CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Last night, myself and friends went for our midnight walk in Glendalough.

The purpose was simply to prepare ourselves for Christmas; to gain an awareness of the coming of the
Infant Child.

The evening was cold, yet it was a beautiful night with the sky speckled with stars.

I walked as best I could, up past the waterfall and then we stopped at the seat over-looking the
Upper Lake.

All was still, with lights from distant houses adding a mystery to the darkness.

We began the journey back to the car, reciting the Rosary and then paused in silence as we stopped at the Lake-side and listened to the sounds and marveled at the star-filled sky.

The cold of the evening only added to the delight we felt as we reached our destination.

Christmas is a time for Peace and Good Will. 

How wonderful it is to have the image of the Christ-Child coming to us in such a simple and vulnerable way.

At times we need to contemplate this amazing Mystery of the birth of the Infant Child.

POVERTY and RICHES

Coming up to Christmas is a reminder of Poverty and Riches.

There is a hunger for material goods and comfort and such like.

This is good as we are meant to look out for one another and share as best we can the riches we possess.

Yet, there is more, much more to focus on at this Holy Season.

We are faced with the Truth of God, who is the Creator of the Universe, becoming a pauper.

In the Person of Christ, we have the story of Christmas, where the Christ-Child comes into this world of ours, poor and vulnerable; a new-born babe.

His holy mother, Mary and St. Joseph find themselves homeless. They is no room for them anywhere.

Someone takes pity on them and they are guided to a stable where they at least have shelter.The animals there provide some form of warmth from the cold.

Here, the Christ-Child is born and laid in a manger filled with straw.

We have the story of an Angel appearing to shepherds and directing them to where the Christ-Child lay. 

Was food provided for Mother and Child?  No doubt human kindness stepped in.
What a wonderful, splendid night!

Poverty is presented to us, cloaked in Riches beyond our imagination.. 

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The Season of Good Will

Now that Christmas is just around the corner, it's good to reflect on what is needed to enter into the Spirit of Christmas.
This is a Season of Good Will where we aim to show our interest and love for one another.
We send gifts and we show we care by sharing ourselves, our company and friendship.

God knows we care, yet often our interest and compassion for each other is buried under a mountain of worries and cares that keep us tied down, unable to move forward.
That's why this Season of Good Will helps us to surmount our difficulties and reach out to each other with love and gratitude for this great Love that God shows us, becoming a little Child.
This is our chance to show our love for this wonderful Christ Child!

Call to Love, always

We are called to love, always.

This is a great, yet tough calling as we are flawed by weakness and tend to fail at times.

Even our best intentions only carry us so far.

The solution?

The answer is more simple than we might realise.

Simply turn to Him who is Love.

What we might fail to do, God steps in and helps us out, always.

So, we are left free to follow the call to love, always.

Be Kind...

A wise man once said, ' Always be kind'

How right he was.

There is never any excuse for not being kind.

Why is it so important to be kind?

The answer is obvious of course.

When we are kind we add happiness to the lives of others.

When we are unkind we add unhappiness to our own lives.

There is no way that we can be happy if we forget to be kind.

Kindness is an expression of love and we have such a need for love in our lives.

By being kind, we allow others to play a part in who and what we are.

We love and are loved.

Always be kind.

WEAKNESS

Being weak is often frowned upon, and understandably so.

It's easy to get into a habit of being weak in such a way that we avoid challenges and things we don't like.

This is not good and can hamper our personality and growth.

Yet, there are times when 'weakness' pays us a visit, an unexpected and unwanted visit.

There are times when we feel unwell.  It may be a bad cold or something worse.

Then we are faced with the challenge of embracing our state of weakness. 

This is the first challenge and if we face it well, the rest becomes easy. We learn to cope, positively, with weakness.

The world we live in  is a world of accepted strength.  Weakness can be regarded as an obstacle to achievement and success.

Never mind. The person who can embrace weakness is the one who achieves inner strength and will be able to face disappointments and failures with a positive mind.

This could well be the most important ingredient in life,  to accept All with a smile.

The Gentle Voice...

