I was talking to a woman at the school I was working at today about a mutual aquaintance. (There are a lot of interconections in the district, especially if you grew up here.) During our conversation, she told me that just being in the same room as this person made her feel good. Even though she hasn't spent a lot of time talking with them one on one, this person's presence alone brings her a quiet joy. I recently spoke on Karl Rahner for my mystics class and one of his students said the same thing. He said that though he did not always understand what Rahner was talking about, just being there and hearing him lecture, this student went away feeling better about himself.
I don't know exactly what qualities it takes to be that kind of person. I know what it feels like to be around someone like that but I'm not sure how to become that kind of person myself. Warm acceptance, joy when you see someone, wisdom, and a focus on the positive in each person are many of the qualities you would find in such a one. Basically, they live love. I think that is one of the highest compliments you could give someone: that they live love. You can always tell a person like that because this woman was right, you just feel better when you're around them. I am deeply grateful God makes his presence known through souls such as these.
365-09 #324
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Crystal Apple Awards
The red carpet extended down the sidewalk, the banners were hung on the walls, the nominees were on the way and the Elsinore Theatre was nearly sold out. Those of us who came to support our friends were cheering as each teacher was interviewed in front of the cameras. Excitement flowed through the air.
This was the 13th annual Crystal Apple Awards for the Salem-Keizer School District, a prestigious teaching award and I was accompanying my friend, Kim, to cheer for our friend, Adria, who was nominated for one of the awards. This year, there were 55 nominations and 12 awards were scheduled to be given out.
Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long. After the entertainment and scholarship portion of the evening, they started handing out the awards. Adria was the third one announced and her cheering section, which was quite decent I must say, gave her a standing ovation, hollering and clapping wildly. The emcee talked about her many good qualities and what she has done for the school. In her hands they placed a crystal apple and she held it out to us, to the staff, parents, and volunteers with whom she wanted to share it. We were and are, SO PROUD of her. It is well deserved, she is a wonderful teacher who not only goes the extra mile, but the extra five miles beyond that.
They quoted her in the paper as saying, "“This is something that’s bigger than me,” said Adria Farina-Miller, a teacher at Richmond Elementary School, shortly after winning — referencing Richmond’s rich history in the community. “It represents all the hard work of teachers, staff, students, community members and parents,” she said. “This is for them.”"
Congratulations Adria, I am SOOO happy for you. You are, truly, an inspirational teacher.
365-09 #323
This was the 13th annual Crystal Apple Awards for the Salem-Keizer School District, a prestigious teaching award and I was accompanying my friend, Kim, to cheer for our friend, Adria, who was nominated for one of the awards. This year, there were 55 nominations and 12 awards were scheduled to be given out.
Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long. After the entertainment and scholarship portion of the evening, they started handing out the awards. Adria was the third one announced and her cheering section, which was quite decent I must say, gave her a standing ovation, hollering and clapping wildly. The emcee talked about her many good qualities and what she has done for the school. In her hands they placed a crystal apple and she held it out to us, to the staff, parents, and volunteers with whom she wanted to share it. We were and are, SO PROUD of her. It is well deserved, she is a wonderful teacher who not only goes the extra mile, but the extra five miles beyond that.
They quoted her in the paper as saying, "“This is something that’s bigger than me,” said Adria Farina-Miller, a teacher at Richmond Elementary School, shortly after winning — referencing Richmond’s rich history in the community. “It represents all the hard work of teachers, staff, students, community members and parents,” she said. “This is for them.”"
Congratulations Adria, I am SOOO happy for you. You are, truly, an inspirational teacher.
365-09 #323
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Are You a Sprinkler, Dunker, or Inward Fountain?
Are you a sprinkler, a dunker, or the inward fountain? From what I know of all of you, the people reading this span across the whole baptism belief spectrum. Some people believe, not necessarily anyone reading this, that you have to be completely submerged to be saved, some believe as long as you are baptized in some form, you're good to go. Others believe baptism is a good and important ritual but not necessarily needed. The Quakers believe the change in the heart and the way you live your life is the proclamation needed, not an outward act. Then you have the differing ideas about whether it is okay to baptise children or whether the sacrament should be solely reserved for adults. Each of these beliefs came to fruition as a reaction to another set of beliefs that had lost it's meaning. For example, George Fox was of the opinion that the Anglican church was rich in rituals but poor in meaning and in the inward relationship with God. Menno Simmons, who founded the Mennonite movement, believed that the ritual of baptizing a child was not a real baptism as the child is not of an age to make a full conscious decision for Christ.
