Magpie Girl

Magpie Girl http://www.magpie-girl.com Rachelle speaks of spirituality, art, and life. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:48:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Rachelle speaks of spirituality, art, and life. Rachelle speaks of spirituality, art, and life. Rachelle Mee-Chapman http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/MagpieGirlPodcast.jpgMagpie Girlhttp://www.magpie-girl.com magpie girl, spirituality, soultribe no Rachelle Mee-Chapman moi@magpie-girl.com The Benefits of Wandering (and a blessing.) http://www.magpie-girl.com/20100219/how-wandering-around-helped-me-find-my-way-and-a-blessing/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20100219/how-wandering-around-helped-me-find-my-way-and-a-blessing/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:30:32 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=3254 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20100219/how-wandering-around-helped-me-find-my-way-and-a-blessing/feed/ 12 You might have noticed that this blog is a little neglected. (Don’t worry. I have big plans for her.) The good news isâ¦you are still getting good gifts here â a little wisdom, a little camaraderie, a little bit of beauty every week. (Like this kind of <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/tag/one-q-interview/">good advice</a>, or <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/8-things/">this tonic</a> for settling your monkey-mind, or just <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/tag/music/">random pretties</a>.) The good news isâ¦while Iâve been letting Magpie Girl graze a little, something good finally got itself born — <a href="http://flock.magpie-girl.com/">Â Flock: Soulcare with Magpie Girl</a>. (listen <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20100103/a-sneak-peek-into-the-flock/">here</a>) The good news isâ¦Magpie Girl is going to experience re-birth in the next few week with even more beauty and focus.Â Â (Thank you, <a href="http://www.stickflower.com/work.html">stickflower designs</a>.) When I started Magpie Girl back in 2006, I was quite lost. I had<a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/tag/leaving-church/"> left </a>the mainstay of my existence, the church. I was finally out of the haze that is baby/toddlerhood. And I was trying to figure out what to do next. So I spent a few years letting myself be âdistracted by sparkly things.â And you know what? That fallow time, where it looked like I was succumbing to adult ADHD? That turned out to be a really good plan. I learned how to be a coach and how to be withmate. I honed my community building skills. My writing voice became my own. I also discovered that Magpie Girl’s next incarnation needs to beÂ even more about art. More specifically, it needs to be writtenÂ to artists of all sorts. Those who are just starting out and those who are mid career.Â I’mÂ going to be especially focused on those people for whom art makes them feel just a little bit crazy. Managing the creative crazy is going to beÂ our mainstay, and 8 out of 10 posts here are going to be things that directly or indirectly address that. (Are you feeling so relieved? Me too.) The other 2 out of 10? Those posts will feature artists I love â singers, dancers, painters, writers, and maybe the occasionalÂ burlesqueÂ performer. (Oh I am so excited!) Hereâs the thing, dear readers:Â I think you should see this as a testimony. A testimony to the goodness that is wandering. A testimony to the transformative power of being distracted by sparkly things. A testimony to the truth that Â Â Â Â if you wander on, writing about this and that, Â Â Â Â if youÂ wander on,Â producing along the way Â Â Â Â if youÂ wander on,Â refusing to give up – something good will finally get itself born. Wandering forÂ awhileÂ couldÂ be the very way you find your voice. This then, is my blessing for you today: May you one day look at all you have gathered and see a vision emerge. May your accumulated good works become both the journey and the destination. May your generous gifts return to you in friendship, and fans, and followersâ¦ Â Â in [...] You might have noticed that this blog is a little neglected. (Don’t worry. I have big plans for her.) The good news isâ¦you are still getting good gifts here â a little wisdom, a little camaraderie, a little bit of beauty every week. [...] Jolie Guillebeau: A Guided Visualization for Your Ideal Day http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090907/jolie-guillebeau-a-guided-visualization-for-your-ideal-day/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090907/jolie-guillebeau-a-guided-visualization-for-your-ideal-day/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:50:36 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=2372 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090907/jolie-guillebeau-a-guided-visualization-for-your-ideal-day/feed/ 3 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/joliegheadshot.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2371" title="joliegheadshot" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/joliegheadshot-112x150.jpg" alt="joliegheadshot" width="112" height="150" /></a>Meet <a href="http://jolieguillebeau.com/">Jolie Guillebeau</a>, artist, blogger, and soulsister. Jolie has built a life based on intentional living and non-conformity — and I got to tell you, it ROCKS.Â Jolie and I finally met face-to-face at the <a href="http://tribeofsoulsisters.wordpress.com/about/">Soulsister’s Retreat</a> this July. Whilst we were together she lead us through aÂ guided visualization at one our teach-ins. In just 15 minutes she’d helped me access several important realizations that are guiding my life, right now as we speak. Ready for your ah-ha moment? I give you Jolie Guillebeau… __________________ <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">What’s YourÂ Ideal Day?* <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">*Undying gratitude to <a href="http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/">Pam Slim</a> for reminding me how important this really is.