Skip to navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to secondary sidebar
Skip to footer

Blog Archives

What You Put In

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for brown water coffee

What You Put In –

This morning I got up early to prepare for a presentation to a classroom that would be filled with teachers. It can be intimidating teaching those who teach as a profession. I prepared the coffee maker, got a shower, shaved, prepped my clothes and went back into the kitchen for a nice cup of joe. I poured the coffee slowly to avoid splashing and instead of dark brown delicious goodness, it was a hot cup of light brown water. Instantly I realized my mistake, I had forgotten to put coffee grounds in the filter. *Facepalm!* I put new water back in, made sure to also put in coffee grounds and waited. Finally, I actually had coffee in my coffee mug.

Later this morning I presented to the teachers and everything went well. They were engaged, asked questions and the eighty minutes of lecture time went by quickly which is usually a good sign. Afterward, I was packing up and a teacher asked if I could come back and present to another group of educators and parents. I told her absolutely.

The presentation I gave is powerful. I wrote it, then a media specialist added the slide format, and it was reviewed, refined and approved by our publicity department. A lot of teamwork and effort went into the presentation and it shows because it’s always engaging and informative. All the right things were put into it and all of the right things come out.

Now, if I could just remember to do this to my coffee and the rest of life…

For more posts, reflections and other writings, please visit: http://www.thewannabesaint.com

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)

Advertisements

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #askedquestions, #blessings, #coffee, #coffeegrounds, #effort, #engaged, #forgotten, #goodsign, #informative, #instantly, #intimidating, #mistake, #posts, #poured, #powerful, #prepare, #presentation, #realized, #reflections, #remember, #restoflife, #teach, #teamwork, #waited, #WhatYouPutIn, #www.thewannabesaint.com, @BrianLoging, Writings

A Little Bit

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

A Litte Bit –

Our Siberian Husky, Trooper, has a habit of shaking in front of a fan in our foyer. He does it when he wakes up from his many naps, is stretching or comes inside. When he does it little hairs are blown all over the foyer and some make it to the living room. I try to remember to get him to shake outside since he will do it on command but that only takes care of a fraction of the bits of Trooper that end up on the carpet, furniture and sometimes on me and Beth.

Reflecting on this behavior of our old dog today I thought about the way each of us leaves a little bit of us wherever we go. We all know someone who comes and goes from our lives and leaves us in a bad mood, feeling worse for wear, insulted, ashamed, belittled and weary. Unfortunately, we’ve also been this person at times. There are also those who come into our lives and bring love, kindness, empathy, caring, and light. We look forward to them coming and when they go we are left better than before. May we all strive to be these kinds of people.

For more posts, reflections and other writings, please visit: http://www.thewannabesaint.com

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #allover, #ashamed, #badmood, #behavior, #belittled, #blessings, #caring, #comeintoourlives, #comesandgoes, #eachofus, #empathy, #feelingworseforwear, #fraction, #insulted, #kindness, #leavesus, #leftbetter, #light, #LitteBit, #littlebitofus, #littlehairs, #lookforward, #posts, #reflecting, #reflections, #remember, #strive, #unfortunately, #weary, #whereverwego, #www.thewannabesaint.com, @BrianLoging, love, Writings

Stop and Go

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Stop and Go –

Ever feel like traffic lights are purposefully hindering your travel? Yesterday I attended an event in a city about an hour and a half from our house. I left early enough to still arrive on time if there was any trouble on the way. Fortunately, there were no accidents or incidents but it seemed as if every traffic light was red or turning red when I approached. It was frustrating! It all evened out on the way back because it was mostly green lights but then I didn’t have to be somewhere at a certain time.

The stop and go of driving is draining for me. You build up some momentum only to have it taken away by watching a green light turn yellow and then red. There’s the thought of speeding up when the light is yellow or ignoring a just changed red light but that’s how accidents happen. As my truck sits there at the light, my eyes focused, waiting for it to turn green I hear the voice of wisdom in my head; “The lights aren’t doing this on purpose. You have plenty of time. There’s no need to feel rushed. Don’t give into the frustration. Breathe Brian. Breathe.” Usually, I can catch myself before I lose it and was able to yesterday although it was close! I arrived at the event with plenty of time to spare. The day was not ruined by traffic lights. All was well.

Life is similar at times. We build up momentum to change a problem, overcome a difficulty, make progress on our journey of life, only to run into roadblocks, obstacles, and setbacks. It can be easy to give up and become negative and a malcontent. We must remember to breathe, that most hard times are followed by easier, less testing times. Life is a long road. As sojourners we hope for the best, plan for the worst and find our way somewhere in between.

