Sunday, November 11, 2012

35 Rules for Living a Happy, Spiritual Life

Here’s something to reflect on as we move into a new season.

Do you have a generous countenance or do you hoard?
Do you let go or must you always control?
Are you courageous or too scared to go forward?
Do you hope or do you despair?
Do you recognize the abundance in life or do you see only the scarcity?
Do you put your trust in Jesus or in politicians?
Do you love or live in fear?
Do you take time to notice things or are you always in too big of a hurry to care?
Do you love people or are things your treasure?
Do you look people in the eye or stare at the ground as you pass?
Do you celebrate life or its total misery?
So you see life as a great adventure or is it all about fate?
Do you know God or just know about God?
Do you go the extra mile or skip corners when nobody is looking?
Do you say “yes” to people and then “no” later?
Do you give whenever you can or withdraw on false excuses?
Do you trust or are you suspicious of others motives?
Are you humble when you make a mistake or do you get defensive?
Do you stand for the truth even when it’s unpopular or do you cower to peer pressure?
Do you seek forgiveness when you are guilty of serious wrong or do you shrug it off?
Can you laugh at yourself or are you always serious?
Do you bless the stranger you encounter or avoid them in fear?
Do you listen to God or just yourself?
Do you give with no expectations or with strings attached?
Do you speak well of others or spread gossip that destroys?
Do you praise God in all things or always complain to him?
So you strive to do heroic things or do you frequently play the victim?
Do you use you power in order to give it away or use it to subdue others?
Do you seek solutions or must you be right and others be wrong?
Do you treat others with the dignity they deserve or do you mistreat them?
Are you living your life to the fullest or are you afraid inside?
Do your actions demonstrate that you value and respect the dignity of life or do you put your personal desires ahead of the most vulnerable?
Do you know that God has won the war or are you overcome by battles?
Do you know God’s forgiveness or feel that your sin could never be forgiven?
Do you know how gifted you are or are you always self-critical?

Borrowed from my priest’s sermon this morning. Thank you Fr. Bill Holtzinger, St. Anne Parish, Grants Pass, OR.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Here's to Friends Far and Near

Four months have passed since I took flight from my comfortable old zip code in California.

It's starting to sink in that I was pretty hard on my friends when I announced that we had found our dream property in another state. In retrospect I was rather blasé over my quick-and-easy lifestyle change. I filled every conversation with fun facts about my new house and community. My friends and family made brave faces and fixed frozen smiles while I assured everyone that we would stay in touch and that I would be back often to visit.

Truth is, my move hurt my family and friends more than it hurt me.

Come on now, let’s be honest. I’ve lost friends to the moving van. I know what it feels like to be left behind with vague promises that “we’ll stay in touch” while they replace me with new friends whose dogs wag at their knock. I get it—despite their smiles, my friends feel like they’ve been dumped.

I’m not trying to be egotistical here, simply stating a fact. I chose to leave—nothing forced me. For months now the task of settling into a new life consumed me and I've hardly looked back. But now I’m settled in. My address labels have arrived. I’ve memorized the aisles of five different grocery stores. I belong to a critique group. I’m even taking long walks along the country roads again.

Last night a new neighbor invited us over for a “meet the neighbor” dinner party. Sitting in the room with smiling strangers I began to miss the solidarity of the friends I left behind. I began to wonder about the structure of friendship.

Here’s what I’ve got so far—My friends fit into four categories:

Long distance friends that I meet at conferences or writers groups. We share mutural interests. We connect with a stroke of the keyboard. These are project friends like the one I phoned yesterday in the hospital. We spent ten minutes talking about her health and another ten talking about our current projects and we were both fine with that.

Old friends who share my history. These are the ones who surprise me with an email out of the blue, or a card, and make my day. The ones on my Christmas card list. The ones I know will spend the night on their way through town. Comfort friends.

Old neighbors and former co-workers. These are the ones I seem to run into every time I visit my old house. The ones I meet at the hamburger joint where I’m picking up a quick bite. These are the friends that add dimension to my life, remind me of my past. Pepper and salt friends. I’ve run into a couple of them in my new town and the serendipitous moment is breathtaking.

Developing Friendships. A friend reminded me of this one. For some reason, the last year at my old home produced some of the most satisfying friendships of my life. I found soul sisters with whom I connected on several levels. They are the ones that hurt the most to leave and I pray that we can find ways to sustain this fragile connection. Why now? was the question I asked myself as I packed and skipped town like a suitcase salesman with an unpaid bill. Guilt is a tough master.

Family members We shared an assumption that things would never change and now I appreciate my family more when I see them. My husband and I moved away from our children and we’re already making plans for extended visits. I have a new camera so I can Skype. I spend the night at my siblings and we talk over the dinner table.