Category Archives: Daily Insights

Perspective

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Today the conversation at Lunch Bunch somehow turned to gardens.  In particular, one person was relaying how hard this winter was on her beloved gardenia bush.  It died and she was going to have to get her son to come take it out for her — it grew far larger than she could manage by herself.  It brought to mind the three dead shrubs right out front of my friend’s condo (where my puppy Rufus and I temporarily are residing in the guest room).  Several times I have wondered when the condo landscape company will come replace the eye-sore of the dead bushes.  Last week I was so tired of looking at these dead bushes that I asked my friend when they might be replaced.  No telling was the answer, and I rolled my eyes thinking that if I had any jurisdiction over those bushes, I’d NEVER allow them to be dead out there for who knows how long.  I was convinced the landscape company must have no idea what they’re doing!

Tonight we were sitting out on the front porch right behind the dead shrubs reading before the sun went down.  It’s a great treat to just relax with inspiring words at the end of a long day.  (Check my GoodReads to see what ones I most enjoy!)  Rufus was on my lap but he wasn’t having any of it.  He was doing nothing but squirming.  I know he only just turned one year old last week, but why can’t he ever just sit quietly on my lap when I want to unwind???  I’d finally had enough and put him down on the ground.  As soon as his little paws hit the ground, he was digging his nose into the dead leaves under the dead bush.  Great.  Another good reason for the thing to be ripped out.  Though I tried to get Ru to leave it, he burrowed his little snout deeper into that dead bush.  And the next thing I know two baby bunnies popped up from no where!  Suddenly it all made sense why a rabbit was sitting on the porch before we went out there to read.  Her babies were being bedded down for the night under the bush I thought was absolutely good for nothing.

Her act left me thinking.  What I see as an eye-sore, that momma rabbit saw as home.  What I wanted upgraded for a new thing, that momma and her babies knew as the perfect spot for their greyish-brown coats safely to blend right in.  It makes me pause to consider what else I might be missing in this world — what else I might overlook because I want it to be one thing, but beautifully it is exactly what another needs.  Hmm.  I can spend some time pondering that.  It’s a good reminder on perspective — a good reminder to look again just in case a wonderful surprise is hiding from plain view.

What about you?  What wonderful surprise might you be overlooking?

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Sabbath Rest

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Today I have practiced Sabbath: my time to stop, to cease, to allow the voice of God to define me — not any others. I keep Sabbath according to creation from sundown to sundown every seventh day, but more on that in another post.

This Sabbath included an early morning at the Nashville National Cemetery. I’m not the most patriotic type and would prefer we didn’t expend dollars and lives on the things of war, but I promised I’d join with our church choir for this community performance. And I do love to sing.

I learned today that inspiration can sneak up on you when you least expect it. I never would have imagined how easily tears would come to my eyes and how my arms would get all goose-bumped during such a ceremony. It started halfway through our first song (“God Bless America” — though I pray God blesses all other lands as well; but I really did feel a sense today that this is the land that I love). Later when we sang a tribute to each branch of the armed forces, those who have served came forward to stand right next to us. I was the soprano at the end of the line so an Army veteran came to stand next to me. His left elbow brushed up against my right elbow while we sang. After the song, it took a while for me to collect myself enough to turn to him to extend a hand of gratitude. All I could muster as I looked him in the eye was the simple phrase: “Thank you.” I guess it was something about their willingness to sacrifice for the benefit of others — or maybe be drafted, but go anyway. My maternal grandfather served, though he never saw a frontline. I learned today that while I may not always like the decisions of our country’s leaders, I am inspired by the courage and generosity of our country’s men and women.

Sabbath proved to be a time of creativity, rest, and unexpected inspiration! Thank you to all who willingly serve.

Beginning

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23 May 2014

Several years ago, I completed one of those late-night, self-help quizzes that asked what was the one thing I had to have in my life each day.  At first I thought of my family and friends, my beloved toy poodle, and even world peace.  But the more I thought, the more I realized that something in me craves inspiration.  Daily.  My soul needs to be inspired each day as much as our bodies need daily bread.  Whether it be a wonderful story, beautiful music, or rousing words; each day I need to be inspired!

For a long time I’ve been looking outside of myself for such inspiration.  Everything from the quiet of the morning from my back patio to quotes from famous speeches to soothing words of the Psalms of the Bible.  Daily inspiration has come to me from all sorts of sources.  And today, I’ve decided it’s finally time I listen to the inspiration arising inside of me:  the phrases that sustain, the images that come, the feelings that ground me in a knowing that cannot be challenged.  Today I begin the process of mining inspiration that comes through the living of my own days that it might be sustenance for the living of ALL of our days.  I hope that the insights shared here may bring us all the hope, love, and joy we each need to live inspired every day.

Join me in this feast of bread on our journeys!

And while we’re at it:  how about you?  What inspiring words or images from your journey do you have to share today?