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Archive for the ‘faith’ Category

If Winter Comes, Can Spring Be Far Behind?

Posted in acceptance, changes, faith, trust, tagged , , on February 27, 2015| Leave a Comment »

There are times when it seems difficult to understand why God allows excesses in some places and scarcities in others. We have droughts and we have floods. We have heat waves and “bone chilling cold.” Balance and moderation don’t seem to occur with any regularity.

In the last few years, I think I have finally reached a place where I have stopped asking God why things happen the way they do. Life is what it is! I could never really accept that God’s will causes unhappiness, struggle or pain. Today I believe (honestly) that God’s will for us is that we have freedom, joy, and happiness.

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However, God has given us freedom of choice and He/She does not intervene in the natural order of things. We are free to be happy or sad, and even though we frequently don’t want to fully accept this fact
, we are free to choose. We often choose to be miserable. I suspect it is part of the human condition that we sometimes enjoy our own misery.

I will never understand God, and today I don’t believe I was meant to do so in this human life. I’d like to think I will understand better at a later time. When I look for help, though, I find it in many places along the journey. One I would recommend to everyone is a small book I read years ago for the first time and still read today. It is called “The Will of God” and it was written by Leslie D. Weatherhead.

In the book, the will of God is discussed in three separate parts. First there is the intentional will of God. Then comes the circumstantial will of God (God’s plan within certain circumstances) and lastly, God’s ultimate will. Looking at it this way has helped me enormously to put life, death, catastrophes, pain, and suffering into perspective.

We have all seen great good come out of terrible suffering. Today I choose to believe that God never causes suffering, but does not intervene unless called upon to do so, and then the inventions come in ways we may not expect. We can’t see what lies ahead of us in our journey through life, but God can. All we must do is believe He/She desires the best for us all.

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THIS BRAND NEW YEAR

Posted in changes, faith, Higher Power, tagged , , on January 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Pet. 3:13)

 
It’s good to have new beginnings, despite the tendency of humanity to resist change. Yesterday’s future becomes today’s present and by tomorrow will be in the past. We can often become too invested in time. We may find ourselves wishing to hang on to the past or possibly regretting things that happened there. Because the future is an unknown quantity, thoughts of it can sometimes cause undue suffering.

 

The year that just passed will never come again, but we can benefit from lessons we have learned while living through it. The past will never come again, but we carry it with us; our experiences in the past become part of the perspective with which we face each new day.
Only the present is real and eternal. With each passing year, we can work toward becoming more aware of how great a gift the present is for us. We have a new, fresh year before us. What we do with it is up to us.”

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This was taken from “Talks with our Creator” for January 2nd and as I read it over again just now (on January 11, 2015) I thought that all of this is true but that following through on it is terribly hard.   Staying in the present moment is, and always will be, hard work.  Personally, I find I manage it well at times but at other times I fall well short of the goal.  My usual tendency is to then berate myself because I know the right things to do but am unable to always do them.

Perhaps this is what makes us human.  We are not perfect, and we were not made that way.  Hopefully, it can become our goal to strive to be the best Self we are capable of being, one day at a time.  From my point of view, if we believe there is a Higher Power that can aid us with this struggle, we are well ahead of the game.  I pray that all will find strength in faith, and will come to believe that anything is possible as long as we keep living and trying.  Happy 2015!

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THOUGHTS ABOUT FAITH

Posted in acceptance, faith, Higher Power, tagged , , on December 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Christmas Day is only a few days away, and my mind is very focused on holiday concerns, but there is something that keeps returning to me so perhaps I need to write about it.  I found a statement about a month ago attributed to Tagore Rabindranath which said, “Faith is the bird who feels the dawn and sings when the world is dark and still.”  

Why does this grab me and not want to let me go?  I have faith.  I am able to believe in things I can’t actually see with my own eyes.  Perhaps I want the kind of faith that bird has — the sense (intuition, intelligence, extrasensory perception), to not be afraid because I know there is certainty, absolute certainly, somewhere in this world.

I tell others that I truly believe that, while on the surface of life things are often troublesome, upsetting, sometimes actually evil, underneath it all there is a power in the universe where all is always well.  I do believe that, I think.  And yet —- I do not have the faith that bird has when it sings to the dawn that has not yet come.  That bird trusts.  It knows, it truly and certainly knows, that the dawn will come, so it sings.  That dawn may break on clouds, or storms, or gentle rains, or glorious sunshine — it doesn’t matter to the bird.  It sings anyway.  I want to be able to do that.

