Compassion is the way of transformation. As we show compassion to ourselves and others, there can be restoration and healing.
Our retreat with Frank Rogers ends today. I have one more opportunity to soak in the teaching. It has been incredible, authentic, and life-giving.
The table fellowship, our listening circles, random conversations, etc. -- it has all been good.
The quote in the picture is one of the morning devotion quotes.
Another one by Nelson Mandela states: "Our human compassion binds us the one to the other- not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future."
Another quote for the day is by Thomas Merton: "The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another."
Compassion. Walking with others. Holding space for others.
As we walk through our own journeys, we are reminded of our connections and interdependence on the path to wholeness and well being.
One day a few weeks back, I happened to notice a tiny spot on my right leg that resembles a heart. It isn't perfectly shaped, but enough so to catch my attention.
#seeaheartshareaheart
It is a physical reminder to me to love myself.
Love God and love others are the two greatest commandments and ones I share often and attempt to live into. The 'love others' includes 'as you love yourself'. We are to love ourselves before we can love others.
We are to take care of ourselves before we attempt to take care of others. This isn’t selfish; it is prudent and crucial.
If you have flown, you have heard that you are to put on your own oxygen mask first before you attempt to help the young or elderly with you. Why? If you can't breathe, you are of no help to others.
Throughout seminary and the 2 year Academy I was reminded to take care of me, to take time for soul care and self care. I thought I had it it covered, but real life situations challenge my time management and my intentionality. I do okay. But I can do better. I want to do better. Because it isn't just for me. It is for the sake of others.
If I don't offer myself time apart, love, compassion, rest, etc., then how can I offer it to others and lead others there?
This week I am on retreat in Houston, Texas with the Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders. Frank Rogers is the speaker and he is sharing about the radical way of compassion.
We are going back to the roots of loving God, loving self, and loving others.
Taking this time apart for what I thought was just part of my commitment to the board is refreshing and refilling my soul.
This morning's devotion included these quotes:
"In Asian languages, the word for 'mind' and the word for 'heart' are same. So if you're not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you're not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness toward oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention." Jon Kabat-Zinn
"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." Jack Kornfield
How are you taking time to love yourself, to show yourself compassion? Are you taking some time to listen to the One Voice who calls you 'beloved'?
Practicing compassion for ourselves will lead to practicing it for others. We will be better equipped to love others fully when we make time to take care of ourselves.
Today's alarm went off at 3am so I could shower and get a cup of coffee before heading to the airport. My sweet husband was kind enough to take me at 3:45.
It is dark that early in the morning.
It was dark the entire first leg of the flight, until the last bit when the sun starting showing up on the other side of the plane.
Though I slept mostly on the first flight, I read on the second one. I brought one of the many piled and stacked books on my waiting list for this trip: Starting Something New: Spiritual Direction For Your God-Given Dream by Beth Booram. I had highlighted the book in a newsletter awhile back and Beth sent me a copy. There are so many connections in this book. I find myself identifying with quite a bit.
I have found many great nuggets already--quotes from other authors and information from Beth. This book is going to challenge and encourage me.
Here are two quotes from today's reading:
As I reflect today on the thoughts from this book, I also came across a picture and something I wrote with it two years ago as the retreat ended in Buffalo, MN at Christ the King Retreat Center.
"When faced with an overgrown path between yourself and a destination, look closely for the hidden worn path of travelers gone before and follow their steps. If no such step or opening exists, it may be time to forge the path for others.~d" July 25, 2014
Putting it all together is there a theme?
I don't know just yet. What I do know is that I have come for some time apart, to listen to the One Voice. I am setting aside time and space to listen and reflect.
What that means and where that leads.... we will see. That is part of the great adventure!
Immediately I thought of cotton candy and a song we sang at camp about cotton candy clouds.
The colors were calming and beautiful. I posted the picture on Instagram and Facebook and a florist friend posted that those colors were the 2016 pantone colors.
I didn't know what that meant, so I had to look it up.
I found a cool website on the Pantone colors of the year: Rose Quartz and Serenity. I learned some neat things about these colors: "As consumers seek mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to modern
day stresses, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill our yearning
for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent. Joined
together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance
between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue,
reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order
and peace". Click here to go to the webpage.
No wonder I find myself drawn to them. I do have a sense of peace when I see the cotton candy colors. They are soothing.
The song with the lyrics "cotton candy clouds" is "Master Designer" by Kurt Kaiser. I have written about it before. It's a song I learned at camp. Sometimes I think of it when I see big, puffy white clouds and at other times it comes to mind when I see the cotton candy colors, like last night.
"Master Designer" lyrics:
“Cotton candy clouds, so fluffy and white,
Who put you there in a sky of deep blue?
