Wide Open (and really small) Spaces

Okay, I'm sneaking Jim's video on here where he talks about his almost-released new book, "Wide Open Spaces - Beyond Paint-By-Number Christianity". Jim probably would think it was self-serving to put this on our blog...but I can! Anyway, for those of you who haven't met Jim in person, this is the next best thing. Well, last night's web cast with Jim on www.shapevine.com was an excellent way to meet him too. And a lot of fun. But if you missed it - meet Jim in a drainage pipe...

Rethinking Love

hey, RELEVANT posted an excerpt of Wide Open Spaces on their site. if you're interested click the upper left hand box that says, "Rethinking Love." if you can't figure it out, the link takes you here. i figured i'd post this on the TLIO blog today.

also, stop in and say hi on the shapevine.com webcast interview tonight at 8:00 EST.

-nobody jim

(photo by Rachel Lane Photography)

A Big Steaming Cup of Heaven

I love the little diner I go to once or twice a week on my lunch hour. I love the marbled oilcloth tablecloth, the heavy white porcelain coffee cup with the little round paper coaster under it, the thermos pot of coffee they leave with a dish of creamers. I love my alone time there. I love reading there. And mostly, for some reason, I love that it's filled with blue collar folk. Today I overheard the man next to me talk about hunting and how the deer aren't running, and how he sliced open his hand when he was out in the field and superglued his cut together, and it made me smile. I feel safe in the diner. Safe to be myself, safe that it doesn't matter what I look like or what I wear, safe and full of love for the waitresses in their matching tops, the factory workers in their overalls.

My son told me the other day that he's sure heaven is a jazz club at night in a big city. I plan on visiting him there. Sometimes the most ordinary places bring heaven crashing into earth, I think. Mine is a little mom-and-pop diner where the waitresses wear nametags and call me sweetheart.

Oneness

One, oneness, one body, non-duality, may they be one as we are one, one with all things, one with God, one with each other, one with nature, one with the universe, awakening to oneness, one . . .

God, what is this oneness thing? Does it mean we all think the same? Vote the same? Look the same? What does it mean? How do we know if we have it or know it or do it?

When the circle of Godś loving becoming unselfish living giving freshly flows through our hearts lovingly unselfishly living giving working gratefully treasuring blessing lifting others who soak up Godś loving transforming them as unselfish living lifting souls who freely give love living with no thought to self . . . blurring where one ends and another begins . . .

Then we are one.

Holy Moments

I printed out an article the other night about motivation, self-discipline and perseverance and asked my son to read it. I thought it would inspire him, and he said, "Well, it kind of depresses me". Sometimes we mothers just don't get it right, you know? Instead of filling Carman with confidence and energy, it made him doubt his abilities and whether he had the focus to succeed in a career that he knows is highly competitive. We talked for awhile about his love of filmmaking, and he told me how he can't imagine doing anything else in life. Carman said, What if I don't make any money at it, though? I said if you're doing what you love, then you've succeeded. Still, despite my reassurances, he seemed unsettled and unsure. He was just getting ready to leave on an errand, and I saw the stress still furrowing his brow.

And then these words spilled strongly out of me - "Carman. I believe in you." And as I said them, I felt the power of them rise up in me. A power of Love filled with truth and faith, the power of words spoken purely from my soul. My son stopped midstep, removed his glasses and wiped his eyes. He felt it. I felt it. Love, faith, unquestioning belief. Everyone in the world should have a mother or father who says one time, "I believe in you. From the very depths of my being, I believe in you."

Signs of Life

Yesterday, we went for a family outing to Mueller State Park. It is west of Colorado Springs, on the west side of Pikes Peak. By now, all of the aspens had lost their leaves, but the park had a unique beauty to it. The evergreens, the dried grass, the crunching leaves underfoot. It was a beautiful day, temperatures in the high 50s, sunny, and blue skies.

We have three young children, so they come to the world with a perspective all their own. As we hiked several trails, they noticed all of the animal scat along the trails. No, we're not talking about jazz here. We're talking excrement -- aka "poop." The park has a display with model poop so you can identify which pile belongs to which animal -- elk, bear, mountain lion, coyote.

You might think this is a little weird, but, you might want to know if a bear or mountain lion could be nearby.

After a while, it became quite the adventure. Lots of laughs noticing the signs of life left along the trail. And maybe that's one of the most unappreciated blessings. Nothing is ever wasted. Even what we leave behind is a sign of life that can bring laughs and joy to others.


PS: In case you're wondering, we saw more signs of elk life than any other animal. The picture is one we took on our hike. You can see Pikes Peak (or Sun Mountain as the Ute tribe called it), and in the foreground is a place called Elk Meadow. And as of tonight, the whole park is forecast to be snow-covered.

Tarot Cards and Hula Hoops

Do something different; trying new, playful things to get out of a rut; or a little change can set you free.

