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Archive for the ‘meditation’ Category

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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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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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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DO WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS?

Posted in meditation, spirituality, tagged , , on July 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is the great and first commandment (loving the Lord with all you heart). And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:39)


Breathe deeply for a few minutes, and after your mind is quiet, think about the above passage. Do you love your neighbor as yourself? Would you do for you neighbor all those things which you would be willing to do  for yourself? Is it something we are expected to achieve, or do you think it is simply a goal we should try to attain?
As with most of these questions on which we reflect, there are no definitive answers. We will each answer them in our own way. Some of us will not be sure which is the answer Jesus would have expected. I once found myself with tongue-in-cheek saying that it would depend upon the neighbor.
It is good to think about these questions; perhaps it is more important that we consider them than that we find answers. We may never know the answers for sure—at least not in this life. Certainly, God would want us to try to love all His children. If we are tempted to gossip about our neighbor, we might think twice about it if we consider how we would feel if our neighbor gossiped about us.
When it comes to human relations, if we take the time to think about how we would feel if we were in another’s shoes, we might find that we are willing to act differently. It is always a good idea, before acting, to think about whether what you plan to do is the loving thing to do. It can surely do us no harm to attempt to treat those around us as we would like to be treated. Why not try this out today.

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for May 5th

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CONFORMITY OR SELF AWARENESS

Posted in changes, meditation, reflection, spirituality, tagged , on July 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Rom. 12:2)

 


As you reflect today, think about the way in which you relate to the world. Do you conform and do what most of your fellows are doing, or do you have the courage to avoid the patterns of the world? It is most likely always easier to simply conform. When you do what everyone else is doing, no one notices you. However, some of the things everyone else is doing may be wrong for you. How will you know? Keep in contact with your Creator, and regularly ask Him/Her what you should do.

I know you have heard the story of the lemmings that, once started, follow their leaders off the cliff and into the sea. Many of us are a bit like those lemmings; we are compliant and do what we are told without giving thought to whether what we are doing is right, or if there might be something better to do.

If we are willing to renew our minds on a daily basis, we will be able to examine some of the things we do just by rote. We may begin to see places where we do something merely because it is the way we have always done it. Must it be done this way? Might we find a better way, one that creates fewer problems and betters our environment? Take a look at some of the automatic things you do today. Ask God to help you keep your mind alert and aware, and who knows what you may be able to see!

Taken from “Ta;ls with our Creator” for March 5th

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