By Pamela Haines Book review by Mary Ann Petersen What rings true? Something with “that clear and certain sound.” This book by Pamela Haines is short and dense with content. It is part of the series Quaker Quicks. As Haines describes it, she assembled the book from a series of essays and meditations she had composed over… Continue reading That Clear and Certain Sound
Category: Spiritual direction
Summer
Summer can be a peak experience and that is why people like it. Summer feels generous. There is a bumper sticker that says “Be Love.” This is the season to be love. Fire is the element of summer. Fire is also spirit, the universal life force that supports matter and form. This is the time… Continue reading Summer
A book report on zen
I read The Way of Zen. The most fitting book report would be an empty page. That would do it. But, I have to write something, so I’ll clutter it up with my take-away from this classic by Alan Watts. A vintage book from 1957. To talk about zen is like having two people sitting… Continue reading A book report on zen
Needs of the people
Yesterday I served Quaker Oats to Quakers! I’ve always dreamed of this. It started as a joke, as most good ideas do. Me and Penny, of the hospitality team, made an oatmeal bar, a place to put oatmeal into a bowl, then add toppings. Choices were: peaches, raisins, chia seeds, bananas, walnuts, apples, brown sugar,… Continue reading Needs of the people
What’s your call? What’s your song?
I had a next-step salon before I knew what it was. There were five of us, approximately 40-80 years old, talking about how to make change or react to change. We took turns sharing about something we were thinking about doing, trying, or re-doing. It was an in-between space; a temple for open discussion for… Continue reading What’s your call? What’s your song?
What causes you suffering?
It’s a great ice breaker to ask, “what causes you suffering?” I’ve been asking people this lately and they tell me immediately and seem relieved to be asked so directly. This is what happens if you read too much Thich Nhat Hanh. You get all Buddhist about things. You might even start applying stuff from… Continue reading What causes you suffering?
Focus on the breath
Are you breathing? It’s automatic and inherent to aliveness. It’s part of the parasympathetic nervous system. Do you breathe when you’re nervous? Do you follow or lead your breath? Inspire and expire; life passes through you with each respiration. Invisible nutrients are swallowed and released thousands of times a day. Clarity is a passing breeze.… Continue reading Focus on the breath
Generosity of spirit
Poetry group this month with Ilene and Carol jumped off with the theme of forgiveness. Ilene said once she got into forgiveness, it hit her, “ok, this is the deal.” She led forgiveness workshops and wrote, “nothing is as deeply raw as the time leading up to the act of forgiving and nothing comes from… Continue reading Generosity of spirit
How to be cheerfully non-attached yet seriously engaged
The more open to failure I am, the more I succeed. The less attached I am to outcome, the greater it is. The more ideas I present with back-up plans, the more they’re accepted instantly. If I ask with less worry, the answer bounces back with less stickiness. If I’m willing to not win I… Continue reading How to be cheerfully non-attached yet seriously engaged
Help with less answers and more listening
We often seek solutions or fixes to complex questions. There is a way to pause. A way to absorb what is going on before problem solving. Some would describe spiritual direction as a movement toward soul wholeness. A spiritual director is there to help us tune into ourselves. They are not there to tell us… Continue reading Help with less answers and more listening