Back home....

We're back home! Jen's sleeping on the couch after returning from the surgical center. Still under the influence I'd say! (Anesthesia and waking up at 4:30 am).
We stopped at Wendy's and brought home lunch for us both. (She hadn't eaten since last night).
Anyway, she's doing fine. The cartilage in the knee repaired and even some arthritis was cleaned up, though that will return probably in time. All in all the doc said all went well and she should feel a lot better after recovery and therapy.
We are thankful. To God and all of you.
In another post I'll tell how I had to fork out a ton of money out of pocket unexpectedly for the surgery I assumed was covered by Blue Cross & Blue Shield. Yeah, right! In the meantime here's a news item I found on the net a while ago....

Buying the pharma

Last year's Medicare drug benefit bill was a pork-filled giveaway for pharmaceutical companies and for insurers unable to compete with Medicare on a level playing field. (Not so coincidentally, seniors were recently hit with the largest Medicare premium increase ever). Now, investigators have found that, before the drug bill passed, then-Medicare head Tom Scully - who already had one foot in the revolving door to become a big-bucks health care lobbyist - threatened to fire Medicare's chief actuary if he told Congress how much the bill would really cost.
Learn more....

Jennifer's surgery....

A quick update: My wife Jennifer undergoes surgery on her left knee as we speak to fix torn cartilage. Supposedly not a biggie, but you never know. They will have to put her completely under because of acid reflux and the risk of asperation (fluid backing up and getting in her lungs). Normally they just do a pain block to her knee. I will go back to pick her up later about 10:30 this morning.
Thanks for your prayers, although by the time you read this it will be over. However, the recovery might be a little difficult. Fill you in later.
Ron

Musings....

Why is it that no matter what color of bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why is it that no plastic garbage bag will open from the end you first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those closed light fixtures?

Considering all the lint you get in your dryer, if you kept drying your clothes would they eventually just disappear?

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

Is it true that the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pickup is how close to the road the stuff is placed?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

If at first you don't succeed, shouldn't you try doing it like your wife told you to do it?

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends ... if they're okay, then it's you.

Conspiracy of Cordiality....

What we call “church”
is too often a gathering of strangers who see the church as yet another “helping institution” to gratify further their individual desires. One of the reasons some church members are so mean-spirited with their pastor, particularly when the pastor urges them to look at God, is that they feel deceived by such pastoral invitations to look beyond themselves.
They have come to church for “strokes,” to have their personal needs met. What we call church is often a conspiracy of cordiality. Pastors learn to pacify rather than preach to their Ananiases and Sapphiras. We say we do it out of “love.” Usually, we do it as a means of keeping everyone as distant from everyone else as possible. You don’t get into my life and I will not get into yours.

Choosing between friendly religiosity and the hard-won peace of Golgotha

Source: "Resident Aliens" by Stanley Hauerwas.

Harry Truman....

"There is nothing more foolish than to think that war can be stopped by war.
You don't prevent anything by war except peace". Harry Truman.

Ponder this....

Here is a paragraph to ponder. Something to meditate upon. Don’t try to figure it out intellectually. Just mull it over a while. Let it roll around on your tongue like a fine wine. If you can’t understand it after a while, that’s okay. Just put it on the back burner and let it simmer. The day will come when it will hit you like a ton of bricks and you won’t feel trapped anymore.

People typically feel trapped by life, trapped by the universe, because they imagine that they are actually in the universe and therefore the universe can squish them like a bug.
This is not true.
You are not in the universe; the universe is in you.

From ‘One Taste’, pg 448, Ken Wilber

Goody goody?....

It's got nothing to do with being a perfect, goody-goody, selfless, sacrificing, spiritual saint.
Blagh! Some of those things are not bad it's just that
that whole characterization was meant for a different audience at a different time,
and they really had issues.

It's got everything to do with being yourself,
trusting the magic,
following your heart,
dreaming big,
and having fun.

Jib Jab....

I know most of you may have already seen this, but it was so funny I had to pass it along for those who have not seen it.
here's the link to JibJab
Have fun!
Ron

Bumper Sticker....

I'm not usually a bumper sticker type but I couldn't resist this one. My new bumper sticker says:

"When Jesus said, 'Love your enemies,'
I think he probably meant don't kill them."

From a song by Linda K. Williams, First Church of the Brethren,
San Diego, CA

9/11....

Really Important

Antoine de St. Exupery

The only really important time in our lives
is the time we waste with those we love.

Readings for the third anniversary of 9/11

Bruderhof

Peace....

Finding peace.

It is there, deep within you, like a vast

tranquil lake engulfing your very being.

Remove all the useless

clutter you have placed on top of

the presence of your natural state.

You ARE peace.

You have lost memory of it

beneath the daily yearning

churning which goes on all day

in that weary mind.

Be peace.

You are a human

being, not a human

doing.

Thought for the Day....

Laziness is often mistaken for patience.


----------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Quickie
----------------------------------------------------------------

Reporter interviewing a 104 year-old woman: "What is the best
thing about being 104?"

The reply: "No peer pressure."

Revised....

Without your wounds where would you be?
The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children of earth as can one human being broken in the wheels of living. In love’s service, only the wounded soldiers can serve.

Thornton Wilder

Soul Water

In the wood of the wounded
A pond glitters its golden salve
A beckoning to all the wild men
And hairy men who've learned to cry
To come and be healed.
I dipped my wounded finger
In the liquid crystal
And it turned to gold.
My wound is my gift.
The fathers who were not
Are guilty of the mothers
Who were not, of the sons
Who were and finally broke the chain
In the healing waters.

Who will let thee out hairy one?
You have been entombed many years.
You are seen under the rippled surface
Frozen in its time waiting
For the dawn of your release.
The wound drips its liquid gold
Bearing the gift of its pain.
For the way of healing is found
On the sorrowful path of the fathers.
The mothers found the way
But the fathers are still living
In the deep wood by the water
Of the wounded.

copyright 2003
Ron Russo

With apologies and gratitude to Robert Bly (Iron John)

More on separation....

Why is it said, that whatever I do to another I do to myself?

The reason why you should never see another’s best interest as separate from your own is that in reality you are one. The seeming separateness that you see with your body’s eyes is an illusion.

Scientists are now discovering that when you put any physical object under the largest microscope, beyond the smallest particle you will see a flow of energy. This indicates that at the core of our physical being we are one and the same energy.

The moral of the story is, that whatever you do to another, you will feel the same pain at a deeper level. Your thoughts of separation are the root of all evil.

In Christian circles we say that sin separates us from God. The concept of sin is, at its root, the forgetting of who you really are. When you remember that you are indeed, one with God and of necessity everyone else, then you do not do those things that we love to categorize with terms such as ‘sin’. Our forgetfulness separates us. One of our many illusions.
“Nothing can separate us from the love of God…”

Refuge....

Refuge

Thank you for my walls.
They hide me and
Give me my name.

Sometimes, when I peek
From behind, I am afraid, so….
It’s good to know

That my wall is with me,
My refuge and strength.
Nothing it seems can breach

Its height, or breadth, or width.
Its door is locked in fear
Waiting for perfect love

To cast it out.

RonRusso 2004

A word from Jim....

This is an exerpt of a longer message from the minister of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant

We have to imagine our lives into being.

We have to live toward the image that we have in mind for ourselves, our lives. What do we intend? What are the qualities that we want to exhibit? Who, and how, do we want to be? Who are our models?

Living with nothing particular in mind, with nothing in mind beyond "success," or "money," or "marriage," or "happiness," leads to a drifting aimlessness, or to settling for "whatever" comes along "the path of least resistance."

Thinking through what we mean with the lives we are living, and working to adjust the image, sharpen it, clarify it, bring it into focus, and give it form in the moment of our living, brings soul to bear upon the design of our lives, and enables a degree of wholeness that we would not, otherwise, achieve.

Jim Dollar

Separation, again....

The egos main goal is to keep you in a state of separation. It doesn’t care how it achieves this goal, as long as it achieves it. Without separation the ego cannot exist.

The ego is simply the idea that you are a separate self that exists apart from God.
You may be rich, you may be poor or you may be sick or even healthy. The ego doesn’t care. It uses everything it can to make you see differences between you and others.

Have you ever noticed how some people never stop complaining about how much of a tragedy their life is, or how much life is mistreating them?
That is the ego at work. It is saying that I am a victim and I am being mistreated by the victimizers of the world.

Once you stop listening to the egos lies and start to see Oneness all around you, all the opposites that exist in this world will no longer be part of your reality. You will only experience the constant Love, Peace and Abundance of God, which has no opposite.

An old poem of mine....

