First Step

Lately, I find myself thinking about Lao Tzu’s timely saying, “The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” That’s actually very good advice. We can’t get anywhere if we aren’t willing to take the first step.

Many people settle for the status quo because they may be frightened to take that first step for fear of the new and unknown. The “unknown” can be unnerving, even petrifying. The “new” can be terrifying, as well. After all, there is something comforting about knowing what to expect. But, does the comfort hold any excitement? Maybe we are too settled to desire any excitement!

Too, though, if we stay in our comfort zone, we are just walking in circles, going nowhere. Again, many are satisfied with that. But, for those who seek something new, taking that first step away from our comfort zone is crucial. Will it be easy? That reminds me of something else…something worth it is seldom easy.

Here’s something else to think about…If we opt for easy, we may never get anywhere new. We may never have new adventures, new loves, new experiences. So…step out there…make your move…there are numerous adventures just for you…You’ve just got to take that first step!

Love…

It is during this time of year…the time when we are all supposed to be in the place of giving…that I realize how much power each of us hold.  There is something that you can give that is the most important thing ever.  You are so much more powerful than you know and that power is in the form of love.  People need to know they are loved and those close to you need to know you love them.  People need to remember that Our Creator loves them.  Sometimes we get caught up in our everyday lives and we forget that the most important thing we can do is know we are loved and show our love for ourselves and others.

Just remember, love is NOT blind acceptance!  TRUE love is unconditional.  Love is Not boastful or proud or jealous…but love IS caring, respect, supportive, kindness, and patience and all of that we can freely give to everyone who needs it!  Be mindful of those around you today and everyday.  Be mindful of the choices you make for yourself and others every day.  While it is usually relatively easy to love others, it seems like we don’t really know how anymore…and we certainly tend to be less than respectful to ourselves!  Respect yourself and loving yourself will follow…and the love for human kind will also follow.

Today, I am reminded of one of my father’s most favorite Bible passages.  My dad taught us in Sunday School when I was a child, and we heard this lesson often!  Whenever he was chosen to pick the bible verses for the congregation, more often than not, he chose this passage, as well.  I Corinthians 13.  While many of you know I do not embrace organized religion and find inspiration in many spiritual paths, I do find gems of basic truths in the Bible.  I Corinthians 13 tells us that THE most important thing is Love…NOTHING, not faith nor knowledge, not gifts of prophesy, NOTHING is more important than love.  That is a powerful statement of revelation and we need to not gloss over it, but embrace it.

While moving through your life’s journey today, and everyday, know that you are loved…Our Creator loves you, and we love you…Love is truly all that matters!

I am thankful for…YOU!

Do you realize what a blessing you are to those around you?  Our Creator, using the most WONDERFUL use of finite wisdom in the universe, gave us you.  You are more beautiful, talented, intelligent, brave, caring, loving and just plain awe-inspiring than you realize!  Not only that, but Our Creator knew we would all need each other one day…and that day has come!  Look at all the great things we can and have done together…for each other, for others, and for ourselves.

Blessing aren’t big, and they aren’t far away or in the future…Look in the mirror.  YOU are the blessing!

Hope your Thanksgiving Holiday is as perfect as you are!

Much love and light to you and yours!

Changing Your Perception

In the Bible we are told not to ramble on when praying.  We are to say our piece and get on with our lives.  Short, precise words are the ticket.  The more confusing the prayer, the more chance that it can be confused!  That’s not to say Our Creator would confuse that, but if you, like many others, believe your power is in your thought, then confused thoughts breed confusion of action!  One of my favorite spiritual teachers and authors, Ernest Holmes, taught that thoughts are things, and when put out there are acted upon.  To change your situation, you need to change the way you THINK about it.

Some of us wonder why we are in the positions in which we find ourselves.  “What did I do to end up like this?  God must really hate me for this to have happened to me.”  Sometimes it is over the death of a loved one.  Sometimes it is a financial situation.  Sometimes it is a relationship.  Sometimes it’s a loathed job.   Why do we automatically assume God had anything to do with that?

There are a couple of things we must understand.

First, you only control you…You cannot control the thoughts, decisions and deeds of another.

Second, Our Divine gave all of us free will.  We each have the ability to act and react.  And, again, we have the responsibility for ourselves.

Thirdly, we either take control of our lives or we don’t.

At any time we feel ready, we can start a journey of discovery to find out how we came to be where we are in our lives.  If we find ourselves in a particularly rough spot, we need to ask ourselves some particularly hard questions.  But we MUST be honest to get useful answers.

What decisions did I make in my life to bring me to this particular place?

Is this place in which I find myself beneficial in any way?  Are their lessons needing to be learned?

Can I make a new decision right now to change the course of my life?  Will I follow through on that decision, once it’s made?

Am I willing to make a new determination, at any time, if the previous one proves to take me in a wrong direction?

Again, remember, you are only responsible for you.

