PEELING BACK THE LAYERS

I like onions. Thanks to my wonderful latino son-in-law I have also discovered the wonders of leeks. Venezuelans love flavorful foods. Hidden in many of their specialty dishes are a variety of pureed veggies which greatly enhance the robust explosion of tastiness. Dicing/slicing vegetables welcomes a 'Zen-like' warm hummmm in my bones - which my dear daughter is quite puzzled about. She has decided to capitalize on this as we have been hangin' out together for weeks. On a regular basis she will say, "Hey Mom, how about making me a yummy salad?". Of course I gladly oblige! A wedge of red onion, a thinly sliced leek, a lengthwise section of tender green onion, red cabbage, orange sweet peper - all beautifully revealing layer upon layer of nutrient-rich goodness. Voila' - salad extraordinare. This past week the layers of our life, the layers of our 'mind-works' have been front and center for most of us. The tragedy at the Sandy Hook School in Connecticut continues to unfold and with it, a great many online posts about mental illness. It is so very tempting to just shove all the news of this atrosity under the rug and forget that it happened. But we must not. Finding the middle ground on needful awareness and unhealthy fixation is a decision individually that we must make. God-talk and prayer are heard from the lips of many. In the midst of questions, God's presence is the salve that nurtures our spirits.

This past Sunday it was my delight to visit yet another new church. This has been a very enriching part of my yearly sojourn across the U.S. I have been to a variety of worship centers - some mega-churches, some micro-churches, some rock-the-rafters-type churches and some quietly cadence-oriented churches. Reading online reviews of churches before attending can always be an insightful moment. Most people (I believe) come to a particular church with expectations for what 'they need' for their worship to be meaningful. "I get that." - it's important to feel your spirit challenged, and to give God heartfelt thanks and praise. Worship, however, I understand to be - 'the work of the people'. In all the churches I have worhipped, I have been able to shut my eyes and reach out to God within my thoughts, prayers, and thankfulness - some places more easily than others.

As one may expect, Sunday was a day where pastors across the world addressed the tragic losses of Newtown. Together we are examining the eternal 'whys' of this monstrously sad event. I have found myself thinking often of the mental health part of questioning. For me, mental challenges are highly personal. I have read a great deal on the subject. My past struggles with panic and anxiety have led me there. I am one of the lucky (or blessed) ones. A new life was born in me 20 years ago, thanks to the gift of a pharmaceutical compound found in a miniscule pink pill that regulates my brain chemistry imbalance. Millions of people are not so fortunate - for as many reasons as one can conjure up. This past week I viewed the movie, "Silver Linings" - a story of the impact mental illness had on two families. It was an extremely insightful movie. When I look back on this week, I have so many feelings - profound gratitude for the help I have received and the life I now have, free of my past mental bondage.. Conversely, I have profound sadness for those who still live within the grip of this bondage - many who do not even realize the cages of their life. The pastor I listened to this past Sunday reminded us of this scripture verse - "Whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely - think on these things." I have been attempting this all week - with 'some' success.

Thinking about 'lovely things' brings to mind the pleasure that was mine this week when I visited the J. Paul Getty Art Museum in north LosAngeles. It was a sunny but brisk day, as California weather goes. I really had no expectations of my adventure as I drove up 'the 405' mid-morning. I listened to the beautiful Christmas carols of the season on the car radio as I crept along in the famous LA traffic I'd often heard about. As art museums go, I would rate 'The Getty' in the - 'Creme-de-la-Creme' category. Not only does it have a great variety of art, but the building architecture and garden architecture are nothing less than stunning, as it sits impressively on a hilltop overlooking LA, with a view of the ocean in the distance. It was built in 1997 and is a contemporary, white stone geometric marvel to behold. The 3 hours I spent there were hardly enough. A highlight of my day were the illuminated 14th and 15th century biblical manuscripts in Latin. Couple this with the special presentation of Renissance Devotional Art that was currently on display, I was greatly enlightened in my spirit. It was a God-moment I will cherish when I look back on my pilgrimage journey in years to come!

When the rush of this weeks' Christmas celebrations, worship experiences and foodie festivities is past, I hope you, my blog readers, find some private moments to peel through the layers of your life and find the life-lessons and life-missions that bring new meaning to you.

As a new year approaches, together, I pray that we all can journey into our unknown futures with hope - still - for peace and healing in our world and for the souls who walk upon it.

Intothewind with Naturegirl