GO FORWARD!

Now that we are coming close to a New Year and leaving the past behind, it's good to sort ourselves out.

What do we want? Where do we want to go, and why?

In an writing exercise, 'who/why /what/where/when ' is a great way to get started in writing fiction and creating characters.

Perhaps the best character to work on is ourselves. We are special.

Our lives are special. This New Year is special.

When we keep this in mind, then it's easy to move forward and create new happenings/ new patterns/ new ways.

Go forward, aware that we are in Good Company!

Celebrate Life!

After the celebration of Christmas, the Birthday of Christ, it's a good 'follow-upper' to begin to celebrate life!

Parties and family get-to-gethers are all part of this wonderful celebration of being alive / able and willing to care and share for each other.

Sharing of gifts is good, yet the best gift of all is a sharing of ourselves. We open our hearts to each other and show how much we care.

Whenever relationships become 'heavy' or difficult, it's time to return to this wonderful celebration of life. We are alive!

Through our good will, we learn how to have relationships that matter.

Friends are ours for the asking, when we show how much we care about others.

Life is too important and short to waste time feeling bad or sad.

Be happy and glad to have a chance to celebrate life!

BE BRAVE!

Be brave and unafraid...

Courage comes when we face whatever we are afraid of.

You could say that being afraid is a positive position to be in, just like a soldier on the battle-field. He can feel afraid, yet he is trained to respond to the need of the situation.

We are the same. Life will and does present us with situations where we can feel afraid / unable to face a challenge...

However, because we have 'trained' in the school of the positive, then we will be ready to do what is asked of us.

God meets us where we are at. His love is all embracing, and will lift us over all hurdles that stand in our way.

All we have to do is ask / pray for help, then get on with living a positive life!

Invitation to Change!

As we progress in the spiritual life, we will be invited to move forward, to change.

This invitation will come, often when we least expect it.

We meet new friends, and say goodbye to others.

People move on / we move on / Changes happen.

This is God's way of leading us forward to become a better, more rounded person.

Have I the good will to say yes?

Am I prepared to accept the invitation to change?

If and when we are disturbed by change, we have only to ask for help from He who loves us.

TRUST

It's quite an achievement to trust in another person, to allow them to have imput in our lives and to be guided by their wisdom and standards.

Trust does not come easily, yet as soon as we allow our hearts to be guided by love, then it will become easy to trust.

People are like ourselves, good-hearted yet not perfect in decision-making etc.

We gain a great deal when we learn to trust others, even if they make wrong decisions or let us down in some way or other.

However, when we look at the Majesty and Divinity of God, we can only be amazed at how much we are trusted and given freedom to do what is right.

This makes it easy for us to have complete trust in God.

A Mother's Love

Today is Our Lady's feast day, the Immaculate Conception.

Such a special day for those who see Mary as the Mother of Christ, and our Mother too.

Of course, we have a great regard for our own natural mothers, those heroic women who helped form us into the person we are today.

They have also taught us the value of a mother's love.

This now is Mary's role, to help us and teach us how to love in this complex world of ours.

When we become aware of how much we are loved and cared for, then it becomes easy for us to love and care for others.

Mary is always available to meet our needs and hear our prayers.

PREPARE for CHRISTMAS

Preparation is the key to success, so we are told.

I believe this is true. So, if we want to have a happy Christmas, then it's important to prepare ourselves for this very special event.

Christmas is all about the Birth of Christ, the coming of Someone who loves and cherishes us.

Christ came on earth so we might be free; free from sorrow and pain.

Let's examine our lives and see if there is a place in our hearts where we can develop and love more; more sincerely; more generously; more truthfully.

The message of Christmas is all about LOVE!