We always do our best to avoid potholes. . .Wait a second, aren’t we a whole lot like them? Sometimes, don’t we avoid people that are like the divots, the potholes of our lives. . . wait a second, oh no, do people avoid us and treat us like a chuckhole in their lives? You know, in either case the fix-ability of a pothole is right in front of us. We all have patch-abilities to us normally to receive, but to give. . .
Now will we? Because that may be the biggest pothole that we need to avoid of all, and usually the one that does the most damage, especially when we don’t even see it. . .
We avoid potholes~~much like we do imperfections in others and even in ourselves because of the damage we think they may cause instead of the patching we may bring. . . .
PIROUETTE
ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU JUST SAW:
Pirouette” by Ciara Borgards – The film shows how a misfortune can be the necessary force to transform our lives for the better. A metal ballerina is standing on a turning platform supported by a frame inside a music box. But suddenly her support breaks, her music box closes, and the ballerina finds herself in a strange world. . .
M E A N I N G:
We are shattered; sometimes utterly broken. We are all nicked up and chipped; Imperfect
We do not live undefeated and yet there’s a power in us that. . .that we often mistake and even less notice and recognize that so very often, it’s our Super Power
Sometimes out of our shattered brokenness comes a dance that would’ve been impossible to conceive, let alone achieve as the jaggedness,
the incompleteness of us
made something whole
that couldn’t have been otherwise~~
DANCE ON
THE RAPTURE
ARE WE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
LOOKING OVER TO SEE WHAT’S NEXT
OR IS IT. . .
HOW FAR ARE WE GOING TO FALL. . .
WAIT. . .WHAT
ARE WE EVEN HERE
OR HAS THE END OF THE WORLD
ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. . .
There is no factual or theological basis for the prediction of the Rapture in 2025; rather, it is a modern viral prophecy originating from a South African individual named Joshua Mhlakela who claims to have had a divine revelation that the Rapture would occur on September 23 or 24, 2025, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. This prediction has spread widely on social media, creating a trend called “RaptureTok” where believers and skeptics alike are participating in discussions and creating content related to the concept. However, the Bible itself states that no one knows the day or the hour of the end times, and the concept of the Rapture is a relatively modern evangelical belief.
Poetry prescription: Take a minute today and read William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much With Us” out loud:
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
In a lecture called “The Distracted Public,” Saul Bellow said Wordsworth’s poem was his introduction to the subject of distraction, and addressed the problem of living in “the apocalypse of our times,” or what Wyndham Lewis called “the moronic inferno.” Being a novelist, of course, he made the case for reading novels:
“The writer cannot make the seas of distraction stand still, but he can at times come between the madly distracted and their distractions. He does this by opening another world…. When you open a novel–and I mean of course the real thing–you enter into a state of intimacy with its writer. You hear a voice or, more significantly, an individual tone under the words. This tone you, the reader, will identify not so much by a name, the name of the author, as by a distinct and unique human quality. It seems to issue from the bosom, from a place beneath the breastbone. It is more musical than verbal, and it is the characteristic signature of a person, of a soul. Such a writer has power over distraction and fragmentation, and out of distressing unrest, even from the edge of chaos, he can bring unity and carry us into a state of intransitive attention. People hunger for this.”
Any novel would probably work, but the older the better — it’s good to break bread with the dead.
MAYBE THE REAL RAPTURE
ISN’T THE END OF THE WORLD
SO MUCH AS A SPECTACULAR
NEW BEGINNING:
When I came to Westlake, Ohio in 1987, it was to replace the founding minister of Westlake Christian Church, Al Kean who had been there for 27 years. He made it very clear to me that it was now “MY CHURCH” and no longer his and so don’t bother to ask him to perform weddings or funerals. I did coerce him into coming back and doing a couple of Bible studies with us. One of those Bible Studies talked about THE END TIMES and I’ll never forget what Al taught us that night: “The world has ended countless times before, not just in the Bible but also with the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Korean and Viet Nam wars, Desert Storm and yes, TODAY and yet. . .HERE WE ARE
LET’S DO SOMETHING ABOUT OUR BEGINNINGS
N O W
JUST A MOMENT: BESIDE STILL WATERS
Everyone in every faith or belief is all about S T I L L N E S S. . .
