...here's hoping you are Wellington today.
Happy Halloween!
P.S. We tried to make you smile.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
magnificent mandalas
Visit our Labyrinth Wellness Facebook page to see the full photo album!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
gratitude to Schola Ministries for their special sharing...
I was so honored this week that Schola Ministries requested a copy of the recording of The Wisdom of the Labyrinth's July 8th, 2010 episode entitled "The Sacred Music and Ministry of GreenFaith Fellow, Sister Kathleen Deignan" to post on their beautiful website under "Conversations."
Doing this interview was such a blessing to me last summer. The audio recording of it is also shared here in our own blog's sidebar. I hope you enjoy the personal stories of this amazingly soulful individual as much as I have loved listening to them again. Sister Kathleen's work in the world is truly an inspiration to our entire family.
And her loving friendship is a treasure to my heart...
Monday, October 17, 2011
walk the labyrinth with us this Thursday at The Episcopal Church of The Good Shepherd
We'll be there from 10am to 12pm so please stop by any time to experience The Good Shepherd Labyrinth in its beautiful outdoor setting. The month, we'll learn more about the mission of Green Spirits:
LOOK FOR THIS UPCOMING GREEN SPIRIT EVENT:
October 26, Wednesday
Create your own
Nature Mandala. Quiet your mind and be guided by
your own creativity. No artistic ability required. All
materials provided. Free. 6:30-8:00pm in the church
office.
If you have any questions about upcoming
events or Earth Stewardship at Good Shepherd, please
call Merike Seely, the Green Spirits Committee Chairperson in the church office any weekday at 746-4674.
Visit WWW.GOODSHEPONLINE.ORG for more details
start your own chain reaction - learn more about the mission of Rachel's Challenge
Whenever I complain about a problem (see below post about the lyrics of the popular song,"Pumped-up Kicks"), I try learn how to be a part of the solution. Please visit http://www.rachelschallenge.org/ and meet Rachel Scott:
Take a few moments to learn about her beautiful and too-brief life and read her powerful words...
Saturday, October 15, 2011
PARENTS: IMPORTANT INFO
I was loving this song when I first heard the band perform it on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. When our son told me he's heard it everywhere, and then asked me what I thought the singer was really talking about, I focused in on listening to the cheerful lyrics. And then my blood went cold...
This article is a good place to start with your own research. Please share and talk to your kids...
http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_19056097
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Robin's ladder
I was feeling super out of sorts this morning, so I let Lily take me on a walk through the neighborhood. My girl is much more stubborn and strong-willed than me (yes, that is possible), so really I had no choice...
Lily led me right to a rarely visited spot behind the playground that was cool and damp and breezy. I stood for a while, quietly watching a hawk soaring high above us next to one lone, wispy cloud. Then, I stared for a few moments at a magnificent dragonfly darting in and out of the shade just above our heads.
The brilliant red flowers of a bush caught my eye. I had just moved closer to snap a photo with my phone, when I noticed these palm fronds stacked exactly like stair steps, one right after the other all the way up nearly twenty feet in a spiral around their tree.
I thought of Jacob's dream ladder in Genesis and realized that right now I feel probably about as unsure as he did when he began his journey to a new land. Although work life is changing in good and exciting and blessed and terrific ways, even "good" can be scary as hell.
In viewing my leafy ladder, I recall that dark, lonely night when God gave Jacob the vision he needed most. Today, that story of Hope has helped me to begin to shift my own vision out of the worrisome depths of wondering and back upward where it belongs.
Though I'd much prefer to SEE the path ahead of me and exactly where to step next, I do know that Path is most surely there...(somewhere).
Thursday, October 6, 2011
my personal, peaceful, and non-political plea
And so it begins...again.
Each time we get close to an election year, they start arriving. The forwarded emails. And each time, feelings are sure to get hurt all around. This year I am doing a bit of lobbying of my own right from the very start.
So, here goes:
please,
Please,
P-L-E-A-S-E
And here is why...
Because I will love you regardless of how you vote. I will. I do not care. I do not want to know who you want to win. I only want to know that you take your voting every bit as seriously as I do. Which, I do take
I hope that you will love me, too. And if not, then I tend to think that is your crisis of faith problem, not mine.
Yes. I know the issues. Trust me. I spend many (many) hours online every day reading and researching.
The issues? I got 'em. Thanks, though.
Yes. I know that many people of my particular faith background tend to vote a certain way. I often tend not to vote that way. And sometimes, I tend to vote that way. You see, I can actually go both ways. I study all the issues. I research all the candidates and then I pray with all my heart, soul, mind and body and then I vote.
