Spiritual Growth | Reflections on the Teche

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Stretching

Posted in Spiritual Growth, tagged poetry, spiritual reflection, yoga on February 26, 2015| 5 Comments »

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http://smileyface001.deviantart.com/art/Butterfly-Zentangle-422576824

I am participating in the Spiritual Thursday Round up over at Holly Mueller’s blog. We are writing from each other’s one little word. Today, we reflect on Ramona’s word, Stretch. Stretch is a synonym for my OLW, Reach. But I couldn’t help but think about yoga class and how Evelyn tells us to pay attention to our bodies so that we will be better equipped to function for others.

Yoga Class

I am tired at the end of the day.
My socks hug my feet.
I stretch and release the tension
resting in my shoulders.

Stretch out on a lavender yoga mat,
listen to the gentle chime
calling me to do a body scan.
What part needs your attention tonight?

The block of energy, the stopping place,
my right shoulder, not pain but tight,
holding in, holding on.
Let go. Stretch again.

Folded into child’s pose,
I am inward like a chrysalis
waiting for the gift of life
waiting for the stretching of my wings.

Help me open up and fly to you, Lord.
Help me to know the limits of my reach
so that I may be the strength
for someone’s grief, the embrace
for someone’s pain.

I am your instrument only
when I am fully present.
Listening to the rhythm of my breath,
I hear yours join in.
I know you are here.
Namaste.

–Margaret Simon

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Spiritual Thursday Dive

Posted in Spiritual Growth, tagged Ash Wednesday, dive, publishing, spiritual journey on February 19, 2015| 7 Comments »

Holly Mueller is the hostess of this beautiful blog journey. Be sure to visit her site to read more inspirational posts.

We have been exploring different words chosen by our blogging community. Greg’s one little word is Dive.

I am a wimp. I don’t take risks easily. Diving off the high diving board when I was a swimmer was the ultimate test of bravery, and I didn’t pass. I think I have gotten braver, but I am still one who tests the waters with her big toe and slips in gradually. Diving is very scary to me.

Blogging is entering into the publishing waters gradually. I feel safe here in this space with only a few people reading my musings. I guess you could say I dove in with Blessen, my first middle grade novel. But it took me three years to write. The diving came about when I decided to go the route of self-publishing. Now I am about to finish the sequel (another 3 years in the making), and I want to dive in to the traditional publishing world. This is so scary.

First I renewed my membership in SCBWI. That was easy enough. Then I registered for the Houston conference in April. While registering, I signed up for a manuscript critique with an editor. Hold on, what did you say? I looked at the requirements for the submission. I froze at the cover letter. That’s when I opened up my safe Reflections on the Teche tab and started writing about the word Dive. Am I ready to dive in? What’s the worst that can happen, really? I need to hold my nose and jump in. I’m not sure what will be waiting in the water. Was it Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “Do one thing that scares you every day?”

That is why I need God. I know that I am always loved, no matter what. There is no failure in God’s eyes. There is only courage and hope wrapped up in love.

I enter the church on Ash Wednesday, and I walk to the alter for ashes. I hear the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The smudge of dust is placed on my forehead. I return to my work with a renewed heart, ready to dive, ready to pursue a dream, ready to be made new.

A Valentine’s Day gift from a student.

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Looking for Reflections

Posted in Spiritual Growth, tagged Holy Eucharist, spiritual journey on February 12, 2015| 5 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

Reflection of the rose window at St. Marks Cathedral in Seattle, WA.

There is no doubt that I love reflections hence the name of this blog. I look out on the bayou each day to see the reflection of the trees, standing tall like floating towers on the water. Once a Catholic friend (I am an Episcopalian) told me that she saw the reflection of Christ in the communion cup during a Eucharist we were attending together at the National Cathedral. She was surprised to find Jesus in our cup as she was always told Jesus only blesses the Catholic Eucharist. I know this sounds ludicrous, but that is what she thought before her vision. The actual very confusing rule is explained here.

Ever since my friend’s vision in the chalice, I look when I take the wine. I used to close my eyes. And when the swine flu was going around, and our priest advised us to dip rather than drink, I drank anyway. I look. I always see a reflection. The reflection is not always ethereal, but it is always beautiful.

On Monday, I attended a memorial service for a friend’s husband. The service was in an Episcopal church, and a full communion was served.

I kept my eyes open.

I was delighted by the many lights I saw in the wine reflection, red, green, yellow, sparkling lights. A sign to me that resurrection is real.

When we open our eyes in the presence of the Holy Spirit, we will see miracles.
We will see love.
We will see.
And believe.

I plan to keep my eyes open.

