by June | May 25, 2017 | Blogposts
Welcome to this world, little one!
This world you’ve entered is big – very big!
It has trees and animals, plants and bugs, galaxies and planets, rivers and oceans, stars and suns, fish and flowers and people. 🙂
People who speak different languages … and people who can’t speak at all.
People who have different-shaped and different-coloured eyes … and some who have none. People who are tall … while some are not. People with red hair, brown, white, yellow, black and colours in-between … and some with no hair at all. People with red skin, brown skin, black skin, yellow skin, white skin … and shades in-between.
This world you’ve entered is G_d’s creation. It’s exciting … and full of wonder! But it’s not nearly as exciting … as it will be. It’s not nearly as wonder-filled … as it could be. You see, the world is waiting … waiting for you to grow and learn … waiting for you to become a boy, then a teen, then a man. There is a reason you are here.
As time passes, you will discover your purpose, and in yet-undetermined-ways, contribute to the world in your own unique fashion. Yes, there is a reason you are here.
Welcome to this world, little one!
© June Maffin
www.soulistry.com
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<In celebration and thanksgiving for the safe arrival of Caleb Timothy Grant, our eighth great-grandchild.>
Photo of Caleb Timothy Grant © Vanessa Grant
by June | May 23, 2017 | Blogposts
Our spirit grieves.
People ache at the terrorism, the escalation of economic consequences, the racial discrimination and inequity, the religious persecution, the political rhetoric, the misogyny, the emotional / physical and spiritual damage done by hatred. Our spirit grieves.
What to tell the children who experience and have experienced danger and fear? What to tell the elderly who wonder if their lives were in vain? What to tell those of any age who are confused and live in fear?
May we have a glimpse of hope for the future. May we feel inexplicable, unconditional Love in the midst of our pain. May we focus on the Good that unites us and not that which divides, even as our spirit grieves.
Text and Artwork © June Maffin
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by June | May 21, 2017 | Blogposts
a drive down a road not travelled brought discovery:
a chair by the river that called and spoke
“come, sit, rest, gaze, ponder, exhale-worry, question, dream, write, sketch, inhale-peace, feel, believe, *be*.
bless-ed chair
bless-ed trees
bless-ed river
bless-ed peace
bless-ed sabbath moment
Photo & Text © June Maffin
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by June | May 18, 2017 | Blogposts
“How can terrible events happening around the world be seen from a spiritual perspective?” is not an easy question to answer, but perhaps an answer can begin to be found in the words of others.
Hiding in an attic in the midst of anticipated discovery at any moment a young girl, Anne Frank, had hope: “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” In spite of everything that was happening during WW11, someone had hope and wrote “I believe in the sun, even when it’s not shining. I believe in the stars, even when I see them not. I believe in God, even when God is silent” on the wall of a concentration camp in Dachau.
Teaching songs to pre-school malnourished, sickly and orphaned children.
with no room to sit in the noisy, hot, humid, dusty and impossibly tiny and crowded room in Sri Lanka, a country torn apart by civil war six crudely printed words “Life is a gift from God” were scratched on the wall as the children sang and moved spontaneously with joy!
In spite of everything. In the midst of … a terrifying yesterday … a bleak today … a potentially annihilated tomorrow In each of these situations, there was hope! Anne Frank’s words … words of hope. The Dachau prisoner’s words … words of hope. The Sri Lankan’s words … words of hope.
Though the future may seem bleak and terrifying to some, the hope of those in bleak and terrifying situations in the past must be allowed to speak hope
to people in the bleak and terrifying present … “in spite of everything.”
Photo & Text © june maffin
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by June | May 16, 2017 | Blogposts
A phrase in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” has been on my mind lately. It’s a phrase used to describe corruption, a situation in which something is wrong. Terribly wrong.
While the country I’m thinking of is not Denmark, the phrase seems apropos of a country whose people live in fear and where the spiritual landscape of that country is being eroded, inch by inch, every single day.
Some from that country express shame and apologize to the world for the leader of their country who has been making decisions that are anything but making that country ‘great again.’ They must not let the ‘rotten state’ infiltrate their body or their mind or their soul … be that personal or corporate … one more moment.
The situation is not just rotting their country. It is rotting democracy. To ignore what is happening only gives power to rottenness and more rottenness. When rottenness becomes decay, when decay becomes putrification, when putrification becomes death, it will be too late.
Light a candle against rottenness. Speak up. Speak out. Blog. Share a blog that addresses the situation. Walk in peaceful protest. Light a candle against rottenness. Do, say something so that the rottenness will not become decay, the decay won’t become putrificiaton and death results.
Text & Photo © June Maffin
www.soulistry.com
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by June | May 13, 2017 | Blogposts
Oh Owl, you are such an intriguing, fascinating and beautiful creature. I love creating handmade cards with your image. Your eyes are so focused and at times, penetrating.
When you use those eyes and look at the world around and see the Two-Legged Creatures called human beings, do you ever wonder and ask the question: “I don’t speak, I don’t judge, I don’t gossip, I don’t hate, I don’t lie, so why do Two-Legged Creatures?”
We Two-Legged Creatures are given a mouth to express feelings and opinions, ask questions and dialogue with others. And we do. But we also use that mouth to spit, literally and figuratively. Spit words of hatred, racism, judgement, sexism, lies, gossip
Your question is a good question, Owl.
I wish I had an answer.
Text & Photo © June Maffin
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