National Day of Prayer - May 1, 2014

This year’s theme for the National Day of Prayer is: “…that you may with one mind and one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:6)  And, so we pray:

Dear Lord Jesus,

Today on this National Day of Prayer, please guide us to open our hearts, to set aside our differences, to come together in prayer to acknowledge the Lovingkindness of God.

The theme for this year’s prayer asks us to come together with “one mind and one voice” to glorify God.  Often, we go about our day not realizing Who is providing us oxygen to breathe, Who is giving us energy to work, learn or play, Who is giving us strength to carry on – and, especially, not realizing that we are all given these gifts simultaneously.  Please help us to recognize that when we set our mind on gratitude for God’s Grace, we then let go of the need to find fault, to outshine another, to use our strength against others – we realize that we are not here to overtake others but to have gratitude for every opportunity and to delight in others’ happiness.

In this past year, we have seen much tragedy across the world – many hearts and souls ache with sadness and grief.  Many of these tragedies included great loss – the Malaysian plane, the mudslide in Washington State, the avalanche on Mount Everest, the Korean Ferry Boat – the magnitude of which we cannot even fathom; yet, there are family members and friends, who are dealing with the depths of great loss.  Let us realize the interconnectedness of all our souls and extend heartfelt comfort.

Dear Lord, our beautiful planet Earth is going through many changes and drastic measures in our current time – earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides, tsunamis and avalanches of greater and greater magnitude.  Please help us to acknowledge and appreciate every living thing – the beauty of the flowers and trees and plants that God has provided us, the rich earth that provides our nourishment – too often, we see our land as something to conquer instead of something to regard and respect.  Please help us to honor the earth and treat it properly.

God has given us such ability, strength, resilience and love as humans – yet, too often we use those gifts as a means to overshadow fellow human beings.  Please help us each day, Dear Lord, to rise above this need in order to see and feel the greater need of all.  Please help us take one step closer to God, to live with Your understanding and love in order to extend kindness and gentleness to others as You did.  Please help us to know the heartwarming feeling of giving of oneself on behalf of another.

In Matthew 6:9-13, You gave us a prayer that encompasses what we need to say – The Our Father.  Please help us to truly ask that “Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” so that we may better ourselves and create a better planet and place for everyone to live.

With gratitude and humility, we ask this in the Name of Jesus.  Amen.

The Grace of Invisible Hands

Years ago, I watched a program on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) featuring Joseph Campbell, entitled The Power of Myth.  Campbell stated: “If we are on our right path, Invisible Hands will help us.”  In my own experience, this happens when we lead with our heart and soul.  This is not an ego thing; this is what makes our heart sing.  In fact, Campbell believed “If you’re using your ego, God seems cruel; but if you open your ego, let go, you’ll experience bliss.”  Let me share an example:

In the fall of 1989, while working for a software publisher in the Chicago area, I was given advance notice that my company was being sold.  I was grateful my boss had given me some time to seek another job.  Over a three-to-six-month period, however, I sent out 200 resumes, with no real response.  With over 20 years of professional experience, I quickly learned I was going to have a difficult time finding a job in the Chicago area since I did not have a degree.  I determined I needed to market myself in a new way – I needed to find a good company in a smaller community where there wasn’t such an abundance of degreed applicants.  I went to the library and did a great deal of research related to where I wanted to live, what kind of company I wanted to work for, and what I wanted to do.  I zeroed in on Flagstaff, AZ, and ordered their daily newspaper (no Internet yet), so I could keep current on job openings.  I also planned to fly there the day after my company closed in order to check out the surroundings.  I applied for jobs in Flagstaff but was specifically seeking employment with Gore & Associates, a medical products company known for their humanistic qualities.  In January of 1990, I applied for a Human Resources position and called periodically to check my status.  I was really concerned I wouldn’t have a chance for the job, though, because I couldn’t leave my current job until May 31^st or I would forfeit my severance pay.  Each time I called Gore, it seemed the job-filling process had been delayed for some reason.  As time went on, I also continued to search the Chicago area.  In April, I received a call for a phone screen from Gore.  In the meantime, I had scheduled my flights to spend the first week of June in Flagstaff.  Sometime after the phone screen, I received a call from Gore asking if I could possibly be in Flagstaff the first week of June!  Amazing Grace!  After a second interview trip in July, I was offered the job!  I put my townhome on the market and by August 1^st, I was heading to Arizona!

