freeblessings.net

Found in NPR host Krista Tippet's book, Speaking of Faith:

Julian of Norwich (November 8, 1342-1416). One of the greatest English mystics. 

Thought to be the first woman to write a book in the English language, 

Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (circa 1393). 

A mystic is one who pursues the Divine through direct or intuitive practices, 

such as meditative prayer.

Today is the Opening of my "Free Blessings from the Tree of Life" exhibit at the Rockland Center for the Arts.
This is the culmination of a year's work, funded in part by the Individual Artist Grants Program of the
Arts Council of Rockland and the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts.

The metal Tree of Life sculpture is hung from the ceiling and revolves by itself from movement in the room.
All contributed blessings are in the exhibit, on the Tree and also installed in wall hangings.
People may take a free blessing home with them from the wall installations.

The exhibit runs from December 6th until December 20th.

The following quote seemed very appropriate for the installation!

A contribution from Brooke, for the Goddess:

"She changes everything she touches
and everything she touches, changes."

From a chant by Libana, a women's world music ensemble
which illuminates the creativity, vision, and spirit of the
world's women through the performance of traditional and
contemporary music and dance

A very thoughtful contribution:




"Be happy for this moment.

This moment is your life.

Omar Khayyam

Persian poet/mathematician/philosopher

1048 - 1131 AD

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In memory of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

(May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)


"And so, my fellow Americans:

Ask not what your country can do for you —

Ask what you can do for your country. 



"My fellow citizens of the world:

Ask not what America will do for you,

But what together we can do for the freedom of man.""Times New Roman">

From his Inaugural Speech, January 20, 1961

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November has been a month of  blessings.
Usually a dark month, November is proving to be a month full of inspiration.
This is a contribution from Mary Heckler, and very much appreciated.


"Hope is what sustains us when
we have little or no confidence left. 

At the end of a bad stretch, Hope —
Hope that the will of God will finally prevail —
is all that is left to sustain us." 

Sister Joan Chittister, Benedictine Sisters of Erie (1936 - ),
author and speaker on faith, spirituality, and global peace.

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The third blessing contributed by Randolph Innacone.
This has been an intellectual and spiritual set of blessings, addressing
hope, creativity and tolerance. Thank you for the contributions!

" . . let us not feign agreement, where diversity
is evidently the plan and purpose of Providence . . .
Love truth, love peace!"—

Moses Mendelssohn, German Jewish philosopher (1729-1786).
Quote is from "Jerusalem", a plea for freedom of conscience.
(Publ. 1783; Eng. trans. 1838 and 1852.)

Mendelssohn, a great moral and social intellectual, is considered by
some as the father of Reform Judaism.

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Here is the second blessing contributed by Randolph Innacone. Another wonderful quote.

" “...an idea or product that deserves the label
'creative' arises from the synergy of many sources
and not only from the mind of a single person.”"

— Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934 - ), social psychologist, born in Fiume, Italy - now Croatia;
Book "Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention (1996)

Professor Csikszentmihalyi is noted for his work on creativity, happiness, and particularly, "flow," which is the full immersion state of mind and body in the skilled performance of a task.

There are three beautiful blessings contributed by Randolph Innacone. I will spread them out over the next few days so you can contemplate each special thought for itself.
Here is the first.

"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." —

Arundhati Roy, Female Indian novelist and activist,
World Social Forum (2003)

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Contributed by Marguerite Chipp-Matthews

Love All

Love Always

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A very thoughtful blessing, contributed by Ann Ludwig

      "Don't run through life so fast that

   you forget not only where you've been,

but where you're going."

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"May you live to be a hundred years,

with one extra year to repent.”

—Irish Birthday Toast

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"A musician must make music, an artist must paint,
a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself.
What a man can be, he must be." 

— Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970),
American psychologist known for his concept of a "hierarchy of human needs."

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A beautiful thought, contributed by JM

"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather, openings in Heaven,
where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down
upon us to let us know they are happy."

—Eskimo Proverb

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        A Parting Glass

. . .Oh, all the comrades that ere I had
Are sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that ere I had
Would wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call
Good night and joy be with you all . . .

From a Traditional Irish Folk Song

In memory of Edward M. Kennedy
(February 22, 1932 - August 25, 2009)

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"It's not whether you get knocked down.
  It's whether you get back up."

Vince Lombardi
(American Football Coach, 1913-1970)

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"God grant me the grace to accept
with serenity the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."

Reinhold Niebur
(1892-1971 American theologian)

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"Wei Wu Wei."

Wu Wei and Wei Wu Wei are principles of Taoist Chinese philosophy.

Wu Wei translates to "without action." The paradox Wei Wu Wei translates to "action without action" or "effortless doing."

It means knowing when to act and when not to act, avoiding excessive action.

The aim of Wu Wei is to achieve a state of perfect equilibrium, or alignment with the Tao, and, as a result, obtain an irresistible form of "soft and invisible" power. In sports and the arts, it can be thought of as "being in the zone," a state of unconscious and perfect action.

In Zen calligraphy, Wu Wei is represented by a circle.

"Blessed is the moon. It goes, but it comes back again."

