Wednesday 17 October 2012

San Augustin

This week I moved to a new area of town named after Saint Augustine. Filled with all the mixed feelings of moving, I find myself in a local coffee shop this morning - also named after the afore-mentioned Mr August and to my surprise I find this sign hanging above the bar, which is a quote from the man himself : 'Know yourself. Accept yourself. Overcome yourself'. This came to me like a nod from a new neighbour and a shard of light as to what this next phase of my journey could be about. I think I am entering into a time of more head space and reflection and I think San Augustin has just given me a good idea as to how to use it!

My bike

Can I just say ... bikes are amazing!! I have my great friend Jeremy to thank for this new discovery. He introduced me to biking by giving me a load of English classes in different corners of the city, lending me his bike and then leaving the country. Brilliant!

Good things about a bike include
1) Lots of fresh air
2) Always arriving with a windswept look
3) Free transport
4) Excersice without the gym fees
5) Good views
6) Clear ecological conscience (apart from all the plane tickets I book!)
7) The possibilty of new adventures with the simple use of your legs

And now I wish to thank the lovely Jose for sorting me out a new bike - all purply and cool -so I can continue to zip around the city with this new found freedom :). Thank you boys!


Cycling over conquers




You may have heard of a travel book about adventures in Spain called 'Driving over lemons' conjuring up an oh so mediterranean image of an abundance of fruit and sunshine. Well here in Burgos, in the colder north of Spain, we roll a bit differently. As the autumn has set in and I've got my scarf and gloves out, I have found myself on a perilous but entertaining slalam course through the bike lanes of the city that are currently covered in conquers. I think I will always have affection for autumn in Burgos as it reminds me of the time I first arrived here: walking new ground and breathing in rich autumn colour and cold air, the smell of wood fire and chestnuts. Not the Spain of the travel magazines, but a Spain worth falling in love with.

Monday 1 October 2012

What a star you are :)

I have been quite loving a bit of Brian Cox's 'Wonders of the Universe' lately and a recent episode got me thinking. Brian expounded to us, between a number of wistful looks into the middle distance, how all the 92 elements that make up the known universe, are fabricated in the life and death of stars. It has to be very very hot aparently, for nuclear fusion init. In its life, the star core is a creative furnace for the foundational elements of life and in the explosive power of its death, it throws out all we need for physical existence. Of course Brian needed to go to lots of exotic locations to fully explain this , Rio, Mexico, South Africa - it's a tough life for a physist these days ;)

But the thought is this - when I say to a friend 'you are a real star' perhaps they are, more than I realise. What if there is another dimension of the universe, that we dont fully understand, being forged in the life and death of the soul. What if the foundational spiritual elements of love, wisdom and peace are being constantly formed in the firey depths of our being and that in our life and death they could be flung out to create future more hopeful worlds. It's a bit crazy, but as I believe nothing good is lost in God's eternal economy, perhaps we are not only objects of creation but also agents of the creative process itself.

Estrellas
Ultimamente me esta gustando un poco de Brian Cox "Maravillas del Universo" y un episodio reciente me hizo pensar. Brian expuso a nosotros, entre una serie de miradas anhelantes en la media distancia, cómo todos los 92 elementos que componen el universo conocido, se fabrican en la vida y muerte de las estrellas. Tiene que ser muy, muy caliente aparentemente, para la fusión nuclear, ya sabes. Durante su vida, el núcleo de la estrella es un horno creativo para los elementos fundamentales de la vida y en el poder explosivo de su muerte, se suelta todo lo que necesitamos para la existencia física. Por supuesto que Brian tenía que ir a un montón de lugares exóticos para explicarnos plenamente esta teoría verdad, Rio, México, Sudáfrica - es una vida dura para una fisico hoy en día ;)
Pero la idea es la siguiente - cuando le digo a un amigo "eres una verdadera estrella" tal vez sea más verdad de que me doy cuenta. ¿Qué pasa si hay otra dimensión del universo, que se entiende completamente, que se forja en la vida y la muerte del alma. ¿Y si los elementos fundamentales espirituales del amor, la sabiduría y la paz están siendo constantemente formado en las profundidades ardientes de nuestro ser y que, por nuestra vida y muerte, podrían ser lanzados a crear mundos futuros de más esperanza. Es un poco loco, pero como creo que nada bueno se pierde en la economía eterna de Dios, tal vez no somos sólo objetos de la creación, sino también agentes del proceso creativo divino.

