Looking for serenity this season?

Serenity Star: A Writing Workshop for a Serene Season. Have you ever written a poem or intention just for yourself? A poem of the soul to guide and support your journey? You don’t need to be a writer or a poet to gather words into a beautiful message. Join me for this online workshop, an hour and a half of relaxation and creativity. With delightful prompts, you’ll write your own poem, prayer, or intention, a star in the night to help you navigate the holiday season with serenity and light. This workshop will be held online! That means you can show up in your smooshy clothes with your favorite wineglass or hot cocoa mug and simply click a link to enter our workshop “room.” Think of this as a retreat from the tumbleweed of demands and emotions that arise in December. Think of this as a time of restoration, an hour to consider your focus for a time of year that for many of us gets completely out of control in one way or another. You will be guided through a series of writing activities, and will finish the workshop with a poem or prayer you have written just for yourself. The workshop will be Sunday, December 8th at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST. Just as if you were at one of my in-person workshops, you’ll be able to see the other participants and share your thoughts and work (or not, if you don’t want to). In a season where it’s easy to spend hundreds on gifts for others, you can gift yourself with this workshop for a gentle price of $35.

Sign up here. The funny thing is, as we give a gift of time to ourselves, something good happens in our heart, and that goodness comes with us wherever we go. Your heartfelt work affects the world. Instead of just wishing for peace on earth, let’s create some. Blessings, Cheryl

Do something different this year.

Join me. Write yourself some serenity.

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Be a Serenity Star: An Intention for the Christmas Season

 

Be a Serenity Star: An Intention for the Christmas Season

This year, I’m trying something new.
I’m creating a practice:
Be a Serenity Star.

Right about now
I usually start “Christmas Thinking,”
that endless rumination
on the infinite ways
to do or not do
the things I believe
are required for a
(Perfect) Christmas.

Despite my efforts every year
to manage Christmas Thinking,
I deplete myself.
I lose sleep. At both ends of the night.

But this year instead,
when I find myself
getting caught up in what
doesn’t really matter,
I’m choosing to
find a Serenity Star,
which is:

1. a soft illumination
in the sky or field or mind
that guides me back
to the Present Moment.

2. someone with an inner light
that illuminates a kinder way
and welcomes me back
to my true self.

This is a practice.
Something to return to
a thousand times a day
if need be.

Find a Serenity Star.
Follow a Serenity Star.
Be a Serenity Star.

 

Peace,

Cheryl

 

Awesome star photo by NASA on Unsplash

Monday Morning Mary: How to Read a Christmas Card

How to Read a Christmas Card

 

Dear Lovely One,

 

You may be receiving a card today.

Take the time to take it in.

 

Regardless of whom it is from,

or whether the sender intended it,

the card carries a special blessing.

 

First, take in the art.

Allow the eyes of your inner child,

eyes that understood image before the written word,

to behold and decipher what is beautiful.

 

Second, take in the message.

Is there a word that you could use today,

such as joy, merry, angel, or birth?

Look for signs of that word in the day

that has transpired or the day unfolding.

 

Third, take in the sender.

Perhaps it is someone dear to you.

Or someone with whom you struggle.

Or your insurance company.

Regardless, say, Blessings to you.

 

And a flock of white doves

will fly from your heart

surprising you with their lightness and light.

 

 

 

Our Lady of Fatima, Union City, NJ

Monday Morning Mary: The Limitless Glitter of Your Soul

leaves are spilling from the trees
trees are filling now with glitter

tis the season to glamourize
the dark, impoverished places

retreat from sales and cyber days
open a browser on your soul

shop the aisles of your inner store
all the glitter you desire awaits

search for someone who needs your love
adorn their day with a sparkling truth

make yourself a glittering globe
all the light you need awaits

A Simple Christmas Decoration

A Simple Christmas Decoration

Simple, Elegant

Here’s a hand-made Christmas decoration you can make in two minutes!

It’s that simple.

And the results are delightful!

Last year I came across instructions for this origami Christmas tree. I couldn’t stop with just one. Before I knew it I had a little Christmas forest. I gave some to friends. I tucked them in with plates of Christmas cookies. But most of them gathered together on my large windowsill, where the sun moves playfully across the folds throughout the day, creating new shadows and shapes with each angle of winter light.

There’s something so satisfying about making these little trees. Just try it. I’ll bet you can’t make just one.

If you haven’t made something delightful today, what are you waiting for!

All you need is a sheet of paper.

And it doesn’t have to be special paper. You can use:

• a page from a book or magazine
• a piece of sheet music
• scrapbooking paper
• wrapping paper
• origami paper
• a piece of scrap printer paper if you’re on your lunch hour at work

Step 1: Make your sheet of paper into a square.

If you’re already starting with a square piece of paper, skip this step. Otherwise, fold one corner of the rectangle down to the opposite side of the paper (Fig. 1). Be sure to keep the design on the outside.

Figure 1

Then fold the remaining rectangle up over the triangle, and tear (or cut) off the rectangle (Fig. 2). You should have a folded triangle remaining.

Figure 2

Step 2: Make a triangle, and spin your paper so it points to the right (Fig. 3).

If you already did Step 1, you have the triangle. Just spin your paper. If you’re starting with a square, bring one point across to its opposite so that you end up with a triangle (Fig 3.) (I’m making two trees at once, one with green origami paper, and one with sheet music, hence the photo changes!)

Figure 3

Step 3: Open the triangle, and fold the sides toward the center (Fig. 4).

In this photo, both sides were folded to the center, and then the right side was unfolded so you can see the fold line. Be sure both sides are folded to the center.

Figure 4

Step 4: Fold the bottom tip up, along the edges of the other folds (Fig. 5).

Figure 5

Step 5: Fold the tree in half, bringing the left side over to the right (Fig. 6)

Figure 6

Step 6: Starting at the bottom, make accordion folds at odd angles.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Step 7: Open the tree, and stand it up!

Origami Forest!