The Psalms Project is my attempt to take the spirit of the Psalms and re-apply them and write new ones for today. I am NOT trying to replace the amazing Psalms already in the Bible! I am in no way trying to paraphrase or restate each Psalm, but I do pay homage to them and other Bible passages, of course. I invite you to play along, see what you might identify with or relate to in these. So, here is another Psalm for a Modern Day.
TRUST
The seas roar, and the mountains quake, or it seems to be that way in my heart…but I will Trust in Him. He is Other, and sees a thing at its end.
Why oh why, do I only “see” the end WITHOUT Him?
Will His Grace run out?
Will His Love run out?
Is he Man or Woman that He tires?
No. He holds entire galaxies on His finger!
Selah.
What are mysteries to us, are laid bare to Him–He knows it all.
I know this–but I find it hard to believe–my eye is too small, my mind too dull.
I must fix my eyes on Him, and let go of me.
If I die because He seems to release me, will He not catch me?
Am I not worth more than many sparrows?
Selah.
If he brings me to suffering–of the body, or heart, or both,
will He not be by my side?
Can I not accept both good and bad from His hand?
I must step down from my little throne, for my territory is small.
Let Him enlarge my borders, my vision, and my faith!
We choose Half-Life, safer, but not ALIVE.
He bids us step out into the dark. Step onto the waves,
On to the 2nd Approach, as I am calling these. (See Openness for the first of these three Approaches.) What do I mean by lightness? To start, I draw from my inspiration from words Jesus spoke in Matthew’s Gospel (11:28-30) in the Christian Scriptures:
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I find this to be a touchstone for me. Jesus beckons us to come to Him for rest. This invitation is even more powerful and needed in our hectic, and fast-paced world. If you live in suburban America on the East Coast in New York, you “get it”. But no matter where you live, or your “status” in life, you know you need rest regularly! Then Jesus says to take His yoke on you, and learn from Him. I imagine a farming image of two oxen being yoked to pull a plow or whatever. The yoke binds them and enables them to share the load. This is just my image, and I have not dug into all the scholarly interpretation of this. I am not saying we are oxen–but we all know that a burden shared reduces the load. I know so often I don’t say how I am doing or not doing as I don’t want to “burden” someone! Yes, we do need to be careful who we trust and share with, but if you have people that you can share honestly with in your life-USE them.
My yoke is easy, Jesus says. This is harder to grasp I feel, and doesn’t jive so well with the taking up of our crosses that we Christians hear so often! But I believe with Jesus there is a “flow”, a Life-Flow, a Love-Flow, an Alignment with Him, that He is inviting us into. It is “easy” in a way we do not readily understand, and is light. It has a “lightness” to it. We have to tap into it–but it is readily available!
We can all understand heaviness versus lightness, a feather versus a rock. We get that a leaf is light and floats on water. We can also understand heaviness of heart, versus lightness of feeling and being. I believe Jesus invites us all into a Lightness of Being-His Lightness.
Having OCD, I know I am too often not light, not unheavy. I am too filled with my own thoughts, my own feelings, my own opinions. I am too concerned with what others think of me, or are they pleased with me. I am way to often occupied with the “mind-reading” Pete Scazzero talks about in his Emotionally Healthy teachings. He and his wife are doing a great work helping religious folks to be more emotional and spiritually healthy. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org (Link included. I do not know him personally, or receive any benefit from linking to him.)
So, I am not “light” many times in mind, or in heart, or in action. To return to that image of last week with Reverend Bill Hunter and his outstretched arms, I must be open and receive Lightness. I must receive Lightness of Being, Lightness of Approach. If Openness as I defined it last week was how I approach the world and people in it, Lightness is how I am in myself. Am I taking myself to seriously? Have I made this situation the “end of the world”? I have far-far too much drama in my own head over what I think may happen, or what someone will say or do–that often times (most times) NEVER happens even remotely as I have fantasied it would. Yikes!
For me, Jesus is saying: “Eric, you don’t need to add all this context and projection onto this situation. You can just follow me, and let me show you, guide you, and lead you.” When I allow that into my soul, when I am Open to that, I experience His Lightness.
