From within or from behind
a light shines through us upon things,
and makes us aware that we are nothing,
but the light is all.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Posts tagged as:
A Sacred Pause
“Wisdom is the art of living
in rhythm with your soul, your life,
and with the Divine….Wisdom is
the way you learn to decipher
the unknown which is our
closest companion.”
~John O’Donohue, in an interview with
Krista Tippet, Speaking of Faith
“After you jump and
before you land
is God.”
~Gabrielle Roth, Maps To Ecstasy
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“Earthly things must be known to be loved;
Divine things must be loved to be known.”
~Blaise Pascal
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“Such blessings we receive,
such gifts of grace.
If we have wandered from the path of gladness,
point us back to life!”
~Ingrid Goff-Maidoff
Happy Thanksgiving to all. As is my habit, here are some excerpts from my book, Simple Graces for Every Meal. I penned these graces in hopes that they would be comfortable and inspiring in all kinds of company. Joy to you this holiday season, Ingrid
Let us join together
in the sweetness of this hour
with full and thankful hearts;
thoughtful and generous minds.
~
We are gathered together
in a circle of plenty,
a circle of love, and a circle of light.
With peaceful hearts, we welcome each other.
With grateful hearts, we give thanks.
~
With joy and reverence we give thanks
for the wondrous power of growing things,
and for the sustenance our lives receive
from the beauty of the earth
and the fellowship of all beings.
~
Life that gives us life, we thank you.
To all who live on Martha’s Vineyard: The Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven has honored me with a lovely display. I am very grateful to have a year round outlet for my work there. I’ll also be at the Artisan’s Fair on Friday and Saturday this week, so please come! And my work is available at the Holiday Cooperative Shop on Main Street in Vineyard Haven (near Leslie’s).
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Beloved is one of my names for the divine spacious presence I carry in my heart and whose eternal and infinite presence holds me also. I’ve glimpsed my Beloved, and often. And forgotten my Beloved as often as not. It is a strange dream, this living. A strange dream and a holy pursuit- full of beauty, love, longing and belonging. What I long for is this: The joy of awakening over and again to find myself in the arms of the day; to awaken and say, “Hello my Beloved. Hello my Beloved which is everywhere.” ~Ingrid, From The Joy Book
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First we receive the light;
Then we impart the light.
Thus we repair the world.
~Kabbalah
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Life, oh Wondrous Life,
Come fill me up with gladness.
I feast on your generosity;
I bask in your loving light.
Luminous Holy Essence,
Come fill me up with gladness.
Dark Flowering Infinite Universe,
Let me sing your eternal praise.
~Ingrid Goff-Maidoff
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Consider that Nirvana is itself
no other than our life.
~Dogen
All the way to heaven is heaven.
~Saint Teresa of Avila
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It was a moment I can only describe as grace. Yesterday, after I had finished my accounting, glued some House Blessings, and surveyed my long list for the next task to accomplish, I took boxes out onto the lawn to paint gold for 100 Fortunes. Having done that, I looked up. Bees were busily feasting in the lavender, a gentle breeze was moving through the trees, a woodpecker was tapping in the oaks, and I heard my inner voice declare, “enough.”
I stood up to take in all that I have been missing, my mind on other things.
The other day, Ivan Granger included this thought in a Poetry Chaikhana mailing:
What we call the ego
is the individual’s particular way
of not being fully present.
Isn’t that well said?
In my book, The Abundance of Grace, I wrote,
Grace is often found in surrendering our plans,
letting go the need for perfection,
giving up impossible ideals,
and humbling ourselves before the mystery…
~Ingrid Goff-Maidoff.
As I declared, “enough”, I was able to let go my list. I humbled myself before the mystery, wandered the garden, taking photos, and marvelling at the beauty all around me. And I am so glad I did! I will post more excerpts on grace next.
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