HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017

A New Year begins on Sunday and already the month of January is being filled with commitments.

Perhaps this is a good thing as we go forward into new happenings and change.

Part of me would like time to slow down so I can catch up and fullfill at least some of the promises I made for Y2016 and yet, no worries.

As a friend said ' The Past is gone / The Future is a Mystery / The Present is Reality!

A simple way to put Time into a box and it makes sense too.

Being of a spiritual mind, I believe God has a plan for each one of us.

We can make plans and often they are changed and we can find ourselves on another path to the one we chose.  This is all good.

God knows His job and we are most happy when we are open to His Desire for us.

Happy New Year 2017!

Christmas Day 2016

I've just watched Pope Francis speak to the people of the World and ask for Peace, to do all that we can to instill peace into our lives.

Pope Francis also spoke about protecting children from all over the World and also to protect the unborn child.

He is a wonderful Pope and he gave his plenary blessing to ALL who listened.

As I watched, I was moved by his sincerity and strong message to the World and all of us in general.

We can be told of awful things that happen in the world today and yet, it's important that we know and remember that we too can be cruel and unloving.

Our protection is to focus on love and put love into all that we are part of and all that we do.

Dear Infant Child protect us from all that is not good. Also protect us from ourselves.

God bless the Pope as he wishes us a Happy and Holy Christmas 2016. (I'm the shadow)

Reconciliation...

Tonight, 20th December 2016, I will attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation in our local Church,

St. Patrick's in Wicklow town.

This is a new word for me, reconciliation.  What does it imply?

Does it mean to reconcile oneself and to whom?

The answer that comes to me is a simple one and I hope it makes sense to others.

If I have offended or hurt someone, then I need to make up with them, to recognise the wrong I have done and make amends.

When it comes to the Sacrament of Reconciliation then I am facing my God who loves me and I will try as best I can to be reconciled with Him.

It means facing my wrong-doing, whether I have done something wrong OR failed to do something right that was in my power to do and I neglected to do it.

I believe my God is compassionate and loving and more than willing to help me to be free from guilt.

This Sacrament is such a blessing.  I can 'confess' and face the truth about myself and then walk away a free person, able and willing to continue again in my love for God and my awareness of God's love for me.

Be Generous...

Christmas time is a time for sharing and caring...

I wonder what exactly does that mean, to share and care?  Perhaps it's only when I examine myself and the motives behind what I do that I begin to understand what caring and sharing is all about.

Strange how we can think we know what is right for another person and how wrong we can be too.

I've often done this and learned my mistakes the hard way.

What comes to mind now is to be 'with' another person, tuned into how they are and what their need might be.  Not easy and yet so rewarding.

Perhaps this Christmas I can practise this for myself, to learn how to share and care truly!

Health and Happiness...

The Gift of Health and Happiness is perhaps one of the best ways we can show love for our neighbour and encourage ourselves to be happy and healthy people.

Christmas is a time when we want to share a gift with those we love and yet to be able to give a gift that will enhance the person we love with health and happiness is a powerful way to show how much we care for them.

How can we do this?  Well, simply to become aware of the need each one of us has for being healthy.

A healthy person is a happy person, free from the worry of sickness and mental problems.

Our gift can be simply found in examining the contents of what we buy.

Is the quality good?   Is our gift something that will help a person in some way?

Perhaps a good book can be a solution...

Winter can be hard on our health and also challenging on our mental ability to cope with stress.

There is an ad that says the best call is the one you make in person...

Perhaps this is one of the most valuable gifts we can give to another, our interest and our desire to spend time with them.

Preparation for Christmas

Now is a good time to prepare for Christmas.

Most of us will shop and try to find a special gift for those we love.

We'll enjoy the glitter and Christmas lights and peoples' good spirits.

Yet there is an important preparation for Christmas, to welcome and

celebrate the Birthday of the Infant Child.

We know the story of Christmas and how Christ came as a little baby

cradled in the arms of His loving Mother and how St. Joseph protected 

them from all harm.  He didn't have a wealthy home to offer, only a stable

and yet there could never be any greater wealth than the love shared by the

Holy family.

We have an invitation to share in their love for one another as we too belong

to a family / community / friends and we can welcome the Infant Child into

our hearts and homes on Christmas day.

Christmas Spirit...

In looking at the calendar I realise today is 25th November, only a month between us and Christmas.