I've just come back from an educational and enjoyable trip to London.
Life there is truly different, at least to my way of doing things.
Londoners are constantly on the go; generally speaking.
I'm almost standing still.
My life is such that I only gain from doing less rather than more.
Perhaps this is an 'age' thing. Or, perhaps it relates to values.
If I value fashionable clothes, then that's what my mind will be filled with.
If I value inward beauty and peace, then perhaps I have a good chance to grow...
God is always whispering to us, in such a Gentle Voice, encouraging us to change and become a better person.

Do I respond?  Do I even hear this Gentle Voice?
This is where change can be helpful because we break the patterns of our lives and learn to think in a different way / live in a different way. and so we grow....
It is my desire to grow in love and learn each day to listen to the Gentle Voice of God.

A Writer Writes...

I regard myself as a writer, yet at times neglect my commitment to write each day.

To me, this is vital if one is to become a good writer. The more time we give to writing, the more depth and meaning will be found in what we write about.

We open our hearts and souls  and are inspired to write with creativity and depth of character.

Perhaps the best help in becoming a good writer is to develop our spiritual life.

When there is meaning and motivation in our lives, then we will be inspired to write about life / friendship / love.

I believe that when I develop my relationship with God, I also grow in my ability to write creatively.

I am guided and helped by the best 'Mentor', my Creator.

FRIENDSHIP

Today, I visited a good friend.  I was surprised to find myself a little nervous as we had not seen each other for awhile.  Do friendships peter out?

As soon as we met and hugged and sat down together and chatted and laughed at silly things, I was reassured at there is no such thing as fickle friends, only careless ones.

I'm now resolved to give time and attention to the good friends I have.  These are my treasures.

We can buy a lot of things, never friendship.

This is a special gift that God affords us when we are willing to share ourselves with others.

The gift of friendship is precious.  Value it.

HOLY SOULS

We are already into November, often known as the month of the Holy Souls. It can be important to know why.
Why pray for the Holy Souls, and more importantly, who are they, these Holy Souls who ask our help and yet are able to help us?
This is my belief, that the Holy Souls are those who have passed on in life.
They wait, in a state of peace, for the day when they can be with God, their final resting place.

There are several issues regarding why they are waiting. Surely when we die, we go to Him who loves us?
Perhaps there is much we don't know about the spiritual world, yet we do know that all of us are bonded by who and what we love.
When we love God, we are with Him. Yet just like the shy lover, we may need to wait awhile before we can be comfortable with the One we love.
The waiting is our choice and as we wait we can and will help others.
And in a strange way we can be helped by the prayers of those still on earth. This is my hope and belief.
I ask the Holy Souls to help me and I on my part will help them.
I call this a bond of Love.

Going on a Journey

On Saturday 19th October, I set out on a Journey to meet up with my friends in Spain.
The journey begins on M50 to Bewley's Hotel where I get the Shuttle bus to the Airport, Terminal One. (This means RyanAir)
I will have all I need with me, I hope, and so the Adventure begins.

Perhaps all adventures are started by going on a Journey and finding our way to where we are meant to be.
A good way to prepare ourselves is to be focused on where we want to go and determined to get there.

When we read the lives of the saints, it's obvious how motivated they were.
They were focused on loving God and so made everything and anything that happened in their lives a way of
helping them to grow in their love for God.
They knew where they wanted to go and used every means to get there, to be with the One who loves them.

Where do I want to go?
What is my journey in life?
Am I motivated to do all I can to get where I want to go?

Love is the answer.

JOY OF LIFE

It's easy to be caught up with duties of all sorts.
This happens when we are primed to complete a project or job of some kind or other.
Of course, it's good to be focused and to be dutiful, yet beware!
There is a Joy in life that lifts us above ourselves and brings us into a state of love and wellbeing.
When we are moved by the joys of life then we open our hearts to all that is good / positive / loving / creative.
This is our true nature, to experience joy and to spread it about as best we can.
Sometimes, a smile will give joy / a kind word / empathy and compassion etc.
Whatever it takes to be joyful, let us do so whole-heartedly.

