Morning Star Chapel

Happy Thanksgiving! Choosing Gratitude for the Right Things "Be not incensed over the evildoers, Be not jealous against those who do perversity." Psalm 37:1...Continue reading

"Consequently, under divine providence everyone can be saved;...It would fly in the face of God's love and mercy if anyone were born for hell when we are all equally human." (Divine Providence 325:2) . Come at us, Calvinism

The Christmas Story in Tableaux

Shift your stance I was failing golf. In the final weeks of my junior year of high school, our physical education class focused on lifetime sports. Sports we co...uld enjoy throughout our lives, they said. We had already practiced badminton and volleyball. Golf was the last sport we learned. Or, in my case, tried to learn. I knew the final test would require using a driver to hit a ball straight and for a reasonable distance. On this cloudy Thursday afternoon, I was hitting neither. I had stayed after class to practice and hopefully improve. But time after time I either scalped the ball, sending it skidding across the grass, or I chipped it wildly, scaring the few Canadian geese that were searching for insects in the soggy lawn below me. The only advantage to my poor performance was that I wouldn't have to walk far to gather up the 2 dozen golf balls now scattered across the field in front of me. I swung again, sending yet another ball whizzing just above the tall grass in front of me. "Shift your stance." Startled, I turned to see one of my classmates standing behind me. No idea how long he had been standing there. He was one of the rare breed who could explain the causes of the 30 Years War in a morning class and also throw beautiful touchdown passes that same afternoon. He had passed the golf test on the first day of this session, and spent his PE class time quietly watching his classmates struggle to master what came easily to him. "Shift your stance," he repeated. Clearly I didn't know what he meant. So he walked over and, using the toe of his right foot, indicated where I should place my feet. "Try that," he said. With nothing to lose I complied and carefully placed my feet where he had indicated. I took a swing and heard the pleasing sound of club squarely meeting ball. Thwack. Not a beautiful shot, but markedly better than I had been doing. "Remember, you're not trying to kill the ball. You want it to fly." Moving past my embarrassment now, I swung again, this time focusing on just meeting the ball with the club. Thwack. A beautiful sound, and I watched as my shot climbed up toward the sky and sailed well into the middle of the field below me. "Nice," he said. Inspired now, I quickly set up another shot, and struck it perfectly. I watched with great satisfaction as it landed at the far edge of the field below me and bounced several times before disappearing into the tall grass beyond the mowed field. I set up several more shots, each better than the last. Then I realized that my classmate had not said anything in several minutes. I turned to see him walking away. He turned and waved once, then disappeared among the cars in the parking lot. Two weeks later all 3 of my drives in the final test flew straight and true, disappearing among the apple trees in the orchard well beyond the same field where I had practiced. The teacher was impressed. And as I picked up my tee and walked back toward the gym, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the classmate who had helped smile and give me a thumbs-up sign. I never thanked him for his help. So I hope he knows what it meant to me. ************************ Shift your stance. It's amazing how many times I will try to accomplish something by repeating a process that doesn't really work. Only when I make a small shift in my approach do things start to work better. Sometimes I resist trying something new because I'm stubborn (surprise). More often, I persist because I don't know better. It takes someone who does know better to advise me to shift my stance. And I don't always listen. At least, not at first. Solving problems often doesn't require making big changes. Not getting along with your friend? Try shifting your stance. Ask them how to be a better friend. Frustrated in your work? Shift your stance and be curious about what makes your job important, and how you can add value. Children not listening to you? Shift your stance and pay attention to what motivates them. You can even use their selfish motives to help them learn and grow. Life not working? Try shifting your stance. It worked for me.

It’s so clear!

Birds take this man's sunflower seeds while deer look on.

