sacred life sunday: space

sacred space, maybe.

but it wasn't even about the physical space so much today, as about the spiritual space.
the Inside.
the Going Within.
as it happens, i traveled into my delegated Sacred Space (I have a room to call my own)
in a very physical way...
to make rhyme and flow out of a place that has for months been exuding chaos.


(throughout my consciousness... throughout my home.... literally... this room has been a chaotic, messy jumble for quite some time.)

today has been
all about...
clearing
and cleansing...


meditatively.

listening.
Intention.


ego.
good.
God.
peace.
identity.


divinity.
The Source.
reputation.
love.
in.
warm.
beingness.


hatefulness.
energy.


quantum physics.
choosing what sort of Universe to live in.
observing.
Create-tion.


Spirit.
Infinity.

Sigh.

sacred life sunday: beauty

swayed by my surroundings

I'm doing my best to

live


eat

breathe

inspire

exude

and Be


the Beauty around me.

sacred life sunday: serenity

For the last several months (maybe for even over a year now) I've had this love/hate relationship with the 1911 square feet of space that I call My House. Being its mistress, I mean.

We (the children and I, and Eric when he's home with us) spend our days living in this house fully. We eat, we grow, we explode, we explore, we track in and trek through, we meld and melt. We do 92% of our Living in this house.
And our kind of living is messy.

I clean. I move to another room, and the first one is in shambles when I pass through the next time.
This has been my focus for the last several months.
That's It's Never Done. That it's never even close to done.
That I'm fighting (scratching and clawing, it seems most times) my way to the top and I only end up falling further down into the abyss.
Might seem humorous.
Maybe it is.
Not while one is in the Throes of Despair, however.

Since this subject is so much on my mind lately (it really is, it seems that so much of my life revolves around this issue) I mentioned the other day off-handedly that I didn't think this house had ever been clean all at once.
Every room. Inside every kitchen cupboard. The silverware tray. The linen drawers and cabinets. Every closet. Under every sink. Every dresser drawer. Every wall. Every door, every door frame, every junk drawer, every desk drawer, every game shelf, every baseboard, bookshelf, refrigerator compartment, picture frame, pair of shorts, paint brush, curtain, window, window sill, toy box, pillow, and removable couch cover.
I fight a daily battle. I want my house clean. "My house is never clean all at once," I said to my friend, not letting on that this is a deep, dark confession of my Spirit.
"Yeah, but it stays clean for a long time when it's done," replied my friend Sam. Blithely. Off-handedly.
To the rescue.

Is it true? I think.
Is it really possible?
Is it possible to have every surface and subsurface clean inside this entire house?

That's all it took for me to change my mind.
Instead of battling...
I am simply doing it.

I started five days ago.
I am thrilled to say that I am succeeding in taming and loving this place.
I'm keeping a running list, and feel so elated when I can cross something off.
I know that it's so clean. That there isn't a thing I could have possibly done to make it moreso. Because if it could have been cleaned and shined (and it all can) then it was.
The surprising (astounding, really) thing is... that four and five days later, the rooms that have been done are still done.
Just like that.
All by themselves.

The cleaning itself isn't happening on its own.
It's in my focus, to be sure.
This project has been given top priority.

"You're always cleaning..." complained my friend the other day when I said we couldn't go play, I had things to do.
"Yeah, but this is different," I said. This time I'm doing it out of Love, instead of out of fear and despair-- and I am succeeding.

The whole thing probably seems crazy.
Crazy that the well-being of one's Soul would have anything to do with the cupboard under the kitchen sink being sparkly and organized.

But that's the way it lies, for me.
Perfectly, splendidly organized.
And Sparkly.

In this (figurative and physical) space, I can fly.
I can smile.
I can rest,
and I can Breathe.

I can breathe.

sacred life sunday

thay, yoga, and me

Sacred Life Sunday

I've been here deeply for the last two days.

Reformatting OLM.
Up to -way passed- my eyeballs in pictures of green and sun and warm and color and bright.

I can't help but feel that life is so good.

