A Meditation With Alan Felts

My friend Alan Felts and a friend of his took a hike on an old road in McDowell County, West Virginia where they live and Alan posted the following comments and these phtos---and much more---on his  Facebook page. Alan is a deeply spiritual man and a great photographer, and Belcher Mountain is home to him. That mountain feels to me like a place that encourages spirituality and reverence for creation. When I have been there, and when I see photos from there, I think of Ola Belle Reed's song "High On A Mountain." I know that some of you get tired of hearing me refer to this song, but this is an important anchor in my spiritual life.

I am posting this with Alan's permission and with the thought that his words and the photos will make an excellent Lenten meditation for some of us. How many roads have we traveled with others and how many of these have been lost? What do our memories weigh in our lives? Do you feel a resposibility to carry on and tell the stories of those roads and those people? How does this connect to your religion and your spirituality? Where is your "thin space" and are you taking good care of it?

Me and my boy Fritz decided to take a hike along the original road bed that you used to take up Belcher Mountain. If I remember correctly, my grandfather always told me this road was built by hand by convicts. It was humbling to think the last time I was on this road was with my grandfather many years ago. I imagined he and his twin brother walking this road when they were kids. It's hard to imagine that a road once heavily traveled has been lost to the ages, except for the few of us that know it's story and location.

The same can be said for each of our lives. In the end, it will be a select few that remembers us, and eventually we will become but a whisper on the memory of time. Enjoy your family and loved ones ya'll, the memories you make today will become the fading memories of tomorrow. Keep telling their stories so they will continue to brighten our hearts!

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." - Psalm 16:11 ESV

"Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure." - Proverbs 4:26 ESV

"Stay true to yourself, yet always be open to learn. Work hard, and never give up on your dreams, even when nobody else believes they can come true but you. These are not cliches but real tools you need no matter what you do in life to stay focused on your path." -Phillip Sweet

A powerful meditation from Thomas Merton

A Meditation

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I’m going
I cannot see the road ahead
And I do not see for certain where it will end
Nor do I know myself
And I think I am following your will
Does not mean I am actually doing so
But I believe my desire to please you
Does in fact please you
And I hope I have that desire in all that I do
You will lead me by the right road
Though I may know nothing about it
Therefore,I will trust you always
Though I may be lost in the shadow
I will not fear
For you are ever with me.

Thomas Merton

Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed and a meditation on death and dying

“Being with him when he died was something I will never forget. His bravery. His happiness. His acceptance. It was a colossal experience for me. Changed my life completely in a way that I had not expected. I expected to feel sad and lost. But I felt the opposite. Just, like, ‘Boy, this is it. This is all we have. Right here. So you’d better pay attention.’”--Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed

Taken from the Ravenous Butterflies Facebook page

Some good things for prayer and meditation...

 

"A place of peace in the midst of chaos. A stillpoint. A quiet center within the heart of the storms..."

"A place of peace in the midst of chaos. A stillpoint. A quiet center within the heart of the storms. Prayer is not always a recitation. We do not have to verbalize, either by speech or thought, a list of our needs or hopes to qualify as a time of prayer. Prayer means to spend time with, to abide with, the presence of the holy in your life. Take that time, with no agenda, to sit in stillness with the Spirit. Let the sound of your heartbeat convey all you need to say. Open your mind to the infinite. Feel the presence of profound love. Breathe in a scent you remember from childhood and know that you are safe at home once more."

~ Steven Charleston is a Native American elder, author, and retired Episcopal bishop of Alaska. Adjunct Professor of Native American Ministries at Saint Paul School of Theology OCU, Citizen of Choctaw Nation. https://stevencharleston.com/

 

Be still and...

 

Please take moment to pause...

 

Breathe in and bring love...

 

Prayer and stillness in order to take good action...

 

Some positive thoughts for those who are hurting and lost, for workers, for busy people who need rest and compassion

Holy Week daily devotions/Devocional Semana Santa: Miércoles

From the United Methodist Church:

Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 6:25-26, CEB

“Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are?”

Meditation

When we look around us, we can't help but worry. The pandemic and its variants continue to affect the entire world, the latest war fills the news, and the millions of refugees have been added to the 11 million who have been displaced from their homes and countries by wars and natural disasters.

In addition, we live with work-related stresses, family conflicts, political disagreements, and the constant negative messages of catastrophes to come.

How can we not worry?

When we read the Sermon on the Mount, we realize that Jesus gave us new parameters and values that we can adopt every day.

When the world around us gives us reason to succumb to anxiety and fear, Jesus reminds us that the almighty God cares for us, and that we can confidently rest in his care and love.

So, when anxiety threatens to dominate your thoughts, pray the words of Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" and repeat it as much as necessary.

Prayer

God the Creator, thank You for taking care of us each day. We rest in Your promise. Amen.

Miércoles, 13 de abril de 2022
Escritura: Mateo 6: 25-26

“Por eso les digo: No se preocupen por su vida, qué comerán o beberán; ni por su cuerpo, cómo se vestirán. ¿No tiene la vida más valor que la comida, y el cuerpo más que la ropa? Fíjense en las aves del cielo: no siembran ni cosechan ni almacenan en graneros; sin embargo, el Padre celestial las alimenta. ¿No valen ustedes mucho más que ellas?

Meditación

Cuando miramos a nuestro alrededor, no podemos evitar preocuparnos. La pandemia y sus variantes continúan afectando a todo el mundo, la guerra más reciente domina las noticias, y los millones de refugiados se han añadido a los 11 millones que han sido desplazados de sus hogares y sus países por guerras y desastres naturales.

Además, vivimos con tensiones relacionadas con el trabajo, conflictos familiares, desacuerdos políticos, y los contantes mensajes negativos de catástrofes por venir.

¿Cómo no preocuparnos?

Cuando leemos el Sermón del Monte, nos damos cuenta de que Jesús nos dio nuevos parámetros y valores que podemos adoptar cada día.

Cuando el mundo a nuestro alrededor nos da razones para sucumbir a la ansiedad y el temor, Jesús nos recuerda que el Dios todopoderoso cuida de nosotros, y que podemos, con confianza descansar en su cuidado y su amor.

Así que, cuando la ansiedad amenace dominar tus pensamientos, ora las palabras del salmo 23: “El Señor es mi pastor, nada me faltará” y repítela tanto como sea necesario.

Oración:

Dios Creador, gracias por cuidarnos cada día. Descansamos en tu promesa.

Angelic Choir __ Healing Gregorian Chants

 

Chant of the Mystics: Divine Gregorian Chant "Kyrie eleison (orbis factor)" - 2 hour Version