Category: Meditation
-
The Rancher and the Cows
A few years ago, when I was struggling with understanding God’s plan for this world, a good friend shared this story with me: There are these cows that stand at the gate of a huge ranch every day around dinnertime. They stand there, chomping on grass as they watch the rancher ride up the long…
-
Surrender With God
Yesterday, I watched a mini-documentary about a young boy’s “My Wish” experience. Seven-year-old Tennyson Erickson, who has been fighting leukemia for the last year, wished to meet Larry Fitzgerald, a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. Not only did Tennyson get to meet his idol, but he also got to participate in a Cardinals’ practice…
-
When I Look at Life, What Do I See?
“I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.” – Walt Disney Many years ago, I was presented with the idea of writing a gratitude list every day. It was suggested that if I ended each day by listing five…
-
Listen to Console
“Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me.” – Job 21:2 (NIV) The Book of Job is a difficult one to read. The storyline is depressing. The back and forth conversation between Job and his friends is frustrating, and at times even infuriating. It is also a relatively long Book…
-
Spirit Speaks Louder
“Spirituality is the highest form of political consciousness.” – Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett Last spring I attended a lecture given by Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett, a citizen of the Seneca Nation and former top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. His talk was heartfelt, inspiring and disturbing. I jotted…
-
Simple Gratitudes
When was the last time you were grateful for your bed? Over the past few months, I have been reading The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom. For those of you who have read it, you probably know why I started this piece with that specific question. None of us like to imagine living in…
-
Calling Ranger
At the start of my evening walk the other day, a silver pick-up truck slowed down beside me. In the driver’s seat was a big, burly man, his face forlorn. He asked if I had seen his dog, Ranger, a mostly black German shepherd who had run off chasing some deer that had been grazing…
-
Growing Into
“It takes practice to loosen our attachments to our own agendas.” – Kay Lindahl I discovered that line last weekend in a reading assignment for one of my classes, and it has glued itself to my entire being for the last four days in two very distinctive ways: I have agendas to which I am…
-
Coming Home
One of my favorite parts of vacation is coming home. Don’t get me wrong – I love going away, seeing new places, having little to no responsibilities, and traveling with my husband. I also love coming home. I love returning to routine, to the soft mew of the kitty who missed us terribly, to the…
-
I Can’t Wait to Meetchu
A singer whose voice and music I cherish is Macy Gray. Her album – On How Life Is – is, by far, one of my all-time favorites. One of the best parts about it is that it was not an album I ever would have purchased for myself. Having received it as a gift after…