Love, Kindness, and Forgivenss

"Ignorance does not yield to attack, but it dissipates in the light, and nothing dissolves dishonesty faster than the simple act of revealing the truth.  The only way to enlarge one's power in the world is by increasing one's integrity, understanding and capacity for compassion."

- Dr. David Hawkins

My life experience has taught me that love, kindness and forgiveness are the only sane and satisfactory responses to ignorance, hatred and negativity.  Sharing our truth is showing the light of our spirit.  I believe in and try to practice authenticity and transparency in all my interactions.  I try to speak my truth with love, kindness, integrity, and compassion.

Intention

Our intention is a significant part of the value of our actions.  I find that the educators that I am blessed to interact with are dedicated to service.  The service is an intention and action of love.  They seek to uplift the lives of all those they teach, counsel and mentor.  The world sees excellence as dedication to the highest standards.  The educators I am blessed to work with are dedicated to the standards of respect, responsibility, authenticity, integrity, passion, commitment, compassion, empathy, vulnerability, service leadership and healthy relationships.  Every action we take within these standards brings grace into our lives and the lives of all those we serve.

Appreciation

My life has taught me that all of us, all living creatures, want to be recognized.  We want to be appreciated.  We want to know someone is happy we are here to share this life with them.  I find it beneficial to acknowledge others by seeing them as their best self.  Spirit radiates from all life.  When we recognize and appreciate each other, we all feel the healing of separation.  Together, in appreciation and acknowledgement, we feel peace.

As educators...

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit."

- Elton Trueblood

As educators this quote sums up our life of commitment to our students.  As educators our life is service and legacy.  We serve through dedication, detail, inspiration, motivation, tough love, discipline, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, and creativity.  Our legacy is formed in every student who believes in themselves, who learns to work with others, who finds their purpose, who serves their country and community, who leaves the world a bit better because their teacher did that for them.

"The seed never sees the flower."

- Zen proverb

As educators we are seed planters.  We plant seed after seed believing in the process of life and education.  We practice a faith as deep as nature itself.  Every action, every word, every lesson has ripples generations after us.  Every student we impact affects the world and all its people.

As educators we play a significant role in the health and healing of the world.  

Everything we do matters to someone.

Fellowship

"For those who have suffered, tolerance is not a political position or even a principle.  For those of us who have suffered, who have hauled ourselves into the sun, anything exhausted beside us is family."

- Mark Nepo

Mark Nepo, one of my favorite authors, speaks to the comfort and fellowship of recovery and healing.  Knowing we are not alone is comforting.  Knowing we are not the only one is healing.  In therapy, in recovery meetings, in healing circles we listen to others tell our story.  There is a universality to health and healing.  When we risk being authentic and vulnerable, we find that others have been down a very similar courageous path.

"We have not even to risk the adventure alone

for the heroes of all time have gone before us.

The labyrinth is thoroughly known...

we have only to follow the thread of the hero path.

And where we had thought to find an abomination

we shall find a God.

And where we had thought to slay another

we shall slay ourselves.

Where we had thought to travel outwards

we shall come to the center of our own existence.

And where we had thought to be alone

we shall be with all the world."

- Joseph Campbell

Connect, Join, One

God hears our prayers.

In our tender moments we achieve

connection

with the Divine.

Empathy, Vulnerability, and Kindness

join

heart and mind.

In these Holy moments

we are one

with God.

A New Year

Be Kind To All Life

Respect The Sacredness Of All That Exists

Show Compassion

Be Willing To Forgive

Seek Understanding

Surrender Your Perceptions

What Is Essential?

On this Christmas Morning

On this Christmas Morning

All we do is sacred.

Be at peace.

Our ideas of right and wrong are just

reflections through the dusty lens of our ego's glasses.

We are each a child of the Divine.

Every thought, feeling and action is sacred.

Everything is Grace.

Now is the season to know that everything is sacred.

Teaching and Learning

I have always loved reading.  My mom, who was a kindergarten teacher, inspired me to read.  She fueled my passion with numerous books.  She always had the wisdom to give me books that were relevant (interesting) to me.  I found comfort and connection in everything I read.  Early on I realized I was never alone.  I could always find a character or a word that I could relate to.  When lonely or sad, I could open a book and be transported to a deeper learning, to a place of understanding. 

