listenwiththeearofyourheart

– I edited to moderate some of the casual talking points but left it pretty much what I wrote and spoke on Sunday 5jan25. The off script, spontaneous things I said obviously aren’t included. If you want to watch the service on YouTube contact GoWC-C  (http://www.grainofwheat.ca/).  I added bracketed, italic comments for clarity…I hope.

I feel honoured to be the first homilist in 2025. Today is when the church celebrates Sunday revelation of Jesus incarnate love to Gentiles – Epiphany Sunday – According to Merriam-Webster dictionary – January 6 is observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles; an epiphany is an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being: a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something: an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking: an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure.

In the first chapters of Matthew, he introduces Jesus and who he was to a primarily Jewish audience. I like to think Matthew introduces us to Incarnate Love – God enfleshed – among us.

We really don’t understand the radical idea of what we heard from Rachel last Sunday about the how genealogy of Jesus includes women, foreign sex workers and a woman who used seduction to get married into the family and becomes King David’s great great great grandma. All relations of Jesus. His family tree.

Today Matthews continues his introduction to Jesus, Incarnate love by saying even male foreigners… from a different religion – they were probably Zoroastrian priests – all these folk are part of Jesus story.

As I reflected on the story this week in preparation for this homily, I was listening to some songs for inspiration and decided to share with you what I heard in those songs. I’ll start with Bruce Cockburn’s – Cry Of A Tiny Babe – from his – Nothing but a Burning Light album. (I’ve put links to songs and lyrics – from no particular site – at bottom of this blog)

Part of what Bruce sings is: “The child is born in the fullness of time / Three wise astrologers take note of the signs / Come to pay their respects to the fragile little king / Get pretty close to wrecking everything / ‘Cause the governing body of the whole [Holy] land / Is that of Herod, a paranoid man.”

(I think I made some comment about present day leaders of Holy Land and other places being paranoid and killing or putting children in cages … if I didn’t I know I had it in another version.)

“There are others who know about this miracle birth / The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth / For it isn’t to the palace that the Christ child comes / But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums / And the message is clear if you’ve got ears to hear / That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear / It’s a Christmas gift you don’t have to buy / There’s a future shining in a baby’s eyes.”

I believe Matthew was making the same point for his Jewish readers – that the revelation of incarnate love was for everyone. Matthew wanted those first readers to know that Jesus was teaching and living a new way of understanding how God / Yahweh is working in the world …everyone is part of that story – no matter who you are.

In a few minutes we’re going to come to the table of Christ and as you’ve heard every Sunday – all are welcome whatever stage of faith you are or whatever your sexual orientation AND … dare I say, it doesn’t matter what religion you identify with. All are welcome at the table of Incarnate Love.

I also heard in Steve Bell and Jamie Howison’s lyrics in Old Sage / Home Again – from Steve’s Feast of Seasons album: “It was something ‘bout that boy in Bethlehem / I will never be the same.”

This spoke to me that the encounter with Jesus as Divine Incarnate Love – as a boy – changed something for these wise men. Something about the experience of being in the presence of Incarnate Love was an epiphany for them – an intuitive grasp of a reality that they didn’t know before. Something they hadn’t thought of, despite all their study.

Those words reassured me that Jesus the Christ, Incarnate Love, somehow brings hope to hopeless situations, they don’t remain the same. Matthew says the Story of Jesus tells us that there can be redemption / hope that even paranoid rulers can’t destroy. In my life it’s hope despite depression. Maybe for you it’s hope despite war and killing of children. Hope despite all the murdered and missing women. Maybe hope despite the environmental disaster we’re in. Hope for family tensions. Whatever you’re dealing with – an encounter / experience of Divine Love – changes how you deal with it. Rather than raging against the darkness you have the courage, wisdom and strength to go into the darkness with Incarnate Love by your side, supporting and encouraging you and that somehow changes the darkness. A Christmas miracle that you don’t have to buy.

