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Monday, May 4, 2015

A Prayer for Quiet Confidence

A Prayer for Quiet Confidence

O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we will be saved, in quietness and confidence will be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ Book of Common Prayer
~ View of the Milky Way from the ISS
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/iss041e045469.jpg

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU! 30 Star Wars cartoons and memes

Here are some of my absolute favorite Star Wars memes and cartoons, in one place, for this day! Thanks Internetz :-) MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!







 












Sunday, May 3, 2015

Episcopal Prayer at the Close of Day

Look down, Lord, from your heavenly throne. Illuminate the darkness of this night with your celestial brightness, and from us, the children of light, banish for ever the deeds of darkness. God our judge and our teacher, let us not waste time when the day is done in guilt or self-reproach. Give us rather the courage to face whatever has been, accept forgiveness, and move on to something better. Amen. 
~ from the New Zealand Prayer Book
Unusual Spiral Galaxy M66 from Hubble 
Credit: #NASA, #ESA, #Hubble Heritage

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Live the Questions

"Live the questions. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
~ Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) from Letters to a Young Poet
Photo by Caroline Carson, 2010. North Gyeonsang Province, Korea at Bulguksa

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth, 
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower, 

sun and moon, and stars of light; 
Lord of all, to thee we raise...this our hymn of grateful praise. 
Photo by Caroline Carson - daisy in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Friday, May 1, 2015

When Making Lemonade Isn't Enough

                               "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" 
We've all heard that from time to time. I'm having a week of lemon-filled thoughts. End-of-semester crunch time, fingers in many pots, wondering what's on people's minds (when I know I shouldn't), etc. I've been both excited and apprehensive about things (who isn't). 
I've also heard that "When life gives you lemons, throw them back". 
But wait, that's not so nice. I don't do that, but I've felt it. 
I've learned that I can make lemonade out of life's lemons very well. I'm pretty resourceful and tend to create my own opportunities, but I also feel like I have a decent grasp on the fact that days in life range from the downright awful to the unabashedly glorious. It's been a week filled with both, yesssirreee. Even my rainbow unicorn & stars socks and my fun coffee socks didn't help even the keel. Boo. Time often helps though. It allows problematic situations to settle into a drinkable, lemony slush.
GAAAH, will I stop with the analogies.......probably not. 
The aforementioned slush is probably only drinkable with sugar and water, a team effort.
What if it's not a situation? What if people throw you lemons? Dealing with disappointment from unfulfilled expectations can be hard. In varied degrees, I imagine that most of us experience stress, fear, and worry over disappointing others while at the same time, we try and protect ourselves from being disappointed by others.  Working together sometimes does the trick...there's that team effort again :-)
I try to live my life in a confident, passionate, and authentic way. I'm openly sensitive and currently am the most "present" I've ever been in my entire life (thank you discernment and deep thoughts by the water in City Park). Being so present is truly wonderful and exciting, but can leave you vulnerable too. 
So what to do.... 
Avoid stresses? How is that living? 
Avoid the lemon-throwers? Hardly. 
Maybe I should try apples? Hmmm....just kidding!
Oh dear... What is is about throwing fruits?
And these memes? Yes, I had some time on my hands today.
What if people are gently handing you lemons they're not even aware of? This week, I've witnessed people simply walking by and dropping their lemons in my general vicinity. So WHAT business, pray tell, is it of mine to pick up these lemons? Ummm.... I'm a caring teacher and colleague? Is it that I want the best for everyone even though I know I cannot solve their stuff? Is it that I cannot alleviate fear in colleagues that has been constructed over years or even passed down to them by well-meaning higher-ups? 
Le Sigh. I have no real answers. Welcome to my ponderings.
Last month, I took some lemons, made some pretty good lemonade, and then watched as it was enjoyed. Only later did I realize that there wasn't any left for me. Today, this new month, I decided to collect the lemons, make some into lemonade and hold onto some others for selling or making more lemonade later.
I also decided that I should use magic and turn lemons into other juices because
I am amazing :-)

Thursday, April 30, 2015

A Prayer for Social Justice

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~from the Book of. Common Prayer
Dragonfly at Brooklyn Gardens, 2013, C. Carson