Lousy At Math...

Lousy At Math



Once a group of thieves stole a rare diamond
larger than two goose eggs.


Its value could have easily bought three hundred thousand horses
and three thousand acres of the most
fertile land in
Shiraz.


The thieves got drunk that night to celebrate their great haul,
but during the course of the evening the effects of the liquor,
and their mistrust of each other grew
to such an extent


they decided to divide the stone into pieces.
Of course then the Priceless became lost.


Most eveyone is lousy at math and does that to God --
dissects the Indivisible One,


by thinking, by saying,
"This is my Beloved, he looks like this and acts like that,
how could that moron over there
really
be


God?"


Poem by: Hafiz
Found in: "Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West" by, Daniel Ladinsky

Happy Day!

For Uncle Eggert!!

i thank you God for most this amazing
day: for leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any -- lifted from the no
of all nothing -- human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e.e. cummings

We celebrate with you!

A "Summer-ary"

What a summer we've had, so far. Here are a few "snapshots"...

~ Two little girls sitting in the orange-glow of afternoon, hunting for "jewels" (beads that are faceted and shaped like diamonds) out of a trinket box of beads. Over them, Alison Krauss singing "Jewels"... "Like the stars of the morning, His bright crown adorning, they will shine in their beauty, bright gems for His crown..."

~ After days of riding bikes through Wisconsin, we are in a restaurant called, The Angry Minnow (I completely recommend it) in Hayward; listening to the accomplishments of the various riders. One boy of nine rode 71 miles one day, our boy of nine rode 41 miles one day, our six-year-old rode 15 miles one day on her own bike, and our three-year-old rode 20 miles on a trail-a-bike -- each child honored for their accomplishment. Children and adults all together laughing, talking, enjoying each other.

~ I went to Cub Scout Camp, Akela, with my nine-year-old boy. I was invited. I was amazed that I was invited and we had such fun. There were SO many holy moments that weekend, but the one that stays with me is on the way home, I told my nine-year-old that I felt very honored that he asked me to go and I thanked him for sharing that with me. He looked at me and said, "I was honored that you went with me. Will you go with me next year?"

~ Sitting on the phone with a friend and realizing that God is moving in both our lives in the same way; calling us away from hurtful ways of being. We committed to watching each other's backs, to encourageing each other to press through. I am amazed at God's grace to give companions in the journey.

~ The kids being up at Grandma's and Grandpa's farm, I spent a day literally lying on the couch with the dog. We rested, read, prayed, wrote, listened, rested, slept, ate... it was amazing. He was so happy!

~ Finding, "Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and the West" by Daniel Ladinsky, for sale at the Library. Bought it for a dollar and... my heart is still trying to unpack it personally...

~ My husband getting Fareignheight 9/11 and us watching it until 1 in the morning. My heart is still trying to unpack it personally...

~ Listening to Steve Hanson of Open Door speak about Gulu and what God is doing there with Open Door. My heart is still trying to upack it personally...

These are a few of the moments that I have tasted this summer. It has been, amidst the hard times, very precious.

City-House E-Newsletter...

I found a gem of a poem on the City-House E-Newsletter today.


DEAF GOD* By Edwina Gateley (Written during her 5 years of doing work with street people in Chicago)

I am suddenly angry with God!
I’ve been thinking of the streets and all its misery and degradation,
thinking of our faith, and our hope, thinking of God’s promise –
to heal, transform, listen to her people..
and I wondered perhaps, if God had gone a little deaf of late?
Wondered why she did not answer, when her people believed and called.
I told her she was slow, and needed, perhaps, to get moving, to answer her people!
………

Ah, We have to feel God in our lives.
We have to run with him, sleep with her, eat with her, cry with him…
It is the Great Reckoning, the mindless, passionate, rendezvous,
during which we can say to the Creator,
“Dammit! – what are you up to?”
And still know that we will end up together,
rolling and laughing on the forest floor
.………

Yes, We have within us the given power
to make God stir, and the whole court of heaven
rise, startled, to hear us.