Â <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> A few years ago, <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/">my husband</a> and I were at a crossroads. We’d been working overseas for 4 years and knew it was time for a change. We felt like we could go anywhere and do anything. Really. It was exhilarating to think of the possibilities, but honestly, it was mostly overwhelming. We thought about spinning the globe and putting our finger down somewhere, but we were afraid we’d just end up in the middle of the Pacific, thousands of miles from land. So we asked a few questions. What do we really want? What are we ready to try? Where do we see ourselves a year from now? Then we found a variation of the Ideal Day exercise. There are many versions out there, but the basic premise is that you imagine your perfect day, in minute detail. Once you have that, you know where to begin. You have something to work towards. A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Own-North-Star/dp/0812932188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252125963&sr=1-1">North Star</a>, if you will. When we first did this exercise, I pictured myself living in a large city, walking or biking everywhere, including to my own painting studio. At the time, we were living in Africa, I was teaching high school English and riding around in Land Rovers. All of these things seems so far out there, that I thought of them as nearly impossible. Last year, I realized as I was walking to my studio in [...] Meet Jolie Guillebeau, artist, blogger, and soulsister. Jolie has built a life based on intentional living and non-conformity — and I got to tell you, it ROCKS.Â Jolie and I finally met face-to-face at the Soulsister’s Retreat this July. [...] Jolie Guillebeau 13 Soaring Lessons http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090806/soaring-lessons/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090806/soaring-lessons/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:58:20 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=2117 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090806/soaring-lessons/feed/ 7 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trampoline.jpg"></a> <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trampoline1.jpg"></a> <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trampoline1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2120" title="trampoline1" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trampoline1-500x280.jpg" alt="trampoline1" width="500" height="280" /></a> Did you know you could fly? Yes you,Â with the middle-aged greys springing out of your ponytail… You with the quarter-life crisisÂ and the world as your oyster… You with Junior High staring at you from theÂ business end of a double barrel… You can soar, if only you will bend your knees and leap into the great unknown. True, the next day, you may fly in a metal tube for 9hours with your broken ankle in temporary cast, and ice from the airplane galley packedÂ around your leg.Â But you will knowÂ in yourÂ coreÂ that for those clear sparkling moments you were Icarus triumphant. And, when you are old, you will remember those glorious seconds aloft with clarity; while theÂ throb in your bones will be but a faint memory, calling to mind notÂ a fall, but aÂ flight. “In life you will come to a great chasm. Jump.”Â -J.Conrad _________________ Share and Enjoy: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="mailto:?subject=Soaring%20Lessons&body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090806%2Fsoaring-lessons%2F" title="email"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/email_link.png" title="email" alt="email" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Soaring%20Lessons%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090806%2Fsoaring-lessons%2F" title="Twitter"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/twitter.png" title="Twitter" alt="Twitter" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090806%2Fsoaring-lessons%2F&t=Soaring%20Lessons" title="Facebook"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/facebook.png" title="Facebook" alt="Facebook" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.kirtsy.com/submit.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090806%2Fsoaring-lessons%2F&title=Soaring%20Lessons" title="Kirtsy"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/kirtsy.png" title="Kirtsy" alt="Kirtsy" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090806%2Fsoaring-lessons%2F&title=Soaring%20Lessons" title="StumbleUpon"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/stumbleupon.png" title="StumbleUpon" alt="StumbleUpon" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" [...] Did you know you could fly? Yes you,Â with the middle-aged greys springing out of your ponytail… You with the quarter-life crisisÂ and the world as your oyster… You with Junior High staring at you from theÂ business end of a double [...] bravery practice http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090805/bravery-practice/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090805/bravery-practice/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:29:43 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=2107 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090805/bravery-practice/feed/ 10 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/reflectionsguitar.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2108" title="reflectionsguitar" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/reflectionsguitar.jpg" alt="reflectionsguitar" width="400" height="225" /></a> Â Oh my, I am trying so hard to be brave. Here I am with my guitar atÂ the Soulsister’s houseÂ on Hartsine Island. (I do so dislike having my picture taken — and now I have to take them of myself!) And here I am in the podcast, chatting and SINGING in front of you! (Be brave!) What makes you feel afraid? Where are you practicing bravery? Do tell! <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/6a00d8341c103953ef01156f73008a970c-800wi.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2097" title="6a00d8341c103953ef01156f73008a970c-800wi" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/6a00d8341c103953ef01156f73008a970c-800wi.jpg" alt="6a00d8341c103953ef01156f73008a970c-800wi" width="120" height="120" /></a> Â In this post: Reflections of a vagabond in a borrowed guitar at a rented house. Would you like to Unravel? Sign up for <a href="http://susannahconway.com/about">Susannah Conway’s</a>Â photography and journalingÂ <a href="http://susannahconway.com/e-courses">ecourse</a>. Share and Enjoy: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="mailto:?subject=bravery%20practice&body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090805%2Fbravery-practice%2F" title="email"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/email_link.png" title="email" alt="email" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=bravery%20practice%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090805%2Fbravery-practice%2F" title="Twitter"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/twitter.png" title="Twitter" alt="Twitter" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090805%2Fbravery-practice%2F&t=bravery%20practice" title="Facebook"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/facebook.png" title="Facebook" alt="Facebook" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.kirtsy.com/submit.