I meant to do a Freewrite yesterday, but I slept in until 5:55am, and we were off to have breakfast with the Ropps and Rohrers at 8, so there wasn't enough time. Even this morning, I want to do weights with my Pilates routine, and I always need to review what to do for that since I usually only do it once a term with my Pilates II people. I also have to correct some extra credit papers and do my attendance from last Thursday.
I am still pondering Lorraine's death. I know she loved all the things I was doing. She was so supportive and loving and kind. I want to go to her memorial, but it is on the same day as Paul's graduation from college. So, I am so sorry that I don't think I will be able to come, but I will be there in my thoughts. She would totally understand Paul trumping her memorial service.
We had such a lovely family hike up to the top of Mary's Peak yesterday and then Thai and American food at the Woodsman Tavern in Philomath. I love my family, and I love how much we all really enjoy each other's company. Always the most life-giving part of my weekend are ours meals and activities together.
I also liked our breakfast with the R & Rs!
To Lightworks (because I only have 15 minutes). It comes from Ignatius words: "ejercicios leves" which means "work" and "simple" or "light". So these are the simple form of the Spiritual Exercises. I love them. It is a great, lighter review of what I just went through over two cycles of the Exercises. YAY!
So, yesterday was on how what God has made is very good. He made us in his image, male and female. It was so pertinent that I should have read God's Many Splendored Image straight through the afternoon and evening before! That is basically what that book is all about (review is forthcoming, but I have four Pilates classes and a prayer party this week and Dial a Book and Anne spiritual direction this week - oh and my hair done).
The passage for today was about God's love. If we know and understand God we know his love and loving others would be the biproduct of that, and it made me think of Lorraine. My word for her was that she has "left a legacy of love" all over the world. Lorraine and love. She always thanked me so profusely for coming up to visit her. What? The privilege was all mine. I will so miss our monthly/bimonthly visits. Share, prayer, eat. Last three times, she loaded me down with books from her shelves knowing she did not have long on this earth. I have four bags of books. Some of my favorites from Lorraine. I will treasure them with all my heart.
So I must put the Stage 6 from the Critical Journey book here because during our Module 5 in Spiritual Direction training, Marty and Sandy asked if we knew anyone who was at this stage, and I said, "Lorraine," and they said what characterized her, and I said, "Love. She has left a legacy of love all over the world." So here are the characteristics of a Stage 6 person (my fifteen minute timer just finished, but I am going to keep going. It is not letting me indent this as a quote):
STAGE 6: The Life of Love
Stage
6, The Life of Love, is easily summarized. At this stage we reflect God to
others in the world more clearly and consistently than we ever thought
possible.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF STAGE 6
People
at stage 6 give more than they can afford; in fact, they give all they have
without any sense that giving is in any way a sacrifice. Even though it may be
very difficult for others to understand us at this stage, people can be
uplifted in spirit just by being with us, whether in joys or hardships. We can
live openly and vulnerably with others, because we do not need self protection. Consequently, at this stage we are involved intimately in the lives of
others to whom God calls us. In constant dialogue with God, our lives are
permeated with unconditional love.
Our
times alone with God come during the quiet times away as well as in the
everyday, unceasing conversations. (p.153)
stage
1 humbles us, stage 2 grounds us, stage 3 rewards and exalts us, stage 4
unsettles us, the Wall unmasks us, stage 5 transforms us and stage 6 transcends
us. (p. 162)
STAGE
6: POWER BY WISDOM (POWER STAGES) THE LIFE OF LOVE (FAITH STAGES)
Stage
6 is really an extension of stage 5 in that we are letting ourselves merge more
clearly and deeply with the heart of God. (p.212)
Our
work and our ministry at this stage is love; our ministry of love heals people;
and healed people heal others. We live out wisdom, which is seeing with the
eyes of God, hearing with the ears of God, and feeling with the heart of God.
We have healed and embraced our inner wounds and continue to walk in a healing
path. We experience intimacy with God and interior freedom. As a result we are
able to identify with the inner wounds of others, experience chaos with a
Christ-like manner, and allow ourselves to be guided by intuition and
illumination from God's Holy Spirit. (p. 212)
THE
GOAL Our goal is to allow God to have the same power in our lives that Jesus
allowed God to have in his life - to live as Jesus lived. THE ROLE OF THE
CHURCH, THE COMMUNITY OF FAITH The church is simply a community of love. (p. 212)
We
all have a glimpse of that behavior within ourselves but to live it out fully
seems too sacrificial. Stage 6 people appear to be willing to give up what the
rest of us cling to: family, success, material possessions, work,
relationships, recognition, security, justice, care taking, uniqueness,
knowledge, tradition, leadership, anger, or self-deception. They appear to some
to be wasting their lives or neglecting themselves for God. (p. 213)
One of my dear former OSU Basketball teammates wrote the sweetest thing when she heard of Lorraine's passing:
"So sorry for your loss. She has handed off the baton to another great runner. Carry on my friend."And that is what I intend to do.
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