Some years ago I was looking at what I THOUGHT were stars in an image from Hubble. When I realized they were GALAXIES my brain started to run out of my ears. Then I had the random thought, "Only love is big enough to fill that space." I don't even really knows what that means but it allowed me to become semi-functional again.
When I think of how the scriptures describe heaven as looking ‘like’ streets of gold or jasper, rubies, sapphire, emeralds…etc… Then I see pictures from the Hubble or the Webb. The colors and designs are so overwhelming incredible that I can see it. How do you describe such majesty? It looks ‘like’ (insert words that describe that beauty the best way you know how)! And we cannot find our way to the end of all the billions of light years. God you are amazing!
I watched your interview with Timothy Beal yesterday evening. It was really eye opening and disturbing when he said something about the control of the environment and the control of women's bodies being connected. I think that's what matters most (well, one of many things) is connection...Being connected with others, with God, with our inner selves.
The encouragement that your loved ones speak over you, the way they connect with and truly know your heart matters more than the thoughts you perceive others might be thinking.
Deep conversations matter more than endless scrolling, clicking 'like', and obtaining the facade of "connection".
I heard someone say that what we perceive as self-talk is not always us, but rather a voice of someone or perhaps societal and/or religious influences that have been drilled into us so deeply that it becomes "our" voice. This week, that voice that should have been silenced emerged to tell me through my own mind and psyche that the shape of my body must be hidden, that it is somehow flawed because I don't fit that unattainable and, frankly, nonexistent "perfection". My boyfriend centers me and is healing salve over the wounds this voice creates and opens. I went from "hide your body" to "Fuck it! Flaunt your curves" and I've been wearing things this week that emphasize my shape, show my curves, and it feels so damn good.
The confidence God wants for us and the wholeness he wants us to claim matters. The lies that have been spoken over us even by the facade of our own self talk and inner voice, they do not.
That pale blue dot thing by Carl Sagan wrote looking at a Voyager photo from 6.4 million miles away comes to mind. (Your space nerd friend probably has heard this).
Here's a little piece:
"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam........."
It’s not the vastness of the universe that tends to make me uncomfortable - it is when I look inward and think of how I can even exist, how did I happen? That’s when I have to make my brain change the subject.
Thank you. It took me 71 years to say "God, I get it. Show me what to do." The joy and connection with others have made these last 7 years some of the best of my life.
The pictures tell us. What doesn't matter any more is anything that is not rooted in truth and beauty. What does matter is truth and beauty and all the good and tremendously hard things that flow from there.
When I see the pictures of the Fiery star nurseries and the dust of nebulas pushed out by cosmic Winds, I can't but think..... Pentecost, this is the face of the Divine, still active in our time.
I used to call that anxiety “existential panic.” Most of my anxiety is made better with music, cats, and kindness to other people. I am the one-woman choir at my church while it’s not safe to sing in groups. Here was my song of the week:
For some years I've thought of the cosmos as a way to gain perspective. When politics or anything else seems impossible to fathom or navigate, I perch myself on the edge of the nebula ("The Pillars," I think) and take deep breaths. The petty stuff -- which much of it is, cellulite included -- quickly fades away. As many have observed, humans are but an eye blink in the cosmic history.
what matters: grace and extending the grace God gives us to others ... ALL others.
what no longer matters: 'stuff', i.e. all the 'stuff' we surround ourselves with from furniture to jewelry to tech items to books to art and music collections to libraries ....
The pen and ink graphic at the head of this column brought me to a sudden halt. I studied the human figure with his head through the veil of heaven. Perhaps it was because of the Webb images from the dawn of time that the image wigged me out.In any case, I have felt as though my head was in some different place of late, as though I was looking at things with which I had no business. How is a facet of depression, I reckon,for I have not been able to write or to feel myself clearly anywhere. Just being me in my skin these days—not the things I do—has left me floating in space.
The pen and ink graphic at the head of this column brought me to a sudden halt. I studied the human figure with his head through the veil of heaven. Perhaps it was because of the Webb images from the dawn of time that the image wigged me out.In any case, I have felt as though my head was in some different place of late, as though I was looking at things with which I had no business. How is a facet of depression, I reckon,for I have not been able to write or to feel myself clearly anywhere. Just bring me, these days—not the things I do—has left me floating g in space.
Thank you so much for this! I think what doesn't matter is the question I get again and again: What's the future of the Church. And what still matters most? Connecting one another with one another, our Creator, and creation.
Okay, I’ve not read the book and I probably won’t, but as an alternative viewpoint can we all maybe take a step back from the “IF it IS too late for our long-term survival” thing.
The day I was born the global population was in the region of 3.6 Billion people.
That figure is currently 7.96 Billion living souls and according to UN estimates will exceed 8 Billion by the end of the year. You can watch the total ticking away here https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ which I find quite humbling.
The human population is only going one way and it isn’t down. Humanity is not a species on the verge of extinction. Quite the opposite.
Okay, I hear y’all shouting ‘but that’s the point! There are so many of us we’re burning up the worlds resources and heating up the planet as we do it.’ But that’s not what we are actually seeing. Human populations are managing very well with both finite natural resources and global heating.
Even when something pretty nasty comes along that has potential to seriously cull the human population, such as the old Rona virus, our technology leaps into action to protect most of us from mortal harm.
Seems to me the sons and daughters of Adam & Eve ain’t disappearing any time soon.
Some years ago I was looking at what I THOUGHT were stars in an image from Hubble. When I realized they were GALAXIES my brain started to run out of my ears. Then I had the random thought, "Only love is big enough to fill that space." I don't even really knows what that means but it allowed me to become semi-functional again.
When I think of how the scriptures describe heaven as looking ‘like’ streets of gold or jasper, rubies, sapphire, emeralds…etc… Then I see pictures from the Hubble or the Webb. The colors and designs are so overwhelming incredible that I can see it. How do you describe such majesty? It looks ‘like’ (insert words that describe that beauty the best way you know how)! And we cannot find our way to the end of all the billions of light years. God you are amazing!
I watched your interview with Timothy Beal yesterday evening. It was really eye opening and disturbing when he said something about the control of the environment and the control of women's bodies being connected. I think that's what matters most (well, one of many things) is connection...Being connected with others, with God, with our inner selves.
The encouragement that your loved ones speak over you, the way they connect with and truly know your heart matters more than the thoughts you perceive others might be thinking.
Deep conversations matter more than endless scrolling, clicking 'like', and obtaining the facade of "connection".
I heard someone say that what we perceive as self-talk is not always us, but rather a voice of someone or perhaps societal and/or religious influences that have been drilled into us so deeply that it becomes "our" voice. This week, that voice that should have been silenced emerged to tell me through my own mind and psyche that the shape of my body must be hidden, that it is somehow flawed because I don't fit that unattainable and, frankly, nonexistent "perfection". My boyfriend centers me and is healing salve over the wounds this voice creates and opens. I went from "hide your body" to "Fuck it! Flaunt your curves" and I've been wearing things this week that emphasize my shape, show my curves, and it feels so damn good.
The confidence God wants for us and the wholeness he wants us to claim matters. The lies that have been spoken over us even by the facade of our own self talk and inner voice, they do not.
That pale blue dot thing by Carl Sagan wrote looking at a Voyager photo from 6.4 million miles away comes to mind. (Your space nerd friend probably has heard this).
Here's a little piece:
"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam........."
.
It’s not the vastness of the universe that tends to make me uncomfortable - it is when I look inward and think of how I can even exist, how did I happen? That’s when I have to make my brain change the subject.
Thank you. It took me 71 years to say "God, I get it. Show me what to do." The joy and connection with others have made these last 7 years some of the best of my life.
The pictures tell us. What doesn't matter any more is anything that is not rooted in truth and beauty. What does matter is truth and beauty and all the good and tremendously hard things that flow from there.
When I see the pictures of the Fiery star nurseries and the dust of nebulas pushed out by cosmic Winds, I can't but think..... Pentecost, this is the face of the Divine, still active in our time.
Thank you for the gentle focus. I think all of us needed this.
I used to call that anxiety “existential panic.” Most of my anxiety is made better with music, cats, and kindness to other people. I am the one-woman choir at my church while it’s not safe to sing in groups. Here was my song of the week:
https://youtu.be/TMpi2JxfUs4
Love. It’s the antidote for everything bad.
Delightful song. I love your joy. What matters is tapping into the joy Christ wants us to claim.
Thank you! 😊
For some years I've thought of the cosmos as a way to gain perspective. When politics or anything else seems impossible to fathom or navigate, I perch myself on the edge of the nebula ("The Pillars," I think) and take deep breaths. The petty stuff -- which much of it is, cellulite included -- quickly fades away. As many have observed, humans are but an eye blink in the cosmic history.
Love that newest photo, BTW!
what matters: grace and extending the grace God gives us to others ... ALL others.
what no longer matters: 'stuff', i.e. all the 'stuff' we surround ourselves with from furniture to jewelry to tech items to books to art and music collections to libraries ....
The pen and ink graphic at the head of this column brought me to a sudden halt. I studied the human figure with his head through the veil of heaven. Perhaps it was because of the Webb images from the dawn of time that the image wigged me out.In any case, I have felt as though my head was in some different place of late, as though I was looking at things with which I had no business. How is a facet of depression, I reckon,for I have not been able to write or to feel myself clearly anywhere. Just being me in my skin these days—not the things I do—has left me floating in space.
The pen and ink graphic at the head of this column brought me to a sudden halt. I studied the human figure with his head through the veil of heaven. Perhaps it was because of the Webb images from the dawn of time that the image wigged me out.In any case, I have felt as though my head was in some different place of late, as though I was looking at things with which I had no business. How is a facet of depression, I reckon,for I have not been able to write or to feel myself clearly anywhere. Just bring me, these days—not the things I do—has left me floating g in space.
Feeling very overwhelmed, simply to much month not enough money, as I’m sure many are these days! But just got to hold on, hold fast.
Thank you so much for this! I think what doesn't matter is the question I get again and again: What's the future of the Church. And what still matters most? Connecting one another with one another, our Creator, and creation.
Okay, I’ve not read the book and I probably won’t, but as an alternative viewpoint can we all maybe take a step back from the “IF it IS too late for our long-term survival” thing.
The day I was born the global population was in the region of 3.6 Billion people.
That figure is currently 7.96 Billion living souls and according to UN estimates will exceed 8 Billion by the end of the year. You can watch the total ticking away here https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ which I find quite humbling.
The human population is only going one way and it isn’t down. Humanity is not a species on the verge of extinction. Quite the opposite.
Okay, I hear y’all shouting ‘but that’s the point! There are so many of us we’re burning up the worlds resources and heating up the planet as we do it.’ But that’s not what we are actually seeing. Human populations are managing very well with both finite natural resources and global heating.
Even when something pretty nasty comes along that has potential to seriously cull the human population, such as the old Rona virus, our technology leaps into action to protect most of us from mortal harm.
Seems to me the sons and daughters of Adam & Eve ain’t disappearing any time soon.
🤔