Randomness

This is what is circulating in my mind today:

• Tropical Storm Alex is in the Gulf of Mexico. Projections of its path vary hourly, but fears that it will come near Corpus Christi are pervading our atmosphere. When I went to the supermarket today (HEB), there were long lines and scurrying people with carts laden with cases of water and other supplies. I felt like I should buy water and batteries, although we have enough for awhile. I did succumb to buying bug spray!

• Since I am so intrigued by Karen Armstrong's book The Case for God, I was disappointed in the article in "The Christian Century" that soundly criticized her writings as sparse and biased. The article by Amy Frykholm is here.

• On the RevGalBlogPals site, I was directed to A Thing With Feathers blog. She displayed a beautiful picture with a saying from Storypeople.
  

image by Kieran Rynhart

"This is a tree on fire with love, but it's still scary since most people think love only looks like one thing instead of the whole world." -storypeople

• In 2006, Marj Barlow taught a Sunday School class on discerning and developing one's strengths. Today a friend asked me if I remembered mine, and I could not. I saved them somewhere on my computer. All I do recall is that she taught us from a book: How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, which contained the code for taking the online test Strengthsfinder 2.0. I will write more about this when I uncover the info.

• I have attended too many meetings lately, with two more tomorrow, so that I am realizing again that I am not a meeting person. Perhaps this is due to my introverted nature and it's just too much in too short a time period.

Ho'opono Cleansing Prayer and BP oil spill

The more I read about and look at pictures of the effects of the BP Oil Spill Disaster, the more I feel like weeping. Hubris and greed of mankind are dramatically showing results these days. This is no doubt helped by me living on the Gulf of Mexico, though no obvious effects have reached south TX yet. They're coming. . . .

There are multiple sites to look at, but these two have offended me this morning, so much so that I've already posted them on Facebook, which is an easy "click" maneuver.

Miles-Long Oil Plume Approaching Underwater Canyon NEW ORLEANS (AP) Researchers say a newly discovered plume of thick oil in the Gulf of Mexico is nearing an underwater canyon, where it could poison the food chain for sea life in the waters off Florida.

That idiot Glenn Beck (who went to my high school in Bellingham, WA!!) is "orating" about the oil spill, saying it is no more than a "house fire"! Go here to read Steve Young's post on "The Huffington Post."

Feeling impotent in this situation, I am reminded of Marj Barlow telling us about her practice of cleansing news she reads or hears with the Ho'opono (Hawaiian) Way to Put Things Back into Balance. Marj said that when we know about a problem, it is our responsibility to "clear" it. So when Marj watches the news or reads the newspaper, she spends time cleaning whatever sad/bad thing she hears, sees, or reads:

1. I am so sorry.
   
2. I ask for forgiveness. (I ask forgiveness for myself, my family, my ancestors for contributing to this situation.)
3. Please forgive me.
   
4. I love; I want to love.

Marj said that the solution is to forgive and love. (So on my list to forgive are BP and Glen Beck. . . And maybe I could try to "cleanse" them??)

It is easier and quicker for me to rely on this prayer: Bless___________, change me. Still, the practice of Ho'opono melds into meditation and prayer.

We need much cleansing in ourselves and in our world!

Waking Up to Life!

I went to a 1 1/2 day workshop at a friend's house, with Marj Barlow facilitating and teaching. She is a counselor and someone who used to live in Corpus Christi and attend All Saints Episcopal Church. I fondly recall her teaching Sunday School classes about finding our strengths and building upon them, based upon Now, Discover Your Strengths, which has a test in it to determine them. I remember I sent a book to each of my children for this purpose!

The workshop was essentially about becoming more aware of oneself, especially as a woman. Marj recommended various books related to self-help (growth). She echoes writers such as Cynthia Bourgeault, Richard Rohr, Ken Wilber, and Beatrice Bruteau in saying that faithful meditation is the way to become more aware and grow our consciousness, especially so that the human race will grow beyond its current point.

Marj compared the seven chakras to goddesses, indicating that each is within us. I believe much of this is in Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives by Jean Shinoda Bolen, which I have not read. It sounds interesting.

She loves the books by Gay Hendricks, who advocates conscious living and loving. Marj emphasized The Big Leap and A Year of Living Consciously (a collection of Hendricks' quotes), though I have not read these either or any other books by Gay Hendricks. Marj recommends other books, with their main points listed, on her blog.

From these sources and from her own experience, Marj said her Formula for Success is:

1. Self-image: my mental view of myself
2. System of support: my environment and relationships
3. Expectations: broaden them!
4. Time: how we manage our time and energy. We create time NOW.
5. Emotions: what I experience now is my choice

Another way of expressing this was her cute way of saying UP Your Life!

• Show up
• Listen up
• Open up
• Grow up
• Lighten up
• Wise up
• Link up
• Offer up

It was a time well spent, with other women supporting each other.

You can learn more about what Marj Barlow believes and teaches by going here and clicking on the various links.