I recently had a flood in my basement from a torn pool liner that ultimately caused my whole basement to have to be ripped up. (Crazy story.) I was angry that it happened, angry that I had to deal with it, and blaming myself mysteriously that somehow I should have anticipated that happening! I was “in my head”, and of course wondered: Why is God letting this destructive thing happen in my life?
We can get lost in ‘Why?’ Somewhere, someone said to me, or I read it, that we should also ask: “Why not?” If we are in Christian Practice, Jesus said you WILL have trouble in life, not might, will.
“In this…world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” John 16: 33, The Message
Flooded basements are part of the Journey. I can do it in my practices with Jesus, yoked and bonded with Him. Or, I can tune Him out and complain.
We can close ourselves off from whatever Divine Principle we acknowledge.
There was no loss of personal affects. No one died. A floor has to be replaced, lots of cleaning, re-painting, etc. But I did not lose my whole house. My main living space is just fine. I am blessed to be able to afford insurance that will cover this disaster. My life will go on.
But inside my head, it felt like I lost so much more: the peace of my well ordered home, and how I wanted the coming weeks to go. There may yet be unexpected expenses I will incur, who knows? My ego was not allowed to have its way! Nature, and the flukiness of the Universe said: Nope. God allowed this to happen, obviously. He could have directed water elsewhere. I believe He clearly did that in Exodus, and calmed the sea in the Gospels, but He did not do that here! Could it be that as I write these things, I too must learn them more deeply? I thought I was just writing a little blog. I too am learning, right along with you, dear reader!
Regardless–I believe I am on a Journey. This is a Spiritual Journey, that my life takes place in. There are wonderful moments, like getting married, (twice). There are sad moments, like my Father dying suddenly of a heart attack in the height of Covid, and there are sucky moments, like my basement being flooded. In the good, and the bad, I must remember the words of Job in the Jewish Scriptures:
“We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?” Job 2:10, The Message
In each situation, high and low, I can receive Divine Lightness, and Divine easiness. I can receive God’s flowing love. It doesn’t seem easy–but Jesus says it is. So, I will receive it, and continue with it and in it. I can breathe. I can drop my shoulders, for at least a few minutes. I may feel sad or angry, hurt or bewildered, but I can do it with some Lightness. I conclude with a phrase that has been whispered in my soul for a long time:
The Psalms Project, like other upcoming writing projects, is my attempt to take the spirit of the Psalms and re-apply them and write new ones for today. I am NOT trying to replace the amazing Psalms already in the Bible! I am in no way trying to paraphrase or restate each Psalm. My Psalm 1 has nothing to do with Psalm 1 in the Scriptures. I view the Psalms as a national and personal Prayer Journal of the Jews of old, speaking to us TODAY about how to be honest and open before God, with anger, sadness, great joy, and even sometimes flawed human thinking, just to name a few. So, I invite you to play along, see what you might identify with or relate to in these. So, here is another Psalm for a Modern Day. And yes, I do pay homage many times to the originals–how could I not?
Mouth
Oh Lord, be with my Mouth, like the Prophets of old. So often words come out-words born of thoughts that are not of you.
Thoughts whirling, whirling, whirling and churning of me, me, me.
I have no power, for like the Moon above, I give no light, but can only reflect it.
So be with my mouth! Be in me, be in my thoughts, that my words may be of you, for you–and be YOUR words.
Oh Lord, I thank you, for you are so gracious, and patient–you sit with us in our swirling minds and hearts, even when the roar of them deafens us to your Voice.
This is one of your great Attributes: your patience, and long-suffering with us.
You are greatly to be praised.
Selah.
I repent of my foolish heart, and foolish lips.
Touch me with the coal, that I may be cleansed at the altar.
