Article by Mary Bea Sullivan

Let’s face it, fear, doom and gloom still seems to pervade our societal consciousness.  Yes … we hear from the news pundits and Washington that the recession is over … but how can that be while we continue to lose jobs, unemployment is sky high, and Wall Street is rewards companies for “economizing” by further workforce reductions?  Enough of my soapbox!

With the current state of things, what can we do to combat a case of the “Economic Blues”?  As one who can be susceptible to this insidious disease, here are four incredible remedies that have helped …

Give Back

Find someone, or an organization we care about and offer our talents in a meaningful way.  It’s amazing how healing it can be to “get outside ourselves.”  Besides, we need to do something with all of that time we used to spend shopping.

Be Grateful

Count your blessings.  Mom knew what she was talking about.  Keep a gratitude journal by starting or ending your day making a list of people/places … anything for which you are grateful.  Just last week I heard the story of a woman who found her way back from a deep depression, and one of the tools that helped her was grabbing a journal and writing about what was good in her life, before her feet even hit the floor. Read More »

Article by Mary Bea Sullivan

“… forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against … “  The whole “as we forgive those who trespass against us” deal can be like pushing a boulder uphill.  Praying for forgiveness … piece of cake!

For most of us, when we feel resentment, it resides in our guts. We relive an unkind word … years of abuse … a missed opportunity to be supported … and our solar plexus tightens as if trying to protect us from the pain.

But the pain is there, as real as the air we breathe; yet sometimes, all we breath is our pain.

Small transgressions can be easy to forgive, especially when the other party sincerely seeks forgiveness.  But the big ones … infidelity, a parent who seemed uninterested or uncaring, a trust shattered, a child who steals from her own mother … these can take years of hard work to move past. And if the one who hurt us shows no remorse, the challenge is even more difficult. Read More »

Article by Stefanie Johnson

There are magical places that exist within each one of us, inside our minds, hearts, and souls. By visiting these places, we can tap into the infinite and bring peace and abundance into our lives.

Each journey will be unique, as we are unique, so you may want to have a notebook and pen nearby to record your experience afterward. You may choose to have another person read the meditation to you so you may experience it more fully.      

Find a comfortable place, close your eyes, open your mind, and prepare yourself to travel within.

This week, to honor the arrival of the harvest season, let’s take a trip together to the Brilliant Grove, and sit down to enjoy the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. Read More »

Article by Mary Bea Sullivan

In Care of the Soul, Thomas Merton reminds us …

“Getting away from the world has always been a part of the spiritual life … Some concrete, physical expression of retreat could be the beginning of a spiritual life that would nourish the soul.  It could take the modest form of a drawer where dreams and thoughts are kept.  It could consist of five minutes in the morning dedicated to writing down the night’s dream or to reflect on the day ahead.  It might be the decision to take a walk through the woods instead of touring the shopping mall … These are modest forms of retreat that serve the spiritual needs of the soul.  Spirituality need not be grandiose in its ceremonials.  Indeed, the soul might benefit most when its spiritual life is performed in the context it favors - ordinary daily vernacular life.  But spirituality does demand attention, mindfulness, regularity, and devotion.  It asks for some small measure of withdrawal from a world set up to ignore soul.”

When my children Brendan and Kiki were young, I felt like I was losing myself to motherhood.  A wise friend counseled me to create a “Feed Your Soul Journal.” So I did …

Each day I would write down what I did to nourish that which was crying out deep within me.  The entries were simple - drinking a latte on the bench near the bird feeder, walking my dog Boomer alone, going outside while my husband did the dishes.  Some of these activities were new.  Many were not.  Considering what I wanted and needed, taking the time to notice that I was feeding my soul, helped me find myself again.

Today, I invite you to give yourself the gift of a “modest form of retreat,” a “small measure of withdrawal.”

What feeds your soul?  Could you block off a period of time - five minutes, half-an-hour - to allow yourself to reconnect with that still, small voice inside?

Perhaps the length of time is not as important as the act of carving out this sacred space and noticing the gift.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
       be pleasing in your sight,
       O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

-Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Mary Bea Sullivan is the author of Dancing Naked Under the Moon - Uncovering the Wisdom Within, a compelling story about her pilgrimage toward wholeness.  She facilitates spiritual retreats and workshops for women’s groups and faith communities.  Mary Bea lives with her husband, Malcolm Marler, and their yellow (white really) lab, Daisy on Smith Lake in Alabama. For more information about Mary Bea Sullivan and her work, please visit www.MaryBeaSullivan.com.

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“How much energy would we save if we opened our eyes to the abundance that surrounds us?…  How much more generous would we be … ?”

Article by Mary Bea Sullivan

There is a new kid on the block.  In the past six years, Malcolm and I have never been visited by this greenish/yellowish bird with black and white wings.

Early one morning I spied him, of all places on the hummingbird feeder … Grabbing my book, I walked onto the deck for my morning reading and coffee.  This startled the new kid and he flew away.

Taking his hummingbird interpretation one step further, he mimicked their flight pattern -perching high on a tree to the left, zooming close to the feeder, and then landing high on a tree to the right.  Unlike the hummingbirds, he wouldn’t land on the feeder when I was around. Also, he sang a long, loud repetitive song.  Well … really it sounded more like, “get out of here I was enjoying the sugar buzz!”

Curious, I cruised through the bird book trying to identify him, deciding he was probably some kind of vireo.  He’s returned to visit every day since and has charmed Malcolm as well.

The hummingbirds are not nearly as entertained by the new kid as Malcolm and I are.  They buzz him and seem hesitant to land when he is on their feeder.  Hummingbirds are fascinating in their own right.  Often we will take our seats in the stadium (… Ok … the Adirondack chairs on the deck) and watch their games.  Small bodies zipping past at top speed, wings flapping at a million beats per second … finally, one will land on the feeder, only to be dive bombed by another hummingbird or two. Entangled in their mid-air battle, another small bird will light on the feeder and then foes become comrades as they band together to bully the newcomer off of the feeder.

We never tire of these games.  In fact we mourn the hummingbirds when they leave in October and anticipate their return in April.

Now … there are six perches and holes on this feeder.  If they wanted to, our little friends could ALL sit peacefully and sip their nectar.  Heck, they could hang out and tell bee jokes or something. Imagine the energy they would save NOT fighting and dive bombing and playing protector of the perch!

I can’t understand why the new kid wants to pretend he’s something he’s not, but I bet he isn’t the only one “doin’ the hummin’ bird dance.”  I think a lot of us do it.

Sometimes I wonder if God isn’t like Malcolm and me … watching the show and wondering, ‘Why do they operate from such fear? I have provided them with everything … there’s no need to worry, no need to fight … simply drink from the cup of life.’

How much energy would we save if we opened our eyes to the abundance that surrounds us? How much more generous would we be if we weren’t worried that someone else was going to get our “share”?

Is there a place in your life where you have been buzzing around in fearful flight?  If so, what would it look like if you stopped flapping your wings and simply perched, drank, and gave thanks?

Be still, and know that I am God.

-Psalm 46:10

* The photograph above was taken at Mary’s home on Smith Lake, Alabama.

Mary Bea Sullivan is the author of Dancing Naked Under the Moon - Uncovering the Wisdom Within, a compelling story about her pilgrimage toward wholeness.  She facilitates spiritual retreats and workshops for women’s groups and faith communities.  Mary Bea lives with her husband, Malcolm Marler, and their yellow (white really) lab, Daisy on Smith Lake in Alabama. For more information about Mary Bea Sullivan and her work, please visit www.MaryBeaSullivan.com.

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. Thanks!