Friday, September 30, 2016

Our reward awaits

Love everything, even the hard times, for through them we grow and evolve. Don't treat them as a test to be gone through but as steps on the path of enlightenment. By nature, paths twist and turn, often obscured by debris and obstacles.

Let us follow them where they lead. And though they have pebbles, rocks, dips and gullies, hills and curves, puddles and creeks to cross as we find and wind our way through life, our reward awaits. There can be many dangers, but if we stay on the path it leads us to our destiny. And it is there where all will be revealed.

04121998

I will carry on

The obstacles I face
will one day be gone
vanished without a trace
and I will carry on
towards a waiting embrace
and angels' songs
in heaven's place

07051996

God is our power

There is power in right living. It is the power of God in our lives. It is not just in releasing fear, but in releasing it over and over, a constant turning toward God. It sometimes seems that the more we believe the more we are tested in life.

We climb one hurdle successfully and another one appears. This is a honing of our faith, as in tempered steel, it is a means of strengthening us in our faith and thus, we should give thanks. We learn through it our need for constant vigilance, and God's unconditional love in our lives, as well as seeking His guidance in the outcome of the many situations that arise.

There is nothing we can do alone, but much that can be accomplished with and through Him, that is our Father, and He only wishes the very best for us. S/He teaches us to reach higher and further than we ever thought possible. That we can reach for the stars and beyond. That when we think we only have enough to feed a few, we can feed many.

The possibilities through Him are endless and S/He wants to show us the way. The path is through faith. We think in limitations, God knows none. We worry about our supply whereas S/He is the supply in abundance.

We worry about the source, S/He is the source. We experience fear, S/He knows only possibilities through faith. We are on a path, S/He is the light that shows us the way. We seek answers exteriorly, S/He knows that the answers come from within.

It is time to let the spirit guide us, as in seek spiritual wisdom from the higher power which is God. Then the answers are truth in actions and are for our highest good, not the set outcomes we imagine are best.

God's wisdom sees further than our limited vision and only S/He knows what is down the road and the difference a small change will make in our future well-being.

09131999

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Alive

Fill your heart
with spirit
let love flow
and you'll
truly be
alive....

06211996

Awareness

Nourish your awareness
mindfully, and still
converse with silence
in emptiness be filled

06241996

Killing Buddha

The zen master
knew killing Buddha
was the only way
to experience him
directly
this loss
his gain

07041996

Nothing

Nothing comes from nothing,
we from the void will return to it,
and nothing we will be again.

07061996

Learn what you teach

What is important is that we humble ourselves and live the little way. It is the realization that even though we are grown we are still as children to God. We haven't the wisdom, nor the capacity that S\He has. Therefore we, as all children, must turn to God for guidance, for strength in hardships, and for reassurance.

We come to realize the power of His unconditional love. When we release our life S/He fills it, when we cannot resolve a difference, and release it to His hands, a reconciliation quickly follows. We wonder, in our own unworthiness, His desire to assist us in all we do and that is when we begin to understand the capacity of love unlimited.

It teaches us to reach out more often, to give more fully, to share more joyfully, and to be blessed in doing so. If God can be so forgiving, cannot we forgive? If God can be the supply of such abundance, cannot we share what S/He blesses us with?

If God loves us with all our petty faults, fears, feelings of unworthiness, our ego, anger, and greed that are part of our human nature, cannot we, in turn, be more tolerant of the faults we find in others? Cannot we spend less time examining and criticizing others and more time improving ourselves?

Can we learn to spend less time in self-pity and more time seeking God? We encourage our children to share and yet we guard what we have selfishly, not trusting that God will continue in giving abundantly.

We tell our children to stop fighting, and yet we harbor anger, jealousy, and prejudice in our hearts. We encourage our children to build friendships, and yet are so guarded ourselves in our own life, suspicious of what others may be seeking. As children of God, we need to learn more of what we ourselves teach. To reach out more and withdraw less, and to see others as God's children also.

08301999

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Know Peace

Give no power to the past. The only important time in our lives is the moment we find ourselves in, as there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, only now. This day, this time, this is when we're meant to live, and this is how we'll know peace too.

03171998

We get what we need

God gives us what we need to bless and enrich our lives. We may want riches that we may know outer pleasure and He gives us trials that we may know inner strength. We may ask to be successful that we may know power and He gives us hardships that we may learn compassion.

We may ask for a fine house that we may know comfort and what He gives us is a home that we may know love. We may seek to be famous that we may be looked up to by others and God gives us solitude that we may find Him.

We may wish to help multitudes that we may be revered and instead we ourselves are helped by a few and they are called friends. We may wish to be alone so we don't have to share and instead, He gives us a family so we learn how to care.

We may wish to travel the world yet God gives us the gift of cultivating our own garden, right in our own backyard. We may feel we know everything and can have it all. God shows us that He is the way and all we need is faith.

We think we can control our lives, He shows us it is full of surprises. When we learn to let go and let God we find much more than we were looking for. We find true purpose, serenity, daily gratitude, fulfillment, peace, love, guidance, service, the word, the way, and God.

We learn to give for the joy of giving, that God is our supply of abundance when we serve Him. He supplies all we need to succeed. We stop looking to ourselves and others as an outer source and learn through faith the universe, through Divine will, becomes the only source we need.

God asks that we have faith and fulfill the purpose given us. Thus, God reaches the hearts and lives of others through the acts we perform in His name for His good, and the good of all.