Sacred Life Sunday: into the Still

which is all about settling the Bustling Flurries.

and falling gently
and d r i f t i n g
and
s
i
n
k
i
n
g

into the still.

Sacred Life Sunday: Meditation Beads

Ever since I read Eat, Love, Pray I've wanted beads.
Not necessarily for ritual, or for repetitive 'prayer', if you will, but as a conscious/subconscious/spiritual consciousness reminder during meditation.
This first strand's intention is Love. (I've made a couple more since then.)

Now I have my beads.
And I love them.

I loved creating them with my bare hands. I made them consciously, as I knew for what purpose they were as I was crafting them.

I've washed them, and I've oiled them. And no doubt I'll be setting them out under the New, and then the Full Moon.
Yay for Love beads.

sacred life sunday: a little charmed

a friend said to me a couple of years ago "you've lived a charmed life". he was referring to the fact that I was dumbfounded that upon opening the box containing Trev's new swingset that he had purchased, we didn't have all the required bolts.
but none-the-less, Dear Reader, when such lovely compliments come around, i always accept them.


things that are charming me today:

snow outside my window

gentle rustle of the furnace air blowing

quiet

umbrella drying on the porch

thick knitted socks

a pot of water bubbling and steaming on the counter, waiting for...

a cup of tangerine orange zinger tea

tonight's full moon - and pondering what magick might be done today

my new sturdy winter shoes

remembering that I need to make soap today

my babies' sweet sleeping breath


what's charming your life today?

sacred life sunday: Sprite

Here's a perscription for your enjoyment.

sprite
1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. [Obs.] "All of spirit would deprive." --Spenser.

Totally dunk yourself in the pool. (It doesn't matter if it's of the seven f00t or of the one foot variety.)
While completely saturated, at around 5:13pm or so, grab the flowing hose, face the sun, and plug your thumb into the end of it so that it sprays straight up and rains down onto you and the children-
Sun shines between you and it-
sending reflections,
sunlight,
sparkles,
and Magic all around.
Kick your feet for more splashes if'n' you wanna.
Make sure you specially note all shouts of jubilation and laughter.

Sacred Life Sunday: Moppin' the Moose

(sans photos - camera got drowned. hopefully we'll fix that soon.)

I think I've mentioned Mopping The Moose before.

I got it from AU - Always Unschooled a year or two ago.

I guess it's from a story, which I haven't read, but as soon as I heard the words "mopping the moose" I laughed/cried, as I could so relate to such words -- to me it says so much for my life, my ways, and my thinking.
For me it goes something like (which could be entirely different from the intent of the author) - Maddie wants a bath. But it's been three or four days since the tub has been scrubbed, so I need to do that, first. But it's almost bedtime, and she's very sleepy, so she may very well fall asleep (or close to it) in the tub, so I had better have the bed ready for her to snuggle into when she's out of the bath. Of course she'll need dinner first, and we're having xxxx, but I must clean off the stove before I can cook, but that means I need to clean the paints out of the sink so that I can wash the pan that I'll need for supper.... oh, damn, the sheets are wet in the laundry, I need to hang them up - oh, the line is still full with yesterday's (or the day before that or the day before that)'s laundry, so I'll have to take that down, course I don't have a basket to put them in, as they're all full....

You see how it goes. Mopping the Moose.

Right now our living space - the regular rooms - are... um... a bit chaotic. (Nothing that a half hour in each room wouldn't cure.)

I've been downstairs organizing --and playing (organizing beads, books, play things) for the last three days. Er... and shopping for organizational materials.

My dear darling husband left the house today for work wondering if he was ever going to see any semblance of sanity in our home. I think he's a bit frightened.

Here's the thing, Babe.

In all this playing reorganization, I've managed to empty at least one big rubbermaid storage box. That might not mean much to you - but think of all the toys that will soon go to Aunt Sam. And think of all the clothes that Madd and Trev have outgrown, and we now have a place to put them(storage box). That means Clean Closets.
Now clean closets may not impress you over much - but know that when a closet is clean, the room is soon to follow.
Tidy hidden corners are the bare bones of a well-organized home. To my mind.

