Easter Morning Freewrite

Throughout the day, I try to keep myself in a mood which is marked by happiness and spiritual joy. As a result, anything in my environment -- the sun and warm weather or the white cover of snow, all the different beauties of nature and so on -- is used to reinforce the atmosphere of consolation...God's love shines down upon me like the light rays from the sun, or God's love is poured forth lavishly like a fountain spilling forth its waters into an unending stream. Just as I see the sun in its rays and the fountain in its waters, so God pours forth a sharing in divine life in all the gifts showered upon me. God's delight and joy is to be with the ones called God's children -- to be with me, God annot do enough to speak out and show love for me -- ever calling and inviting me to a fuller and better life, a sharing in divine life (Spiritual Exercises 229, 237)

He is risen! 
He is risen indeed! 

I woke up fairly early before the sunrise. It is a beautiful Easter Sunday, and there really is JOY in my heart. God's love is shining down upon me like the light rays from the sun. I plan on a walk when it gets a bit warmer. 

All the  Pray as You Go meditations are around the Coronavirus and the fact that people cannot go to church. I am fine with being at home with my family. They are those people on my yellow sticky note whose opinions matter to me, and they know me best. So, I am content and happy. I love being with them. We took a walk Good Friday evening, and it was so pleasant for all of us. I love going out and about, but I have loved the slower pace and no social obligations. We are saving a ton of money in gas too! We are not driving up to Portland every other week for our Enneagram panels (all by Zoom now with just my cohort of eight people). George is not driving back and forth to Hillsboro either from Corvallis or Newberg. We are not going to take the eight-hour drive through the Columbia Gorge to Boise on April 30. That is a lot of money saved there (although we were going to take George's hybrid car this time). 

I love the simplicity of life here and now. It has been lovely. I am never bored at home either. I am also losing weight. Some people would be staying home and eating, but I find I am better able to plan my meals and stick to not overeating. Going out for eating dates always packs on the pounds for me. 

So, there are so many blessings for me that have come from this Stay-at-Home mandate. I think George feels the same way. We made a goal of adding on a walk up to Glen Eden each week. So we are up to three times a week now. It is a 3 mile up and down hills kind of walk like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). It is lovely. 

The only thing I don't really like is teaching Pilates remotely. I really miss my students and coworkers. It is just a very positive place to go every Tuesday and Thursday, and I love the ride into work, especially in the spring when the "gates of thanksgiving" are blooming with spring colors. So that is the only thing that has not worked very well for me. I have really small classes. I am also still trying to figure out how to deliver quality audio and do Pilates with props from home. FIRST WORLD PROBLEM though. My goodness!

I am also doing OK with the whole recovery from what happened to me in December. One of the questions in Moment by Moment: A Retreat in Everyday Life today was, "What disappointments or hurts or failures are preventing me from moving on with my life? Would viewing them as a share in the death-resurrection of Jesus give me the freedom to entrust them to God?"  Last week's grace sought was "to experience sorrow and compassion for Jesus in his suffering," and my own sorrow helped me identify with him.  But now, I am living a resurrection life and will not allow this to prevent me from moving on. 

He is risen, and I have risen with him. Indeed.