Let Heaven and Nature Sing

Here on Earth and There In Heaven I am fortunate at my age to have both of my parents and many of my elderly family members still living, but I did experience death frequently early in life. My first conscious experience with grief was when my junior high band director passed away from cancer. He was also a very active member of my childhood faith community, which was a double sting. Then, less than a year later, my uncle—whom I am named after—died after a battle with bladder cancer. Both of these losses created huge voids for me to work through at a young age. My next major loss was the death of my cousin, Chesley. I was closer to him than I was to my own brother, and he and I were pretty much raised together in a close-knit family where our families co-parented, and we spent almost every weekend together with sleepovers. This was the loss that hit me the hardest and changed my perspective on life and death. I wrote a reflective poem and read it at his funeral. Next, I watched two clo...

Practicing the Pronoun I (Yahweh) - Turn Up As I approach this journey in Faith one may assume the name of the over arching project "Studio Grand Dios" and focusing on the pronoun "I" as being narcissistic.  Yet, it is exactly opposite.  It is simply the infancy and my way and saying "I am here".  In the Christian faith God is referred to as I am - the Way - the Truth - and - The Life. Which is in line with the Spiritual pattern of the number 3 or Trinity.  God - the Father - the Son and - The Holy Spirit. When we engage in introspection, it's a valuable practice to ask ourselves who we are, where we are, and why we are here—regardless of our faith tradition. The word Why in the conjunctive tense questions one's existence.  Why am I here, Who am I with, and What is our purpose?  This is when one finds themselves in the presences of others experiencing community and hopefully unity.   As we approach community most of being is just showing up, or as...

Inspired to come back traditional blogging  It's December 22nd 2024, which is the last Sunday of Advent in the Anglican Liturgical Calendar and I find myself resting still in the Presence of God and feel closer or more inspired by the Spirit more than ever.   The past 3 years, have been a major transition from executive leadership to a return to teaching and advising students in their first years of higher education.  I went through a process therapy to discern that taking a few step back would not limit my resources but instead allow for more autonomy and movement of the Divine Spirit in my life and relationships.  I started a new less pressure career as an academic advisor to students who are earning college credits while they are in high school.  It's rewarding to see the impact of my work it's direct influences in the lives of students and the mission of the community college where I work. Over 20 years ago, when I was in graduate school the first time ...