I really wanted you to hear Anais Mitchell’s Song of the Magi – and Larry graciously agreed to learn it. The Good Lovelies do a wonderful cover version of this, please listen today. Thanks Larry for your version. (Larry did a wonderful version of this song that was very moving, accomplishing what I had hoped – sometimes taking a risk – including a song in the homily – works out … thanks be to Love. I had more written words to say after Larry sang but it was so moving that I ended with only these ones – after a good moment of silence. When I listened to it again to check the link, tears still came to my eyes.)

And she so loved the world. Every one, everything is loved. And that love softens the darkness. There was something ‘bout that boy in Bethlehem – that encounter with Divine Incarnate love – you’ll never be the same. There’s a future SHINING in a baby’s eyes. It’s a Christmas present that you don’t have to buy. Thanks be to LOVE. AMEN.

___________________

Bruce Cockburn singing – Cry Of A Tiny Babe – from album – Nothing but a Burning Light https://youtu.be/mRZxrr4P9FE?si=GS8zrMAMNCfJNd4M

Lyrics – https://cockburnproject.net/songs&music/coatb.html

Steve Bell singing Old Sage / Home Again – from album Feast of Seasons – https://youtu.be/9g5A-Jp_lao?si=qLsJ1GVjCb8DTYHT

Lyrics – https://www.broadjam.com/songs/stevebell/home-again-old-sage?srsltid=AfmBOooIeg0TDOzH19Cf11V7keogJj919fyoKuHer4tCFsFkHf5ljD7u

Good Lovelies singing Anais Mitchell’s – Song of the Magi – from their album – Evergreen: https://youtu.be/L4nrMkdarvE?si=qr6LudtJaDJCWD1B

Lyrics – https://genius.com/Anais-mitchell-song-of-the-magi-lyrics

Lectio Divina – Wednesday 6nov24 – Scripture Reading

Psalm 9:9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Lectio – words that stood out for me at first reading

– stronghold / refuge (NRSV)

Meditatio – personal application

– I’m safe in a stronghold. Safe from outside things. Yeah. And I’m still me with my inside enemies? Or am I totally okay and it’s only outside things I let in that are harmful? Hmmmm

As usual my meditation is stifled by having to acknowledge that Psalm 9 has stuff in it that I have trouble with – The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. And I wondered if the writer was warning us about the USA – The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught. The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. And despite my wondering about the psalmist’s theology and what suffering the influence of the 47th president will cause I was almost surprised that vs. 9 caught my eye, heart and soul in that familiar Lectio Divina invitation … “meditate on these words’’: The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” and ignore the rest – for now. Distractions, distractions.

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Initially I pictured a stronghold, like the old log forts they build, that keeps out bad things and bad people. Good stuff inside and bad stuff outside. That image made me feel safe from all that outside bad stuff. Being in the stronghold, with the good stuff gave me the impression that somehow I was good too. Which was a bit hard to take because I know how imperfect I am. And maybe Love sees me differently. Maybe James Finely is correct when he says that God is crazy in love with me and my very existence is proof of that. God loves me – just the way I am and thinks I’m OK, dare I say “good” and keeps me safe. Cool.

As I continued to think about being in a stronghold and being part of the goodness of reality which is sustained by Love, I wondered if I could let bad things in. Sometimes the things I watch on TV or read aren’t very life affirming, MI6 and CIA aren’t really Love orientated organizations. I’m pretty sure the violence and deceit I allow into my mind by watching those shows, doesn’t help me love my enemy. So maybe I can let bad things into my fortress of safety and goodness. I can choose to leave the stronghold for some strange reason. While outside the protection of the stronghold I can do bad things which aren’t good for me and get hurt. I might even be trying to good things, outside the protection and bad “things” hurt me. That suffering seemed redemptive. It didn’t seem right  to hide in the stronghold…white privilege and all. Anyway those thoughts were a good reminder to be diligent and aware of what I bring into the stronghold. And if I’m outside I need to keep track of where that stronghold is and stay close. Even if I’m outside for good reasons and bad things happen and I get hurt, I can always go back to the stronghold the Love built for me, for safety and healing. These thoughts were very encouraging and hopeful to my soul. Thanks be to Love. TBTL

Then my meditation then took an interesting turn … which I have to attribute to grace and Love cause I’m not sure my mind would ever go there on it’s own. I was invited to contemplate that maybe I am the safe, good stronghold. I know it’s a bit of leap of logic and because Lectio Divina is listeningwiththeearofmyheart it sounded plausible and maybe even true. I know I was created by Love to love and so maybe I can be a stronghold of love. So as a stronghold I am “safe” from bad things, unless I let them in. That’s pretty cool, if you ask me.