08311999

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Darkness gone

When we ask for help, we can find the light within and then know we are not alone. This will show us the way, and light the path. Ahead awaits our peace, happiness, and much love. All we have to do is follow along, and the darkness will be gone.

04051996

Give me resolve

Let light triumph over the darkness. Wash away my sins, free me from negativity. Help me to stand strong and face adversity. Give me resolve, and set me free.

04051996

Life is like seasons

Give me the words, Oh Lord, to help a troubled heart. To tell someone you must let go, when the time has come to part. For they must take their path, wherever it may lead, and yours is going a different direction on which you must proceed.

There's a time for cherishing what you have, and a time for letting go. For their path is the high road and yours is on the low. You cannot keep someone from traveling where God says that they must go, and when He says to pack your bags, you must take that road below.

Each road has its purpose, wherever it might lead, and if your paths cross once more, you'll be lucky in life, indeed. But we cannot cling when we're being called. We must bid that life goodbye. It's time to find what's around the bend, and when we climb the mountain, what's on the other side.

Our road may lead us to different worlds. We can still cherish what we had. For it helps us in our growth, and for that, we should be glad. Let us release each other and bid a fond adieu, and wish each other the best there is, for them as well as you.

For when we say we really love, when we say we really care, our concern should be their happiness. Not the way, how, or where. They say love is like a butterfly, and I think that it is true, and best of all it's freedom, to go and do what it must do.

We cannot hold it captive, for we would crush it so. We can only gently see it light, and then we watch it go. Life is like the season, there's a purpose to every one. There's a time for rain, and a time for snow.

And a time for summer sun, and life too has its seasons. There's a time to meet and a time to part. Thank God for that season and how it blessed your heart.

09011999

Monday, September 26, 2016

Look for the lesson

Sometimes we are given chaos so that we can appreciate the times of peace in our lives and strive for it. When we are in turmoil it is also a lesson in patience. That we learn to walk away instead of acting irrationally.

That we learn to seek out God and go within that we may better deal with the crisis without. Let us pray on what is disturbing our life, to seek inner calm, and to ask for Divine assistance. What is the lesson to be learning in this situation?

Seek it out and acknowledge it that you may grow in spirit. There is a Divine lesson in all things, but unless we seek the peace that only God can bring we are blinded to the message. Thank you God for your teachings.

For your lessons that we may grow. For your messages that we may listen and for the peace you give us when we seek you in all things. Thank you for the gift of this day and every day. Help me to see the blessings and overlook the hardships.

Let me acknowledge your guidance and be grateful. Let me be aware of the Angels you put in my path and that make a difference in my life. You have strengthened my faith and appreciation of life.

I rely on you alone as my supply of abundance. You are the source that fills my needs and makes all things possible. As I struggle to learn a new path in life open up my mind that I may absorb the new knowledge.

Help me to be patient with myself and not compare myself to the abilities of others. You always send what I need when I need it and those to help me when I need help. Let me not forget that, Oh Lord, and get tangled up in my fears.

Faith is the release of those fears by letting go and putting them in God's hands knowing that He will always work things out for our highest good. Thank you Father!

09081999

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Pray for others

Let us take time to pray for others that we may be a channel through which blessings may be received. God hears our prayers and brings comfort to those here on earth. We do not know the intent or purpose of the events happening in the lives of others or in our own life either.

We can only pray that God shows us the way and gives us the courage and strength to bear our trials. To ask ourselves "what am I supposed to learn from this?" and embrace the lesson that we may grow in spirit.

To offer up in prayer our challenges for world peace and for the souls of those who have lost their way. We cannot know what is in the hearts and minds of others or all that is taking place in their lives, so instead of judging let us pray that we may be an instrument of Divine love manifested.

Reach out to others. Do not wait for them to come to you. God knows our every thought, desire, weakness, fear, strength, and intent. We can hide nothing from Him. But, in faith, we can turn towards him and He will light our darkest hours and bring joy back into our lives.

Life is like school. It is a learning process that is ongoing. We never succeed in attaining all wisdom here on earth. Be thankful for your continued growth, for each step is a step closer to God through his unconditional love.

Life is full of opportunity when we open our eyes to it and welcome the changes in our lives. Not as an ending, but as a continued beginning. Each day is a gift to be unwrapped and savored and at its closure to give gratitude for what we received.

Take time to be quiet and commune with God and realize His presence in all life, both in nature and those we meet along the way. Each day is holy for it comes from God's grace. Welcome the gift of today.

08171999

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Start to change your mind

We are to be grateful for our humanness for God has made us so. Of Saints S/He creates few and they for an example to us all. Many others of us are to teach through our weaknesses, our stubbornness, our piety, our dedication, our seeking and our sins.

For everything in our life is an example to someone, somewhere. Even in our unawareness we learn by those that touch our spirit in one way or another. We explore life through our friendships, those that we love, and also through adversity.

Everything we experience while here on earth is a lesson in our development. Otherwise, God would not have sent them into our lives. We need to welcome even the difficulties as a gift. To thank the Divine and search for the lesson it holds.

What am I supposed to learn through this experience? If we do not see the experience for the lesson it is and learn from it, we will continue to have it visited on us in other forms until we do. That is how life lessons work.

Eventually, hopefully, we get it! And then we can move on for truly there are more lessons waiting as life itself is continued growth, and when we can no longer learn from life then what we came to accomplish is done.

