Trust, Hmm...

...Vulnerable = No Can Do Compadre!

I might get hurt!

Came across this today

"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

James 5:16 (NLT)

and thought 'Yep, more honesty would be good. Less of the unintentional belittlement through 'helpful' advice on how I could be doing something so much better if only I did it their way because it's so perfect :P!'.

I may be the only person to feel this and I'm going to be okay with putting it out there and may enjoy the near silence with my friends the crickets but I think that if there was more real support and less judgment and empty talk then I wouldn't feel so cautious about having real, open and honest relationships with others. I've become so protective since becoming a mother that I know I now bring a somewhat cynical, at times, attitude to my friendships.

I know!

That's so bad right?!

You don't have to tell me, I live it :S

It's an inner attitude which really frustrates me. Hmm.... I'm worried I'm not making a clear point of what I feel... I guess I'm trying to say that I have been the victim of and yep, I'll be honest, a perpetrator of, using a shared problem to gain support in a backhanded manner instead of receiving or giving the support that I or my friend needed .

What I'm getting at is if I was to share a problem with A (A is nobody by and by, but it could actually have been me :(, A would console me nicely yes but would in fact unintentionally turn the situation into something about themselves by pointing out how well they're doing with their family (children) and really I should be doing it their way because it is, The Way. So what's happening is that I'm actually supporting my friend A by making them feel great about what they're doing because if only I was doing it their way then I would get it right. Except there are no right ways, only different methods which are unique to each family. Sure we can definitely learn from each other and trust me, oh my goodness, have I! But golly gosh, gee heck, I would love to feel less judged, more supported and have a more open and trusting heart to give better exactly that. That which I dearly want and recognize that I have been fortunate to receive.

Back to 'The Way', I respect and admire differences. Ideas are what keeps our world moving forward. Could you imagine a cookie cutter world in which we were all the same. Yech! Well, only if you were like me! Bahahaha, so kidding!

The verse sounds so lovely doesn't it. We confess in all honesty that not only are we imperfect but despite that or perhaps because of it we will be loved more by our friends - when we're vulnerable, trusting, honest and real.

I'll share my pain, confusion, frustration and heartache and I will be helped into spilling my tears. Then I will be lifted up in Prayer to the one who will heal and forgive. And I know that when my friend is in need, I may not have the right words to say but I'll be needed there and I will readily give the same. I'll wrap my friend in love, I'll protect and care for them when they are in need. I will lift them in prayer and pray for their forgiveness and healing as they have done for me. I can be counted on to not judge. There will be no convoluted wording to build my self-esteem at anothers expense and I will control the nasty little voices that try to crowd out what is right and I realize that others suffer similarly.

Maybe I have the interpretation of the verse wrong but I guess I'm taking what I need from it tonight and when I next come across it, I'll learn something else again from it but tonight I know that I need to trust more, love more, pray more, be open more, be real more.

Time for Something New and Other Thoughts

Late last night I was snuggled down under the covers in my comfy bed devouring my latest book with the thought of our early morning start nagging at the back of my mind. Stubbornly and maybe a tad selfishly, with a good mix of defiance for wanting something completely for me, I ignored the fact I should be sleeping and continued to read.

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I'm regularly amused by how my life works. I feel led to things - ideas and opportunities - and even when I want to turn away from it, the message is going to find me anyway.

Back in September, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was a cinema must do but, well, I tend to shy away from whatever the latest 'thing' might be. I've never been cool and I can't be bothered starting now. But, faithful, loving daughter that I am :P found that my Mother wanted to see this movie. I Googled a review and the commentary was mostly negative. Basically the review boiled down to, if you're unhappy in your life, with your job and your partner, don't see this movie as it will likely be a negative and unsettling influence on your life. I'm happy, I just choose what to put into my head proactively - if I can. So despite my Mother's wishes I made it clear I had no intention of seeing this movie which then changed when we both visited my Sister Sunshine. She shared our Mother's sentiment. Ultimately, I'm pretty easy going so we ended up at the cinema watching, with initial misgivings, this said movie and... I Loved it :)

Ha! Hilarious!!! :D


Then for Christmas I was gifted the book in a Secret Santa. So hopefully, after all my rambling, someone may see how I come to feel that I've been led.

