Ministry of Animals

yowl

Posted on November 10, 2016 by eteal

i know you are scared,

chased onto a strange roof,

surrounded by an unfamiliar landscape.

i can hear your cries echoing off the backs of buildings –

knocking at my heart.

I am here. I will stay with You. and it will be all right.

Posted in Tao Cats | Tagged cartoon, cat on roof, cats chase cat, cry, dogs chase cat, eco-chaplaincy, eco-ministry, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, fear, feral cats, ink painting, interspecies spirituality, kitten on roof, metaphor, mysticism, nature, poetry, protection, safety, security, solidarity, spirituality, sumi-e, you, yowl | Leave a comment

solace

Posted on November 9, 2016 by eteal

into the circle of sleep,

dream

into the circle of dreams,

wake.

the world is round.

all things are possible.

Posted in The Now | Tagged dog, dogs, dream time, dreams, eco-chaplaincy, eco-ministry, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, hope, ink brush painting, interspecies spirituality, meditation, mysticism, poetry, possiblities, sleep, spirituality, sumi-e | Leave a comment

landings

Posted on November 8, 2016 by eteal

where ever we land

may we land safely –

may we remember Love.

and may we continue to leap into the great mystery

with compassion.

Posted in The Now | Tagged animal assisted chaplaincy, cat leaping, compassion, eco-chaplaincy, eco-ministry, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, faith, God, hope, ink brush painting, jumping, mystery, mysticism, poetry, spirituality, sumi-e | Leave a comment

Bugging

Posted on November 7, 2016 by eteal

wellll – i can’t say

there ain’t no bugs on me,

cuz all day long there wuz –

from mosquitos that want to suck my blood

to tiny little gnats –

and then You show up and landing right on my face!

Ya know what really bugs me?

people who think there ain’t no bugs on them….

we all gotta learn to live together folks… we gottah

and we all have, upon occasion,

a bug or two – perhaps

reminding us of You.

Posted in The Now | Tagged amo, animal assisted chaplaincy, bugs, divine, earth, eco-chaplaincy, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, humor, insects, interspirituality, mystic, mysticism, nature, pace, poetry, sacred, sumi-e | Leave a comment

big pause

Posted on November 6, 2016 by eteal

i looked into the shopping cart

and it was filled with puppy….well one puppy…

one huge puppy

with two big paws….

really big paws.

Sometimes the lessons i need are readily apparent.

and it might be that we will all grow into our greater understanding –

but i think the message is simpler…

pause. take two. big ones.

repeat.

Posted in True Stories | Tagged animal assisted chaplaincy, eco-chaplaincy, eco-ministry, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, ink brush painting, interspecies spirituality, interspirituality, large breed puppy, love, meditation, nature, pause, paws, poetry, puppies, relax, rest, sacred paws, spirituality, sumi-e | Leave a comment

balance

Posted on November 6, 2016 by eteal

Since the dawn of time,

some artists

have wanted to capture the light…..

others needed to paint the dark….

neither fully realizing

we need both

to see

You.

Posted in The Now | Tagged bird, cat, dove, meditating, mystic, mysticism, painting, shadow, sumi-e | Leave a comment

Wanting

Posted on November 4, 2016 by eteal

if i stare at it hard enough, it will be mine!

(but what is it?)

Posted in The Now | Tagged animal assisted chaplaincy, brush painting, cartoon, choice, choosing, dog, dog begging, humor, ideas, ink brush meditiation, mysticism, spiritual humor, sumi-e, tao, wanting, zen | Leave a comment

change agents

Posted on November 4, 2016 by eteal

‘You made my day!’

can anybody make a day?

‘You changed my life today, no, you really did.’

these words repeated as the hands changed,

as fingers entwined the curls of the dog’s fur –

as hearts saw their world, as if for the first time, with compassion…

can one moment change your life?

perhaps not…

but it can set the wind under your wings –

it can help You soar,

and thus

yes

you can make a day,

new.

and the crows cawed from the tops of the lamp posts

and the ospreys circled on the thermals

and the joy was palpable.

Posted in The Now | Tagged drug abuse, eco-chaplaincy, eco-ministry, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, hand on top of dog, hope, ink brush painting, interspecies spirituality, interspirituality, joy, life changing events, love, meditation, mysticism, nature, pet therapy, petting, poetry, possibilites, salvation, spirituality, suicide, sumi-e, transformation | Leave a comment

Refugee?

Posted on November 2, 2016 by eteal

apon seeing an anole atop a basket by the lamp:

wait

You don’t belong here –

who says?

well, its, um, not your home?

who says?

well you’re wild and we have cats!

it’s not safe!

how do you think i got here in the first place?

can you not see the scar where my tail has regrown?

have you not noticed how well fed i look?

who are you to say this is not my home?

he is right.

welcome here.

may You find refuge.

Posted in The Now | Leave a comment

DASH!

Posted on November 1, 2016 by eteal

All I SAW WAS the red blur as HE FLEW PAST….

perhaps i appeared as a blur to someone else–

Somedays all you can do is dash and pray.

we will all get where we are going

even if we aren’t quite sure

where that

is….

Posted in The Now | Tagged animal assisted chaplaincy, birds, cardinals, dash, eco-chaplaincy, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, heaven, home, hope, hurrying, ink brush painting, interspecies spirituality, interspirituality, multi-tasking, mysticism, nature, poetry, prayer, salvation, spirituality, sumi-e | Leave a comment