Way of the Monk - Week Four

Vows

A labyrinth runs through my heart,
Winding slowly this way and that through my inner monastery,
Pondering the sacred whisper of my soul,
Knowing that obedience scares me.

Winding slowly this way and that through my inner monastery,
Conversion finds the path through the walls,
Knowing that obedience scares me,
Afraid to be true to myself.

Conversion finds the path through the walls,
Pondering the sacred whisper of my soul,
Afraid to be true to myself,
A labyrinth runs through my heart. * o

Way of the Monk - Week Four

The Next Chapter - Happy Friday!

From Random

The Happy Book for the Bliss circle has made it to Gina's in Sacramento!!!

The photo above is tonight's full moon, as seen from my backyard earlier this evening. Full moons make me happy - I love looking at them. And though I'm not a huge fan of winter, one of the benefits to darkness falling early is that you have more time too see the moon!

This is a cold winter moon - it was already -23 celsius when I took the picture, so moon gazing tonight will definitely be from inside the house, looking out the window!

Happy Friday!

From Random

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The Next Chapter - Happy Friday!

Way of the Monk - Week Three

Book of Hours

From Random

This week we explored rhythms, and wheels, and seasons and hours specifically the Divine Hours and their relationship to seasons and our own internal rhythms. It's been a wonderful creative week of pausing and noticing. The project for the week was to write some Haiku's expressing our feelings and reflections of the seasons and hours, and then to create our own Book of Hours (front of my book pictured above). Here are my Haiku's:

Dawn

purple fingers reach
over the mountain and sky
inhale the new day

Spring

ice cracks in the bay
as the sun's heat grows stronger
robin finds a worm

Day

fullness of day's breath
brings forth energy of creation
hold the momentum

Summer

days are longer still
and nights are warm and breezy
we play as children

Dusk

deep release of dusk
shedding of the old cracked skin
ripe as the full berry

Autumn

oak tree sheds its leaves
and geese fly south for winter
I mourn the wheel's turn

Dark

resting in the pause
contemplate the day's end
where was God in this?

Winter

darkness comes early
as bear sleeps deep in the ground
here dreams will bare fruit

In what ways do the seasons and the hours speak to you?

From Random

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Way of the Monk - Week Three

The Next Chapter - Happy Friday! (on Saturday)

The Next Chapter book for the Bliss group hasn't arrived at it's first destination yet, Gina's in California, but meanwhile over on the TNC blog everyone is sharing pieces of happiness for Happy Friday!

So I'm a day late posting, but last night I was staying off the computer and sharing some quality time with the hubby while we watched a few episodes of Season One of "Bones" - which is one of the things that makes me happy, and my favorite source of "down time"!

A busy week, but I have been doing some shedding of responsibilities and tasks that it is time to let go of. This shedding is also a source of happiness as I feel lighter and more focused on the things I want to do.

And tonight, another does of happy - visiting and sharing a meal with good friends!

And that's the Happy Post for this week! * o

The Next Chapter - Happy Friday! (on Saturday)

Way of the Monk - Week Two

What would it be like if we treated the every day, common objects that we touch a hundred times over again as sacred tools??

Bless These Hands

Bless these hands
that touch the computer keys
and file
and answer emails
and pick up the phone
over and over again each day.

Bless these hands
that touch the dishes
and towels and sheets
and fold laundry
and sweep the floors
over and over again each day.

Bless these hands
that touch the pen
and scribble words
and cut out images
and paint and glue
over and over again each day.

Bless these hands
that touch the chalice
and wash the vessels
and polish the brass
and clean the linens
over and over again each day.

Bless these hands
that caress a lover
and soothe a child
and hug a friend
and greet a stranger
over and over again each day.

Bless these hands
for all that they touch
is holy and sacred
and common and ordinary
over and over again each day.

(copyright January 2010 - Eveline Maedel) * o

Way of the Monk - Week Two

The Next Chapter - Happy Book and Friday Happy

Today is the official launch of Jamie Ridler's, The Next Chapter - Happy Book Mail Around and I'm really excited that I'm going to be a part of this fun!

This is the first time I've taken part in a mail-swap or round robin creative project like this. Four copies of "The Happy Book" were put in the mail today to start off the mail around. There are 104 of us taking part in this, and we've been divided up into 4 groups. I'm part of the "Bliss" group. When you get the book, you have a week to look at what others have put in the book and then add your own bit of "happy" to it. Then you mail it on to the next person on the list. Since I'm #18 on the list, I figure it'll be a few months before it arrives here! But every Friday, I'll be checking the blog to see where the book is at, and sharing here a little of what made me happy this week.