How time flies by and another year will be gone.  Strange how quickly the days vanish and I'm now contemplating New Year resolutions!

Those of a spiritual mind say when God made time He made plenty of it.  True and yet...

Perhaps like many others I'm chasing my tail in wanting to achieve many things.

Do I believe God will love me more if  I succeed in doing many things for Him?

We don't need to impress God as He knows all, especially how weak and frail we are.

Therefore if we truly believe in God's goodness  then we will know how much we are loved, 

not for doing great things, instead for doing little things well.

We please God greatly when we respond to His love for us.

The baby in the crib teaches me how to be vulnerable and dependent on God's love for me.

I wish ALL a very happy and holy Christmas.  

Childlike approach to life...

Having a childlike approach to life is a wonderful thing to have and yet may not come so easily as we grow older and more set in our ways.

We know that God loves us, the same way a loving Father loves his children and yet there are times when we are not lovable.  Does that matter to God?

It matters to us.  We are always affected by any act where love is neglected or left out.

Of course we have good reasons always...

My studies / my job / my artistic abilities are crying out for attention and so I may well believe that there is no time to love and care for others. 

Not true.  We can only gain and become a better person when we give time to loving and caring and sharing. 

God loves me as I am, flawed and all, and so I am free to have a childlike approach to life, knowing that I am loved and therefore able to respond to Love and love.

TRUST

Every friendship, every relationship is based on our ability to trust / trust in the goodness of the other person / trust in our own ability to be faithful and care for one another.

When trust is put into practise, then we become more than ourselves.

Trust teaches us to learn from one another / teach one another / believe that when hearts are united, we become more than a separate unity, one could almost say that we become Divine!

A spiritual mind knows that we are made to love and that God is love, so when we learn to trust we also learn to be God-like in all that we do.

We become free from our own small-mindedness and able and willing to love.

Celebration

It was my friend's birthday and we wanted to celebrate by going to the cinema.

Free tickets for the Irish Premier of Fantastic Beasts were presented and off we went.

There was even an invitation to dress up as characters relating to Harry Potter sagas... would we?

We did, at least modestly.

The venue was the Savoy cinema in O'Connell street, bringing back memories of youthful trips to the flicks!

We arrived early to find ourselves among almost five hundred other persons... was this a children's film made especially for adults?  On being presented with 3D glasses we knew we were in for a treat.

A short preview by the leading actors assured us that we were onto a winner in entertainment.

The adventures began immediately as we were transported into New York city in the twenties where some beast or black magic was wreaking havoc on the city.

A young English man with a peculiar suitcase containing strange creatures came on the scene and I was lost into the movie especially when some of these flying weirdos seem to come straight at me.

Was it real or just 3D?

Plenty of excitement and laughs.  Definitely a film to be immersed into and enjoyed.

There is a sequel coming???  Great!

God bless the writer and the film makers for their creative imagination.

Let the Light in...

With winter comes darkness and we can bemoan the loss of our summer evenings OR we can enjoy the comfort of a warm fire and a good book.

There is always a choice for us to make and be happy with how we are and what we have.

Challenges come and go and how we deal with them is what makes us the happy person we have the freedom to be, simply by the choices we make.

What a great thing it is to shine our 'Light' and allow others to be comforted by it.

So, let the Light in and brighten this awesome world of ours with our vision of Love.

Does God really love us?

At times, when I'm feeling unwell, I'm easily discouraged by my state of weakness and even question the goodness of God.

Surely if we have a loving Father and we are told that He loves us more than any loving mother, then why do we suffer?  Why is there so much pain in this wonderful world of ours?

It was an act of impatience on the part of a friend that caused me to feel dejected. No malice was meant and yet I felt a sense of discouragement creep in.

I continued my journey, fighting the weakness of feeling sorry for myself...  then this fine handsome man passed me by carrying a lovely bouquet of flowers.

"Lovely flowers" 

'Thank you' he said as we passed each other by, then I heard him say, 'Would you like them?'

"Yes"

He handed me the bouquet of flowers and went his way.

In my heart I felt the love of God through this human act of kindness and my confidence in the goodness of God was renewed.

How simple,  we experience the love of God by making acts of kindness and love towards each

other.

To be my true self...

Lately I've become aware of how easy it is to live according to programs that exist deep within our being.

