I read somewhere, in an article about coping when a military spouse is deployed, that it is okay to have waffles and ice cream for dinner. So what does this mean? Because my spouse is gone, it's okay to not eat so good? It's okay to not care about my kids nutrition? Or even that maybe it's the only thing that tastes good, so nah.
Well, while I wouldn't put complete truths into anything but that last one (my healthy cooking always tastes good!), the truth of the matter is, it's okay not to get everything done. It's okay to be mellow. It's okay to take a day or two during the week and not feel the need to prepare a hot dinner that takes an hour or so to make (that's the norm when I cook). Hey, this statement doesn't even stop at food. It's okay not to have the house white glove clean. It's okay to skip the vacuuming for just one day (or two or three). What about the laundry. As long as everyone has something clean to wear, it will still be there tomorrow.
Who is watching this Martha Stewart life I'm attempting to create for myself? I have yet to catch my neighbors peering into my house through the grime on the windows. The friends I do have who come over don't seem to mind, and if they do, they keep their mouth shut. I've even had friends come over and help me out a bit with the cleaning (thanks guys, you have no idea how much I appreciate it!). Sometimes I need to be given permission not to be perfect (far from it I am!). If you ask my husband, he will tell you I am perfect the way I am, even if I do think I have flaws (I do), he looks right past them.
While I don't want to live in a pig pen, I also don't want to spend all of my life cleaning my house or caring about those little things that really don't matter in the end. I want to spend my time with the things that do matter. I want to play with my kids, read the great words written by others, explore my hobbies and talents, try new things and just enjoy life. If you spend all of your time worrying about what other people think of your house, even though the majority of them will never see it, that seems to be a waste of time and a hard knock on the spirit.
I say, recognize when a day just needs to be a lazy day and run with it. If that means waffles and ice cream for dinner, then it's waffles and ice cream for dinner. I'm sure your spirit will thank you.
Showing posts with label Friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friendship. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Grounding and Prayer Circle
I've mentioned once or twice before that I have a friend who is fighting cancer. She is in an acceptance stage, but the acceptance is in the terms of "everyone dies sometime, no one gets out alive." I respect her for taking the news and communicating it to friends and family so gracefully, however I don't want her to give in too easily.
Weekly a group of spiritual friends are gathering at my house to send prayers and energies to our friend with a focus on energy that is needed. Another of our friends has looked cancer in the eyes and kicked it's ass to the curb, so I am leaning on her to help guide us to a focus that will be most beneficial based on our friends unique needs. Our first circle was held last night, and the focus was grounding.
I've never been a good prayer writer, other than my own casual prayers I say daily, so I did a bit of searching. I was unable to find any Pagan prayers that met our needs, so I found some prayers from other religions and reworded them to fit our focus. I have included my adapted prayers below. Once we called the quarters we began the circle with a guided meditation for grounding. I felt this was appropriate, because how can you you send someone else grounded energy if you are not grounded yourself. Again, I am not good at writing meditations, so I used this Tree of Life Meditation after a search online.
Our circle went well, and I hope we can continue sending positive, supportive, beneficial energies to her when she needs them. We plan on her being here for a long time, and won't give in without a strong fight!
Prayers:
Earth my body, water my blood, Air my breath and Fire my spirit
We welcome the elements of the directions, we thank you for your presense as we send our healing and grounding energies to our spirit sister, (insert name here). Hail and Welcome.
~Altered from well known Pagan chant to a specific focus quarter call.
*************
Goddess Mother
Nuturer
Healer
We come to you seeking help
Help to rid of these nasty cells
they have forgotten what their purpose is
they have lost their health
restore the health
destroy the sickness
heal
Find the healthy cells
Find them and guide them
Guide them to destroy the sick cells
Put chaos in it's place.
Remove it from this body
Remove it from the cells
Help the body heal
This we ask of you, Mother
So mote it be.
