Be The Better Person
#COVID19 Social (Physical) Distancing Log Day 03252020:
Mood: Yikes!
I'm actually a very spiritual person. Working in the community I've always kept my religious belief to myself, so I can be viewed as spiritually unbiased. I was raised Roman Catholic and I truly did appreciate a lot of the lessons I learned and I still practice Lent every year. However, Catholic hypocrisy is no bueno.
Easter is the super bowl for many Christians because that's when the Zombie Jesus comes back to life and Christianity is born. We also have to remember that it's also spring and the celebration of new life and harvest. Pagans also celebrated the equinox when the light and dark were equal and eventually days would get longer and darkness would be shorter. Just an FYI Jesus was Jewish, so the last supper Jesus and his disciples were celebrating was Passover. Everything is interconnected, however we all want to believe that we are individuals that have no impact on each other. Obviously, it's not true because our state and local governments are telling us we can save each other if we stay-at-home for another two weeks. Two. More. Weeks. For now.
I do pray. I pray a lot. I pray for the safety and wellbeing of my friends and family. I pray for the earth to heal. I pray that we all will be okay after this pandemic finally comes to it's end. I pray that God gives me the strength and clarity to be the best person I can be every day. I pray for all who are broken to heal. I pray for those who have been lied to or betrayed for them to find justice and peace. I pray for my ancestors.
I think this is a good prayer for today.
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Prayer: Lord, when I open my eyes each day, help me to feel your presence. Help me to keep in step with your Holy Spirit and be counseled by your word. My heart aches and I am worn out from crying. Please help me rise out of my hurt and sorrow.
My faith and my religion is connected to my work and how I am in the world. I believe if Jesus was alive he'd be a social justice warrior. When the work I do becomes difficult and tiring and I want to give up I always go back to Micha 6:8, "And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?"
Sometimes, when my life feels heavy I trust the process and give up my burdens to the Universe. We cannot control what's going on around us. We cannot control other people. We can only control ourselves and our behavior.
Updated: Dec 4, 2020
Pushing Through Obstacles and Achieving Your Goals
#COVAD19 Social (Physical) Distancing Log Day 03242020
Mood: Playful
I used to be engaged to a minister, we had been together for seven years before we Consciously Uncoupled. The words I think we used was, "we were no longer called to be together." In some weird way it was a very appropriate way to separate from a minister. Kayla, my ex, and I moved to Rochester ten years ago. Right after my dad had passed away. We went to the Philippines together to see him before he died. But, before we left for the Philippines and for adventures unknown we went to her church that she was a 'minister-in-training,' Skyline Community Church in Oakland, CA. We went to the Sunday service before we were traveling out of the country. During the service they had a Unison Prayer at the time we were going through some life transitions and globally we were experiencing a recession. I felt that the Unison Prayer would be appropriate for what is going on in the world, now.
It goes something like this:
God is our refuge and strength,
A loving presence in time of trouble.
Though waters roar and mountains tremble,
We need not fear though the earth may change.
Who among you will respond?
We are here -- I am here -- to embody God's love in this world.
O Blessed One, You know all hearts.
You are ever with us; may love guide our lives.
In the name of all those who have come before us seeking truth and love,
Let us add our names, Amen.
We are the Light and the Blessings of the world here to do good work and deeds from our hearts.
I hope you are surrounded by people who love, care, and support you. If you are not able to be together physically I hope you are keeping each other in your hearts. Please do not make life decisions from a place of fear. It never ever turns out well. Stay safe. Stay home. Wash yo hands!
Godspeed
Updated: Nov 28, 2020
Coming Correct
#COVID19 Social (Physical) Distancing Log Day 03232020:
Mood: Reflective
I had to leave the house and go to Target to pick up some jalapenos, especially if we have to be quarantined for another week or two I need to ensure that I'm utilizing the 100 rolls of TP I have stashed (not really -- I'm making jokes). They surprisingly had eggs at Target, so now I can make that frittata with jalapenos. Folks are missing seeing other people they work with. The same people we usually complain to our friends and family about. The ones who are always asking idiotic questions and eating your food out of the work refrigerator you feel compelled to send them emails asking them how they are doing. Ha. Isn't that an interesting turn of events.
I was missing my friend Kimi in California. We usually just talk on the phone, she's one of the few people who hates to go back and forth on messenger. I decided to video chat with her, and she told me she has never done it before. I popped her messenger video cherry. She was sweetly tickled by the filter feature. It's like video chatting with your grandparents. I truly did miss seeing her face. We've known each other since I was 25 and if we do the math right that means she's known me for 20 years. It is totally possible for me to have a long-term relationship with a woman. Sure, it happens to be a friendship, but still we have been through a lot together. And, that truly means something. She could probably tell you a lot of great adventures that we had together and she probably could also tell you how much I've changed since I was 25.
No, things are not going to be the same once the self-quarantine is lifted and we flatten the curve. The jobs we had before will start to look different. We're not going to go back to normal and we shouldn't. Because, the normal that we lived before got us into the situation that we are in today. We can't go back, we can only move forward and hope for the best. Learn from our mistakes and be better off for it. I posted something on my Instagram story that said, "After all of this is over, all that will really matter is how we treated each other."
For some reason I was thinking about this one Tom Hanks movie, "The Man with the Red Shoe." Tom has the COVID-19 and his wife, too. Not in the movie, but in real life. That movie is typical 80s comedy that uses mistaken identities and multiple plot lines. A practical joke played by the friend who's wife the protagonist is having an affair with is the start of a slap-stick string of hilarity and ridiculousness. I think the point of the movie is that no one wins from deception and the one's who aren't playing the game end up winning. Reminds me of another movie I enjoyed, "Knives Out." If you haven't seen either, you should watch both. We seem to have lots of time on our hands to watch lots of movies.
"In the end, how we treat each other is what matters the most."
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