Archive for February, 2011
If there is such a thing as a perfect Sunday morning, this is it. Oh, I suppose it could be better if I were at the beach listening to the pounding surf, but then it would be a different perfect Sunday morning.
My beloved cousin Diana died two mornings ago. Her death does not tarnish my perfect morning because Diana’s faith ran deep and strong and although unexpected, if she were with me now she would ask me to accept God’s will. I am comforted knowing she’s running with heaven’s angels now, unencumbered by the limitations of a physical body.
Seven months ago when Mom passed, Diana was one of my rocks. At that time, she would have been startled to learn that her time here was so limited. Not shocked, or upset or disbelieving because she inherently trusted God’s plan.
She would ask me to do the same now.
Diana’s flowers, her pride and joy and part of her legacy
Our spiritual and family connections deepened in the months following my mom’s death. Her mom and mine were not only first cousins but best friends. Diana had become a big sister to me, someone I went to for counsel and wisdom. We shared many common bonds, chief of which was the belief in truth, especially self-truth.
Diana was one of my biggest supporters when I made my holistic life change in August 2009. She said, “If you’re true to yourself, Cuz, if you’re doing what feels right, then it is right in God’s eyes.”
We didn’t see each other much, seldom spoke on the phone. Diana lived–and died–fully present to her life and trusted me to do the same. She loved me unconditionally and therefore hadn’t a need for my life’s minutae. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested, far from it. All she really cared was whether I was happy. Actually, she was one of the first to bless my happiness and I’ll never forget the mile-wide smile that met my news that I was moving to Texas.
When you hold another’s heart, what more of a connection is needed?
I can count on one hand the number of people in my life who hold the same status of heart keeper. Diana was among those people and I shall miss her for as long as I breathe.
Thinking of the twinkle in her eye will always cause me to smile, especially on these perfect Sunday mornings.
Kiss Mama for me, will you, Cuz?
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Source–one of my three words of focus for 2011, the other two being Intention and Order. Readers of this blog may recall that I’ve sworn off new-year resolutions and decided instead this year to let God impress upon me three words to study, absorb and live by.
I spent a good deal of time with Intention over the first six weeks or so of the year and I’m getting a decent handle on the strength of the word in my life. I wrote then that setting an intention places a commitment right in front of me. In fact, I can envision holding the intention between my outstretched hands and then feel my heart bestowing its blessing.
Once blessed, the intention is released, surrendered to the universe.
Reviewing the power of an intention is a great segue into Source since an all-knowing Source is always behind my humble intentions.
As I write about Source, one big dog and one little dog lounging beside me, I’m thinking about the word as an origination point. Everything I see, feel and experience, in this moment and in past and future moments, has a starting thought, an instance of beginning.
Everything you see, feel and experience, everything my neighbor sees, feels and experiences, heck, even what my dogs and your dogs and my neighbor’s dogs see feel and experience has an instant of fruition.
Without getting too woo-woo, it occurs to me that all of those markers of a beginning are in addition to the origin of me, you, my neighbor and my dogs. We experience origination points out there–in our sensory world–and inside–as the origination of all our new ideas, inspirations and interpretations.
A phenomenal creative process, don’t you think?
My point is not to try to enumerate what can’t possibly be counted or tallied. There is no keeping score or tracing back originating instances to their first inception. There is no examination of intersections as if we’re creating one gigantic genealogical tree.
What is the point then?
The point is there is no point. Literally. There can’t be. There is, however, Source.
Isn’t this fun? I love this kind of contemplation! I also love this simple, humble thought:
In the beginning, God.
There is nothing else. Only one source, one Power, one God. And, since there is nothing else, there is no opposite. There is only God.
You may call the Source something else entirely. Terrific! In fact, good for you for taking that stand. I choose God as the defining, overarching word for Source because it’s a palindrome of Dog and I love dogs. You may have noticed but in case you’ve forgotten, here’s a small reminder.
Political journalist turned Unity minister, Ellen Debenport, in her book The Five Principles, A Guide to Practical Spirituality, writes, “Principle One affirms that God is all there is. God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent–not all powerful but all power, not all knowing but all knowledge, and present everywhere.
“God is the stars, the rocks, the animals, the people. God is the love, the creativity, the wisdom that human beings express. All that we are and have is God, and we can never be separate from that universal power.”
Beautiful words and thank you, Ellen, for your soul-touching work.
Thank you, too, dear readers, for carrying an energetic torch with which to join all other light emanating from Source.
In the beginning, God . . .
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I’ve decided that I’m a beach nut and that I adore the seashore, the water rolling in both gentle and crashing waves and the hard packed sand.