Saturday 22 September 2012

Dawn

'Dawn' the perfect tag for a Christian motivational poster, and in this case also the name of my house mate - full name 'Alba Cuevas del Valle' -'Dawn Caves of the Valley', yes really - how cool! This post is dedicated to her and a motivational chat we had the other night.
Am back in Spain and, as usual, contemplating life and Alba says to me 'Of course happiness in life does not depend on material things, it depends on the philosophy of life you choose and how you nurture it'. Wow! And it dawns on me (!) that is exactly what I need to focus on right now. Getting back to the bones of my belief and breathing them into life. I reckon that a review of our core values and how we live them out is a good a challenge as any for this Septemberish time :) Happy Autumn!

Alba
'Alba' la etiqueta perfecta para un cartel cristiano de motivación, y en este caso también el nombre de mi compañera de casa - nombre completo 'Alba Cuevas del Valle' , sí realmente - que guay! Este post está dedicado a ella y una charla motivacional que tuvimos la otra noche.
Estoy en España de nuevo y, como de costumbre, contemplando la vida y Alba me dice: 'Por supuesto felicidad en la vida no depende de cosas materiales, sino depende de la filosofía de la vida que uno elija y cómo la alimenta'. Wow! Y me doy cuenta (!) Que es exactamente el enfoque que necesito tener en estos momentos. El volver a los huesos de mi creencia y la respiración en vida. Creo que una revisión de nuestros valores fundamentales y la forma en que los practicamos es un desafío igual de bueno como cualquier otro en este tiempo Septeimbrero :) .Feliz otono!

Monday 16 July 2012

Living in the Now, Eh?
There is a lot of good talk at the moment about living in the now - I think I get it - don't worry about the future. let go of the past etc. But the practical implications of the constant now seem a bit confusing or unrealistic for me. Here I am living in the now, oops no I've missed it, oh darn that now...May be I need to grow my beard a bit longer and spend more time in mountain top cave locations, or maybe, as with most things, our language falls short of what we mean. These are exactly the moments for further thought.
Living in the now could be thought of as a divine spiritual state, but, following the Reggae festival I've been to this weekend I would suggest it could also be achieved with some good music and a large dose of Calimocho (Spain's beloved coca-cola and wine mix). In fact many people seek and find the 'now' in pleasure or oblivion with great success. But I don't think this is the 'now' our spiritual sages are referring to. This kind of now hits you with a big hammer in the morning - saying 'WHAT NOW?'
The divine now, I would suggest, is not the now of a moment in time, but rather the essence of eternity. It is the consciousness that our actions live and move and have their being in the ocean of eternity. The now is not something to be captured, in fact, it is a holy consideration of all material and transient experiences in the context of eternity. It is to know that the true reality of light and love cannot be contained but may well be reflected by objects and actions. It is to enjoy that reality but never to possess it, to know that you are part of it. Your past, your future, your present, play shapes in the sand.

Monday 25 June 2012

Fiestas de San Juan - My first witch burning!


When I decided to attend the fiestas of San Juan I'd been told what to expect - a big bonfire and some dancing and maybe a spot of drinking. The idea, as I understand it, is that on the shortest night of the year we join to celebrate the light conquering over the darkness. Whether it is a Pagan or Christian rite, I am not going to argue here ... I think it is human...very human... to give ritual to hope as a way of holding tighter to it.
What I didn't expect to see was all the children of the village dressed in black and dancing around a huge figure of a witch! Initially the spectacle was quite eerie, the a fore mentioned witch seemed to be hit with the locals, embraced by the crowds, but it was soon clear her trajectory through the streets and squares was towards the fire and her end would not be pretty.
Suddenly, feeling slightly more sad for the witch, I remember the many people who throughout history have been scapegoated for societies ills. Stakes, crosses, planks, stones. How we long to take that slippery thing we call evil and pin it on someone or something and hope it will go away. So now in the flickering flame I see the witch again, Christ-like in sacrifice, a symbol and nothing more than the darkness in all of us from which we need liberation. Beneath the night sky, I lift my own fears and failures to the One who hides behind the stars, and watching the unflinching power of the blaze, my feet begin to dance and I believe again in my freedom.

