We believe that God is the Creator who rested,not because God was exhausted,but because God revealed a holy rhythm for creation. We believe that the world is sustained by God,not by our endless striving. We believe that every person is infinitely preciousand unconditionally loved,apart from what they produce or accomplish. We believe that Sabbath is … Continue reading A Sabbath Creed
What makes a good neighbor? The English word “neighbor” has its origins in Old English meaning near-dweller. It was proximity that defined the neighbor. My first thoughts go to folks adjacent to me. After that initial thought, however, I realize there are bigger implications to the word. The world is getting smaller What defines distance … Continue reading More than Proximity
What’s the trait you value most about yourself? When my children were young, I would read to them most nights before bed. Often children’s stories have multiple characters, and so I would attempt to create appropriate voices for members of the Berenstain Bear family or Junie B Jones or any of children’s favorites. Almost without … Continue reading My Own Voice
What would your life be like without music? Music is a vibrational energy of everyday life. Science tells us that everything vibrates down to the atomic level. In subtle ways, without music of vibrational energy, nothing and no one would be anything at all. I am deeply moved by music, including the synchronous and asynchronous … Continue reading Music Always and Everywhere
When I am overwhelmed by discord and dissension in my life and many places, I often find comfort in the words of poets. The following are words from Rumi, the Sufi mystic and poet of the thirteenth-century. May this poem offer you encouragement and an invitation to that "field" Rumi describes! Out beyond ideas of … Continue reading Poetry Brings Me Peace
If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be? "Stupid." I would dispel that word from my vocabulary; that goes double for my inner critic. Let me be clear. I do not use "stupid" much in daily conversation or thoughts I have about the world. However, my friend … Continue reading Chats with My Inner Critic
What does your ideal home look like? This writing is a second attempt. I wrote and edited a response to this question as I originally read it. However, in an “aha” moment, I realized there was a different response rising in me. That is because my first response was to the question, “What does your … Continue reading Where is Home?
What TV shows did you watch as a kid? There were three notable shows that immediately come to mind from my childhood. The first was Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, a show about nature and the realities of animals. I remember looking forward to the show weekly even when it was a repeat. Marlin Perkins … Continue reading Life As It Is and Could Be
Where did your name come from? Names. What do they say about a person? What story do they tell? Are they pointers to identify the one about whom or to whom we are talking or something more? Birth Names. My given name, James Edward, came from my mother’s step-father (James) and her dad who died … Continue reading Names, Stories, and Meaning
If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell? I would open a shop that sells inexpensive reminders of how precious each of us is, just as we are. I think I would need to do a fair amount of market research because what reminds me of being precious may do … Continue reading Simple Reminders
