I read an article today that just crawled right under my skin--and I usually have no problems reading opinion pieces and acknowledging them for their viewpoint. But for me, when a system is working and seems to be doing it right it just burns my biscuits to see media bashing when there's no call for it. Here's a link to the article:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/14/university-missouri-guide-asks-professors-to-accommodate-wiccan-pagan-holidays/?test=latestnews#ixzz2KzEguAVS
First let me explain why this is so frustrating for me. Toward the bottom of the article you'll notice these words:
"University officials said no complaints had been received in
connection to the guide, which many have found "useful and
informational," according to a statement to FoxNews.com. "The information about the Wiccan and Pagan holidays has been in the
guide since last fall," the statement read. "Please keep in mind that
this is not intended just for faculty. This is an informational guide
for anyone across campus (and beyond)."
Of Mizzou’s 34,748 students enrolled in fall 2012, more than 14
percent were listed as minorities and 6.1 percent were international
students, with China, Korea and India accounting for the most pupils
from overseas."
AND THEN you see this:
"Tammy Edwards, radio host of the nationally syndicated “Tammy Bruce
Show” and Fox News contributor, said she found the guide to be
indicative of an unbecoming societal shift. “It almost seems as though we’re looking for excuses for people to
not have to take their commitments seriously,” Edwards told FoxNews.com.
“It’s beyond political correctness; it’s almost like an excuse to do
nothing. It’s like societal nihilism, where nothing matters.”
Nihilism? Really?! For those who need clarification on nihilism:
For me, an educational institution going the extra mile to be inclusive for both students and faculty is WAY off target from "societal nihilism." We aren't talking about stopping business entirely and closing the walls of the institution. We aren't advocating whole weeks being dedicated to pot smoking and kumbaya singing. We aren't even talking about institutionalized recognition of these holidays. What the whole article was trying to say is "Hey, we know there are more holidays out there than Christmas and Hanukkah, and maybe we should be more open to working around those and educating people on the fact that these holidays exist and matter to people."
Kudos to University of Missouri for actually being proactive and working to foster a better work environment. I'm not frustrated that this article clearly was working an edge toward Paganism in particular, but I am frustrated at the effort to belittle efforts working in the RIGHT direction--that of openness to communicate, educate, and work together. Celebrating differences has nothing to do with societal nihilism, in fact the opposite of it (i.e. only recognizing one or possibly two belief systems and institutionalizing functions around those beliefs) constitutes a form of "moral nihilism."
Thoughts?
--Denora
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Life is Funny Sometimes...
It's been an incredibly long and eventful winter.
The one lesson I can say that has stood out more than any other for me this new year is life is funny--meaning life doesn't really ask or care if the direction you're going in is where you originally planned to go. Case in point: I had decided at the end of 2012 that in order for me to successfully finish seminary without it taking five years I wanted to transition off active duty and into the Air Force Reserve. This would allow me to do school full time and ideally complete faster so I could eventually apply to be a reserve chaplain and go that route into chaplaincy. I had no idea if that would work, but at the time it seemed the best route.
This led hubby and I to discuss about possibly buying a house, especially if we were going to stay in the area and I was going to get a reserve job at one of the local bases. We didn't have the money right away--but a stroke of luck and a wonderful family ensured we had the money to put down on a great house. Looks like we had a plan!
Fast forward two weeks...we then find out I'm pregnant.
Can we say GAME CHANGER?
So now I'm looking at what to do. Do I get out and pay for health insurance? Do I stay active duty in a job I'm less-than-enthusiastic about in order to have free healthcare? Do I postpone school for a year to give birth? These are key questions. Important life changing questions. One thing is for sure, I know my life has been irrevocably changed by this happening. I am ridiculously happy and scared shitless all at the same time, and I know this starts a whole new chapter in my family's life. Welcome to our new path ^_^
Blessings,
Denora
The one lesson I can say that has stood out more than any other for me this new year is life is funny--meaning life doesn't really ask or care if the direction you're going in is where you originally planned to go. Case in point: I had decided at the end of 2012 that in order for me to successfully finish seminary without it taking five years I wanted to transition off active duty and into the Air Force Reserve. This would allow me to do school full time and ideally complete faster so I could eventually apply to be a reserve chaplain and go that route into chaplaincy. I had no idea if that would work, but at the time it seemed the best route.
