Speaking of Spirit

At the beginning of this year, I found my Word of the Year.  The word was, "visit."  I never, at the time, realized how I would need to rethink the meaning of this word. At first thought, back in January, I was prepared to "practice" visiting via traveling to see those I had not seen in a long time. Today, in the face of the COVID-19 virus, this isn't happening.  Rethinking "visiting," I have come to see that to visit is more than being a presence in a room with others. When I have visited this past week, it has been over the phone, through the internet, by means of old-fashioned letters, and texts. In addition, I have visited with those who have become fearful and anxious on social media. We have shared our fears, our joys, and our most recent realizations.  Love, as I have always known, is the great healer. Sharing Love, doing Loving acts, speaking Loving words, all have the power to push fear away and allow for healing to grow.   

This past week has been the most difficult many of us have ever experienced. We are worried and fearful because of the constant threat of the COVID virus. Yet, in the face of fear and uncertainty, there have been many acts of selflessness and compassion. As the writer of Matthew says above, can worrying give you anything more in life?  Worry does nothing more than sap us of energy - energy that could be used to help ourselves and others.  Being worry-free does not mean we do not care or that we are unaware. Rather, being worry-free is the realization that something needs our attention, that we might be uncertain of what to do, but whether alone or together, we will face the challenges ahead. A Prayer for Our Time Masterful Physician of Life,  we come to You in this time, when fear lingers, like hungry animals on the outskirts of the forest. We come to You in this time, when uncertainty blows, like an icy wind that paralyzes everything it touche...

 Bray Beach, Ireland (c) 2014 LMN “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”  ~ Charles Dickens ~ When Dickens penned these words over 150 years ago, he was writing of the world he knew. However, today, this iconic text speaks volumes about the state of things today.   In the past few days, many of us have seen or heard of the best and worst of humans, governments, and leaders. We have seen people fighting over rolls of toilet paper at one moment, only to turn and see young people delivering food to shut-ins and the elderly.  The Light and Dark of these days has been quite visible to all.  There is much Wisdom to be found, but also much foolishness.  Humankind has heard the Truth as well as the ...

Beginning tomorrow Christians around the world will observe 40 days of reflections, sacrifice and prayer. This is the holy season of Lent - the time prior to the Feast of Easter.  Traditionally, followers would give something up for Lent - candy, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Over the years, what I have found is that "giving something up" isn't always what one would hope it would be. In addition, when people fail at their attempt to give up, they feel bad about themselves, which truly defeats the purpose of nurturing our spirits. Long ago, I began a tradition of "giving" during Lent.  Rather than looking at the cup half empty and giving up candy or something, I decided to be positive, to give to others - random acts of kindness. For example,  instead of buying that candy bar, one could put the money into a friend's pocket when he/she wasn't looking.  When my girls were young, we took the money spent on pizza and gave flowers anonymously to people in...

"My mother always taught us that if people don't agree with you,  the important thing is to listen to them.  But if you've listened to them carefully  and you still think that you're right,  then you must have the courage of your convictions."   ~ Jane Goodall ~ Much like Jane Goodall, my mother taught me that I should always listen, but if something didn't feel right, then I needed to be brave enough to do what I felt in my heart was right.  Indeed, I sometimes have run into brick walls because of my convictions, but almost always, I have found a way over, around, under or through. Tenacity is a great tool to have in your spiritual toolbox! Most recently, as we watched the events playing out in Washington, I have found that the courage of our convictions is being tested.  If we identify as Christians, we are being called to follow the ways of Jesus.  Likewise, if we are Buddhist, the ways of Buddha; Jewish, the ways ...

This past week, I watched the documentary by Wim Wenders on Pope Francis - A Man of His Word. Unlike some documentaries that I have seen, Wenders allows his camera to tell the story and for his subjects to speak to the camera, close and personal. In this instance, the result was inspiring, affirming and enlightening. Seeing art as a ministry, as an ability to serve others - to enlighten, heal, inspire, affirm, encourage and support - is in itself an eye-opener. Too often in our modern world, there are those who see artists as people who don't have "real" jobs. How different things would be if we began to understand that art, in all its forms, is a calling - a ministry - that must be shared, even when it means that it goes unrecognized or appreciated.   I think of Vincent Van Gogh. A genius in his own right, yet totally unappreciated, with the exception of his brother, Theo, until after his death.  Now, he is considered one of the great masters of Impressionism. How ...

The Altar for St. Ann  - St. Audoen's Church, Dublin, Ireland - (c) 2014 LMN This past year, I suddenly realized that there wasn't a month that goes by that I don't remember someone in my family who has died.  Some months there are multiple anniversaries to remember. For example, my baby brother, Matt died 9 years and 364 days after my mother. This month, I observed 10 years without Momma being physically present and one year without Matt.  Needless to say, my heart is heavy. Carrying grief is a balancing act. Some of us are able to walk the line without a wobble, others can hardly move, and still others fall into the pits of despair without knowledge of a safety net to catch them. Thing is, any of us can be at any point on this tightrope at any time. When I began this blog post, I was betwixt and between as to whether to post it here or in my writer's blog, Words from the Heart . The purpose of both is to help bring healing, nurturing, and compassion...