BELIEF...

 BELIEF..

I guess what we believe in, is who we truly are...

Being a believer in the Chritian values makes me a believer in Christ.  Also, puts a responsibility upon me to be Christlike.

Most of us live in a World of freedom, to think for ourselves, and to follow our dreams, whatever they might be.  This sense of freedom is both liberating and almost dangerous because we could become a victim of stronger personalities. 

Even worse, we could be influenced from childhood to believe that certain people of Race or Nationality are our enemies, so we believe we must oppose them at all costs. Hence, we have justified hate led by people like Hitlar etc.

Mark Twain, the American author, wrote a book called Huckleberry Finn.  The boy in the story is friends with a black boy. However, when the black boy tries to escape because there is talk about the lady who owns him, may have to sell him. Huckleberry is filled with fear of losing his soul because it is forbidden to help a slave escape?

How easy it is to use religion as a means of scaring people, and this can happen in different ways, in different religions. Perhaps a father might be obligated to kill his own child, if she brought disgrace upon the family.

Belief must be authentic, motivated by love and devoid of fear.

ACT...

 Every good deed begins with an ACT...  either of Mind / Body / Spirit.  We begin to demonstrate our desire to move forward, and depending on who and what we are, the act will come from something we think about / something we do, or some value we possess that moves us to Act!

Some people are moved by music, and without even thinking they begin to dance and move to the music.

Whereas a person moved by a thought, might simply sit and ponder upon whatever is in their mind.  It could be something silly, or it could be a point of genius.  Only by following it can they know.

A spiritually - minded person  will meditate and however possible, link up with God and the spiritual life.

Generally speaking, most of us can be any or all of these. How we educate ourselves, what we read, and especially what we love, will determine what kind of person we become.

Who am I?  This is the big question, and how do I find out!

ACTION...

 ACTION...

'Action speaks louder than words...'

A strange beginning for a writer, yet so true. I can spend my life dreaming, yet only my actions will bear good results.  Sometimes, perhaps during the night, I wake up with a good thought, perhaps a poem or a story line.

Yes, lovely thought, yet if I don't have pen and paper handy and am able to write it down immediately, it may well be lost forever. This is a good way to learn about the value of living in the present moment.  

When one is relaxed and open to being inspired, gems of great value are free to come. The critic is asleep and the 'child within' is eager and willing to respond. Of course the practical side of having paper and pen ready is important. 

For myself, it can be hard to act in the moment and respond to inspiration, yet I have so many proofs of the benefit of doing so  Some people talk about writers block, I would encourage Action!  

REJOICE...

We are coming to the end of the Year 2024 and hopefully ready to embrace ALL that is NEW!

Of course, Christmas is yet to be and is the very best of all that can be NEW.     We begin a new chapter in our lives, a new awareness of what is best in life, LOVE of course and a relationship with our Creator,  GOD.

As we develop and grow older, maybe not wiser, yet we know that in many ways we have failed to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Self gets in the way of progress.  We become like an old person who can no longer hear properly.

Not only our hearing / also our mind is dulled by our attachments to so many habits and things of no real importance, except to our distracted mind.

So how can we REJOICE? We may even feel discouraged, yet do not worry. Remember we have God with us, and are loved by this Creator of all.  Imagine, the reality of being loved by God!

Rejoice and be happy to be less and allow God to be more a part of who we are. Rejoice, rejoice and all is well!

CHILD-LIKE...

CHILD-LIKE...

Becoming child-like is both easy and difficult.  It's easy to become child-like when we behave with innocence and a heart full of gratitude. We become entrawled with living and loving and caring and giving.

Nothing is too big a sacrifice when we are able to act in a child-like manner, whereas when we are not child-like, we become suspicious and officious and full of regard for ourselves.  Our World rotates around ourselves and our likes and dislikes.

The Spirit of Christmas is built around a Child, born in a stable in Bethlehem, many years ago.  The baby's mother is a young woman, called Mary, who has been asked to bear a son and call Him Jesus.  They are accompanied by Joseph to whom Mary is betrothed.

This baby is the Christ, Jesus, who will save us and all the World from evil and the wicked designs of the devil. In a way, Jesus is born to save us from ourselves. We are good people, yet easily swayed to do evil and lead selfish and wicked lives.

How can we be saved?  What will protect us from evil influences and ways that will rob us of our innocence?  How can we become child-like? 

What seems impossible can be made possible when we learn about how much God loves us, giving His only Son to make reparation for our lack of love.

By reading the life of Christ and taking Him as our Mentor and Savior we can and will learn how to be innocent and Child-Like.  Just imagine, we are made in the Image and Likeness of God.  

We come into the World as a Child, and God willing we can leave this World with the innocence of a Child by our response to Love!

ENTERPRISE...

 The word ENTERPRISE can be daunting,  yet to reflect for a moment and apply the word to a person makes it real and easy to understand. For example, my brother has a carer who visits him most days. He is a retired teacher who spends most of his time reading and writing poetry - he lives alone.

His need for a carer came about when it was almost impossible to gain access to his house /his home, not just because of medical needs, but because of his attachment to books etc. Such a shame. He would say people don't call, yet difficulty for entry made it un-inviting, and a good reason for not visiting.

Then Noeleen came along, a good carer with respect and admiration for his ability to write poetry, and even patience to listen to him.  He welcomed her visits and began to take her advice, especially about decluttering.  Perhaps, some of his precious books could be donated to a Library?  Old clothes could be replaced, making it easier to accept invitations to go out when possible, to visit family.
When I paid a visit,  I was so surprised to find a chair to sit on, and a table with room for a cup and biscuit, as long as I was careful not to spill.

Wow!  Perhaps being enterprising is simply about finding the correct way to deal with situations that come our way!

GRATITUDE

For some, Gratitude is the key to sanity.  When one is aware of a need to be grateful, then virtue becomes more important than ego.

I find for myself, a humbling and peaceful awareness when I respond to a need for gratitude.  The opposite happens when I forget to be grateful and take things and people for granted.

Sometimes, children can show us how to become aware of our need to be a grateful person. Children are truly themselves, good and bold, whatever the occasion might be.  Awhile ago, my sister was chatting on the phone to her grandson. He was very young and pleased to chat with her.  'Nana, will you have a present for me when you come?'  My sister wanted to break the habit of always giving presents, so said no!  There was a moment of silence, then he said, 'I want to talk to my other nana!'

We can be like that at times.  We have friends whom we like to be with, yet if and when they might hurt us with a refusal of some kind, then we may want to be with another friend instead. However, if one is grateful for the very gift of friendship, then one will learn to respond with kindness and forgiveness, especially when the ego is hurt.

The practise of Gratitude is a wonderful Teacher to guide us in building up the gift of true friendships.