2015-03-26 - 1:32 p.m.

Friend wrote "
Survived the first day back to "normal" from a heavenly magical place filled with love and joy... How do we make love and joy our normal condition?"

wonderful question

I had written a long entry that I apparently lost when I went to find that quote of hers.

Ce la vie

GOod news, in a recent family art project we have covered all the mirrors with lovely self/composite portrait and positive messages, along with a pack of gum.
Instead of skin picking I am encouraging the girls to think of positive messages and take a stick of gum to chew to relax and reinforce taking time to think positive thoughts rather than succumb to what I think is a bit of an obsessive compulsive like impulsive action of picking at skin.

I think it is helping.

The other thing I wanted to share was this wondeful article:

http://www.canisius.edu/magazine/news-detail.dot?id=c0b6c2ae-522a-41cb-99c5-2a163d5d839a

I also enjoyed reading of my college's involvement at the SELMA March in the alumni magazine.

The article and my friend's post make me wonder WHY do we look at people who live like this ALL THE TIME as crazy?
Is it possible to live putting spiritual values first and actually still be responisible and successful by the worlds
standards and values as well?

I wonder if I have turned away all those who actually live spiritually like ART or the person who values helping others first and foremost but has no worldly possessions... and whether I justify this by looking at their flaws and not at their gifts and strengths. I wonder if I have judged and not wanted to be as present in a relationship with those who actually seem driven by spirit because they DON'T have what the world measures of those it sees as stable- job security, a home, car, financial stabilty and "succeess"

Why is it that it seems only the YOUNG who don't have responsibilty yet seem to be able to live life guided by following their dreams and seem to live spiritually?

Either that or else the old who are MONKS or Sisters in a community.

My Dad seems to be a true anomoly. He lived as a deacon in service yet had professional success and raised a family with comforts and values.

Why does that seem so very rare and hard to achieve?
To find a way to follow dreams and yet STILL provide for others

Being a parent should NOT mean putting dreams on hold, or the back burner, yet so often it does necessitate that beautiful loving sacrifice. How can we find that balance
as an artist, or a spiritual being, and the provider of others which requires a certain amount of material success in this world?

Questions many have which I think worth asking, and worth praying over.

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