A Mindful Way of Being

This spring a member of the Hunterdon Hiking Club began leading Mindfulness Hikes. I noticed these listings because the thought of walking mindfully in silence satisfied two of my most treasured experiences: walking in nature and silence (except, of course, the sounds of nature). However the hikes always fell on Thursdays which is the day I work at Unity so I wasn’t able to attend.

Last week though I switched my day at Unity to Wednesday and went on a Mindfulness Hike on the Delaware Canal Path across the Delaware River from Frenchtown. The email read: wear warm clothing and bring a time keeper because each participant would walk at their own pace.

A skim of ice on the canal

That Wednesday morning about 10 of us plus the leader, Carolyn Creed, gathered in Frenchtown. Carolyn gathered us together in a circle (even though it was 35 degrees) and explained the concept of mindfulness walking. Quoting from the HHC Newsletter: Mindfulness is the practice of quieting the mind so you can be fully aware of the present moment. This practice relaxes the body and quiets the mind, reducing fatigue and anxiety. Walking while practicing mindfulness may bring the added bonus of a fuller enjoyment of being outdoors with friends and Nature. For each walk, Carolyn will provide simple instructions for practicing a mindfulness technique, such as noticing the breath or just being aware of the sounds around you.

The path back

Carolyn suggested techniques like concentrating on our breaths to get silent, then to notice how we feel, then to notice what’s around us and finally to pay attention to any messages we received in the silence. Smiling at each other was fine. Taking pictures if we so chose was fine.

With the orientation complete, we all set our timers to 30 minutes and began walking toward the cliffs to the covered bridge where we joined the canal path. It was a beautiful clear, crisp, sunny/cloudy day. Along the walk I took a few pictures which I’ve shared here.

At one point a hiker with binoculars and a camera walked toward me from the other direction. She stopped me to point out a Great Blue Heron perched at the very top of an evergreen tree overlooking The Giving Pond. She also identified two raptors that had been circling over the cliffs earlier – one was a Turkey Vulture and the other was a Red Tail Hawk. She asked about our group and I explained we were on a mindfulness silent walk. Though she was apologetic, I hastened to assure her that I appreciated knowing what the birds were and seeing the heron. She turned back at the same time as I continued on my 30 minutes, neither of us talking. A short time later she stopped, pointed her binoculars up into the trees near the top of the cliff and said “A Bald Eagle. Do you want to see it?” I replied “Absolutely.” Two other HHC walkers caught up with us and wanted to see it too. The rest of the walk was silent. However I was and am content to have seen the birds even if it meant a small amount of talk.

An angel appears over New Jersey

The Mindfulness Hikes are weekly at various locations in and around Hunterdon County. I intend to join more of them.

Not coincidentally 3 days later a friend gave me a birthday gift of the book “see your way to mindfulness” by David Schiller. The author writes in the Introduction: “The meaning of life is to pay attention, to see. Open your eyes. Reality, that which is before you, is where you live…The aim of [this book] is to encourage the reader to discover the joy of [intentional] seeing, and through it, find a more balanced, mindful way of being.”

A mindful way of being. That is how I want to be more often.

With love,

~JEAN

A Rumi Saying

Whatever lifts the corners of your mouth,

Trust that.

Rumi

I came across the above and it touched something deep inside of me.

I'm sharing it with you.

With love,

~ JEAN

Using our Senses Every Moment

As Eckert Tolle says “We only have the present (now) moment. In fact, our whole life is made up of present moments.” Thinking about that, I realized that staying present all the time means paying attention to what’s around me at all times, using my senses all the time. Not coincidentally I have been noticing several of the Bible verses in the Daily Word these last few months have been about our senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling. I’ve listed several of those verses later. A recent Daily Word was Guidance. Part of the meditation is:

Each time I ask for guidance, I am placing my trust in Spirit. By consciously taking this step, I open my mind and heart to receive….As I wait, I do not “fall asleep” by restricting the way in which guidance comes. It reaches me in many ways, perhaps through something I hear, see, read, or feel deep within. I maintain a faithful watch for I know answers are available and my way will be made clear.

I think of how I get guidance in eating. First I look at the food to be sure it is fresh. Then I smell it to be sure it hasn’t spoiled. If it’s something brand new for me, I may like the look and smell of it so I taste it – and I love it or not.