Many times, before a long journey by car, I visualize the entire journey to my destination, the drive, the potential stops, and the arrival, usually the day before I am to leave.  That visualization is comforting, as I see exactly what I want it to be.  We can do the same in our lives.

Maybe you are unsure what you want to lie ahead of you in your earthly journey, but you can visualize calmness in your decisions and spirit.  You can realize that whatever comes up for you is an opportunity, either to grow or to change a thought or decision for a better growth.  Throwing your hands up in the air in despair should never be an option.  Why?  Because THAT is the condition you are putting on your day…despair.  That is the thought that goes forth from you and becomes something.

Many people meditate and others pray.  Others believe in energy and others believe in other things.  There is no wrong way to go about your desire to see results, except one, hurting another expression of Our Divine.

The key to getting where you want to go is to simply start…Many teach to pray without ceasing, and like I have said before, the more you think positive thoughts, the more you will find your mind just goes with it.  It becomes automatic in your subconscious.

As an expression of Our Creator, you are a blessing to humankind that carries a piece of Our Creator inside your very being…Do you understand how awesome you are?  Better yet, do you understand the power you possess?  Go into the world every single day knowing you have the power to change your life…Live your expression to the fullest.  If you find yourself on a path that is distasteful, unproductive or brings loathing, change your perception?  You CAN make that change.

May the many blessings you seek be a catalyst for your upward growth and may you relax into these blessings and allow them to fill up your life and heart.  May you always carry the love of our Blessed Creator with you and wear it proudly…May your love of Our Creator shine forth so brightly that those around you have no choice but to take notice…With Divine Love in our hearts, we truly are the ones we’ve been waiting for…Much love and light to you…

Growing Lessons

Hope your day is shaping up to be a rather nice one!  It’s hotter than usual here in the mid part of the country, as we are going on our 11th day of over 100 degree temps.  For some of you from the south, this is nothing new, for here it is…well…different.  And we have had no rain, at least where I am, for weeks.  Again, unusual.  BUT, the interesting thing is that as I was watering my plants this morning, I noticed something encouraging…New growth on all of my pepper plants!  Also, my tomato plants that I planted REALLY late are actually taking hold and growing nicely.  If I can keep them alive in this heat, they will grow and produce in the fall…so, again, nice!  My garden area does not get the proper sun, but I am thinking since the sun is so much hotter, that might not be such a bad thing!

Gardening, even in small ways, is such a learning opportunity!  And, from today, the lesson for my journey is this, even in the face of adversity, we can grow.  Even in the face of what appears to be a lull in our lives, we can still move forward.  The only thing holding us back is ourselves.  Truly, if the plants, in the face of such drought conditions, can continue to grow and even add new growth, then we, as brothers and sisters to the plants, can do this too!  (All life is all related, you know!)

It’s easy for me to imagine that the plants don’t over think things like we do.  It’s easy for me to see that, while things are rough for them now, they just say, “Yep it’s hot, but that won’t stop me from doing what I was put on this earth to do…grow!”  And we can learn from that!  Did we wake up this morning?  Yep!  SO, that gives us another day to work towards our goal…Yesterday is in the past.  Keep the lesson from yesterday’s decisions and live in the now, knowing you can change your way of thinking, the things you are doing and the influence with which you let others influence your life.  Your decisions can start over every single day, and if need be, find a different path that offers you different results, every day…

Don’t be a slave to old thoughts, past actions or past decisions.  Challenges are not obstacles unless you allow them to be… Wake up in the morning with a renewed sense of awareness…The knowledge that you CAN change your mind, do things differently and interact with life on this planet in different ways.  You are the key to YOUR future…If you have given up that power over you to someone else, well, take it back!  You truly are the one you’ve been waiting for and your world will open up for you when you embrace yourself.  So, what are you waiting for!?!

Blessings for your day, and weekend, next week, and always!  Much love and light to you and your family…May the blessings of Our Creator rain down on you until you have had your fill, and may it all happen for you again on every tomorrow!

Peace be with you

Revelations to Start the Week…

May thanksgiving flow from your heart to Our Creator and our many brothers and sisters in this life.

May you find within your own soul the courage you seek, knowing you were designed in the image of supreme wonder.   May today find peace in your heart and love in every crevice of your being.  May this courage, peace and love reflect out to those whom you encounter, spreading Divine joy and comfort to all.

May you embrace and rejoice in your place as a child of Our Divine Creator.  May the understanding that you are Divine by right of creation, a child of Our Blessed Creator, be yours today.  You, as are we all, truly special.  May acceptance of who you are always help you understand that you are truly loved, regardless of how you are perceived in this earthly place.

Today, also understand that you have free will.  If you chose to ignore your Divinity, you are only doing harm to yourself.  The ones crossing your path, truly searching, will still find their divinity…

When you realize and embrace your Divine inheritance, may you have the courage to help others find theirs.  May we all understand the ability we have to assist others and strive to do so from a place of honest, deep concern and commitment to peace, happiness, joy, healing, light and love.

