tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36043852393133502302011-09-21T08:08:11.226-07:00Prayers, Observations and reflections on the way to being.Roynoreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-11927911759464040982010-02-02T23:46:00.000-08:002010-02-02T23:46:41.237-08:00

My grace is enough for you.When you are weakMy power is made perfect in you.-Letter of Paul to the Corinthians So much pain. So much change. So much fear. Such was the last couple of weeks. My mom, who is in the Bay Area, suffered a stroke. She is now in rehab but that means her decreased mobility will make it harder for her caregivers, my sister and husband.    To keep my schedule flexible just

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-59357747981714144172010-01-14T18:58:00.000-08:002010-01-14T18:58:44.404-08:00

"If the sun refused to shine, I'd still be loving you. If mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me." -Led Zeppelin The news are filled with words and reports and images from the Haiti earthquake. After seeing and hearing the news, the question for me  was “What now?”  This took me online and to a UNICEF donation. And texting HAITI to 90999 for an automatic $10 donation.

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-626059821752594362010-01-12T23:11:00.000-08:002010-01-12T23:11:57.807-08:00

A dear friend requested a reading she can deliver when she goes back home to attend her grandma's memorial service. Below is my offering.     Start with a favorite story involving you and grandma. Something you will not tire of telling your kids and grandkids. (pause)     Express gratitude as you recall grandma's personal gifts to you. "Thank you, grandma, for giving me...."  With a silent

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-8132898523201153582010-01-08T00:22:00.000-08:002010-01-08T00:22:59.888-08:00

"What runs and what ticks is, however, no longer important. What is important is that life itself should be "lucid" in me (whoever I am). I am nothing but the lucidity "in me." To be opaque and dense with opinion, with passion, with need, with hate, with power, is not to be there, to be absent, to nonexist. The labor of convincing myself that this nonexisting is a real presence: this is the

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-35471752481601079052010-01-05T16:38:00.000-08:002010-01-05T16:38:18.309-08:00

I am lost in wonderment at the depth of his wisdom when he subjects my secret life to scrutiny and correction. It is from some slight improvement in my behavior that I experience his gentle goodness. It is from the reformation and renewal of the spirit of my mind, that is, of my deepest humanity, that I perceive his beauty and attractiveness. From the consideration  of all these taken

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-58034572312743728202010-01-03T11:51:00.000-08:002010-01-03T11:51:07.292-08:00

"I went to the end of a road and took a left or a right, just to see what I'd see." -Matthew Altenbach      The author above is a photographer looking for an image. But I thought the quote is appropriate for today's liturgical feast of Epiphany.      Epiphany is defined as the manifestation or revelation of what is divine, of what is sacred. "To see what I'd see..." I don't know what will be

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-17828749624243448722010-01-01T22:54:00.000-08:002010-01-01T22:54:40.712-08:00

This year, I vow to study, explore, practice, and live non-violence. By study and explore, I mean to be aware of my responses to unpleasant events that I am subject to at any moment. I start with myself. It's the Benedictine way: continuous conversion of the heart, one's heart, not any one else's. By being aware of my responses, I give myself the chance to do lectio on it. By reflecting on it,

Roynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-22717750139166142112009-12-27T00:08:00.000-08:002009-12-27T00:08:50.027-08:00

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-39361178425809129502009-12-11T00:56:00.000-08:002009-12-11T00:56:36.508-08:00

Grief is a river Constantly flowing, flowing... Connecting all hearts. These last few days, grief had been my visitor. And yes, I welcomed them.  First there was mom's worsening dementia which I witnessed in person when I visited the Bay Area for Thanksgiving. The process of going through end-of-life decisions (where does she live, who will take care of her) took me to a wild spin. Not

Roynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-65765170728738558652009-11-22T12:50:00.000-08:002009-11-22T13:31:14.333-08:00

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.-Luke 22It is easy being Christ in pleasant situations, when everything is going according to plan and expectations. When all is well as far as we can sense. But how do you practice being Christ in trying situations? I was given what I think is the beginning of an answer last night when I went for a Chinese foot

