Waiting -

Dear Ones,

How do you wait? Take a few moments to consider how you usually wait.

And then: for what do you wait? For what are you waiting in your one precious life? Are you waiting for happiness? Are you waiting for approval? Are you waiting for joy? Are you waiting for one perfect person to come into your life?

This is the season of Advent in the Christian tradition. Advent is the time of waiting - of waiting with expectation, as if what we are waiting for is already here.

Whatever you are waiting for, wait with great and holy expectation!

Warmly,
meb

A Place of Quiet

Dear Friends,

We are coming up to a busy season. Most of us want to do all of the things we have to do, but the holidays can be tiring. At the same time, in the midst of all the celebrating, we remember and miss those who are not with us any longer. I know for me, the image of Christmas I have carried in my mind is of the beautiful, old-fashioned tree my mother carefully decorated with tinsel year after year. That Christmas has been gone for a long time, but still, that is Christmas to me.

Make for yourself a Place of Quiet in this season. Go to that place whenever you can, for a few minutes. Since that place is inside of you, and not outside of you, you can go there at any time, wherever you are. Explore that place of quiet, that peaceful place around and about the voices of your ego and of others, those demand on your time. When you find that place, you can always return.

Make this your holiday practice: enjoy your place of quiet.

Warmly,
meb

A Feast

Hello, Dear Ones,

Yesterday, I watched a feast - right outside my window. In November, the little finches come to feast at the willow trees in my front yard. I wait for their return and I enjoy them each year. They don't know I'm here, enjoying them as they jump from branch to branch, safe from me.

They must be here for my enjoyment, yes, that's it! The little finches are here for me to enjoy.

I give thanks for them on Thanksgiving Day, as surely, their little, little hearts beating, they must be giving thanks with each beat of their hearts, with each seed they take into their tiny mouths.

Later, the jay slams into the tree, but the little finches are gone, well-fed.

Warmly,
meb

Like a blanket...

Dear Friends,

Days of preparation. We all know the holidays are a busy time - parties and dinners and gatherings and shopping for gifts and decorating. For some of us, this is a much leaner year, in terms of shopping, of buying - but is it also a year of less activity?

The season before Christmas - the Christian Festival of Light - Advent, meant Coming, or Waiting. Advent is a precious season of its own, so often forgotten in the lights and the loud music and the activity that surrounds the holidays. We are not much inclined toward the deeper, darker seasons. But we all have our dark seasons of life - those times when the darkness engulfs us and there seems to be no end to our suffering, to our waiting for this to pass. And that is the season of Advent, that season of sombre waiting.

However busy you may be this season, take time for the Waiting, for the activity that is not an activity, but a kind of active stopping. Sit when you don't feel like sitting. Stop when you have too much to do. Breathe when your calendar overwhelms you. Honor the darkness that is within you, as well as the light.

Warmly,
meb

Just be thankful -

Dear Friends,
Whatever today holds for you, take a few moments to be thankful. This is Thanksgiving week, and we will join around a table somewhere to honor a holiday of thanks.

Hold each day gratefully. Begin each day with a prayer of thanks - for whatever you can. Then, grow your prayer - give thanks even for those things that are difficult, those people and experiences with which you may be struggling.

Give thanks for breath, for beauty, for sunlight, for warmth, for a few kind words. You may find yourself being the giver of those kind words - so give thanks for that!

Just be thankful.
Warmly,
meb

A Blessed Day

Dear Ones,

Today is a blessed fall day in northern California. I have just come in from spending a few minutes on the back stoop with my very shy black and white cat. I was able to lift her onto my lap and rub her tummy, which makes her rattle.

I don't know about you, but for much of my life, I've been too busy with other things - jobs to do, errands to run, calls to make, important meetings to go to - to enjoy a few silent moments of bliss, sitting on the ground in the sun with a cat on my lap. These days, I've discovered that these are the richest moments of all.

Meanwhile, the business of the world goes on. Congress meets to consider more billion-dollar bailouts. The cities struggle to pay their bills. We all have money worries. All across the world, people are fearful.

And then, there are these few moments of absolute bliss. May you have a few moments of bliss, yourself, today.

Warmly,
meb

Shot through with love!

Dear Friends,

I don't know what kind of day you are having. However your day is going - remember that you are shot through with love! Maybe you're stuck in traffic, maybe your kids are yelling, maybe your schedule is more full than you'd like. All of these things keep you focused on doing, doing, doing.

Instead, remember that you are shot through with love! Every cell of your being is filled with - is made of - love! That's all you have to know.

Make this your practice, today. Wherever you go, you bring love. Whoever you talk to, you bring love. Love, love, love. That's all you are.

Warmly,
meb

Remember you are holy...

Dear Friends,

If you remember one thing today, remember this: you are holy. Yes, you! Whoever you are, whatever your worries, whatever your mistakes, whatever your failings, whatever your problems, you are holy.

How do you treat this holy one? That will be your task today, to begin to treat yourself as a holy one.

Remember this, too: all people who cross your path today are holy, too.

How do you treat these holy ones?

