Refresh: Then I Remember, Death Comes Before the Rolling Away of the Stone
Regular readers of this blog know that Mary Oliver is one of my favourite poets. Some of her questions never go away (“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”) while others linger on, inviting deeper and deeper thought. Todays refresh post from July 2023 picks up on one of these insights, “Then I remember, death comes before the rolling away of the stone.” Here are some of the thoughts this line initially sparked… Refresh: “Then I Remember, Death Comes Before the Rolling Away of the Stone” It was a throwaway line in...
Read MoreThe Boredom that Sparks Creativity: 5 Potential Benefits from Seriously Dull Moments
What do you think of the saying usually attributed to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, “Hurry is not of the devil; Hurry is the Devil”? Corrie ten Boom said a comparable thing, “If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” Beneath both is the idea that too much rush stops us from observing what is really going on and prevents us from being open to deeper realities tucked just below the surface, things we need to pause a while if we are to notice them and be impacted by them. When people complain that God does not speak to them I have often wondered...
Read MoreRefresh: Amor Fati – From things happen to me to things happen for me…
This reflection on Amor Fati – the Stoic counsel to love your fate – was first published in June 2023, and drew many comments. I think it continues to have a lot to say to us. But what if we went even further and suggested that it is not just that things happen to me, but that in some way they also happen for me? Refresh: Amor Fati- From things happen to me to things happen for me… The Stoics have a lovely expression, “Amor Fati”. In essence it means love your fate, or at the very least, embrace your fate. Probably originating with Epictetus, the slave who became one of the...
Read MoreBecause life’s negatives are singular and its positives are plural
If you are a regular reader of this blog you’d know that I like to seize on throw away comments from podcasts I listen to at the gym – most often when I am on the cross trainer, and struggling to control my breathing. You really need something to keep you going through those moments, and as I have a tendency to sing along with music I’m listening to – definitely a breech of gym etiquette – I default back to podcasts. The person being interviewed was speaking about gratitude, and reinforced it with the line – Why be grateful? “Because life’s...
Read MoreRefresh: When we are seen…
The Bible gives us many beautiful insights into God. One of the finest is in Gen 16:13 when a distraught Hagar, having encountered God at a time of deep danger, says simply: “You are the God who sees me…” The God who sees me…. and invites us to see others as well. This Refresh post from Oct 2022 explores this important topic. Refresh: When we are seen… Have you ever felt invisible? If it’s especially bad, people don’t notice you at all, if a softer version, they sort of see you, but have placed you in an inaccurate and limiting box. You know there is...
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