We may have a program that sets us up as a good, loving person and this is good.

However, it becomes a problem when we regard ourselves as not so good, then that awful GUILT can creep in and cause us to be dishonest, even to selves.

There is no love in guilt.  This is important to remember, then we can face our weaknesses without guilt and do something about them.

God does not want us to suffer and so He will prompt us and help us with so many reminders of the Truth so that we can be honest about who and what we are.

It's good to remember that God knows us and knows the tendency we have to be weak and foolish. 

This does in no way prevent Him from loving us, just as a loving father would love his child no matter what weaknesses they have.

The challenge for me is to be my true self without guilt.

If I am unkind or unloving, then this gives me an opportunity to say sorry and start again.

Love is the goal we all seek after.  Let's not be fooled by imperfection.

Simply listen to the inner voice that prompts us to love, and love!

Power of a Positive Mind

In the world we live in today, we are often bombarded by news of all sorts of happenings.

This can effect us so we are no longer insular as regards being simple and innocent in our approach to life. The result is worry and fear.

We are also affected by opinions of strong-minded people who want to change the world. 

This can be good or bad.

If those we listen to and follow are people of a saintly mind and truly concerned for the good of mankind then we will learn to become like them.

However, we have only to look at ourselves to realise how fragile and faulty our humanity can be.

When we concern ourselves for the good of others, there will be a price to pay.

I believe as a Christian, a follower of Christ, that the price I'm asked to pay is to love others as much as I love myself.

I know I have a love for myself which is good at times and not so good at other times.

For example, when I am angry or jealous and give into it, then I'm not loving my true self.

Only when I know how to love myself truly, then am I in a position to love others.

Friendship

Having friends is such a bonus in life.

We gain friends by being a friend and it's important to work at this.

Each person is so unique and special, especially in the Eyes of God.

However, we may not always recognise this unless we learn to look with Eyes of Faith.

Leave judgement aside and open our hearts to believe that there is an inherent goodness to be found in each and everyone of us. 

When we learn to believe in the goodness in ourselves, then it becomes easier to see it in others.

A good friend is one who encourages us to see the good in others.

How wonderful if we can be such a friend.

Dealing with Pain

At times, most, if not all of us, deal with pain.

It may be a headache or toothache or something more of a serious nature.

Yet, whatever our 'cross' is, little or small, we are in pain and must learn to deal with it.

This is the challenge we are faced with,  how to deal with pain.

At present I have a bout of psoriasis, a swelling of the hands and an itch that dries me crazy almost.

Apart from the embarrassment caused by my affliction, I often find myself in a state of being unable to function or concentrate on what I want to do.

I know this condition is not life-threatening and yet can be difficult to live with.

Friends tell me to rest and relax as best I can. 

I guess this is where Faith comes in and one is willing to suffer and carry one's  cross, whatever it might be.

God loves us and it pains Him to see us suffer and yet, there are lessons in life that can only be taught through the Cross.

Christ chose the Cross.

I will to be able to do the same.

Put Love in...

Whatever we want to do / wherever we are / however we are, put Love in...

Life can be beautiful and sometimes challenging yet if we can embrace ALL then life will indeed be wonderful.

In this great imperfect world of ours, we will be faced with our own imperfections and those of others, yet this can be made easy when we put Love in.

I often find the 'pin-pricks' most challenging;  they can be so tiny and yet so irritating at times, yet as soon as I work at putting Love into the situation then life becomes interesting and easier to manage.

The spiritual mind tells us that God is LOVE.

On that premise we can choose to have the wisdom of God with us and so put Love in

to all we do.

PLAYTIME

The ability to take time out to play, to have Playtime in our lives is such a wonderful thing to do. 

Children do this all the time and happily create a world of happiness and excitement and pleasure.

As we grow older and hopefully wiser we may assume that playtime is only for children. 

We have responsibilities and commitments that seem to fill our lives and leave  little time for playing.

How sad this would be, to forget about enjoying life and be happy and carefree.

Perhaps it's a kind of paradox, the more we become childlike and willing to give time to playtime, the more able we become as regards being a responsible and committed person.

Take time out, make time for Playtime.

Let God in...

The thought that we choose to either LET GOD IN or choose to KEEP GOD OUT may be a strange one and yet more true that we may ever realise.

