Words from La Padre

The Lesson of the Ugly Duckling

2/17/2016

by Deborah Globus

The lesson of the ugly duckling is that he is both the pain of his current reality and the promise of his desired outcome.

I can see myself, sitting and crying on the beach. I am 24 years old, unemployed, married, and flailing in life. I am lost.

Thanks to my husband we have disposable income, though, and I have realized the joys of combing the self-help shelves and coming away with a stack of books.

I have discovered SARK who gives me permission to nap.

I have discovered Sarah Ban Breathnacht who feeds my desire to live a life of my own choosing.

I have discovered Jennifer Louden who has taught me the practice of retreat.

That day on the beach was my first retreat. I can’t remember the question I chose to guide me and keep me on track, but I know why I sat on the beach on that cold February day, crying. In that moment I admitted that I hated being a woman, and the admission devastated me.

I had always been more comfortable hanging out with guys. I had trouble with female friendships. They didn’t seem to stick, always breaking my heart. Even my beloved sister left the family, causing me to doubt my worth for years.

And I was lonely. My husband worked long, compulsive hours at work. I who had never spent a night alone until I was 21 years old, suddenly had hours and hours of solitude.

I longed for companionship. I longed for intimate, abiding relationships – ones that wouldn’t threaten my marriage, like the friendships with men did.

And so I cried. I sobbed on that beach, acknowledging this self-loathing and this chasm of longing inside of me – neither of which I knew how to address.

At that moment a swan appeared.

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Do's and Don'ts of Being Seen - Some Practical Advice

1/28/2016

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by Deborah Globus

Being who we really are can be tricky. Especially if who we are clashes with society, or with how our family and acquaintances see us, or simply feels too tender to share with anyone outside of our intimate circles.

I feel you.

PTA meetings and other school functions, dinners for my husband’s business, even just socializing with friends or other couples has, in the past (and sometimes even now) sent me into such anxious state that I spend an afternoon agonizing over whether I’ll go or not.

I am happy to report: it gets better.

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The Practice of Coloring with Intention

12/1/2015

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An Interview with Michelle Radomski of One Voice Can Graphic Design

Tell us about your practice.

Coloring is all the rage these days. In fact, a search of “adult coloring books” on Amazon yielded 7,111 results! Coloring is awesome, but I believe that the real power comes when we color with intention. For me this means setting an intention, choosing a mandala that holds the energy of that intention, and then coloring with possibility, purpose and a heart wide open.

The best way to explain this is to share an example from my own life.

Mandala in Sanskrit means “container of sacred essence.” Think of the mandala as a beautiful vessel designed to hold the essence of whatever energy is poured into it.

"Hi, I’m Michelle. I believe that intentional graphic design and mandala art can change the world. I’m here to help individuals, non-profits and publishers remember and share the power of their voices so that they can make the impact (and income) they know they were born to make."

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How to Have the Holidays You've Always Wanted

11/18/2015

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by Deborah Globus

Mine is a practical sort of spirituality.

Once I suspect something isn’t working, I turn my attention to finding something that will make it work.

Case in point: the Starbucks cup debacle. (Bear with me – I promise this will be enlightening, and not just a little bit humorous!)

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All About Altars All in ONE Place

9/21/2015

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by Deborah Globus

What we’re talking about today are personal altars and a personal altar is a collection of items placed together, not just for beauty, but because they have been imbued with a deeper meaning.

Symbols.

Personal altars are still a focal tool – they remind you of what you want to focus on. Only, YOU get to choose what that is; YOU get to decide what’s important enough to focus on.

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What I Learned About the High Holidays from a Lord of the Rings Movie Marathon

9/13/2015

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by Deborah Globus

I am an unabashed geek, in love with the fantasy genre.

To those who know me this is not news but it does cause a particular kind of insanity that leads me to do things like sit through a 10+ hour showing of all three of the Lord of the Rings movies.

Yes, you read that right – 10 hours. As in, it is daylight when you go in and dark when, with tears in your eyes, you stumble out of the theater with an ache in your back, and a numb…everything.

I have done this not once, not twice...as of September of 2019, I have done this three times!

And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. And yes, people think it’s nuts, and ask me why I do it.

They might as well ask me why I partake in the Jewish High Holidays. After all, there are plenty of similarities.

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The Practice of House Cleansing & Blessing

8/18/2015

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An interview with Lisa D'Alessio, Transformational Intuitive Master Healer

Tell us about your practice.

When things feel a little off in the house, when one of us is sick, or not sleeping well, when I’m seeing too many tell-tale motions in my peripheral vision, when I’ve got too many guests hanging out (unseen), when I’ve had family visit that unsettled the house energy, I do a house cleansing and blessing.

I light palo santo wood and grab a large feather and begin at the front door and move counterclockwise through my house, using the feather to waft the wood smoke into every corner and trace every door and window.

Lisa D'Alession works with women around the world to heal their relationship with their body.

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How to Make an Altar

8/10/2015

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by Deborah Globus

Here's how you create a personal altar in 3 easy steps. (And here's why you want to!!)

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Why We Create Altars

8/3/2015

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by Deborah Globus

Altars are reminders of what’s important to you

Just to my left as I write this is the altar I keep in my office. It’s MY altar. Not the family altar. Not the kid’s altars. Mine, and so it has on it things that are important to me:

It has my Story-Beads for connecting with my peeps

It has my folded crane with my wishes for 2015

There’s a seashell to connect me to my Goddess of the Year

An arrow for direction and The Archer – a tarot card for 2015 to remind me of the skill necessary to properly use the direction I am given.

And candles. And my BossLady Beads. And bees – lots and lots of bees.

my Story-Beads

I’m not one for sparse, sleek altars. Like my life, I like them rich and FULL.

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The Practice of Being Human on the Internet

7/21/2015

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an interview with Lara Eastburn, the Moonshine Marketeer!!

Tell us about your practice.

I distill the ocean of social media into high-octane gulps of fun for small business. So you can be human online. Every day.

I sit at the feet of common sense and apply it with no mercy to the insanely fast-paced world of digital marketing and relationships.

I turn internet marketing into a cocktail party. I turn clients into relationships. And I return frenzied, stressed-out, at-their-wits-end business owners to themselves.

Bringing relief to smaller business owners who tend to want to tear their hair out when it comes to social media.

Mainly, I dig demystifying how to sell your wonderful stuff by constantly simplifying it.

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My name is Deborah Globus and I am La Padre. With me you'll find the support you need to uncover practical, do-able spiritual practices that work for you. I offer new perspectives on old practices like journaling and ritual, with a side of compassion and a healthy dose of humor, just to keep it down-to-earth and real!

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