This led hubby and I to discuss about possibly buying a house, especially if we were going to stay in the area and I was going to get a reserve job at one of the local bases. We didn't have the money right away--but a stroke of luck and a wonderful family ensured we had the money to put down on a great house. Looks like we had a plan!
Fast forward two weeks...we then find out I'm pregnant.
Can we say GAME CHANGER?
So now I'm looking at what to do. Do I get out and pay for health insurance? Do I stay active duty in a job I'm less-than-enthusiastic about in order to have free healthcare? Do I postpone school for a year to give birth? These are key questions. Important life changing questions. One thing is for sure, I know my life has been irrevocably changed by this happening. I am ridiculously happy and scared shitless all at the same time, and I know this starts a whole new chapter in my family's life. Welcome to our new path ^_^
Blessings,
Denora
Monday, October 8, 2012
It's OK to be Less Than Perfect
I know I've ranted recently about the idea of self love and the need to cultivate it in our daily lives. It sounds like a really lovely idea too: "sorry I can't work those extra hours today, I need to go to yoga" or "no I will not bake an extra set of cookies for you, I deserve a pedicure..." the list goes on and on.
I had an interesting conversation with my aunt last night. The topic centered around the stresses we endure everyday (some realistic and some are self-induced). One of my biggest stressors as of late has been my decision to go to seminary school and my perhaps mistaken belief that my family thinks I'm crazy for doing it. What I didn't realize was how this belief colored the rest of what's going on in my life--without familial support for one of the biggest decisions of my life I've applied that stress in a way that translates to "I'm not good enough" and "they aren't proud of my accomplishments." This then distills itself into other areas of life like work, relationships, weight and body issues, etc. My aunt made a convincing point last night as well--she said people can only relate in terms of their own experiences. If you're talking to someone who's never had a drive to attend seminary school, can they really understand where you're coming from? In the end, who cares as long as you're happy? (this is admittedly sometimes harder to qualify, especially if family support is really important to you)
In my Vocation and Orientation class we're reading and speaking a lot about following our calling and living an authentic life. I asked the question last week about living a less-than-authentic life due to fear of societal pressures and lack of resources (i.e. money) I think that translates into other areas of our lives as well--"I need to weigh this much in order to be beautiful" and "I need to make this much money to be successful." In the end I think we need to give ourselves permission to not be perfect. I'm never going to please everyone in my life, but if I keep trying I'm never going to please me either.
You really are just where you need to be, just the way you are.
Blessings,
Denora
I had an interesting conversation with my aunt last night. The topic centered around the stresses we endure everyday (some realistic and some are self-induced). One of my biggest stressors as of late has been my decision to go to seminary school and my perhaps mistaken belief that my family thinks I'm crazy for doing it. What I didn't realize was how this belief colored the rest of what's going on in my life--without familial support for one of the biggest decisions of my life I've applied that stress in a way that translates to "I'm not good enough" and "they aren't proud of my accomplishments." This then distills itself into other areas of life like work, relationships, weight and body issues, etc. My aunt made a convincing point last night as well--she said people can only relate in terms of their own experiences. If you're talking to someone who's never had a drive to attend seminary school, can they really understand where you're coming from? In the end, who cares as long as you're happy? (this is admittedly sometimes harder to qualify, especially if family support is really important to you)
In my Vocation and Orientation class we're reading and speaking a lot about following our calling and living an authentic life. I asked the question last week about living a less-than-authentic life due to fear of societal pressures and lack of resources (i.e. money) I think that translates into other areas of our lives as well--"I need to weigh this much in order to be beautiful" and "I need to make this much money to be successful." In the end I think we need to give ourselves permission to not be perfect. I'm never going to please everyone in my life, but if I keep trying I'm never going to please me either.
