Perfect Faith Fit

A  L  O  H  A !

Angels on Patrol

“You know you're in 
a good place when 
you no longer are 
interested in looking back. 
You prefer to 
enjoy the journey.” 
                          Karen Salmansohn

"Opportunity often 
comes disguised in the 
form of misfortune, 
or temporary defeat."
                                 Napoleon Hill

“And once the storm is over, 

you won’t remember how 

you made it through, 

how you managed 

to survive. But 

one thing is certain. 

When you come out 

of the storm, you 

won’t be the same 

person who walked in. 

That’s what this 

storm’s all about.” 

                      Haruki Murakami

Linking to

Our World Tuesday

[^]

So I was thinking. . . 

Spiritual life is like 

a marriage with 

the unknown. 

Each side gives 100%. 

Only you can act 

- or wisely NOT act - 

in any situation; 

Only you create 

your life. 

But the Higher Aspect 

flawlessly brings 

JUST the situations 

and choices that are 

perfectly suited to the 

choices and actions 

you need to make. 

It's all offered to you. 

Many opportunities 

to learn show up. But 

it's  up to you to 

see it and live it. 

While truly independent, 

we are nevertheless cared 

over protectively, and 

offered many, many chances 

to hit the mark. 

We have 100% freedom
of choosing. We are
100% cared for.
Mine is not a reformed,
or an orthodox faith;
I am paradox
ALL the way!

Have a great day;

and Thank YOU

for Your Visit!

Please join us 

with your comment

                                               cloudia

Don't lose your head!

Flow Me

A  L  O  H  A !

Let it Flow

To Me. . . 

Let it Flow

Through Me. . . 

Let Me Flow

Let Me Be

Free

(\__/)

(='.'=)

(")_(")

I’ve learned … 

That love means 

'to let be', 

not 'to fix and improve'.

I’ve learned … 

That when we love, 

it heals.

I’ve learned … 

That the best classroom 

in the world is the present 

moment.

I have learned...

With You!

            Fondly, cloudia

How We Get Over -

TOGETHER!

“ Practice makes comfort. 

E-x-p-a-n-d 

your experiences regularly

so every stretch won’t

 feel like your first. ” 

                          Gina Greenlee

Linking to

Good Fences

“ Being the best is

 rarely within our reach. 

Doing our best 

is always 

within our reach. ” 

            Charles F. Glassman

“ If you do not see light 

at the end of the tunnel,

 consider it an opportunity

 to create an opening 

yourself, wherever 

you want.” 

            Ashok Kallarakkal

Thank YOU

Friend!

             Warmly, cloudia

Walking Realms

A  L  O  H  A  !
[Not endorsement, or conversion; 
Just a version. . .  of the Tale]

In the Space

where Human

and Nature kiss. . .

Figures emerge 
who seem to lead us 

to a better way of being,

a realer Reality.

" When the disciples saw Him 

walking on the sea, 

they were terrified, 

and said, "It is a ghost!"" 

Matthew 14:25-26

" We ourselves

 must walk the path."  

Buddha

" What worries you 

masters you. "

                Locke

We each need to face down this guy!

That which demonizes

and terrorizes each

of us

"The ability to be joyous,

 by discerning the good

 and joyous within 

every experience,

 is a biblical command!"

                              Bal Shem Tov

"For with joy shall you go out."

Isaiah 55:12

As we follow our path 

pointed ahead,

the Teaching and 

the Teacher reveal

in different hues & ways

that best suited

to You

Like Dorothy, 

we return to the realm

of the Normal. But

 it is not normal

as it was.

Now it's normal as

It Is.

The Pure Realm

0n Every Side

of Birth.

/]0[/

Thank You

for walking 

together!

                       Fondly, cloudia

First Hawaii Catholics

A  L  O  H  A   from   Honolulu!

" Different flowers 

look good 

to different people. "

                                  Chinese Proverb

  Our Lady of Peace 

Malia O Ka Malu

[ lHawn. lit:' Maria of the Calm ] 

 Oldest cathedral in continuous use

 in the United States.

 Saint Damien of 

Molokaʻi was ordained here

on May 21, 1864.

Placed on the 

National Register of Historic Places 

in 1972. 

" After some years of persecution 

of Roman Catholicism in the 

Hawaiian Islands (partly instigated by 

Congregationalist and 

Presbyterian missionaries 

who had befriended the 

Kamehameha dynasty)

the Royal Hawaiian government 

issued an Edict of Toleration 

creating freedom of religious 

expression June 17, 1839

Link

 As an act 

of reconciliation, 

Kamehameha III gave the 

first Roman Catholic missionaries

a piece of the royal estate on 

which to build the first 

Roman Catholic church in the kingdom. 

Ground was broken on July 9, 1840, 

coinciding with the 

Feast of Our Lady of Peace.  

Mass was celebrated on that day,

and 280 native Hawaiians 

received the sacraments of baptism, 

confirmation, and first 

Eucharist. 

The cornerstone of the building 

was ceremonially laid on 

August 6, 1840. 