That chapter in our evolution finished. We each come here with our own hidden agendas. It is up to us to find our purpose along the way. Some of us do this more quickly than others and that is as it's meant to be.

It is not up to us to say "they just don't get it!" We can only look toward our own personal growth and try to be an example of love through action, thought, prayer, and expression, both verbal and nonverbal.

For how we act or react says as much as what we speak aloud. It is only through change of mind that we change our actions as well. When we know better, we do better.

08181999

Friday, September 23, 2016

Finding Strength

Dear Lord, this is a day of disturbances, help me to feel centered. I am blessed with friends and family who care. Joyful is the heart that is loved and loves. This is where I find strength.

05101998

God gives us grace

Amazing grace. God sends it to us to get through the hard times. When we think we are so overwhelmed we cannot go on S/He sends us the grace, through others, and through wondrous acts, to continue one step at a time.

It is a reassurance of His love for us and fills us with hope in the most trying times, and we know we are blessed. There is nothing we cannot accomplish with His help. No hardship that cannot be conquered with His assistance, and through His Divine grace.

It is not something you earn, but a gift from a loving Father, bestowed generously, in love, and yes, it is amazing and wonderous. It teaches us the true meaning of what it is to give love unconditionally with an open heart and open arms.

We ourselves can be the tools He uses to accomplish what we could not do alone. He asks that we reach out to others in Christian brotherhood and love. Recognize in others the spirit of God within. No one comes into our lives accidently, but for the opportunity to touch each other in some small way through His guidance.

Life is like a train station and God is the conductor, guiding us through our journey and to our destination, making many stops along the way to let new people enter and others exist. We need not meet Him at the station, but anywhere along the line and S/He will open the doors for us to climb aboard, to travel with Him in our lives and to meet and greet others along the way.

Do a kindness whenever you can for these are God's joys S/He allows us to perform. It is our chance to serve Him and it will be passed on by others. There is not a  greater way to live than to be of service to your Father whether it is wiping away a tear, saying a prayer, sharing a meal, lending a hand, or giving a smile. It doesn't have to be big but it has to be from the heart.

09061999

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Just be, to know

Happiness is being at peace in the here and now, accepting what is at this moment and not looking elsewhere for fulfillment. It is not looking into the past for healing or into the future for understanding and acceptance.

It is being alive, fully, to this moment in the now and seeing the blessings of this time. Nothing else truly exists. We cannot change the past and the future is unknown. We do not need to wait or be constantly seeking what we already possess.

All we need do is reach out in spirit to know that we are one with all-that-is and to feel serene. Let your mind be at peace instead of constantly searching. Be at one in the present, know that God is within you as in all things.

Wherever the Divine resides so does the possibility of peace. We only need see the reality that we have been denying in our search for what we already possess, but have forgotten how to acknowledge.

We have conditioned ourselves to believe that we need to reach a certain goal, possess a certain attainment, achieve whatever accomplishment to reach that destination where we will feel satisfied in life and able to say "I am here" when "here" is where we have always been while we are looking elsewhere.

The Divine but waits for us to come to the realization and to see the beauty and the allness in the now. All we need is already ours in the moment, breathe it in and give thanks. Become a part of all that is around you and feel a oneness with the universe and all living things.

The only separation from God is the one we create in our minds. When we turn to Him, He is always there waiting for us to seek Him, as any loving Father does. Too often we are too busy pursuing the unnecessary to be aware of our own blessings that are right in front of us. But when we quiet ourselves then love can enter and we are awakened.

09101999

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Wisdom is true wealth

Seek not wealth, but wisdom. For money is not a commodity that will bring you the happiness you anticipate, but wisdom can guide you to be content in your life, realize its blessings, see the value in friends and family, share that others may prosper as well as yourself, to be generous with your time, and to be alive to each moment of every day.

Wisdom is the true wealth of the world that can only be earned through attentiveness, to life's lessons, and personal growth through them. It is a process over time and can be gained not only through seeking but in silent observance.

You cannot win it in a lottery or find it on public T.V., but reading can help us expand our horizons. A good book is a gift to the mind. We cannot take money beyond this life with us, but wisdom is part of the process we were sent here to reap and gather during times of harvest and it becomes part of who we are in spirit as well as in body, thus it will continue on with us to another plane and future progressions of our phases of self.

Wisdom is also gained with age, day by day, year after year, life after life, eon after eon, for all eternity. It is a degree in advancement, but is not sought by everyone. Some prefer to keep repeating the same old tune and so are stuck in the rut of reliving the same lesson in different forms until they undersstand it for what it is.

Others never learn the true meaning of life, but are on a constant search for gratification through addictions, status, possessions, life styles that are only shallow forms of really living. Our other purpose is to serve God in some way in our life, mainthly through love.

For the basic Diving teaching is love and the second is forgiveness. The giving and receiving of love and forgiveness are what can heal the pain of the world, can bring peace, open hearts and storehouses, ends greed and hatred, eliminates prejudice, feeds the hungry, and helps us realize the brotherhood of all.

09111999

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Pray for peace

Today is a day of prayer, for all others as well as our universe as we know it, not just for our country, but for all countries and for peace among all men. Today the thoughts, prayers and voices of many are raised to heaven and our Father, trusting that we can make a difference.

We must remember to pray also to our Lady as she is the queen of peace. She speaks to many, expecially the children and emplores us to pray for peace in the world, that our thoughts, words, and prayers indeed are life changing.

