Wordless Wednesday ~ The Doubter by Yves Tanguy, 1937

The Doubter by Yves Tanguy, 1937
photo by Wayne Stratz

Kerri Farley's Blue Jay Inspires Me

For awhile I was remebering which social media platform I met folk at, but lines are being blurred.  It was likely following each other on Twitter is where it began.  But I am a fan of her photos on Flickr and her blog A Little Piece of Me.  I was so happy when she said I was free to be inspired by her photos to create a Blue Jay mosaic, and her post, Sweet Soul Shining Through is the one that resonated.

I am taking some time on this day off (as Hurricane Sandy approaches) to finally place the Blue Jay into our Mandala listings on etsy and to publicly give my friend Kerri the thanks and praise she deserves.

I know there is more inspiration awaiting me over at A Little Piece of Me.  We will see.  We will see.

Hurricane Sandy ~ A Cards of Hope Sale

Over on our ETSY shop I offer to draw a card of hope, include your message, and send it to your loved one for $21.00.  The cards are one of kind creations which take time to emerge.  I do not rush a card of hope.  

I am foreseeing some extra time in my studio as Hurricane Sandy approaches, and unlike Mosaic Woman, I am dependent upon electricity for my glass work (glass grinder and soldering iron).  But I could draw cards by candle light if need be.  

~ The Sale ~

one card of Hope for $15.00

two cards for $25.00

three cards for $30.00

Sales made at ETSY for cards during the next 48 hours... 

1:00 pm here in  SE PA on Tuesday...  

you be reimbursed to the amount listed above...

or use the contact me tab at the top to place an order

Celebrating the old and the new

I was sitting and waiting to celebrate our new priest, Mother Amanda, when the young man in the striped shirt (far left) asked me if I was going to take photos for our church's website, a website I have helped to create in the past month.  So I walked home.

As I looked at the images, I was disheartened by the less than crisp images that showed up on my computer.  The one of the cake looked OK, the ones of the cheese were a disaster.  But then this one caught my eye.  There is one man who stands out.

He was at the church long before I arrived and has been one of those people I have met along my journey who calls out for the church to help those in need.  A man to follow into a life of reaching out to the poor.

An hour before the service I had dropped off some cheese and some Nanaimo bars and headed out of the church to the farmers market.  When I emerged from the church, it was he who offered me a ride.  I needed the walk, so I passed on the offer, but my heart was lifted up be his presence.  Attendance has been difficult for him over the past year, but how important to have a man, who had witnessed so many rectors at Holy Trinity be there for today's Celebration of New Ministry.

So I am glad that of all the people to shine forth in my photos, it was the man, who had offered me a ride.

Wordless ~ Plum Dumplings

to experience old friends

I had just shared my intention to creatively keep the hours to the group that had gathered for spiritual direction, when a question was posed.

Why?

I spoke about being closer to God and things like that, but by the time we gathered with the remnants of the other group and.... the man brought up the question a second time... I had another thought... these are old friends.

Lectio, Imaginative prayer, Intercessory prayer, Meditation, Examen.  They are prayers that were taught to me and prayers I had taught to others.  Then neglected, some more than others.  But are they not old friends I would love to be close to, yes they are.

So why keep the hours, to visit God by visiting old friends.  And this is why I go to group spiritual direction, where old friends ask me why.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Stained Glass at Holy Trinity Lansdale

Walking with God ~ Day by Day, Creatively Keeping The Hours

as seen at my church

A week or so before I left for the retreat I began a novel that is broken into sections called such things as Matins, Lauds, Terce, Compline.  Who knew it was preparing my soul for the workshops I chose.

The first workshop was based on a book by Marney K. Makridakis would love if we could create time by viewing it not as our enemy (fill in negative phrase here... killing time, comes to mind) but as something we are immersed within as our life flows into creation.  That is my take on the book, which I have not read.   I took this workshop because I knew I would be given colors to play with.   I drew something, which I gifted so it is not to bee seen here.  

My second workshop of the weekend was on keeping the hours, which though I wanted to drum, called me a bit stronger.  I got to hear a great story in the process about how my friend came to dig Martha while she was in silence.