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090805%2Fbravery-practice%2F&title=bravery%20practice" title="Kirtsy"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/kirtsy.png" title="Kirtsy" alt="Kirtsy" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090805%2Fbravery-practice%2F&title=bravery%20practice" title="StumbleUpon"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/stumbleupon.png" title="StumbleUpon" alt="StumbleUpon" class="sociable-hovers" [...] Â Oh my, I am trying so hard to be brave. Here I am with my guitar atÂ the Soulsister’s houseÂ on Hartsine Island. (I do so dislike having my picture taken — and now I have to take them of myself!) And here I am in the podcast, chatting [...] A Pura Vida Solstice http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090621/a-pura-vida-solstice/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090621/a-pura-vida-solstice/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:09:24 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1945 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090621/a-pura-vida-solstice/feed/ 9 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/solstice-beach.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1947" title="solstice-beach" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/solstice-beach.jpg" alt="solstice-beach" width="400" height="300" /></a> Just one <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magpie-girl/sets/72157605725995057/">of many</a> <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/tag/summer-solstice/">Solstice celebrations</a>, this one at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magpie-girl/sets/72157601609342037/">the house</a> on Rockaway Beach.Â Â ___________________________ It is not quite 5am and the dark is slowly dimming to reveal pine trees like shadow puppets awaiting the stage. Beyond them the water is still as glass waiting or the faithful northwest kayakers who will slip out at the dawn, leaving a silent wake in their path. We are finally at my parent’s coastal retreat, Pura Vida, a beautifully appointed home on a tiny island in the Puget Sound. Everyone is asleep, save me, the insomniac with jet lag. But in a place a still and beautiful as this, who can be worried about a few hours of lost slumber? (Beside, the hammock is waiting on the deck below, should sleep come calling in the afternoon.) The house will not be quiet long as Pura Vida is full of happy grandparents and boisterous children – soon to be joined by more boisterous children and chatty mamas when the cousins arrive. My Irish roots will show big and bold and the gift of gab will be used in full force over the coming weeks as we greet each other in a rush of words and stories. In the happy, overwhelming rush of family reunion, these sleepless quite moments in the early morn will be my hermit-ish ying to the jolly yang of our happy clan. A time to reflect and write, and sooth the frayed edges of a soul worn down by the coldness of life abroad, now stretched to a joyful bursting point by the warmth of familiarity and common bonds. Â Already we have be embraced by the loving arms of people we cherish: Â the Curran-Coolmans who took our battered jet-lagged selves into their home so full of art, and story, and affection; the sweet child-like family at BF Day Elementary who jumped up and down to see us all on the sugar-filled high of the last day of school; the colorful chaotic buzz of the artists prepping for Solstice celebrations, awash in paper mache; the affection of our son-adopted-by-affection who apparently “does not get enough love” (hard to believe given the lovely young woman who rarely leaves his side); and the teary embrace of our dear friends Lynette and Dwight who could not possibly have more generous hearts toward we the ornery wanders. All of that goodness in the first 48 hours—a restorative tonic for the 18 months spent in a culture which barely says “hello.” And now, seven glorious weeks on the shores of placid sea, listening to the giggles, finding crabs under rocks, plucking oysters off the rocks for our [...] Just one of many Solstice celebrations, this one at the house on Rockaway Beach.Â Â ___________________________ It is not quite 5am and the dark is slowly dimming to reveal pine trees like shadow puppets awaiting the stage. Beyond them the [...] The DO LESS Revolution: Uncovering Your Guiding Values http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090605/the-do-less-revolution-uncovering-your-guiding-values/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090605/the-do-less-revolution-uncovering-your-guiding-values/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:35:41 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1840 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090605/the-do-less-revolution-uncovering-your-guiding-values/feed/ 4 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/button_do_less.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1851" title="button_do_less" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/button_do_less.jpg" alt="button_do_less" width="180" height="92" /></a> Â Hello Revolutionaries! This week we are going toÂ uncover our Guiding Values soÂ next week weÂ can apply them to choosing ourÂ Essential Tasks. This will free us to beÂ concentrated powerhouses who DO LESS and LIVE MORE! But before we do, let’s do a brief check-in so you can feel great about how far you’ve already come. Last week our theme was <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090529/the-do-less-revolution-setting-limits/">Setting Limits</a>. We took our Monster To-Do list down a notch by eliminating things that were haunting us, but not serving us. Now pretty please answer some or all of these questions in the comments. Or, if you blog answer them in a post and add the unique URL to our Mr. Linky. (I know. “Mr. Linky.” That sounds naughty doesn’t it? Tee Hee.) Feeling shy? Like pen-and-paper? That’s fine. Just scribble it on the back of that receipt there on your desk. That would work too. (Remember, <a href="http://jenlee.net/index.php/the-portfolio-project/">Fast and Dirty</a> is the way to get it done.) Ready? Here we go! <ul> <li>Name one thing you crossed off your Monster To-Do list because it wasn’t important to you any longer.</li> <li>How many things did you have on your Monster To-Do list that actually didn’t need to be done in the next 30-60 days?</li> <li>When your <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20081228/quiten-down-how-to-shut-up-your-gremlins/">Gremlins</a> started to nag you about “not getting anything done,” which of your one-hour-or-less tasks did you complete? Which of your Most Important Task (M.I.Ts) got done last week? How’d that feel?</li> <li>Which M.I.T.s are still hanging out? Do they still get the special M.I.T. rank, or can you demote them?</li> <li>Name any Ah-Ha Moments you’ve had so far in the process.