Church of the Used Bookstore

 

Attended the Church of the Used Bookstore today.

 

Sermons preached in paperback,

prayers whispered in musty boxes

 and hymns sung in jumbled stacks.

 

A congregation of seekers and believers,

the broke and the penitent,

the sinner and the saint.

 

. Each finding exactly what they needed

 even if they came for something else.

 

Outdoor Therapy

 

I went for a long walk today,

My "Daring Greatly" t-shirt hidden under my jacket.

 

I told my story in the shadow of the trees,

And felt my words take wing and rise up in the gentle morning breeze. 

 

I shared my story with the Great Blue Heron that followed me down the creek.

 

We watched each other - bearing silent witness

as something passed between us.

And as I watched her take flight

 I too was lifted up.

 

 

 

Steeping

I have been enjoying a cup of herbal tea most mornings. I enjoy the ritual of preparing it as well as the aroma, the taste and the warmth -- sometimes I get a little ahead of myself and don't allow it to steep long enough.

Steep: to soak in water or other liquid, as to soften, cleanse, or extract some constituent.

 

Lately I have had a couple of phrases that I have been

allowing to steep in my  mind....

 

 

Radical Acceptance

 

Fierce Grace

 

Extravagant Compassion

 

Sacred Pause

 

 

I'm enjoying the steeping process:

letting them

soften my heart

cleanse my soul

and

extracting meaning

from them.

 

I have been "steeping" myself over the past year in some great books that have included those phrases. The phrases all rang true to me and I have enjoyed thinking about them,
putting them into practice and and thinking about them some more.

 Isn't life a grand adventure?
At this point in the journey I'm finally
 learning how to enjoy the ride :)

 

If you need a great herbal tea try Tazo's,

if you want something to read try one of these.

 

Radical Acceptance (Tara Brach)

The Power of Now (Ekhart Tolle)

Awakening Joy (James Baraz)

True Refuge (Tara Brach)