Today's peace offering

As I write, my husband is grating the cheese and this afternoon we'll make a huge batch of mac and cheese for tonight. This is the peace offering. We, along with two of my coworkers, are preparing dinner for up to 12 lbtq's - teens who are lesbian, bisexual, trans-something, or queer. I pronounce this liberty-Q's. Mayba Gliberty'Q, if I add gay to the front of this.

As hard as it must be to not align with the preponderance of popular culture, face bullying, hatred, and discrimination, it would be harder still to go through the difficult teen years that way. So we want to show and give support to these teens, to accept them unconditionally and have a fine and really fun game of Apples to Apples and Cranium.

Fun and tasty peace offering, I think.

Peace, y'all

Molly

Do Justice

While I await inspiration and energy, I want to share the day's entry on the perpetual calendar from Alternatives for Simple Living (800-821-6153).

The first principle is not "Think about Justice," or even "Believe in Justice." it's "Do Justice!" Besides our prayers, our contributions, and our pressure on governments, we help the world's poor by consuming less, thereby making more available for others. Biblical Justice reflects God's great love for the poor and our parallel call to live in a way that positively responds to their needs."

So concise and right!

I am consuming less this month by declining to buy. I am having a month of retail abstinence. The hard part is staying away from lattes. The rest is not too bad. Last night we went to Costco to buy a few things on our grocery list. I felt interest but no temptation from all the other stuff there.

More on justice. Just a brief pause to consider it gave me an idea. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled that felons in prison have a right to vote. My local newspaper deplored this but I embrace it. The disenfranchised in our culture are the ones who suffer injustice - children, illegal aliens, plants and animals, air and water, the poor. Isn't it justice enough to lock up those folks?

Cat Lovers Against the Bomb tells me that on this day in 1941, President Roosevelt gave his 4 freedoms speech. (http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/workbook/ralprs36b.htm)

It also tells me today is Epiphany. For a mainstream American, this is a quaint old holiday that our culture barely recognizes. Out of fashion, as it were. Probably we are all just nursing our holiday hangovers and need to burrow into our homes and work till the days get longer and the earth renews.

In Catholic countries, especially Eastern Orthodox ones, ephiphany is a much bigger deal. Significantly for Americans, especially in the South, it's the kickoff of the carnival season and the beginning of the festivities that culminate on Fat Tuesday. The king cakes related to Mardi Gras actually relate to Epiphany,which is the date Christians celebrate the visits to the baby Jesus by the 3 kings, or magi.

My retail hangover hurts. I don't mind the lack of shopping but the cold turkey approach to lattes is sad.

Pathetically yours

Molly

a bit of preaching

The AltSimLiv calendar has introductory-type info for the first few days. Today's message resonates with me and perhaps with you, whoever you are.

"Living more simply may mean dealing with our own resentment when others don't "get it." When we are making corrections to lieve more responsibly, and others don't seem to have the slightest inclination to change their wasteful ways, we may feel angry. We can be living testimonials. We are not judgmental but we speak up whenever we have the chance." Alternatives fo Simple Living, 800-821-6153.

I try not to feel angry at others who are behind me on the path to simple and sustainable living. I love the idea of being a living testimonial. At the same time, no sense in hiding our light under a bushel!

So I'll try harder not to judge all the single-occupant cars that pass me when I wait at the bus stop, especially since many times I am one of those drivers!

The other thing that gets to me are engine idlers. In 2008 I stopped using drive-throughs and no longer idle the car except at traffic lights. (and sometimes not then eithe!) How do I be a living testimonial of something I'm NOT doing anymore?

I am led to distribute propaganda supporting the anti-idling message to idlers I encounter. But I fear this is too judgmental, presumptious, arrogant, etc. I'm not ready yet to go forward with this.

The last two sentences of the AltSimLiv message make me think about the sins of pride and the others (lust, sloth, gluttony, greed? I don't recall) Pride is my challenge.

My retail abstinence is going alright. But the month is young.

Peace, y'all

Molly

Peace is non-linear and today it's circular

The path to peace is not linear, and today I'm seeing this quite clearly. My decision to reuse my eternal calendar from the good people at Alternatives for Simple Living (http://www.simpleliving.org/) lead me back to Doris Janzen Longacre's Living more with Less.

Alternatives for Simple Living is a non-profit organization that equips people of faith to challenge consumerism, live justly and create meaningful celebrations (cut and pasted straight from their web site). It's Christian in a gentle and practical way.

Doris Janzen Longacre was a Mennonite, and this book is part of the Mennonite Central Committee's work to meet human needs world wide. It's nourishing. Like hors d'ourves rather than a 3-course dinner. Her categories are

Do Justice

Learn from the World Community

Nurture People

Cherish the Natural Order

Nonconform freely

Yummy! It comforts me to organize my own activities along these lines. Is my food donation today a "nurture people" and "do justice" ??? Is my party tonight to make it fun to take down the Christmas tree sort of "nonconform freely?" Am I doing a bit to cherish the natural order when I recycle?

As I drink coffee grown and processed by Gustavo in Turriabla Costa Rica I feel pretty good. I honor the memory of Doris Janzen Longacre.

Back to circular. I got this book years and years ago and it has rested quietly on my bookshelf for quite a while. It's practically new to me once more.

I did some work with AltSimLiv years ago too. And I am led there once more. (More on this in Sept or October 2010.)

Peace, y'all

Molly

Retail abstinence

I decided last week to have a moratorium for shopping in January. No retail, besides groceries, medicines, stuff for cats, toothpaste, stuff like that. No restaurants either, unless I'm traveling. The very hardest part of this for me is staying away from Starbucks, Coffee Bean, etc.

I am eager to learn what I will say YES to while saying NO to shopping. I am also eager to compare expenditures in January from those say, last September.

This is like the polar bear dip, I think. January is the longest, darkest, coldest month (beside December, which is full of activity and lights).

This is my way of deepening faith and practice, to have a new approach to daily living. I think when it is over I will have learned to spend less, and more wisely.

Peace, y'all

Molly

New Year's Eve

It's a silly and happy day today, despite the treacherous if lovely weather.

My retail abstinence begins tomorrow. I am eager to learn what I will say YES to while saying NO to retail. And I'm eager to learn if I can really break my habit of patronizing a certain business named Starbucks. I realize my first challenge will be tomorrow morning when my daughter asks about going to the bagel shop.

My weight has never been as high as today (except during pregnancy, of course). Perfect position from which to dedicate myself to healthier living.

My Cat Lovers Agains the Bomb calendar came down today. The cover kitty has a tag with a peace symbol on it. I want a tag like that for my kitties! Oops! Retail!

CLAB told me, before I removed it from the wall, that 10 years ago today, our nation gave ownership of the Panama Canal to the Panamanian government. The world remains on its axis, I see.

Beautiful quotation, a Chinese proverb, graces the December cat of the month (Squiggy, from Omaha NE) page:
If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

Lovely, but I think the third line is a weak link. There IS often light in my soul, beauty in my person, and harmony in my home. But that has yet to lead to order in the nation and peace in the word, I'm sorry to say. But it's a start. Perhaps the first two lines are necessary but not sufficient for the second two lines.

Perhaps I can get some contemplative benefit from combing my cats today.

Happy new year, and

Peace, y'all

Molly