SIMPLICITY

After attending a Catholic Conference at the weekend, I've come to the conclusion that the best way to practise our Faith is through Simplicity.
I look at the life of Christ and am astonished at His Simplicity and
His Gentle way of leading us towards a Truthful life.
When I am simple and willing to be the 'little' person that I am, then there is no need to pretend or feel guilty about anything.
God has allowed me to be as I am, with all my shortcomings and weaknesses.
Do they prevent me from being a loving and caring person?
Perhaps, yet there is a short-cut that leads to Grace and that is found in living a simple and honest life.

PREPARATION

Preparation is the key to success and peace of mind.
I'm made aware of this as I prepare to take part in the Catholic Conference taking place in Kilkenny, this weekend.
What to bring / what to wear / what am I forgetting?
So many questions jump into mind and yet perhaps the only preparation that is needed is to focus my mind on why I am taking part in the Conference?
Am I prepared to be the Catholic person I am and represent the Servants of Love Community of which I am a member for the past forty years.
God loves to test us and draw us further along the path of sanctity.
Am I willing to go at His pace?
Do I trust in His goodness?
Do I truly believe that I am loved by God, and do I return that love?
Plenty to meditate on as I prepare for the journey to Kilkenny.

INNOCENCE

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to meet up with family and cousins, and of course, all the 'new' arrivals.

Such sweet and interesting babies, the youngest LEAH is only four weeks old.

Next in line came JACOB who is four months old, and of course the wonderful RUBY who is now almost a year and a half!

Their lives are only beginning to unfold.

What do they learn from observing US?

Is it gentleness/ patience/ understanding/ etc. OR are we so caught up in our failings and weaknesses that we portray a flawed image as an example to follow.

Innocence needs protection so it can flourish.

Am I willing to protect the Innocence, and how?

Respect for Weakness

It occurred to me the other day that respect for Weakness is essential in all relationships.

Of course, we need to have respect for our own weaknesses and short-comings. This way we learn to respect others too.

When we face weakness, we become aware of just how fragile and vulnerable we are.

Heros are created by people who respect weakness and are not ashamed to be who they are.

Respect for Weakness teaches us to see beyond what can be seen and focus on the inner person - the hidden 'us'.

So, if I want to have a good relationship with another person then the way to make progress is found in deep respect.

Christ has great respect for each one of us, despite our weak nature.

We become a follower of Christ by doing likewise.

WEAKNESS

Weakness, being weak, is very much a part of human nature.
Of course we all like to be strong and able to face whatever comes our way.
Yet, there is a certain hidden strength in loving to be weak.
This is a paradox as we still feel weak. The difference lies in our ability to deal with weakness.
This is a special strength that comes from our spirituality.
Then we can we happy to be who we are, despite failings and weakness that seem to hold us back.
'In my weakness, I find my strength.'

POSITIVE MIND

When we are positive we create a wonderful atmosphere where our mind can rest and be at peace.
Sometimes we forget and allow ourselves to be involved with negative things, worries etc.
However, as soon as we cop on to ourselves and realise these thoughts are not making us happy, then we return to positive-minded thoughts.
This is what sanity is all about, being a person with a positive mind.
This gift of life that has been given to us is too precious to waste.
Apply POSITIVE thinking and positive solutions will come.

Be Brave...

I often find myself coming back to this subject of courage.
In the Gospels our Lord spoke about being unafraid, inviting us to trust in Him and in the good in ourselves.
Perhaps that is why we can so easily become afraid, we look to ourselves first and then see how limited we are.
When we look to God first, then to ourselves, we be aware that we have unlimited potential within us.
We have God with us / within us/ surrounding us/ helping us in all the good we want to do.
Fear is linked up with negativity and thinking wrong thoughts.
Courage is found with those who are positive-minded and willing to forge ahead and face
new challenges.

The choice is always ours, so why not be Brave and unafraid.

FOCUS

We live in such a diverse world that we need to focus; to focus on what we want to do / where we want to be etc.

