Uphill idealist

There is a longing to live life to the full, that tugs and pulls. It draws a breath deep and keeps me far from sleep. I don't want to miss a thing. From dreams not dreamed and hopes just starting to gleam this glass-always-half-full draws me to drink deep. So much to see, and do and be - the limit is beyond the time of each day. Through the dawn of bright to the fall of night - wholeness is fullness seeing every hue shades each step along the way. Copyright T.L. Eastman 2015

Authenticity, wholeness and having your gifts meet the deep needs of the world. This is undivided life. This is "Sabbath" that walks with a person every day of the week. Thanks, Parker Palmer .

So here's the thing. According to "researching storyteller" Brene Brown (Visit her webpage at: www.brenebrown.com) - vulnerability is an important key to living our lives in the place of wholeheartedness. This evening I took twenty minutes to watch her TED presentation. One: she is so engaging that the talk seemed to fly by. Two: The more I listened, the more my heart pounded a little harder - like the words were making something deep inside me sit up and take notice. Three: the topics of vulnerability and worth are very connected, but often very hard to dig deep and wrestle with. Four: I think I have some wrestling ahead of me. Five: The struggle for perfection, is a trap that I sometimes get caught in. Here is Brene's TED talk. Make a cup of tea or coffee and really sit down and listen. I think you're heart may sit up and heed her challenge too! This graphic is a part of her program to challenge folks to live wholeheartedly. I love the way it's presented as...

Image found at Picasa. This Sunday, I was working with the lesson of the Pharisee and the tax collector for text of my children's message. The general idea of the text is that the proud with be humbled and the humbled will be lifted up. Because the background and context of the text was somewhat fuzzy for my grade school audience, I made a quick comparison to the characters in the story - but stayed with the main thought. So the story goes like this... Here are two apples. One refuses to be eaten and only wants to sit on the kitchen counter for all to see because it is so beautiful. You can pick it up and admire it shiny red skin and smell its sweet aroma; but you can't eat it. This apple says, "I'm too beautiful to be eaten. My purpose is to sit here and be admired." The other apple is inside this plastic container and it's all chopped up and ready to be eaten. It say's, "Yes of course, you can have me for a snack; after all I am an apple. If all...