For more posts, reflections and other writings, please visit: http://www.thewannabesaint.com

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #accidents, #approached, #arrive, #blessings, #Buildup, #catchmyself, #certain, #change, #difficulty, #draining, #easier, #evenedout, #eyes, #feelrushed, #find, #focused, #followed, #Fortunately, #frustrating, #giveup, #go!, #happen, #hardtimes, #hindering, #hopeforthebest, #ignoring, #incidents, #journey, #lifeislong, #Lifeissimilar, #makeprogress, #malcontent, #momentum, #noneed, #notruined, #obstacles, #overcome, #planfortheworse, #plentyoftime, #posts, #problem, #purposefully, #reflections, #remember, #roadblocks, #setbacks, #speeding, #stop, #StopandGo, #takenaway, #timetospare, #trafficlights, #trouble, #voiceofwisdom, #waiting, #www.thewannabesaint.com, @BrianLoging, breathe, Driving, Negative, purpose, sojourners, Travel, Writings

Falling

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for deep pit

Falling –

Last night I had a dream about falling down a bottomless pit. My speed kept increasing and I was doing my best not to hit the walls of the pit and hurt myself. However, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could see there were ladders attached to the walls and if I timed it right I could catch a rung and begin climbing out of the pit. I woke up before I had decided to try and catch myself on a ladder or keep falling.

I have a lot of dreams like this one. Dreams of being late to a meeting and not being able to get there. Dreams of having to take a test and never have been in class, the teacher, the other students, the room are all unrecognizable but it’s time for the test. Dreams of being stuck, lost, and a sense of impending doom. I often wake up from these dreams and have no idea where I am. For a fleeting moment, my own home is unfamiliar. It’s always frightening but slowly I remember and things come into focus.

I’ve spoken with my talk therapist about it and it’s not unusual. Having a mental illness that includes a severe anxiety disorder is, in part, living scared. The key is finding my center, relocating my balance and allowing the fear to sometimes leave but most times settle so I can get out of bed and refuse to let it win.

In my dream, I didn’t grab the ladder but right now, at this moment, I know that I am reaching out and that has to be good enough.

For more posts, reflections, poems, and other writings, please visit
http://www.thewannabesaint.com

blessings,
@BrianLoging

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #adjusted, #allowing, #attached, #beinglate, #blessings, #bottomlesspit, #catch, #catchmyself, #climbing, #comeintofocus, #darkness, #decided, #dream, #dreams, #falling, #fear, #fearwin, #findingmycenter, #fleetingmoment, #frightening, #grabtheladder, #hurt, #impendingdoom, #increasing, #keepfalling, #key, #ladders, #livingscared, #lost, #mentalillness, #Myself, #noidea, #notbeingable, #poems, #posts, #reflections, #refuse, #relocatingmybalance, #remember, #sense, #settle, #SevereAnxietyDisorder, #stuck, #takeatest, #talktherapist, #trying, #unfamiliar, #unrecognizable, #unusual, #wakeup, #www.thewannabesaint.com, @BrianLoging, moment, Writings

Anchors

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for car seat anchors

Anchors –

Today I participated in a class which is teaching those attending about the importance of car seats. It is an in-depth look at this important safety product. One wouldn’t think there’s a lot to know about car seats and how to put them in correctly but one would be wrong. My brain was frazzled with terms, mechanical processes and the different laws and rules. One of the things I learned is that there are hidden latches and anchors on many vehicles which car seats are to be attached to for them to be as safe and secure as possible. Even if you can’t see the anchors there are symbols and signs to alert you of their presence.

After the class dismissed today I began reflecting on the “anchors” in our lives. Often when life turns upside down, runs into trouble, leaves us stranded and lost we can feel discombobulated and adrift in unfamiliar places. In these moments and seasons, we need people and truths upon which we can anchor our life. This wisdom, family, and friends keep us grounded, help us remember what’s important and not forget that which makes life worth living.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: # moments, ##brain, #adrift, #alert, #anchors, #attached, #blessings, #correctly, #discombobulated, #forget, #friends, #grounded, #helpus, #importance, #important, #latches, #learned, #leavesusstranded, #life, #lifeworthliving, #lives, #lost, #presence, #reflecting, #remember, #runsintotrouble, #safe, #safety, #seasons, #secure, #signs, #symbols, #thewannabesaint.com, #truths, #unfamiliarplaces, #upsidedown, #wrong, @BrianLoging, Family

Remember

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for i remember!

Remember –

This morning, as we were both getting ready for the day, Beth exclaimed; “I remember!” “Remember what?” was my response. She reminded me that she had misplaced something yesterday and it dawned on her where that place might be. To be honest I had already forgotten she had lost it. However, Beth hadn’t forgotten and had been thinking about it since it turned up missing.

