RL4B: Relentlessly Looking For Beauty

Like most churches in the country, our local Methodist church is live-streaming its worship services due to the pandemic. So, every Sunday morning at 9:30, I login to Facebook and "go to church."   This morning, we sang an original song written by one of our music leaders. Its lyrics were contemplative and centering, and I was mesmerized by the lilting tune. ( Listen here at the 21:00 mark ) Rooted feet, rooted soul. I am here. I am whole. I took a deep, healing breath and felt connected to something bigger. The pastor asked, “What makes you feel grounded?” I had a vague feeling about my answer, but I didn’t have time to think it through because Shawn and I had plans for the day. After church ended, we packed a lunch, loaded up our new remote control cars, and drove west. Shawn had one place in mind and I had another. We ended up doing a bit of both as we made spontaneous choices along the way. We followed the road where it led, trusting the path we chose ...

It's not a new concept to bring celebrities and musical artists together in one event to raise funds and awareness for a global issue. Just look at the music festivals like Farm Aid, Band Aid, and Live Aid. These events bring people together in a swell of goodwill and celebration to support an important cause. But what happens when concerts are cancelled? When large group  gatherings  are prohibited? This week, Global Citizen had an answer. As an established organization that brings the world's biggest challenges to the forefront, they were in the perfect position to create a virtual concert to say thanks to the frontline workers & ask people to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic. And I almost missed it. My sister called during the first part of the eight-hour event and told me, "You should turn on the TV. We've been watching this concert and dancing around the house. It's been great!" She sounded so joyful, I was intrigued. I co...

I've written before about the value of connecting with friends over board games or other group activities. This practice has become a routine and needed outlet for laughter and enjoyment. So, like everyone else, when the stay-at-home order came, we found ourselves missing this connection. Enter the Internet and a webcam. My husband, an electronics and computer-savvy technician, had a solution in mind. He set up a webcam on a tripod and placed it facing the couch in the living room. Then he wired it to his laptop which was sitting nearby on a TV tray. Finally, he plugged in an AV cable to the side of our television. He called me in from the kitchen. "Honey, come here for a minute, and sit on the couch." I followed his request, and when I looked at the TV, I saw what he had done. The webcam was displayed on the big screen! "Want to call your sister?" Using Google Duo, he called Kara and her family with video, and when they answered, we could see t...

Since beginning my Gratitude Practice several years ago, I've listed "abundant food" dozens of times. But in my mind, I was comparing my situation to either a country with a limited food supply, the various "food deserts" in urban America, or those who lived in or on the edge of poverty.  Though I was aware and grateful that my local grocery store's shelves were fully stocked, I never imagined a time when they wouldn't be. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. We had just bought food in bulk in preparation for our annual camping trip to Moab, Utah. We went on our planned vacation, staying socially distant in our self-contained camp trailer, and I suspended my worry for thirteen days. But when we got home, I knew I needed to face the grocery challenge. We were out of milk. We needed fresh veggies. And I longed for some canned pineapple, my go-to indulgence for a snack or dessert (we'd been out for a month and had yet to find it). Researching...