Barbara’s Reflections

A bouquet of flowers stands on a stool - we can be grateful for everything in our life, including the little things — Grateful for Everything
For Everything in Our Lives Lyricist Bruce Findlow, in his song, “For All that Is Our Life,” said […]

23 Nov, 2019 in Spiritual and Emotional Themes tagged Freedom / Gratitude / Learning / Love by Barbara Stevens

A ladybug standing on a cocoon of a parasite that took away her free will when it parasitized her — Free Will and Microbes Among Us
Not Captains of Our Souls The more we learn about the creatures who inhabit this planet with us, […]

16 Nov, 2019 in Recovery Skills tagged Bacteria / Community / Compassion / Forgiveness / Free Will / Love / Microbes / Parasites by Barbara Stevens

A girl lying asleep on white sheets, covered in stars -Choosing Redemption is a form of grace — Choosing Redemption, Choosing Life
Choosing Redemption Last month, while talking about forgiveness and redemption at the Recovery Church circle, the question came […]

9 Nov, 2019 in Spiritual and Emotional Themes tagged God's Hands / Grace / Justice / Love / Redemption / relationships by Barbara Stevens

A clown with a red nose and brightly-colored hat and coat - the clown acts as the holy fool opening us to faith, hope, and love — Jesus and the Holy Fool
God Chose Foolish Things In his first letter to the Christian community of Corinth, Paul writes, “But God […]

2 Nov, 2019 in Scripture Study tagged Clowns / Corinthians / Faith / Holy Fool / Hope / Jesus / WIsdom by Barbara Stevens

A man gazing at the beauty of the star-filled sky, experiencing gratitude for creation which God feels grateful for in return — Does God Feel Grateful?
Does God Feel Gratitude? Although we start each of our Sunday-afternoon circles with a particular topic, one can […]

26 Oct, 2019 in Spiritual and Emotional Themes tagged Covenant / God / Gratitude / Love / relationships by Barbara Stevens

No Forgiveness In Buddhism
In Buddhism, There Is No Forgiveness A few months ago, I attended a webinar in which the presenter […]

19 Oct, 2019 in Spiritual and Emotional Themes tagged Buddhism / Debt / Forgiveness / Power by Barbara Stevens

A man sitting, his head bowed, palms upraised, surrounded by people touching him gently on the back - repenting of sins, seeking redemption — High Holy Days and Redemption
High Holy Days Religions teach us about contemplation, stillness, and prayer. They remind us that some days are […]

12 Oct, 2019 in Spiritual and Emotional Themes tagged Forgiveness / Redemption / Transformtion / Yom Kippur by Barbara Stevens

Jephthah's daughter mourning her virginity - she shows courage, wisdom, and love — The Courage of Jephthah’s Daughter
The Unnamed Daughter Jephthah’s daughter has no name. That’s not unusual for biblical characters. Men and women alike […]

5 Oct, 2019 in Scripture Study tagged Beloved Community / Book of Judges / Courage / Love / Sacrifice by Barbara Stevens

Man staring at a starry sky showing us the enormity of the universe, the ability to laugh at our smallness in the face of eternity — Our Plans and God’s Laughter
The Ultimate Joke As others before me have said, death is the ultimate joke. [1] At birth, and […]

28 Sep, 2019 in Spiritual and Emotional Themes tagged Death / Dreams / Goals / Life / Love / Undivided Life / Wholeness by Barbara Stevens

Woman balancing on the rail of railroad tracks with golden autumn leaves on the trees and the ground — Balance and the Autumn Equinox
Where Is the Balance? The equinox is a time of balance, when night and day are equal. In […]

21 Sep, 2019 in Spiritual and Emotional Themes tagged Autumn Equinox / Balance / God / Love / relationships / Right Relationship by Barbara Stevens

See, hear, and speak no evil - monkeys that refuse to look at the truth — Opinion, Fact, and Truth
Truth from Out of the Void At a Recovery Church circle a few months ago, someone asked, “What […]

14 Sep, 2019 in Political Events and Recovery tagged Beloved Community / Democracy / Facts / Opinion / Truth by Barbara Stevens

A father and son laughing together, learning to laugh at ourselves — The Benefits of Laughing at Ourselves
Of Storms and Presidents Farce in the White House is nothing new these days, but we may have […]

7 Sep, 2019 in Recovery Skills tagged Happiness / Laughter / Oppression / Power / Powers that Be by Barbara Stevens