Grand Chasm


I hate

This distance between us,

A chasm.

Ten foot gorge

Deeper than Grand.

I could cross in one leap

With my voice

If I dared.

Think back....

....Think back to a happy time. A
really, really happy time in your life.
Go back as far as it takes.
To a time when you felt so light you thought you might float.

Do you remember it?
The carefree feeling?
The acceptance of the moment, of yourself, of life?
Feeling unfettered by thoughts of the future, and oblivious to the past?

Feel it a little longer...

There.
Very nice.

Love Thomas Moore....

Ponder the spectre of yourself as one human being in the over six billion people on Earth.
See Earth as one tiny planet in a galaxy of billions of stars, and that galaxy as just one of billions of galaxies in our expanding universe. We are so minute as to be nonexistent. And yet, we have the power to visualize, to imagine the entirety of the cosmos.

In your journal, write about the paradox of being both microscopic and immense.

"I think we would be able to live in this world more peaceably if our spirituality were to come from looking not just into infinity but very closely at the world around us -- and
appreciating its depth and divinity."

-- Thomas Moore

Absent, minded....

....no, not as in forgetful, more like I've been absent from the blogoshpere since last wednesday. But I have been ever mindful of you all, whoever you may be.
Blogging is such an interesting phenomenon on many levels but especially so if you know that at least somebody (if only family and friends) reads it. I sometimes feel a sense of responsibility almost to my readers (sic). I know how I feel when I go to a site and they haven't posted in a while. I actually worry about them, hoping everything's okay. (I know, that's my co-dependency showing).
The whole month of August has been filled with activity what with numerous birthdays this month including my own and my wife's. We have been doing marathon celebrating this past week with family gatherings held mostly in local restaurants with the resulting addition of several extra pounds to the various midriffs.
Then on to S.C. to the in-laws for the weekend and another night out at a local fish house. (That's right, the deep-fat fried kind).
Well, now that were all caught up on the newsy stuff I hope to be a little more consistent for the near future. It's just good to be able to sit quietly and write anything at all. Glad to be back to blogworld.

Free To Flow....

Has it ever struck you that those who most fear to die are the ones who most fear to live? Life is flexible and free, and you are rigid and frozen. Life carries all things away, and you crave stability and permanence. You fear life and death because you cling. You cannot bear the thought of losing a relative or friend; you dread losing a pet theory or ideology or belief. When you cling to nothing, when you have no fear of losing anything, then you are free to flow like a mountain stream that is always fresh and sparkling and alive.

There is something deadening about going through life cautiously.

Source: Anthony de Mello: Selected Writings

The Gift of 'No'....

We have to give them "No."
Granting them the priviledge of "No" is the foundation of relationship. And, of course, they have to grant the same thing to us. There is no possibility of relationship with those who cannot take no for an answer. How many people in your experience can you say "No" to, without having to defend, excuse, justify, or explain? Those are valuable people. I recommend haning onto them. They will not be easily replaced.
The others are everywhere. "You have to do it my way, or else" is the theme of our association with them. It's say "Yes," or be sorry, with them. They don't understand that the primary gift is the gift of "No." Or, see that relationship requires us to honor the preferences, interests, inhibitions, and disinclinations of those in relationship with us. We cannot assume that our way is the best way, and have to trust the others to know what is good for them, and allow them the freedom of their own positions and choices, without taking it to heart when they don't do it our way.

Jim Dollar
Presbyterian Church of the Covenant

Thanks, Albert

Connected to All

Albert Einstein

We are part of the whole which we call the universe, but it is an optical delusion of our mind that we think we are separate.

This separateness is like a prison for us. Our job is to widen the circle of compassion so we feel connected to all people and all situations.

This terrible individualism must inevitably have an end...

Good morning. This is just a test of blogBuddy software, a desktop tool for posting to the blog without actually logging in to blogger.com. And I can edit previous entries here as well. I'll let you know how it works.
I guess if you can see this it must work ok.

End of week post....

TGIF....no, not the restaurant. At least it used to be called that. Now it's just Friday's I believe.
Actually, my week really ends tomorrow but not many relate to that.(I own a hair salon, we work Saturdays).
All in all a great week has transpired. I turned 62 Wednesday and suddenly for the first time I'm sort of feeling the reality of that. On the inside (where the real me resides) I feel exactly the same as I always felt. So do you and when you realize that, it can be a major clue to the discovery of who you really are....that eternal self that is the same, always.
That one on the inside that never changes is the real you, the real self. Learn to get in touch with that (in meditation, centered prayer or whatever works for you). It makes for a whole new perspective on life and death. Whatever happens to your body or your circumstances, that inner self that you sense and are aware of that never changes continues on in its inevitable, glorious way.
Be here now.

Birthday boy!....

This morning I watched as Jennifer hobbled out to her car with her borrowed cane to help support her bum right knee. “I feel so stupid”, she said. She will only be 58 next week. (Don’t tell her I said that) and is rather youthful looking but is beginning to experience a few aches and pains commensurate with adding another birthday, speaking of which, today is my 62nd year on this planet. We will celebrate tonight with a home cooked meal! to be shared with my brother and his wife. I don’t think any one else will be here unless I’m in for some kind of surprise I don’t know about.
I doubt it, though. They surprised me for my 60th, and I don’t think I’m due for awhile.
Anyway, Happy Birthday to me! Ya’ll join me in my celebration if you like. I won’t mind at all. ( :

Oneness....again

The question often arises; how can we all be one?
The recent discoveries (the last quarter century) in quantum phsyics lays down the groundwork for our understanding of the essential union, or oneness of all things (including, of course, people!).
But we won't go there today. Suffice it to say that another little metaphor sometimes says it so much better than some dry academic explanation can ever do. Besides, I am far from an academic type.

The thought was this: There are many islands we can see in the ocean (remember the ocean thing from previous posts). They do look all seperate from one another but under the surface they are all connected.
We too, though unique in our outward bodies, are all connected under the surface so to speak, at the molecular level,and the energy that sustains them is the same in all. We usually call this energy God, or Spirit.
I realize this is overyly simplistic but if you want more depth I could refer you to the writings of Ken Wilber and many others if you like. Also, I write most of this in between clients and am lucky to complete any kind of coherent thought. ( "

Maybe I can say this more clearly next time when I can think without the constant interruptions, usually from the phone. The appointments I appreciate, the telemarketers I do not. Will try again tomorrow.

More on the anger thing....

You say I shouldnt stop my raging anger. Why?

You shouldnt stop your anger, nor should you suppress it. When you suppress your anger you bottle it up inside and you either explode it all out like a volcano at a later stage, or it starts to eat away at your body as sickness.

When you fully express anger without being conscious of yourself, you reinforce your guilt and make it real. Anger is just suppressed guilt which you cannot bear to see inside of you for fear of punishment so you try to project it out onto the world.

Thats why we say the best thing to do with anger is to let the anger do as it likes, but simply sit back and watch it, without judgment. Over time, this diffuses the energy supply because you are denying its energy source.

Anger....

How does one stop their raging anger?..

..by not trying to stop anything. Get angry. Be as angry as you like. If you try to stop it you will give it more power.
When you attempt to stop something you give it more power by validating it's existence.

What you do need to do though is to watch your self getting angry. (Become the witness of yourself as Ken Wilber would say). After a while, you will start to see the anger happening as a separate thing from you. You will not be identified with it. You will watch it as though you are watching TV.

Over time, the anger will settle down and disappear. You will not have any need for anger because it is not giving you a false sense of power any more. You have separated it from you and do not derive a false sense of life from it.

This is classic self observation in practice. It is what most call a type of prayer, but it is a non-verbal praying. It is learning to be in the silence, just witnessing, watching, observing all that arises within, including and especially the anger. Just
don't try to make something happen. The simple act of self observation takes the sting out of anger or any other strong emotion
.
Learn to let it be what it is. Of course, this is not to say that you should allow anger to manifest itself in negative or destructive ways. You are still responsible for whatever actions you allow as a result of your emotions.

On being....

I had the revelation once (understanding, insight) about the waves of the ocean being a metaphor for our utter oneness, union with the all, the universe, God.
I later read the same concept in a book by Ken Wilbur. Hear is the gist of the idea:
The traditional analogy is the ocean and its waves. The wetness of the water is the Spirit. All waves are equally wet.
One wave isn't wetter than another. And thus, if I discover the wetness of any wave, I have discovered the wetness of all. When I directly recognize Emptiness or Spirit or the wetness of my own being, right here, right now, then I have discovered the ultimate truth of all other waves as well.
Spirit is not a Really Big Wave set apart from little waves, but is the wetness equally present in all waves, high or low, big or small, sacred or profane-which is why Spirit cannot be used to prefer one wave over another.
Enlightenment is thus not catching a really big wave, but noticing the already present wetness of whatever wave I'm on. Moreover, I am then radically liberated from the narrow identification with this little wave called 'me'.
I am literally 'One Taste' with the entire ocean and all its waves. And that taste is wetness, suchness, Emptiness, the Spirit, the utter transparency of the Great Perfection".

