Some good emails that arrived in my inbox over the weekend from the Henri Nouwen society...
What Is Most Personal Is Most Universal
We like to make a distinction between our private and public lives and say, "Whatever I do in my private life is nobody else's business." But anyone trying to live a spiritual life will soon discover that the most personal is the most universal, the most hidden is the most public, and the most solitary is the most communal. What we live in the most intimate places of our beings is not just for us but for all people. That is why our inner lives are lives for others. That is why our solitude is a gift to our community, and that is why our most secret thoughts affect our common life.
Jesus says, "No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house" (Matthew 5:14-15). The most inner light is a light for the world. Let's not have "double lives"; let us allow what we live in private to be known in public.
Bringing Our Secrets into the Light
We all have our secrets: thoughts, memories, feelings that we keep to ourselves. Often we think, "If people knew what I feel or think, they would not love me." These carefully kept secrets can do us much harm. They can make us feel guilty or ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and actions.
One of the most important things we can do with our secrets is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. When we have a good way to bring our secrets into the light and can look at them with others, we will quickly discover that we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than before. Bringing our secrets into the light creates community and inner healing. As a result of sharing secrets, not only will others love us better but we will love ourselves more fully.
Hidden Greatness
There is much emphasis on notoriety and fame in our society. Our newspapers and television keep giving us the message: What counts is to be known, praised, and admired, whether you are a writer, an actor, a musician, or a politician.
Still, real greatness is often hidden, humble, simple, and unobtrusive. It is not easy to trust ourselves and our actions without public affirmation. We must have strong self-confidence combined with deep humility. Some of the greatest works of art and the most important works of peace were created by people who had no need for the limelight. They knew that what they were doing was their call, and they did it with great patience, perseverance, and love.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Quick thoughts...
Can I just say that when I set my mind to cooking, I'm very good at it? I had a fantastic dinner last night... Sweet chili beef and peppers and onions, done in a wrap, with lettuce, and tzatziki sauce. (And carrot sticks on the side). So good.
Also, I made significant progress on my list of "things still to do today" from my last post. Over half-way done (which is way more than I expected.)
I got some good time in journalling. I lit candles, and made my bedroom back into a peaceful, prayerful space, instead of a dumping zone for my belongings. I have a list of things that need to get done this week (yes, I'm back to using the list method of organizing my life.) I gracefully extricated myself from a committment I never wanted to be a part of anyway, giving myself one more free night to be at home, resting and writing this week. (The need for rest and quiet has been huge lately, and writing wise, my brand new journal, purchased the day after I returned home, and begun on Valentines Day is nearly a third full. The words have been coming - on paper at least - since coming home.) I burnt incense (a gift from Shelley) for the first time since coming home... I needed to smell it last night. I needed the reminders it carries with it.
And, I think I slept for almost 5.5 hours. Still tons of dreams. There hasn't been a night without the dreams since coming home, but, even though they remained full and intense last night, I don't feel quite as exhausted this morning.
Plus, I had a walk and train ride into work that was full of interesting thoughts for further exploration, all of which I quickly jotted in my journal on the last leg of the train ride.
This could actually be an okay Monday!
Also, I made significant progress on my list of "things still to do today" from my last post. Over half-way done (which is way more than I expected.)
I got some good time in journalling. I lit candles, and made my bedroom back into a peaceful, prayerful space, instead of a dumping zone for my belongings. I have a list of things that need to get done this week (yes, I'm back to using the list method of organizing my life.) I gracefully extricated myself from a committment I never wanted to be a part of anyway, giving myself one more free night to be at home, resting and writing this week. (The need for rest and quiet has been huge lately, and writing wise, my brand new journal, purchased the day after I returned home, and begun on Valentines Day is nearly a third full. The words have been coming - on paper at least - since coming home.) I burnt incense (a gift from Shelley) for the first time since coming home... I needed to smell it last night. I needed the reminders it carries with it.
