Second Sunday of Advent and Full Cold Moon

Today starts the second week of advent. Advent is a time of vigilant waiting; I wait for something mysterious and unscheduled, but I wait with quiet excitement, and expectation. If I fall asleep to this awareness I risk missing the moment of joy, courage, or insight; the gift of grace that has the potential to feed me in ways I need.

And tonight is the Full Moon! The full moon of December is called the Cold Moon, for obvious reasons. Nature is resting now in preparation for the growing season, and so should I be. No matter how busy I feel, I can slow down, rest more, and pay better attention to the inner growing that is going on.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries
2. Update my altar
3. Advent wreath ceremony
4. Plan activities for unity and peace
5. Practice at my theme
6. Create inner synergy

1. Journal queries:
At the birth of Jesus, Luke wrote that the angels proclaimed peace on earth and goodwill for all (the non-violent peace of justice, not Caesar's peace by conquest).

How can I work now to create the conditions of peace in my community and world?
How can I become better at feeling and exhibiting goodwill for all?

2. Update my altar:
It's time to discern what to put on my altar for the next couple of weeks. (For my thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in. I ask, what quality of Spirit do I want to invoke?

This month-

• a red candle for courage and will power
• a green candle for harmony, balance, and growth
• a silver candle- for synergy
• pine cones- for the earth
• my straw doll- for luck and protection
• an angel- to remind me to be giving and loving

3. Advent wreath ceremony: 

Tonight (and every night this week) we will light two advent candles, and recite two prayers:

"We light the first candle for the earth, which sustains us. May we cherish and care for it."

"We light the second candle for all the people of the world. May we find unity and peace."

3. Plan activities for unity and peace:
This week my theme is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world".

That's  a huge goal! Rather then get depressed about it, though, I plan to do a little something positive each day.

Things I might do this week to create unity and peace:

• be peaceful within myself;
• be in harmony with people I interact with (especially those who irritate me);
• work to learn about and appreciate traditions and beliefs of people throughout the world;
• study an issue that is relevant to human rights in the world at this time;
• challenge myself to work to create the conditions of peace- justice, equality, and freedom- in my family and community.

My life might seem insignificant in the vastness of the universe, but each life is essential to the well being of the whole. I demonstrate my compassion with small acts of kindness and generosity. When I renew this intention each day, the opportunities to show goodwill appear with regularity.

4. Practice at my theme:

Besides my advent weekly theme, I also have a new focus each month at the full moon. 

My theme this month is synergy, the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, and work tirelessly towards a better end. 

Synergy is the eternally active primal force of creation: No matter what the conditions are-- they will change. You create synergy in your life when you make the effort to see clearly, stay open-minded, and take persistent right action. Synergy will allow you to experience the people in your life as angels, and the places you live, work, and play as paradise.

I think we are in great need of angels right now, and I see it happening: My friends, who (like myself) are shy people, have a new fire lit under them.

Activism and teamwork are not my forte, but I will find ways to help my community and the world that are (mostly) comfortable. I need to keep informed and stay aware of the many needs, but choose carefully where to put my energy and be open to where God is leading me to work. My intentions:

• Keep informed about current events, making an effort to understand both sides of an issue.
• Serve breakfast to the homeless once a month, and dinner whenever the Warming Center is activated (when the temperature drops below freezing).
• Encourage family teamwork with moving, painting, and home renovation as our nest empties once again.
• Give full effort toward everything I do- find the spark of love and excitement in every moment.

5. Create Inner Synergy: 
"Fulfilling the four needs [spiritual, mental, physical, social] in an integrated way is like combining elements in chemistry. When we reach a "critical mass" of integration, we experience spontaneous combustion-- an explosion of inner synergy that ignites the fire within and gives vision, passion, and a spirit of adventure to life."
~Stephen Covey

I love Stephen Covey's advise, and I've experienced that passion, but I've been pondering how to purposefully create synergy within myself. How do I go about engaging my heart, mind, body, and soul in a way that will give me an explosion of passion? Can I build it intentionally, for a particular project? Here's my experimental plan:

1. Choose a project that relates to my life's mission.

2. Engage my mind: Create a clear vision. Write about the project in my journal, and why it's important. Make a beautiful chart and color code it!
3. Engage my heart: Find the love component. Write about who this project is for, and the people skills I might need to develop for this project.
4. Engage my spirit: Choose a mantra, the word or phrase that will remind me of the deepest importance of the project. Light a candle and repeat my mantra, and carry the words with me all day.

5. Engage my body: Be prepared. Schedule time to physically do the project, and gather all the supplies and information I need. When the time arrives, stop everything. 
6. Start a fire: Mentally review my vision, repeat my mantra, remember the love, and give my body full attention as I move forward with action.