This is great stuff! Well, to expand and continue this line of thought
here's another metaphor for human life I thought was also poignant and tied in with the wave thing.
The question is: What does a raindrop feel when it falls into the ocean?

I could imagine the ocean and lakes manifesting itself in a new way in the form of evaporation sending it's essence into the atmosphere to collect in the sky to make great clouds full of potential raindrops.
Those raindrops have quite an exciting ride on the way to becoming something other than the Ocean from whence they came. On that journey they pick up lots of dust and debris from the atmosphere sometimes getting a bit dirty. Kind of like some of us humans, no?
Then they get to hang around with lots of other moist, heavy air and become all sorts of clouds with beautiful shapes and even colors. Eventually they get so heavy with themselves they can’t hang in the sky anymore and have to let go and fall back to the earth, most back to the oceans of origin, something they had so completely forgotten that it came as a complete surprise when they suddenly found themselves perfectly reunited with that which they always were. Back to the essence of being.

I have long since lost the fear of death, and this thought makes it so much clearer for me as I hope it will some of you who read this. Not only the fear of death but the fear of life as well is utterly shattered when you know, really know, who you really are.

Now all we have to do is be that!

On Finding Peace....

You do not have to find peace. It is already there, deep within you,
like a vast tranquil lake engulfing your very being.

What you do need to do is, remove all of the useless clutter which you
have placed on top of the presence of your natural state.

You ARE peace. But you have lost memory of it beneath the daily
yearning and churning which goes on all day in that weary mind.

Be peace. You are a human being, not a human doing.

Fear As Illusion....

Many teachers say that fear is an illusion simply because it is. But do

not fall into the trap of saying that if fear is an illusion that you

can master it because you cannot.



Illusions are not real, and anytime you try to master fear you are

making it real, simply by putting your faith in it. The only thing you can

do to stop fear is to stop thinking or doing whatever is causing the

fear. Your thinking process is the chief cause of all fear.



The root of all fear comes from the belief that you are separate from

God.



See God in everything you do. See God in everyone and everything you

see. Most of all live in the present moment. This is where you will be

sheltered in the presence of Gods Love. This will eliminate fear and

guilt from your life forever.

A quote....

A great piece of work from Marianne Williamson.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkeness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God!
Your playing small does not serve the world,
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking, so that other people wont feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest, the Glory of God that is within us.
Its not just in some of us; its in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine we unconciously give others permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

Detachment....

A lot of spiritual teachers talk about detachment.
What exactly is it?
Detachment is a state of being where you no longer cling to objects or people.
You are totally free of them. These things may be a large part of your life but you are not emotionally affected by them. They can come and go, and you have no emotional investment in them. Another way to look at detachment is, you are no longer emotionally invested in outcomes of certain situations. What happens, happens.
And you are okay with that. You are no longer on the emotional roller coaster ride.
In other words, detachment is a state of being where you are in the world, but not ruled by it.
You are now truly free.

from; the Daily Guru

Enlightenment?....

Meditate on this one:
The very thing that you seek,
you already are.
Coments? Thoughts?

(More on this later)

In response....

....to the question from Thad; "What the hell does that mean?" ( :

I know this sentence is a little obscure but to put it simply it means that whatever you seek, either to know something or to become something, the answer is already within you. Do you seek to be a better person? You already are that, waiting to be recognized, made manifest in your life. Maybe the better person you wish to be is only in seed form, but it is still the real you, only needing a little nurturing to come to full fruition.
And the answers to all our questions likewise are already within us because that which is within us is the source of all wisdom and truth just waiting for the sincere seeker to call upon the great answer giver, the Holy Spirit,
the Christ within. Even then, it may take a while for the answers to be made manifest to our minds. It may come from reading, studying, listening, prayer, meditation, talking with others. Ultimately, the questions that come from within the depths of one's heart will be answered from the depths of one's heart.

The Secret....

....to always being at the right place, at the right time is
knowing you always are.

Like today.
Like now.
Because you are,
And all is well.

Have I ever told you about....

"The Law of Relevance"?

It goes like this, "No matter how scared, or tired, or ill you are.... no matter how lost, or confused, or desperate you become.... no matter how lonely, depressed, or cranky you feel: If you just do what you can, with what you have, from right where you are, IT WILL ALWAYS BE ENOUGH.

Pretty good odds, huh?
Your friend,
God

Thought For Today....

I am cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.

Poems....

I got to read these three poems Sunday at Church of the Covenant. My first public reading in quite a long while going back to my days with the Writers Group of the Triad. It was an experience, though well received I believe. I'll post them here for your perusal and hopefully, enjoyment.

This one is a kind of monologue. I always thought of it as God speaking to me. Or perhaps any lover to the beloved. I think it speaks to the universal quest for love. What do you think?

Walking The Sky

If you say you are the center of the earth
and as hot,
will my wistful blowing not cool
the smoldering flame,
and the sun that birthed your center?

If I set the sky in its light
And you cross its bridge,
will I find you there in the cool
of the rainbow
or in the spark of stars blinking your reproach?

And when the glow of this earth dims
will I see you walking
the path of clay on hind's feet
and laughing on the peaks of my mountains?

Or will my waters flow to the
earth's floor to
make streams to quench
your unquenchable thirst?

I think if I search the clouds for that coming
in the day when my mouth eats the sun
I will see you there among the waters,
asking once again
for love's glad drowning.

copyright 2003, Ron Russo


This is another love poem of sorts....mostly of the lost kind.

Of Perhaps Armageddon

It was not the time of morning
for chashing dreams
like slippery fish tails
or shaking the shadow of her,forever enshrined
in perfection.

The wheels crackle the gravel
as she pulls away and
Summer gels into autumn
slowly
like an artery hardening.

Though it is the morning
of the evening
of perhaps armageddon,
I still bother
to straighten the sheets,
fluff the impression of her headfrom the pillow,
and mask our encounter
under the soft comfort
of quilted down.

copyright 2003 Ron Russo


This is where I go after I've experienced a personal "Armegeddon".

Reverie

On flights of fancy I fly.
On spurs of moments
I take vacations
of mind
and spirit to places
aloft and places below, because
there are no curtains
to hide the worlds flagrant night.

And if I find relief
in that far reverie
would you like a jarful
like fireflies caught
in dusk's bare light?

copyright 2003, Ron Russo
  

 

From the wonderful musing of David Ziegler....

In case you don't get over there much, here's something from David that I enjoyed and thought you might too.

A clean blackboard has been left for me this morning.    
So clean, so empty—I don't know what to say.    
I'm used to scribbles from past instructions                   
faded but still visible                   
something I can erase or write over.    
But to write on the empty cold slate.                   
is not what I had expected                   
is more than I have in me.

David Ziegler

This is a great tome for bloggers as well as for life! Everyday we have a clean empty cold slate on which to write the next chapter of the story of our lives and sometimes it can be so overwhelming that we resort to past instructions, those mental scripts that tend to define us for good or ill, usually the latter. The good news is this: we can erase and write over the old negative scripts and drama's we all carry around. It least it's worth a shot. At least that's my take on it. Thanks David.
Ron

Eternity?....

To clarify "eternal" just a smidge....

Once the river of time has rounded her final bend,
and the last star in the sky has brightened its last night,
and once every child who may ever be conceived
has been given ten thousand names...

we will have just begun.

Got time?

Quit? Who me?

How can you know that something hasn't worked out........unless you've quit.

(Guess what? It is working out, you're getting closer, it's getting easier. Trust Me.)

Visit with Thad....

