Breath Prayer

Today I want to share the concept of "breath prayer", a way of prayer "without ceasing" which has deeply affected my relationship with God and the living out of that. This needn't supplant your other prayer or spiritual practices, but offers a powerful foundation for your life in God. If you aren't a "pray-er", indulge me for a few minutes. :)

Sit quietly for a few minutes, breathing slowly and deeply, settling into the depths of yourself, with the intention to listen for the Spirit to give you the prayer you most need just now. ("The Spirit prays within us...") Picture God, in whatever image you use, being before you, calling you by name, and asking "__________, what do you want?" Allow yourself to open to that question. Do you want healing? peace? openness of mind and heart? Freedom? Guidance? Choose a name by which you will address God, e.g. Dear Father, Creator, Holy One, Lord Jesus, etc. After your time with God, choose one petition, put the name with it, and repeat the phrase over and over as often as you think of it. It might be "Dear God, give me hope" or "Set me free, Lord Jesus" or "Spirit of Life, fill me" or "Show me Your way, O God". Mainly, keep the phrase short--4-8 syllables--so you can easily and rhythmically repeat it.

At first the prayer will "inhabit" your mouth. That is, you will have to verbally repeat it until you are really used to it. At length, it will "move" into your head, then drop into your heart, where it will almost pray itself with your breath. It is important to work with one phrase for a while, say a month, before leaving it for a different one. But when the time comes, the prayer will almost change itself, helping you to see what you *now* need most.

There is no need to match the prayer to your breathing. Just keep saying it, especially at times when you are waiting--for a train, in a line, going to sleep.Even though the petition may seem self-centered, you will be trusting the Holy Spirit to give you the prayer you need and it will empower you to be even more of a gift to those around you. When you get tired of repeating it to yourself, say it again and again.

I hope you'll give it a try, if you desire a deepened prayer life. Check out Romans 8 or II Thessalonians if you want Scriptural basis for this. If you are not Christian, perhaps your own holy writings will guide you. May you be blessed, today and always!

I got passionate and responded, loudly, to a negative remark at a meeting the other night. I thought I was defending those in charge who are working hard from the "let's be realistic" attitude of someone who hasn't been directly involved recently. He seemed OK with my remarks. We've known each other for years and have been part of many contentious meetings.

What troubles me is the perception that my "outburst" was seen as negative and helped to end the meeting on a less than upbeat note. I've experienced this reaction to my anger all my life. I don't understand it very well. People usually experience me as friendly, humorous, warm, even gentle. So is that why it's such a "surprise" when I actually express a vociferous opinion? Some people speak bluntly and loudly and don't seem to get that reaction. Handling anger appropriately is a challenge to all of us; hence the state of the world.

I was never allowed to openly express it growing up, so I kept it in or took it out on doors, which I slammed violently. My mother used to call that "wooden swearing", so even that action wasn't approved of. I have always been fearful of any sort of conflict.

In my "new life" as an older person and a widow, I find I care less what people think, and I carry a fair (or unfair) amount of anger, so I express myself openly more often. I think it is healthy, even though I know it can also be hurtful, even destructive. So while I'm sorry I have offended others, I'm also pleased that I finally have the courage to use my voice without so much fear. Once again, the challenge, I know, is to find a balance. And that I will continue to be aware of. I ask God's help in that effort. But I also rejoice that I can speak over my fear and work through the responses to that voice!

Peace be with us all and have a safe celebration of our country's birth!

Kitty pic

So does anyone want to take a stab at captioning the photo above. That is my 18# friend, Willie, before he weighed quite that much. One of my dear friends suggested something like: "Excuse me, I'm busy here. Please close the door." Any other suggestions?

On a gray, chilly day, after hearing that another dear friend's dearest friend has just died, this cat silliness makes sense to me. Or at least as much as anything else in this crazy life.

I received a DVD from the Woman of the Year event which I wish I could share with you, but don't know how. I looked at that woman named Carol and I couldn't quite believe she was me, know what I mean? I was pleased with her, though, so that was good.

Many blessings to anyone who visits here! And much gratitude for the healing of my young friend, Sophie, and prayers for us all, especially T&G.

What is really important?

A man who comes to me for spiritual guidance said he's at a stage in his life where he frequently asks: Is it really important? This prevents him from wasting good energy fuming over things he cannot control. Wise.

But here I am, fuming over something that I believe IS important, but over which I probably have little or no control. Last fall I saved the article below and this morning, in light of today's news, it struck me again.

MIND-BOGGLING: If the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street were paid out in $100 bills, it would amount to a stack 54 miles high. Or if you were to count to 700 billion at the rate of one number per second, it would take 21,000 years. Given the magnitude of the plan, no wonder there is public outrage. But columnist James Carroll noticed another, similar figure: in the fiscal year just begun the Pentagon will spend $607 billion on regular military operations (as well as another $100 billion on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq). He wonders where the outrage is over this comparable figure. "The annual American military budget is at least 10 times larger than the military budgets of Russia and China, " says Carrroll, and "it is 20 times larger than the entire budget of the U.S. State Department." (International Herald Tribune, October 7). Christian Century, Nov. 4, 2008 p. 9 (And bear in mind the billions that have been spent or promised since last November.)

Why isn't there outrage? Maybe because we would so much rather wax self-righteous over, or at least disrespectful of, the marital problems of prominent couples, be they the Sanfords or the Edwards or the Clintons or the Gingriches, than we would to DEMAND accountability and priorities that matter from our governing bodies.

Marriage is hard, especially when you live in a fishbowl. People have affairs. It isn't something to applaud or be proud of, but compared to the actions that oppress, torture, kill, infringe on constitutional freedoms, manipulate populations for the benefit of a wealthy elite, trod on people's life work as though it was nothing,it pales as a moral concern.

Oh, but it's such great fodder for the ever-hungry 24-hour news cycle. The "outrage" voiced is laughable. I wonder how many of the outraged are currently "seeing someone" behind the scenes. I wonder if the "scandal" isn't "getting caught" more than the actual infidelity. And what a juicy distraction from the depressing news that our way of life is disintegrating.

Well, that's my rant on a very hot day in Michigan. Thanks for reading.