If you desire joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to or even into, the being that has them. They are not the sort of prize which God could, if he chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very center of reality. If you are not close to the spray, you will stay dry. If you are close you will gain moisture from the spray. Once a being is united to God how could he not live forever. Once a man is separated from God, what can he do but wither and die. -C.S. Lewis
As we enter this most amazingly wonderful time of the year, may Decembertide bring you closer to those you love, and ultimately closer to your God. Blessings to you, dear friends! Know that you are loved and appreciated!!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Celebrate!
You must know your own beauty.
Look at your world;
all those roses,
saucepans,
violet lipsticks,
your eyeglasses,
your favorite armchair.
Study your handwriting.
Draw a little yellow house under a November sky.
Inquire if you must of your cat or dog or parakeet
but no one else.
Simply know that with every breath,
you are luminescent as rain,
radiant as any Northern star,
beautiful as a wild garden shimmering before the first frost.
Above the kitchen sink
Boyleston Street
Boston, MA
Look at your world;
all those roses,
saucepans,
violet lipsticks,
your eyeglasses,
your favorite armchair.
Study your handwriting.
Draw a little yellow house under a November sky.
Inquire if you must of your cat or dog or parakeet
but no one else.
Simply know that with every breath,
you are luminescent as rain,
radiant as any Northern star,
beautiful as a wild garden shimmering before the first frost.
Above the kitchen sink
Boyleston Street
Boston, MA
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The Gratitude Diet - November 24, 2012
"Trade your expectation for appreciation and the world changes instantly." - Tony Robbins
When our daughter, Chelsea, got married three years ago, I set out to lose some weight I had gained over the years. I came within 6 lbs. of my goal and managed to fit into my dress (just barely!) I continued on with the battle: I tried the "Lose 10 in 2010" program sponsored by our local hospital, I joined 'Weight Watchers' for 10 months, I participated in the Weigh-In at our local Y at the beginning of this year. But that last 6-10 lbs. still lingers. Here we are with five weeks to go before the calendar turns into January. I don't want to take this extra weight with me into the New Year. This weight loss thing has been a source of frustration.
And speaking of frustration, I was dismayed to look at my picture on our holiday promotional brochure for FL Crooks & Co. My arms look terrible, my hair... now wait a minute. What is this crazy notion in our culture that we have gotten so preoccupied with our looks no matter our age? (Remember when Gabby Douglas was gathering her medals at this summer's Olympics and people were commenting about her loose, carefree and sloppy ponytail?)
At a recent yoga class, our instructor stated that today we are going to focus on our hands and be thankful for what they do for us. At another class, our fingernails were the focus of gratitude. I need to carry this attitude with me, being grateful for the harmonious and miraculous way our body functions. Obsessing over this extra weight and this functioning body is ridiculous.
Hannah Whitall Smith in The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life has a healthy perspective:
The greatest burden that we have to carry in life is self. The most difficult thing we have to
manage is self . . . In laying off your burdens therefore, the first one you must get rid of is
yourself. You must hand yourself and all your inward experiences... your temperament, your
...feelings all over into the care and keeping of our God. And leave them there. He made you, He
understands you, He knows how to manage you, and you must trust Him to do it.
Cicero, the Roman philosopher, once stated, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." Gratitude is something that I need to cultivate daily. By practicing the art of thankfulness, I will be less likely to ignore or take my blessings for granted. By being thankful, I will take the emphasis of of myself and become more aware of those who are constantly a blessing to me.
Counting my blessings is just as important as counting my calories in the Gratitude Diet!
Let me leave you with Dr. Oz's tips for losing 10 lbs.:
- No soda pop!
- No eating after 8 PM!
- No snacks larger than your fist!
- Keep a food journal.
- Move!
Here's to the final countdown of 2012 - how much weight can I lose? How much appreciation and gratitude can I gain?
When our daughter, Chelsea, got married three years ago, I set out to lose some weight I had gained over the years. I came within 6 lbs. of my goal and managed to fit into my dress (just barely!) I continued on with the battle: I tried the "Lose 10 in 2010" program sponsored by our local hospital, I joined 'Weight Watchers' for 10 months, I participated in the Weigh-In at our local Y at the beginning of this year. But that last 6-10 lbs. still lingers. Here we are with five weeks to go before the calendar turns into January. I don't want to take this extra weight with me into the New Year. This weight loss thing has been a source of frustration.
And speaking of frustration, I was dismayed to look at my picture on our holiday promotional brochure for FL Crooks & Co. My arms look terrible, my hair... now wait a minute. What is this crazy notion in our culture that we have gotten so preoccupied with our looks no matter our age? (Remember when Gabby Douglas was gathering her medals at this summer's Olympics and people were commenting about her loose, carefree and sloppy ponytail?)
At a recent yoga class, our instructor stated that today we are going to focus on our hands and be thankful for what they do for us. At another class, our fingernails were the focus of gratitude. I need to carry this attitude with me, being grateful for the harmonious and miraculous way our body functions. Obsessing over this extra weight and this functioning body is ridiculous.
Hannah Whitall Smith in The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life has a healthy perspective:
The greatest burden that we have to carry in life is self. The most difficult thing we have to
manage is self . . . In laying off your burdens therefore, the first one you must get rid of is
yourself. You must hand yourself and all your inward experiences... your temperament, your
...feelings all over into the care and keeping of our God. And leave them there. He made you, He
understands you, He knows how to manage you, and you must trust Him to do it.
Cicero, the Roman philosopher, once stated, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." Gratitude is something that I need to cultivate daily. By practicing the art of thankfulness, I will be less likely to ignore or take my blessings for granted. By being thankful, I will take the emphasis of of myself and become more aware of those who are constantly a blessing to me.
Counting my blessings is just as important as counting my calories in the Gratitude Diet!
Let me leave you with Dr. Oz's tips for losing 10 lbs.:
- No soda pop!
- No eating after 8 PM!
- No snacks larger than your fist!
- Keep a food journal.
- Move!
Here's to the final countdown of 2012 - how much weight can I lose? How much appreciation and gratitude can I gain?
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