God, Chocolate, Coffee and Books by Dr. Leslie

Thursday, is Manna Market day from 8:30-11 am at MOSAIC Inter-Faith
Ministries, 4392 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. This past Thursday, 
Angelica, truly an Angel for us, and I, entered in each person arriving for
free food, clothing and household goods, with Quickbooks On-Line.
Quickly, given technological glitches, we realized that there really
are important priorities as we serve in the world:

God, Chocolate, Coffee and really good Books - in that order!
"For in God, and with Chocolate, Coffee and a Good Book, all things are
possible!"  With this 
priority list, even when Quickbooks would not bring
up the screen, bringing up only 
the "circle of death" (as Angelica calls it),
we, meaning everyone there, could 
still enjoy each other, smile, feel the
chocolate melt 
on our tongues and sip amazing coffee with appreciative
slurping sounds.  And later that 
day, with a gift card from Isata, originally
a refugee 
of Sierra Leone, now a citizen of the USA, and a few of my own
dollars, I was able 
to gather next year's planner by artist Dale Chihuly, and
about 20 books.  
Unbelievably, Weller's at Trolley Square has a $1 and $3
cart outside their door, as well as other 
treasures inside!

Really, I'm sharing our Thursday story as a recipe for sustainability if service
and social justice are truly a part of our souls and not just a seasonal side-line!
Not for the faint-hearted, hearty service is about eating your Wheaties! and
facing, with open eyes:
suffering,
hardship,
despair,
distress
and death
in all its forms,
within
and without.

When we really serve
serve with strength
serve with consistent pace
over a lifetime

at a strong, consistent, pace, throughout life,
we 
feel
---we feel every passionate emotion: anger, sadness,
deep contentment, 
depression, happiness, compassionate
mercy, gratitude, frustration, peace, j
oy, and love.

This is our core --- our heart-and-mind emotions.

In balance,
in alignment,
in resonance

passionate emotions are expressions
born out of being vividly alive in service.

Add some daily humor,
and together,
we are on our way to deeply living,
profoundly loving,
and Holy well-be-ing, collectively.
Sharing in true power which is loving
and free energy between people which

cannot be controlled or owned by its
very transforming and God-given nature.

Bring it on!
but only with the help of God, Chocolate, Coffee,
and a really good Book!