The situation reminded me of the three stories Jesus, the Master, told of things missing; the coin, the sheep, and the son, in the Gospel according to Saint Luke, chapter 6 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15&version=MSG). In these tales, a woman loses a coin and tears her house apart until she finds it. A shepherd loses a sheep and leaves the herd to locate it and bring it home. The last one is about a spoiled son who leaves home gets a taste of the real world and comes back to a father who is overjoyed and thankful the son found his way home.

In all of these stories the one looking never gives up until what’s lost has been found. In our culture where it seems everything is disposable, it’s good to be reminded that not everything is for short-term use. There are “gots to have” “use every means to find” “never give up looking for” things that exist, are eternal. Wisdom helps us learn and helps us find these truths.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #blessings, #bringithome, #coin, #comesback, #dawned, #disposable, #eternal, #exist, #find, #findsit, #forgotten, #goodtobereminded, #gospel, #learn, #leavesbehind, #leaveshome, #locate, #looking, #loses, #lost, #losthasbeenfound, #Master, #misplaced, #missing, #nevergivesup, #overjoyed, #realworld, #remember, #reminded, #response, #SaintLuke, #sheep, #shepherd, #short-term, #situation, #son, #thankful, #thewannabesaint.com, #thinking, #truths, #wisdom, @BrianLoging, Culture, Jesus

Starting Over

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Starting Over –

I was speaking with a friend this week who struggles with anger. We were trying to figure out how to take a breath before responding to a situation or a person who triggers his angry responses. We talked about tricks and tips to get him to breathe in fully and exhale before whatever words were forming on his tongue. I told him; “At that moment think, see with your mind what the consequences of your words are going to be.” It’s the discipline of ‘the space in between.’ The greater the space in between the stimuli and the response the better. Take time to think, to breathe, there is healing, understanding, awareness, and acceptance in that moment. Use it.”

With each breath is a new beginning, a starting over, an opportunity to live and give life.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: # understanding, #acceptance, #anger, #angryresponses, #awareness, #before, #better, #between, #blessings, #consequences, #discipline, #figureout, #forming, #friend, #fully, #givelife, #greater, #healing, #live, #newbeginning, #opportunity, #over, #person, #remember, #responding, #response, #see, #situation, #space, #starting, #StartingOver, #stimuli, #struggles, #Thespaceinbetween, #thewannabesaint.com, #think, #time, #tongue, #tricksandtips, #triggers, #words, @BrianLoging, breath, breathe, exhale, Mind, moment

Mind Made Up

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for lawn mower snow

Mind Made Up –

Today is April 5th. I mowed my grass today because springtime makes things grow. Usually, I mow grass on Friday or Saturday. The reason I mowed today is that rain is in the forecast tomorrow and it might snow on Saturday. Snow. Did I mention we’re in the month of April?

The weather cannot make up its mind. My mind has been made up. I’m ready for spring, all of it. Not a little, not touch and go, not warm one day and cold the next, sunny and then snow. The problem is my mind made up doesn’t impact the weather or the seasons. I don’t have that kind of power. I can be frustrated that I mowed grass in jacket and toboggan today. I can be wary of cool breezes and cold noses. However, my wariness doesn’t change things either. Sigh.

So, I accept what I cannot change, understand the finiteness of humankind and remember that gaining wisdom begins with humility.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #accept, #achieving, #April, #blessings, #breezes, #change, #cold, #cool, #finiteness, #forecast, #frustrated, #grow, #humankind, #humility, #impact, #jacket, #made, #makeupitsmind, #mention, #MindMadeUp, #month, #mowed, #next, #noses, #power, #problem, #rain, #reason, #remember, #seasons, #sigh, #snow, #springtime, #sunny, #thewannabesaint.com, #toboggan, #today, #tomorrow, #touchandgo, #understand, #wariness, #warm, #wary, #wisdom, @BrianLoging, Grass, Mind, Weather

Protests

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for walk out protest

Protests –

Yesterday, almost one million students across the United States of America, walked out en masse to protest school shooting and the inability of adults to agree upon how to make our schools safer.

There were two types of protests that were happening. One was #walkout which encouraged students to leave their school classrooms and #walkup which encouraged these young adults to find someone who seemed to exist “on the edges” and talk with them eat lunch and begin a conversation that hopefully would develop into a relationship. I supported the #walkout and the #walkup protests and thought both had merit and could change lives. Neither was a perfect way of protesting but each one was worth doing.