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-68543553889246863972009-11-21T23:40:00.000-08:002009-11-22T00:31:15.202-08:00

Who is my mother and who are my brothers?Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister and mother. Mt 12:48-50Next week I am in the Bay Area with my nuclear family. From Monday to Friday, my wife and I will be with my 80-year old mom, 5 siblings, and numerous nephews and nieces. Being with my family has its joys, and its challenges. So I decided to have a spiritual

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-55395723183198427192009-11-15T23:29:00.000-08:002009-11-15T23:53:45.462-08:00

I thank you, O God Who lives now and forever,that You have restored to me my soul with mercy; great is your faithfulness The above is the Jewish tradition's Modeh Ani prayed as soon as one wakes up. Before one gets out of bed, before the toes touch the floor. Ever since I came across this prayer from the excellent book about traditional Jewish prayer, movement, and meditation Minding the

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-47455951578811973332009-11-03T21:35:00.000-08:002009-11-03T22:11:04.320-08:00

Do not disdain your bodyfor the soul is just as safein its body as in thekingdom of God.-Mechtilde of MagdeburgBut what do you do if you were violated, abused, raped? Trampled on, reduced to trash, betrayed, emotionally and psychologically murdered?Such is the challenge of this children's hospital chaplain who bought my book and wrote me for help with her 'kids'? Her clientele are adolescents,

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-55452019547298121152009-10-15T00:22:00.000-07:002009-10-15T01:05:20.224-07:00

You don't have a soul.You are a soul.You have a body.-C S LewisSix hours ago, I led a prayer group at the Bothell United Methodist Church. For most of the 14 people who came, it was their first time to include the body in praying. To feel the body in prayer is a gift, an awareness of Christ, the Word Incarnate.Jesus Christ is God's prayer. Jesus, God's Word, is God's answer to our prayers. The

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-56009948435218642152009-10-04T23:28:00.000-07:002009-10-05T00:20:37.751-07:00

But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and motherand be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh.So they are no longer two but one flesh.Therefore what God has joined together,no human being must separate.-from Matthew 10"I bow to the Divine in you." That's what the greeting namaste means. And it is said in

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-80217741552385925732009-09-29T23:02:00.000-07:002009-09-30T00:06:04.550-07:00

Remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.-Hebrews 13:2Easier said than done. Easier to accept the strange, the oddity, the abnormal, the out of the ordinary, when they are on TV, or online, or in the news, or at our neighbor's door. But as soon as they knock on our doors, maybe our hearts harden, suddenly paralyzed and

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-53146076276824551092009-09-26T00:44:00.000-07:002009-09-26T01:20:46.707-07:00

Great Spirit, help me never to judge anotheruntil I have walked in his moccasins.-Sioux Indian PrayerWakan Tonka. That is "Heavenly Father" in Sioux language as told to me by Marlon Red Elk. He is a tall, 50-ish Sioux Indian I met at Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn , Washington when my wife and daughter and friends went to see a show. A kind and friendly guy who saw me and asked: How are you doing,

Roynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-46283922030743771042009-09-06T09:39:00.000-07:002009-09-06T10:06:05.432-07:00

He put his finger into the man’s earsand, spitting, touched his tongue;then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —And immediately the man’s ears were opened,his speech impediment was removed,and he spoke plainly. -Mark 7My old ears suffer from tinnitus, and they just don't hear very well. So my hearing is not reliable, to say the least. One time

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-57528353852318897222009-08-31T21:41:00.000-07:002009-09-01T21:03:07.947-07:00

The blessings of the four directions upon your soul. I annoint you with the four elements: soil, water, air, fire.I went digging in the ocean, along the water, through the tide. In one belief system, my sign is water, and in another, air. The line between the two is often blurred, and more often, tenuous. Read the tension of that line between heaven and hell in the story of the great white whale.

GretaCargohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09842065551438987519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-45708647298724715962009-08-31T21:29:00.000-07:002009-08-31T22:32:50.951-07:00

Quiet nights of quiet stars quiet chords from my guitarfloating on the silence that surrounds us. Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams quiet walks by quiet streamsand a window that looks out on the mountains and the sea, oh how lovely This is where I want to be here with you so close to meuntil the final flicker of life's ember. I who was lost and lonely believing life was onlya bitter tragic joke,

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-19016856423007637062009-08-28T21:01:00.000-07:002009-08-28T22:28:31.865-07:00

Be not afraid,I go before you always.Come, and follow me.And I will give you rest.-John Michael TalbotWhat an invitation. So that's how my walk to the grocery store started on this cloudless blue sky sunny day. I wanted the walk to be a prayer, a meditation. A search for the Divine Presence. My eyes were open. My ears listening. All my other senses equally softly alert.Then there he was...

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-57733602419687265182009-08-23T23:20:00.000-07:002009-08-24T00:26:48.651-07:00

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ -Matthew 2:13 (nrsv)The story above is a perfect illustration of the definition for an emigre: a person who flees from his or her native land because of

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-5876744555688059962009-08-17T21:52:00.000-07:002009-08-17T22:47:08.420-07:00

Monica, a young co-worker, shared with me her story of how she found joy, Jarvis. She's so taken by him. His charm, his intellect, his depth, his authenticity, his honesty. She says when he said "us," she almost melted. He lives his beliefs. He walks his talk. He's real.I asked her: how sure are you that he is for real, that he is not pulling your leg? She says she's not blinded by her feelings

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-22587595390084461192009-08-02T21:54:00.001-07:002009-08-02T22:57:34.116-07:00

If the only prayer you say in your entire life is Thank You, it will be enough.-Meister EckhartThis past week was especially rich. My cup overflowed. The dam of God's goodness, beauty, and truth broke!Welcome to my banquet table:Annie: it was her birthday this week. And our 35th wedding anniversary. Anyone who can stay with me for 35 years and still smiles is an angel. And I said so in my

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-48371772561252964962009-07-22T23:19:00.000-07:002009-07-23T00:13:50.902-07:00

A week ago, I found out a fellow yoga teacher suffered a stroke. She didn't look like someone with a pending stroke. I always saw her as Wonder Woman, physically, emotionally, psychologically.Today, at yoga, a student shared her deep frustration in her dealings with a bank. Normally she is cool, calm and collected. This obviously pushed her button. After yoga, a long time student shared with me

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-92192042967526776172009-06-29T22:37:00.000-07:002009-06-29T23:28:56.827-07:00

Getting off the freeway on my way to the office this morning, the red light stopped me. Standing on the sidewalk is Molly, with a sign not unlike the photo above, but with her name signed at the bottom. I knew of her from her boyfriend, Paul, whom I met at the same corner about a year ago. I was stopped, opened my window and handed him a couple of bucks I had in my ash tray. We chatted and even

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-88071274665776521512009-06-21T00:08:00.000-07:002009-06-21T00:48:09.337-07:00

"Let us cross to the other shore," Jesus said to his followers. Then while on the boat, a violent storm raged. The scared disciples woke Jesus who was sleeping. "Master, do you not care that we might die?" He stood up and commanded the sea: "Be still. Be calm!" The sea obeyed. Turning to the shaken men, he said to them: "You of little faith!"I am invited by God to cross this river of life to the

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-90773078500746307002009-06-17T08:29:00.000-07:002009-06-17T08:40:17.833-07:00

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. This is not that God should do what he wills, but so that we may be able to do what God wills. For who could resist God in such a way as to prevent him doing what he wills? But since the devil hinders us from obeying, by thought and by deed, God’s will in all things, we pray and ask that God’s will may be done in us. For this to happen, we need God’s

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-70243123556991036852009-06-13T21:20:00.000-07:002009-06-13T22:21:46.531-07:00

Everything is blooming recklessly;if it were voices instead of colors,there would be an unbelievable shriekinginto the heart of the night.-Rainier Maria RilkeYes. Springtime. Everything is blooming. Everything comes back to life. It's a time for birthing, for being born, for waking up. It's a time for stepping out into the light.Look at this fence flower. Ponder the effort it must have taken to