This evening at church we discussed this topic. One of the reason I have enjoyed going to Ecclesia is it helps me hone my own beliefs. Having a multifaceted spirituality, it has been interesting for me to learn how to put these rivers of faith together into truth that honors all the distinct traditions I love. Being Christian, I grew up being taught the Bible stories on flannel boards in Sunday School, sang the Christian camp songs, and wiggled through services. I still hold these beliefs, some deeper, some looser, some expanded, but I hold them still. I loved growing up in that church and it was a good experience for me. They gave me a solid grounding that cannot be shaken. I can still go there and feel very comfortable and welcome.
I have also come to really appreciate some of the core beliefs of the Quaker tradition, that what goes on in the heart and how one's faith is lived out is more important than an outward ritual. I agree with them that we can interact and communicate with God directly, that we can hear from God every day. I didn't look at Quakerism and decide to believe those things, I had already wrestled with such ideas on my own and with my fellow students and professors, and then while studying Quakerism for a school project, saw they believed many of the same things I did. Only later did I realize how diverse Quaker beliefs really were.
Even before that though, I'd already learned I was Jewish and I learned I was Jewish AFTER I had started attending temple services because something in them called to a deep place in me. My Judaism is an inheritance I am proud to claim, indeed, it has filled in a lot of holes Christianity is lacking such as community and sticking up for each other, treasuring one's roots, reverencing God while daring to come close, and valuing Torah. I don't know whether my belief came first or if I was influenced by temple, but my emphasis tends to be on God as one. "Shema Yisrael, Adonai eloheynu, Adonai ehad." (Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." I believe Jesus was God and came to bring us back to Himself, but instead of focusing on the divine trinity, I focus more on one God expressed in different ways. As we can never even come close to comprehending God, I am okay not "getting it".
So you can imagine baptism is a bit of a struggle for me. On one hand, I value both points of view on children and adults being baptized as a public declaration of belief. I also can see how it can be an outward ritual done for itself without the inward change of heart and how it is not necessary for salvation. In Judaism, as far as I yet know, there is no equivalent to baptism. Having a bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah at 13 years of age or later is more of a declaration that the bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah student has reached the age of maturity. They have studied Jewish history, beliefs, and are capable of leading the service in English and Hebrew and have the ability to handle adult responsibilities in the community.
Taking these traditions into account, listening to what my friends had to say, I have realized that there is no easy belief to hand out. Each community does what they do for God and I think God honors all of it when the heart is turned to Him/Her. Some people baptize their children as a formal acceptance into the community. Some only have adults who make that choice for themselves eligible for baptism. Some churches focus on the inward heart, and the Jews have a rich tradition of bringing a child into the adult faith world. Each belief has it's own strengths and weaknesses. There are pits they all fall into, things they can each teach to one another for the betterment of all.
So I would say whatever you do, do it based on a strong and open relationship with God. Where are hearts are at is first. If our hearts are there in love, our actions will be also. Any ceremony to symbolize that commitment, as important as it can be to some, is secondary.
365-09 #322
This evening at church we discussed this topic. One of the reason I have enjoyed going to Ecclesia is it helps me hone my own beliefs. Having a multifaceted spirituality, it has been interesting for me to learn how to put these rivers of faith together into truth that honors all the distinct traditions I love. Being Christian, I grew up being taught the Bible stories on flannel boards in Sunday School, sang the Christian camp songs, and wiggled through services. I still hold these beliefs, some deeper, some looser, some expanded, but I hold them still. I loved growing up in that church and it was a good experience for me. They gave me a solid grounding that cannot be shaken. I can still go there and feel very comfortable and welcome.