My friend Pam offered to make the drive from Chicago to Flagstaff with me—we had a fantastic three-day journey.  In fact, about 25 miles outside of Flagstaff, on Route 40, Pam said to me: “There’s the Flagstaff Peaks—your new home—how does it feel?”  I paused, looked at her and said: “I hope I’m making the right decision—I think I need a sign—maybe if I see a rainbow, I’ll know I’m doing the right thing.”  Within seconds, there was a huge rainbow in the sky – for the next three nights, the moon was encircled by a rainbow—a sight I had never seen before, nor since!

This whole process took many Invisible Hands that became obvious to me when all was said and done.  In fact, I remember at one point, after the second interview in Flagstaff - I literally sat in the middle of my kitchen floor with my head in my hands, having no idea if this job was going to come to fruition (I had just been told it was between one other applicant and me, a 50-50 chance!).  I had this feeling I had now placed everything in one basket called Flagstaff and possibly I hadn’t put enough energy in the local possibilities – what was I going to do if the Flagstaff position didn’t come through?  But, it did!

This is a special learning about God’s Grace, which requires growing in trust and faith while struggling through our human world.  I thank God often now because I always see His Invisible Hands at work in whatever I do.  We very often don’t realize all the help we’re getting from the Spirit world – I just know I’m very grateful for positively everything.

With Gratitude for our Soul

“This is the first, wildest and wisest thing I know,

that the soul exists and that it is built entirely out of attention.”

“…if I had to guess, I would say that only

what the soul is supposed to be

could send us forth with such cheer….”

(Mary Oliver, Poet)

This month’s post is somewhat of a continuation of last month’s on creativity – when we speak of creating our life, determining what we like to create, it leads us to a very deep place – to our soul.

We may think of our soul as being separate from us – something we tap into only at a moment of deep prayer.  Instead, it is always with us, always providing, always supportive.  It is often hard on this physical plane to break through all the things happening at once, to find our soul.  Yet, this is where our creativity flourishes – it is a place of integrity.  It is where we find comfort and peace, wisdom and knowledge, compassion and love, support and truth.  Because our world is often chaotic, it is hard to catch a glimpse of our soul; however, as mentioned in the previous blog, it comes to us through a rich and wonderful feeling.  If we are lost or not feeling connected or feeling less than and not deserving of, we can feel distant from our soul; and yet, it is still present.  When our life feels enriched, when we have passion for our studies or for our daily activities or what we are creating, this is when we are allowing our soul to come forth.

In her book, Seth Speaks, Jane Roberts writes: “You are meant to understand the nature of your inner self, and to manifest it outward.  As this is done, the exterior circumstances should change for the better as the inner self becomes more aware of its own nature and capabilities.”  I feel the important part of this statement is to realize how our world can change if we get to know our inner self and manifest that beauty outwardly.  If instead, we’re not in touch with our inner self, we may be in darkness, projecting our fears and prejudices onto others.

I have a deep concern for our world – for so many reasons – our constant attachment to technological gadgets is huge – yet, I fully trust that all is going toward the good even though we cannot always see that.  One of my professors repeatedly reminded us to “stand still in silence.”  In our chaotic world there is not much standing still and there is very little silence.  That chaos often causes a shaky world for its inhabitants.  I genuinely worry about our youth who are imbedded with these attachments.  All the more reason to find that inner self, the inner voice, our soul, where there is always comfort and peace.

When each one of us is able to feel the presence of our soul, to feel its gift, to experience its loving kindness, we can take comfort and extend that peace and serenity; so, there is a huge impact to the overall health of our world if we are open to our soul’s gift.

The Grace of Creativity

“The most creative act you can undertake is the act of creating yourself.”

(Deepak Chopra)

Last month, my wish was that the Giving Spirit of the Christmas Season continue to radiate through our lives by way of simple gestures, accepting moments and loving thoughts.  This month, I’d like to take that a step further to talk about the Giving Spirit of Creativity.

