Yesterday was one of the longest days of my life. I left my home at 5 a.m. and was back at 10:30 p.m.
I went to NYC, to a part of Fordham University to be one of six people leading a Mastery Foundation workshop on Forgiveness.
I've been a part of the Mastery Foundation for 30 years, ever since I found my priesthood transformed and made new in a Making a Difference Workshop--the first undertaking of the foundation. So, I'd do almost anything for Mastery. I'm a senior leader of the MAD workshop and have been on the board, though I seldom go to meetings since they are usually in California, where the Executive Director lives.
The 'hell' of yesterday was the travel.
I took a 5:47 train from New Haven, arrived at Grand Central, took the shuttle to 42n't Street, took the 1 train uptown to 60th Street, walked to, I think, 62nd St., turned left and walked three blocks. I was there before 9 a.m., about the time I would be waking up at home.
I left Fordham at 6 or so, got horribly lost in the subway system--being given wrong directions aain and again--and didn't get to Grand Central, soaked in sweat from the subway's heat and humidity and caught a 7:18 overly air conditioned train to New Haven. There by 9:20 or so, I thought I was safely done and in my car. It was so foggy that It took me over half an hour to drive home at 40 mph--a trip that usually takes under 20 minutes. I was home at about 10 p.m.
That was the hell of the day. I walked more that day than I have for years.
The heaven was the workshop, and all the people from Mastery who were there. I adore those people--Jim and Dan and Maggie and Ann and Allan and Terry and Kate and Michael and Bertram and Bill--they have been a part of my transformed life.
And the workshop--a Pilot Workshop on Forgiveness has been years in the design. And most all the people in the workshop had done other Mastery work and were there to help create the design and transform it to be used with people who counsel other people to give them a transformation of 'forgiveness'.
Amazing people, amazing and transformative stuff.
Heaven's part of the day.
But 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. and too zoned out to sleep for another two hours and having eaten: a chicken sandwich, a candy bar, a smoothie, a coffee, a donut and lots of water the whole 17 hours--well, it was 'hell'.
But the people, the workshop, the connections, the power of forgiveness--pure 'heaven'.
Quite a day, all told.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
The Saga
WHAT HAPPENED
My only link to write on this blog was stored in Waterfox. I'd click on Waterfox and there at the top of the page was a link to Amazon, which I never use, and the link to UTCOT. I'd click on that link and up would come the page just before this one where I'm writing. That first page has all the 2400+ blogs I've written in order of most recent to the very first. On that page I can see how many views each blog posting has had and check statistics of total view for the last week, month and all time and read any comments that have been posted. I can also view a world map of where views are coming from and what kind of platforms are accessing the blog. Amazing, really!
Then on June 4th or 5th, I click on Waterfox and get a notice that an update is available. Without thinking (which is a modus operandi of mine {which according to spell check isn't correct but they offer no options so I think spell check doesn't know Latin or I'm just smarter than spell check!}) I click 'yes' and when the download is over, I go to Waterfox and my link to the blog ISN'T THERE!!!!
And I have no idea what to do....
THE HEROS
My friend, John. He's my I.T. guy and always has been. He spent hours and hours on my computer trying to figure out how to get the link back and then days wracking his mind about it.
My friend, Deb. She showed me how to restore my computer to 'before' the Waterfox download. I did it and in the best of all possible worlds, it would have, but all that happened was that the new Waterfox link was at the bottom of my screen and the old Waterfox link was up with other links on my screen and neither would open.
My friend, Mike, down in that little part of Virginia that is between Virginia and North Carolina and close to Tennessee (which I didn't know I could spell!) We went to the same high school, a year apart, and were apartment mates in college for a year and we've stayed in touch and he's a wondrous, lovely, crazy, deeply committed guy who has read my blog for years. He spent days, like John, wracking his brain, about how to fix it, calling me numerous times and asking questions....
All my friends (Ann, Nancy, Mike, Bea, and many others) who contacted me in different ways to make sure I was in the land of the living and to find out why there was no blog since June 3 about Ascension Day. Thank you for reading and thank you for your concern.
THE SAVIORS
There is a little shop in a four shop mall on Main Street called "transform: technology services and repair" that I hadn't ever noticed though it's in easy walking distance from our house. Bern saw it and suggested going to them. So, last Friday I went down to talk to one of them, explained as best I could, my dilemma. He thought they could handle it and told me they were closed on Saturday. So I took my computer in on Monday afternoon.