I have also come to really appreciate some of the core beliefs of the Quaker tradition, that what goes on in the heart and how one's faith is lived out is more important than an outward ritual. I agree with them that we can interact and communicate with God directly, that we can hear from God every day. I didn't look at Quakerism and decide to believe those things, I had already wrestled with such ideas on my own and with my fellow students and professors, and then while studying Quakerism for a school project, saw they believed many of the same things I did. Only later did I realize how diverse Quaker beliefs really were.
Even before that though, I'd already learned I was Jewish and I learned I was Jewish AFTER I had started attending temple services because something in them called to a deep place in me. My Judaism is an inheritance I am proud to claim, indeed, it has filled in a lot of holes Christianity is lacking such as community and sticking up for each other, treasuring one's roots, reverencing God while daring to come close, and valuing Torah. I don't know whether my belief came first or if I was influenced by temple, but my emphasis tends to be on God as one. "Shema Yisrael, Adonai eloheynu, Adonai ehad." (Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." I believe Jesus was God and came to bring us back to Himself, but instead of focusing on the divine trinity, I focus more on one God expressed in different ways. As we can never even come close to comprehending God, I am okay not "getting it".
So you can imagine baptism is a bit of a struggle for me. On one hand, I value both points of view on children and adults being baptized as a public declaration of belief. I also can see how it can be an outward ritual done for itself without the inward change of heart and how it is not necessary for salvation. In Judaism, as far as I yet know, there is no equivalent to baptism. Having a bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah at 13 years of age or later is more of a declaration that the bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah student has reached the age of maturity. They have studied Jewish history, beliefs, and are capable of leading the service in English and Hebrew and have the ability to handle adult responsibilities in the community.
Taking these traditions into account, listening to what my friends had to say, I have realized that there is no easy belief to hand out. Each community does what they do for God and I think God honors all of it when the heart is turned to Him/Her. Some people baptize their children as a formal acceptance into the community. Some only have adults who make that choice for themselves eligible for baptism. Some churches focus on the inward heart, and the Jews have a rich tradition of bringing a child into the adult faith world. Each belief has it's own strengths and weaknesses. There are pits they all fall into, things they can each teach to one another for the betterment of all.
So I would say whatever you do, do it based on a strong and open relationship with God. Where are hearts are at is first. If our hearts are there in love, our actions will be also. Any ceremony to symbolize that commitment, as important as it can be to some, is secondary.
365-09 #322
Monday, November 9, 2009
Happy Birthday Week Begins
My 30th birthday is next Monday so the women's small group I am a part of celebrated tonight with cake and wine. (Carole knows me well, the wine was from where St. John of the Cross is from.) It was so much fun! We have been meeting for a year and a half now and these ladies have become dear to me as we've talked and shared our lives. Thank you Carole, Suzanne, Liz, and Jeannie for making it such a special time together, I am so grateful for you all.
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." -- Winston Churchill
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -- Abraham Lincoln
365-09 #321
Sunday, November 8, 2009
A Picture Worth a Thousand Words
Many of these people I go to church with. They are a fun group, as you can tell. :) (I was at the Pentacle's 55th anniversary party taking pictures.)
365-09 #320
The Enneagram - Type 4
Tomorrow night I am meeting with my small group about what we've learned from the enneagram. In addition to our time together, I've also studied the enneagram at the seminary with Katie Skurja. I remember the first time I read the chapter on fours, it was actually quite embarrassing. It was as if someone was pointing out all of my dark places. Yikes! It was good, though, too, it was nice to have some things explained and written out. It was nice to see it there before me in black and white. The authors also gave some very good practical steps toward healing and becoming a healthy human soul.
In preparation for our discussion, I pulled out my book and looked again at the chapter on fours. Looking over the quiz as if I was answering for who I am today, I realized I would probably no longer test as a four. You never actually switch numbers, I will always be a four, and in several deep ways, it is still absolutely "me", but many of the unhealthy traits no longer describe me, who I am now. I have grown in so many rich ways, little by little, step by step, I have healed, grown, and changed my ways. I am now far more forthright, "no's" are much easier to say and stick to, and I don't dwell on the negative; I much rather look at all the positive things in life. It's so nice to know I am a "healthy four".