....last night about 7 o:clock. He dropped by to pick up his guitar left from the cookout we had last Sunday at our house. It was a nice time with Jennifer's youngest son, husband of Beth and father of Christian.
Not surprisingly, we got to talking about spiritual matters, the church, friends in the church, etc. We discussed literalism and its corollary legalism and the resulting judgmentalism we have all encountered from time to time, and perhaps we too were a part of at some point in our lives which I will always look upon with sadness and regret and hope that such tendancies will be expunged from my life along with all the other negative patterns and behaviors and become the ultimate perfect person in all the universe! : )  heh heh. Sorry. Got carried away for a moment.
I was impressed with the maturity I witnessed in Thad and it is a pleasure to see this young man grow since I knew him as a little boy and I'm proud to be his step-father, an unfortunate term I tend to dislike since I think of all of Jennifer's children as if they were my own and love them all just as much as my own (biological) children.
I hope, Thad, that I didn't get too preachey for you. I do tend to go on a bit given half a chance. I appreciate your thoughts and insite and look forward to see you again soon.
As for the cookout, we all had a great time. I especially appreciate Rik for fixing our grill without which we would not have had a cookout, but a cook-in. And all the good eats everyone brought to share and the weather for cooperating. I am loving family gatherings more and more and revel in all the interesting family dynamics and the joy in observing and participating in the loving (and sometimes not so loving) interactions and conversations and watching and refereeing and generally trying to keep the children from killing each other.
Thanks to all. Hope you had as much fun as I did. Hope to do it again soon.
Love ya

Life is Enough....

'To be alive is the miracle'. I quote from Jim Dollar, the Pastor at Church of the Covenant. He writes a little something almost every day that I get in my email.
How we so soon forget if we ever even knew that lfe itself is the miracle and we don't need a whole lot more. Life is it!. We got the biggie, as Jim would say.
Yes, we have suffering. And that too is a miracle. 'Even dying is a place of reverence and awe!' (When you see something in quote marks it's from Jim's message). The bad does not cancel out the goodness.
In fact, because we die we had better take advantage and live with all the awareness, focus, gratitude and generosity while we can and 'toast the wonder of it with a beer raised in tribute'. 'Did I say BEER? Wow! Where did BEER come from? How can you drink a beer and not be stunned into silence with gratitude and amazement?
Just think what they would have given for a beer 3.5 billion years ago!'

We had an amazing time with Jenni and her kids here for the last few weeks. (No, they didn't stay with us the whole time). As the grandparents of 20 (one more on the way) we are acutely aware of the brief time we have to be a positive influence for their lives and we try to relish every moment.
On Monday, I was going to work and realizing that I would not see these particular children for who knows how long I didn't hesitate when they all wanted to jump into the back of the pickup for a ride. I just drove slowly around the yard, down the driveway, across the front to the other driveway and back around again. I would not give anything for the joy of watching and hearing their squeals of laughter and seeing their joy at such a simple activity. Something I hope they will remember all their lives.
This is the miracle of life and I'm loving it!

Richard Rohr on "The Passion"

Since I quoted Richard Rohr previously I thought some might be interested in his take on the movie which I myself have yet to see.
 
Dear Friends,
Since a number of people have asked for my take on Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, let me give just a few thoughts that might be helpful to some of you. Take them for what they are worth.
I must admit that I went to the movie with strong prejudice, largely because of Gibson's Neanderthal version of Catholic Christianity, and his similar politics. I figured it would have no redeeming insight or quality. I attended with a group of fellow friars, and came away touched by some scenes, and even awestruck by others, although I think it largely came from a lifetime of meditation on Jesus and personal love of Jesus. I was prepared to fill in the gaps. How could a movie about him not prompt deep response and sentiment?
Specifically, I have hopes that the movie can give images of unconditional love and a redemptive quality to suffering that our world barely understands anymore, and deeply desires. It also has that "whomp on the side of the head" quality that it takes to get young peoples' attention, and particularly to get male attention. It could well start some people on a serious Jesus journey or spiritual search, even by some of the confusing questions that it raises. This is excellent, and the Spirit will surely use the movie for good.
Negatively, I agree with those who say the movie is almost entirely one-dimensional. It is about suffering pure and simple, as if Jesus was just born to suffer. He has no other message. There is no plausible "why?" to his suffering, and no connection with his teaching, his social or religious critique, his prophetic vision. Any true drama needs character development and not just spectacle. Aristotle said that spectacle was a cheap substitute for true drama, and it would drown out any in-depth message. I believe that is what happens here.
It ends up being a message of Divine will power instead of the much more needed messages of human vulnerability, human solidarity, and human compassion. Jesus for me is the quintessential human, a God given prototype of the human problem and solution, more than a religious version of Atlas or Prometheus. Gibson's version of Jesus is closer to a Hollywood superhero or Greek god than to the Biblical version of the "son of man." Although again, I admit, it can still lead people to the human Jesus, but I am just afraid that the Divine heroics will cancel out the human.
As many of you know, I am a strong proponent of the Franciscan understanding of the redemption, based on the teaching of Blessed John Duns Scotus in the 13th century. He did not believe in any "substitutionary atonement theory" of the cross: Jesus did not have to die to make God love us, he was paying no debt, he was changing no Divine mind. Jesus was only given to change our mind about the nature of God! (Imagine what we are saying about the Father, if he needed blood from his son to decide to love us! It is an incoherent world with no organic union between Creator and creature. No wonder so few Christians have gone on the mystical path of love, since God is basically untrustworthy and more than a little dangerous.)
For Duns Scotus, Jesus was the "image of the invisible God" who revealed to us a God's eternal suffering love for humanity, in an iconic form that we could not forget. He was not "necessary," but a pure gift. The suffering was simply to open our hearts, not to open God's - which was always open. Unfortunately, the movie is entirely based on the old atonement theory that suffering was needed, the more suffering the better, and the most suffering the best of all. Unfortunately, it has been the mainline tradition, and has been made into dogma by evangelical Christians. It creates a mercantile Christianity with God as the major debt collector, when what Jesus came to offer was a mystical Christianity with God as the "bridegroom." It might take these graphic images of suffering love to break through some peoples' consciousness, but I am afraid it will largely be true for people who do not think too much. Because once you start thinking, the whole thing falls apart. The movie does not appeal to the whole person. Emotions are not bad, however, and can serve as a catharsis and an opening. They might be God's way into the soul - and our way out of ourselves. But eventually, the message must compel head, heart, and gut, and lead to an honest image of God, the world, and ourselves.
Maybe the success of the movie reveals our own lack of wholeness, or even any desire for the whole picture. Maybe we don't want to put religion and life together. Maybe we don't want our spirituality to have any social or political implications. Maybe we like parts more than wholes. And surely good parts are very good, as long as we do not allow them to become substitutes for and deflections from the whole picture, which is the very definition of the Holy.
Richard Rohr, OFM

Becoming Human....

We are not human beings trying to become spiritual.  That task has already been done for us by our initial creation as “images of God” (Genesis 1:26).  We are already spiritual beings.  That is God's gift.  Our desperate and needed task, the one we have not succeeded at very well after all these centuries, is how to become human!”from 'Soul Brothers' by Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM

Nothings weird....

The original version of the movie Insomnia has this line in it:"When you've been a policeman long enough, nothing's weird."It's a good line, but outside of the immediate context, it's unnecessarily specific. Substitute "alive" for "a policeman."
From David Ziegler's blog

What is another example of sin?....

Another example of sin is to see ourselves as separate from God. Actually, this separation mentality is the most basic ‘sin’ from which all others derive. We do this when we attempt to ‘invoke’ God’s presence as if He were not already there.

We also do this when we see ourselves as separate from others.
The next time the temptation to see or treat another person as separate from ourselves, we could say… “If I see myself as one with this person I will heal the tiny thought in my mind that I am separate from God”.

This tiny thought of separation is the cause of most of the relational problems in our lives, as well as the root of violence and war in the world. If you actually knew (experientially) of your essential oneness do you think you could pull that trigger?

‘What you do to the least of these, you do to me’. That’s ‘oneness’, and that is why it is of the utmost importance to heal this erroneous perception in our minds.

On writing....

"We transition from the clean page to the dizzying rush of word
upon word to the saying said and the calm point that comes
after the spirit has manifested itself in language. The paper
holds the words; they are secure and steady there. We become
steady as well. For the time being, mystery has unveiled
itself."

"To write spiritually is to engage in a search for authentic
language. You’ll find your truth by writing your way to it."

Patrice Vecchione

Every voice deserves to be heard....

"Someone to tell it to is one of the fundamental needs of human
beings." -- Miles Franklin

The rich losing of love,

through our wounds the light pours in.

On Doing Nothing....

Not-doing, lounging, loafing at ease
A kind of falling out of our lives
As when the aorta split and he fell
Through and beyond habits.

Hands reach out and we are supported
By the unknown, beyond our plans
Like Alice, surprised by un-control
Dropping down the rabbit hole

Finding marmalade on the shelf
Meeting common things in a field of wonder;
In the orderly progress of breakfast
Lunch and dinner we are caught and

There is beauty in the work, tea, jam
On toast, the body’s many pains
The quick feet of rain scratching
Toward us over dry leaves.

Ron Russo
(Adapted from ‘The Light Inside the Dark’

Want to know....

...who you really meet in heaven?