I return now to the First of what I call the Three Approaches. I believe these are fundamental ways to frame the world, go into it, and be in it. The genesis of this first one is really from a Pastor name Bill Hunter from some 20-plus years ago. He was a Methodist minister, and pastored my little Reformed church in Shandaken, NY of the USA some years ago. He has since passed away–but his legacy lives on. (Link to obituary below.) Often in his preaching at church, he would extend his arms in a big welcoming embrace, and say emphatically: “Just open yourself to God…”
I always loved that–I can still see his big smile, with large glasses on his aged face. In that moment he was expressing the heart of God, a heart of love. (Remember, I said there would be God-stuff here–please play along.)
What a beautiful posture, what a beautiful approach. He was NOT standing there with arms folded, fists clenched, scowling. He stood there smiling, arms outstretched and welcoming. I can’t honestly tell you much about what he taught me about Scripture, or Christian living. This is not to say that he was not a good teacher, as he was quite learned, well spoken, and very smart.
What I do remember was how he touched my heart, how he touched my soul, and how he showed me how to be welcoming and open to God.
The Reverend Bill Hunter influenced this blog–he helped shape me. He shaped me with a smile and outstretched arms, and an insanely simple message: “Just open yourself to God…”
But what does that mean? “Open yourself”?
A quick search on the web describes ‘open’ like this: allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space; not closed or blocked up.https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ Allowing access, and not closed. When we are open, we allow access to our minds, hearts, and opinions. We allow ourselves to be changed or influenced. We’re not closed to others, we are not closed to others thoughts and opinions. Expanding this, openness can also apply to how we perceive the world: Are we curious, or judgmental? (Ted Lasso) Can we live and let live? Do I enter relationships convinced my way is right, or that my opinion is right?
I am not saying you must throw out cherished beliefs, (religious or otherwise), values, or strong opinions. But can you be open to what others think or believe? If you live in America, you know we have very polarizing politics, and that the openness I am writing about is not the highest value for some! But can we not, each of us, start bringing some openness back? Can we bring some openess back to our tables, our discussions at the ‘watercooler’, our posts, our daily lives?
We know there are billions of us on this Third Planet from the Star Sol. There are numerous beliefs, ideas, interpretations, perceptions, and the like. Can we not simply ask: “What do you think about this?” “How do you see this?” “What is stirred in you by this information/happening/situation?” Can we be polite enough to listen? My dear wife reminds me to listen–not just bide my time until I can make my next point! I am not at times really being open to what my wife is saying–and I was told a long time ago by the Spirit to really listen to her. When I have, we have made better financial decisions, had softer/gentler responses to people, been helpful to people others missed, on and on. This is not just because my wife is amazing (Love you, Honey), but because I chose and choose to be open to what she brings to the table.
My wife and I married later in life-me in my 40’s and her in her 50’s, so she lived a 1/2 century before I showed up. How foolish would I be to not listen to her opinions? While some situations demand quick decisive actions, like emergencies, and too much poll-taking can prevent anything from getting done. But giving others a voice, and being open to others needs/desires can foster community, empowerment, and ultimately a more just and whole society, that I think we all really want, deep down inside. More to write on that later.
Consider openness as an approach to have with your significant other, child, co-worker, classmate, neighbor, or friend. Allow some access to their opinion, and yours–not just to label it as wrong or right, but to listen. We are all children of God, I believe. As I wrote in “Transitions” (see earlier post), I believe we are each a beloved Son or Daughter of God. This means each person is valuable, and each viewpoint is valuable. Yes, there must be consensus, and opinions have to sometimes become actions and policies, etc. But we can be nice about it, gentle about it, and kind about it.
Aligning with love starts with openness. It starts with listening-really listening. It starts with not seeing everything, or everyone, as out to frustrate you, hurt you, or taking something from you. It starts with not being angry with other drivers, (if you drive), assuming they are idiots. Maybe that erratic, distracted driver just found out a loved one is in the hospital. Maybe they will lose their job of they are late again, and so blow through a stop sign. (Giving real examples from my own commute. ) Can I pause, and listen when my 16 year old son asks me to “hear him out”? Or did I already make up my mind?