The Psalms tell us that GOD IN WITHIN which may even confuse us more and yet, in truth, we are the Master of our Ship...  we choose...

God is like a gentle Father who loves us so much that He allows us complete freedom to make choices and whatever choices we make determine who we are and what we become.

Of course our Father looks on us as the little child which we are and therefore is constantly guiding us through all that is happening in our lives.

If we are willing and able to listen to that Quiet Voice inside, then we are choosing to Let God in!

MOVING FORWARD...

Life has a way of pushing us forward.  Things happen / people and circumstances change and we are faced with a decision to let go and move forward with our lives.

This can only be a good thing as by nature we may have a tendency to hold on to what we have and who we believe we have become.

When we decide to leave the past behind and move forward into a new and brighter future, then the whole universe will respond to us.

I believe God has a plan for each one of us.  Whatever it might be is up to us to discover.

Can we?  Will we open our hearts to all that is new and trust that Providence is guiding us forward?

Why not.  We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Let us go forward with confidence and we will be surprised by all that will come our way. 

IRELAND

Ireland is beautiful!
I've just returned from a Retreat Getaway held on an organic farm in West Cork called Douce Mountain Farm run by Gerd and Renata.
This is a very special and wonderful place where we were spoiled with the best of good food and good company.
We enjoyed sessions on Positive Psychology / Creative Writing / Sound Therapy and Zen meditation and climbing walks in  Glengarriff Nature Reserve where we 'discovered' Barley Lake up on top of the mountain!
Perhaps the most precious time of all was spent with the wonderful people who were part of  the Retreat Getaway.
It can be an adventure to travel around the world to exotic places, yet it's such a treat to 'discover' the rich treasures of Ireland.

CHILDLIKE

It's such a pleasure to watch children at play...
They are so absorbed in whatever they are doing, the rest of the world does not exist for them.
No wonder at times they are so distressed when their sand-castle, or whatever it might be, is damaged or broken.  It's as if their whole world has been destroyed for that moment.
However, find something else to distract them with and they are  happy again.
The past is gone and they are so happy just to live NOW in the present moment.
Children can teach us how to play and work with a happy disposition, knowing that the present moment is all that matters.
Life is for living, for having fun.

For getting out in the sun...

Pleasing People...

It can be a fault at times to want to please people.

Strange, we have a commandment to love one another and yet, love is such a strong force.

When we love truly, we bring God into our lives, He who is LOVE.

This way we learn to see beyond human weaknesses and failings. We see opportunities to spread kindness and love for ALL, regardless of how they may behave towards us.

Love one another is a challenge to grow in spiritual maturity and recognise God's invitations to help us develop in becoming a follower of Christ.

No roses without thorns!

TRAVEL

Today I spent time organising my trip to Donegal, especially what clothes to wear etc.

Not an easy task when the weather keeps changing.  I guess it's time for a little faith and a willingness to care less!

I'm reminded of the fact that we are all on a journey.  We are bound for Heaven, a paradise created by God so we can be with Him and He with us.

It seems that our job is to focus on the journey and not allow ourselves to be distracted by the many side roads in life that we will meet.

Being of a spiritual mind helps us to look towards our heavenly Father and allow Him to be our guide.

Of course, a loving Father wants His children to be happy and to enjoy and take pleasure in the life presented to us. There may be challenges at times, even suffering, yet also joy and happiness in the knowledge that we are moving forward towards our heavenly home.

I pray that I will be ready when that moment of departure comes and with a loving heart embrace my loving Father as He embraces me.

All my weaknesses are forgotten, covered over by my willingness to love God.

INSPIRATION

Being inspired to do something is wonderful.  It gives energy and life to who we are and we make progress very fast, almost too fast at times.

It makes it easy then to understand the lives of the saints and how they practically conquered the world with their enthusiasm.  They were inspired by their love for God and nothing was an obstacle for them.  Such was their inspired state.

We are inspired by what is in our hearts, whatever and whoever we have admiration for and love.

So important then to choose well and love well.

INSPIRATION

Being inspired to do something is wonderful.  It gives energy and life to who we are and we make progress very fast, almost too fast at times.

It makes it easy then to understand the lives of the saints and how they practically conquered the world with their enthusiasm.  They were inspired by their love for God and nothing was an obstacle for them.  Such was their inspired state.

We are inspired by what is in our hearts, whatever and whoever we have admiration for and love.