</li> </ul> There. Don’t you feel better? I knew you would. Onward! Â How Your Guiding Values Help You Choose the Essential The next stage of the DO LESS Revolution is identifying your Guiding Values and using them to determine what’s essential. This sounds kind of onerous, and I can’t think of a way to make it sound cheeky, but really it isn’t bad at all. Maybe it will help to know that I turned mine into <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20080820/finding-what-you-value-most/">a multi-colored mobile</a>. How tough can it be if it looks like something out of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oh-Places-Youll-Classic-Seuss/dp/0679805273">Dr. Seuss</a>? It’s relaxing to note that choosing the essential isn’t like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You don’t have to determine at random what is most important amongst all your tasks. Once you peek inside and see what values you already carry, you can use them to ferret out the imposter-tasks hiding out among the essentials. It’s like a decoder ring! Doesn’t that seem like fun? You get to be Dick Tracy! Uncovering your Guiding Values will help you: <ul> <li>See how fantastic you are. (You value amazing things! [...] Â Hello Revolutionaries! This week we are going toÂ uncover our Guiding Values soÂ next week weÂ can apply them to choosing ourÂ Essential Tasks. This will free us to beÂ concentrated powerhouses who DO LESS and LIVE MORE! But before [...] Ask Magpie: Musical Influences http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090603/ask-magpie-musical-influences/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090603/ask-magpie-musical-influences/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:19:16 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1802 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090603/ask-magpie-musical-influences/feed/ 8 (The singing on this <a href="http://jenlee.net/index.php/the-portfolio-project/">fast and dirty</a> podcastÂ is much louder than the speaking. Be prepared to turn down the volume! Consider your self warned.) Â _________________________________ I am young. Young enough to hold my father’s hand. The church is a little dim, the wood of the pews being so dark, the carpet such a deep red. Our pastor—part-grandfather, part-judge— is on the dais, his robes resplendently white, the gold of his stole glinting. He moves like an alchemist at the altar using, words, and rites, and gestures to turn ordinary things into talismans. There is an electric organ, badly played, and an upright piano. We sing choruses before the liturgy, simple songs newly written by hippies with guitars picks. <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/2007/02/">My father</a> loves these simple songs, just a few phrase on repeat until they sink into your soul. He raises his hands to the sky, a stand out amongst the stiffness. “Jesus, I just want to Thank You. Jesus, I just want to Thay-ank You. Jesus, I just want to Thank You. Thank you for being so good.” We unhinge our jaws. We loose our tongues. We the ordinary people of the everyday – we take on the task of angels. We sing.Â Now comes the hymns, both awkward and resplendent with age. An elderly woman with a thin, high voice warbles enthusiastically behind me. We are staid people, we Lutherans, and no inclined to showmanship. But some hymns are robust:Â “Holy, holy, holy!Â All the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.” My mother’s hands rest on the hymnal.Â Her lacquered nails are bright against the brown nougahyde cover. They are long and cool and smooth. I love to stroke them when there is no singing and the service lingers on. I do not care for the spoken words: long scripture passage read aloud, the drone of the sermon. But the songs, the psalms, the hymnody-these charm me. I am utterly in their thrall. Spellbound. The Latin is like an incantation. We make our confession in a magic tongue: Â ”Kyrie, Kyrie Eleison, Eleison…” Finally, it is time to chant my favorite part of the liturgy, and we turn to the Nunc Dimittis, <a href="http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0712&article=071211">Simeon’s </a>Song. “Lord lettest now Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word. For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people. A Light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel. We praise Thee. We bless Thee. We worship Thee. We glorify Thee. We give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. Amen.” Years later, when decades of rock and roll have filled my ears and the chants of my childhood have long been set aside, a tragedy comes to our door. Our first child is still born, a little boy a not much longer than my husband’s hand, which holds him on my chest. The diagnosis came before the birth. No abdominal wall. No chest wall. A spine bent and misshapen. We have had time to prepare, and my heart rushes back to those long Sundays in the dim red womb of the chapel. My tongue finds the old songs. We baptize our son in the way of my childhood, the long-established liturgy [...] (The singing on this fast and dirty podcastÂ is much louder than the speaking. Be prepared to turn down the volume! Consider your self warned.) Â _________________________________ I am young. Young enough to hold my father’s hand. The church [...] The Spiritual Benefits of Being Pissy http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090531/the-spiritual-benefits-of-being-pissy/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090531/the-spiritual-benefits-of-being-pissy/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 04:51:15 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1760 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090531/the-spiritual-benefits-of-being-pissy/feed/ 10 Â Right around Easter<a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090412/feeling-pissy-about-easter-join-the-malcontents-club/"> I wrote a post </a>that was a little bit pissy. I did this intentionally because I was feeling pissyâand I was pretty sure other people were as well. (And indeed, they were.) But I got a little bit of push-back for being âtoo negative.