Spiritual practices Archives - Page 17 of 22 - Lisa Colón DeLay

A Prayer For Tuesday

God,

Today is Tuesday.

I feel small in the world.

In the little things I do, be with me, near me, and hold me dear.

Let me not forget your faithfulness, your grace, your power, your love.

Show me, my God–or help me glimpse–that your ways,

and your plan, are beyond my sight.

(But, that isn’t so I should worry, but so I can rely on you, and trust.)

If you are not all together good, then good does not exist.

But since I know what good is at all, surely I know you some.

Breathe into me your breath of life, and let me know you more.

When Tuesday seems like a small day, with nothing to offer,

show me that you delight in me,

just because I am yours.

Surely, you are mine.

Sincerely, with love,

Your girl,

Lisa

Coffee bowls and 2-handled mugs- Jehovah Java

I’ve posted two other posts on coffee, (Free coffee post,and “is coffee spiritual” post) and how the enjoyment of it is a true spiritual practice. I’ve wanted to find more information about the Carmelite monks who use no handle mugs so they can be fully present, and appreciative to their Creator during their daily practice of sipping their warm brew.

Jehovah Java-the God who provides coffee? Okay, I’m not sure about the Hebrew on that one, but here are more information and links for coffee lovers, or people who love them.

What is a coffee bowl? Used is Peru, France, and various other places in the world, a coffee bowl is grasped with two hands and coffee is sipped. This also keeps the hands warm. (You can locate the one pictured below, here.)

Here’s another item that promises to warm up hands when filled with hot cocoa or coffee. (find it here)

This “Mystic Monk (2-handled) Mug” looks like a practical joke. It harkens back to the idea of the hands-on method of drinking coffee, and it’s a bargain among the others here, at only $6.99. Mystic Monk Coffee is a brand created and Carmelite monks in Wyoming who roast their own blends to support their solitary life of prayer. They have many varieties, including a fair trade blend, Carmel, Cowboy Blend, Hermit’s Bold Blend, and Midnight Vigil, among them. They also have a sampler pack with free shipping, and a coffee club-how handy.

What’s your favorite container to hold coffee, and why?

Reader Responds with quote (i.e. Lust: an Opportunity)

Karen Moret Harrison wrote:

“If there is an Enemy of Souls, one thing he cannot abide is the desire for purity. Hence a man’s or woman’s passions become his battleground. The Love of Souls does not prevent this. I was perplexed because it seemed to me He should prevent it, but He doesn’t. He wants us to learn to use our weapons.” ~Elisabeth Elliot

En garde!

It would seem that we must take up armor against attacks that target our weak points, yet use the attacks themselves as God’s inescapable challenges to strengthen ourselves, enrich our dependence on Him, and I dare say, hone our passions for our best interests, and God’s work.

Thank you for writing, friend! “Allez!”

How about you? Leave your thoughts and comments, please. :)

Hoodoo Voodoo Series-

movie with the best voodoo play on words — movie with the best hoodoo play on words Below: Scene from The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, 1945

(info and photo from here)

hoodoo info below via wikipedia:

The dominant worldview in hoodoo is usually strongly Christian. Historically there has been an Old Testament strain in hoodoo thought. This is particularly evident in relation to God’s providence and his role in retributive justice. For example, though there are strong ideas of good versus evil, cursing someone to cause their death might not be considered a malignant act. For example, one practitioner explained it as follows:

“[In] Hoodooism, anythin’ da’ chew do is de plan of God undastan’, God have somepin to do wit evah’ thin’ you do if it’s good or bad, He’s got somepin to do wit it . . . jis what’s fo’ you, you’ll git it.”^[12]

Not only is God’s providence a factor in hoodoo practice, but hoodoo thought understands God, himself, as the archetypal hoodoo doctor. On this matter Hurston stated, “The way we tell it, hoodoo started way back there before everything. Six days of magic spells and mighty words and the world with its elements above and below was made.”^[13] From this perspective, biblical figures are often recast as hoodoo doctors and the Bible becomes a source of conjurational spells and is, itself, used as a protective talisman.^[14]

The goal of hoodoo is to allow people access to supernatural forces to improve their daily lives by gaining power in many areas of life, including luck, money, love, divination, revenge, health, employment, and necromancy. Due to hoodoo’s great emphasis on an individual’s magical power, its basic principles of working are generally felt to be easily adapted for use based on one’s desires, inclination and habits.

Hoodoo and Voodoo are often mistaken for one another. Some believe that the terms may have a common etymology. Simply put, Voodoo is a religion, whereas Hoodoo is a group of magical practices.

Check the next few posts for more depth on this: (plus a fun self test!)

$6 shoes – a spiritual practice

Simplicity in material possessions is a spiritual practice. For about 4 years, I’ve been trying to be frugal as a spiritual practice about how I shop, especially for clothing. I have plenty of hand-me-downs (as do my kids), and buy used, or clothes made in the USA, (not produced for slave wages), for much of what I purchase for all of us.

Finding a great bargain is fun. This snazzy pair was just 6$.

How have you simplified in your life?

What areas need some simplification?