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Good Morning from Warren Grove, Prince Edward Island

Put the kettle on. I am staring at the blank page here at 4:20 am, and I’m not quite sure the threads I will pull on today.

I will start with what I finished reading this week and see where we go:

Ask the Dust by John Fante.

  • It seemed how he put his words together is how my brain fires on everyday thoughts—something like a pinball in a pinball machine. LOL

The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian, Joseph Jacobs.

  • There are easier ways to find wisdom than to read this book. Live, listen, and learn from everything.

Currently Reading…

Translation and The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

“We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain,
and body. This imprint has ongoing consequences for how
the human organism manages to survive in the present.
Trauma results in a fundamental reorganization of the way
the mind and brain manage perceptions.
It changes not only how we think and what we think about,
but also our very capacity to think.”

― Bessel A. van der Kolk

I listened to an interview by Krista Tippett with Jeff Chu on the OnBeing podcast this week. The conversation was about the book he helped complete for his friend Rachel.

Rachel died tragically at 37 in 2019 of complications from the flu. She leaves behind two very young children, a husband and a world of bereaved friends and followers.

After listening to the interview, I purchased the Kindle version and started reading right away.

Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans and Jeff Chu.

She’d been working on the book before her death. Then, finally, Wholehearted Faith came into the world, completed by her dear friend and colleague, Jeff Chu.

I am enjoying reading this book. Rachels honesty and openness are refreshing.

The quotes I highlighted in her book are plenty, but here are a few.

These chapters are also about loving yourself. Ironically, many of us who grew up believing in all-the-way faith were also told to check important parts of ourselves at the church door. So I write especially for those who feel fractured by the lie that their faith precludes their doubts, their politics, their biology degree, their cultural heritage, their diagnosis, their sexuality, their intellectual integrity, their intuition, their uncertainty, their sadness, their joy. ~ Rachel Held Evans


Unholy religion has contributed to our fragmentation,
healthy faith can point us toward our restoration.
~ Rachel Held Evans

Wholeheartedness means that we can be doubtful and still find rest in the tender embrace of a God who isn’t threatened by human inconsistency. Wholeheartedness means that we can ask bold questions, knowing that God loves us not just in spite of them but also because of them—and because of the searching, seeking spirits that inspire us to want to know God more deeply. Wholeheartedness means that we can approach the throne of grace in the confidence of the God who made us,
the God who redeemed us, and the God who accompanies us.
~ Rachel Held Evans

Pulling on this thread makes me think of the need for more love to be expressed. The following quote by Paul Ferrini says a lot.


When you enter a beautiful forest, you do not say ‘only the birch trees are beautiful,’ or the ‘the maples are better than the oaks.”
You admire the beauty and diversity of all the trees in the forest.
People who think their religion is better than other religions
are missing the beauty of diversity.
Each religion has a unique character that enables it to speak to certain people and not to others.
If we don’t respect other traditions, we will weaken our own.
Your narrowness and prejudice will be obvious to all who listen to us.
Only by treating people of other faiths with love and acceptance will we give our tradition a good name.
Indeed, only by connecting to our tradition’s core teaching of love
can we pass that teaching onto our children.
A barren tree makes no fruit.
A religion that does not help its followers connect to love will not prosper.
~Paul Ferrini

I read Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced tik nyaht hahn) passed away at 95 years of age yesterday. I also learned Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist preacher, had nominated Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk, for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. I love it. Both men are different in many ways, yet the same. Both were great men of peace. Both are humans.  As we would say on the Island, “the same but different.”

Charlie Chaplin lived 88 years and left us with some of his thoughts.

Reading about Charlie Chaplins early life leaves one to wonder where he found the strength to carry on. 

The biggest emotion in creation is the bridge to optimism. ~ Brian May

Chaplin often thought about faith and religion. Yet, he remained deeply committed to Christianity and the ideal that “We live by faith more than we think and achieve by it more than we realize. I believe that faith is the precursor of all our ideas. To deny faith is to refute oneself and the spirit that generates all our creative forces.”

Charlie Chaplins Muses

(1) Nothing is forever in this world, not even our problems.

(2) I love walking in the rain because no one can see my tears.

(3) The most lost day in life is the day we don't laugh.

(4) Six best doctors in the world...:

  • The sun
  • Rest
  • Exercise
  • Diet
  • Self-respect
  • Friends, stick to them at all stages of your life and enjoy a healthy life...

"If you see the moon, you will see the beauty of God...

If you see the sun, you will see the power of God...

If you see a mirror, you will see God's best creation.