However, I noticed that many folks were for one or the other. Not many looked for balance in the two approaches. Students were either labeled #walkup or #walkout. It seemed not much conversation was happening between the quickly diverging groups. This made me sad. The reason the students were protesting is that adults can’t talk to one another, find a compromise, work together on behalf of our nation’s youngest and brightest. Now, it was happening again.

I am sick of litmus tests that divide us as a nation, community, and families. I am tired of people not being able to listen to one another even if we do not agree with the other. There is almost always a middle way where we remember we’re all human, deserving of respect and kindness instead of disdain and meanness. Perhaps one day we will realize we have more in common than what we allow to tear us apart.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Tags: ##enmasse, #able, #across, #adults, #again, #agree, #allow, #apart, #approaches, #balance, #begin, #behalf, #between, #blessings, #brightest, #change, #classrooms, #common, #compromise, #conversation, #deserving, #develop, #disdain, #diverging, #eatlunch, #encouraged, #exist, #families, #find, #groups, #happening, #hopefully, #human, #inability, #instead, #kindness, #labeled, #leave, #litmus, #lives, #looked, #meanness, #merit, #middleway, #nation, #nation's, #noticed, #onemillion, #ontheedges, #perfect, #protest, #protesting, #protests, #quickly, #realize, #reason, #remember, #respect, #sad, #safer, #school, #schoolshootings, #seemed, #shootings, #sick, #students, #supported, #tear, #tests, #thewannabesaint.com, #types, #UnitedStatesofAmerica, #walkout, #walkup, #worktogether, #worth, #youngadults, #youngest, @BrianLoging, Community, Listen, Relationship, Talk

Who Cares?

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for super bowl who cares

Who Cares?

This morning, in worship service, the pastor asked; “Who’s rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles tonight? Who’s going for the New England Patriots? Who doesn’t care? Who didn’t know the Superbowl was being played today?” There were hands and voices raised for each question.

Around 120 million people will watch the Superbowl tonight. That’s over a third of the population of this country which is roughly 323 million. Amazing to me that we can watch a football game together but can’t seem to unite over much else. It’s also a surprise the 2/3 of America doesn’t care about the game at all!

I will be rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. I don’t have anything against the Patriots they’ve just won it so many times I think it would be nice to give it to someone else for a change. The coverage for the big game started early this morning. The network broadcasting the Superbowl had a great interview with a Patriot’s receiver, his wife, and children. It was a reminder that individual people, with unique stories, make up the teams.

It’s a shame we don’t remember that when we are attacking others for their political, cultural and religious opinions and beliefs. We cast a large net over those who don’t think like us and label them; “bad” or “good” according to our own fallible judgments.

Maybe, if we could see the individual, listen to their story, discover we’re all trying to make it the best we know how, we would realize when we fight all of us lose.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: ##population, #120million, #2/3, #323million, #according, #amazing, #america, #attacking, #bad, #beliefs, #best, #blessings, #broadcasting, #care, #cares, #cast, #change, #country, #coverage, #cultural, #discover, #Eagles, #fallible, #fight, #game, #good, #individual, #interview, #judgments, #know, #label, #large, #lose, #morning, #net, #network, #NewEngland, #opinions, #Patriots, #political, #realize, #remember, #reminder, #see, #service, #story, #Superbowl, #Super_Bowl, #surprise, #teams, #think, #together, #tonight, #unique, #unite, #watch, #Whocares, #worship, Football, Listen, Pastor, People, Philadelphia, Religious, shame, Stories

Right or Wrong?

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Right or Wrong –

This morning I watched a political debate that quickly turned into a shouting, insulting, “I’m right and you’re wrong” diatribe from both parties. It’s disheartening to look at our present cultural landscape and realize not many people know how to talk to each other about things upon which they disagree.

One of the lessons I teach residents in my jail class is how to respect each other even if we disagree. We talk about eye contact (which may be while social media is the worst place to have a meaningful conversation), asking questions politely, consider your body language, what to do with your hands, monitor facial expressions, remember that listening is not agreeing and two people can be right or wrong about one subject. It amazes me that my jail students are often nicer, more respectful when discussing a difficult topic than many people on Facebook.

Hopefully, it won’t be this way forever. Debate and deep conversation are some of the values and pillars of a democratic society. I fear, however, perhaps we’ve gone too far and may never recover our civility.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #agreeing, #amazes, #asking, #average, #blessings, #body, #civility, #class, #consider, #conversation, #cultural, #debate, #deep, #democratic, #diatribe, #disagree, #discussing, #disheartening, #expressions, #eyecontact, #Facebook, #facial, #far, #fear, #forever, #hands, #hopefully, #insulting, #jail, #landscape, #language, #lessons, #listening, #meaningful, #monitor, #never, #nicer, #parties, #person, #pillars, #politely, #political, #posture, #present, #questions, #quickly, #realize, #recover, #remember, #residents, #respect, #respectful, #right, #rightorwrong, #shouting, #socialmedia, #society, #students, #subject, #teach, #topic, #turned, #values, #watched, #worst, #wrong, however

Why did the Cow Cross the Road?

