Courage

photography www.rastudio.ca

Courage......

As I read through an old journal

from 12 years ago

I found this prayer

'I ask for courage...

I ask for courage...'

I was in a time of deep distress

and facing my day to day life was not what I wanted to face

It takes courage to face the realities that lie before us

to really see things as they are

and not lose hope

Courage

has meant for me

to stay awake

to life

to keep my eyes open

and to stay present

and engaged.

Courage

has meant for me

to listen deeply 

to my soul

and to not be afraid 

to live from 

the truth of who I am

not to please others

but to respond

to the life

I have been 

given.

Courage

has meant for me

to listen to the dreams

of my heart

and to take risks

in pursuing 

the light 

of these dreams.

Courage

has meant for me

to trust

in friendships

to reveal the

fragility of my heart

to another

to risk being misunderstood

or unloved.

Courage

has felt so 

beyond me

so many times.

It has felt like a gift

that comes when I am broken

and weak.

I feel my humanity

I feel my vulnerability

and yet I want to say

yes 

to Life

So I pray

Give me courage

Give me courage

and in the words of this song.....

"Love strengthens me

and gives me

courage

for today"

and my heart soars

photo by rastudio.com

today I walked in the woods
and I soaked in the
 beauty of
gold
and red
I drank in the cool
fall air
deep into my lungs
I heard the rustle of leaves under my boots
I saw the wings of eagles
and in the words of
Chief Dan George,
my heart soared.
As I sit at my table
and look at the sticks of an orchid plant
that looked dead for a time
and now is budding again with new life
I gaze at the bright green shoots
and the pregnant 3 blossoms that will soon open
and my heart soars.
beauty
all around
if we will see
if we will hear
if we will be present and awake

The beauty of the trees,

the softness of the air,

the fragrance of the grass,

speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain,

the thunder of the sky,

the rhythm of the sea,

speaks to me.

The faintness of the stars,

the freshness of the morning,

the dew drop on the flower,

speaks to me.

The strength of fire,

the taste of salmon,

the trail of the sun,

and the life that never goes away,

they speak to me.

And my heart soars.

Chief Dan George

Every Time......

photography by revival arts

rastudio.ca

I found this old song in the stacks of my choral music

 in my studio sometime last year.

I immediately felt my toes start tapping and the rhythm captivated me.

However, the words were old were filled with  fairly negative descriptions of the

 devil coming to catch us all.

so........I thought, why not rework this baby.

and I did with a lot of fun.

Sharing this song in many different concert situations has been a gift.....

and what it brings is - joy.

simple joy.

tapping foot joy.

humming along joy.

I think we often forget simple pleasures these days.

We have forgotten the joy of singing with each other

and experiencing music in community.

this is also a song about freedom.

And every time I sing this, it reminds me....

sister, you are free.

No matter what my circumstances - there is an inner freedom

to still choose

Choose YES

Choose LIFE

Choose LOVE

Choose LIGHT

Freedom

Rise Up

photo by revival arts  rastudio.com

You know that book - Conversations with God?

Well, sometimes I have my own conversations.....

the other day, this is what I heard beyond my tears - 

Cathy, 

remember

I don’t do shame

Any shame you feel is not coming from me, my darling

I have given you life – do I want to diminish that?

You can walk into these new places with humility and grace

But not guilt

Or shame

That is not beautiful

Remember I am beauty

And beauty is full of grace, wisdom, gentleness and kindness. 

You can be kind and loving and gracious and beautiful even as you take this next step and rise up.

It is not about ‘pushing’up or striving in any way to rise.

It is about naturally doing what your body was meant to do

It is natural

It is pure

It is holy

And even as you rise – it does not push others down

It is not a rejection of others that you rise

It is not a negative towards others at all

It is simply shining

With the light I have put within you

Others can shine too

And you can shine on others

You can be kind to others and not lose anything

You can be generous and not lose anything

Because the fullness of light is within you

Just as the fullness of light is also within others 

if they open up

So, don’t be afraid of being loving, kind, gentle and beautiful

BE

ALIVE

And all my fullness will flow through you

Remember, we are dancing together

We are dreaming together

We are walking in light together

We are loving together

We are ALIVE

We are present right here, right now

When you are afraid of being loving, you are allowing yourself to go back to the past and let old feelings come to the surface.  What is important for you to learn is to stay present to me and then allow me to guide you in every ‘present’ moment.  Then we can create new ways of being and the most healing, the most nurturing, the most loving possibilities for your relationships.  And you open yourself up to the greatest Love opportunities.

