Be Here Now…..7/11/22

As the saying goes, “First things first!”  When we do otherwise, we are apt to feel anxious, i.e. getting ahead of ourselves.  Projecting, thinking about what might happen tomorrow or next week leaves us tripping up that staircase. Eckhart Tolle in his book, The Power of Now, gives sage advice on how to stay in the present.  I recommend it highly.  Peace, John 

I invite you to become a guest blogger.  It’s easy à find a quote that speaks to you and write a few sentences about it and what it means to you, or what it means in general. Send it all to me in an email with subject line reading “Guest blogger.”  I will review and publish it, with gratitude, and with the hope that others will benefit from it as well. If you need some help, I can furnish you with a quote or several to pick from – I have hundreds of them. Let me know.   Peace,  John  7/10/22 

Praying…. 11/6/2016

I used to think that I wanted to pray like a fella in my prayer group. When I shared that with him, he set me straight. He told me that my “talk time” with God was not supposed to be like his.  He then told me whatever I had to offer to God in prayer was 100% acceptable to God.  It took a long time of thinking about that and coming to believe it.

Sometime later I spoke with a trusted spiritual guide.  I shared with her that I felt guilty for not taking the time to pray the way I thought I should. She asked what I meant and I told her that I had good intentions of setting aside time but then I got caught up in the things of the day, my work and didn’t get to it.  I did tell her that I prayed in church and sometimes with certain clients.  She asked me if I had conscious awareness of God throughout my day. I told her yes, that often I think of Him in the “inter-stitches” during the day, times between activities, times when I’m in my car, and times when I’m in transitions. She simply said to me, “That’s prayer!” I was taken aback, but as I reflected on it, I realized she was right. She also told me not to worry about the structure and the amount of time. She also asked how God communicates with me. I told her in different ways – sometimes an idea in my head (“aha”), sometimes something from my reading, sometimes in a song or the words of another person, sometimes in what I see and, at times, just a sensation in my heart.  She also pronounced this as fine and told me I was on the right track.  I was relieved, but it still took me a while to work this through and to let some of the guilt dissipate for not doing it “the right way.”

“The power is in the One who hears it.”  The receiver has all the power. He is a better listener than I!  He hears and knows everything, even my weak and sometimes infrequent attempts to communicate with Him.  He loves me just as I am, with all my shortcomings, blemishes and character defects – I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one!  He doesn’t judge – He just loves me for who I am.

Be mindful of God’s presence in your life and you are already praying.  Your prayers are not wasted.  Be humble, contrite, thankful and ask on behalf of your self, and others. When in doubt, to paraphrase Mother Teresa, “Pray anyway!”

Light & Darkness 7/25/12

“People are like stained glass windows; they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.”  – Elizabeth Kubler –Ross

What a way to start our blog – with a quote from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross who wrote the acclaimed book, On Death and Dying!  Have you ever thought about stained glass windows this way?  Or have you been like me, you enjoy their beauty when you were in a church and the sun was shining, but missed the deeper point?

Have you ever been outside in the dark and seen the soft glow from the lights within?  I wonder if the original inventor of stained glass was mindful of who his audience really was – was it the congregation inside looking out during the daylight and sunshine, or was it for the passersby to be drawn to the softness of the inner beauty?

Isn’t it that way with the people in our lives?  We are drawn to people based on the outer qualities, how they present to us. Are we seeking people who have that “light within,” who will be there for us in the long run and who will understand the lights that we have within us?  Do you nurture your light within?  What can you do today, this week, to nurture the light within you so that it will glow when the darkness sets in?