Plain Talk and Ordinary Wisdom

KITCHEN TABLE STORIES TO INSPIRE AND WARM YOUR HEART

“Go Feed the Birds” (from The Tracker by Tom Brown, Jr.)

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Pat

This morning as my husband and I were walking out to the car to go to work I was surprised to see 4 deer pull their heads up and look directly at me only 20 feet from where we stood. I talked to them for a moment and they just stared not really bothered by this interruption to their morning. They were standing next to our parked car so we had to walk towards them to get in and my husband got as close as 8 feet. Then, as we were about to drive out, we saw the rest of the herd walking down into our yard with their buck. In total, there were about a dozen deer. What a way to start out your morning, huh?

Living in the Rocky Mountains, I always marvel at the wildlife as we see it more frequently living among them in their habitat. We’ve had bear get into our metal shed and tear it up, hear the coyote howl regularly all through the year, see the bunnies and fox. If we had a fresh snowfall the night before, in the morning the yard is transformed into a wonderland of tracks. It is such a blissful sight to take in.

When I was a little girl and saw Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, I always fantasized playing and walking and just being with the animals like Snow White. When I’d go to the zoo and see the wild tigers and elephants, I’d wonder what it would feel like to curl up with one of those big creatures and experience their energy and power. Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book, There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem [BARGAIN PRICE] (Paperback) quotes from Pantanjali (author of Yoga Sutras who lived C. First to Third Century B.C):

“When a person is steadfast in his abstention from harming others, then all living creatures will cease to feel enmity in his presence.”

Dyer talks about St. Francis of Assisi and how he would tame wild wolves that were destroying livestock by merely being in their presence.
Wild animals would feel the love that radiated from him; doves would fly to his hands. They all ceased to feel enmity. What a wonderful image. St. Francis didn’t have any special powers – no more than you or I. He just made himself available to and aligned himself with the Creator. ~~~ (Picture by Microsoft Office Clipart.)

There is a series of books I read sometime ago that I fell in love with. They’re about a tracker’s life and experiences in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The tracker and author’s name is Tom Brown Jr. and when he was a child all he wanted to do was spend time in his beloved Pine Barrens. When he was around 7 he met another boy, Rick, about his age that liked the same things. Rick had an elder that taught them about the seasons and wildlife and how to walk in harmony with nature – his name was Stalking Wolf (Grandfather). In the beginning of his book, The Tracker, Tom describes what he felt about Stalking Wolf when he says:

“Stalking Wolf taught us how to be silent and watch what was going on. He had a special look that said he was giving us a hint to something that would seem obvious to us in a moment. When he saw that I didn’t understand why he had to be silent to see better, he said, “Go feed the birds.””

All the experiences and mysteries of the woods, birds and wild creatures unfold in these books as he learns to listen, track and move in harmony with nature.

Like St. Francis of Assisi and Tom Brown Jr., we can also learn to experience the wonder of nature if we approach it with reverence and are steadfast in abstaining from harming others, as Pantanjali said. Animals can discern your intention from the energies we give off. They can read our hearts and sense more about us than we know about ourselves. As we become more awakened, the animals will respond to our new beingness and we’ll walk among them in harmony and peace. Can you imagine that?!

Tom has a tracking school in New Jersey – Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracking School. He has written 16 books and I’ve listed a few you might be interested in:

The Tracker
Awakening Spirits
The Way of the Scout
The Quest: One Man’s Search for Peace, Insight, and Healing in an Endangered World (Paperback)
The Vision: The Dramatic True Story of One Man’s Search for Enlightenment (Religion and Spirituality) (Paperback)
The Search: The Continuing Story of the Tracker

SPECIAL NOTE: I apologize to my fellow bloggers for not being as active in reading your posts and stumbling and commenting. I just started a full-time job this week. I haven’t had as much time to keep up with the feeds and e-mails and I’m a little overwhelmed. I hope to get a handle on it as I get used to being back into the corporate world. Thank you for your continued support and patience.

Pat from the ol’ kitchen table

To Be – It’s The Answer Not The Question

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Pat

(Picture by Microsoft Office Clipart) ~~~ I was sitting here tonight thinking about writing my post. I like to share stories and thoughts with you regularly but no ideas were coming. Sometimes, I have an idea I think about for a couple of days and other times like this – no thoughts, but then the words just happen.

Earlier, before I sat down to write, I was observing and exploring what it feels like to just be – allowing the present moment unfold the way it’s supposed to happen. One of the ways you can access that space is by paying attention to your breathing – in and out. No judgments, no expectations – just observation. It simulates the ocean and rhythm of the waves flowing out and pulling back in – back and forth. When we allow ourselves to be quiet by watching our breathing, it cuts out the mind chatter. To me, this is being – being in the present moment.

If you’re thinking, “Let me try this or do that”, you’re not allowing and surrendering to the moment. You’re mind is orchestrating again and you won’t find the present moment there. You have to let go as you watch your breathing.

