Category: humility

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Self Love

self-loveAs soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. ~ Garth Henrichs

One of the main aspects of trust, whether for yourself other toward others is “Love.” I am not talking about the mushy, sloppy type of temporary high school or lusty love. I am speaking about the love that endures. Oft times we see that as friendship or the unconditional love that we feel. Self love is a prerequisite to the love of others.

We don’t often think of self love or when we do think of it, it’s in the negative ways, such as self-serving or self-aggrandizing. We see the boisterous and pompous and they are our most visible mis-examples of self-love. Usually this type of behavior is a disguise of those devoid of love.

Self love starts with taking care of yourself obviously, but it also means that you are happy as you are and willing to add greater prosperity and greater good to your life without harming or taking anything away from anyone else.

Then, the natural extension of that is empathy and caring for others. Until we begin to love our “self,” we cannot start to love others. Grand examples of those who care for others are the Dali Llama, Pema Chödron, fr. Richard Rhor, and Pope Francis, but there are billions of lesser known people who are absolutely comfortable with themselves and are loving, caring people. It probably includes you, so, as usual, I’m talking to “the choir” as it were.

If this strikes a chord in you, or you would like to hear more, let me know.

~rev jim

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Do you believe in Karma?

waynedyer382838Karma, whatever you call it, it is.  It can be said in many ways.

If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.

It is done unto you as you believe.

What goes around, comes around.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Some of these are reflections of how we should act naturally, while others are phrases describing what happens when you do something that is perceived as bad by society. However you phrase it, it is the the repercussions of an action taken.

The karma itself is the personal heaven or hell you ultimately create for yourself by not being in alignment with your highest purpose.

Each of us has an opportunity to react or respond to the circumstances of the moment.

~ jim

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What is Salvation?

993150_30225139“It is not only our hatred of others that is dangerous but also and above all our hatred of ourselves: particularly that hatred of ourselves which is too deep and too powerful to be consciously faced. For it is this which makes us see our own evil in others and unable to see it in ourselves.”
-New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton

Long ago, I used to prayer to God to deliver me from evil. I never knew then that the deliverance was from my own self. As I move into union with my higher self, I hold the memory who I thought I was to keep centered on my journey to wholeness.

~jtstarke
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Who were you intended to be?

merton-heroic-humilityWhat mask do you wear in order to keep people from knowing who you truly are?

Do you even know?

What kind of inquiry have you done to even find out who you are?

We are all meant to be here for a purpose. We are not just here to overpopulate the planet.

Think about it. Beyond all the chaos, crime, hunger, and strife, each of us was put here to serve mankind and the universe in some way. Each one of us is unique and precious. On this journey we can life, each of us adds value to life.

If we can find that, true happiness is ours.

~jtstarke

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God has a sense of humor.

Thomas Merton says that “we know Him (God) in so far as we are known by Him.”

Pool Table Billiard BallsI experienced this connection with Spirit on occasion in my thirties in a humorous way. God apparently enjoys an occasional game of pool. The first time I experienced this connection, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but it affected me deeply. The game started as it usually does, with the break. We play that we must call all our banks and combinations of balls used on the table to sink our intended shots. After the break, which is always a “smash and bash” for me, just spreading out the balls across the table, my opponent took his turn and sank four balls.

My next shot was a bank shot the full length of the table bringing the cues back to sink a ball in the corner pocket. As I viewed the shot and the sweet spot, my tinnitus disappeared, and my sight became truly blindered to blot out everything but the shot. As I pulled back on the stick to connect with the ball,I actually felt some restraint in my follow through of the shot limiting more than I would the power with which I connected with the cue ball. The shot was perfect and the leave for the subsequent shot was also spot on. This continued as I mouthed the calling of my shots right up to the 8 ball. As I ran the table, I felt a flush in my face. My opponent was silent up to that point, a bit dumbfounded, I suppose, as was I in retrospect. When he realized “I” was about to run the table, he came over and gave me a big Pat on the back of congratulations. Everything returned to normal, and I missed the 8 ball shot.

He then ran the rest of the table, which was more usual, and I just sat there wondering what had just happened. It happened a few more times over the next few years, and I really enjoyed being the observer of the pool game “I” was playing. I have experienced things like this in different ways during my life, but I always enjoyed the experience of God playing pool through me.

Today, much in the same way as my pool experience, I experience the same “presence” when I am in prayer. It is truly a humbling experience.