What is at the eye of the storm?

July 6

What is at the Eye of the Storm?

Serenity is the alignment of three knowledges

1. Knowing that I am not without skill, talent, gifts.

2. Knowing that I am not without community, connection, comfort.

3. Knowing that I am not without G-d, whether or not I believe G-d is able to intervene. 

When I am in full or even partial possession of these three I am safe from storm, or no, drought or no, fiery hairy pestilence and without this knowledge everything is storm, drought and pestilence, no matter what anyone else says or all evidence to the contrary.  I will make my own mess when bereft.  I will pay a large price for ignoring the facts and the lion’s share of this loss is loss of my serenity. 

Disrupt the effectiveness of negativity

*

THE BEAR

Living with my disease is like having

A sleeping Bear in the house.

I knew it was there, could hear it snore.

I never felt comfortable or able to turn my back

On it and get on with my life.

I felt under certain threat.

Fearing the bear would wake

When my attention was elsewhere

I proceeded to poke it with a stick.

I prodded it to wakefulness

In retrospect it is clear I was unprepared

For a wakeful bear.

Even with my full attention fixed on the brute

The Bear, which is my disease, roamed about the house

And made forays out into the world.

I had no plan or tool for these events

Finding a legion of people who had worked out

Living arrangements with their Bears

I happily joined their ranks.

My Bear wakes and sleeps at its will

But I am no longer afraid or unskilled

At handling this creature

Today I am so grateful for the Bear in my life.

I would never want a life without it

I live in a world filled with Bears

And would be at a loss as how to exist

If not for the practice and success

With the Bear that is my own.

The Bear

June 16

THE BEAR

Living with my disease is like having a sleeping bear in the house.  I knew it was there, could hear it snore.  I never felt comfortable or able to turn my back on it and get on with my life.  I felt under certain threat.  Fearing the bear would wake when my attention was elsewhere, I proceeded to poke my sleeping bear with a stick.  I prodded it to wakefulness; in retrospect, it is clear I was unprepared for a wakeful bear, even with my full attention fixed on this brute.  The bear, which is my disease, roamed about the house and made forays out into the world. I had no plan or tool for these events.   Finding a legion of people who had worked out living arrangements with their bears, I happily joined their ranks.  My bear wakes and sleeps at its will but I am no longer afraid or unskilled at handling this creature.  Today I am so grateful for the bear in my life and would never want a life without it.  I live in a world filled with bears and would be at a loss as to how to exist if not for the practice and success with the bear that is my own.

Draw a picture of time.

*

Limen

Do you leave when it is time to go

or are you the type who exits early?

Does departure time find you lingering

trying to squeeze out one more minute

rooted in this spot?

Are you the kind of person who loves the street,

but avoids the parade?

Can you bear to go, bear to stay,

bear to think that the world exists beyond this door?

Do you move with the other sheep

when all the crowd says, “Baa.”

Are you fleet with a sky full of clouds obeying the breeze,

flaunting the tides?

Do you change with the seasons

or are you passed from hand to hand,

living your life in the snow of a globe?

My life is my life,

but the most vital evidence of how I live it

is what I do on thresholds.

What is at the Eye of the Storm?

July 6

What is at the Eye of the Storm?

Serenity is the alignment of three knowledges

1. Knowing that I am not without skill, talent, gifts.

2. Knowing that I am not without community, connection, comfort.

3. Knowing that I am not without G-d, whether or not I believe G-d is able to intervene.

When I am in full or even partial possession of these three I am safe from storm, or no, drought or no, fiery hairy pestilence and without this knowledge everything is storm, drought and pestilence, no matter what anyone else says or all evidence to the contrary. I will make my own mess when bereft. I will pay a large price for ignoring the facts and the lion’s share of this loss is loss of my serenity.

Disrupt the effectiveness of negativity

*

THE BEAR

Living with my disease is like having

A sleeping Bear in the house.

I knew it was there, could hear it snore.

I never felt comfortable or able to turn my back

On it and get on with my life.

I felt under certain threat.

Fearing the bear would wake

When my attention was elsewhere

I proceeded to poke it with a stick.

I prodded it to wakefulness

In retrospect it is clear I was unprepared

For a wakeful bear.

Even with my full attention fixed on the brute

The Bear, which is my disease, roamed about the house

And made forays out into the world.

I had no plan or tool for these events

Finding a legion of people who had worked out

Living arrangements with their Bears

I happily joined their ranks.

My Bear wakes and sleeps at its will

But I am no longer afraid or unskilled

At handling this creature

Today I am so grateful for the Bear in my life.

I would never want a life without it

I live in a world filled with Bears

And would be at a loss as how to exist

If not for the practice and success

With the Bear that is my own.

The Bear

June 16

THE BEAR

Living with my disease is like having a sleeping bear in the house. I knew it was there, could hear it snore. I never felt comfortable or able to turn my back on it and get on with my life. I felt under certain threat. Fearing the bear would wake when my attention was elsewhere, I proceeded to poke my sleeping bear with a stick. I prodded it to wakefulness; in retrospect, it is clear I was unprepared for a wakeful bear, even with my full attention fixed on this brute. The bear, which is my disease, roamed about the house and made forays out into the world. I had no plan or tool for these events. Finding a legion of people who had worked out living arrangements with their bears, I happily joined their ranks. My bear wakes and sleeps at its will but I am no longer afraid or unskilled at handling this creature. Today I am so grateful for the bear in my life and would never want a life without it. I live in a world filled with bears and would be at a loss as to how to exist if not for the practice and success with the bear that is my own.


Draw a picture of time.