Nov. 10, 2021 During the fall of 2020, in the midst of the ever-threatening Covid-19 pandemic, I enrolled in an online course with an emphasis on creativity and spirituality, based on Christine Valters Paintner’s book, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom (https://abbeyofthearts.com/). This course tugged at my heart because after yearsContinueContinue reading “Creative Community”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
For ALL the Saints
Nov. 1, 2021 “The essential work of religion is to help us recognize and recover the divine image in ourselves and everything else too.” Fr. Richard Rohr I was born into a Roman Catholic family with devout (dogmatic) parents. Yet what I remember most about All Saints’ Day, one of the major feast days inContinueContinue reading “For ALL the Saints”
Packing Bags
October 27, 2021 A most intriguing photo of a little girl, carrying a suitcase while she walks down train tracks, can be found at Istockphoto.com. I do not know who took this photo, but for years I have kept a copy taped to my desk, hoping that one day it will inspire a poem. SoContinueContinue reading “Packing Bags”
On the Road
October 21, 2021 Greetings, friends. It has been five weeks since I have posted a blog, which calls for some sort of explanation. Here in the States, I have been traveling from one coast to the other. In September, we were able to meet good friends in Sonoma, California, where we explored the wine countryContinueContinue reading “On the Road”
Cherish the Day
September 14, 2021 “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”—Thornton Wilder I will be leaving on a 12-day trip tomorrow to visit my sister and her family who live across the country. Yes, I am anxious, not just about the usual worries thatContinueContinue reading “Cherish the Day”
The Eyes of Wabi-Sabi
September 1, 2021 I recently was introduced to the Japanese Buddhist tradition of Wabi-sabi. According to Leonard Koren, “Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional” (Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers). Wabi-sabi has an ancientContinueContinue reading “The Eyes of Wabi-Sabi”
An Invitation to Peace
August 26, 2021 In his book, The Music of Silence: A Sacred Journey Through the Hours of the Day, Brother David Steindl-Rast recalls the story of attending the ordination of Bernie (Tetsugen) Glassman Roshi as Abbot of the Riverside Zendo in New York. Zen teachers worldwide had gathered to celebrate this solemn ceremony, which wasContinueContinue reading “An Invitation to Peace”
God is Love
August 12, 2021 “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) I’m told confession is good for the soul. Let’s find out. Often in my blogs, I comment on how essential it is in this turbulent and angry world to be still, to take a time out, to step back, to watch what we say. However, sometimesContinueContinue reading “God is Love”
Covid-19 Infects Us All
August 3, 2021 The Old Testament of the Bible contains an odd story, among many odd stories: the story of Job. For those not familiar with it, the plot revolves around a bet made between God and Satan in which Satan claims that no one is strong enough to remain faithful to God in theContinueContinue reading “Covid-19 Infects Us All”
“Going” on the Prayer Path
July 26, 2021 Decades later, I still remember a cross-stitched saying in a plain wooden frame that hung on the wall of my family doctor’s office. It read, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” As a child of five or six, I recall being bemused by that quotation. Were hurrier and behinder reallyContinueContinue reading ““Going” on the Prayer Path”
Spirit Reflections 