So important then to choose well and love well.

FAMILY

Family are important.  Nature binds us to others and God wills that we love one another as He loves us. I've had some special time lately with my family.

My sister, Mairead is home on holiday/break from Pakistan where she is a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.  The Order is well established all over the World and their main work is teaching and nursing.  The work the FMM do in poor countries is to be admired and supported and prayed for a lot. They are the hidden heroes in this sad and yet wonderful world of ours.

Mairead is a down to earth person and enjoyed watching the Match on Sunday between Ireland and France. " A good game and played well by all!"

I've two sisters and I had five brothers, now four. (Martin R.I.P.) There's plenty of grandchildren and the Match was a good get-together with smashing barbecue afterwards.  Yes. family are great.

Of course, I have two families, just like Mairead.

My second family is the Servants of Love Community in Wicklow and I've lived with this special bunch of people more years than with my natural family.  They are my spiritual friends and support in developing and living my Faith as God wills I do.

So, I am doubly blessed and very grateful to my loving Father for the many ways He spoils me and continues to do so.  Thank you God.

Life and Death...

Perhaps it would be a good thing to ponder on Life and Death and an awareness of how fast time passes, almost too fast...
I'm one of those people who make New Year Resolutions and keep a Journal...  Why?
Could it be that I like to be in control of my life and able to delegate time to different interests and dreams and believe I can make them happen?  Perhaps...
With good intentions and firm application it's possible to fulfil a certain amount of aspirations and even have dreams come through...  and yet..?
When faced with major challenges in life, I begin to realise how off-centre I can be and things that seem to be important just fade away...

.
I try to establish a relationship with saintly people, alive or dead, because through the stories of their lives I can learn to focus on what is most important in life, the ability to love.
Time is precious.  Think less.  Love more!

SUMMER TIME...

The month of June is full of sunshine and such a wonderful effect the sunny, summer days have on all of us. Only the flowers and gardens are praying for rain, yet we know it will come too.

This is the joy and wonder of Ireland, how the seasons are mixed together.

Perhaps it helps us to be more open and able to change, because life does challenge us at time to be different and able to apply ourselves to new happenings.

For me, the seasons help me to appreciate the wonder and abundance of God's creation.

There is no limit to God's Love.

Beautiful Ireland

The surprising and wonderful sunny weather has cheered up the people of Ireland, myself included.

Perhaps we sometimes dream of holidays in the sun and far off places to go to, yet nothing can compare to a lovely sunny day in good old Dublin!

Of course, living here in Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland, is a taste of Paradise. Smiling faces and children dancing with delight in summer clothes add colour and brightness to all our lives.

Time to put away the winter woollies and embrace the gift of sunshine and laughter as we cheer each other up with simple pleasures, watching Sammy the seal; and jumping into the 'fresh' sea water and a swim over to the 'wendy' raft.

The poets of Wicklow gathered together today in the Cosmic Garden, part of the Ecology Centre in Wicklow town for the Yearly Cosmic Poetry Session.

Such a privilege to be there to listen and participate in the created gift of writing poetry and especially blessed by good company and a beautiful sunny day.

Thank you God.

LOVE WEAKNESS

It's a strange thing to say  'Love Weakness'  and yet there is such a mystery surrounding our ability to allow ourselves to be weak, without guilt or dislike.  Simply to be!

Perhaps what will help us to be as we are and not feel we have to hide our true selves from the world at large, is to realise that God has created us imperfect.

We are a 'work in progress'  and this is a great way to be, just like the child going to school to learn and become a more rounded person, we are in 'the school of life' learning how to mature / to love / to communicate and share ourselves with others.

A belief in God is a great foundation for acceptance and learning to advance forward in our lives, full of hope and encouragement.

Each one of us is a work of art created by the Greatest Artist of all, God Himself.

He is delighted with us and with every positive step we take in life.

To love weakness is to be happy with ourselves and each other.  All is well, all is Love.

LISTEN...

The ability to LISTEN,  to hear what is said by others and by our own inner voice is almost an

ART form, especially in today's world where we can be bombarded by noise and news of all sorts.

When we are focused on who we are and what we want to do then we are able and willing to give our full attention to others and listen to what is said to us.

We become part of the community and family we live in and are able to open our hearts to love.

Most important of course, is the ability to listen to the Gentle Whisper within.

LISTEN to the Voice of God.