Love then gifted me with the thoughts that no matter what’s happening around me, including growing fascism to the south, I’m safe. Even if I’m oppressed, made fun of or ignored or misunderstood. I’m OK. Even if I suffer because of my own weaknesses, aging or whatever. I’m OK. Even coping with anticipated times of trouble – which are no doubt coming – I’m OK. I can still be loving to immigrants – no matter their religion or skin color. I can love and accept LBGTQ+ folk, even in my faith community. I can respond positively to street folk, to those ignorant of white privilege. No matter what or who comes my way, I am a stronghold, created and sustained by Love. I am OK and can make choices that are for the good of others, no matter my own questions or concerns. Sorta like loving them.

This thinking reminded me what I “heard” from Victor Frankl, writing out of his experience in a Nazi concentration camp in Man’s Search for Meaning, “The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. … There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which proved that apathy could be overcome, irritability suppressed. Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress. We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in numbers, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. …. It is this spiritual freedom – which cannot be taken away – that makes life meaningful and purposeful.” p.65-68.

This sounds a bit too good to be true, but such is the love of the Creator. She says I’m a stronghold of love which means I get to choose how I will respond to the troubles and oppression that is all around. That’s encouraging and challenging. Makes life interesting and encourages me that I have something to look forward to, something to offer, even in my 70s. TBTL

Oratorio – prayer

– thank you Love for your continued encouragement that I’m OK and you are looking after me. Thanks that me being OK can contribute some peace and stability to the world which sure needs it. With your help I can be that peace and stability that others need. May I have the courage and awareness to do my part. Help me stay close to you, Love and learn to ignore distractions. Please help me to learn to listenwiththeearofyourheart, which I know will enable me to choose the Jesus / Love way, easier and quicker despite my fears and questions. Thanks.

Contemplatio – Centering prayer

– scriptures from app: Lectionary – Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, Church House Publishing, Aimer. NRSV is used for scripture except for Psalms which are translations from 2000 Common Worship psalter.

I once read how white privilege includes being able to choose what news I do or don’t watch or read. I understand that statement as highlighting how my life feels comfortable because I can choose to ignore the tragedies and injustice happening around the world or the city where I live and only watch Netflix and only read Thomas Merton…but only his contemplative stuff not his social action commentary – which got him silenced for a while.

I’ve tried to be more intentional about keeping myself aware of world and local issues, including … big sigh… politics, domestic and international…even south of the border. So I watch CBC news, even though some say it’s just a propaganda tool for the gov’t and read the Guardian and Winnipeg Free Press – online (full disclosure – for free). Recently I discovered SubStack (so much good stuff out there) and this morning I read a string of comments about Bezos and the WaPo (I’m so woke) and learned (yes I’m slightly embarrassed that I didn’t know this, full disclosure – I had to check the spelling of his name) that he owned Amazon and is freaking rich. Anyway I also read folk who are calling for a boycott of Amazon in support of freedom of speech and democracy…my interpretation. So, after consulting with Linda (who doesn’t watch much Prime or likes me ordering books anyway) I’m cancelling my Amazon account today. I’ve also decided to ride this moral high ground (to mix my metaphors – I guess if I wrote…ride my white horse on this moral high ground, I’d be combining metaphors…ain’t I witty), hopefully with some humility at being part of questionable social media constructs (continual discernment needed) for so long, … I’m cancelling my Twitter / Z account due to Musk’s questionable way of being. That election is really messing with my life … darn Americans. Sorry about all the (…)s – that internal running commentary is annoying to me too.

A brief sidebar about me and social media – I’m sticking with FaceBook, mainly so when I blog  I can let folk know what I’m thinking and doing – announce my moral high ground in a humble way. As you may have read I’ve thought of cancelling FaceBook too. If I did I’m sure my life wouldn’t change that much, other than missing birthdays of people I don’t connect with. Continuing with FaceBook is primarily a way for this aging, introverted, contemplative, Five energy to stay engaged.

