What Tomorrow Brings

You're No Good

performed by Linda Ronstadt

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It's been nearly a year since the Grammy award winner American singer, Linda Ronstadt let it be known that she can no longer sing, due to illness. Such a vital and enthusiastic voice from a woman who struggled in her early years and achieved fame for her God-given gift of a powerful and beautiful voice. Nowadays she accepts, as she must, her change in circumstances.

Each of us, at times in our lives, experience change; some as dramatic as Ms. Ronstadt. For some it is normal aging, for others it is illness or financial reverses. Sometimes we are in spiritual quandries; our love runs dry, we are alone, we may have even feel the loss of our rudder. For others it's depression or other losses. Every type of situation that we may face presents to us a challenge, to either move forward or to simply wither, fruits left to dry on the vine.

Either we make something of our challenges or they may come to make us. With a prayer of hope each one of us may find the courage to face our selves, and our lives in just this moment and reckon with the consequences. It's truly the journey and not the journeys' end that makes meaning in our life.

What's Your Relationship?

You're My Best Friend

Lyrics sung by Mercury, Queen

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Ooh you make me live

Whatever this world can

give to me It's you

you're all I see

Ooo you make me live now honey

Ooo you make me live Ooh you're the best

friend that I ever had

I've been with you such

a long time You're my sunshine and

I want you to know

That my feelings are true

I really love you

Oh you're my best friend

Ooo you make me live

Ooh I've been wandering round

But I still come back to you

In rain or shine You've stood by me girl

I'm happy at home You're my best friend

Ooo you make me live

Whenever this world is cruel to me

I got you to help me forgive

Ooo you make me live now honey

Ooo you make me live

You're the first one

When things turn out bad

You know I'll never be lonely

You're my only one

And I love the things

I really love the things that you do

You're my best friend

Ooo you make me live I'm happy at home

You're my best friend

Oh you're my best friend

Ooo you make me live

You you're my best friend

While we often hear this song, we think of someone else rather than the artist-singer. However a bit of delving into Freddie Mercury's life reveals that late in his life, he was preoccupied with a concern for love-in-life, and the absence of the love-experience in his own life. 
His thoughts turned increasingly to spiritual matters. His lyrics explore the role of human love in those spiritual yearnings. He may have died young, but he was hopeful as his lyrics. Did he find the love he looked for?

However often we may think about others, when I heard this song recently, I thought about the question of the relationship I have with myself. Yes, that One--me, myself and I. What does that feel like, who is that, where am I in my life, can I forgive myself? 
Sometimes, I'm just stupid, sometimes I really screw up. True, I'm not perfect. But isn't good enough, good enough? Must we be more? Sure, the Bible tells us there is no sin too great for the forgiveness of God, but what about me--me forgiving me? If I let go and fall, will I land on my feet? Can I confront what I so dislike and still live with myself?
How do I get to there? It seems to me at least, that the love we reflect to others is the love we see for ourselves. So how is that relationship going these days? And so often we struggle with our self. It can be hard to understand why we are as we are, why we do as we do. 
The lyrics here give a clue; we can't go it alone. It seems we are social creatures; with the help or simple presence of others in our lives, they our friends can "help me to forgive." From the sense of these lyrics, I think Mercury must have found a real love. I wonder if he knew it.

Deeply Resented and the Beatitudes

"ask and you will receive; knock and the door will open to you; see so that you may believe."

There are phrases that the people of the West have heard so often until they're trite. They have become  caricatures, without specific meaning.
Yet the Bible tells us the Christ did say them, did instruct by them, and the Christ Way consists of them and others. For Jesus, the Christ, they were the new thinking, the way to lead from God, the Father.
So today, instead of sentences, the Simple Mind writes here mostly in phrases, ideas actually. These are some of the most essential of all the Christ's teachings, thoughts for all true disciples to strive towards.

First of all, the Good News tells us that we must ask; we are required to ask. Asking is part of listening and listening is a critical part of the voluntaries often called 'free will.' So we must ask--ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you; see so that you may believe.
The reluctance to heed these commandments for those persons who do not, gives an indication that they may well be some one who wishes to be seen as taking either the socially superior or inferior position.
Thus the person who for example, insists on always giving but not receiving, refusing even, is at the same time someone who will not allow the balance to be restored or maintained by reciprocity. They refuse to balance between giver and receiver.

Only when there are both givers and receivers, often one in the same, can a community be established; without this balance, deep resentment often arises between giver and receiver. The Christ recognizes this; he refuses to be caught on this point. Instead, he commands his disciples to think and to behave in the way of love for one another; so feed the hungry; give them drink; clothe the naked; be kind to the stranger; visit the sick or those in prison; bury the dead. Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful.

And there is the ongoing spiritual work that the Christ calls his disciples to-- correcting those in error; educating the ignorant; counseling those in doubt or confusion; comfort for those in sorrow; bearing wrongs patiently; forgiving the wrongs done by others; pray for the living and the dead, unceasingly.

And again, numerous times the Christ reminds aspiring disciples, of just this-- if you love me, you will keep my commandments; love one another as I have loved you; the greatest commandment is love.

In View of Naturism

"Clothe yourselves in the Holy Spirit." --Bible, Romans Chapter 8

SECRET 

by Madonna
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Things haven't been the same

Since you came into my life

You found a way to touch my soul

And I'm never, ever, ever gonna let it go

Happiness lies in your own hand

It took me much too long to understand

How it could be

Until you shared your secret with me

Mmm mmm

Something's comin' over, mmm mmm

Something's comin' over, mmm mmm

Something's comin' over me

My baby's got a secret

You gave me back the paradise

That I thought I lost for good

You helped me find the reasons why

It took me by surprise that you understood

You knew all along

What I never wanted to say

Until I learned to love myself

I was never ever lovin' anybody else...

