9:24 a.m. Today, I want to keep in mind the wonderful phrase from the Christmas story that “the glory of the Lord shone round about” the shepherds. “The Lord”, to me, is simply the endless Universe itself, or just Reality itself, or Life itself, all beginning with upper-case letters to suggest their being beyond boundaries and measurement. Many years ago, I gave up believing that there is a “God” somewhere up in the clouds who makes rules and gives punishments. Now, I understand that God, or the Universe, or Reality, or Life, is a boundless presence and force of which all people, animals, rocks, rivers, skies etc. are an inseparable part, and it is that presence and force, or Presence and Force, which was the “glory … [that] shone round about” the shepherds on the first Christmas night. And, amazingly, it’s the same Presence and Force that constantly shines around me and everything else today.
My hope for today is that I can feel that immeasurable Presence and Force every single moment, because it’s right here and right now, always and forever.
7:36 p.m. I had a good full-body workout at the YMCA today, moving from weight machine to weight machine to simple pushups to knee bends to quick workouts on a treadmill and rowing machine. I’ve been doing this type of exercise for the last week or so, and it’s been very enjoyable – and I think very good for me.
EVERYDAY MIRACLES: An Occasional Journal of a Life Lived in Wonder 