Perhaps what makes our choices easy is the interest and passion we have for whatever we are being inspired to do and to be.

That's why being focused is such a great asset and help to guide us on the path of life.

Am I a spiritual person?

Am I interested in loving God?

Do I want to make a difference in this life I live?

What are the quiet, almost silent, inspirations that come along each day?

To have the ability to answer these questions and then focus on where they lead us.

This is the adventure of life! 

FAITH-FILLED!

Faith is a truly great gift. 

When we are moved by Faith and act on Faith, then we become a Faith-filled person.

The beauty of being filled with Faith is seen when we are able to see God's Loving Hand in all that happens to us.

This is a daily challenge as we may only want to see what we call the 'good' things that happen to us as coming from God.

Yet, when we are able to see God's Loving Hand in ALL that happens to us, we are then living a life that is filled with Faith.

We may not understand when pain and disappointment comes into our lives, yet Faith does not ask us to understand. We are simply invited to believe.

Just imagine the peace and joy we will have when we live a Faith-filled life!

CHILDLIKE

We are told that Christ loved children and welcomed them to come toHim.

Obviously, the children were not afraid of Him and wanted to be in His company.

This is a sign of their innocence and His love for them.

Being Childlike is not easy, especially as one grows older and less wiser.

We may boast of the innocence of our young days and yet we have to deal with many weaknesses that have gotten in the way of retaining this state of innocence.

A Childlike person is one who is positive-minded and able and willing to accept others, just as they are, warts and all.

This is a great way to be free. As we accept others, so also we learn to accept ourselves.

A Child is like an open book.  There is no need to be different to what they are.

That means that the adult who becomes Childlike will also be content with who they are.

Innocent and without guile / Childlike!

Follow your Dream...

Poetry is a good means of expressing our dreams.

When we allow ourselves to express the 'inner' us, then we begin to open our hearts to a beautiful world, full of new invitations and adventures.

The positive spirit within us will guide and prod us to follow our dreams; to express ourselves, the part of us that is often hidden.

Every gift that God gives us is meant to be expressed and shared.

This way we add beauty and pleasure to our lives and the lives of others.

Follow your Dream...

Be Generous...

It can happen that when we are already busy, more work comes our way.

Perhaps this is a good thing as we can often limit our abilities and feel unable to 'give' more. 

We look at life without the Power of Grace, believing that all depends on us.

How small minded we can become...

God is always with us, guiding us and helping us in ways we might never be aware of, until we find ourselves challenged to face the Truth.

The Truth is we are so finite / so limited in all we do. 

Even the best of us is puny compared with the Grace of God.

So, why limit ourselves?  Why be afraid of failing and being unable to succeed?

Surely the most important steps in our lives are the efforts we make to better ourselves.

God is interested in our efforts, not so much in our successes.

Even those we love are moved by us when we are generous and able to say YES, even when we're hurting.

A generous spirit draws out the generosity in others.

COURAGE

There are different kinds of courage.

Some people have great courage when it comes to doing things, i.e. sport / training / climbing / running / swimming etc.

Others have a more quiet, interior courage.

The inner courage comes from honesty and humility; a great love for Truth in all aspects of life.

When we have the courage to face ourselves, warts and all, then we begin to know what courage is all about.

We become fear-less, and courage follows.

COMFORT

I suppose we all like a bit of comfort, whatever the circumstances.

When we are tired, a comfy- cosy sofa is a blessing; just to curl up and enjoy a good book or simply have a good rest.

When we have worked hard and are tired, it's a comfort to put our feet up and relax, perhaps watch a good movie.

We all have our comfort ways and this is all good.

Yet, perhaps there is a greater comfort to be found when we are able to look in the mirror and like who and what we see.

This is the inner comfort of our soul, being able to love ourselves and the world around us.

Perhaps we haven't yet received our halo and it doesn't matter too much.

It's the inner comfort of peace of mind that is most sought after and needed.

Be comforted by a clear conscience.

RENEWAL

Each day gives us many opportunities / choices to renew ourselves.

We have a routine that gets us up in the morning and allows us to give time to our work, and our recreation too.

