"And We're Back"

Tuesday, June 12

Can you name the movie where today's headline is used? If so, you now know my favorite Tom Cruise movie. Not that I'm a big Tom Cruise fan, though. His Scientology would have been enough to turn the tide, but his choice of Katie Holmes did me in. (Here's why...if your inquiring mind wants to know...if not, skip to the next paragraph...When I was in North Carolina attending the best seminary in the world, I spent the night on the Wrightsville beach watching "Dawson's Creek" be filmed. As the actors were walking off the set, this little girl, who had waited and waited and waited to see Katie, was totally brushed aside by Katie's bodyguard who stood between her and Katie, blocking her view, and saying to the little girl, "Katie is tired of being looked at." Rough life.)

And we're back from Sedona, Arizona, and a 3-day Ayurveda cleanse. My friend Christine, who is a spiritual guide to me and now knows my deepest secrets, joined me on this journey. What is an Ayurveda cleanse? -- Click here for Wickipedia's answer. Kathryn's answer: literally means "wisdom of life," and it is a healing principle centered around digestion originating in ancient India.

Sedona is so beautiful. We stayed in the home of my dear friend and spiritual mentor, Patricia Berger. It was the perfect complement to a busy week of St. Andrew goodbyes and Methodist Annual Conference meetings.

There is so much to share about this trip and probably one of the most meaningful moments for me came from Sophia, the daughter of the yoga instructor Sherie. Sophia told me all kinds of stories about what happens when you die (you eat mice eggs to die), what happens when baby mice see their mommie mice die (they cry tears from the tree branches) to what happens if you have not been nice while on earth (you get to watch someone else who is nice to learn how to be nice). Sophia, 5-years-old, asked me if I liked what I told her. I said, "Yes, Sophia, I like your stories. Sophia replied, "I'm not telling you stories. I'm telling you the truth of the world." When my first book is written, Sophia, my wisdom-guru, will be thanked as this is now my statement for who I am as a writer and what my writing will be about--telling the truth of the world, God's world, that is. And that's the first bit of truth. This is God's world, not ours.