Heartland Circle

The Joy of Quiet

Now for something completely different.

"The Joy of Quiet" 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/opinion/sunday/the-joy-of-quiet.html?pagewanted=print

Dr. King and Psalms 15

Lord, who can be trusted with power,
and who may act in your place?
Those with a passion for justice,
who speak the truth from their hearts;
who have let go of selfish interests
and grown beyond their own lives;
who see the wretched as their family
and the poor as their flesh and blood.
They alone are impartial
and worthy of the people's trust.
Their compassion lights up the whole earth,
and their kindness endures forever.

(A Book of Psalms, translations by Stephen Mitchell)

Thank you to Panhala

Web version: www.panhala.net/Archive/In_Memory_of_MLK.html <http://www.panhala.net/Archive/In_Memory_of_MLK.html>  

 

  

Yes

It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon.  It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.
 
It could, you know.  That's why we wake
and look out -- no guarantees
in this life.
 
But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.
 
~ William Stafford ~

Dayenu in Reverse

In the Jewish tradition, there is a song beloved on Passover.  It’s called Dayenu (pronounced DI A NU) and its meaning is that even in the most difficult of times, it is critical that we appreciate what we have – that what has been done for us is sufficient.  Loosely translated, dayenu means “it would have been enough.”  It is a song sung to God and I remember this song more than others because on Passover, as a child, I sung it with such exuberance, banging my fist on the table and screaming at the top of my lungs, I was asked to leave.These memories come back to me as I read Bernie Sanders, the son of Jewish immigrants, who also happens to be Vermont’s U.S. Senator.  He is an independent and socialist and I suspect others things outside the normal way business is done.  If the Senate could ask him to leave, I’m sure they would, because he deals in solutions that nobody wants to hear.

via www.thepowerofourcollectivewisdom.com

Nature. Beauty. Gratitude

If you are not one of the the 63,977 people who've seen it on YouTube, or even if you are - I receommend a daily viewing of this video from Louie Schwartzenberg on Nature, Beauty, and Gratitude. You'll be charmed by Louie Schwartzberg's time-lapse photography and and inspired by the articulate, heartful narration of David Steindl-Rast. Steindl-Rast says that cultivating gratitude for each day is like "life-giving water if you will only open your heart and drink".

via www.beautydialogues.com

Turning to One Another

Turning to One Another

There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.

Ask “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?”  Keep asking.

Notice what you care about.
Assume that many others share your dreams.

Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.