Winter Gazebo

Does this connect to Christmas?  Who knows!  I have spent years trying to figure out why my mind works the way it does to no avail.  It is what it is, and it does what it does, and my life percolates along so much better when I simply accept that whatever the current reality is, it is the best reality for me at the time.  Christmas is always a mixed blessing.  I will see some loved ones and will not get to see others.  I will be happy, but also unhappy.  Life will go on, until it doesn’t.

I have always wanted miracles.  Possibly the great miracles are in those things that just happen every day.  The sun rises and sets (whether we get to see it or not).  The dawn comes, and that bird will sing before the dawn even gets here.  It knows the dawn will break so it sings.  It is programmed to sing.  As a human being, I do not have that same programming, so I question things.  I think about them.  Still, I muddle through, and I hope that one day I will finally realize that my muddling is

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CAN THE LORD BE OUR SHEPHERD?

Posted in faith, meditation, reflection, spirituality on September 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Anderson Gardens 09 013I think I need a shepherd today.   The world’s violence is getting to me, and as I watch various news media and get differing takes on what, if anything, I can do about the awfulness of things, it gives me a headache and one of those stomach aches that makes me feel queasy.  I have not read by own book recently, so I went to see if I could find solace and this passage helped.

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Ps. 23:1)

As you quiet your mind today, imagine that you are a shepherd, alone on a hilltop with only sheep and Mother Nature around you. Add any kind of trees, flowers, bushes, and the like that you enjoy to your imaginary picture, and keep this in mind as you meditate.

The reference to shepherds appears regularly in the Bible. I sometimes wonder if this means we are all sheep. Let your mind play with this analogy for a few minutes. When you used the image of the shepherd with his sheep as you were meditating, did you get a sense of peace?

In our troubled world, it might occasionally be very restful to be a lamb on a hillside with no cares and a shepherd standing by to make sure the lambs come to no harm. The shepherd sees to it that the lambs have food to eat and water to drink. There are other lambs around to frolic with now and then. There are trees with shade for resting or napping, and at day’s end, the lambs will be taken to a place of shelter for the night.

If we truly believe that there is a shepherd who guides us day by day and hour by hour, we really should not want. We should know that everything we need will be provided for us when the need arises. Our Creator cares for us and watches over us, so we need have no fear. We can allow ourselves to feel protected by God’s loving arms. Whenever you need to, today, go back to that hillside and rest in the care of that shepherd.

 

Taken from Talks with our Creator for September 5th.

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WELCOME IN AN UNWELCOMING WORLD

Posted in faith, Gratitude, reflection, spirituality, trust, Uncategorized, tagged , on May 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Every now and then, something happens in our lives that really impresses us.  Such a thing happened recently to my sister who lives in Florida, and I felt a need to share this with others.  It was a sign of hope for me — one of those synchronicities that seem to sometimes come when we most need them.

 

Florida has many great places to take walks, and my sister is fortunate enough to live near Tampa Bay and thus has many places where she can walk along the water.  One such place is Phillippe Park.  She related to me that recently she went further than expected and became very tired.  There were many huge homes facing the Bay but most had high walls or were screened in some way from the public walkway.

 

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She was very pleasantly surprised, therefore, to walk past the home pictured above (and we show just the place by the water and not the home itself).  She was struck, as was I, by this note of welcome in this world where so many these days feel the need to barricade themselves behind high fences, strong walls, and heavy security measures.

This is not to say that we don’t need security measures.  In order to live safely today, most of us are very concerned with security measures for our safety and that of our families.   Nonetheless, the resting place and the sign pictured above speaks to those who still want to share what they have with others.

When I walk around our neighborhood, I often see resting places in the yards of the home by which I walk.  There have been a few times when I would have loved to sit down for a few minutes and rest.  I keep meaning to suggest to our local park district that they place benches in more of the small parks our village has scattered here and there.

I even wondered briefly what my neighbors might say were I to set a few chairs near the street and put up a welcome to rest sign.  I doubt I would have the guts to do it — and the rest of my family would likely protest.   Still, I am old enough now to be aware of how much our world has changed and how often our reaction to others is to pull away rather than welcome.  Could we be more welcoming to our human brothers and sisters?  Should we be?