Let us BREATHE together.  

Breathe with me girl

Rise UP.

thanksgiving 2011 - how can i keep from singing?

Thanksgiving 2011
this year has held incredible highs and far reaching lows.
It has been a year of living each day .....being fully awake 
for what that day held
both intense joy
and significant pain
but through it all
I have known again the gift of song
Singing connects me with my soul
through all of life's experiences
songs express - and help me to express
my soul, our soul
stories
so I want to give thanks
thanks for the songs
that have come like gifts
floating from heaven
rising from the earth
these songs that I now am able to share with many others
and these songs heal me
heal us
restore us
and remind us of a deeper truth
of the 'song from beyond'


I also want to give thanks for the 
beautiful community that surrounds me
in love
mirroring back to me
truth
love
friendship 
and 
hope
thank you
thank you
thank you


the words of this classic song express my heart this thanksgiving day:


My life goes on in endless song
above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear it's music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

Oh though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
Oh though the darkness 'round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble in their fear
And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

My life goes on in endless song
Above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
How can I keep from singing?

Lord, how can I keep from singing?
Oh, how can I keep from singing?


I will be performing two Love Shines concerts
with Boris Sichon, Kevin Boese & Jonathan VanDyke


Saturday Oct 15, St. John's Anglican Church  Chilliwack
7:30pm  $15 at door
Saturday Oct 22  House of James Abbotsford(with Rebecca Sichon)
7:30pm $15 at door


would love to see you there


Thursday Oct 27/Friday Oct 28 - at Gospel Music Awards of Canada in Calgary

clay & the tucking of the thumb

These past two weeks have been ones of going slow
of feeling the feet stuck at times
in fields of clay
mires of muck
the clay of sadness
when one's feet are in this clay
it is impossible to move quickly
to move quickly is to fall down face first
one must succumb to the
journey through the clay
and trust that the clay fields do
naturally end
and come to dry ground
where one can walk again
at a pace familiar
but in those moments of deep clay,
it is a plod
even though
you can feel
the sunshine
you are aware of the rainbow
still....your feet are in the muck
and so you feel the warmth
you know the promise
but there is no escape
you must walk through the clay
until it passes
no side journeys
no escape
but a steady, step-by-step
with trust

as I was teaching a student this week how to play a scale
I explained the concept of tucking the thumb
play thumb, index, middle finger - then tuck the thumb
and you can play the full 8 tone scale
to make the scale sound smooth
the thumb anticipates the tuck and begins to move into position
even before it is time to play that 2nd note

this movement of anticipation to me became a symbol that I could live into
Life is predictable with the thumb, index, and middle finger - but
now.....the thumb tuck
transition
I can adjust - and move into position in my heart
and be ready for the rest of the scale
the rest of my life
or I can freeze
in what I knew before
this transition
However, if I yield to the thumb tuck - the beautiful scale will emerge
it is uncomfortable
it is new
it is strange at first

but can I trust?  Can I yield?
As I plod through the clay
I open my heart to
the full scale
of my life.

through

photo by revival art studio

gotta go through it


there is a childhood song that has this refrain:
Can't go over it
Can't go under it
Can't go around it
Gotta go through it


going 
through.........
means allowing the moments of heartache to rise to the surface
and not run
to allow sadness to be
sadness
to cry 
to weep with being human
and knowing pain
to be weak and 
fragile
while remaining with hands open
no clenched fists
open to what is beyond the tears
hope
beyond explaining
hope that comes from under 
the tears
emerging from a deep, deep source
of Life
this hope emerged
again
yesterday in the form
of 
Gerber daisies
Going through is not easy
it requires
courage
and breathing in and out over and over again
going through-
we realize we are
not
walking
alone
We are surrounded
I am surrounded
with the
Presence of Love
We are called to
Life
and to say YES
And so with arms now fully open
I say YES
YES to a love that is deeper than any sadness
YES to a hope the is beyond any despair
YES to a promise
of fullness - of shalom - which not only means 'peace' but also means.....completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. 