Today, may you realize YOU are who you’ve been waiting for.  May you TRULY embrace this knowledge, as only YOU can change your journey, should it need to be changed…May this day be filled with unending opportunities, and may you find the one you are searching for this very minute.  May the many blessings of Our Divine Creator encircle you today, this week, and always.  Halleluyah!

Happy Re-Birth Day!

Easter is a time of remembering what has been sacrificed, and many people tend to focus more on that.  But, it is also a time of re-birth.  Why not use more of our energy to concentrate on the new beginnings possible?  We can draw inspiration from the beautiful plants, butterflies and birds emerging all around us…heck, if they can take the pollution, abuse and neglect and still come back bigger and more beautiful, why can’t we?  It’s a matter of perspective, and hey, perspectives can change…ever looked at your yard from different sides?  It looks different and all you did is change your view!

Many people may not agree, but we can compare ourselves to the beautifully colored Easter Eggs.  Our lives have many ups, downs and bumps.  Sometimes we are cool and fragile, other times we are in hot water, waiting for someone to help us out!   Sometimes we tend to hide, and sometimes we even have cracks, but we seem to always emerge from that!  We now find ourselves at another “beginning” and need to take the opportunity to shine in all the brilliant colors available to us!  We need to try to think and be as positive as we can.  While we cannot ignore, totally, the negative, the negative isn’t going to take us anywhere good!  We need to put our thoughts on the positive and leave them there…we’ll be better off for it!

May the many blessings of our Mother/Father Creator wrap you in love, peace, beauty, joy, comfort and light, strengthening your resolve, today, and always!  Blessings on this wonderful time of Re-Birth…

Power of being positive…

I love it when people say there is actually no negativity in the world or that we attract what we get.  I don’t agree with it.  Okay, to some extent, I do believe we attract some of what we get, but not everything.  There are so many dynamics involved…with this many people in such close proximity, you need to understand that at least some of what you take in is other people’s emotions…that includes love, anger, hesitation, pain, relief, joy, sorrow…whatever you can imagine.

Things are happening very fast and the news is not always great.  There is good and bad going on, but you don’t have to “own” the bad…You have to realize to not accept that energy…don’t take in.  What you CAN do is realize you can get through it and that realization, alone, will make it easier to handle.

I promote positivity in everything.  Does that mean I don’t recognize that things can turn out in other ways?  Of course not!  BUT, it is in how YOU deal with what comes your way that helps you handle the outcome.  We are, after all, human.  We can make mistakes…even honest mistakes can take their toll.  With mistakes come consequences.  Sometimes those are not pleasant.  That famous quote form Mahatma Gandhi comes to mind, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”  with that, another comes to mind, a Lakota Prayer, Mitakuye Oyasin, We are all Related…which in turn reminds me of another, Luke 6:31, which basically says, Do unto others and you would have them do unto you…

When you realize we are all related, so what I do to you will happen to me and to have a truly positive world, we have to BE positive, it should make us realize that things can change…We CAN make a difference in our world…Amazing what thoughts we can think when we accept the “teachings” of more than one “faith!”  (Which, by the way, are as related as we are!)

Keep working on positive thoughts and approaching all situations with love rather than dread!  With so many people having “free will” but not understanding that it comes with responsibility, we are bound to encounter negativity.  BUT, it does not have to be a part of your everyday life and, while you will have to deal with it, dealing with it with positivity and love rather than anger will only strengthen you…

You are a might Creation from an even mightier Creator!  Truly, there is nothing you can’t do…The minute you realize that simple truth, the better things will be to handle…Remember, Our Creator never said we wouldn’t face trials, just that we could get through anything…Keep that with you as you move through your journey here and reap the benefits of more freedom…freedom from undue amounts of stress and anxiety…After all, it’s your life!

A Thought for the Season…

May the Joy of the Season not be lost on “this season” alone, but shine brightly every day of your life.

You are MAGNIFICENT, and not just because your friends and family think so, but because Our Creator says so…don’t lose sight of who you are in this massive universe.  No matter where you are in your life’s journey, YOU still have MUCH to contribute…and we are all, including Our Creator, looking forward to it!

May love, light and many blessings surround you always…

Blessings to All

May the blessings of our Mother/Father Creators rain down on you today,
showering you with more love, peace, happiness and prosperity
than you can surely handle.

May your blessings spill over onto your family and friends,
granting them their blessings, in turn.
But let it not end there…

For there are so many people in need of positive energy,
healing energy…Divine energy, and it is, indeed,
in abundance right now.

Every moment we raise up our voices in agreement,
is another moment we work together
to solve the world’s problems.

Today, may we see clear to make a difference, not just in our lives,
but in the many lives with which we are joined,
One by one, we can do this.

As we join hands and hearts to enable this cosmic awakening,
may we be ever mindful of our place in this blessed universe,
for we truly are part of the Omnipotent I Am…