Tarot cards: Him and I love to shop at HalfPrice Books. On the last few trips I have picked up a book on Tarot and immediately put it back down. Subsequently, I read a book by Thomas Moore “Dark Night of the Soul” which really spoke to me, I highly recommend it to people experiencing interior or exterior difficulties or feel they are in a dark place. In that book, though not as a recommendation, Moore mentions having a deck of Tarot cards. So the next time we go to the store, the Tarot book is still there, I buy it and a box of cards, now I am hooked. I even read my hairstylist’s cards. She is going to grow in financial security! :o)

I don’t believe there is any magic in it. Similar to dream interpretation, the symbols on the cards spark a recognition in our subconscious which we respond to. Our subconscious, perhaps, is more closely attuned to our soul. Our subconscious, perhaps, has a deeper knowledge of our experiences, past present and maybe future. Who knows? Please tell me if I am wrong. Maybe I need to ask a priest about it, is this something I need to go to confession over? I do say an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be as I shuffle the cards….

Hula Hoops: I have been in a non-exercise rut. My Doctor kindly suggests I need to get out of it. A girlfriend, age 54, told me about hula hoops. Not the lightweight plastic kid kind which are actually difficult for an adult to use. There are adult sized hoops, average 36” diameter, that are heavier, but easier to use. I can’t explain the physics. After two days of trying, I finally got the hang of it and I love it. It is like dancing/ playing for exercise – once you pick it up it is hard to put down. Don’t worry about looking silly – you will but who cares, and if I can do it, anyone can!

You can buy them too, but My Him made me two of them. Here is a link how. http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html

Now there is a little strangeness for you this Sunday morning. :o)

Peace Keren

Dear Jim,

(i blogged the below post this morning, and couldn't resist also including it here as it seemed to capture the TLIO spirit)

this morning i received the below email. both the email and the video (see link) deeply impacted me. the greatest benefit for me in writing books and having a blog is that it allows me to cross paths with so many people who enrich my life and journey. most of the time you are the teacher and i am the student. here's the letter and link…

"you have been real to me, brother - i can't say how many times - in both reading d.n. and reading your blog.

i'm a sales manager and one of my sales guys emailed me this link - the story is great - to think that in my every interactions with customers and all people, i can somehow touch their lives in a deep way. here's the link if you want to check it out - the note in the bag, on the one of the last slides says… "it's not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do."

i've always been a big 'doer', especially in church stuff. i grew up in church, and it was the biggest thing in my life - i even left a church to start an emergent church - but the more i did, the more empty i became. it was just a constant doing…we've left the church now, and are finding our way beyond… into the wide open spaces. i'm now seeing how God is all around and speaks in so many ways - this video, and my sales guy sending it to me is proof to that.

thanks man, for the love you put into what you do - it hit me deep.

peace"

(photo by codybaldwin)

Love Sinking, Love Rising

Honestly, Love has been a bit elusive lately. Well, maybe more so after last night when I asked a question I was reflecting on about whether I need to forgive someone if they have no remorse, and I was instantly jumped on by a few people in the group I was in, and felt that punched-in-the-stomach kind of feeling. So much for musing out loud. Then I started thinking about this blog, and how I should be writing about Love, and how I was feeling decidedly distant from that big, grand, awe-inspiring, soul-filling, life-shattering kind of Love. Ahhh. But then I found out that Jim Palmer had an excerpt from his upcoming book on Relevant Magazine's web site, and I read these words of his:

"There is a sizable gap between the number of knowledgeable Christians and the number of Christians who express the reality of God. Why is that? Really, why is that? I wonder if it’s because we too often take someone else’s word for it, rather than experiencing for ourselves God’s Spirit confirming Truth within us. Maybe that’s the difference between knowledge and knowing. We acquire knowledge by absorbing teachings others show us, but knowing occurs when the life of God within you reveals a truth and your spirit says, “I know that I know.”

Suddenly I feel a deep peace settle in. Just reading, "The life of God within", brought joy and love bubbling back up to the surface of my spirit. Providential, blessed, sacred timing. Divine encounters step in right when I need them most.

Photo by Bill Dahl

Friends

“Each of us has contact with hundreds of people who never look beyond our surface appearance. We have dealings with hundreds of people who the moment they set eyes on us begin calculating what use we can be to them, what they can get out of us. We meet hundreds of people who take one look at us, make a snap judgment, and then slot us into a category so that they wont have to deal with us as persons. They treat us as something less than we are and if we are in constant association with them, we become less.”

“And then someone enters our life who isn’t looking for someone to use, is leisurely enough to find out what is really going on in us, is secure enough not to exploit our weaknesses or attack our strengths, recognizes our inner life and understands the difficulty of living out our inner convictions, confirms what is deepest within us. A friend.”

Eugene H. Peterson “Leap Over a Wall”

This is from a book about a divine nobody, David (of David and Goliath fame).