~by Luna Skye
*************
Lord and Lady, You invite all who are burdened to come to you. Allow Your healing Hand to heal our dearest (insert name here). Touch her soul with Your compassion and help to keep her grounded and strong. Touch her heart with Your courage and infinite Love. Touch her mind with Your Wisdom and inspirational breath. Most loving Heart of the Divine, bring health in body and spirit to (insert name here) as she fights this great battle to reclaim her body. Touch gently this life which you have impressed you message upon, now and forever.
Blessed Be.
*************
Lord and Lady, look upon our friend, our sister, (insert name here), with eyes of mercy, may your healing hand rest upon her, may your life giving powers flow into every cell of her body and into the depths of her soul, cleansing, purifying, grounding and restoring her to wholeness and strength. Blessed Be.
************
Nurturing Mother and Healing Father, by the power of your love, drive away from (insert name here) all forms of sickness and disease. Restore strength and stability to her body and joy and grounding to her spirit. Bless her with your masterful touch as she has touched many with the love you have graced her life with.
Blessed Be.
Weekly a group of spiritual friends are gathering at my house to send prayers and energies to our friend with a focus on energy that is needed. Another of our friends has looked cancer in the eyes and kicked it's ass to the curb, so I am leaning on her to help guide us to a focus that will be most beneficial based on our friends unique needs. Our first circle was held last night, and the focus was grounding.
I've never been a good prayer writer, other than my own casual prayers I say daily, so I did a bit of searching. I was unable to find any Pagan prayers that met our needs, so I found some prayers from other religions and reworded them to fit our focus. I have included my adapted prayers below. Once we called the quarters we began the circle with a guided meditation for grounding. I felt this was appropriate, because how can you you send someone else grounded energy if you are not grounded yourself. Again, I am not good at writing meditations, so I used this Tree of Life Meditation after a search online.
Our circle went well, and I hope we can continue sending positive, supportive, beneficial energies to her when she needs them. We plan on her being here for a long time, and won't give in without a strong fight!
Prayers:
Earth my body, water my blood, Air my breath and Fire my spirit
We welcome the elements of the directions, we thank you for your presense as we send our healing and grounding energies to our spirit sister, (insert name here). Hail and Welcome.
~Altered from well known Pagan chant to a specific focus quarter call.
*************
Goddess Mother
Nuturer
Healer
We come to you seeking help
Help to rid of these nasty cells
they have forgotten what their purpose is
they have lost their health
restore the health
destroy the sickness
heal
Find the healthy cells
Find them and guide them
Guide them to destroy the sick cells
Put chaos in it's place.
Remove it from this body
Remove it from the cells
Help the body heal
This we ask of you, Mother
So mote it be.
~by Luna Skye
*************
Lord and Lady, You invite all who are burdened to come to you. Allow Your healing Hand to heal our dearest (insert name here). Touch her soul with Your compassion and help to keep her grounded and strong. Touch her heart with Your courage and infinite Love. Touch her mind with Your Wisdom and inspirational breath. Most loving Heart of the Divine, bring health in body and spirit to (insert name here) as she fights this great battle to reclaim her body. Touch gently this life which you have impressed you message upon, now and forever.
Blessed Be.
*************
Lord and Lady, look upon our friend, our sister, (insert name here), with eyes of mercy, may your healing hand rest upon her, may your life giving powers flow into every cell of her body and into the depths of her soul, cleansing, purifying, grounding and restoring her to wholeness and strength. Blessed Be.
************
Nurturing Mother and Healing Father, by the power of your love, drive away from (insert name here) all forms of sickness and disease. Restore strength and stability to her body and joy and grounding to her spirit. Bless her with your masterful touch as she has touched many with the love you have graced her life with.
Blessed Be.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Healing With Prayer Shawls
Tonight I will be joining efforts with a friend of mine to create prayer shawls for a mutual friend of ours who has been diagnosed with cancer. We will be creating two beautiful shawls from the book The Prayer Shawl Ministry: Reaching Those in Need which tells the story of the Prayer Shawl Ministry from Grace Presbyterian Church in Arkansas.
