Author Archives: Joyce

How Far I’ve Come

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

Well, I’m on my way! I’m operating on about four hours’ sleep, but that’s part of the adventure! The 5:50 a.m. flight departing from Prescott Regional Airport went without a hitch. It was nice to be at a small airport again, reminiscent of the days when my private pilot friend and I would fly from Islip, Long Island, NY to have dinner in Nantucket, RI; venture down to the Bahamas and explore cays that were not accessible to visitors flying commercially; and a host of other adventures (or mishaps as the case may be). Here I now sit in Denver International Airport waiting for the next puddle jumper—well, not really—flight to my final destination, Grand Junction. There awaits a week of fun and connection with my dearest friend, Esther, and her wife. We plan to go tube kayaking on the Colorado River; meet with their numerous friends; attend a CSL Sunday service; play Mexican Train; celebrate my birthday; and, most unexpectedly, go house hunting! … which leads me to the main topic of today’s blog post: gratitude. Gratitude for how far I’ve come. After getting a little rest on my flight from Prescott to Denver, it started registering with me … Continue reading →

Doing Versus Being

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

“When I focus too much on doing, I forget to be. “I am much more than a task master. Yes, I can get things done, but if I forget to be in the middle of my do, I lose the best part. When I’m not be-ing, there’ no one there to enjoy what I’m do-ing… As I be when I do, there is more of me present. And as I do when I be, I am more alive.” – From “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life,” by Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe, June 17 When I read the aforementioned this morning, I said, “uh-oh”, that going to be me today! I am often challenged by the doing versus being juggling act in my everyday life, but with all that’s going on these days, today was going to be one where the balance between doing versus being would be strained. As I prepare for my out-of-state trip, I thought it prudent to take at least half the day off from my job (no work, no pay). Not only did I have to pack, but the other primary task to accomplish was prepping the new computer I was taking with me. … Continue reading →

Believing that God Exists

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

Once you accept the existence of God—however you define Him, however you explain your relationship to Him—then you are caught forever with His presence in the center of all things. – Morris West “Having our Higher Power as an integral part of how we experience all the hours of a day (whether they hold burdens or blessings) heightens our awareness of the fullness of our life. Believing that God exists for us and in us profoundly changes how we see every aspect of our day. “A number of us didn’t believe in God when we joined a Twelve Step program. Or if we did, many of us believed in a demanding or punishing God who had no relevance to our daily life. What a difference it makes to let a loving God take charge of our thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and plans for the future.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 16 *As We Understand God I was one of those individuals that didn’t believe in God when I joined a Twelve Step program. I was a devout atheist, and even though I’d suffered with an eating disorder my entire life, it took me five years … Continue reading →

There is Some Benefit in Everything

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

There is nothing the body suffers the soul may not profit by. – George Meredith “Adversity comes in many forms, and it is sure to come to everyone. This might seem unfair to those of us who are recovering and trying to live by our faith. But it helps us to know there is some benefit in everything we experience. “God’s help is always available to us… God always shows us the way out of adversity and makes it an occasion for growth—if we are willing to listen to God.” Adversity that comes my way can be an opportunity to learn. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 15 *As We Understand God Along the lines of the aforementioned excerpt from this morning’s reading, I have come to believe that there is a blessing in everything. Now, I know that that’s a broad statement and some might object, thinking how can that apply to adverse situations such as the pandemic, for instance. During the pandemic, for a large portion of the population, being forced to stay home provided the opportunity for people to slow down, spend more time with their family, try out new pastimes, acquire … Continue reading →

God’s Invitations to Grow

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

“When we withdraw our opinions as to who people should be, we loosen our grasp and give ourselves the opportunity to know people for who they are. We are then free to truly know ourselves and share what we learn with others. “Holding on tightly to the past—the known—can shut us off from God’s invitations to grow. Our openness to the unfamiliar, whether ideas or people or new opportunities, will enrich us immeasurably.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 14 *As We Understand God There is no question that being with other people expands my horizons, and even more so when I let them be who they really are. I am only responsible for myself, as is every other individual. Setting them free, sets me free as well. I have an upcoming trip in a few days and I am most excited about it. It’s my first vacation in four years; I’ll be flying from the local regional airport for the first time; I’ll be visiting my dearest friend who relocated to Colorado; we’ll be going tube kayaking on the Colorado River; I’ll be meeting her new friends of her spiritual community; and, the list … Continue reading →