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-12583417366057109912009-06-11T23:38:00.001-07:002009-06-12T00:35:47.701-07:00

"Another day..." That's what the stranger said to me as we exit the coffee shop this morning. Instead of filling in the blank with the predictable "another dollar", I said inwardly "...thank goodness."Saying "thank goodness" for this day is an acknowledgement for the gift of another opportunity to act, think and speak from a place of love, peace, and happiness. It's another day to get better in

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-72952532945765121292009-06-08T23:55:00.000-07:002009-06-09T00:50:44.261-07:00

Sketch: A rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished work, often consisting of a multitude of overlapping lines.Live. Pray. Sketch. Modified from Thomas Merton's beautiful quote: What I do is Live. How I live is pray. How I pray is breathe. Lately, I caught the sketch bug. Bought a book, An Illustrated Life, showing sketchbooks of 50 artists. I started to carry a

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-61019423119848092042009-06-01T14:42:00.000-07:002009-06-01T14:50:00.861-07:00

The Shadow KnowsSit under the forbidden tree,And never mind the tempter.Gently close your eyes,And step into the world of shadows.Sit with them in peace,And listen with your heart.They will talk about being ignored,about being pushed aside,about being forgotten.They will say,‘We bring you mercy and lovingkindnessFrom the Good Shepherd.This is why we follow you around.’Sit and listen with your

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-89807633020228913602009-05-23T23:19:00.000-07:002009-05-24T00:11:52.168-07:00

The only way to deal with an unfree worldis to become so absolutely freethat your very existence is an act of rebellion.-Albert CamusBecome absolutely free! Sounds good, but how?The news is filled with unfreedom. From the economic downturn to the prisoners at Guantanamo to the plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka to the abused children in Catholic Irish reform schools and many more around us. In

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-28316811147616369622009-05-18T21:38:00.000-07:002009-05-18T22:19:09.962-07:00

The night is cold and I'm so aloneI'd give my soul just to call you my ownGot a moon above meBut no one to love meLover man, oh, where can you be?-Billie HolidayToday, as I walked to lunch from my office to my favorite soup place, the weather was perfect: a little cool to the skin, and the sun was out. I heard myself whistle Billie Holiday's song, Lover man. Beautiful tune. Because of my daily

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-27075529070404045512009-05-16T16:07:00.000-07:002009-05-16T16:38:44.671-07:00

Abbot Joseph asked Abbot Pastor:Tell me how I can become a monk.The elder replied:If you want to have rest here in this lifeand also in the next,ask: Who am I?And judge no one.+I was supposed to go to Chehalis for a Blessed Movements workshop. It's a 2-hour drive down. So Thursday and Friday, I emailed and phoned my contact and no answer and no reply. I was beginning to judge her. By midnight

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-29572692733666329382009-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:002009-05-15T22:05:33.043-07:00

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”-Maya AngelouHome! That's the subject line from an email of my friend who just came back from a short, sweet, "very, very great" vacation.I describe home as that place where I feel welcome as I am. Where I am allowed to be who I am. Accepted as I am. Where I feel comfortable. No posturing. No games played. No intrigues. I

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-41445877773092676332009-05-14T22:16:00.000-07:002009-05-14T22:42:54.271-07:00

Our job is to love otherswithout stopping to inquirewhether or not they are worthy.That is not our business and, in fact,it is nobody's business.What we are asked to do is to love,and this love itself will render both ourselvesand our neighbors worthy.-Thomas MertonToday, I presented at Seattle U's School of Theology and Ministry on 'Yoga, Spirituality, and Health.' It was well received. Father

Roynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-16858066507946622052009-04-20T22:54:00.000-07:002009-04-20T23:26:44.569-07:00

When we arrived from work, Annie and I took a short walk. I whistled with the birds, imagining that I am communicating with them. They seemed to answer to my whistling. I saw yellow and white wildflowers starting to close as they prepare for the night. And I put my nose to a fragrant clump of flowers by the sidewalk. God is all around! Ahhh. The truckload of dung was cleaned up tonight. I hear