Cuando decidí a asistir a las fiestas de San Juan, me habían dicho lo que podria esperar, una gran hoguera, baile y un poco de consumo de alcohol. La idea, como yo la tenia entendida, era que en la noche más corta del año, nos unimos para celebrar la conquista de la luz sobre las tinieblas. Si se trate de un rito pagano o cristiano, yo no voy a discutir aquí ... Creo que es humana ... muy humana ... a dar un ritual a la esperanza para sentirse mas cerca a ella. Lo que no esperaba era ver a todos los niños del pueblo vestidos de negro y bailando alrededor de una enorme figura de una bruja! Inicialmente, el espectáculo era bastante extraño, la bruja una estrella del pueblo, abrazada por las multitudes, pero de pronto se hizo evidente que su trayectoria por las calles y plazas fue hacia el fuego y su fin no iba a ser bonito.
De repente, senti un poco más triste por la bruja, me acorde de las muchas personas que a lo largo de la historia han sido chivos expiatorios de los males de las sociedades. Las estacas, las cruces, los tablones, las piedras. Como nos gusta tomar esa cosa resbaladiza a que llamamos la maldad y  echar toda la culpa por ella a alguien o algo y esperar que vaya a desaparecer. 
Así que ahora en la llama vacilante, veo a la bruja con otra luz, semejante a Cristo en su sacrificio, un símbolo y nada más de la oscuridad en todos nosotros, de la que necesitamos la liberación. Bajo el cielo de la noche, levanto mis propios miedos y fracasos a Aquel que se esconde detrás de las estrellas, y al ver el poder inquebrantable de las llamas, mis pies comienzan a bailar y creo de nuevo en mi libertad.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Ideas by Candlelight

An empty building, old furniture scrabbled together, a ramshackle group of diverse dreamers and some candlelight... a couple of beers and introductions later and the ideas began to flow... how could this place 'under construction' ... become a place of 'rebuilding hopes long devastated' a hub for making material the wildest imaginings for a different world. A future re-envisioned through the undimmed aspirations of a child.


(left : first gathering @agorahub -photo www.julianmarinov.com)


Yet beware, the flickering candlelight a sober reminder of the fragility of the hopeful and the ever-increasing challenge to be guardians of such light against the encroaching darkness. Change doesn't come overnight but it is likely to have to live through a few.


Un edificio vacío, unos muebles trastos tirados en conjunto, un grupo destartalado de soñadores diversos y unas velas ... un par de cervezas y las presentaciones y luego las ideas comienzan a fluir ... ¿cómo podría este lugar "en construcción" ... ser convertido en un lugar de la "reconstrucción de las esperanzas devastadas durante mucho tiempo" y un HUB para la fabricación en lo material, de las fantasías más descabelladas para un mundo diferente. Un futuro re-imaginado a través de las aspiraciones no decepcionadas de un niño. (a la izquierda: primer encuentro @ agorahub) Sin embargo, ojo, la luz de las velas parpadeantes un sobrio recordatorio de la fragilidad de la esperanza y el desafío cada vez mayor de ser los guardianes de la luz contra la oscuridad como usurpación. El cambio no es día para otro, y es probable que tenga que vivir a través de unas noches mas.

Monday 21 May 2012

Mini Pilgrim


On Fri of last week I went on a mini adventure on my bike into the unknown. I wanted to see how far I could get; I wanted some time with the Creator and the landscape. The great thing about going on any journey like this, is that it can be a small mirror to the bigger adventure of life. If you allow yourself to reflect on this, you have a pilgrimage in the making. For me it was interesting to note not only the content of the adventure…beauty, danger, relief, effort, diversion, surprise.. but also my approach to it.. poor planning, risk embracing, positive thinking, independent yet rescue awaiting, a stubbornness for the goal but an openness to the unexpected. I realise that, for better or worse, these ways of operating are characteristic of my general approach to life. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this way of walking? (Don’t all scream with frustration at once!) What is your way of walking? You could pick any journey or adventure you’ve had recently and reflect on not only the ‘what’ but the ‘how’ of your ways –what are you footsteps/bike tracks telling you?