The phrase “He leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul” is a beautiful reference to Psalm 23:2-3 from the Bible.
In other world religions, similar concepts of spiritual rejuvenation and peace can be found:
1. Buddhism: The idea of finding peace and restoration in nature is reflected in Buddhist teachings on mindfulness and interconnectedness. For example, the concept of “dependent origination” emphasizes the interconnectedness of all phenomena.
2. Hinduism: The Bhagavad Gita speaks of finding inner peace through devotion and self-reflection. Krishna says, “One who has control over the mind… attains peace” (Bhagavad Gita 2.56).
3. Taoism: The Tao Te Ching emphasizes living in harmony with nature and finding balance within oneself. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” (Tao Te Ching 27).
4. Islam: The Quran describes paradise as a place of peace and tranquility, where the righteous will find rest and rejuvenation (Quran 56:89).
5. Sikhism: The Guru Granth Sahib speaks of finding peace and solace in the divine. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need” (Guru Granth Sahib 85).
These examples illustrate that many world religions value the idea of finding peace, restoration, and spiritual rejuvenation through a connection with something greater than oneself.
Here’s a thing about Still waters. . . they don’t remain still. . . in fact, if they don’t move, they become worse than still—
they become stagnant so even in the stillness, even if you can’t see it, there is a small stream a current underneath that provides everything that’s needed not just for rest, not just for regenerating, not just to save us and stave off burnt out; But to keep us moving, energize us, and to make sure that what we are still about, we are still becoming about. . .in just a moment
they become stagnant so even in the stillness, even if you can’t see it, there is a small stream a current underneath that provides everything that’s needed not just for rest, not just for regenerating, not just to save us and stave off burnt out; But to keep us moving, energize us, and to make sure that what we are still about, we are still becoming about. . .in just a moment
FEAR Khalil Gibran It is said that before entering the sea a river trembles with fear. She looks back at the path she has traveled, from the peaks of the mountains, the long winding road crossing forests and villages. And in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast, that to enter there seems nothing more than to disappear forever. But there is no other way. The river can not go back. Nobody can go back. To go back is impossible in existence. The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then will fear disappear, because that’s where the river will know it’s not about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean.
(My thanks to the poet, via Tenneson Wolf.)
☀️ Today’s Ask: Do you have a place or time in your past that you sometimes want to go back to because it seems safer than what lies ahead?
And even now as we begin to
MOVE ON
past the
STILLNESS
let us each in our own ways
C R E D O
t h i s:
THE LIFE LIST: THE TRUE LOVE TEST
THE LIFE LIST is a beautiful little Rom-Com that is kind of the opposite of THE BUCKET LIST with Jack Nicohlson and Morgan Freeman but even though this features two young people trying to not so much as complete a ‘Bucket List’ as to create a LIFE LIST based on a simple list a girl of 13 composed in all of her “THIRTEEN-NESS” of what she wanted to accomplish, be, become. . .(worth your watch and pondering as you look back while even now, fearlessly, endlessly looking ahead, no matter what your age)
HAVE YOU
COULD YOU ANSWER
THESE FOUR QUESTIONS TO
THE TRUE LOVE TEST. . . ?
Erin and I have been married for 39 years and have known each other another 3-4 years beyond that and we probably answered these questions without formerly asking them way back on June 8, 1986 but they bear asking again and again and intimately knowing the answers, no matter what relationship you are in or for how long.
Every Heart gets bounced around and needs reminding where it BEATS the best. . .