No, after the parade.

No, after the break dancing and hula-hoop'ing.

No, after you meet the good souls who invented rainy nights and "sleeping in".

Right, the other elements of yourself that were far too afraid of getting lost in the jungles of time and space; of forgetting their divinity, power, and reach; and that shuddered at the thought of even momentarily believing in goodbye's, loss, and loneliness ... and they will be made whole.

You can quote me....

I am about to attempt writing again in the blog as opposed to simply posting quotes from others, although I will continue to do that from time to time as appropriate. I will also do my best to write whatever I feel is best and true about who I am without fear and intimidation. This is sometimes difficult when you know that some things you say will be misunderstood or strongly disagreed with by some.
I have had that experience on numerous occasions recently on different subjects but mainly when I drift into areas that are perceived as something other than the ‘party line’. That could mean differences of opinion primarily in the areas of religion and politics, of course! And perhaps others as well. The ‘party line’ usually tends toward a rightward drift if you get my drift.
I dislike being categorized in that way. I do not think of myself as either ‘conservative’ or ‘liberal’. I want to be as balanced as possible in all areas of my life and thus refuse to turn a deaf ear to truth wherever it may come from.
My own life experience has proven, to me at least, that the truth is not locked up in any one groups ideas, dogma, doctrine, principles or particular set of writings. I have always said that literalism will be the downfall of the church since by its very nature leads inexorably to legalism and hence, to bondage. And most people will not be comfortable in bondage in any form for very long except where the bondage is not recognized for what it is and is misinterpreted and misunderstood to somehow be a type of freedom.
Well, I guess I’ve gotten myself into enough trouble for one day. ‘Till next time.

Dreams....

What are your deepest heart-felt desires, dreams and visions?

Our deepest desires and dreams align with the Spirit within us which defines who we are. The more we align with that Spirit, the more our life holds meaning, purpose and fulfilment.
Do you have a sense of your destiny?

Peace?....

"For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe."

-- Larry Eisenberg

Jim Dollar writes....

(The Pastor of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant)

07/02/04

Carol Steger pointed out that when AA says "Acceptance is the solution to all of my problems today," they mean "Accepting that What IS is, is the solution to all of my problems today." We have to start somewhere. Starting with What IS-this is it, this is how things are, this is what can be done about it, and that's that-is the foundation for living our lives as well as they can be lived. When we deny the fundamental truth: What IS is, and refuse to "face the music," we step into an unreal world of our own making, wrap the fantasies about us, and tell ourselves whatever we want to hear to get through the day-and make things worse by pretending that things are not what they are.

What IS? That's the question. What ARE we dealing with? What exactly DO we face, and how exactly does our behavior contribute to that? What are WE doing to create, sustain, maintain, produce, cultivate, encourage the problems that are waiting for us when we wake up? What could we do to reduce, diminish, restrict, restrain, remove those problems? How does what we tell ourselves about our problems-how we think about our problems-contribute to our problems and keep them neatly in place?

Awareness opens doors we don't know are there. People with problems they cannot begin to manage are overlooking doors that are "right in front of them." They operate under assumptions they never think to test. They are consumed by fear, or by certainty, they never question, examine, face. They cannot look at the things that keep their problems in place. But, they are never more than a realization or two away from "a new lease on life." Yet, they have so much invested in their old way of thinking about their lives that they will probably never open themselves to the necessary revisions, and step through the door into the world of redrawn conclusions, where all things are new, or, at least, where everything is transformed, if unchanged.

Awareness transforms! It's the only thing that does. That could be a bumper sticker. Yet, the barriers to awareness are everywhere. We seem to be much more comfortable questioning nothing, assuming everything, living lives we think will save us, while giving ourselves double doses of toxic poisoning every day. Because. What? Because it's so hard to change? Because we are afraid changing anything will require us to change everything, and we don't want things to be that different, only better? Because it's so hard to say, "Wait a minute! This isn't working!"? Because we don't know what we would do instead? Because we don't have anyone to talk with about these things?

Well, there are books to read. Aaron Beck, Murray Bowman, Albert Ellis, Martin Seligman, Edwin Friedman, Wendell Johnson, Robert Johnson, Rachel Remen, Harriet Lerner, M.C. Richards, to mention a few, offer instruction and direction to those who can receive instruction and direction. We don't have to sit sogging, or slosh around, in our own construction of reality when reconstruction is only a perspective shift away. Awareness is life. The doors are "right there." But, it takes being fed up to find them. It takes having enough to be able to see.

Silence....

"All this talk and turmoil and noise and movement and desire is outside of the veil; within the veil is silence and calm and rest."

"I am glad that so much movement happens in this stillness."
-- Richard Land

"Be still and know...."

Weddings….

6/26/04

….create so much more than just a new entity that we call a ‘couple’, ‘new family unit’, etc., they also create an enormous amount of stress for the families involved, not to mention the couple themselves.

In about one hour and a half Ashley and Patrick will be married (Jennifer’s niece). It is quite the panoply of confusion amidst a specific design of sorts. You begin with a basic plan and then work out the details, usually with some degree of unanimity, hopefully.
Then comes the confusion of actually figuring out what those details are, and God there are so many details!

Most weddings I have been involved with always have at least a few minor, and sometimes major crisis. The ones deemed humorous usually end up on ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’.

6/27/04 OK, wedding’s over. The only controversy that I am aware of was that Nancy did not get to sit with her husband Bob. (‘Granny and Grandpa’, Jennifer’s parents).
One of the ushers even sat some of the grooms family on the brides side of the aisle.
Other than those little details the ceremony was beautiful. Nobody fainted and even the little ones did really well. Grace, Emma and Reed didn’t fidget or fuss to much or otherwise distract the guests from the bride and groom or the ceremony itself. All in all, a lovely afternoon. Even the weather cooperated after some rain in the early part of the day.

Then on to the reception at the Swim Club. Wow, what a shindig. They had a great DJ, some good wine and a keg of beer, and good food. What more could you ask for? We had a great time, as did everyone else, I believe. I even managed to finally get Angela out on the dance floor! Nobody got too terribly drunk or otherwise misbehaved in any way that I could discern….oh, well, actually there was one person who shall remain unnamed who didn’t make it to breakfast the next morning. Not feeling too well, I understand. Hmmm.

Speaking of breakfast, we decided to celebrate Bob’s 81st birthday at Denny’s before they went back to South Carolina. We had a total of 23 of the family to come share that time together. And it was a wonderful time. I remember it was the same day one year ago we also had a parting breakfast at Denny’s on Bob’s 80th birthday when we got his brothers from California and Arizona to come to the East Coast for that special time. We all thought at the time that there might not be another celebration like this. Oh we of little faith. ‘Brother Bob’ fooled us all and is still going, albeit not to strong of late. And won’t it be wonderful when we can get together next year and be fooled again! We pray so.

Next, it’s off to the beach with Tim and Jenni and their family. Will have a report on that trip when I get back on Wednesday.

Another Zieglerism....

I am frequently amazed at the incisive and usually insightful quips this man comes out with.
This one is too good not to quote. I hope you don't mind David, if I pass along some of your stuff on occasion.


"We trust our lives to the convention of driving to one side of a thin painted line." David Ziegler

This goes along with the manufactured illusion of boundary making humans have been so fond of since the beginning.

On Angels Wings....

The tall tree’s branch, thicker
Than my torso, hung horizontally
Moving in the breeze as if
Waving at me.

I admit to heeding the call as
The thick rope tied to the branch
Beckoned, knotted at the bottom like
A huge wart.

I could run from where I stood
And have a modest swing or
Grabbing the knot I could climb
The outcropped rock and launch
Myself into the universe.

Dangling thrill that it was, tethered
Still to the branch, and hanging on
Precariously lest I experience the
Awkward spill of a short flight
To the hard dirt, clipped wings
And all.

Ron Russo

Quote....

"When guilt rears its ugly head confront it, discuss it and let it go. The past is over. Forgive yourself and move on."

-- Bernie S. Siegel

Parts

When I find all my parts
In their proper place
With my nose stuck on my face and
Arms dangling from shoulders
Like shirt sleeves on a hanger,
When my heart wallows in its dark pocket
And my head precariously perching
On its pedestal, I want to say….

This is the sum if it; my body,
With which I sense the earth while
Walking fields, yellow and green, feet
Crushing unsuspecting blades of grass
As they yield to my intrusion,
Seemingly with abandon and grace.

And still while in this place I am
Aware of the fullness of
The spiraling of galaxies like
Water spinning around the rocks
In the creek where the tiniest
Of my parts drowns
In the cold wet tears of the earth.

Ron Russo

Grrrrr....

