Gather 'round…
"The very act of resolving to love, no matter what our emotional state, is the crucible and school of love."~ Monks of New Skete, In the Spirit of Happiness" For all of us, there are days when there is no motivation to further ourselves. No drive to dig deeper. No ability to concentrate on the... Continue Reading →
"The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better."~ Richard Rohr In days like these, when the whole country has gone mad, all that is left is to hunker down and do the good. Reach out. Reach out to those you love. Reach out to those you don't yet know. See no... Continue Reading →
“The Buddha’s Last Instruction ‘Make of yourself a light,’said the Buddha,before he died.I think of this every morningas the east beginsto tear off its many cloudsof darkness, to send up the firstsignal–a white fanstreaked with pink and violet,even green.An old man, he lay downbetween two sala trees,and he might have said anything,knowing it was his... Continue Reading →
“… human societies are infinitely… complex, full of choices and mistakes, periods of glory and seasons of utter despair. Some of us make highly visible, elaborate contributions to the whole. Some of us are part of the ticking mechanics of the world, the incremental wealth of small gestures. All of it matters. All of it... Continue Reading →
“On a summer morningI sat downon a hillsideto think about God– a worthy pastime.Near me, I sawa single cricket;it was moving the grains of the hillside this way and that way.How great was its energy,how humble its effort.Let us hope it will always be like this,each of us going onin our inexplicable waysbuilding the universe.”... Continue Reading →
“For the most part, wisdom comes in chips rather than in blocks. You have to be willing to gather them constantly, and from sources you never imagined to be probable. No one chip gives you the answer for everything. No one chip stays in the same place throughout your life. The secret is to keep... Continue Reading →
“In the long, long trip of growing,There are stops along the wayFor thoughts of all the soft thingsAnd a look at yesterday.For a chance to fill our feelingsWith comfort and with ease,And then tell the new tomorrow:‘You can come now when you please.” ~ Fred Rogers After the stomach flu. After Costa Rica. After Christmas.... Continue Reading →
“Do you want to know why the bad things in this world jump out at us much more than the good things? It’s because the good things, they’re everywhere. The good things are like white noise; we stop noticing it but it’s there. Just like the sound of these birds. That’s the good stuff. We... Continue Reading →
"Though the human body is born complete in one moment, the birth of the human heart is an ongoing process."~ John O'Donohue, Anam Cara Take your time. You're not done, and you never will be. This is excellent news. "Everything that happens to you has the potential to deepen you. It brings to birth within... Continue Reading →
“When the rhythm of the heart becomes hectic,Time takes on the strain until it breaks;Then all the unattended stress falls inOn the mind like an endless, increasing weight. The light in the mind becomes dim.Things you could take in your stride beforeNow become laborsome events of will. Weariness invades your spirit.Gravity begins falling inside you,Dragging... Continue Reading →
“With each day, we have this choice: we can build walls, block ourselves from the light, and suffer a dampness in the soul. Or we can live barely, shine on through, and suffer the nicks of erosion for living in the open.” ~ Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening Don't get hung up on the... Continue Reading →
One month ago I started an inadvertent journey here at kjottinger.com. I broke from our usual fare, and broke some itinerant streaks of silence. I was so rattled by the election that morning that I didn't know how to move forward. Grief for the humanity I was sure would prevail wracked me. In an effort... Continue Reading →
Tales From the Nexus 