Mmm mmm, my baby's got a secret

Mmm mmm, my baby's got a secret

Mmm mmm, my baby's got a secret for me
Recently the Simple Mind came across an interesting series of articles in the Chicago Tribune, a major daily American newspaper. Its subject was curiously selling real estate to those who wish to pursue an active, natural (read naked here) lifestyle, in a residential development with those who also  wish to live within the society of other Naturalists, at least on a part time basis. The article follows a local real estate agent who sells properties to those who have this specific interest.

The reporter relayed an interesting conversation about a couple, man and woman who are involved in this community. One comment they made was rather striking. The woman stated that Naturism has helped her with her body image, made her more self confident. Huh... Well, that's interesting that one is confident sans habits and not confident with clothing on. They comment that when the 'clothing is stripped away... all pretenses all worrying how you look...'

It sets one to thinking: Is the physical, what you see, all that you get...? Is it the only truth that the reality of ones' being is merely physical, or is there truth in (invisible, seen with the heart's eye) a spiritual dimension? After all spirits need no clothing; it is of no concern to them. So are these persons really spirits or are they both body and spirit? Does their clothing make any sense in context?
We learn in the same article about 'manners.' It is for example, rude to look below the chin or even to giggle when in such company. 'Clothes free' does not actually make these prejudices insolvent, then, does it? So what might be going on here?

In a spiritual sense we are all naked creation, born naked, without the benefit of any psychological jargon like 'body image.' If the Holy Spirit is naked then what does it matter if any spirit is clothed or naked? Angels for that matter are one, parted not from their respective bodies. They, like the rest, impart both body and spirit, we learn. So maybe we are in our true state when we are most transparent, the most open, the most receptive to loving our self as we love our neighbor.

Cooks In Kitchens

Adia

by Sarah Machlaughlin

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...There's no one here to blame
There's no one left to talk to, honey
And there ain't no one to buy our innocence

'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?

Adia I thought that we could make it
But I know I can't change the way you feel
I leave you with your misery
A friend who won't betray
I pull you from your tower
I take away your pain
And show you all the beauty you possess
If you'd only let yourself believe that

We are born innocent
Believe me Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter, does it matter?...

Sometimes cooking together is very messy, and sometimes things burn; other times the food is tasty and we are so glad. There are days that the sight of the 'kitchen' is terrifying! Without courage to experiment, at times we turn away; it just seems so hot in there. The kitchen may be a metaphor for one's life.
 Boiling water, burnt fingers, we imagine our self unappreciated.
But truly we are innocent. Innocence in the sense of a good gift given and received; innocent that we are free of guile or cunning; innocent that we are honest in dealing with one another. Innocent in the Simple way. Powerfully innocent in divinity.

What  happens in the kitchen, that central place in our daily life? Mostly good. It came to me over time, that a person may simply be a gift. An amazing gift to me by the Holy Spirit. How else could it be?
How could I refuse such a gift? While not perfect, we are very lovable. This proves a great help to me. It's my hope I am mostly a help in return, if a clumsy one. And like all gifts, those freely given and freely received, may be freely withdrawn, the 'free will' thing. The Spirit does not force anything; it can be surrendered.

This gift given me, cannot be shamed. Some may not understand; some may be jealous, but owing to the Original Giver, we cannot be shamed. Truly we are innocents.
The light of the Spirit is all knowing and I have, often in extreme anxiety, followed its lead, honoring  and respecting what I cannot always know or understand.

Among the things I have always discerned is the gift of love, sometimes soft, sometimes tough. It gives courage to go on and on. I could not have had instances of more beauty and wonder in my life without such great gifts as these.
The Bible tells a bit about the gifts of the Spirit, about the light to the world. Keep your courage, engage patience when in darkness, follow the light in your life, as did the disciple Mark 10:14: "Let the little children come to me."

Let It Rain

Rain Down
by Jaime Cortez 

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"Looks like it's gonna rain, rain…" go the lyrics. Firmly rooted in the Gospels, tradition tells us that there are seven gifts of the Spirit. The Spirit is presented firstly as the source of all human love, love enduring. It is the source of unity, oneness of all creation; this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Consciously or unconsciously we are moved in, and by the Spirit. For those who do not consciously sense that Spirit, who think it foolish, may they come to know its inexplicable energy, its synchronicity that defies all other explanation-- it's spiritual, some how, some way. Love is present here.

Carrying the Load

The Band

The Weight 

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I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head.
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No!", was all he said.

Take a load off Annie, take a load for free;
Take a load off Annie, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.

I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide;
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side.
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."

Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day.
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?"

Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog.
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog."
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man."
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can."

Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time.
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.


A woman had a dream that she was carrying a tote bag around. She set it down and not long after, she picked it up again. It was so heavy! She wondered why this was so, but she assumed it was hers, so she carried it--and she didn't look into the bag.

Later she returned home, set the bag down again and looked into it. It was filled with books, heavy books. She didn't recognize them. They didn't belong to her. And they didn't leave her bag. She asked some friends of hers to help carry the load; the bag was heavy. And they obliged.

Many times we find ourselves carrying loads. Sometimes they are ours and sometimes not. Some loads are meant to be shared; for if they are not, they become a burden, often too heavy to carry. Asking our friend or another person to share the load, to carry it a distance, to take their portion, is part of the human experience and part of what makes life livable. We are not meant to carry the loads of others, and our own without ceasing.