Shimmying and Shaking

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

With the change in season and weather, I’ve been able to start walking more regularly lately. Even though I have to get up earlier than usual on a work day and already am not getting as much sleep as my body needs, some days I am so very eager to get outdoors and really get into power walking. I have this energy in me that I just need to get out and release. There’s a lot going on in my life and it’s stressful. It’s really all positive, but it’s still stressful nonetheless. Physical movement is helpful in calming me. So, I found it timely when settling into my morning sabbath after coming in from my walk, I read the following: “Taylor Swift was right. When you’re stressed out, the best thing you can do is Shake it off. Shimmy shimmy shake shake!“ “Moving my body moves everything… and I release pent-up anger. When I allow myself to move freely, shimmying and shaking, it ignites movement in my mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies as well. Freedom! Release! Yay!” – “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life,” by Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe, June 13 There is healing in movement in … Continue reading →

Spiritual Bypassing

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

“… Beware of being so heavenly minded you are no earthly good. “We evolve by being involved… Periods of heightened spiritual experience are not excuses to dismiss the realities of within our human lives. “I work with the balance of one foot in the ethereal and one in the earthly form. “… Bring divinity and sacred connection into the routine of human endeavors…” – Rev. Dr. David Ault “Science of Mind Magazine,” June 12, 2022 I certainly have had times when I just wanted to stay purely focused on Spirit and do nothing else in life. But for numerous reasons, especially my being the sole supporter of moi and not independently wealthy, I’ve had to step into the reality of human life and deal with it. Finding the balance means remembering Spirit as much as possible as I go about my daily life, and incorporating the Divine in my attitude and interactions towards people and situations. The above reading reminded me of the concept of spiritual bypassing, which a past live-in partner of mine employed, impacting my own life greatly and causing the relationship to eventually disintegrate. Spiritual bypassing was coined by the psychotherapist John Wellwood, and it means using … Continue reading →

Use My intelligence

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

“What do you think of God,” the teacher asked. After a pause, the young pupil replied, “He’s not a think, he’s a feel.” – Paul Frost “If our approach to God rested on how much brain power we could summon, a lot of us would be in trouble. We can’t think our way to God. We have to feel our way there.” I don’t have to use my intelligence to get to God. I only have to want God in my life. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 11 *As We Understand God It’s true that when I was a devout atheist, I was searching for proof of God’s existence through my intellect. Not only was the idea of God as postulated by the religions I was familiar with make little sense—in fact, were contradictory—but looking through a lens of logic and the philosophical arguments of respected scholars over the ages failed to prove the existence of God. Yet, joining and working a 12 Step program gave me the evidence I needed. But it was combined with a feeling too. Hearing the stories of miracles and seeing the transformation of individuals gave me the logical … Continue reading →

At the Center

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

Writing this blog focused on spirituality is a daily practice for me, one I kept for 598 days during the years 2008 –2010, and one I committed to again at the start of 2022 for a number of reasons. My life in 2022 is way different than it was back when I made the commitment the first time. One of the big differences is that now I work a full-time job versus being a sole entrepreneur; that has made keeping the daily commitment challenging, but I’ve not missed a single day. Writing usually at night after a long work day doesn’t always yield as well-written a post as I’d like. However, the main purpose is to connect with Spirit, and in the process hopefully gain some insight or at least decide to contemplate an idea at some future time. However, this spiritual practice has also expanded my knowledge further about people, events, philosophies, music, and more. Due to my commitment, I’ve stretched myself to come up with a topic, to improve search engine optimization, to find interesting images, and to be more creative, resulting in me doing a lot of research bearing delightful fruits from that in and of itself. … Continue reading →

Love, Serve, and Remember

joyceskaye.com Posted on by

“Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God, and tell the truth.” — Neem Karoli Baba I suppose the above quote can be interpreted in a variety of fashions. In a way, the directive above sounds pretty clear. If I believe there is only One Power and One Presence in the Universe, then we are all one, part of the One. Therefore, if I can love one person, I love everyone. If I can serve one person, I serve all. To remember God is to realize that God is all there is, the only Reality, the Whole, the One. Love, serve, and remember. I am reminded of the song “Love, Serve and Remember” by John Astin. In it, we are reminded that we came to earth to love, serve, and remember. I have been listening to John Astin’s album “Remembrance” for decades, but it wasn’t until I just did a little research that I learned that John Astin is not only a masterful songwriter and musician, but also works as a research scientist doing cutting-edge research in the area of mind-body medicine. The song “Love, Serve, and Remember” was inspired by the words of Maharaj-ji, aka Neem Karoli Baba, when he told … Continue reading →