â So let me say this about that, there are spiritual benefits to being pissy. If you were raised in fundamentalist Christianity, or even in the slightly less stringent evangelical flavor of the faith, you were probably not allowed to be pissy. This is especially true for women, because fundamentalist constructs are primarily patriarchal in format. Even if you didnât come up in church, if you grew up in America you still got the lite version of this patriarchy model, because we are, in theory, âone nation under God,â which means our religious roots are showing. Women, religious or otherwise, are generally speaking taught to be nice. Politeness and gentleness reign supreme. Itâs not lady-like to raise your voice, express disagreement in public, or swear like a sailor. And why should you be questioning authority anyway? Thereâs an established belief system going on; men (for the most part) control that system; and your status as a member of that system and therefore thatÂ community requires acquiescence to those beliefs. To question, contradict, or to complain threatens your belonging. And so the tendency to suppress disagreement is strong. And suppressed disagreement, along with being unheard, being denied a âvoiceââthese lead to anger. But anger is healthy, normal, and to be expected. In fact, anger is helpful. Here are my top three reasons anger is spiritually beneficial. Anger Signals When Something is Wrong. Anger, like pain, is a helpful thing. Just as pain signals that something is wrong within our bodies, anger signals that something is amiss in our souls. When I talk to my children about anger we often refer to it as âa cover-up emotion.â I ask them what the anger is hiding, and they can usually come up with an answer. Women who have grown up in the church are not so skilled at this. They havenât been practicing it since they were 3 years old, like my kiddos have. And it can be a hard skill to learn. But in time, with practice, it becomes easier. The next time you feel a surge of anger, ask yourself, âWhat is underneath this?â You might even try visualizing the anger as a stone. Then imagine yourself lifting up the stone, and see what is underneath.Â See if you can address that root issue. I bet youâll be surprised at how skillful you are! Anger Allows us to Live our Authentic Self. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernism">modernist approach</a> to faith values conformity to creed over allegiance to our authentic self. In a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism">post-modern milieu</a> (which is where much of the non-religious westÂ is living these days), authenticity is highly valued. It is considered a hallmark of emotional and spiritual good health. For those of us raised in church, especially fundamentalist and evangelical branches of the church, were brought up in the modernist approach. (The church is about 10-20 years behind the cultural learning curve when it comes to the modern-to-post-modern shift.) But we are living in a post-modern culture. This push-pull relationship between these two [...] Â Right around Easter I wrote a post that was a little bit pissy. I did this intentionally because I was feeling pissyâand I was pretty sure other people were as well. (And indeed, they were.) But I got a little bit of push-back for being [...] The DO LESS Revolution: Setting Limits http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090529/the-do-less-revolution-setting-limits/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090529/the-do-less-revolution-setting-limits/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 16:16:41 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1743 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090529/the-do-less-revolution-setting-limits/feed/ 7 <img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1745" title="Do Less graphic" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/do-less-small3-150x76.jpg" alt="The Do Less Revolution" width="150" height="76" /> Why Less is Powerful Six years ago I was diagnosed with an untreatable condition, status migrainosus (chronic daily migraine). Suddenly, most of my time was spent either managing my health, or being in pain. This left little space for anything else. As I listened to the waiting room conversations at the pain clinic, I knew I was in danger of allowing this disease to take over my world. I became determined to not be defined by my pain. But as I watched my ability to write, volunteer, and counsel disappear, I began to despair. For months I <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/tag/migraineschronic-pain/">struggled to come to terms </a>with a life that felt increasingly limited. The reality is we are all limited. There are a finite number of hours in the day, and while most of us can ignore that, eventually it catches up to us. We overbook, over commit, and try to ‘do it all.’ Then we crash with exhaustion, ulcers, and little ease or enjoyment in our life.Â This limited time thing? It’s not going to change. So I started to ask myself, “What would it look like to turn this “limited time” thing into a Superpower?”Â I started to imagine a scenario in which my life was not small, but as concentrated—a life where less was powerful. I named this scenario “concentrated living” and began looking for helpful resources. With my limited energy and time, I needed something concise, evenly paced, and reasonable.That’s when I found Leo Babauta’s <a href="http://thepowerofless.com/">The Power of Less: The fine art of limiting yourself to the essential</a><a href="http://thepowerofless.com/">.</a>The basic thesis ofÂ Leo’s BookÂ is “how to do less while accomplishing more by focusing on the essentials and setting limitations.” As I listened to the first chapters I was immediately hopeful. The two main goals are: 1) learn to set limitations (which had already been determined by illnesss) 2) Â identify and choose the essentials. Leo’s premise is “limitedlessness dilutes our power and effectiveness.” So the inverse of that is “limits increase our power and effectiveness.” Isn’t that great news! Less is powerful! How to get Started If you are listening or reading along in the Power of Less, you know that the first chapter is dedicated to setting limits. How do you discover the things you need to set limits on? Lists, of course. You can either make oneÂ MonsterÂ To-DoÂ list and start eliminating from there, or you can make shorter lists of things the things you choose to set limits on under various categories. This is helpful because it’s less overwhelming than tackling your whole world at once. Plus, Leo’s method involves focusing on one thing at a time at categories will help maintain focus. My short list of things I needed to set limits on is [...] Why Less is Powerful Six years ago I was diagnosed with an untreatable condition, status migrainosus (chronic daily migraine). Suddenly, most of my time was spent either managing my health, or being in pain. This left little space for anything [...] The DO LESS Revolution: Observe Closely http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090523/the-do-less-revolution-observe-closely/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090523/the-do-less-revolution-observe-closely/#comments Sat, 23 May 2009 15:32:31 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1701 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090523/the-do-less-revolution-observe-closely/feed/ 3 Hi y’all. So how did that <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090515/the-do-less-revolution-the-have-done-list/">Have-Done List </a>work out for you last week? I’ve heard from a few of you and the general response seems to be: <blockquote>“Holy Sh*t! Look at all that stuff I just did!”