Thanksgiving Thoughts

On this Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the blessings that I'm getting from the women (and men) of moral courage entering into dialog with me about their real-life experiences with faith and family.

Cooking and Creation

When I cook for family, I feel my mothers with me.
Every day, the kitchen is where they would be.
My mother was the oven and pressure cooker queen,
So her long absences from home wouldn't cause a scene.
Her mother used a meat grinder as a food processor;
She could sit and do this without foot and back pressure.
My daddy's mom was the neatest cook I've ever seen;
As soon as she'd spill something, she'd immediately clean.

They thought I didn't heed anything they had to say,
But I watched them as closely as a hawk watches its prey.
They didn't like my questions about what I didn't understand,
Like why rules were different for woman than for man.
I saw how with food and fun they got their points across;
For why they allowed their men to slide, I was at a loss.
Now I use some of their subtle ways of reward
To soften the minds and hearts that are hard.

I pray daily that the values that I express
Help those I love to become more, not less--
More of what they are put on earth to be,
Realizing that no one is ever completely free.
But we must appreciate every contribution
That leads to the final meal's execution.
The ancients respected the grower and the grown
Realizing that none of creation stands alone.

Pass the Potatoes, Peas, and Philosophies

A childhood friend sent me this:

“God is a synergetic experience. Science can never reveal it, philosophy can never come to it – only a poetic approach, a very passive, very loving approach, can.” Osho

I had no knowledge of Osho, but these words seem full of wisdom. Come to find out, Osho was a well-known professor of philosophy who formed his own counter-religion, ministering mostly to the wealthy who richly rewarded him for assisting them in accepting their greed as good. It seems that Osho was a proponent of responsibility only to oneself.

Another friend who writes a spiritual blog wrote these words today:

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens (Ps. 68).

The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28)

We all recognize that eating once in awhile is not enough to sustain our lives; we must be fed constantly in order to live. God's ministry to us is constant and on-going; He bends low to hear our cry and to meet our daily need. And if He asks us to serve Him, it is that we may imitate Him by serving his "sheep." Jesus asked Simon Peter to "feed [His] sheep." from the blog One Bird Watching by Gayle Nolan

I came to adulthood, marriage, and motherhood at the time that gurus spread across the land promoting self-fulfillment through the pursuit of pleasures, irresponsible sex, and drugs. Many of these gurus became wealthy and were apparently worshiped by their followers, even when it was obvious that the gurus were using their followers to feed their own greed. We seem to easily fall into the trap of deifying people who pretend to lift our burdens, while they are actually feeding themselves and their own egos.

Even saints are also sinners; no person is infallible. We must stop allowing those with the loudest voices and longest speeches to take over our consciousness. A truly spiritual person sets an example and then leaves their own spirit to continue to inspire us. He or she does not need the constant control of others to feel powerful.

Like a good grandmother who offers a peaceful place at her table to all who come, much of enlightenment happens when we are simply having our physical needs met. But we must be careful of those who offer easy fixes like mind altering substances and soulless sex, and feed our greed with fear of not enough to go around which leads to competition and hoarding.

A good grandmother offers assistance, but expects that the family values will be taken from her table to the hearts and minds of others. The spirit of the family is offered with the lovingly shared fruits of the labors of each member who contributed to the meal. Perhaps we should take the time to look at our own families and define what values we want to pass on as we pass the potatoes and peas.

Cherished Children and the Faces of Infinity

How nice it must be to have been a cherished child so that one can relate to god as a beaming parent, so proud of his progeny! Not all children are so blessed. Many children see fear in the faces of their parents and feel it as disapproval. Some are treated as scapegoats, receiving reprimands for that which has been inflicted on the parents by others. How do we expect for the people so wounded by their examples of parenting to relate to a parental god as love?

I have no feeling of a person of god, but I nonetheless feel a seed of the Infinite Force For Good in all of creation. I do not believe that my prayers sway god's decisions, but I do believe that I can receive strength to find the positive in every situation by keeping myself open to the lessons of life. Finding the positive often takes many years and much hurt, but I continue to be open to it. I am often reminded in my openness that I must actively seek the positive and be patient. Is this the voice of The Almighty coming out of the mouths of my family and friends?

I believe it is our gift as humans to choose to nurture and expand these seeds of the soul or to extinguish the positive with our own negative energy and encouraging that of others. Sometimes sustaining this life force is as easy as a smile or a hug. And sometimes we are called to lay our lives on the line by fighting our more base animal instincts and setting an example of acceptance and empathy. We are all asked to give our lives for The Infinite Good, not by our deaths, but by the ways we live.

Personal Paths to Positive Power

As a Roman Catholic child, I was exposed to a practice that was common, recitation of litanies in which God was called by many names. It is true that many of those names included being male, and a fearsome male, at that. Here are some examples:

"Divine Essence, one true God,
Spirit of truth and wisdom,
Spirit of holiness and justice,
Spirit of understanding and counsel,
Spirit of love and joy,
Spirit of peace and patience,
Spirit of longanimity and meekness,
Spirit of benignity and goodness,
Love substantial of the Father and the Son,
Love and life of saintly souls,
Fire ever burning,
Living water to quench the thirst of hearts,"


"God the Father of Heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, One God,
Father from Whom are all things,
Son through Whom are all things,
Holy Ghost in Whom are all things,
Holy and undivided Trinity,
Father everlasting,
Only-begotten Son of the Father,
Spirit Who preceedeth from the Father and the Son,
Co-eternal Majesty of Three Divine Persons,
Father, the Creator,
Son, the Redeemer,
Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,
Who art, Who wast, and Who art to come,
God Most High, Who inhabitest eternity,
To Whom alone are due all honor and glory,
Who alone doest great wonders,
Power infinite,
Wisdom, incomprehensible,
Love unspeakable,"


