Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Waiting in Silence Third Week of Advent
Advent Week #3 Joy Candle
Waiting in Silence
He Calls to me
Come Away
In Quiet
Silence is rare and rich
Our daily commodity is noise
Distraction, chattering
Clanging, Media, Busyness.
This silence Pregnant with Presence
The image of Mary waiting
As we wait in the Advent glow
As women for eons have waited
Knowing that inside them
Lives the first flutter of a child
United with the pink in the Joy candle
What wonder, What How could this be
Astonishment!
The angel was not a dream
Yet she had, Not known a man
Her Yes permission, for an Eternal plan
Yet Daily
Each of us are called to be
As Mary
Aware, waiting for the flutter
Knowing His Presence
Waiting in Anticipation
To Hear his Voice
To See His Face
Waiting in Silence
Pregnant with Presence.
John 1 -10-14
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth.
Friday, December 6, 2019
getting into Christmas spirit G. F. Handel: Messiah HWV 56 (fantastic performance)
This wonderful piece of Music is an integral part of Advent and Christmas.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
The Prayer Experiment
What is a prayer experiment? Well in my mind it is taking time in my day to sit quietly, listen, enter into the presence of the reality of God always present and with us, become more aware of the beauty around me, read from a daily prayer reading for me the Liturgy of the Hours works either on my iPhone or hard copy, and sit with that for a while, and or a passage of scripture read slowly.
It is also lifting those that come to mind up in prayer and those I have met in the week or family who may need prayer. I may also use a reflective devotional, a journal, little things that help me stay in a prayer mode. But mostly it is just sitting, or walking and entering into a time with God.
My prayer experiment is this. For the next year and probably more I will take one hour a day and it may be in a couple of chunks, but an hour total and give it up to God. Why am I doing this? Well I have been feeling led into praying more and yet keeping myself busy doing other things. Doing spiritual reading etc and getting into using LOL as a practice and have been but not committing.
I have been trying to do too much myself. Using my mind and trying to push things and it was not working. However when I kind of gave up and after doing as much as I could do and just said No. As a semi-retired person I will have prayer and Jesus as a centre first and yes I am married and that is equally important but there has to be core. As soon as I did that things I had tried to do fell into place and literally arrived by their own accord or I saw and understood what needed to be done that I did not get before. So this is my year of Prayer Experiment to Pray first, Do next versus Do and Do and Do and then think about prayer in case it didn't work......
Friday, November 1, 2019
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Gaudy Night (Michael Simpson) - Episode One
Gaudy Night (Michael Simpson) - Episode One
I just discovered Dorothy Sayers, mystery writer, poet and theological scholar with a most interesting history.
I just discovered Dorothy Sayers, mystery writer, poet and theological scholar with a most interesting history.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Monday, September 16, 2019
The Journey of the Mind Into God 1
ology/bychkov/itinerarium_oleg.pdf This video is more instructional if read along with. I found one on the above and you can enlarge the font as you read and listen. Its quite amazing .
Friday, August 30, 2019
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Friday, February 22, 2019
Friday, February 1, 2019
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Miserere mei, Deus - Allegri - Tenebrae
I love this piece of Music
Interesting History. The whole lights of Tenebrae are a deeply emotional and spiritual moment.
Interesting History. The whole lights of Tenebrae are a deeply emotional and spiritual moment.
Friday, January 11, 2019
Friday, January 4, 2019
Gratitude 2019 Epiphany
Epiphany Musings
.This blog started as a Gratitude Blog and has found its shape in a variety of ways and wonders. This year it has found wonder in a new physical location, a place where nature is more present, where family is closer and where the stars are visible at night. In the summer and fall Butterflies land in tall pines in the backyard, Blue Jays, Redheaded Woodpeckers, and little birds jostle at the feeders along the clothesline in full view of the kitchen window. Tufty, as we have come to call him, is one of the local squirrels who seems to call this yard and the large trees around it home. Tufty is a squirrel fit for a children's storybook with little white tipped ears, a bushy grey tail tipped with white and a penchant for birdseed, tossed to the ground below the feeders. Periodically a hummingbird will flit by in almost any season and we have yet to plant more pollinators to keep them a bit longer along with providing nourishment for Monarchs about to take their trip South. Learning about Monarchs has become so interesting they may develop their own blog or facebook a work in progress, but they are also a part of the wonder and gratitude or almost embodied carriers of creatures that spark gratitude. It's hard not to look at a butterfly, hummingbird or sit quietly with little birds and creatures and not exhale a moment of wonder and gratitude.So this year there seems to be along with the goals of spending time with family and friends making meaningful community connections that support these creatures the Monarchs. They are regular visitors to this community how can we encourage individual and collaborative community involvement by building a ButterflyWaystation in the backyard and encouraging community growth of more Butterfly, milkweed, pollinator garden patches. How can we make this area a Butterfly Friendly Community? How do Butterflies help us find that moment of Gratitude, Joy, Wonder, and Beauty in our lives?
Other goals.
Connect this with life-long learning, encouraging seniors and families to get involved and use the Monarch as a symbol of activity, strength, perseverance, vigor, and Moxie. In fact Moxie the Monarch might even show up to encourage local Butterfly pathways and waystations.
Create a Meditation and Reflective Journal with places to reflect on short inspirational thoughts, perhaps some poetry, some local natural beauty and Lectio method to support the above exercise. Include Butterflies.
Find out how the new hobby of creating little sea glass angels which has been very well received as a Christmas ornament has another purpose. What if they could help fund the above.
Work on finishing courses and educational challenges but find a way back to that which brings you joy. Find ways to be intentionally inclusive with persons with disabilities in creating Butterfly Waystations. Who is doing it already? What other ages and groups who may be on the margins and would find this meaningful.
Perhaps post links to Butterfly savvy sights interwoven with Contemplative thought as the environmental arm of a contemplative way of living. Most Contemplatives have a deep affinity with nature. Herbs, gardens, farms, and little quiet locations that encourage reflection. It could be a field, it could in your yard or it could be a window planter on your apartment balcony, a walk in the woods or along a lake. Something about nature and supportive and active participation with the Creator is an important part of an ancient contemplative tradition. Think about it for a moment, breathe in breathe out, think of your favorite place. What is there, is there green, is there water, are there things of natural beauty, are there trees, is there wind or light or perhaps it a sunset or sunrise, but probably there are some natural elements. For these we are grateful. They are life itself. We rest here, we feel joy here and we find wonder, beauty, and joy. It is Gift. There is Love, There is a Blessing. We find strength for the Journey. We in many ways are like the Migrating Butterfly. A symbol of our Journey Home. This year jot down a few things that bring you joy, draw you into breathing Gratitude, and something that you love to do that has lost in the bustle and hustle of life .....think for a moment and write down-3-5things
- Things that bring me Joy
- Express Gratitude for
- Something I love to do
- Something that brings Peace
- Breathe Happy Place.
- Something from Nature
- An Epiphany moment ...when you visit it, it is still there.
Breathe and listen to the quiet. It is gentle, loving, caring, non-judgemental and relational. Find a place in your moment for Wonder. Wonder is a Holy and Sacred thing. Childlike, innocent and ageless. It is there.
Tapestry Credit is Morris and Bursey Jones Arts and Crafts Period. ( see next post)Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898)
The Adoration of the Magi
1904
High-warp tapestry in wool and silk
H. 258; W. 377,5 cm
© Musée d'Orsay, dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt
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