I have spent 60 years of my 64 years as both a student and a teacher.  I am always learning and I am blessed to always be teaching.  My classroom has evolved.  It began in a 2 story brick building in Burlington, New Jersey.  Then, a High School of 2,000 other young adults, many colleges and University's and now the world.  My curriculum is life and love.  I am most interested in the stories of being human.  I am inspired by our challenges and triumphs.  I am less impressed with gaining achievement for position, power, and money.   I am most impressed with achieving unity, gaining understanding and being authentic and vulnerable.  My teaching is less about speaking and more about listening.  Listening to the "still, small voice" in me and the story of the depth of your experience.  I am most interested in your life and what you love and how we are connected in life and love.  I find there is always a connection.  We just need to listen.

Broken Heart

God breaks the heart again and again and again until it stays open

- Inayat Khan                     

When I was young my first fall from love broke my heart like lightning splitting a tree.

Years later, as a young father, Ashley's diagnosis of retardation broke me like a hurricane shatters glass.

Then being diagnosed with a life threatening immune disease broke me like a bone that breaks with a loud snap and you are brought to your knees.

Then at a conference, the joy tear filled face of a young man broke me like warm water pounding the pain from my shoulders.

Each time, my reflex was to close up, to recover but the spirit had broken through.

I will never close again.

We all have gifts

"What you are is what you have done with the why you are"

- Raymond Charles Barker

We have all arrived in this life with a God given gift. As we share our gifts we make a life. The sharing of our gifts determines the quality of our lives and legacy we leave.

Friends

Friends, are those people with whom we speak with love and passion without being filled with fear, doubt or even the need for approval.

I am blessed with deep, abiding friendships in my life.  They are an oasis when my life has been dry and cracked with my own intensity.  They have been a cool and refreshing drink of clean, clear water when my heart was burned from its loving passions.  When I was ills and alone, one visited and sat with me even when I could not remember his presence.  Another was always there by my side providing kinship, camaraderie and whatever was needed.  Others ensured by freedom as I explained the mysteries of my existence.  Many others waited patiently as I searched for truth in creative adventures that led me back to their trusted friendship.  I have prayed in my "dark nights of the soul" waiting to hear God's voice.

Honest, loving friends are parts of your soul.  They soften the harshness of the world.  Friendship, in ancient German, means "place of high safety."  This safety, this friendship, opens us to God.

"My friends are the beings through whom God loves me."

- St. Martin

Honor all people

When I was a little boy, there was a newspaper comic strip called Pogo.  Pogo's classic line was "We have met the enemy and they is us."  We must focus on discernment.  We must focus on devotion and selfless service.  Children of God we are here for more then  self gratification.  Service offers peace.  Self gratification leads to pain.  If we want peace we must follow the "still, small voice."  The inner spiritual voice recalls our heritage as sons and daughters of God.

We must be true and faithful to that within us that knows the truth.

We cannot give or receive the gifts God has lovingly given if we are self absorbed.  God made us all.  Everyone of us is a child of God.  We are designed to connect.  Dr. Brene Brown, in her research has show human beings are hard wired for connection.  We break the human connection when we are self centered.  We can restore our connection through service, by giving our time, attention and talents in service to someone in need.

God's gifts are abundantly for all.

"Honor all people."

                                                                1 Peter 2:17

"As long as we love one another, God will live in us."

                                                                 I John 4:12

In the depths of honesty and vulnerability, I want to say to everyone I see, "let us show love and respect to each other."

Sadly we never say this out loud.  If we did, someone would probably run away in fear.  We try our best to say I love you without words, in socially appropriate ways.  I love you is translated as "have a nice day, good to see you, good morning."

"We are hard wired for connection," writes Dr. Brene Brown and yet we go to such great effort to keep our desire for love and connection hidden.

So let me say here, what we all need to hear- "I love you"

Compassion

November 6, 2016- Sunday morning I found myself in physical and emotional pain.  I can no longer listen to any more political commercials from anyone.  Whenever a soundbite comes on the TV or radio, I find my body and mind recoil in pain.  I now mute every commercial.  Nothing I am hearing is in alignment with my values.  I don't like complaining so I went inside for prayer and meditation.  I found these words.  My choice is to be compassionate, to understand, to find a way with God's grace to be forgiving.  My value system, my "still small voice" directs me to be unconditionally loving towards all life in all it's "distressing disguises."  These words move me to action.  I look forward to service and giving of respect to everyone I interact with.  I practice consideration, patience, and understanding.  I give love and caring to all of God's children.  We are all God's children.

I trust in God's love, mercy and wisdom.  I place my faith and love in God.  My responsibility is not to change the negative but to focus on the positive.  Today I consciously offer the world kindness, forgiveness, gratitude and compassion.

God bless the whole world

No exceptions