"Judge of the Godless and wicked,
Majesty humbling the proud,
Terror of blasphemers,
Rewarder of the patient,
Sanctifier of the obedient,
Thou Who dost exalt the humble,
Thou Who dost exalt the meek,
Inspiration of the persecuted,
Comforter of the mournful,
Father of the peacemakers,
Glorifier of the poor in spirit,
Author of Light,
Author of creation,
Author of life,
Author of fire,
Countenance of wrath,
Countenance of justice,
Countenance of mercy,
Countenance of love,
Countenance of splendor,
Eternal Father, object of the beatific vision,
Eternal Father, incessantly adored by the angels,
Eternal Father, contemplation of the saints,
Eternal Father, desire of the righteous,
Eternal Father, worthy of all adoration,
Eternal Father, worthy of all love,"

Why did ancient humans put a fearsome face on god? And why do so many still believe that god is a vengeful father figure counting our crimes against him and his creation? Why do we still think worship is a good substitute for responsible reverence? Why can't we accept that The Creative Force is exhibited in every form of creation and that we are not great enough to ever see the full scope of the "faces" of that which makes up all matter, Creative Energy? It's okay not to know; the danger is in pretending that we do know that which we don't.

It seems that the people who put human faces on god diminish the magnitude of the Awesome Almighty Power. It can also spiritually cripple those who have had abusive human familial relationships. If I am afraid of all those who have said they are there to protect me, while in truth they use my vulnerability to further their own purposes, it is unlikely that I'm going to feel comfortable with a god who has a father, mother, sister or brother face.

If a raging flood has wiped out my entire village, I may be unable to see Positive Power in the water that can keep me alive, but can also kill me. The same sun that warms me and keeps our crops growing also destroys the sensitive skin that covers my friends prone to skin cancer. The breeze that billows the sails and cools us on a hot day also brought murderous conquerors to the shores of many lands.

Depending on my former experiences, I may perceive any of these things as either good or bad. This is why I believe it is so important to allow each individual to look for The Power of Positive Energy in whatever aspect of creation with which one is gifted, and allow them call all Positive Power god. There is still only one Ultimate Source of Energy, The Alpha and The Omega.

Why can't we see that all religious beliefs, like all accepted science, is what has been revealed to us and the writers thus far. Until we all turn back to Pure Energy, we are not meant to see the beginning or the end, only to be responsible for our small section of the energy that is put in our person and our paths.

Windows to Wonder

It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and great debate about where the saying originated. There seems to be an instinct that we mirror what is truly in our hearts through our eyes. This is probably why we seek face-to-face communication even though we have so many ways to communicate over long distances. We want to see each others souls. But are we really looking?

As we become adults, we seem to think that the way to show maturity is to find fault with the world and to point it out at every opportunity. We seek to hide our souls from others and turn to sarcasm and exclusion instead of good-natured helping-hand inclusive humor. We stop looking into the eyes of others and become uncomfortable with those who look us in the eye. There are even those who train their eyes to tell lies by looking inside of themselves for feelings instead of looking outward to others with compassion.

Many politicians and priests kiss babies and old ladies and shake all outstretched hands, but are they really connecting with all those souls? They spout platitudes about morality and fairness, but are they open about how they apply these values to their own lives? I think not when I see no truth in their eyes.

The first time I ever saw my husband, he appeared very stern and rigid in his demeanor, except when he turned his eyes to my girl friend and her infant son, my godchild. His joyful amazement at the sight of that baby boy radiated from behind his very thick eyeglasses, and I knew he was a man with a gentle soul. Perhaps if he had known how carefully I watch people's eyes, he would have been more guarded.

We went on to become dear friends through interaction with my many young nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. He, being the breadwinner and calming influence and I being the chief cook, diaper changer, and bottle washer. He has continued that sense of wonder and delight in assisting others, but when we lived in a community of mostly retirees, I missed the "little boy" in his eyes that played trucks, trains, and tractors on the floor with the children.

We have moved back to be where his gentle soul can come out to play, and we seek many opportunities to be with the younger people in our lives. I have also had the opportunity to work with him as he shares his "little boy" joy with other men sharing in work on projects. Many see his unbridled excitement and wonder that is evident when a difficult task is shared or mastered as a sign of immaturity, and others never look behind the glasses to see his soul. I see this joyful amazement as the window into the faith "like that of a child." If a person is not able to be delighted by the light of learning in another's eyes, I don't know that they can ever be trusted to bring good into the world.

Sacred Sexuality

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28

lust - definition of lust by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/lust
a. An overwhelming desire or craving

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Exodus 20:1-17

covet - definition of covet by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/covet
v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets. v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's).

It seems to me that the wrong in lusting and in coveting is that the desire is overwhelming; therefore, it drives the person consumed by the desire to endanger oneself or others (physically, emotionally, or spiritually)in the pursuit of the fulfillment of the passion.

I feel so sorry for the moral men
Who have been taught to live in shame
Because of their need of their women.
We are animals who are given a gift:
The sacred bonds of sexuality,
So that we won't want to drift
From protection of the community
Including our precious young,
With life mates basic to unity.
Physical desires drive us to bond
Whether in wrestling, hugging,
Or the mating life depends upon.

It is competition that has led us
To reject lifetime partnerships
And to scorn those that wed us.
Fear of the church and of the state
That we may find something more sacred
Than that which they overrate.
The sacred is transcendent,
And it is the greatest blessing
That in sexual love we are sent.
The transcendent man or woman
Will have discipline if we reclaim
The sacred in sexuality's plan.