Sunday, December 20, 2009

Happiness




This beautiful stained glass symbol for Happiness
was made by my dear friend Elaine.

I love how she adds, "Aristotle stated that happiness
(also being well and doing well) is the only thing
that humans desire for its own sake,
unlike riches, honor, health, or even friendship."

What a beautiful wish for any loved one
during this Holy Season.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Together



Being Together.
One of the gifts of Thanksgiving.

Whether physically with loved ones
or there in spirit,
being together is such a gift!

Monday, November 16, 2009

New ER Under African Skies


My sister recently worked with a silent auction to help
raise funds for a new ER in the mountainous rural
Rukunriri district southwest of Uganda.

Last year local workers converted
two rooms and a closet into one open space.
Stretchers, oxygen equipment, splinting materials,
and storage closets were provided through the
fundraising efforts of two doctors.
On June 2, 2008, the first ER of this kind in Africa opened.
They served 500 people that first month.

I love thinking about this:
Since 8 out of 10 leading causes of death before then
had been because of trauma and severe diseases treatable
with quality emergency care, a significant number of lives
are now saved every day of every month!

This November 2009 silent auction raised $16,000!
But.  I don't believe this is enough.
We can do better.  We can raise more.
I'd love for you to help.
Maybe this could be a Christmas present for
someone you love instead of a traditional gift?

Click on the website below for the nonprofit agency
Global Emergency Care Collective
if you're willing to learn more and help.
Thanks!  I think this kind of present is what
Christmas is really all about.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Racing or Enjoying the Sights?




Which one are you today?
(No fair telling me which one I am!)


A friend sent me a prayer/poem
with these beautiful lines (Thanks Linda!):

     There is no substitute for the present moment.
              To enter it slow down
                     Until it envelops you.


     We are always choosing: either
              in fear, keep busy
                     or in wonder, attend.


     There is no way but slowing down
              to see and live truly,
                     to be here and not elsewhere.


I'm slowing moment by moment,
choosing moment by moment,
seeking to see and live truly.

It's not impossible for me this way.
Moment by moment.
How about you?

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Beautiful Souls


We just returned from family vacation in California.
One of our grandaughters was in a
Silent Parade celebrating All Saints Day.
Here she is as St. Barbara.

And here she is as St. Barbara Pinkalicious.
She requested her favorite color,
pink of course, and a cross.

Well ... we had to have fun with pics of each sister.
So we took this one of joyful dancing,
added a magical starry background,
a luminous star on her cheek,
a rainbow of purplicious flowers and crown,
and our princess danced away with her cousin. 


Precious. Precious Souls.
How goes it with your soul today?
Blessed for sure.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Magical Night, Day of Remembering

Last night we walked around
the 16th Street Mall here in Denver
and enjoyed all the creative costumes.

There was also a wondrously fun
pillow-fight tradition at
Larimer Square during
each pedestrian crossing.

Today I'm enjoying All Saints Day
and thinking of dad.

Who are some of the saints you love?

Friday, October 30, 2009

Adventure!


... Creating and thinking of Amelia Earhart
as I prepare to begin a new journey.
I wonder what adventures lie around the corner.
How about you?
What adventures might be ahead for your soul?

Friday, October 23, 2009

Whimsical Palm Tree


Where does your imagination take you today?

If you'd like, come play beneath
my whimsical palm.
Then sit very still.
You might be able to feel
 the warmth of the ocean breeze!

Or ... where else would your soul like to play?

Friday, October 9, 2009

Playing With Color


Sometimes the simplicity of one color speaks to the soul.

What color is your soul today?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Autumn Impressions: What is a Soul Journal, Anyway?

 "Listen! the wind is rising,
and the air is wild with leaves.
We have had our summer evenings,
now for October eves!" ~Humbert Wolfe~

This great quote (thanks Jamie!) reminded me of
journal pages from a couple years ago.
Looking at the pages this morning I can see
echoes of my soul at the time.

