paravanes:meditations

New Year's thoughts...sent by a good friend (thanks, Chris!) and passed on: BEGINNING TODAY Beginning today , I will no longer worry about yesterday. It is in the past and the past will never change. Only I can change by choosing to do so. Beginning today , I will no longer worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will always be there, waiting for me to make the most of it. But I cannot make the most of tomorrow without first making the most of today. Beginning today , I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy of my respect and admiration. This capable person looking back at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better. Beginning today , I will cherish each moment of my life. I value this gift bestowed upon me in this world and I will unselfishly share this gift with others. I will use this gift to enhance the lives of others. Beginning today , I will take a moment to step off the beaten path and to revel in the mysteries I...

I spent much of my reading time this year exploring the works of bell hooks. In her own words, hooks explains why the search for love is at the center of much of what we are seeking in life. She's moving beyond an understanding of love as a romantic attachment. The deeper elements of how we define what it means to be truly loving are discussed in her book, Communion: The Female Search for Love.

In his book Jesus of Nazareth , Benedict XVI asks this question: "What did Jesus bring to humanity?" It's a good question to ask and answer during this season. Why celebrate Christmas? Beyond the consumptive commercialism, what does it all mean? As he reflects on the question, Benedict points out Jesus did not bring universal peace, prosperity, or health and wellness to all. He did not bring an end to war, oppression, racism, sexism, poverty, or natural disasters. So, what did Jesus bring? He brought God. Jesus brought to us the option of reconnecting with our creator. He brought God into the mess we've made of Earth. He brought God--willing and wanting to live with us, right here, as we are. He brought God's transformative power to lead us to become something greater and more significant than we could ever be on our own. He brought God to us in order to restore our original goodness and greatness. Jesus (as God) brought God to break down the barriers that separa...

I started re-thinking this topic after spending years of Sundays listening to ministers quote Malachi 3:8,9,10: 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." --- New International Version At the same time, I listened to those sitting with me in the pew (who were giving tithes, by the way) lament their ability to pay their home heating bills, purchase all of their prescription medications, or keep their property tax bills or water/sewer bills up to date. I am living in Michigan, a state with tragically high unemployment and home foreclosure rates. For the...