I've been struck by the importance of giving things up.  It makes me want to change the look of this blog even, and all my nifty gadgets etc.  But rather I need to give up my conception of the importance or ability of this blog.  I guess I began it to lift myself out of something.  I guess it is clear to me now, in the typical circular logic of spiritual revelation, that that "something" lifted me out of myself.  

It is amazing how much inspiration will flow through you when you give up forms which are limiting to you. 

That is the substance of the good things written about here, and the words that inspire us in blogs below and the religious history of the judeo-christian, muslim, and other spiritual texts.  

Some times just giving up the capital "G" for god will bring us to a new place of inspiration and revelation.  

Sometimes admitting that our truth is not the only truth will do that.  

Likewise, sacrificing everything you have to a particular rule of life or religious doctrine contains life-giving form-destruction.  Single-minded service/Orthodoxy is a form of zen as it continually requires the giving up of our other, naturally occurring desires.  

poverty

"They began to choose things over people and safety over life, and soon they spent all their time protecting what they had, without realizing that now, forgoing experience, they had nothing to give."

see: http://www.haleyhouse.org/community.htm