Category Archives: speak and listen with love
Right Speech
Sometimes we speak clumsily and create internal knots in others. Then we say, “I was just telling the truth.” It may be the truth, but if our way of speaking causes unnecessary suffering, it is not Right Speech. The truth … Continue reading
Filed under buddhism, discernment, leadings, quakerism, speak and listen with love
Compassion for Enemies
The acronym SPICE was brought up in today’s Meeting for Worship, with each letter explained: S for Simplicity, P for Peace, I for Integrity, C for Community, and E for Equality. I wondered, why couldn’t the C stand for Compassion … Continue reading
Diversity
There’s been a lot of chatter on the Quaker blogmass recently about things like classism, racism, heterosexism, etc. What it boils down to, ultimately, is that American Quakers seem to have a problem with diversity. I asked the question in … Continue reading
Filed under classism, equality, GLBT rights, leadings, quakerism, speak and listen with love
Peace
I’m a little nervous about writing this post, as it’s been kicking around in the back of my mind for a while now… because I have a feeling a lot of people are going to disagree with it or find … Continue reading
Filed under daily life, peace, speak and listen with love
Trials
I wish I had something enlightening to say, but the truth is that my life is so full of drama right now (my sister’s in the hospital and Sugar, my 16 year old cat, is having some thinking outside of … Continue reading
Filed under compassion, daily life, discernment, faith, family, help, speak and listen with love
Hope
I had a wonderful conversation with my mother-in-law on Friday, as she was driving me to my post-op appointment. Some background is necessary to appreciate how wonderful this conversation was for me: my mother-in-law is a fundamentalist, Evangelical Christian who … Continue reading
Filed under belief, buddhism, christianity, christians, compassion, different faiths, faith, God, gratitude, in-laws, integrity, Jesus, speak and listen with love, worship
Listening
I just finished reading Parker J. Palmer’s “A Hidden Wholeness”, which has a main focus of challenging us to lead undivided lives and a secondary focus of encouraging that change to happen by groups called “circles of trust”. As a … Continue reading
Filed under family, speak and listen with love
Living Differently
It’s been a momentous two weeks. One of my dearest friends, Squee, has been visiting from Chicago. My sister just turned in her college senior thesis paper today, which I spent two hours proofreading for her this morning. Sugar, my … Continue reading
Filed under daily life, family, friends, gratitude, jamie, love, plain dress, quakerism, simplicity, speak and listen with love
Being Loved by God
When I was growing up, going to Mass was supposed to be a coercion. Kids went to Mass because their parents forced them to, but going to Mass wasn’t supposed to be enjoyed by the kids. Even in my father’s … Continue reading
To Pray Without Ceasing
I went into the weekend unsure of what God was calling me to do. I knew that my leading was to spend a weekend with Rob’s sister (who I’ll refer to as C from now on) and her husband (D), … Continue reading
Filed under anger, christians, different faiths, discernment, faith, God, in-laws, leadings, love, obedience, prayer, speak and listen with love, submission