If we each alter the way we act toward others into an attitude of love, what a different world this would be. Instead of prejuidice let us give acceptance. Instead of far let us live in faith. Let us see the child of God in everyone, no matter their religion, nationality, race, place of birth, mode of dress, their education or lack there of.

Let us open up our hearts and learn to share for it is in giving we receive. Tolerance leads to love. Bigotry only breeds hate. Sice we are all the same in the eyes of God, so too should we be in the eyes of each other. And not just in how we see, but how we feel.

Let your heart feel the love that the Father feels for each one of us. See the brotherhood in all men, not just in the good and kind, that is easy, but in those that can be difficult and withdrawn, or meanspirited and tightfisted.

They need our love an understanding as well in order to change and see the light. Reach out your hands to your brothers and sisters and life up your voices to God, not just today, but everyday.

Make a commitment to world change and start with yourself. Do not say I will change when the world changes, begin now. One step at a time, one day at a time, is how change begins. We must start somewhere and let the momentum grow. Let there be peace on earth and leit it begin with me.

09091999

Monday, September 19, 2016

Teach your children well

How do we stay in the spirit of love and how do we teach our children the meaning of love? To be kind to one another? To not say the hurtful words that spring to their tongue? To learn to share and to give? To recognize the brotherhood in others and not their differences? To treat with kindness and gentleness even the small animals?

We teach by example, so we must start with ourselves. Guard you own tongue that you do not lash out in anger, at them or in front of them. Be an example of kindness in your thoughts and in your deeds.

Teach them how to share and how to give by the deeds you yourself do. Think of an act of kindness you can do today and let them be a part of it. At Christmas have them choose a gift for an unknown boy or girl. Buy it, wrap it, and deliver it to an organization dedicated to making lives better.

Teach them about God, and how to be forgiving. Let them help at a homeless shelther that serves food on holidays or just ordinary days. Visit a children's hospital so that they may know they are blessed.

Read to them meaningful stories. Guard what they see and hear on T.V. and in the movies. Invite one speacial friend to share a day, taking turns that reach may have the friend of the day with all of your children.

Treat everyone you meet, no matter what color, financial status, religion, or sex, with respect so that they not grow up with prejuidice. Make friends from all walks of life. Teach them to look at the world with appreciation.

To plant and see things grow. To feed the birds and watch them nest and learn to fly. Teach them about family history that they may be proud of their roots. Start new traditions in your own family and make them an active part.

Sing together, play together, and pray together that you strengthen the family bonds. Teach them to respect themselves as swell as others. Teach them to love.

09071999

Sunday, September 18, 2016

What is a woman

Woman is the heart of the home. She gives it the warmth that you feel as you enter. She is the center of contentment and understanding that draws the family together. She is the tender of the hearth that keeps the flames of happiness as well as passion lit and a sense of peace within through an extra component of love God granted her.

It spills over on her family and friends enfolding them in the warmth of her compassion, tenderness, giving, and love. Hers is an understanding that runs deeper than her male counterpart for it is centered in the spirit of woman and cannot be taught.

Male love is generally more physical, while with woman it is more spiritual. Men who nourish and appreciate this love are wise and reap the benefits of their attentiveness. It is important for woman to feel appreciated not just for what she does, but for the self that she is.

Today many woman not only continue to keep the home running smoothly, but carry the burde of an outside job as well. Their work is endless and does not stop with the timeclock. Some men share in chores and some do not.

Often times those that do act as if it is a favor to their wives instead of a shared giving to the home and do not recognize the contribution she is making but take it for grated as woman's work, therefore not important.

They have no idea how endless it is, but feel they have earned their own rest. A woman is more than a partner and companion, mother and caretaker, career woman and homemaker. She lights up a room when she enters with her inner being.

She hears between the words to the spirit. She lives in truth and trust, as well as love. She gives more than 100%. She gives her all. She exceeds in patience and understanding. She transcends labels. She is the foundation of family and always where she is needed. She is God's hands.

09121999

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Moving On

There is a time in life for everything and it as all part of the growth to whom we become. We start out helpless and sometimes we end up helpless and in-between is life.

We learn to crawl, normally, before we learn to walk and run. As in all things, we must learn the basics before we can conquer the more difficult challenges.

The same with school, we must learn our ABC's before we conquer more conceptual problems. We must learn a skill before we can apply it, and we must progress in order to keep learning.

To go on to the next step, the next course, the next grade, etc. And as we travel our road in life we will outgrow certain relationships, jobs, careers, friendships, and it is time to move on in order to continue our growth and to realize our potential and purpose.

To be constantly in a safe comfort zone is not conducive to continued growth. We must stimulate the mind in order for it to remain healthy and this means broadening our horizons, seeking new challenges, and at times starting over from scratch in a whole new direction.

We should look forward to all learning with anticipation for we are adding new depths to ourselves and discovering new facets, new goals, new interests, new people, and a whole new aspect to our lives.

We may discover hidden talents we were unaware of which leads to a whole new career. Life is not static, but like the weather is always changing, filled with surprises, and new adventures.

Welcome opportunities. Have faith that there is a purpose and in your ability to learn and grow. We all have a tendency to fear the unknown, but we need not let it paralyze us. We can meet them and move on to greater knowledge and confidence.