</blockquote> In the movie Sneakers there’s a scene where Robert Redford’s character is repeatedly saying the team’s code word over and over again in front of the bad guys. Finally, his partner, played by River Phoenix, breaks through the acoustic ceiling panel where he’s been lying in wait and lands on the bad guys. Redford says something like, “It’s about time.” Phoenix replies, “That was hard what I just did…that thing, that was hard!” That’s kind of how I feel when I look at my Have-Done list. I feel a little bit marveled, and a little bit put out that no one is noticing how tricky it was. So this week, I just want to say, I notice. I see you, doing all that stuff and you are freakin’ amazing! (Let’s try to rest in the sparkly and marvelous moment, shall we?) A Word About Gremlins Now, before we move on to step two, let me lay out a little word of encouragement for some of you. Some of you may have had <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20081228/quiten-down-how-to-shut-up-your-gremlins/">a Gremlin uprising</a> last week. The little buggers may be doing that thing where they poke you repeatedly on the shoulder and say the same things over and over again. And if they aren’t poking you in the shoulder right now, they’re probably just cracking their knuckles and flexing their fingers for next week. There’s no point in ignoring them, so let’s just take a mo’ to hear them out. Â Here’s what they might be saying: <blockquote>“You waste so much time.” “If you cut back on any of this it will mean you’ll cut back on being a ‘good’ parent.” “There’s so much here, but nothing you can cut out.” “Sure this is impressive, but look at all the stuff you DIDN’T get done.” “Sure this is impressive, but SO-and-SO did waaaaaaay more.” “What about the one thing…that thing right there…N-A-P…yeah, that was a big waste.” “Now on top of all that stuff, next week we should also _______________.”Â </blockquote> You can fill in your gremlin’s ‘House Special’ here: Â <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/green_background.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1703" title="green_background" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/green_background-450x309.png" alt="green_background" width="281" height="145" /></a> Now the Gremlins, they aren’t all bad. Sometimes they are even trying to protect us. It’s just that they kind of have a one-track mind. And Change? They do not like Change AT ALL. So they get kind of chatty when new things come up. The thing to do is to sit them down and pour them a nice vodka tonic and let them chillax a little. Write down all their messages and just give them back to them. “Thank you, Gremlin Dears. Here are these words you feel so strongly about. You can just hold on to them now. Do you need a slice of lime in your cocktail?”Â I know it seems [...] Hi y’all. So how did that Have-Done List work out for you last week? I’ve heard from a few of you and the general response seems to be: “Holy Sh*t! Look at all that stuff I just did!” In the movie Sneakers there’s a scene where Robert [...] The Do Less Revolution – The Have-Done List. http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090515/the-do-less-revolution-the-have-done-list/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090515/the-do-less-revolution-the-have-done-list/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 07:45:53 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1578 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090515/the-do-less-revolution-the-have-done-list/feed/ 15 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/have-done-list.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1580" title="have-done-list" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/have-done-list.jpg" alt="have-done-list" width="400" height="300" /></a> To busy to read a blog post? You can listen-a-long here: Â __________________________________________________ My memories from the days of raising infants are a bit on the fuzzy side. I didn’t really hit my stride until the toddler era. But there is one memory that stands out loud and clear:Â Paul comes home from work and asks me how my day was. I start crying and say: “I just didn’t get anything done.” Then he asks me what I did that day, blow by blow. I begin a long list. “Well, I made breakfast for Eden. Then I grabbed a quick shower. Then I had to nurse Cate. Then I managed to get to the grocery store for milk. Then I fed the kids again and when I finally got them all down for a nap I opened my thesis file and re-read the last few paragraphs I had writte, but then Eden woke up. Then I cleaned out the dryer trap, but the baby started crying before I could load the washer. Then…then…then…” The end result of this scene, replayed many many times is that I realized how much I really had done in a day. Fast forward ten years later and that “I didn’t get anything done” routine? Yep. Still doing it. Only now my angst isn’t brought on by babies, but by a lack of work-time due to chronic pain. Up until recently I would sit on my sofa with my head wrapped in ice and make lists of all the things I needed to do when I “got better.” My to-do list literally filled 1-2 notebook pages every day. I would have a good day, or even a good couple of hours, and I’d work like mad to get that list done. But I’d barely get anything crossed off before I was in pain again, when I would return to the ice and the sofa and write a whole new To-Do List with even more items. Then life coach Jena Strong gave me a solution:Â The Have-Done List. In my experience, it’s hard to give yourself permission to Do Less unless you realize how MUCH you are already doing. The Have-Done List helps with that.Â Here’s what mine looked like for this morning: Wake up. Morning cuddle with the kids. Talk Eden out of panicking over volleyball tournament today. Kiss Pooh Bear for Cate so “he doesn’t feel left out”. Make breakfast (scrambled, eggs toast). Make lunches (bagel sandwiches, fruit, mix up some trail mix). Talk about after-work plans with Paul, kiss him goodbye. Make sure Cate remembers to say her little goodbye phrase to him, which is a ritual for her every morning. Make another round of toast for the kids. Turn on the kettle, forget to make tea. Check Facebook. Email teen mentoree back. Hear the one hour snooze on my alarm clock go off; holler out that it’s time for socks and shoes. Throw on sweats. Walk kids to school. Negotiate argument over who is faster, Eden on her bike or Cate on her scooter. Say hello to the neighbor family, wracking my pre-caffeine brain to use all five sentences of known Danish. Make quick arrangements on the corner with a classmate for an after school play date. Kiss children goodbye. Walk the lakes home while listening to This American Life. Battle Gremlins who tell me that even though I am exercising every day, it is not enough. Come home. Give the dogs the leftover scrambled eggs. Delight in happy puppy. Clean up the breakfast flotsam and jetsam. Check email. … Okay, that was two hours – [...] To busy to read a blog post? You can listen-a-long here: Â __________________________________________________ My memories from the days of raising infants are a bit on the fuzzy side. I didn’t really hit my stride until the toddler era. But [...] Do Less with Magpie Girl http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090508/do-less-with-magpie-girl/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090508/do-less-with-magpie-girl/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 19:41:07 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1539 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090508/do-less-with-magpie-girl/feed/ 9 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/do-less-small.