8:50 Sunday Morning

Bed or garden?

Sun is shining.

The garden wins.

The bed wins when there is rain.

What it means to live in the simple truth...

I'm a Quaker or Friend of Jesus and we live by a series of "testimonies" and one of those is the Testimony of Simplicity. This is drawn from Jesus' teaching and traditional Friends in the Midwest practice it with plain dress and a lifestyle that resembles the disappeared-Shakers or more liberal Amish.

In California it is sporadic in practice. If we really practiced it, we would be truly counter-culture as the anti-materialistic message is certainly at odds with the U.S. culture. Nonetheless, people in my meeting do try to live by this testimony. We especially work to not buy goods made with slave labor, no Walmart, etc. We also challenge one another to live more simply and that means with less stuff.

There is another Friends' testimony: the Testimony of Truth. The scripture that is often referenced is Matthew 5: 33-37 (from the Message): "And don't say anthing you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong."

This is reinforcing my commitment to clean up my bad habits of saying, "I'll pray for you." Or "I'll try." This latter phrase creates an expectation that you might actually try, and yet if we are truthful with ourselves, our hearts are saying no.

Simplify Time Management

My goal to simplify my life has, thus far, focused on material stuff. Today I've become aware of the need to simplify what I am doing.

First, I've had a few baking disasters in the last couple of weeks--raw cookies, burned to a crisp brownies. Normally I am a competent cook. Then when I washed a beret I knit for a friend and it unravelled in the spin cycle, I began to question how present I am to all of the "stuff" I do. If I were more mindful as I bake or knit, would I have fewer failures. Probably.

And what compels me to begin these small projects in the first place?

Then a friend at church shared a devotional he read on fasting. It didn't cover the usual spiritual blessings of going without food. Instead the author shared how saying no to something--whether it is television for a week or diet soda for a month--helps him become more mindful about so much more.

So my challenge on this 3-day weekend is to identify 50 things I can stop doing. This resolve is reinforced by reading in Patrick Ryan's book "Awakened Wisdom" about the energy that gets tied up when we make commitments we don't really intend to keep. So I'm looking at committees that I volunteered for or the other commitments I thoughtlessly made. I'll be responsible in how I end my involvement, and I hope that in cutting the ties and expectations that I'll get the same boost I experience when I donate bags of stuff to Goodwill.

I'm also going to explore fasting from activities, such as watching Netflix on demand or HGTV for a week or more. I'll share what I learn on this blog.

Gleaning in the new year

My friend Lisa shared a book that she found helpful: Throw Out 50 Things! She shared a link to it on Amazon and the webpage has a video clip that explains the basic concept--cleaning out the clutter in our lives, whether it is stuff or old ideas, is needed to free up energy for a better life. Or something to that effect. (The link is below if you want to check it out.)

I haven't bought the book because I already subscribe to the idea. This holiday break I cleaned out more than 50 things from my kitchen, 50 books from my bookshelf, and a couple of dozen clothing items from my closet. Plus I recycled more than 50 magazines. It does feel good.

The books are the hardest for me to let go of and I found that if I asked myself the question, "Will I ever read this again?" and the answer was no. Then I had to ask why I valued owning the book. Did it say something to people about who I am by having it on my shelf? Possibly. Ultimately those books will look better on someone else's shelf or in their hands being read.

I hold on to the delusion that owning this stuff will boost my well being. And I can stand in the truth by throwing out 50+ things! I just love the left corner of my kitchen (by the fridge) because it is free of clutter.

I intend to throw out* at least 50 things a month. Sometimes my small brain starts to fret and worry that I won't be able to find 50 things--and then I walk in the garage and I know that I can follow that intention for years to come.

*recycle or give away to friends in need or charity

Give it a try!

http://www.amazon.com/Throw-Out-Fifty-Things-Clutter/dp/044650579X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262719961&sr=8-1

2010--A New Year!

Such a relief to begin a new chapter, a new calendar, a new post on the blog!

2009 was a year of mixed blessings... struggles at work, and a lot of people hurting economically. At the same time, Co-active leadership program with 21 new friends, and Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Work Project in Cambodia. Even counting my blessings, it's been a long time since I've approached the New Year with such a palpable sense of relief.

I'm not making a bunch of resolutions for 2010. I already have a number of commitments that I am working to fulfill. Such as, getting fit and losing weight, paying off my personal debt, etc. My main goal is to continue to walk forward with the same commitment to being present in this moment and this moment, and this moment. If this means embracing another day of gray, wet weather. So be it. Or running outside to dance around in a momentary patch of sunlight!

Happy New Year.