Masks

My youngest says FB is one of those masks. That's probably true, much of the time.

But I think of the masks in this quote as being more real, more honestly revealing than what one does on Facebook. More intimate.

Masks are an interesting concept to me. I am aware that I have lots of them. I've discarded a few too. But some are still absolutely necessary. I wonder if others have a repertoire of masks, and are they aware of them?

Also, maybe they aren't always totally deceptive. Maybe they are crafted so as to reveal what we are capable of revealing, while hiding what we can't bear to have seen?

I dunno...



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My Wish...

I wish there was less brokenness in the world.

I wish there was less brokenness in my country.

I wish there was less brokenness in my family.

I wish we always had someone to catch us when we fall 

(and maybe, that we wouldn't "tear our britches" so in the fall).

I wish for the world,

for my country,

 for you,

for my loved ones,

and for me,

growth.

My contribution to Gallery 41 of the 52 Photos Project, My Wish.

Renewal

I have not written much about my experience at the silent retreat I took on the weekend of December 14th. I had surgery the Tuesday after that and then the holidays sort of took over.

But in thinking about this week's verb, renew, I remembered one of the statues where I spent a good deal of time meditating and reading and praying and listening.

It was a statue of Lazarus unwrapping his grave clothes. I think this statue is done by the same person who has done statues in a cemetery/mausoleum near my house where I have taken pictures once. The statues sort of creep me out and draw me in at the same time. I didn't do a great job with the photos. I only had my phone and the light was not quite right.

Lazarus, removing his grave clothes. Renewed.

Me, walking through some pretty tough stuff and slowly emerging, renewed and stronger than ever.

Yeah, renew. It's a good verb. And a very good experience.

I looked at Lazarus and I wondered, what are some of the grave clothes I wear that encumber me and still keep me bound so that I can't move and live as I'd like to move and live?

I looked at Lazarus and I marveled, man it feels good to be freed from some of that tangled mess.

I looked at Lazarus and I knew, there is still more work to be done. But I am on the road to renewal and growth.

And I am grateful.

52 Verbs, Week 4: Renew

This little piece that was created entirely on my phone is my first post on the 4th verb, renew. It is also my contribution to the 52 Photos Project, Gallery 40, Black and White.

Here is the original photo, in color.

 I think I will have more to say about "renew" later on in the week. For now I am headed out the door to listen to a really good musician at church, which in itself is renewing.

52 Verbs, Week 3: Scatter

I'm not doing too very good at keeping up with my little project. It seems to me I keep pulling difficult verbs!

I spent a good amount of time over the Christmas holidays in the country. I thought about what I might want to see/have/do in 2013. I've never been good at making resolutions and I'm even worse about keeping resolutions. Often what works best for me is to sort of remember them casually in my head. I think I might have mentioned that I attempted to work through Susannah Conway's workbook, "Unraveling 2013." I'm still working on it. I'm to the point where you pull out the calendar and write down stuff to do in the coming months of the year. I'm having a tough time deciding to do that! I want to keep the calendar and mark off my various "successes" after the fact! If I write stuff down now and do not do anything about it, that will make me feel bad.

Anyway, I started the work. I answered the questions and came up with several intentions. And then worried that the intentions would scatter like leaves once I started heading home. . .

I get hung up on thinking about all the things I could/should be doing and worrying about all the ways I could get hung up.

No doubt about it, 2013 will take some things from me. One question might be "what is left behind, and how do I live with what remains?"

I could find myself in the crotch of adversity! Oh, dear me!

And there are always thorns to prick and tear.

Fingers pointing out all the things you have not done.

Drooping but still beautiful, no?

Stuck! Or, enjoying the light and the warmth of the sun for just a moment or two?

Is this a helpful leaf, pointing the way?

I want the light to shine through me.

The vine creeps slowly along. The branch quietly supports her growth.

 My favorite leaf of the day.

So, growth is one of the things I hope for from 2013.

Also, there is the intention to be more attentive to my present moment.

There are other things, too, but much of it is scattered like the leaves of the current season. 

Scattered, like my thoughts today. 

Wide Open Spaces

(My contribution for Gallery 39 of the 52 Photos Project, Wide Open Spaces.)

I tried to think of something more unique than the wide open space of the sky but I just couldn't come up with anything else! I did have the thought that, for me, empty white pages in my journal represent wide open spaces but that would have made for a boring photograph! 

The photo above was taken in the early evening. I was coming back from the store and almost waited too late to stop my vehicle and get out to take the picture. The skies were gorgeous this past weekend (and the weather, too).

Here's a little washed out picture of "joy." Wide open spaces abound there too, in joy. . .

Scattered Thoughts

("Scatter" is my third verb of the year. This is not my official "52 Verbs" post.)

Another of the things I want to do this year with my blog is to do a better job of sharing my arty things and photos here. Sometimes I post them on Facebook and never put them on my blog.

I have been having loads of fun with my phone and several phone apps creating these small things that I think might make good greeting cards some day. Here are a couple of my latest ones...


I also have a version of this one that says "Carpe yer diem, sister."


I love this quote by Thomas Merton. I used it on the inside of my Christmas card this last year.

More to come...

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