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1540" title="do-less-small" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/do-less-small.jpg" alt="do-less-small" width="400" height="204" /></a> Â Rather listen than read? Here you go: <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/do-less-small.jpg"></a> Hello loves! Listen, I’m worried about you. I read your Twitters and Facebook status updates, and occasionally peek at your blogs. And you know what? Y’all are way WAY too busy!Â IÂ see a lot of posts aboutÂ too many meetings, insurmountable to-do lists, and rushing about on weekends.Â I’m beginning to suspect that some of you have caffeine running in your veins. Now you know I love you right? So this is not a critique. I mean, we are all just trying to work it out with the smallest amount of fear and trembling possible. You’re doing your best. But if you feel like your adrenaline is constantly pumping becauseÂ you can never get enough done then maybe, just maybe it’s time for an little Magpie Girl Â intervention. So let me say this about that, there is no way you can shuffle your current schedule around to make things fit. You cannot fit two gallons of water in a pint glass. You’re just going to have to Do Less. I know it feels like you can’tdo less. I know it feels like you HAVE to to everything on your list and more. But I can virtually promise you that this is not the case. I think we can help each other through this. Are you practically salavating right now? Are you simultaneously wildly hopeful and scared shitless? I thought so. Then this Do Less thing is for you. So here’s the deal, beginning this month I am going to write a series of posts on how to Do Less. I’ll start right now, with this guest post on <a href="http://starshyneproductions.blogspot.com/2009/04/week-of-balance-rachelle-mee-chapman.html">What the Danes Taught Me About Finding Balance</a> over at <a href="http://starshyneproductions.blogspot.com/">Starshyne Productions</a>. Just breathe into that one for a minute, and while it may not have all the answers for you, if it is speaking to your heart trust that you’re on the right track. Then tune in on May 15th for the plan of action.Â Some of it willÂ involve <a href="http://thepowerofless.com/">this book</a>, which you can order or dowload on <a href="http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/homepage/AnonHome.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes">Audible.com</a>. If the thought of having ANOTHER unread book on your bedside table causes your chest to sieze up,Â don’t worry, if you don’t have to read/listen to it — you can still play along. There will be lists (I LOVE lists) and then smaller lists and then you will emerge this concentrated powerhouse of focus with a Zen like ablity to float. Okay–maybe not that great, but you’ll feel better. What do you say? Wanna play? Great! See you on the 15th. P.s. Are you already playing along with<a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/soultribes/"> Soultribes</a>? Guess what, this will help. It’s hard to make space for soulsiblings when you are spininng around like the Tazmanian Devil. So ask your gut if you should play here too, and trust her answer. Love, R. Share and Enjoy: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" [...] Â Rather listen than read? Here you go: Hello loves! Listen, I’m worried about you. I read your Twitters and Facebook status updates, and occasionally peek at your blogs. And you know what? Y’all are way WAY too busy!Â IÂ see a lot of [...] Minutes from the Secretary: On truth, audience, and the allocation of energy. http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090414/minutes-from-the-secretary-on-truth-audience-and-the-allocation-of-energy/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090414/minutes-from-the-secretary-on-truth-audience-and-the-allocation-of-energy/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:22:37 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1414 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090414/minutes-from-the-secretary-on-truth-audience-and-the-allocation-of-energy/feed/ 21 NB: Hi everyone. I’ve made aÂ <a href="hhttp://jenlee.net/index.php/the-portfolio-project/ttp://">fast and dirty</a> podcast of this post with my silly little microrecorder. It might convey my inention a little better than words on a page alone. Cheers, Rachelle So, I wrote <a href="http://www.blogher.com/feeling-pissy-about-easter-join-malcontents-club">this article</a> about my Easter discomfort, and it threw me into two worlds. The first world is the one I adore, where recovering evangelicals and other misfit truth-seekers cling to each other and celebrate discovering a (rek)new(ed) way to be.Â The second world is the world of religious debate, in which people–people who I like and respect and admire–spend a great deal of time trying to convinceÂ me thatÂ ”we” are wrong and “they” are right. IÂ get why this is. I get that in the evangelical/fundamentalist world view, there is a Right and a Wrong and never the twain shall meet. Furthermore, for these folks getting things Right is highly valued. In part, this is because not getting it right results in not being right with God, and ultimatelyÂ in a really long stay in Hell. So it stands to reason thatÂ people who hold this worldview want to debate with you about the places where your ideologiesÂ and their ideologies do not match up. Of course they want you to come to The Right. They like you. Maybe they even love you. They want you to fix your thinking because they care. They really care. The problemÂ with this is that we are experiencingÂ cross-cultural dissonance here. Because in the post-modern world, there isÂ not a Right and a Wrong in the same black-and-white sense that there is in modernist country. In the post-modern world truth is not seen as a concrete, attainable goal, but as an intriguing, slippery beast. To post-moderns there is more than one true way of answering the same question–and so the questions, and not the answers are tantamount. In the post-modern zeitgeist, this is fine, because you can hold two different truths in one open palm. But in the modernist milieu, that is not an option. So, to use a phrase of my father’s “Let me say this about that.