I thought that describing the process of making those pages
might be a good way to give you a glimpse into a Soul Journal.

It started one afternoon while I was reading
a Smithsonian Magazine that my husband was finished with.
(Being last to read, I can play with the wonderful images!)
I remember noticing the dark colors in
Beautiful Rain, a painting by Renoir.

Carefully tearing out the picture I thought about
other paintings by Renoir with their bright colors,
children playing, and sunny gardens. Those were the
type of Impressionist paintings that usually appeal to me.
It really surprised me to be moved by these dark autumnal colors.

I pulled out a stash of paints, ink-pads and stamps,
and "stuff" torn from envelopes, magazines,
restaurant napkins, and the like.
(Some of my favorite things to use in my Soul Journal 
pages are bits and pieces of life around me.)

Randomly opening the book I was altering, I took
colored ink-pads and watercolors and began to rub, paint, and
daub on colors that reminded me of fall sunsets.

To create a casual messy softness I rip around images and
then rub a combination of neutral inks over the white edges.
I also crumpled up the red flowers
and brushed sepia over the wrinkles to add depth and interest.

I continued to play around, adding a dried stalk from
my sister's garden and postage stamps that brightened the pages.
Pausing to take a look, they all seemed to want a cozy interior space.
so, looking out the window at the fall leaves in olive green,
dark ochre yellow, and sepia brown, I smudged and layered
those colors until they created warm and safe edges.
(Can you hear echoes of my soul at that time?)

Dark purple and brown inks were used to stamp the
randomly selected clocks, fern, and butterflies
on top of the autumn-sunset colors.
(Again, can you see intuitive symbolism in the selected images?)

Looking back, the way those dark beautiful colors
in the magazine spoke to me now makes some sense.
Recovering from cancer treatments
and working through accompanying depression
it had become increasingly difficult to talk about my feelings.
I had searched around me and scrounged through the
cancer magazines scattered in oncology waiting rooms
but could find no evidence of others struggling with
such depression after treatments.

Everywhere I looked other cancer survivors were
full of sunshine, optimism, and hope.
They were ready to jump back into life,
eager to re-embrace every single day.
And so I had grown deeply ashamed of my depression
and tried to hide it even more than usual.
(I know, while many commented on how good I was doing,
I didn't hide much of anything from those of you
familiar with depression.)

As I flipped through the magazine that day
something about those dark colors resonated with my soul.
And while I noticed how powerful they were to me, I
didn't really try to understand. Instead, I simply
allowed them to be a springboard for
creative play and nonverbal expression.

Soul Journals can be helpful
when words are inadequate, unavailable.
And ... isn't it delightfully ironic how often we
return to words to explain those nonverbal expressions?

Click below or email me and let me know how you Soul-Journal or
how you'd like to begin.  Remember, I'm always glad to
answer questions if you're unsure how to begin.
I love all your comments and emails for those who prefer!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I'd Love to ... But ...


Learning to slow down is a life-long journey for me.

It's not so much learning how ...
if I've forgotten every tip I've ever learned
all I have to do is search the internet and there is
more info than I've ever wanted ...
and I still haven't even begun to slow down.

Usually it's a matter of
following one of my favorite ad slogans:
Just Do It.

Sit still.  Stand still.
Breathe.
Notice.  Breathe.

There.  Do you feel it?
For just a moment we slowed down.
Isn't it a bit different?
Enjoy .. then move on.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

What is a Mandala? Can it help me deal with stress?

Does your mind sometimes run like a hamster racing around a wheel?
Harried desperate and frenzied ... moving in circles?
Since mandalas relate to both sides of the brain
they are a helpful way to deal with the stress and anxiety of life.

With the left brain we can use reason and logic
to acknowledge the frenzy associated with stress
and consider possible forms of healing.


These ancient geometric images of interlocking shapes
are found all around the world.
Their balanced and repetitive patterns
appeal to the left side of the brain. 