Leaving Amazon & X means I’ll have to pay more for books and some stuff and miss some brilliant comments by many interesting folk. BOO HOO And SubStack will provide more than enough spiritual, insightful comments. And I’ll be buying more local and supporting local booksellers, something I want to do more – so it’s a good thing on many levels and I do feel good doing it. All this is still somewhat white privilege and a deep desire to promote justice – so maybe it all works out in the end. And I’m still trying to listen to Love. Blessings for wisdom, peace, hope and love for us all, especially this week for our friends to the south.

Wednesday 27may24 / 0830 / cell / 0

Psalm 1:

Lectio – words that stood out for me at first reading – counsel meditate prosper perish

Meditatio – personal application – these words made me think that who I listen to and how I listen influences the direction I face / go; towards the light or towards the dark.

Oratorio – Love may I find my delight in being grounded in you alone. Thanks for loving me and granting me the sense of loving you.

– scriptures from app: Lectionary – Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, Church House Publishing, Aimer. NRSV is used for scripture except for Psalms which are translations from 2000 Common Worship psalter.

There is a guy who’s pretty sure he’s been aware of a God all his life. He grew up in a pastor’s home but didn’t like all the rules that came with the God stuff he was hearing in Sunday School and summer camps. He decided not to follow his parents religious path and struck out on his own for 3 years or so and then with support of his sister’s friends, he decided it was only fair to try Christianity for three years, after all he knew the rules. A few months into this experiment he had the profound spiritual experience of being aware that Jesus was a real person and he needed to take Jesus and the Jesus way seriously as he journeyed the road of life. He decided to learn more about Jesus and the Bible and started down the road of Bible College study for a few years. During that time he learned that God is love and that he was primarily created to receive that Love and then worship, serve and do stuff for God. “Whatever helps me to experience Love” became his guiding principle on his life journey / spiritual pilgrimage.

Being open to experiencing Love included looking for a life companion, whom he met, married and had children with and now grandparents with. Seeking to experience Love led him to an intentional Christian community to journey with. Along the way he learned about and practiced a contemplative spiritual life at a monastery close to his home. There he trained to be a spiritual companion / spiritual director which gave him opportunities to exercise his primary gift / vocation of listening so others have an experience of Love.

After retiring from active employment he found a monastery / religious order which helped people notice and nurture the love of God. He joined the religious order as a novice and sorta moved into a virtual monastery. There he experienced good teaching and meaningful relationships with many other novices moving into the monastery. It was a wonderful place to study, pray, rest and labor together. Everyone was welcome to follow the 12 commitments / the rule. Then one of the commitments was changed, for clarity. They were informed that the order’s understanding of the Consecration of Love in Celibacy and Marriage was only for partners of opposite biological sex. The monastery was a safe place for celibate single folk, including those with same-sex attraction, but closed to gay folk invited to a life-long consecrated relationship. Outside the monastery there was no issue with “married” gay folk but in the monastery, they weren’t allowed. This caused a deep tension in this pilgrim and he spent many hours in conversation with Love and others – in the monastery and outside. He was aware that a monastery needs to have walls to keep the roof on and doors to keep stuff (good and bad) out & in – safety. However he wasn’t totally comfortable in a place that was so exclusive. And yet he knew he had be guided there by Love so what the heck was he to do.

A year or so previous to this change in the order, our pilgrim had experienced a profound shift in his “prime directive” / discernment question – what will help me experience Love more? He no longer felt the need to ask that question because he now felt so in love with Love that all he needed to ask was – what is the loving thing to do… for Love, for himself, for others, for the world.

Part of the expectation of novices in the monastery was to get together each month and talk about one of the commitments. A discussion with his small group about the commitment to Consecration of Love in Celibacy and Marriage was spent celebrating how much a gift from Love a marriage partner was. This discussion emphasized a way Love loves many folk, in or out of a monastery. In his next conversation with his spiritual director he was asked, “what does God want you to do?”… and as he opened his mind, heart and soul to whatever the loving thing to do was … in that sacred moment he came to see that for him the loving thing to do was to stay open to love and not close any doors to anyone. That meant leaving the monastery, separating himself from the order. So with a sad and contented heart he left the monastery and is now a more mobile spiritual pilgrim again. He knows he need companions for the pilgrimage and is committed to spending more time with his present faith community. He feels a peaceful invitational energy in his soul that, despite the lack of certainty, there’s much love to live, so on he goes.

As usual questions or comments are welcome. Blessings on your pilgrimage, where ever you are and whom ever you’re with.

I’m going to try and give up procrastinating by writing a blog on this first Sunday of Lent. So what have I been listening to over the past month or so…maybe this will only be a monthly blog. As I reflect I realise I’ve heard a lot of things…so I need to refine that question a bit, maybe to what am I hearing today…from Love in particular, cause I’m still hearing the movie Linda and I watched last night pretty loud and clear. Maybe the strongest invitation I’m hearing is to write a blog. I’m going to ask for the grace to continue to hear that gentle encouragement until I post it, and edit it, and post it and… hence the 2 day delay…better late than never.

The next loudest thing I’m hearing is the invitation to enter into this Church season of Lent. Not really sure what that means for me yet but I’ll start with the traditional encouragement to step up / be more intentional with praying, fasting and alms giving and go from there. Sometimes its good not to have to reinvent the wheel. Tradition can be a blessing…sometimes.

Prayer: My New Year’s resolution or rather grace that I’m asking for in 2024 is to be more happy. I realized that if I’m happy the One who created me will be happy. Bringing joy to Creator is a good thing and being happy is OK too, especially for this melancholic, introverted aging soul. I’ve discovered the main way to be happy is to be / do what I was created to be…love, listen and labor creatively i.e. stained glass. All that to say this year I’m hoping I’m more happy by spending more time creating stained glass pieces. Spending more time in the studies doing my stained glass spiritual practise – prayer practise. It does feel good when the piece is finished and others enjoy it and Creator is happy we’re all happy so win/win/win…not that winning is what it’s all about and…

Fasting: My present “signature” on my emails is “Fasting during Lent is about making space through subtraction and making room for more love — love for God, my neighbor, and ourselves. Lent is a great time to practice absence so that presence increases. https://scottandclareloughrige.org/blog/what-will-you-give-up-and-what-will-you-add/  “ I’ve left the American spelling for “neighbour” seeing as that’s where Clare and Scott Loughrige live. I’m resisting promoting their wonderful book on the Enneagram – Spiritual Rhythms of the Enneagram: A Handbook for Harmony and Transformation – “now you know your number / energy space, now what?” Clare also wrote an interesting booklet – Motions of the Soul:

The Enneagram and Ignatian Spirituality – which I appreciated with the role of the Spiritual Exercises are beginning to play in my life. Fasting to make space for more love is a wonderful thing and so I’m limiting my leisure screen time…especially on Sunday. With all the books I have, less screen time – except for my Kindle – reading is a good thing. I’m also giving up ETOH for Lent. I passed on dry February and I’ve noticed that after a drink or so I’m less curious, and compassionate / loving – just wanna have fun. So I’m going to take a break from partying and make more room for Love…or party more soberly…lovingly…on Sundays only.

Almsgiving: Being generous without overthinking is hard for me … I seem to need reasons for giving … what the money I give will be used for etc.. It’s easy for my hamster brain wheel to imagine all kinds of things. Giving to those in need just because they ask or it’s being generous or just ‘cause … is a Lenten spiritual practise I’ve done before. Giving a toonie to the souls on the side of the road at the light without worrying that it’s probably going for booze or drugs – is being generous and it might be for food. Just for Lent of course. Hopefully I’ll continue to generous in a more rational and compassionate way.