You really are just where you need to be, just the way you are.
Blessings,
Denora
Monday, September 17, 2012
Cosmic Musings
This week has been truly enlightening for me for various reasons. The first reason is rather unfortunate--a close friend of the family is currently extremely ill and undergoing a lot of hospital care. While the circumstances of this fact are sad, when I found out about this situation I was shocked at how strong my reaction was.
I'm a healer. I work with energy, I like to dabble in herbalism and I am absolutely and without a doubt fascinated in any of the ancient systems for restoring balance within the human body (Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Homeopathic treatments) I HAD to do something about this situation--it was an almost primal need to help someone in distress. This helps me realize I'm doing the right thing, day by day, inch by inch.
Additionally, I'm finding out more about myself and my path as I go along. I'm learning to listen to that quiet inner voice that doesn't lie when circumstances are shady or you need to tweak something. "Don't go down that path, it's a dead end..."
Being true to yourself is probably one of the most difficult experiences you could ever intentionally have. Change in the face of life circumstances is painful--and when divinity tells you it's time for something new our first response is to wail and kick and scream and cry, bemoan our woes, and go wallow somewhere in self pity for awhile. That's ok, because divinity can wait (indefinitely). Eventually, when you're done throwing a pity party you'll pick yourself up and soldier on.
The end result is always a stronger and clearer picture of that wonderful work of art that you are. I'm not sure why we hate the process of change so much, but the results are amazing! We get to look back and realize there was no need for all the fuss. Having to read SO much for classes lately led me to this statement and I think it's universally true:
"The true icon is your neighbor, the human being who has been created in the image and with the likeness of God. How beautiful it is when our eyes are transfigured and we see that our neighbor is the icon of God, and that you, and you, and I--we are all the icons of God. How serious it is when we hate the image of God, whoever that may be, whether a Jew or a Palestinian. How serious it is when we cannot go and say, 'I am sorry about the icon of God who was hurt by my behaviour.' We all need to be transfigured so we can recognise the glory of God in one another." (2001,46-47)
This touches on a few themes for me, particularly recognizing the divinity within us. We have gods and goddesses within us guiding us to our true nature every day. When we live our lives in the spirit of love we become one with that nature, perpetuating all that is beautiful about humanity. When we decide not to live our lives in the spirit of love we become cut off from that essence and we all suffer. I ask that you think about this the next time you want to be really ugly to someone else...would you say and do those things to God?
Bright Blessings,
Denora
I'm a healer. I work with energy, I like to dabble in herbalism and I am absolutely and without a doubt fascinated in any of the ancient systems for restoring balance within the human body (Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Homeopathic treatments) I HAD to do something about this situation--it was an almost primal need to help someone in distress. This helps me realize I'm doing the right thing, day by day, inch by inch.
Additionally, I'm finding out more about myself and my path as I go along. I'm learning to listen to that quiet inner voice that doesn't lie when circumstances are shady or you need to tweak something. "Don't go down that path, it's a dead end..."
Being true to yourself is probably one of the most difficult experiences you could ever intentionally have. Change in the face of life circumstances is painful--and when divinity tells you it's time for something new our first response is to wail and kick and scream and cry, bemoan our woes, and go wallow somewhere in self pity for awhile. That's ok, because divinity can wait (indefinitely). Eventually, when you're done throwing a pity party you'll pick yourself up and soldier on.
The end result is always a stronger and clearer picture of that wonderful work of art that you are. I'm not sure why we hate the process of change so much, but the results are amazing! We get to look back and realize there was no need for all the fuss. Having to read SO much for classes lately led me to this statement and I think it's universally true:
"The true icon is your neighbor, the human being who has been created in the image and with the likeness of God. How beautiful it is when our eyes are transfigured and we see that our neighbor is the icon of God, and that you, and you, and I--we are all the icons of God. How serious it is when we hate the image of God, whoever that may be, whether a Jew or a Palestinian. How serious it is when we cannot go and say, 'I am sorry about the icon of God who was hurt by my behaviour.' We all need to be transfigured so we can recognise the glory of God in one another." (2001,46-47)
This touches on a few themes for me, particularly recognizing the divinity within us. We have gods and goddesses within us guiding us to our true nature every day. When we live our lives in the spirit of love we become one with that nature, perpetuating all that is beautiful about humanity. When we decide not to live our lives in the spirit of love we become cut off from that essence and we all suffer. I ask that you think about this the next time you want to be really ugly to someone else...would you say and do those things to God?
