I’ve been meaning to build a tree house ever since we moved into our home eight years ago.  After all, we’ve got lots of space and several large trees growing in the yard.  I’m not much of a handyman, but my next door neighbor is Tim Lapping, a longtime friend and top-notch professional carpenter, well known for creating high-quality outdoor decks and tree houses, including the one he built at our previous home many years ago.  Naturally, I kept imagining the great “cabin in the sky” we’d construct here at Casa SurPresa.  Ostensibly, it would be for the sake of our son, Mateo, and his buddies, but I’m the one who really enjoys being up in a tree.  So, from time to time, Tim and I would stand around at various locations on the property, discussing the multiple options that would be available once I had enough time, money, and decisiveness to proceed. 
 
But that’s as far as it got until a few weeks ago, when one of those Perfect Autumn Weather days pulled me away from my desk, pushed me outdoors and demanded action.  On impulse, I nabbed Mateo from out of the house, and together we grabbed some tools and a few old two-by-four’s, and managed to hammer enough wooden steps in place to clamber up into our biggest hackberry tree.  We had so much fun being perched up there that we got Tim to climb up the next day and nail a long, thick plank between two sturdy branches.  Ta-da!  Instant Tree house!  Okay, so it doesn’t have any walls or pulleys (yet).  But hey, it does the trick, providing an elevated spot to hang out comfortably and watch the world from a whole different angle.  Being up there is a great way to “change my space” instantly on several levels, helping me step away from the humdrum details of daily life for a while, and feel more connected to nature, to Spirit, to the moment at hand and the future as well.  To climb up onto this simple platform is literally an opportunity to step up into a Higher Place.
 
I’m telling you this by way of introducing the fact that we’ll be celebrating the New Year in the Celebration Circle by climbing up into a tree house together.  At least, metaphorically speaking, if not literally…  That’s because we’re holding two events specifically designed to help us “start the New Year with an elevated view of the year ahead.”  First, we’re hosting a wonderful party on January 1st (from 5-8pm at High Wire Arts; see details below) featuring great food, creative activities and the Circle Band performing in concert.  In addition to being a lot of fun, as well as a fundraiser for the Circle Band’s first recording project, you’ll have the option to spend some time in a guided visualization process and/or creating an inspirational collage or drawing that envisions your hopes for 2010.  It’s a perfect time and space for this creative venture, and we’re really grateful to Ray and Cindy Palmer for letting us meet in their amazing art gallery-studio-home-space!
 
Then, this Sunday, January 3rd, during our morning service, Zet and I will be leading an extended meditation focused on setting sacred intentions, then inviting you to write a Letter of Intention to yourself.  This letter will then be mailed back to you at the end of the year.  We’ve done this exercise on the first Sunday in January for the past seventeen years, and it has consistently been one of our most upbeat and popular gatherings each year.   That’s because there’s something very elevating and empowering about gathering with a group of people focused on envisioning possibilities side by side.
 
I really hope that you can join us for one or both of these exciting chances to “climb up in a tree house” together to take an elevated look at the promises and prospects for the year(s) ahead.  Come, co-create with us!
 
With blessings and best wishes for a healthy, happy New Year,

Rudolf

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at 12:20 am and is filed under 2010 Rudolf's Reflections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.