07311999

Friday, September 16, 2016

Walking the Path

To each of us is a purpose and our path is the way to finding that purpose. If we follow the right path we need not worry about hunger, thirst, cold, or fear for God is with us always. He provides in glory and abundance to those who give with open hands and hearts. The way is always toward the light, and there we find enlightenment. Let me walk with you along the way, Oh Lord.

09161996

Love is forever

The cycle of love was created by God, to reach the hearts of all men and the way to show thanks is daily prayer and gratitude. Take nothing for granted, be not attached to earthly things for they too will pass away, but God's love is forever.

09121996

Waves of Love

When joyfully we share in love, it is returned in abundance. Like a boomerang, it keeps coming back to its starting point only to be sent out again and return again, over and over. In a continuous expansion as you touch others in love and they in turn love others, those ripples broaden and like the sea, waves of love come in like the tide in endlessness.

04081998

Take the first step

When we are in fear we block our own abundance and create chaos in our lives. If we anticipate that things will be difficult or lacking, that is what we will bring into our lives. Our fear speaks to us in the reality that we ourselves create.

Fear, like every other emotion, generates energy that is put out into the universe and it responds. That is why when a great number of people pray for peace they send waves of love out that others many miles and miles away can feel.

We need to be conscious of our emotions. When fear and doubt creep into our consciousness we need to examine why. For our fear can actually block our own good fortune. Sometimes what we fear is change, the unknown.

Our ego tells us it is safer to be where we are as we know what to expect in our present situation, even if it is filled with difficulties and lack. It is familiar. Even if it is a job or a relationship we've outgrown, is destructive to our self, and is not in our own best interest.

We may find ourselves clinging to it like a lifeline. What is around the corner is hidden even if it may be a better world. Most of us tend to fear change and can actually cause our own ill-fortune. Then we feel vindicated that our fears have proven us right.

Instead, we must learn to step back to see the reality of our own imprisonment. What we think of as safety is really entrapping us. We can never move forward until we take that first step which is found in faith.

Trust in the Divine to know what is in your best interest and allow Him to bless you with all the beauty and joy He wants to bring into your world.

You must take the first step by opening the door to opportunity and your heart to love so that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit and fulfill your own higher purpose.

07301999

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Waiting is a gift

Sometimes waiting can be the hardest thing to do, and sometimes it seems as if we are too often waiting for something to begin or something to end. But waiting is a process of change and we need to use it more constructively.

To see it as an opportunity, and to decide what we want to accomplish during this period. Especially if it is going to encompass a good deal of time. Such as a recovery from an accident or an illness.

How can we put this time to good use so we can feel we are growing instead of in limbo? We can see it as a window of time that allows us to do things we never had time for some hobby or crafts. Some reading or study. To write a story or start a book.

To organize your photography. To take a class or home study. We can realize that there is a purpose to all things, even waiting. If there are no coincidences to what purpose are you to use the time? Seek Divine advice and insight.

Meditation is one way of learning to be at peace while waiting. To go within. To seek spiritual growth. To make new discoveries. To find a new path. To recognize your true journey.

It is important to make a decision and begin, for vegetating does not expand the mind, but withers it instead. Can you contribute your time to a good cause that you may be of service in some way?

If you cannot do, might you not teach so that you may share with someone your knowledge? You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish while waiting and how valuable a gift that time can be.

And even when the waiting is short never assume we are being neglected, but that there is a good reason and be prepared to listen for it is the only way to truly know.

07291999

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

A time for everything

There is a time for everything and we often forget that there is God's own time. S/He knows better than we that we need time to heal and grow and the state of our spiritual progress and our readiness to move on.

S/He knows our path and purpose and will lead us and guide us and show us the way when the time is right. There are periods necessary for preparation before we climb to the next level or before turning the next corner.

It is not a period in limbo, but of liberty and spiritual growth and all that we need to prepare us for the next leg of our journey will be provided. It is a time to smell the roses and to be fully aware of the beauty around us and all God's blessings.

It is a time to go within not do without. The Divine knows what we need better than we do and before the realization comes to us. S/He is prepared to answer and is only awaiting our call. Sometimes called "the dark night of the soul" this period between life changes is an opportunity of the greatest spiritual growth and we should welcome it.

Everything in life will have more clarity. Answers will come to multiple questions and life will take on a whole new direction. It is like a milestone on our journey and a new fork in the road. It is a time for reparation and self-discovery.

A time of soul-searching and enlightenment. A time not of concentration but of meditation. We often forget in our daily routine, trivial pursuits, challenges, and what we consider life's worries that there is a greater purpose to our existence and we forget to ask "how are we to serve?".

What are we here to learn and to accomplish? When we learn to ask we receive the answers and life takes on a whole new meaning and deeper satisfaction.

07281999

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

The Lord is my Shepherd

When you have a problem you can either struggle with it, force the issue, often without resolution or you can turn to God and the answer will be right there as if you were handed a gift. And you realize S/He was only waiting for you to ask.

No matter how often S/He has answered me in the past I find myself, at times, forgetting and in my anxiety and frustration I have been known to even cause myself personal injury when the answer was at my fingertips the moment I asked.

God wants to make life easier for us and yet we continue to struggle. We do this all the time in our humanity forgetting that we are also a part of all-that-is and that we only need to ask to receive. To reach out to be fulfilled.

Many times we even know what we should do but let fear keep us immobilized. We may be in a job that we have come to hate or a relationship that is not working but we hang on either in the hopes that things will change and in denial that it obviously is not going to after a period of time.