A while back, a friend who has that gift of seeing things that cannot be seen, said I had fear within me but that the fear was just like the fear everyone else has, that my spirit was strong and healthy. Self-growth is hard and I know it will always be something I work on, but getting to this point, having the core, the soul of me healthy and happy, is one of the greatest gifts given me. On this sabbath day, I stand on the cliff looking out to where I've been, and shout to the sky thank you to you, God, for guiding me and for all the companions you gave on the way.
365-09 #319
In preparation for our discussion, I pulled out my book and looked again at the chapter on fours. Looking over the quiz as if I was answering for who I am today, I realized I would probably no longer test as a four. You never actually switch numbers, I will always be a four, and in several deep ways, it is still absolutely "me", but many of the unhealthy traits no longer describe me, who I am now. I have grown in so many rich ways, little by little, step by step, I have healed, grown, and changed my ways. I am now far more forthright, "no's" are much easier to say and stick to, and I don't dwell on the negative; I much rather look at all the positive things in life. It's so nice to know I am a "healthy four".
A while back, a friend who has that gift of seeing things that cannot be seen, said I had fear within me but that the fear was just like the fear everyone else has, that my spirit was strong and healthy. Self-growth is hard and I know it will always be something I work on, but getting to this point, having the core, the soul of me healthy and happy, is one of the greatest gifts given me. On this sabbath day, I stand on the cliff looking out to where I've been, and shout to the sky thank you to you, God, for guiding me and for all the companions you gave on the way.
365-09 #319
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Sweet, Treasured Time
What if this is as good as it gets? What if the life we are living right now is the best we'll ever have, ever experience? We spend a great deal of time in our lives telling ourselves things will be better when... (fill in the blank). For me, it is usually when this or that project is done such as uploading photographs, finishing a quilt, or when I'm done editing this or that book, then I'll have more free time. I've also told myself things will be easier financially when I make more money. Think about what you tell yourself. Do you ever use the terms, "when I'm older", "when the kids are older", "when I have another job", or "after we move"? I'm sure you have some variation of them somewhere in your psyche. Most of us do.
What is even harder is when we look at our lives and see what we think we are lacking. We look at what we've lost, what we've never had, and what we wish we had. We stare at these things, pretend we feel them in our hands, and are jealous of those who hold them in theirs. We see our own lives and think of them as inadequate, not enough, sorely lacking in what is essential.
For my main job, I do classified substituting with the local school district. I don't make much money and that can be difficult at times. I am trying to find a regular, full time job but quite frankly, with everything going on, it's hard to find the time. (Remember those "when" phrases?) There are things in my short sightedness I would like to change about my life. I say short sightedness because that is often the only way we can look at our lives. We don't see what we truly need, we don't see what is coming down the road. We don't see what is truly good, what is truly love in our lives.
Then yesterday as I was working, God asked me, "Do you think this is coincidence? Do you think this was by chance?" When he asked this, I was checking in books at a friend's library where I was filling in for her assistant, it is also a place I enjoy volunteering at when I'm not substituting at another school. The first assignment there was random, but, as we know, not so random. Since then, they request me whenever Kim is gone. I realized then just how random it wasn't that God has placed me there, that I choose to go. Like pulling one string on a web, me being there affects far more than I can imagine both in my life and in theirs.
The places we are at in our lives indeed are not random, they are part of a grand design we all are a part of. Life isn't in the end result, it's in the weaving together of our fabric. If I keep wishing for another day, I am going to miss the gifts in this one. I am going to miss the fact that God has placed me where he has for a reason. If I had a full time job right now, I wouldn't be able to help them and believe me, volunteering there adds so much to my life. Right now is a special time. Right now is a time I will cherish for years to come. The things I feel I am missing are missing for a reason, they make room for the blessings of today. And those blessings are abundant. It is a time full of growth, of seeing my passions come to fruition, of rich friendships, and fun times. It actually stuns me to think of all that I've been given. I don't want to wish away my time. I don't want to keep looking at tomorrow and miss today. It is a gift, a priceless, truly a treasure-gift. If life was a treasure map, the X would be underneath my feet. I just can't thank God enough for it. Today is a sweet time.
Is this as good as it gets? No, it gets better. But it is really great now and I am so happy I know that while I am still living it.
365-09 #318
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