The Invitation and Thoughts on September 11

Them and Us- Thoughts on September 11

Each morning as I do my prayers, after I have prayed for all those who have suffered because of the September 11 attacks, I ask, "How can I BE the peace I want to see in the world, today?" Not, how can I CREATE the peace- but how can I BE it- because it becomes clearer and clearer to me that violence and war are not just "out there" but also inside me. And being with the war inside me, taking care of that, is where I have the most influence (although some days it's not much) and where I can do the most immediate good. I believe that how we are ripples out. When I yell at my son for breaking my tape recorder (again!) instead of sitting with my feelings of anger- the war ripples outward. When I find a moment of calm, am able to be with myself and the world as it is and be still- peace ripples outward. I have become more and more aware of how our words, actions, attitude, demeanour, and thoughts either water the seeds of violence or the seeds of real peace in ourselves and in the world.
And peace- the real internal peace of accepting completely what IS in the present moment as simply what IS within myself and in the world, so I can hold it tenderly and take the war our of it- is rare.
This is by Oriah. You may know her famous poem - The Invitation:

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

just part of Oriah's poem.
Oriah is first and foremost a story-teller, a lover of words and symbols and the stories that lift our spirits, open our hearts and offer us ways to see patterns and create meaning in our lives. Visit her site.

 

Purchase Oriah's book -The Invitation (Plus) In this bestselling book, Oriah expands on the wisdom found within her poem, which presents a powerful challenge to those who long to live an authentic life.

In a world of endless small talk, constant traffic jams, and overburdened schedules, "The Invitation" opens the door to a new way of life - intimacy, honesty, and peace with ourselves, others, and the world around us. Oriah invites us to open ourselves to all that is possible. The Invitation is a guide to overcoming the obstacles that stand in our way and to discovering the true beauty that life has to offer.

AUSTRALIAN FILM "TOOMELAH" SELECTED for CANNES

CONGRATULATIONS IVAN - "TOOMELAH" has been SELECTED FOR OFFICIAL SELECTION - UN CERTAIN REGARD - in the 64th CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL of 2011

Toomelah is the new feature film from Australian director, Ivan Sen. It is his second film to be released since his debut film "Beneath Clouds". It played in competition at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival, where it won the "Best First Movie Award". The film is set entirely in the remote Indigenous community of Toomelah, located on the NSW, QLD border. It was created as a mission during the 1930s, bringing together Gamilaroi and Bigambal people from the surrounding area. Continue reading...

"To be honest, the Cannes invitation was a huge relief. Toomelah is a pretty unique movie, which was made in a very unorthodox way. I try not to get too carried away about festivals, but Toomelah the community, is my family's home, and I'm so proud of them all. I'm related to almost everyone there, and almost half the population pops up in the film. It will be an honour to take the movie and cast to Cannes. One of them has never been on a plane before, and the lead actor Daniel, has only been as far as Brisbane." Writer/ Director, Ivan Sen.

Ivan Sen was raised in Inverell, New South Wales, Australia. He graduated with a degree in photography at Griffith University in Queensland. He studied filmmaking at the Australian Film Television and Radio School, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Directing in 1997. Throughout the late 1990s Sen worked on numerous short films, before making his feature film debut with Beneath Clouds in 2002. The film follows two teenagers, Lena (Dannielle Hall) and Vaughn (Damian Pitt) who hitch-hike together to Sydney. It won Sen global acclaim, winning a Silver Bear at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival, Best Director at the 2002 Australian Film Institute Awards and screened at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, Sen has subsquently written and directed a number of award winning documentaries. His documentary Yellow Fella screened in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.

eco friendly gift ideas

Frugal said... "Good News for the environment. Give gifts that use themselves up and don't clutter peoples lifes with stuff like :

• memberships and courses,


• lotions and soaps,


• art materials,


• stationary supplies


• food, like jam or salad dressings " Frugal website.

Other suggestions are:

•support local food growers, local artists and crafts people
•give vouchers for luxury items like beauty treatments e.g. manicures and facials, or a restaurant meal voucher
•movie tickets, theatre tickets, rock concert tickets, fun park tickets
•enviro friendly wrap - wrap gifts in material e.g. tea towels for food gifts, scarves for clothing or jewellery, re use paper,
•Earth Sky Sea eco friendly gift suggestions.
•Things from nature - like potted plants, flowers from your garden, mini cactus, a herb garden; pine cones and other seed pods you have collected make wonderful decorations; learn how to create with from Garden Mama
•Handmade - this idea is building momentum and has a really big following all over again. Why is handmade better for the environment? "Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production." buy handmade.org Check out craft tutorials with Shannon at Rhythm and Rhyme; Handmade Items on Etsy or Made it
•support others who need help at The Green Gift collection were your money helps protect the environment and your gift is tax deductible or The Oxfam Collection where you can browse for charitable gifts

Good craft

Interesting, earthy crafts and the really good thing is that these generous people post free tutorials on how to make all this good stuff:
Felt owl ornament with cut out - thanks Jessica
Sunny window star from Twig and Toadstool craft classes
Magic wands - thanks Shannon from Rhythm and Rhyme

Good things come in small packages

Making things with our hands is good for the soul
These things are just so cute and just ooze goodness. Little felt gnomes and pixies in purses and handmade felt animals.
Shannon also is generously good - showing us all how to create many of her good things: beautiful fleece birds
peg doll flowers