We may feel, in our own lack of self-worth, that this is what we deserve. Or we are in fear of the unknown. It does not matter for in all of these scenarios we have forgotten faith. That we are Divinely loved unconditionally and that God wants only the best for us and that S/He will provide the means and the answers.

We only need desire-ask-believe-receive. And that S/He is always waiting for us to turn to Him. That nothing is too small for Him to help us with whether it be a lost item found or a smile in passing when you're feeling down.

God is the light, the truth, and the way. The Shepherd to His lost sheep and S/He rejoices when we seek our in and from Him.

07271999

Monday, September 12, 2016

Follow where God leads

It is important to keep on a forward path in life, toward progress. Sometimes we don't really know where it will lead us, but we feel impelled to follow where the Divine guides us, one step at a time.

We feel ourselves challenged in new areas, assaulted with new knowledge and aware we are embarking on a new path on our journey through life.

Embrace it with joy, knowing that God as a purpose to all things and would not lead us into troubled waters. He will provide what we need, when we need it, in order to succeed.

For S/He has a plan for us and we have a destiny to fulfill. Life, like the sea, is not always calm and serene but has its high and low tides, its stormy days when it crashes onto the shore.

If all days were the same life would be boring indeed, and there would be no new things to look forward to. Life, like the waves, is constant movement, a moving forward to gather what we can and bring it into use that we absorb new things, feelings, growth, understanding, evolvement, and purpose.

Each day is a new awakening, filled with hidden treasures to discover as it develops. Not all of them may be pleasant, but if we have the right outlook we will recognize the lessons we receive and the contribution toward our continual potential.

See life for the gift that it is and seek a greater purpose to living. Be aware of your environment, both exterior and interior. See the beauty of the world and the realization that all things, we included are God's creations and S/He wants the best for our world and for us.

Be at peace knowing you are loved unconditionally and that you are never alone. God sends His Angels to watch over you both day and night to keep you in His loving care. He has great plans for you. Open your arms and heart to receive. Remember, you are loved.

09191999

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Balanced Living

Declare a holiday with friends and plan a get-together that you may enjoy your companionship. It can be as simple as a potluck on the patio. Realize the gift that friendship brings and take time to honor it without the necessity of an occasion.

Sharing good times is enough of a reason. Make time for the elderly in your family and in the lives of those around you. Time and company is the greatest gift you can give them as they so often are left alone and ignored while we go on with our busy lives.

When you are going shopping invite them along. They will enjoy the companionship as well as the ride and help you give them and you were going anyway. Keep in touch by phone and mail with those that are too far away to see.

Keep cards on hand for a quick cheering up or a thinking of you, even if you don't have time for a long letter a short note will do. It says you're in my thoughts today. We all like to get something besides bills and advertisements in the mail, and it brings a smile to someone's day.

Start your day and end your day with the Divine. Either in prayer or conversation. Talk to God as if to a best friend and a loving Father, for no one is more interested in your or concerned about your welfare.

Know that you can rely on God more than anyone else in your life. He will never let you down. Not only that, He will show you the way. Take time also to be alone. To think, to meditate, to go within. To be silent in order to listen, in order that you may know.

To live in balance. For self and service. For family and friends. For oneness and spirituality. To know faith by seeking the Father and to know brotherhood through allowing others into our lives.

07261999

Saturday, September 10, 2016

One in unity

When I really listen I can learn so much more. I can understand the whys behind the behaviors of others and I can also quiet myself and begin to see the reasoning behind my own actions and reactions.

We need to look behind our own fears to see the cause. Life consists of a cause and effect existence. In order to change, we must first understand. Only then can we reorder our principles of living. We need to stop, look, and listen.

Ask God for His help that we may truly hear, have greater insight in our vision, and flexibility in our listening that we not suffer from tunnel vision that only accepts our point of view and rejects all others.

When you see different you will do different, and when you know better you will do better. There is room for improvement in all of us, unless we've been declared a saint, and that is rare indeed.

We don't need to go to a desert or hibernate in a cave away from the world, but to be more open, to learn to listen, and seek answers instead of being insistant and judgmental.

Thre are many roads to where we seek to go. No one path is the right and only path. And so opinions may vary and still be right. What works for others may not work for us and vise versa.

God made us all unique and still we are all created in His image which helps us to understand that "God is all things". It would take all of us together, each a piece in the puzzle to become a glimmer in the great understanding of the Divine.

Knowing this we can learn to discover a new part in the diversity of man. Composite works on intersecting paths each with his own portion of truth, which joined together will make a greater whole collectively. Take time to listen, see, learn.

07241999

Thursday, September 8, 2016

A day for spirit

Set aside a day for spirit where your intent is not physical, although it may be included, but spiritual. Recognize, for you, what activities bring you a greater sense of the spiritual and of feeling at peace. It may be a drive to the country, a walk on the beach collecting shells, working in the garden, weeding, trimming, and planting.

For some, it is relaxing with a book, for others just sitting on their porch and communing with nature. During this day attempt to bring a spiritual feeling into all that you do, including preparing a meal. See things with new eyes as if the spirit has given you enlightened vision and you will find yourself noticing things you may ordinarily overlook.

Color becomes more enhanced and everything looks in greater detail. The sky becomes a glorious background to the mountains and the trees and the horizon is limitless to our eyes. Which can bring to mind infinity and other thoughts of the Divine.

Let your mind be open, unbound by concentration. It is a day to let the spirit breathe and for us to just be. Rid your mind of those of things that must be accomplished and give yourself over to peacefulness.

