Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Blogs

Featured Entries

  • Waspie_Dwarf

    Outwitted by a small, black cat called Elsa.

    By Waspie_Dwarf

    I have a small, black cat named Elsa. She is good company, generally very quiet and very well natured (although not always so well behaved). We are, however, in a battle of wits over a chair, and I think I am losing. A few weeks ago a relative of mine moved and had more chairs than was strictly necessary for her smaller flat. The chairs are much newer than the ones I had and so she gave them to me. That is where the battle started. Initially Elsa was happy to claim a chair of her
    • 8 comments
    • 211 views

Growth in faith

Growth in faith Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. Soren Kierkegaard People tend to think that having faith is reaching some sort of stable point in ones life. When in reality there is always a need to seek deeper maturity in ones life. In our relationships with others, there is always some sort of growth. If not, the relationship either dies or becomes shallow, leading nowhere. In our faith path, if our prayers stay at a childish level, as op

markdohle

markdohle

The monk archetype

The monk archetype The Monk Archetype represents mankind’s situation, each alone before God. So the seeking of filling that aloneness is the Monk-Within. We all live out of imprints. Mother, father, doctor, lawyer, minister, priest and yes monk. Archetypes are either good are bad. The humanity often lost when people think about them. You are either a good mother or a bad one, no middle ground. Perhaps that is why people can be upset when that simplistic black and whit

markdohle

markdohle

Patient waiting and endurance

Patient waiting and endurance When talking with people as retreat master, I have to be careful to gauge the level of their self knowledge before I say anything to them. Humility is an important virtue and the deeper it is, the less defensive and fearful the person is. Humility is of course based on self-knowledge, which intensifies ones ability to listen as well as to respond in ways that allows healing. I was talking to a man who was going through a very painful divorce. It was s

markdohle

markdohle

Dreaming, waking up, and everyday relationships

Dreaming, waking up, and everyday relationships “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” ― Pema Chödrön, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times I was talking to a friend this week about how important the mind is, how we are the mind, whic

markdohle

markdohle

5 Feminist Pioneers Who Were Against Abortion

Credited by many as the founder of the woman’s rights movement, and herself the mother of 7 children, Elizabeth Stanton was clear that she considered abortion to be a form of infanticide, and therefore rejected it totally. She also blamed men for abortion, saying that it was a symptom of the oppression of women (rather than a sign of their empowerment!). Continue: http://www.churchpop...neers-abortion/

markdohle

markdohle

Chess - The Adventures of Zarkor and Zerak

After their exhausting Boating adventure, Zarkor and Zerak and Cloney are back home on Zerak’s private planet. Zarkor and Zerak are relaxing in the den, playing a friendly game of chess together… "This is a fun chess game isn't it, Zarkor?" Zerak says enthusiastically, studying the board. "Its ok,” Zarkor replies noncommittally, covering a yawn, “but I wish you'd make your moves faster.” "It's all about strategy, Zarkor,” says Zerak, looking up. “You have to figure at least six moves ahead."

StarMountainKid

StarMountainKid

Forgiveness: Finding freedom of heart (This weekend retreat)

Forgiveness: Finding freedom of heart (This weekend retreat) There is a saying that is often used about the need for the military. It goes like this; “freedom isn’t free”. This concept can be used for many areas of our lives if we wish to un-clutter both our outer and inner selves. Many people struggle with discipline, I know that I do, yet without it freedom is not possible. The freedom to do ‘whatever’ we want at anytime is in reality the exact opposite of true freedom. When you l

markdohle

markdohle

Sacred space

Sacred space Sacred space is important. There are places of pilgrimage that people go to. To go on pilgrimage is to invite the experience of being inconvenienced, uncomfortable, tired and bored. Yet those who make them usually come away feeling renewed on a deep level. Our outer actions more often than not reflect our deepest inner attitude and desires. A sacred space is like finding a cold fresh stream in the middle of a forest when thirsty and seeking relief….drinking oneself full of

markdohle

markdohle

Life is good, but one stage at a time please

Life is good, but one stage at a time please What helps with aging is serious cognition - thinking and understanding. You have to truly grasp that everybody ages. Everybody dies. There is no turning back the clock. So the question in life becomes: What are you going to do while you're here? Goldie Hawn I was talking to one our retreatants about how the body changes as we age. She was in her early forties and into running, yoga and light weights. As we were talking we also went

markdohle

markdohle

A quiet adventure

I had a day of discovery and adventure on "The Road Less Traveled" today. To start with, I was pleasantly surprised when the receptionist at the YMCA only charged me $5 instead of the usual $7 for a Day Pass. I asked her, "Is this because I just turned 62?" She said yes, and I enthusiastically replied, "If I keep this up, I'll be coming in for free!" She gave me a huge smile...well, actually a small grin...okay, it was a weak, sickly grin, as in, "Run along old man." ...So I left her to her bus

