love the moment

Inspired Photo courtesy of Lydia Gamble I was walking in the park this morning, and it was an unusually cool July morning. But the sky was clear, the sun was out, and I was contemplating that final margarita last night. Some days you start on the mountaintop, and some days you start in the valley. Regardless of where we start the day, I think we all have an idea of the kind of day we want. Your ideal day is probably different from mine. My ideal day is one where I am connected and in the flow . Towards the end of my walk, the song American Pie by Don McLean began to play. It is amazing to me that a song released almost 50 years ago (1971) could still be so impactful today. I also find it interesting that - as amazing as this song is/was - it was not representative of the writer's career. As I perused The Best of Don McLean on Amazon Music, there is only one other song on the album (Vincent) I recognized. How is it that American Pie (which many consider ...

Tao 57 - Have no plan at all… To rule the state, have a known plan To win a battle, have an unknown plan To gain the universe, have no plan at all All my life, my most pressing question has always been Now what? If I were on an all expense paid vacation on a beautiful island - staying in the penthouse suite - I would never be able to really enjoy the moment, because my brain is always screaming that unending question. I find it funny, that I have been reading the Taoteching for over 10 years now. So many of the verses move me deeply as I read them. But, the living them out has always been a challenge. Only half in jest, I like to say that I was not raised properly by humans, instead I had to fend for myself. Had I not been taken in and raised by wolves, I would have likely starved. Now, of course, this is not literally true , but figuratively without question it is accurate. Maybe you, too, but I find that my parents were wholly incapable of fulfilling their parental ...

Are you a hero? Benedict Cumberbatch insists 'I'm no hero' after saving Deliveroo cyclist from attackers Benedict Cumberbatch outdid his Marvel alter ego when he saved a Deliveroo cyclist from a mugging. It emerged last week that back in November, the Sherlock star intervened after seeing four attackers beating a cyclist while he was in an Uber in Marylebone. Man who snatched AR-15 rifle from Waffle House gunman: I'm no hero The man credited with saving several lives after snatching an AR-15 rifle from a gunman at a busy Tennessee restaurant has said it was a "selfish" act of self-preservation, and he does not consider himself a hero. 'I'm no hero' said driver who pulled woman from car after fiery crash An early morning crash on northbound Interstate 495 sent one car into the median and caused another to catch fire, police said. The driver from the car in the median was able to drag the other driver to safety. On any given day...

The Wisdom of Tao 2 - Effortless doing… Sages perform effortless deeds and teach wordless lessons They don't look after things that arise or depend on them Or claim them when they reach perfection From Taoteching, translated by Red Pine; Copper Canyon Press Being, instead of doing - or even, being while doing seems to be my perpetual challenge. Even when I begin a day centered and grounded - with a clear focus on gracious detachment - it is so easy for me to revert to form. And by that, I mean returning to my lifelong habit of goal-based living. For those of us who are either recovered or recovering fundamentalist Christians, avoiding being judged by what we do instead of what has been done for us in God is a constant struggle. As an aside, I find it interesting that - even though throughout scripture God has always focused on the heart- religious legalists have always focused on the outward actions rather than the inward intention. The wisdom of God is...

Tao 1 The way that becomes a way is not the Immortal Way From Taoteching, translated by Red Pine; Copper Canyon Press As soon as I have it figured out, I don't As soon as I understand, I don't Why is it so hard to live in the now? Not knowing what's next? The Immortal Way is hidden as a clear path to follow It is no project plan or itinerary The Immortal Way is as simple as a toddler's day Now And no need for next dg Starbucks 83° Mostly Cloudy 105 Moss Grove Blvd, Knoxville, TN, United States Sent from my iPad

The Wisdom of Emerson When I was in college, I coined the phrase "extremely moderation" - which was my concept of how I found my center. It was the very messy process of exploring the outer limits of both right and left, hard and soft, good and bad. If it sounds exhausting, it was. And is. If we could live our lives on a tropical island, or possibly at our favorite beach or mountaintop, I suspect life would be much simpler. We would be living with only one side of the coin - the quiet and calm one. The tranquil and scenic one. Unfortunately, we are not often afforded the luxury of ideal. Instead, we live in the real. Yes, we sometimes on our journey travel to the mountaintop - where everything is clear and the air is pure. But, for the journey to continue, we must leave the mountain and travel through the valley below. Because, there are further and higher mountains we can see in the distance, but to reach them we must leave our current home. The dua...