Welcome

Welcome to the Matrix of Grace!

My hope is that this blog will be a springboard of spiritual enrichment for those who take the time and energy to explore the Matrix with me. It is a product of a long-term writing project I have pursued over the last 22 years, as well as a more recent fascination with the intersection of cosmology and spirituality.

Good Stuff: This a shortcut way of verbalizing the intersection of cosmology and spirituality which for me is the "Matrix of Grace." A matrix is a situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained.  It is a binding substance such as concrete or in geology, it is the solid matter in which a fossil or crystal is embedded. In mathematics, it is a rectangular array of numeric or algebraic quantities subject to mathematical operations. It is the principal metal in an alloy, as iron is in steel. In anatomy, it is the formative cells or tissue of a specialized structure such as a hair, nail, claw, or tooth. For my purposes, I use it as "womb" where life is conceived and evolves from a single cell into a human being capable of living outside of itself.

Prayers to Share: These are prayers I have written as a Presbyterian pastor. You will find them on the sidebar of each section. Instead of merely telling people I am praying for them, I write and send them. For me, it is a simple way to express my love and concern. It is also something that I believe few people think to do. So these are prayers to share for people during the celebrations of life and the times of suffering and darkness.

Please feel free to copy them or use them as a guide to share with the people you pray for. The prayers are in chapters focusing on four major areas: Family Life, Healing and Recovery, Sorrowful Times, and Church. Each prayer deals with many specific events or times for which there are definitely no greeting cards—for those times when it is hard to know what to say at all. The fifth chapter, Words Matter, contains a list of suggestions for ways of addressing God from the Psalter. A second list is from my years of searching for creative ways to address God. There is a third list of scripture sentences that may be helpful for you to write your own prayers for those who are ill.

Dying for Dummies: This title is appropriate because I have an incurable lung disease and am on the pathway to death.  As many others before me, I have found that our culture and health care system in the USA is focused on “fighting death” with our last ounce of energy and our last dollar. Based on what I learned from my husband’s death from pancreatic cancer 7 years ago, I am trying a different way. I want to be as thoughtful and proactive in the decisions I make that I can possibly be.  So I hope to share what I am learning along the way that might prove some use to those who, like me, feel they know much more about how to live than how to die. The page contains the letters I wrote when I was first diagnosed in 2010. You will find the current posts numbered in the side bar after the prayers.

IamFayT: This is a blog I started writing in 2010 but gave up when it became too difficult.  I recently finished it because I recognized how emotionally and spiritually important it was for me to connect the dots from the “dysfunctional” life of my childhood to the more “functional” and joyful life I enjoy now.

Contact Me: Here you will find some autobiographical information and an email created especially for the blog readers as a place to share thoughts and opinions with me. You are invited to leave comments on individual posts or email me with questions, opinions, or ideas. Please be aware that I cannot write a prayer for your specific needs, but I will offer a “quantum prayer” for you, as I do for the world and all people within God’s Matrix of Creative Grace. Please feel welcome to share the link to this blog with others you think may be interested.