Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

Archives for 2010

The Blessings of Those who are Rich in Time

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A friend of mine, whom Roy calls a wisenheimer–someone with opinions on everything–says that a basic principle when faced with ordinary, every day choices is that of time versus money. If your time is in shorter supply than money, solve problems by throwing money at them; outsource all the work you can; do nothing which can be delegated.

However, in a way, those who are rich in time rather than money are more blessed.

Time to make bread, and rich slow-cooked stews; time to hang around the dinner table enjoying them; time for long, slow walks, time to garden, time to grow your own yummy veggies, time to have friends over. Time to enjoy people. Time to be creative and learn how to fix things around the house rather than always paying people to come and paint your walls, and build your stuff.

It is a slower, more peaceful, more creative way of life. I think we will choose it. To be richer in time than money.

How to Reverse a Downward Spiral

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A way to reverse the direction of a downward spiral, a vicious circle, a slump, is to start doing just one right thing.
*Exercise is one of those things with enormous leverage–affecting mood, sleep, self-esteem, and one’s sense of well-being.
* Any addition of physical work–gardening, for example.
* Waking earlier also helps, if one can.

* Praying more.
* Getting one’s house tidy, organized and decluttered–or doing just half an hour to move it in those directions.
* Having people over, for the break it gives you and the widened fresh perspective.

When you are in a total downward spiral, just do one right thing, and energy will come to do more.

 

Let Nothing Disturb Thee: St. Teresa of Avila’s beautiful poem

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I first read this when I was 18, wrote it into the flyleaf of my Bible, memorised it, and often say it to myself when I am stressed.

   Teresa of Avila           (1515-1582)
 Lines Written in Her Breviary
Let nothing disturb thee,
Nothing affright thee
All things are passing;
God never changeth;
Patient endurance
Attaineth to all things;
Who God possesseth
In nothing is wanting;
God alone sufficeth.
                    —H. W. Longfellow (translator).

My heavenly daughter, Irene

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I generally sort out logistical challenges, like how to provide lunch for 15 people in the context of prayer.

I was puzzling this out, while Irene kept coming up with every more time-intensive and impractical menu suggestions.

“Hush, Irene,” I said, “I am trying to discuss this problem with my Heavenly Father.”

I said. “Well,” she said, “Why don’t you just discuss it with your heavenly daughter?”

In Praise of Naps

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I am doing quite well with waking up a little earlier every day because I do have a perfect, and perfectly restful nap later on, if I need to. One of my favourite descriptions of a nap is Iris Murdoch’s “Two days for the price of one,” in “The Good Apprentice.”

I also love Thomas Edison’s way of working– he had a couch in his lab, and would steal a nap whenever he was tired, and then get back to work, fresh and green.

Getting up with the sun has been a holy grail for me all my life, and I am now getting closer to achieving this, through the habit of stealing a nap or two when I am tired, so that when I do read, or write, or talk to my family and friends, I am fresh and full of beans. (Though not overwhelmingly so, I hope).

Of course, working at home makes this a lot easier.

From Insults to Descriptions

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From Insults to Descriptions


I was listening yesterday to Maccullough’s BBC Christian History documentary, in which he said that early Methodists had a very methodical way of going about the task of their salvation, and were called Methodists in mockery, a name which stuck.


I thought of other insults, which through the decades have been adopted as names, and later became compliments. Impressionists, Pre-Raphaelites, Fauvists (wild beasts!), Quakers, Shakers, Dominicans (from Domini Cannes, God’s dogs, because of their role in the Inquisition). Even the term Prime Minister was initially ironic!


Many a true word spoken in jest!!

The Best Way to Get Really Good at Writing

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The Best Way to Get Really Good at Writing

I think there is a lot of wisdom in that old chestnut–that the best way to get really good at writing is to write a lot! And read a lot. Saturation reading, basically.

And if one has neither time or energy to do either.
Then, trust God from whom all creativity flows!
Now that I have a lot less time, I just plunge into writing when free slots slow up. I remember however the days when I had lots of time, and slowly “got into the mood” by a slow process of arousal, by reading poetry, or reading prose until the rhythms built up inside me, started thudding in my veins, and I felt a burning longing to write something as beautiful as what I had just been writing