Posts from — December 2008

Credit cards and Christmas are nearly as inseparable as Santa Clause and reindeer or Tiny and Tim. It has become tradition to overspend and bury ourselves in credit card debt in order to “get into the spirit of Christmas.”

Yet, when we cannot pay off those bills in January – and perhaps not in February, March, April, or May either - that isn’t a gift, but self-abuse. So maybe it’s time to adopt a new tradition as suggested by AdventConspiracy.Org.

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I just finished writing a post about one organization’s strategy for achieving world peace, however, since reading it is unlikely to give you the feelings that we most need during this holiday season, I will publish it sometime in the New Year.

Meanwhile, if you are like me, although Christmas Day is just about seventy-two hours away, you still have gifts to buy (or make), gift wrapping chaos has taken over your home,  and you have baking to do.

Despite the fact I’m looking forward to tying ribbons and concocting sweet treats for people I love, I think this is the perfect moment to stop and reconnect with the calm strength of the Holy Spirit. So I offer you a prayer about gift-giving which I hope is true for you. (If it is not, just set it as a noble intention to achieve by next year. )

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The literary publication, Cezanne’s Carrot, “a publication of spiritual, transformative and visionary arts” which is characterized by its editors as “a literary journal of fresh observations” has published my non-fiction story, “How To Get A New Roof” in its Winter Solstice issue.

Here’s the URL: http://www.cezannescarrot.org/vol4iss1/howtogetanewroof.html

The story is true.

The attacks in Mumbai, India offer us a bittersweet gift, should we decide to accept it. We can open to the revelation that fear does not need to be our master, and we can cultivate awareness of how God’s love lives within us, awaiting activation, should we be brave enough to answer its call.

During the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, 200 people were injured and 195 people killed. Michael Pollack and Anjali Pollack would, doubtless, be among the dead had they not been moved around and hidden by the staff of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.

Staff Formed A Human Barrier

As Anjali says of the staff, “…they stood in a line…I would say, at least fifteen to twenty of them… should anything have happened they formed a human barrier between the terrorists’ shots and us while walking [us] into the chambers…”

One of the chefs came up to Anjali and said, “Don’t worry, be calm…if anything has to happen, don’t worry. I will die before you.” She said she held his hands and said, “But I don’t want you to die.”

This is a remarkable interview in which Anjali and Michael talk about what really matters in life. They are witnesses to the kindness of strangers, and the unselfishness of the Christ Within.

Note that those who put themselves in danger to save a roomful of strangers were not Christians. Yet they were people with other deeply held beliefs about the sacredness of life and their relationship to God and that cannot and should not be discounted. The love in their hearts is surely all that mattered to God in their final moments, not any religious doctrine.

As Michael Pollack said, “The real gift, beyond the second chance at life, is to have seen the selfless nature of others in a period of absolute mayhem and barbarity and to see how selfless human beings can really be and pull together as a community…it’s only something that Anjali and I can hope to try and emulate…”

Amen. May we all aspire to be the loving servants of God, as were the staff members of the Taj.

Dear God,

My faith is strong and You work Your miracles through it.
For I am One with You and You fill me with Your healing force.

Together We promote world harmony.
Together We promote personal healing of every kind.

Bless those who have shown us the way
By the valor of their unselfishness.
May we honor them
In the ways that we treat each other.
Let us give in to the valor of love.

Amen.

At the end of October I had a very good feeling when I submitted a creative non-fiction story I had written to Cezanne’s Carrot, “a publication of spiritual, transformative and visionary arts.”

Entitled “How To Get A New Roof” I felt that my story fit the standards for this publication and would have a good chance of being a finalist in its fourth quarter contest entitled “Journeys.”  

So I am delighted to announce that “How To Get A New Roof” has been chosen as a finalist in this contest. 

As a result of making the cut, my story will appear in the fourth quarter publication of Cezanne’s Carrot which is slated to “go live” on the Winter Solstice.  

At that time three other finalists and I will learn whose non-fiction story has won the contest prize of one hundred dollars.

This is a watershed moment because this is the very first story I have ever had accepted by a literary publication. (The editors of Cezanne’s Carrot characterize it as “a literary journal of fresh observations.”)

2008 has been a very encouraging year for this fledgling writer.

The Grand Theatre in London, Ontario also staged my cabaret play, The Ten Commandos, in January and paid me one hundred dollars for the right to do so, which was a great thrill.  

 When the Winter Solstice issue goes live, I will post the link to my story here.

The fact that this story, which is so dear to my heart, will appear in this journal devoted to spiritual insight is fantastic, yet to have the release on Winter Solstice is a beautiful Christmas gift, undreamed of.