Let God/Spirit/Divine Flow do some mind re-making in your thoughts and opinions. We are not always right, have all the information, or have considered every angle. It just isn’t possible. Be open to the universe around you, what might be brought to you, taught to you, and given to you. You might be surprised, when you allow some openness into your heart. Maybe that annoying person is a lot more like you than you thought. Maybe you can be a little less annoying to others, by listening a little more, and hearing how that other person is experiencing life. Yes, we can be annoying to others–I know I can be-my wife tells me so, now and again.
So try it–actually do it, and become it–more open to God, yourself, people, and life.
When next I write my “new” post, I will write about the 2nd Approach: Lightness.
As I said in “What’s it all about?” I will try to post an Older Writing later in the week. I have decided to only lightly edit these, partly due to time constraints, but also to leave them as they were, unless I find my views have radically changed. This one is from Valentine’s 2003. I was in my twenties, unmarried, and wrote from a place of not having a ‘significant other’, and connecting that to how God loves us, no matter who is, or isn’t, in our lives to love us. I am surprised how well it fits nicely with the theme of the blog, more than 20 years later! This one is more overtly Christian–as I was writing to a small group of Christian folk at the time.
“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. “ Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (NIV)
Valentine’s Day. A day for cards and flowers. A day for chocolates and romantic dinners. But for many, it will be a day that disappoints. For many today have no “special someone” to enliven their day. And some have a special someone–but he or she will not likely “come through” with much that is romantic. And so this day will slip away, with unfulfilled dreams, left for yet another Valentine’s Day…
I happen to fall into the “have no special someone” category. But here I bring you a Valentine’s Meditation. Why? Wouldn’t I be happier just putting this day far from my mind? Ah, but love is more than a feeling–far more, even, than a Hallmark card. Love is something you give, not something you get. Some years ago, I made a simple decision: Since I have no “special someone” to faun over today–I will give kindness and love to all I meet today. I will spread some love rather then bemoan its apparent absence in my life. I will give and not take.
Our culture has such a limited understanding of love, and the word slips from our mouths so easily: “I love that food…” I love this color..” I love so-and so…” Yet what do we mean?
Some years ago, when I was far younger and even more foolish, I recall an extended phone call with a young lady, who at last worked her way up to the real meaning of the call, to tell me: “..well, I just really wanted to say, I love you, Eric…” And having not heard those words yet in my life from a non-family member, I stammered back: “I love you, too…” But later, I thought, what does that mean? And of course, the “L” word was used frequently from that point on in our conversations, but I said those three words: “I love you” without much forethought. (Yeah, I was very young then.)
Yet despite the power of saying those words, the relationship eventually fizzled. (That tale is far longer than your cup of coffee will last, not to mention your patience.) For love is more than just those three words. It is more than lengthy long-distance phone calls, more than expensive rings, and endless trinkets that show one’s affections. Love is far deeper than all these things. Consider the familiar words of the Apostle Paul in the Christian Scriptures:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Cor 13:4-8 (NIV)
Do we practice these things? I must confess that the reason my young romance failed was due to a failure to practice those principles above. I wasn’t very humble–I quickly pointed out this young lady’s faults, and I was certainly self-seeking. I was far more interested in how good it made me feel to have her attention than in giving her my attention and affection. In other words, I focused on what I could get from her , not what I could give to her.
I am a little older, and just a bit wiser, today. I look at those words of Paul and say, “How romantic…” But then I say: “There’s no way I can do all those!” And I remember that just like everything else–I need God to teach me how to love.For God is love. Try my rewording of the Corinthians passage:
God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. God is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.
Notice how pretty seamlessly His name can be substituted? Because He is love. And when I was stupid and rebellious, and “shook my fist up towards the sky and most of those who loved me”, (Russ Taff), He kept reaching out to me. When I drifted from my calling and tried to find fulfillment apart from Him, He gently whispered: “You do not belong here. Come home…” And to each of you who wander at times, His whisper is the same: “I love you, Son, I love you Daughter, come home…”
In my short life, I can truly say His love is overwhelming. In fact, I feel that our very existence is simply the physical manifestation of God’s love. For consider: Love must have an object. You can not simply love, you must love something. And so if God is love, He too must love something: And that is His creation, which includes us. The Cross on Calvary will always be His reminder of how much He loved us. Flowers will die. A dinner will be enjoyed, but your stomach will get empty again. Candles will burn out, and spouses will be forever imperfect.
