Category: Contemplations

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Com-plex-i-ty!

Posted on by sue boardman

And, yes… if you saw Sunday’s post, you may suspect that Tevye is back to dancing on the roof! I feel like that, too! Not in a bad way. Just in an awareness kind of way. Like metaphorically in my face!

I’m having flashbacks to my trip to Hungary in January of 1989. Partially, I suspect, because it’s what passes for cold around here and that’s a very kinesthetic reminder of our adventure, which included actual riding through the snow in a horse-drawn sleigh!

Then there’s the wedding coming up. My official tasks are leading the service and signing the license. Unofficially, I’m trying very hard to imagine how to get a bunch of families with wildly diverse traditions comfortable enough to actually – you know – celebrate!

And, yes… the world feels a whole lot like that just now!

So, frankly, does my body. Let’s just say that a collection of genetic mysteries seem to have found their home in me and they’re ready to be noticed! It’s a learning experience!!! And, I may just have found the bridge! Or, perhaps, the new/old perspective that brings the mysterious stuff into conversation!!! (Details to follow, one day!)

For now, some more things that I don’t recall from nursing school or seminary. Words like alchemist and sentences like, If one truly penetrates into the world of color, one comes to beings. (Rudolf Steiner)

And one thing I am sure of…

As my old friends on The West Wing would say… A Change is Gonna Come. (Season 6, episode 7).

I’m not at all sure that feels safe. Or comfortable. I do know it’s true. Around us, for sure. And in us, if we’re very brave. (Well, in us, kind of regardless!)

It’s not what so many of us learned. I suspect, though, that it is the way we were created!

Last night, after hours of election news, I dreamed of soup pots. Really! And I realized that part of my mission in this moment is to be a soup pot! A precious, cherished container where magic can, indeed, occur… if only we give it a chance!

And, I’m going to invite you to join me. Shortly! For now, though, a peek into the soup with my MetaMod Wisdom Cards! (You might want to notice my newly claimed & codified category called Somatic Signals!) Just click this link and the shop elves will set you right up!

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Of dreams, mixed messages… and choice!

Posted on by sue boardman

There was a whole lot of singing in my sleep Friday night… and no, it wasn’t me! Instead, it was Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof. And you can probably guess the rest.

Dancing on the roof, undone about new things in his world. Bearded face. Deep voice. TRADITION…

And I suspect that, if Tevye were with us in this moment, he’d be even more perplexed than he was, back in the day. Let’s talk traditions…

Friday, trick-or-treat, and high school football, about two blocks down the street. With huge thanks, we delivered our candy to our dear neighbors for door answering help, even in the midst of their Shabbat observance.

Samhain, too… though I’m still learning that!

Saturday, my knee surgeon’s birthday. And All Saint’s Day. (We’ll be back to this in a couple minutes!)

Today, the observance of Reformation Day on the church calendar I know best . You know… Martin Luther “vandalizing” a church door, October 31, 1517. (That story turns out to be way more complicated, too!)

And, yes… tradition is a perspective thing, which is, quite possibly, another definition for the word, heresy. You’ve heard my favorite definition of that one, before… able to choose!

Welcome to the world of MetaModern!

For this moment, a story… the “old” chapel at Columbia Theological Seminary. November 1, sometime in the late 1990’s when I was on campus for one of my last DMin classes. Walter Brueggemann preaching. About All Saints Day! (Really!!!)

If you’re new around here, let me explain that Saints were NOT a big topic back then, in that bastion of Reformed Theology!

Walter said a lot, which was no surprise. I remember, all these years later, one sentence:

Saints are all those who believe for us, on days when we can’t quite believe for ourselves.

And, just between us, I think that is even more important, in the context of these days, than it was a quarter of a century ago.

Just this year, Walter walked on to the place where I suspect all the beings are “saints” of that sort. And, he teaches me, still…

Many things are true and they don’t all get along very well.

I’m not sure whether this is more real than ever before, or whether it’s simply more in our faces. In either case, it is a huge part of the reality of our lives.

Here’s another thing that’s true… a glimpse from my family tree!

On your left is my Gramma Begga, aka Saint Begga. An advocate for women when that was even more dangerous than it is in these days. And, to the right, her daughter, Saint Clotilde, known to some as the patron saint of the lame.

