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lynnmurphymark

Life on life’s terms

Much later in my life I began to write, first by journaling, then by writing two books, and now by writing a blog. I am in my mid-70’s and still working on becoming a better citizen of this world. I love observing life each day and putting my thoughts about the day in writing. I find people fascinating and do most of my writing about the people I encounter. I write this blog mostly about life on life’s terms. Every day there is a new experience to be had.
  • lynnmurphymark
    Today’s blog
    02/23/2025
    Lynn Murphy Mark
     
    A bundle of energy
     
    At my church there is a lot of emphasis on the power of prayer and meditation. As a prayer chaplain for the last six years I have learned for myself that the energy of a prayer is like ripples on a pond: the intention is the stone going into the water and the consequences are the ripples on the surface. The ripples create an ever-widening circle as does the message in the prayer.
     
    Science has revealed the importance of energy and vibration in the Universe. Because we are made of star dust our very existence is that of a radiating source of vitality. We each follow the rules of the infinite space that we live in, a space interlaced with visible matter, invisible dark matter, and the power of constant motion on a cellular level. Atoms and their components vibrate constantly. When I remember that, I can see myself as one big collection of atoms always on the move.
     
    Since this energy is a gift that comes with being alive it makes sense that our energetic field can reach beyond the boundaries of our bodies. That means we are capable of sharing it with whoever, or whatever, we come in contact with. And we don’t have to be in close proximity to another being in order to send waves of peace, or compassion over a distance. I think of that beautiful song, “From a Distance”, that says, “…we are instruments marching in a common band…” and, “…From a distance there is harmony and it echoes through the land…”. 
     
    There have been studies of a phenomenon called “quantum entanglement” showing that two separated particles can interact instantaneously. When this was proposed to Einstein he was not convinced, and using scientific language, he called it “spooky action at a distance…”. Well, if that’s good enough for old Albert, it’s proof enough for me. 
     
    So, I can live with prayer being called “spooky action”. When I pray with a person sometimes they will say they felt the energy of the words moving between us. I feel this every time I go into my heart space and let the words of a prayer form, and an intention arise. There is also a quote from Psalm 19, “May the words from my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable unto you, O God.” I say them before I take my spot in the church’s prayer zone. 
     
    Yesterday I had three congregants come with prayer requests. I no longer worry that I will be short on words. I know that sound waves will carry my response to a request from me to the petitioner. Sometimes we pray for people who are far away.  I know there is energy that travels from the two people engaged in intentional thought to the recipient. Although we prayer chaplains release the prayer to God, I have had people tell me that our prayer made a difference even when distance is involved.
     
    This morning I got a Facebook request from a friend whose daughter has a severe spinal deformity. It is a bad case of scoliosis. The young woman is having surgery tomorrow to straighten her spine as much as possible, and her mother is requesting prayer. She is going to set up a “text tree” so she can send us updates while we pray for her daughter. This is the kind of request that my prayer chaplain group handles all the time. We are each free to ask for prayer from our colleagues.
     
    Prayer is so important in the Unity faith that there is a part of the organization called, “Silent Unity”.  It is a 24/7 prayer vigil that has been ongoing since the early 1900’s. Anyone can call at any time, with any kind of prayer request, and someone live will pray with the caller. In case you want to try it, call 1-816-969-2000. You will get an affirmative powerful prayer that flows from just outside of Kansas City to any place in the world. That’s a lot of energy exchange right there!
     
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  • 02/22/2025

    lynnmurphymark

    Today’s blog

    Lynn Murphy Mark

    Things that make me say “WOW!”

    One thing that is so precious about young children is how they often react to new things. Babies will go into peals of laughter at the silliest prompting. Little kids’ eyes will widen and their expression says it all – they’ve seen something new and very cool. I have a picture of my grandson’s face when he was shown his first chocolate bunny. No words needed, he just appeared filled with joy. My daughter was holding him and even her face looked pleasantly surprised. (It’s not just confined to people, however. I can show Mollie Dog one of her treats and she will turn herself inside out with happiness. Somehow she manages to smile.)

    I know that Facebook has it controversial swirls going on. But I go there every morning to see how my friends are doing and what they are posting. Over the years I have signed up to follow certain pages. I think my all-time favorite is David Attenborough’s post. Invariably he sponsors pictures of this amazing earth and her creatures and features. Often, coming across a picture of his, I give a little gasp, smile broadly, and say, Wow! 