I wonder.  And yet I greatly admire the people who live in the house by Tampa Bay who were gracious enough to extend a welcome to those walking by.

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WHAT’S NEW IN 2014 — Plus an Invitation

Posted in acceptance, faith, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on April 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Tress of Life

Tress of Life

 

They say that time flies when you are having fun.  For me, time has been flying whether I am having fun or not, and I realized recently that I have paid little attention to this blog of mine.  It began because I hoped a few people would want to purchase my little meditation book.  I still do.  If you would like me to send you a copy at a reduced rate, leave a comment and I will get back to you.

 

MEANWHILE, I think I have done enough with giving you a sense of what the book if about.  I am not sure if this will work, but I would like this forum to be more interactive.  It is very hard to practice the presence of God.  Easter Sunday is tomorrow, and yet Easter fails to mean quite as much to me as it once did.   Whether or not you are a Christian, Easter can remind us of rebirth.  This past winter has been very hard (and destructive) but most of my little plants are attempting to rise above ground level, and some of the yards around us already have daffodils blooming.

 

Life goes on, day by day and year by year.  It is now 2014, and I have written nothing new here.  If you will assist me, I promise to do better.   I invite you all to use this forum for a discussion on how we maintain our spirituality — if indeed you are interested in doing that.   I often watch Bill O’Reilly on the Fox News Network, and I agree with him that our world is becoming more secular and less religious.  Is this impacting we humans adversely?  Do we need to be religious to be spiritual?   What does it mean to be spiritual?  How can we make religion more attractive to those who want no part of it?

 

I will commit to writing about these questions in the days ahead, but I am hopeful that some of you will jump in and add your own ideas to this blog.   I’d like to take this blog in a new direction and I need help to do that.  Please help.

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HOLIDAY SURVIVAL KIT

Posted in faith, Holiday giving, Love, tagged , , on December 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I used to both love and hate the holidays.  In many ways, I still think my “best” holidays were when I was a child and when my children and grand children were young.  Having youngsters around helps us all to see holidays through the eyes of a child, and that is something we all need now and then.

 

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Over the years, I have prepared for myself a virtual kit of tools that allow me to enjoy the holiday season and keep my sanity.  The tool I use the most is keeping my expectations realistic.   I used to have so many people in our house that I often wished for smaller celebrations.   I know God has a sense of humor, because he lets me know that when she gives me something I wish for, I am still frequently unhappy with it.  Our celebration these days (and for some past years) has become much smaller so I have learned to enjoy what I have instead of yearning for what it not possible.

 

 

My next most used tool is trying not to overdo anything.  I send fewer Christmas cards, I try to eat less sugar, I make sure I get more rest, I plan my shopping in small junkets.  I accept whatever physical limitations I have.  They vary from year to year, but with the aging process has come a few that are with me all the time.   This year I have had some back difficulties that make bending over painful, so I am wrapping less boxed presents and using more gift bags.

 

Another tool I need to pull out of the box frequently is to ask myself if I am having fun.  If I am not, I can ask myself “why not,” and then go on to ask myself what I could do that would make things fun for me.   Sitting by my parlor window with a nice warm shawl, a cup of coffee or tea, and a few Christmas cookies while I watch the snow fall can make me feel very peaceful and happy.  I have learned that I also need to stay focused on the fact that I am, indeed, feeling happy.  Awareness is a beautiful thing, but it is transient and needs to be cultivated.

 

I wish you a blessed holiday season, whatever you might be celebrating.   Use some of my tools or create some for yourself.  You will be glad you did.

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Practicing God’s Presence

Posted in faith, Higher Power, tagged , , on September 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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Many of us would admit that we strive to follow God’s will.  But how do we know what it is?  I have struggled quite a bit with trying to find answers to this question, and I have concluded that we may never know for sure what is or isn’t the will of God.  We just have to let our conscience be our guide.

I think (and hope) that my conscience has grown over the years.  My life experience has changed it.  For many years, I believed in God, but had no real relationship with Him or Her.  Today, I honestly do try to practice the presence of God on a daily basis.  The more God becomes a friend — someone I can talk to about anything at all that is on my mind — the more able my conscience is to act in my behalf.

It is hard to make God a priority in your life, at least it is for me.  But I try.  When I manage to achieve awareness of God working in my life, it goes much more smoothly.  And the great thing is that I can always reconnect when life’s irrelevancies have taken over my mind for a time.  Is your conscience improving day by day?

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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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