Interfaith Spirit Quest

Meditation: Go away fly!

Zen Meditation - A 3D animated view of meditation on how we can perceive to address our "little" problems into tranquil soundings.  Don't let the little things get to you. 

Christ has no body but yours

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Part 2 - The Miracles of Christmas - 58 Ideas

- Meaningful ways to celebrate Christmas and other Holidays

Part 2 - 58 Miracles of Christmas ideas to get you started

You are reading Part 2 of a 3 part post - with Part 3 coming after the 2009 Christmas holiday.  Please check back to hear our personal story after the holidays.

The Miracles of Christmas is a new way to celebrate a more meaningful Christmas or other Holiday.  The idea is to allow one Christmas/Holiday wish per person and then to give that person the undivided attention and participation of the whole family or group for an allotted time period, agreed upon by all.  If you have a large family, you may wish or need to spread this out over a couple days, and if you have a small family; you may choose to allow more time for each person.  You create the guidelines.

Thanksgiving morning, November 25, 2009, our family came up with a new and meaningful way to celebrate Christmas.  After bringing it up and discussing it with my spouse over Thanksgiving breakfast, we decided we should discuss the idea with the rest of the family - they loved the idea!  The fact we all agreed that it was at least a good idea in theory, is a miracle in and of itself.   The idea is about making dreams and wishes come true, it’s about The Miracles of Christmas, and it might even make a Scrooge look forward to Christmas again.  Perhaps this will be the Christmas or Holiday celebration of your future.  Of course this theme may be used at other holidays such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, birthdays, you name it. 

58 Miracles of Christmas ideas:

1.    Visit an ice skating rink, sledding or ski hill
2.    Have a snowball fight
3.    Build a snowman or snow fort
4.    Make snow angels
5.    Make a live nativity scene using members of the family
6.    Go around the neighborhood singing Christmas Carols
7.    Visit someone in the hospital or a nursing home
8.    Do something for a neighbor or friend in need with the help of your family
9.    Make Christmas special for someone else or a family in need
10.    Take a walk in a nature preserve or state park
11.    Feed the birds
12.    Go for a bike ride
13.    Go horseback riding
14.    Go for a sleigh ride
15.    Make the holiday lunch
16.    Go out for the holiday lunch
17.    Take a Nap (smart adults will pick this one)
18.    Collect pine cones for your tree or decoration
19.    Decorate the Christmas Tree
20.    Hang Christmas lights
21.    Play board or card games
22.    Play Dress-Up
23.    Dance
24.    Sing
25.    Write new songs
26.    Re-write the lyrics to some old songs
27.    Tell Jokes
28.    Take pictures
29.    Create scrapbook photo albums
30.    Look at old photos or videos
31.    Tell old stories
32.    Cut out paper snowflakes
33.    Have family members write down what they're thankful for - save from year to year
34.    Keep a journal and write down thoughts at the end of the day
35.    Watch your favorite movie with your whole family
36.    Watch a Christmas cartoon while stringing popcorn and cranberries for the tree
37.    Create a movie with your video camera
38.    Make something
39.    Create Prayer Jars (prayers go in jars - fun to read later in life and see how they were answered)
40.    Do something from another culture
41.    Spend your hour coloring pictures with your family
42.    Perform a magic show or play or puppet show for your family
43.    Show off your Pets
44.    Hang Mistletoe and kiss everybody
45.    Propose to your Sweetie
46.    Recreate a holiday tradition from your native land or your youth
47.    Make the holiday evening meal
48.    Go out for the holiday evening meal
49.    Make the holiday evening meal with full family participation
50.    Dress up as St. Nicholas (Santa Claus)
51.    Read the Christmas Story or talk about the true meaning of Jesus' birth
52.    Teach everyone a special craft, such as how to make a special dish like Pie Crust or Lefse or…
53.    Decorate the Christmas Cookies
54.    Build a Gingerbread House
55.    Take your family to a free (doesn't have to be free if you can afford it) concert or holiday event
56.    Light a whole bunch of candles or sit by the fireplace and enjoy the peacefulness of it
57.    Have some Hot Chocolate and take a driving tour to view the Christmas lights
58.    Enjoy the miracles and the blessings of the day.

Please feel free to share your ideas by leaving a comment below - I would love to hear from you.