So fear not, Babe.

It might take a week.

'Might even take two.

But it will get done.

Sometimes you gotta clear out all the gunk in order to have a flowing and wondrous space.

Sometimes feeling impelled to Mop The Moose is a good thing.

sacred life sunday: breathe

Awake Awhile

Awake awhile.

It does not have to be
Forever,
Right now.

One step upon the Sky's soft skirt
Would be enough.

Hafiz,
Awake awhile.
Just one True moment of Love
Will last for days.

Rest all your elaborate plans and tactics
For Knowing Him,
For they are all just frozen spring buds
Far,
So far from Summer's Divine Gold.

Awake, my dear.
Be kind to your sleeping heart.
Take it out into the vast fields of Light
And let it breathe.

Say,
"Love,
Give me back my wings.
Lift me,
Lift me nearer."

Say to the sun and moon,
Say to our dear Friend,

"I will take You up now, Beloved,
On that wonderful Dance You promised!"

Hafiz

operation: sparkle (or) Sacred Life Monday

As I was hanging up laundry on the line, I noticed this.Which made me think of this.

It caused me to be present enough to realize that while life with the babes right now is super sparkly and fun, an important part of me has been ignored - abandoned.
It's been run over with all the noise. Yada yada.

I'm not creating out of thin air.
I'm not living mindfully and intentionally.
I'm not smiling to myself over synchronistic or serendipitous happenings.
I'm not hearing the song on the wind, or even the whisperings of my own soul.
I've been living my life on auto-pilot.

Which means there's no magic.

I've missed the true joys that can only come from a spirit knowing itself and creating.
I'm so glad I've remembered my Self.

Sacred Life Sunday: The Outside

Working outside today held surprises for me.
I thought yesterday that my SLS (funny, that's my initials, too) post today would be about dirt, digging, and connecting with the earth.
I thought it would be about getting in touch with my compost, the soil in my flower beds, staining my feet, and compacting dirt under my fingernails.
I thought my connection with Spirit would be via my environment outside my front door.
I had no idea (and would not have chosen) that it was going to mean "The Earth that lives Across The Street".
Sigh.
Sometimes life is surprising... even when you try to live without expectations.

sacred life sunday: love notes

If you want Gentleness in your lifeBe Gentle.


If you want Peace (which includes Calmness, Happiness, and Joy) then choose instead to Be In Peace (Calmness, Happiness and Joy come with it automatically).


If you want GrowthThen you must notice yourself Growing.


If you want honorable and kind childrenHonor and acknowledge their Kindnesses.


If you want approval from othersQuit seeking their approval. (We all admire the most people who don't give a damn what others think - who are true to themselves.)


If you long for HappinessRemember that you can choose Happiness in every moment.
The easiest way to do that is to choose to think about
dream about
laugh about
and live out loud
things that make that Happiness known to You
-in every moment.

In Love,
Stephanie

sacred life sunday: walking softly

hmmm.
not walking softly
as in
dancing on green grass and dandelions
brought to life
and warmed by the sun.

but instead
softly
-like
passing by a quiet and still
snow-covered field
and experiencing little plips and plops of snow
raining down on my self and the path before me
from the branches above.

not uninterrupted meditation.
not spiritual exaltation.

still, though I'm not entirely certain where exactly it is that this (all of it) shall take me, I'm none the less going.
or being, as the case may be.

i don't exactly know for certain why.
i have only an inkling as to how.

but it seems an important -even crucial!- thing,
this
"being in stillness".

and so i'll continue to drift
in that general direction.

maybe at some time
in some place
i'll find myself
-all-of-a-sudden-
to have arrived.

painting my life!
singing
dancing
celebrating
laughing
creating.

just as was always meant to be.

Sacred Life Sunday: Words

Two sets of words, today, actually.
None of them my own.

First - and I won't get it right, because it's been a while since I've heard them -
they have to do with the idea that most of us See, and only then do we try to Do, and then finally we are able to Be.
But what should be our focus is quite different - that first really we should Be, then certainly Do, and finally we will be able to See.
An interesting and promising concept.

