Like a Child

Awhile ago, my brother Michael and wife,Goretti, visited me in the RDS with their grandchild, Annabelle.
I was so pleased to see her, such a beautiful child, and so interested in people and life (plus a special interest in bags!)
We had a cup together while she had her special baby-food, already prepared by mummy, Niamh.

I watched her watch us. She has such an intelligent mind, interested and able to focus on all that is happening around her. Annabelle is a great listener as she is learning both English and Belgium, so listening is more important to her than talking.

When the musicians began to play, she insisted on being out of her pram and as she watched them, she swayed to and fro to the beat of the music.

Did I hear a little hum? Maybe she'll be a singer too.

How wonderful it is to be a child, with an open and learning mind to take in all the love that is in this precious world of ours.

No wonder St. Therese spoke about spiritual childhood.

We learn from the best, especially the young and innocent, to be childlike.

LIKE T

A POSITIVE LIFE

To live a positive life is dependent on how much we value peace of mind. We can survive / make do or we can live a life, full of positive steps.

Each day is an invitation to become a more rounded person; someone who is stepping forward in life and open to change.

Living a positive life means having a willingness to see beyond the immediate action / situation, whatever it might be.

We may not fully understand things that happen, yet if we are willing to relax and apply a positive solution to the situation, then answers will come. We will develop an enlightened mind.

A positive life is the way to true happiness!

FAMILY

On Sunday, I visited my family. One of my nephews, Eoin, is emigrating to Australia. He and a friend are going for one year to Perth.

This is a big adventure for him, moving away from family and friends, yet he can't wait to go.

We celebrated the family get-together with Mass, then back to the house for a feast of food and plenty of chatting.

Now and then I stood aside and admired this wonderful family of mine and all the efforts made to live a happy life.

We each go our separate ways in life, being aware of the calling that leads us to fulfillment. Our very differences are part of our unity.

May God bless us all.

RENEW!

Today is a good day for me to renew myself, to focus on what makes me a better person and learn to avoid all that would make me less.

Of course, to be able to renew ourselves and make changes, depends on how aware we are of our shortcomings and weaknesses.

Being weak is not a disadvantage, yet it can be a realisation of how imperfect we are. No need to worry. Nobody is perfect.

We all have flaws which can actually help us to be a better, more compassionate person.

When I become aware of my short-comings, then I learn to have more understanding and empathy with others when they fall short.

Renewal is all about facing the truth of who we are, without pretence.

If I am to be a better person, then I need help. And, who better to help me than He who loves me.

'I can do all things in Him who strengthens me'.

SURPRISE

It's such a lovely thing to be surprised; to receive a gift or a visit from a good friend etc.

Today was a surprise for me, beginning with a cold 3 degrees morning, then suddenly the sun came out and I enjoyed a lovely visit to Travelahawk beach. Basking in the sunshine I just closed my eyes and imagined it was the middle of summer.

When we look at everything that comes our way as coming from God's love, then we can be easily surprised and delighted with the gifts we receive.

Sometimes, our gifts can be wrapped in pain; not exactly what we want at this precise moment. Yet, just wait awhile and let God step in.

There is no one better at surprising us than He.

A Positive Child

For most of us, the idea of being totally positive may well be a challenge, especially when things go wrong.

Yet, what better challenge could we be faced with. The positive minded person is imbued with a natural wisdom that allows them to be like a child, living in an adult world.

There is no end to the amount of things that we could worry about. So, why not turn things around and examine how many things can and will go right for us.

A wise person said that each problem contains its own solution.

If we are willing to take this literally, then we have an adventurous life ahead of us.

Let's be like children and make a game out of life. Pick out whatever we regard as a problem and allow time for the solution to come to mind.

When you think of it, time is the gift we have, and the best 'toy' to play with.

Let's be positive and let our inner child jump out and surprise us.

Count our Blessings

Perhaps it's only when we lose something, we begin to realise how blessed we are

The loss of my voice is so strange for me. When I had my cold I learned to relax and take it easy. Yet, having no voice makes me aware of how much I depend on it.

The simple act of using the phone has become a 'no-no'. Taking part in our daily, round-the-table discussions, only as a listener can be painful at times.

Doctor says laryngitis. Take a tablet and plenty of hot drinks. Hopefully it will come back, soon.

This is a good time to leave logic aside. The human body is so complex. Even scientists don't fully understand it's magnificence.

Our faith can carry us beyond our understanding and help us to become aware of how wonderful life is, based on the mechanics of the body. And, this is only the 'outside'.

If we could, with faith, glance inward to the majesty of the soul, made in the likeness of God, how blessed we would be indeed.

Often loss becomes a gain, especially when we take time out to count our blessings.

THE GREAT SILENCE!

Since Tuesday, I have been without the proper use of my vocal cords; laryngitis, the doctor says. Relax and rest; could take another few days before I recover my voice.

So easy to panic when something happens that we are unaccustomed to; like an ache or pain in the middle of the night. For some reason we can imagine we are dying or at least fatally ill.

This is where the power of the positive comes into its own.

If we practise living a positive life, and believe in the power of focusing on good rather than bad, then we can relax and know that God is behind all that happens to us.

We may not know in the present moment why certain things happen, yet in the depths of our heart we do know we have nothing to fear.

If God appears to be silent, on the outside, be sure and certain that great things are happening on the inside.

Silence is golden.

THE FINAL JOURNEY

Today, being All Souls day, is a good day to ponder on our final journey. This will be when we say goodbye to the life we know on earth and move on to our heavenly home with God.

This may sound gloomy and yet, this is the greatest and most exciting journey of our lives.

We get the chance to be with the One who moves us, a Loving Creator who only cares for our well-being.

At times it can appear to be an unreality to think about death, about leaving the ones we love, and moving on.

Maybe that's why we sometimes cling to what we know and become afraid of change.

For the spiritually-minded person, death is only a passing to a better life where happiness and love is found in abundance.

We often hear the expression, Let go, and Let GOD...

Perhaps this is what it's all about, letting go.