Compassion
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Seeing Good
Today,right now,make the decisionto see the good around you: beauty, kindness, color, play, love, diversity, possibilities. Observe the goodfor just 15 minutesand you will be calmer, more focused, more creative, … Continue reading
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Feast of Stephen
Today, the second day of Christmas, is the Feast of Stephen,the day, you may recall, when Good King Wenceslas and his pageventured out to help a poor man, who was struggling to survivethe wind and cold of a particularly nasty winter night. When you hear or sing this… Continue reading
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O Antiphons: Key of David
O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home; make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery. The Key is on its way;hold on a… Continue reading
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Ego? Egad!
I. My egoneeds less stage-time.He needs a caring cast memberto escort him into the wings,assuring him that he's doing a fine joband can now take a break,have a smoke and chill.The play goes on;we will retrieve him if needed. Sadly,… Continue reading
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Impermanence
Even the finest things,those we treasure most,are meant to fray, unravel and pass away: my grandmother's hand-stitched coverlet, the scarf I knitted for my mother in third grade, my father's favorite flannel shirt, friendships, … Continue reading
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All Steps on the Path
When you realize you've stopped paying attention,you are paying attention. When you recognize you're not here,you are here. When you become aware that you're living outside of now,you've returned to now. These are steps on the path called mindfulness,on the… Continue reading
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Blink
Aging,we realize that we are any given agefor only a moment. So quickly it passes–all passes. At this end of the journeywe become observers(like God,outside the stream of time,watching time's flightlike a single turning of the clock): a… Continue reading
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Forgiveness
Want to reduce stress? lower blood pressure? release anger? relieve depression?Want to feel more optimistic? hopeful? compassionate? physically energized? All will be yoursif you forgive. You're the one who suffersif you do not. We… Continue reading
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The Point
Jesus never asked anyoneto be orthodox,but he repeatedly asked everyoneto serve, help and heal. Why our obsessionwith creed and confessionwhen Jesus, our brother,says, "Love one another"? Text and image © 2013 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading