Speaking of Spirit

Once again, the news that flashes across the world in nanoseconds reports of innocent lives lost by someone whose heart is so full of hate that they no longer see others as human. Once again, the debates, the political meanderings, the promises to create change that never happen are front page news. Once again, candles are lit, flowers are brought, hymns are sung. Once again, our nation weeps collectively, as families mourn separately and together. Today, I heard over and over again, my colleagues and friends say, "I don't know what to do any more." Despair creeps stealth-fully into our lives. We feel lost. At times like these, I turn to that which brings me hope...music, poetry, prose, art. I spend time creating things for those I love. I garden, walk through the woods, go to the beach.  Hope is ALWAYS present. Hope is that small glimmer of Light at the very edge of the darkness that reminds us not to give up. One of my most favorite prayers for times like th...

Photo: (c) 2018 LMRNeas Inspired by my daughter, I took a social media fast this week. I have to admit, while I thought it would be difficult to stay away from Facebook and Instagram, it wasn't. In fact, I found it surprisingly easy, once I set my mind to it. After the week was over, (I fasted from Sunday to Saturday) I wondered if it had done anything for me. Here's what I learned.  I slept better.  Solid uninterrupted 7 hours! I was less anxious and sad. I could think clearer. (For a writer/teacher, this is SO important!) As I am prone to do, I researched to see if anyone else found this to be true. Sure enough, there are hundreds of articles about the benefits of fasting from social media.  Mainly, they all say the same things.  Staying off social media enables you to connect with reality...pure and simple! I have often written about staying away from the news, especially if one has any type of anxiety issues. The constant barrage of neg...

"Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence." -- Christal Quintasket - Salish The elders of the indigenous nations have been telling the world for hundreds of years that there would be a time when their wisdom would be needed. This time would come after many years of people ignoring and/or silencing the wise women and men (shamans, medicine people, gurus, prophets, lamas, grandmothers, grandfathers and all other spiritual people) around the world, who warned that not honoring Mother Earth would lead to dire results. Now, the elders are coming together in venues large and small across all the continents. They are sharing their wisdom; sharing their rituals and sharing their culture. For many indigenous people, this is the fulfillment of prophecy that told how the Native People would save Mother Earth as well as the four-legged, finned, winged and crawling ones.  Once, I w...

By Internet Archive Book Images  [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons After sixty odd years of life, I have come to realize that friendship is a treasure that blesses us in ways we often can't imagine. Friends, especially those who are lifelong , bring affirmation, acceptance, laughter, and much love into our lives. Lifelong friends know us better than most. They have often seen us at our lowest moments as well as our best and still love us. They are those dear hearts, who we can call on in a moment of crisis, knowing that they will do what they can. They are those who, the moment we hear their voices, bring us to a calmer, happier and more hopeful place.  I have been blessed with several such friends. Some are blood related, others are soul related. Time spent with them is rich in laughter, healing, silliness, more laughter and tons of love. There isn't a subject that we can't discuss. There is always good food thrown into the mix, as well as l...

The picture above was taken immediately after my ordination -  June 2013.  I made my stole with bits and pieces of material, lace, and beads sent to me by loved ones. This stole is symbolic of how we all fit together, are connected as well as how our differences when celebrated and connected create something beautiful.  I have often been asked why I became a minister.  Here is my response. “ Here I am  Lord. ”  The first time I heard this hymn based on the story of Isaiah, I felt as if this was my story. I, too, had heard Spirit calling me; I, too, wanted to answer. However, as a young, Catholic girl answering Spirit’s call was confusing. I knew in my heart that I did not want to be a nun; however, to become clergy, I had to be male. Each time I mentioned wanting to become a priest, I was told not to think such things. If becoming a nun was not appealing, then I should simply concentrate on being a good wife and mother. Neverthele...

Night Sky (c) 2018 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas I wonder, have you spent time looking at the night sky and wondering, "Where are we?" "Who are we?" One of the geniuses of our lifetime, Carl Sagan, asked the same question. He wrote, " For as long as there been humans we have searched for our place in the cosmos. Where are we? Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a hum-drum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. " Sagan's words deserve our consideration. We are very tiny as compared to the great cosmos. Each day, scientists make new discoveries and bring new awareness to the fact that we are but a tiny, infinitesimal speck of the vast universe.  In his book, Cosmos , Sagan wrote, " The size and age of the Cosmos are beyond ordinary human understanding...In the last few millennia, we have made the most astonishing and unexp...