    Sir David Attenborough will be 99 years old this May. I think he is a true renaissance man, given all his talents. He is a writer, biologist, natural history expert, broadcaster, film maker, and a graduate of the London School of Economics. You have to be pretty damn smart to excel in all these categories. He has won numerous awards. He is an environmental protection champion, particularly emphasizing the importance of biodiversity on the quality of life on our planet. I can only imagine how many places on this earth he has visited, photographed, and created special broadcasts about the wonders he’s witnessed. 

    I recently watched one of his films about hummingbirds, “Hummingbirds: Jeweled Messengers”. He narrated a beautiful and fast-moving epic. To capture these tiny creatures in flight they had to use slow motion photography. These little birds have the highest metabolic rate, fastest heart beat and most rapid wing beat in the whole bird world. They evolved to feed from flowers, thus pollinating their little kitchens to create more of them. As I watched I felt such deep respect for the elegant design of our planet. Don’t know how many times a “Wow!” erupted, but there were quite a lot of them. 

    There is a magazine called “Mindful”. What follows is from an article entitled “The Science of Wonder”: “Awe is the emotion that arises when we encounter vast mysteries that transcend out understanding of the world. My research from 26 cultures shows that people find awe in the ‘eight wonders of life’, which are: the moral beauty of others, collective movement, nature, visual design, music, spirituality, big ideas, and encountering the beginning and end of life.” (Mindful, Author Dacher Keltner, February 16, 2023).

    So, here I am at age 75, still able to react like a surprised child impressed by something brand new. I am grateful to carry a wellspring of amazement and delight. Even if I start the day worried about our Democracy and feeling a bit downtrodden, a photograph of some exotic animal or fascinating geography will remind me that this planet is a cauldron of miracles. 

    Outside of my window the birds of our neighborhood are lined up on the fence rail, waiting for breakfast to be served. We are delighting in our photographic feeder. Yesterday there was a picture of a little bird’s butt, mooning the camera. There’s one in every crowd.

  • Today’s blog

    lynnmurphymark

    Lynn Murphy Mark       

    Spiritual sustenance

    Every day since January 20, 2025 there is a good chance that I will be amazed, and not in a good way, by what is happening to our government. I don’t mean for this to be a political post, but I have to admit that I am shocked on a daily basis by 47’s dangerous tactics. I understand very well that the point is to perform so many inappropriate and dangerous actions that I will become immune to their implications and give up the fight. I will do everything I can to prevent that from happening to me.

    I can withstand the social pressures by keeping informed, supporting my causes, and supporting the people who are front and center on the front lines. I have been watching Jasmine Crockett lately as she raises her voice in defiance of the dismantling of our government as we know it. When she speaks, she is passionate and deadly serious, and does not appear to be afraid of any repercussions. Her kind of energy lifts me up and I pray for her safety as I pray for all who are standing up to the ugly power that is manifested every day.

    But what I need to guard even more than my political opinions is my spiritual stamina. My world view is such that I cannot separate day to day happenings from the broader vision that there is order and beauty surrounding us all. No matter how ugly it gets I believe that my own spiritual energy will sustain me. There is a song that Sweet Honey in the Rock sings and its words are meaningful to me:

    “I don’t know how the angels woke me up this morning soon

    I don’t know how the blood still runs through my veins

    I don’t know how I rate to run another day

    Standing in a rainstorm I believe.

    My God calls me in the morning dew

    The power of the universe knows my name

    Gave me a song to sing and sent me on my way

    I raise my voice for justice I believe.”

    When lies are flying through the airwaves, I rely on spiritual fitness to keep them from taking root in my brain. Spiritual values tell me that I will withstand the barrage of ignorant, cruel steps being taken to dismantle the USA as we know it. I will keep up with what’s happening, but will not be put down by it. 

    The Universe’s message to me is clear. I must do what I can to maintain my soul’s wellbeing. For me that takes several different approaches to preserve sanity. One of them is to look for moments of joy wherever they are to be found. Yesterday my grandson turned 6 and a few minutes of Facetime with the New Jersey peeps lifted me up. They are a constant source of wonder and happiness. Ted and Sarah in Los Angeles are so precious to me I can hardly stand it.

    Then, next week I will be joining a community choir. I have loved singing in a choir since I was a kid in college and I cannot fully explain how this is such a powerful source of sustenance. It is sheer joy to me to lift my voice in a group and send music into the ether. We will be preparing for a concert in June and I look forward to it. This choir is directed by a woman who is a musical force to be reckoned with. She calls forth the best musicianship we can give.