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-54864161020087364602009-04-19T22:57:00.000-07:002009-04-19T23:23:07.959-07:00

The word 'happiness' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.-Carl JungYes, indeed. Jung is dead on. Today was my first book release party at St Placid Priory. The nuns, my Sisters, set up the signing table with flowers and a bunch of balloons. Before the 11 am Mass, Sister Monika announced that there's a 'celebrity' in the congregation and will sign books after Mass. She asked

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-82003977714111838042009-04-18T22:02:00.000-07:002009-04-18T22:47:26.859-07:00

In your book were writtenall the days that were formed for me,when none of them as yet existed. -Psalm 139Tomorrow, at 12-1pm, I will be signing my books at St Placid Priory. Do you know how weird it is to say "my book"? Me? A published author? An English-as-a-Second-Language guy, types 12 words a minute, and a big-picture guy who shrinks from details and who'd rather delegate finishing the job

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-52143537758036988292009-04-13T22:16:00.000-07:002009-04-13T22:39:31.316-07:00

THE GUEST HOUSEThis being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival.A joy, a depression, a meanness,some momentary awareness comesas an unexpected visitor.Welcome and entertain them all!Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,who violently sweep your houseempty of its furniture,still, treat each guest honorably.He may be clearing you outfor some new delight.The dark thought, the shame, the

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-56313353039660332002009-04-12T08:01:00.000-07:002009-04-12T08:52:52.844-07:00

Rabbouni, it is Thee!Yes, Mary. I Am.Do not hold on to meAnd stop your weeping.Instead, tell my brothers and sistersThat I have risen as I promised.That I triumphed against death and darkness.That Love, the greatest of them all, endures all things.Now instead of mourning, rejoice.Instead of crying, give praise.Instead of worrying, give thanks.Always in all ways.For I Am with you,I never will

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-77150578063201879852009-04-11T20:08:00.000-07:002009-04-11T20:30:18.964-07:00

My Lord Jesus is in the tomb.But he said, On the third day I will rise.I know he will rise.Because he said so.But I can't wait any longer.Only a few more hours...What will he look like?Will I recognize him?I want to touch him, be hugged by him.I want to get lost in those loving eyes.I want to hear the voice that can calm a storm.I want to be embraced by his silence.I want to kiss my Lord.Arise,

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-27232975598955827472009-04-11T17:33:00.001-07:002009-04-11T17:53:07.073-07:00

He died that we may live.What needs to die in us for us to live more fully?He died for the forgiveness of our sins.What needs to die in us to be merciful as God is merciful?He died that we may have complete joy.What needs to die in us to be happy?He died to conquer darkness and evil.What needs to die in us to conquer our fears?He died because he loved us as the Father loved him.What needs to die

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-88042988769080537502009-04-10T14:53:00.000-07:002009-04-10T15:15:16.910-07:00

But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; ‘Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—let him rescue the one in whom he delights!’ Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast. On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-69357056048516448562009-04-09T23:41:00.000-07:002009-04-10T00:28:05.258-07:00

Maundy Thursday. At Lenten service, it was all about feet washing. (See MINDSIEVE for an excellent post about Maundy Thursday.) It was about Peter saying Uh-uh, no way, Lord, then changing his mind when Jesus said they won't be buds no more, Ok. Wash me all over.What is it about feet? Last night at my yoga class, the feet topic was on my mind too. I invite you now to lie down and we'll do a feet

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-2664706263634529042009-04-08T22:09:00.000-07:002009-04-08T22:45:16.428-07:00

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.-Abe LincolnA friend shared with me that 'VERY few people in my life had truly recognized me.' And I echo that. We all like and want recognition. Some are more overt in collecting recognition, some keep it to themselves. But that's not our concern here. The question is: How often do I recognize others' accomplishments

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-47483413637921641642009-04-05T21:53:00.000-07:002009-04-05T22:37:03.308-07:00