But the Cross will remain, yet forever in the shadow of an empty tomb.
As you gaze out at this world, and if you’re feeling just a little lonely, know that you are not alone. God sees your hurts. He will heal them, in due time. He knows of the adolescent dreams that perhaps never happened–He knows of the “empty spots” in your heart that only He can fill.
Let Him fill those areas of your life. I am filling those empty spaces by giving back my time and talents. And so the “empty spaces” get a little smaller. Be blessed all, may you have a Happy Valentine’s Day. May you know that your first Valentine’s gift did not come in grade school, high school, or college, it came two thousand years ago on Calvary.
The King loves you all very much. Try to remember that today. Human love is but a reflection of the Divine love. Realize its limitations and accept it. Someday, you will be “wrapped inside love, as though you are wrapped in a warm blanket…” But that is to be found in another Land, that only seems far from here. It is, I believe, closer than the air you breathe…
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Before I continue writing about Openness, I realized I should write a little more about me–and what is the point of all this, so…
So, why should you bother reading this blog? Well, maybe you know me, or like me, or read some of my posts on Mastodon. I have labeled myself a writer, philosopher, and aspiring mystic. I come with no fancy credentials, or degrees. Like other things in my life, I backed into this, as I have spent most of my life in banking. But I always loved to write. I loved writing essays in college, while listening to Classical music, pretending I was creating something great, like Beethoven or Mozart.
I don’t profess to be some “great writer”, although my mother told me I had a “way with words”. (Love you, Mom.)
When I was a boy, I recall an assignment to write about a picture of Mickey Mouse. Everyone else wrote a few sentences, but I wrote pages. I’d love to find it—not because I think it was so great—but what did little-kid me write in those pages?
I think of the line from Chariots of Fire—“When I run, I feel (God’s) pleasure.” That’s how I feel when I write—like I am doing the “real thing” I am here to do. Not that the other things I do are “less than” or less important.
There’s almost 50 years of ideas in this mind and heart—that I will now spill out onto the digital page.
In the words of Leo Babauta from Zen Habits, “Come along and play with me.” I will write “religious stuff”, as that is my background as a Convergent Christian, but I believe in a very “reimagined” version of Christianity, learned from reading and listening to the likes of Richard Rohr and James Finley, and other Christian mystics they have alerted me to.
If you have had bad experiences with “Christianity”—don’t check out. There is going to be much, much, more here than just some in-your-face Christian rhetoric.
I have years of essays and journals in storage ready now to be cracked open. I intend to weave my experiences with the counseling I studied in school, my own “musings” on this life, as well as Jewish and Christian scriptures and readings, but not exclusively. I think God is speaking to us in many different ways if we have “ears to hear”, so I may write on something in Nature, or something from Science Fiction, whatever speaks to me.
I ultimately want to lay out my thoughts on the world—such as things I now call “The Approaches”, or the “Theory of the Realms”, or the “Unholy Trinity”. I intend to write on the importance of Practice, and emotional/mental wellness, and how we navigate this complicated world with peace and balance. Of course, a blog entitled “Align with Love” is going to talk about love-a lot. It’s going to talk about Alignment a lot, and what that even means. I also want to encourage you, as there are too many voices in the world forever telling us we are not “good enough”.
I hope to say things you probably heard many times before, but in a different way, so you can finally hear it all the other times it was said. I want you to hear healing words, words that will help you on your Journey of Life.
Think of me as an adjunct to whatever Practices you do to stay sane, connect with God, Spirit, or Higher Consciousness, or maybe just something to meditate on. I will help point you to other things and people that can get you more “in sync” with yourself, and align you more deeply with those “Realms”, and Love, as I mentioned earlier.
I am not a therapist, counselor, Pastor, or Priest. I’m just a Friend, who wants to share his thoughts.
The plan right now is to release a weekly Meditation or Essay each Monday, and then something from “the Vault” on Friday, that is old for me, but new for you.
