From The Restory - Conversations On The Journey (31)

I Am, And Living Mindfully

The Conversation

Elements From The Conversation

There is much to learn from the Jews with whom we share the Old Testament. In a conversation with Benjamin D. Sommer, professor of Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary (NYC), he has this to say about the Jewish approach to Biblical interpretation and different viewpoints:

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… in rabbinic literature argument is often considered something that we do for the sake of heaven, for the sake of God that is, disagreeing about exactly how to interpret God's will, that intellectual activity of disagreeing about, debating about, studying further, the interpretation of God's will, for us Jews, that's actually a form of worship. It's not only prayer that is a form of worship. It is very often study of sacred literature that is also a very important form of worship - a way of showing our loyalty and love and obedience of God in traditional Judaism generally. In Judaism, debating about this stuff is itself a sacred activity.

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Music

Moses stumbled onto much more than a burning bush there in the wilderness. God had also led him to himself and he discovered that God wanted to help him to change the way he saw himself. And it's true - we can get lost inside our heads.

Graveclothes Lyrics

She's been, thinkin', life ain't, givin' her what she needs
What can, make her, happy, is always out of her reach
Somebody gotta help me
But she, could not, see that, everything she wanted
Was in-side of, her heart, but she wouldn't give it away
No, she wouldn't give it away

We don't need no mournful sound
Shake your graveclothes to the ground
Shake your graveclothes off, shake your graveclothes,
Shake your graveclothes off, shake your graveclothes
Thoughts you're thinkin' make you feel like you're dead
But you can grow a garden out the top of your head
Shake your graveclothes off, shake your graveclothes,
Shake your graveclothes off, shake your graveclothes

Don't get lost inside your head
Don't get lost inside your head
Don't get lost inside your head
Don't get lost inside your head

He's been, wishin', he was, the best and the brightest
Scared to, give what, he's got, no he wouldn't give it away
Self-deprecation, lack of motivation, stealing his aliveness
In the silence love abounds and has already filled the spaces
And replaces them with grace if he would only stop to feel, to see

Our prayer for you: a beautiful week where you discover deep meaning in the ordinary.

Love

George & Matilda

Vanuit Die Restory - Gesprekke Tussen Reisgenote (110)

Die Week Na 'n Dood Sebastien op sy gelukkigste - by water, besig om vis te vang Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Musiek Sebastien het altyd gesê, "I like old music.' Hy het. Billy Joel se Piano Man was vir baie lank die ringtone op sy foon. Dat ons só gelukkig kan wees, dankie Sebas. George & Matilda

Vanuit Die Restory / From The Restory (135)

Onlangse Oorsig / Recent Summary Foto's Van Onlangse Gebeure / Pictures Of Recent Events 'n Huis opgeknap en geverf met 'n nuwe badkamer, die koms van lente en reën, retreats, die CMR se breimarathon, aanbied en afsluiting van die Verfrissingskursus in geestelike begeleiding, bywoon van ons kleindogter Ariana se gradeplegtigheid ("Nee Oupa, dis 'n gradige plegtigheid!") voordat sy volgende jaar grootskool toe gaan. A house renovated and painted with a new bathroom, the arrival of spring and rain, retreats, the CMR's knitting marathon, presenting and finishing the Refresher course in spiritual guidance, attending our granddaughter Ariana's graduation before she goes to big school next year. Klank / Sound Die klank van sagte reën na die storm is op baie vlakke nou gepas. The sound of gentle rain after the storm is now appropriate on many levels. Met ons liefde, soos altyd. With our love, as always. George & Matilda

Vanuit Die Restory - Gesprekke Tussen Reisgenote (120)

Skuld as Motivering Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek ~ ❖ ~ "I am convinced that guilt and shame are never from God. They are merely the defenses of the False Self as it is shocked at its own poverty — the defenses of a little man who wants to be a big man. God leads by compassion toward the soul, never by condemnation. If God would relate to us by severity and punitiveness, God would only be giving us permission to do the same (which is tragically, due to our mistaken images of God, exactly what has happened!)." Richard Rohr ~ ❖ ~ "It is about as hard to absolve yourself of your own guilt as it is to sit in your own lap. Wrongdoing sparks guilt sparks wrongdoing ad nauseam, and we all try to disguise the grim process from both ourselves and everybody else. In order to break the circuit we need friends before whom we can put aside the disguise, trusting that when they see us for what we fully are, they won't run away screaming w...

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