All you need is love.All you need is love.All you need is love, love.Love is all you need.-The BeatlesToday, in 2 separate events, I was told by long time yoga friends, where I am. At least in relation to yoga.This morning, during brunch after I taught Blessed Movements at Yoga Barn, a friend (who I choose to keep anonymous) told me she considers me to be her teacher. She's been a teacher herself

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-79774754252856334272009-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:002009-04-04T11:12:28.942-07:00

Love is not consolation. It is light.-Friedrich NietzcheIt was 7pm last night when I quit work. As I walked away from my cubicle, I looked at my right hand, and it has light on it. The light was coming from the setting sun streaming through my office window. I stopped for a few moments, looked at my hand, turning it this way, and that way, fascinated by it like a little kid.A smile came to my

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-88481694170470308682009-04-01T12:30:00.000-07:002009-04-01T13:06:56.541-07:00

"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."-John 8It's April Fool's Day. Some folks will get punk'd by the pranksters in their lives. Some are harmless, some not so harmless. But how do we know if what we are experiencing is not a prank? How will we know the truth? Is it when someone announces, You were punk'd! or, You

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-21467672445671686902009-03-29T22:28:00.000-07:002009-03-29T23:18:09.860-07:00

I just came back from a retreat given by my Oblate Director, Sr Lucy Wynkoop at St Placid Priory. It focused on Joan Chittister's Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light. It's an ABC of "qualities the world's most ancient of seekers say are the components of a contemplative life."Sr Lucy chose ten qualities and enriched the discussion by including glorious illuminations from the

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-20438214981855837922009-03-25T22:38:00.000-07:002009-03-26T22:05:53.762-07:00

For all we know we may never meet againBefore you go make this moment sweet againWe wont say good night until the last minuteI'll hold out my hand and my heart will be in itFor all we know this may only be a dreamWe come and go like a ripple on a streamSo love me tonight; tomorrow was made for someTomorrow may never come for all we know(artist: nat king cole; words by sam m. lewis; music by j.

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-78409480040058489442009-03-24T22:13:00.000-07:002009-03-25T01:08:18.627-07:00

The best way to get rid of temptation is to surrender to it.-Oscar WildeIt was a crazy busy day today at the office. Emails flying, phone ringing off the hook due to a deadline the next day. I found myself focusing on my exhale. I guess my exhales were becoming audible enough for my next cube neighbor to hear. She told me when she hears me breathing like that, she knows I am under a lot pressure.

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-43316326520878403062009-03-23T14:51:00.000-07:002009-03-23T15:13:53.156-07:00

Okay. I am working from home. I was in the middle of creating an illustration of the before and after of a fish passageway. I was having fun. I even pumped my fist and shouted "Yes! Woohoo!" when I finally broke through a visual problem.I paused and began admiring my work, mentally patting my back. Then a Church song sprung in my head: Glory to you, O Word of God, Lord, Jesus Christ...What does

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-71374877489347128332009-03-22T15:04:00.000-07:002009-03-22T15:45:03.045-07:00

The divine in meBows to the divine in you.- common definition of NamasteAs I walked today, I saw flowers springing up, waking up, thirsty for light after a long darkness. Daffodils aren't usually out yet, but on this particular sidewalk, there it is: one lone daffodil, with its head bowing almost touching the concrete, at the end of its blooming days.Somehow I saw this daffodil bowing and saying

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-36633052908692406242009-03-21T23:58:00.000-07:002009-03-22T00:44:44.873-07:00

Love consists in this:That two solitudes protect, and touch,And greet each other.- R I  L K EA soul friend of mine had a rough 3 months. After 20 years of marriage, she was kicked out by her husband. I am not much for details, but my friend is a good human being. I'll vouch for her. I can't say much more about her to protect her identity. So, please trust me that she didn't deserve the

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-35818814720695698352009-03-20T22:34:00.000-07:002009-03-20T22:57:03.864-07:00

