Late Friday eve drive
from Richmond to Norfolk,
I prayed: O Lord,
please part the red sea
of tail lights before me;
save me from the furious,
blinding machines bearing
down behind me; pluck
me from the path of foes
who curse my existence.
You, I know, always
show the way to fly free.
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | March 15, 2014
On the Way
Posted in Poetry
Posted by: John | March 10, 2014
I AM Present!
I keep hearing about how we’re supposed to just live in the present moment, stop thinking about the past and worrying about the future.
I just realized, I DO live in the present! When I allow every pissy-assed little issue that comes up to anger me, I’m not being grateful for the gifts I’ve been given in the past – nor am I being hopeful that in the future I can calm down. So, there.
Posted in Journal entry
Posted by: John | March 9, 2014
Slip Through
I’d like to see if I could become a non-entity
and slip through a crack in reality.
Posted in Poetry
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | March 6, 2014
Lose Your Life
“Jesus said to all: ‘If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'”
(Luke 9:23-24)
“Just as we all have a mission – a way of contributing to God’s kingdom that we were designed and gifted for – we also have what might be called a shadow mission. My shadow mission is what I will do with my life if I drift on autopilot. It consists of the activities toward which I will gravitate if I allow my natural temptations and selfishness to take over. Everybody has a shadow mission.”
(from John Ortberg’s book, When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box)
These quotes remind me that, as Christians, we aren’t allowed to do what we want to do with our lives. If we truly wish to follow Jesus, then we must do the will of God – not our own will. This, obviously, can be a tough pill to swallow, especially for those of us in the West who are taught to be individuals, to go after our dreams. There’s nothing we can’t have or do!
For me, these quotes also bring up the issues of karma and reincarnation. Ortberg’s idea of a “shadow mission” needs some sort of explanation. I agree that we each have a shadow mission (maybe more than one), but where does it come from? Perhaps it comes from past lives where we developed certain skills that our mind/heart/soul instinctively wants to duplicate. Perhaps it comes from choices we’ve made in the past.
Here’s an example: My “shadow mission” seems to be living the life of a hermit. I feel strongly called to live a life of silence and solitude focused on prayer and penance for the salvation of the world. I have been fighting with this “call” for ten years. Where could such a calling originate if not in a past life? If it were merely a figment of my imagination it would have faded away by now. If I chose to, I could manipulate the circumstances of my life to become a hermit. (I actually did so in 2007 – with disastrous results). If such were my true calling in this life, however, then God would arrange everything for me to follow the call. If I ignore God and just do what I want to do, then as Jesus says, I’m actually losing my life rather than saving it. The key is to willingly lose my life (give up trying to attain my dream/goal of becoming a hermit) to be a true follower of the Lord.
Some years ago, I realized that nobody I know is living the life they would like to be living. (I’m a yoga teacher but I want to be a hermit!) There’s always something “wrong” or “missing” or “unfulfilled.” For Christians, this is “the cross” we are asked to carry. Those who wish to follow Jesus choose to carry the cross daily – with joy. Not in sorrow or anger or resignation. With joy. Is it easy? Of course not. Does it get easier? I hope so.
Posted in Spiritual Life | Tags: carry the cross, hermits, John Ortberg, lose your life to save it, Luke 9, shadow mission
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | March 5, 2014
The Commute
Windshields coated
with ice resist
attempts to clear.
Resort to pouring
lukewarm water.
Chip, dig, scrape, push
broken sheets away.
Huff and puff amid
freezing cold at 5AM.
What must be endured
to reach minimum-
wage paying job.
Rich bastard
kicked back with coffee,
feet on table, watching
rows of brake lights
from picture window.
He smiles, shakes his head:
“Poor suckers.”
Posted in Poetry
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | March 4, 2014
Discipleship Moment
This year, I’m enjoying a small group study on Discipleship at Second Presbyterian Church. We’ve been discussing what discipleship means to us, how we can better follow the Lord and do the work he is inviting us to do in the world.
One interesting topic is how to know what kinds of things the Lord asks of us. Does he want us to become missionaries in Africa? Does he want us to serve the poor and the homeless in our own city? What should we do?
We are discussing the fact that God has given each of us certain gifts which he intends for us to use for the betterment of this world he created. There are many types of gifts, such as: discernment, faith, evangelism, serving, music, wisdom, hospitality, intercession, and teaching. Once we can see our spiritual gifts, we’re more likely to realize ways of using them for God’s glory. The underlying theme is that God is not asking us to force ourselves to do extraordinary things, to take on tasks for which we feel unequipped.
Sometimes it’s the seemingly little things that make a big difference. If we can go about our days with our eyes, ears and hearts open, we will see all sorts of opportunities to love God and love our neighbors by using our gifts. For example:
Last week, I called the mother of a friend of mine because she has been collecting old books for me on Franciscan spirituality. This sweet lady is about 80 years old and her husband is 82. She started telling me all about how she cares for her husband who is suffering from dementia, and about her fears of it becoming Alzheimer’s. She said a friend of hers recommended that she get in contact with the local Alzheimer’s Association to get info about support groups, rides, etc. I could tell from the way she was talking that she really wanted to get in touch with them but didn’t know how. I said, “Let me see if I can find their number.” So, I pulled up the Alzheimer’s Association on the internet and gave her the local number. She was so grateful! She kept saying, “Oh, this is really an answer to prayer.” The whole thing was amazing because it was obvious to me that God inspired me to call her because she needed help (not to find out about the books). What I did for her was so simple (and easy for me) – but it made a big difference to her. This is how God works.
Let’s go about our days in the confidence that God will show us exactly how, when and where to use our spiritual gifts. Each moment has the potential to be a discipleship moment.
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | March 4, 2014
My Yoga Mat
Green yoga mat
soft and worn with use —
Earth listens
Posted in Poetry
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | February 26, 2014
More Mud!
As you may have noticed from my recent posts, I’ve been playing around with writing haiku. I’ve always loved this poetry form, but have never taken the time to really work on it.
Yesterday, I wrote a haiku, read it, and thought to myself, “I don’t think that’s a haiku.” Sure enough, it seems to be a related form, called senryu. See what you think:
Muddy shoes slip quick;
seek soft, rain-soaked grass to clean…
But what? Not more mud!
Posted in Poetry
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | February 25, 2014
Hawaiian Cave
Water droplets drip
along sheer rocky cliff-face…
glimpse cave of dry bones
Posted in Poetry
Posted by: Jivani Lisa | February 24, 2014
Beach Haiku
Teens perched on beach bench…
gazes fixed on cell phone screens
searching for the sea
Posted in Poetry
John and Lisa's Blue Skies Blog - Soaring with God 