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Archive for the ‘reflection’ Category

WHOM SHALL I FEAR?

Posted in Prayer, reflection, trust, tagged , on November 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. (Ps. 27:1)

Today, imagine you are sitting at the base of a beautiful waterfall. As it cascades down, the droplets of water glimmer in the sun. You are comfortable, warm, and at peace. Stay here for several minutes—or longer if you like.

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Why are we fearful? Most of us are, now and then, and some of us are afraid much of the time. We might want to ask ourselves what it is that we fear. What do we think might happen? Are we simply afraid of feeling fearful?
When our faith in God is secure, we might think that we should be fearless. Many of us may have faith, but still find ourselves afraid at times. Perhaps our fear is a warning and we need to take action to avoid hurt. More often, our fears are that we will not get what we want or that something we have will be taken from us. If we have sufficient faith and trust in God, we will know deep inside that nothing will ever happen to us that we can’t handle as long as we have God’s help.
There are times when God sends that help through other people, and we need to be cognizant of this. If we have prayed to have fears removed, we should then be alert for some form of assistance that God may be sending us. Often we fail to receive God’s answer or offer to help because we aren’t aware of the means God has used to send it to us. We may get relief from fear, from very unlikely sources at times. Can you recall such times in your life?
Today, be aware that God answers prayers in many different ways.  Be on the lookout for anything God may be sending to you, no matter how small or insignificant.   And be sure to also say thank you to God for all that you have been given.

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for November 17th.

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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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SIMPLIFYING THE HOLIDAYS

Posted in Gratitude, Holiday giving, Love, reflection, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on December 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind. (Eccles. 6:9)

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Have you ever gone hungry for any length of time? Have you ever left a table wishing you had more to eat? Think about how this feels, even if you have not experienced it. Quite a few of us doubtless have even more than we need of the world’s goods.   Many of us regularly donate used clothing and household goods to charities, which is an indication of our abundance.

It never ceases to amaze me that I can have so many “things” and still find myself attracted to more. During holiday periods, just reading the advertising (or seeing it on television) can make us long for more.   If I am honest with myself, a lot of the things I purchase are things I want rather than things I truly need.  Our culture (and our advertising and our media) encourages us to think that something new will be better than that which we already have.

Every year, I am amazed that once the Thanksgiving holiday is over in the U.S. (and now even before) people line up waiting for stores to open so they can get great “deals” on the things they wish to purchase.  Watching what happens when those stores finally open looks like a feeding frenzy in an aquarium.   Does all that buying fill some need in us?  If we feel some elation over our purchases, how long does this last?

It can be very helpful for all of us, no matter how much or how little we have, to cultivate a grateful heart. I lean toward being the kind of person who sees the negative rather than the positive side of things. It is one of the things I work on almost daily. The strange thing is that negativity produces more negativity, but when you become aware of the many things you should be grateful for, you find even more of them.

I got some help from a book called Simple Abundance which suggested keeping a gratitude journal in which you wrote down at least five things you were grateful for at the end of each day. I did it for over a year, and still do it at times. Some days my list only includes my gratitude for breath, vision, hearing, food, and shelter, but often I find other, far more specific and special things—especially if I look for them.

When we become aware of how much we have, and regularly give thanks for it, we will be far less likely to buy things just for the sake of buying them.   Cultivating an attitude of gratitude helps to feed that ‘hunger for more’ that all of us feel from time to time.   There is nothing wrong with buying gifts for others (or ourselves) when we can afford to do so.   However, we humans need to be more aware of enjoying what we already have.

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for December 7th

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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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POWER FAILURES

Posted in acceptance, Higher Power, reflection, trust, tagged , , on July 31, 2012| Leave a Comment »

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Contemplate today on power—where we get it, how we use it, its benefits, and its drawbacks. Don’t limit yourselves but think about any power source.  Whenever the weather gets really stormy, I tend to think about power failures in the sense of losing electricity. I suspect it might be related to childhood fears of the dark. Periodically, we hear about massive power failures in major cities. Empathy may then take me to places I would really rather not go. I am able to viscerally imagine myself under the earth in a steaming subway car in the dark. All I can do is pray that those without power will think to call upon the one source of power that never fails.