Okay. I admit it. I am hopelessly addicted to gadgets of all kinds.
I decided I needed a new cell phone. The one I had was the freebie that they give away when you sign a two year agreement and was becoming ancient, an antique actually, a dinosaur at a little over two years old!
And it would not work with my new hands free microphone/earpiece. Well, that was the straw that broke this camels back.
It was time.
So off I go to my neighborhood Cingular store who, by the way, has always treated me well in the past. I finally make the momentous decision and go for the fancy one that takes pictures and does all sorts of neat things I will probably never use or need. And of course it was a special price with another two year agreement. Later I discovered that it was still higher than Best Buy with only a one year agreement. This happens to me all the time whenever I buy something impulsively.
The worst thing however, was when she informed me just as I was about to write the check that there is an upgrade fee of $18.00 which will show up on my next bill. What! I had just renewed a two year agreement a couple of months ago. Now I am getting a new two year agreement. I did not consider this an upgrade. All I wanted to do was buy a new, more expensive phone. The manager explained that it was one half of the activation fee. What activation fee? I have had a continuous contract with Cingular for about six years. I'm already activated!
Of course, there was nothing they could do about this on their end. I would have to complain to the powers that be in 'customer service'. You can be sure they will hear about it.
More on this later....

Fear....

Why do I often experience feelings of fear?

Fear comes when my focus and attention is outside of myself thus ignoring or denying my true inner nature.
When I look outside of myself I cut off and deny the expression of what lies deep within me, which is the purest love, my true nature, and yours. Fear is the result.
If I am not expressing and feeling the love that I am, then I am experiencing its opposite, which is fear.
The remedy, for me then, is to look deeper within. To remember who I really am and be that. (If you saw my website you will remember that that is my guiding quotation).
To look outside of myself is to see the illusions of this world which at first appear somewhat attractive but if I am the least bit sensitive to the Spirit the attraction soon wears off and the illusions are percieved for what they truly are, illusions, and thus the resulting fear.
I am not saying that this world as we most often perceive it is somehow bad or evil. I am saying that when we believe it to be the only reality and live by its rules we become mired in a fundamental deception of common awareness. To be rooted in the deeper truer reality that trancends this world of illusion is to live from intention, and the consciousness of the pure energy of love, the energy that formed the universe as we know it and animates all that is.
And that is what we are, made 'in the image God' as it were.
Namaste....(which means, generally, that 'I bow to the devine in you')

More on the boundary thing....

We create lines to distinguish between opposites. To show that up is the opposite of down, for example. You know; light and dark, good and evil, etc. This is apparent to all. This was Adam's task. A simple enough idea until we begin to confuse the essential unity of opposites. What the heck is that you say? Wellll....let me see if I can summarize what took Ken Wilbur 144 pages to explain.
The problem it seems is that when we separate the opposites we try to eliminate the part we don't like. If evil were to disappear the good would likewise disappear. We can't have one without the other. There is an essential unity in them both together, a kind of synergy of opposites
We could liken it to a wave and its trough. We can't say I like the crest of the wave but not that big dip in the trough. I could drown down there! Can you imagine nothing but crests with no troughs? Together do they form one event.
Also consider the common activity of buying and selling. When you buy something, someone else has sold something. The totality of the transaction itself transcends the individual acts. Buying and selling are two ends of the same thing.
All this means is that our boundaries are self created illusions. They do not exist in nature anywhere in the cosmos. To quote Ken Wilber: “The ultimate metaphysical secret, if we dare state it so simply, is that there are no boundaries in the universe. Boundaries are illusions, products NOT of reality but of the way we map and edit reality. And while it is fine to map out the territory, it is fatal to confuse the two”. "Words, symbols, signs, thoughts,and ideas are merely maps of reality, not reality itself because "the map is not the territory".
Also: “....when you establish a boundary so as to gain control over something, at the same time you separate and alienate yourself from that which you attempt to control. Hence the Fall of Adam into fragmentation, known as original sin.” Our boundaries become our battle lines.

Writing Meditation....

I started a 'writing meditation' a couple of weeks ago using pen and paper. Today, I will use the computer.
Write for ten minutes they say. Push the pen without stopping they say. Turn off your inner censor they say, etc., etc. Yea. Easier said than done. Don't edit along the way. Well, that's fine if you're using a pen or pencil. Doing it on the computer makes it harder for me. Why do I think that I have to edit myself whether on the computer or writing with the pen. On the computer it's actually easier (I know, I contradicted myself) to do, especially when I misspell, or rather miss type a word which is frequent. I can quickly backspace and retype it. I should use the pen and that won't be so much of a problem.
Why do I have this type of perfectionism when I'm on the computer, or pen and paper for that matter. I seem to be that way only in certain areas or specific tasks such as folding the towels at the salon. I like them folded in a certain way, all turned in the same direction and reasonably neat. I have trouble with the writing thing since I assume that eventually someone might read what I wrote and I assume might be critical of me. How silly, of course. But I can't seem to turn off my internal censor. I have this trouble when I write for the blog. I don't always say what I think, especially if it's the least bit controversial. Controversial that is to a certain group of people. I fear that I will not be able to back up what I say with a clear defense (should I be asked to do so) and would look silly for even saying it.
I am getting better at it lately though. I am caring less what others may think and I am becoming more confident in my understanding of what it is I actually believe about things. It's just that I have done such a complete reversal of my former ideas about so many things like faith, religion and politics. In other words, according to some, I've become increasingly 'liberal' minded on these topics.
I hate labels like that. Ken Wilbur defines them as boundaries. To name a thing is to make it separate from other things, this verses that, which he also likens to the original sin.
Actually an interesting subject in its own right. More on this later....

The Lord's Prayer....

Boy, am I going to get creamed for this one....but here goes anyway. I copied this from a friend who posted it on the church's private bulletin board. It's an interesting excerpt from a book by Forrest Church, called "Lifecraft: The Art of Meaning in the Everyday"

Our Swiss cabdriver was definitely Kierkegaardian with a keen eye for idolatry; he loved Christianity and disdained Christendom. But he was also Bergsonian. He sought to enliven his own faith with a more dynamic dimension. As it turns out, what he really wanted to talk to us about was prayer. Changing his tone entirely, he raised what he called "a serious religious question"-one he answered for himself in the following monologue.

"I don't know about you," the driver said, "but I have trouble with the Lord's Prayer.” I believe in God, but the Lord's Prayer, I mean, since I say it every night before I go to bed, I had to improve on it. I just had to. What's this “Our Father” business? If God's a man, we're finished. And how about ‘Who art in heaven.’ Wait a minute, all of us are here, so what I say is this: ‘Holy Spirit, whom art with and among us,’ and then I drop the bit about the hallowed name, because that doesn't mean anything.
‘ Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,’ same problem. I say `Be with us as we would be with you.'
Then, 'give us this day our daily bread.' That didn't make sense to me until I heard a sermon once. I didn't like the preacher but it was a good sermon; it got me think-ing. We're not talking about hamburgers here; we're talking about spiritual food, the stuff that makes us human. So I left that in.

As for ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’, just talk to my girlfriend .l had to leave that in. But this `Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil' business. Give me a break. What's the deal? We ask God not to lead us into temptation, and then when bad things happen even when we've been good, blame God for it? That's ridiculous. I dropped that out.

Which leaves only ‘Thine is the power and the glory for ever and ever, Amen.' I have no real problem with that but it doesn’t really do much for me. So I say. ‘Thank you for the blessing of life. I pray I may be worthy of it’. Believe me, it sounds better in German. It doesn’t sound bad in English:

The Revised Version would look like this:

Holy Spirit, who art with and among us,
be with us as we would be with you,
Give us our daily bread.
Forgive us of our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Thank you for the blessing of life,
I Pray I may be worthy of it.

Excerpt from Lifecraft: The Art of Meaning in the Everyday.
By Forrest Church: Boston: Beacon Press, 2000

You see what I mean. I kind of like it myself. What do you think?

Note from the daily guru....

What is the gap?

The gap is the infinite moment that is present in between two thoughts. It is a moment that once immersed in, leads to infinity and enlightenment. The gap is the place where you will no longer believe in God, but will in fact know Him/Her. (That'll shake 'em up as it did me a few years ago 'till I finally figured out the absurdity of the gender thing).

How do I enter the gap?

It is that moment when you make the decision not to immerse yourself in thoughts of the past or the future. It is a now moment (the only one there is) in which you get "out of your mind", literally, since to be "in the mind" is to be with "thought" of some kind. It is to "be present" in a state of no thought.
Sounds crazy, I know, but it works with practice. It is that state of being able to hear that "still small voice" but only in that space that is 'no thought'.
This is true (non-verbal) prayer. Try it sometime. And when you get totally confused and frustrated call me and I'll confuse you some more.

