Thursday, August 19, 2010

Spiritual Walking

Photo: (self)The Sicilian donkey is highly prized by some Catholic practitioners because of the "cross of Jesus" that appears down the back and across the shoulders. My neighbor paid $3,000 dollars for this champion donkey. Note: for this edition, the journal entries are at end of blog

Feature Entry: Spiritual Walking

After several years of walking for fitness and weight control and using the pleasure of finding money and other objects of value as external motivation, many friends, relatives, and blog followers report to me their walking motives and habits. Many report taking advantage of nature hiking to connect with their idea of the Supreme Creator. Similarly, several report that they meditate and pray while walking. More specifically, some seek Spiritual guidance for their problems. Some have actual conversations.

In the MoneyWalker’s bio sketch, he list “Fiddler on the Roof” as one of his three favorite movies. Most of us remember Tevye, the poor Jewish father of those beautiful daughters, the ones that kept breaking Tevye’s traditions if not his heart. Tevye walked from necessity and often used the time to talk to God, nearly always with sarcasm:
• [to God] Sometimes I wonder, when it gets too quiet up there, if you are thinking, "What kind of mischief can I play on my friend Tevye?"
• [to God] It may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. After all, with Your help, I'm starving to death. Oh, dear Lord. You made many poor people. I realize, of course, it's no shame to be poor... but it's no great honor either. So what would be so terrible... if I had a small fortune?
• [to God] I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can't You choose someone else?
The MoneyWalker has some of Tevye’s cynicism, but he can easily tear-up to this great Christian hymn: “Today I Walked Where Jesus Walked, I Felt His Presence There.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a poem with the same line but takes it further:
Today I walked where Jesus walked, today I walked where Job had walked,
Today I walked with Nephi, Today I walked where Abraham walked,
Today I believed I was nothing in their eyes, today they walked with me.
The MoneyWalker’s thoughts about Spiritual walking were stimulated by a request to be a guest Bible Study teacher last Sunday. The topic dealt with reconciliation of fractured relationships. This blog started out to be about the reconciliation of we dieters/exercisers with our January 1 resolutions. We will do it another time. In the mean time, if you have a fractured relationship with your resolution, practice or re-initiate the big four—weigh every day, eat a healthy breakfast, exercise, and be careful with food portions and selections.

Oh, don’t be afraid to ask for a little Divine intervention.

MoneyWalker

Journal Entry August 19, 2010: Weight = 170.0 lbs; Coinage = $.31. Alas, the Jefferson Davis Car Wash Vacuum mine is running dry. Still no locks. Maybe Jason has hired a new manager who keeps the vacuums clean and neat. Back to finding coins the old fashioned way with hard scans and clever hunches.

Journal Entry: August 18, 2010: Weight = 170.2 lbs.; Coinage = $.50; Observation = 12 school buses lined in a queue—summer vacation is over.

Journal Entry: August 17, 2010: Coinage = $1.11; Weight = 169.0 lbs. Observation = Undercover police raid that appeared to be a false alarm. The MoneyWalker passed right through the thrones of police on the street.

August 16: Weight = 170.0; Coinage = $.35

August 15: Weight = 170.2; Coinage = $4.90, quarters were found everywhere including a super find in a newspaper vending machine, four in the return slot; then in the next machine over, another quarter; then four more “curb quarters.”

5 comments:

  1. Have you ever heard of Walking Meditation? It has been taught (led) in our church a number of times although I have never participated. I asked hubby about it this afternoon. He is unable to do this type of medition but described it as fully concentrating on the physical aspect of walking, ie how the foot falls, lifts, rocks, etc.

    I have never heard of the specific poem that you quoted but have asked my daughter about it. For many years I was the accompanist for an LDS musical group that performed a number with similar lyrics.

    As per my fractured relationship with my diet, summer is coming to a close. Those three months are the hardest of the year on my eating habits. I'm thinking that a Labor Day Resolution will work better than a New Years Resolution. It certainly did last year.

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  2. Nume, I have heard of walking meditation but usually as a form of worship practiced by Eastern religious followers, i.e., Buddist monks. Glad you told me about the practice describe above.
    Just returned from a long week-end to Atlanta, GA. Had limited success with money walking but did find several pennies, a dime and a quarter.
    Also, I badly fractured my relationship with the big four. Must ask for forgiveness and get back with the program. Hate to see what the scales say.

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  3. Walking is the finest way to meditate - thoughts and worries work their way around your head and by the time you are back home, you feel much clearer. I love the idea of walking to find money too!

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  4. Thanks Aaron for your thoughtful post. It will surely inspire others to practice meditation as they walk for fitness and weight control Please post again.

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  5. MoneyWalker, I just sent you a message via FB. I'm hoping that you don't get it eight times... FB is acting a little strange this morning.

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