Then there are two great aunts insisting on being included in this moment. Alice and Mary Parker. Sisters. Hanged as witches with six other women, in Salem, on September 22, 1692. The last of the Salem Witch Trials.

It’s well worth mentioning that a big part of the reason I have access to these stories is that these women, and many of their generations, had the radical notion that women should be able to read and write!

I am consciously choosing to claim, even though other things are no doubt true as well, that we are, ALL of us, as Linda Hogan wrote, despite the tragedies, the result of the love of thousands. And, we are capable of choosing what to live!

I am also sure, that we have choices to make! Like voting, if you haven’t, already. And learning new things!

I’m learning new things, too – amidst my recent mobility challenges – which is why the upcoming journey formerly known as #Filters has a new nickname… #Magic!!! There will be lots more details, soon. Let’s just say that things got way more fun and I’m really excited!!! Here’s a hint…

ps… want to be ahead??? Grammy’s MetaMod Wisdom Cards are in stock now, and sure to get you on the road! Could be huge fun for family holidays!

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It really is all relative!

Posted on by sue boardman

So, it was about 3 am by the time I got comfortable enough to finally fall asleep. Body dueling with inner artist. To-do lists and big dreams wrestling for attention.

Then, suddenly, I peered at the clock beside the bed and it said 10:30 am. That was a bit more sleeping than my calendar had space for! And, it got worse. According to my more contemporary toys, it was actually 11:30 am, which was even less optimal!

And then, I remembered. It’s an old electric clock that gets confused about daylight savings time! And, yes… I’ve been lobbying to retire it for a while!

Fast forward, though, to tea and news. And an overwhelming, informed sense of relating to what the people of Jamaica are waking to, this day. If, indeed, they are waking.

Fast forward a bit more, to #wipWednesday post up, another cup of tea, and what felt like a zillion emails. (I’m guessing you hear me!)

So, I yelled at some politicians. (The ones who live in my “clueless” file.) I encouraged some more. (The ones who actually care… and reminded myself how blessed I feel to have some of those on my team!)

And then, it hit me!

It’s not just that I’m relatively lucky that the raindrops falling on my metal roof remind my auditory processing self of prayer dots… it’s also that we are ALL part of what’s happening in Jamaica, and Cuba, and the Bahamas. The environmental challenges. The “othering”. The increasing fascination with telling all the “little people” what they must believe and accept. And, perhaps most of all, the not caring how many living, breathing humans get hurt because a few of the “cool” kids are trying to steal even more power.

It isn’t just all relative. It’s all related!

Take a deep breath with me, please. Feel your heart beating. And join me, if you like, in re-membering that this world needs a whole lot more connection circulating in it!

For this moment… a wisdom card, like the photo, above. But first a note! There are 66 cards in the deck, plus 11 blanks for users to add their own. Several different categories. I usually choose a category or two, related in some way to my inquiry, shuffle them together, and then run them through my hands until one calls me.

This time, I went all in. I pulled out the blanks and then mixed all the rest together, even though that means lots of sorting later! Then, eyes closed, listening deep, wrist whining, I passed them through my hands. The one that found me was from the Memories category, and looks like the photo, above.

Alternative Context

January, 1989. A study trip with a gaggle of Seminary students and a very patient teacher. Budapest, Hungary. Alternative, indeed!

If you’re doing the math, this was less than a year before the former Eastern Block fell.

Christian and Jewish Seminaries where no new books were permitted since before Hitler. Russian tanks busy with target practice in farmers’ fields.

My hand on a stone altar in a Catholic church crypt, where the sacrament of Communion had been celebrated every day for 1500 years, even when it was deeply dangerous to do so. Full body chills. Not from the weather!!!

All of this, Filtering the news in this moment. What are you remembering???

I’d really love to know! You can leave a comment, below, or email me!

ps… curious about the cards? There are still some in stock for quick shipping! Just click here!

pps… World Central Kitchen is at work, feeding Hurricane Melissa’s surivors!

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Can I get a witness, please?

Posted on by sue boardman

You know that old saying about not looking a gift horse in the mouth??? Well, I’m taking that for my motto this week!