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord,And put a new and right spirit within me.-Psalm 51He looked like Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I sat down in front of him and he caught my hands into his large warm smooth soft hands. Our knees touching, he leaned forward with that gentle grin. His face is so smooth, so open. He squeezed my hands, leaned a little bit more toward me, inviting me to do the same. So my

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-74493215100428513652009-03-19T20:27:00.000-07:002009-03-19T21:08:01.576-07:00

Be ground. Be crumbled.So wildflowers will come up where you are.You've been stony for so many years.Try something different.Surrender.-RumiMillions of people love Rumi as I do. Now this particular writing hits the spot. Since I started practicing yoga, which led to the exploration of and the practice of meditation and prayer, my heart has softened. Now I am getting greedy, I suppose. I want more

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-41804753746114301262009-03-18T11:03:00.000-07:002009-03-18T11:45:46.023-07:00

"I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it." -JesusThis is the phrase that jumped out to me in today's Gospel reading. And he continues: Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth passes away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.I ruminate on that phrase and why it called me. The questions that came up: What

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-33900989854820991442009-03-15T17:38:00.000-07:002009-03-15T17:47:56.274-07:00

What's up?What's down?What's in front?What's behind?What's around?What's within?Love.So why do we kill,Why do we harm each other?Why do we cheat and lie,Why do we fear each other?What's up with that?

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-64366662995780017372009-03-14T21:25:00.000-07:002009-03-14T21:31:48.395-07:00

The dedication in my book partly reads:And for retired Monsignor Arsenio Bautista, a model of joyful holiness, uncle and spiritual guardian of Annie, the angel who became my wife and the mother to Xenia and Marita.Today, Annie and I walked to Starbucks. It's about a mile from the house. When we started, it was windy, and rainy. We got out of the garage, and closed it. After a minute, I felt

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-14949741588903209402009-03-13T22:47:00.000-07:002009-03-13T23:19:59.826-07:00

Here's a body prayer session from my book, based on Psalm 139. This is for you, Ronna.Stand, feet wide and arms spread, inhale and lift up your heart, and say:O God, you know when I am happy.Slowly, as you exhale, sag your body down, drained of life:You know it when I am in the gutter.Inhaling, step one foot forward and lift both hands to a lunge:You know well the choices I make,Exhale and bring

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-54902469641925744652009-03-12T21:53:00.000-07:002009-03-12T22:40:38.795-07:00

After finishing a job, around 7:15 tonight, I went to the hospice to visit Ronna. (see the Any Day Now post). I was signing in and told the receptionist that I can't remember her room number. She looked her up, and said, let me call someone. I am just volunteering tonight. I heard her on the phone. She explained that a friend is looking for Ronna who is supposed to be in Room 7. At that moment, I

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-76323658521735689902009-03-11T22:24:00.000-07:002009-03-11T23:15:29.901-07:00

Last night, as I was sleeping,I dreamt - marvellous error! -that I had a beehivehere inside my heart.And the golden beeswere making white combsand sweet honeyfrom my old failures.by Antonio Machado, Times AloneBenedictine spirituality blessed me with a way of prayer that has become a way of listening and reading for me. It's called lectio divina, or divine reading, sometimes called holy listening

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-65164298158230629482009-03-10T23:31:00.000-07:002009-03-11T00:29:35.268-07:00

Ronna was a few days pregnant with Cole when I met her in 2000. I was teaching prenatal yoga. Yes, I taught prenatal yoga. A guy surrounded by beautiful beings with beautiful beings inside them. How close can you get to the Divine?She attended as part of the prenatal program at Evergreen Hospital. Immediately one is struck by the stature of this lady. Tall, beautiful, with strong yet kind and

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-55588408021525169132009-03-07T23:11:00.000-08:002009-03-13T22:46:55.816-07:00

For a few days now, I have been feeling a sadness and a fear the source of which I couldn't pinpoint. Now I know. Mrs Judith Guion was my daughter's grade-school Teacher in the talented and Gifted Program at school. That was almost 12 years ago. She's at hospice care now, and dying of cancer. She is one of my daughter's favorite teacher. Definitely an inspiration for her. And we had so much

Roynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-22032457704787589242009-03-07T21:51:00.000-08:002009-03-07T22:47:04.985-08:00

This morning, my wife and I walked to Home Depot to look at doors. Our front door needs to be replaced. At the entrance to the parking lot of Home Depot, we saw two Hispanics waiting to be hired for any job. When we finished looking at doors, they were still there. Still jobless. It was noon by then.As Annie and I walked home, because of my practice of lectio divina (Latin for holy reading, the

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-19000808300075586122009-02-28T22:32:00.000-08:002009-02-28T23:31:43.992-08:00

"On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:Take this all of you, and eat it:This is my body which will be given up for you.When supper was ended, he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise, gave the cup to his disciples, and said:Take this, all of you, and drink from it:This is the cup of my blood,

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-46761064626687398792009-02-27T23:27:00.000-08:002009-02-28T00:26:22.964-08:00

I just finished teaching a yoga class tonight to benefit Hopelink. I had three beautiful  ladies in class. There was Shelly, a long-time acquaintance, who needed an energetic practice. Her friend Lacey accompanied her. Her neck and shoulders were tight. Her chest filled with tension due to 'overwhelming' personal issues. Lacey needed grounding, to get herself together because she was feeling so

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-1061163087934279222009-02-26T10:46:00.000-08:002009-02-26T11:15:02.983-08:00

Last weekend, I took my 1985 Honda to Goodyear for an oil change. It was to take an hour, so I walked to a nearby cafe, and read, and watched people. Then I get a call from Goodyear informing me the car is almost done, but the mechanic saw the terminals of my battery needed cleaning and application of an anti-corrosive spray. I gave my approval.I walked back to the shop. The front desk person

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-31332388406320351352009-02-20T22:37:00.000-08:002009-02-21T00:30:40.098-08:00

For dinner, Annie and I went to Bamboo House, a local Vietnamese restaurant. The owner's 4-year old daughter wearing her mom's high-heeled, pointy shoes, and holding a large orange, greeted us. I ask, whose shoes are those? She pointed toward mom at the counter and said, 'Mom.' Then I pointed at her orange, what's that? She answered, 'booberry.' I laughed hard. That was so good.Now. What's

Roynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-57231829956581847622009-01-19T22:08:00.000-08:002009-01-19T22:11:32.988-08:00

This prayer book offers the only prayer practice focused on moving, reflecting, and living our prayers based on the Psalms, the most embodied text in our Holy Scriptures.For traditional Christian worshippers, the movements suggested in this prayer book might be a little bit controversial if they are uncomfortable with the idea of including some yoga postures with Christian prayer. Doing the poses

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-44232087524315946632008-12-01T21:53:00.000-08:002008-12-01T21:58:25.227-08:00

How will this book help/benefit you, the pray-er?Doing the poses in this book has the potential to affect the health of the physical being. The movements stretch and strengthen muscles and joints, promote balance and flexibility in both body and mind, and help improve the respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems. Body awareness leads to a more mindful self-health care. Practiced

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-40635654965040055382008-11-03T21:32:00.000-08:002008-11-03T22:14:31.638-08:00

The book, Praying with the Body: Bringing the Psalms to Life, is already listed at amazon.com. It is available for pre-order and is scheduled to come out in March 2009. Sold separately, there will be a DVD version with the same title.. . . . . . . . . . .The following is the proposed back cover copy:Pray with more than mind and spirit—learn to pray with your body as wellIn this innovative prayer

Roynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604385239313350230.post-2879906666990382212008-11-03T20:40:00.000-08:002008-11-03T21:44:17.396-08:00

Father Tom Ryan, author of Prayer of Heart and Body, begins his foreword to my book:"Within the first thirty pages one becomes aware that this is a book that, like a fine wine, has come to maturation slowly. The various prayer components are arranged in a repeated pattern, like good ritual: opening invocation, psalm prayer, silent reflection, praying with the body, heart,, and soul, sitting with

Roynoreply@blogger.com0