God Is Awake

Have courage for the great sorrows of life,
and patience for the small ones.

When you have laboriously
accomplished your daily tasks,
go to sleep in peace.

God is awake.

~ Victor Hugo

Of Note: Many people think of God as a Person, an Entity, and if that be true, God is indeed awake at every moment in time. Like a great Deity watching over his flock. Another way of thinking of God as awake would be to consider God as a Principle underlying all of creation, that which we see and that which we don't. In this sense, God Is as in All That Is. All. Of course, we cannot really get our brain around the notion since we have no real concept of that which we see let alone that which we cannot see or comprehend. But in meditation when our brains are quiet, such revelations become possible. For those interested in getting to the crux of the matter, meditation on the concept could potentially speed up the process.

Today's Weather Report: The oppressive heat has let up, and it is now again in the 70's Fahrenheit. There is not a cloud in the sky so I have no idea why the forecast shows showers today. My daughter and her husband visited last weekend and took this picture of our lake. Several years ago before the drought, the lake covered these logs which are remnants of logging in the late 1880's. At that time, this elbow-shaped lake was the Namekagon River, and logs were moved down it to the mill in Hayward. Later the river was permanently diverted to the other side of our property so that the logs would have a straighter path. This discovery six years ago was the start of a book by my husband that was published last fall called The History of the Northwoods.

Evolutionary God

I give thanks, Holy Mystery,
to have a part in this evolutionary phenomenon,
and to strive for communion with all life,
however diverse and bewildering,
to be alive and conscious
in the midst of an unfolding universe
whose existence stretches back
an almost unthinkable passage of time,
across an almost inconceivable
ocean of space.

To know my own true name this day
is to recognize myself to be your creature,
your child, your very hope and promise,
and to pledge myself as faithfully as I can
to celebrate my part in this colossal drama
with passion and humility.

Amen.

~William Cleary
Prayers to an Evolutionary God

Today's Weather Report: Hot and humid. Sticky and muggy. Tongues hanging down to the floor kind of day. No respite. It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 90% humidity. That says it all. Thunderstorms are expected this evening, some of which could be severe. Last evening Chewy, the 8-month old, 82.5 pound puppy got a treble hook from a lure stuck in his lip. That entailed a 9 pm emergency trip to the vet clinic in Spooner--it being Sunday, the on-call vet took care of the matter expeditiously with a piece of cotton fabric and a quick flip of her wrist. There was not even any blood. The $236 bill made that lure the most expensive on record.

The Dance of Life

To be alive in this beautiful,
self-organizing universe--
to participate in the dance of
life with senses to perceive it,
lungs to breathe it, organs
that draw nourishment from it--
it is a wonder beyond words.

~ Joanna Macy

Of Note: Only fools would try to explain why we are here. Yet, day after day fool like me go at it with vengeance. Problem is, the push to know often results in little progress. Maybe that is because we are trying too hard to know the visible while Reality reigns on the invisible planes. Maybe the answer is to simply look at what is before us and meditate on the cause of it all. Jesus once said, "Ask and you shall receive." If we want to know badly enough and with the proper motive, certainly the Cause of It All will provide a response.

Today's Weather Report: The day started off sunny and is coming to a close with multi-layered clouds in the sky. A little while ago it was sprinkling tiny, tiny drops which is perfect for the six lilacs and other new plantings. Today, my Mom, who was visiting from Texas, and I created a colorful window box full of begonias fashioned after that of a friend. I had always wanted one but could not get my brain around what plants to put with what. Well, with some help, it all came together.

Life Shatters You

Life does not accommodate you;

it shatters you.

Every seed destroys its container,
or else there would be no fruition.

~Florida Scott-Maxwell

Of Note: Life after the life the soul evolves its consciousness through varied experiences, many apparently unpleasant. At death the container is shattered through sickness, injury or simply old age. Death provides the means for new, expansive experiences for the soul the next time around. We only see the container and believe it is the fruit that is important. Not so. In reality, the seed of the soul is the buried treasure.