Friday 16 March 2012

Adventures in simplicity -the Three Pie Rule

I have heard it said that if you are a preparing a speech, it's worth considering that people can rarely retain more than 3 points for any length of time. Rather like goldfish ..but 3 times as intelligent. Go us!
Continuing discussions on the simple life, it has been suggested that part of the trick is being contented with doing less, and doing it well. However as those of you who know me would confirm, I am one for having my fingers in a lot of pies - my favorite one being the headless chicken pie.. mm tasty. But I'm going to propose to myself and others who wish to try it, the all new 'The 3 Pie Rule'. ..

  • Select those things you feel really connected and called to at this time (if necessary write a list)
  • Reduce to 3 areas of focus.. have a good smell of those 3 tasty pies
  • Then stick your fingers right in (arms if you like) and feel no guilt for the other pies - someone will eat them -or you will eat them later ;-)
And note how I have tried to squeeze my 3 pie recipe into 3 points and remember them, you gorgeous goldfish you..

Monday 12 March 2012

Keeping life simple ;)

'Abbey National- because life is complicated enough' ..do you remember the ad campaign?..Abbey National is now Santander! And that's just it really - it's hard to keep things simple when the world around us is in constant flux and change. So when a dear friend launched the question at me last week of  'How do we keep life simple?' I was more than happy to chew upon the bone and invite others to do the same.
I think what I perceive as a generalised hunger for simplicity in our society, comes from the ever increasing range of choices open to us as modern man. In the arena of choice we are blessed with options and cursed with the fear that we will take the wrong one. Thus we experience a constant state of consumer anxiety and not just for material products but for life products too. 'Happiness' 'well-being' 'success' are the new more elusive acquisitions which we spend our time and energy searching for.
We rarely experience the simple connectedness to earth and survival, community and solidarity that we imagine our ancestors did and some of our contemporaries may still. But we cannot go back. The new 'simples' must find a way to navigate the complexities of modern society without negating it or escaping it.
I think to find this simplicity we must look within. Search in the core of our being, for the basic principles that guide us and bring us alive and live from those. 'The simple way' may involve letting go of the quest for happiness well-being and success as products in themselves. It may involve a new humility that accepts our inability to sew-up and conquer reality by making all the right choices and learns how to wonder at it instead. And  learns we are loved, not itemised.
To be continued...

Wednesday 7 March 2012

El pan de cada dia - Daily bread

Living in Spain is making me more 'bread-aware'. Bread is a big deal here. Bread with every meal. Bread required everyday. Fresh. If you take a wander down any Spanish street at around 2 you will see people carrying bread to their respective houses for lunch- a sight I have grown very fond of. Opening a bakery is far from a foolish plan.

I think of the biblical prayer 'Give us today our daily bread' and realise that the culture of the time was probably very 'bread-conscious' also, knowing it as central or essential part of their daily sustenance.

In my house we buy or make fresh bread everyday and if there is some left over we share it for supper. I turn my mind to the bread of spiritual sustenance and realise it is the same..we need it fresh.. daily.. and big enough to share. So go fetch, make, share. May our words and thoughts be nourishment to the weary and good company to the friend.

Friday 24 February 2012

Hunger

After a good knees up with some pancakes this week, I have started having some Lent based thoughts. And it is hunger that I'm thinking about. Fasting reminds us of our hunger. At first we feel hunger for the thing we are fasting- we start day dreaming of chocolate donuts, vats of beer and fridges flowing with pizzas and ice-cream, and then we are moved to contemplate the deeper hunger that led us to fast in the first place. The hunger that goes beyond bread alone - the spirit's longing. Fasting priorities this hunger to our consciousnesses and lifts it to heaven.
So when you are praying and/or fasting this Lent ask yourself 'What am I hungry for?' 'What am I desperate to see?' (more than a chocolate donut in my hand right now). For what we hunger for is our true heart cry to God and I believe, the prayer that will heard the loudest. And I'm also asking 'What might God be hungry for?' What might God be longing for? And can we share in that longing also :-)

