beware...

...of form letters that tell you how unique and valued you are.

But you already knew that. 

The problem is recognizing the form letters.

They've gotten smaller and more subtle in shape. Hearts and likes are two obvious examples. I'm sure you can think of more. 

sparks joy.

One of the tag lines of the de-clutter/minimalism movement is "Does it spark joy?" When you're asking what to keep and what not to keep, ask whether or not it sparks joy. 

I recently purchased a pair of jeans that were a little more expensive than my typical jeans and they sparked joy. I put them on and loved them. I don't want to wear any other pants. In fact, I'm getting rid of most of my other pants. They don't spark joy. 

The idea is that you only wear and have things that fill you with joy - not the ones that you have sunk money into or that your mother-in-law gave you or that you just can't get rid of because that would mean... 

And

it extends to what we do. 

Our lives are cluttered. Not just in what we own but in what we do. 

Does what you are doing today spark joy? 

Of course, there is work and effort and toil... but even then, are you working toward something that sparks joy?

Does Instagram spark joy? Does Facebook? Does binge watching Game of Thrones? 

If they do, great! If they don't, I suggest you find a new pair of jeans. 

it's not just 5 minutes.

This is critical.

So many of us are wondering where our time goes... Does she have more time in the day than I do, because it sure seems like she does. Of course, he doesn't. Neither does he.

Why does it seem like it? 

Hidden time.

According to some studies, it takes up to twenty-five minutes to re-engage in something once you've been interrupted. For example, you're working on a new painting and you check your email. 

You check it because it only takes "5 minutes" to check it and respond. The problem is that you just wasted 30 minutes because it's going to take you 25 minutes to re-engage with the painting, assuming you don't check a text and/or your email - or Instagram - in the meantime. 

Those are the hidden minutes. 

Is the study accurate? I don't know. Is it 25 minutes or 5 minutes? Not sure. Not sure it matters either. Every time we distract ourselves from something were not only wasting the time of the distraction but we know it's going to take some time to get back into it. We've all experienced it. 

That's why it seems she has more time than you. She's not distracting herself as often as you are. Unfortunately, we're all addicted to these distractions so it's going to take some time and effort - and withdrawl - to not be. 

just a thought...

This is very simple and very obvious but it helps explain the Bible.

Imagine a world with no birth control. Or concept of it. Imagine a world where babies are a burden on a society and individuals - especially unwanted babies.

In that world a sensible idea would be to not have sex unless you are able to take care of the baby that might arrive from sex. 

Now imagine a world where sensible ideas are usually enforced by tying them to a god and probably a punishment from a god for not following the rule.

The Bible.  

Jesus, in my opinion tried to correct this by saying that it's not really about having sex or not but about humanizing women but the church sorta missed that. Instead the church banned birth control and continued to tie punishment from a god (or the god's followers) to the rule while also dehumanizing women the whole time. 

The Bible isn't nearly as primitive as many of its followers.  

circular runways.

If you're like me, you assume that a runway is a pretty standard object and that there is not much room for improvement or creativity, outside of some minor material improvements. 

But aviation expert Henk Hesselink disagrees. He's come up with a circular runway. Yes, one big circle runway to replace multiple straight runways in a, he argues, much more efficient set-up. Smaller size, more simultaneous aircraft and less cross-wind interference. 

Is he crazy? I don't know. I'm sure some think he is. Will this ever happen? I don't know. 

But I do know that, once again, I've found that there is always room for out of the box creative thinking, no matter what. 

If you feel like you're staring at a runway problem, remember Henk. 

You can read about his idea here. 

you can't have it all.

There is a small mammal that is immune to cancer. With skin cells that produce high amounts of hyaluronan, the naked mole rat doesn't form tumors. 

And recently scientists have discovered naked mole rats can live up to 18 minutes without oxygen. 

Yes, the naked mole rat seems like a pretty awesome animal with two amazing qualities that could both, save human lives. 

Proving, once again, there's a cost to everything. Or, you just can't have everything in life. 

I mean... wow...

classical or coal.

Coal. Despite any great speeches you've heard, it's done. Everyone knows it. China is buying less as is the world. The days of coal are over. Natural gas and more renewable clean energies are the future. 

Classical music. Is it done? There are some who say it's over and there are some who say it's just beginning. They claim it's going to make a comeback: it's just getting (re)started. 

Church - maybe even religion. Is it coal or classical music?

Your company?

Your perspective?  

god bless.

This morning I saw another bumper sticker that read "God bless our troops". 

Of course, we hear or read "God bless America" on a constant loop from someone, somewhere, including just about every President. 

Funny enough Jesus told us who was blessed about 2,000 years ago. No need to ask, just need to find these people ask them. 

The poor. 
Those who mourn. 
The meek. 
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. 
The merciful.
The pure of heart. 
The peacemakers. 
The ones who take crap for fighting for righteousness. 

("Righteousness" is a loaded religious term but if you look at in context of the other terms that aren't as equated with "morality", "legalism" and "rules" we can get what it means.) 

It would seem the ones usually doing the most asking for blessings are the ones least like that list.

Hmm....

some.

Someday

someone

somewhere

will

somehow

do

something

that will change my life, right? 

The people we respect most, and affect the most change, have replaced some words with better words. 

it's monday.

There's a well known saying: It's Friday but Sunday is coming. 