Yes. This process works for me. This is how I do it. Thanks again for your concern, but I really, honestly, respectfully, truly, prayerfully and humbly say to you now from my deepest and most loving heart space that
Really, I don't.
But I do love you! :)
Each time we get close to an election year, they start arriving. The forwarded emails. And each time, feelings are sure to get hurt all around. This year I am doing a bit of lobbying of my own right from the very start.
So, here goes:
please,
Please,
P-L-E-A-S-E
(and oh, dear God, how I pray that my heart will be heard when I ask my friends once more this year)
kindly refrain from sending me any type of political-themed emails from any political viewpoint
(especially those with any overtly religious slant)
Because I will love you regardless of how you vote. I will. I do not care. I do not want to know who you want to win. I only want to know that you take your voting every bit as seriously as I do. Which, I do take
v-e-r-y s-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y.
I hope that you will love me, too. And if not, then I tend to think that is your crisis of faith problem, not mine.
Yes. I know the issues. Trust me. I spend many (many) hours online every day reading and researching.
The issues? I got 'em. Thanks, though.
Yes. I know that many people of my particular faith background tend to vote a certain way. I often tend not to vote that way. And sometimes, I tend to vote that way. You see, I can actually go both ways. I study all the issues. I research all the candidates and then I pray with all my heart, soul, mind and body and then I vote.
Yes. This process works for me. This is how I do it. Thanks again for your concern, but I really, honestly, respectfully, truly, prayerfully and humbly say to you now from my deepest and most loving heart space that
I DO NOT NEED
your advice.
Really, I don't.
But I do love you! :)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
compassion
So, I was just Facebooking and Tweeting away all morning, happily sharing with others about our lovely partner charity for OurGift.Org of The Palm Beaches, and the beautiful community event we attended last night to learn even more about their fantastic mission when suddenly a Truth smacks me right between the eyes. Whack!
And my head is spinning as I sit here trying to remember how it all happened. I'll try to write it out until I understand it a little better. Here goes...
First, I saw a hateful photo on an old friend's profile page that made me catch my breath with disbelief. Then, I saw a quote on another blogger friend's page that made me laugh. Next, I read a new posting on The Charter for Compassion's page and began thinking of the mom who spoke last night at the Parent-Child Center, Inc. event about her young daughter who was bullied so much that all her hair fell out from the stress. And then the handsome teen who spoke of how he was also bullied in school, because, of all things, he had cancer.
The Charter for Compassion is based on The Golden Rule with the whole "Love your neighbor as yourself" idea. Well, maybe, I began to sense that all these mean things are happening through people to others because the people doing, saying, posting, and believing it all DO NOT REALLY LOVE THEMSELVES. They look into the mirror and they hate the person looking back, but they don't even realize that they do. They think they are standing up for their "rights," but it is more that they desperately need to feel they are right and that someone else is wrong. They need to "WIN!" They excuse their actions by telling themselves they are setting a good example by teaching others who aren't "deserving" an important life lesson, but they are instead acting completely out of their own personal fear and miserable self-hatred.
I am referring to the scowling lady behind you in the grocery line, the loud guy at the next table in the restaurant, the arrogant minister, the judgmental news host, the boisterous politician, and - especially - the terrified person looking back at you from the mirror. The violence our children are acting out on one another in our society is being modeled first in own cozy American homes. The blood is on all our hands...
What if the truth is that we really can't stand to look at the One behind our eyes? Could we be the person who is actually unloved, not at the hands of the strangers we call bullies or enemies, but rather by ourselves?
Why are you - why am I - so unlovable? Is it because of some past mistake that I cannot forgive myself for allowing to happen? Or is it a lie someone who also didn't love themselves told me about myself that I believed and made into my reality when it never (ever) was true?
If we are called to love others as we love ourselves, then it seems to me we have quite a bit of work to do. We could begin by understanding the pain within the one person whose bones and flesh and heart and mind we are borrowing and walking around with here on earth. Hating ourselves breeds hatred in others. We can't take the first step toward truly loving our neighbors until we begin to love ourselves. We can't have compassion for other people whose cultures are not our own until we first cultivate a deep passion for what it is we truly believe within our souls. And we surely can't forgive our enemies until we first forgive ourselves.
And that is what (I think) I learned today.
And my head is spinning as I sit here trying to remember how it all happened. I'll try to write it out until I understand it a little better. Here goes...
First, I saw a hateful photo on an old friend's profile page that made me catch my breath with disbelief. Then, I saw a quote on another blogger friend's page that made me laugh. Next, I read a new posting on The Charter for Compassion's page and began thinking of the mom who spoke last night at the Parent-Child Center, Inc. event about her young daughter who was bullied so much that all her hair fell out from the stress. And then the handsome teen who spoke of how he was also bullied in school, because, of all things, he had cancer.