So, play along, and read along, for you might learn something, and you might hear something that will help you in your daily life to become that person you are supposed to be—as others have said, your “True Self”. That is the hope. And when you read, put on some tea or coffee, or whatever you like to drink, and slow down, breathe, and read what I have for you in the future.
Healing words require you to slow down.
And yes, please comment, or throw out ideas for topics that you want me to write about it, as you get more familiar with what I am writing about. Please know I will try to read everything, but may not be able to respond to everything, as I do have a “day job”. I appreciate your time to even read this—and I will try my very best to make it worth your while.
I sat here some two years ago, really. I was trying to learn to use WordPress. They say it’s easy–but it’s not, at least not to me. I thought I was pretty tech savy–but this is not as easy as it seems. Eventually I figured it out–then started building this ‘space’, this place where I will reveal my thoughts to the world–and maybe somebody, somewhere, will care. Then another pause. Work things, and Church things, Life things, a myriad of things–and the months slipped by. No blame on any of those things, mind you, all of them are what they are. We all get busy.
Then its me and this MacBook, and a desk, and Arvo Part serenading me. Here we are (again). This is scary. I write it, hope it makes sense, and hit ‘send’ and away it goes. There are myriads of others who do this, write books, speak, do all the things I think I want to do, and do them so much better. (I imagine. ) But they too had to start just like this: write it down and hit send.
I know the Voice that spoke to me as a boy–that whispered that I came here to earth to do this–to write. Not that I am so special, or clever, but I am called, as religious folks, as Christians say, to do this. This is the time. This is the place. This is the moment-the now.
Every creative person, or not-so creative person has this moment. They paint that first brush stoke, write that first word, take that first step, smile, extend that hand, or whatever. A “job” I did is coming to an end. There’s no more ‘extra’ things to hide behind. There is no more, “I have to do this and this AND this, AND that–and then (then) I can write publicly.
It’s time–the Voice whispers: “Go–I am with you. Teach what I have taught you-teach what you have learned to any who will listen. Go forward. Go forth.”
Like the experience of the Prophet Elijah, in the Jewish Scriptures, there is only the Gentle Whisper: “Tell them this: YOU are my Beloved Son or Daughter, in whom I am well pleased. Peace be with you.”
If you know the New Testament Scriptures in the Bible–these are words God spoke over Jesus, and words Jesus spoke over His Disciples after his resurrection. You may not believe them because you think it is religious mumbo-jumbo, or you believe it was said and happened, but it is not for you. It can’t be believed, and surely there is no peace with the Almighty!
I am here to tell you that what was said over Jesus is being said over you: You are God’s beloved child–and He is not against you, but for you. He (They) is for you, no matter what is going on. No matter if you are not quite sure about Him/Her, even if you are not sure if such a Being could exist. Even if you are not sure, as you see “religious people”, (some of whom are doing all manner of crazy things), have horribly warped the path to God, filling it with landmines and barbed wire.
God is not just for you, but is at peace with you–has made peace with you, already. As Eugene Peterson wrote in his “Message” Translation of Paul’s Letter to the Romans: “And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand – out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.” (The Message, Romans 5:2-12, bold text my own)
Don’t “check out” as I quote the Bible, see that Peterson translates as we “throw open our doors to God”–as we open ourselves to God, we come to experience that peace, that Greater Reality.
And so next time, we will start with one of the three most important Approaches I believe we can have, not just spiritually, but in life: Openness.
The Psalms Project, like other upcoming writing projects, is my attempt to take the spirit of the Psalms and re-apply them and write new ones for today. I am NOT trying to replace the amazing Psalms already in the Bible! I am in no way trying to paraphrase or restate each Psalm. My Psalm 1 has nothing to do with Psalm 1 in the Scriptures. I view the Psalms as a national and personal Prayer Journal of the Jews of old, speaking to us TODAY about how to be honest and open before God, with anger, sadness, great joy, and even sometimes flawed human thinking, just to name a few. So, I invite you to play along, see what you might identify with or relate to in these. I am still working out my rhythm with this Blog, so I leave you with my First Psalm for a Modern Day. And yes, I do pay homage many times to the originals–how could I not?