Sometimes in the past, we’ve heard horrible stories of looting and crime during power outages. Yet we also usually hear of people calmly waiting for help to come—and perhaps more importantly, knowing that help would come. They know that something is watching over them.  In some countries, the demands for electric power have gone beyond t he infrastructure set up to properly provide it. In many high-rise office buildings, it is impossible to open windows, so it makes one wonder what would happen should electricity not be readily available for long periods of time.

The Bible naturally has multiple references to power. Power comes from many sources; Mother Nature has enormous power. We ourselves have an underused power source in the Holy Spirit. Let us remain responsible in our use of power and consider ways to expand it to the benefit of all.

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for August 9th

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IF YOU SEEK, WILL YOU FIND?

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

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt. 6:33-34)

We are told that if we seek we will find. Do you believe this to be true for you? Often we seem to be seeking specific answers. What answers are you seeking today? Are they general or specific? Ask yourself why it is that we seem to need answers so much of the time. What might it be like to inquire without looking for answers—to simply have an inquiring mind?

Usually when we ask a question, we expect to find an answer and quickly.  Everything these days seems to be available at the click of a mouse.  On some level, we believe God will tell us immediately what He/She wants us to do or at least tell us where to go for answers. We may want to Know with a capital “K.” We want certainty in an uncertain universe.

The solution is not to stop asking the questions. It’s important that we acknowledge that some problem—some tension—exists, but we sometimes need to simply allow that tension to be there. Consider for a moment what it would be like to be more comfortable with just going along, moment by moment, allowing each day to take care of itself. Perhaps it all boils down to a lack of trust when we humans get focused on the need for answers. We want to be sure—we want to be right.

Obviously, it’s important to know right from wrong. However, many of us have placed too much emphasis on doing the right thing. Perhaps there are sometimes a number of “right” ways, and we need to have enough faith and trust to allow ourselves to simply explore. Today, may we simply ask God to open our minds to possibilities and to help us be more comfortable with asking the questions but not expecting the answers. Just for today, let us trust God to direct our lives and let tomorrow worry about itself.

Adapted from “Talks with our Creator” for August 30th

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WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

Posted in faith, reflection, spirituality, tagged , on July 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Everything is possible for him who believes. (Mark 9:23)

 

 

 

As you reflect today, ask yourself what you believe.  If we walk a spiritual path, this indicates that we hold a number of core beliefs—essentials for the kind of life we want to lead.  Try to think about those things which make up your set of core beliefs.

 

Did you find it difficult to determine what you believe? Our language does a good job of allowing us to communicate for the most part.  However, when it comes to things of the spirit, our language does not serve us well. We know what we believe, but it can be quite hard to put those things into words.

 

For many of us, our intrinsic beliefs probably look a little like some of the Ten Commandments.  We believe that we should love God and one another.  We believe that we should worship only our God.  We should honor our parents, not kill others, respect others’ property, not steal, and not lie.  Most of our beliefs, however, have some qualifications attached.

 

We can kill others if we are defending ourselves and those we love, for example.  Probably most of us believe adultery is wrong, but it happens so frequently, some may wonder if we do believe it.  Many of us have been guilty of worshiping graven images like money, or automobiles, or mansions.  Because we are human, we slip easily into behaviors that are contrary to what we honestly believe.  Sometimes our definitions are at fault. Keeping the Sabbath Day holy depends on one’s definition of what is holy.

 

Today, examine your beliefs and whether or not you still believe those things. We need to know what we believe and who we are before we decide whether or not to make changes.

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

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BECOMING COMFORTABLE WITH CHANGE

Posted in acceptance, changes, reflection, tagged , on July 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  (Rom. 8:18-21)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the very beginning, this universe we live in has been growing and changing, shifting and merging, and cooling and refining. It is filled with constant births and deaths. Popes, presidents, kings, queens, and ordinary people all eventually die. From time to time certain species become extinct but the universe continues on.

 

 

New popes are elected by the college of cardinals, new leaders are elected by the people, new kings and queens follow those who have gone before. Those in places of power are replaced by others who then adopt the power. Change happens all the time.

 

 

Growth and change can be painful, but the alternative is usually worse in that it leads to stagnation. Making changes involves taking risks and quite a few of us do not do that well.  It is entirely possible that our Creator meant for us to befriend the process of change and use it to our advantage.  Spring is perhaps a very good time for risk-taking. God always allows for transformation in our lives when we are open to it.  Today, reflect on how you are doing with taking risks and take some if you feel it would benefit you.

 

Taken from “Talks with our Creator” for April 12th

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