Or do you just happen to float along,
Pretty and white in a sky so blue, so blue, sky so blue?
Tall mountain, deep valley, fast river, cool stream,
Show grandeur and majesty in some grand scheme
All of these wonders that we behold,
Are only a part – it cannot be told, be told, cannot be told.
Master Designer, Whoever You are,
All of this beauty both near and afar
Can’t just have happened, the odds are too great,
There must be a plan, we’re not left to fate, to fate, not left to fate.
All of this beauty is far too convincing
Master Designer, Your word must be true,
Of all Your creations man is the dearest
Help me to simply believe now in You, in you,
Believe in You.”
Here is a blog post written about Master Designer and clouds in 2010: My Southern Mints Julep
Lyrics with instrumental
The King's Heralds singing "Master Designer"
"Master Designer" is one of my favorite camp songs. Quite possibly because it mentions clouds, mountains, valleys, creation, rivers, streams, etc. Also because Polly Cameron sang it all those years.
So last night when I looked up and just happened to catch a glimpse of the sky in a moment of cotton candy brilliance, I had no idea that the peaceful moment in the moment would take me to a place of learning about Pantone colors. Though I had the brief wisp of the camp song in my head last night, I didn't know I would go back there today.
Creation-- it allows us to be present in the moment, to learn something in the future, and to reflect upon the past.
It may not be the clouds in the sky that speak peace or truth to you in your journey. It may be other aspects of Creation. For me, it varies too. I am grateful, however, for a Creator who continues to speak gently to me through creation, reminding me of many things, including who I am and whose I am.
Speaking of being reminded of who I am and whose I am. Check out this posting by Shalem Institute. I am grateful to my cousin, David, for tagging me yesterday. Otherwise I would have missed it. Here is the quote that was on Shalem's Facebook page:
""Know that you are the beloved of God. Say it aloud, keep it in your
heart and on your lips. I am made in the image and likeness of God; I am
made in the image and likeness of God. I am the beloved of God. Let
this take root in your being. Ponder and rest in that. Let it flow
through you. You are a unique gift to the world and have a particular
contribution that only you can be and give. So, be
attentive—aware—listening for what that is. Live the questions: Who am I
called to be for the world? What is the unique way I can serve? What is
the piece that is mine to offer to the whole?" by Patience Robbins
With last Sunday's sermon and Scripture still in my mind, I drove around Rossville, GA today looking for folks who might be out in the parks and need some cold water on this hot day. Even though I have been in this appointment one year now, I still have lots of places to get to know in the three towns.
That became very obvious just now.
But, before I share that story, I will share that I was able to hand out one bottle of water to a woman at the park who was waiting to go to go her cleaning job. We spoke only briefly.
As I headed back to the office for a meeting, I noticed an "open" neon sign in English on the window in a building next to the church. In Spanish were the letters "Salon de belleza". I had never noticed that before.
I parked the car and walked over. The front door was locked, but they motioned me around back.
When I went in, there was a guy signing in and another in one of the chairs. I started speaking Spanish with them immediately and explained I had just noticed the sign. I told the I was still getting to know the area after being here a year. I asked how long they had been in business here, right next to the church. 12 years was her reply. 12 years?!? Wow. I guess others in the community who learned I spoke Spanish hadn't noticed it either because nobody has told me about the Spanish shop next door. Now I know. We spoke briefly. I left a card and told her I would be back to talk more later.
What a pleasant surprise for me to find out today that a literal neighbor to Simpson UMC is a Spanish beauty shop.
I look forward to getting to know these neighbors.
Have you been surprised by anything in your journey recently?
Blessings on your journey,
Debra
P.S. Here is an article I read about 25 Ways to be missional in your neighborhood. It can be applied to churches too, many of the ideas can be. Get creative and see what you can do in your unique situation.
This morning as I was reading Macrina Wiederkehr, this quote caught my attention in light of everything going on in the world: "A lot of space in the world is still filled with hate. As followers of Jesus we have no option except to try to fill up these spaces with love." Macrina Wiederkehr, Abide, p. 148
I put the two together this morning:
As I have been reflecting on this, I am grateful for several examples of love this past Sunday.
Pastor Robin Hager responded in love in her community in Venice, FL in a situation that had potential to be negative as a group came to protest her church. She took her leadership role boldly from the start and set the tone for love. It was beautiful.
Pastor Ginger Isom shared that a gentleman came to her church on Sunday right as church was starting. He wanted to talk. He stayed for the service, in spite of being a minority. He was welcomed. They spoke afterwards and the men of the church are reaching out in love.
These leaders encourage me. They are following the example of another leader, Christ, who continued to lead out of love.
There may be hate toward others, there may be apathy. There may only be a tiny hole open to fill with love in the moment.
Yet, if we are faithful to fill the hole, the spaces with love, then that is enough. That is what I am to do in the moment.
