Ministry of Animals

open hearted

Posted on March 15, 2015 by eteal

a small mouse rescued from the floor

showed me freedom was more than an open door

it was the flame of an open heart.

Posted in Blessings | Tagged art, chalice, chalice flame, field mice, house mouse, ink brush painting, meditation, mice, mouse, open hearted, rice paper, rodent, standing on the side of love, sumi-e | Leave a comment

directions

Posted on March 14, 2015 by eteal

over head i hear a honk

and another

up i look,

expecting to see

a flock of Canadians

winging it North for Spring

instead i see

You.

flying South.

remember you too are a multitude!

Posted in The Now | Tagged canada goose, Canadian Geese, Earth centered spirituality, eco-chaplaincy, eco-theology, expectations, flying goose, ink brush painting, meditations, mystism, nature, poetry, religious poetry, spiritual poetry, sumi-e, zen | 2 Comments

boxes

Posted on March 13, 2015 by eteal

somedays

we fill our box,

sometimes we just need to find a box just our size,

if just for a little while.

Posted in The Now | Tagged art, authenticity, boundaries, cats, cats in boxes, eco-chaplaincy, eco-mysticism, ink brush meditiation, interspirituality, naps, self awareness, sumi-e | Leave a comment

gifts

Posted on March 12, 2015 by eteal

i am tired of hearing that

something, anything

it is either a gift or a lesson –

why can’t it be a communication!

today was filled with gifts and lessons –

but most of all

communications!

Some bunny loves me –

and i bet you are loved too!.

Posted in Animal assisted therapy, Blessings, Bunny Love | Tagged animal communications, bunnies, communication, gifts, house rabbits, lessons, life lessons, rabbits, rabbits as pets, sumi-e | Leave a comment

car accidents, survival and loss

Posted on March 10, 2015 by eteal

a cardinal landed on a sculpture in my garden,

made from an old engine block.

made by an old friend

who credited it with saving her life –

so she melted it

and poured it into a clay mold she had carved.

both were born anew.

she however is gone.

not from a car crash – from more insidious internal crashes.

we are all mortal after all.

This week is one of those weeks where we have more car accidents than any other –

(day light savings time and spring break)

but still i am reminded of salvation

every day i see her sculpture.

Posted in Cardinal Rules, Winged wisdoms | Tagged best friends, car accidents, car crash, car crashes, cardinal, grief, hope, loss, mourning, salvation, sculpture, sculpture from engine blocks, spring break | Leave a comment

Real. Small. Toy?

Posted on March 10, 2015 by eteal

I am not a toy.

I am not a monkey – no. really. not of any kind,

I am not your sweet monkey.

and i am not trying to dominate you!

you are the one that put the collar on me.

and you want me to be a therapy dog?

i do not pee because i disrespect you –

(why do you pee?)

(do toys pee?)

and if you would please teach me where the bathroom is and stop yelling at me,

would

very

grateful.

Posted in The Now | Tagged animal assisted chaplaincy, animal assisted therapy, dog training, gratitude, house breaking, house training, myth of dominance in dogs, positive training, potty training, therapy dogs, toy poodles | Leave a comment

blogs and breathing

Posted on March 8, 2015 by eteal

so do you want to be on a blog tonight?

no.

i want your sandwich.

if i give you a piece of my sandwich –

suddenly i will be surrounded by millions of gulls

wanting pieces of my sandwich…

oh,

do you see millions of gulls? here? now?

no.

is that how compassion works?

aren’t you supposed to be meditating right now?

i’m trying.

get back to your meditation, while i look for crusts in other places. –

hey look! this garbage pail is overflowing!

breathe.

what’s a blog?

breathe.

Posted in The Now | Tagged animal assisted chaplaincy, animal assisted spiritual direction, blogging, breathe, daily meditation practice, eco-chaplaincy, eco-ministry, eco-mysticism, garbage pails, meditating on the beach, meditation on the beach, nature is my religion, seagulls, seagulls on beach | Leave a comment

adapt/adopt

Posted on March 7, 2015 by eteal

we are adaptable creatures,

designed to adopt each other.

consciously conceived or adopted –

all of us want homes.

we are family.

Posted in Tao Cats | Tagged adaptation, adopt, adoption, art, blessings, calico cat, cat breeders, chosen family, domestic long hair cat, evolution, family, felines, long haired calico, long haired tortie cat, pure breed cats, rescue cats, sumi-e | Leave a comment

Butterflies

Posted on March 6, 2015 by eteal

there are butterflies in my heart,

and my stomach.

but none yet in the unbloomed flowers of the garden.

patience,

Spring will come and buds and hearts will open.

Posted in The Now | Tagged amo, butterflies, hope, ink brush painting, love, papillion, paps, patience, poetry, rescue dogs, responsible breeders, spirituality, stamp art, sumi-e | Leave a comment

Squirrel hunting

Posted on March 6, 2015 by eteal

“squirrel hunting for dinner”

Sometimes you say something –

and people hear something else.

the old carny trick holds more truth than many a sacred text.

“Come see the Man Eating Chicken” –

the horror,

the savagery!

yet, all of that are interpretations are true.

Listen for the truth.

Sometimes even when we listen,

we don’t pay attention –

Sometimes even when we pay attention,

we are not listening to what is being said.

Posted in The Now | Tagged eco-chaplaincy, eco-ministry, eco-mysticism, eco-spirituality, Man eating chicken, nature, poetry, sacred texts, spirituality, Squirrel hunting, squirrels eating, sumi-e | Leave a comment

Ministry of Animals

open hearted

directions

boxes

gifts

car accidents, survival and loss

Real. Small. Toy?

blogs and breathing

adapt/adopt

Butterflies

Squirrel hunting

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