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Showing posts with the label prayer

You Never Step into the Same River Twice - A Decade of Practices.

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"You never step into the same river twice." ~ Heraclitus Nothing is ever the same. Everything changes. This river, that I have visited - at times nearly every day - over the space of a decade, is not the same. But then neither am I. I came to this river, suggested as a meeting place by a friend during a time of neediness and great pain and impending transitions. I came back, many a morning, feeling alone, having hit rock bottom, in the throws of deep depression, to do a rosary of spiritual practices: Lovingkindness meditations, Reiki chants, actual rosaries, prayers both traditional and spontaneous, the offering of blessings, and whatever else arose from the depths of my soul. For several years I came, almost daily. One morning, while sitting on a boulder by the riverbank, the river beckoned me to come inside. And so I did. I bought a kayak without even thinking about it, and spent a few years paddling upstream - repeating mantras, reciting prayers, while receiving...

Everything is Inside of You

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I gather together with prayer companions during the middle of the week, and before we enter deeply into our meditation, I hear the lone cardinal that often visits during these times, trying to fly in through massive glass windows. He too, has been part of this circle of prayer warriors over the years, and he seems bent on trying to catch my attention. I bring troubling concerns to this meditation, and then, out of nowhere, I shift gears stepping into an alternate universe where insights and peace flow freely, as I begin to settle in... Poetic musings begin to flow effortlessly, enfolding me in a current of grace, as a gentle reminder, that indeed, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well, as Julian of Norwich has insisted, since the 14th century... "'The whole universe, IS inside of you. Therefore, ask all from yourself.' So wrote the poet Rumi. Everything that you need Is already within you - Waiting there patiently. All the lo...

Towards Greater Detachment

I wake up to a beautiful blanket of falling snow - big, fat, gum drops of flakes that take my breath away... I look out with awe, from my perch on the couch, with warm coffee and a newspaper in hand, stealing glances every so often, hoping it will not go away just yet... I don warm clothes and go for a long walk in the falling snow, on this day before the start of Lent, reflecting on what I shall focus on, and what attributes I wish to more deeply cultivate. I reflect on deep conversations and walks with a soul companion which transpired last weekend, out in the Virginia country home where she resides - where the stillness and the dark of night are so incredibly pronounced, and the quiet is only interrupted by the conversations of neighboring horses, cows, and goats. We cover so much ground and territory - holding nothing back - washing it down with copious libation, into the early hours of the morning... I sleep under a skylight feeling that angels and sacred beings ...

A 1000 Ways to Give Thanks

I begin a journal of writing down 1000 things I am grateful for - 1000 reasons to give thanks and to touch the sky and kiss the earth... I am moved to do so, after reading Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are... We miss so many of the opportunities we could be grateful for - for they are truly the simple things that fill our quotidian life and endeavors - a smile, a touch, a good cup of coffee, the sunrise, a walk through the woods, or your neighborhood, precious time spent with a loved one... There is such beauty in simplicity and often, it is so easy to miss... And it takes a snow storm - no - a blizzard - to slow me down - to show me the way of simplicity, of gratitude, of the exquisite beauty of a storm raging without any checks and balances, with nothing to corner it in... When it ends, everything is blanketed in stillness... There are no paths or streets - and no demarcations between one dwelling and the next... A...

Fullness and Order

I cannot believe it has been almost two months since my last entry here... There have been so many times I have intended to connect here, but as the saying goes - life got in the way! At the beginning of September, I finished my summer project, which was to go through every closet, drawer, and cabinet in the house - generally lightening my load and footprint on the earth. The result is that now I can see where everything is - and have passed on the many things I no longer need. I also embarked on a life-changing course of coming into greater health and wellness, and now, nearly two months later, I am reaping the fruits of my labor and enjoying its sweet harvest. This morning, it was both sunny and cool, and I was moved to take my coffee down to the river, as I began nearly every morning years ago. The river called, and I longed to just go and be by its banks. It was swollen and full and much debris hugged the boat ramp after days of very heavy rains. There I stood, b...

