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Archive for November, 2012

RENEWAL

Posted in changes, faith, Love, meditation, tagged , , on November 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;  the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:16-17)

 

 

 

Have you taken time recently to think about renewal?  Do so now as you reflect on how you might become a new creation. Would it be a quick change, or would you more likely make a change that is slow and over  time?

 

If we think about it, it is a true miracle that we are renewed every day  if we choose to be—that Spirit has the power to change and transform us and makes us into new beings. Regular periods of meditation can facilitate this process. My knees no longer allow me to sit cross-legged on the floor, but I have found it works just as well sitting on a chair. It’s a struggle to sit still and simply follow my breathing, but I keep trying because I feel it is in those quiet moments that we most connect with God.

 

Actually, I have been largely unsuccessful in quieting my mind. But I keep trying, and keep telling myself that this is all that is required of me. Every now and then it seems I slip into a different state where I stop struggling and tune into something for which I have no name. It is then that insights apparently get implanted in my head. I wish it happened more often, but it is not something I can force.

 

We will soon be entering the month in which we celebrate Christ’s birth. What better time for us to set aside a period each day in which we can seek to feel serene.

 

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for November 27th

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LEADING WORTHY LIVES

Posted in acceptance, faith, spirituality, tagged , , on November 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  (Eph. 5:15-16)

 

 

How do we go about leading worthy lives? How must we walk carefully in order to be wise? Is there something you feel God wants you to do in this life that you have not yet done? Reflect on these things as you quiet your minds.

 

It’s hard to remember that Paul spent much of his later life in prison, writing letters to the various places where the new Christian churches had been established. He must have felt that his life was worthy of what God called him to do. Being incarcerated certainly gives people time for reflection.

 

Sister Theresa certainly felt she had received a calling, and she followed through admirably and not without suffering. Missionaries who head off for possibly uncivilized places must believe that they are following God’s wishes. I have often wondered if there was something that God wished me to do that I ignored because of laziness, fears, or simply a taste for the benefits civilization brings. I admire Sister Theresa and those who are missionaries—those who put themselves out for God. However, I have never felt a need to do those things.

 

I like to think our lives are worthy if we simply have a desire to live a decent life and be as caring toward others as we can. We all make sacrifices of some kind, but I am very aware that I have given up little for my faith.  I am willing to do what I can, but wonder sometimes if I should be doing more.  Today, I will try to be open to hear if God does call and hope you will do the same.

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for November 25th

 

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THANKSGIVING

Posted in changes, Gratitude, Love, tagged , , on November 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love enduresforever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  (Ps. 100)

 

 

In the United States, a day is set aside to give thanks on the fourth Thursday in November. Why do we not, all of us, take more time regularly to be thankful for what we have? Why does it seem so much easier to complain about what we do not have than to appreciate that which we do?

Some of us may tend to feel a bit saddened as days grow shorter and we have less light in our daily lives. One way to deal with depression is to get into actions of some sort, and yet this is often the last thing anyone who feels depressed wants to do. What seems to help me most is shifting my attitude from one in which I complain about all that’s wrong with my life, and begin trying to be grateful for all the things I do have.

An attitude of gratitude can work absolute miracles in our lives. When we stop to think about it, we can usually find mountains of things for which to be grateful. Perhaps the most important is that we have allowed Spirit to be a regular part of our lives. Sometimes it’s hard to find subjects for these reflections, but I keep writing them because I have begun to believe that Spirit speaks to me (and hopefully sometimes to some of you) as I write them. Today, I am particularly grateful for the voice of the Spirit—that still, small voice that always speaks to us if we are but willing to listen.

May we all have a Happy Thanksgiving and may we remember to try to carry that attitude of thanksgiving with us throughout the year.  When we focus on our difficulties, we see more of these in our lives.  However, when we focus on those things for which we are grateful, Spirit allows us to see more and more of them.

Taken from the Thanksgiving page in “Talks with our Creator”

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