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for black cow road

Why did the Cow Cross the Road?

There’s nothing quite like living in an agricultural community. You never know what strange experiences each day holds. This morning, on my way to an appointment, I was driving behind a car who suddenly hit their breaks, red lights shining brightly. I quickly hit my brakes and wondered why we were stopping and then noticed a big black cow standing in the right lane. We were on the crest of a hill and couldn’t drive around it for fear of being struck head-on by another vehicle. The driver in front of me beeped her horn, inched toward the animal, even tried shewing it but the bovine paid no attention. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the cow sauntered off the road and into the brush. Shaking my head, I carefully drove past it and wondered how and why it was in this place at this time.

Life’s road is similar to my experience this morning. You never know what’s going to cross your path, stand in your way, refuse to be moved. Many times we try to force, coerce, bribe our way around obstacles but they stubbornly resist movement of any kind. Sometimes the obstacle is the path, the lesson, which needs to be learned before it moves on. Other times life makes less sense and an obstacle is simply a barrier we must figure out how to move or get around.

Whatever the obstacle, no matter how big, imposing, or frustrating we should remember this too shall pass. All things are transient and nothing lasts forever.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Tags: #agricultural, #around, #barrier, #before, #big, #black, #blessings, #bovine, #breaks, #bribe, #brightly, #carefully, #coerce, #Cow, #crest, #drive, #experience, #experiences, #fear, #figure, #Finally, #force, #forever, #front, #frustrating, #getaround, #head-on, #hill, #imposing, #kind, #lasts, #learned, #lesson, #lesssense, #lifes, #living, #matter, #moved, #movement, #moves, #neverknow, #noattention, #nothing, #noticed, #obstacle, #obstacles, #path, #quickly, #redlights, #refuse, #remember, #resist, #road, #sauntered, #Shaking, #shallpass, #shewing, #shining, #stand, #standing, #stopping, #strange, #struck, #stubbornly, #time, #toward, #transient, #wondered, Community, cross, each day holds. This morning, I was #driving, on my way to an appointment

No Hurry

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for taoist quote

No Hurry –

I’m not sure what caught my eye first; the quote in the picture above or the picture. It is green, sunny and beautiful, unlike today when it is mostly cloudy, windy and frigid!

The weather forecast is for more cold this weekend which makes sense because it is winter. I don’t care for this season. The nights are long, the days are short, the extra layers of clothes make me feel claustrophobic. I know from wisdom teachers we are not to hurry through any moment or experience no matter how miserable because there are lessons to be learned and life to be lived. So, I take a breath and try to be still in a place and time I’d rather not be.

Life demands that we hurry. In the Christmas season just passed we rush to get our shopping done so we can “enjoy” the holidays and by the time we finish our “to do,” list Christmas is over. Then we quickly move into the new year with all its demands and before we know it, its spring, then summer, fall and winter quickly follow and we start all over again. Hurrying seems to be what we do best until we remember that all of these days which are flying by are our lives fading.

2018 is here. May we not hurry, take our time, experience each day and the ups and downs they bring. May we cherish each moment because moments are what make up our lives.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #2018, #above, #beautiful, #best, #bestill, #blessings, #care, #cherish, #christmas, #claustrophobic, #clothes, #days, #demands, #enjoy, #experience, #extra, #eye, #fading, #fall, #finish, #first, #Flying, #follow, #forecast, #frigid, #green, #hurry, #Hurrying, #layers, #learned, #lessons, #life, #lived, #lives, #long, #matter, #miserable, #mostlycloudy, #move, #newyear, #nights, #no, #passed, #picture, #place, #quickly, #remember, #rush, #season, #short, #spring, #summer, #sunny, #teachers, #time, #todo, #unlike, #upsanddowns, #windy, #winter, #wisdom, breath, Holidays, moment, Shopping, Weather

Secrets

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Secrets –

Secrets can destroy lives. Secrets can make enemies of friends. Secrets have a way of eating at us, not giving us any peace and taking over all we say and do. Yet, most of us still hold on to them for fear the secret being found out is worse than the misery it causes each day.