Native Hawaiian volunteers harvested

 blocks of coral from the 

shores of Ala Moana, 

Kakaʻako, and Waikīkī. 

Dedicated August 15, 1843 "

Link

Linking to

InSpired Sunday

" That's the way 

things come clear. 

All of a sudden.

 And then you 

realize how obvious 

they've been all along. "

Madeleine L'Engle

\[]/

Thank You!

                   Fondly, cloudia

First Chinese Church of Christ in Hawai‘i

A  L  O  H  A !

" The truth 

has a million faces,

 but there is 

only one truth. "

                    Hermann Hesse

“ I never 

met a person 

that I did not 

want to like. ” 

                           Will Rogers

Lest you doubt that this IS a church, 

note the lattice-work cross 

and the one atop the pagoda.

Read About the Church

  HERE

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday

Here

[\]

Thank You!

                         cloudia

Honolulu Buddhist Temple

A  L  O  H  A !

" Shingon Shu Hawaii 

915 Sheridan Street in Honolulu, Hawaii,

 is one of the most elaborate displays 

of Japanese Buddhist temple architecture in Hawaiʻi. 

It was first built in 1917-1918 by Nakagawa Katsutaro, 

a master builder of Japanese-style temples,

 then renovated in 1929 by Hego Fuchino, 

a self-taught man who was the first person 

of Japanese ancestry to become 

a licensed architect in the Islands. "

Wikipedia Link

One of my favorite buildings in our Honolulu!

Click HERE to see 

religious architecture around the world

Your Gods are Adorable!

A   L   O   H   A  !

" Colonialism.
The enforced spread
of the rule of reason.
But who is going to
spread it 
among the colonizers? "

Anthony Burgess

[][][][][][][][][][]][][][][][]

Our visitor in the picture 

is unknowingly 

disrespecting a TIKI.

They originally represented 

Hawaiian Gods.

Or is it the restaurateur

who placed it there?

Yes, they were " Idols "

and were literally

" Cast Down "

by the Hawaiian People

themselves, under 

missionary influence.

The Hawaiian Kingdom
was overthrown
 January 17, 1893 

LINK

What does it do to a people

when their culture

is turned into kitsch?

Some contemporary 

Hawaiians are 

Traditional Cultural Practitioners.

Many more Hawaiians

and local residents

are Very proud

of Hawaiian Culture.

This is not a

slap on the wrist;

But a lesson

behind 

just another day

in Waikiki. . .

 }
/V\
[[
' Take Peace & Smiles - Leave Your Comment '
Thanks for visiting!
                          Warmly, cloudia

Join us in Comments
even if you just look around.
You'll like the people 

who you meet there!

Blessed Pussy Wiillow

On Saturday night, 

eve of the feast day 

of the 'Entrance of the Lord 

into Jerusalem'

("Palm Sunday") 

Orthodox churches welcome

foliage in their services.

Worshippers bring

what flowers they may, 

and especially branches 

of pussy willow.


Like the people of Jerusalem

those centuries ago,

the Orthodox  

greet Christ 

with tree branches. 
(in Church Slavonic "s vaiyami")

Of course, 

Russia has no palm trees. 

The local trees they do enjoy,

do not leaf so early in the 

legendary climate. 


Only the pussy willow 

shares her tender catkins.



And so, the pussy willow 

is an especial emblem 

of Spring,
 
A featured solo 

in the season's theme 

of spiritual rebirth. 

Modest pussy willow

cheers the people,

hails a King,

 
but her tender leaves 

of green 

bloom only later. 

Royal velvet

soothes eye, 

and touch, 

especially

after winter's

harshness. 

 

But pussy hides 

her mystical side. 

Green Leaves, 

and the tender business 

of keeping on,

are as yet 

but promised 

resurrection; 

Like the very day's 

feast, 

soon eclipsed 

in anguish

(killing frost)

and then 

Exceeding Joy.

Part of the evening's service,

is a ritual blessing

of the pussy willows. 

The Gospel is read,

and then,

in that rarified space,

the clergy who are present 

cense the pussy willows 

with blessed Orthodox incense,

 
read a specific prayer,

then bless the branches,

the catkins, 

with holy water. 

I cannot 

but think 

that these are 

happy words

to the faithful:

 "These pussy willows

 are being blessed,

through the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, 

by the sprinkling of this holy water, 

in the name of the Father and the Son 

and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

Usually the blessing is repeated

on the next day 

of the feast itself. 

Then the blessed 

pussy willows 

are lovingly 

brought home,

and reverently 

appreciated,

 
as a sign of God's 

'Penetrating Grace' 

even until 

the following year 

when the old branches

are burned.

In some communities, 

they are used instead

as the stuffing 

of special pillows, 

upon which the heads 

of pious Orthodox Christians

rest in their coffins.  

 

How Good, and Right, 

and Joyful it is, 

to celebrate nature

as the pageant of wisdom

and sustenance that she is.

Celebrate Creation

Honor the Creator

too awestruck 

to argue

questions too big

for right now.

LINK

Thanks for spending time here with us!
                                  Your friend, cloudia