Will God use that love to break open the space wider and wider to dispel the hate, fear, ignorance, and apathy? I hope so. I pray so.
I also pray for boldness and courage to speak the truth in love in all situations, as directed by the One True Shepherd so that I might bring and share love openly and not give up hope.
Today I went to NHC Healthcare in Rossville, GA to join with Gail, Doris, and Bobby as they shared their gift of music with the residents there.
I recently learned that they go every 2nd Tuesday at 11am to share their gift of music. They play their guitars and sing gospel and country songs. When I learned that they go regularly, I told Gail I would put it on my calendar and meet them there. Gail told me then I would have to sing and I said I would. She held me to my promise today.
To my knowledge, there is only one resident in the three churches of the Holston GaP Parish at NHC. I planned to visit her while I was there and was able to after the singing/music time finished.
Much to my surprise, a lady whom I recognized came in pushing her walker about midway into the singing and the playing. It took me a moment to place her because I haven't seen her in over a year. She was someone I visited regularly when I was at a previous church before I took this appointment as pastor. I thought I recognized her, but I asked an employee to be sure. It was her. I took some time to talk with her, tell her my name, remind her how I knew her, how I used to visit her, and even that I visited her once on my motorcycle. I gave her a business card to refer to later, just in case. As I think back on the visits I had with her in her home, I am reminded that she has a birthday coming up fairly soon.
Seeing her 'all the way' in Rossville when I used to visit her in the Soddy Daisy area caught me off guard a little bit today. But, it was a blessing.
It was an added blessing to the music that was played and sung today. Watching the residents clap their hands, tap their toes, and sing along with some of the songs was a blessing. Getting to join in on a few of the songs was a blessing too.
Roaming around the room talking with some of the residents and just being with them for that time period.... that was a blessing.
Thank you God for the blessings of this day!
What blessings have you experienced in your journey today?
It has been a few years since I have attended a morning watch in person. The last one I attended was a camp reunion at Riverview in 2012. (Sadly, I missed this last November's reunion.) During the weekend reunion we had morning watch, a time of morning devotion, led by Ellen Roberts.
Ellen Roberts leading morning watch at the reunion
Morning Watch area at Riverview Camp for Girls, Mentone, AL
What a treat that was. Whether we were former campers, counselors, both, director, or other staff, morning watch with Ellen was a an integral part of camp life. Every morning before breakfast, you could go to Morning Watch and get a word of encouragement, some daily bread. I really never knew how meaningful and important those times were for me growing up. I didn't realize that by setting aside a few moments in the morning to center myself and focus for the day, I was being prepared for the day.
Honestly, I was just trying to get ready as fast as I could in the mornings, get out of the cabin and into the woods. That's where morning watch was. In the woods. Benches (or old logs) set up in semi-circle fashion. Nothing fancy. But a space set apart.
this sign wasn't there back in my day
Morning Watch at Camp Skyline (2012)
Space and time set apart to start the day.
That is something I learned early on in my life as a camper at camp and it has been a tremendous blessing to me. I haven't always used mornings to carve out space and time for that reflection, but it is something I have come back to over the years. I do find that my morning time allows me to center myself and prepare for the day.
Yesterday as I was on the patio reading through some different blogs, listening to the waterfall and the birds, I came across Ellen Robert's post. It wasn't until later that I realized I had sat through Morning Watch with Ellen. What I knew at the time is that those words touched me, much like many of the words she shared day after day, year after year during those morning watch times at camp. This is a gifted woman of God who cares deeply for God and others and that investment has had a tremendous ripple effect.
Here is what Ellen wrote on July 7 at 2:02pm:
"Moments Like These. I don’t remember anything about the devotional
message itself, but the title captivated me. I’m sure there are all
kinds of moments that stand out in your mind…the most frightening or
exciting or happiest or most rewarding. But what comes to my mind are
the moments that have been the most meaningful, the most God-aware, the
most peaceful…moments that connected me with people and God and that
often taught me profound truths.
I remember walking on the beach
in Panama City and realizing for the first time that there was no need
to fear death, that heaven was assured. It was something I had known
intellectually, but in that moment I felt the magnitude of that truth to
my core. Blessed assurance….
I remember sitting atop a large rock on the ski slope overlooking camp,
the cabins and children and activities in a distance, their sounds
muffled so that I heard only the occasional sound of a door slamming
shut or the bell ringing. I was absorbed instead by the fading of
daylight and the illumination of the sky with stars. I remember taking
in the beauty and peacefulness of that moment and the closeness of God
and thinking that, if only I could come there every day, I could always
keep things in perspective. Sometimes I still try to go there in my
mind when the stresses of the day wear on me.