In this state, we are more receptive to hearing the still small voice of the Divine. Of a spiritual knowing and receiving Divine guidance. It is truly a day not only to let go and let God, but of awareness of His presence in all things and to feel an affinity and connectedness to everything and everyone in our existence, the universe, and beyond.

You become an integral part of all-that-is and you have a sense of gratitude for all you see, the air you breathe, for the breeze's touch, and for God who loves you so much.

07251999

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Look before you leap

It is important to speak truth and to investigate our feelings before reacting. To think things through saves us from embarrassment later. And from making false assumptions that cause conflict in our lives.

Unfortunately, we tend to react from the "me" perspective. It is better to examine the problem to understand our reaction. They may be two different issues. Our reactions are often composites of feelings, assumptions, hurts, the ego, insecurities, and other accumulated emotions that we have not addressed, but bottled up inside.

The problem may set off a chain reaction out of proportion to the event or the issue. Before reacting we need to quiet ourselves, and thoroughly examine everything including what we are feeling and why.

Do we want to address it, why and how, to be most effective and then to do it in the most Christian way possible. Ask questions of the other person to get their viewpoint before making new accusations, consider it spiritual homework, or damage control.

Life is a spiritual journey, not a battle ground. Learn to examine the need for your defenses before putting them up. And it's okay to ask "what would Jesus do?". Try to mend the fences or repair bridges when little ruts appear instead of waiting for it to collapse and trying to rebuild it from scratch.

Sometimes rebuilding doesn't always work, sometimes the participants aren't willing to rebuild. And sometimes we can rebuild using a stronger foundation. Rely on God and prayers to see you through to make the right decisions.

Always be willing to accept responsibility for yourself and your actions. Treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. Do all things in Love and see the Divine in the others you are addressing.

07231999


Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Light of creation

The angels speak to us in our dreams and nourish the creativity we are blessed with. They seek to inspire us and shine their light through the windows of our soul. They are here to give us guidance and lead us towards our true path and show us our purpose. With them, we can take a journey of awakening, and discover our true selves. Let them lead you towards your destiny, to live in the creative light of creation.

03211998

Happiness in the now

Happiness is not a condition of fulfillment, but an inner contentment. It is not dependent on receiving something we desire, fulfilling a goal or achieving a certain outcome. Happiness is a "chosen" state of mind, you can be happy in the here and now by quieting your mind and observing the beauty around you.

Listening to the soft rustle of the leaves blowing in the breeze. Be aware of the infinite palette of colors in the flowers, the sky. The clouds and the trees. The variances of greens alone in countless shadows and light transform them and also cast their own designs.

Nature's wonders are in themselves a form of happiness. What can be more peaceful than listening to the sound of a creek trickling overs rocks or waves lapping at the shore? But so often we have our minds so preoccupied with endless thoughts that we do not even notice the world around us.

Happiness is a choice to release the continuous chatter of our mind, to become quiet and aware. And a feeling of contentment and peace will invade your soul, and just as suddenly the sounds of the birds becomes distinct where before you were deaf to their song and conversation.

What does happiness really require? Only that we stop. Be in the now and in appreciation of the wondrous gifts of the Divine has blessed us with. Instead of dwelling on those things we lack, concentrate on the blessing we have.

We can start with our senses, those that we have. To see, to hear, to feel, to taste, to smell. How wonderous each is and we should take the time to be joyous. That is why daily gratitude is so important.

It reaches us awareness. To recognize and to be thankful for even small things. For happiness is created within. It is not an outward acquisition, but an inner contentment.

07221999

Monday, September 5, 2016

Ask Forgiveness

Take time to be humble and to ask for forgiveness for any offenses you may have caused to others and then release them, do not dwell on them, but learn from them. Be quick to forgive any hurt others may have caused you. Not just in words but in your heart and then embrace the healing forgiveness brings.

Don't dwell on petty issues from the past. They can only live on if we give them the power. For the past is gone, it cannot harm us. We can choose to change our mind and how we perceive things. We can choose to let go of the past and be joyful in the present.

We can choose to look at others in a different light. We are all but God's children doing the best that we can with the information we have at the time. We can choose to do better, to become more spiritual, and to let the Divine be the shining light in our life, and to see that same Divine presence in all whom we encounter.

We can ask for Divine help in resolving differences instead of carrying resentments within that are often creations of our own imagination, blown out of proportion. We feed the seed of discord when we do not shed the light of love on it.

Love reveals the truth we were too blinded by our own fears to see. To be in harmony is to be at peace. Never make preconceptions. Never be quick to make a judgment.

Try to see both sides of every issue. Remember to laugh at your own mistakes and to be forgiving of yourself. Be willing to make a fresh start.

Each day is a new beginning. It is "the present" as it is a gift from God. It is a new page, unwritten. A fresh dawn full of endless possibilities. Welcome it with joy and anticipation and end it with gratitude for all its many blessings.

07211999

Sunday, September 4, 2016

The gift unknown

Sometimes we look with envy at the life of others and feel if we only had their money, their talent, their advantages, life would be better, and then we have the realization that all the money, the power, and the privileges in the world cannot prevent tragedy, loss, nor loneliness.

It cannot buy health or happiness. It cannot give us the privacy we seek or protect our loved ones. We realize we would not wish to lose our simplicity to live in a fish bowl of frenetic photographers and reporters dogging our every move.

