Seeking Authentic Voice

 During the eight days of the first leg of this mini-sabbatical and during the nineteen days of this leg, I have made it my intention to slow down, to let time just unfold. I have spent countless hours sitting in a chair observing the water as it shifts and noticing the algae bloom as it moves and reveals the current of the water. I have spent countless hours being attentive to the Great Blue Heron, and captured it’s statuesque beauty in photos. I have laughed at the squirrels and given thanks every morning when the baby rabbit appears with the mom. I have been awe struck by the beauty of the morning sun rising over the water and the graceful colors of nature in morning: pale pink, blue, green. I have read, and painted icons, and been still. I have tried to let time just unfold, to let time be long and leisurely.  And yet, time has flown by. I am almost packed. Soon I will load the car, tighten the cables holding the kayaks in place on the roof, and lock the door behind me. By...

 A little over a week into this segment of the mini-sabbatical. I woke this morning headache free, the work I’ve been doing on G20, the acupressure point at the base of the skull, has finally taken effect. This point is located where the sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches at the base of the skull, it then travels down and around to the front of the chest, attaching again at the clavicle and sternum. This muscle holds the head up and allows it to turn from side to side. It’s a powerful muscle, but thankfully it is located just under the skin, easy access for treating it. After the deep pressure I applied two days ago, this muscle was sore yesterday, so I used ice/heat/ice compresses a couple of times. And now, it’s better. Why was it sore, who knows? This muscle gets triggered and activated when I lift and carry things or if I have leaned on my arm while sitting and knitting, or anything else that engages it for long periods of time. I really do think I need to see an physical ther...

 Mornings continue to be plagued by headaches, although they are less intense and more easily managed than that massive one a few days ago. I’ve gone back to some of my training in massage therapy school, twenty eight years ago, to relearn some shiatsu. Shiatsu is acupressure, like acupuncture but using one’s fingers or other tools to apply pressure to the areas of the body where energy is stuck and release it. I have known for some time that my headaches are caused by a tight spot in my neck, just below the skull and a few fingers width away from the spine. I have treated this spot as if it were a trigger point, a tight muscle, and used ice/heat/ice to release the tightness as well as pressure from a massage wand. However, in my reading about acupressure points I’ve learned a couple of things.The pressure point in the neck, the one that correlates to the same spot that is causing my headaches, is called G20, which means Gallbladder 20. It is part of the gallbladder meridian and is...

The other day Jan Richardson's online Lenten retreat pondered this: If you're familiar with the practice of lectio divina (a Greek term that means "sacred reading"), you know that it is an ancient form of prayer, a way of entering the scriptures in a meditative fashion. ... Traditionally done with passages from the Bible, lectio can also be used with visual art and with any text, including the sacred text of our own life -- the story that God is creating within each of us.  If our longings are a gift from God and a place of connection with God in the unfolding story of our life, then spending time in prayer with them can help reveal how God lives within our longings and may speak to us through them. As you linger with your list, here are a few questions for your lectio on longing. Feel free to contemplate any or all of these questions, and notice what other questions may come up for you as you reflect. - Which desire has the most en...