Life in my parts has been hard to slow down. The other day I watched ducks in the park waddle around, take baths in the pond and nap. I haven't done exercise in the past two weeks and I can't help but wonder why I can't live a little more like the ducks: take care of me, take care of others and my home. And nap more. And also make time for the person who created me (something that ducks don't really do).
January and February have been tough for me. I think it's something about the winter... last year at this time was also tough. Close relationships have been changing, I've had to accept failure and admit it to people. I've been trying to decide between church groups. In hard and busy times, I think I need to slow down even more. Do one difficult thing per day. Stop making rash decisions, but try to find peace first.
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| Ducks at Gulbenkian park |
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| A Chinese Valentine's lunch... yes, that's tofu! It was delicious (sui min and jasmine tea) |
Here goes a wonderful poem that my inspiring friend Alex sent me:
Slow me down, Lord!
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my harried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me, admidst the confusions of my day,
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my harried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me, admidst the confusions of my day,
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves
With the soothing music of the sighing streams
That live in my memory.
Help me to know
The magical restoring power of sleep.
With the soothing music of the sighing streams
That live in my memory.
Help me to know
The magical restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art
Of taking minute vacations of slowing down to look at a flower;
To chat with an old friend or to make a new one;
To pat a stray dog,
To watch a spider build a web;
To smile at a child;
Or to read a few lines from a good book.
Of taking minute vacations of slowing down to look at a flower;
To chat with an old friend or to make a new one;
To pat a stray dog,
To watch a spider build a web;
To smile at a child;
Or to read a few lines from a good book.
Remind me each day
That the race is not always to the swift;
That there is more to life than increasing its speed.
Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew slowly and well.
That there is more to life than increasing its speed.
Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew slowly and well.
Slow me down, Lord,
And inspire me to send my roots deep
Into the soil of life’s enduring values
That I may grow toward the stars
Of my great destiny.
And inspire me to send my roots deep
Into the soil of life’s enduring values
That I may grow toward the stars
Of my great destiny.
—– prayer by Wilferd A. Peterson
ENCONTRO COM o P. JULIÁN CARRÓN
ReplyDeleteApresentação pública da obra Na Origem da Pretensão Cristã do P. Luigi Giussani pelo responsável do Movimento Comunhão e Libertação
17 de Fevereiro, 21:30
Lisboa Corinthia Hotel (Sete Rios)
http://www.taprobana.pt/cl/docs/convite_Carron_17_2_11.pdf