Life Update 2025-03-01

Current status: (~updated 2025-03-01)

• Signed up for Discussion: Facing Ruthlessness and Ourselves on March 29th
• Buying E-books from Kobo instead of Amazon.
• Getting epubs instead of Kindle format from Library through Overdrive.
• Added a “Reply via Email” link to contacts in footer on blog.

Reading:

My profile on The StoryGraph

• Read:

  • The Emergent Christ: Exploring the Meaning of Catholic in an Evolutionary Universe by Ilia Delio.
    • This is not an easy read, but for someone like me who has been moving away from the institutional church and searching for connection to Reality, it was very helpful in nudging the mind shift I needed. Teilhard de Chardin’s thinking is included and explained. Evolution is a big part of the discussion and science, love, and God as an open system where change happens is a mix that fits with where I’ve been going with religion for years. That has sometimes been a scary, painful transition and it’s good to read why it’s been happening to me.  I did not understand everything I read, but Delio did get a lot across to me. There are a lot of references in the notes she gave for me to look into.
  • The Awakening Call by James Finley.
    • I first read this book nearly 30 years ago. It is one of the few books that I have kept over the years. I decided to read it again, because I remembered that it had profoundly impressed me as did the weekend silent retreat I attended that was led by James Finley. I find that the parts of this book that I grasp are grasped intuitively. There is a resonance with what I see in the words on the page. It’s like I say “Ahhh”. Then there are parts that I fail to grasp. It’s not that it is complicated. I think it is more that this is about intimacy and it’s not something that translates into words, but comes into our understanding in another way.  If the title of the book nudges you, you probably will find the book worthwhile. It enticed me back in the ’90s and it still grabs me. It looks to be hard to find, so I’m glad I kept my copy.
  • Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls: A true life novel about the life of Walls’ very resourceful grandmother, Lily. I loved this story of a very tough, resourceful, and determined girl/woman.
  • The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance by Dorothee Soelle: This book is so powerful in the truth and is explained in simple, eye-opening terms, descriptions and stories. I was knocked over reading this.
    • “Exploring the religious impulse known as mysticism - the “silent cry” at the heart of all the world’s religions. Mysticism, in the sense of a “longing for God,” has been present in all times, cultures, and religions. But Soelle believes it has never been more important than in this age of materialism and fundamentalism. The antiauthoritarian mystical element in each religion leads to community of free spirits and resistance to the death-dealing aspects of our contemporary culture.”
  • Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change by Pema Chödrön
  • Meditations with Meister Eckhart by Matthew Fox: Short excerpts from Meister Eckhart’s writings. Something to ponder in a quiet moment which I used just before sleep at night.

• Currently Reading:

  • Scotus for Dunces: An Introduction to the Subtle Doctor by Mary Beth Ingham
  • Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine by Alan Lightman
  • Critical Traces by D.L. Keur: Mystery story of a woman and her Search and Rescue Dogs. Book 10 in the series
  • Strength to Love by Martin Luther King Jr.
  • The Mystics Would Like a Word: Six Women Who Met God and Found a Spirituality for Today by Shannon K. Evans. (For a book reading group.)

Music:

• Heart of Gold - Neil Young cover by Elle & Toni - YouTube Their latest monthly offering. One every full moon…