And, I think I slept for almost 5.5 hours. Still tons of dreams. There hasn't been a night without the dreams since coming home, but, even though they remained full and intense last night, I don't feel quite as exhausted this morning.
Plus, I had a walk and train ride into work that was full of interesting thoughts for further exploration, all of which I quickly jotted in my journal on the last leg of the train ride.
This could actually be an okay Monday!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Today
Things I've Done Today
- Gone to church.
- Speak at church and show slides from Malta.
- Initiate the possibility of a late spring retreat in Canmore with my youth kids
- Send several emails
- Eat leftover pancakes and a slice of back bacon for lunch
- packaged a birthday gift for a friend
- written a birthday card to go with the gift
- bought a notebook to keep in my purse for those "I have to write that down" moments
- gone to the post office to mail the birthday gift and card
- hung out on my couch
- bought some really great greeting cards (have you seen the Fresh Ink line from Hallmark? so suited to my sense of humor and that of my friends)
- bake muffins
- wash dishes
- clean my bedroom
- work on a couple different writing projects
- change the sheets on my bed
- wash the dirty set of sheets
- grocery shop
- make some thank you cards
- cook something (anything really) containing either fruit or vegetables
- go through a stack of mail that accumulated while I was away
- return the dvds I rented on Monday
Reverting
My sleep schedule is completely messed up. And I've been home for two weeks now, so I can't blame it on jet lag.
I blame it on a couple of friends. They know who they are.
They messed up my life by introducing me to some really deep things. And now, I don't sleep. I dream, I see things, but I don't do a lot of sleeping. (Although, to be fair, I've never been known for my ability to sleep.)
But that's not the point of this post. The point is, I like weekends.
On weekends, I can take life slow, and I can revert to my natural night owl state. I can be sitting here, at 12:43 am, writing a post for you, instead of lying in bed, attempting sleep. I don't have to worry (too much) about the next morning, because I usually don't have plans. Or, if I do have plans, I can always take a nap later in the day. (Have I mentioned that I liked the whole "siesta" thing from noon-4 every day in Malta?)
Tomorrow night I'll attempt to be in bed by midnight, with my lights out. Because that's about when I normally go to bed. But tonight? the sky's the limit baby!
(okay, so, this is the last thing I'm doing, with the possible exception of reading a bit of a novel before sleep, but I COULD stay up if I wanted to!)
Real thoughts to come after sleeping... good night!
I blame it on a couple of friends. They know who they are.
They messed up my life by introducing me to some really deep things. And now, I don't sleep. I dream, I see things, but I don't do a lot of sleeping. (Although, to be fair, I've never been known for my ability to sleep.)
But that's not the point of this post. The point is, I like weekends.
On weekends, I can take life slow, and I can revert to my natural night owl state. I can be sitting here, at 12:43 am, writing a post for you, instead of lying in bed, attempting sleep. I don't have to worry (too much) about the next morning, because I usually don't have plans. Or, if I do have plans, I can always take a nap later in the day. (Have I mentioned that I liked the whole "siesta" thing from noon-4 every day in Malta?)
Tomorrow night I'll attempt to be in bed by midnight, with my lights out. Because that's about when I normally go to bed. But tonight? the sky's the limit baby!
(okay, so, this is the last thing I'm doing, with the possible exception of reading a bit of a novel before sleep, but I COULD stay up if I wanted to!)
Real thoughts to come after sleeping... good night!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
One of Those Days
This has been one of those days.
Where everything hits you in ways that you didn't expect.
Where everything is connected to something.
(You might say "everything is spiritual" - or at least my friend Shelley might say that!)
I've got a couple of long thought posts brewing in my brain. Coming soon.
Later.
Where everything hits you in ways that you didn't expect.
Where everything is connected to something.
(You might say "everything is spiritual" - or at least my friend Shelley might say that!)
I've got a couple of long thought posts brewing in my brain. Coming soon.
Later.
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