Twitter and the Daily Devotionals

A comment from ShoreThings on my Buddha Machine post has led me into yet another twitter-related post. ShoreThings came to the post based on the title, which popped up in twitter, thinking it would be about the tinybuddha twitter account. Tinybuddha offers regular nuggets of Buddhist wisdom and related quotes. Here's the latest:

"Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind." ~Buddha

That led me to wonder what twitter devotionals might exist. So I have done some poking around and found, in no particular order:

• Bible In a Year
  Screw the rules & traditions, just get on with sharing the love, healing and power of Jesus Christ with those around you http://ow.ly/1JI
• The Daily Tao
  A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.
• ESV Daily Verse
  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so
  
• Daily Zen
  "It is better to practice a little than talk a lot."
• Daily Buddhism
  “Neither from itself nor from another, Nor from both, Nor without a cause, Does anything whatever, anywhere arise.”
• Daily Bible Promises
  Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ... where thieves do not break in and steal. Matt 6:20 http://is.gd/eZoS
  

I didn't find any daily Koran verses, but twitter limits searches per day and I ran out before completing my poking around.

I know there must be others. Anyone have any recommendations?

Here's Some Good Advice

The zenhabits blog has a post up this morning that includes some good, simple advice on staying happy. In Five Great Ways to Achieve Happiness Through Serving Others, guest blogger Stephen Smith of HD BizBlog 1.2 writes about lessons he learned working in the service industries. He writes that he found something truly rewarding in serving others:

I remember going home after many 12- to 16-hour days, having served hundreds of people their meals and watched them dance and celebrate a special day with family and friends. At these times I felt tired, of course, but also invigorated and gratified by the display of human connection.

From his experiences he offers five ideas to consider as a way to increase our level of service to others and thereby increase our own happiness:

1. Show respect and courtesy.
2. Listen more than you speak.
3. Give genuine praise.
4. Keep your promises.
5. Practice forgiveness.

These seem very simple, and they are, but they are often lost in the rush of our busy days. It might be worth taking a moment to consider trying each of these as we make our way to and from work, deal with issues at the office, and struggle with the challenges of being good spouses, partners and parents.

Millsboro's Quiet Place

I found a peaceful spot in downtown Millsboro this evening. St. Mark's Episcopal Church, at State and Ellis Streets, has a lovely labyrinth and garden.

It is a nice spot. Just off the main drag through town and quiet enough, but with a hint of the sound of kids playing a block or so away at the Little League park.

I've also walked the labyrinth at Old Christ Church, in Dover. I think that St. Peter's, here in Lewes, has a portable labyrinth that they put out from time to time. I'm sure there are others.

A labyrinth is a fine aid to meditation and prayer. It helps focus the mind. I was impressed by the surrounding garden at St Mark's, which added a touch of natural reverence to the experience.

First Golf Game of 2007

My personal golf season started at noon today when Andy, Rich and I tee'd off at the first hole of The Rookery, just east of Milton, Delaware.

It was windy and cold and I had one of those sinus headaches that make you sort-of hope a miss-hit golf ball might hit you in the head. Not to kill or permanently maim you, just to try to knock something lose in your sinus cavity.

But I was pleased with my game. I was unable to putt at all (I pushed almost every putt well past the hole), but my drives and irons were much better than they had been. My score was 116; nowhere near my best, but not bad given the day and the fact that it was the fist game after a long lay-off. There's hope.

I was uncertain about playing this spring. After my sciatic episode in January, I have been worried about the state of my back.

Would I be able to swing and twist?

On Tuesday I hit a bucket of balls at a driving range near Dover. I wanted to try things out and see if a more gentle swing would work with my iffy lower back.

That turns out to be the right thing to do. I have long been guilty of trying to whale on the ball, particularly off the tee. As a result I slice and hook and top the ball and generally look goofy.

If I swing easy, on the other hand, I can often send a ball straight, up and out. Not as far as I might like, of course, but that may come in time.

One of the lovely things about golf is its long string of counter-intuitive truisms. Hit down on the ball to get it up. Swing easy to get longer shots. And the most important thing to think about while you swing is not thinking.

There are probably lessons for the rest of life here.

Music. Two Very Different Sorts.

I have two very different music links to share. One is a rocking protest song I heard on the way home from work this afternoon. Another is a neat flash-based free-form music tool that I find soothing.

Who Said No One Writes Protest Songs Anymore?
Driving home this evening I found that the weird weather was scrambling the local NPR station. So I punched up the "Jam-On" station on my satellite radio. They played a new song from a soon-to-be-released album, Yell Fire!, by Michael Franti.

I think I've heard of Franti. He and his band Spearhead have been around for many albums. But I don't think I could have picked one of his songs from the musical mix out there. That may change.

The song was called Light Up Ya Lighter. It's one of an album's worth that he wrote and recorded following a non-USO tour of Iraq, Israel and Palestine. Over a tight hip-hop/reggae beat, Franti does a swinging reggae sort of rapping. He has a fairly direct take on the Iraq war:

The army recruiters in the parking lot,
Hustling the kids there juggling pot.
"Listen young man, listen to my plan.
Gonna make you money, gonna make you a man."
Bam, bam.
Here's what you get: An M16 and a kevlar vest.
You might come home with one less leg,
But this thing'll surely keep a bullet out your chest.
So come on, come on. Sign-up. Come on.
This one is nothing like Viet Nam.
Except for the bullets. Except for the bombs.
Except for the youth that's gone.
(Appologies to Mr. Franti. I was taking dictation from the PC speakers.)

Something about this tune really grabbed me. I like the energy. I like the rhymes. I like where the music lives: at the place where rock, rap, and reggae overlap. You can check it out on this MySpace link (I never thought I'd type those words!). The Spearhead website has several free downloads, including the first single, the title tune, from the new album.

I also plan to keep an eye on this guy on iTunes and buy some of his tunes when the album is released.

On The Other Hand....
I found a site called The Pianola a few days back. This is a flash-based application, entirely on-line, that uses little squares, floating in an enclosed space, to control a variety of tones.

The squares play sounds as they bounce off the walls, floor, roof and each other. They are affected by gravity, and their motion changes over time. You can combine tones yourself or start with several pre-sets, from Beethoven to more modern offerings. I particularly like the pre-set titled "F. Low."

This is a wonderful tool for on-line chill-out time.