As the Rays Are to the Sun

I just love sunny days, especially in the winter.  Reminds me of a part of the Contemplation to Attain Love in the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola "I will consider how all good things and gifts descend from above; for example, my limited power from the Supreme and Infinite Power above; and so of justice, goodness, piety, mercy, and so forth - just as the rays come down from the sun, or the rains from their source."

May the light of God, the light of Love, shine through you this and every day.

Out There

In honor of all the poets, artists, musicians, bloggers and lovers out there, here is something I wrote recently.  Enjoy!

Out There

I put myself out there,
and some people frowned,
others pretended not to notice
and others really didn't,
some jumped up and applauded,
and some welcomed the silent tears
of being touched.
Yes, I put myself out there,
with God,
and we smiled.

Valentine Cake

It is finally here - Valentine's Day 2011 - a day my family yearns for all year around!  Why is this day so special?  It is special because of THE Valentine's Day cake my wife makes every year.

It all started when the children were in elementary school, and my wife cut a recipe out of the newspaper for a chocolate Valentine's cake.  She brought the cake to the table and it was two layers, heart-shaped, and covered in a beautiful, glossy chocolate glaze.  Then, she cut it and voila - the inside was full of a white, shimmery cream - it was a huge, gourmet Hostess cupcake, and much more delicious!!

Ever since, it has been a cherished tradition in our household that we look forward to every year.  Although now the children are older and we don't always get to eat the cake together as a family, there is always Valentine's cake for everyone when they stop by.  Nothing says love like a delicious homemade chocolate cake.

Music

Blessing and curse.  Someone gave me Lady Gaga's The Fame CD for Christmas (which I had asked for).  Of course the giver's generosity and my receiving the gift were blessings, but also it is a gift to expand my horizons and music is a great way to do that.  Some of the songs draw me in to singing along and "dancing" while driving in my car. (Perhaps it is time for me to produce a video for Youtube?)

The curse is that I cannot get these songs out of my head.  I turn off the CD player, but the songs continue playing.  I wake up in the middle of the night, and the songs are still playing.  Some may consider this music superficial, but in my judgment it has been crafted quite skillfully - once in your head, it stays there.  Kudos to you, Lady Gaga.

I once heard that all cultures have developed some form of spiritual practices, and also that all cultures have developed some form of music - and these two developments are related.  Both are fundamentally spiritual.  Both are related to finding meaning, and I would say that both relate to a sense of getting in touch with the fact that we are all connected.

When I sing along, perhaps I can empathize with the feelings the song evokes, and I feel connected.  Tapping along with the rhythm is a physical expression of being connected.  I recall when I played in a band in high school, it was the sense of being part of a group and being interconnected that I enjoyed most.

May you be blessed by continuing to make new connections.

THE SUN NEVER SAYS

It has been snowy here.  With snow on the ground, the sun can be blindingly bright.

I have been praying lately with The Gift: Poems by Hafiz translated by Daniel Ladinsky.  I found the following poem especially beautiful, and I wish to share it with you.

THE SUN NEVER SAYS

Even

After

All this time

The sun never says to the earth,

"You owe

Me."

Look

What happens

With a love like that,

It lights the

Whole

Sky.

Beauty

In his book "Acts of Faith", Eboo Patel says that “[one] understanding of Islam can be summed up in the famous saying of the Prophet Muhammad: ‘God is beautiful and loves beauty.’”

With that thought in mind, I hope you enjoy the following poem I wrote.

In Plain Sight

It’s hiding right under your nose,
in plain sight,
all around you,
deep within you,
in ways you could never know,
secret places that others may reveal,
you can touch, taste, smell and hear it,
take a long luscious lick,
bite off more than you could chew,
let it overwhelm and welcome you,
yes, let it welcome you,
Beauty.

Oh deer

I spent the weekend relaxing at our place in the country. Maya, our doggie, discovered part of a leg bone from a small deer. (We suppose that the coyotes got it.) What a treasure for her!

I woke up at five in the morning dreaming about hearing an owl...then realized that there actually was an owl hooting. But my favorite part was seeing a pileated woodpecker.

Can't wait to go back.