It is a quiet Thursday morning and it will grow hotter and hotter as the day goes on. The air quality is bad here and in many other places.

There are so many serious issues facing the world and here I am, sitting inside an air-conditioned house with food on the table. Some are not so lucky.

The beautiful blue marble that we live on is polluted now, perhaps beyond repair. This is not an exaggeration.

The words of Jesus ring strong and true. “My kingdom is not of this world.” I am not evangelizing; I am merely quoting a master teacher.

Here is what I do with my life. My son has now taken on a great deal of the chores. I spend some time in silence each day, usually the morning offers me the best chance to work on myself. And working on myself is all I am called to do. I am not called to work on other people! Oh, it’s tempting. We are all being tempted all day long.

My major challenges have been the loss of my young daughter and my husband. But time has softened the blows and my son and I have somehow managed to heal our relationship. It used to be a stormy one, but now he is at the helm and is doing a good job.

Storms occur inside of us before they happen on the outside. I know this because I watch what I am thinking. The False Self, as Vernon Howard called it, has no interest in waking up. It wants us to stay asleep and fighting sleep is a calling for some of us.

What is sleep? It is walking around spilling your mechanical behavior on others as you go. The False Self is against you and not for you.

Out of hundreds of thoughts that I have today, may a handful of them be powerful enough to return me home to myself. My true nature is capable of confession and repentance. Without those two, you can never return to the One.

Vicki Woodyard