When I’m out and about on errands I listen for the sound of an emergency vehicle so I move over out of its path and let it pass safely and quickly (the occupants are my sisters and brothers who need help). Finally when I’m petting my dog, I feel for any lumps or bumps that our veterinarian may need to take a look at.

Walking my doggie Gus on an early fall day.

My senses in the fall are especially dear. I taste delicious cider donuts, smell the fall leaves, hear the leaves crunch underfoot, see the leaves turning beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red and rust and feel the cool breeze on face and in my hair.

In my spiritual life I am aware of my senses as well. The sensations may be physical and yet also internal. I pay attention to how I feel, to what I see inside. If a message feels, looks and smells kind and gentle, this message is from Spirit. If not, it’s not from Spirit but from ego. The expressions “doesn’t feel right” and “leaves a bad taste in my mouth” come to mind.

I hope you enjoy these Bible verses and notice that they have deeper meaning. The Daily Word they accompanied is in parentheses.

Hearing

• Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 100:1 (Harmony)
• My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. John 10:27-28 (Listen)
• Let anyone with ears listen! Matthew 11:15 (Listen)
• You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19 (Understanding)

Seeing

• I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Job 42:5 (Perspective)
• Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Mark 8:25 (Clarity)
• Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer from this place. 2 Chronicles 6:40 (Let Go, Let God)
• Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” John 3:3 (Begin Again)
• The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the body. Proverbs 15:30 (Healing)
• Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light…Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. Luke 11:34,35 (Guidance)
• What can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (Perspective)

Tasting

• Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. John 4:14 (Refresh)
• They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. Psalm 36:8

Feeling/Touching

• Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. Psalm 47:1 (Joy)

~ JEAN

Compassionate Communication

What I learned last night about Non-Violent Communication (NVC):

1. I learned that everyone deserves NVC or compassionate communication - whether that person is someone I love best in the world or a total stranger. We have all heard of people who take their loved ones for granted and are especially kind to strangers. We have also all heard of people who are especially kind to their loved ones, family, friends and coworkers and who are completely indifferent about how they treat strangers both locally and globally. We talk cordially to friends on the phone and talk rudely and slam the phone down on telemarketers. So I repeat - for us all: EVERYONE deserves Compassionate Communication.

2. I also learned there are 1001 or more strategies for communicating compassionately. How I do it will most likely be totally different than you do. Neither of us is wrong. The key is to observe what's happening, acknowledge what I feel, recognize my needs as well as the other person's and make a request based on that. This is simplistic at this point but I'm still learning.

I highly recommend reading Marshall Rosenberg's book Non-Violent Communication. It's easy to read, though not necessarily easy to do and you will, as I have already (only half way through), learn a lot about communicating compassionately with the people in your world.

Thank you Laura Kinney for facilitating our group.

~ JEAN

I am Comforted

Last Friday’s Daily Word was Comfort. This is part of the meditation:

I feel such deep loss when a loved one passes … I may struggle with deciding how to fill the empty void left behind. Healing takes time and love. I am fortified by my inner strength. I can begin a new journey in my life without letting go of sweet memories. I keep each blessing I have received tucked away in my heart and bring it out whenever my spirit needs a lift. I am comforted and at peace.

Two months ago we became home to a lost homing pigeon. We attempted unsuccessfully to find its original owner and in the meantime named him Homer – until, that is, she laid an egg – when we renamed her Pidge. We bought pigeon food, an outdoor house and began to get attached to her. She spent many nights on our roof. We would hear her fly down onto our porch and that was our signal to feed her. We worried about her safety and, it turns out, our worry was justified: on Wednesday (the 28th) a sharp-shinned hawk swooped in and caught her, killing her instantly. Nooooooooo! But it was so. We miss her but we are able to appreciate our two months with her and learned a lot about caring for homing pigeons in that time.

Three years and eight months ago we adopted a parakeet named Jojo whose family had been transferred back to their home in Germany. They couldn’t take him with them for various reasons. We kept him in our breakfast room and greeted him every morning when we fed our dog and him and Pidge too, while she was with us.

Jojo was sweet but did not tolerate a lot of handling. We did find out he loved Romaine lettuce, cashews, celery leaves, showers in our kitchen sink and to fly around the room a couple time. He also loved playing with the ping pong ball my husband hung in his cage, ringing the small bell hanging in his cage and talking to himself in his mirror.