There are a few things that I like to do when I create shawls and blankets for others.
1. I always say a prayer before I begin. This is sometimes done with a lit candle, sometimes it is not, depends on the situation, time, etc.
2. I cannot work on the shawl if I feel any negativity at all. While working on it is peaceful and puts me in a better mood, I do not want to risk putting any of that negativity into the work. Therefore, a positive demeanor is essential.
3. I like to meditate on the purpose of the shawl and who it is for, sometimes doing a chant quietly to myself while creating.
4. Colors are important in the creation process. I try to match a color that is right for the individual and the purpose.
Those are the main points I follow. It is important for me to focus on the person who will receive the shawl and put as many positive energies into the shawl as possible. I look forward to working on the shawls tonight. I am hopeful that we are able to create them quickly so they may be used as soon as possible.
Brightest Blessings!
~Ava
There are a few things that I like to do when I create shawls and blankets for others.
1. I always say a prayer before I begin. This is sometimes done with a lit candle, sometimes it is not, depends on the situation, time, etc.
2. I cannot work on the shawl if I feel any negativity at all. While working on it is peaceful and puts me in a better mood, I do not want to risk putting any of that negativity into the work. Therefore, a positive demeanor is essential.
3. I like to meditate on the purpose of the shawl and who it is for, sometimes doing a chant quietly to myself while creating.
4. Colors are important in the creation process. I try to match a color that is right for the individual and the purpose.
Those are the main points I follow. It is important for me to focus on the person who will receive the shawl and put as many positive energies into the shawl as possible. I look forward to working on the shawls tonight. I am hopeful that we are able to create them quickly so they may be used as soon as possible.
Brightest Blessings!
~Ava
The True Strength of a Circle
These days I really find great symbolism in shapes. While a circle may not be the most architecturally strong (it comes close, but the triangle is the strongest), in the spiritual world it holds to be the strongest for me. I could write about the symbol of my wedding band, the circle of life, the wheel of the year; while these are extremely important symbols in my life, it is the image of a circle of people that has inspired me to write on this topic. Two very meaningful situations has come up in the past week for me, and those are the stories I would like to tell you about today.
When I place these situations in a visual form, I see two concentric circles. Depending on the emotions involved, the circles may be spinning clockwise, counterclockwise or one of each. The inner circle is the one that is closest to me in proximity of these two stories, and that is my spiritual circle. Not too long ago, depression took over my life. So many things going wrong (from my depressed perspective), post-partum depression, and it all was getting worse and worse over the past 3 years. Finally I couldn't take the stress of the emotions any more and I had to remove myself from positions of leadership, this included my leadership role of my healing circle. It was not fair to me to allow the stress of leading and organizing bring me down any further, and it was not fair to the members to have me leading in a very poor state of mind. It was best for us all for me to step back until I was in a better place. This, of course, did not mean I was stepping away for good, nor that I was rejecting any friendships I had made. I was not, and thankfully my close friends stayed close. Fast forward six months and I am doing much, much better, and this couldn't have come soon enough. A close friend whom I distanced myself from due to not being able to handle the conflict we found ourselves in has been diagnosed with cancer. This friend is also the the full owner of that healing circle I once co-owned with her. The circle has been quiet, with friends keeping up with each other but no activity. This ended as soon as news reached me that she was in need of prayer, support and energy. I sent out a message to all of the members who were active at the time I stepped down from the group to let them know I would be hosting a healing circle. I was sure I would get response of prayers, but the response I received from people saying they would attend and help organize some healing projects was tremendous. This is a true spiritual circle. It may become dormant, but no matter the conflict or friendship status, surrounding a friend in need with full force, no matter what, that is the definition of a healing circle.
