Promises, Promises

Let your soul be at rest.  God will not fail you if you keep your promises and abandon yourself to God’s will.

Those words belong to St. Teresa of Avila.  I want them to be my words too.  There are days when worries and anxieties seem to take possession of me.  I can’t focus on anything else, no matter how hard I try. 

“Stay in the now!” I yell at myself.  “What do you, Julie, have to worry about?  Look at people around you, with tough rows to hoe, some in life or death situations.  How silly you are!”  Except the exclamation point doesn’t come with a smile.  I frown at myself in the mirror, and if you’ve ever seen me frown, well, I can be intimidating, let me tell you, especially when the brow furrows, too.  It’s the “mother’s glare” shot to myself.

Yep.  I know all the pat answers. 

You can look at the past, but don’t stare.

Don’t dwell in the past, instead get the hell out of there.

Almost all the things you worry about never happen.

Worrying is projecting fear into the future, and it isn’t real.

There’s always a place for self-examination.  But I’m learning that yelling at someone, even myself, doesn’t make nearly the dent in learning as compassion and kindness.  Here I am, getting closer to 60 than I could have ever imagined, and practicing putting an arm around myself to say, “Okay.  Deep breath.  Excellent.  Is this life or death?  Can we get through just this moment?  We are very resourceful, and if I can’t figure this out on my own, I can ask for help.”

The best is that we AREN’T in this alone.  We are a community who loves and accepts one another, just as we are, encouraging one another and sharing joys as well as heartaches.  We promise that to God and to each other in our membership vows.

But best of all, we are here to remind each other that God, Godself, will not leave as alone.  God is always here, dark days and bright days.  God’s will is love, not fear. 

L-O-V-E.  That’s God’s promise to us, and God NEVER breaks God’s promises.  That’s a fact.  And a beautiful covenant relationship, all around.  Promise!

Grace and joy,

Julie

Valentine's Day Blues?

I want to pass this on, written by a life coach friend and shared by a mutual friend.  One of those pieces I wish I had written, but I'm sure it will touch someone this day....

Client’s Question: "Since I'm not in a romantic relationship right now, I really dread Valentine's Day, even more than the holidays. I feel like hibernating until the 15th, because everything in the stores and on television points to romance. HELP!"

It seems common for those who are not in a relationship at the time of Valentine's Day to feel lonely and left out. February 14th is a special day that has been set-aside in order to honor "love", and most commonly in America, it is most famous for being a time of celebrating "romantic love".

I have always been a romantic, at heart, and Valentine's Day presented a special occasion for me to express myself to my partner in a loving way. But, when I was not in a relationship, I certainly felt frustrated and alone with thoughts of jealousy for those around me, who seemed to be successful in having someone to share Valentine’s Day (comparing myself to others was one of my quickest ways of guaranteeing feelings of aloneness and sometimes forms of depression).

Today it is clear that in order for me to have the healthy, balanced relationship I want in my life, I must first develop a healthy, balanced relationship with myself. This means first of all, I am learning to love, honor and respect myself, therefore allowing myself the capability of offering this same love, honor and respect to others. Consequently, when Valentine's Day rolls around each year (whether or not I have a significant relationship) February 14th has become for me a day of “expressing love”. I share a similar excitement, but my focus is entirely different. My day is filled with gratitude for all the love that I receive from my family and friends throughout the year. I often contact family members and special friends to let them know of their importance to me and to share my gratitude for the love and the connection we have. I am amazed at how this change of perspective and action has altered my experience of Valentine’s Day. This day is now filled with love and appreciation, whereas before I mainly experienced fear, resentment and loneliness.

So, as the 14th of February approaches and if you find yourself missing that special love-one in your life, remember to feel and express a grateful love to yourself and those close to you, and allow this day to be what it was originally intended to be, a day of celebrating love. 

Barry Teller

A Heart soaked in Love alone is a Sacred Heart

Religious Expectations

There are times when I cringe when the subject of religion comes up.  Now, that may seem rather odd, given my vocation, but I am mortified by people who claim to speak for Christianity, make bold statements about what God’s opinion is, or threaten others in the name of faith.  It’s not hard to picture standing on the Mt. of Olives hillside with Jesus shaking his head and weeping over the state of his children.  Or as Anne Lamott said it in a more modern twist, it’s enough to make Jesus drink his vodka straight from the cat’s dish.  I’m smiling as I said that.