Several years ago I had a friend who was ready to leave his current job for a “better” one. We went out to eat and he laid all his grievances out about his current job. He disliked his occupation, didn’t agree with his boss about the direction of the company and was sick to his gut every day he came to work. To others, he was the model employee but secretly he desperately wanted to go somewhere else. After he finished making his case he took a breath and we talked about the new opportunity and I told him I would be happy to give him a recommendation.

A few hours after our lunch my cell phone rang and it was my friend. We chit chatted a few moments and then he said; “I forgot to ask you, what do you think about me leaving?” I told him it sounded like a good job, the move on his family would be disruptive but manageable and to remember wherever he went he was taking himself with him. I went on to explain that some of his unease and difficulty with his present position was not just the job but were the secrets and burdens he carried with him. “No matter where you go,’ I said quoting one of my favorite wisdom teachers, ‘there you are. “

Don’t carry your secrets and burdens with you.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: # moments, #after, #ago, #agree, #blessings, #boss, #burdens, #carried, #carry, #case, #causes, #company, #current, #desperately, #destroy, #difficulty, #direction, #disliked, #disruptive, #eating, #employee, #enemies, #explain, #favorite, #fear, #finished, #forgot, #found, #friend, #friends, #giving, #grievances, #gut, #hold, #laid, #leave, #Leaving, #lives, #manageable, #misery, #model, #move, #occupation, #opportunity, #position, #present, #quoting, #ready, #recommendation, #remember, #sayanddo, #secretly, #secrets, #several, #sick, #sounded, #takingover, #teachers, #unease, #wanted, #way, #wisdom, #worse, #years, Family, breath, Peace

Refelction

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Reflection –

As I wrote about yesterday, this has been a somber and low-key Christmas for my family. It’s been a crazy, hectic, sorrowful month. Today is Christmas day and it feels like Christmas, sort of. My mind can’t help but think about Christmases which have gone by when the family was all together and laughter and joy filled the air.

I was reflecting on Christmas past this morning as my wife slept in. Being a couple who can’t have children we’ve never had the “privilege” of little ones waking us up at 4 or 5 in the morning declaring; “Santa’s come and it’s time to open presents!” Nevertheless, I am married to a woman who loves Christmas and even in the midst of this year’s challenge to find the Christmas spirit she has filled our home with laughter, reindeer antlers on her head, too many Christmas carols and songs, baked goodies and more. She’s been this way since I’ve known her and the only Christmas I can remember her not celebrating was when her mother passed, December 8, 2006. She is in many ways a light in my darkness.

So today I am thankful for the gift of a beautiful, fantastical, in touch with her inner-child wife who won’t and can’t be stopped from bringing a little Christmas cheer.

Best. Gift. Ever.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #air, #antlers, #bakedgoodies, #beautiful, #best, #blessings, #bringing, #carols, #celebrating, #challenge, #cheer, #children, #christmas, #Christmases, #couple, #darkness, #december, #declaring, #fantastical, #filled, #gift, #hectic, #help, #inner-child, #joy, #Laughter, #light, #little, #littleones, #low-key, #married, #midst, #month, #morning, #open, #past, #presents, #privilege, #reflecting, #reindeer, #remember, #Santa, #slept, #somber, #songs, #sorrowful, #spirit, #stopped, #thankful, #today, #touch, #waking, #wife, #woman, #yesterday, Family, crazy, Home, Mind, reflection

Wait, Hurry Up!

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Wait, Hurry Up! –

This past weekend I went to see “The Last Jedi,” the latest movie in the Star Wars saga. Beth with went me and when we bought our tickets they told us to go stand in line while we waited for the designated theater room to open. We were first in line and as time ticked by we noticed some people who had bought their tickets weren’t waiting. They were going into the theater room while the rest of us stood by and watched. After this happened several times the line behind Beth and me started to grumble. Finally, a man a few people behind us broke from the pack, hurried to the room and then signaled for us to come. We were swept away in the wave of frustration and elation that at last something was happening. I’m not sure what the manager thought when the line broke but people would not wait any longer!

When we arrived in the room showing the film it was large, seating over 1200 people. The people who had not followed the protocol were already seated but didn’t seem nearly as many in such a sizable place. Everyone found their place and the disgruntled ones settled down and after a few moments and too many previews the movie started.

Afterwards, Beth and I were talking about the movie and what happened before. There was a sense of injustice of the rule breakers being rewarded while the rule followers were punished. This isn’t how its supposed to happen. However, there are reminders around us every day that good doesn’t always win, the righteous aren’t always rewarded, and injustice triumphs more than it should.

So, what do we do? Do we all become rule breakers, go our own way and let the rest of the world be damned? It is a choice we all must make but remember what the Master said; “What good does it profit a person if they gain the world, yet lose their souls?”

