Love

For me, in my life, love changes everything. The love I am speaking of is both a feeling and the actions due to that feeling, directed at everything and everybody. The feeling is an overwhelming mixture of gratitude, compassion, connection and joy. That love also includes the more negative emotions like jealousy and other forms of self-centered fear that seem to be part of the human condition. However, for me, those negative feelings are mere shadows in the presence of the positive ones. That feeling impacts my health, the way I treat my body, the way I treat everything and everybody else, the way I drive my car, etc.

Being At Peace

I feel at peace right now in spite of the chaos and anxiety all around me in this time of leading up to the presidential election. The peace results from knowing that regardless of the outcome of the election, the earth and its inhabitants will be fine - in the eternal sense. We may go through an unpleasant period but ultimately life will be good. I feel confident in saying that because of my meditation on the subject as well as the fact that I have been through many hard times leading to a good life, in the present..

Blessing

Tonight Maria and I attended a Friend’s meeting. There were only five of us at the meeting. The meeting consisted of one hour of quiet meditation, allowing the presence of spirit, with one of us speaking very briefly. I used the time to invoke the spirit and bless everyone there including the unseen spirits in the church. Everyone felt the blessing and the strength of the presence of "The light", each in his or her own way. It was a very moving time for all of us.

Discerning

In my book, Three Simple Questions: Being in the World, But Not of It, I present three questions to consider when planning any sort of activity. The questions are: would I do this in front of God, or whatever you call that power/force?; is my name really on it or is it really my responsibility?; will this increase the integrity of the universe, or is this loving? I also present several meditative and contemplative practices to help a person answer those questions. The practices I suggest are ones that I use, and they do indeed provide a great deal of guidance. There is also a level of uncertainty in what I suggest since there is no dogma or hard and fast rules. I keep in mind what Shepherd Hoodwin says that "Love has a quality you can learn to discern. It 'feels right'. It is truthful and inclusive. There is no objective measurement to confirm that you are experiencing love. You can only trust your intuition and do your best. If you do, your capacity to discern love will grow. We are all learning this skill."

Meditation and Contemplation

I did take it easy today, cooking, writing, some exercise and a lot of meditation and contemplation. It felt very good and I feel good as a result. I did send out another "query" letter, trying to convince a literary agent to represent me. Overall, my life process feels right to me - but I have no idea where it will lead. The best I can do is to stay present and aware through meditation and contemplation.

Limitations

I have been pushing myself to be more physically active, functional and less disabled, rather than giving in to my disability. The results have been positive overall and I am feeling more comfortable with being more active. However, today I over did it. I went shopping at an unfamiliar very large grocery that is on a corner between six and eight lane roads. I am not yet used to the crowds or driving here. I also did several hours of raking, weeding and general yard work. I will take it easy tomorrow. Being disabled it is important for me to be as active as possible, while also staying within my limitations.

The Love Seed

I attended the Sandy Spring Friend’s (Quaker) meeting this morning, a meeting that I find to be a tremendous source of strength. Various members mentioned the chaotic, negative and destructive actions that are going on in the world today saying that each of us can be a source of peace, love and healing in the face of the problems. They were speaking about what I refer to as the love or God seed in each of us and the fact that if we act out of that seed it will grow and spread. The result could be magical and magnificent. Like I said, I am a dreamer but as John Lennon said "I’m not the only one".