This is Part 2:  58 Miracles of Christmas - Ideas to get you started

See Part 1:  The Miracles of Christmas - The Plan

See Part 3:  After the Miracles of Christmas - Our personal story - how did it go (to be published after Christmas 2009)

Part 1: The Miracles of Christmas - The Plan

- Meaningful ways to celebrate Christmas and other Holidays

Part 1:  The Miracles of Christmas plan

Thanksgiving morning, November 25, 2009, our family came up with a new and meaningful way to celebrate Christmas.  After bringing it up and discussing it with my spouse over Thanksgiving breakfast, we decided we should discuss the idea with the rest of the family - they loved the idea!  The fact we all agreed that it was at least a good idea in theory, is a miracle in and of itself.   The idea is about making dreams and wishes come true, it’s about The Miracles of Christmas, and it might even make a Scrooge look forward to Christmas again.  Perhaps this will be your Christmas of the future.  Of course this theme may be used at other holidays such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, birthdays, you name it. 

The Miracles of Christmas is a new way to celebrate a more meaningful Christmas or other Holiday.  The idea is to allow one Christmas/Holiday wish per person and then to give that person the undivided attention and participation of the whole family or group for an allotted time period, agreed upon by all.  If you have a large family, you may wish or need to spread this out over a couple days, and if you have a small family; you may choose to allow more time for each person.  You create the guidelines.

This is a 3 part post - with Part 3 coming after the 2009 Christmas holiday.  Please check back to hear our personal story after the holidays.

The Miracles of Christmas Plan:

•    This may be done as a family, as a group of friends, or as a ministry toward a select group of individuals.
•    Have family members, or your group of friends, think of something meaningful to them that they would like to do at Christmas.  Family/group members could take the attitude that they will move heaven and earth to make it happen – within reason of course.
•    Make a list and check it twice.
•    Pay no attention to who’s naughty or nice – it’s not about that – it’s about miracles.
•    Each person gets one hour, or an agreed upon period of time, to enjoy their Christmas Miracle with the assistance and undivided attention of all the others.
•    The time allotment will depend on how large the group is.
•    It's important that ideas are not rejected out of hand, or because they're impractical or too expensive.
•    At first everyone should brainstorm and then gradually narrow their ideas down to the ones that are reasonable and feasible. 
•    All should be reasonable in their requests and not be disappointed if an idea must be filed away for another time. 
•    No one gets to lord it over anyone else or ask someone to be their slave for an hour. 
•    People should be considerate and invite participation or simply allow family/group members to be spectators. 
•    It could happen that 2 or 3 decide to combine their Christmas wish and then 2-3 hours would be spent on that activity.
•    It does not need to involve much money.
•    It may be that someone finds buying a new toy is meaningful, so be it. 
•    Keep the miracle list for future reference – it may be used at birthdays or other special occasions.
•    Start this process on Thanksgiving Day or a couple weeks before the holiday to get it all decided and worked out before Christmas.  Or I suppose one could be thinking about it all year. 
•    You may wish to establish a rule that small children have to wait til they're 5 or 6 years old before they can choose their own event, parents or other family members would choose something for them, or they would just be a participant in everyone else's hour. 
•    Do whatever works, make adjustments to the plan as you see fit
•    Prior to the big day, plan out the Christmas Miracles in a coordinated way, wasting no time, planning for meals, naps, potty breaks, travel, forgetfulness, and other little issues that may pop up during the day. 

This is Part 1:  The Miracles of Christmas - The Plan

See Part 2:  58 Miracles of Christmas - Ideas to get you started

See Part 3:  After the Miracles of Christmas - Our personal story - how did it go (to be published after Christmas 2009)

Healthy Breakfast Ideas – Exercise for the Mind – Spiritual Hospitality

Body, Mind & Spirit Practices

A Prayer of Thanksgiving: When I think of Jesus and the Last Supper, and his desire that we should remember him, I think of sharing a nice meal with friends in the warmth and glow of his love. Here is an interfaith prayer to share at such a time:

Creator and Sustainer, you feed the creatures of the Universe through your goodness, kindness and creativity; being created in your image, may we find a way to feed each hungry soul here on Earth in the same way. We thank you for this food, may it nourish and strengthen us. We thank you for this day and this opportunity to gather in your name, may we be enlightened and enriched by your Spirit of Truth. In thanksgiving and in remembrance of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Body – Healthy Breakfast Foods: Let's talk about food – in particular, let's talk about Breakfast Food. Below are some healthy breakfast foods that you may wish to incorporate into your day. We all know that breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day and that we should make it a healthy one – so no need to belabor this point. In addition to the ideas below, please share some of your healthy breakfast ideas by leaving a comment.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas – Control your own portions and remember - everything in moderation.