So, here's my first Friday Happy post:

One of the things that made me really happy this week, also ties into "Way of the Monk - Week Two"! In my gazebo, I created a snow spiral - a small winding path that I can walk and pray with. My gazebo is one of my favorite spots in the yard, and since it is winter it has not been getting a lot of use. Now I have the spiral!

From Random

From Random

And that's a little piece of happiness from me this Friday! * o

The Next Chapter - Happy Book and Friday Happy

Way of the Monk - Week One

It's near the end of the first week of the online course I'm taking - "Way of the Monk - Path of the Artist". It's been a week of trying to carve out time for myself, for my creativity and for my sanity! This week has been about exploring the monk and the artist, where they converge and where they split apart. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what draws me to the contemplative life, why I need to be creative, and how come I make myself too busy to enjoy either. I'm also coming to understand that my "inner monk" needs periods of down time to replenish, and so does the "inner artist". I'm coming to terms with the fact that the reason I like to spend a lot of time alone is because I need to build up that inner monk/artist. Not that I want to be a hermit, I just enjoy my solitude. Always have.

One of the assignments this week was to write a poem about what it would mean to start living like a monk and an artist:

I Am Going to Start Living

I am going to start living like a monk,
turning the rhythm of my days
into a prayer to the divine.
Pausing amidst the paper work
and ringing phones,
to stare at the mountains out the window
and soak in silence
with each breath,
until my office becomes a cloister
that shuts out distraction.

I am going to start living like an artist,
turning the rhythm of my days
into a poem of worship.
Pausing to notice the sunrise
painted by a divine hand upon the sky.
Soaking in the creative spirit
with each breath,
until my life becomes a canvas
painted over and over again.

I am going to start living like a mystic,
turning the rhythm of my days
into a cosmic dance.
Pausing between yoga asanas
to notice the breath of spirit,
making each movement a prayer,
until even my simple yoga mat,
becomes holy ground.

(January 2010, copyright Eveline Maedel)

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Way of the Monk - Week One

Mark Your Calendars!!

The fabulous Comfort Queen's (Jennifer Louden) Virtual Retreat is back for 2010 - coming to a computer near you Febraury 12-14th!

I'm really thrilled about this year's teachers/presenters and topics, like exploring sacred sound with Fabeku Fatunmise and Hiro Boga, "Life is a Verb" author Patti Digh and journal guru Christina Baldwin.

Wondering what a "virtual retreat" is all about. Basically, all the benefits of attending a retreat or workshop without having to travel. You can do the whole weekend in the comfort of your PJ's if you so choose! You can join in on the actual phone calls or download recordings and listen to them at your leisure. Take part in all of the sessions or just the ones that catch your fancy.

Details and registration info can be found here:







Register soon - it promises to be a good one! * o

Mark Your Calendars!!

Wicked Come Winter......

From Random

Oh, it gets wicked here

Such an evil time of year

So cold it brings you tears

Come wintertime

I'll come back for you my dear

When it gets wicked here

Come wintertime

("Wicked Come Winter" - lyrics by Matt Mayes)

Yup folks - January, she is cold!

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Wicked Come Winter......

Happy 2010 - Radiant!

The New Year has rung in, cold, clear and crisp!

I'm not usually all that great at making resolutions or writing up big goal plans for the year. But I have, over the last couple of days been working on and filling out this really cool, creative workbook/planner from the sparkly, bubbly and lovely Goddess Leonie!

What I love about this planner is it's so colorful and it feels more like "play" than "working on goals". Lots of prompts, lots of room to write or collage in. And it's reasonably priced too - check it out!

One of the exercises in the workbook is to come up with your "word for the year." The word that keeps coming up, the one that I would like to play with this year is "Radiant." I want 2010 to be Radiant in all sorts of areas - health, spirituality, work wise. There's a lot I'm happy to let go of from 2009, and a lot I'm looking forward to in the next year.

In the next few weeks, along with 20 or so others spread out all over the world, I'll be taking part in Christine Valters-Painter's online course "Way of the Monk - Path of the Artist." I can't think of a better way to start the new year off and am hoping it will be just the right mix of creative and contemplative that I need right now!

Here's to 2010 - may it be RADIANT!! * o

Happy 2010 - Radiant!