In time, we may fall into a 'habit' of doing what we do out of routine.

This is not bad, yet can cause us to be 'stuck'. For some reason or other we stop moving forward.

This is where RENEWAL, the ability to renew ourselves, is vitally important.

We learn to form new patterns / new habits / new ways of doing things, even when doing the most mundane.

Just think of the fun we can have in learning how to be 'different', to become like a new person.

Renewal takes place when we decide to take a chance and break old habits.

We simply choose to think differently / change our thought patterns and we will find ourselves renewed!

Peace of Mind

It's easy to be busy and have lots to do. 

It's a virtue in itself to be able and willing to work, yet also to be at peace with oneself.

Perhaps the balance is found is the value we put on our peace of mind.

We may be motivated to achieve many things; to be creative and respond to inspirations.

All is good, yet be alert and above all value peace of mind.

This is a great way we know we are open and willing to do God's Will.

We know not the hour...

I attended a funeral this morning, a local person who had died unexpectantly, r.i.p.
He was in his fifties, a sore loss for family and friends.

Items of value were brought up to the Altar, representing his interests in life.
I was struck by one in particular, his Organ Donor card.
Then it was related that he was responsible for giving LIFE to three other people through being an Organ Donor.
What a wonderful thing to be able to do.
Then I ask myself, do I have an Organ Donor card?

BE HAPPY!

Happiness is a gift we receive when we allow ourselves to live in a happy state.

It has nothing to do with excellence or perfection.

Perhaps happiness has more to do with weakness...

St. Paul is quoted as saying, 'When I am weak, then am I strong.'

It would then seem as if the best way to be happy is to want to be.

It's a choice, like everything else we do. 

Whether we are aware of it or not, we are choosing the way we want to be.

What a crime it would be NOT to choose to be happy, then do whatever it takes to bring it about.

Be happy!

IN GOD'S COMPANY

They say a person is known by the company they keep.
I'm not sure how true this is, yet we do seem to be drawn by those who compliment us in whos we are and what we love.
As a writer, I'm all ears when I hear about a Writing programme on TV, or in magazines etc.
The people I get on with are those who have similar interests.
Perhaps this is an unconscious choice on our part, to affiliate ourselves with those who inspire us and make us feel comfortable about who we are.
In the spiritual life we learn about our creation and how we are made by God, for God.
Now, to fully understand this would take more theology and philosophy that I can muster.
Still, simply said, I do believe that we are drawn to the life and teachings of Christ by the very Truth that they contain.
Gandi is quoted as saying that the essence of Christianity is found in the Sermon on the Mount, yet the general example of christians held him back from becoming one.

True or false, each one of us will be drawn by who and what we love.

If I love God, then I'll want to be in the company of God.

Each day we choose which way to go...



POWER-LESS

The other day we found ourselves without electrical power.

Suddenly, we couldn't work / read / use computer / TV etc.

We were left in darkness; able and willing to work, yet could not.

It made me realise how weak one can be.

Perhaps we measure our progress in life according to how much we can achieve.

Yet, when we are no longer in control / when the lights go out, there is a wonderful opportunity presented to us to relax and just be.

In the spiritual life we meet occasions of darkness; the light has gone out!

It may be our own fault according to the choices we make, or not.

It seems to me that this state of darkness is a positive one where we learn to relax and just be in the

Presence of God.

Our self-importance is put aside and we find an inner Light that comforts and guides us.

HEALTH

I'm in recovery mode from a bad head-cold, t.g.

Strange how being unwell seems to creep up on us. All my plans put on hold.

Is there a lesson to be learnt in being sick?

I'm sure there is, yet I've yet to find it.

I do believe that it's important to 'empty' ourselves, even of the good things we want to do.

Perhaps illness is a help in that direction.

Even pain can be a teacher if one is able to be a good pupil of life.

I do know and recognise that HEATH is vitally  important.

Most times, the choice lies with ourselves...

Do I monitor what I eat and avoid the 'sweet' things that can cause imbalance in the body...

Do I exercise, generally, and protect the gift of health...