I am naming that horse Hannah, a Hebrew name which means blessing. In this case the amazing blessing of having more than the usual amount of space in my calendar, this coming week, for taking care of me! And a very special Red Thread reminder!

Some time with docs and physical therapists. Only meetings that matter. (Shhhh!!!) Voting!!!

And space for making things. Art. Stories. Soup. Plans… you hear me!

Making things feels especially comforting in these days, when it feels like so many things are falling apart. Making plans feels comforting, too! Plans for newness! And, yes… the paintings are whispering again!

Here’s what I heard, early this morning, gentle and insistent… Draw the circle. Start with the map! The first bit you consciously chose!!!

And, yes… I know exactly what that means and why it’s showing up, now! And, there’s a whole lot more to come!

For this moment, though, a card!

Hmmmm…. interesting!!!

From the Symbols & Language category… Mother!

Once a Maiden, then a Mother, this archetype carries the wonders of fertility, nurturing, and creation. It is, quite possibly, the universe’s most complex job description!

We are, of course, not born mothers. We become archetypal and relational mothers, as well as, for some of us, biological mothers. Live-giving, in all its expressions, is a creative wonder. It can also be terrifying and dangerous. That part of the journey is real, as well.

If there is a greatest truth about motherhood, I suspect it is that it will ask more of us than we can imagine and create some of life’s greatest possibilities for awe, wonder, and challenging change. I believe Creators understand!

I suspect that at least part of the message, in this moment, is that I need to be life-giving for me, and that The Mother is on my Red Thread!

What do you hear???

ps… maybe my weighted chair blanket wants to be known as Hannah!

pps… the “mother” image is under-layers of a 2024 Red Madonna painting!

ppps… curious about the Wisdom Cards and their really cool Calling Cloth??? Just click here, while there are still some in stock!

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Found by an old filter!

Posted on by sue boardman

Way back in the day, when I was just out of nursing school and – you know – being a nurse, my son hung out in preschool/daycare. The family who owned and ran the center had 16 kids of their own, plus all the kids like mine. The resident teens helped with the Littles after school. And, they had a tradition that was new to me…

Side bench. It wasn’t punishment. No shaming or blaming. More like time-out, but for getting some space.

Well, today, I declared Side Bench Day for me! And, yes… the space is a much welcome strategy… body, mind, and spirit!

My #wip #Taliswoman painting was entirely on board. In fact, she volunteered to be in charge! Nothing that involved big arm & shoulder movements! (My PT approves, too!)

Rather, detail stuff. The things you didn’t know are needed until you’ve spent lots of time staring, noticing, and wondering. First try at a red thumb print. Red Thread, with a precious, empowering hint of pink. Touch up on the wisdom crow’s beak. An eye! More color in some of the roses.

Joan and David joined in with a timely reminder…

And, yes… this is the bit I so needed to hear:

Blackbird singing in the dead of night… Take these broken wings and learn to fly… All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise!

That, dear heart, is exactly how I feel just now. And, I’m ready!

ps… our class, #Filters… The Next Right Thing begins in January. Please stay tuned!!!

pps… ready now??? Let’s talk about working individually! Just click & ask the elves to hook you up with 45 min. My gift. Your questions. Next right things!!!

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The work on this day… and all the days ahead!

Posted on by sue boardman

As you’ve probably heard, on Thursday afternoon, a group of us got together in a Zoom room for a preview of the upcoming class known as #Filters… the Next Right Thing! It was a learning moment for me… and for the brave folks gathered.

There’s a saying in my head – I can’t find the exact quote – which goes something like this… If we, as teachers, aren’t learning anything new, there’s no chance our students are either!

It could well be Steve Glenn. Or Walter Brueggemann. Maybe it was Kathy, my 8th grade English teacher! Regardless, I’m claiming it as true. Here’s why…

Friday was my day for tech challenges. Actually watching the preview video and getting it trimmed, which seemed to take a REALLY long time. Then, getting the minute or so with the uninvited spinning circle, somewhere in the middle, removed, to prevent unnecessary viewer dizziness. You hear me…

And, a whole lot of musing about next right things. How to share the video with folks who missed the live event. How to up the odds that folks – like you – could manage to find space for this opportunity in the midst of our chaotic context.

