I was very excited when I discovered this tiny white flower hidden among all the tall wild growth that surrounds it.
I am well rested up after a quiet week-end ready and excited to await the arrival of family coming to celebrate Sandra's 50 birthday. It is funny we can go along trying to keep our age a secret when all of a sudden we want the whole world to know!
It will be so good to see Shawna and Stephen and hear about all the changes in their young lives. We will meet Cameron's new fiance Shandel and we are so happy for them both. Mary and Michael John come from further away than Edmonton from way back East in Kingston. Young people live such exciting lives now a days, travelling and experiencing new adventures. Rick will join us from Kamloops and Theresa and her family from Chilliwack. We have not seen Tasha over the summer so it will be good to see her and Justice. We have been so happy now that Leah and Craig are able to be a part of our family celebrations. Christopher is making his famous salad and even though he lives close he is busy working and still looking for the right girl-friend.
Carol and Panteli still live close and we are hopeful Oliver will join us. I am sure we will be skipping with Ken and Melina seeing how their children are growing, very active and full of life.
We are all getting caught up in the excitement and as a mother I know what a joy it is to have all your children come home.
I have had time to catch up on some reading and seeing the eyes through a nun who worked with Mother Teresa is seeing the mass suffering and evil in the world. She had to learn the hard lesson of taking time to take care of her needs, physically and spiritually, recognizing that there would always be more on their doorstep in the morning; so desperate, so sick, so hungry. This would cause even Mother Teresa to doubt and seek spiritual council. There would be many problems that would not be addressed or shared because of the vows they had made to obey without questioning.
Yes, I agree that blind obedience and submission to established creeds may not ring true and there can be within us a hunger for spiritual freedom and eyes to see beyond what is humanly created.
Yes I believe that there is a shadow side to spirituality abd as we question and learn from one another we let in more light.
So many unanswered questions and yet we do find meaning and purpose that gives us a reason to live.
I am thankful that faith has brought beauty that I experience as I look at nature, listen to music, laugh at my mistakes and enjoy being with my family.
To live truthfully and with compassion is the only way to try and cope with suffering. I look at my children and my great grandchildren and see they have accomplished many amazing things. The road we all have travelled has not always been easy but my deepest joy is being together.
6 comments:
Tapestry on CBC radio next Sunday is about "losing your religion" and is an interesting program. I've heard it before. Its not really as negative as it might sound. It seems to me that finding God (the shape of god) is largely about removing man-made obstacles, often in the form of religious trivia. Ramadan an obvious example -- as if the creator of universe cares when or what we eat!
Jewish rabbi on yesterday on Tapesty said, "the opposite of faith is certainty". So faith has to be flexible, and has to be able to grow. The most dangerous people in the world - Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and so on -- were dangerous because they had the illusion of certainty ("objective facts" as Stalin liked to say) clouding their minds. Interesting chap this rabbi fellow - wrote that book, "when bad things happen to good people". Funny, but I agreed with about 80% of what he said. Of course, he would still carry on about this kosher food nonsense, whether he believes it or not, or they would kick him out. It is odd how religious hierachies (all of them!!!) focus on the most irrlevant things. (Because Jesus could see beyond that was one reason why he got in trouble with the powers that be.)
Love,
Rick
I forget to listen to Tapestry but I think it is an excellent program.
Thanks for your comments.
love mom
I have never understood the concept of wanting to hide your age. Every age is a good age. I am just thankfull to hit a half a century and have had no tradigies, all of my limbs, and a future of possibilities still ahead of me.
Sandra
Very interesting Rick.....I am a CBC listener as well and like Tapestry.
I enjoyed your comments.
Beth..here is a link where you can listen to the program Rick talks about...I am going to listen to it as well, as I missed this episode.
http://www.cbc.ca/tapestry/2010/08/fear-1.html
I would rather be 25 Sandra,if i had a choice. Two thousand years ago teaching people right from wrong , good food to eat and bad food to avoid was hard , so the lernered invented religion to teach the masses...simple as that ,then came the power of the church and we all know power corrupts .
Ken
Good comments.
Very helpfull too.
love mom
Post a Comment