The shop is run by a 30-something black guy and the two workers are a geeky white guy, maybe 20, and a brown skinned guy, also in his early 20's, if that, who I assumed is Hispanic. Just the kind of place I trust explicitly.
I went by this morning and it was done. The description on the receipt of what they had done was: "Quick fix--Quick Repair--Waterfox reinstall". They charged me $29--$30.84 after taxes. I thanked them profusely, but not the way I should have because part of me didn't believe it though they told me I would find my link, as before, on Waterfox, just as it was before--but I had to get home and be sure.
Bern and I reattached all the stuff that needed reattached--she is much more tech savvy than I am (all I truly know about my computer is how to type, send emails and print documents!). Then with hands shaking so much with nerves I had to do my password with one finger--though I've been a touch typist since high school--I turned it on and.....
...THE LINK WAS BACK....
I realized I drew the first truly deep and free breath in over two week.
All was right and true in my life.
(I've told several people, since "the Saga of the Blog" that before June 4th, I would often sigh and think--I need to write a blog but I have nothing to say. From time to time, it was a burden. But in the last two weeks I've had more anxiety than I've had in the last 5 years total, not being able to write this for someone, anyone, to read. I can't tell you how alive and thankful and energized I am to be back under the castor oil tree pondering life. Prayers of thanks for the wondrous guys at 'transform'--use them if you're near Cheshire. Prayers of thanks for Bern for telling me to go there. And prayers of thanks for all of you that will someday read this--you make my writing mean a great deal, I love you.
Two weeks off might lose a lot of readers in this era of short attention spans and immediate gratification--so, I'd ask you, if you will, to suggest to friends who might be interested in my 'ponderings' to come read. And I thank you for that.
My only link to write on this blog was stored in Waterfox. I'd click on Waterfox and there at the top of the page was a link to Amazon, which I never use, and the link to UTCOT. I'd click on that link and up would come the page just before this one where I'm writing. That first page has all the 2400+ blogs I've written in order of most recent to the very first. On that page I can see how many views each blog posting has had and check statistics of total view for the last week, month and all time and read any comments that have been posted. I can also view a world map of where views are coming from and what kind of platforms are accessing the blog. Amazing, really!
Then on June 4th or 5th, I click on Waterfox and get a notice that an update is available. Without thinking (which is a modus operandi of mine {which according to spell check isn't correct but they offer no options so I think spell check doesn't know Latin or I'm just smarter than spell check!}) I click 'yes' and when the download is over, I go to Waterfox and my link to the blog ISN'T THERE!!!!
And I have no idea what to do....
THE HEROS
My friend, John. He's my I.T. guy and always has been. He spent hours and hours on my computer trying to figure out how to get the link back and then days wracking his mind about it.
My friend, Deb. She showed me how to restore my computer to 'before' the Waterfox download. I did it and in the best of all possible worlds, it would have, but all that happened was that the new Waterfox link was at the bottom of my screen and the old Waterfox link was up with other links on my screen and neither would open.
My friend, Mike, down in that little part of Virginia that is between Virginia and North Carolina and close to Tennessee (which I didn't know I could spell!) We went to the same high school, a year apart, and were apartment mates in college for a year and we've stayed in touch and he's a wondrous, lovely, crazy, deeply committed guy who has read my blog for years. He spent days, like John, wracking his brain, about how to fix it, calling me numerous times and asking questions....
All my friends (Ann, Nancy, Mike, Bea, and many others) who contacted me in different ways to make sure I was in the land of the living and to find out why there was no blog since June 3 about Ascension Day. Thank you for reading and thank you for your concern.
THE SAVIORS
There is a little shop in a four shop mall on Main Street called "transform: technology services and repair" that I hadn't ever noticed though it's in easy walking distance from our house. Bern saw it and suggested going to them. So, last Friday I went down to talk to one of them, explained as best I could, my dilemma. He thought they could handle it and told me they were closed on Saturday. So I took my computer in on Monday afternoon.
The shop is run by a 30-something black guy and the two workers are a geeky white guy, maybe 20, and a brown skinned guy, also in his early 20's, if that, who I assumed is Hispanic. Just the kind of place I trust explicitly.
I went by this morning and it was done. The description on the receipt of what they had done was: "Quick fix--Quick Repair--Waterfox reinstall". They charged me $29--$30.84 after taxes. I thanked them profusely, but not the way I should have because part of me didn't believe it though they told me I would find my link, as before, on Waterfox, just as it was before--but I had to get home and be sure.