A lot of questions to take on board (perhaps not when one is unwell)  yet good to remember,

"We are the Masters of our Ship..."

A STUDENT OF LIFE!

This evening I attended a computer class to learn how to open up my blog page for comments.

This is a challenge for me as I'm a bit shy about what comments I might receive

 My blogs are of a spiritual vein / thoughts that help and direct me towards becoming a better, more balanced person.

If these thoughts are helpful for me, then surely I would want to share them with others.

Of course, I would like to do just that and yet there is a side of me that is nervous about what opinions others might have...

I suppose I am spoiled by living in a Positive Community, the Servants of Love, where it is a basic requirement to be positive in how we view people and life in general.

The foundation of the community is to see God's Love behind all that happens, even the things we don't like.

So now, I am preparing myself to be open to others and to learn from whatever comments come my way.

I now become student of life!

Facilitate the flow of Grace!

WE are guided by the Graces God gives to us; like a spiritual energy that motivates us in doing good.

When we respond to Grace we become our true self, a Child of God.

Our lives become deep and meaningful.

Grace flows from one person to another as easily as a flowing stream.

This is how we love another.

Of course, if we place obstacles in the way ( pride and ego etc.) then we stop the flow of Grace.

So, it's important to learn how to respond to the Graces we receive.

How, I wonder?

Perhaps the easy way is to facilitate the Graces we receive by stepping out of the way and let God guide us.

When we do this, we become a facilitator of Grace for others too.

Passing on...

My brother, who had a stroke some years ago, took ill and winded up in Hospital. 

We, the family, had no idea how serious this might be as he still takes tablets and a drug called Warferin.

I mentioned this to a friend who is strong, spiritually and she stated that it's good to accept that someone might be 'passing on'.

I was upset and didn't know why... 

Was he going to die?  Should I be prepared for this?  Was it God's Will?

I do believe that God calls us, at our best...

I wonder when is that?  I believe in Life here-after and yet, am I prepared to die?

Being disturbed can be a good thing.

It makes me think about the Journey we are on, each one of us, and how our daily life is meant to lead us in the direction of Heaven.

So, is my daily life bringing me closer to God?

Good question...

Do I have an answer?

LOVE!

When we want to be guided through life, we need to find a good mentor, someone who can practically take us by the hand and show us the way.

Well, for those of us who are Christian, we have already found our Mentor in the Person of Christ.

Where do we go from there?

Do we sit back and wait for Christ to live our lives for us?

No. That is not the role of a Mentor.

Christ has told us, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Follow Me.'

This is the big Secret, to follow our Mentor / to follow Christ.

We have the greatest gift in life, a Free Will.  Therefore, it's up to us to choose which way we want to go.

Perhaps that's why Christ says, 'Follow Me.'

We have a guide-line, a map that will lead us to Love.

Each day, the choice is ours.

Let's choose the path of Love!

The Gift of Life

Today, this day is special.

Value it / value the Gift of Life.

Be open and willing to follow the inspirations that come.

Divine invitations come our way, each day.

Listen and obey.

Let's be grateful for the Gift of Life!

TIME OUT

It's important to take 'time out' and relax.

We may have a work-load, things we need to do / want to do etc. and yet, being able to switch off and simply relax is an art in itself.

Relaxation allows us to re-form our thought patterns.

We take time out to process the various ideas and creative endeavours that float around in our head.

For the Creative mind, this is vitally important.  It's like a spring-cleaning job.

Instead of running our many ideas and endeavours into the ground, we come  away from them.

Relaxing with a good book is one way / looking at an interesting film / writing a letter / talking with a friend etc. / whatever we are inspired to do will help us to keep sane and in touch with the reality of the world around us.

We are created to love, first and foremost.

After that we busy ourselves in being productive, which is all good.

What a shame if we lose sight of our prime purpose, to love.

Care is needed to protect us from becoming self-absorbed.

'People-absorbed' is a positive step in developing and learning how to love.

Take time out and listen to the inner-voice which is focused on love.

CONVERSION

Conversion is a change of heart where we learn to see our life-values from a different perspective. 