Oh, the sweetness of peace and anonymity. The freedom of the unknown to go wherever they please. Unnoticed, unmolested, what a wonderful gift it is to have this peaceful existence, this serene simplicity.

We can at these times value the freedom we have to walk in a public place and be unrecognized. To go out to eat and have a quiet meal undisturbed. These are gifts we do not often take the time to be grateful for.

To be able to grieve privately is a blessing we don't realize until we see how intrusive others can be to the well known. Some have no shame or true sympathy and feel even your pain is newsworthy and it is their right to record it.

Oh, thank you God for the wonderful peace and simplicity of my life. I would not choose to walk in the shoes of the famous. All the wealth in the world would not be worth the loss of private contemplation or peaceful activity.

It seems that fame and fortune don't give you more rights, but less. For you pay for it with your life as an open book to be read, examined, criticized, envied, and exploited by others.

You question the motivation of those who offer friendship and love. As I sit here in my quiet space, at peace and alone, I realize what a gift it truly is.

07201999

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Peace is available to all

What is peace? If we were to ask this of everyone we know we would probably get as many different answers as there are people. Many would attach it to some goal that must be obtained first in order for them to achieve peace.

It might be when they retire or when they are financially secure. It might be when their life is less hectic and they can relax or they have found Mr. Right. But peace itself is an absence of expectation.

It is not a state of mind but a state of spirit. It is not attained by fulfillment without but in a quietness within. It requires nothing but love and faith in the Divine. It is accessible to the poor as well as those who are financially secure.

It is possible to be at peace in the midst of a storm. It is an act of abandoning worry and accepting faith. It is a realization that all things can be borne, in God. That we are never abandoned, but have the greatest love of all, Divine love.

God is never too busy to listen and what we have to say is never too trivial in His opinion. The hour is never too late to seek Him out or too early to contact him.

God is always available. There is no special formula to use when communicating with the Divine. Simple words will do. The important thing is to begin. There is no magic or special preference.

The Divine is available to all who seek Him and so is the peace S/He gives us. You are not required to possess anything to be at peace. It can be obtained by the lowliest beggar as well as a king.

God is an equal opportunity giver of peace. You can give everything you own away and still have peace. You can lose everything you have, including your health and still possess peace.

Peace is a oneness with God. Being in tune with simple blessings as soft as a breeze, as warm as the sun, as gentle as rain. It comes from God.

07191999


Friday, September 2, 2016

Do all things for God

Do all things as if you were doing them for God, whether it be praying or washing the dishes, then we will always put our best effort into it and be more conscious in each act.

Out of consciousness and awareness of God, even in the most mundane things comes joy. Great each person you meet as if they are a disciple of God. See the Divine in everyone. Even those who have lost their way have not lost God's love.

So, it is not ours to judge. Look for the lessons we need to learn in situations that arise and we will react differently. For instead of defending we will look toward the possibility of growth and change, and see it as a challenge to achieve greater awareness.

We will also recognize that not all things are about us. This may be an opportunity for another to learn a life lesson in Divine love. For if we react in love as the Divine would do instead of in anger we all profit and it defuses negative feelings.

Divine love is the answer to all things. Whether at work or home make an offering of your tasks to God and they will have more meaning and become acts of love in themselves.

It may return to us pleasure in what has become routine or boring. It's as easy as saying "God, I do this for you and offer it up for the intentions of....".

Remember to thank God for the lessons as well as the blessings for He is sending you the means to grow in spirituality and faith. We as mortals cannot know the purpose behind all things, only God knows.

Trust in Him and He will see you through. Learn patience for although we may want action now, the right time is always Divine time and does not always conform to our time schedule. Life itself is a preparation so that we are in a proper state of growth when the Divine sets us on a new path.

07181999

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Hard to master

Forgiveness
is something
so elusive
and hard
to master
for ourselves
and that's
what matters

03271996

Immortal

Immortal...
is what we are
time travelers
find us everywhere
not just here and there
the cosmos are ours
enveloping us
for eternity
for timeless souls
are beyond death
yes,
Immortal...
is what we are

02281996

Have Hope

Hope is "how one patiently endures," for we can endure many things when we have hope. Hope for an end to all prejudice, hate, destruction, and war. An end to violence and a beginning of world peace. And the first step for each of us is to "let it begin with me".

If we each chose to be disciples and champions of peace who would there be left to declare war? All it takes is each one of us deciding not to participate in anything but love and hope.

We can each be an example of living in the spirit of the Divine. We each can reach out in kindness instead of hatred or prejudice. We can wish all we encounter "go in peace".

We all are free to choose, to say otherwise is to deny spiritual freedom. And it takes patience for even Jesus had to wait 9 months to be born. If we keep reacting in kindness to others, even to their unkind words, their hateful attitudes, and their anger, it will become second nature.

The way you choose to act will become the way you react, unconsciously. We can endure anything for at least a day and we can change much one day at a time. Choose to be loving today. Choose to be of a generous heart today.

Choose to be tolerant of any animosity for today. Choose to do all things in kindness and hope for today and tomorrow will take care of itself. For tomorrow eventually will become today and we can choose to live it in Divine hope again.

Hope is a path that we can choose to live that leads to many other blessings and the biggest is Divine peace and joy within. It not only changes our life but the lives of others around us as well.

At first, they may think we're too good to be true, but in consistency lies faith. And in each new day lies a new beginning and a greater hope for our world.

07171999