We all want to find that place of peace. Sometimes, we just want to escape from the noise and chatter but what better place can you distinguish the space of being in the present moment than in the midst of confusion and disorder? Jesus demonstrated it when he walked on the water in a storm. We can tap into our source of creativity and find the answers to our deepest questions in this space of being in the present moment. It’s waiting to be discovered but can’t be accessed through the ego.

Notice and feel the water as you wash your hands? When you walk up the stairs, pay attention to how your body balances itself as you take each step and the movement of your muscles and joints in motion moving up the stairs. Don’t put any labels on it just suspend your thoughts and be aware. This is the beginning of the awakening of being in the present moment.

David said in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God”. There’s that word be again and look at what company it keeps. As we move along this path, our journey becomes easier and the load gets lighter as we learn to be with the ebb and flow of life unfolding in the present moment.

From the kitchen table – Pat~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you’ll come back for another visit. You’re welcome to sit with us at the kitchen table. You can sign up for free!

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What Do You Think? Is It Possible to Live in Harmony?

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Pat

I remember several years ago at a group discussion one of the questions I asked was, “Do you think it’s possible for humanity to live in harmony?” I was surprised to hear how fast and loud their response was – a resounding NO! We talked about it more and it looked grim based on what humans do to each other, animals, wildlife and the environment. Is there no hope?

After awhile, they all turned to me and asked me what I thought and I must admit I didn’t have an answer for them at first, still recovering from their response. But as I thought about it I asked them, “What seems to be the one thing all humans desire?” They write about it, sing about it – dream, play, and talk about it – it’s LOVE. So, it seems logical to me that, if we all have a deep, inner desire to love and be loved, harmony is possible.

Why is it then that we can’t live in harmony if we desire love so much? Maybe it’s because we’ve forgotten – maybe what we have come to believe love to be really isn’t love. Maybe, it’s just our ego acting out disguising to be love. If we can’t realize our connection to everyone (no exceptions) then our idea of love has been misplaced and misguided.

(Picture by Microsoft Office Clipart)

Eckhart Tolle in his book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (Oprah’s Book Club, Selection 61)(Paperback), says:

“The atoms that make up your body were once forged inside stars, and the causes of even the smallest event are virtually infinite and connected with the whole in incomprehensible ways.”

Love isn’t: “If you do something for me, I’ll love you” – or – Love isn’t: “Behave and believe like I do or I’ll love you”. Love is allowing others to follow their path and process their life as they need to in order to learn and grow and through it all seeing that part of them that never lost its shimmer or gloss forever connected. We look at the package and love one another based on the package but it’s what it contains that is complete and whole. The love God imparted within His creation is never lost.

So, what do you think – “Do you think it is possible for humanity to live in harmony?” Don’t look at the circumstances in the world or even what’s going on in your community or home. Look at what God looks at and see what He sees and then answer. As John Donne so eloquently wrote:

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

Taken from Dr. Wayne Dyer book, Wisdom of the Ages

From the ol’ kitchen table – Pat

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What Constitutes Wisdom?

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Pat

(Picture by Microsoft Office Clip Art) ~~~~ I’ve often thought about wisdom and what it means? I guess so, since my blog carries the name. It’s an interesting topic – one in
which could be explored in more depth. I’ve marveled at those who possess this quality and carry it with such ease and little effort. How does one acquire wisdom? Is it through years of experience, a lot of book knowledge and certificates of accomplishments? Certainly, these things figure into wisdom but I believe it is much more.

I believe everyone possesses the quality of wisdom. It’s like an art form wanting to be carved from a piece of rock. For some it is more evident than in others as a diamond that has yet to be discovered. It’s a gem and when it’s in full flow it impacts everyone in its presence. Have you ever been with a few people when the discussion took on a life of its own and the spark of something said resonated deep within you? You had an “Ah ha” moment. That is wisdom being tapped within you from the wise words of others.

“We all sit around a circle and suppose while the secret sits in the middle and knows.”
– Robert Frost
(as quoted by Dr. Wayne Dyer in his lecture “The
Awakening”)

Wisdom projects an essence and energy as if in constant communion with a higher source. When one is in harmony with themselves and the creation around them, they have a deeper understanding, a knowing. They are slow to speak and through the observations of life feel the depth of their experiences. When they allow themselves to feel the experience, wisdom grows.

“God sleeps in the minerals, awakens in the plants, walks in the animals, and thinks in you.”
– ancient Sanskrit saying
(as quoted by Dr. Wayne Dyer in Wisdom of the Ages)

We are all wise and when we stop to connect to this energy of life that is within us and in everything we tap in a knowledge that is profound and with meaning. It shows in those who have spent more time in this space and who are unconcerned with impressing others. They have connected with wisdom beyond their thoughts and want more. As Albert Einstein said, “I want to know the mind of God.”

