Prayer for Our Earth

A man without ambition is dead.

A man with ambition but no love is dead.

A man with ambition and love

for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive.
--Pearl Bailey

This day brings opportunity—just like every other day—to decide what I am going to focus on. I *think* I am pretty much an optimist. Even so, it is not easy to notice when I am giving my energy and attention in ways that is counterproductive. 

I am blessed to receive a daily message from David Bloyd. I have never met David, but learned of his email messages through a writer friend/colleague from Florida. This morning, David's opening is a quotation by Jarod Kintz, "One of my main regrets in life is giving considerable thought to inconsiderate people." 

David mentions Kintz had most likely made a play on a statement by Bernard Baruch about people: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.”  David goes on to say we spend a lot of time concerning ourselves about those who cause us grief of one kind or another, when all that does is consume our time and energy. 

Have you noticed the way hindsight often provides appreciation for things that are challenging in the moment? In the Vipassana practice, the encouragement is to abandon the unwholesome and cultivate the wholesome. Wednesday's Wholesome Thought entitled "Both Ends" says we can end up giving our energy to the things we don't want. 

Later today I am honored to offer the following interfaith "prayer for our earth" at the Earth Day celebration:

Creator of Life—you who are nameless yet known by many names. You are the source of All That Is, present with us here now and for all time.

Great Spirit, we hear you singing through the pines.

Holy One, we see you when the full moon hides her face behind the clouds.

Earth Mother, your beauty delights us.

Pachamama, you provide for our every need.

Thankfully, you bless our good intentions, and forgive our ignorance of the holiness of the ground beneath our feet.

Heavenly Father, from a distance the world looks black and white, but things are not as they appear, for just as surely as each finger on a hand is related to nose and eye and fist and beating heart, we—like you—are related to all creation.

Allah. Buddha. Christ. Jehovah. Krishna. Yahweh.

Beloved. Infinite. Higher Power. Source.

We gather not to set ourselves apart from one another or from our planet, but to share the truth as spoken by Mother Teresa: "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."

We gather not to worship either hollow images or sacred teachings.

We gather to celebrate each expression of divine love in the world.

Blessed be.

And so it is!

Aho.

Amen.

The song "count your blessings" is running through my head as my fingers play across the keyboard…If you are not familiar with it, or even if you are, you may enjoy having the melody in your heart now, too!

Whew....

Recently I enjoyed an evening with a young woman I have known for several years. She has blossomed into an incredible individual—filled with spark and excited to be a part of his planet earth.

As we were sharing I was reflecting on all the truly remarkable individuals I have been honored to connect with in person. The list includes Gary Zukav, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Deepak Chopra, Esther Hicks, Eric Pearl, and John of God. I have studied extensively with Dr. Richard Bandler, and was mentored in Healing Touch™ by Janet Mentgen. I share this not to impress you, but to acknowledge the awe life holds. 

When I was with Pine Island Writers on "author's row" in Fort Myers, Florida at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival in March (2014), where I got to hear Sue Monk Kidd speak. Authors can seem bigger than life, but what impressed me about her is how down-to-earth she is. Some of the most memorable notes from her talk include: 

"The job of a novelist is to take a bad situation and make it worse."

"The story starts in the 'ordinary world' then comes the call to adventure."

"Well-behaved women never make history."

Also while in Florida, I enjoyed riding bikes in the sun. I rode underneath eagle nests and along the canals. I met some truly wonderful authors. Plenty of time was spent playing dominoes, taking boat trips, and sharing meals with friends. Chance meetings with like-minded others dotted the landscape.You could say I spent my time in immersed in nature…. If you would like to see a short video of seven manatee in the canal, send email because I am glad to share.

After a rather leisured winter, the past few weeks have been very busy. Before leaving Florida, I was organizing, packing, and loading. We were intentional about making our trip home a journey: beginning with a day of bike riding along the rim of Lake Okeechobee before going on to visit our friend Linda Allen, in her lovely condo in our beloved Port Saint Lucie. We enjoyed brunch with my nephew, Scott, and his delightful friend, Heidi. Dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant was as delicious as we remembered. 

Landing in middle Tennessee Monday, April 7, I had the joy of sharing time with some of the remarkable healers I get to call friends. An entire week of savoring moments with our daughter and her family included yummy meals, fun evenings, and delightful days. 

On the drive to Michigan, we squeezed in lunch with friends in Indy on Monday, April 14—just in time to get our income tax return into the mail on Tuesday!

Since mid-December, hours have folded into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months: each moment leaving it's indelible mark on my heart space. That process continues...

As I settle back into my Michigan routine, the joy of reconnecting here rings deeply in my soul. A hug from my sister, Janis; meditation with the St. Joe Sangha; Thursday morning book club at Full City Cafe; getting back to work at Borgess Health & Fitness Center; and being welcomed back to Parkview Hills by Joel and Bobbie and McGee (Joel is my faithful business partner of 15 years, and Bobbie and McGee are his two cats that I have loved since they were frightened little kitties). 

Amidst all of this outer activity, my inner journey has been tender and at times raw. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home! Follow the yellow brick road....