On contemplative prayer
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening (Cynthia Bourgeault)
Everything Belongs (Richard Rohr)
Invitation to Love (Thomas Keating)
The Human Condition (Thomas Keating)
Listen to the Desert (Hugh Prather)
True Self, False Self (M. Basil Pennington)
“God is closer to you than you are to yourself.” -Augustine
“All difficulties in prayer can be traced to one cause: praying as if God were absent.” -Teresa of Avila
“There is in the soul a something in which God dwells, and there is in the soul a something in which the soul dwells in God.” Meister Eckhart
“Contemplative prayer is putting a stick in the spoke of thinking.” Thomas Keating
“Silence is the first language of God.” St. John of the Cross
Contemplative prayer is a “wordless opening of the self to the Divine presence.” -Cynthia Bourgeault
Further reading:
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening (Cynthia Bourgeault)
Everything Belongs (Richard Rohr)
Invitation to Love (Thomas Keating)
The Human Condition (Thomas Keating)
Listen to the Desert (Hugh Prather)
True Self, False Self (M. Basil Pennington)
listening to Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants
about to start Nurtureshock
reading Ivan Illich’s “learning webs” from his article Deschooling
a good start to the day
exercising first thing in the morning
a clean desk!
everyone waking up on the right side of the bed!
the sound of coffee brewing
the first signs of new growth of spring
time change where it stays light longer
thought provoking reading
thought provoking podcast
changing your life is hard. doing it by yourself is harder. —43things.com
Make Big Plans . . . that’s the best way to make big things happen. Write down your plans. Share them with trusted colleagues. Seek out team members and accomplices. —Seth Godin
Waking up next to the most wonderful person in the world
the first site of my boys in the morning when they come downstairs
Watching the boys having fun together as we travel to school in the morning
i first discovered this quote several years ago, but it’s worth revisiting:
“I hope you’re sitting somewhere with a lovely view and a warm summer breeze, pretending to read a book, while your mind sort of kanoodles around not thinking much of anything.
Or at least, that is my idea of a summer vacation. I think rest is an important part of ministry – ministry to self. The ancient creation legend says God needed a rest after a week of work. I wonder if not taking a rest time is a kind of heresy. When we do that (and yes, I plead guilty on lots of occasions) are we saying in effect that God may need a rest, but we don’t?
If God does self care, shouldn’t we?”
it was a quick visit on our way to the Taos Ski Valley, but we enjoyed our brief time in Santa Fe again. Also enjoyed the cute confusion of Max, our almost three year old, who asked, “Do you think Santa Fe will bring us presents?” :-)
recent moments with the boys include playing in the yard, visiting a playground, riding bikes, the delight at discovered bugs and rocks, playing chase with Carter, planting cactus, skiing together, and reading.
i’m way behind on this goal, but here are a few things over the past week that stand out in my mind
a road trip with my family
uncontrollable laughter of our two boys
peaceful quiet moments with ann, reading and drinking coffee
Max, my almost three year old, getting nose to nose to see if I’m awake and touching my face
Carter’s (almost eight year old) sense of accomplishment on our ski trip
Watching Max’s first ski lesson
The funny things Max says
The joy I get just from watching Ann when she doesn’t realize i’m staring at her
Playing in the yard with the boys
Eating outside together
Talking with Ann before we drift off to sleep
I really like the following “resolutions” of Ben Huh, CEO, Cheezburger.com:
1) Compromise less on core beliefs. 2) Worry less about the future and concentrate on being in the moment. 3) Focus on the important and outsource the urgent.
I think they’re all worth pondering and pursuing. The last one however, really struck me. It was like the clouds parting and a bright light and voice coming down saying, “hey, THIS is for YOU dummy!” I get caught in the tramp of the opposite ALL the time, especially at work. urgent does NOT equal important, even if it needs doing.
“finish each day and be done with it. you have done what you could. some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. tomorrow is a new day. you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” -emerson
“It is a physical journey, but also one of learning and imagining.” -Susan Viguers, on Clif Meador’s artist book: Memory Lapse
Playing on the playground with Max, enjoying his excitement over his monkeybar accomplishment, pushing him on the swing, spending the day with Carter, even though he’s been sick, making him a grilled cheese sandwich.
My amazing, beautiful wife.
Making her a valentines card.
Spending time with my family.
reading “drive: what motivates us” dan pink. really like what this book has to say.
listened to a rob bell lecture at greenbelt conference
began listening to randy pausch’s “the last lecture”
enjoyed spending time with the boys yesterday, reading, playing, working on some lego projects and laughing.
an amazing partner who is often able to fly at a higher altitude than me and help me see that even when our 7 and 2 year old boys are driving me crazy or not doing what i’d like for them to do, that they really are wonderful kids and we have so much for which to be grateful.
