PRESENCE of GOD

This week, Holy week, is a good time to reflect on the Passion of Christ. His sufferings were unbelievable, that one Man could suffer so much for love of others.

A parent will gladly suffer for the child they love, yet even then, human love has limits.

This shows us the tremendous difference between us and God.

God is All Love, without limits of any kind. Therefore when God loves us, He is incapable of being less than Perfect in His love for us.

On the other hand, we often put limits on our love, even for those we love deeply.

The good-will is there, but the ability to love perfectly is not.

Perfect love casts out all fear of pain. We become capable of loving beyond ourselves. This is because God is present, living in us.

This Presence of God comes about when we allow God in. To do this we need to put ourselves out.

We can only have one master / one tenant, otherwise we are left in a state of confusion and become a half-hearted person.

Tap into the Presence of God and discover the true secret of Love

BE KIND

Be kind, always be kind.

When we fail to be kind, the person we hurt most is ourselves.

Christ has given Himself as a wonderful model to follow, to be gentle and kind in all

we say / we think / we do.

Imagine the kind of world that we would live in, if we could always be kind to one another.

There are heroes in this world, people who do great things, and yet perhaps, the hero we are all called to be is found in kindness.

As individuals we have different tastes / different ways of doing things. Even so, there is always a compromise that we can make, when we practise kindness.

TRUST

The ability to trust, to let go of ourselves and all we think is important, is a magnificent thing. Trust teaches us how to advance, how to develop ourselves with whatever talents we are endowed with.

The Christian mind is based on Trust, on believing that God is with us, guiding us, helping us, inspiring us to make progress on the spiritual path.

When it comes to Creativity, this element of trust is vital. The Creative mind will reach out and explore and express all that is relevant in a NEW way.

The world is full of writers and poets and artists of all sorts, and well it might be because we need to express ourselves and to TRUST that the inspirations we receive are for the benefit of all mankind.

Listen / Respond / Trust.

BACK TO BASICS

Back from holiday and adjusting to our Irish climate as best I can. Time does take its toll, in the sense that we may adopt a way of being / a way of relaxing and enjoying the ambiance of a new place.

Gran Canaria was a whole new experience for me. People are there to enjoy the sun. Some come for health reasons, aware of the benefit of vitamin D.

Others may be sun worshipers, away from home and letting go of established inhibitions. They are ready and willing to 'party'.

I enjoyed watching families with small children who found enjoyment in simple beach games of building sand-castles and splashing in the water. The warm breeze and inviting water was all that was needed to bring smiles to their faces.

It was like a taste of Heaven, at least how I would imagine Heaven to be, a place where God spoils us with the beauty of His planet; warm sunshine and happy people.

Who wouldn't be happy in a beautiful country, with a average temperature of 25 degrees!

To myself I say, Be glad for having been, and be glad for getting back to basics.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

Will be off on holiday on Tuesday to Canaries. So looking forward to the experience of a new place; warm sunshine and swimming in the sea (without freezing).

Almost finished packing, which is a chore, yet helps to put one in the holiday spirit. And of course, this will be an opportunity to relax and write.

In our everyday life we can get caught up with duties. One can be duty-bound and so a lot of fun and inspiration can be lost. Pity. After all, we only have one chance at life, so we owe it to ourselves to make the effort to put as much enjoyment into whatever we are occupied with.

It can be a good exercise to read about people who have a passion for what they do, whatever their gift. I watched a dvd about Michael Jackson r.i.p. His passion for dancing and giving 100% to all that he did, is inspirational to say the least.

So, maybe that will be part of my holiday therapy, to develop a passion for what I like to do, and do it.

SACRIFICE

As we swing into Lent, the whole concept of sacrifice comes to the forefront.

Should I give up this or that..? should I take on this or that..? Loads of ideas and good thoughts can float in, and out.

It's not an easy thing to make sacrifices, to deny ourselves things we desire / have a strong liking for etc. And yet, the discipline that comes with making a sacrifice is what builds character and inner strength.

The psalm says, 'How frail You have made us...' How true, yet sacrifice is not about strength, it's about LOVE.

So, perhaps Lent is about doing something that will move us to love more, whatever the cost.

What a challenge, to use the period of Lent to develop as a loving, caring person.

All you need is Love!

Each one of us can be presented with needs, of one kind or another. And, we may be convinced that we know what is best for us.

Yet, do we? Do we really?

Today, the eve of Valentine's day, is a good time to examine what our real needs are.

The honest person will be able to see the truth, that it is Love we need.

Wealth is good, yet no guarantee of happiness.

Work is good and can help to occupy us, giving us a sense of achievement.

A careful examination of ourselves will reveal that only Love can make us happy.

Love is the mainstay of our living and breathing. The very purpose of our existence is found in our ability to love, and to be loved.

Make no mistake about it. When we put love into the centre of our lives, we will be positive-minded and happy people

All you need is Love!