Carl Jung encouraged creative and relaxing use of mandalas 
to help the subconscious open up to healing.

Journal flower-doodling
  
Mandalas also appeal to the right side of our brain as we
contemplate them and slowly settle into inner silence.
We find the concentric symmetry of a mandala all around us.
Consider a daffodil, ferris wheel, compass,
or stained glass window.

Rose Window in St. Chapelle, Paris


At this point you might be thinking about
how a mandala can help you deal with your daily stress.

Here are three spiritual practices you might try with mandalas.
* Print and color a mandala with three or four crayons, markers, or colored pencils. You can use one of the ancient sacred geometry mandalas above or the creative mandala below that Catherine Whipple created.

Mandala Swirl 6 by Catherine Whipple
many more mandalas for you to enjoy.


After you print your mandala select colors to use. You may either intentionally choose or randomly select the colors. Slowly color or lightly sketch different sections. The process of repeating or alternating colors around the shape will both derive from and lead you into the subconscious or your deeper self.

** Draw your own mandala.  Any concentric symmetrical shape can serve as a model.  Some people experiment with shapes on a computer; some draw flowers or the spokes of a windmill; others simply doodle with circles, triangles, and other shapes.

*** Reflect on a mandala shape that appeals to you, perhaps something you've noticed around you. As you observe the image you select, soften your eyes and relax your focus; simply rest with the colors and shapes to move into mystery beyond words and thoughts.

Our daughter often finds mandala-like shapes!

Each of these practices is an invitation
into sacred time and holy space.
There is no correct or incorrect technique, 
no proper or improper procedure.
It is the process itself working within us: a means of grace.

I'd love to hear about the process of working with your mandala
or see a picture of it; you can send it to me by email.
Enjoy the journey!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Beautiful Yearning

Last night I ran across
this poignant vintage image;
I spent a thoughtful morning with her
today -- while also learning
how to add the transparent image
and beautiful score of music.

It seems as if every fiber of this woman's
heart, soul, mind, and strength
stretches up in hopeful yearning.

Can you see the lift of every muscle
in her neck, every rib in her torso,
every breath that she takes?

Can you see the hope in her upturned
face, in the soft corner of her eye,
in her gently closed lips?

Hope radiates from her soul,
sings from her heart,
lifts her entire being.

She reminds me of Bernini's exquisite
carving St. Theresa of Avila in
Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.
I'll share that with you one day soon.

But for today, what is it that you yearn for?
What would make your heart sing?
Go ahead and reach for it.
Reach for it like she does, with every fiber of
your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

What Helped?

People often ask me,
What helped you get well?

For the breast cancer it was radiation.
But they usually know that.
It's the depression most people ask about.

It's not an easy question to answer.
I worked so hard to get well -- but it took more than two years.
There were the usuals:
A good counselor, meds, vitamins, healthy food,
plenty of sleep, yoga, meditation, spiritual reflection,
caring family, humor, good books, chic-flicks ...
And time. Lots of time. Much more time than I wanted it to take.

But I'm convinced that the most important thing
for my healing has been friends.

For years my focus had been on our family and the people
in congregations I served as a United Methodist pastor.

I loved everything that I was doing, even thrived on it.
But there was little time left for personal friendships.
And over time this took its toll.

But when I went on medical leave all I had was time.
Time and more time. Time to rest, time to sleep,
time to practice yoga, time to walk, time to bike,
time to meditate, time to journal, time to play the piano,
time to read, time to watch movies, time to do crosswords,
time to visit family ... and time to seek new friendships.

I'm convinced that it's the friendships that turned things around.

Centuries ago Dorotheus of Gaza taught that
our spiritual lives are much like the spokes of a wheel.
The closer we move toward the holy, the center of our being,
the closer we move to one another.
Likewise, the closer we move toward one another,
the closer we move to the holy.

