By Grace Durfee on 5/13/2010 9:55 AM

I’ve read books and taken workshops about ways to connect and often it has felt like a complicated process.  I recently had an insight, however, that it isn’t meant to be a difficult or drawn out process.  I’ve had a series of dreams about water slides which carry the same message: there is an easy, fast, playful way to move forward and that’s by accessing and going with the flow of Spirit.

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By balancewithgrace on 1/26/2009 12:48 PM

By this time each year, I’ve usually hit the after-Christmas sales to stock on wrapping paper and ribbon for the next holiday season.  Not this year.  This year to honor my commitment to minimizing my carbon footprint, I’m going to find greener ways to wrap it up.  Some ideas are to:

 

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By Grace Durfee on 1/12/2007 6:36 PM

One of the most frequent and creative ways for Spirit to communicate with us is through our dreams.  On average, each person will have 4-5 dreams a nights.  You may even have a dream or two during a nap.  You may think you don’t dream, but everybody does.  You can train yourself to remember your dreams.  Here’s the process that I recommend for recalling and working with dreams.

 

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By balancewithgrace on 12/6/2006 9:46 AM

As I sat the other morning by the picture window looking out over the first falling snow of the season, I felt as it the world had issued me an invitation to peace and I’d accepted.  I’d put the lights of the newly decorated Christmas tree on and the lights reflected in the window panes—tiny bright spots in the blur of the falling snow.  I was surprised to see the snow stick to the ground because the ground’s far from frozen with the mild weather we’ve had.  (It had been in the 60’s last week which is unusual for New England in December.) But the snow began to frost trees and cover the ground with a blanket of white. ... Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 11/22/2006 2:44 PM

The Medieval Christian philosopher and mystic, Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘Thank You,’ that would suffice.”  How wonderfully reassuring!  When called upon to give a blessing before a holiday meal, I know there have been times that I’ve wondered, “Will I say the right thing?’ “Will I say enough?”  “Will the food get too cold?”  With Meister Eckhart’s wisdom in mind, I now know that a grateful heart ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 11/12/2006 3:52 PM

Spirit knows the way to us.  Like water, which will always flow to the lowest point, Spirit knows where we are and can reach the deepest parts of ourselves that need healing, blessing, and reminding of our spiritual nature.  Too often we perceive ourselves as separate—separate from others and separate from Spirit.  This is an illusion.  We have to lift this veil of deception and remove the barriers that prevent Spirit from finding us, filling us, and flowing through us.  Barriers to Spirit break the natural connection to and flow of Spirit.Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 11/7/2006 8:57 PM

If the previous entry piqued your curiosity about The Spiritual Cinema Circle, here’s an opportunity to check out one of their films.  They recently secured the rights to show the short film Baker's Men via email—for free!  Featured in the Volume 10 DVD, Baker's Men is a humorous short film that examines our societal expectations and gender roles through the e ... Read More »

Leisure

By balancewithgrace on 10/28/2006 5:33 PM

I’ve been a long time member of a DVD film club called Spiritual Cinema Circle.  Members receive a monthly DVD with one feature presentation, and several shorts and or documentaries.  The selected films, which often come from international film festivals, are thought provoking and uplifting.  It’s a welcome respite from the “bang ‘em up, shoot ‘em up” fare that’s typically chosen by the rest of my family.  Living in a house of testosterone, (with my husband, two boys, and a male ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 10/26/2006 12:37 PM

The other morning I had a realization while rinsing my cereal bowl at the kitchen sink.  I’d just been considering how often I’ve let my inner critic prevent me from writing.   (There’s certainly a correlation between this and the infrequency of my blog postings!) My critic’s favorite line is, “Who do you think you are?”  Equally effective variations include, “What could you possibly offer?” and “You’re hardly an expert!”  Even though one of my favorite Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 9/8/2006 9:36 AM

Once a year, Sounds True, my favorite source for audio learning programs has a big sale. Many items are 25-75% off, but quantities are limited.  This year I hit the jackpot and everything I ordered was available.  The package arrived in time for my birthday.  As I opened my gift of learning, it was hard to select which CD to listen to first.  My latest explorations have been in the areas of creativity and meditation, so I finally settled on Zen Howl with Natalie Goldberg and Dosho& ... Read More »