A Practice For Troubled Times

Pause for a moment. Gaze into this scene from nature, and as you gaze upon this scene, notice. Be attentive and aware of the detail, color, and context. Name what you see:A rock sitting in the middle of a creek.Water surrounds the stone in stillness.Forest shadows resting upon the water.Branches covered in green moss. Please […]

Midnight Musings

Sleep tonight is not going well. On such night’s I generally get up and do something. Yoga works, sometimes. Other times I will get up and make coffee and then read or write in my journal. Eventually, fatigue takes over and I’m off to bed. At this early hour today I’m doing some stream of […]

Stepping into a New Future

When I awoke this morning I was reflecting on the current occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon by a group of out of state militants. I was reminded of something I wrote some time ago. Most of us greet the New Year with at least some degree of uncertainty. Predicting where we […]

Moldova and Uganda Part II: A Deeper Listening is Necessary

Moldova update (I will write later on Uganda) The purpose of my trip to Moldova in September and October was to deepen my understanding of the culture and region of Moldova and to assess whether or not there is a future project that could make a sustainable difference. Progress was made in deepening my understanding […]

Dialogue: Curiosity Inspires Hope

From time to time, I would like to share notes from my journals. When possible, I will cite the sources; however, my early readings were not well cited. The best I can do in some instances is to cite whom I quoted and the date of the notes. I came across some notes in my […]

Take a moment

The past is a memory. Draw richly from it… with gratitude. And the future, my you draw forth hope and possibility. Is your past one of beauty and light? No matter how it may appear, you get to choose. It may not be easy. It may take a heart willing to shine the light of […]

From Worry to Peace of Mind

I recall clearly riding my tricycle, as a child, and accidentally riding over a bee. I am not sure how old I was, perhaps four or five. I got off my tricycle, kneeled down on the ground and put my eyes as close as possible to the bee’s little body. I stared with wonder. In […]

The Power of Listening

Having the opportunity to reflect on several years of working with individuals and groups—both young and old, I have listened for those experiences of being effective and ineffective. I’ve had plenty of both! Looking back as recently as this past year while working in a high school, I’ve noticed a few qualities that show up […]

Beyond Difference: Acknowledging our shared culture

It is important to celebrate our heritage, be it cultural, ethnic or spiritual. It is also important to respect those of others. However, only acknowledging what makes us different from others, while ignoring the common source of life that connects us all, leads to divisiveness rather than harmony. Our true identity is to be found […]

The Path of Trust

True and lasting peace will be realized only by forging bonds of trust between people at the deepest level, in the depths of their very lives. – Daisaku Ikeda Looking back over my years of having a spiritual practice I have noticed a couple of key principles that continue to make a difference in my […]