“….My target audience is this post-modern group of malcontented seekers. Malcontented Seekers. I know it’s an awkward phrase, but both of these words are important here. Malcontented: by which I mean “requiring change, discontent.” Seekers:Â Â by which I mean “not willing to stay in the discontent, but being eager to create/discover something proactive and positive, something (re)new(ed).”Â I have readers who are modernists, and I thank you for being here. But I’m asking you to please remember that you already have a place to belong. A place to live out your beliefs. A place where others share your convictions. It’s a super well established place with lots of support for your way of being. You can live there in comfort. But the others–the malcontented seekers–not so much. They are out there on their own:Â beat up and disoriented; hungry and eager; excited to find something new, and more than a little bit sad that they had to leave the former behind. It’s a difficult place to be. And these folks, they need a safe place, and they need to find each other. That’s what I do here. It’s what I strive to achieve.Â That is mycurrent calling. So, if you are one of those lucky folks who live happily in a safe and content place;Â one of those folks who know the Truth and the Truth works for you; ifÂ you Â feelÂ [...] NB: Hi everyone. I’ve made aÂ fast and dirty podcast of this post with my silly little microrecorder. It might convey my inention a little better than words on a page alone. Cheers, Rachelle So, I wrote this article about my Easter discomfort, [...] Rachelle Mee-Chapman Feeling Pissy About Easter? Join the (Malcontent’s) Club. http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090412/feeling-pissy-about-easter-join-the-malcontents-club/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090412/feeling-pissy-about-easter-join-the-malcontents-club/#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:47:47 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=1408 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090412/feeling-pissy-about-easter-join-the-malcontents-club/feed/ 8 Sorry, I’m having technical difficulties cross-posting this to Magpie Girl. But you can read it at <a href="http://www.blogher.com/feeling-pissy-about-easter-join-malcontents-club">my regular Sunday column over at BlogHer</a> or listen to it as a <a href="http://jenlee.net/index.php/the-portfolio-project/">fast and dirty</a> podcast below. See you over there! 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But you can read it at my regular Sunday column over at BlogHer or listen to it as a fast and dirty podcast below. See you over there! Share and [...] The Blessings http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090209/the-blessing/ http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090209/the-blessing/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:01:02 +0000 Rachelle http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=746 http://www.magpie-girl.com/20090209/the-blessing/feed/ 4 <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mabel-small.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-747" title="mabel-small" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mabel-small.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="150" /></a> <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/emma-laughing2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-750" title="emma-laughing2" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/emma-laughing2-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/souren-boat-sm.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-748" title="souren-boat-sm" src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/souren-boat-sm.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="132" /></a> i promised to stop adopting teenagers, but they keep slipping into my heart… I love these young ones so much itâs ridiculous. Each one has crawled into my soul in a different way, and while at times this process splits me open, I wouldnât have it any other way. Thereâs a scene in the Princess Bride where a funny old crone makes a pill for new life, and she paints something on it croaking: âThe coating makes it go down easier.â I want to wrap my arms around each of these precious ones and let my heart for them coat them like chocolate –one long-lasting dose of mama-love to help the new life of adulthood go down a little more smoothly. I want wrap them up with affection. With warmth. With stability. With all the elements of unconditional love you can think to put on a menu. And then, when they are all warm and cozy, I want to drop integrity into the center of their chests, like a silver quarter slipping into a coin slot. If they have integrity then all thier live-long days they will be the stellar creatures they are already becoming. Not integrity to the rules, but the kind of integrity that allows you to acknowledge who you truly are, and stand in that truth. The kind of integrity that is not beholden to outside rules, or your peer’s opinons, or because of ‘the way it’s done’– but because of a solid internal compass that will not steer you wrong if you listen. The kind of integrity that lets you live a life on the outside that is true to the life you hold in your heart. If they have that, well, they will have everything they need. So that is what I bless them with, in my dreaming, in my words, in my living. And the old Christian mystic who married that witchy little crone in my soul says, âAmen, may it be so.â “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid” -<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_King">Basil King</a> Share and Enjoy: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="mailto:?subject=The%20Blessings&body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090209%2Fthe-blessing%2F" title="email"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/email_link.png" title="email" alt="email" class="sociable-hovers" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=The%20Blessings%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magpie-girl.com%2F20090209%2Fthe-blessing%2F" title="Twitter"><img src="http://www.magpie-girl.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/twitter.png" [...] i promised to stop adopting teenagers, but they keep slipping into my heart… I love these young ones so much itâs ridiculous. Each one has crawled into my soul in a different way, and while at times this process splits me open, I [...] 2:22