New approach to an old photo of mine taken in the back yard. A black and white called 'Winter Study II'
Posted by Hello

Something to think about....

A glimpse of the world . . .

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans

52 would be female
48 would be male

70 would be non-white
30 would be white

70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian

89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual

6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.

80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth

1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent. The following is also something to ponder...

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed
than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

(I can't vouch for these statistics, but it was interesting nonetheless).

Death in the family....

My former father-in-law, C.C. Osborne, the maternal grandfather of my children passed away peacefully last night at his home. We visited with the family and got to see all of my kids as well earlier this evening. I will have more to say on this when we return from Tennesee.

Reunion Trip....

See you guys later. We're off to Nashville, TN. Music City. Grand Ole Opry. Jennifer's 40th high school reunion! Pray for safe travel. See you next Wednesday.
Will report back then hopefully with some details and pictures. I know you are holding your collective breath (:

Okay. Here's my thought for the day. Did you know that the smallest things can dramatically change circumstances or events? For example, in my business I often work with chemicals for coloring or perming hair, etc. Well, I learned early on that H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) has two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. Guess what happens if you simply remove two oxygen atoms. Right. You get H2O. You know. Water!
Water, of course, can give life. Hydrogen peroxide can make you really sick (if ingested) or make you a beautiful blonde. All because of two little atoms! Amazing!

Now, why did I tell you all that? Well, for one thing it can be a metaphor for what happens in most of our lives from time to time like the incidents I mentioned in my post of the 29th of May about how the smallest things can change the entire direction of our lives (for good or ill). The smallest word spoken. The loving gesture. A gentle touch. You never know how such things might affect someone's life in a positive way. I could mention numerous turning points in my own experience that changed things dramatically for me but not this time. How about your own 'turning points'. What small act of kindness had an effect on your life?

We'll talk more when we get back. Till then....namaste

Personal newsy stuff....

Talked to Karen (Dallas, TX) yesterday at lunch. She said she might come to G'boro to see her grandpa (on her mothers side) who is dying. Today she calls at lunch time again, this time she's outside of Nashville, TN on I-40. She and all 5 children should be here sometime this evening. One thing about the Tesh's, they don't procrastinate!
Actually the timing is good since if she waited another day we would be on our way to Nashville, TN for Jennifer's 40th high school reunion and would have missed her and the kids. I hope C.C. doesn't pass away this weekend. I would want to go to the funeral and pay my respects to my ex-wife's family.

Here's another of Charleston's old trees in the park on the river. They are magnificent. To see a bigger clearer picture go my home page (link on the panel to the left) Ditto for the one below.
Posted by Hello

Cemetary at The Round Church, Charleston, SC (You can tell I love old trees)
Posted by Hello

Believe it or not....

I actually had an interesting time of meditation reading the obituaries page. Morbid you say. Not at all. I felt a sense of oneness with those departed, strangers though they be. I prayed for their families. Felt the pain of those who now grieved. I also felt the need to share that with you, perhaps so you could confirm your suspicions about my weirdness.

I'm sure I confirmed my so-called weirdness to my son and daughter-in-law Sunday night when we had dinner at Macaroni Grill. They are involved in an evangelical Presbyterian Church (PCA). I jokingly told them that we were becoming Presbyterians too as I showed them my Church of the Covenant (PCUSA) tee shirt. My son's wife quickly pointed out that the PCUSA was the real liberal Presbyterian Church. I knew that, of course, but since I am slowly coming out of my liberal closet I couldn't resist letting them know what we were doing these days. I mentioned we were attending the "alternative service" which is not the same as the so-called comtemporary worship many churches use today, mainly as a marketing tool to attract the younger crowd. The main difference in our 'alternative service' is the total lack of liturgy in the service. Very laid back.

We also had dinner last night with Rik and Brenda. Rik brought some New York Strip steaks and we cooked out on the grill. Had lots of "Highlander Gaelic Ale" (Ashville, NC) on hand which is Rik's favorite. Afterword we watched a movie called "The Big Fish". Very strange film but very interesting story telling. It could quickly get over your head if you're not paying attention. I think we all enjoyed it though.

Coming Out....

I confess. I am an American Idol fan. In the early audition stage it can be excruciating to watch these young people make complete fools of themselves on national TV. It can also be hilarious.

Finally, getting down to the final 32, most of the contestants can actually sing. I do love music of all kinds with a few exceptions most notably some of the heavy handed rap that I find boring in its repetitiousness and arrogance. Given that much of the pop music scene is also boring in its lyrical shallowness none the less I enjoy following the antics of the budding artists as they strive to become the next big thing in pop music.

Now that it is all over for this season and America has crowned Fantasia their choice to make a few industry moguls richer than they already are (taking up to 50 per cent off the top) I must tell this story I read about how Fantasia almost didn't even get in the door.

Apparently, in the Atlanta auditions a small scuffle broke out among a few contestants near the entrance where she was waiting to get in. The guards broke up the fight and refused to let anybody else in. She was heartbroken, of course, and called her father crying and lamenting her plight. He told her to wait around for a while and see what happened. While she was waiting a guard who had noticed her practicing a song for her audition asked how the audition went. She said she couldn't get in because of the aforementioned scuffle. He apparently recognized her talent and promptly escorted her into the audition area personally.
And now you know the rest of the story!....

This reminds me of how my own life has taken numerous changes in direction, sometimes detours, all because of seemingly small events at just the right moment. For example, I almost missed the bus back in 1965 to Greensboro from New York but my mother begged the driver to wait just a few more minutes which, surprisingly, he did. When I finally got to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and finally found where to go only to be told that the bus had already left, I walked dejectedly away until I heard my mothers voice calling to me. She had seen me in the terminal and made the bus wait as she got off to catch me before I got too far away and out of the building. That is how I wound up in Greensboro and have been here ever since. I dread to think how things would have turned out had I stayed in N.Y. I had a sister there who at that time practically disowned me. Most of my friends were unreliable at best and I had no job prospects. I would have gone back to the unhealthy culture my mother was trying to rescue me from.
There were other such turning points in my life as I'm sure there were for you as well. I, for one, am grateful for the way it all turned out.

I'm baaack....

Okay. So I haven't published in a week. It's been a difficult week for me. I haven't felt well and was tired and just could not get motivated to write anything. Actually, I started something one day and got interrupted and by the time I got back to it, it was outdated already, so I just deleted it. So there. Get over it.

In my reading this morning I came across a poem in 'Tricyle' magazine that intrigued me. I can't even remember the title of it but the gist of it had to do with our attachments to our opinions and ideas causing the perpetuation of our 'separation mentality'. To have strong opinions is to say that I think I'm right and by implication you are wrong, otherwise I would not be so attached to that particular opinion.
The most trouble I have ever had relationally was always rooted in my need to be 'right'. I used to be totally frustrated (and angry) when others refused to see my side of the argument no matter how perfectly logical it seemed to me. Thus, greater separation, loss of unity, oneness.
I remember a preacher one time tell me that we have to allow the other person a lot of elbow room to make up their own mind about how to interpret the scripture or anything else for that matter. This is not to say that our teachers are not necessary. They can be invaluable guides to help us on the path to understanding and enlightenment but ultimately we all have to come to the truth on our own terms.

To hold my opinions lightly does not mean complete passivity or easy capitulation. It simply means I let go of the emotional attachment to them and do not allow them to separate me from my brother/sister. Another thing we used to teach at our 'Marriage Encounter' weekends (back in the early 80's) was something like; "our relationship is more important than anything over which we may disagree"

Now that's the truth and you better believe it! :)

Busy, busy, busy....

I bought a little stone coaster that is inscribed with the following; "Sing like there's nobody listening" to go along with another one I found at Cherry Grove beach last year and it says; "Wherever you go, go with all your heart". I love these little quips and sayings, cliched though they be.
This one came from a little gift shop inside the restaurant where we had dinner with our friends from Ashboro, Susan and Tommy. We had a lovely time together for a few short hours.
Now, as I write this I am simply exhausted. I will see the allergist again today at 3:45 for a follow up.
I have spent the morning trying to catch up on bills. I discovered that I was late paying several bills last month. Unfortunately some were credit cards and the late fees are horrendous not to mention what it looks like on my credit report. I think there is too much going on and it is hard to keep up. I'm sure no one else has ever felt that way! ;)
I just remembered I have to replace the fixture on the shampoo bowl today. I better get busy. See you later!

Daily Guru....

