Wayfarer

And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching from a lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
He said all men shall be sailors then until the sea shall free them
But he himself was broken long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

And you want to travel with him, and you want to travel blind
And you think that you might trust him for he's touched your perfect body with his mind

~Leonard Cohen

*Avielle Richman

One Enchanted Evening

I had the privilege of spending this evening with an articulate, bright, attractive woman. Seldom do I experience anyone who can disagree with me more emphatically, and still maintain such a non-aggressive demeanor. She is remarkable in so many ways, it would be hard to overstate how much I admire and appreciate her. That said, she is being challenged by Life in a very demanding way. She even acknowledged she felt "invisible." This has to do with the way her life has been changed and the sacrifices that have been asked of her (which she knowingly and intentionally accepted). What we need to remember is that there are people who observe. That some do notice...and are changed for the better. Invisible? I wonder if she has ever been more conspicuous.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

~Kahlil Gibran

*Jessica Rekos

One Explanation

                                                        I am the Dreamer of Dreams

From the very beginning I was involved intimately. I am the essence by which the others, who followed, flowed. I am all that you see or hear, all that you taste or touch...and much, much more. I am the source and I am the course. I am that I am and all that you are. You deemed me God.

Though you see me not, I am all that exists. As often as you would define me, I am far past definitions. I am a trillion years experienced. I am all that has been, all that will be. And you? You are the crescendo of my expression, the climax of creation. You are the epitome of possibility; the means of my involvement and interaction with other levels and different facets of myself.

You are the dreams of the Dreamer...

Book Of Padrac: Section 2 Discourse 22

~WPG

*Caroline Previdi

Here Comes The Judge

We are an intolerant race. We pass judgement quickly, instantaneously at times. This allows us a false sense of self. To belittle your actions, beliefs, attitudes, intelligence, skin color, hair length, height, weight, or any other personal characteristic, promotes a posture of "I am better than you." Remarkably, it is our own insecurities that fuel the rational of judging. We doubt our own self-worth. Unable to come to grips with the reality of "self," we have a propensity to project our deficiencies on those who surround us. This maintains the ego in a position of arbitrary dominance.

So whats to be done? One solution is simply become more aware. How often is your mental reaction, "what an idiot!" Or, "stupid son-of-a-bitch!" (these are dramatic responses; still, do you find yourself using them?) Perhaps you aren't so demonstrative. You, temperate that you are, reveal your feelings with a roll of the eyes or a slow, sad, shake of your head. Regardless, you have passed judgement. And to do so undermines you.

One other consideration is to understand the distinction between judging and evaluating. Though similar in meaning, there is a subtle difference. Evaluation insinuates an on-going process. Judgement is final. To paraphrase Edward Wallis Hoch: "There is so much good in the worst of us, and bad in the best of us, that most of us, shouldn't judge the rest of us."

*Noah Pozner