Numbers 6:24-26

New International Version (NIV)

 ²⁴ “‘“The LORD bless you
   and keep you;
²⁵ the LORD make his face shine on you
   and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the LORD turn his face toward you
   and give you SHALOM.”’

the gift that someone gave to me.....

13 years ago was a time when I hit rock bottom.
I was really quite desperate for help and someone encouraged me to find a spiritual director.
I didn't even know what that meant at the time, but I started asking around and one day someone actually knew what that term was and handed me a business card of a woman named Joy.
Joy agreed to meet with me and my life was forever changed.
Joy had an incredible gift of listening.  There was nothing too shocking or overwhelming for her to absorb. She just was incredibly attentive and showed deep respect for my humanity and the story that I found myself in.
One of the most profound gifts Joy gave me was that she never once felt sorry for me.
Even though I was a mess and crying at almost every session, she never pitied me or coddled me.
Because she never allowed herself to feel sorry for me, there came an invitation for me to also not feel sorry for myself and to see the choices that were in front of me to make.
she allowed me to have dignity and self-respect and personal value.
She never rushed with answers or problem solving, but would linger in silence to listen for the story underneath the story.
She'd often respond with a question rather than an answer after a period of utter stillness.
I learned so much wisdom from Joy.  She became a mentor to me in my soul journey.
13 years later I still correspond with Joy and she is as dear to me as ever.
One of the practical gifts she gave me was to pay my way for a 3 day Silent Retreat.  I would never have chosen to do this on my own, but as it was fully paid for and I needed to get away, I went.
That silent retreat changed my life.  It became an anchor, an oasis, the beginning of an inner root system that has shaped this past decade of my life.
Now I lead retreats like this because of what Joy did for me.  There is one coming up in November for women.  If you are interested in coming or would like to sponsor someone else to go - a life could be changed, as mine was.
In our fast paced lives it is a great challenge to value stillness and silence.  But this is where our souls sing.  This is where we find ourselves again and out of the fullness of this silence, we can jump back into our lives with a deeper energy and sense of purpose than we ever had before.
Here is the link to the Mark Centre if you want more info:

November Retreat - Mark Centre

another dream of mine.....

well......I've had a long time dream....to have a grand piano.... I've been looking for a long time, but never really believing that I could have one to call my own.  In the middle of life turning upside down for me and finding myself on my own for the first time since I was 19, there came a strong desire to finally let that dream be realized.  It is a bigger story than I can fully write here, but the fact is that I found an old grand that fit me perfectly.  It is scratched and beautiful!  It has curvy legs and ivory keys.  It is responsive to how I play and is powerful in its sound.  It fits perfectly into the place I started imagining it to be - and it is truly there.  I've never had a piano just for my pleasure.  I've taught for over 20 years and somehow it is hard to be really creative on the piano that you work on all day long.  To have a piano that is for creativity, for community, for concerts, for composition, for singing.....this makes my heart so big with happiness.  Just walking by it and touching it - makes me glad.  it is so beautiful and speaks to me of memories yet to be created.  I have dreams for this piano - of people gathered around and singing with me, of writing songs at 3am and much more.  Two people have crawled underneath it just to lay under the strings and feel the amazing vibration of sound coming through the air.  having the piano brought into the house was quite an event.  So, here are the pictures of my good friend Darren Lambert and his two young men helpers who helped make another dream come true.