We are converted to a new way of living / we become a new person.

Many of the saints went through a strong change in their lives and there was no turning back, only forward.

St. Paul is a great example and one most people know about. He was a strong, zealous up-holder of the Law of God, or so he thought...

God stepped into his life like a bolt of lightening.  He was struck down and  unable to see.  His interior blindness became an exterior one.

Our challenges can be daily ones, where we are faced with a certain blindness of sorts.  We just cannot see something from another perspective...

Then we use our Faith / we invite God to direct us and He willingly does so.

We learn to SEE from God's point of view.

We learn to grow in Faith and Love!

CREATIVITY!

Being Creative is a great way to expand ourselves and become aware of how beautiful life is, in general and in particular.

Sometimes we may think of being creative as someone who paints or sculpts or writes great plays or novels etc. etc.

The Creative person is one who has the ability to see beauty in even the smallest thing.  It's like being in a flower garden and admiring the daisy just as much as the rose.

Children can be a great aid in having a creative mind.  They are so original, learning language and developing their abilities for the very first time.  Everything is new for them.

If we could be of that frame of mind and be able to see the world we live in with an original mind, just like the child, how wonderful life would be.

Putting all talent aside, each one of us has an original mind / a God-given ability to be creative and share our vision of beauty with others.

How wonderful life becomes when we do just that. 

GENTLENESS

It's good to know and value Gentleness.

When we are patient and take time to see Life as it is, then we can practise gentleness.

We have the ability to be kind and listen to what others say.

Gentleness teaches us how to bring out the best in ourselves and others.

We become true to who we really are.

A gentle person is lovable / able to laugh / able to care about this wonderful world we live in.

Gentleness when practised, teaches us how to grow and develop our personalities with grace.

Let's be Gentle in all we say and think and do, a truly gentle-person

COMPASSION

Today, Good Friday 29th March 2013, is a good day to reflect on what it means to be compassionate.

In Church, we took turns to kiss the Cross, reminding us of how Christ died for us on the Cross.

I felt no emotion as such, yet upon reflection it must have been horrifying for Mary his mother, to witness the Crucifixion of her Son and watch as He gave his last drop of blood for each one of us. 

Perhaps that is the way that God shows us how to feel love for Him, by having compassion for Mary's suffering. That way I learn to have compassion for Christ's suffering too. 

And, of course, having compassion for those I know / I meet / I live with.  There are many opportunities each day to have a compassionate heart and show love for others.

Have a little Faith...

I was worried about our Retreat Get-a-way up in Donegal. People who had shown a definite interest had changed their mind.  Perhaps the fact of cold, winter weather in March put them off.  I was sorely disappointed...

Should we cancel?  Was it worth it to go ahead with so few?

I checked with Clare up in Donegal and she had no problem with small groups.

Then it occurred to me that what is most important is God's Will.

So, how does one find out if it truly is God's Will to continue what we are doing?

What steps does one take to find out God's Will?

I believe God wants us to honour our commitments.

When we look at History, we learn about people who were willing to go to the ends of the earth to follow their commitments. People like St. Francis Xavior for example, and all those adventurous climbers and inventors who put so much work into what they believed to be their destiny.

To put it simply, I believe God is asking me to have a little Faith.

Every step we take on Faith is moving the world closer to God, so let's do just that and have a little Faith.

PASSION

To be good at what we do requires Passion.  We may not be the best person in the world at what we are gifted with, yet as long as we are passionate about our gift, then we will be good, even brilliant.

It's easy to experience this as a writer.  We take a blank page and we can look at it for hours, yet if we have something to write about, something that moves us and fills us with interest, then the blank pages will soon be filled with words / stories / poems / plays etc.

That's why it's important to follow the inspirations that come our way. Not to be put off by what others may think or say. Just go ahead and allow our passionate nature to move us forward.

Of course, it's good to gain input from others, yet remember each one of us is unique.  How I see things can be different to another person and vice versa. 

Let's open our heart and soul to the gift within and follow our passionate nature!