    My work, while seriously engaged in the world’s busyness and complexity, gives me hope each time I talk to a client or to my colleagues. We can make a difference, although there will be many challenges coming from Washington, DC. My spiritual activity in this case is to speak at as many churches as will have me on the biblical sayings that are very clear about what our responsibility is to immigrants. So far I have three engagements lined up. 

    The other day my gift to myself arrived. It is a complex paint by number set of the Grand Canyon. I have relied on the message from that magnificent canyon since I encountered it in the late 1960’s. It’s depth and majesty have taught me that “this too shall pass”, and the work of wind and ice and water will keep carving beautiful places into the earth. This will be happening regardless of our foolish human moves, and will long outlast the good and evil of our lives.

    So, 47 and your minions, try as you will you will not wear me down. You may shock me by your methods, but I believe that good will prevail. And that makes all the difference.

  • 02/20/2025

    lynnmurphymark

    Today’s blog

    Lynn Murphy Mark

    An immigration encounter

    Yesterday morning I found myself at the headquarters of Anxiety Central, Inc., also known as the waiting room of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS. I’ve written about this waiting room before. It is a large room with people waiting to learn their fate as it regards their immigration status. 

    Upon arrival at the building at 1222 Spruce Street downtown, I park and have to remind myself every time how to register for a parking space on my phone app. I’m getting better and each time the process seems simpler. Yesterday was bitter cold, so before I got into the building my sinuses were freezing and aching. Then there is a nice guard with a gun who makes sure that I have an ID and am not carrying guns, pepper spray, knives or other harmful items. Off comes my coat, badge, watch, purse and paper file and another armed guy scans my stuff before I have to be wanded because I have pretend knees.

    I was already worried about my client getting here safely because the roads were icy and a bit slick. Sure enough, I got a call from her daughter saying they were running late due to a slow-down from an accident. By that time I was up in the waiting room and it was almost 8:00, our appointed time. Our officer came out to get us and I explained to him that the client was delayed. He is a laid back guy, for which I am grateful. He asked if he could talk to me about the case before they arrived. That’s unusual, so I was all ears. 

    Here’s the mystery I have encountered before – some of the paperwork that I submit in a sealed Fedex envelope occasionally disappears from sight and the officer in Saint Louis does not have everything I originally sent in. This represents a delay in the outcome. He kindly told me what he was missing. Thankfully I have a copy back at the office and ultimately my client will get her Green Card. I used to get annoyed about this, but then I read once about the literally millions of pages that USCIS people handle. So now I accept it as an inevitable part of doing business with such a huge bureaucracy. 

    Next to me was an African American lady who had brought her mom in for mom’s citizenship interview. She was not allowed to go in with her, but the officer, another kind person, assured them both that she would go slow. She and mom disappeared through the frosted glass door into the heart of the place. 

    I can’t help myself so I started a conversation. Turns out my seatmate is originally from Cameroon and has become a citizen herself. She told me that many of her family members happen to live in a war zone in Cameroon and the folks here in the USA are understandably worried sick about them. Her mother still has two children living there. 

    Before long, the lady asked me what I think about all the layoffs and dustups happening in the Federal government. I thought that was brave, asking a bit of a loaded question of a total stranger. She watched my face carefully as I told her that I was shocked on a daily basis by what is going on. Then we were off and running.

    Like so many of us, she does not comprehend the depth of cruelty involved in firing people on the spot. What about their mortgages, their family’s needs, their professional careers carelessly thrown away through an email? We commiserated. I told her that every time I go to a Citizenship ceremony, I urge my clients to register to vote once they are sworn in as citizens. 

    Then she confessed. She said she had her Green Card for a long time and her kids kept encouraging her to become a citizen and she kept brushing them off. To my surprise and delight she told me that when 47 was in his first term she decided that it was her civic responsibility to become a citizen! She has exercised her right to vote ever since. Both of us talked about how completely baffling 47 and president musk’s actions are. Well, not truly baffling because project 2025 spelled them out last year before the election. What is baffling is the lack of response from Congress to challenge any of these harmful acts.

    My clients were still delayed, so my new friend and I sat in comfortable anxiety for her mother’s experience. When the door opened, the officer gave us a thumbs up and mom came out wearing a huge smile. Hugs were exchanged and tears flowed between them. I am always in awe of this really, really big deal in someone’s life. 

    I’ll have to write about my client another time. But according to the officer, she will ultimately get her Green Card once I send in what he is missing. That is always good news.

