Monday, June 27, 2011

Sewing buttons and other mending

I had not been particularly productive this past weekend and for some time I have not done any sewing. In my need to get productive, which for me brings energy and great joy, I sewed a button on a pair of pants. With every stitch I found a peace that comes with focus, productivity and deliberate movement in this case moving the needle through the button onto the trouser. I then mended a travel bag that had a little tear and then completed a spiritual reading: Ostriches, Dung Beetles, and Other Spiritual Masters by Janice McLaughlin, Maryknoll Sister and wrote this blog. This all took place between 5:30am and 6:00am this morning. While some dread those buttons that get loosened, I say, bring me your loose buttons and let me get my heart mended and my day started.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Quiet


As I was waking today in the quiet of the morning, I heard birds chirping and rain falling. I realized that in the quiet of my home, nature's music was playing. I enjoy the morning before the busyness of life keeps me from experiencing the beauty of quiet. What is quiet? No noise or is it hearing so deeply that you can experience the beauty of a barking dog, falling rain, cars passing, the breath of life breathing me, my heart beating. For in these few moments as I type and stop to listen to the quiet, I hear the hum of my computer, an air plane passing overhead, and a bird singing. In life's quiet her song plays. I am glad I hear quiet for my mind has stopped racing, my ears are wide open, my heart is singing and I am sure I heard the poppy blooming.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Guiding Principles

Peace, simplicity, love, Christian citizenship and congruence with my values are my guiding principles. I was listening to a tape series recently and the speaker talked about his guiding principles and it inspired me to reflect on what are my guiding principles. While peace, simplicity, love, Christian citizenship and congruence with my values are easier said then done, even as I write them down again, I am able to embrace these to discern and make choices in life. Every day I have options, demands and an ordinary life to live and without having some guide, life can become a state of confusion and chaos. While the chaos seems impossible to avoid at times, at least, with these guiding principles, I can make choices and move in a direction that creates a calm fulfilment. Sometimes I find saying No to many of the options enables me to have peace and conversely saying Yes with intention that this choice is congruent to creating peace, or in line with my values that I have peace too. You see, for me as I make choices and commitments that are congruent with what I value, and that bring peace, simplicity and love to others it returns to me as peace, simplicity and love.