El Hambre
Después de una buena fiesta de pancakes esta semana, me he puesto a pensar en la Cuaresma. Y es en el hambre que estoy pensando. El ayuno nos recuerda a nuestra hambre. En primer lugar nos sentimos hambre de lo que estamos ayunando, empezamos a soñar con donuts de chocolate, cubas de cerveza y neveras que fluyen con pizzas y helados, y luego progresamos a contemplar el hambre más profunda que nos ha llevado a ayunar en el primer lugar. El hambre que va más allá de sólo el pan - el anhelo del espíritu. El ayuno destaca este hambre a nuestras conciencias y lo levanta al cielo.
Así que cuando estás orando y / o ayunando en esta Cuaresma preguntate a ti mismo '¿De que tengo hambre? ""que estoy desesperado por ver? (más que un donut de chocolate en la mano ahora mismo). Por nuestro hambre es nuestro grito de corazón sincero a Dios, y creo que la oración que se escuchará más fuerte. Y también estoy preguntando "¿De qué podría tener hambre Dios? '¿Qué podría ser el anhelo de Dios? Y podemos participar en ese anhelo también :-)

Monday 30 January 2012

Beauty Treatment 5 - Face lift

I lift up my eyes to the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121

Who do we look up to? And who do we look for for help? It is said that we become like what we worship and that we all worship something ..even unknowingly..therefore what we lift our eyes to has power to shape us eternally...

Beauty Treatment 4 - Humble pie diet

'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves' Philippians 2v2-4

Beauty Treatment 3 - Aromatherapy

'whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things' Philippians 4:7-9

Beauty treatment 2 - Daily cleanse

Forgive others as you are forgiven - daily.

Monday 23 January 2012

Beauty treatment 1 - Hot soak

Well I got in touch with my Stylist and He told me that the first beauty treatment was to realise that I was loved - warts and all - what a relief!

Inside out

Been contemplating the scariness of what it would be like to live with our insides on the outside -and no I'm not talking of our gooey organs and funny bones- but of our thoughts and fears and fancies. In the film Shallow Hal, Hal is blessed with the ability to see people's inner beauty on the outside, with some interesting results! What if all that counted in life was not how things appeared to be, how nice we seemed, how successfully we presented ourselves etc but instead the pure stripped down truth of our daily thinking. What do we think about? Are those thoughts good in the direction of others? How much are we actually preoccupied by self? Some people have the purest and simplest of hearts -I know mine is a mine field. And I genuinely think it matters - because in the end I think our inner reality will be the only one that prevails. So I'm gonna get my Stylist in on this one and be honest with Him about my flaws and see what beauty treatments He can offer :)

Community

Community is like a little jug
You can fill it up with love
With acts of kindness day by day
Till the jug aint big enough :)


Friday 20 January 2012

Yesterday

4 course meal in a vegetarian restaurant
Surrounded by beards and pink hair
A backy on a bicycle in the cold Burgos air
Luminita stopped begging to invite me back for tea
Learning Romanian with her son
And extended family
Egyptian film re Alexandria's art underground
Subtitles in Spanish
Arabic sound
Hot ribena and homemade quiche
Just before bed
Yesterday was pretty cool - it's got to be said.

Monday 16 January 2012

Comfort, comfort

This week I was witness to a very cute happening in our house which got me thinking. Little Marc, 2 years old, had managed to spectacularly trip over his own feet and come crashing to the floor, whacking his head against the corner of a table on the way down. The result of the pain, shock and panic was a lot of tears and screams. The little boy was almost inconsolable until he landed in a heap at his Daddy's feet and just clung to his leg, still crying in such a way that made it hard for him to catch his breath. At this point Daddy, Bernat, simply held him there and whilst stroking his head, he whispered in a tangibly comforting way 'you're alright..you're alright'. Marc was there for sometime, he would receive comfort and calm down and then suddenly, as if being hit by a wave of pain or memory, would start screaming again. All the while his father kept him firmly in his hold, until it really was alright again.
Although as adults we like to see ourselves as sophisticated and advanced in our thinking, my hunch is that we understand little more of our universe than a child does of his, and sometimes all we know is that it is scary or it hurts. Many of us seek answers and feel angry with God for the state of things, but I wonder if what we really need sometimes is His comfort, if we would only let ourselves go and receive it. Even when a painful event is over we can still feel the shock waves of it and need comfort once again.
In the Bible God is described as Father and I cannot think of a better image of His love than this. Comfort from a source that is much bigger than our understanding that can truly reassure us 'You're alright..you're alright' until we can get up again.