Silence
Quietness. That is all that is heard. Silence. I saw a flicker of Light. I dreamed a dream and then forgot it. Then there was a memory, but it slipped away…
There is the Sparkle of Light, the Light that glistens in all Life.
Our ignorance of it does not change it.
IT IS.
It is Him–in all things, binding all things, guiding all things that open themselves.
Empty the cup of the mind, that you may receive Something.
“Too full”, we cry out, and receive nothing.
So, we feel nothing, and seem to be nothing.
“Be still and know, that I AM…”
The Sparkle grows bright, shining in and out, for all to feel.
“The words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, are acceptable to your sight…”
One within. One without. We are One.
Words that are only known in Higher Realms can properly express the Moment.
I was planning to build out my “Posting Calendar” of what I would write and when, but in Morning Prayer today, I kept hearing the Word ‘simplicity’, and decided to write about it, before I get into more of the Calendar. Let God move, and the Creative Flow have it’s way!
It’s so easy for us to complicate things–we all know this. We live in a complicated world. Hang around me long enough, and I will yell: “Why can’t things just be simple?” Not everything is simple. I am an accountant by day, so I know this. Finances are NOT simple.
But I complicate my Inner Life. Fretting about how I said something: was I sincere enough, did I spend too much time on this, was I mean, on and on. When you have OCD, these voices are incessant! Future posts will delve into my “Theory of the Realms”. But for now, the Inner Realm, of our soul, or inner thoughts and feelings, this is an area where I feel we complicate ourselves. We want to feel a certain way, or think our thoughts should be a certain way. If you are Christian–we can quickly “beat ourselves up” over what is going on between our ears!
So, some healthy thoughts, flowing from my reading and praying. Try to imagine that stream of feelings and thoughts, as that: a Stream of Thoughts and Feelings. Be standing on the shore, and develop some detachment to watch some of what goes by. My biggest issue is to get lost in all those thoughts and feelings, or begin to judge them, and over-moralize them. These thoughts and feelings are just that: thoughts and feelings. I do NOT have to fix them, necessarily. Other people, more learned then me, talk about mindfulness, and that is what is needed. Just observe what is going on in your head without all the judging.
Simplicity is not taking ourselves too seriously, having some lightness with how we approach things, and there is so much more to say on that! As Christians, I think we quickly over-judge ourselves if we are angry, or feel frustrated with someone else. If our thoughts are not “holy”, and we have our own definitions of that, we quickly feel “less than”.
The words of Psalm 46 from the Hebrew Scriptures ring true again: “Be Still, and know…”
Try today to be still among all the To-Do’s. Be simple. Breathe. Don’t try to fix every little thought and feeling. Instead, ask God to show you what He (She) may want to regarding those thoughts. Maybe more compassion is needed for a co-worker, child, or spouse. Maybe we over-booked our day, and are now feeling stressed-out at 9AM. Breathe. Be present to what is right in front of you. When I was in 12-Step Practice, I was asked: “Where are your feet, Eric?” And I would say, very annoyed: “Right here, on this floor.” Then that person would say: “So should the rest of you.”
So, be where you are, right now. Breathe. Do what is in front of you to do. If you follow Christian Practice, the Holy Spirit is in you and all around you, to remind, guide and direct you. Trust that! If that is not your Practice, be open to what I call: “The Great Flow” of the Universe, which is really the same thing, just said more expansively.
Enjoy your day. Remember: you can start your day over anytime.
If you stumbled here by accident, you didn’t. I am a writer who is about to start writing a blog about love, a re-imagining of Faith, and subsequent Responses and Actions. While I come from a Christian perspective–you will find things here from other Practices, and we WILL have fun! I am nobody special, just an accountant by day who likes to write, and feels like he has something interesting to say about life, that people will find helpful.
Maybe slightly, moderately intrigued? What could a bean-counter have to teach me?
Well, don’t tune out–bookmark and be patient. You can even subscribe in the meantime. I am still building this thing out.
