Hi, folks - the deterioration of the situation in Gaza - and the horrific consequences to those living there has been much on my mind, heart, and in my prayers.  I find myself intuitively offering my energetic presence to the situation - sort of a spiritual equivalent of the awesome, courageous physical work of the Christian Peacemaker teams - and I wanted to invite anyone who feels led to join me in that presence.  Just image yourself being there - and if you know me - image that I am there with you and that others that we know and have not met yet join us there as they feel moved.  Feel free to share this invitation widely.  Together we can all be with the people in the Holy Land.


peace - salaam - shalom -



Sylvia

In quiet and solitude - in the chaotic noise of active community - in the electric rush of Spiritual connection through my body - in the birthing cries of infants around the world - in the last holy breaths of every being.  In the drips of rain from my leaking gutters, and the stares of the deer through my windows.  In the tingling connection with gemstone crystals and the smooth slide of origami paper in my hands.

In the depths of joy and heights of pain - shared and faced alone.

In soaring music and dancing feet.


In mundane successes like filling leaky car tires with air and forming habits of orderliness and organization.  In big triumphs like dealing with finances and speaking out on controversial issues.

In community of the heart - Gaia and other precious communities in my life.



peace and blessings -



Sylvia

1. What do you do in your free time?

Read, browse my favorite bead website, play computer games like Blockarelli, Fishdom, solitaire, SET

2. What music helps you relax?

Mozart, a group from the church I used to go to called Harmony and Struggle, Haydyn, other folk artists like DE Adams

3. What movie did you enjoy recently?

BBC documentary on the planet

4. Who makes you laugh?

Ashlea from Gaia, my friends Dan and Greg, Lyn, Holly, etc

5. Where do you go/do to recharge?

fold origami, do fun things like the above games, cook

 



I've been pondering this question for several weeks now.

Understand that peacemaking has been a *fundamental* underpinning of most of my adult life and is integral to my faith, spirituality and justice advocacy.  And in that context, I have asked the title question.


First - I think the word peace has been used so much that knowing what it means collectively and individually can be challenging.

Second - when I actually looked it up on Dictionary.com - the first several definitions had to do with absence - of conflict, violence, war, etc - and so in some sense, our understandings of peace are colored by what we're avoiding as much as what we are building.

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From a www.dictionary.com search on peace:

peace

noun, interjection, verb, peaced, peac⋅ing. –noun

1.	the normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.

2.	(often initial capital letter) an agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism: the Peace of Ryswick.

3.	a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, esp. in personal relations: Try to live in peace with your neighbors.

4.	the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security: He was arrested for being drunk and disturbing the peace.

5.	cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.

6.	freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity.

7.	a state of tranquillity or serenity: May he rest in peace.

8.	a state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquillity: the peace of a mountain resort.

9.	silence; stillness: The cawing of a crow broke the afternoon's peace.

10.	(initial capital letter, italics) a comedy (421 b.c.) by Aristophanes.

So I came to wonder if I might be a harmony seeker as much as a peace maker.


again from dictionary.com:

har⋅mo⋅ny

–noun, plural -nies.

1.	agreement; accord; harmonious relations.

2.	a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.

3.	Music. a. any simultaneous combination of tones. b. the simultaneous combination of tones, esp. when blended into chords pleasing to the ear; chordal structure, as distinguished from melody and rhythm. c. the science of the structure, relations, and practical combination of chords.

4.	an arrangement of the contents of the Gospels, either of all four or of the first three, designed to show their parallelism, mutual relations, and differences.

For me - harmony is about building beauty through the combination and offering of different gifts - choral, instrumental, artistic, creative, pragmatic etc.  It has to do with working together, the interweaving of different perspectives.  In realms beyond the solely musical - harmony can still be perceived, appreciated and sought - communal harmony, world harmony - in ways that bring beings together with individual contributions adding to the greater whole.







love and blessings -



Sylvia



PS  I found the harmony image through a google search and would love to know more about the picture's origins.

In November I posted a blog about Cold Winter - mentioning how wintery the weather had already been - and the emotional chill I was feeling.



The weather has continued to really be an adventure in this part of Ohio the last couple months - for example, predicted snow flurries on Sunday turned into more than 4" in less than 2 hours.


Living on the side of a hill with a windy often treacherous driveway in a development where such weather can really challenge safe driving - I've stayed in my house quite a bit since Christmas eve.  I miss being face to face with friends and connecting in person with various communities - and at the same time, the quiet solitude has been helpful for my mind and heart.  It's given me time and space to be present with myself and Spirit, and I am grateful.




peace -


Sylvia

warm clear harmony - heat in the pads of my feet - resonance through my body.


Fear = tension, anxiety, resistance, tightness.  Caution = calm concern



Fear = no, no, no.  Caution = oerhaps I should look at this more closely.


Intuition = flow.  Caution = healthy barriers.  Fear = limiting of possibilities.