exploring new territory

the didge
The first time I saw someone play the didgeridoo I was mesmerized by the ability to keep the sound going through the process of circular breathing.  It seemed like a magical experience to breathe in and breathe out at the same time.
It was one of those skills that seemed 'impossible' for me to ever learn but amazing to admire in someone else.
I must admit when my friend Boris told me to begin to learn circular breathing and that I could actually acquire this skill - I just laughed.  I had the feeling of 'why try?'.  It is impossible and I could never do it - so why even begin?
One day I realized the limitation I had set on my own possibilities.  Why did I think that I can't learn this?  Why did I deem it impossible?  If other human beings could learn this skill - would it not be possible that I could as well?
Once I opened my mind to the possibility of trying and exploring, I became a learner.  I read about circular breathing, watched videos about circular breathing and started exploring how to do it myself.
There was a lot of spitting involved.  It wasn't pretty!
Boris lent me a 'practice didge'...a pipe from Rona!  My dog freaked out when she first heard the noise.  I took it in the car and went and practiced where no animal or human could see or hear me.
It was terrible and sounded like a sick pig!
But.....once I got the idea in my head that I could learn, I became determined to keep trying.
I gave myself til Christmas and most days tried to work on it.
The sound became a read didge sound.
But the circular breathing was challenging.
And then 2 days ago - it happened.  it worked.
It all came together and I did it - the sound, the breathing - it sounded good and was continuous.
I played the didge!
I may never play this thing in public - I may take a few months to be able to be consistent in the circular breathing department - but the wonder of learning something new and pushing myself beyond what I thought was possible is life-giving.
It makes me wonder - what else is possible for me to learn?
Where do I set limits on myself that are self-imposed and not true reflections of reality?
How can I think 'possibility' instead of 'not me'?
What am I capable of learning and becoming and being as I journey into the 40's of my life?
I think I know what I would like for Christmas - a real didge from Australia -
a step up from my beautiful black Rona pipe!

inspired

about 2 or 3 years ago I ran into a tall dark- haired man in the dog park of Mission named David.  He was walking his dog Charlie, and I was walking my dog, Indie.
The night before there had been a big storm and so there were branches all over the paths and loose in the trees above us.  I found out that David used to be an arborist and that he knew a lot about trees.  He made sure that I remembered to look up as we walked under big oaks and maples, to see if any loose branches were in a position to suddenly drop down on my head.  I appreciated his knowledge and his concern towards my safety!
over time I have met David on many occasions while we are walking our dogs and we have become good friends.  I found out that David is very sick with diabetes and his body is slowly shutting down.  He may live for a long while yet, or he may die in his sleep at any time.  He is having to face death every day.
From meeting David, as I did today again, you would not know this.  You would see a beautiful man who is walking with a slight limp but with a smile on his face.  David has become so aware of Love waiting for him that whether he is here or he is gone - he is completely happy.  David radiates a joy in being alive because he is knowing more deeply than many people I know how that day is a gift.  He is full of awe at the beauty of life around him. He loves studying science and learning more facts about what he can see and touch in this life, and what remains yet a mystery to him.
No matter what is happening for me, when I am with David, he inspires me.  He inspires me to be present, to live fully, to always be grateful, to aware of Love waiting for me - there is truly nothing to be afraid of.
David is not afraid.
This is what is always so powerful about our conversations.
David is not afraid.
David is secure in the knowing of Love holding him, carrying him, surrounding him and waiting for him.
In David - I see Love Shining
and it deeply inspires my heart
to keep trusting
to keep hoping
to not be afraid.

Sam

I have a 'Sam' in my life
and I want to tell you about this person....who is an inspiration to me
because I am grateful
and it is important to say thanks
and to celebrate what is beautiful and good in life
If you know the story of 'the Lord of the Rings', you will know about 'Sam'
Even though Frodo is the main character of the story, I feel that 'Sam' is the true hero of the story.
Sam embodies true friendship.  Sam is faithful, present through darkness and light.
Sam celebrates victories and suffers alongside in the moments of great darkness.
Sam believes in Frodo and does not allow Frodo to give up in the journey.
Sam believes in the value of Frodo's journey and speaks life to Frodo as in the following dialogue:

Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.

Sam:  I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo:  What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam:  That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.

My 'Sam' has taught me a lot about being a true friend.  I hope that one day I can be all that she has been to me.

and we will continue singing

This past Tuesday night my daughter Brianna woke me up at 3am.  She had just received a call from her very close friend Savannah letting her know that Savannah's boyfriend and Brianna's good friend Marco had died.  Marco was the young man who died in the boating accident, which has received a lot of news coverage this week.  He graduated this past June with Brianna and received a full scholarship to the University of the Fraser Valley.  He was an amazing musician and a fun-loving personality.  I had the joy of having Marco play with me this summer at the Mission Folk Festival.  I had asked him what he was going to wear for our gig and he asked me what he should wear.  I said - just be yourself.  So, he got excited and decided to wear his hair in a Mohawk.  Marco was a great person to be around, relaxed, funny and easy to talk to - no matter what age you were.

