A Vision Of Umkehr

February will bring me back to meditation and prayer

My vision for how 'Umkehr' will unfold this year is still in flux. I am committed to staying in balance with my January return to healthy eating. 

   During February I want to return, or Umkehr, to a deeper practice of meditation and prayer. My memories of the dawn song of the birds outside my window are sweet. Last Spring I used my art studio as the meditation and prayer space but I've stopped going there first thing in the morning. I shall return this month.

And, I thank-you for reading some of my mystery novel, Rubato. Judith, a piano teacher extraordinaire,  makes a decision which, upon reflection, changes the lives of others, not for the better.

Click here for 17 free chapters

Agree

Give me the portion of goods that

 falleth to me.

It is common among families to have disagreement. God's own family is not in agreement. Daily we feel the resistance to goodness originating with one of the sons of God. I find it telling that often those that leave when the disagreement gets most intense want that portion of their inheritance before they set off on their journey. They want now what they haven't earned.

Luke 15:

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

I am humbled to realize that God did not deny our inheritance when we were sent to earth. He didn't say you are on your own, good riddance. We came to earth with gifts. One  very essential one being the ability to choose right from wrong. No matter how we frame our story, that still small voice reminds us what is right. I feel very much like the Prodigal Son. I have wasted some of my precious time on earth. I am intensely moved by the father in this parable. 

Will I have any grounds to expect an inheritance? My Heavenly Father and I can agree on one essential thing, it will be grace that brings me back into his arms.

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And, I thank-you for reading some of my mystery novel, Rubato. Judith makes a decision which, upon reflection, changes the lives of others, not for the better.

Click here for 15 free chapters

Eliminating The Problematic

“We believe you should consume only foods (and drinks) that support normal, healthy digestive function; eating anything that impairs the integrity of your gut impairs the integrity of your health.” 

― Melissa Hartwig, It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways

There are three days left on my Whole30 diet. I followed the invitation of my One Little Word, Umkehr and eliminated added sugars, grains, legumes, and dairy. 

                  

This was a return, Umkehr, to a cleaner diet which I tried in the past for a shorter duration. Now, because I am going to carry on another month, I will give an accounting of the results after one month.

• Much less digestive rumblings
• My face is very smooth, rough surface gone
• I am able to fall asleep quickly
• Weight loss of 7 pounds
• I can move easier, less joint inflammation

There is one food family I will introduce back into my diet. Legumes will be the returning ingredient this month. With a dash of dark chocolate. I've missed it!

  January is destined to become a memorable month. Click here to see some other Umkehr challenges in the future.

Maybe I should have picked Rubato for my word this year since it is the name of my mystery novel. 

“Rubato is a musical term which means temporarily leaving a strict tempo to allow an expressive quickening or slowing, usually without altering the overall pace."

Click here for 15 free chapters

Surrender

Windows and Mirrors

Reflection and Light

One borrowed image

The other pure sight

Sixty-four years ago I surprised my parents by arriving twelve years after their three boys. I was a big deal. They surrendered to starting over with diapers and sleepless nights. The novelty wore off, but I must say they loved me very much. They have both passed from this world but I think about them all the time. Forty three years of making decisions in a war torn country made a safe place for me to arrive. My brothers survived the war as children and they tease me by saying I waited until the war was over to make an entrance. What they did before I was born impacted my while life. I hope that some of the things I have done since they have passed make that kind of an impact on my posterity.

You are within us

We carry your light

To vistas, extended

Beyond present sight.

And, I thank-you for reading some of my mystery novel, Rubato. Judith makes a decision which, upon reflection, changes the lives of others, not for the better.

Click here for 15 free chapters

Trusting The Results

If I am seeing results, can I trust that they will last?

This month my word is taking me on an adventure of eating differently. Umkehr means to return to better ways. Today is day 22 of my Whole30 experiment. A high protein and high, healthy fat diet is working for me. My clothes fit better and I am less burdened with digestive issues. 

The last three weeks have been a love affair with vegetables. Greens are really good cooked with a little sausage and squash for breakfast. Add a half of avocado and there is a filling meal. 
  My only trepidation is whether I will maintain my new eating habits. I plan to, I hope to, and I will work towards the goal. However, on February first I intend to have some chocolate and later that week a half of a croissant. It is still umkehr if I stay largely on the path I started, right? Ha! Ha! You don't have to answer, I know. 


  January is destined to become a memorable month. Click here to see some other Umkehr challenges in the future.

And, don't miss out on reading my brand new mystery novel, 'Rubato'. It is the story of a piano teacher found dead and a valuable Liszt autograph manuscript gone missing. 
You'll love it.

Click here for chapters

   

Intentional

Rubato, an Italian word, means to intentionally rob time.

It may be that I appear to be self promoting my new book by rambling about it here but I'm learning so many amazing things by writing this fictional mystery. It was my intention to write about the world of music, most especially piano teaching, because that is my day job. 

It was also intentional that I added musical terms and used them in a different context, namely the world of a homicide detective. What wasn't so intentional was the necessary study of motivation and response. To my surprise as I thought about the victim and how she came to be murdered by the hand of someone else, a process emerged. I was peeling away the layers of impulse and action. My victim made decisions not necessarily based on right or wrong but on what should be right. Her actions left the strict tempo of law and order and applied 'rubato' to actions that had devastating effects. She robbed justice just like a pianist robs a measure of it's strict beat by holding on to certain notes intentionally longer than prescribed. I found myself assessing my own attitudes about right and wrong. Just yesterday I was parking in front of my son's house in the wee hours of the morning. The little side street was lined with cars, that's what happens when a neighborhood builds apartments without parking accommodations. I parked in front of a fire hydrant, knowing it was wrong but expediency pushed me forward, after all, I wasn't going to be there long. When I saw the parking ticket on my windshield I felt mad. Then, I felt the justice of that ticket. 

So, long story short, I'm learning unintentional lessons from writing this book. I invite you to read some free chapters below. 

And, I thank-you for reading some of my mystery novel, Rubato. It is the story of a piano teacher found dead and a valuable Liszt autograph manuscript gone missing.

Click here for chapters

Remembering Me

   I remember a lighter, less burdened person

   How many of us choose a word to carry us through the new year that invites physical change? Does that word invite us to remember previous years of feeling better, more fit, and healthy?

    My word Umkehr, a German noun, certainly does. It means to come back, to change one's ways. To return to a previously healthier time is the motivation for doing my first Whole30 month. If it is a fad, I probably will be the last one to join. The rebel in me likes to wait and see how it works for others first. It was really my One Little Word that goaded me into trying this eating regimen. Thirty days of eating whole, unprocessed food, no products with added sugar, no grains, pasta or legumes, and no dairy. It was the bread, cheese, and chocolate that I missed the most. There were temptations and trials, and to be totally honest, I'm only half way through the month. But, I see positive change and for that I am grateful. 

    This isn't my first diet rodeo. Change to my way of eating lasts a while and then I'm back to stopping in at bakeries, not just once in a while, but weekly. I tell myself that I deserve the treat of unfettered indulgence. However, the flip side of feeling bloated and overfull is a consequence I can't seem to shake and I'm pretty sure I don't deserve it. So there you have it. I need Umkehr, with all it's imperfect attempts and mindful maneuverings. 

   January is destined to become a memorable month. Click here to see some other Umkehr challenges in the future.

And, I thank-you for reading some of my mystery novel, Rubato. It is the story of a piano teacher found dead and a valuable Liszt autograph manuscript gone missing.

Click here for chapters