Whether walking along the water’s edge searching for sea treasures or sitting 
on a bench observing the myriad teaming forms of life, I am at my most peaceful when I’m ocean side.
This last week found me transfixed by sensory perceptions as we explored the Del Mar, Cardiff-by-the-Sea and La Jolla beaches in southern California. I was acutely aware of being present to the feel of the ocean breezes as I continually turned my face to them and sighed. Same with the sun’s rays that massaged my skin before penetrating to meld with inner, spiritual rays of light.
I heard the beach’s accompanying sounds of gulls and seals and water connecting with land. Waves can roll on forever but their power is only truly known when they touch land. Isn’t it the same as my earlier description of sunlight connecting with inner light? One plus the other equals spiritual power.
I saw the palette of color change from aqua to ocean blue depending on the water’s depth. And those contrasting white foamy waves . . .
There were also the shades of pink and yellow and orange sea-side blooms framed by the ocean’s colors. Stunningly beautiful.
Green everywhere along the boardwalks above the sand hosted great multitudes of dog breeds (often in packs of two’s and three’s). Ah, the life of a SO CAL pooch whether she be Pug or Pyrenees. The tiny terriers, whose weight barely held them above the sand, did fine there, as did the Alaskan Huskies. The blue-eyed creatures we met actually ran a leg of the Iditarod once–quite a climate change!
All God’s creatures, great and small, in the ocean and out. Interconnected beings that whether winged or finned, two-legged, four- or multied, all share the common heritage of the water of One Creator.
It is the circle of life we share on our round planet that takes us from beginning to end, never in a straight line, always perpetually looping out, then back, like the sea rocking the shore.
Let us be every aware of our connections and how we gain our power. I find myself refreshed by the ocean and would love to hear how you plug-in through nature. Whatever your path, I pray you find the strength of your connection there.
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Baylor came to live with us about a month ago. His retiring wisdom and calm demeanor, especially learning to deal with Jazzy, the spit-fire Jack Russell, inspire me.
Baylor is a nine-year-old, former racing greyhound.
He is the epitome of adaptability and flexibility. To go from chasing rabbits around a track to urban loft living, via suburban homes in Houston and Austin, is quite a twist in his dog life.
But style and grace are in-bred. I used to say that my goal in life was to be as flexible as Gumby. Now I want to grow up and be just like Baylor.
His role modeling for dealing with change equals any two-legged I’ve known. In a month’s time, his whole world shifted, including his people (one remains a constant), his place, his perspective and his pals.
Gone are the days when a door would be opened for him to romp in the backyard freely chasing squirrels. Today his purview is floor-to-ceiling windows, orthopedic dog-beds and four-a-day walks along our canal or beside Lake Carolyn.
His social life has improved significantly. Just this morning he went nose-to-nose with a little terrier, smaller than those rabbits he used to chase. The terrier was curious about running into a horse and Baylor quietly acknowledged the sniff of greeting. He accepts the hellos of small dogs, pit bulls, labs and even poodles with equanimity, a character trait this person aspires to.
I’ve had other similarly dispositioned dogs step through my life. I’ve also had other high-spirited dogs that rival my Jazzy. I love them all and am grateful for their paw prints on my heart.
Each of them has modeled behavior I wish to emulate. But the ones who imprint my soul are the ones whose eyes hold the history and mystery of great love.
Baylor is one of those dogs.
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Eric Butterworth’s 1989 book titled Life is for Loving magically dropped into my Kindle a few days ago.
As I read last night, these Butterworth words resonated with me:
“As a word or concept, love cannot solve anything. The statement, ‘What the world needs now is love,’ is normally followed by a lengthy dissertation of the theme. But the world doesn’t need sermons on love. It needs, rather, a new commitment to the activity of loving.” (the boldface is mine)
What do the words, ”the activity of loving” mean?
My blogging colleague, Arvind Devalia is writing a series of 28 relationship articles for the month of February (http://www.arvinddevalia.com/blog/). Arvind believes, and so do I, that the relationship we have with ourselves determines how we intermingle with the people (and even the animals!) who populate our lives.
Just think: If we each committed to the activity of loving ourselves fully and completely, how much more natural would the activity of loving others become?
Who knows what could happen beyond that simply daily activity of loving? The possibilities boggle the mind, but for now, let’s just be here and focus on the action of loving.
That’s it for this edition of Saturday Share. What is in your heart to share today?
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In July of 2009, I had an epiphany. For about a month prior, I was emotionally distraught, increasingly depressed and having serious thoughts of drinking again (after 18 years of sobriety).
I struggled to wrap my arms around what could possibly be wrong with me. I had all the trappings of a good life, one others would love to emulate--great job, dream house, traveling for a living, a life mate . . . the list goes on. 