Ever noticed that a brandy new walker is so enthralled with mobility that he or she starts ambling first, and figures out a destination later? Just watch a youn...g mother at the park trying to keep up with her kid. Or a child who has discovered the freedom of motion on wheels. It happens again with sixteen year olds. With the keys jingling in their hands, they jaunt to the driveway, rev up the car and head out. Where to? Not a problem. The journey's the thing. I envy them sometimes. When I am dragging my feet on the day, foggy about where this particular energy spender is taking me, I want to see The Goal. Why keep going? This conversation with my husband about dishes is getting us about as far as the conveyor belt takes cereal and frozen peas at the grocery store.... then it swings back for more mundane passengers on its three foot ride. Maybe we are getting somewhere, I guess. People tell me, though scientists have been wrong before, that I am actually zooming along at a terrific speed. The ice water stays motionless in my glass well enough, but a bunch of people with impressive credentials are convinced that this planet is booking it. Perhaps, and I am only trying this thought on for size and don't quote me, this marriage is actually going somewhere. It is possible, or at least as possible as the earth's rotation, that there is a Force pulling us, one that neither of us can see no matter how fast we whip our necks around. Plus I suppose it is easier to lead me when I am already in motion. Love, Lori

All I wanted was a bagel I felt sick. Standing at the counter waiting to order my every-thing bagel, I realized the person is front of me was my former boss.... The man who fired me two years ago. I took a half-step back, hoping this would make me more anonymous. No luck. As he finished paying, he turned toward me, looking me straight in the eye. "Hey Daniel, good to see you! How are you?" Awkward. "I'm fine." Hoping I didn't look too stunned. "I was wondering how you were doing after you left Home Depot. I know it wasn't easy." It certainly wasn't. After weeks of being watched daily, getting fired actually came as a relief. "You know, I didn't want to let you go. I tried to tell my boss that you would do better in another position. But he wouldn't listen." I hoped I looked interested in what he was saying. This was like a really bad movie scene. "I held off for 4 months, and tried to get you into another department. But in the end, they forced me to do it. I didn't sleep for a week afterwards. I'm really sorry." I had no words. I had thought all manner of nasty thoughts about this man, only to find out that the decision he was forced to make was not one he wanted. "Wow. I had no idea." Lame but expected comeback. "Yep, things were going downhill there, so in one sense you were lucky you got out when you did. I left about 6 months later. Couldn't take it anymore. Awful environment" "What are you doing now?" "I'm working at a local hospital. Not what I wanted but it will do until something better comes along. By the way, if you need a reference in the future, just let me know. I owe you that much." "Thank you. That's very kind." We shook hands and he started to walk away. "Aaron, thanks again. I had no idea." "It's fine. We'll meet again." With that, he turned and left the store. I had forgotten about my bagel. *********************************************** It's a saying among us that we don't know what battles others are fighting, so we should be kind to them. I think it's equally valid to say that we don't know what moved people to make the decisions they do. We often make assumptions about others' decisions based on what they do. We instinctively fill in the blanks to suit ourselves. All I wanted was a bagel. What I got was a lesson in understanding. Understanding that it's hard to know what others are thinking. Understanding that it's hard to know what pressures others are under. Understanding that it's impossible to fully feel the emotions that drive other's decisions. Understanding that others are not always comfortable or proud of the decisions they make. All I wanted was a bagel. Instead I got a lesson on how little I knew about another's motivation. I was quick to judge, confident that I knew all the factors that went into the decision. Two weeks later I got a phone call from a company looking for a reference for my former boss. I told them that he was hardworking, smart, and above all, a man with integrity. I told them how he had tried to help me. They hired him the next day. What we don't know can hurt us. What we are unwilling to hear can destroy us. But what we understand can heal us.

