This week: Time Off/Away Can Nourish Your Soul Edited by: SophyBells  
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Hi, I'm SophyBells ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book Finding Your Religion, compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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Maya Angelou: Every person needs to take time away. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us. We need hours of aimless wandering for spates of time sitting on park benches observing the mysterious world of ants and a canopy of treetops. If we step away for a time, we are not, as many may think and some will accuse, being irresponsible, but rather we are preparing ourselves to more ably perform our duties and discharge our obligations.
Thomas Moore:For the soul, it is important to be taken out of the rush of practical life for the contemplation of timeless and eternal realities.
Though the foundation of Sabbath is rooted in the Hebrew word sabbat and the biblical traditions surrounding it, taking sabbath time away for rest, relaxation, and re-creation are important aspects of any healthy spiritual journey.
Sabbath is a central spiritual concept which essentially means "stop." According to the Hebrew creation story, as God rested from the work of creation, God also commands that creation itself stop working and rest as part of the regular routine of life. To that end, the emphasis of Sabbath is on playfulness and rest as part of the rhythm-keeping of life intended to refresh and renew all of creation, because to achieve peak performance in work and even in life itself, we all need a good rhythm of work, rest and play. The biblical gift of Sabbath, though rarely claimed or realized, especially in our busy lives, is a time of re-creation, of creating anew, a break from the routine so that we can rest, grow, and heal.
Whether it's one day a week, a few hours each day, or even just a few minutes, being able to step away and take a break is not only good for our spiritual nourishment, but also for our physical well being. In fact, as Wayne Mueller writes in his book, Sabbath, "If we do not allow for a rhythm of rest in our overly busy lives, illness becomes our Sabbath - our pneumonia, our cancer, our heart attack, our accidents create Sabbath for us. In my relationships with people suffering with cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening illness, I am always struck by the mixture of sadness and relief they experience when illness interrupts their overly busy lives."
The tradition of Sabbatical leave for clergy is clearly based on the concept of Sabbath, and many churches provide for a time of renewal, rest, and re-creation for a few months every five to seven years for their pastors. But of course clergy are not the only ones who benefit from saying "stop" and taking time off. We all benefit from it, whether it's for 20 minutes during the day, a whole week, or being blessed with a couple of months away from the routines of life - saying "stop!" and taking time away to breathe and recreate ought to be part of everyone's spiritual practice.
I am writing this while I am taking some Sabbath time for myself - what others might call vacation. Mr. Sophy, Daisy our Labrador, and I rented a cabin on a lake in the mountain near friends we visit almost daily. I call it Sabbath time because we haven't done much of anything while there, other than catch up on some much needed sleep and maybe some reading. Vacations are often over-planned and exhausting - we were determined this one wouldn't be. We would wake when we felt like it (or when Daisy needed to go out), eat when we were hungry, take a drive if/when we felt like seeing the countryside, and otherwise have an agenda-less week.
By the time we arrive home, we will feel refreshed and renewed from our time of re-creation and recreation.
What about the rest of you? Do you take time for rest, relaxation, play, and re-creation? If so how? Please share your comments or writings with me to feature next month.
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Below you'll find some offerings from other WDC members. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review.
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Here are responses from my last newsletter "Spiritual Newsletter (May 1, 2019)" "Writing About Our Mothers:"
From THANKFUL SONALI Library Class! 
My Mom died in 2006. She was 65, I was 39.
She died suddenly of a cardiac-arrest. She said she was uncomfortable, we went to the clinic, and about an hour later they told us there's no heart and no pulse.
I've written a lot about her right here on WDC,mostly dealing with my feelings of resentment that she neglected some key areas of my upbringing.
As you said, it's complicated!! The item I've linked is a letter I wrote her that has received a lot of reviews on WDC.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing this!
     
From Quick-Quill 
I to have lost my father to cancer. While I still have my mother, at 92 she would love to have me visit more often than I do or should.
From shepherd46
Wonderful post on your mother! My mother passed six years ago and I miss her a great deal. We had an up-and-down relationship but I will always love her. She was talented, caring, smart and I will always love and remember her laugh and her resiliency for life. Spring will always remind me of mom because she had that "hopeful" attitude that comes with spring.
Mary Ann MCPhedran 
First let me thank you for displaying my item, and I would like to follow this by another.
I had a mother just for a little time
And I her face I can't bring to mind
Granny took care of my life and needs
She taught me everything in spiritual needs
A life without a mother I can tell
But granny brought me up well
God has given us a path to tread
And choices we make and to serve
One day I believe our paths will reunite
And my mothers face I will sight
Along with the mother Mary
Gods mother too
Together we will live in eternity
With the mother that I never knew.
Love it - thank you for sharing!
From Wakahenya Fever 
My First Love My Mom
All grown up and finally being of age, I look back at my childhood and now realize that having my mother in my life was a blessing. See, not every person gets to enjoy the gift of having a loving mother by their side and still, not everyone has the chance of having a mother in their life. I came to find out all these things as I was growing up. I had my mom to teach me how to walk and I still had her every time I was down or when I needed someone to talk to. Our bond was ever tight because well, dad was abusive and since she couldn't have her son grow up in such an environment we opted out and decided to start afresh.
Now that I think of it, I wouldn't have chosen my dad, why? Because a mother's love blankets you and makes you feel safe. She'll take care of you even if you don't deserve it and she'll still have your back when you end up making all the wrong choices. See this is not only evident in us-humans- but also in the animal kingdom where the mom is the support system. She'll find time to be with her partner and still have enough time left to spend with her children. Whenever I'd meet up with folks who didn't have the chance to know their mothers, I'd well up with tears for I knew that they missed out on soo much and that would make me appreciate my mother and thank God for having her in my life.
It's never easy for them for they have to make sure that the entire family is taken care of, including our fathers. Doesn't that make you feel something? I love my mom. I appreciate my mom.
QueenOwl ~ A New Day Dawns 
Thank you, Sophie, for the nudge because I haven't thought about writing about my mother right now. I am taking care of my mother presently. She's ninety-four-years-old and under Hospice Care in my home. I cannot imagine putting her in a Nursing Home at this last stage of her life. My thoughts are not well organized right now because I am also taking care of my ninety-year-old husband, who is also under Hospice Care. I am caregiving for both my mother and my husband.
But I'll take your challenge to write about my mom in celebration of Mother's Day. And, I will share it with you.
Look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming!
Until next time! SophyBells |
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Spiritual: May 29, 2019 Issue [#9565]
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