Vernal Equinox New Moon and Eclipse Offerings

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A gentle snow falls, on this day of triple plays - of the Vernal Equinox, a New Moon, and a Solar Eclipse. A powerful confluence of energies conspires to shift things within us and catapult us into transformation! I am excited to see the breathtaking beauty of what will perhaps be the last snowflakes until winter dawns once again... I head down to the river and am blessed to have it all to myself. The graying sky for a moment reminds of The Mists of Avalon - and I half expect the mists to be parted, revealing a hidden magical kingdom! Out in the gentle snow fall, with an occasional cardinal hopping from one snow laden branch to the other, and geese flocking in formation, I speak my prayers, my affirmations, and my Lovingkindness recitations - offered up like a Litany of saints... I speak my prayers and intentions out loud in hopes that they will move mountains and shift energy, for indeed it is right and just - and necessary - as proclaimed in the Catholic liturgy. I ref...

Have You Been Called?

A week ago, I heard a homily by a deacon of one of the churches that I attend, and I have been thinking about it ever since. It was given in response to the reading from the prophet Samuel, where God calls him in the night, and Samuel responds with one of my favorite prayers and lines: "Speak Lord. Your servant is listening." Perhaps none of us have been called in such a dramatic way. But we are all called in many ways, and some of them can be very simple. For example, you are called: When you are a witness to someone's story, or pain - and touch someone's hand - or wipe away their tear... When you selflessly give of your time and your heart... When you witness an injustice, and decide to correct it, or do something about it - or  seek to educate others about it... When you decide that your work conflicts with your values and you make the decision to move on... When you dedicate your time, your effort, or your resources, to helping those in need... ...

Filled to the Brim

Every now and then, we have days that are magical... We have days overflowing with love, and grace, and gratitude, and connection... We have days that are filled to the brim! I had one of those days, yesterday... It began the previous evening, as I meditated and prayed in bed for so many who had made requests. And as I did so, I was overwhelmed with compassion and love - with bliss and peace - and light in even in the dark of night. I knew that somehow, all would be well. The next day I awoke overflowing with the same feelings, and I quickly began my day filled with errands of all sorts. After my first stop, I realized I had begun my day without having taken the time to enjoy my morning cup of coffee, and almost immediately, I saw a slight man - trying to stay warm, opening up and organizing his coffee cart - on this brisk, nippy morning, that was barely out of the 30's! Who makes coffee in that kind of weather - outside? I approached him and asked him ...

November Blessings

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I know I have been neglecting this wonderful audience for a while. But rest assured, I think of you fondly and often! The last month has been filled with many changes and various activities that have garnered all of my attention. I hope to soon slow back down to a more introspective pace and indulge my more creative spirit! I have a dear friend who created a wonderful app which you can find on iTunes called Every Day Spirit Lockscreens. It enables you to place an exquisite and inspirational quote on your iPhone each and every day if you so choose, or you can just hang out with one for weeks - as I do - savoring its lesson until you feel you are beginning to embody it! The author creates a new screen each and every day, and when it is finished later this year, you will literally have 365 choices in many inspirational categories! Below I have included the post to the Facebook community page, Every Day Spirit, earlier this morning. Enjoy! Here is a link to the iTune...

A Thousand Ways to Be Silent

What do you hear when you are silent? Take a moment, or two - or several minutes - and spend it in silence, and note what you "hear..." For a while now, I have been observing what I've come to refer to as "Sabbath Sundays" and "Silent Tuesdays."  On Sundays, for most of the day, I try and unplug from all things technological, including all my devices. In fact, I was describing this recently to someone I know, explaining how I literally place a shroud over my iMac, by covering it with a beautiful lace veil a dear friend made for me. The friend I was talking to, knowing my cultural origins, completely understood the metaphor and exclaimed,  "Oh! It's a mantilla for your iMac!" On Tuesdays, I have been taking a day of silence. Generally I sleep in, then sit in meditation with no fixed ending time, just letting the practice bring itself gently to conclusion. I try not to run errands of any sort, and often do not speak until my husba...