SOMETIMES
the answers don’t mean as much as the
Q U E S T I O N S
asked and asked and asked again
not because you need
validation or reassurance
so much as you need to
S H A R E
it
BECAUSE REAL LOVE JUST LOVES ANYWAY
When I was ordained a little over 45 years ago, one of the passages that were read at my ordination service was more a mandate than a suggestion for me and I’ve attempted to live my life and my professional roles.
I CORINTHIANS 9:22 which reads: TO THE WEAK I BECAME WEAK TO WIN THE WEAK. I HAVE BECOME ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE SO THAT I MAY SAVE SOME,” and I coerced my Seminary Professor, Dr. Newton Fowler to take poetic justice and add, “AND SERVE ALL!”
Over these past 45 years there has been much that has happened that has challenged me to my core to keep that mandate. When horrifically horrible things have taken place to natural disasters and our responses to them, mass shootings, bombings, assignations, and atrocities against humanity have taken place I’ve been asked not so much what do I think or what do I believe but what side am I on?
Being a hospice chaplain for nearly 31 years now, I think the number one lesson I’ve learned and re-learned many times over, is being all things to all people. If I just visited Christians, and not just Christians but Christians of a particular sort, I would alienate a large group of people; no, of course I won’t visit someone who’s been in prison, or someone of another sex or sexual persuasion or dying of only cancer or ALS or End Stage Renal or Heart Disease.
If you’re Jewish, I won’t become a Rabbi, but I can contact one for you, or Islam/Muslim, an Iman, or Buddhist, a monk, Catholic, a Priest. If I can’t hold your space, companion you as you are, it’s me, not them that don’t exist or matter.
Does any of this make sense? Meeting people where they are, as they are is a win/win for all, not because they are dying, but because all of us are LIVING. . .
I’ve seen friends and family not become friends and family any longer because of Left, Right, Conservative, Liberal, Moderate, he, she, they, them and when I firmly choose LOVE, it almost feels like I’m a disappointment; for coping out.
CHOOSING LOVE for me has always been, “BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE THAT I MAY SAVE SOME AND SERVE ALL!”
In a recent blog post of her’s, Regina Brett reminded me (US) a great response to all that goes against us and what we believe takes away from the World being a better place are found in these immortal words of St Francis, a kind of a spiritual Eat This, Not That list:
Where there is hatred, bring love.
Where there is injury, bring the spirit of forgiveness.
Where there is discord, bring harmony.
Where there is error, truth.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there are shadows, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
To give comfort instead of seeking to be comforted, to offer understanding instead of seeking to be understood, to love than to be loved.
Poets and song writers fortify my heart when the wounds of this world grow too big to bear.
I just read that Joan Baez, at 84, still turns pain into poetry, protests into songs to leave the world braver than she found it.
One of my favorite poets, John Roedel, recently posted this on Facebook:
when the world goes mad become wildly kind to everyone everyone everyone everyone in these breaking news heartbreaking times when nothing feels certain let your raw kindness be a certainty allow your compassion to become a North Star stamped up in the sky for others to follow back home. How beautiful. Thanks, John. The only certainty, the one thing I know to be true for ALL of us is this: There is no right home. There is no left home. There is just home. And home is where we ALL belong.
I remember where I was sitting (in my Seminary efficiency apartment) and what I was drinking, (TAB) and munching on (pretzels) when I first read the infamous, and for me life changing quote, the Ram Dass phrase “We’re all just walking each other home” means that life is a shared spiritual journey, and our ultimate purpose is to support and help each other find connection, inner peace, and a state of spiritual enlightenment or “home”. It emphasizes interconnectedness, compassion, and the idea that by letting go of separateness, we can facilitate each other’s journey toward a deeper understanding of truth and love.
Key Aspects of the Phrase
-
Shared Journey:
The phrase highlights that life is not an isolated experience but a collective path that all beings are on.
-
Interconnectedness:
It underscores the deep, fundamental connection between all souls and the importance of recognizing this unity.
-
Mutual Support:
By walking together, we help and guide each other through life’s challenges and experiences.