Warmly,
meb

Listening for Spirit...

Dear Friends,

Your spirit is whispering to you all the time. Most of us - myself included - seem to be waiting for a Sign that will take us out of our ordinary lives and into the Life We Should Be Living.

Dear Ones: This is It! Learn to listen to the quiet and persistant voice of your spirit, letting you know how to live with what is before you.

Is it: call your mother, make friends with yourself, get out there and move, be gentle, sit for a few moments, stop!, I'm here, don't worry...?

What is that small and persistant voice saying to you?

Warmly,
meb

Staying Sane Through the Holidays...

Dear Friends,

Believe it or not, it's not too early to begin thinking about the holidays. For me, I find that the holidays are often as sad as they are happy. More than anything, I enjoy the Christmas tree and the lights it brings into the house. As an adult, the holidays for me are about sitting in front of the tree, enjoying the early evenings and the lights. At the same time, I remember those who are no longer with me. And I miss them. I also remember that I loved the Christmas tree as a child. And so I turn those memories over in my mind.

No matter what, the holidays become a busy season. A good way to make sure you have some time for reflection during the holidays is to plan ahead. Make a list of what you usually do during the coming weeks. Now, look at the list again: what do you want to do? What don't you want to do? Can you cross off some of the things you don't want to do?

Think about this: what's really important? Is going to every single party important? Or are there some parties that you can graciously decline? Think about how you can say "no," and say it kindly.

Think ahead about other things that you know will come up during this time. Is there a brother-in-law with whom you always clash? What if you responded differently to him this year? What if, instead of "clashing," you chose to not react, but rather to breathe, take the moment in, and respond, with no words, or in a different way? The trick is to plan ahead, to imagine yourself in the situation, acting with a different response.

What else? These are trying times, financially, for many of us. Is there a way you can make your gifts by hand? Can you do some baking? That is especially nice if you haven't baked as a gift before. Can you make one gift to a charity that makes sense to you, and then send notes to those in whose honor you made the gift?

What works best is to imagine the holiday time ahead of time - now - to write down what you want to do, and then, to do it!

Warmly,
meb

An autumn day...

Dear Friends,

For me, an autumn day in the Midwest will always be the most beautiful kind of day on earth. The colors, the smells, the feel of the air, the light - all come together into one majestic, glorious, "yes!"

Today is a day in Northern California that is an autumn day at its finest. The wind is blowing, the trees sway, the sky is a rich blue, the shadows between the light and the dark contrast severely, the air is warm, a little too warm.

At the same time, these winds and the dry air bring the threat of wildfires.

Beauty and destruction, the rich, deep, holy darkness that is part of life. Without the contrast - and wholeness - of beauty and destruction, life would not be complete.

Where are beauty and destruction at work in your life?

Warmly,
meb

"Why am I still here?"

Dear Friends,

Today at lunch, a man who was 93 years old asked the question that is often in his mind: "Why am I still here?" This is a question of meaning. I thought it would be an interesting past-time to ask elders what they think is the answer to that question. In a culture which does not value its elders, the learning we receive would be rich, indeed.

"Why am I still here?" is a question we all ask, at some time. We are inclined to think that the answer is to have the job we have, or to be a good teacher, or to do work that really matters. And all of those are important things. But the answer may lie beneath all of those "doings."

Maybe you are still here to love, or to be yourself!

Fancy that!
Warmly,
meb

This little speck of life that is me...

Dear Friends,

Maybe some of you have seen the newest pictures from space - showing planets that are hundreds and hundreds of light years away from earth. I watched those pictures with awe - a kind of fear, really.

Is it possible that I am a living, breathing, being, in such a vast expanse of what is? And do I really have any importance at all? When I see those pictures, it's hard to believe that my little life has any value, any importance.

On the other hand, this may be the only chance I get - in this vast expanse of space and time and light - to make a small difference, at least in my own life.

And to give thanks.

Warmly,
meb

The wind...

Dear Friends,

I think there is nothing more comforting than the wind - a small breeze that lightly blows the leaves on the trees, that silently changes the stillness of the world.

I like the silence of the wind.

Sometimes, as we know, the wind is not silent, but moves and winds over the earth, stirring things convulsively and violently, bringing with it a horrific sound, dangerous. Sometimes the wind blows through our lives that way, too, and we have to turn our backs to it and be blown along. There's no other way to survive.

It is the ever-presence of the wind that is comforting to me. I like to know that not everything is dependent on my action, on my thinking, on my speaking. I like to know that who I am and who you are is being moved - and created - by the wind.

The ancient word for "wind" and "spirit," are the same.

Warmly,
meb

Wondering...

Dear Friends,

When was the last time you wondered? I mean, wondered as you did when you were 12 or 13? When was the last time you wondered about things for which there is no immediate answer?

What is the world's soul?
How big is the universe?
Why am I here?
Is there really good and evil?
Who is God?

Take some time to wonder today. Don't be distracted by the facts. Put some "wonder" out there!

Warmly,
meb

A Cup of Tea

Dear Ones,

As the season passes into autumn and soon winter, it seems to be a good time for a cup of tea.

