Meditation Moment in Pentecost ~ Differently Me '23

I can't go back to yesterday, 

because 

I was a different person then.

~ Lewis Carroll*

    Was I a better or a worse person yesterday? What I know for sure is that today I have new experiences to reflect upon and a fresh perspective about now. Today might be a "normal" day filled with the routine and the ordinary but then one never knows what the world's news will be, what wonderful surprises will occur, or what difficulties great and small will arise. 

    So, Dear God of All Possibilities, grant me the energy, curiosity, and persistence to explore all that this day offers. Let me accept all the busy-ness, relationships, moments of boredom, the stresses, the quiet, the noise, the laughter, the tears that this day may bring. I want to be aware of all the colors, the art, the music, and the characters that usually fade into the background in an everyday day. If it becomes an extraordinary day, I hope to have the reflexes to go with whatever comes. As I lay my head down on the pillow at the end of it, help me sift through the moments where I found You most present. And, might there be a refreshing and peaceful sleep to follow? I'll need all that will empower and motivate the different person I will be tomorrow. amen.
          

*Lewis Carroll [1832-1998] was the pen name of British born author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, best known for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and a host of other children's stories and poems. A mathematics lecturer, he was also an avid photographer, wrote political pamphlets, and essays.

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Meditation Moment in Pentecost: Prayer and Pray-er '23

The function of prayer is not to influence God, 

but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.

~ Søren Kierkegaard*

Dear God, Almighty, Everlasting, and Eternal ~
    Of course I want to influence You. Of course I want You to do what I want You to do. Of course I'm not happy when things don't go my way. Sometimes I get angry. I'm human. SO, if I walk away in anger and blame, am I just acting as a spoiled child who is never satisfied? 
   But eventually I stop and I remember ~ I have Free Will. I have choices. I can choose to use prayer to demand, require, and exert an ultimatum for a requested outcome and be frustrated and angry when it doesn't come to pass. Or I can exclaim "Thank God!" when something good happens for me as a cursory nod for the expected or when something bad happens to someone else and murmur that they didn't have Your grace that day. Are You really the God of the Eternal Chessboard, moving people and the world around on Your demand and overarching Will? 
   I prefer to pray through conversation with You to express my wants, needs, and desires, as well as my hopes and fears. When I pray without expecting You to fix or give something in return, I feel less agitated, perhaps no less in need or want, but more comforted from merely knowing You are present, listening, aware. The nature of my prayer becomes a visit with a trusted and cherished Friend who embraces my heart, soothes my soul, and is simply present and available whatever the outcome. And within the visit, through the prayer, I am transformed. I am calmer, I am more composed, and I am ready to work through all that life brings. I, the Pray-er, am changed. amen.  

*Søren Kierkegaard [1813-1855] was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic, and wrote extensively on Christian Ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of Religion.  He often focused on personal choice and commitment, and, the art of Christian love.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment in Pentecost: Whether on the 8s

If the world were merely seductive, 

that would be easy. 

If it were merely challenging, 

that would be no problem. 

But I arise in the morning torn between 

a desire to improve the world

 and 

a desire to enjoy the world. 

This makes it hard to plan the day.

~ E.B. White*

SO for today shall I:
Volunteer at the Shelter - or - beach day?
Art exhibit - or - go meet with legislators?
Join the Peace Corps - or - buy theater subscription?

       Well, things aren't quite that cut and dried, are they?  Surely, Creator of Humans and Nature, there is room for all things under the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. And I do recognize how fortunate I am in even having such choices in my life. The difficulty is I really do want to make the world a better place but, to be honest, I'm not a willing candidate for martyrdom ~ I sort of feel guilty admitting that. I do participate with time, energy, and a bit of money in causes that are important to me and the world, and I do find time to enjoy the fruits of Your Creation ~ family, friends, and even solitude. 
     Guide me as I search for the insight to do as I am able where I am needed most, and, the ability to discover the balance between giving of myself and giving to myself. I'll work on beginning and ending each day in prayer ~ oh and a bit in the middle as well ~ and then, maybe, the timing of when to do what will be revealed, without looking to the Magic 8 Ball for answers about whether to do one thing or another.  amen.

*E.B. White, was an American writer for the New Yorker magazine and co-author of The Elements of Style, also known as Strunk and White. He is most famous for a series of children's books and in particular, Charlotte's Web. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com