Santa Cruz Sundays

  a ridiculously vibrant peony on a neighborhood walk I read this today and it reminded me of you and what you have been able to do this year  (and are learning to do more and more)....  "The artist Georgia O'Keefe, who became famous for her sensuous paintings of flowers, explained her success by saying, 'In a way, nobody sees a flower, really, it is so small, we haven't time-- and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.' The practice of paying attention really does take time. Most of us move so quickly that our surroundings become no more than the blurred scenery we fly past on our way to somewhere else. We pay attention to the speedometer, the wristwatch, the cell phone, the list of things to do, all of which feed our illusion that life is manageable.  Meanwhile none of them meets the first criterion for reverence, which is to remind us that we are not gods. If anything, these devices sustain the illusion that we might yet be gods-- if only we could ...

Taylor, it's been a bit of a non-stop day as I was in the Methow Valley this weekend for Maegan's birthday and then came back this morning for Marcia's 50th birthday tea and then we hosted small group dinner. So, this is arriving a bit later than intended. And since you might not read this until Monday morning, here's a prayer to start your day and your week with....  HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK!!!  a blessing for a little boost in the morning Today is new, oh God, The light is gathering and spilling onto everything. The sleeping and the sleepy. The trees brushing the window. Even the unwashed dishes know it’s time. What a gift. Unopened. Lord, you know the obstacle course ahead. The intractability of most of my problems. The irritations I will need to smile through. The forgetfulness that will undo my best efforts. And the fights I will need to pick because someone really should. But bring me back to this moment, God. The gratitude that rises up within me lifts my eyes and set...

  Thank you so much for the Mother's Day call while I am over here in India and thank you for running 10 MILES in my honor today for Mother's Day!!!  As I mentioned in my text to you earlier, I love your sense of adventure, your thoughtfulness, and your kindness, and I loved hearing tonight about you discovering a new tree house and a new running route to the beach today.   I heard a podcast a few months ago when the interviewer asked the guest what three adjectives they would use to describe how a good life should feel. He said, "fully, alive, and delight." He chose the words "fully alive" from the quote below from a saint from Irenaeus. from quite a long time ago in 185 A.D.  What it means to be fully alive is worth pondering.  The other word he chose was delight because he said that that it points to  the possibility for gratitude  and to the wonder and magnificence of being alive and to the posture he hopes he can cultivate in life about recei...

Taylor, as you are in Yosemite this weekend,  my prayer is that you would be awake to so much that place has to teach you.  May you listen and look  and pay attention  and soak in the beauty around you....