I described the concentric circles before. That was the circle that was closest to the center, and a few weeks ago I would have told you it was moving counterclockwise. That motion came to a screeching halt and is now full force clockwise being as productive as ever. Our first meeting for shared energies (in the same room) will be scheduled for next Saturday night at 8:30p CST for anyone who wants to join. If you are interested in joining in on distance shared energies, another member quickly scheduled a 9pm CST daily prayer timeframe for her. Please join us in lighting a candle, meditating or praying for our dear friend, that the cancer is healed and her spirit stays high during this difficult time.
Now for that outer circle, the group of people who aren't quite so close to me in proximity, many whom I've never met, but they are touching my life just the same. This circle, from my perspective, moves between counterclockwise and clockwise a bit more sporadically. It is mainly determined by the media articles and Facebook threads I read. This is the circle of support from other Pagans when religious tolerance toward Paganism is not being practiced. The story starts on Facebook with my curiosity getting the best of me. A suggest page came up to me, and I clicked on it. From that day on my life has been touched. I want to send a thank you to Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. Mr's B, it was your Facebook page that inspired this portion of my post here. Mr's B, has great information on her blog, and I was really getting inspired to explore more into nature and my own personal beliefs. One day recently she announced that her blog was selected for the Top 25 Faith blogs on Circle of Mom's, and here is where the magic really starts. In this contest different blogs from any faith are nominated as one of the top 25 faith blogs by moms. Anyone can go in and vote for the blog, or blogs, they find to be the most deserving of this online status. Mrs. B was nominated as well as several blogs by people of many faiths. I didn't go on to vote until I read that there were many people from other faiths being negative about the presence of Pagan blogs in the contest, stating they did not feel they were following a legitimate faith and did not want to be rated side by side. This really started when Mrs B's blog was gaining ground in the contest. The reason I started voting wasn't as a camaraderie of support for the Pagan blogs, however many in the Pagan community did go show their support this way. I started voting after I read a snark comment by one of the other faith blogs, which soon after was met with a flood of comments by both Pagan and other faiths. At this time the blog author posted an apology acknowledging the true meaning of their faith and wished Mrs B luck. At the point where I seen that change in demeanor, that is where I knew this contest was making a difference. This is the point where I found the counterclockwise circle changing directions and even my disappointment was met with hope. I started voting, not just for Pagan blogs, but for blogs of any faith that holds a strong message of faith, true faith and love. Soon after, Mr's B posted another link to a wonderful blog post by Julie, addressing her change of heart for Paganism. While she admits she does not have to agree with Paganism, her faith tells her to love thy neighbor, no matter what, and this is what she has done. Her blog post was flooded with loving comments from people of different faiths, but specifically many Pagans. I took the time to send a personal email thanking her for wonderful words, and received an even greater message back. From here I believe I have made a new friend. Because of her words I hope that she is touching the hearts and minds of many who are uneducated about the true meaning of Paganism. This is an amazing circle, growing everyday, hopefully to include peace and everyone in the world. Thanks to Mr's B, Circle of Moms and Julie, I feel my outer circle is spinning just as fast and smooth as my inner circle.
I am feeling pretty good right now. I still have fears and worry in my mind, but I have love, support and strength in my heart. Thanks to my friends, family and strangers (who won't be strangers for long) who touch my life.
Brightest Blessings,
Ava
When I place these situations in a visual form, I see two concentric circles. Depending on the emotions involved, the circles may be spinning clockwise, counterclockwise or one of each. The inner circle is the one that is closest to me in proximity of these two stories, and that is my spiritual circle. Not too long ago, depression took over my life. So many things going wrong (from my depressed perspective), post-partum depression, and it all was getting worse and worse over the past 3 years. Finally I couldn't take the stress of the emotions any more and I had to remove myself from positions of leadership, this included my leadership role of my healing circle. It was not fair to me to allow the stress of leading and organizing bring me down any further, and it was not fair to the members to have me leading in a very poor state of mind. It was best for us all for me to step back until I was in a better place. This, of course, did not mean I was stepping away for good, nor that I was rejecting any friendships I had made. I was not, and thankfully my close friends stayed close. Fast forward six months and I am doing much, much better, and this couldn't have come soon enough. A close friend whom I distanced myself from due to not being able to handle the conflict we found ourselves in has been diagnosed with cancer. This friend is also the the full owner of that healing circle I once co-owned with her. The circle has been quiet, with friends keeping up with each other but no activity. This ended as soon as news reached me that she was in need of prayer, support and energy. I sent out a message to all of the members who were active at the time I stepped down from the group to let them know I would be hosting a healing circle. I was sure I would get response of prayers, but the response I received from people saying they would attend and help organize some healing projects was tremendous. This is a true spiritual circle. It may become dormant, but no matter the conflict or friendship status, surrounding a friend in need with full force, no matter what, that is the definition of a healing circle.
