Spiritual Reflections

All of these ideas and reflections were taken from a Unity service on October 17, 2010.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

When we have experiences, we ought to remember that this is for me (not against me).

Spirituality: Meaning. Value. Purpose.

We are here to be real.

Ho'oponopono

I love you.
I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.

One of Our Last Fine Days

this may be
one of our last fine days
before winter
with her chills and dreariness
claims the dreams
of warm weather folk

Winter's bleak and
unflinching grip
will not have me this season

As a boy,
winter did not take the toll
that it does on me now
I found joy
in snowballs, forts
snowmen.

Winter did not take the toll
that it does on me now.
With rosy red ears
and a runny nose
I still played, despite the cold
Now winter affords only
moments of relief
For sights of sunshine and
melting snow can ease my grief

This season may hold hope
even as gray skies take hold
there may be a candle
to sway the dark, the desolate.
For the warmth of one,
intimate progression
can out-wage the cold and dark.

Written on October 12th, 2010. A sunny fall day in Montana before winter sets in.

Airports are an interesting place

Airports are an interesting place because we are put into a few hours of inescapable limbo. It's a deluge of tension, anticipation, and ultimately, boredom.

If you're a good man, don't fear a soul x-ray

If you're a good man, you have nothing to fear from the woman who can see right through you.

The Job of the Artist - An Inspirational Quote

The job of the artist is to uplift man's soul.
- From the film Local Color.

Is staying up late on the internet or watching TV worth it?

It's usually relaxing to watch Netflix streaming late at night (after midnight) or to just surf the internet, because it's completely quiet with no distractions.

The dilemma is that at some point you'll come to the realization that all this time spent watching TV shows, movies, or surfing the net really adds up to nothing. I'm a photographer and a writer, so if I want to be up late, I ought to be editing photos or writing something.

Where do all the hours of television go? They become hours, even days, of wasted time. Time that could have been spent sleeping or doing something creative. Time that could have gone towards making the next day more productive by getting up earlier.

The only way to really break the cycle is to recognize when you're getting into a cycle of staying up wasting time. Set limits and stick to them. "Nothing good happens after 2 a.m." The other most effective way to break the cycle is to have a set wake-up time. Don't allow yourself to get up after 10 am, even on weekends, if possible.

What Makes a Day Worthwhile

You can work hard the entire day, then sit in self reflection just before bedtime and realize that there must be something more to the day than just hard work to make a day worthwhile.

What constitutes a worthwhile day?

Discovering something about yourself that you never realized. . . spending a quality day with a friend. . .exploring unfamiliar places. . .finally facing a fear. . .

Time is only against us if we don't make time for the things that really matter.

I chastise my younger brother for always resorting to social media sites and his portable video games to pass time. Maybe I chastise him because I, myself, need to spend more time away from my desk, out with my friends--out in the world. Deep down it probably bothers me that he's perfectly content passing his time that way, just as I was at his age.

When in doubt, facing a dilemma of how to spend your last hours before bed, or what to do with an empty Saturday or Sunday afternoon, just remember:

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
- Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

Keep your true self in moments of vulnerability

We all find ourselves in vulnerable places at times. The important thing is to hold onto your true self and never let go. Abandoning who you really are is the surest way to create a life not worth living.

Walking in the Rain

A walk in the rain awakens the soul.


Rain has the power to remind the soul that there is something alive behind tired eyes.
As I felt the raindrops tingle on my open palms, a moment of peace stole me away from the world.