For years, I thought being creative meant having the skills of an excellent pianist, singer, artist, etc.  As I learned more about creativity, I realized we are all creating, every day.  Each person is as unique as a fingerprint; yet, often we compare ourselves to others and think we are not as creative as someone else.

Our life is ours to create – it was given to us by God with His Blessing!  In my first blog post, I mentioned that in 2001, I began to write a manuscript related to my gratitude for Grace.  Once I got further into it, I asked God if I had the right to write about this subject, since I was not “educated” in the topic.  The answer I received was: “Our creativity speaks with God’s voice.”  The more I understand this opportunity to create, the more I realize the huge Gift God has given each one of us.  He wants us to be happy and to be filled with joy and gives us the skills to create the life that makes us happy.  That’s the greatest Giving Spirit we could ever receive!

As we go about our day, it may feel like we’re making minor decisions along the way; however, we’re creating with each step.  This is why it’s so important to make the decisions that feel right for us – too often we worry about what someone else thinks we should be doing.  This may sound selfish; however, God gives us the opportunity to express and create our life by giving each one of us different interests and abilities and choices that excite our soul each day!

So you might ask – how do I know when I’m creating what I truly want?  You will know by your feelings.  If you are feeling the joy of giving, the joy of learning, the joy of being alive, the joy of extending your love, those are positive feelings.  If you find yourself experiencing negative emotions, such as anger, blame, fear, jealousy, resentment, you will know that you are not making choices that are fulfilling your soul.  As soon as you realize you’re feeling a negative emotion, stop for a moment to determine what’s behind that emotion.  As mentioned earlier, sometimes we make choices based on what we think others want us to do – often that results in negative emotions.  Our emotions respond to our beliefs, so when you’re feeling negative emotions, check in with yourself to determine the belief you’re holding onto that’s bringing about that emotion – that belief is triggering your feelings.

Enjoy the Giving Spirit of Creating Life!

The Grace of Giving

“Somewhere far down, there was an itch in his heart, but he made it a point not to scratch it.

He was afraid of what might come leaking out.”

(The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, 2006)

Happy New Year to you!  Here we are, once again, making a fresh start at a new year!  Even though 2014 is upon us, I’ve had a hard time letting go of the Giving Spirit that abides during the Christmas Season.  It’s made me contemplate just what that feeling is that surrounds us during Christmas – not the craziness – the warm feeling that lingers throughout.  What I’ve realized is that it is a time when we truly give – a fulfillment of our heart.  It brings forth the warmth of wanting to give and the joy of seeing the response in the eyes of the recipients.  As I thought further, I realized, it’s sometimes scary to give from the heart – whether we’re talking about a simple gift or genuinely extending love to someone – there can be disappointment or even hurt on the other end of the giving, which often stops us from proceeding.

Many years ago, shortly after my divorce, I laid in bed one morning, thinking about the love I had given – did I give enough? – did I give too much?  I realized what it came down to was that I was afraid that if I had given too much love, I may have run out of any more to give - literally.  At that moment, a visual came to me – it was a tin coffee can and it was placed in the center of my chest where my heart lies.  The coffee can began to open – visualize the aroma wafting outward.  As that aroma is a vapor that keeps coming out; so does love.  The message I received was: “It is endless.”

As the quote above from The Book Thief implies, often we are afraid to open our heart – maybe when we have, it has not been appreciated or accepted – maybe someone didn’t show us regard.  However, I think this is where Christmas gives us an opportunity – if only for a moment – to try again.  Somehow the Spirit of Christmas opens our hearts a little more than any other time of year and allows us to take a chance, maybe a risk – often we don’t even know it because we’re so “into” the excitement of it all.  Then, we wonder why we feel so good!

 I’d like to share an excerpt from Louise L. Hay, from her book You Can Heal Your Life (1984):

“Deep at the center of my being there is an infinite well of love.  I now allow this love to flow to the surface.  It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness, my very being and radiates out from me in all directions and returns to me multiplied.  The more love I use and give, the more I have to give, the supply is endless.  The use of love makes me feel good, it is an expression of my inner joy….”