What I drew was my abstract take on my soul stretching out to God at six times during the day.  So now let me get creative with my time and create some hours to keep.

Awakening time... between 6 and 7:00 a.m. 

Prep period time... 10:00 a.m.

Lunch break time... Noon

Preparing for the commute home time... 3:30 p.m. or later

After Dinner time... between 6 and 7:00 p.m. 

Examen time... 9:21 p.m. 

Now how to fill those first five times.  one could be reading a Psalm, and another to be imaginative while reading Matthew since our Bible study is examining the book this fall, one to sit with the prayer chain list and see who I am led to pray for, maybe one just to be quiet and breathe with God.  

So how about the fifth... any thoughts?

Walking with God

Tonight Rose Mary Doughtery read a poem and these lines leapt out at me

Gravity begins falling inside you,
Dragging down every bone.

Things were sticking to me as the school year began and my bones were weary, but my life and the poem, Blessing of One Who Is Exhausted by John O'Donohue moves on and this past week these words seem to fit my spirit...

Gradually, you will return to yourself,
Having learned a new respect for your heart
And the joy that dwells far within slow time.

What do I want... I want recognize when the things that are sticking to me are the heavy items and to turn and seek to be lifted by the light. That is what I want. To turn on the jazz. To talk about the joyful moments at work. To be with Mosaic Woman. To let the desire to create draw me into my studio. To offer up hope and pizza to my friends. And this, which has been absent from my life ~ to stand silent under trees and let birds show me their beauty.

Wordlessly looking back at blue glass

wordless wednesday

Mystical Monday ~ St Francis inspires a new generation

Our Wednesday nights of pie have continued as the seasons change here in PA.  But we are missing one member as the daughter of Red and the Chef has gone off to college.  She is studying biology (well one class in four years), so I have been sending her daily links to info I find interesting.  This could go on for decades as my interest in biology has been already around for decades.

The other night I found a story about how there has been an adaptation to large urban settings taking place.  Coyote pups are more likely to survive there than rural areas.  And now reports of larger animals are rising.

So yesterday, when our new priest told the story of St Francis taming the wolf... I was thinking we needed a new mystic for our times.  Mother Amanda proceeded to bless the domesticated beasts which were pondering why they were doing something new this Sunday morning.

Maybe from the midsts of these blessings of the animals a mystic will arrive, who will calm the fears of the humans and help to feed the hunger of the beasts.

whittling down the 21 rules and defining my mission

grown, dried, and hung at work

My long weekend will be filled with some fun things.  Having a Bitches Brew with my friend Di, creating art in my studio and learning how to make plum dumplings are on that list.  A ton of paperwork is on a different list.  Both lists are needed to keep me balanced.

Tuesday at 8:00 I will return to work and immediately sit down with my supervisor.  I am the first on her list to discuss a few things.  

One is to develop a Purpose Statement:

To develop a setting where students, who have not known much joy or success in school, can discover that education can be fun.  To then inspire and help them to develop the skills to succeed in the future ~ inside and outside of classrooms.

One of the other topics to be discussed are my rules, and I don't think she is ready to read 21 of them, so time to whittle them down to fit the three key areas we are to focus upon in our rooms.  The original 21 will remain posted.  For now I got it whittled out 12 and have it down to nine... 

Be Responsible

• Be aware of how your emotions, they are affecting how you behave.
• Work with tools. Play with toys
• If you have tried and failed , then try again or ask for help.

Be Cooperative

• Feel free to disagree, just be pleasant at the same time.
• Accept your situation and work with your assigned team.
• Help others to discover success.

Be Flexible

• Attempt the tasks, which you fear or hate to do.
• When plans get changed, be open to see where the new plan takes you.
• Enjoy the jazz, even if it is not your choice of music.

Wordlessly celebrating Film Noir Mosaics by Margaret Almon

Mystical Monday ~ Flowers and the Beauty of God

"When we see a beautiful object, a beautiful garden, or a beautiful flower, let us think that there we behold a ray of the infinite beauty of God, who has given existence to that object."

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori