Compassion Springs

A big hello from me to all of my brothers and sisters in the Temple! As a part of my personal ministry statement, I've made the commitment to be more involved in creating a more person-centered, compassion-based approach to how I serve the community. This thread will serve as that platform for us to share in our life and experiences together, outside and in-between the sermons the community allows me to share. I welcome each and everyone here to participate in the discussions as they see fit. This is a space for growth and personal development. In some instances, I will record my thoughts and experiences through written text, but I intend to have some videos as well so that we can share in the visceral feelings of people-ing together. If you have any suggestions that you want to cover, you can always, ALWAYS, reach out to me through this platform or through PM.

So let's learn together. I'll have a good topic for us coming soon.

The Boogers on the Wall

Today has been one of those, busy, (but not in a productive way) sort of days where my clients decide to play their favorite game of hide and seek therapy and not attending their appointments. So in the mix of coordinating with the few that are willing to meet up and chat about life, I decided I would make a stop at the local H-E-B gas station to get myself a cold drink for the road. As I was filling up my cup, I look just slightly to the right and placed ever so beautifully on the wall was a large booger with the splatter of other, tinier boogers there next to it. Now, to be honest, I had just been brainstorming in the car on what lessons I could transcribe to be one of my first lessons in the Compassion Springs ministry that I share with you all, so in this happenstance, I’m grateful for the boogers.

But let’s sort of look and reflect on that for a moment. How do those thoughts arise in our minds that it is acceptable to behave in ways that we find it okay to blow our snot on the walls of stores? I’m sure that it is possible that the person, maybe, wasn’t thinking about how their doings affected others, and just plugged one nostril and tooted their horn. I hope the Shock Factor that I’m going for really illustrates the purpose of the message I am trying to convey. When we do things, are we looking at the rippling effect that carry along with our actions? We share this intimate relationship with the fillings of existence and in cooperating with “the other” we come to experience with it. In picking up my cup, I recognize that the US at the moment defines the actions, in a sense. It’s the same relationship I share with the keyboard to type this message. The “outside” becomes so much less so, when we experience it as a piece of us.

Now in our doings…in the way that we color and flavor the world with our essence, are we being as mindful of the ripples that we cause? When we eat our meals, are we putting the burden to clean on another individual? Even when I’m at a restaurant with my family, I will do my best to clean up after ourselves, because of that human recognition that associates with my doing. I’m not big on the phrase, “That’s not my job.” Especially when it’s associated with the well-being of another person. We wouldn’t (Or at least I’d hope) smear ketchup all over the table that we eat on and expect another person to clean it up for us. There is that sense of recognizing how our actions influence the livelihood of other people.

We shouldn’t do things just because we can. There is a form of personal responsibility that we take for recognizing that sometimes, through our actions, we may be making our own lives easier, but perpetuating the suffering of others. I encourage you to look at the things you do over the span of the upcoming days and see if there is anything you can do to improve the way you provide care to yourself and other through our actions.

And if you fling boogers on the walls in stores, or spit gum/chewing tobacco in urinals, or anything less caring than the person you strive to embody, maybe don’t do that this week. (Or ever!)

What do you guys think? Is there a line of paying too much attention to our actions that sorts of counterbalance the intent that we can bring to the present moment? Head-nodding and agreeing is great, but if you’re willing, let’s explore perspectives together.

This topic reminded me of a sermon I shared in 2014 - Whose Lives Do You Hold In Your Hands? It can be summed up in this quote. "Each day as we venture out into the universe to complete our assigned or chosen tasks as Jedi, we must always be aware of the impact of our actions. We may potentially hold hundreds of lives in our hands."

I was contemplating how each of our actions, no matter how small, could have a huge impact on others without us even realizing it. Sometimes we could be causing the suffering or even death of another through our carelessness or lack of awareness.

While I do strongly advocate for living in the moment and really being present, I know this has to be balanced by a recognition of the impact our actions have on the world around us. I think this is where focus and discretion become very important to a Jedi. If my current action is likely to affect the safety or well being of others, I really need to give it my full attention and make sure I am doing things thoroughly and correctly. If I can't devote the attention and focus needed to do so, I need to use discretion and choose not to act instead of acting haphazardly. Sometimes the best action is leaving the action to others who are more capable or have more resources.

In short, a Jedi should do whatever he or she can to alleviate suffering in others and foster healthy and beneficial relationships through our benevolent actions. At the very least, we should do all we can to ensure that we are not the cause of undo suffering in others.