Comfort seeking...

We all seek to be comforted in one way or another and this is a good thing.

A person who is happy and feels comforted is able and more likely willing to share their happiness with others.

Perhaps the challenge lies in the choices we make in relation to comfort.

For example, food plays a big part in the world of comfort.  

Food is good, yet an inordinate love for food can lead to obesity and the suffering that comes with it. The same can be said for pleasures of all kinds. 

Our true nature is geared towards love and when we open our hearts and love others then we experience the comfort that comes with loving.

The spiritual-minded person knows the value of being loved by God and we find happiness in sharing His love in our lives, how we live and work and play.

Be comforted by Love.

Meeting Friends...

It's a wonderful thing to meet up with friends and share with them, who we are and who they are.

Friendship is a give and take relationship where we explore and invite others to be part of our lives.

Likewise, they invite us into their inner circle of life, sharing joys and sorrows.

In a way, this is how we develop and grow as a person.

The part of us that can be hidden from ourselves is revealed when we are in the company of good and trusted friends.  No judgement, just interest.

I like to believe that our relationship with God is of a similar vein.

Through the lives of the saints and saintly persons we learn to acknowledge how much God loves us.

This love which can be hidden, comes to the surface when we are open and honest with ourselves.

We see who we are and we begin to see who our Loving Father is, compassionate and forgiving.

Then we are free to have a loving relationship with God.

The LIGHT of the world...

Living in the Garden of Ireland, Wicklow, has many advantages.
Just a short walk from my home in Wicklow town brings me to Travel-a-Hawk beach, an almost hidden place at the foot of the Black Castle ruins.
This has become one of my favourite places, especially when the sun is shining and the sea is alive with frothy,white waves crashing upon the pebble beach.
A place of art and poetry, meshed into the Irish landscape.  Most times, it's also a sheltered place where one can compose creative words / take photos that capture the power of the sea and the beauty of our Irish shores.
Perhaps more so than the visual is the atmosphere of solitude against the crash and noise of the sea, a place of deep thinking and  meditation.
In a way, one can meet the Power of God when close to the power of the sea and be lost in quiet tranquillity of mind, body and spirit.

PASSION OF CHRIST

This afternoon I attended the First Friday celebrations in our Church in Wicklow.

The Readings covered the whole Passion and Death of Christ, followed by the solemn presentation of the Cross and Holy Communion.

Our Church, St. Patrick's is quite a big church and it was packed with people.  Quite impressive to see so many people of all ages,  willing to be there and in a way to thank God for the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

Perhaps, some of the tragedies that have happened recently in this troubled world of ours helped to move people towards their belief in the Presence of God and give an awareness of how we are supported by Grace each day of our lives. 

I was conscious of this and glad to be able to take part in this awareness of God's Presence.

As people we are so free, free to love or to hate.  Maybe even worse, free to be indifferent to the needs of  others.

God, being Love, will never force us against our free will.

Therefore, it takes a powerful act, such as the Passion of Christ to move us towards Love.

Peace of Mind

To be at peace with ourselves is such a wonderful thing...  no anxiety or worry, just a willingness to face the challenges of life with grace and positivity.

This sounds almost beyond our human capacity.  We may well have become accustomed to fretting and worrying about life in general, yet this is not how we are meant to be.

We are above all a spiritual being with a human body.  

Our main objective is to allow the spirit to rule.

Can we do so?  Well, this is a challenge and it becomes easier when we are willing and able to develop ourselves spiritually.

For the Christian mind, we believe we are created to love and honour God.

How we do this is by allowing the best in us to guide us.  Allow the Light in and keep far away from all that is Dark.

Our Peace of Mind is like a compass that guides us and protects us from straying away from our true selves.

When we protect ourselves and live in the Light, then no darkness can cloud our judgement or cause us to lose sight of all that is good and wonderful.

We are created to Love.  Our Peace of Mind will guide us towards all that is loveable.

PROGRESS

It's encouraging to believe that we are making progress.  

Changes are happening and we are part of the new steps being taken.

They may be only baby steps and yet this is how we make progress, one step at a time.

Perhaps what might encourage us at times is to observe children, especially a baby learning to walk for the first time...

The innocence of the child protects it from feeling unable to face the challenge in question.

A child simply attempts to walk, then relies on the Parent to help out.