(And, frankly, whether anybody would really care, besides me…)

Then, it happened! The magic of #Context… The big ah-hah! in my whole being…

This perspective, this model I call #Filters, is – in an utterly true way – my NO KINGS work!!!

It’s my “open my mouth and sing” work in this world.

Not simply because literal marching feels way too mobility-challenging just now, but because it is, inherently, NO KINGS work!!! It’s based in the radical MetaModern notion that lots of things are true and they don’t always seem to get along very well. And the even more radical notion that we – YOU and I – get to choose for ourselves, and NOBODY gets to mandate their personal choices for everybody else!!!

One thing we CAN choose is to open up new doorways – space for new perspectives that help us claim our work… the places where we are called.

I can help!

Here’s what one recent participant had to say, in the midst of her experience:

My night sky was intense. It had clusters of stars. Shooting stars. Nebulas. Deep Prussian blue with a fair share of teal. I put a shape of a woman on there and she said CLOUD. Ok… so I put a cloud on the canvas. A crack appeared corner to corner. That’s where the filters let the wisdom through!

-FM

The next move – the making space for the crack where the wisdom appears – is YOURS!

First, though, me admitting that one of the “expert” beliefs which isn’t absolutely always true is the one that says I should only put one link here for you to click as your next right thing. It’s going to take a couple more than that! (I love choices!)

  • Click here, read some details, and sign up! This world needs all the NO KINGS work we can do! Perhaps, especially the kind that’s safe, manageable, and effective on so many levels! The first 22 brave souls who sign up will receive a FREE set of my new Wisdom Cards!!!

Pete Seeger was totally right! What a mistake it would be if you didn’t add YOUR voice to this journey!

ps… thanks to Bob Wolpert for posting the Pete Seeger pic where it would tickle my #Filters in exactly this moment!

pps… we start Thursday, October 23. (It’ll be a couple weeks before we get to actual painting… you’ve got breathing space!)

ppps… Canadian friends – email me (suesvoice@gmail.com) for a tariff discount code!

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Friends… and strategies for our time!

Posted on by sue boardman

I didn’t know it then… I didn’t even know the word… but she, the red giraffe to the far right, was my introduction to the notion of MetaModern!

We met, she and I, in the “old” chapel on the Columbia Theological Seminary campus during a prospective student weekend in 1986.

I was surprised. A bit uncomfortable, too. You see, I was raised with the notion that WE didn’t do stained glass… especially not the kind with – gasp – images! (There’s a magi with a gift in the middle panel, too, if you look closely!)

Now, there’s a whole lot of history and a great many power struggles behind that notion that WE didn’t do stained glass, though that’s not our big focus for this moment. It’s vocabulary time! (And, yes… if you’ve been hanging out for a while, you know where this is heading!)

Heresy!

Not in the old sense you may have learned, often having to do with women being burned at the stake or hanged. (And yes… several of them were my family!)

Instead, though, the meaning from the Greek…

Able to choose!

Which is where we come full circle to the whole notion of MetaMod, which basically means that many things are true and they don’t always get along very well. And, yes… it’s a #Filters thing!

Turns out, it’s also a survival tool for our time!

I’m betting you can do the math on that one, so I’m going straight to the #NextRightThing!

There’s a preview call on Thursday afternoon. (Yep, tomorrow!) A chance to wade in the waters of our upcoming #Filters class. To, literally, see what it feels like to claim your current vision of the place where you are called and to add some strategies to your Medicine Basket – or Soup Pot – to sustain and empower you on the journey.

I’ve been learning this stuff for decades and I had no idea I was learning it for such a time as this. I’m grateful. And called to share! Not just for the two grandteens I have growing up in this world, but for all our Littles who need us to catch on, now! To set out for the place we are called with fear, trembling, and determination!

The first next right thing is easy… click the button to sign up for the preview on Zoom. (It’s free!) You’ll want a cuppa and something to write on & with. Red Thread would not be amiss, if it’s handy. It’s time!!!

Register Now

Dr. Sue Boardman, Warrior for Concrete Passion & Very Large Hope!

ps… you are totally welcome to bring a friend to the Preview!