I remember what
it’s like for 200 people to sit quietly on the river’s edge after dark,
lit candles floating in the river and the voices of familiar songs
slowing approaching. Those moments were filled with togetherness and
meaning and holiness.
I remember times of deep sharing and prayer
and the fellowship that comes with loving and trusting and appreciating
those that God brings into one’s life. They are fireside moments and
summer retreats and other shared moments in which God knit hearts and
helped us grow.
I remember moments when God spoke…not the vague
“I think this is what God is telling me” messages, but the rare times of
certainty as His message, while not audible, was nonetheless loud and
clear.
There are so many more. I know you have your own, and
there may be some we have shared. It helps me to think back on moments
like these, as they are reminders of the goodness and sacredness of life
and, most assuredly, of the presence and faithfulness of God."
As I finished reading Ellen's writing, I looked up at the morning sky. I noticed the clouds above me looked like they were in the formation of God's hand. That's what they looked like to me. I adore clouds anyway and enjoy shapes. I have seen a hand in clouds a time or two before.
I snapped a picture of the clouds and wrote my own thoughts for the morning:
"As I look up from my coffee and reading, I see these clouds. As I
have just read Ellen Roberts' reflection on God, these clouds strike me
as being formed as the hand of God above me. It may not look like a hand
to anyone else, but as I continue to watch it, I see it. God's hand is
over me. Blessed assurance." (July 8, 7:04am)
As I continue to grow in my faith journey, as life continues to press in around me, I know the importance of making space and time for pauses, for reflection. These are the moments that allow us to redirect, refill, refresh, refocus. We may need them more often than once a day in the morning. There are days that I need pause moments much more frequently to hear the One Voice over the clanging of the many others in life.
But, oh, a day like yesterday, just brought it all together for me in many ways. Not only did I get a wonderful blessing from Ellen Roberts, a Morning Watch via Facebook (which she does quite often in her writings still), but I also got a visual reminder that God is Creator, God is present.
In addition, I was reminded that those things that we do early in our lives take deep root. Even when we are unaware what is truly going on at the time, those things sink in to the depths of our being. I am grateful for those camp days and Morning Watch.
We also had evening campfire times with songs and we had church time on Sundays, but this blog post is about Morning Watch. Overall, camp time played a big part of my spiritual foundation and formation. Who would have ever thought that the kid who was in Brookwood cabin that first summer at Camp Skyline (in 197?), who put their clothes on the end of the bed and got dressed quietly before everyone else got up, and then made up the bed, did chores, and headed off to Morning Watch would one day become a pastor?!?! Not me.
Our lives are a marvelous journey. I am grateful for Ellen Roberts for having planted so many seeds of life along the way in mine and that she continues to offer Morning Watch to us.
I sit outside in the patio this morning, enjoying a cup of Costa Rican coffee, the fountain, the birds, and an ever slight breeze.
As I journal my thoughts in my "Advice From A Mountain" journal, the dreaded moment comes. There is no more paper. It is over. But it isn't. Not knowing when I might finish this journal, when I happened upon "Advice From a Tree" at the Master General Store in Waynesville, NC last year, I picked it up.
Since 2010 my journals have been nature based. I picked up "Advice From A River" and "Advice From A Mountain" in Cape San Blas on a girls trip to the beach.
You can find blog entries about both of these journals within my blog, so I won't say too much about those themes. (I have also picked up t-shirts that are nature based: "Advice From A Mountain" and "Advice From a Waterfall". You'll find those in the blogs too.)
I will say that each theme has fit where I was in life at the moment, giving me additional support and strength to continue the journey.
As I finished "Advice From A Mountain" this morning, I am somewhat sad to let it go. Among other things, it has reminded me to stand in the strength of my True Nature, rise above it all, and climb beyond my limitations.
How very fitting as I finish this journal, that I was handed a heart rock yesterday morning at church by one of the members. She had found it on a recent trip to Louisiana. She knows that I love nature and creation and see hearts everywhere.
This heart rock reminds me that I will continue to learn and grow from the mountains and rocks.
The journal ends with these pages:
As I transition to my new journal, what advice from nature will be my guide?
"Dear Friend,
Stand Tall and Proud
Sink your Roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the Light of your true nature
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields it's own abundance
The energy and Birth of Spring
The Growth and Contentment of Summer
The Wisdom to let go like leaves in the Fall
The Rest and Quiet Renewal of Winter
Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures
Earth, Fresh Air, Light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Let your limbs sway and dance in the
breezes
Be flexible
Remember your Roots
Enjoy the View!"
As someone who thoroughly enjoys the Creator's handiwork and connects with the Creator through creation, I look forward to my continued journaling journey with this journal by Ilan Shamir.
Blessings on your journey,
Debra
P.S.-- If you're interested in these journals, check out their website: Yourtruenature