Many in the world just finished "Easter Weekend" which was proceeded by "Holy Week" which was proceeded by Lent. 

Big days with fancy names and big themes. Pain, suffering, resurrection, doubt, faith, life... 

And then it's Monday again. 

Just Monday. 

No names. 

Just another day where you take the kids to school, go to work, get stuck in traffic, file the paperwork, turn on your computer. 

It's life, plain and simple, boring and routine. 

Monday though, is actually, where the rubber meets the road. If all this talk of pain and suffering and life and death and resurrection and crucifixion doesn't actually affect boring, old, plain and simple, routine Monday, well, I mean, what's the point of any of it? 

So it's not just Monday. It's a chance to turn the routine into the extraordinary, the simple into the extravagant, the boring into the adventurous... it's an opportunity to actually live some life. 

 All of those special days, weekends, and seasons can be great, but Monday is where stuff actually happens. 

Make it happen. 

eventually...

Much of the world celebrates resurrection on this day. It's beautiful. 

But, the amazing thing about resurrection is that first, something has to die. 

The amazing thing about the first buds of spring is that first, winter has to suffocate them.

The amazing thing about coming out the other side is that first you have to enter that other side.

Today is a beautiful day, indeed. We remember that, eventually, somehow, life returns. 

We also remember to be brave with what we let die. 

To show courage in the cycles of suffocation. 

To enter into the unknowns. 

Because eventually, somehow, life will return. 

incense.

I found myself staring at the incense tonight. Watching it burn. Watching the smoke slither into the air. Smelling it. Noticing others smell it. It filled the room with something nostalgic, moving, and unique. 

We're all that incense. Burning. Fragile. Burdened by time, our own glowing embers sliding toward the bottom, consuming, and eventually unable to burn.

May we all be filling the room with a fragrance, a sacred scent, while we burn with purpose.

good. friday.

In the Christian tradition, on this day we celebrate death.

Yes, celebrate. Why would anyone ever celebrate that?

When something dies
there becomes room
and space
for something new
and maybe better.

A lot of gods died on Good Friday.

watch this. please.

Click here.  Watch this. 

Your brain is being hacked. 

If the video doesn't cause you to change something, that should be all you need to know, to be aware of your addiction and the even more urgent need to do something about it. 

what authority?

Jesus went in and wrecked the temple. Of course, the priests and religious leaders weren't too happy about him publicly humiliating them and their religious structure - few are today - and so they asked Jesus who gave him authority to do such things. 

His answer was classic Jesus - he didn't give one. Instead he asked another question. 

Well what about John's baptism? Which, really, you could sub in a lot of things. What authority did this or that?

But the point was: Asking authority questions isn't going to get you anywhere. 

Is it God? Is it human? 

Can you even separate them? 

I wonder if instead of asking Jesus how he had the balls to talk negatively about their religion, what would have happened if they had simply wondered why so many people were on board with Jesus when he was shredding them? And following the guy for something better? And seeing through their religious charade for what it was. 

Once again, did this happen? I don't know. But I feel like it happens most every day all around me. 

phone jacks.

Remember when houses had phone jacks?  Remember when we needed to plug our phone into those phone jacks? 

We've been repainting our house and we've been reminded of these holes in our walls with receptacles for a technology that is no longer useful because we've moved on to something better. We've changed. We've evolved. We created a new way and, because of that, the old way is dead.  

We could find some old phones to plug in. We could ignore them. We could try to fill them in. If we build a house, we sure won't install them, but they're currently everywhere, like ancient relics in a church building. 

Which brings me to church. 

Start looking for phone jacks. They're everywhere. 

And your religion. 

They're probably in your company too. 

And your mind. 

What are you going to do with them? 

palms.

The Divine comes in small things. On donkeys. Or in drug addicts and prostitutes and terrified minorities. 

We tend not to see the Divine Mystery. We're still looking for some kind of Empire or Grand Religion to save us. Or at least a powerful God-King. Or at least a President to alter a Supreme Court. 

And the Divine Mystery of Love, Trust, and Belonging weeps. And grieves deeply. Because we miss out on peace, on love, on trust, on mystery, on belonging and, instead, bring war, division, mistrust and loneliness.

Because we're looking in all those wrong places for all those wrong things and finding wrong gods while wondering where love is. 

Did Palm Sunday really happen? 

Yeah, just yesterday. 

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

stop dividing.

In the West, we want to divide everything: 

body/mind
sacred/secular
friend/foe
divine/human
work/play

The more we learn via Psychology, Physics, and a host of other branches of science, the more it seems, we're wrong. Where we want to divide, we're beginning to understand there is more connection, relationship, and dependency. 

Just notice it for a week. Try resisting it for a week. 

When you want to divide, unite. See what changes. 

it's the little things.

There are about 25 million metric tons of spiders in the world. 

Those spiders eat between 300 and 800 million metric tons of food each year. 

There are about 400 million metric tons of human in the world. 

Humans eat about 400 million metric tons of meat and fish each year. 

We don't see them very often, we usually don't like it when we do, and yet, they consume as much food as we do meat and fish. 

Yeah, it's not always the big noisy species driving around like they own the planet, that has the biggest impact. 

i need more time.

You don't really need more time. None of us do. What we do need is to give up something else. 

Instead of "I need more time" try "I need to give up something".