Bern and I reattached all the stuff that needed reattached--she is much more tech savvy than I am (all I truly know about my computer is how to type, send emails and print documents!). Then with hands shaking so much with nerves I had to do my password with one finger--though I've been a touch typist since high school--I turned it on and.....
...THE LINK WAS BACK....
I realized I drew the first truly deep and free breath in over two week.
All was right and true in my life.
(I've told several people, since "the Saga of the Blog" that before June 4th, I would often sigh and think--I need to write a blog but I have nothing to say. From time to time, it was a burden. But in the last two weeks I've had more anxiety than I've had in the last 5 years total, not being able to write this for someone, anyone, to read. I can't tell you how alive and thankful and energized I am to be back under the castor oil tree pondering life. Prayers of thanks for the wondrous guys at 'transform'--use them if you're near Cheshire. Prayers of thanks for Bern for telling me to go there. And prayers of thanks for all of you that will someday read this--you make my writing mean a great deal, I love you.
Two weeks off might lose a lot of readers in this era of short attention spans and immediate gratification--so, I'd ask you, if you will, to suggest to friends who might be interested in my 'ponderings' to come read. And I thank you for that.
IIII'MMMM BAACCK!!!
Here I am, writing on my blog for the first time since June 3!
Later today I'll write down the whole saga and thank the heroes and boo the villain (only one--ME!)
But for now, I just want to email folks who have been asking and make sure this posts.
Back soon....
Later today I'll write down the whole saga and thank the heroes and boo the villain (only one--ME!)
But for now, I just want to email folks who have been asking and make sure this posts.
Back soon....
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Ascension
Last Thursday was the Feast of the Ascension. I talked about it in my sermon today.
The world view of the 1st century is difficult for us to understand. Heaven was 'up there', the flat earth was 'down here' and hell was 'down there.' A three tiered universe.
We know better. 'Up there' is the vast expanse of interstellar space. We live on a round planet circling the sun. And 'down there' is hot lava at the center of the earth and dirt and rock and water on the way down.
But I do think 'ascension' has something to teach us.
We can 'rise above' the madness and pain and confusion of the world.
And our ascension depends on our love.
Fear is the great divider--what is at work in our world today, pitting people against people who are 'different'.
Love is the great unite-er, letting us recognize that 'the other' is just like us. That all people are children of God no matter what their race or religion or place of origin.
We are all One.
We need to rise above the fray and know that and live that out.
Only that love--from God to us to others--will bring sanity and peace and unity.
Love, beloved.
Love.
Just that. Nothing else.
Ascend with me.....
The world view of the 1st century is difficult for us to understand. Heaven was 'up there', the flat earth was 'down here' and hell was 'down there.' A three tiered universe.
We know better. 'Up there' is the vast expanse of interstellar space. We live on a round planet circling the sun. And 'down there' is hot lava at the center of the earth and dirt and rock and water on the way down.
But I do think 'ascension' has something to teach us.
We can 'rise above' the madness and pain and confusion of the world.
And our ascension depends on our love.
Fear is the great divider--what is at work in our world today, pitting people against people who are 'different'.
Love is the great unite-er, letting us recognize that 'the other' is just like us. That all people are children of God no matter what their race or religion or place of origin.
We are all One.
We need to rise above the fray and know that and live that out.
Only that love--from God to us to others--will bring sanity and peace and unity.
Love, beloved.
Love.
Just that. Nothing else.
Ascend with me.....
Saturday, June 1, 2019
OMG NOT A LIE FROM REPUBLICANS?
Oh, so the reason, we were told, for adding a Citizenship question to the 2020 census was to make sure voters of color were accurately counted.
That's what the administration has argued in court.
Now, recently deceased Thomas Hoefeller, Republican expert on gerrymandering's hard drive landed in the hands of his estranged daughter and she found a document that said, unequivocally, that a citizenship question would work to the advantage of Republican lawmakers by reducing answers from minority groups!
The President's lawyer's said that they had no knowledge of Hoefeller's work, but lawyers opposing the question pointed out that a written document sent to the Supreme Court directly quoted Hoefeller's recommendation in his writings of how to best phrase the desire for the citizenship question to make it palatable to the courts!
The GOP telling a lie--I'm aghast!
And being very satirical.
Half of what we hear from the Republicans all over these days (like 'loving life' while taking away women's rights and not funding poverty and education projects for those who get born) and more than half of what The President WWNBNed says are lies.
I'm not shocked at all. Something is rotten, not in Denmark, but in the Republican Party.
And rot must be rooted out.
