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Tag Archives: spirit

Saying grace before meals

The PolyBlog
March 10 2013

Growing up, we weren’t big on “saying grace”. It was something we did for holidays, but not any other time. And, when it was the holidays, it was somewhat perfunctory. Christian faith, and particularly Catholicism, has its rituals and grace is one of them. Unfortunately, like many of the rituals, they are not very inclusive of other religions. Sometimes the rituals are so formal, they even feel exclusionary to the members of that faith who chafe with rigour or discipline or rote regurgitation of prayers.

Yet, I feel like I’m missing out on something. Not in the sense of worshiping a deity in some formal manner, but in not pausing before meals just to reflect for a moment. Andrea, Jacob and I have already instituted a “daily gratitude” ritual of sorts of writing down our favourite part of the day, putting it on a small index card, and throwing it in a box that we’ll open at the start of the new year and relive some favourite moments of the past year. And as much as I’m enjoying that ritual, I’m still looking for a daily, umm, prayer of thanks, for lack of a better phrase.

I don’t want it to be denominational or exclusionary — I would want it to be as open as possible, something pretty much anyone of any faith could hear and not be offended by, yet still have some meaning behind it. Generally, the non-denominational prayers that are out there talk about varying elements:

emphasizing the value of nature;

recognizing the human effort in growing, gathering, transporting and preparing food;

reflecting on the importance / blessing of bringing family and friends together for a meal;

noting those less fortunate; and,

being grateful for the things that one has in their life.

I like the last three, not sure about the first two. I don’t discount them, I just don’t know that they resonate very strongly with me, at least not in the short term. At best, I am drawn to the following ideas:

As we sit down to this meal, let us be mindful of our blessings and remember those whose lives are more affected than our own, who may be hungry, sick or cold, so that we may respond to those in need with wisdom and compassion.

As we share this meal, let us be thankful to those who prepared and served the meal, may this meal bring us all strength and health.

As we enjoy each other’s company, let our thoughts go out to absent family and friends that we hope are safe and well.

It’s hardly eloquent, but it captures most of what I want to give thanks for, a daily “opportunity” of sorts to further count my blessings.

Posted in Health and Spiritualism | Tagged goals, grace, personal, soul, spirit, spiritualism, thanks | Leave a reply

My plans for 2013: Part 4 of 6 — Soul / Yellow

The PolyBlog
January 17 2013

The “Soul” category is one that is represented by the Gentle Yellow of belief. It is the deepest part of me, the “this-I-believe” me. It is also the expressive me, the part of me that allows my creativity to grow wings and expand outward, with no “rational” filter on it to say “is this worth it?” but rather just to give expression to a thought, a feeling, to scratch a creative itch because it is there.

Continue reading →
Posted in Goals | Tagged 2013, goals, personal, soul, spirit, yellow | Leave a reply

My Spiritual Journey — Question 1 of 12 — Why Ask What?

The PolyBlog
April 15 2012

For those who have read my blog before, or know me personally, you know that I have a strong routine for goal-setting and tracking. It is a bit more anal this year than in past years as I find myself less and less able to track the goals in my head as easily as I used to, and so I am keeping track on the blog with monthly updates — partly it serves to help me see my progress and partly it just serves to remind me of what my goals actually are for this year. This year, I promised … Continue reading →

Posted in Health and Spiritualism | Tagged faith, goals, journey, personal, soul, spirit, spiritualism | Leave a reply

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My Latest Posts

  • Gallery: 2004 – June – Seb & Patricia’s weddingSeptember 19, 2023
    The resort/auberge, Seb and Patricia’s ceremony at the church, reception, and the drive back to Ottawa the next day
  • Gallery: 2004 – June – Bike ride, baby shower, anniversary flowers and wedding showerSeptember 18, 2023
    Bike ride along the river, baby shower for Stephan and Myung, anniversary flowers, and wedding shower for Alex
  • Gallery: 2004 – May – Tulip Festival, housewarming, and cottage lifeSeptember 18, 2023
    Dinner guests (Robyn, Aliza); the Tulip Festival around the Arboretum and Dow’s Lake; a large housewarming; and then opening the cottage for May long weekend
  • Gallery: 2004 – April – Moving day, dinner guests, and EasterSeptember 17, 2023
    Moving into the new house at Parkdale, our first dinner guests (Becky and Dean) and Easter in Peterborough
  • 2003 – A year in 4 photosSeptember 17, 2023
    Since Andrea and I didn’t yet have a digital camera, the photos in my digital collection for 2003 are all ones that were scanned at some point, partly as I recall, to go on the new PolyWogg website I was designing at the time. In March, Andrea took a work trip to Hong Kong. There … Read more

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