carve me- the ugly beauty

and i asked Him - cut out the ugly
use a surgeon's precision
remove the selfish, small, petty of me
do not be concerned, it must be done
be swift!!

and He replied, I refuse;
you cannot withstand such harshness
it would bring certain death
I must be gentle and with a delicacy
reserved for my dear ones, I will chip away
the marble
revealing the beauty within

What does it mean that Jesus died for my sins?

I've been pondering the message of the cross lately.  I love some of the motivations Fr. Richard Rohr expresses regarding Jesus death representing the killing of the divisions between peoples of the day.  Galatians 3:28 says 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.'  Rohr says He came to destroy the "my group versus your group thinking".  He came to create one new humanity (Ephesians). Doesn't that sound fabulous?  and impossible?

I have started to feel that the concept of Jesus dying for my sins means for me that I do not have to work so hard at eliminating my selfish ego all the while expanding my consciousness; that Him being fully human and fully God blurs the line for us too.  There is such freedom in this grace that's been given.  I can wake up and know that God has control and I can surrender the effort, finding ease.  Once again, I can create space between the one thinking the "less than" thoughts and the ONE watching, not judging.  One of the best ways for me to tune in to my inner divinity is through my yoga and meditation practice- aligning my personality with my soul's purpose.

Jesus may have died so that we don't have to kill off our egos, hating every part of us that isn't creative, inspiring, loving, forgiving, and perfect. Maybe the entire world isn't ready to embrace this new humanity as one, loving, whole, equal species but I am ready to embrace my being that way. We  have God's spirit within each and every one of us and an ego.  Can we make peace between the two, allowing them the space to  co-exist because  Jesus' life tells us that our humanity is not the opposite of our divinity, it  is the manifestation of it!!

The epiphany station

why all the static
frenzy and commotion
yours are the hands, feet and heart

this path inclusive of all life's lessons
awareness holds the key to learn in this school
you are his body
make the connection
yours are the hands, feet and heart

attune your personality
to the smooth sounds of your soul station
to hear the lovely melody ripple forth
yours are the hands, feet and heart

Unlikely partner

primal connection magnetized
drawn together in the natural
as energetic symbiosis
inseparable in a painful, blooming knot
of emotion
My Beloved's humor identified
in secrets revealed
a  beautiful, hidden agenda:
the unveiling of the Passiflora

Treetops A meditation on the Cooper

Treetops- a Meditation on the Cooper

Look up

stretching, never touching, the spindly treetops reach for the clouds

Glance down

In the rippling water, the treetops dive below the surface brushing the clouds

and in the movement of the river, the branches sway slightly

Look up

tranquil, majestic, at peace in their stillness

Wound as teacher/savior

it is there
felt
exposed
absorbed
revealed
brought forth from the depths of your being
embraced as transformation
human, common, plain even
not unique at all; this ordinary wound
herein lies the secret:
freedom escapes, reinvents itself as rebirth
journeys to heaven on a prayer

I know GOD

I KNOW GOD

He's in the guy crossing the 10k finish line
I see Him as the complex emotions cross his face

He's in the guy singing for change in the subway
I experience Him when we join our voices

He's in the yoga class
I feel Him in my breath, bones and muscles as strength and beauty and release

He's in my golden retriever Sierra
I nuzzle Him in the softness of her coat

He's in my home
I cherish Him as I gaze upon my sleeping husband and children