Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving. As I sit here in my living room with my fire going cozy on a wet gray day, my heart is full of gratitude. Michael is flying home after a great trip in Florida with my step-daughter and as I survey all of this, I am in awe of God's grace pulsing through my life. Today has been a different Thanksgiving for me. It is probably the first one I can ever think of that I basically spent alone. I have spent time meditating, reflecting and cultivating a spirit of gratitude and feel at peace. I have had 2 wonderful simple, vegan meals today and my body feels great. I have lots of energy and focus and I am sleeping well. More than anything, I feel congruent between my meal choices and what I want to stand for in my life.

Last night Dale Worley treated our congregation to one of his AWE worship experiences. We had around 12 people who came for that and it was wonderful. He gave us his all and I saw that people were noticeably moved by it. I admire people like Dale who are willing to simply show-up and give what is theirs to give regardless of who is there and how it is received. I had to leave early because my dog had surgery the day before and I needed to get back to her.

Off to the airport to get Michael. I have taken advantage of the time alone this trip and feel refreshed and renewed. And I am really glad to get him back home with me.

Close to the edge

I came across this picture of our vacation in Canada this summer. We rode our Harley all the way around the lake. I was working my way out on the rocks to see ancient writing on the wall. That water was splashing up pretty high and rough. It reminds me of life and how we have to step out on the cliff sometimes to get the best view.

animals in the news

I find myself grieving as I go through this process. I didn't realize that meat and animal products were such an integral part of my diet and my life. Yet I feel much surer about my decision today. I am noticing animals more in the news. There was a story about 1,500 hundreds pigs or so that burned in a fire today in a single barn. I just kept thinking about how they had all of those pigs in one place and wondered if they ever saw the light of day. And now they were gone, seen as a financial loss rather than as life loss. We put stickers on our windows so fire fighters know that we have pets inside, yet when it herd animal that dies, we equate it in terms of dollars and cents.

Then there was story about how President Bush pardoned 2 turkeys. I see how we make light of the plight of these animals yet at some level that story suggests that we understand what we are doing. It is making it easier for me to choose plant based foods these past few days. I feel more connected to all living beings with my decision.

I go out to eat for the first time with my family this Friday. I am nervous and have checked into a couple of restaurants to see how they prepare certain things. I discovered that something as simple as a veggie burger actually contains animal products so it is not as easy it as it looks. But, I can keep it simple by going for the company, ordering a salad with just veggies and I can even carry something like garbanzo beans with me for added protein. There are ways of doing this and still enjoying meals with others especially meat eaters. Say a few prayers for me.

Day 3 of compassionate eating

I am going out on a limb and plan to publicly journal about my journey into veganism. This is day 3 and it is interesting to watch my thought process and what is happening to me physically. Last night, I was craving cheese in my lentils. I am committed to this so instead of reaching for the cheese left in my refrigerator (I realized that I missed it when clearing things out with my friend) I sat and thought about where the cheese came from and I realize that in order for me to have the pleasure of cheese, there was a cow who was probably on a huge farm, stuck in a barn shot full of chemicals and hormones in order to produce. When I thought of that, the craving left me. For today, I am not comfortable asking another living being to suffer in order for me to have pleasure. I realized that they were not created as the producer of my happiness. I found myself for a fleeting moment, thinking about how I often view the people in my life as objects which are there to make me happy. I see how I reduce them to things that will fulfill my needs rather than as beings that I am to love and serve. Like I said, it was fleeting but hopefully, I will be more aware of the times that I have reduced the people in my life to that. My hope is that as I make the connection between my attitude toward animals and my food and the rest of my life, and make changes so I am more congruent in all areas of my life, I will live in a more life affirming way.

Vegan eating

Ok, so it has been awhile. I love doing this, blogging that is, and yet I resist it. I wonder if anyone is reading it or if I am just writing into cyberspace. Then I have to ask, "Why am I doing it? Why do I attempt to keep a blog?" And I hope that the answer comes to because I enjoy the process, which I do and it is a discipline that feeds me and so it really doesn't matter where it goes once the words leave my mind and the keyboard. As with anything, I do it for me and let the Universe take it where it needs to go.

On a different note, We had Dr. Will Tuttle in this weekend. He challenged us to look at the assumptions that are embedded in our culture and guide our daily decisions unconsciously, particularly the one that says it is ok to eat some animals but not others. He said quite a bit more than that, but I heard that. I have been seriously considering becoming vegetarian for awhile now and have a host of reasons why I couldn't do it. But, I heard 2 things Friday evening. I heard the question about eating our pets which caused me to wonder why are some animals ok for consumption and others are not. In fact, if we try to eat dog, we would be arrested for animal cruelty. The second point that I heard was about living congruently with my principles. I value compassion and generosity. I know I could not kill the animals myself, so why would I put someone else in that position. And I am no longer willing to see living beings as commodities to be bought and sold. So, for today, I choose to be vegan. I plan to be with this decision, to practice this life style while simply observing my emotional, physical and of course spiritual process with this. This is my second day, and I already feel more at peace with myself. I have some fear about what others will think and that my decision will cause a disruption in my relationships. And what about my trip to the Caymen's in Jan ? But, I am trusting that I can make loving decisions for myself and my world and the Universe will provide.
Namaste