Sleeping with Bread: Tea

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Pour me out

I'm a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle [one hand on hip], here is my spout [other arm out straight]
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out!
[as song ends, lean over and tip arm out like a spout]

I'm a clever teapot, yes it's true
Here's an example of what I can do
I can change my handle to my spout [switch arm positions and repeat tipping motion]
Just tip me over and pour me out

Here is my simple "tea pot" approach to the meditative meme this week...
What has emptied and filled your cup in the last few days? Had anything steamed you up or become obvious of how you are able to pour into someone life?

Psalm 62:7-9 (New International Version © 2010)

7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[a];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

Go ahead and sing this little ditty and then tell us about it....

Monday, October 05, 2009

Joy in a take-away cup?

I don't know if you have a Mc Cafe' in your town, but I have one just down the street from my house. As if McDonald's didn't have the corner on the market on the drive-thru meal, they now are working on staking ground on all the sit in/take out coffee shops that many folks know and, despite the $5.00 a cup price tag, love dearly.

If you are a fan of the Starbucks Frappuccino, McCafe' is now trying to draw your business by offering their, somewhat cheaper, versions of the same coffee treats you've grown to love.

Coffee, or tea, is something that gets people moving as well as brings them together. It's warm, sometimes sweet and creamy, sometimes dark and bold. Coffee has a way of clearing away the cobwebs of the mind, while it's warmth brings comfort and sometimes I'd even say solace.

Somehow though, the warmth or comfort of a cup of coffee (wherever you get it from), only lasts as long as some remains in your cup - or you get a refill. The kind of comfort that we discuss on Mondays did originate from the giving of bread to children traumatized by the bombing and loss of WW2, but the comfort itself is not limited to the tangible things of life.

The kind of joy, comfort and contentment we search for in this weekly meme are the kinds that help us through the darkest and sometimes the most difficult of days. This comfort may start with a cup of joe, but it lasts much longer than what the largest Grande' cup could hold.

What warmth, hope and joy did you hold on to this first chilly fall week of October? Did the chill of life have a chance against the joys? How did those joys show themselves to you throughout the last seven days?

May your cup overflow with joy, comfort and hope for the days to come. Thank you for sharing your joys, for as you share them, they may be the one thing that helps someones cup slip over the edge into comfort too.

Lamont

What is Sleeping with Bread?

During the bombing raids of WWII, thousands of children were orphaned and left to starve. The fortunate ones were rescued and placed in refugee camps where they received food and good care. But many of these children who had lost so much could not sleep at night. They feared waking up to find themselves once again homeless and without food. Nothing seemed to reassure them. Finally, someone hit upon the idea of giving each child a piece of bread to hold at bedtime. Holding their bread, these children could finally sleep in peace. All through the night the bread reminded them, "Today I ate and I will eat again tomorrow." (Linn, Dennis et al, Sleeping With Bread, p.l)

These are the beginning words of a book that introduced me to a practice called the examen. The orphans held on to what nourished them and were thus able to sleep peacefully at night. The examen, based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, helps a person hold onto what spiritually nourishes him by looking at what is giving him consolation in his life or causing him desolation. It allows someone to express his gratitude to God for the good stuff and turn to him for solace for the bad stuff. It is quite simple. You simply ask yourself, in the last day/week/month what gave me consolation and what caused me desolation.

How do you do it?

Sleeping with Bread is a Monday meme. You can participate in one of two ways: 1) Pick one of the above examen question sets and answer it in the comments section of my SWB post; or, 2) Create your own Sleeping with Bread post. You are welcome to right click on the Sleeping with Bread button and save it to your own computer before uploading into your post. Then, make sure you come back and put the link to your post in the automated Mr. Linky form at the end of the current SWB post. I hope you will join me and my fellow bakers as we Sleep with Bread on Mondays!