It is my wish that we take the Giving Spirit of the Christmas Season that begins in our hearts and radiate it outward throughout the year – even if only through simple gestures, accepting moments, and loving thoughts.  The Grace of being able to give love has been given to each one of us, fully.

Blessings for a “Giving Spirit” year to each of you!

The Grace of Christmas Memories

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings

of great joy which will be to all people.”

(Luke 2:10) 

Shepherds received this message from an angel while watching their flock at the time of Christ’s birth.  One can only imagine what they experienced – an angel appearing to them amidst their daily routine!  The angel told them not to be afraid and said they would find Him in swaddling clothes lying in a manger – and so they did.  The shepherds then made their experience widely known throughout their community.

Today, perhaps we can bring their experience present by acknowledging the meaning of Christmas.  Something that always helps me be true to this special time are my childhood Christmas memories.

Beyond the excitement of “What is Santa going to bring?” there were always moments I could count on that are now etched in my heart.  The time was one of “coming together.”  We would visit friends and family or they would visit us.  With the tree lit and the manger scene displayed, it was a reminder that we were all acknowledging the birth of Christ.  Perhaps it was something like what the shepherds did – share in the knowledge and joy of what has taken place.  Our family would attend midnight Mass, which brought its own special moments: the angelic sounds of the boys’ and men’s choir, the smell of incense wafting throughout the church, the stained-glass windows darkened by the night, the candles flickering, the sound of my Dad’s voice resonating deeply inside me when he sang O Holy Night, the drive home in the cold darkness – once home, we’d share hot chocolate and cookies around the kitchen table.  It was always memorable, a wonderful feeling, one filled with awe and wonderment.  It was Christmas.

The shepherds were also told to give “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:14)

In our current society, many have become hesitant to acknowledge the true meaning of Christmas in order to be politically correct.  Wishing someone, anyone, a Merry Christmas is a gift to be given when we understand the true meaning behind it.

I wish each of you the promise of joy, peace and goodwill.

A Blessed Merry Christmas and Happy, Healthy New Year!

The Grace of Spiritual Growth

Often in my life, I have received visuals, quick little scenes in my mind that only last a second or two but bring great teachings for spiritual growth.  In one of those visuals, I was walking through quicksand up to my shoulders.  It was not horrible, nor hard; it was just slow moving and required a steady stride.  I knew, instinctively, this represented my spiritual growth.  Shortly after that, I had another visual—I was coming out of the quicksand—Jesus was holding my hand, helping me to step up and out onto a rock.  There He was in His beautiful, white robe, ever-so-gently assisting me.  Overwhelming!  The feeling I had in my heart from the second visual was that Jesus was pleased with my work toward my spiritual growth.  At the time, I had just come through a very difficult period in my life, a time when I was grieving and needed to forgive.  I realized that visual showed me that God had walked beside me during my difficult time and was now helping me up and out of those lessons.  Some years later, I read the following passage from the Bible, Psalm 40:1-2:

“I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up and out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”

This passage described exactly what I had experienced in my visual – once again, I was overwhelmed!  It has since become a prophetic verse for me.

Some years later, another visual came to me—a little plant growing out of rocks.  We’ve all seen a dandelion growing up through asphalt, a daisy creeping up through a crack in the sidewalk, or a full-grown tree, thriving through a bed of rocks.  Plants extend their roots toward a source of water; they also curve around to reach the sun’s rays.  What does that tell us?  The plant’s reason for being here is to grow!  This visual taught me: our reason for being here is to grow.  Some of us get tremendous nurturing and some grow amidst rocky soil.  Our growth is not only through nourishment for our physical bodies but through nourishment of our spiritual selves.  Even under the worst of conditions, God’s love comes through our hearts and souls; and like plants need water and sun, He feeds our souls even when we are downtrodden and lost.

He will find a way to teach us; He will find a way to give us messages of His Love—no matter how strongly we shut Him out.  He sheds His Light on our life even when we are filled with darkness.  He is the One who sets our foot upon a rock, brings us out of the miry clay, to receive His Light.  Grace.

Wishing you a beautiful Thanksgiving!

 

Zion National Park, Utah  8/2013