Speaking of Spirit

 Photo credit: NASA/Gary Rothstein  Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons   I have a great affinity for eagles. Since early childhood, I admired their strength and beauty. Eagles, in many cultures, have traditionally been associated with the Creator. So, it is not wonder that, for me, eagles are connected to ministering.  At this time of year, many people feel exhausted. Winter is almost over, but not quite. During these days of dirty snow, mud and skeletoned trees, we need something to lift us up…to take us from the shadow of death to that wondrous place of rebirth.  Yet, smack dab in the middle of all these blah feelings, we are called to minister to others, to be lights of God’s Love to those who have become lost in the darkness of pain, suffering and failure. How can we keep going forward with so much to do, so much darkness still in the world, so much pain and suffering?  I am reminded of the hymn, On Eagles' Wings , which is based on Isaiah 40:31 "B

One thing I have learned over the years, is that when it comes to blessings, the Irish are eloquently articulate. On this St. Patrick's Day weekend, I offer some of my favorites. An Old Irish Blessing  May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.  An Irish Prayer  May God give you... For every storm, a rainbow, For every tear, a smile, For every care, a promise, And a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, A faithful friend to share, For every sigh, a sweet song, And an answer for each prayer.  An Old Celtic Blessing  May the blessing of light be on you— light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you and warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire.  An Old Irish Blessing  May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and

All photos in collage from Wikimedia Today is International Women's Day , a day set aside to recognize, celebrate and empower women everywhere. I believe, no observance would be complete without recognition of the prayers of women. Using Google, I thought I would be overwhelmed by the choices of prayers from around the world written by women.  To my surprise, however, I found it very difficult to find anything in the public domain.  There are some recent books written with prayers by women, but they are just that - recent. Why is this, I pondered. In seconds, Spirit answered me. Prayer for women is private...we say our prayers while doing our daily tasks - caring for family, working at our careers, sharing time with friends. Our prayers are often the silent, unspoken words of our hearts. Words only heard by Creator. Interestingly, there are many prayers for women, including  International Women's Day prayers written by many people from many spiritual paths. 

 By Apple Records Public domain via Wikimedia Commons The Book of George – by now, you have probably put one and one together and realized that I am talking about George Harrison , most notably remembered as one of the Fab Four – that is, one of the Beatles. In addition to this recognition, however, George gained quite a following because of his spiritual practice and beliefs. Gary Tillery in his 2011 book, “ Working Class Mystic : A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison,” writes about the April evening that George was suddenly overwhelmed by emotion so profound that he was quoted as saying, “ I felt in love, not with anything or anybody in particular, but with everything. Everything was perfect, in a perfect light, and I had an overwhelming desire to go around the club telling everybody how much I loved them – people I had never seen before.” Tillery calls George a “working-class mystic” because of his ability to relate to not only gurus and yogis, but also the everyday people