living with open hands . . . in a world of clenched fists

the open hand is an expression of an open mind, open heart, open will

Question, examine, think, learn, grow . . . Join in with your thoughts & meditations. Let's dialogue on the deeper things of life.

WISDOM begins with seeing, seeing with a heart that is open. LEARNING begins with seeing,
seeing with a mind that is open.
LOVE begins with seeing, seeing the heart behind words and actions.
COMPASSION begins with OPEN hands that reveal an OPEN will, an OPEN mind, and an OPEN heart.
OPEN my eyes that I may
see with my heart.
OPEN my ears that I may
hear with my heart.

Notes

Join the "open hands" network

If what you read here intrigues you, challenges you, jolts you, then join us on this network. Interact with your comments. Add your own blogs, pictures, music, and videos.

All I ask is that we have conversations about things that matter, and that we honor each other by holding our judgments and beliefs as tentative . . . so we can deeply listen to each other. As soon as we "think" we know, learning stops dead in its tracks.

Created by Ron Irvine Aug 15, 2009 at 12:53am. Last updated by Ron Irvine Sep 30, 2009.

Why Blog???

For me, it is mapping a journey.



I've been blogging since April Fool's Day 2006
(blog #1). It has

become a way for me to find my voice and to give voice to…

Continue

Created by Ron Irvine Jul 22, 2009 at 11:19pm. Last updated by Ron Irvine Nov 7, 2009.

Seeing

"The real voyage
of discovery
consists not
in seeing new landscapes,
but in having new eyes."

~ Marcel Proust

Forum

Ron Irvine

A discussion that brings out the heart of mind of extreme fundamentalism 4 Replies

Started by Ron Irvine. Last reply by Ron Irvine Mar 13, 2010.

Ron Irvine

What is your view of God? Can you find the words? 10 Replies

Started by Ron Irvine. Last reply by Jeanne M Goloub Dec 22, 2009.

Members

  • Maggie
  • Kay LaPIerre
  • Jeanne M Goloub
  • Denise F. Copeland
  • Walt Marston
  • neville clive yoong
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  • Ron Irvine

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Web Presence

Ron's Blog
http://www.ronirvine.net/blog.html

Wordpress
http://ronirvine.wordpress.com
(the most sequential and
comprehensive in mapping my journey)

MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/rondeanirvine
(the most media friendly,
allowing for freedom of expression of values, beliefs, issues, causes, etc.)

Xanga
http://www.xanga.com/ronirvine
(a place to connect with some local folks)

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/irvineron
This has proven to be the most social interactive site yet. Not much flexibility in layout or creativity, but it is expert at networking and connecting.

LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldirvine
a place for professional networking

Yahoo Profile
http://profiles.yahoo.com/ronalddirvine

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Living with Open Hands
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crashing through the woods

"the soul is like a wild animal""Just like a wild animal, the soul is tough, resilient, savvy, resourceful and self-sufficient: it knows how to survive in hard places. Many of us learn about these qualities in the darkest moments of our lives when the faculties we normally depend upon utterly fail us—the intellect is useless, the emotions dead, the will impotent, and the ego shattered. But sometimes, way back in the thickets of our inner lives, we sense the presence of something that knows…See More
Blog post by Ron Irvine Jul 17, 2010
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openness

I worshiped for an hour in silence this morning at Grand Rapids Friends Meeting (Quakers) at Aquinas. It was very cool to have about half of those that came be college age. It is refreshing to hear young adults speaking of the importance of silence in a world noisily clamoring for our attention. A friend of mine once asked after hearing that we worshiped in silence . . . for an hour, "Well . . . then . . . what do you do?" I said, "we listen." She said, "Oh". What a concept. it is really hard…See More
Blog post by Ron Irvine Jul 11, 2010
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living in peace

Over the past months, the full meaning of peace is beginning to awaken and stir my soul. As a culture, we want peace in the sense of "personal peace and affluence" (as Francis Schaffer described the gods of our age). I see the gods of this age as comfort and security. Sometimes we confuse these false gods with peace. Even though we know all of this is a self-deluding illusion that we create and hide behind. Nothing is permanent and yet we keep wondering why our walls continue to crumble.True…See More
Blog post by Ron Irvine Jul 3, 2010
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death as an ally

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:2)In the face of death, the straw man burns. When I realize that "no one gets out of here alive", not even me, it makes me stop and wonder, really question, what am I doing, who am I, and what am I leaving behind . . . because no matter what, I am leaving. Nothing is permanent, including me. Nothing. So why do a cling so…See More
Blog post by Ron Irvine Jun 18, 2010
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communion and community

