Peacewhisper Notes
For Contemplation
May 2022 Notes
- May 19, 2022"The desert is. . . the logical dwelling place for the one who seeks to be nothing but oneself - that is to say, a creature solitary and poor and dependent upon no one but God." -Thomas Merton
2021 Notes
- January 11, 2021We have moved from a most challenging year into a new on. "Always we begin again, " St. Benedict tells us. May our spirits be strong, fueled by new hope, may our hearts be gentle and filled with compassion for others, and may our souls find comfort and peace in the arms of our God.
- January 18, 2021We are entering a new chapter of history; we begin a new story. As the characters in this story, we can rewrite our participation in its unfolding. So, I contemplate what role I might play, what gifts I have to offer, who and what God is calling me to be and do. I will begin as Samuel did in yesterday's reading with the words, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:3b-10).
- February 4, 2021I have a rock with the words "Everything Matters" etched into it. It is a daily reminder to keep watch on my thoughts and words. You have probably heard this equation: Thoughts become words. Words become actions. Actions become habits. Habits become character. Character becomes our destiny.
- March 4, 2021"We usually talk about God as the all-powerful, almighty God on whom we depend completely. But God wanted to become the all-powerless, all-vulnerable God who completely depends on us." - Henri Nouwen
Something to think about this Lent. - April 4, 2021Easter has arrived. May this holy season raise our awareness of everyday miracles, graced moments, and God's love within and around us. May we reconnect to the sacredness of life.HAPPY EASTER!
2020 Notes
- October 1, 2020Many voices clamor for our attention every day. I see in myself and others how spending too much time immersed in the news and negative happenings in the world alter our focus. We can choose what we listen to, who we listen to.
"The voices we spend the most time listening to in the world and inside our own minds, shape the way we see, how we feel, and what we do. When I spend time listening to people who are speaking from their deepest wisdom, I can feel understanding, inspiration, and energy nourish the root of my own wisdom." - Richard Rohr - October 4, 2020Spending more time in prayer during these Covid months has deepened my concern for the suffering, the rejected, the poor and homeless. I read this prayer by Thomas Merton often and weep for the injustice and callousness that exist in our world.
"The shadows fall. The stars appear. The birds begin to sleep. Night embraces the silent half of the earth. A vagrant, a destitute wanderer with dusty feet, finds his way down a new road. A homeless God, lost in the night, without papers, without identification, without even a number, a frail expendable exile lies down in desolation under the sweet stars of the world and entrusts Himself to sleep." - Thomas Merton - October 14, 2020After 14 years, Peacewhisper's plastic bay window in the Dome finally succumbed to the sun's rays. It was not so easily replaced, but as of today, the Dome is once again watertight.
- November 1, 2020 ~ All Saints Day"Be with those who help your being." ~ Rumi
May we learn from all those "saintly" people who surround us, who bring out the goodness in us. - November 19, 2020Through the practice of Centering Prayer, one comes to feel more deeply the pain of others. As I mourn the recent death of my brother, I can't help but mourn the suffering of all those who have lost loved ones. May God hold them close.
- November 26, 2020 ~ Happy ThanksgivingWe are so grateful for all of you and for your continued support and prayers on this Thansgiving day. ~Barb and Rick
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- November 30, 2020Gratitude opens our hearts and blesses our tears, helps us see clearly and lessens our fears. Gratitude makes connections with God and with others, compels us to know we are all sisters and brothers.During Advent, you might wait, see, and connect with the beauty and goodness around and in you. Awe and gratitutde will naturally surface.
- December 17, 2020Beauty soothes the soul and inspires the spirit. We need to find beauty, especially now amidst the struggles and suffering of this pandemic. A smile, a candle, a flower, a connection, a sunrise can bring beauty into our lives.
Seek the beautiful. - December 24, 2020What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of many. That is what love looks like.
May we strive to "be love" this Christmas season. May we reach out to and lift up the lonely, the hungry, the homeless, and the hopeless.