Franz Stuck [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons COME TO THE CIRCLE by Linda M. Rhinehart Neas Mother, You rock to a lullaby beat.   Nurturing, loving,   Guardian Angel to those   Whose tiny hands leave prints upon your heart. Come to the Circle. Woman, You stiletto march your route.   Scorned, abused,   Necessary evil to those   Whose eyes see not your soul. Come to the Circle. Daughter, You run headlong into Life.   Laughing, singing,   Radiant hope to those   Whose hands guided you along the path. Come to the Circle. Woman, You climb the corporate ladder.   Aggressive, determined,   Amazon warrior to those   Whose fears scorn the beauty of your mind. Come to the Circle. Grandma, You sit in aging silence.   Feeble, forgotten,   An empty shell to those   Whose lives fa...

Memorial Day - Flag on Tomb of  fallen soldiers from King Phillip's War 1675 Memorial Day in the United States has become associated with picnics, barbecues, and the opening of summer camps. Ask most young people about the holiday and they will not be able to tell you the significance. I have heard answers ranging from "It is something to do with veterans," to "It's the first day of summer, right?"  Wrong! Memorial or Decoration Day, which has its beginnings during Civil War times from 1861 to 1865, is a day to remember those who died in the service of our country. Surprisingly, while Memorial Day has been observed in many states since the mid-1800's, it did not become a legal holiday until 1971. From its start, Memorial Day was a time of reflection, remembrance, and prayer. Graves of the fallen soldiers were decorated with flags and flowers.  Today, parades of veterans march to cemeteries, sometimes accompanied by local school ba...

Photo (c) 2017 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas The stormy winds of time and space can leave us feeling ramshackled and beyond all hope of repair, but, as Pete Seeger said, "There is always hope." The most dilapidated building can be repaired and restored.  Our spirits are even more capable of this kind of transformation, if we allow the Light into the darkened corners. Hope allows Love and Faith to plant seeds of new beginnings within us. As those seeds grow, our once crumbling spirits begin to rise and flourish. We are never beyond Hope! Like spring gardens that appear as wastelands until the rain and sun nourish the plants to blossom and bloom, we, too, can revive with Hope, Love and Faith. May we all feel the warmth of Love, the strength of Faith and the tenacity of Hope as we travel along Life's path.  Blessings to all!

In his book, Put Down Your Sword, Fr. John Dear talks about his friend , Pete Seeger, "For years, one of my friends, the legendary folksinger Pete Seeger, has questioned friends and audiences who feel hopeless.  “In the early 1970s,” he asks, “did you ever expect to see President Nixon resign because of Watergate?”  “No,” people answer.  “Did you ever expect to see the Pentagon leave Vietnam the way it did?”  “No, we didn’t,” everyone answers.    “In the 1980s, did you expect to see the Berlin Wall come down so peacefully?” Pete asks.  “No, never,” they respond.    “In the 1990s, did you expect to see Nelson Mandela released from prison, apartheid abolished, and Mandela become president of South Africa?”  “Never in a million years.”  “Did you ever expect the two warring sides of Northern Ireland to sign a peace agreement on Good Friday?”  “Never.”  “If you can’t predict those things,” Pete conclu...

(c) 2018 Linda M. Neas Over ten years ago, a gentle physician, poet and dreamer shared his vision of the world with me. We responded to each other's poetry, shared our philosophies, and encourage each other to keep going when life seemed to put stumbling blocks in our paths. Today, as I sit thinking of what to write that will inspire others to keep moving forward, keep climbing or diving or going around whatever obstacle appears to be blocking the way, I hear his words echoing in my head, "Love the world into change!" Dr. Maithri  Goonetilleke is a physician in Australia. He works in Swaziland with people and communities ravaged by HIV/AIDS. The organization he founded, Possible Dreams International , brings "emergency medical relief to those living with HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and extreme poverty as well as providing sustainable development solutions such as access to clean water, agriculture, income generation and housing."   Maithri and I have ne...

By Vuvueffino (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons Yesterday was such a lovely day...snow falling, peace-filled moments with my loved ones and joy-filled conversations. But... Once our sacred celebrations are over, w hat happens?   When the stable is empty, the candles are burned down, or the fire is gone cold, what do we do?  Do we simply return to our lives as before?  Or, do we take something from whatever practice we follow to begin anew in the new year?  Do we release the pain and sorrow of the past so that we might travel lightly and with strength into the future, believing that we ARE the change we have been waiting for all this tim e?   The following was written by Rev. Howard Thurman.  I first posted this back in 2012, but I think it bears repeating. The message in this poem is universal and we need to consider it more today than ever before. Work of Christmas Begins  by Rev. Howard Thurman "When the song of the angels i...

