November 12-A, 2022

**Kisatchie Pines 02 03/18/2015 Oil Paint Rendered — Kisatchie National Forest, Red Dirt District, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana**

Our standard of measure
isn't what we get out of it,
but the quality and degree
of effort we put into it.

How pleased are we with our
level of focus,
concentration,
attentive presence,
compassion/kindness/concern,
situation by situation
throughout the day?

How could we be more involved with,
attuned to,
a part of,
what is going on
moment to moment?

How might we care more about
what is happening
and less about what we 
stand to gain from it?

Let's say there is no payoff
for the quality of our engagement with,
participation in,
our life.

What's our motivation?

How do we give our best effort
every day,
"without hope, 
without witness,
without reward" (Steven Moffat)?

What do we do for free?

What do we go on doing for free?

Let's live to increase our for free
level of participation each day.
Giving our best for free.
Being good for nothing.
Being good for the day for nothing.

Starting with what is left of today.

Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters and five granddaughters within about twenty minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything. View more posts