So believe it. We are all tourists, and God is our travel agent who has already identified our routes, bookings, and destinations; trust him and enjoy life. Life is just a journey! Therefore, live today! Tomorrow may not be."

Speaking of beauty, I discovered the music of Scarlatti this week.

Now my go-to music to start the day. I play it all morning. I find the music enhances productivity.  While his music tickles the neurons, joy arrives, making the daily routines a party.

Doménico Scarlatti, born 26 October 1685, in Naples, died 23 July 1757, in Madrid, was an Italian. He is primarily known as a composer. His music was influential in developing the Classical style. He composed in various musical forms, he known mainly for his 555 keyboard sonatas.

What is a sonata? Deep dive on the answer here.

Here is a sample of 30 Scarlatti sonatas.

With Every Breathe I Take…

So that is where the thread I pulled on 4 hours ago brought me. I hope you enjoyed your time with these words today.

I’ve enjoyed your company this week. Tomorrow, we begin again.

I wish you a safe and warm weekend.

With love from Prince Edward Island.

Sincerely,

Bruce + Millie

ps. Your Morning Smile
A genie granted me one wish, so I said, "I just want to be happy."
Now I'm living in a cottage with 6 dwarves and working in a mine.

Comments

  • Kay said:

    Thanks for sharing Bruce, always look forward to your blog. Enjoyed the music, nice listening.

    January 24, 2022

  • murdock morrison said:

    Yes it is nice to be a strong reader as I too love to read and in this pandemic, I think it has changed the way we now look at our daily lives and reading has become a wonderful way to relax and enjoy what authors are telling us and speaking to us about in written word. I enjoyed Charlie’s Muses and the will definitely enjoy Every Breath You Take , etc. Great books and you are an avid reader for sure. Loved the Moring Smile as I am still laughing- Murdock

    January 23, 2022

  • Lynn said:

    As always, thank you for a refreshing blog! I can’t wait to get my hands on the Evans and Chu book. thank you for reading it and sharing it.

    Have peaceful week!
    blessings
    Lynn

    January 23, 2022

  • Helen said:

    Thank you ! Not long ago you recommended “ Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know “ . I ordered a copy which arrived yesterday . I sense that I have given myself a wonderful gift , with your help of course. The up side of life is something we all need to celebrate. Thanks again .

    January 23, 2022

  • Beth said:

    Thanks Bruce for your ability to pull on threads that make us think deeply and still feel the reality of Life Right Now.
    Am amazed at the snow pictures. Thanks.
    One day I will get back to The Island.

    January 23, 2022

  • Beth said:

    Thanks Bruce for your ability to pull on threads that make us think deeply and still feel the reality of Life Right Now.
    Am amazed at the snow pictures. Thanks.
    One day I will get back to The Island.

    January 23, 2022

  • Christina said:

    Thank you for a lovely article & adding a smile to my day here in Boston!

    January 23, 2022

  • Barb Hoyle Werner said:

    If you would like to read something humourous, I recommend Rick Mercer’s Talking to Canadians.

    January 22, 2022

  • Sue Compton Julien said:

    Enjoyed your blog so much. Thank you. Will read that book

    January 22, 2022

  • Tannis said:

    I really enjoyed the blog today. We all need more music in our lives. Thank you for sharing.

    January 22, 2022

  • Kathleen Kovalick said:

    Thank you for the amazing quotes you find to share with all of us.
    Thank you for the music video: I’ll be missing you.

    January 22, 2022

  • althea said:

    (laughing uncontrollably.) First, Bruce, kudos for even opening ‘The Art of Worldly Wisdom’. Am hysterical at your comment ‘There are easier ways to find wisdom than to read this book.’ So true…I returned to lightness and laughter only by reading the four Robert Munsch’s my neighborhood library carries in the kids’ corner. Thanks for a delightful start to the weekend. (still laughing.)

    January 22, 2022

  • Julie MacKenzie said:

    I loved today’s blog. The video was awesome. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    January 22, 2022

  • Linda said:

    I love your blogs. Thanks for sharing so much. Blessings~

    January 22, 2022

  • Sheryl said:

    Thank you for sharing. The choir singing Every Breath You Take blew me away!

    January 22, 2022

  • Shirley said:

    Thank you for the article and have a wonderful day in PEI. Blessings, Shirley

    January 22, 2022

  • Cecile L said:

    Loved your post! Thank you and have a wonderful day!

    January 22, 2022

  • Terri said:

    Love this! Thank you for sharing these threads today.

    January 22, 2022

  • Jennifer C said:

    Thank you for your encouragement today, Bruce. Have a blessed day.

    January 22, 2022

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