Detachment is knowing that the mind can change if what you say to the mind, changes. We simply are not able to hold more than one thought in our minds at a time. And what ever thought we harbor has been cultivated by none other than ourselves. That’s both the good and the bad news of our lives. No one has power over how we think. Of course, that also means we can blame no one else for what we think! If we put good thoughts in our minds, we will express good thoughts to others. The converse is just as powerfully true. Being consumed with the acti[...]
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Karen’s Musings
0 I spent last evening with my husband and a few of our good friends. Following a Christmas Eve service at Unity Church, we gathered at our home and enjoyed a meal, coupled with the quiet pleasure of being in the presence of one another. There is no better way to spend time, whether it's a holiday or simply any ordinary day in our lives. Because when you stop and think about it, no day is really ordinary. Every day that we are in the company of others is extraordinary. And why is that? I think it's because God has carefully orchestrated the encounters we h[...]
I love the topic of joy and not just at the holiday season. One reason is simply because the word "joy" brings the memory of a very dear friend to mind, a friend whose name was Joy. She died on Valentine's Day two years ago and seldom does a day go by that she isn't remembered by me. She had a lot of joy in her life. Unfortunately, it was blended with a lot of pain. That's all too common, isn't it. However, when I think about Joy my heart feels lighter, and that's the crux of this post, in fact: making our hearts lighter. Scientific research has est[...]
I am one of those folks who loves all aspects of the holidays. As I said in my last post, from the lights to the music, I am hooked. I also honor the tradition of giving to others and take many opportunities to do so. Pulling an angel from a tree at the grocery or at church, and then shopping for the very item someone has requested fills my heart with joy. It's even more fun than choosing some thing for myself. I didn't grow up in a wealthy family, but we could always count on a few gifts at Christmas. Far too many children aren't that lucky and taking[...]
I'm grateful that the holiday season has begun. It always lifts my spirits. Having just come through a blue period makes greeting the Christmas Season a welcome activity. I'm someone who truly loves the holidays. I love the lights on the houses, the decorations within, the music playing in the stores and on the radio. Even the shopping and the sending of cards is fun for me too. I have many childhood memories of Christmas with my grandparents, and all the aunts and uncles and cousins that still bring smiles to me too, one in particular is the memory[...]
I know I have been here before. I get here every few months, in fact. The blues settle in for a spell and then I remember all that I have to be grateful for. It's not that I ever really forget but I get lazy and complacent and seem to want something more. I can't put a name to what "that more is" however. Fortunately I know the solution. And it's to be present to all the other God-chosen people who are on my path. I've selected them, along with God as my guide. And they have selected me too, for what we can teach one another. Our journey has been[...]
I have spent the last twenty years of my life writing and speaking about relationships; how we can improve them by making them more peaceful, more productive and more loving within our many communities. You have read in other blogs of mine or in books I have written, or perhaps even heard me say in a workshop that nothing and no one appears on our radar screen by accident or complete surprise. Perhaps we didn't know what was just around the corner, but it was known. That's a huge blessing to all of us, I think. It has allowed me to relax about the future[...]
I'm amazed and a bit chagrined that I have been away from my blog for three weeks. It's the longest I have been away since beginning it in 2009. And actually, I didn't go any place. I was simply caught up in the book I am writing and a writer strikes while the iron is hot. I was making good progress and every minute I could, every minute I wasn't preparing for a talk or a workshop, I was deep in thought and sitting at the computer plugging away. I plan to spend next week rereading it very carefully, making additional changes where necessary, and then off[...]
I spent the week end in Augusta, MO, leading my 12th annual writer's retreat at F.R.E.S.H. Renewal. Many of the same individuals come yearly, but always there are a few new participants and they add a richness that's so appreciated, much like a contrasting, vivid color woven through a tapestry in a spot where you'd least expect it. The participants and I have become good friends over the years. And I look forward to this fall gathering with both excited and thoughtful anticipation. It's a restful, comforting week end, one that includes lots of laughter, m[...]
I just returned from my 55th high school reunion in Lafayette, IN. As I write this, I am amazed that five and a half decades have passed since nearly 350 of us walked across the Jefferson High School Auditorium stage to get our diplomas. I am even more amazed at how vibrant we still are; how interested in the world at large, and at how creative so many of my classmates have become. One of my friends who had been a banker for 45 years is now an accomplished, award-winning painter. You can see a sampling of his pastels at Ronburgessart.com. Another classm[...]