I described the concentric circles before. That was the circle that was closest to the center, and a few weeks ago I would have told you it was moving counterclockwise. That motion came to a screeching halt and is now full force clockwise being as productive as ever. Our first meeting for shared energies (in the same room) will be scheduled for next Saturday night at 8:30p CST for anyone who wants to join. If you are interested in joining in on distance shared energies, another member quickly scheduled a 9pm CST daily prayer timeframe for her. Please join us in lighting a candle, meditating or praying for our dear friend, that the cancer is healed and her spirit stays high during this difficult time.
Now for that outer circle, the group of people who aren't quite so close to me in proximity, many whom I've never met, but they are touching my life just the same. This circle, from my perspective, moves between counterclockwise and clockwise a bit more sporadically. It is mainly determined by the media articles and Facebook threads I read. This is the circle of support from other Pagans when religious tolerance toward Paganism is not being practiced. The story starts on Facebook with my curiosity getting the best of me. A suggest page came up to me, and I clicked on it. From that day on my life has been touched. I want to send a thank you to Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. Mr's B, it was your Facebook page that inspired this portion of my post here. Mr's B, has great information on her blog, and I was really getting inspired to explore more into nature and my own personal beliefs. One day recently she announced that her blog was selected for the Top 25 Faith blogs on Circle of Mom's, and here is where the magic really starts. In this contest different blogs from any faith are nominated as one of the top 25 faith blogs by moms. Anyone can go in and vote for the blog, or blogs, they find to be the most deserving of this online status. Mrs. B was nominated as well as several blogs by people of many faiths. I didn't go on to vote until I read that there were many people from other faiths being negative about the presence of Pagan blogs in the contest, stating they did not feel they were following a legitimate faith and did not want to be rated side by side. This really started when Mrs B's blog was gaining ground in the contest. The reason I started voting wasn't as a camaraderie of support for the Pagan blogs, however many in the Pagan community did go show their support this way. I started voting after I read a snark comment by one of the other faith blogs, which soon after was met with a flood of comments by both Pagan and other faiths. At this time the blog author posted an apology acknowledging the true meaning of their faith and wished Mrs B luck. At the point where I seen that change in demeanor, that is where I knew this contest was making a difference. This is the point where I found the counterclockwise circle changing directions and even my disappointment was met with hope. I started voting, not just for Pagan blogs, but for blogs of any faith that holds a strong message of faith, true faith and love. Soon after, Mr's B posted another link to a wonderful blog post by Julie, addressing her change of heart for Paganism. While she admits she does not have to agree with Paganism, her faith tells her to love thy neighbor, no matter what, and this is what she has done. Her blog post was flooded with loving comments from people of different faiths, but specifically many Pagans. I took the time to send a personal email thanking her for wonderful words, and received an even greater message back. From here I believe I have made a new friend. Because of her words I hope that she is touching the hearts and minds of many who are uneducated about the true meaning of Paganism. This is an amazing circle, growing everyday, hopefully to include peace and everyone in the world. Thanks to Mr's B, Circle of Moms and Julie, I feel my outer circle is spinning just as fast and smooth as my inner circle.
I am feeling pretty good right now. I still have fears and worry in my mind, but I have love, support and strength in my heart. Thanks to my friends, family and strangers (who won't be strangers for long) who touch my life.
Brightest Blessings,
Ava
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