my recommendation: take in the beauty of the fragrance after it rains. omg; there is a purple magnolia tree in my neighborhood, and the sweet smell of star-jasmine; salt air and redwood. beauty is everywhere, and you can help california stay 'green' by making sure you do not waste your water (stop washing down your sidewalk!), recycle or re-use or figure out a way not to waste. just sayin' -- the base price for a paper sack in our area is 10 cents ... but i was in marshall's the other day and over-heard the price of 25 cents! be spiritually aware; it just makes good 'cents'! remember to keep your re-usable bags in your truck; you never know when you'll stop for fresh fruit and veggies!
remember to take some reading material along wherever you go; but even better than that, people watch! you can learn so much by observation. be spiritually aware; ask yourself if the behaviors you observe are the kinds of behaviors you want to replicate. someone from the congregation who surf's shared an insight about beaches -- how people choose to leave their garbage behind when they leave (including the things animals leave behind!) -- i suspect we can be much better about 'taking care', in that spiritual sense. the book i've just finished by the way, is about a young child who grows into adulthood, and her journey; very compelling. why not 'check it out'?! "the flight of gemma hardy" by margot livesey.
romance must be in the air; i just received a call (literally) from a couple planning to get married in a couple of weeks from out-of-state; they had tried to track down their youth pastor from years ago, but had no luck. and so i got the call; was i available, would i be their pastor; what an honor! ironically, i have gotten a call this week as well do perform my nephew's wedding in october. both weddings will NOT be in a church. that has become the trend. but we at the united methodist church of santa cruz are working to fix up our building and are keeping brides and grooms in mind as we make ready our worship center. while couples may not always think about 'a big church wedding', some people still do, even if they do not go to church! so, we are making ready for those couples not yet here. we are seeking to be spiritually aware, and we welcome you and those you know to help us share the news: you are welcome here -- even if you might not be 'all that traditional'; after all, we are california, and now we REALLY have something to celebrate!
finally, for the state that NEVER sees rain in the summer (oddly, however, we have seen a bit. at least three times so far in the last two months ...) . while preparing for your summer trip, remember never to leave home without your sense of spiritual openness. what might god have in store for you as you journey forth? what adventure will you encounter? are you prepared to be touched, wowed, awed, changed? will your every moment be filled with possibilities? will you intentionally be looking for ways to be renewed, as well as opportunities to make a difference? as you return home, do you plan to be the same person who left home, or will the experience of your 'adventure' change your future?
of course, you don't have to go very far to be 'spiritually changed'; you could just walk out your front door to retrieve your newspaper -- only to discover that it is soaking wet -- in the middle of summer!! try not to be annoyed; you can read the news on line! but you can't get back the time you've wasted on non-renewable spiritual living! be spiritually aware in this moment and in your times ahead; be open to the possibilities . . . .
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