InSpiritry

In several conversations of late, I have been reminded of how overpowering the world’s problems seem to most of us. We would like things to be better, but global situations like terrorist threats, war, extreme poverty, religious persecution, human rights and famine seem, well…just too global!

Maybe there’s our answer. We keep our perspective at a global level. What if we reduce the world’s terrible dilemmas to personal proportions — to our everyday lives? Maybe then, we can see that we really can “make a difference.” (more…)

A Noose!?!

After years of being locked away as a relic of American heartlessness, the reality of a rope knotted into a noose is back! First, during the Jena Six case and now at another American high school where its barbarous symbolism is being used for intimidation. It is nothing short of heart-breaking for me. (more…)

What Is the Idea That Is America?

That is exactly the question considered by author and pre-eminent foreign affairs expert Anne-Marie Slaughter in her new book, The Idea That Is America, whose title is based on a comment made by an Army Captain back from Iraq. Slaughter is Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and someone who writes and speaks extensively about foreign policy theory. (more…)

Reading That Book Changed My Life!

If you are a reader, you have probably said these very words.

Which one was it for you?

War and Peace? The Diary of Anne Frank? The Color Purple? Purpose Driven Life?

Maybe it was something less weighty, but just as unforgettable like Nancy Drew or Huckleberry Finn.

Recently, I gave some thought to the idea of how books influence our lives. (more…)

Today is Unity Church’s 14th annual World Day of Prayer. As individuals and as a global family, it is a chance for us to celebrate all that is good in our lives, to commit to peace and to embrace the transforming power of our collective prayers. Around the world, festivities are planned and prayers are being lifted.

Whatever you have planned for today, I hope you will set aside a few minutes during the day for spiritual conversation. (more…)

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InSpiritry PODCASTS - Twenty Minutes to Rekindle Your Spirit!

Theme: Community

The word, Community, suggests with-Unity. Are you living in full Community with God, with your inner Self, with Humanity as a whole and with Nature? Join Anne McCrady for this as she takes a look at how we can best make a difference in the world by first living in Unity.

Listen as Anne shares how we need Unity on many levels and how we can use our sense of Community for the Greater Good as we live each day. In this compelling program, Anne inspires listeners to make Unity a personal intention and Community a daily practice. She reminds listeners that when we use our passions within the wider network of God, Self, Humanity and Nature, the outcome can be a better world, a stronger society, a more healthy planet, a more loving family and that greatest of blessings: a peaceful heart.

Quotes from: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Buddha, Psalms, Jimmy Carter, The Quran, Eleanor Roosevelt and others

An Inspirational Story about: Betty Elder, Local Activist for Children of Low Income Families

Books Recommendations for: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community; Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World; How Are We to Live? Ethics in an Age of Self-Interest; Peace Be Upon You: The Story of Muslim, Christian and Jewish Coexistence; A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet’s Future

Poems: Heaven and Early Morning, Thinking of Jerusalem by Anne McCrady

Read the complete text for this Twenty-four Minute Podcast! (more…)

For many of us, this week signals the start of a new school year.  Ahhh, summer is over, whether we are students, teachers, administrators, librarians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, parents or just commuters who pass through school zones.

For my part these many years later, I can still recall the smell of new books and old classrooms and almost hear the shrill exultation of that first period bell! I certainly can remember the nervousness and delight of trying new things (phonics, 3 digit numbers, cursive writing, volley ball, geometry proofs, Old English, Chemistry experiments, frog dissection…).

For those of you involved in education, I celebrate your commitment to the sacred task of empowering young hearts and minds. (more…)

Last month, while attending the International Women’s Peace Conference in Dallas, I was reminded of the plight of women around the world. Inspired to be more proactive, I returned home to find an opportunity to do that. The Feminist Majority Foundation, a group I link to at my website, www.InSpiritry.com, was requesting for emails to be sent to the Iranian government regarding an imprisoned Iranian-American scholar, Dr. Haleh Esfandiari. It told how Dr. Esfandiari had traveled from the United States to visit her elderly mother and, while in Iran, was abducted and imprisoned. That evening I saw an Iranian propaganda videotape of the scholar as well as a public television interview with her husband and daughter begging for her release, claiming she had lost weight and seemed dejected. I was compelled to take action. Immediately, I sent an impassioned email to Iranian officials as requested.

That was a month ago. (more…)

A recent visit from my son, who is particularly insightful about human interactions, reminds me of the power of really listening–something families are often too busy or too bossy to do well. I have long known that family life, as well as spiritual living, calls us to seek to understand others. This past week, my son reminded me that we cannot do that if we are consumed by talking, studying, working, thinking, writing, playing, TV watching or even serving others.

The ability to suspend our personal agenda and offer our attention to someone else is, in fact, in itself a great personal act of service. When we really listen, when we offer our attention, we affirm the importance of the other person and their experiences and values. In that way, the unselfish act of listening is a first step towards of acknowledging the importance of the Greater Good. By listening, we admit, “It’s not just about me!” (more…)

There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Jelaluddin Balkhi (Rumi)

The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks

Imagine yourself so filled with gratitude and joy that you feel compelled to kneel–to kneel!–and kiss the very ground on which you stand, to thank God/Nature/Life for the pleasure and priviledge of living! Now imagine a hundred ways to express that joy!

(more…)