It's been a busy day today, and a busy week filled up with children, family, reading, work, the mundane as well as the fun, and not too much in my head and heart this week.
I wasn't quite sure what to write about for Sacred Life Sunday.

A few minutes ago I land on my friend M's blog.
Here are her words that whispered to my heart then -
"...but it can be how I try to be, how I try to think of myself. The gentle thoughts tell me that meeting basic needs of sleep, food, exercise, spirituality, socializing, cleanliness are what my focus should be. They tell me to find inner peace, to feel balanced and quiet, so I can hear and listen to the promptings from my inner self, that is trying to help me be who I really am."

Aaah.
Beautifully said, M.
And a splendid gentle reminder.

To me it coincides with first Being, then Doing, and Seeing.
Claim it for your own, practice it, and pretty soon you shall see it residing deeply inside yourself.

I am thankful for today's Words.

sacred life sunday: exhale

deep breath.
today has been hurried or harried almost from the time i awoke this morning.
it wasn't an unpleasant day, exactly, it just lacked ease and a restful mind.
i did get outside for a few minutes by myself this morning - which was lovely, but had i known that it would mean forgoing a quiet half hour downstairs meditating and preparing for the day, i'm not certain that i'd have made that same choice.

but now - now i am here, one lone soul lying on this huge bed that usually holds three or four, and i have a moment to breathe - slow and deep, calming and fulfilling.
now comes the reconnection.
now i shall begin again a book that has so many times spoken to my heart, and i shall reconnect with my truest self and my intentions.

blessings.

Sacred Life Sunday: Mastery

Mastery comes with the purchase of an ipod.Isn't that wonderful?
:)
I'd go into detail, but I'm afraid that I'd just annoy and confuse people with my ramblings - it really needs to be discussed over several posts.
So that's what I'll do.

Sacred Life Sunday: focus

During the morning's meditation one word came to my mind: Focus.
I'm not sure about it.
We'll see where this takes me today.

Sacred Life Sunday: Unedited

This is one of the marvelous things that greeted me this morning. I took it standing on my front porch.
I have mixed feelings about it.
It's a beautiful scene, and exactly how I shot it. No editing at all - not even a crop.

It's a fitting representation of my life, I think.
There's beauty. And majesty. And magical colors.
There's a promising horizon.
There are complications such as phone lines interfering with the beauty. There is a tangled, overgrown tree that tosses its branches onto the lawn during a storm. There are dividing bushes that separate my world from others.

If I had my way - to make it truly beautiful I'd put a little more color into it.
I'd heighten the contrast.
I'd edit out the telephone pole and the wires, making it a little less complicated and more serene.

But - that wouldn't truly and honestly depict my life - this Sacred Life, this day.
My life does have complications.
There are many interruptions to the daily beauty.
Things that disrupt the pristine.
There are small branches littering my life. Sometimes they even fall on my head. :)
There are irritating, interrupting, uninspiring daily occurrences. Life's little messes.
There are barriers that I choose not to take down (ego) that keep me from experiencing Oneness with the All.

All of these observations may seem obvious and simple to others.
But these things are things that get in my way oftentimes of recognizing my always Sacred Life.

I tend to think in terms of perfect - which means no interruptions. Just the beauty. Just the serenity. Just the joy.
These are the things I look for when I think sacred.

I am attempting to talk (and reason and persuade) myself out of this rigidity. By making these observations I am striving toward knowing, broadening my acceptance of what my Sacred Life is.
It is my desire to live and see and hear the frustrated shouts of the children, the spills in cramped spaces, rambunctiousness of our giant dog, grumps from my husband (and let's not forget my own) - the demands of my life - and not feel that they somehow rob me of life's magic.

Instead of gentling the world outside myself, which is certainly not always possible - no matter what means I take - I'd like to be able to find the sacredness in all that surrounds me.
I'd like to accept it for what it is - life happening.
Indeed, even sacred life happening.

Such is my intent for this day.