It might even try to run along and without the protection of the Parent, it would surely fall.

At times, we are like a child who is learning something for the first time, yet if we truly believe that our loving Parent is close at hand, then we have nothing to fear.

God will always be at our side, willing to give a helping Hand if we allow Him to be part of our lives.

This is the essence of wisdom, to make progress knowing that God is with us.

Love a little...

At times we may feel unable to respond with love to a situation or person.

The fault lies in our expectation that we can just love at any given moment, which can be true.

Yet, it's important to remember that we are not perfect and we do and will make mistakes.

God has no problem with our imperfections, only with our lack of love.
So, simply said,  Love a little.  It can mean a lot.

God loves a trier...

We can be faced with challenges in life and may feel unable to surmount them.

When and if this happens, it's good to realise that our feelings however real they might appear to be, often fool us

If I am unwell or overtired, then my feelings will portray an image of reality that is unreal.

A good example I experienced once was when I had a  head-cold. This made me feel unwell and all I wanted to do was curl up under the blankets and sleep it off.

Now, this can be a good remedy so I don't discount it, yet at the same time, a friend came along and invited me to go on a trip on his boat.  

I looked out at the sun shining and the sea sparkling and I was sold on the idea.

It was a beautiful trip and I totally forgot all about my ailments, so much so that my head-cold practically disappeared.

It's our choices that create reality for us.  God so loves a trier, someone who is willing to forge ahead and leave feelings and problems behind.

I may not succeed in what I try to do, yet I will be happy to try.

The Divine Artist

It can be an artistic challenge to look at life and what we see around us, differently.

Each day God will present His beauty to us, especially in nature and also in the everyday images that we may take for granted.   A pier, viewed from a different angle can surprise us.

Look and admire!

Dealing with Weakness...

I suppose most if not all of us at times, will and do suffer.

It may perhaps be mental challenges / physical challenges / spiritual challenges.

Whatever way the cross comes into our lives is the way we will experience pain and distress.

It's not part of God's plan for us to suffer.  We are loved by God more than we could ever realise.

Yet, the cross will be presented to us and suffering will follow.

Perhaps this could be the secret of how not to suffer, or at least to minimise pain...

Embrace the Cross.  Go forward with courage rather than run away from what is causing us to suffer.

We know we are not perfect and there is a Divine Plan in our being imperfect.

We become aware of our need for God and how much we are supported by Grace.

Dealing with Weakness is a learning process.  

Let's be patient and allow time to teach us the true value of Weakness.

SURPRISE...

It's almost a shock to the system when we are surprised by someone or something...

I suppose in many ways we are comfortable when we feel in control and have a good idea of what is happening and will happen.  Most times we can be wrong.

I believe God likes to surprise us.

When we are surprised, we have a chance to use our Faith and see God's Loving Hand in all that is happening to us and to our world at large.

The ability to use our faith and see beyond the normal events of our day, allows us to become a more centred and spiritual person.

God is not out to test us.  He loves us.

The element of surprise is often added to our lives as a gift, a way of seeing just how much God cares for us and is part and parcel of who we are and what we do.

Let's be open-hearted and allow God to surprise us more and more.

Love Weakness

It seems a strange thing to say, 'Love Weakness'  and yet this could well be the secret of inner happiness and peace of mind.

When we love weakness, we accept how we and who we are.  There is no judgement or regret or guilt.  In this way we learn to accept others as they are and who they are.

Loving a state of weakness allows us to be free from prejudices and judgements that can hamper our ability to see the truth of a situation. 

How this works is easy, we develop a love for what is the honest truth.

Perhaps I am tired or sick or jealous or whatever might be the emotional state that I am in.

No need for guilt, just acceptance.

God meets us where we are, not where we think we are or desire to be.

Just as we are, God loves us.

Shame for us not to love ourselves as we, imperfect and hopefully happy.

Welcome all that is New...

The Y2016 is here and bringing many changes to our lives.

We have begun with moving into a new home and learning to let go of the old... 

It's a great thing to move forward and have a willingness to let go of old ways and habits etc.

For some it may mean letting go of a loved one and moving on with their lives.

Grieving is important  of course and part of healing too.

It's a challenge to let go of a way of life we've become accustomed to and be open to whatever God has in mind for us.

Let's go forward and welcome all that is NEW.

God has a plan for each one of us. Embrace His Love.