this. If you would like to read how the title of the blog came about inspired by Emily Dickinson, you can find that here. But sometimes it is difficult… Continue reading just one: taking it literally
Years ago, I had the idea to put together a scrapbook of letters for my eldest son's 13th birthday. I asked people to share poems, letters, and meaningful advice for growing up. My favorite submission was the one his English teacher gave me. It was a well known poem, but new to me. And it… Continue reading Go placidly
" As Lightning to the Children easedWith explanation kindThe Truth must dazzle graduallyOr every man be blind — " ~Emily Dickinson Before I start this personal account of my very limited experience of the divine, I want to state clearly that I am not a theologian. I have read a good amount of theology, but… Continue reading tell it slant (part 2) aka divine encounters at the dentist
Although it is practically impossible for me to choose a favorite Emily poem, one of my top ten would have to be "Tell All the Truth but Tell it Slant." Tell all the truth but tell it slant —Success in Circuit liesToo bright for our infirm DelightThe Truth's superb surpriseAs Lightning to the Children easedWith… Continue reading tell it slant (part 1) aka compassionate truth telling
It will probably come as no surprise to those who have read any posts here or that know me personally that I am a highly sensitive person (HSP if you want the acronym) as I suspect that some of you are. Being highly sensitive simply means that one experiences the world more intensely and it… Continue reading unsettled by beauty
I think by now many know that multi-tasking is a myth, at least on an intellectual level. But I recall the first time that I heard it via a friend sharing an article she had read in a science journal. I had always thought there was something slightly wrong with my brain in that I… Continue reading gathering loose threads
"To see things in the seed, that is genius." ~ Lao Tzu I am two months in to my focused project on Emily Dickinson and I have noticed a subtle but very real shift in my conciousness and daily habits, including my artwork. I don't yet call myself an artist, but I am a person… Continue reading art seeds
Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.” ~ Anne Lamott Sometimes when I take a step back to assess what I write about I worry that it might seem or even be self-serving. And there may be an initial phase (how long it lasts is… Continue reading on being a lighthouse
"In the domain of the absolute, in the domain of Limitless Love, circumstances are never twice the same. A particular case is never repeated. Every relationship of love between God and a particular man(or woman) is exceptional and unique..." Lev Gillet, The Burning Bush This week marks the end of a very significant year for… Continue reading an anniversary of sorts
When I was a freshman at a small Catholic University, a charming and wise professor, Brother Andrew, instructed us in Literature. As he was calling roll, he would pause on the name of an unresponsive student and say in his droll and unhurried way: "No Mary (or Carol, or Robert) here today?" No response. "Nobody… Continue reading Brother Andrew’s Universe
I'm nobody! Who are you?Are you nobody, too?Then there's a pair of us -- don't tell!They'd banish -- you know!How dreary to be somebody!How public like a frogTo tell one's name the livelong dayTo an admiring bog! ~Emily Dickinson This is one of Emily Dickinson's most well known poems. A bit of irony, perhaps, that a… Continue reading The nobodies and the somebodies
*This is a re-post from almost a year ago. But in reading through the thoughts gathered in the #bloginstead experiment started by Melinda Johnson, they seemed pertinent. I would add a few things now if I were re-writing it, but I will leave it alone for the moment. Like many folks, I have spent the… Continue reading space on the shelf
"Happiness is rarely absent; it is that we know not of its presence." ~Maurice Maternlinck I live on the east coast, and we do have a fair number of eastern bluebirds here. Still, it is not often that I have seen them up close. In fact I can count the number of times I have… Continue reading bluebird through my window