Over the last week or so Jojo was acting sick. We tried to figure out what we could do to make him better, to no avail. On Friday morning (the 30th) I picked him up and was surprised how thin he was under his fluffed up feathers – he was breathing with difficulty and too weak to perch. I held him, stroking his head and back (something he wouldn’t have allowed if he was well) and kissing his head until he took his last breath.

We now have two "empty voids" now. But we also have great memories of both Jojo and Pidge.

There are no coincidences: that Daily Word on Friday was meant just for me. I am sad and I am grateful for the reminder of my inner strength, that these two sweet birds were blessings in my life and we will always have our memories (and pictures).

And so it is.

~ JEAN

More About When Nothing Makes Sense

I wrote last week about not judging when nothing makes sense. Just try to be my best self in the world.

I forgot to add this: When nothing makes sense, I still believe inside that all is in divine order. All is happening for my good even if I don't necessarily understand the why's. This was confirmed for me in Tuesday's Daily Word: Gratitude.

Today I embrace all things with an attitude of gratitude. My life might be a mix of what I call good or bad, but I choose to believe it is all happening for me, with each experience benefiting me in some way. Even if I am not able to see my good or growth in this moment, I trust all will be revealed in time. 

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving. - 1 Timothy 4:4

An attitude of gratitude and believing "it is all happening for me" is what I hold onto these days.

Thank you, God.

~ JEAN

When Nothing is Making Sense

I can't remember exactly what day last week I finally hit bottom - by that I mean when I finally accepted that nothing was making sense in my life and if nothing makes sense, then that was my signal to stop judging.

My most loved ones didn't make sense. I know that each individual has his or her own "agenda" or perspective (as do I) and, at least in my case, the choices made by people I love don't make sense to me. That's when the judge in me rears its ugly head and peace is gone.

I volunteer for several different nonprofit organizations. I watch individuals and boards make decisions that don't make sense to me. I argue in my head "Why'd they do this or that?" My judge kicks in and peace is gone.

Our world doesn't make sense to me - whether it's guns, politics, climate, wealth and no wealth, honesty or dishonesty. Why is this world like that? My judge kicks in and peace is gone.

Hitting bottom at first was tear inducing. I'm totally out of control. I'm helpless. Nothing makes sense. What am I going to do? I thank God that I finally got to that question: What am I going to do? Turning within, I asked "What am I going to do?" My answer is that I can't control anything. If something doesn't make sense then I obviously don't have enough information and I can't judge it, can I? And so I let go. I now tell myself multiple times a day: "Don't judge!"

Here are my Daily Word take aways from the last few weeks:

• God is not separate from me but closer than breathing... (Comfort)
• Wholeness is my true nature.
• I do not judge past behaviors or future outcomes. (Pray for Others)
• Strength is part of my divine makeup.

Yesterday's and today's Daily Words are Fearless:

When I face difficulties, I draw upon inner faith and courage.

and Faith:

I have faith that the very best is unfolding in my life. The truth is that I am within God, and God is within me every step of the way.

Last Friday's Daily Word was Inner Peace:

I experience life from a place of peace.

That is my goal and intention. Stop judging as soon as I notice I'm doing it - talking out loud to myself if necessary. "Don't judge!" That frees me to turn my thoughts toward peace, toward doing what I can do with love. Let it be so.
~ JEAN

Spiritual Principles - A Reminder

These are two of the best spiritual practices that I want to keep in mind every day.

Friday's Daily Word: Let Go, Let God. I am inspired by the words of Meister Eckhart, a 14th-century German monk and philosopher, who said, "Let God be God in you." I know I am never separate from the Infinite, but when I consciously "let God be God" in me, I begin to think and act from my divine nature. I see with eyes of love and compassion. I see good in myself, my affairs and the world. Letting go frees me to express my divine nature.

And

Saturday's Daily Word: Divine Order. I allow events to unfold naturally. Aligning with the order inherent in all things, I affirm: I gratefully recognize the order and harmony of the universe.

I regret to say that too often I stress over life because I forget these two very important principles:
1. I don't have to solve problems, I can turn them over to God and 2. Everything in my life unfolds in divine order. Maybe you're like me and need these same reminders.