What knowledge is forming within you yet to be shared with the world? What wisdom are you carrying and felt by others? It’s not the words, thoughts – those are just the messengers – it’s the message from the heart that is felt. It is Wisdom.

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WE LIVE IN AN AMAZING WORLD!!

Posted on March 14, 2008 by Pat

(Photos by Pat Ruppel) ~~~ Earlier today, as I was looking out my back window off the deck, I felt captured with beauty and a feeling of wonder. We live in a beautiful, amazing world. I took a picture but it can only display a piece of the expansive, panoramic view. As I sat with this feeling of wonder for a moment, I thought of some amazing things that have happened in my life and of things that have happened to others from what I’ve read and heard. So, sit back and enjoy a mini adventure with a few stories and a link to a news clip (please be patient listening to the advertisement on the video clip – it’s worth the wait).

I hope you will enjoy.
Just yesterday, my husband told me about a video clip from ninemsn.com of a dolphin saving whales off the coast of New Zealand. This is an interview with Malcolm Smith who, along with others, participated in a rescue to save this pod of whales stranded and beaching themselves. A frequent visiting dolphin that they call Moko came to their aid and gently guided the whales out of distress and back into open waters. To their knowledge, there has never been a documented case where marine mammals have rescued other marine mammals like this.

WE LIVE IN AN AMAZING WORLD!!
A post I read in mid February called Lessons From The Geese by Rich Vosler tells another touching and beautiful story of how nature comes to the aid of humans. He was struggling asking for guidance and strength.

Just then, with eyes still closed, he heard the sound of geese off in a distance, as they were flying in the night. It reminded him of a story he had read of how geese will accompany other geese when they are no longer able to continue with the formation and stay with them on the ground either until they recover or die.

It comforted him to remember those who had been there for him in his time of need and was the answer he needed just at the right time for strength and encouragement. If you read his story in its entirety I’m sure you will feel the same way when I say…..

WE LIVE IN AN AMAZING WORLD!!
The world is magical, if we take the time to observe and plug in. It will show us signs and wonders, if we’re open to possibilities. In May of 2007, my father-in-law passed away. We had all come home for the memorial services and to be with my mother-in-law.

It was Sunday and Mother’s Day and we had another full day following the memorial service. It was early in the morning and I got up to spend some quiet time with Mom and share some Mother’s Day moments together.

All of a sudden, we heard a Canadian goose honking loudly and it sounded close. At first, we couldn’t tell where it was coming from as it wasn’t passing over. I walked outside listening to it’s insistent honking and looked up. It was walking back and forth across the peak of the roof calling to it’s mate. Mom was still in the house and I told her what was happening.

I looked up and said, “Dad, is that you?” Mom went to the back door and just as she did she saw the two geese flying off to their new destination. It touched her as she thought of her late husband and felt he was sending her a message that he loves her and is thinking of her on Mother’s Day.

Slade Roberson of Shift Your Spirits also talks about some of these symbols in a post back in January 2008 called The Keys to a Magical World View where he shares stories on talking to trees and asking a crow for advice. If we step out of the box and shed the beliefs we’ve heard throughout the years, we’ll begin to experience the mystical wonders of the world for ourselves.

WE LIVE IN AN AMAZING WORLD!!
And then, Vitor Bosshard of The Fractal Forest shares with us his feelings of wonder and magic as he watched the lunar eclipse back in mid February in a post called And Then The Moon Turned Red. I’m glad he was able to capture a picture of it as it was cloudy and overcast that evening where I live in Colorado. A full moon always mystifies me especially in the winter and reading Vitor’s experience of capturing the moment resonated with me and I found myself capturing a moment of my own.

One night, it had just snowed and the sky cleared. It was late and my husband and I were locking up and turning off lights to get ready for bed. With the house dark but illuminated by the full moon we decided to take in the beauty of the freshly, fallen snow as it glistened in the full light before we were off to bed.

As we looked out our back yard we noticed some activity going on and couldn’t quite make out what it was. As we stood there we finally realized we had elk in our backyard and they were taking part in engaging our horses in some play. We watched as one elk acted as if he was charging the corral at the horses and then pulled up and then our horses would react and run back. They did this running back and forth at each other for a few minutes before losing interest. We were warmed by that experience and the memory of it played in our thoughts as we drifted off to sleep that night.

Another interesting link on this same post by Vitor comes from a comment by Deb Estep sharing her experience viewing the Perseid Meteor Shower. I had never heard of this before and it sounded incredible. She said it was like a fireworks display with shooting stars appearing at a rate of 60 per hour. Can you imagine what that would look and feel like as she imparts what it felt like to her listening to the gentle sounds of the ocean waves and the sky sparkling in a heavenly show? It must have truly been a magical moment. Wow!!

WE LIVE IN AN AMAZING WORLD!!