Friday, March 30, 2007

Please hold my sister in the Light

My sister is facing some medical issues, around an autoimmune disorder, that she did not even know she had until two weeks ago. Please hold her, and my father and me, in the Light as we wait for the results of the many tests she'll be having this coming week.

Discovering Alexandria Meeting

On a short trip to DC a few weeks ago I discovered the Alexandria Friends' Meeting, right across the road from Fort Belvoir. I was at Fort Belvoir with my dad trying to get one of his prescriptions filled (the pharmacy turned to be closed) but on the way out the gate my dad said "There's a Quaker meeting here somewhere... oh, there it is."

So I stopped off, they were already having a meal of bread and soup. My dad was not up to getting out of the car but a Friend there brought dad out some bread and coffee. I am looking forward to attending the Meeting there with my boys, worship starts at 11 which overcomes the boys' objections to getting up early on Sunday, errr, First Day. And it's only about 15 minutes from my dad's place.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Verbal nonviolence and being irritable

One of my hardest to solve personal problems is being irritable: I yell at my kids, I yell at my wife. I don't mean "angry shouting" as much as just being "loud" and cranky.

This is a form of violence, and I can hardly claim to be nonviolent as long as this is such a large part of my personality. I don't have any leanings at all to physical violence, so I don't think I deserve any credit for not being nonviolent that way. I don't like alcohol, so it's easy for me to be against drinking, I don't like gambling, and losing :) , so it's easy for me to disapprove of gambling.

I would be happy to have advice on how to be less irritable. Relaxation techniques and more exercise are the obvious remedies, but any suggestions would be very welcome to me and my family.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Starting a new blog for my Quaker-related writing

I've decided to move my Quaker/spiritual musings to a new blog. The title "inner lighting" comes from a limerick about Quakers by G. S. Gwynn, in "Sects from A to Z" (in Billy Collins' edited
*Best Poetry 2007*).

The Quakers possess inner lighting
And refrain from all feuding and fighting;
They enter their meetings
WIth "Bless Thee" for greetings
But the service is hardly exciting.