I recently heard on NPR a report about ethanol and the use of grains for fuel. They reported that many third world countries were having difficulty feeding their citizens because of the rising cost of food. This is due to an increase need for grain based fuels and feed for animals along with rising fuel costs. The reporter said that the amount of ethanol fuel it took to fill up an SUV could feed one person in a third world country for a year. That is a staggering statistic and shows me that our choices really do make a difference. It causes me to pause and hopefully live life less casually and unconsciously. I can't fix it, but maybe the simple acts I take each day to cultivate a more sustainable world will make a difference.

Manage less, Play more

I have a new motto for life. I want to manage less and play more.

The need to win

I recently heard a statement from Eckhart Tolle during one of the podcasts that had a profound effect on me. He was talking about how a Zen master was watching a contest between 2 opponents. He knew one of the contestants had more ability than he was showing. The master then said that his need to win was robbing him of his energy. That statement went right into my heart. I saw how so much of my attention was focused on a particular outcome or definition of success. It is the need to win. Yet to take my focus off of the particular result, I have to let go of control. I have to trust that there is a force much bigger than me which desires my success. This might sound kind of funny coming from a minister but I realize how difficult it is for me at times to trust in something bigger than me enough to return my attention to the present moment. The dichotomy in all of this is that I can only know the power and presence of Presence in the present moment. Eckhart talks about how awareness is the first step. As I am aware, I can bring my attention back to this moment and cultivate trust that this is where life, security and all that I desire resides. I will keep you posted.

A Vision From the Center of The Universe

Last week I heard the 2 cosmologists who spoke at MTSU. They spoke about the nature of the universe and stated that we could only see less than 1% of the entire universe. It is not because it is out of view, but because it is made of a matter that we are not familiar with. There is so much we can't see, yet we base our assumptions and decisions on what is visible. Maybe this is God's way of teaching us about trusting the invisible power of Spirit even when we can't see it.