I'm only a dozen or so chapters into Ms Gilberts' novel but have found myself struck by her ideas on God, because they are similar to my own. It's kind of a Hallelujah moment for me. I have for so long wanted to identify my thoughts with someone elses' faith path. To know I'm not alone in my intuition. Until now I was yet to find anyone else who thinks the same or even remotely similar to myself. I won't be going into the details of Gilbert's ideas on God because I don't want to get into a theological discussion and come off the short end for my lack of knowledge :) I just wanted to share how I'm enjoying my own increasingly gaining strength in my right to my beliefs and perhaps encourage others to be strong in their own journey.

Although the book has kept me awake at night and interested, I haven not been enthralled by some of the authors life choices but I can appreciate the journey she has taken and be amazed by the courage she had to make drastic changes in a life that, to her, was really broken.


So that was what kept me up late last night but why was I out of bed and out the door so early with my boys this morning? Six thirty am we were in the park blinking blearily in the harsh summer morning light ready for our first Tai Chi lesson with my Awesome Aunty. Awesome Tai Chi teacher, cool crafty chick extraordinaire. Both boys made it through the warm ups pretty well, about fifteen minutes, but Kangaroo took a swift exit for brekky about then while Kookaburra and I continued.

Kookaburra intently watched my Awesome Aunty, concentrating hard and imitating as his interest took him on and off for the remainder of the hour. Kookaburra really seemed to enjoy the lesson and has said that he's keen to go back next week but then too, that could be because we played in the park afterwards. I'll give them the the benefit of doubt hey?!


Today was a great day for trying new things. After Tai Chi and our park play we packed up our craft projects and headed to my Aunts craft group for company and a devoted time for crafting. My boys each had a little box and an inexhaustible supply of collage materials and set to work creating little houses complete with wallpaper, doors and windows, floor coverings and even pictures hanging on the walls. Pleased with the results we made little wooden peg people to play in the houses. Great fun and my boys stayed put creating and concentrating for an hour and a half.


When we said our goodbyes, we noticed a cycle velodrome in the same area we were visiting and discovered that the gates are unlocked so take a guess what we're doing tomorrow morning!


By the way, Happy New Year all!

Belief

I'm finding that as I scratch the surface of history, the similarities in myths and legends from varying cultures and time periods definitely support one God, but the thing is... Who 's right? Or are they all versions of one truth. Chinese whispers? I've had this on my heart for a while....




















"What is a Unitarian?

This is a very perplexing question."What" may not be the proper question and but "who."

A Unitarian may be a person from any nation or race.

He or she is a person with great cares and concerns.They are people who care about and strive for the good of man.

A Unitarian is a person who believes there is one God.They do not seek to place labels on the way to worship Him.

They do not seek to restrict how others may relate to Him.A Unitarian is a person who seeks to live in harmony and peace.

They recognize all of humanity as family and kin.

They seek to love and serve in anyway they can.

A Unitarian seeks to learn and grow in knowledge and wisdom.They seek out the best instruction in all the world religions.

They seek to live out the unity and principles as best they can.

A Unitarian will accept no limiting doctrine or creed imposed on them.

They listen to the still small voice that they have within.

They follow the guidance of the Spirit wherever it may lead.

A Unitarian has only two great principles to observe.

• They will love and serve the one God.
• They will love and serve their fellow man.

A Unitarian is a very rare breed in the world today.

They do not seek to control, but to serve others in their journey.

They strive to the worthy to be called Children of the One."

By Rev. Dorris -

Source:

http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?boardID=16839&discussionID=433129

This folk song by Dar Williams isn't related to the above Unitarian Statement but it does support my multi-faith tolerance and acceptance stance.

I wonder if this is fence sitting though or is it possible to be eclectic in faith.