In all wisdom traditions and religions, there is a great commandment at the heart that bears a likeness to this: Love the Lord you God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And a second is unto it; love your neighbor as yourself. There seems to be a common belief throughout the world that we as human beings must seek meaning in life and identify what takes highest priority; giving our devotion to that which resonates with meaning and truth; using it to prioritize our lives. This, I…See More
Blog post by Ron Irvine May 4, 2010
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silence: a spiritual discipline

How can we hear . . . if we don’t listen?How can we listen . . . when there is so much noise. . . in our heads?. . . in our hearts?. . . in our lives?How can we hear . . . through the din and the clamor. . . the inner teacher?. . . the still small voice?How can we see . . . if we don’t look?How can we look . . . with such allure and wanting. . . in our heads?. . . in our hearts?. . . in our lives?How can I see . . . through all of the glitz and the glamour.. . . my inner light?Give me peaceGive…See More
Blog post by Ron Irvine Apr 16, 2010
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Ron Irvine commented on Ron Irvine's group 'Circle of Trust'
Parker Palmer on "The Ground of Being". http://ronirvine.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/ground-of-being/ “I had always imagined God to be in the same general direction as everything else that I valued: up. I had failed to appreciate the…
Apr 15, 2010
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Ron Irvine commented on Ron Irvine's group 'Circle of Trust'
"Our disasters come from letting nothing live for itself, from the longing we have to pull everything, even friends, into ourselves, and let nothing alone." (Robert Bly)
Apr 12, 2010
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Ron Irvine commented on Ron Irvine's group 'Circle of Trust'
MORE ON BROKENNESS Parker Palmer wrote the white paper: The Politics of the Broken Hearted. His outlook on life of embracing the brokenness within ourselves and in others inspired my blog post, "The Way of the Broken Hearted".
Apr 11, 2010
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Circle of Trust

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Exploring circles of trust as described by Parker Palmer in A Hidden Wholeness.
Barbara Howard joined Ron Irvine's group Apr 10, 2010
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Circle of Trust

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Exploring circles of trust as described by Parker Palmer in A Hidden Wholeness.
Walt Marston joined Ron Irvine's group Apr 4, 2010
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Ron Irvine left a comment for Walt Marston
Welcome Walt! Please feel free to join the group, Circle of Trust, and add content or comments anytime you are lead by the Light within. http://openhands.ning.com/group/circleoftrust
Apr 4, 2010
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Ron Irvine left a comment for Barbara Howard
Welcome! Please feel free to join the group, Circle of Trust, and add content if you wish. http://openhands.ning.com/group/circleoftrust
Apr 4, 2010
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Barbara Howard and Walt Marston joined living with open hands . . . in a world of clenched fists Apr 4, 2010
 

Blog Posts

Ron Irvine

crashing through the woods







"the soul is like a wild animal"



"Just like a wild animal, the soul is tough, resilient, savvy, resourceful and self-sufficient: it knows how to survive in hard places. Many of us learn about these qualities in the darkest moments of our lives when the…
Continue

Posted by Ron Irvine on July 17, 2010 at 6:00pm

Ron Irvine

openness

I worshiped for an hour in silence this morning at Grand… Continue

Posted by Ron Irvine on July 11, 2010 at 4:30pm

Ron Irvine

living in peace

Over the past months, the full meaning of peace is beginning to awaken and stir my soul. As a culture, we want peace in the sense of "personal peace and affluence" (as Francis Schaffer described the gods of our age). I see the gods of this age as comfort and security. Sometimes we confuse these false gods with peace. Even though we know all of this is a self-deluding illusion that we create and hide behind. Nothing is permanent and yet we keep wondering why our walls…

Continue

Posted by Ron Irvine on July 3, 2010 at 5:30pm

Ron Irvine

death as an ally

Posted by Ron Irvine on June 17, 2010 at 9:00pm

Ron Irvine

communion and community



In all wisdom traditions and religions, there is a great commandment at the heart that bears a likeness to this:… Continue

Posted by Ron Irvine on May 3, 2010 at 9:30pm

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Bravery

Usually if we say someone is brave, we mean that he is not afraid of any enemy or he is willing to die for a cause or he is never intimidated. Our understanding of bravery is quite different. Here bravery is the courage to be--to live in the world without any deception and with tremendous kindness and caring for others . . . it is the expression of human goodness, based not on arrogance or aggression, but on gentleness and openness. In the ancient Shambhala tradition, it is the way of the warrior. (Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala: the Sacred Path of the Warrior, pp. 108, 109)
 
 
 

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