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43
Random Thoughts on my 43 Birthday
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A Moment in Time
There are times in our lives when we are fully present to a moment. Birth of a child, a loss of a loved one, falling in love, traveling, experiencing different cultures, or being taken over by the beauty of nature. During these times, our senses, minds, and souls are open to an enlightened grace and higher consciousness…we are open to a deeper reality and profound beauty. That said, there are other times when we come to see the same unseen truths only through the reflection of our past. As we begin to think back to specific moments throughout our lives, all of the hidden grace, beauty, and truth, become visible…
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A Hidden Truth
There is a calming truth hidden with the tide.Repetitive,Releasing,Relentless,For those who pay attention. The surge rushes ashore.Carries,Crashes,Crushes,The burden of a mind. The ebb returns in peace.Slowly,Steadily,Silently,Purifying the content of a soul. The continuous pattern cleanses.Filtering,Freeing,Forming,A heart filled with gratitude. There is a calming truth hidden with the tide.Vitality,Vulnerability,View,Of a life not my own.
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A Fire of Hope
The light slowly and quietly breaks the dark condition of the horizon. The first glimpse of the sun gives energy to all those who see it, feel it. The canvas of colors instantly invites us into a renewal that we all know so well. For it is offered to us daily. A renewal of life. A revival of our hearts. A restoration of our souls. Peace. That being said, beyond the peace that we feel, there is a burning desire that smolders from within. A desire for starting anew. A desire to escape the past. A desire to take a step forward. A desire to breathe and be fully alive…
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A Stomping Joy
Watching my middle school-year-old boy wrestle with his desire for independence while at the same time finding comfort in boundaries is entertaining, to say the least. The meltdown over cleaning up a granola bar wrapper combined with the contentment of knowing what is expected of him is a fascinating thing to watch. I mean really, is it that upsetting to you that you are expected to throw the empty box of Pop-Tarts into the recycling bin instead of putting it back in the pantry? Which by the way, is right below you? Being his father, I have found the answer to those questions to be a resounding “YES!” Of course,…
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A Beautiful Closure
There was a moment. Dawn. The birth of a new day. It was the 8th day of our visit back to Switzerland and the first rays of sunlight illuminated the mountain peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, or the “big three” as we like to call them. I arose early and walked outside at 6:15 AM to catch a glimpse of the sights and sounds that I missed both in my dreams and in my conscious thoughts since we moved back to the States. As I began to walk the narrow paths and streets of Mürren, Switzerland I rediscovered that deep sense of awe that had struck me so many…
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Mystery and Mirrors
The winds were overwhelming but calming. The periods of rain were drenching but refreshing. The brisk air cut threw your skin but awakened the very breath of life. Standing in its midst was somehow a confrontation with truth. The Highlands of Scotland, with all of its history and mysticism, with its struggle for freedom and bloodshed, was one of the most peaceful places I have been. Isolated by its barren lands yet consumed by its beauty, it was a paradox that touched me deeply. How could such bareness and lack of color produce such overwhelming beauty? How can a place engrossed with emptiness be overflowing with an undeniable…
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Happy New Year…Cheers to Cranberry Juice and Coffee
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. There is something natural about the desire to start anew. To start fresh. To begin something with a clean slate. A new calendar year gives us an invitation to do so. Maybe we have been resisting a change, maybe we want to try something new, or maybe the new year gives us the courage to finally get serious about something that we have ignored in the past. There is a lot of grace in any and all of those things and I hope that each and every one of you have the courage to make this new year what you…
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Change
We can learn much from a tree. Colorful. Spectacular. Beautiful. Standing, being who they are meant to be. That said, in a few weeks they will experience loss. Bare. Exposed. Vulnerable. Enduring change after change after change. Nevertheless, there they remain. Bold. Present. Living. Standing, being who they are meant to be. “In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” -St. John Henry Newman
