Aligning with Grace

There are times in this life, when we are taken care of... There are times in this life, when others take care of us... Life is truly an endless dance of giving and receiving... There are times when we are in great need of prayers, of support, of unconditional love - and the caring of selfless souls who spill out the very essence of their souls for us, touches us profoundly... There are times when we are the ones doing the spilling - as we respond to those in need - be they loved ones, or perfect strangers... St. Francis of Assisi once wrote, that in giving we receive... Mother Teresa of Calcutta urged everyone, to give until it hurt... St Jeanne de Chantal taught that we cannot always do great things - but we can always do small things with great love... And I have come to realize, my place in this life is not to make a big splash - but to go about my work quietly, allowing my interior life to flourish and blossom... Jesus taught that we are to love one another as God ...

I visited the river this morning for the first time in a week or so. As I arrived, the river was as calm as I've seen it in a while, teeming with a flock of sea gulls. The view was breathtaking, and I snapped a few photos with my inadequate phone camera. I walked down to the boat ramp and watched them, perched on the water, gliding effortlessly as if they were skating on ice. The water was so still I could see all the way down to the riverbed. Periodically, some would lift in flight, but a swath of them remained as if in constant vigil for something only known to them. Gradually, I made my way back up to the cliff where I normally do Loving-kindness meditation. I was able to spend a few minutes in this practice, before an older couple approached to marvel at the beautiful scene before them on this crisp but sunny morning. Normally, I just smile at people who walk by, but for some unexpected reason, we struck up a conversation and we began to talk about the sea gulls. The woman im...

I love drinking "Yogi Tea," and I love the inspirational messages that come with every tea bag... Recently, I came across this one: "Wherever you go, go with all your heart." In other words, put your whole heart and soul into everything you do or say. By any measure this is no small feat indeed... To go everywhere with all our hearts is such an appropriate message for this week. Tomorrow Christians all over the world enter into the holy season of Lent through Ash Wednesday. On this day Christians will begin to journey through their Lord's passion and death, and ultimate resurrection - and will most especially reflect on their own mortality and all the ways in which they have failed to miss the mark, and hopefully rectify whatever is in need of inner work.  As I often told my students in my theology classes, Lent is more about cultivating a quality within oneself, or deepening one's relationship with God, or improving an aspect of one's life ...

A few days ago I wrote about An Invisible Thread , a book written by Laura Schroff, sharing her chance encounter with a boy named Maurice that changed her life as well as his - and I've done nothing but think of all the threads of connections in my own life. All of them would weave such a magnificent tapestry! I shared the story of this woman and her encounter with an 11 year old panhandler that  changed the course of their lives with my yoga class this morning. I spoke of the many ways in which our lives are changed as well - through encounters we have with friends as well as those we have with perfect strangers. It is fascinating to consider how often we are destined to meet the right people who often come into our lives at precisely the right times. We might never know the full impact that our kind words and actions may have on others, but we always remember and are deeply moved by the depth of how others touch us... Today, is the second anniversary of a friend who left this...

"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break." ~ Old Chinese Proverb On this cold day, that is also the first day of February, the newness of the year begins to wear off and gives way to the dead of winter. A short snowfall leaves behind a slight covering of snow, that gradually melts. In this kind of weather, I find it very hard to become motivated to do anything. I am restless, and just can't conjure up any energy. And yet, when I least expect it, my heart is broken open... A casual glancing at the recent Costco catalog, which I unconsciously flip through, profiles a book titled An Invisible Thread. .. Wanting to know more about the book and its protagonists, I look up the website and watch a video clip from the Today show, telling the wonderful story of a hungry 11 year old panhandler, befriended by a young executive. I will not r...