Sparks of the Divine: Finding Inspiration in Our Everyday World

by Leder, Drew

• ISBN13: 9781893732810
• ISBN10: 1893732819
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-01
• Publisher: Ave Maria Pr

Table of Contents

Introduction: Spark-Hunting	p. 13
Themes From the Book	p. 22
The Natural World
The Weather of the Soul	p. 27
Dawn: Hallowing the Beginning	p. 28
Wind: Opening to New Life	p. 29
The Sun: Mother-Father of Us All	p. 31
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are the Rising Sun	p. 34
Cloudy Days: Heavenly Comforter	p. 35
Rain: Discovering Our Vegetative Soul	p. 36
Snow: Heaven on Earth	p. 38
Rainbows: The Messy Beauty of Emotions	p. 39
Thunderstorms: Shattering the Familiar World	p. 40
Creature Teachers: Plants and Animals	p. 43
Trees: A Teacher for Life	p. 44
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are a Tree	p. 46
Trees and Humans: A Sacred Marriage	p. 47
Weeping Willows: Shelter in Time of Sorrow	p. 48
Pits and Seeds: Failure as Growth	p. 50
Soil: Caring for the Self	p. 52
Flowers: Turning Toward the Light	p. 53
Frogs: Speaking and Acting From a Deep Place	p. 54
Ducks: The Paddling Beneath the Glide	p. 56
Migrating Birds: That Most Wild and Necessary Journey	p. 58
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are a Migrating Bird	p. 60
Elemental Wisdom	p. 61
Rock: Being Strong, Sturdy, and Still	p. 62
Sand: Harmonizing the Elements of Life	p. 64
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are Made of Sand	p. 66
Heat: The Energy of Life	p. 67
Gases: Lowering the Pressure	p. 68
Water and Air: The Unseen Medium of Love	p. 70
Ice and Snow: Miraculous Transformations	p. 71
Sacred Landscapes	p. 73
The Outdoors: Our Truer Home	p. 74
A Lake: Being Still Waters	p. 76
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are a Lake	p. 78
The Desert: The Gifts of Desolation	p. 79
Mountains: The Spiritual Ascent	p. 80
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are a Mountain	p. 83
Polar Exploration: Striving Toward the Ultimate	p. 84
The Natural World: Moving Beyond Moralities	p. 86
Wilderness: A Wildness Beyond the Self	p. 88
Object Lessons
The Car, a Spiritual Guide	p. 93
Driving: Lessons for the Highway of Life	p. 94
Cars: A Teacher of Self-Care	p. 95
Windshield Wipers: The Practices That Clear Our Vision	p. 97
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Have Windshield Wipers	p. 100
Speed Bumps: Progress Through Slowing Down	p. 101
The Passenger Seat: Surrendering Control	p. 102
Openings and Closings	p. 105
Opening and Shutting Doors: The Benefits of a Good Barrier	p. 106
Unlocking With a Key: Penetrating the Barriers of Life	p. 107
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Have the Key	p. 110
Opening a Soda Can: Knowing When to Keep a Secret	p. 111
Shaving With a Razor: The Merits of a Daily Practice	p. 112
Throwing Things Away: Creating Space and Time	p. 114
Recycling Garbage: Using the Trash of Our Life	p. 115
Uncapping a Fire Hydrant: Releasing Hidden Resources	p. 117
Stillness and Motion	p. 121
Still Things: Learning to Be, Not Just Do	p. 122
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are Your Own Clothes	p. 124
Beds: Rest and Support	p. 125
Crutches: Learning to Lean	p. 126
Steps, Stairs, and Escalators: The Spiritual Climb	p. 128
Magnets: The Force of Spiritual Alignment	p. 130
Flags: The Wind Made Visible	p. 131
Sailboats: Blown by the Spiritual Breezes	p. 133
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are a Sailboat	p. 135
In-Sight: Looking Deeply Into Things	p. 137
Stained Glass: Illuminating the Universe	p. 138
Mirrors: Reflections on Our Oneness	p. 140
Contact Lenses: Clearing Our Spiritual Vision	p. 142
Cups: Beyond the Half-Empty and Half-Full	p. 143
Guns: The Distorted Voice of the Soul	p. 145
Money: "Thou Visible God"	p. 146
Human Being
The Wisdom of the Body	p. 151
The Body: Lover of the World	p. 152
The Human Face: Each the Face of God	p. 153
Standing: The Unity of Earth and Sky	p. 155
Walking: Falling With Style	p. 156
Footprints: The Presence of the Past	p. 158
Sleep: Re-connecting to the Source	p. 159
Insomnia: The Blessing Wrapped Inside the Curse	p. 161
Pajamas: Friend of Body and Soul	p. 162
The Belly Button: A Holy Place	p. 164
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are in the Womb	p. 166
Death and Birth: The Unlikely Twins	p. 167
Coming to Our Senses	p. 169
Color: The Unnecessary Beauty of the World	p. 170
Smell: The Mystical Sense	p. 171
Whispering: The Harmony of Speech and Silence	p. 173
Bells: Hearing the Origins	p. 174
Sex: The Ecstasy of Creation	p. 176
The Caress: Held Close by the World	p. 178
Mind Well	p. 181
Pens and Pencils: A Word to the Wise?	p. 182
Books: Mind-Melds and Virtual Realities	p. 183
Novels and Plays: Appreciating the Drama of Our Life	p. 184
The Computer: Model for a Well-Functioning Mind	p. 186
The Worldwide Web: www.Connection	p. 188
"Home": What's In a Word?	p. 190
Shape-shift: Pretend You Are Coming Home	p. 192
The Music of Mood and Emotion	p. 193
Tears: Cleansing and Healing	p. 194
Cheerfulness: Learning to Cheer for Yourself	p. 195
Love: The Limitless Ocean	p. 197
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are the Ocean	p. 199
Fear: The Hidden Messenger of Love	p. 201
Joy: The Mothership Calling Us Home	p. 203
Sports and Child's Play	p. 205
Play: The Soul's Delight	p. 206
Feeding a Baby: Messy Growth	p. 207
Bubble Gum: Expanding the Spirit	p. 209
Buried Treasure: Searching for Spiritual Riches	p. 210
Football: Moving the Ball Downfield	p. 212
Sudden-Death Playoffs: Playing With Death and Eternity	p. 214
Balloons: Death as Liberation	p. 216
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are a Balloon	p. 218
Home Run: The Journey Home	p. 220
Merry-Go-Rounds: Coming Home to the Divine	p. 222
The Universe, Our Home
Heavenly Physics	p. 227
Sun and Moon: The Loving Eyes of God	p. 228
Stars: Gazing Upon the Infinite	p. 230
Celestial Space: Where Is God?	p. 232
The Night Sky: Death as Revelation	p. 234
Light: The Eternal in Time	p. 235
The Dark Universe: The Glory of All We Don't Know	p. 236
Quantum Mechanics: The Creativity of Chance	p. 238
Wormholes: Passage to Another World	p. 240
The Big Bang: How Once We Were One	p. 242
Shape-Shift: Pretend You Are at the Big Bang	p. 244
Epilogue: Tips for Spark-Hunters	p. 245
Acknowledgments	p. 252
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