Then there's the corollary.
When we intentionally move away from one another,
and also When we fail to move closer to one another,
we find ourselves moving away from the center, the holy.

Without taking time for myself and deep personal friendships
it was like I was skipping around and around the spokes.
Eventually I found myself spiritually drying up
in a very different way from the natural ebb and flow
of desert times and bountiful times.

It's truly not enough to focus just on our spiritual lives.
The pairing with meaningful relationships provides a rhythm,
a continuity, a balance to our journeys.

Thanks everyone.
You're parading through my mind as I write.

Wow! It's true, I just realized!
Enough friends, enough meaningful friendships,
for an entire parade!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Singing the Blues with Buddy Guy

We planned our day in Chicago:
an afternoon wandering through the Art Institute
and then an evening listening to the blues
at Buddy Guy’s Legends.

What is it about the blues that I love so much?
I think the movie Adventures in Babysitting got it right.
The children and their sitter find themselves
racing through Chicago on a Friday night rescue mission;
they escape one predicament just to find themselves in another.

But things change when they find themselves in a blues club.
They can’t leave until they sing the blues:
Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

They’re slowed down because you can’t escape or run away;
you can only go through what life puts before you.
So Elisabeth Shue (the babysitter) takes the microphone
and tells their woeful story.

It’s amazing what happens when we tell our story.
Things aren’t quite as bad as we thought.
Oh, they may be bad alright,
but naming them takes away ruthless their power.
A little perspective helps too.

This is what I love: when you sing the blues you go through them.
And it’s really the only way.
Oh, I’ve tried other ways. Haven’t you?
The old Spiritual explains it though:
You can’t go around them ‘cause they’re too wide;
you can’t go over them ‘cause they’re too high;
and you can’t go under them ‘cause they’re too low.

So there we were in Chicago
celebrating the blues -- on Buddy Guy’s 73rd birthday.
We showed up early for front row seats,
played pool, and shared our table with new friends.
We sang and listened, laughed and talked.
We shared stories of cancer, unemployment, and new jobs.
We worked our way through the blues
and came out on the other side.

Even news of a positive breast cancer biopsy
could be experienced in a different light.
Our new friend hugged me good-bye
and added through tears, It’s going to be alright.
I pulled back, looked into her eyes,
and saw the strength reflected there.
Yes, I agreed.
It would somehow be alright for them.
For mother and daughter would go through it together.

That’s what the blues brings. Hope.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Eighty-Five and Proud of it!

At age 84 Mom took up water coloring.
"Rose in Vase" is her favorite
(so far she reminds me).

What an inspiring way 
to show us how to live, love, and enjoy life.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Grace: Unconditional No-Matter-What Love

Who does this bring to mind?
Is there someone in your life that
provides this kind of love?

In our family it's 
Mom.  Gramma.  GG (Great-Gramma).
Everyone ... every child, every niece,
every nephew, every grandchild,
every great-grandchild ... everyone
has said at one time or another
Gramma will be there for us No Matter What.

No-Matter-What Love.
Always there.  Always will be.  Always.
That's Grace.
Who do you love like this?
Notice how you're changed, even as
you think about loving someone in this way.
Now ... Enjoy. 

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Delight of Wonder

What would it mean to approach
every day with wonder, as Rabbi Abraham Heschel taught?
What would it mean to see life
as through the lens of a camera, as our son-in-law does?

What would it mean to pause,
to re-approach life with wonder,
so that we might experience
the delightful mystery of life all around us?

Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder.
Surprise me, amaze me, awe me, enrapture me
with Your marvelous things without number.
I do not ask
to see the reason for it all;
I ask only
to share the wonder of it all.
--Abraham Joshua Heschel

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Workshop: Ten Tips to Create a Soul Journal

1. Start
Select a color, a word, a symbol, an image. It doesn't matter what you start with. Just start. With anything. The starting is what matters.
This is one of the first pages I made several years ago. It's still one of my favorites, and I really had no idea what I was doing. I simply started. It's really all about the soul.