—Samoan Proverb

The precise moment of the Full Moon this month is 8:56 pm August, 5, 2009

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"IMAGINE"

Imagine there's no Heaven


It's easy if you try


No hell below us


Above us only sky


Imagine all the people


Living for today




Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace


You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one


Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world


You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

John Lennon (1940-1980)
Imagine was written and released in the summer of 1971

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A Contributed Blessing from Michael:

"Here I am!
I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in . . . ."

Revelation 3:20

Metta Sutta (Stuttanipata)
Buddhist Blessing for All Beings

May everyone be happy and safe.
May their hearts be filled with joy.
May all living beings live in security and in peace.

Beings who are frail or strong, tall or short, big or small,
Visible or not visible, near or far away,
Already born or yet to be born.

May all of them dwell in perfect tranquility.
Let no one do harm to anyone.
Let no one put the life of anyone in danger.
Let no one, out of anger or ill will, wish anyone any harm.

"My God!  How little do my countrymen know
what precious blessings they
are in possession of,
and which no other people on earth enjoy!"

~Thomas Jefferson
A Founding Father and Third President of the United States
(born April 13, 1743 – died July 4, 1826)

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"Allahu akbar!"

      "God is greatest!"

There is a new revolution happening in Iran right now.
"Allahu akbar" is a prayer, but has been also used historically as a cry against man's oppression of man.
It is being called out from rooftops nightly by Iranian protestors, outraged by the recent rigged election results.

How to Say "Dad" in Various Languages
(notice how similar many languages are!)

Afrikaans: Vader; 
Bangla: Baba or Abba;  Basque: Aita;  Bolognese: Pèder;  Brazilian Portuguese: Pai;  Breton: Tad; 
Chinese: Ba (Baa);  Cree (Canada): Papa; Croatian: Otac; Czech: Táta, Otec; 
Dakota (USA): Ate;  Dutch: Vader, Papa or Pappie; 
East African: Baba;  English: Father, Dad, Daddy, Pop, Poppa or Papa; 
Filipino: Tatay, Itay, Tay or Ama;  Finnish: Isä, Olla isä, Panna alulle, Isäukko;  French: Papa; 
Galician: Pai;  German: Banketi or Papi, Papa, Vati; 
Hebrew: Abba(h); Hindi: Papa or Pita-ji; Hungarian: Apa, Apu, Papa or Edesapa;
Icelandic: Pabbi or Faðir;  Indonesian: Bapa, Ayah or Pak;  Irish: Athair or Daidí; Italian: Babbo; 
Japanese: Otosan or Papa;  Judeo Spanish: Padre, Baba or Babu; 
Kikuyu: Baba;  Kiswahili: Baba;  
Ladin: Pere;  Latin: Pater, Papa or Atta;   Luo (Kenya): Baba; 
Malay: Bapa;  Maltese: Missier;  Modern Greek: Babbas; 
Nahuatl (Mexico): Ta';  Nepali: Buwa;  Norwegian: Pappa or Far; 
Persian/Farsi: Pedar, Pitar or Baabaa;  Polish: Tata or Ojciec;  Portuguese: Pai; 
Quechua: Tata or Churiyaqe; 
Romanian: Tata, Parinte or Taica;  Russian: Papa; Nana
Sanskrit: Tàtah or Janak;  Sicilian: Patri;  Slovak: Otec;  Spanish: Papá, Viejo or Tata;  Swedish: Pappa;  Swiss German: Vatter;  
Turkish: Baba; 
Urdu: Abbu, Abbu-ji, Abbu-jaan;
Venetian: Pare, Popà, 'Opà, Pupà or Papà; 
Welsh: Tad

Much love and Happy Father's Day Dad, wherever you are!

Taoist Chant for Peace - 6th Century

If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.

This Blessing was contributed by someone who received a Free Blessing. Many thanks for sharing!

"Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil."

Baltasar Gracian (Spanish philosopher, 1601-58)

Anne Frank was born June 12, 1929

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, 

somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. 

Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be."

–Anne Frank (1929-1945)

Contributed by an artist:

"Art is essentially the affirmation, the blessing,
 and the deification of existence."

--Friedrich Nietzsche (Germany)

May all beings be
free from enmity, affliction and anxiety,
and live happily.

—Mettākathā (Ps. 2.4)
(Buddhism: Loving-kindness Instruction)

"A revolution is not a dinner party . . . "

-- Chairman Mao Tsetung

“Barakallah feek.”

     (Arabic: “May God bless you.”)

"Look to this day, for it is life
For Yesterday is but a memory and
Tomorrow is only a vision.
But Today, well lived, makes
Yesterday a memory of happiness and
Tomorrow a vision of hope."

-- Ancient Sanskrit Poem

    

Surely with each difficulty there is ease,
Surely with each difficulty there is ease,
So when you are at your end,
Let the Lord fill your mind,
Strengthen your heart,
And allow his grace to restore your soul.

Qur'an 94.5-8
Divine text of Islam

Free Blessing for Today:

“There are two ways to live:
  you can live as if nothing is a miracle;
  you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein
German-American Physicist (1879-1955)

Free Blessing for Today:

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, 1952
German Jewish diarist (1929 - 1945)

Welcome to my blog. Please check back often for new entries.

A blessing is a “benediction” or “good words.” In this turbulent year of changes, we all need a blessing to lighten our day.

Free Blessings from the Tree of Life is a special artist's project for 2009. Please click on link in sidebar or "SITE" tab above to learn more about the project.