With love,

~ JEAN

Setting Intentions

Yesterday's Daily Word was Intention. It was timely since we just finished an outline of Edwene Gaines' book The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity in which she discusses setting goals (among other things). Here is part of the meditation:

Just as I set clear intentions for my outer life, I need intentions for my inner life. I focus on these spiritual intentions during prayer and meditation, knowing they will change and grow through the years. Yet one intention doesn't change: to be a light of God expressing.

It's sometimes easier for me to set outer life intentions than inner life intentions. Here are three I just wrote:

1. Work on the Photobook for my family
2. Make my office a welcoming space to write in. As you can see from the accompanying photo, I have an affirmation in my office but need to make it true. I have successfully avoided my office for several months now.
3. Set aside time every day to pray and meditate.

There will surely be more over time but I wanted to get started.

Happy setting of intentions, all. With love,

~ JEAN

Moments

Saturday’s Daily Word Moments confirms how I want to live my life.

I take time to live in and appreciate each moment of the day.

Remember the wonderful works. – Psalm 105:5

Last week our family was wondering if all the feral cats we have been feeding outside our barn for over 8 years were all gone (read: dead). We have grown attached to them and hadn't seen any of them for awhile. Over the years we’ve been feeding these cats, we’ve also seen raccoons and red and gray foxes outside the barn, stopping by for cat food. Eating can be a dangerous activity since the cats are in the open and vulnerable.

I went to the barn Friday mid-afternoon, hopeful, and started calling the most “tame” of our cats – Callie. “Breakfast, Callie,” I called. I clapped my hands and shook the food bowl to entice her if she was within hearing range. I was thrilled to see Callie appear at the edge of the woods. She did not come running to me like she usually does. She was watchful, looking all directions and remaining still at the edge. I waited and called, “it’s okay.” After about five minutes she came over to eat. I pulled a stool by her bowl and watched her as she ate. She looked up regularly to scan the woods. I’d never seen her so skittish before.

I quietly sat watching her for several minutes. When I wondered if I was “wasting time,” I immediately realized that no, I wasn’t wasting time, I was enjoying this moment in our lives – Callie’s and mine.

After she ate, she came toward me and began to wind her body between my shoes, rubbing along my legs. I picked her up and held and stoked her for several minutes. She began to purr, stretch and settle in my arms as I continued to pet her. When she wanted to eat some more, I let her down and continued to watch her for a little while. When I closed the barn door, I promised I would see her tomorrow. And I did. She came back on Saturday too. Saturday was a beautiful sunny, 70 degree day. It was a pleasure to sit with her and enjoy the day. She came a little more easily on Saturday and we had more petting moments.

Part of Saturday’s meditation:

Today I set an intention to be fully aware of God’s presence, to notice the small things: the butterflies and birds, the laughter as well as the quiet. Throughout the journey of today, I will focus less on my destination and more on the route that gets me there…My heart of thanks and my openness to the occurrences of the day fill me with a deeper awareness of my oneness with all life.

I wish you many special moments – that you notice the small things each day. With love,

~ JEAN

Gratitude and Grace = Love and Happiness

Rebooting myself - Update: Before I went to Arizona for my vaction I finished reading The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. The chapter I'm focusing on today is titled "the path of unconditional happiness." Here are some passages I underlined in my book:

"The highest spiritual path is life itself. If you know how to live daily life, it all becomes a liberating experience... To begin with, you have to realize that you really only have one choice in this life... Do you want to be happy, or do you not want to be happy?... If you keep it that simple, you will see that it really is under your control... Do you want to be happy from this point forward for the rest of your life, regardless of what happens? ... You have to give an unconditional answer... Once you decide you want to be unconditionally happy, something inevitably will happen that challenges you. This test of your commitment is exactly what stimulates spiritual growth. In fact, it is the unconditional aspect of your commitment that makes this the highest path... You just have to decide whether or not you will break your vow..."

The reason I underlined these sentences is because I want to commit to unconditional happiness. To do that requires me to seriously think about the "decide whether or not you will break your vow." So my mind goes to fear: What if this or that happens? How will I feel then? Will I still be able to be unconditional happy?

During my vacation, I signed up for the Oprah Winfrey's and Deepak Chopra's online 21-Day Meditation Experience on "Manifesting Grace Through Gratitude." The first day's Centering Thought was "When I am grateful, I find my grace." Every day for 21 straight days I heard a short message on gratitude and grace from Oprah and from Deepak and then meditated for about 10 minutes.