To me like anything else, all relationships grow and change and ebb and glow. Our souls always recognize the friends God places in our lives.

Peace and Love
Keren

Photo by Darla Winn

Otherlyness

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a conference called Off the Map Live, put on by an organization called, well, Off the Map.

Off the Map promotes something they call "otherlyness"... or the spirituality of serving. Their goal is to teach Christians to serve others without agenda and with compassion, making evangelism more about relationship and less about conversion, and providing a platform for "idea explorers"...those who think outside the box of "normal" Christianity.

This is a conference like none other I have been to; it entertains a wide spectrum of theology and ministry, rather than being tuned in to one particular genre of Christianity. I don't want to try to recap it here, but I did want to share one thing I learned; or rather, something I already knew which was affirmed in many ways.

Christianity is about others, all others. It's about relationships and Love. It's in the sharing of our hearts and dreams with others, and listening to their hearts and dreams where we really can grow to follow Christ. Christianity is known for being "closed"; not wanting to hear from those who are different. However, I have found it is in relating to an atheist or a Pagan or a Muslim that I truly learn the depth of Jesus' unconditional and all-encompassing Love for people.

In the past I have been taught to be suspicious of those who believe differently from I; Off the Map is a Christian organization which, while it doesn't embrace the beliefs of others, it truly does embrace the others. I have learned from them that it is not only acceptable, but valuable, to embrace in Love those who hold vastly different beliefs than I do. There is something we have missed in the past by being unwilling to hear and connect with people who don't fit into our neat little Christian box. I have found these "others" to be some of the most interesting and inspiring people I know. When I am respectful of their beliefs, looking for the practical commonalities (such as caring for the poor), rather than theological or religious differences, something amazing happens.

I, for one, wish to practice Love for others, or "otherlyness" consciously in my life. I eagerly anticipate what I might learn from those who don't necessarily follow Christ, by engaging with the "other", valuing them as people and as friends, rather than as potential Christians.

Longing for the Rhythm

Boom chick a boom chick
Ba da da ba da da ba da da ba da da
Whooooooo-ah who-ahh
Mo-mahh mo-mahhhhhhh

Loving flowing working savoring
Worshiping grateful serving faithful
Living giving heart forgiving
Loving resting praying waiting
Ba da da ba da da ba da da ba da da
Who who-ahhhhhhhhh
Who who-ahhhhhhhhh

Photo by Ian Britton, freefoto.com

Soularize (TLIO thoughts)

i returned from the week-long soularize experience in the bahamas, and wanted to share a few thoughts. it will take a while to truly unpack it all. in many respects, what occurred during the week was a affirmation and confirmation of various things that have been stewing or unfolding and evolving inside of me. this was helpful as i at times tend to be a self-doubting sort of person. brennan manning's main message was that people suffer because they are divided people, lost from the truth of their real identity as the beloved. when those of us who know who we are allow Love to flow through us to others, even in the simplest ways, we are helping stimulate the awakening in others. as i listened to brennan, the "turn love inside out" mentality grew in significance, and i am more convinced than ever of the power of love.

father richard rohr presented a talk on "stages of consciousness," which i greatly appreciated. i hope to track it down somewhere and link it so others can see it. in the six levels, number 5 is "wisdom" and reads...

"Your mind is now your servant. All previous stages are included, honored, and used effectively, but you transcend them to non dual thinking as such. You no longer know reality merely by comparison, competition, analysis, judgment, or critique. You no longer divide the field. No need to hate, exclude, deny, expel, or eliminate things, or overly attach to passing things. You are now patient with paradox and mystery, and can live with contradictions in yourself and others. The contemplative mind. Can care rightly because you have learned how not to care also."

one interesting thing also is that even though all these "stages of consciousness" were presented and explained, i had never been exposed to them in such fashion. and yet, i discovered my journey has involved passing through many of them. in other words, having the information itself is not necessary for one to grow through these stages. it doesn't have to be laid out in any sort of theological/intellectual format in order for people to get it. a farmer, truck driver, or waffle house waitress could just has easily grown into "level six" without such information. richard rohr pointed out more than once that suffering is often catalyst for growth.

that's all for now.

(photo by dan gilliam)

God bless you!

God bless Mommy,

God bless Daddy,

God bless Grandma and Grandpa,

God bless my brothers and sisters . . . and Rover . . . . and all my friends at school!

I have viewed this as a trite child´s prayer, but now I wonder if is isn´t the most powerful prayer of all. It is a prayer of love, a prayer for peace, a prayer for Godś will, God´s grace, God´s forgiveness. It is Godś love flowing through us, sent swiftly to others.

What would happen if we prayed these prayers of blessing to others at every opportunity during the day? We could start by focusing on our immediate family members, and then branching out to others around us. And we would never stop. We would just keep praying in our hearts, ¨God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you . . . ¨