Remember to treat yourself to the beauty of the world around you. I had the pleasure of attending a wedding this past weekend and I got there a bit earlier than normal to spend some time with my turtles. Some of the were camera shy, but I was able to get a picture of one of my friends.



In the doings of life, dedicate yourself enough space to just appreciate the thingy-ness of things around you. It's too easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life that we forget to spend time with the manifestation of beings that highlight what it means to be alive. The world is a beautiful place depending on where you are looking. What have you stopped to be with recently? After feeding my turtles, I was heading over to the ceremony but before I got there, I was cut off by this beautiful butterfly. The family and I watched it bounce around from flower to flower before it granted us the opportunity to get this photo with it.



There is so much to see in this world. Experience life with something today.

Lessons in a Day Series


One of the most difficult tasks within my job as a mental health professional and a member of the clergy, here, is to find something out of the vastness of existence and wrap it up in a lesson to share with my brothers and sisters here. Quite often I'll start writing a sermon or a memo in response to my ministry with Compassion Springs and the words that I bring to the page are wiped away into the digital space because of that question that stirs around my head wondering if the message I'm sharing is worthy of the eyes that read it.

So I think, for now at least, the Compassion Springs ministry will serve as tiny lessons that I've picked up either on the job or speaking with the people from paths crossed. Sharing my piece of existence with you, here starts the Lessons in a Day (yay!)...

The winds that shake the trees don't pay mind to the color, size, shape, or age of the leaves that fall to the ground below. Life, in it's current status, is only a finite experience, a moment within this space, to love, share, and grow with the other pieces to the bigger whole.

Use this moment to show another that they matter and don't settle for less. Share in this dance of being and experience the most of every moment you can.

For this moment in my own life, I want to share that I love each and everyone here and I hope you can, for this brief moment, share in this moment with me, by living fully and caring for others.

May the Force be with You All.

I've seen quite a bit of passive aggression directed towards the Clergy as a whole. I cannot be accountable for the whole as I'm only a piece...so I thought I'd hold an open forum for suggestions as to what you'd like to see me, as an individual, do that I'm already not doing. I've received criticism that my personal ministry isn't enough, so please, let me know what I can do differently to meet these unmet needs.

Spreading compassion and creating empathetic space is what I do best. I don't want this hiding in the shadows so what can I do as an individual to make everyone happy? I'm all ears.

You will never make everyone happy lol
If you try your gonna burn out.

I have tried to understand the clergy before, still not sure I understand the whole
What is it you think your not doing?

In any ministry , any denomination , there will be fear of failure. It’s natural. Jedi ism is a bit different . It’s kinna hard to understand if you don’t actually do it. We are Jedi and believing in our core values- that we share - and we may even share a few of the interpretations and even fewer of the practices and applications. In ministry we have to understand we all have different faiths. There WILL be difrent faiths. Count on it. Count on NOT reaching all of them or every one. Once you get that down. Serve . Serve who. Those who need - your example. Those who could use your encouragement. Those you connect with. Your connections will NOT be the same ones I have , even though they may connect with the same people. Serve with . Some times I need a Thomas type of sermon myself... some times I get fired up seeing others serve and reach those I can not. ( what a thought!) I can NEVER say you or they don’t serve enough - not at the Temple because just once is one more that wasn’t there before and one more heart that can help. If you feel, like your personal ministry isn’t enough - I’ll put you to work ! Jk or pastor can ! Lol joking - but as I see it and I’m looking at clergy present now - you guys serve! We may not see it all the time - truthfully- we may never see the 3 hrs worth of prep for the 10 minutes of service or the days of studying for one simple sermon post or the years of work for the tiniest encouraging word... but it’s there. Keep doing you - I - personally am blessed to have you in my path as a Jedi and as Clergy ! You’ve more than stepped up to the plate brother - so from one to another

*dont stop doing you the way you do you! Keep it up! Ministry’s grow over time. Glad you are STILL a part !

I think you are doing great. Am always glad to see your happy face and messages. You do shine here, making this temple a bright space and place. Nothing more I could ask for.

Personally I am still trying to figure out why TOTJO has a clergy and ministry at all. Besides that it is a registered church. Not to say I would not like it, and you guys aren't doing a great job, but why is it part of the way of the Jedi? But that is for me to learn. Will soon start Lesson 0 and 5 of the IP, once I am done with Alan Watts, and hope to come to some reasoning and conclusion for myself.

I think I brought this up in another thread, but it is easy as member to lose sight of what the clergy does if we don't actively participate in the activities planned by the clergy or if we don't seek out the help we may need directly. That said I have had over overwhelmingly positive interactions with the clergy. It's just a matter of choosing to see it.