WATER SUPPLY

A few years ago, the water main on our street broke late one afternoon, and a crew from San Antonio Water System (SAWS) came out to fix it without warning residents that our water supply would be turned off.  Unfortunately, I was in the middle of fixing supper, and couldn't finish cooking without water.  Nor was it possible to go out and buy more, much less eat at a restaurant, since our dead-end street has only one exit, which was completely blocked off by their heavy construction equipment. Fortunately, there were almost two gallons left in our office water dispenser, so we were able to make do with that amount until the repair job was finished and service was restored. 

LESSON LEARNED

     We immediately refilled the dispenser, and made note to keep extra water on hand for future emergencies, thanks to this valuable reminder that we shouldn't take an uninterrupted water supply for granted. 

      Reflecting on this incident later, I realized it's just as important to have a reservoir of "spiritual energy" to draw on in case of emergencies as it is to keep a stash of bottled water in the house.  In addition to being a powerful tool for getting centered, serving others, and starting the day on a positive note, having a regular practice of prayer and/or meditation is also an important process for "storing up" spiritual energy - for building a reserve supply which we can access in case of emergency or unexpected interruptions of our free flow of Spirit. 

 

LESSON REMEMBERED

     Of course, Spirit is Infinite, Unlimited, and freely available at all times. And yet... in my experience, there are definitely occasions when it seems hard to access.  Especially when unexpected challenges such as illness or injury strike you or your loved ones unexpectedly, it can be mighty hard to locate, much less open your pipeline to Spirit.  At times like that, I believe it really helps to have a reservoir to draw on until you find yourself in The Flow once again.   

     I know this might sound airy fairy to some folks. So be it. All I know is that Spirit always works if we let it, but it helps to do our part - and it definitely makes a difference when we keep our inner reservoir filled with a generous supply of prayer time and meditation. At least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

With gratitude and blessings,

     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

GETTING UN-STUCK

     More than a few times I've found myself feeling trapped by emotions that seemed to be "caused" by some difficult person or situation. Like the guy in the cartoon above, I was usually stuck behind bars that I'd created in my own mind, trapped in a jail of my own making. Over the years, I've learned that whenever I find myself feeling stuck, it's helpful to pause, step back and take a long, slow, prayerful look at the situation from the inside out, and listen for guidance from the Still Small Voice within. Inevitably, not only is there a path around the seeming obstacle and out of the "jail" I've created from my emotions, but the situation is actually a gift which contains some valuable lesson(s) for me to learn, if I'm willing to watch and/or listen for it to emerge.

 

FINDING FREEDOM

    The great spiritual teacher, Baba Hari Dass, once said, "When a pickpocket meets a saint, all he sees are his pockets." These days, when faced with a seemingly difficult situation, I do my best to look for the saint, the gift or teacher to be found inside the situation, rather than look for a way to pick a pocket, make some profit, or "win" my desired outcome.

    Granted, it's much easier said than done, but it's always worth a try, should you find yourself feeling trapped by someone or some circumstance. Why be like the guy in the cartoon, and stay stuck behind your limited view of the situation? At least, that's my question, and I'm sticking to it.

    

With gratitude and blessings,

     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

AN INVITATION TO REFLECTION

     On the last day of my stay in Chicago last week, I had the pleasure of waking up to a late-spring snowfall one morning. The city was blanketed in white, and I had the day off, with nothing to do but stroll around, wide-eyed and giggling at the wonder of it all. Having just left San Antonio (a city where it's only snowed four times in the sixty years I've lived there) on a balmy spring day with temperatures in the mid-80's, it was a topsy-turvy experience, like living inside one of those glass snow-globes for sale at tourist shops.

    

AN OBSERVATION

     But most of the Chicagoans around me weren't the least bit interested in sharing my delight with this unseasonably late snowfall. For them it was mostly just a nuisance, an unwanted extension of a long, cold winter, forcing them to haul out the salt to sprinkle on slippery sidewalks one more time. It felt like I was the only one in the whole city walking around slowly with mouth agape, catching snowflakes and making little snowmen, just because I could, while other folks were busy navigating rush hour traffic.

 

A QUESTION

     The details of the situation may have been a bit unusual, but that feeling is one I know quite well: I often feel like I'm walking around in wide-eyed amazement at the sheer beauty and wonder of the world around me, trying to get other folks to slow down and enjoy it with me. That's on the good days. Other times, it can feel overwhelming, as if everyone and everything is spinning by at hyper-speed on some turbo-charged carousel and I'm begging for help in slowing things down a little to a more sustainable, life-affirming speed...  Do you ever find yourself feeling like that?

 

AN INVITATION

     If so, please consider giving yourself the gift of attending our Spring Retreat next weekend, 

May 4-6. It is a truly magical opportunity to slow down, relax and spend time in nature, meditating, reflecting, resting, eating great food, listening to (or making) upbeat music - all while being surrounded by kind, caring people who are focused on seeing the best in themselves, each other and their surroundings.

    Of all the wonderful gatherings and events that the Celebration Circle has shared over the past 26 years, I believe our weekend retreats at Slumber Falls Camp are among the very best, because they provide such a low-key, low-cost, casual setting for extended contemplation and reflection. It's not a meditation-intensive weekend, nor is it a self-help workshop or a spiritual study group, and yet it offers some of the best elements of each, combined into an opportunity to nurture your spiritual side, to embrace yourSelf with a long, slow, gentle hug, from the inside out.  

 

A SUGGESTION

      If that sounds good to you, you'll find more details and registration information by clicking here. And whether you attend this particular retreat or not, I sincerely hope you'll give yourself an extended period of time for nurturing yourSelf sometime soon. You deserve it - and the rest of us will receive the benefit and blessings of it, too!  At least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

With joy,

     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.