Living With Integrity

I believe that life always has a way of bringing us what we need to learn, whether we are aware of it at the time, or not. Many times it is only with a little perspective that we can truly see what was there for us to learn. It is not that we don't know it, we may just need to learn it on a deeper level. I think that is what happens when we decide to live in a way that is more conscious, we are presented with life situations that help us do just that. One aspect of that is living with integrity. Do we live our life with personal integrity? A quick overview might say that we do. For the most part we tell the truth, treat others with respect, trust the goodness in others and do the things we say we will. It is important to do more than that...we must look at how we carry out integrity in our lives a little more closely. If we believe treating others with respect is important, we compromise our integrity whenever we lack respect in our relationships with others. In the same vein, we lack integrity when we allow others to treat us in a way that is disrespectful. The same thinking applies to telling the truth, trusting others and believing in the goodness of humanity. The thoughts, words and actions have to match to live with authenticity and integrity. But we are human, none of us can do this all the time. Therefore this idea of living with integrity, is something that takes conscious thought and action. Over the last several weeks I have had many opportunities to look at my own integrity. It is not always easy to stay in truth and respect, especially when that gets challenged, but staying with situations when they get hard, can lead to mutual understanding. If we can stay stay with a difficult situation, we bring a tremendous gift to that relationship. To live our life in aliment with our thoughts, words and deeds, we must look at our daily interactions. In this way, we have a new opportunity to define and refine, how we want to live. We can create the context for how we will treat others and how we want to be treated. Imagine...for just a moment...what our relationships would be like like if everyone gave conscious thought to their everyday interactions. Then imagine the ripple effect of that...this very idea going out beyond us, and how that would create a world that is more peaceful and joyful. Blessings to you as you live more consciously.
Sandy

Our Children Need...

All children need a laptop. not a computer but a human laptop. Moms, dads, grannies and grandpas, aunts, uncles - someone to hold them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals and knowledge of a hundred generations. Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations of them, their hopes and their dreams. ~ General Colin Powell

I stopped for a Starbucks coffee as I was driving to Georgia bringing my youngest son to college. I have to admit that I was feeling a bit sad about leaving him so far from home and then I read this quote on my latte cup. I have three sons and ever since they were small I wanted them to know their extended family in such a way that they could go to them with anything. It was important to me that they learned about who they are and what they stand for. And now I am about to drop my son off so far away and the only thing that makes this better is that we have family about and hour and a half away. They are so excited to have him closer for another school year. They take good care of him and he enjoys being with them. It is a home away from home. In a moments notice they would drive to Atlanta if he ever needed anything or got lonesome.

So tonight, my first night without him since May, I realize how lucky we both are. He has extended family to to be his family when we cannot. They love and care for him as they would their own children. But most of all he will learn from their experience and listen to their hopes and dreams. Take some time today to connect to people close to your family.

In Georgia, my family said that everyone says, Bless your heart...so I said I would sign off my blog with that tonight. So...Bless your heart and those that are close to you!

Sandy

Trust Your Knowing

Have you ever had a insight or gut feeling about something ? Sometimes this gut feeling even goes against what seems logical or right, but have you done it anyway?, It is hard to trust something that we don't know the outcome of, but we are often asked to do just that. Today at church, I heard that a fellow parishioner had won $10,000.00 in a raffle. When I asked her about it, she told me that a neighbor had asked her to buy a ticket for church event. The raffle ticket was $100.00,not quite the average price of a raffle ticket. They had decided it might not be prudent to purchase a ticket since they had many medical expenses to pay this past year. In addition to the extra medical expenses they were newly retired with a $10,000.00 deductible on their medical insurance. A high deductible they would need to cover! She went on to say that they really could not afford to buy the ticket but knew she had to. Anyway if they did not win, it went for a good cause. After some discussion, the ticket was purchased and set aside. Some time later, the neighbor who had sold the ticket ,came over to present the winnings with much delight to a surprised couple. In talking with her today she just could not get over how sure she was that she need to buy that ticket. Not only that but the winnings was exactly the amount of their medical insurance deductible! She said it was amazing.