Bright Blessings,
Denora
Sunday, September 9, 2012
My Body Is Not A Rubber Band
So I'm ending week seven of my Precision Nutrition journey. Not that this point is entirely all that impressive considering this is a full year-long program, but I must say I'm enjoying the challenge. The daily assignments are keeping me accountable to something, and while the lessons are all things I've heard before the reassurance that this journey isn't linear gives me hope that I haven't been screwing things up all along. Keep in mind I haven't really lost weight or fat, but what I have accomplished is a relatively consistent habit of checking in with this website to track my progress and take my disgusting fish oil everyday. (truly an impressive feat for me)
I've also come to a completely personal decision to stop taking my birth control pill. There are several reasons for this, the foremost being I believe it is hindering my fat-loss process. Before anyone calls the looney police I will say I've researched all the alternatives I'm willing to consider and I find I'm just tired of bombarding my system with chemicals and running around like a headless chicken. And you know what? That one fact alone has me feeling better. Even if I find that stopping the pill doesn't make my fat loss any easier, I will rest easier knowing that I took the extra step in breaking modern society's hold on my uterus. Yay for small victories. More to come on this later.
-Denora
I've also come to a completely personal decision to stop taking my birth control pill. There are several reasons for this, the foremost being I believe it is hindering my fat-loss process. Before anyone calls the looney police I will say I've researched all the alternatives I'm willing to consider and I find I'm just tired of bombarding my system with chemicals and running around like a headless chicken. And you know what? That one fact alone has me feeling better. Even if I find that stopping the pill doesn't make my fat loss any easier, I will rest easier knowing that I took the extra step in breaking modern society's hold on my uterus. Yay for small victories. More to come on this later.
-Denora
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Religion: That ol' Black Magic (otherwise known as what lens are you using?)
Earlier this week I posted a quote from the 14th Dalai Lama on my FB page. Little did I know this tiny quote would spark so much controversy:
"The time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics that is beyond religion." --Dalai Lama
My original intent for posting this quote was not to start WWIII; rather I wanted to agree with his holiness that religion, while a (generally) positive construct of modern society, is not the end-all be-all of human existence or even human spirituality. In fact, studies are showing more and more people are claiming themselves to be "spiritual" but not necessarily "religious." What does this mean? Are more people becoming atheists? Are they losing faith in God?
A mentor of mine posted a reply to the discussion on my page:
"There's a saying that, "If there is no God, nothing matters. If there is a God, nothing else matters." Because I believe the second proposition to be true, every other question ultimately finds its resolution there, even apparently trivial...
http://www.philippianjailer.com/2012/02/does-god-care-who-wins-super-bowl.html
For the record, I love to talk to all kinds of people about what exactly "God" represents for them. For my mentor he is the omnipotent God of Christianity. For me things are a little more complicated. Herein lies the clincher. When we use the lens of religion we limit ourselves to what that construct means and what terms validate that construct. "God" carries different meanings for a Jew, Muslim, or Christian as compared to a Hindu, Pagan, Agnostic, or even Atheist. 'Religion' has a place in many discussions, but I personally believe it to be an exclusive term with stipulations attached. In this case 'spirituality' may be a more inclusive and universally inviting term. I compare the two terms in meaning and likeness to two other terms I used in a recent essay: religious tolerance and religious pluralism
Here is a link to that essay: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yc9DtaQFARbc7_cDtbxSm0AXhwS1y0PwSeRddcz6J5c/edit
Blessings,
Denora
"The time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics that is beyond religion." --Dalai Lama
My original intent for posting this quote was not to start WWIII; rather I wanted to agree with his holiness that religion, while a (generally) positive construct of modern society, is not the end-all be-all of human existence or even human spirituality. In fact, studies are showing more and more people are claiming themselves to be "spiritual" but not necessarily "religious." What does this mean? Are more people becoming atheists? Are they losing faith in God?