-
“Home” as a Metaphor:
“Home” represents more than a physical place; it symbolizes a destination of inner peace, wholeness, spiritual enlightenment, or ultimate truth.
-
Love and Acceptance:
The journey is undertaken with love and acceptance, fostering a sense of community and understanding.
In Summary
“We’re all just walking each other home” is a spiritual reminder to be present for one another, to offer compassion and support, and to recognize that we are all on a connected path to a shared, ultimate destination.
So not so much IN CLOSING, but in a BEGINNING. . .
REAL LOVE
LOVES ANYWAY
LOVES ANYWAY
This isn’t about choosing sides or being identified with a specific group, organization, affiliation, belief, a particular lifestyle or letting people walk over you. It’s about choosing not to become like the ones who hurt you. It’s about refusing to let bitterness shape you. Because love — real love — isn’t about how they act. It’s about who you’re becoming.
n o t
BECAUSE
JUST BECAUSE
BECAUSE I SAID SO
BUT JUST BECAUSE
Because real love loves anyway
BECAUSE I SAID SO
BUT JUST BECAUSE
Because real love loves anyway
JUST A MOMENT: YOUR MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
We all have one,
but we also have something inside of us
that we don’t want to share. . .
WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. . . ?
Maybe the question is not so much
What you have or want to share. . .
but truly what needs uncorked in you
and we usually know the answer to that
IN JUST A MOMENT. . .
E N O U G H
Music is such a powerful medium because it can express powerful messages. This is the infamous, Sara Bareilles singing, ENOUGH from the new MUSICAL, THE INTERESTINGS which is based on the the Meg Wolitzer book of the same name, concerning a group of friends who meet at an Arts Summer camp. The show follows the group from teenage-hood to middle-aged. Sara says, “It’s this idea that came out in her musical, WAITRESS anthem, ‘SHE USED TO BE MINE”
The lyrics from ENOUGH can’t be released yet, but if you listen/hear/feel Sara sing this song, you’ll pick up these powerful lines:
Enough, what it even is, I’ll never know / It’s impossible to give you ’cause it’s so elusive, it’s so intrusive / And for you it’s everything” and “God I wish that you could see it from my side / How it’s everywhere, it’s always been, it’s right beside your critic’s eye / And now it’s time that you decide: Am I enough?”.
AM I ENOUGH?
A powerful question we answer many times each day
situation by situation. . .
C R U M B S
EVER FEEL A LITTLE CRUMBY. . .
Hoping this will leave you feeling a little more
WHOLE
CRUMBS
Think in crumbs
not loaves or slices
Crumbs
that come from breaking bread
refusing to be brushed from the table
knowing the unknown
that only when the bread is broken
is it ever inviting to be shared
crumb by crumb
A holy Communion
broken to be shared
shared to be a piece of peace
MORAL: YOU ARE MORE A PIECE OF THE WHOLE LOAVE THAN A CRUMB FROM A BROKEN PIECE
JUST A MOMENT: MORE THAN SOME NUMBERS
It’s true that a lifetime can be lived in moments and they sure can be destroyed in just a moment as well. . .
So once again 24 years later now on September 10, 2025,
we remember and we honor all those whose lives have been changed
and/or taken in just a moment. . .
SEE. . .READ. . .PONDER. . .Once again:
The night before…….
On this day… 23 years ago 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. 8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift. None of them saw past 10:00am Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same. As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love, snuggle a little tighter, and never take one second of your life for granted. #AlwaysRemember #NeverForget #NYPD #FDNY #NYC #ArmedForces #TheDayBefore.
IN JUST A MOMENT we powerfully find out that IT is more than some Numbers. . .WE are more than just a number and the POWER OF ONE when IT is about WE and US is most powerful indeed. . .I F. . .
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9/11 by the Numbers
Death, destruction, charity, salvation, war, money, real estate, spouses, babies, and other September 11 statistics. |
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The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.See Also: The Encyclopedia of 9/11
Out of all the numbers that come in and out of our lives, continually, |
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