This is amazing indeed! Everyday each of us has these knowings and insights that guide us. We happened to know the ending to this story but often we do not. We are asked to trust our insights even we we cannot see the outcome. Today as you trust what you know, also trust that God is really watching over us all.
Blessings,
Sandy

Nothing Is Impossible

I have just finished reading an incredible book called, Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson. Greg was born in Minnesota but at a very young age his parents moved to Tanzania, Africa to be missionaries. At age 11 he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with his dad and is now an avid mountain climber. When is was a teenager he parents moved back and he went on to finish high school and then earned a degree in nursing. When he finished school he organized an expedition to climb K2 in the Himalayas. While on that climb he became separated from his party and thought he would freeze on the mountain. He spent the night with no tent or shelter. Surprised to find himself alive in the morning, he set out to try to get off the mountain. In his condition he became more disorientated. Finally just before nightfall, he was rescued by one of the porters that had been guiding the group up the mountain to the summit. The porter took Greg to his village of Korpe where the village nursed him back to health. While in the village he realized the plight of the people and their need to educate their children. He promised to repay them for saving his life by coming back and building a school in this remote village. He went home, got a nursing job and lived out of his car to save money for the school. He talked with every one he knew to get donations to build his school without much success. Finally when he had given up hope, he was given $12,000 to build the school. He went back and bought the material in the closest town and began transporting the goods to the village. When the villagers heard he had come back they were overjoyed. However he was informed that the bridge could not support getting the material;s to the village. First he would have to build a new bridge that could support the supplies. Discouraged and disappointed, he went home and started to raise the money for a bridge. Finally with money in hand, he went back and built the bridge and eventually the school. In re-telling this story I cannot do justice to the determination of this man and his commitment to the vision he had for the children of the Himalayas. This is only part of the story, he beat insurmountable odds in a very remote part of the world to make his vision happen. In all, he has now build 28 schools and women's centers!

I have been so taken by this book that I can't stop thinking about it. This man defied the odds against him and refused to take no for an answer. I know for myself, I had a great teacher, my grandmother Selma. She believed that nothing could stand in the way of doing what she believed in. What is that for you? What is the vision that is burning inside you?

For me it has been creating a healing center...a place where people can learn to find peace and joy in their lives. That is why we have created the Institute for Peace and Joy...it is the vision that has been burning inside Paula and I. We are getting closer than we ever have before to getting this dream. Sometimes the odds seem insurmountable, sometimes it is disappointing, but most of all it is the passion we have to do this work that will bring this vision to life.

If you would like to talk about what we are doing please give us a call 952-435-4144. Blessings to you this day!

Sandy

We are All on a journey together...

We are all on a journey together...

To the center of the universe...

Look deep

Into yourself, into another:

It is to a center which is everywhere

That is the holy journey...

First you need to look:

Notice and honor the radiance of

Everything about you...

Play in this universe. Tend

All these shinning things around you:

The smallest plant, the creatures and

objests in your care.

Be gentle and nurture. Listen...

As we experience and accept

All that we really are...

We grow in care.

We begin to embrace others

As ourselves, and learn to live

As one among many...

~ Anne Hillman

Nourishing My Soul

In the last several weeks I have read articles and heard news reports about how hard American people work. Many times choosing work over taking a vacation. I listened with intent, as I heard several people interviewed about why they don't take a vacation. The most common reason is because they needed to be at work because of the heavy work load or they might be needed in case something went wrong. The people interviewed all desperately wanted a vacation, but could not imagine getting away. In many countries around the world you are expected to take several vacations a year. Having vacation and leisure time is part of the mind set of the workplace. When you have time to rest and rejuvenate you nourish your body, mind and spirit. As you read this, I will be doing just that. I am looking forward to spending time with my family, enjoying nature and nourishing my spirit. I hope you take some time this week to do that for yourself. Enjoy!

Sandy

When Your Life Is...

" When your life is filled with the desire to see the holiness in everyday life, something magical happens: ordinary life becomes extraordinary, and the very process of life begins to nourish your soul!"

This is one of my favorite quotes and it is by the Rabbi Harold Kushner. Every time I read this it reminds me that there is nothing we do that is not without meaning. Our every thought has within it the possibility to change what is ordinary into something that is extraordinary. It is all a matter of our perception. In essence it is seeing the blessings in everything, even the things that do not appear at first sight to be a blessing.

Everything that God created is holy. Sometimes we can easily see this and other times it is much harder to see. When traveling to the remote places in Africa with overwhelming poverty, I asked myself this question everyday. What is extraordinary today? Where do I see the holiness in everyday life? It would have been easy to get swept up in the extreme conditions and let that be the focus but I would have missed the beauty of the African spirit.

It is like that in our everyday life too, sometimes we struggle to see the beauty, the holiness that is all around us. I'm not sure it is about changing anything as much as it is an awareness that we each day we create our life anew. In this process we have the opportunity to choose our perspective. When we look at life with the desire to see holiness it feeds our very soul. It is as though we look with a new set of eyes.

Blessings in this extraordinary journey!

Sandy