Tempted but no

Tempted but no

By: Stan Schultz

Category: Opinion > Other

Read the article on Judy's Book.

I consider TV a dangerous drug so as tempted as I am to join I think I will pass. Being a member of this site would only encourage me to watch more and what I would like to do is watch less!!

I love TV too much. It sucks the free time out of me. There are much more productive and creative ways to use my free time than to add to my couch potatoeness. (If this word ends up in the dictionary, I want credit for creating it:)

I want to be very very selective about what I watch. Make sure it is something special. Just my 2 cents. The older I get the more selective I am about how I use my time.

Life's sacred messiness

Life's sacred messiness

Review of: Belief Net (A place for everyone's beliefs even the Stars), Reference

By: Stan S. on Judy's Book

Rating: 4 stars

Read review on Judy's Book.

Beliefnet is a wonderful website. In order for me to explain how cool it is and how I used it this morning, I need to give you a little history about me.

I was born Jewish and although I have been an Eckist for 35+ years (www.eckankar.org) I still like Jewish wisdom. I have a brother in Vermont and a sister in Spokane who have had a little rift and I have been trying to find a gentle way to help them heal it. It's funny, my older brother has asked me to not get in the middle. I'm the middle kid, how can I not get in the middle?

This morning I found this wonderful little video clip of a talk by a very wise rabbi on the subject of "Life's sacred messiness."

It is a great little story for the high holidays which we are going through now. I sent it to my brother and sister. It will also give you a good idea about why I like beliefnet. Here it is:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/200/story_20004_1.html#

Old Dream

This morning I remembered a dream I had a long time ago. At the time I was studying watercolor and was painting daily. I was dreaming about making a living as an artist. The dream was of an artist whose life had a grand order. He would wake, conceive of what his work was to be that day, and proceed. If he was going to do a watercolor of a flower still life, he would get the flowers, arrange them and proceed.

I found in painting there were certain rituals of preparation that naturally evolved. Setting up the paints and brushes, arranging the workspace for optimum efficiency, etc. When I was drawing, I would have to sharpen pencils and this naturally lent itself to a contemplative state.

So the work would be executed, a reflection of the contemplation of the Love of God. Would be nice if all of life could proceed with this kind of order and beauty. A lovely dream. Sometimes this kind of order can be achieved in art, less frequently in life.

Especially now it is good to be reminded of that dream as I contemplate the pile of boxes in front of me. Having moved, my current task is to unpack and put my things in order. I intend to do it in the same spirit as the artist in the above dream. The differentation between sublime and mundane is just one of perception. All tasks can be done in a spirit of love.