The Human side of God

Our belief system helps us to have an awareness of the Presence of God.

Depending on how we live and practise our Faith we will keep this awareness of God alive in the events that happen to us each day.

The Saints, those who learned to develop a close relationship with God,  constantly remind us in their writings of how compassionate God truly is towards us.

This is the hallmark of a human soul, Compassion / the ability to reach out and care for others. 

When we are able to be compassionate towards others we find ourselves developing a human heart, devoid of judgement and condemnation.  We grow in love.

This is the Human side of God, portrayed by the life of Christ.  He cares / He weeps / He loves.

At times, we may find our belief in God to appear abstract.  No worries.

Take a moment to dwell on the life of Christ and His willingness to give ALL for us. Could there be a stronger, more human Love?

A HUMBLE SOUL

When we read about people who have lived a sincere spiritual life, we become aware that they had a structure and a special way of living.

No matter who they were or what their status as regards intelligence, they had humility;  they were a humble soul.

How did they avoid the ordinary traps of pride?

I believe their sincerity in loving God was their protection.

God doesn't wave His finger at us and demand that we are perfect beings.

He is the Creator and has a plan for us, taking into account our very human nature and all the many weaknesses that come with being human.

Humility teaches us to be honest and unafraid of being weak / failing etc.

The humble soul has no guilt / no guile / no pretense.

When we aspire to be humble, we are often tripped up by our imperfections, but no matter.  We are happy to be who we are, regardless of how others might see us or even judge us.

We are here primerly to love God; not ourselves or others.

Strange to say that as our way to love is found in caring for others.

Perhaps the truth is found in simply putting God first / our neighbour second and our selves third.
This way we gain a sense of freedom and balance, allowing us to be a happy, humble soul!

A CREATIVE MIND

Each one of us have the ability to be creative; to use our intelligence and imagination to create beauty.

Our forte may be as a writer / painter/ dancer etc.  We are all invited to become an artist in our creative field.

If we could realise how important it is to follow our 'gift' of creativity, then we would become an inspiration not only to others; we would be able to inspire ourselves to be the best we can be.

Listen...   can you hear that 'inner' voice that speaks to your heart?

Listen well and follow the inspirations that are given.

We are called to greatness.  Don't be shy...

Develop and treasure your creative mind.

GRATITUDE

I seem to talk and think a lot about gratitude.  This could mean that I have a need to be more grateful and focus on all the blessings I receive.

To believe in God is a blessing.

To believe that God loves us is an even greater blessing.

To be grateful for the gift of Faith and to respond to God's love for us is the kernel to inner peace and happiness.

The person who knows that they are loved will have the ability to love.

The person who knows the value of gratitude will develop a grateful heart and share this belief with others.

Perhaps a good question to ask ourselves is, 'What is my need?'

Is gratitude at the top, or the bottom of my list of needs?

I pray to have a grateful heart and share this knowledge with others.

LISTEN to the VOICE of GOD!

The gift of hearing is one that is most appreciated.  Even if one was to be blind, there would still be a way to communicate and even KNOW people; know their moods and emotions and feelings by listening to their voice / the words they use / the timbre of their voice, allowing emotions to come through and express the kind of person they are.

When we truly listen, we hear the inner voice that prompts us to respond to virtue and good thoughts, teaching us how to care / to share / to love.
In a way, we are listening to the Voice of God, living within us / speaking within us.
What a wonderful way to learn how to respond to He who loves us.
Listen / Listen to the Voice of God!

Preparation is the key!

To prepare to meet a new situation / place / person etc. is so important.

Often, in our minds we believe ourselves to be prepared, ready to face all that comes our way...

Yet, are we?  Can we foretell how future happenings will be?

The best preparation is to prepare ourselves spiritually; mindful of how each moment is precious and seperate and often surprising.

This is where we can fall down.  We gauge the future on what we know.  

The truth is we have no idea of the challenges God will send our way.

Always, with love, God prompts us to become a better and more focused person.

So, we have a choice, to live the present moment in a state of peace and to embrace the future with hope and courage.

Preparation is the key to success.