thesoulpurposedotorg

In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. (Psalm 127:2 NIV84)

Sleep is vastly under-rated in our culture. Working ourselves or others to death, either a physical or spiritual death, has become the norm for the vast majority. I did this to myself a decade or so ago. It cost me my job and eventually most everything I owned. And it has taken me all those years to catch up on my sleep.

I felt so guilty about this need for sleep! What use was I to anyone as I slept 12 hours a day? But then I wasn’t use to anyone when I didn’t. This need for excessive sleep has finally come back to normal. And truly, God gives to me, his beloved, sleep.

Two of our grandchildren just spent a week with us all by themselves. What a total delight! Oh my, the energy they have! It’s been less than 24 hours and we already miss them terribly. The sweet sound of their laughter, the joy of play, the incessant “Grandma? Grandpa?” and thier delight in catching frogs…it’s too quiet now! But I have to say the sleep we got last night was one of the most restorative ever. May God bless every parent everywhere with his beloved sleep

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How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! (Psalm 84:1 NIV84)

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV84)

I have heard so often, more often than not, that people find it difficult to meditate. Some even say things like: “I am no good at meditating!”. Or “I tried and tried but I just can’t do that. In my experience, the reason most people have these issues is because they are trying!
Now hear me out! Meditating is not something that has to be worked on. In fact, we can’t actually meditate on our own. It is something God does within us. In fact, God meditates us! If we will let God just be with us. It is a matter of receiving rather than giving. It is a feminine response, if you will.
What we give is simply our time. Sounds too easy, doesn’t it? Here are some suggestions:
1) play a piece of music that is only instrumental. I particularly like the Timeless Motion CD by Daniel Kobiaka. Don’t choose an instrumental of hymns you know. If you do, you will try to remember the words and be distracted.
2) choose a place that you can sit to meditate and not use for any other purpose if possible. If this is not possible, choose a shawl or prayer beads or anything that represents prayers to you. The purpose of this is to train your body to relax in God’s presence. Over time, these symbols will trigger your mind with memories of meditation.
3) start with 5 minutes and increase over time. The use of a CD will provide a natural beginning and ending for your time of meditation.
4) choose a name for God from scripture such as Abba Father, or Lord Jesus Christ, or Spirit of God. As you think the first half of the name, breath in then breath out as you think the second half. Do this at least three times.
5) Just rest now knowing that God dwells in you. It may help to keep your attention on your heart as you simply relax into God’s presence.

Like a child resting in his Mother’s lap or sleeping on her Father’s shoulder, so is the blessing of simply resting into God’s presence.

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“If there is righteousness in the heart / There will be beauty in character / If there is beauty in character / There will be harmony in the home / When there is harmony in the home / There will be order in the nation / When there is order in the nation / There will be peace in the world.”

– Sri Sathya sai Baba

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I knew I should have paid better attention in geometry! I am one of those math impaired people. Just the thought of numbers makes me panic. I know only a few numbers by heart: my SSN, my Mom, my daughter, and my husband’s cell phone numbers and how many teaspoons in a Tablespoon (3). When I started to listen to the video on Fibonacci numbers, I started to panic but took a deep breath and watched. And then I watched again. And again.

Our Creator and creation is awesome. Watch in awe:

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I wrote this four years ago. Given our present “world system” and common anxiety, I thought it worth re-posting:

Many years ago, I was introduced to the concept of the “Abuse” or “Co-dependency” Triangle. I have come to think of it as a visual description of sin. Imagine a triangle. At the top of the triangle put the word “Oppressor.” At the left corner put the word “Victim.” At the right corner, put the word “Savior.” Keep that in mind for a few moments. Then think of a troubled relationship in your life. Which of those roles do you play? This can be a personal relationship, a relationship with your job or your church and then finally your relationship with God. Take a few moments to process this thought before you read on.

I believe this concept of God as Savior within the context of this abuse triangle has perpetuated a great mis-understanding of the purpose of life and the purpose of salvation. We miss the gospel itself when stuck in this way of seeing life. We even conceive our country in this way, either as looking to government to save us or to see our country as the world savior. This is so ingrained in our world view that it is hard to think of life any other way. According to the theory, the only way out of this disastorous way of living, is to embrace this paradox: Take total responsibility for your life AND know that you are only a small part of a much bigger picture. I believe that is the salvation of Jesus the Christ: not a rescue from external oppressors, not permission to oppress anyone who doesn’t see life as we do, not a requirement to rescue everyone in our path.
I know I’m getting a little abstract here but bear with me. The concept of the Mystery of the Trinity is basic to orthodox and historical Christianity. It seems most churches and pastors have a great deal of trouble even acknowledging this mystery. In my church, we sing the Gloria Patri and the Doxology for which I am thankful but any sermons I’ve heard on the Trinity have to do with identifying with one of the Three Persons or comparing the Trinity to 3-in1 oil or an egg. I think we’re better off just singing our praises to this which we do not understand.
For me, it has been embracing the Trinity in all It’s mystery that has countered my own sin-triangle with a holy cleansing. Living life in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…..meditating in the knowledge that I am one with the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sanctifier…..even more ancient is the Sanskrit understanding of God as Tat, Sat and Om. I begin my mediation time with a ritual of remembrance as I stand before three candles, I cross myself in the eastern tradition and know I am in the presence of that which creates all, that which was incarnated in a woman’s womb, that which binds me to eternal life – I let this mystery that is greater than my sin embrace me and fill me and breathe through me. One resource in particular has been very helpful in this regard: Richard Rohr’s The Divine Dance . This is a set of four CD’s. Do not listen to this while you are driving! The depth of mystery to be experienced and holy presence is not compatable with driving. I went five exits past my destination the first time I listened. l close with this: This is the prayer by Richard Rohr that comes with the CD:

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“Whether you like it or not, whether you know it or not, secretly all nature seeks God and works toward [God].”

– Meister Eckhart

Good to know in these days when all of creation seems to be at the very least confused. I am reminded of these words of the Apostle Paul :

The created world was bound to fail. But that was not the result of its own choice. It was planned that way by the One who made it. God planned to set the created world free. He didn’t want it to rot away completely. Instead, he wanted it to have the same glorious freedom that his children have.
We know that all that God created has been groaning. It is in pain as if it were giving birth to a child. The created world continues to groan even now. (Romans 8:20-22 NIRV)

And so do we. Groan, and worry and wonder. But even we are groaning with creation towards our loving creator who planted within us all this glorious freedom to be what we were created to be.

Right now it seems that aging is a part of that created purpose. I’m not liking this. However, this human body must have been created with humor in mind. Yearning for the glorious freedom of life in a ressurected body, count me part of that groaning creation!

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For God so loved the world that he had to become one of us. And then, Alleluia, He is risen and we return to our destiny to be one with God. Amen.

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This I know too well:

You can control a mad elephant;
  You can shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger;
  You can ride a lion;
  You can play with the cobra;
  By alchemy you can eke out your livelihood;
  You can wander through the universe incognito;
  You can make vassals of the gods;
  You can be ever youthful;
  You can walk on water and live in fire;
  But control of the mind is better and more difficult.
~Thayumanavar

As quoted in AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI by Paramahansa Yogananda

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