(c) 2017 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas Yesterday, as we sat silently in an historic structure of a community that has held Christmas services since before this nation was a country, we lit candles from a flame that had traveled from hand to hand all the way from Bethlehem. As the tiny mote of light touched our candles in the darkened room, the light began to grow, until, by candlelight, we were able to sing from the hymnals, just as those who gathered here over three hundred years ago. From one tiny spark was generated enough light to read the printed word! The metaphor of the flame from Bethlehem was not lost on me.  The Light of Love, symbolized by the candle's flame, also, increases each time we do something kind, something thoughtful, something just. I saw in the faces of those around me how the Light glowed from their hearts through their eyes. I prayed silently that this Light would never grow dim, that it would increase, just as our candlelight increased in the dark...

An epiphany came to me this morning as I awoke. Lying in the warmth of the bed, stretching and slowly becoming aware of a new day, I realized that each day is, in essence, a resurrection - a rising again, which is the exact meaning of the word in Latin. In the evening, as we fall asleep, we leave the conscious world behind. Each morning, we rise again to a new day.  Most of the time, we go through life monotonously, o ne day spilling into the the next. No beginning, no end. What if we were mindfully aware as we awoke each morning that we are beginning a new day?  What if, in rising again,  we realize a fresh opportunity to let go of our past hurts?  What if, in rising to a new day, we grasp the opportunity to begin our lives anew. A life full of gratitude and the intention of sharing the blessings we are given.  Consider how different our lives could be if everyone was fully aware of this wonderful opportunity to begin each day anew! This week, let us ...

I remember the first time someone told me to "Forgive and Forget."  I pondered this for days. Forgiving, I felt I could do, but how could I forget?   His Holiness, the Dalai Lama said, " Forgiveness doesn’t mean forget what happened…If something is serious and it is necessary to take counter-measures, you have to take counter-measures."   When our world is filled with hate, we cannot forget. We must remember, in order to prevent the hate, the horror, from happening again. Each time we forget, hate rises its ugly head once more. However, we can forgive.  Nelson Mandela when asked why he was not resentful for his imprisonment said, " Resentment is like a glass of poison that a man drinks; then he sits down and waits for his enemy to die." When we release resentment, when we forgive, we heal. This healing allows us the energy, the blessings, the grace to move forward in positive ways. We become conduits for positive change because we are no lon...

There are things I was taught that have remained in my life since the day the lesson was learned. Looking back, I realized these were all things my Momma taught me.  Today, the young people would call these "Life Hacks" - tips for making life go more smoothly, more efficiently.  Momma's life hacks had a bit more oomph to them, though. They were based on a deep connection to Faith, Hope, and Love. A connection that was lived daily, not simply taught, then forgotten except for one hour or so a week. Here are the top five life hacks learned at Momma's knee: Be nice - it doesn't cost a penny. Be nice, even when others are not being nice to you. Be nice especially to your elders, who may be grumpy or cranky, but you have not lived as long as they have. You do not know the pain and sorrow they carry. Be nice, it can change someone's life. Always share what you have with others. You are never too poor or too rich to share when others are in need. Bu...

On this day, thirty plus years ago, I became a mother for the second time.  Waking in the early hours this morning, I wondered how best to celebrate my daughter, who is many states away, enjoying family and friends on this auspicious day. Spirit has a way of nudging me when I ponder like this. "Give thanks!" she whispers in my soul, "Give thanks!" Of course!  So, for all my girls, I give thanks. THE BLESSING OF DAUGHTERS Blessed Parent of us all, I lift up my heart and soul to you in eternal gratitude  for the blessing  of daughters! I am rich beyond measure,  because I share in each of their lives. I treasure each smile, each tear, each bump and bruise, each triumph, each broken heart, each joyous event, each question and each bit of wisdom. Thank you for our times together - and our times apart - for those times especially, help us see how precious "together" is. Thank you for our differences, for these differences make us...

Photo Credit: (c) 2017 L. M. Rhinehart Neas Whatever kindnesses we do for others, we do for the Divine, which is what we read th roughout the sacred scriptures of almost all faith paths. As children growing up with a vivid imaginations, we may find it easy to see the Divine in others. However, as we grow older, more occupied with the trails and tribulations of life, this ability wanes.  How can we meet others in a continual spirit of Love and Compassion? How can we keep our inner eyes open to seeing the Divine in all, even those who are difficult to care about in this world, now?  First, as always, we must see the Divine within ourselves. Each of us is born with this Sacred Spark within us. This is what helps us to feel the pain of others when they suffer, and the beauty around us when we are in nature. This is what brings us joy.  If we feed our spirits, the spark can become a beautiful, loving Light. If we continually harden your hearts, ignoring the pain and...