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#1 Love
When my children and grandchildren were younger I taught them a song about how beautiful the green earth, the stars and the heavens were, but how much more beautiful our world will be when we learn to fill it with love. I have tried to make love my aim, This is not an easy path for along with the wonders of this world, there are many negatives. Realizing negative thoughts do not unite humanity, I am still working on how to handle them. How does one work at the problems of this world without feeding into them? I have a lot of learning and practicing to do but I keep trying and plan to keep growing and learning until the day I die.
Having traveled in 25 different countries I always tried to learn some of their language and try to learn the different customs and meet the people. With respect and appreciation of these people I try to take advantage of the times I have to learn from them. Having finished a tour in Greece I ended up five days in the hospital. My roommate, who was in the dying process, had a private nurse. She and I communicated with smiles and our hands. One day I asked her about “familia.” She put up 11 fingers. She made a diving gesture for her twelfth which I interpreted as “died.” She tore her fists from her chest and showed tears running down her cheeks which I took to meant that she grieved deeply. I was sitting as she stood. I put up my hands and took hers. We stayed that way for about three - five minutes. Then she kissed me on both cheeks and put her hands together as “thanks.” What a bonding and serendipity experience. Love does transcend language differences.
The year I taught English in China I realized anew that we are all part of one big whole. We enjoy the same moon, the same sun, many things. We also have many differences. What a truly wonderful, varied world our God has created.
Life is indeed precious AND precarious so I will enjoy this gift fully as long as I have it. And I pray that all people on the face of this earth may also be able to one day enjoy their life and live in peace and unafraid.
Dorotha Fry Mason
North Manchester, Indiana
#5 Who am I in this world
I shall start with a thankful heart, for each day I find thanksgivings as I awake.
And as I write these words, my spirit soars at the very thought
of all that I am indeed thankful for!!
I love this life... I love this life... all that is pure and lovely... as well as moments
of struggle and sorrow.
I love this life for I find God here, in this reality, and I seek to
know this wondrous God in all and through all.
I want God to grow me, to deepen me, to keep that loving arm around me as we
walk this path that is divinely human.
I want my soul to remain as clay in God’s hands.
I love to create... bits of creative life tumble out from my own... but more than this...
I love being created and re-created moment by moment.
I care.
I care about you. I care about your day to day existence. I care about your joy.
I care about how you feel in God’s hands.
I often want to help you, to love you as the Spirit calls us to love one another,
but many times I find that I don’t yet know how to do this.
And so I pray. I pray for you, and I pray for me.
Prayer gathers us all together
and whispers us into spaces of compassion, forgiveness, and peace.
I trust that God is in me,
and I trust that God is in you.
I struggle.
I struggle to be patient with my own journey, my own unfolding.
I struggle in that sometimes I don’t understand you, and that
sometimes, I really don’t want to understand you.
Sometimes... it just feels much too hard to find our way to each other.
But here, I am at work with God
continuing to find my way in my humanness.
Can you meet me here?
If you can,
then perhaps we can mirror
morsels of the Divine in each other.
It’s all good, my friend,
even that which appears otherwise.
Hold fast to what rings clear in you.
Listen to your soul
and see if you can hear truths
that sing out from the souls around you.
God’s listening...
to all of us.
Amen.
Kathy Fuller Guisewite
#8 Thoughts of a Friend
I love
The beauty of the earth
The warmth of the sun
The rustling of the treetops
The timelessness of flowing water
The strength of a warm smile
The laughter of children
The touch of a friend
The joy of a powerful song
The tenderness of a kind word
The inspiration of courageous teachers
The understanding that comes from learning something new
The hope of experiencing community
The simple reverence of a candle in the darkness
The infinite mystery of God.
When people disturb me, I try to
Stay calm
Gently distance myself in my mind for a time from the emotional hurt
Listen with my ears, my heart, and my soul
Recognize the intensity of their feelings and match it with sincerity
and authenticity in my response.
Bring God into our midst with a silent plea for mercy and grace.
Kathy Fry-Miller
#9 Frugality and Morality
Getting along with people you don’t like can be difficult. Sometimes getting along requires you to let go of beliefs that are no longer valid. It can also be a chance to take stock of what you stand for. You are forced to think about your values when someone asks you to do something you know in your gut is wrong, Often, when we are asked to do something immoral, it is at the workplace. What if this happens to you? You would be faced with two questions:
If I do this, how will I be able to live with myself? And -
But if I don’t do this, how will I survive without my paycheck?
What is a highly moral thing you can do to prepare for this situation?
Live beneath your means.
How does frugality dovetail with morality? Imagine you are in a situation where you are supposed to do something you know is wrong. Or lose your job. If you are up to your neck in debt and just barely covering expenses from one paycheck to the next, the pressure to do the wrong thing will be almost unbearable.
Colleen Salomon
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From Dreaming to Doing
What are you dreaming about? What gives you hope and energy? What are you longing for? I believe dreams exist only to be accomplished, no matter what types of dreams: change your job, modify relationships, peace on earth, start your own company, build a stronger body and soul, finish school, or move out of the city. My inspiration comes from people who are not afraid of going their own way in life, who block out critics and chooses to listen to their inner voice. Someone that I don’t even know the name of can act like my mental coach from time to time, leading me towards goals I continuously set up for myself. The belief is that we all can be this “brave person” that constantly tries new things and move boundaries to new levels – the sky really is the limit. Can I say yes to a great job offer knowing I will soon become a mother? Can I run 10k without practicing? Can I become a photography assistant without knowing anything about photography? Yes – everything is possible!
Start dreaming, be surprised, and enjoy the ride – no matter where it takes you.
Isabell Henberg Lawless
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