tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105371462621592511.post1635364322120200601..comments2023-09-24T15:01:46.609-04:00Comments on Fiat Lux: An Advent discussion: The Big-Hard-QuestionsThe Rev. James Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03484680361356703398noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105371462621592511.post-43827520158944158672009-12-01T18:52:04.193-05:002009-12-01T18:52:04.193-05:00Jim, what a great idea! The use of Advent for this...Jim, what a great idea! The use of Advent for this kind of journey into deep questions together. And the labyrinth as a metaphor for it. <br /><br />(And of course mentioning my blog!) :-) <br /><br />Your use of Advent for ongoing discussion reminded me of another inspiring use of a monthly cycle that I read about in the Science section of the New York Times today.<br /><br />There's a new book called "29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your life" by a woman named Cami Walker who has multiple sclerosis. She had been mired in pain and depression until a holistic health educator suggested that she give a gift a day for 29 days -- not Nordstrom-type gifts, but things like making supportive phone calls or saving a piece of chocolate cake for her husband.<br /><br />Amazingly, her spirits improved but so did her health and her dependence on pain meds.<br /><br />"My first reaction was that I thought it was an insane idea," Ms Walker said in the Times. "But it has given me a more positive outlook on life. It's about stepping outside of your own story long enough to make a connection with someone else.... Giving for 29 days is not suggested as a cure for anything. It's simply a coping mechanism and a simple tool you can use that can help you change your thinking about whatever is going on. If you change your thinking, you change your experience."Ilana DeBarehttp://midlifebatmitzvah.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com