On this Easter Sunday ...

Sunbeams over The Mokes, Lanikai Beach, Lanikai, HI,
April 2020, iPhone 11 Pro, © Steven F. Crisp 2020

... can we look within ourselves ... look deep inside our hearts ...  and live more like Jesus? 

While I am not a religious man, I am somewhat spiritual, and consider myself a seeker.  And I'm non-denominational when looking for wisdom that can challenge me to grow, to investigate what really matters in life, and to see what is true about myself and my fellow man.

So with that as background, I offer a few of Jesus' words to inspire your inner journey while promoting wise action:

... The kingdom of heaven is within you ... 

... Turn the other cheek ... 

... I will make you fishers of men ... 

... The truth shall set you free ...

... Love one another ... 

... Do not be anxious about tomorrow...

... Seek and ye shall find ... 

... Love your neighbor as yourself ...

... Love your enemies ...

... Do unto others what you would like done unto you ... 

 ... Forgive those who trespass against us ... 

... Forgive them, they know not what they do ...

There is a lot of practical ... and rather challenging ... wisdom within those few words.  

Think how one's life might change for the better just by making the intention to follow one of those "radical" ideas, let alone all of them.

Blessings to you on this Easter Sunday.  Here is my Easter bouquet just for you!

Plumaria Bouquet, Lanikai, HI,
April 2020, iPhone 11 Pro, © Steven F. Crisp 2020

Painting with my pixels

Painting with pixels, Harz Mountains, Werigerode, Germany, October 2010,
Panasonic DMC-ZS7, Focal length 5mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f3.4, ISO 800, no flash,
heavily post-processed with iPhoto, © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

What is creativity?

Creativity is a spiritual spark. It results in the creation of something where there was nothing before.

That's magical stuff. An offering, if you like, to the world.

So much of our lives are spent as middle men ... moving papers from this pile to that ... or regurgitating other people's ideas and original thoughts.

There's not much heart in that.

So it is time to reclaim some space for creativity. It may not be much of an offer, but all that matters is that is your offer, from the heart.

And I hope to find that space, each day, to be able to create (or at least capture) just a little bit of beauty from this most amazing world.

Separation of Church and ???

Church Steeple, Warner, NH, May 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 52mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

We have this thing about separation of church and state. And I guess I'm all for that, given the alternatives we see in too many places around the globe.

But we are strong proponents of education. Which is what -- learning how to learn, and gaining knowledge, which hopefully will lead to wisdom.

And what about our spiritual wisdom? Where does that come from? Is it only from individual journeys, prompted by mid-life crises or that calm, quiet voice from within? Perhaps it is it unteachable? Must it be found only on a self-guided path of discovery?

You are not your body.
Your body is not you.

You are not the doer.
You are not the enjoyer.

You are pure awareness,
The witness of all things.

You are without expectation,
Free.

Wherever you go,
Be happy!
-- Ashtavakra Gita 15:4

Such simple words. I find a resonance in them. And I wonder why this took almost 50 years. Would they make any sense at all at an earlier age? Do they make any sense at all to you?

Sometimes, I just wonder.

A public-domain English translation of the Ashtavakra Gita is available for those that would like to read more.