I have discovered that unconditional happiness and gratitude go together. No matter what, there is something to be grateful for - and that puts me into grace which I equate with happiness, joy, love and contentment.

An example: I was talking to a friend who is a member of the Friends of the Hunterdon County Library a couple days ago. She had just heard about a relative with cancer and I had heard recently about a young wife and mother of two who is friends with my stepson being diagnosed with cancer. Rather than going into despair, I was able to say that we both could be grateful that we can be supportive of these women and their families in any and every possible way.

There truly is always something to be grateful for.

~ JEAN

Rebooting Myself

I'm going to Tucson, Arizona, tomorrow with my sister to do some bird watching and hiking. I also realized today that I'm going to use those 10 days away to reboot myself - about attitude, eating and outlook on life.

I committed several weeks ago to being unconditionally happy - no matter what. And mostly I am but life happens and it was so helpful to read today's Daily Word message on Divine Order:

Unity Minister and author Eric Butterworth shared the following thought: "Things may happen around you, and things may happen to you, but the only things that matter are the things that happen in you."

Somewhere else I read (don't remember where but probably sometime around Easter or Christmas) that every day is an opportunity to be reborn, to start over - a rebirth. So off to Arizona I go - looking very forward to rebooting myself. See you all in April.

With much love.

~ JEAN

In The Silence

When I was young, my parents apparently quickly identified that I needed alone time. I was the second of five children, the oldest girl. My two brothers shared one large bedroom and we three sisters shared the other large bedroom. My parents had theirs – and there was a small fourth bedroom. I don’t remember what it was used for.

Then the unexpected happened, by me anyway. My parents gave me the fourth bedroom. To make the experience even more special, they let me pick out a new bedspread and curtains and the wall color to match. I chose a yellow and white striped spread with some orange and forest green accents. They had a chair I liked to read in re-covered in forest green to match. I was thrilled.

Whenever I fell into a bad mood, they sent me to my room to read not really as a punishment but because, they said, when I re-emerged I was my usually sunny personality.

All this is a lead up to show how much the Daily Word for February 19 means to me: In the Silence. Back when I was a girl, I had no clue about being in the silence, about being one with Holy Spirit, about affirmative prayer or about Unity principles. My parents, though, knew I needed silence. From the meditation:

Mother Teresa once said: “God is the friend of silence.” I feel my oneness with Spirit when I choose to spend time in the Silence. As I do this regularly, I experience an unmistakable sense of peace. I find clarity in all that I do. I forgive more easily. I open myself to new and profound inspiration.

For a short time after I moved out of my family’s home I shared an apartment with one of my sisters. Soon I was able to purchase my beloved little yellow house in my home town in a suburb of Illinois. I loved living alone. I didn’t care a whole lot about decorating my house but I did create a quiet, comfortable haven for myself to come home to either after school, after work or after being out socializing with friends. My little house on Morgan Ave. was my private space where I could be in the silence whenever I wanted.

Then in 2002 I fell in love, got married and moved to New Jersey. All of a sudden, I was sharing a home with another person. It took me awhile to learn how to create my own space, privacy and silence while living with someone. I made over a room upstairs into a sitting room for myself. I bought a couple book shelves where I keep many of my spiritual books. I have a comfortable chair by one of the windows where I can look out over our field where our three alpacas live. Most importantly, I can sit there in the silence, I can journal in that chair when I’m sorting something out.

Continuing the mediation:

I live, however, in a world that is not completely quiet. In order to find silence in the midst of the everyday clamor of life, I take a moment to close my eyes and find an inner quiet and calm. It was there all along. I simply needed to remember. I can draw on this divine serenity at any time. I simply choose to release any concerns or anxiety. 

Be still, and know that I am God! – Psalm 46:10

This is true when I’m home. This is true when I take a moment in my car to breath. This is true when I’m outside walking my dog. Finally, the affirmation:

I immerse myself in the loving, comforting awareness of Spirit.

And that is what I hope for each and every one of us.