As many of you know, the song Love Shines played a powerful role when my nephew Christian died just over one year ago.  I was about to record Love Shines as a single when Chris died.  I didn't know how I could record this song - how could I sing about love shining?  So, I cancelled the recording.  But then I thought about Chris and his life and how he would have been so mad at me for cancelling doing something that I loved.  And I looked into the face of my brother and his wife - and I realized I did see love shining - in them.  And so I recorded that song and gave it all I had.  And then I sang it for the 1500 people that came to Chris's funeral.

Marco did not know any of this to my knowledge.  But Love Shines was one of the songs I had sent him to practice for our set at the Mission Folk Festival.  On the night that he died, his mom went to his laptop and opened it up.  What was on the screen was the lyrics/chord chart for Love Shines.  It was the last thing that Marco looked at on his computer and what his mom found in that horrible moment.
I am overwhelmed how this song came to this family in the middle of such utter agony.  Marco's memorial will be a concert at Heritage Park next Sunday at 2pm.  There are many musicians coming to honour Marco and his memory.  Marco's mom has asked me to sing Love Shines.
Love does shine in our deepest darkness.
Love shines in moments we cannot comprehend.
Love shines beyond our agony.
Love shines.
Marco - I will sing for you.
Chris - I will sing for you.

and we will continue singing

This past Tuesday night my daughter Brianna woke me up at 3am.  She had just received a call from her very close friend Savannah letting her know that Savannah's boyfriend and Brianna's good friend Marco had died.  Marco was the young man who died in the boating accident in the interior of BC, which has received a lot of news coverage this week.  He graduated this past June with Brianna and Savannah and received a full scholarship to the University of the Fraser Valley.  He was an amazing musician and a fun-loving personality.  I had the joy of having Marco play with me this summer at the Mission Folk Festival.  I had asked him what he was going to wear for our gig and he asked me what he should wear?  I said - just be yourself.  So, he got excited and decided to wear his hair in a Mohawk...what fun.  Marco was a great person to be around, relaxed, funny and easy to talk to - no matter what age you were.

As many of you know, the song Love Shines played a powerful role when my nephew Christian died just over one year ago.  I was about to record Love Shines as a sing when Chris died.  I didn't know how I could record this song - how could I sing about love shining?  So, I cancelled the recording.  But then I thought about Chris and his life and how he would have been so mad at me for cancelling doing something that I loved.  And I looked into the face of my brother and his wife - and I realized I did see love shining - in them.  And so I recorded that song and gave it all I had.  And then I sang it for the 1500 people that came to Chris's funeral.

Marco did not know any of this to my knowledge.  But Love Shines was one of the songs I had sent him to practice for our set at the Mission Folk Festival.  On the night that he died, his mom went to his laptop and opened it up.  What was on the screen was the lyrics/chord chart for Love Shines.  It was the last thing that Marco looked at on his computer and what his mom found in that horrible moment.

I am overwhelmed how this song came to this family in the middle of such utter agony.  Marco's memorial will be a concert at Heritage Park next Sunday at 2pm.  There are many musicians coming to honour Marco and his memory.  Marco's mom has asked me to sing Love Shines.
Love does shine in our deepest darkness.
Love shines in moments we cannot comprehend.
Love shines beyond our agony.
Love shines.
Marco - I will sing for you.
Chris - I will sing for you.

sing through sorrow, sing through tears, sing throughout all your years

If you were able to only give one sentence to describe yourself, could you do it?
If you were able to only give one sentence to describe a relationship you have and all of it's many nuances, history, joys and sorrows, could you do it?
I could not.
I cannot.

What I'm trying to say and I don't know where to begin, is that the marriage I have known since I was 19 has come to an end and has been ending for a long time....I just had hoped there was a way through.....but I have had to come to rest that there is not a way through for us and it is time to let go.
This year has been a paradoxical year for me - with utter joy and deep sorrow dancing together day by day.  It has been a year of being more alive than I've ever known, and at the same time.....so deeply sad.
But even in my deepest sadness, I've been aware of LIFE still calling me to live, to rise up, to be present.
It is a time of transition that I never thought would be part of my life - but here it is.
There was a day that I wondered if I would be able to sing in front of others ever again.
And then someone reminded me of my own song lyrics-
and they said to me.....  Cathy......
'sing through sorrow, sing through tears, sing throughout all your years.'
As I have kept singing through all of this, I have found the power of song once again.
The songs keep me in touch with my soul and they remind me that underneath all sorrow and loss is a deep river of joy that is stronger than any life story.
And so I will carry on.
I will sing
for I still believe

that Love is shining.
on the road of my life.......