I'm not a tea specialist, but I do love to experiment with the latest tea choices at my local supermarket. And the autumn seems to be the perfect time to sit down next to the fireplace with a cup of tea.

A cup of tea, a warm room, a few moments of silence, some jumbled prayers, some longings, a few lingering worries, thoughts of those who I miss, and the morning is complete.

Life doesn't require much when it is filled with a few rich things, such as these.

Warmly,
meb

Take Today and Simplify it

Dear Friends,

Take today and make it as simple as possible. "But I have all of this to do..." you are thinking. Well, take all you have to do and make it as simple as possible.

The way to simplify is to have one practice one outcome in mind. If today is about kindness, do everything you do with kindness. If today is about breathing, do everything you do, mindful of your breathing. If today is about listening, do everything you do and listen carefully. If today is about awareness, do everything you do with awareness.

Most of us will never completely be free of our long "to-do" lists. But we can be free of external - and internal - demands to be someone we are not. We can choose our simplicity and carry it out.

Warmly,
meb

being "me"

Dear Friends,

Whoever you are today, remember that this day is only about being you. You can't be anyone else but you! You can think you have to do certain things and you may have a long list of things you have to do, but you can only be you when you do them.
Don't think your way into anything. Simply be who you are and do what you would do.

Sounds like a paradox? Only to the mind, that wants to play tricks on us. Your mind may tell you that you are the only one able to do certain things, or you are the best, or you have done something irrevocably wrong. All of those things are the things your mind does.

And all the while, you are simply being you. That is good enough. In fact, that is better than good. Being you is perfect.

Put that in your mind and chew on it!
Warmly,
meb

Being Change

Dear Friends,

The election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States of America has many of us thinking about change. In a sense, Barack Obama is a symbol of change, but change will not come unless we become the change ourselves.

Most of us know that if we want our future to change, then we have to change. We have to begin to do things differently. We have to make different choices. We have to give up our grumbling and be proactive and positive, even when we don't feel like it. I am talking about more than attitude, I am talking about action. If we want things to change, then we have to change the way we do things.

What things have you wanted to change in your life? This is your one vulnerable and important life on earth! Live it now! Be the change you want to see! If you want this to be a peaceful world, then be peace. If you want this to be an abundant world, then live abundantly! If you want this to be a generous place, then be generous.

If you are trapped by addictions or if you are stuck to a certain image of yourself, and you want to change, then the work is yours. And you have all you need to do the work you need to do.

Warmly,
meb

The small place in your heart...

Dear Friends,

The Upanishads - the holy writings of mystic Hinduism - speak of the "small place" in our hearts that is the center of our being, the Divine One in each of us. The small place is the place of complete wholeness and healing.

As you go about your day, remember that small place in your heart. Many things will want to draw your attention away from that place of powerful, wise, healing. Each time you are drawn away, come back to that place again.

Even when you forget, the small place has not forgotten. You are one with all creation, one with all beings, one with all the universe. You are not separate - you are connected.

The world offers us so much noise, so much activity, so much large-ness. Truly, though, we are that small place, that holy place.

Warmly,
meb

All that noise...

Dear Friends,

Today is Election Day in the United States. Thank God it's here! We've been listening to a blow-by-blow description of the candidates - what they say, how they say it, when they make a mistake, what they wear, what their partners wear, where they go, who they speak to - for two years now.

All that noise is about to end. And what noise will replace it?

And all the while, we have all been breathing, thinking, talking, living, and hopefully, embracing this one life we have been given.

When the fanfare is over, we are still each left with ourselves, with this one life. How are you today? How are you, really? And who are you, under all that noise?

Warmly,
meb

Watch the Light

Dear Friends,

Some days the light in the world is so beautiful, it takes your breath away. I know we can feel the breeze or smell the fresh air in the morning, but it takes a kind of looking to see the light in the world.

One of my dearest friends loves the way the light settles in the dusk. He often mentions it at that time of day.

Today, watch the light in the world. Take a look outside your window right now. What is the light saying? What kind of day is it? How does this time of day and the light of day speak to you personally?

As we step into the light, look to see the light.
Warmly,
meb

Thanks month -

Dear Friends,

This is the month of Thanksgiving, as we all know. Why not make it a month of thanks? Change your life! Change your attitude!
Watch your world shift!

Make your practice this month to say to someone every day: "thank you." Say "thank you" to the ones who usually go unnoticed. Say, "thank you" to your child, just for being in your life. Say "thank you" to a friend for being a friend.

Sometimes we go through life expecting "thank you" to be given to us. Instead, give "thank you" away. See what happens!

Warmly,
meb

Light a candle...

Dear Ones,

Light a candle today for those who are gone. Remember them - the love you had, the misunderstandings you had, the regrets you may have, the joys you remember. Remember the relationship in all its fullness.

As you light the candle, speak to those who are gone. Tell them what you still need to tell them. Tell them you miss them, and what it is you miss about their being here.

At this time of year, join with people of all places - and all times - who took this season of the year as a fading away of the old to be a time to connect with those who are gone.

Warmly,
meb