I ran across some notes I took in a class long, long ago.  Let me share them with you this morning, even though the source is now lost in the decades:

I have NO right to expect my religion to

1) Enhance my respectability.

2) To be a source of external culture or sophistication.

3) To ensure financial stability.

4) To guarantee me freedom from pain or suffering.

I DO expect my religion:

1) To give me the discovery of and assist me in the mastery over the inner world.

2) To afford an alliance with a Power that should give me a sense of security in a dangerous and tragic world.

3) To assist me in living peacefully with others.

4) To put in me an attitude, which would enable me to face the ultimate future, with optimism, unafraid.

Now, an expectation isn’t a right.  It’s an opportunity, and I have to do my part to be open and willing to look at different perspectives.  Through God’s grace, it’s an opportunity that is ever present, ever available, ever loving, ever reconciling.  For that I’m beyond thankful!

Okay, I will climb down off my soapbox now.  But speaking of soap, here’s something to smile about—

Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash

10.  I was made to wash as a child.

 9.  People who wash are hypocrites.  They think they are cleaner than other people.

 8.  There are so many different kinds of soaps.  I could never decide which one was right.

 7.  I used to wash, but it got boring so I stopped.

 6.  I still wash on special occasions, like Christmas, Mother’s Day and Easter.

 5.  None of my friends wash.

 4.  I’m still young.  When I’m older and have gotten dirtier, I might start washing.

 3.  I really don’t have time to wash.

 2.  The bathroom is never warm enough.

and the #1. reason I never wash is, People who make soap are only after your money!

Enough said.

Grace and joy,

Julie

Dark Night of the Soul

Good Morning Beloveds!

Have you ever heard of something called the Dark Night of the Soul?  I first heard about it in the sometimes not so hallowed halls of seminary, as professors shook their heads concernedly with students who were working out a form of spiritual “darkness,” better called uncertainty. 

St. John of the Cross first wrote about those feelings in the midst of his own spiritual journey in a poem and subsequent writings back in the 16th century.  It’s not an unusual experience—where one feels a darkness, almost an abandonment, or a time with little sense of light—in the midst of prayer and spiritual disciplines.  But when one is in the midst of the moment, the doubts and confusion are scary, as feelings frequently cloak themselves in what appears to be reality. 

Feelings are just that.  Feelings.  On their own, they have no power, unless we give them power.  Sometimes, of course, the power is good, noble and admirable—when they are rooted in love.  Sometimes, if the feeling is fear-based, unless it’s life or death, those feelings should be explored a bit as to their source.

I have experienced that Dark Night of the Soul.  You may have too.  In the exploration of those scary feelings, St. John of the Cross reminds us that what feels scary is actually a spiritual gift, often leading to a deeper spiritual maturity.  If our faith is built on a feeble foundation, or one that needs shoring up, the dark nights are simply construction phases.  Anyone who’s been through a remodeling job knows the confusion, frustration, and sensation that this “darkness” will never end.  And if you think the feelings are new, check out Psalm 13, or 22, or 44.  Rest assured however, it does come to an end and the sun rises, Beloveds.  Even if we can’t see the spark of light at the moment, darkness can never swallow up the Light.  Just like a rebirth of sorts, the pangs of labor will be met with a sweet and glorious release, with new life, even though the work at the moment is hard, hard, hard.  God promises, and God’s love is steadfast.  Forever.

Grace and joy,
Julie

Living Out Loud!

Good Morning, Beloveds!

The 'Crafty Cupids,' also known as The Wild Wonderful Women of West End, are meeting at my house tomorrow to practice acts of kindness, in our wild and wonderful way.  For some, this is pushing the envelope, as we are better known as Fumble Fingers, but that won't stop us.  Hasn't stopped us from grinning over the smiles we hope to spread in the next few weeks, anyway.