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #arrived, #before, #behind, #blessings, #broke, #choice, #damned, #designated, #disgruntled, #elation, #first, #followers, #frustration, #gain, #good, #grumble. #Finally, #happen, #happened, #happening, #hurried, #injustice, #last, #linebroke, #lose, #Master, #movie, #noticed, #notwait, #open, #ourownway, #place, #profit, #protocol, #punished, #remember, #reminders, #rest, #rewarded, #righteous#, #rule, #rulebreakers, #saga, #seated, #sense, #settleddown, #several, #signaled, #sizable, #souls, #stand, #started, #StarWars, #stood, #supposed, #sure, #swept, #theater, #TheLastJedi, #ticked, #tickets, #times, #triumphs, #wait, #waited, #waiting, #watched, #wave, #weekend, #win, World

Hope

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for hope

Hope –

This afternoon the Mrs. and I went to see, “The Last Jedi.” It was good. No spoilers but I still say the Original Trilogy is not in any danger of being replaced on my favorite movies list.

As I sat in the theater I couldn’t help but think of my father. He took me and my brother to see our first Star Wars movie. I remember seeing it and being, pardon the pun, blown away! Dad drove a large white station wagon back then and on the way home from the movie we pretended to be in a spaceship which was in the film named; “The Millenium Falcon.” As we sped down two-lane highways dad would fire lasers, flash high beams, at incoming “Empire” spaceships; “Tie Fighters.” I don’t know what the drivers, targets, of the other cars thought but my brother and I were ecstatic.

The newest Star Wars movie is about hope. In fact, all the Star Wars movies are about hope, fighting an enemy who seems invincible and never giving up. In the newest one different characters are looking for that “spark which will light the fire.” They find it in various places and in other people who give them courage to “not fight what we hate but save what we love.”

I am thankful today for the message of hope and the strength to keep going.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Tags: #blessings, #blown, #blownaway, #characters, #courage, #danger, #different, #drivers, #ecstatic, #Empire, #enemy, #favorite, #fight, #fighting, #find, #fire, #flash, #give, #givingup, #hate, #help, #hope, #incoming, #invincible, #keepgoing, #lasers, #light, #looking, #Message, #milleniumfalcon, #movie, #nevergiveup, #newest, #OriginalTrilogy, #places, #pretended, #pun, #remember, #replaced, #save, #spaceship, #spaceships, #spark, #spoilers, #StarWars, #strength, #targets, #thankful, #theater, #TheLastJedi, #TheMilleniumFalcon, #TieFighters, #various, father, Film, Home, love, Movies, People

Help

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for buddhist thought of the day

Help –

It happened several weeks ago but has happened before many times and chances are will happen again. A stranger, someone we don’t know and not sure we want to, approaches us and asks us for assistance. This last time it was at a gas station when a long, matted hair, holes in his shirt and pants man, with a gas can in his hand asked me to buy him some gas. I always feel vulnerable and suspicious when anything similar to this happens and try to take a look around without being obvious. I was almost finished filling my tank and told him to set his canister down and proceeded to give him enough to almost fill it. When I finished he said; “Thank you,” took the container and went back to where he and another person were sitting. I opened the front door, sat in the driver’s seat and told the story to Beth who had watched from inside our car.

It’s been a rule of mine for as long as I can remember to not ask or demand from someone what they will do with money, gas or whatever when I give it to them. I understand some people take advantage of others and use people’s generosity for nefarious purposes. I know others need genuine help. I also believe in serving angels unaware and there’s no doubt I can’t tell the difference between the three. When I give it is a letting go of the abundance I sometimes have and allow others to use it as they deem necessary.

Assisting another in need is often vague. However, giving to another isn’t about how they use the gift but having a heart that’s willing to help.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #abundance, #advantage, #again, #allow, #almost, #angels, #another, #approaches, #asked, #asks, #assistance, #assisting, #before, #believe, #between, #blessings, #buy, #canister, #chances, #container, #deem, #demand, #difference, #doubt, #down, #enough, #feel, #fill, #filling, #finished, #gas, #generosity, #genuine, #gift, #give, #hair, #hand, #happened, #heart, #help, #helping, #holes, #inside, #lettinggo, #long, #matted, #money, #necessary, #need, #nefarious, #notask, #obvious, #often, #pants, #person, #proceeded, #purposes, #remember, #rule, #serving, #shirt, #similar, #story, #stranger, #suspicious, #Thank you, #times, #try, #unaware, #understand, #use, #vague, #vulnerable, #watched, #willing