2. Play
Let your imagination wander. Allow yourself to freely select words, symbols, colors, images. Remember, this is about the soul, not the intellect, and so things don't have to make sense -- in fact, they may NOT make sense.
The woman wearing aviator glasses was in a funky sports magazine ad. I ripped out the page and set it aside. Later I noticed that she seemed to say to me 'have fun! dare to be daring! you can do anything!' in a powerful combination of playfulness and courage.

3. Mess Around
Use scissors to cut something out ... or simple rip around the edges.
I love this method: because there is no way to make something perfect, there can be no imperfection -- Freedom!!!

4. Select a Journal Page
Did you notice? This does not have to be step one. If you haven't selected a journal or some kind of pages for your background, you can do that now. You can use a journal you already have as long as you're comfortable with a few bumps or wrinkles as you can see here, particularly around the glass tiles.
You can also start with a sheet of paper, a sketch journal from the dollar store, or a book from the reduced-for-quick-sale section at your favorite used book store. That's what I've done. I'm in love with books, and this just made sense to me for my Soul Journals.

5. Begin a Background
I brushed on green paint first. Any kind will work; inexpensive acrylics from a craft store are great. You can dry it more quickly with a hair dryer; then it's helpful to lay a piece of wax paper on top, held down by a heavy book so the pages won't curl. While this dried I leafed through magazines where I found this wonderful quote, the Grecian woman, and the large vintage clock.

6. Add for Depth and Texture
You can continue to work with the background to add layers.
Here I took a pad of dark brown ink to brush the edges and smear around the perimeter. I like to use my fingers, a bit of kitchen sponge, or brushes.
Then I smudged on some darker green paint. There's no rhyme or reason. The layers will add depth and interest ... much as the soul has mystery and unknown dimensions.

7. Mess Around Again
I placed words and pictures, moved them around, selected more items, discarded some, added some back in, and changed everything around again.
This is part of the process: allow the soul to freely wander.
After I cut out the clock (I think it was from a Smithsonian magazine ad) I wrinkled it up into a ball. Using the dark brown ink I rubbed over the wrinkles and around the edges -- instant aging! The numbers were from some product box or another -- there are interesting words and numbers all around us.

8. Stand Back
Do you want to move something a bit? Completely alter the arrangement? Add something else? Trust your intuition.
When it seems done, go ahead and glue down your collage pieces. Can you see a shine on these pages? Sometimes I use clear collage gel that dries with a gloss finish. (Remember, you can dry your pages more quickly with a blow dryer and then re-flatten with wax paper and a heavy book.)

9. Finishing
Ribbon, string, and pieces of fabric can be glued down the center or tied to the side; simply poke holes near the edge of the page, pull fabric or ribbon through and tie. Bronze glass mosaic tiles, dragonfly brads, an old button, and vintage stamps finished off the pages.
Is there still something you decide you want to change? You can. Or you can leave it. Imperfect? Unfinished? ... When is anything perfect? Or finished?
Maybe it's perfectly imperfect just as it is. This is all a process.

10. Enjoy
Have you noticed how a very young toddler will take a picture book and stare at the pictures for ages? I often wonder what's going on inside.
Try the same thing yourself.
Allow your gaze to wander into thoughts, memories, hopes, dreams ... allow yourself to settle into serenity, joy, quietness ... and enjoy the journey.


Look for future posts on continuing your soul journal. Meanwhile, don't forget the first step ... Start.

Please remember to post your comments and ask questions. I'd love to know you've visited and I'm always glad to explain things!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Joyous Dancing Among the Waves ... ... ... ... With Cherries!


"What in God might appear to us as play,
is perhaps what God takes most seriously.
We are invited to forget ourselves on purpose
and join in the general dance."
--Thomas Merton

As my preschool grandson would say,
Amazing, huh?

I've been so excited about sharing this quote with you
that I was up at 3am (!!!) to finish learning
how to combine images on Photoshop to go with it.

Enjoy the quote, enjoy the image,
Enjoy the Dance.

(PS: If you'd like the full quote email me
and I'll gladly send it to you.)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Surprise!

I had my morning coffee with a squirrel
and thought about Emily Dickenson and
Beatrix Potter with their squirrels.

Ours played beneath the corner bench
scrubbing through mulch,
intent on finding some yummy thing.

For one moment I turned my back,
set down my coffee and the last of my toast.

Ohhhh that mischievous neighbor!
But I should have known.

Wonder who enjoyed more
the crispy crunch,
the seeds and grains?

I decided that I did,
for mine was topped with
delightful entertainment,
joy and laughter.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Gazing as Prayer without Words

Just look at the serene blues and greens in this watercolor --
and the tranquil reflections in the water are amazing!
It's the lake I wrote about a couple of posts back.
I'm so grateful to Mike Thomas for permission to use
Boathouse at Smith Lake, Washington Park, Denver.
It really gives a wonderful impression of the the park.

I love how our thoughts and feelings can be subtly
affected by contemplating a setting like this. Last Friday
as I gazed at the currents flowing across the lake,
I slowly rested into hope; that was my prayer.
Words were unnecessary.

When talking isn't helpful and words only get in the way,
gazing at an image can help shift our thoughts -- and in turn
shift our physical and emotional reactions.

For example, have you ever found that talking about a problem
doesn't bring relief, but instead causes a tense visceral reaction?
Things like an anxious tightness in the back, churning knots
in the stomach, or tense clinching around the shoulders.
What I tend to notice first is how my voice rises a level or
two ... or three ... and how my pattern of speech often begins
to gallop into breakneck speed.

By gazing at a calm scene or a soothing watercolor like this,
our mindful attentiveness can become prayer.
When our lives are disrupted and our souls disturbed,
when words are insufficient even in prayer, we can
allow our gaze to settle into prayer without words.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Nicknames

Seeing old friends is great.

You know what else is great?
To be able to respond
when asked "How are you?" with
"I'm cancer free -- and
I'm depression free."

I call them
the "Big C"
and the "Dirty D"

There's power in a name.
Liberating power as well as oppressive power.
There's calm centering power,
and there's also the
whimsical redeeming power of nicknames.

What are some of your favorite nicknames
for struggles or Pains-in-the-Neck?
Favorite practical jokes?
Dreaded foods, days, or tasks?
Alter-egos or an Inner Child?

Friday, July 10, 2009

Tranquil Waters, Gentle Waves

Every Friday morning I meet a group of friends
at one of the parks in the Denver area.

Today we gathered near the Vintage Boathouse at Wash Park.
We spread my Great-Great-Aunt-Sissy's quilt with its faded pink flowers
beneath huge lakeside shade trees and lounged with
our coffee, tea, and morning snacks.

The peaceful water seemed to soothe everything around us.
Even the white geese with trailing toddlers
were more tranquil than usual.


I gazed out over the gently drifting current
and thought of friends whose days and realistic expectations
are anything but calm, serene, or tranquil.

Hundreds of applications and dozens of interviews,
sleepless nights and stressful days,
anxious weeks extending into months.

How long? How long, O Lord? echoes the 13th Psalm.
How long must sorrow remain? How long?

There are no words sufficient for my hopes.
But there are gentle waves drifting by.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Something New to Try!

What might it be like
to lighten our souls, brighten our lives,
and find joyous moments throughout our days?
(How often it is that we think of our life journey
as something 'serious' -- you know,
when even the word 'serious' is spoken
slowly, sedately, and in our deepest voice;
something weighty and pendantic!)
With my new blog,
I hope to share with you
a journey filled with
whimsical creative practices
for joyous moments in a thoughful life.
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