We carry old wounds within us because we repressed the feelings associated with these wounds when we were children. If they are repressed, they will affect you in a negative and limiting way. And so you must reverse the process of repression by allowing the Spirit to bring these feelings and memories to the surface. At the same time, you remain fully present, witnessing the feelings as they arise within you.

I am not suggesting that you indulge in these feelings. They are from the past. They are simply memories stuck within you. They have no meaning other than that they are stuck within you and need to be brought to consciousness and released through the power of God's love and acceptance. For one who is truly on a path of awakening, there is no interest in the past other than to bring it to consciousness in a way that heals and releases it. In truth there is no life outside of this moment.

A Pastor's Reflections....

I came across some archived reflections from Jim Dollar, Pastor at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. When I read it I thought of you, Beth, as well as most folks I know including myself. I touches on what I was trying to convey to you the other day, only he says it a little better. Click here to go there

Being Present....

O.K. Here's one to twist your brain around. (You can probably tell I love this stuff):

How does one stay without all those stray thoughts fluttering across the canyons of your mind, especially during prayer or meditation times? Remembering that by prayer I mean the non-verbal kind where you just get quiet, focus on you breathing instead of problems and concerns of the moment, the day, the life.

You cannot stop thoughts. It is impossible. But you CAN choose to be fully present in the moment of NOW. When you are fully present, thoughts stop all by themselves.

You are not trying to stop the thoughts, which would be a form of judgment. You are simply choosing to be present with that which is present. You cannot thnk about the present moment. You can only think about the past or the future and so if you are truly present, thoughts will simply stop.

To just "be" is another way of saying "to just be present."

Beth....private note....(yeah, right)

Beth (part 2),
I'll try not to preach but I don't think luck has anything to do with it. I know how it FEELS to have stuff happen so much that it becomes overwhelming and that's no fun. Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that says; "S--- Happens"? I hated that when I first saw it. I thought it was a little crude and redneckish but actually it is saying somthing very profound about the human condition. The Buddhists say something like 'life is suffering'. That sounds awful but true and if you substitue 'hard' or some other appropriate word it simply points out our human commonality in the sense that everything in this world even at its best pales in comparison to the 'state of being' prior to this physical manifestation not to mention the one to come. Sometimes it's just a matter of degree. Our particular circumstances, of course, are the worst because we are experiencing it in this moment and transcendence seems an esoteric 'pie in the sky' joke.
The key word for me has always been 'acceptance' as the first course of action. I'm reminded of the classic 'serenity prayer'. You know, the one that says something like 'accepting the things I cannot change, change the things I can' etc., etc. This is also profound in its simplicity but because it is such a cliche we forget or ignore its lesson.
So there, I preached my fool head off. I'm sorry. Probably not much help but I felt a response was appropriate since you do have a comment box after all, right? We really love you. I know the shampoo stuff ain't much but I hope it will make you feel a little better anyway.
Ron

Gas Prices?....

I find it increasingly difficult to believe that, adjusted for inflation, we are paying less for gasoline now than was paid in 1930 (about thirty cents a gallon). Apparently, 30 cents in 1930 was worth a whole lot more.
According to a report in the local news rag a few weeks ago we shouldn't blame the oil companies alone for the current hike in prices. Nor the oil cartel known as 'OPEC'. While they all play a significant role in the process there are myriad factors having to do with the whole distribution network including our reduced refining capacity which is about 10% less than it was in 1980 which keeps supplies lower than demand which pushes prices upward.
I also discovered that they have to make a special blend for California only because of their stringent environmental standards, thus significantly higher prices on the west coast.
Also, I was surprised to learn, the oil companies profits are not skyrocketing as some suspect. It actually averages about 4.7%. This is pretty good for most businesses but not outrageous unlike some industries such as banking and pharmaceuticals which average around 17 to 19% profit margins.
I am not a defender of the oil industry per se. I just thought these facts were interesting and enlightening. It always helps to know the facts assuming the report I read was accurate. What do you think?

For your edification and enlightenment....

I have some new photo's at the website (ronpaulrusso.com). And once again the link maker in Blogger doesn't work with this template, even though it is one direct from the Blogger site. Go figure. Or, better yet, just use the link in the "links" section in the left column. Scroll down a bit to see it.
After you get to my home page (the one with the picture of the handsome couple!) just click on 'Ron's Photo Gallery' link on the upper right side. See my buff bod lounging on the beach. I'm sure you can't wait to see that!
I have some more I need to upload but I may just put them on the blog now that I now how.

Crazy....

afternoon. Tired. Just finished two prom girls. That's enough to wear you out. I was going to say more about teenage girls but I realized the tendancy to misread that first line. Of course, I meant I just finished fixing the hair of two prom girls. I have not posted much daily personal stuff lately but my brain is on tilt for a while so no heavy duty thinking for now. Jennifer is taking two of the girls (Emma and Grace) to their recital tonight. One at 4:30 the other at 6:30. She will no doubt be frazzled by the time she gets home tonight.
I will, of course, have to rustle up some grub for myself but I think I can handle that. I'm not one to totally depend on my wife to feed me, nor do I expect it. I'm a big boy now after all.
Had a great conversation with a favorite client today. One of the few people I can talk freely about spirituality and religeous topics (other than my wife). It was a joy. Thanks, Kitty, in case you happen to read this.
Well, gettin' hungry. Better shut things down and head for home. Next time.

My favorite photo

The iron gate at Old Mill of Guilford. A metaphor for russo's paradigm. (I'll let you figure that out for yourself) 

New look!....

This is part of a comment I left on Beth's blog and thought I would repeat some of it here. So....
I love the new look of the Blogger interface and all the new features. I also got a new template. It was one straight from Blogger.com. The other one looked nice but it wouldn't let blogger insert some of my stuff like the description and the new blogger has comments built in without going to a third party like Haloscan.
Also note the new email address. It's hosted at my own domain now since I upgraded my acount (for three bucks extra of course). If you wanted to write Jennifer privately hers is: jen@ronpaulrusso.com. Eventually I would like to host the blog from my home page as well. We're still working on it.

Quote....

This is another gem from David Ziegler, (I hope he doesn't mind my quoting him):

"I sat in a parking lot today watching a giant American flag moving in the wind. The way the wind curled it back and forth was beautiful.
There are two attitudes toward that symbol I’ve never understood. One involves combining jingoism and junk culture, the spawn of which is salt shakers and bird baths emblazoned with stars and stripes. The other is people who feel an embarrassment towards the American flag.
That giant flag I watched, it waves for people like Nick Berg. It waves to say there’s an alternative to the insanity of protesting injustice by cutting off innocent heads."

Thanks, David. Well said. I was looking for the words to express how I felt about that particular incident besides revulsion and anger. Pardon the cliche, but you hit the nail on the head!

Life ....

continually evolves. We’re always moving into new experiences, new possibilities. This constant change unsettles the personality, which finds security in stability. But with life always in flux, that security is an illusion. We experience pain by trying to hold on to things that are not solid.
Life becomes joyful when we can open to the constant flow and ride freely with it. This requires us to let go of the need to control. We need to learn to trust.

Yesterday....

in the naivete of boldness I expressed my growing convictions concerning the absurdity of war in general and the current one in particular which I instinctively knew would get me in trouble and certainly will in the future given the blind affection for Mr. Bush (his affectations notwithstanding) and some ephemeral sense of patriotism.
One client said we should stand united as a nation behind our leaders. I did not want to alienate a paying client any further so I tactfully dropped the discussion at that point. I wondered, however, if that meant I should not express my concerns. I thought I could support the soldiers and the horrendous things we are asking them to do and still not be in full agreement with the war.
Another person said that she disagreed with my point about the meaning of the cliche popularized with the bumper sticker idiom “WWJD?” (What would Jesus do?). She said Jesus said in the NT that we would 'have wars and rumors of wars' as if that meant Jesus tacitly thought war was okay. She then asked me “what would I do if I were president of this country in 1942 and faced with the likes of Hitler and company? I'm ashamed to say I don't think my answer was nearly adequate enough and as before I tried to tactfully back out of the quagmire I had gotten myself into.
What I should have said was I have no idea what I would have done and the question really should be “what would Jesus do” if he were president (sic) faced with those circumstances? I am speaking now to a person whose husband served in WWII having flown 56 bombing missions over Europe and an avowed Christian. I cannot imagine any interpretation implying in any way that Jesus would condone war for any reason.
In fact it would appear that the whole crucifixion story points to the opposite as well as the scene in the garden rebuking Peter for using the sword against a Roman soldier, etc., etc.

I am in the process of writing my own personal manifesto concerning these issues which I hope to post at some time in the future.
Till then....“as much as is possible with you be at peace with all men”