Extra

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for going the extra mile

Extra –

At a health council meeting today a speaker gave a presentation on going the extra mile. She asked; “Where did this saying come from?” I thought for sure someone would answer but no one did so finally I replied; “Jesus.” She smiled and moved on with her talk. She explained in the time of the Roman Empire there was a rule that if a soldier or other important dignitary asked you to help carry some of their weaponry or baggage you were obligated to carry it one mile. Jesus, however, in Matthew chapter 5, said; “If someone has you carry their stuff one mile go ahead and make it two.” The speaker continued; “The first mile is obligation the second mile is voluntary. It’s the second-mile people remember. When you move beyond your comfort zone, when you give more than what you can afford to, do more than you were asked or expected, offer kindness, grace, and love abundantly, extravagantly.”

As I reflected on her presentation it was a good reminder that what the world expects and usually gets is the minimum, the essentials. When someone digs deeper, cares greatly, meets the greatest of needs, it matters and stays with the one helped and the one helping.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” #MayaAngelou

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Tags: #abundantly, #afford, #asked, #baggage, #beyond, #blessings, #cares, #carry, #chapter, #comfort, #deeper, #dignitary, #digs, #domore, #essentials, #expected, #expects, #explained, #extra, #extravagantly, #firstmile, #forget, #givemore, #going, #grace, #greatly, #help, #helped, #helping, #important, #kindness, #law, #learned, #matters, #matthew, #MayaAngelou, #meets, #mile, #minimum, #move, #movedon, #needs, #obligated, #obligation, #offer, #onemile, #reflected, #remember, #reminder, #replied, #rule, #secondmile, #soldier, #stays, #usuallygets, #voluntary, #weaponry, #Zone, Jesus, love, People, World

Reacting

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Reacting –

What are you reacting to? Such a wonderful and powerful question.

We live in a reactive world. Opinions, biases, judgments, loyalties, choosing sides, seems to be what everyone around us is doing. We don’t have to ask for someone’s thoughts on a matter before they tell it to us anyway. Social media is a primary culprit but I’ve heard stories of this happening in restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores. People can’t shut up or stop typing. It is a wonder anyone can find interior peace when the exterior world bombards our ears with a cacophony of noise and words.

“The space in between” is a difficult discipline which needs broader acceptance. Basically, it teaches that between the incident and the comment is the moment to choose our response. Between the action and the reaction, we have the ability to make the situation better, the same, or worse. In the immediate time following an experience we have the ability to make it more or less unstable.

Reacting, choosing, deciding, what our reaction to a stimulus will determine our destiny. Will we be thoughtlessly reactive, speak without considering, act without thinking about the outcome? Or, will we remember the “space in between” and so grace, kindness, and love?

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #ability, #acceptance, #act, #action, #better, #between, #biases, #bombards, #broader, #cacophony, #Choose, #choosing, #choosingsides, #comment, #considering, #culprit, #deciding, #decision, #destiny, #determine, #difficult, #discipline, #experience, #exterior, #gasstations, #grace, #grocerystores, #immediate, #incident, #interior, #judgments, #kindness, #loyalties, #matter, #opinions, #outcome, #primary, #Reacting, #reaction, #reactive, #remember, #response, #restaurants, #ShutUp, #situation, #socialmedia, #space, #spaceinbetween, #speak, #stimulus, #stoptyping, #teaches, #thinking, #thoughtlessly, #time, #unstable, #wonder, #words, love, Noise, Peace, Stories, Thoughts, World

Our Greatest Gift and Need

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Our Greatest Gift and Need –

This morning at church, a video was shown of a woman whose testimony included her first memories of involvement with Christian people. Her family was very poor and people from a church would bring her and her family food, clothing, whatever they could to help these in need. She credits this with why she is still a part of the community of faith today.

After the video the following verses were read from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, chapter 16;
“There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.

“Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.”

The “rich” compassionless man and the poor needy man switched placed at death. Now, it was the “rich” man who was in need and the “poor beggar” who had plenty.

One of my favorite wisdom quotes is; “Kindness is my religion. Kindness (another word for compassion) is always within our power to give.”

Too often we mistake our communities of faith for dogma, certain beliefs, attendance of services, giving of our time, talent and treasure to the community. These are all certainly important but they can never replace kindness, love, compassion. If the former does exceed these we will turn cruel, judgmental, hostile. We will find it is us who are in the greatest need for we have lost our greatest lover.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

Leave a comment

Tags: #communityoffaith, #compassion, #give, #grace, #kindness, #kindnessisalwayspossible, #religioniskindness, #remember, #whoarewe, #whoweare, #wisdom, love

%d bloggers like this: