Text Box: The other night I walked into the rectory kitchen and was greeted by a big, open box of Captain Crunch. What else is new? Wendy and I are working, it seems often against the wind, to get the girls to pick up after themselves. What transpired was three trips downstairs by one of my daughters to get the “Captain Crunch” mess correctly cleaned up. Three trips. Again, what else is new! Well, something was new: my attitude. I was completely at peace, despite the typical teenage push back. The secret I have discovered is not to take anything personally. Having this “don’t take anything personally” attitude is a delightful spiritual discipline. It takes a daily morning prayer asking Jesus to write this in my heart everyday. If I don’t ask Jesus for help daily, I tend to forget. It’s a little like dialing a local phone number these days. Text Box: Lately, I have had to redial countless times because I’m simply not used to dialing the area code. In much the same way, I’m not used to practicing the virtue of “not taking anything personally.” I think I speak for most of us. We are addicted to being the way we are. Don Miguel Ruiz who is not a Christian, but who reflects the light of Christ in his spiritual writings as well as anyone who I have ever studied, writes the following: “...Taking things personally is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about me. Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own mind; they are in completely different worlds from the one we live in.” Raising teenagText Box: ers, the obviousness of the last point seems humorously self-evident. Dr. Wayne Dyer teaches the same wisdom. He writes, “In essence, I’m urging you to stop taking your life so personally...tame your ego, and absolutely free yourself from taking anything personally.” Both Don Ruiz and Wayne Dyer have it right. Becoming angry and bitter is not healthy. Don’t take anything personally because by taking things personally, you set yourself up to suffer for nothing. There is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you take nothing personally. Over for more….. Text Box: Rectors Report Don’t Take Anything Personally Text Box:

The Messenger
Text Box: Jan/Feb 2010 Sunday School Music Corner Lunch in the Park Change a Life Scrips Program Text Box: Inside this issue: Text Box: The Church of St. Andrew the Apostle

Sunday School

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Music Corner, Prayer

Shawl, Lunch in Park

Scrips Program

 

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 Change A Life

 

 

   

 

 

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