The Charter for Compassion is based on The Golden Rule with the whole "Love your neighbor as yourself" idea. Well, maybe, I began to sense that all these mean things are happening through people to others because the people doing, saying, posting, and believing it all DO NOT REALLY LOVE THEMSELVES. They look into the mirror and they hate the person looking back, but they don't even realize that they do. They think they are standing up for their "rights," but it is more that they desperately need to feel they are right and that someone else is wrong. They need to "WIN!" They excuse their actions by telling themselves they are setting a good example by teaching others who aren't "deserving" an important life lesson, but they are instead acting completely out of their own personal fear and miserable self-hatred.
I am referring to the scowling lady behind you in the grocery line, the loud guy at the next table in the restaurant, the arrogant minister, the judgmental news host, the boisterous politician, and - especially - the terrified person looking back at you from the mirror. The violence our children are acting out on one another in our society is being modeled first in own cozy American homes. The blood is on all our hands...
What if the truth is that we really can't stand to look at the One behind our eyes? Could we be the person who is actually unloved, not at the hands of the strangers we call bullies or enemies, but rather by ourselves?
Why are you - why am I - so unlovable? Is it because of some past mistake that I cannot forgive myself for allowing to happen? Or is it a lie someone who also didn't love themselves told me about myself that I believed and made into my reality when it never (ever) was true?
If we are called to love others as we love ourselves, then it seems to me we have quite a bit of work to do. We could begin by understanding the pain within the one person whose bones and flesh and heart and mind we are borrowing and walking around with here on earth. Hating ourselves breeds hatred in others. We can't take the first step toward truly loving our neighbors until we begin to love ourselves. We can't have compassion for other people whose cultures are not our own until we first cultivate a deep passion for what it is we truly believe within our souls. And we surely can't forgive our enemies until we first forgive ourselves.
And that is what (I think) I learned today.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Today's Blessing of the Animals in Honor of The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Here's a great article you might enjoy reading about today's beautiful tradition of bringing animals in for a special blessing:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-m-sweeney/blessing-our-pets-st-francis-judaism_b_951906.html
Join us at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Tequesta at 4pm. Stay and walk the labyrinth, too! Meet Lily at "Paws on the Path!"
Peace for your Path,
Robin
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-m-sweeney/blessing-our-pets-st-francis-judaism_b_951906.html
Join us at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Tequesta at 4pm. Stay and walk the labyrinth, too! Meet Lily at "Paws on the Path!"
Peace for your Path,
Robin
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
we make you kindly welcome...
... even ye googly-eyed folks!
It was a really nice morning. Wearing my sunglasses turned out to be just fine with everyone. They gave all the new members these lovely yellow roses right before the service. I added my son's goofy eyeball glasses to the pic to make me smile once I got them home. I told my mishap story enough this morning to sweet friends that I am finally beginning to be able to laugh about it. Turns out, other people have had similarly klutzy experiences, too.
This afternoon I am remembering all the many churches in my life's history: my kindergarten/confirmation/marriage church, my husband's growing-up church, our couple-first-beginning-to- grow-together-in-faith/Disciple/bible study/service/UMW/new baby/Companions in Christ/labyrinth/spiritual formation/always our Circle of Friends church, our Florida labyrinth church, and now our newest church home.
Our family is truly blessed with the memories of all our treasured friends we have met along this Spiritual Journey of Many Churches. And I think what I have come to understand is that it maybe matters not so much where you worship, but rather that you do so with humble people that you love who are simply seeking and sharing life together as they attempt to grow in their Faith as well.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
the cruelest month...
...is April as T.S. Eliot reminds me in the first line of The Waste Land.
However, for me, September is historically turning out to be pretty darn crappy.
On Wednesday, I managed to severely scratch my left cornea in a freak accident here in the house that I could likely never recreate in a million, gazillion years (though I will never try).
Essentially, it happened like this:
One hurried and harried and stressed-out "me" not paying attention as we were five minutes from needing to leave for car line + One crazy, over-scheduled morning of routine doctor's appointments + One school backpack on floor + One mom (me again) being super-controlling and deciding to rearrange contents of said backpack for one teenage son who never needed my help to rearrange anything at all in his backpack as it is his backpack (and not mine) + One very sharp and ominous corner of a tall dining room chair lurking right beside the backpack = A very dramatic and depressing morning/afternoon spent at the Eye Institute (via a brief stop at the OBGYN office, but seriously, that is TOTALLY a story for another day - you don't even want to know - and I am only now just able to laugh about it the tiniest bit. "Um, Mrs. Hansel, we all greatly appreciate that you take your annual exam and mammogram so seriously, but actually, Mrs. Hansel, we all really think that you need to go to the ER (or anywhere other than here) just as soon as possible. Yes, right now. Yes, please go. Now. Go.")