• Oatmeal or Healthy Cereal with Nuts, Seeds and Fruits (Sweeten with a bit of Cinnamon & Honey if desired), Milk or Almond Milk, Coffee, Tea, Diluted Juice

• Scrambled Eggs or Omelet with Favorite Veggies (Spinach-Red Pepper-Broccoli-Tomato?), Fruit or Healthy Juice, Slice of Toast (Whole Grain with Butter or similar), Coffee, Tea, Diluted Juice

• Whole Grain Toast with Natural Peanut or Almond Butter(or a Slice of Cheese or Tomato Slices), ½ Grapefruit or Whole Orange (or other Fruit), Coffee, Tea, Diluted Juice

• Cottage Cheese or Yogurt, Fruit, Whole Grain Cracker (like Wasa Crackers), Coffee, Tea, Diluted Juice

• Poached, Fried or Hard Boiled Eggs, Whole Grain Toast with Tomato Slices, Coffee, Tea, Diluted Juice 

• Baked Squash, Potato,Sweet Potato or Brown Rice with Butter, add dried fruit or sweeten with a bit of Cinnamon & Honey if desired, Slice of Toast (Whole Grain with Butter or similar), Coffee, Tea, Diluted Juice

Interfaith Spirit Quest

Mind - Brain Rule #1- Exercise: The following tips are from the book

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School - by John Medina.

Exercise? Why are we talking about exercise? Because it's good for the body and the brain. Besides improving and maintaining our health, exercise helps eliminate harmful stress chemicals, improves our problem-solving and planning skills, and our attention spans. Besides the tremendous physical body benefits, studies show that exercise can also boost brain power by up to 42%!!!

Ways to incorporate exercise into a rather sedentary lifestyle:

Take a recess twice a day for a minimum of 15 minutes each. Allow yourself to spend 30 minutes a day on exercising your body and improving your health. I am challenging myself to do this and I am also challenging you.	To begin with, pick anything that will get your body moving and increase the blood supply to your brain. Walk – Dance – Run - Jump Rope –Climb the Stairs - Jump on a Rebounder (small trampoline) – Swim – or Aerobics.	If you have a laptop and a treadmill, consider building a platform for your laptop on top of your treadmill and learn to coordinate walking and typing at the same time – according to the author of Brain Rules – it took him about 15 minutes – he's a molecular biologist – so OK, maybe it will take us an extra minute – but we can do it.
John Medina wonders what if students or employees walked on treadmills while they were in the classroom or at work. Maybe this is why they make us stand up in church so much, they want to get our blood flowing!	Exercise with fitness guru, Jack LaLanne. Watch one of his easy to find online exercise videos or look for his program on cable. The exercises are really easy. Jack must be doing something right because he's 93 years old (born in 1916) and still going strong.	Have fun! Play Speedminton (a faster form of Badminton) – Volleyball – Racquetball – Tennis – Basketball – Football – anything with a ball! Pick any sport! Do strength training – lift weights. Enjoy yourself!

 

Insert your own exercise ideas here.  Purchase a copy of Brain Rules here.

Spiritual Hospitality 

Enhances: Tolerance 

Balances/Counters: Hostility, Criticalness

The Basic Practice

We are practicing hospitality when we welcome guests — including strangers and enemies — into our lives with graciousness. An open house reveals certain things about us: we are well-disposed toward others, we focus on the positive, and we believe the universe is basically a friendly place. Sometimes hospitality requires that we cross boundaries and dismantle some of the barriers erected in our society to keep "the other" out. Sometimes it means entertaining ideas that might be alien to us.

To be hospitable, you need to accept pluralism as a natural condition in the world. Celebrate the diversity of the Creation. One particularly valuable spin-off of hospitality is inter-religious dialogue. Spirit speaks in many languages, and this spiritual practice helps us receive these multiple messages.

Why This Practice May Be For You

Hospitality and hostility are both derived from the same word root — but they couldn't be more different. Whereas hospitality is about welcoming all, hostility thrives on insider/outsider conflicts. Practice the former to increase your tolerance of the various groups in our society and their distinctive lifestyles.

On an interpersonal level, hospitality is a good prescription to balance a tendency to be critical of and unaccommodating to others. People who are distrustful of the world, who become fearful and paranoid when strangers approach, or who are suspicious of ideas unlike their own will also benefit from this practice.

--From Spirituality & Practice -- Part of the 37 Spiritual Practices, or the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy – By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussa.  Find much more here:

http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/practices.php?id=13 -----------------------------------------------------------

Interfaith Spirit Quest Discussion Questions:

1. Can you remember a time when someone showed hospitality toward you? What did they do to make you feel welcome and comfortable? _________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In a similar vein, please share a memorable spiritual encounter you've had with another religion — a conversation with a religious/spiritual person, a visit to a sacred site, attendance at a ritual, or a faith practice — and what you learned from the experience. _________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What about a time when someone excluded you, or made you feel unwelcome? How did this make you feel? _________________________________________________________________________________________
4. In addition to the above, what are some ways we can be more hospitable toward each other? _________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for stopping by - please check back often for future Body, Mind and Spirit posts.

Interfaith Spirit Quest