Today's Weather Report: It's in the 80's today and HOT in the sun. So we went from cold, rainy spring to hot summer weather in a week. Not unusual for northern Wisconsin. Today I bought 6 lilac bushes to plant on a berm I denuded of wild raspberry bushes last year. In prep for a new planting of something, all the weeds that grew among the raspberries were killed. The place was a mess before and untouchable because of the prickly berry plants. Now we will have something more civilized, more in keeping with the rest of the expansive flower gardens.

Awe Is What Moves Us Forward

The divine manifestation is ubiquitous,
only our eyes are not open to it . . .
Awe is what moves us forward.

~Joseph Campbell

Of Note: Human psychology is such that without pain there is no gain. We all think that life would be so much better if hardship would disappear and leave only beauty in its place. Not so. Think about it. How would we know beauty without its contrast? How we we know Truth without its opposite? Earth is the school of duality from which we must graduate. We don't know why. Yet. But when the revelation comes, bet it is going to be awesome.

Today's Weather Report: It's in the 70's Fahrenheit. I know that because it feels neither hot or cold. Perfect sleeveless shirt weather. Yesterday, I mowed for four hours and the temps were in the 70's as well. It is predicted that the sun will shine, and these temperatures will continue for the next week. Perennials are cropping up everywhere, and because no deer are around to eat them thanks to the wolves and the dogs, they are particularly abundant. Some I've never seen. Forgot I planted them, actually. In the past much to my chagrin, night-time foraging deer had mowed many plants to the ground. This photo was shot from our dock one summer evening in 2007. It still fills me with a sense of awe.

Difference We Cannot Foresee

We must not, in trying to think
about how can make a big difference,
ignore the small daily difference we can make
which, over time, add up to the big differences
that we often cannot foresee.

~ Marion Wright Edelman

Of Note: Lately, I have been reading stories of people who have made a huge difference in the world. People such as Dr. Paul Farmer and Greg Mortenson. Treadmill time allows me to read books written by and about these altruistic lions. Emotionally, I want to catch the next plane to Haiti or Afghanistan to volunteer or maybe start something of my own. Realistically, of course, that is impossible--and probably not even advisable. We can't always do what our emotions dictate. Sometimes our souls have something else in mind. Like staying right in the environment we are in. For some, meditation as service is all that is required. Just think. If each of us reached out to two others the whole world would be covered overnight in a web of light. And nothing would be the same any more. Check out www.lucistrust.org under "Service, Triangles" and read about one way to serve the world right from home.

Today's Weather Report: At last the sun shineth. After a rainy week, it is a welcome sight. Thankfully, because it has also been cold, the grass has not grown much. Had it been warm, it would have grown several inches and made mowing difficult. Mowing is on my mind, bet you can tell. In the house this week, I painted the old cigar Indian who guards the gardens. His paint was chipping on all surfaces where the rain and snow beat down over the last 7 or 8 years. With a new, colorful body, he is back on his rock. During a short re-installment ceremony, with me and the two dogs in attendance, I thanked him for his service. New this spring--no deer damage as these critters have either been killed by wolves or have simply flown the coup because of the new dogs. Because of this, flowers have bloomed that I've never seen before, like three different colors of grape hyacinth. Beautiful! In past years with little fanfare and stealthily during the night, the deer mowed them to the ground. I like to see deer in the distance, but deer in the garden is a non-starter.

The Wise Shape Their Minds

As irrigators lead water where they want,
as archers make their arrows straight,
as carpenters carve wood,
the wise shape their minds.

~Buddha

Today's Weather Report: It has been pouring rain all day. We could use it as the above photos show. Mind you, the water used to be up to the board parallel with the bottom of the picture though not for several years. Thus, one day recently we decided to take the old dock out and call it a day. Two local entrepreneurs, the Doc Doctors pictured here, came out a hour after we called and within two hours had the old dock rolled out for $50. Amazingly, the tires were still inflated after all these years. The gargantuan snapping turtle that dwells under the old dock may miss the shade. Maybe it will move on to another location so the grandkids can swim there. Obviously, this is not possible with the turtle lurking.