Consider the alternative The new wasn't good. "Hey Brian, the Orlando Marriott just called, they want to cancel their glassware order. They say they can get a b...etter price from Sysco." "OK. I'll call him Rob later. I'm sure we can get to a price he'll like." "Oh, and Erik from Disney says the new chairs for the Fireworks Factory restaurant aren't the right ones. He wants to return them." "That's strange. He picked them out himself. I'll be seeing him later this week. He probably doesn't remember that they were his choice." I had been working with Brian for over 2 years. He was the outside salesperson for major restaurant and hotel accounts for all of Florida. I supported him as his inside sales rep. The conversations we had every day went just like the ones above. Always positive, rarely flustered, and always focused on solutions instead of problems. So I had to ask. One day, when we weren't both terribly busy, I asked him how he managed to stay so calm and positive. His answer surprised me. "What's the alternative?" ******************************************* As we head into 2021, we have an opportunity to reflect on this past year. It's hasn't been fun for most people, and for some it has been downright awful. Often how we feel our lives are going is dependent on what has recently happened to us. Someone cuts us off at a light and our whole day can slip into a growing internal rant about how much we dislike our life. Or, conversely, the large auto repair bill turns out better than we ever imagined, as the shop owner -knowing we are a loyal customer - charges us only for parts and not the labor. Either way, our perspective is dependent on what is happening to us. Consider the alternative. It's a common saying that it's not what happens to us, but how we react to it that makes us who we are. Often our reactions are instinctive. We burn our hand in hot water, and swear. We have to stop for the 8th red light in a row and we fume. Or, we score the last bottle of Lysol at Target and our day is made. I'm guessing that for many the instinctive response to 2020 ending will be, "good riddance!" Consider the alternative. We've learned quite a few things in 2020, some of them the hard way. We've likely learned that spending a lot of time with people that we thought we liked actually is harder than we thought. We've also likely learned that people can have very strong opinions about political issues, and when to wear a mask. And we're likely now more aware that personal, face-to-face gatherings are more enriching that we previously thought. Zoom meetings can be soul-killers. It is possible to eat outdoors at 55 degrees. And some takeout foods are not worth the money. While 2021 may continue in outward respects much like the year we are leaving behind, we don't have to continue living as though 2020 will never end. Consider the alternative. Here's what I'm going to try in 2021: * Smile 2x more often * Unhook myself from thinking too much about the future * Remember to think. 'Help this person' when dealing with others Consider the alternative - always.

Inspired by John 14.

All I wanted was a bagel I felt sick. Standing at the counter waiting to order my every-thing bagel, I realized the person is front of me was my former boss.... The man who fired me two years ago. I took a half-step back, hoping this would make me more anonymous. No luck. As he finished paying, he turned toward me, looking me straight in the eye. "Hey Daniel, good to see you! How are you?" Awkward. "I'm fine." Hoping I didn't look too stunned. "I was wondering how you were doing after you left Home Depot. I know it wasn't easy." It certainly wasn't. After weeks of being watched daily, getting fired actually came as a relief. "You know, I didn't want to let you go. I tried to tell my boss that you would do better in another position. But he wouldn't listen." I hoped I looked interested in what he was saying. This was like a really bad movie scene. "I held off for 4 months, and tried to get you into another department. But in the end, they forced me to do it. I didn't sleep for a week afterwards. I'm really sorry." I had no words. I had thought all manner of nasty thoughts about this man, only to find out that the decision he was forced to make was not one he wanted. "Wow. I had no idea." Lame but expected comeback. "Yep, things were going downhill there, so in one sense you were lucky you got out when you did. I left about 6 months later. Couldn't take it anymore. Awful environment" "What are you doing now?" "I'm working at a local hospital. Not what I wanted but it will do until something better comes along. By the way, if you need a reference in the future, just let me know. I owe you that much." "Thank you. That's very kind." We shook hands and he started to walk away. "Aaron, thanks again. I had no idea." "It's fine. We'll meet again." With that, he turned and left the store. I had forgotten about my bagel. *********************************************** It's a saying among us that we don't know what battles others are fighting, so we should be kind to them. I think it's equally valid to say that we don't know what moved people to make the decisions they do. We often make assumptions about others' decisions based on what they do. We instinctively fill in the blanks to suit ourselves. All I wanted was a bagel. What I got was a lesson in understanding. Understanding that it's hard to know what others are thinking. Understanding that it's hard to know what pressures others are under. Understanding that it's impossible to fully feel the emotions that drive other's decisions. Understanding that others are not always comfortable or proud of the decisions they make. All I wanted was a bagel. Instead I got a lesson on how little I knew about another's motivation. I was quick to judge, confident that I knew all the factors that went into the decision. Two weeks later I got a phone call from a company looking for a reference for my former boss. I told them that he was hardworking, smart, and above all, a man with integrity. I told them how he had tried to help me. They hired him the next day. What we don't know can hurt us. What we are unwilling to hear can destroy us. But what we understand can heal us.

