SOUL CrossTraining

  Starting this journey my fav a.m. beverage . Abundant Simplicity is an odd combination of words, don't you think? At face value it seems more like an oxymoron .  You know, like Crazy Wisdom, Deafening Silence, Irregular Pattern or Sweet Sorrow .  An unexpected combination of two things that seem to contradict each other.    Abundant describes something that is present in great quantity; more than adequate, over-sufficient, abounding, overflowing. Simplicity is the state or quality of being simple, free from complexity or singleness of nature.   Is it possible to have abundance and simplicity at the same time?  We'll see. Could abundant simplicity be a paradox?

I come upon two paths at the bottom of the hill. A well-trodden path with a strong, solid footing converges with a dangerous trench that has been carved out from the summer storms and water runoff. The trench is now mostly dry with only hints of the surge of water that has edged away the defining boundary between safe and dangerous. I am struck by the proximity between these two very different paths -- how easy it would be to wander off the path and slip into the trench. The edge of the path has been eroding -- it is jagged, weakened -- if you were to walk to close your foot would likely slip and you would find that you have fallen into the trench. In some ways following the unpredictable, potentially dangerous path is inviting and seems adventurous-- to traverse the worn, ragged dry creek bed -- but I sense the danger and it feels ominous. This two paths are really diverging paths. di-verge (verb) 1. to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point; branch off. 2. t...

Katie, a young friend of mine, wrote these three words on a ceramic plate she designed... Love without Fear I wonder about the combination of these three words . I wonder about the power of loving and living this way. Our longing to experience this type of love, this way of life is planted deep within our souls. Although we will never fully experience it on earth -- we sometimes within some relationships, catch a glimpse of the power and beauty of this way of loving. And for a moment see and experience the depth of God's love for us. I think I caught a glimpse early this year as I spent a few days at the beach celebrating a dear friend's 45th birthday. She gathered a handful of friends to celebrate the gift of life and the power of love. It looked a little like this: Conversations flowing with ease Laughter, free and spontaneous Joy expressed around a dining room table Gratitude for the gift of girlfriends All these moments combined conveyed a bit of God's love and ...