A mentor of mine posted a reply to the discussion on my page:
"There's a saying that, "If there is no God, nothing matters. If there is a God, nothing else matters." Because I believe the second proposition to be true, every other question ultimately finds its resolution there, even apparently trivial...
ones, for "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Paul's Epistle to the Romans 8:28)"
For the record, I love to talk to all kinds of people about what exactly "God" represents for them. For my mentor he is the omnipotent God of Christianity. For me things are a little more complicated. Herein lies the clincher. When we use the lens of religion we limit ourselves to what that construct means and what terms validate that construct. "God" carries different meanings for a Jew, Muslim, or Christian as compared to a Hindu, Pagan, Agnostic, or even Atheist. 'Religion' has a place in many discussions, but I personally believe it to be an exclusive term with stipulations attached. In this case 'spirituality' may be a more inclusive and universally inviting term. I compare the two terms in meaning and likeness to two other terms I used in a recent essay: religious tolerance and religious pluralism
Here is a link to that essay: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yc9DtaQFARbc7_cDtbxSm0AXhwS1y0PwSeRddcz6J5c/edit
In the end we need to find ways of communicating with each other than are constructive and respectful. We can disagree all day long on semantics, but there is meaning in the space we share as humans beings on this planet and in this divine universe.
Blessings,
Denora
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Reaffirming the Journey
So today is technically day three of my first "intensive" seminary experience. As I reflect on all the things that brought me to this point I come up with a few thoughts:
1) No matter how alone you think you may be, especially in an online environment, there are those who feel exactly the same at some point. Additionally, feeling inadequate about how much time you're devoting to something or how well you're doing is entirely relative to just you. If we all spent our lives trying to be Michael Phelps I think a lot of us would be disappointed.
2) I have never felt as inspired by any of my previous academic experiences. Let me highlight that point by saying the people I've met on this journey and continue to meet are in my opinion the bridge-builders of our society. They are simply amazing people who continue to challenge assumptions and make a real difference in this world, and they inspire me to want to learn more, do more, and be the best I can be.
3) Seminary education is hella hard. No one ever warns you of this before you take that first step. But if you can keep placing one foot in front of the other one day at a time you will look back one day and realize you've travelled so far. And if you're lucky, somebody is going to join you on different legs of that journey--they may not travel the whole way with you, but you know you're never alone.
4) We are changing the world. Our friends may not understand, our family might not support us, we may not even grasp what it is we're doing, but we are doing something magical and that deserves its own shout out.
Blessings,
Denora
1) No matter how alone you think you may be, especially in an online environment, there are those who feel exactly the same at some point. Additionally, feeling inadequate about how much time you're devoting to something or how well you're doing is entirely relative to just you. If we all spent our lives trying to be Michael Phelps I think a lot of us would be disappointed.
2) I have never felt as inspired by any of my previous academic experiences. Let me highlight that point by saying the people I've met on this journey and continue to meet are in my opinion the bridge-builders of our society. They are simply amazing people who continue to challenge assumptions and make a real difference in this world, and they inspire me to want to learn more, do more, and be the best I can be.
3) Seminary education is hella hard. No one ever warns you of this before you take that first step. But if you can keep placing one foot in front of the other one day at a time you will look back one day and realize you've travelled so far. And if you're lucky, somebody is going to join you on different legs of that journey--they may not travel the whole way with you, but you know you're never alone.
4) We are changing the world. Our friends may not understand, our family might not support us, we may not even grasp what it is we're doing, but we are doing something magical and that deserves its own shout out.
Blessings,
Denora
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