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Reach

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged Author Amok, Laura Shovan, OLW, Reach on February 5, 2015| 3 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

Since the new year, Holly has gathered our spiritual journey posts about each person’s one little word. Today my word Reach is the featured theme.

I haven’t really settled in with my OLW yet. Reaching takes active work. It’s not a passive word. I can’t just sit back on it and wait. I have to go out there and do something about it. I want to embrace this word Reach, but on these cold wet winter days, I’d rather be lazy, curl up with my dog and rest. Exercise another day.

I stretch my sore, tired muscles.
I look at the amaryllis, now wilting.
I notice new growth, a new stem creeping up alongside the blossom.
Where did that come from?
Sometimes without us even noticing, God plants new growth.
We can bloom again.

I chose Reach for completely selfish reasons. I have a few writing projects that I am working on and others I am thinking about. I set a goal to move forward with writing, to Reach for publication. Maybe I should have chosen a braver word, like Courage.

This month a Poetry Friday blogging friend, Laura Shovan, has started a poetry project to celebrate her birthday. I have been writing a poem each day to a posted sound. This project is stretching my writing muscles and giving me a creative place to go each day. Am I Reaching? I can think about this writing as stretching, exercising, and moving my writing muscles. All a part of Reaching. Follow this link to read poems about a thunder storm sound.

Perhaps when I read all the Spiritual Journey posts about my OLW I will embrace it, feel it, want to, own it. Today, I will Reach for Reach.

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Turn Toward or Away

Posted in Spiritual Growth, tagged OLW, parenting adults, spiritual reflection, Turn on January 29, 2015| 9 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

This week the spiritual journey theme is Leigh Anne’s OLW Turn. And the song in my head has been “To every thing, turn, turn, turn. There is a season, turn, turn, turn. And a time for every purpose…under heaven…”

Turn is not always easy. It takes patience. Patience. Patience.

Parenting adult children is different from the school-age years. In many ways, it is easier. My girls are all successful in their chosen professions and happy with their lives. Four and a half years ago, my oldest daughter became a lawyer and got a job in a nearby town. For a while she lived at home part-time, but the last year, she has lived with us full time. We have been happy with this arrangement. She is a joy to have around. She is very independent. She helps around the house. She even chooses to spend time with us, but she does not keep us for doing what we want to do. I knew the day would come, though, when she would turn away. Or is she turning toward? She has decided to move to her own apartment.

I know this turn is good. I know our relationship will stay strong. I know this because when she graduated from high school, I walked a labyrinth in Grace Cathedral on our family vacation to San Francisco. During that walk, a voice (I believe God) said to me, “She is not leaving YOU.” She will always be my daughter. She will always be a part of me.

Turns are hard. Some come without warning. Some come after much planning and hoping. Some break your heart and let you know that turns happen.

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Fly

Posted in Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged Canva, fly, OLW, Reach, spiritual journey, thesaurus on January 22, 2015| 4 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

Holly invites us to reflect on our spiritual journey. For the next several weeks, we will be writing about different little words. Today is Michelle’s word, FLY. I made a Tagxedo image with my thesaurus. com search. My own little word, Reach, came up a number of times. I hadn’t made the connection before. When I selected Reach, I was thinking more about goals I want to strive for. But isn’t that like learning to fly, trying to pick up the tail winds and soar?

Discovering synonyms is a good way to ruminate on a word. I watch the birds when they fly. The hawk that glides across the highway in search of hidden prey. I am not like the hawk, a hungry hunter.

The hummingbird comes to the feeder, fluttering wildly to sip sweet nectar. I am not as desperate as a hummingbird who is so quick and finicky.

The seagull came up in my search a few times. Am I a seagull, like Jonathan Livingston, tired of materialism and conformity, looking for meaning in perfecting his flight?

With a wing for understanding and a wing for influence, my flight will be balanced. I will rise to awareness. I will strive toward space, a place to be me. A place to know I am loved.

With God as my compass.

Created on Canva.com

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Listen

Posted in Gratitude, Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged Carol Varsalona, Holly Mueller, OLW, spiritual reflection on January 15, 2015| 8 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

Holly invites us to reflect on our spiritual journey. For the next several weeks, we will be writing about different little words. Carol’s word is Listen. I chose to write a poem today.

Turn off the sound machine.
Listen.
Hear the refrain of a hymn in your mind.
Find strength in the silence.

Open the window.
Listen.
Hear the sound of the rain on the roof.
Find solace in the rhythm.

Take a walk with a friend.
Listen.
Hear her story.
Find company in connection.

Enter the world.
Listen.
Hear echoes of chanting.
Find peace in shared sympathy.