I’ve discovered that limiting a behaviour which could be good or bad, screen time / ETOH / being naive, even for a little while, has a positive impact when limiting it doesn’t really matter as much. For example: limiting my leisure screen time – playing solitaire on my phone on Sundays only once, seems to make it easier to only play it only once during the week, when I’m justifiably needing a break. I’m guessing that reading instead of screen time during Lent will make it easier to pick up a book for a break rather than firing up the 1/2 dozen solitaire games on my phone. Although I must confess appreciating that endorphin rush when I win. Not sure a book will replace that. Going into the glass studio daily, even if it’s just to clean up will get me down there and who knows what creativity could happen – lots of patterns and glass. This is my latest co-creation.

I’ve learned / heard that good spiritual practises have a way of creating space in myself so Love has a chance to transform me – mind, body, heart and soul. I can’t force union with Christ but when I make space for union to happen I find Grace moves me closer to the heart of Love that energises and guides the whole universe to a better way / loving way of being.  As I wrap up this blog I find myself sorta gratefully looking forward to Lent 2024. It will be an interesting 40 days of praying / fasting / giving and transformation…Grace willing…and I know and experienced that She’s more than willing. Thanks be to Love. 

Through these channels/words

I want to touch you

Touch you deep down

Where you live

Not for power but

Because I love you

So love the Lord

And in Him love me too

And in Him go your way

And I’ll be right there with you

– No Footprints – Bruce Cockburn

I needed to make a disclaimer as I begin my blogging in 2024. Mainly because I’m hoping to blog more, hopefully weekly, and want my reasons for blogging to be clear as possible from the start, for myself as much as anything. This means, in part, that these blogs may not be as thought through as I previously desired … which kept me from publicly sharing many things I’ve heard from Love (my latest “naming” of that Mystery that created, empowers and sustains everything). I also really don’t want this blog to be a critique or about advice giving. So if you get that vibe from these blogs… please talk to me, maybe what I wrote triggered something in you that needs a conversation – which is advice giving, I slip into that mode so easily … and I really want to be about listening (check out my 21dec18 blog to read more about listening being my vocation / reason for being created https://listenwiththeearofyourheart.ca/2018/12/21/love-listen-create-part-2/) …and sharing what I’ve heard from Love … hopefully keeping as much ego (advice giving / critique) out of it as possible. And I’m still in the process of becoming 100% in union with Love and have a bit to go – so my writing may take on “tone”. I’m going to try really hard to only write what I hear from Love and then listen to my response to that and blog that, somehow. I’m hoping that writing what I hear from Love will be simply my way of sharing the love I’m experiencing which is an act of love to Love, myself and if other’s can pick up on the love, great…and I want this blog to primarily be about me reflecting on loving Love and letting Love know it. I counting on the process of thinking about what I hear and then putting that in words and seeing it on the screen to remind me of that love and my love and what goes around comes around…or something like that. It’s sorta hard to put in words, but I’m looking forward to the attempt and maybe others will find something here as well.

You may have got the theme of what my blogging will be primarily about. I will be using this blog to process my present relationship with Love…we’re in love and I believe I’ve been encouraged to write about it so here goes. It is a bit weird to be writing about being in love with Love / Creator / God, but that’s where I’m presently at so that’s what I’m writing about. The haiku I wrote this morning sorta says it simpler:

Love being in love

No expectations just love

Love being in love

I’m reminded how Mumford describes love in Sigh No More.

Love will not betray you, dismay or enslave you,
It will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be.
There is a design,
An alignment to cry,
At my heart you see,
The beauty of love as it was made to be

I’d have written “Be more like the person, you were made to be.” but then I don’t sell millions of albums. I do have that desire for everyone to see “The beauty of love as it was meant to be.” Not my version of love but each person’s personal experience of the love that created, energizes and sustains all that is. O, by the way I just heard Audrey Assad and her wonderful cover of this tune. https://youtu.be/3IHOnfhpAb8?si=dwQW-qI4gEGnoBWg

Let me end these rambilings with on of my favourite lines about Love from Steve Bell (who has written many other wonderful songs about Love)

“Oh Love, what are you thinking of?”

His question is one that personifies Love in the way that I have come to understand and experience the love of Love. It is a question I need to ask Love more. However we’re communicating more by simply loving each other nowadays – less words – and for an introverted soul, trying to be more contemplative, it’s a great way to start a new year. Blessing of Love for us all.