Hustle & Bustle Gives Way to Quiet

I've been missing my dad particularly strongly this month. So ... my holiday spirit has been missing too. There are a few decorations up in my life: I brought in poinsettias for the Unity office and we have a wreath on our door at home. We bought our home Christmas tree on Sunday but didn't bring it inside the house until this morning.

The reading by Rev. Mark Fuss in the Advent Booklet yesterday touched me gently. His reading begins with how the hustle and bustle around Christmas gives way to the new year and it's hard to even "process what had happened."

Then he writes:

"These days the memories I treasure most arise during the quiet moments of Christmas. The early mornings are my favorite time. I turn on the glittering tree in the darkness just before dawn and sit in the quiet with a cup of coffee, letting the memories roll over me... Even the memories of loved ones who have passed become a sweet sadness in the stillness. A warm heartache and a gentle tear drop, as grief's grip has lessened and allowed the remembering to flow. Faith, family and feelings, quiet treasures all."

 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

For me, sitting in our darkened living room with just the Christmas tree lights on in the evening is my time for quiet. This year I will appreciate that time in a more mindful way.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And I especially wish for you some quiet times in the days ahead.

~ JEAN

My Home Office

Studying the 12 powers or abilities this year has been a wonderful, learning exercise. Currently I'm working on Will (August) and Order (September). I read Charles Fillmore's chapters on each power and then I read the pertinent chapters in PowerUP. The Twelve Powers Revisited as Accelerated Abilities by Paul Hasselbeck and Cher Holton. In PowerUP, each chapter ends with a couple activities.

I do well with these two abilities, if I say so myself. That being said ...

Activity One for Order is to choose a specific area in my home - actually the book says "Think about the messiest place in your house." And then "Schedule a block of time, and put it in order. Create a space that is balanced, orderly, neat and efficient for what you need."

I chose three places: my spare bedroom, my sitting room and my office. The first two were easy. I now see a clear bed that had been piled with clothes, paperwork and other items. In just an hour, I had put away the clothes, moved my summer clothes into the attic and brought down my winter clothes, filed the paperwork. I looked around that room, took a deep breath and was satisfied.

My sitting room had become a depository for items that needed to be moved to the attic; the vacuum cleaner, cord winding around the floor, was just sitting there instead of being brought back downstairs where it belonged. In a few minutes I took the tubs into the attic, brought the vacuum cleaner back downstairs, took a deep breath and was satisfied.

My office was a whole different story. I can't remember how many months (years) I've hated the lamps in my office - utilitarian, clamp-on lamps that don't stand up any more. My husband and I had gone twice to two different places to find lamps. No luck or way too expensive.

I've even piled papers on my chair - so I can't  sit down!
My magnet board is at top right.
The new lamps are great!

I could no longer even see my desk. Piles everywhere except where my computer keyboard is - piles upon piles of paper to file and organize, papers to decide if I even need or want them anymore. I had gotten to the point that whenever I walked in that room to drop something off, I'd mentally say - I'm not coming in here right now. I didn't even want to balance my checkbook here much less write for pleasure.

I have a magnet board in my office. On it is a thought of the day from March 23, 1998. It says:

My office is filled with the vibration of love and productivity.

Working here is a joy and a deep pleasure.

That certainly did not apply. I had completely lost touch with that thought - even though it has clearly been my intention since March of 1998.

Activity One got me going. I renewed my efforts to find lamps. My husband and I went to Home Depot and found just the two lamps I wanted and they were affordable too. We brought them home and put them together. A great fringe benefit, the old lamps I hated, my stepson needed for his office. Perfect in every way.

The first thing I did was dust my entire desk, moving all the piles aside to reach the desk. When I finished dusting I was finished for the day. But I was on my way to bringing my office up to a place I wanted to spend time in again.

Between my will and my order abilities, I am committed to continue to clear up my office. Each day I go in there and tackle a pile - organize bills and file them. Update my health records and file them. Check my "to do" lists to see if I need them any more. I've done everything on the list, I just need to recycle the paper.

Although I still can't see much of my desk, I can see some of it. And I remain committed to sticking to this project. Pretty soon, I will be using my office not only to balance my checkbook but also to start some of the writing projects I have up my sleeve. I take a deep breath and I am satisfied.

~ JEAN