Create a Clean Heart

"Create a clean heart in me, and renew my spirit." ~ Psalm 51 Create a clean heart in me... Sometimes, this means our hearts will be broken open... Sometimes, this means that we must excavate the innermost chambers within and let go of what does not serve... For nearly a year - or more - I have recited this simple verse - and prayed it - almost as a demand - perhaps not truly knowing what it means, or what it implies... If we ask for our hearts to be cleansed, then every bit of us must be cleansed as well: our bodies, our minds, and our very souls. Every part of us must be healed... I begin this Lent, very mindful of where the last one took me, on a most unexpected journey. I begin this Lent by praying with a group of women I have joined every week, for a  good while. Our gatherings punctuate my week and splits it in two... I attend the Ash Wednesday service at this wonderful, and very welcoming Episcopal Church where I go to pray, sitting next to one of th...

Meditation Pure and Simple!

Yesterday I launched a YouTube channel called Meditation Pure and Simple! It is one part of a much larger project to make meditation more accessible  to all, and the genesis of this project has been a long time coming... The site will provide a daily 90 second meditation to help you center and relax. Yes, you heard that right! Just 90 seconds out of your day that will result in a new you! I hope you will visit or subscribe to the channel, or any of the other sites where I post the videos. I have also created a Google+ and Facebook page for this purpose, also entitled Meditation Pure and Simple! Meditation does not have to be hard. Just take one meditation break a day! Start with 90 seconds, and just watch what happens! Have you had your meditation break today? I've provided links to the first couple of uploads and links to the channel and other pages. Remember, these are only 90 seconds! 90 second Awareness Exercise: Observing the Breath: https://www.youtube.co...

Christmas Eve Blessings

Christmas Eve Blessings 2013 May this Christmas embrace you And swaddle you in Infinite Blessings. May your load be lightened. May you be granted love and joy And may peace reign without end. May angels accompany you And cushion your every step -  And grant you safe passage As you navigate life and its many tribulations. May your soul find comfort. May every cell and fiber of your being soften. And may Divine Love be born once again That it may dance eternally In the fullness of your heart! Wishes to you and yours for a joyous and peaceful Christmas! ~ Olga Rodriguez Rasmussen

Be Still and Know this Advent

I read an Advent devotional on the importance and role of stillness, and then came across this entry I made on December 14th 2009, which I reprise here once again for a different audience. Once more, enjoy! Last night, I went to the site, "Following the Star," which I religiously visited during Advent last year. But here I am, a year later, finding myself very busy and frazzled as I consider all the activities on my dance card, and the entry I read is very appropriately titled, "Be Still and Know..." This is one of my most favorite scripture verses - from Psalm 46:10 to be more precise - "Be still and know that I am God." I have written about this verse before in many ways. And now it comes to me, as a gentle reminder of the season, calling me to stillness, to silence, and to being more centered amidst so many activities that are pulling me in so many directions. Here is an excerpt from the passage that I read last night, authored by Tracy Hartman, a t...

An Advent Guided Meditation

I wrote this meditation for an Advent Quiet Day for St. David's Episcopal Church in Ashburn, Va, last week. And while it is long, I wish to share it here, for those who would like to embark on a little journey of going inward to experience the quiet and the true gifts of this season. Enjoy! Introduction: Advent is a time for waiting, for preparing, for embodying joy, faith, peace, and love… Advent is a journey, which invites us to sojourn more deeply within ourselves. Advent is a time to slow down, to open our hearts to receive the Gift of the Divine in our lives, and to share our own lives with one another, for there is no greater gift that we can give… Let us take a few moments to settle ourselves – our minds and hearts and body into stillness, that we may open, prepare, and receive the gifts of the season… Centering: Begin by making yourself as comfortable as possible, sitting in whatever way will enable you settle most deeply… If you have to make...