The Miracle of Flowers

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower, our whole life would change.”

–The Buddha

Orchids are notoriously difficult flowers to cultivate. About a month ago I noticed little sprouts on three of my orchid plants (even the really sad looking orchid that I recued from Bob’s office), all of which had shed their blooms months before. I had relinquished all hope that I would ever see blooms again on these beauties. But, soon enough the miracle of the orchid will return to my office. I was almost giddy with excitement when I first noticed the sprouts, because I’m not really known for having a green thumb. As David jokes, “Emily is really good at growing ivy.”

Half of the battle of giving thanks is really taking inventory of all there is for which to give thanks. We forget about the little miracles that permeate all of existence. Think about the intricacy of something as small as a flower- the millions of years of evolution (flowers showed up about 135 million years ago), the incredible process of photosynthesis, or the delicate curvature of the petals. An awful lot of things had to happen to make this flower on my desk possible.

So if you’re struggling to find things for which to be thankful, contemplate how incredible it is that any of this (life, you, orchids) even exists at all. Finding wonder in “simple” things will ensure you always have cause for thankfulness. Remember, “We don’t give thanks because we’re happy. We’re happy because we give thanks.”

Peace, Love, and Laughter,

Emily

This one goes out to the ladies...

The pendulum swings until, loosing momentum, it settles in the center at equilibrium. Prior to the dawning of the common-era the divine feminine was, if not central to the spiritual lives, at least present in the lives of our ancestors. Now fast-forward through the past two millennia, and religion is dominated by masculine figures (the father, and son, male dominated clergy in all major religions, etc.) So, where are we headed next? Logic would tell me that the pendulum wants to settle in the center- honoring both the masculine and feminine in religion.

But, is Christianity ready to fully embrace such a change, especially with the pervasiveness of masculinity? The church does not have a great track record with keeping up with the times, always a few steps behind popular culture. What are your beliefs on the balance of masculine and feminine in religion? How has this contributed to the decline of Christianity in America? What do you think the church should to keep in step with “the pendulum?”

Peace, Love, and Laughter,

Emily

Philippine Disaster Relief This Sunday

 I can’t sit by and watch as disaster strikes. I have to do something. The typhoon that hit the Philippines this past Friday was beyond devastating to the country. Relief workers are completely overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, especially because the country’s infrastructure was not great even before the typhoon hit. The best way to get involved is to offer up monetary gifts to charitable relief organizations. To find a comprehensive list of these organizations please click here for the New York Times’ list.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/how-to-help-philippines-typhoon-victims/?ref=asia

So, this Sunday after the service we’ll be having a “Minute to Win it” fundraiser. Participation will be open to everyone. Here’s how it will work: folks will donate “tips” to the game stations in exchange for playing the games… which all take one minute, or less. We'll be having fun and raising money for a great cause.

Would you like to volunteer to run one of these game stations? Just email or call Emily. All stations will be set up and ready to go before the service this Sunday, 11/17. All proceeds will be donated to the Philippine Red Cross for disaster relief.

Peace, Love, and Laughter,

Emily

Beyond Need

Astronomers have just reported to the New York Times that there may be as many as 40 billion inhabitable “earth sized” planets in our galaxy alone and it is estimated that there are roughly 100 to 200 billion galaxies in the universe. About one in five “sun-like” stars has a planet orbiting in the so called “goldilocks zone”- not to hot and not too cold. Reading this information catalyzed my thoughts towards the implications of these findings.

The optimists will think, “Awesome, well, if we trash this planet we can just move on.” Except the closest one is 12 light years away. Even if we were to find a way move beyond our little island home here what would happen when we trashed the next planet. Will our human legacy be one of destruction? I hope that this is not the case.

Humans are the only beings in nature who take more resources than needed for survival. A lion will not kill unless it requires food. A tree will not continuously send forth roots for the sake of taking up more and more space to the point of over extending itself and eventual self-destruction. So, what piece of the puzzle are humans missing? I believe it is a connection to the divine. We all experience that in different ways; monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, even atheism. The rich diversity of spirituality takes innumerable forms. I think what unifies them all together in a beautiful way is this; honoring that all things are indeed connected in some way or another. With this attitude how can we take more than we need?

So, the next time you think that you cannot live without that new gadget or addition to your home, ponder whether or not you’re indeed trying to fill a void in your spiritual life.

Peace, Love, and Laughter,

Emily