That's what the administration has argued in court.
Now, recently deceased Thomas Hoefeller, Republican expert on gerrymandering's hard drive landed in the hands of his estranged daughter and she found a document that said, unequivocally, that a citizenship question would work to the advantage of Republican lawmakers by reducing answers from minority groups!
The President's lawyer's said that they had no knowledge of Hoefeller's work, but lawyers opposing the question pointed out that a written document sent to the Supreme Court directly quoted Hoefeller's recommendation in his writings of how to best phrase the desire for the citizenship question to make it palatable to the courts!
The GOP telling a lie--I'm aghast!
And being very satirical.
Half of what we hear from the Republicans all over these days (like 'loving life' while taking away women's rights and not funding poverty and education projects for those who get born) and more than half of what The President WWNBNed says are lies.
I'm not shocked at all. Something is rotten, not in Denmark, but in the Republican Party.
And rot must be rooted out.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
New England Spring
It has been rainy and cool. We usually have air conditioning by now--it's almost June. But I just took the dog out and the temperature on the back porch is 44 degrees.
Our yards have responded to all the rain by being glorious.
We have 4 rhododendron trees and all have larger blossoms than I've ever seen. (We didn't plant them, but they are the state flower of West Virginia, by the way.) And the purple irises, dozens and dozens of them, are in their glory in the front.
The ferns and ground cover in the side yard are wondrous.
Florida is in the worst heat wave in May history.
The mid-west is full of water and more tornadoes than ever.
I said, joking, to some friends, that nature was punishing the Red states.
They agreed.
I'll take 44 and rain any day over 100 degrees and floods and tornadoes.
And not having to turn on the air conditioning is a blessing.
New England is the place to be.
Our yards have responded to all the rain by being glorious.
We have 4 rhododendron trees and all have larger blossoms than I've ever seen. (We didn't plant them, but they are the state flower of West Virginia, by the way.) And the purple irises, dozens and dozens of them, are in their glory in the front.
The ferns and ground cover in the side yard are wondrous.
Florida is in the worst heat wave in May history.
The mid-west is full of water and more tornadoes than ever.
I said, joking, to some friends, that nature was punishing the Red states.
They agreed.
I'll take 44 and rain any day over 100 degrees and floods and tornadoes.
And not having to turn on the air conditioning is a blessing.
New England is the place to be.
my father was a Republican
A rural farmer until he left home for the coalfields. A member of John L. Lewis' United Mine Workers Union--yet unmistakably (and, inexplicably), my father was a Republican.
Yet, if he came back from what some people (not me) call "a better place", he wouldn't recognize the Republican Party of his life-time.
Today was a "he said/they said" day.
Robert Mueller, what a surprise to hear his voice, said clearly and beyond contradiction, that his report 'could not' indite a sitting president and 'could not' say that president did not commit a crime!
Clear to me. There was evidence but Mueller, because of the rules as he understood them, could not accuse the president of criminal behavior for which their was evidence.
That was clear as day.
And then the president tweeted--he seldom 'speaks' except to contradict allies, as he did in Japan about North Korea--'case closed'.
And Rudy, of course, joined in.
And no Republicans, except the guy from Michigan, had the guts to object and say, 'hey, the Special Council is leaving this up to us in Congress to dig deeper....'
My father's Republican party, if nothing else, had guts.
They weren't always right, but they stood up for what they thought was right.
He wouldn't know who these people are. My father would be flabbergasted and horrified.
He might even have voted for a Democrat.
At least I hope he would have.
Yet, if he came back from what some people (not me) call "a better place", he wouldn't recognize the Republican Party of his life-time.
Today was a "he said/they said" day.
Robert Mueller, what a surprise to hear his voice, said clearly and beyond contradiction, that his report 'could not' indite a sitting president and 'could not' say that president did not commit a crime!
Clear to me. There was evidence but Mueller, because of the rules as he understood them, could not accuse the president of criminal behavior for which their was evidence.
That was clear as day.
And then the president tweeted--he seldom 'speaks' except to contradict allies, as he did in Japan about North Korea--'case closed'.
And Rudy, of course, joined in.
And no Republicans, except the guy from Michigan, had the guts to object and say, 'hey, the Special Council is leaving this up to us in Congress to dig deeper....'
My father's Republican party, if nothing else, had guts.
They weren't always right, but they stood up for what they thought was right.
He wouldn't know who these people are. My father would be flabbergasted and horrified.
He might even have voted for a Democrat.
At least I hope he would have.
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