–Margaret Simon

“The deepest source of real power lies in consciousness and the ability to be present in all circumstances.” (Understanding the Enneagram, 331)

My Enneagram number is two. I am the giver, the helper, the one who does for others before doing for herself. I can get wrapped up in helping and giving for selfish reasons, to gain approval or love. Julie Johnson introduced me the Ennegram Institute and the “Thought of the Day.” Today I could see the wisdom. Be in the moment.
Listen. Wake up.

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Why Knot?

Posted in Slice of Life, Spiritual Growth, tagged Prayer Shawl Ministry on January 13, 2015| 14 Comments »

Join the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge.

This fall a friend of mine started a prayer shawl ministry. So I picked up some yarn and crochet hooks and started re-learning how to crochet. Now I’m hooked! Pun intended. I have been working on something ever since. There always seems to be someone needing prayer and comfort. But I never expected it to be a colleague from my past.

Ten years ago I was teaching at an Episcopal elementary school. When I left the school, I lost contact with many of my colleagues. That was not intentional, of course, but it happens, especially when I live in a different area than the school. Just after Thanksgiving, I got an odd friend request on FB from the sister of one of my former co-teachers. We taught third grade together for 5 or so years. I remembered her sister, so I accepted the request. That’s when I saw her recent posts about Stacey’s breast cancer and chemo treatments. I immediately messaged Stacey’s sister and emailed Stacey.

We really should not wait for tragedy or illness to get in touch with former friends, but sometimes that’s what it takes. I knew I needed to crochet a shawl for her. I had just purchased some blue yarn and was unsuccessfully attempting a scarf. Switch perspective and it became a shawl–for Stacey.

I love this ministry. I can meditate while I stitch. I can say a mantra, a prayer, or merely count my double-crochets, but I am present in the moment doing something for someone else.

The shawl carries with it this presence. I know Stacey felt it as soon as she put it on. Her tired face perked up, and she began to glow. Stacey still has quite a battle ahead of her, five (out of 8) rounds of chemo left and then surgery. With the shawl on her shoulders, she will know the hope that God offers and the love of a longtime friend.

Stacey wrapped in the prayer shawl and her daughter, Erin.

Why Knot? is the clever name my husband has given our ministry. He says it will start a conversation. I agree. Why knot?

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Attention

Posted in Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged Episcopalian, focus, OLW, spiritual journey on January 8, 2015| 11 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

Holly leads the Spiritual Thursday blog round-up. Many of us have chosen a word to guide us for the year. We will be writing each week about a different blogger’s OLW. Holly’s word is Focus, so today we are writing about focus.

I get a few daily inspirations in my email. One of these is Eknath Easwaran’s Thought of the Day. Recently, he wrote, “As an experiment, try to work cheerfully at some job you dislike: you are training your attention to go where you want it to go. Whatever you do, give it your best concentration.” As somewhat of a New Year’s resolution, I decided to be more friendly to service people like the Walmart or grocery clerks, those people who we take for granted each day. These people have a thankless job to do and usually I am either in a hurry or distracted by worry when I am checking out. Lately, though, I have said, “How’s your day going?” or started a conversation. For some people, this comes naturally, but I am an introvert. I prefer to stay in my own little shell. But as Easwaran’s advice says, I should turn my focus on others. I need to focus on the job at hand and do it with joy and generosity. This little act of attention makes everyone’s day brighter.

I am an Episcopalian. My church is a liturgical church. Our tradition is for vested clergy to lead the service that includes community prayers such as The Nicene Creed and The Lord’s Prayer, lighted candles, and a shared Eucharist or communion. Within the liturgy, I find solace. While saying prayers that I have said all of my life, I can focus in a meditative way, keeping Christ at the center. Focus during this service may seem like distraction. My mind will wander. I often reach for a little notebook in my purse to write. This week, I jotted this question from the sermon, “What is your instrument of hope?” My attention, my intention to focus.

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Light on a New Word for 2015

Posted in Spiritual Growth, tagged One Little Word, spiritual journey on January 1, 2015| 22 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Collect of the Day, Dec. 28, 2014.

I am struggling to find the just right word for 2015, my One Little Word. I scribbled on a nearby notepad all the words I wanted to consider. Then I went online to Canva and found an image I liked. I typed out all the possibilities. The little word is in there somewhere.

I am attracted to both Bloom and Reach. Both can be interpreted to mean “Be the best you can be.” A friend gave me an amaryllis bulb yesterday, so maybe that is a sign. I’ll watch the bulb grow and bloom while I try to live my OLW. However, Bloom can shine too brightly, focus too much on itself. While Reach can move outward toward others.

I took a walk out in the new light, the sun high in the sky warming the cool day, and I looked up into the live oak. These trees are so much a part of my life. They give me strength and hope. The sun was shining through the evergreen leaves clinging to the branches. In that moment, I knew I had to be one of those branches REACHing for the Light.