I know of your anger
Yet I will not participate
Your tears I can share
But do not commiserate

I know the darkness of fear
Is only the absent of light
I know it’s your soul, not your eyes
That brings you true sight

I know in times of despair
It seems I am so very far
But I am not, I am with you
I just know “Who You Are”

-John Alexander

Then Said a teacher, speak to us of teaching, and he said, no man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom, but rather of his faith, and his lovingness.
If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.

The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm nor the voice that echoes it.

And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither.

For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.

And even as each one of you stands alone in God’s knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.

—Kablil Gibran

Wonder and Mystery,
We’ve explored them
Together.

Compassion and Touch,
We’ve witnessed their
Healing.

Movement and Stillpoint,
We’ve met in their
Peace.

Connection and Love,
We embrace them
Forever.

For my teacher Christine Felker, as she departs our county on the next part of her life journey, to Maine. June 13, 2005.

We do so much
To save a body
When the heart stops.

Breathe life.
Pump the heart.
Apply shocking energy.

We won’t stop!
We won’t give up!
We are committed to Life.

What can we do
To save a marriage
When the heart breaks?

Breathe life.
Heal the heart.
Give all the energy we have.

We won’t stop!
We won’t give up!
We are committed to Love.

This day we honor
Your Love Revived.
May it live well and stay strong
Forever…

For our friends on the renewal of their marriage vows… December 14, 2004

Perceive with the mind,
Open and willing,
Answering God’s call.

Listen with the heart,
Sensitive and alert,
Hearing God’s direction.

Touch with the hands,
Respectful and present,
Sharing God’s light.

Know with the soul,
Honored and humble,
Doing God’s work.

Rejoice in the partnership,
Blessed and eternal,
Knowing God’s love.

[Christian Science Monitor ]http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1119/p18s01-hfcs.html]

Men read and admire the Gospel of Christ
With its love so unfailing and true.
But what do they say and what do they think
Of the Gospel according to you?
You are writing each day a letter to men -
Take care that the writing is true;
‘Tis the only Gospel that some men will read,
That Gospel according to you.

A 60-year-old man was sentenced to house arrest without television “in order that he have ample opportunity to reflect on the ways of harm he has brought to his family.” The defendant was willing to go for the deal rather than face prison, but his lawyers were outraged. “Given the state of the world and these dangerous and uncertain times, television is the primary way we get news,” his attorney explained. The defendant’s wife agreed: “A television is sort of like your umbilical cord to life,” she said. [via EarlyToRise]

Without the TV, my wife and son are reading like mad. They are staying up to all hours reading, and are sometimes totally zonked the next day. That’s the problem with a good book; it has a pause but you are not forced to wait until the next episode to see what happens. I’ve been reading to the kids nearly an hour a night, too.

I still spend too much time lusting over a Hitachi 53SWX12B 53” Digital 16:9 HDTV Monitor/Projection Television with anti-reflective screen. BUT! I’ve committed to waiting until my birthday to re-consider purchase. Or at least near my birthday. Or at least in the same year as my birthday. Yeah, it one of those kinds of commitments.

There is a place inside me,
a place I share with God,
a place of comfort, peace,
and love.

Meet me there.

In this place we can Be
of the same clan,
on a shared mission,
tapping sacred strength.

Here we join our power,
our intent to give,
our desire to bless,
to serve the healing Light.

There is a place inside me,
a place I now share with You,
a place of friendship, laughter,
and bliss.

Let’s invite others!

From Television Addiction in Scientific American: [thanks MMF]

Perhaps the most ironic aspect of the struggle for survival is how easily organisms can be harmed by that which they desire. The trout is caught by the fisherman’s lure, the mouse by cheese. But at least those creatures have the excuse that bait and cheese look like sustenance. Humans seldom have that consolation. The temptations that can disrupt their lives are often pure indulgences. No one has to drink alcohol, for example. Realizing when a diversion has gotten out of control is one of the great challenges of life.

Excessive cravings do not necessarily involve physical substances. Gambling can become compulsive; sex can become obsessive. One activity, however, stands out for its prominence and ubiquity—the world’s most popular leisure pastime, television.

[From ]http://www.slashdot.org]

There is a difference between watching tv and watching a tv show. When a person decides to watch a tv show, that’s 30 minutes to an hour that the person has planned. When a person sits down to watch tv and channel surfs all afternoon, that’s a period of time the person has made the choice to forego planning of one’s activities in deference to programming schedulers.

Here is where technology like Tivo and other PVR’s can make a huge difference. If used in balance to select specific TV shows, it makes the experience a time-limited event. When we were watching a single episode of 7th Heaven, skipping over the ads with the jump button, and turning off the TV afterwards, the effect was quite different than just cruising 500 channels.
 
Also Television Addiction in Scientific American:

What is more surprising is that the sense of relaxation ends when the set is turned off, but the feelings of passivity and lowered alertness continue. Survey participants commonly reflect that television has somehow absorbed or sucked out their energy, leaving them depleted.

I can anecdotally confirm this from observing my children, especially my son. After watching “too much” T.V., he gets stupid—mentally and emotionally. He has to struggle to answer math questions, and he is more sensitive and fragile in his relations with others. While this is somewhat less pronounced now that he’s nearly 10, I suspect that it just manifests in different ways—probably in the same ways “too much” T.V. affects me.

The next trick is to define how much is “too much.”

In the late 80’s I was stressing myself to death. I started visiting a Buddhist nun who recommended that I turn off the TV—especially the news—and all newspapers for one whole month!

That month helped save my life. Although I stay informed today, it is through quick email headlines and summaries like those provided by http://www.newsisfree.com, http://www.MSNBC.com and now RSS channels through radio.userland.com and the Radio News Aggregator.

The AP Newswire does not seem to have the intent of ripping out your heart and leaving you feeling unsafe at home, work, in the car, or even under your desk. Can’t say the same thing about Dan Rather-Awful or CNN or… the local news. Can you believe that some people spend the last 30 minutes of each day watching all the murder and mayhem that can be fit into 30 minutes?

And we wonder why we suffer from heart disease or flee to comfort foods (which are conveniently advertised during the same shows)?

Through all my trials
my doubts—
Fear.
Love is here.

When filled with joy
with laughter—
Bliss.
Love is here.

Filled with grief
with loss—
Pain.
Love is here.

With every breath
each thought—
Life!
Love is here.