Which reminds me of a cartoon I saw recently.  I wish I could reprint it here, but that doesn't appear to be happening at the moment.  So picture this:  Jesus and his disciples are standing between a bonfire and a stone wall, practicing shadow puppets.  John, Peter, Andrew, et al are projecting some mighty fine dogs, birds, dinosaurs, but none of them can outdo Jesus' mennorah, complete with flames.  While the disciples are bemoaning the fact they can't compete, therein lies the lesson.  It's not about the competition, it's about the doing. But don't compare.  It would stop you in your tracks before you even get started.

In other words, if you want to be, you have to do.  The Wild Wonderful Women of West End want to be loving, compassionate, laughing disciples of Jesus, together on the journey.  They are doing just that, without comparison.  Here's a sample of their Living Out Loud Manifesto:
I, _____________, hereby choose to make the following beliefs a part of my daily life...
...make play a priority
...dream expansively
...live out LOUD
...create abundance from what I have at my fingertips
...reinvent myself when necessary
...give back to the world
...encourage gratitude
...challenge my greatest fears
...recognize my unique talents and gifts
...share these gifts with the world
...surround myself with beauty
...release all judgment of my creative expressions of love
...praise God with thankfulness in being part of God's creative spirit!

We can all do such magnificent things/actions.  Even if you are a Fumble Fingers.
Speaking of which, the first person to respond to this blog may just receive one of their crafty blessings.  I hope it's you!

Grace and joy,
Julie

Remembering Our Baptisms

Do you remember your baptism?  Consciously, I don’t.  I’m a cradle Methodist.  I have my certificate and a picture of the pastor who baptized me in Fairborn, Ohio.  Mom vaguely remembers I slept through the sacrament. 

But with every baptism we experience in the church, I remember mine.  We are all called to remember our baptisms, and be grateful.  Even though I don’t remember the water on the back of my tiny head at the time, I know that my parents loved me enough to schedule the baptism, the congregation loved me enough to welcome me into the Kingdom officially through the sacrament and renewed their vows to be faithful disciples as they helped raise me.  More important than that, God loved me enough, even before I was aware of it, to rejoice in me even before my conception!  It’s a little thing—er, make that a BIG thing, called Prevenient Grace.  We don’t have to DO anything to get God to love us, because he’s beaten us to the punch already.  God loved us first, and continues to love us, warts and all.  We are God’s beloveds, and that is extremely comforting.  It’s from a place of gratitude, then, that a yearning to work for the good of the Kingdom, and not be an obstacle, that my motivation is nurtured.  I didn’t, and I can’t, earn grace—that unconditional, unmerited, and unearned love that God has for us.

That’s why I call you Beloveds.  It’s a good thing to be reminded of our baptisms which gave us that status publicly.  See you Sunday, as we remember once again!

Grace and joy,

Julie

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! And a continued Merry Christmas, as we are in the liturgical time for
Christmas! If you are like me, I find myself cringing when I see decorations from the holidays
still up, and wrap myself in a warm blanket of guilt knowing that I’ve not taken the time as my
neighbors have to remove the wreaths and pack up the ornaments and tree. During staff meeting
this past week, however, we remembered that while the world says Christmas is over, for we
Christians, it is not. Actually, all the hoopla scripturally BEGINS after the birth of Jesus. So
actually, we should be celebrating again and again, I think! But the real question is probably:
Did I really let Advent slip by this year without letting the Christ Child change me in some way
with a re-birthing of my own? No, I didn’t. So it’s a good thing NOT to pack Jesus away until
Easter.

My prayer for us is that we remember the birth, and experience a re-birth, not just for a season,
but for every day. I know good and well that if I say every day, it’s an easy thing to slip
to “no day.” If I learned anything this past year, it has been to make a conscious effort to live
intentionally, and if that seems overwhelming, then just for the next minute, just for today. If
love is not love unless it’s demonstrated, re-birth is not re-birth unless we are open and willing
to be intentionally transformed, every day, every moment. Right now, just for today. Before we
know it, our todays will become our weeks, months, years and life. Hooray!

So throw off any guilt blankets and lift another cup of hot cider to Christmas! You even have
my permission to sing another carol or two….

Grace and joy,
Julie