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Archive for August, 2012

KNOWING GOD’S WILL

Posted in Higher Power, reflection, spirituality, Uncategorized, tagged , , on August 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)

 

 

 

Use this phrase as a mantra for your meditation today. Relax, breath deeply, and allow these words to sink deeply into your consciousness.  Can you honestly say that you are in full agreement with them? Are you completely willing to follow God’s will?

It is true that we do not always know with certainty if we are following the will of God. However, if we are honest, we know that many of the things we choose to do would not be what God would have us do. When we deliberately antagonize a family member or a coworker in order to pick a fight, we know God would wish us to respond in a different manner. We know, that is, if we have taken the time to think before we speak. This is not something human beings do with sufficient regularity.

For the most part, if our thoughts are loving thoughts, we will speak and act in a way that is loving and caring. Why do we allow anything but loving thoughts to enter our minds? Because we are “not God,” we are human beings with human responses. When we interact with others, we frequently find that our ego is conflicting with that of another. When this happens (and it always will), our thoughts will then determine what we do

None of us will likely ever be able to hold loving thoughts all the time.But we can make significant improvements if we simply become conscious of how and what we think. Today, allow yourself to monitor your thought processes. Be aware of how often your thoughts are unkind, perhaps even downright nasty. When we become aware of our thoughts, we will naturally begin to shift them so that they are more in line with God’s will. God has told us we should love one another.

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for December 15th

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MARCHING ORDERS FROM GOD

Posted in faith, Higher Power, reflection, tagged , , on August 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Incline thy ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. (Ps. 86:1)

 

 

 

Today, begin your meditation time by going to one of your favorite spot and spend several quiet minutes there. Don’t try to stop your thoughts, but don’t allow your mind to focus on any of them. Note them briefly and let them go until the next thought appears.

 

Whenever we pray, we no doubt wish there was a way for us to hear God’s response to us. Our prayers always receive a response, but not always as quickly or in the direction we would like. We are all poor and needy at times, and our prayers, our connection to our Creator, make us aware once again of the tremendous source of power that is always available to us.

 

I have often remarked to others that I wish God would send me a written list of instructions for what I need to do that day. Or I have wished that I would actually hear a voice in my head, telling me what to do. Lately, however, I have begun to believe that it is better the way it is. I need to be a part of the “marching orders.”

 

If I simply got written instructions, I would only be following orders, not making choices of my own. When I am forced to make choices, when I must decide for myself what God would will for me, I learn from the process.  God may direct us and our thinking, but we also need to learn to think for ourselves. As we listen for answers today, let us tune into God and show a willingness to follow good orderly direction.

 

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for November 18th

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SAYING GOODBYE TO FALL

Posted in changes, faith, spirituality, tagged , , on August 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither future, not any powers, neither heights nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Rom. 8:37-39)

 

 

Do you have a feeling of sadness as the calendar moves from September to October? Fall can be glorious, of course, but I tend to think beyond it to winter; in addition, I resist change. And yet, God created our Universe to be one of constant change. And often we see examples of how the death of one thing can transform itself into the birth of another.

 

Every fall, it seems, I can not help but feel sorry for the loss of summer’s bounty. Rationally, I realize that trees probably do not mourn the stoppage of chlorophyll to their leaves, creating the changing colors, or the fact that the leaves will eventually dry and drop off their branches.  Have you ever been fanciful enough to wonder if the trees feel regret when the leaves flutter away one by one? They are most likely wise enough to know that spring will come again with its rebirth and its greening. They accept the process. We humans may have to accept that we occasionally feel sad, but perhaps we need to recognize that our sadness might indicate a lack of faith. If we take the time to reflect on it, we know deep inside that God’s has a plan for the seasons, and that each season will come again in its proper time.

 

Meanwhile, let us simply enjoy the fall. Make sure you have some fun out doors today. Keep in mind, as you do, that God’s script for life, death,  and rejuvenation is nothing less than mystical and miraculous.  The Universe is wonderful — enjoy the wonder.

 

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for October 4th

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WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU MAKE?

Posted in meditation, spirituality, tagged , on August 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Even inanimate things—flutes or harps, for instance—when yielding a sound, if they make no distinction in the notes, how shall the tune which is played on the flute or the harp be known? (1 Cor. 14:7)

Ask yourself as you reflect today if you feel you are in harmony with your fellow man. Are there tensions in any of your relationships? Are the notes you give off in tune with the notes of others in your life?   We are all involved in making music every day. We do not have to be musicians in order to do this; we simply need to add our voices to those around us. Most of the time, we will blend in fairly well. From time to time, however, some discordance will occur. Some of us may like the dissonance we hear, but for the most part, we will wish to return to a harmonious state.

When a choir is singing, it only takes one person to be slightly sharp or flat and the music will not be fully in tune. When that happens, some adjustment needs to be made so that the tune we sing will be in harmony once again. The change may not be a large one, but it is crucial to the way our music sounds.

For our music to be heard and appreciated, we must get our voices to blend. We must all be “in tune.” When we are able to tune in to others, to truly hear their voices and want to harmonize with them, we can make beautiful music together.   If we are truly concerned about the discordance in our lives, we will pray for peace and harmony, and look for ways in which we might achieve this.

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for September 21st

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