  • 02/18/2025

    lynnmurphymark

    Today’s blog

    Lynn Murphy Mark

    A new vision

    Jan and I have visited a United Church of Christ near the house for the last three Sundays. Each time we have been greeted warmly and welcomed by various members. We have appreciated the social justice nature of the sermons, where we are urged to reach out into the community in a number of helpful ways. Not only that, the pastor’s message addresses the convoluted and disturbing political times in which we live. He is skilled at getting the point across without mentioning names or individuals. But there is a compelling nature to his words, as he reminds us what Jesus took on in his relatively short ministry. 

    Yesterday we had a long phone conversation with him about joining this community next Sunday. Once he had heard about both of our “church” backgrounds he realized that we are not newcomers to spiritual communities. He now knows that we have evolved spiritually over the years. 

    Jan was raised Southern Baptist and has come a long way from those earliest roots. She has served as a Sextant at Trinity Episcopal Church in the West End. She joined United Church of Santa Fe when we lived there. And, when we were in Naples, Florida, we both discovered the beautiful spiritual world of Unity at Unity of Naples Church. 

    I am a late-comer to church membership since I was 32 before I joined Webster Groves Christian Church and raised myself and my children in this liberal protestant denomination. When I met Jan I went with her to services at Trinity and was impressed by the community outreach that was such a part of this church. In Santa Fe I joined the UCC church there. And my Unity experience – all 13 years of it – has been among the richest spiritual direction that I have found anywhere.

    I never thought I would leave Unity. But like many decisions in life, the hard ones take time and prayerful contemplation. That is what I have been working on for some time. It is my belief that all of life is spiritual. For that reason, I have chosen a new church home where there is concrete action to address the inequities we face. There is a willingness to discuss the social issues that challenge us. I have already been asked to speak about immigration. This is my passion and I need to approach it from a legal standpoint, and I also need to be spiritually involved in advocating for our clients. 

    At UCC churches when a person joins, an established congregant stands up with them as they are received. We have chosen the first man who greeted us and a very funny lady who sits behind us. The man who greeted us is passionate about LGBTQ+ issues. Every year he puts up Pride signs, which oddly disappear, so he has to put up another one. He will not be stopped in his effort to advertise the support this church gives. The lady behind us has been very friendly every week. The first time we attended I was a little confused about when to stand and when to sit. One thing I’ve noticed, at this church there is as much standing and sitting as any Catholic service I’ve been to. With the nice lady’s help I finally realized that where there is an * in the bulletin we are to stand. Oh, Now? OK.

    There may be a prayer ministry in the works and I hope to be involved with that. My last 7 years as a Unity Prayer Chaplain have been so enriching that I am happy to know that I may be able to contribute in some way.

    After the phone call, Jan and I met Donna at the local Applebees for an early dinner. When we got home there were two sweet and simple flower arrangements at our front door. Pastor had brought them by. They are flowers from Sunday’s service, with a card for each of us that says the flowers have heard the congregation singing and the prayers said and now they are used to welcome us. 

    Outside my window, snow is coming down. All the birds in Creve Coeur have found our feeder and they are busily feeding and trying to be polite and share. Like people, some are better at this than others. Thank you, Sacred Presence, for all the gifts.

  • 02/16/2025

    lynnmurphymark

    Today’s blog

    Lynn Murphy Mark

    A new endeavor

    Yesterday morning I got brave after I had two full cups of coffee. I have been at this blog writing business since December of 2021, using Facebook as my posting site. I am grateful for the people who read and comment on the posts. Some of those people have suggested that I seek a wider distribution so I googled, how to start a blog site. Mr. Google led me to WordPress.com, a faithful site for all levels of publishing and posting. 

    One story I tell myself is that I am computer-skills-impaired. As a result, I am somewhat timid when it comes to trying new things – like creating a blog site. However, WordPress quickly led me to create a name and gave me a discount to open a site. Voila! I now have a rudimentary blog site: bloggerlife.blog where I hope to write about “Life on life’s terms”.

     I chose a little icon, a picture of Minnie when she was a puppy trustfully sleeping on her back on the living room floor. This picture has always reminded me that even as a puppy she loved us enough to sleep in a very vulnerable position and take the chance that she would be safe. For some reason I think this little gem speaks volumes about trusting that life will provide whatever is needed, including a comfy rug to sleep on.

    I have just posted a blog from a few days ago as a start. I have also decided to change my message to self from, “Oh-oh, now what?” to, “Let’s get started learning how to best use this tool.” I will give it my best and use my discretionary time to develop a new skill set. 

    One of the things my search uncovered yesterday was a series of short articles by a blogger who makes money off of his blogs. He brings in an astonishing five figure dollar amount each month. He did say it takes several years to reach this level. I stopped reading before I discovered the secret to monetizing posts. That is not my goal. 