mission folk fest reflections

photo taken by Pat Christie

3 days of music under night skies at beautiful Heritage Park in Mission

3 days of meeting musicians from around the world

3 days of hearing singer-songwriters sharing their craft and expressing their passion

3 days of community, friendship, dancing, listening, celebrating

3 days of sunshine, fresh-air and spectacular views

and a wonderful opportunity to sing on a stage

overlooking the Fraser River

beside the woods where many of my songs were born

with beautiful musician friends

Boris, Kat, David, Marco & Rebecca

& the Mission Drumming Circle

I am grateful

promo vid

Here a video from the Love Shines Release concert.....enjoy!

featuring Boris Sichon, Kevin Boese, Philip Janz, Peter Davyduck, Brian Thiessen, Jonathan VanDyke & Rebecca Sichon

folk festival in mission

when i moved to mission

10 years ago, 

one of the first events I experienced was the 

Folk Festival of Mission

It really is a 'world music festival'

as there are musicians from all corners of the earth

with their beautiful ethnic sounds

it was a magical experience with people of all ages 

dancing under open skies

celebrating life

every year since I've enjoyed this event 

first as an attendee

then as a volunteer

this year for the first time as a performer

I'll be playing at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon if you are able to come!

I'll be singing songs from the Love Shines album 

and some other tunes as well

Boris Sichon will be performing with me as well as Rebecca Sichon.

come and check out a beautiful community event!

rest

rest

I love working hard

I love having goals and plans

I love seeing results

I love living to the full

but I've realized that to live fully I need to rest fully too

I need time to listen deeply to my heart so I know the direction my energy needs to flow

resting helps me know my own self

I long to please others and make others happy - and so it is hard to hear my own voice

what is right for my life?  what is my own desire?

through resting and being still - I again find that inner voice

It has been a hard thing to learn that in following this inner voice, I bring my best gift to the community

I was taught about self-sacrifice - and that is my best gift ...

I think that many of us who grew up in the church have been confused about the words of Jesus...

that if we 'lose' our lives we will find them

and the 'last' shall be first

these words have been used in ways that have brought tremendous guilt about knowing our true selves.

I personally believe that it is only in knowing our true selves  - that we can then offer

our true selves

authentically in service

and this is freedom

and I truly believe this is what Jesus was getting at.

So we start with celebrating being a created being

made in Love

do you ever wonder why you are here?

and just the simple fact that you are here?

you are here!

you are breathing

wow.

isn't that a wonder in itself?

to then discover what a wonder you are - is perhaps your holy work

to be all

that you have been created to be for the world we live in

is your holy task

and your joy

and what will bring you life

it is then that you can 'lose' your life as you offer your true essence

and then you will truly find it

I believe it is through rest and times of stillness that we find again

our souls

our deepest selves

and that is our gift to bring

to each other and to LIFE.

labyrinth

this picture was taken by Christina from one of our retreats on Pender.......


I love the labyrinth.
I walked for the first time in Atlanta, Georgia.  I thought it was rather strange and simple - and wondered what the big deal was when I heard people talk about it.
And then I walked.
The labyrinth is like a metaphor for life.  It is a journey into the centre and then back out again.  When you begin the walk, you assume you will go directly to the centre....and somehow you end up circling close to the centre - but you can't get in.  You have to keep following the path as it loops to the outer edges before coming back into the very centre at the end.
and then you follow this same journey back out again.
It never fails to speak to me and teach me something new.
I learned how to draw a 7 circuit labyrinth in the sand on the beaches of Florida while I visited my friend Christina Kautz.  I now can use chalk and create a labyrinth anywhere I find a smooth area of pavement.
We used this labyrinth for the retreats at Pender and it was a powerful experience for many.
The highlight for me was walking it at night by candlelight with a group of women together....all of us on our journeys - alone and yet together.
A new Christina in my life took this picture of me at the centre of the labyrinth....a place I love to create for others and a place I love to come to myself.