simplybill

simplybill

The gift we are called to pass on to others

The gift we are called to pass on to others People often think that their spiritual life should be just one success after another. If that actually happened it would have consequences that would be disastrous. As humans it would seem that we have to learn from our mistakes. In other words we really do need to fail. Jesus fell three times on his way to Calvary and many think that they should be able to fly without failure, upwards without any need for self knowledge and compassion for ot

markdohle

markdohle

How to pick and cook a possum

How to pick and cook a possum I talked to a southern chef about the art of cooking possum. At first he was reticent about sharing family secrets that has been passed on from father to son for literally hundreds of years. So after a few day so thinking about it, he decided to let me know the way to go about truly having a good meal with possum as the main course. First thing, he said “is that you have to be very picky on what kind of trashcan you pick your possum from. “I always get

markdohle

markdohle

Knock, knock, is anyone there? (the restless heart, the empty well)

Knock, knock, is anyone there? (the restless heart, the empty well) Two prisoners whose cells adjoin communicate with each other by knocking on the wall. The wall is the thing which separates them but is also their means of communication. It is the same with us and God. Every separation is a link. Simone Weil There is a pious saying about our relationship with God. “Absence is a form of presence”. The same could be said of our relationships with others. Loneliness is the expe

markdohle

markdohle

Attack of the 90ft Gashadokuro.

In the past, I had mentioned how fantasizing the Japaneses folklore is. Ghosts, monsters and demons are called yokia in the country's legends which in some cases humans, animal and even household items could become. Over the years, I have read stories about the kappa, oni, inugami, and many others. Only recently, I have come across a tale about a monstrous creature called the gashadokuro. In most yokia folklore, the gashadokuro comes into the existence after some atrocity. In the legend, people

gatekeeper32

gatekeeper32

Learning ones limitations

Learning ones limitations The more a person listens, the less they feel the need to control and manipulate. To see into another human being is to experience a great mystery. A human being has a deep inner life, with many experiences, many hidden that can cause many serious problems in life. To listen and to not control, allows the other to work out their problems, even if it is a slow process. To make someone defensive will only slow the process down. In order to have good boundaries,

markdohle

markdohle

My Tornado Encounter

My first blog entry! I'm looking forward to sharing a few small adventures. I live in a 2-story 1940’s farmhouse on the Mississippi-Missouri Divide in the rolling hills of western Iowa. My acreage sits on a hilltop above a long, wide draw that occasionally funnels the southern wind into dangerous straight-line winds. The low farm fields to the west offer little resistance in slowing down the massive thunderstorms that move across the prairie. I remember, years ago, sitting at my dining room win

simplybill

simplybill

Intimacy of Christ Jesus

Intimacy of Christ Jesus “In the Host My heart is beating as it did on earth, as it does in heaven. There are not many hearts of Christ. There is only one.” (He and I by Gabrielle Bossis) Pauline books For Roman Catholics the Eucharist is the center point of our lives. Christ Jesus present fully in the Eucharist. Today for many that is still a scandal, it is too intimate to comprehend and perhaps for many something fearful. Unconditional love is longed for and

markdohle

markdohle

Solitude and isolation

Solitude and isolation “Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.” ― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper It can be a good experience to learn the limitation that others have in filling the inner void that most of us feel at different times in our lives. However, solitude if it is used as an escape from others; a running

markdohle

markdohle

Observations on Today's Dream Market

I’ve noticed the rising market for dreams lately. Prices have skyrocketed. Even mundane dreams seem to be in demand at exorbitant prices. I’m not sure why this upsurge has occurred, but I’ll try to comment on this phenomenon. Of course, we all know how expensive the most talented dreamer’s works have always been. Asking a high price for an exotic or especially profound or elaborate dream is to be expected. But even the most usual and boring dreams seem to be in greater demand than usual these

StarMountainKid

StarMountainKid

The need for Sabbath/retreat

The need for Sabbath/retreat It's no coincidence that the word 'holiday' suggests a holy day, or that thelongest book in the Torah concerns the Sabbath. If you wish to advance in any sphere, the best way is to take a retreat.---Pico Iyer In the secular world people are starting to understand the need for retreats and even for meditation. When faith is thrown into the mix as well as the need for retreat, it can have even a more profound affect in ones life. Big retreats for many

markdohle

markdohle

The center does not hold

The center does not hold Luke 11:23: Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters—Jesus Christ There is a saying “The center does not hold”. When it was first coined it was to express a certain thought. Yet like all ‘sayings’ they can be used to express many human experiences. For the ‘center’ does not hold in any area of our lives. Nothing is stable and if we do think we have found a place of rest, it is an illusion which is soon

markdohle

markdohle

Does the mind have the capacity to make other's think or feel in some way?

I have always have the capacity to think about thing before they happened or to feel what others feel for me and sometimes I find myself thinking about that person talking about different topics. I have a MS in psychology and a BS in psychology with minor in Behavior. Being a behavior therapist I am pretty much trained to detect certain behavior in people that can tell me what they are thinking. For me is very difficult to believe I have an extra censorial skill that can help me connect with

BehaviorPatty

BehaviorPatty