    In fact, my writing career has not been about making money. My two books were self-published without benefit of an agent and their sales have been quite limited. The greatest part of this whole writing thing is feedback I get from readers about their positive feelings toward what I write, and that they have been helped by reading the books and blogs. 

    One step at a time is my mantra. I want to learn how to fluff up my site with pictures and colors. I know there are people out there who do this for a living. I may make a connection there if it feels right. First, though, I want to be like my writing partner, Sheila. She bravely goes where she has not ventured before into the mechanics of writing and publishing. She teaches herself how to create a site. When we wrote “Kaleidoscope Diaries” she did all the hard work of formatting and organizing. I admired her from a distance and let her do all the work. That is flat out laziness on my part.

    I owe Sheila thanks for starting me on the blog writing. As we were getting ready to publish our book she said it would be great to post blogs on our “Kaleidoscope” website. At the time I laughed at the idea just hoping that we would soon have copies of our book in our hands. I don’t remember what mental acrobatics it took for me to write my first blog but I have been writing them every since. 

    Little did I know that early morning writing would become a source of spiritual nourishment. I write in the dark before dawn, very early in the morning hours. Most days I wake up happy to be here another day and on writing days I feel an irresistible urge to open a blank page and start writing. I never know what will bubble up until a theme occurs to me and I’m off and running. So, I go forth and explore a new path. Wish me luck.

  • 02/16/2025

    lynnmurphymark

    Good morning and welcome to Bloggerlife.blog. My goal is to write about the subject of “Life on Life’s Terms”. I will have an entry every other day or so.

    Lynn Murphy Mark

    A philosophical or religious outlook that fosters resilience.

    Of Jung’s five pillars that support a good life, this one spoke to me the loudest. The other four are essential and I do my best to follow them. But resilience is the word that stands out for me. When Sheila and I were writing our book, the concept of resilience was in front of us. We wrote stories that we hoped reflected how we were navigating through life in a manner that supported our values and beliefs. 

    I’m not saying that it is necessary to be an optimist in order to go through life successfully. But my outlook is absolutely colored by a tendency to believe in the possibility that the best outcomes will manifest. In my house, Jan and I sometimes differ. For example, one day in Santa Fe I mentioned that I wanted to go camping, and the first words from Jan were, “But there are bears!” Now I know that sometimes I go off half-cocked and am not as cautious as I should be, but I rarely think of the dangers before I think of the opportunities. I know a couple of people who think I am crazy for driving to Santa Fe by myself, but I believe I am safe. Now there was a small incident of a piece of sheet metal flying off a truck and hitting my front bumper while I was in Oklahoma. But I prefer to be grateful that my bumper was the only thing destroyed by that random occurrence.

    This article had me thinking about why I approach life this way. First of all, I’m grateful for the positive outlook part of me. It helps when things go dark sometimes. I think that is why my episodes of depression are so troublesome. My state of mind in those times is contrary to my ability to get through a day with hope and faith. And yet, I thank my depression for having taught me that “this too shall pass”, and that I am capable of surviving my worst days. Once, in my worst episode, I asked my minister at the time why I could not feel the presence of God. His words have stayed with me. He told me that God works in many ways, and that perhaps God was supporting the people who were lovingly helping me – my psychiatrist, and my close friends who never let me give up. Reverend Bill Shoop taught me to look for God in places where I least expected to find God. 

    Since 2012, when I first walked into a Unity church in Naples, Florida, and experienced the loving, positive atmosphere that prevailed, I have found the faith that best supports me in my life. Because of Unity teachings, I am even more convinced that God is found inside me as well as all around me. Believing this allows me to look for God at work in the world and in the details of my daily life.

    I’m not saying that life is happy-happy-joy-joy all the time. I am struggling with the political landscape of this last week with its vicious attack on human and civil rights. But I know that God is with me as I identify the things I can do to counter the ugliness. They are small actions, like writing a thank you card to the Episcopal bishop who spoke to 47 about justice and mercy. Like contributing when I can to agencies that are going to court to defend us. Like holding a small amount of gratitude for Mitch McConnell who had the courage to vote against confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. It’s the only time that I have agreed with anything Mitch has done. He gives me a tiny bit of hope that 47’s cruel agenda will face challenges.

    So, I go to church, I pray, I go to my 12 Step meetings, I read things to keep me informed, I talk with my friends, I go to work to do my part for immigrants, I find any opportunity to have a good laugh, I check my gratitude list as often as possible.  All of these are God-driven and Universe-approved means of staying sane. I am blessed.

  • Hello World!

    lynnmurphymark

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