An older lady, also a patient, on her way out of the Eye Institute later that morning told us that I was very lucky.
"Do you know how lucky you are, young lady? Do you have any idea?"
She told my husband and me that the very same thing had happened to friend of hers, and they had to take her entire eyeball out. Took it right out, she said. Thanks nice lady. That was a super helpful thing to say to me at that very moment. I will always remember you for your compassionate choice of words and your impeccable sense of timing...
The Good News - my eyesight will most likely eventually be just fine. I am deeply, incredibly grateful beyond words at this news, and I am already better today. Now it just feels like sandpaper rolling around in my eyeball and not like a searing, hot knife anymore. This is very good.
The Bad News - I am a truly lousy, wimpy, whiny, and pitiful patient as those of you know who read all about my journey with my broken ankle at very nearly the same time last September...I can only work at my computer for tiny little bits of time due to my blurry vision which is making me VERY GRUMPY.
I look only slightly better than Rocky did when he pleaded in movie #1 during his fight with Apollo, "Cut me Mick," and tomorrow morning we are finally joining the church we have been visiting for nearly three years. I will be looking very mysterious and "Hollywood" in my dark sunglasses standing up in front of the entire congregation. I suppose people might whisper to each other - "You see that one, yes, that one, the one up there in the dark sunglasses? Boy, she really needs to be here in church. God love her."
And they are exactly right. I do.
However, for me, September is historically turning out to be pretty darn crappy.
On Wednesday, I managed to severely scratch my left cornea in a freak accident here in the house that I could likely never recreate in a million, gazillion years (though I will never try).
Essentially, it happened like this:
One hurried and harried and stressed-out "me" not paying attention as we were five minutes from needing to leave for car line + One crazy, over-scheduled morning of routine doctor's appointments + One school backpack on floor + One mom (me again) being super-controlling and deciding to rearrange contents of said backpack for one teenage son who never needed my help to rearrange anything at all in his backpack as it is his backpack (and not mine) + One very sharp and ominous corner of a tall dining room chair lurking right beside the backpack = A very dramatic and depressing morning/afternoon spent at the Eye Institute (via a brief stop at the OBGYN office, but seriously, that is TOTALLY a story for another day - you don't even want to know - and I am only now just able to laugh about it the tiniest bit. "Um, Mrs. Hansel, we all greatly appreciate that you take your annual exam and mammogram so seriously, but actually, Mrs. Hansel, we all really think that you need to go to the ER (or anywhere other than here) just as soon as possible. Yes, right now. Yes, please go. Now. Go.")
An older lady, also a patient, on her way out of the Eye Institute later that morning told us that I was very lucky.
"Do you know how lucky you are, young lady? Do you have any idea?"
She told my husband and me that the very same thing had happened to friend of hers, and they had to take her entire eyeball out. Took it right out, she said. Thanks nice lady. That was a super helpful thing to say to me at that very moment. I will always remember you for your compassionate choice of words and your impeccable sense of timing...
The Good News - my eyesight will most likely eventually be just fine. I am deeply, incredibly grateful beyond words at this news, and I am already better today. Now it just feels like sandpaper rolling around in my eyeball and not like a searing, hot knife anymore. This is very good.
The Bad News - I am a truly lousy, wimpy, whiny, and pitiful patient as those of you know who read all about my journey with my broken ankle at very nearly the same time last September...I can only work at my computer for tiny little bits of time due to my blurry vision which is making me VERY GRUMPY.
I look only slightly better than Rocky did when he pleaded in movie #1 during his fight with Apollo, "Cut me Mick," and tomorrow morning we are finally joining the church we have been visiting for nearly three years. I will be looking very mysterious and "Hollywood" in my dark sunglasses standing up in front of the entire congregation. I suppose people might whisper to each other - "You see that one, yes, that one, the one up there in the dark sunglasses? Boy, she really needs to be here in church. God love her."
And they are exactly right. I do.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
remembering a treasured friend
I love you, my sweet old boy,
me
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
words too beautiful to miss today...
http://www.scholaministries.org/scholaministries/mailings/911-Care-Giver.php
Here is Sister Kathleen's complete blog posting if you'd like to read it. It is a completely incredible account from a person who was there in NYC serving in ministry in the days and weeks immediately following the event. This just arrived in my email box, and I am speechless with its utter beauty...Love, Robin
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