~ JEAN

Having Belleville was very good

Last September 15, our dog Belleville, a miniature Schnauzer, went to doggie heaven. The last couple of years of his life, he was being medicated for a heart murmur that got louder and louder. He underwent several ultrasounds. He was on medication for that and had begun to refuse his food or sometimes eat it and then throw it up. We tried adding warm water to make what we hoped would be gravy – that didn’t work. Then we tried adding broth. He liked that though sometimes he kept it down and sometimes not. He was losing weight – getting skinnier and skinnier.

He was still sleeping through the night most nights. Most days he could walk the full half mile morning and afternoon with our other younger dog Gus. He was sweet, affectionate and a joy to have around. He was my soulmate doggie.

I was leaving town the next week; my husband and I were both anxious whether he would still be with us when I returned. Neither of us wanted him to leave us when I was away. We decided on a Monday that we would take him to the vet on Saturday for the shot. Calling to make the appointment brought tears. Our vet is very considerate and schedules this kind of appointment for the last one of the day – in the case of Saturday – at noon.

I spent that entire week sitting with him every opportunity, petting him and loving him. I loved having that time with Belleville. It was important for me to be with him as much as possible. I also took that time to accept that this was the right thing to do and the right time to do it. On Friday night, my husband and I shared tears anticipating having this special dog gone.

When I married my husband in October 2002, I moved to NJ bringing my beloved old Schnauzer named Weaver with me. He died in July 2003. My husband surprised me with Belleville, a 4 month old puppy, for Christmas that year. Fifteen wonderful years later we both knew it was time to say goodbye.

On Saturday, we both had our together time with Belleville. He sat on my lap in the car on the way to the vet. I went in to pay and my husband had some time holding him on his lap. When the vet called us in to the treatment room, we both held Belleville. He lay calmly on his belly and we petted him and told him that we loved him. The vet gave him the shot and then monitored his heartbeat until there wasn’t a heartbeat any more. More tears and extreme sadness.

We wrapped Belleville in a towel from home and brought him back home to bury. I held him like a baby, which he wouldn’t have allowed if he’d been alive. I stroked his head and kissed him. He was warm and soft. It was very therapeutic. We put a square stone over Belleville’s grave. Then we went inside to take our other dog Gus for a walk. As we walked down the driveway, Gus stopped and looked back – we both instantly knew he was looking for Belleville.

In the days following the burial, I realized that I was feeling a great deal of peace around this experience. My anxiety about Belleville’s health lifted. I have only good memories. I also gave and am giving Gus a lot of attention and love because his buddy is missing.

When I saw the Daily Word for February 20: Pet Blessing I realized I would be able to write about our beloved Belleville and about Gus and about our experience.

The meditation reads in part:

“Pets are amazing companions. They are loyal friends and the embodiment of the spirit of love … Pets stand by their human companions – without judgment, filled with unconditional love. I take this moment now to acknowledge the pets in my life both present and past. With my thoughts I bestow a blessing on all pets.
So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air. Genesis 2:19”

I add this verse: And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Having Belleville was very good and I am so grateful.

~ JEAN

The Power of the White Stone Name

Dear readers, Sorry for my long absence. I intend to write more regularly in 2019.

One of my favorite services at Unity is the White Stone Mediation Service. We just had ours on January 6th.

As Rev Carmela said, some of us may not get our name right away. That was what happened for me. The next Tuesday I drove to the Hunterdon County Library parking lot in Clinton and sat in silence gazing at the lawn running up to the Spruce Run Reservoir. Three white tail deer scampered along the fence dividing the library property and the reservoir - they were looking for a way through the fence - did they want water or just the woods surrounding much of the reservoir? Seeing them was an auspicious beginning to my time of silence. And then my name came to me.

Many of us will not be sharing our names generally as we internalize the lessons meant for us about the name throughout 2019. That is the case for me.

I took my 2018 stone out of my purse and replaced it with my 2019 stone. The 2018 stone now has joined all my stones since 2014. When I read my stones for each year, lessons learned flooded back to me about each.

My White Stone name for 2016 was Mirror. I regularly, throughout that year and since, notice that what I'm seeing out in the world is mirroring back to me. When I see beauty and happiness, I'm feeling that. When I see chaos and fear and anger, I'm feeling that. In fact, the desktop picture on my computer at Unity is a woman looking in a mirror.

Each year's name is powerful in one way or another.

I wish you each an inspirational White Stone name for 2019. We have extras in the office if anyone needs one.

Lots of love,

~ JEAN