Welcome!offTheLeftEye discussion group with Mary Valentine. 7:30 pm ET. If you enjoy offTheLeftEye and want to talk about it with other people, join us online each Tuesday at 7:30 pm ET for an open discussion of the weekly episode of Swedenborg and Life from Monday.

Consider the alternative The new wasn't good. "Hey Brian, the Orlando Marriott just called, they want to cancel their glassware order. They say they can get a b...etter price from Sysco." "OK. I'll call him Rob later. I'm sure we can get to a price he'll like." "Oh, and Erik from Disney says the new chairs for the Fireworks Factory restaurant aren't the right ones. He wants to return them." "That's strange. He picked them out himself. I'll be seeing him later this week. He probably doesn't remember that they were his choice." I had been working with Brian for over 2 years. He was the outside salesperson for major restaurant and hotel accounts for all of Florida. I supported him as his inside sales rep. The conversations we had every day went just like the ones above. Always positive, rarely flustered, and always focused on solutions instead of problems. So I had to ask. One day, when we weren't both terribly busy, I asked him how he managed to stay so calm and positive. His answer surprised me. "What's the alternative?" ******************************************* As we head into 2021, we have an opportunity to reflect on this past year. It's hasn't been fun for most people, and for some it has been downright awful. Often how we feel our lives are going is dependent on what has recently happened to us. Someone cuts us off at a light and our whole day can slip into a growing internal rant about how much we dislike our life. Or, conversely, the large auto repair bill turns out better than we ever imagined, as the shop owner -knowing we are a loyal customer - charges us only for parts and not the labor. Either way, our perspective is dependent on what is happening to us. Consider the alternative. It's a common saying that it's not what happens to us, but how we react to it that makes us who we are. Often our reactions are instinctive. We burn our hand in hot water, and swear. We have to stop for the 8th red light in a row and we fume. Or, we score the last bottle of Lysol at Target and our day is made. I'm guessing that for many the instinctive response to 2020 ending will be, "good riddance!" Consider the alternative. We've learned quite a few things in 2020, some of them the hard way. We've likely learned that spending a lot of time with people that we thought we liked actually is harder than we thought. We've also likely learned that people can have very strong opinions about political issues, and when to wear a mask. And we're likely now more aware that personal, face-to-face gatherings are more enriching that we previously thought. Zoom meetings can be soul-killers. It is possible to eat outdoors at 55 degrees. And some takeout foods are not worth the money. While 2021 may continue in outward respects much like the year we are leaving behind, we don't have to continue living as though 2020 will never end. Consider the alternative. Here's what I'm going to try in 2021: * Smile 2x more often * Unhook myself from thinking too much about the future * Remember to think. 'Help this person' when dealing with others Consider the alternative - always.

Mary is host! Welcome! Something new on Tuesday! offTheLeftEye discussion group with Mary Valentine. 7:30 pm ET. If you enjoy offTheLeftEye and want to talk about it with other people, join us online each Tuesday at 7:30 pm ET for an open discussion of the weekly episode of Swedenborg and Life from Monday.... Watch OTLE's show on Monday, discuss on Tuesday! Link to join on Zoom: