MSI Press Blog

Photo by Stacey Gentry Inside the Church There is more to the church than the altar, of course, and I spend much time in the church on my own. I can do that because the cat doors let me in all by myself.  I often spend some time, reflecting by myself, spending time alone with God. That is so important. It refreshes me, and the Spirit I encounter there nourishes me. As a cat, I cannot take Communion and be nourished by the body and blood of Christ, but I can be spiritually nourished simply lying in the presence of God and reflecting. Inside the church, in my reflections I notice so many things that are often not noticed. Most are taken for granted by worshipers.  First is how big our church is. It has three aisles. None of the other Franciscan Missions have three aisles. They have one or two. That makes our church have a very open feeling, like you are part of nature. And, when the two side doors are open, one feels a flowing of nature into the church and t...

Paige Lovitt for Reader Views says: On the cover, “Divorced!” by Joanna Romer states that it has survival techniques for “Singles over Forty.” As someone who was divorced at 35, I think that this would have been a great resource for me to have even at that age. Each chapter is written by a man or a woman that has survived divorce. Their stories reflect the topic being covered, which can range from the actual divorce, recovery, reclaiming yourself, to starting over and your new life. There are a lot of incredibly valuable stories shared in the 130 pages of text contained in this book. I found each story to be valuable, if not for me, for a friend who is going through divorce as I write. There are meaningful guidelines offered to help remind the reader about what steps they can take for healing and moving on with their life. There is a definite emphasis on relying on your faith to get you through the darkness. For many readers, this will be comforting. If you are getting di...

How We Act As with speech, we can make the people around us happy or sad by the way we act. We pay attention to what we do and the way we do it. According to Buddha’s second step on the Eightfold Path, we try not to kill things. We want all beings, people, animals, and insects to live and be happy. I know this, and I try. Still, I kill rodents and insects such as rats, mice, cockroaches, centipedes, ants, and mosquitoes. I find it hard to live with these creatures: they bite, and their lifestyles make them unhealthy. Nonetheless, I do not like taking their lives. A centipede or any other hearty insect exerts a lot of life force, especially when scared. While I have my reasons for killing these creatures, I understand Buddha’s point about living my life free from trouble and misery by not killing. I heard a story about a realtor showing a couple around a house that was for sale. In the kitchen, the realtor opened a drawer, and a big cockroach skittered out. The man pic...

We live with minds as open and spacious as the deep blue sky. Living in Blue Sky Mind presents basic Buddhist teachings that keep us on the wholesome path of self-realization and oriented toward a happy life. Zen priest and teacher, Richard Gentei Diedrichs, offers simple lessons, anecdotes of personal transformation, and reflective questions to guide us along Buddha’s enlightened way. Listen to the Podtail podcast HERE .