Category Archives: awareness – mindfulness

Prayer is…

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Over the centuries many folks have expressed their ideas about prayer. When I first got into recovery, easing away from atheism and moving towards coming to believe, I learned “prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening to God.” Here are some other thoughts about prayer gleaned from today’s “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” *As We Understand God. Prayer is… … an attitude, an awareness of God’s presence … a feeling that we are not alone—ever … a thankfulness, a silent appreciation of and communion with our source … stepping back and letting go I cannot separate any of the aforementioned—they are all part of my attitude as I step into the evening to relax, being aware of Spirit’s presence and hence assured I am not alone, feeling grateful for my Higher Power, and surrendering the evening and everything else to Spirit.

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The Intelligence Within Me

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“I know there is but One Power in the universe and that Power is God. That Power manifests in and through all form, all people, all conditions and so is at the very center of my being. “The Intelligence within me is constantly guiding me.” – “365 Science of Mind: A Year of Daily Wisdom from Ernest Holmes,” May 8 The license plate on my car is GUIDEME. I appreciate the regular reminder when I am out and about in my 2003 Camry; she is named Espiritu, another reminder for me of Spirit’s presence in my life. When I think about it, I can see that the Intelligence within me is truly constantly guiding me. Of course, I need to stay attuned, and I find that I am more and more. When a situation or individual makes me feel uncomfortable, I know I need to pay attention. I might need to pause in order to grasp the full meaning and before I know what to do, what path to go down. But the answer, the guidance is there. Same as with when a situation or person feels easy and comfortable. It’s interesting, and perhaps synchronistic, that today’s topic about following … Continue reading →

All Things Can Be Mended

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The following quote was read during today’s meditation at my spiritual center, and I thought it most apropos for these times: “Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.” – L.R. Knost There surely is so much brokenness evident in today’s world. On quite a major, visible scale, there is Putin viciously attacking Ukraine with no cause… COVID still in our midst… the increasing lack of reason and character in politics… the increasing cost of living and the supply chain still in chaos… powerful climate changes… I can feel mighty discouraged; I am reading the news less and less to help fend off my dismay. I’m reading spiritual literature more to bolster my soul and attitude. I will say that those of us on the planet during these times surely signed up for a wild time! I remind myself that love is our natural emotion, our natural state of being. And, there is a Power for Good that we can use to … Continue reading →

Being Excited About Vacuuming!

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After being engaged Monday through Friday in corporate work, even though it’s the weekend, I designated today as a personal work day. There’s been a lot of adult things needing to be done that I’ve been procrastinating about simply because I just haven’t felt like “adulting”! And, yet, now, at the end of this day of “adulting,” I feel peaceful and serene. In fact, I have felt that way throughout the day—on a mission, but neither hurried nor harried, and in joy. I was very productive: changing the three HVAC filters in my home; working on 2021 taxes (yes, I’ve already filed an extension 😊); making data entries in QuickBooks; writing tithe checks; cooking my weekly batch of kitchari; replying to emails; and, more. My philosophy is that whatever I do, I want to do it in joy, in peace. Now chores don’t always easily fit into that slot. However, when I set the intention and the time to work on them, I actually get enthusiastic about the activity and look forward to that time. Imagine being excited about vacuuming! But, that’s how today was. Not only was I productive, I was efficient, and I enjoyed myself. Plus, I felt … Continue reading →

The Guest House

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The Guest House by Rumi This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from above. – “The Essential Rumi: Translations by Coleman Barks with John Moyne” Tonight, after returning home from my women’s empowerment group, I pulled the above poem out at random as material for today’s daily blog post—it was surely synchronistic! In “The Guest House” Rumi tells us that emotions are valuable, and all are from Spirit. We should embrace them, even the ones we would like to evade, because each can lead to a new state of being and awareness. The range of emotions are part of being in a human suit, all of them part of the whole. It behooves us to … Continue reading →

Spiritual Teachers

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There are so many spiritual teachers in one’s life, and they can take many forms. There are humans, some who are well-known like Pema Chodron, Paramahansa Yogananda, Byron Katie, and countless others. And, there are plenty of other humans not so well-known, those within our circle like family, friends, and work/school colleagues. Sometimes a perfect stranger is a spiritual teacher to us. Then there are the spiritual teachers of the animal kingdom. In today’s reading in “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life,” the authors Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe share their thought that cats are the ultimate spiritual teachers. Cats are the ultimate spiritual teachers. They rest when they’re tired. They purr when they’re happy. They clean up after themselves. And they’re not afraid to show their emotions. Well, I do think the authors are on to something! Surely many of us would do well to learn from the felines and emulate them in living a satisfying, spiritual life. Personally, I’m more of a dog person. Dogs enjoy spending time with humans, far more than cats do. More importantly, dogs show unconditional love, no matter what, even if they’ve been abused by their human. This attribute is definitely a … Continue reading →

Loving Actions

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“A man has no more right to say an uncivil thing to another man than he has to knock him down.” – Dr. Samuel Johnson “Disrespect can be as damaging when quietly conveyed as when forcefully shown. “Hatefulness in any form is never justified. It’s life threatening, in fact, because it deadens our spirit and the spirit of the person we direct it at. “An act of love is an invitation to come alive. We have the opportunity to celebrate life through loving actions toward others. In so doing, we celebrate our own life in God.” Today I will replace my impulses to show contempt or anger with loving actions so that I may know life. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” March 22 *As We Understand God The aforementioned excerpt is yet another reminder for me about how we don’t do anything in a vacuum. Our energy impacts another as we are part of the One. If I injure someone in any way, I am causing harm to myself too. And, of course it’s not uplifting for either spirit nor life-affirming. There is no question when I am loving, and especially when I am in … Continue reading →

Spiritually Alert

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“God speaks to us in many ways at many times. If we are spiritually alert, we will know it when it happens.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” March 13 *As We Understand God When I joined a Twelve Step program, I had no problem admitting I was powerless over food and my life was unmanageable. That took care of Step One. But as a devout atheist, I really had to read a lot, speak with many people (inside and outside of the rooms) in order to take Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. I had always been looking for hard evidence to prove the existence of God—even as an atheist! If you could prove God’s existence to me, I would have become a theist on the turn of a dime! But no one could prove God’s existence with scientific evidence. Still, I needed help with my eating disorder and had to somehow come to believe in a Power greater than myself, which the Judeo-Christian traditions called God. One of the most important ideas for me espoused in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is found … Continue reading →

Nearer, My God

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“The life force that made me is right here. It is closer to me than anything else because it is me. I couldn’t get any closer to the Infinite than I already am. Becoming more aware of this, however, is something I can do.” – “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life,” by Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe, March 4 Yes, Spirit is within me, as close as my breath. But how easily I can forget It, but I do! My daily spiritual practices help me to stay close to Spirit—well, of course, we’re close, we’re One! Close in my awareness, that is. My morning practice includes: chanting leading into silent meditation; Naam yoga; prayer at my breakfast meal and sending, love, light, and healing out to individuals and the world at large; contemplating several readings from various authors (like the quote above); and, journaling, closing with “Gratefully, Joyce.” During the course of the day, I strive to be kind, patient; compassionate; and, helpful to my work colleagues and anyone else I cross paths with, as those qualities are, of course, of God. Living/being those attributes strengthens my awareness of Spirit. Knowing I’ll be writing my spiritual blog, I keep … Continue reading →