Consolaos, Consolaos
Esta semana fui testigo de un acontecimiento muy bonito en nuestra casa, que me hizo pensar. Little Marc, 2 años de edad, había logrado una caida espectacular sobre sus propios pies, golpeando su cabeza contra la esquina de una mesa en el camino al suelo. El resultado del dolor, el shock y el pánico fue un montón de lágrimas y gritos. El niño estaba casi inconsolable hasta que aterrizó a los pies de su papá y sólo se aferró a su pierna, sin dejar de llorar de tal manera que lo hizo difícil para él recuperar el aliento. En este momento, papá, Bernat, simplemente lo mantuvo allí y, mientras acariciaba la cabeza, le susurró de una manera realmente reconfortante "que estás bien .. que estás bien". Marc estaba allí por un buen rato, recibiria el confort y calmaba y de repente, como si fuera golpeado por otra ola de dolor o de la memoria, empezaría a gritar de nuevo. Mientras tanto su padre le mantuvo seguro, hasta que realmente estaba bien otra vez.
A pesar de que como adultos nos gusta vernos tan sofisticados y avanzados en nuestra forma de pensar, mi impresión es que entendemos poco más de nuestro universo de que un niño entiende del suyo, y a veces todo lo que sabemos es que da miedo o nos duele. Muchos de nosotros buscamos respuestas o nos sentimos enojado con Dios por el estado de las cosas, pero me pregunto si lo que realmente necesitamos a veces es su consuelo, si sólo nos dejariamos llevar y recibiriamos. Incluso cuando un acontecimiento doloroso ya ha pasado, igual podemos sentir las ondas de choque y entonces necesitamos confort, una vez más.

En la Biblia Dios es descrito como el Padre y yo no puedo pensar en una mejor imagen de su amor de esto. El consuelo de una fuente que es mucho más grande que nuestro entendimiento y que realmente nos puede reasegurar "Tú estás bien .. que estás bien" hasta que podamos volver a levantarnos. 

Tuesday 10 January 2012

A Deeper Listening

Amongst my thoughts for 2012 I have been drawn to the idea of practicing a deeper listening towards God and towards others. A lot is missed through a lack of listening 'it is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way' Proverbs 19v2. Simultaneously I seem to have been strangely drawn to watching excessive amounts of Sherlock Holmes related media. It was when watching one such program the other day that I realized he was in fact a great example of what I had been thinking about. It is Holmes' highly tuned ability to listen to the world around him that enables him to see what others don't and solve the mysteries that evade many. The Sherlock Holmes dramas illustrate brilliantly how messages and signals are being constantly emitted in the world around us if we are patient and wise enough to interpret them. So thanks Sherlock for inspiring me on my quest for 2012 and Happy New Ears to us all!

A game for the turning of the years

On New Year's Eve I played a silly game with some friends at the table of eating. We each put 3 of our top tips/lessons from 2011 into one pot and then 3 questions for 2012 into another pot. We then picked out at random questions and tips - just for the laughs. Of the highlights : to my question 'How can I find the perfect man?' I was advised 'Don't tred in dog poo' and to my brother's question 'How do I find the perfect curtains?' the tip picked out at random was to 'Always consult Tracy' who happens to be his girlfriend! Highly recommend the game - Could this be an effective way of solving future dilemmas?

Burgos 'Freedom' Graffiti


Grafitti Wall in Burgos, Spain says 'Do not cover up your FREEDOM'.

DREAM

This video was made with young people from the Hechos project, Burgos - exploring the realities of life as a refugee and the tensions experienced between 'when reality doesn't let you dream or when your dreams become reality'.
http://youtu.be/th-ER7hWNI4