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Posts Tagged ‘daily renewal’

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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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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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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