After Christmas...

The fuss and glory of Christmas seems to have disappeared. Even decorations seem out of place and yet, the true spirit of Christmas is only just developing.

Each one of us receive an invitation to renew ourselves and with heart-felt love to embrace the spirit of Christmas / to become child-like.

No matter how young or old we are, the invitation is open to all !

With a little faith we can see the humility and wonder of God to allow His precious Son to come as a little infant.

Can we find a better example for ourselves, to put our egos aside and foster humility and become as a child with a loving Father to guide us.

The spirit of Christmas can remain with us always.

Christmas Eve...

We are busy preparing for Christmas.  So many things to do, especially food and sending greetings to friends and family.

A walk down town is a pleasure to meet so many people who are happy to be busy like ourselves, and yet, I find myself thinking of the whole reason for Christmas time and such a special time it is.

A new born baby is coming into the world and yet the world does not seem to be ready to receive such a special Child of God.

Am I?  Am I ready to embrace a new awareness of the awesome sight, a visit from my God in the form of a vulnerable and helpless Baby?

Preparation for any event is always most important.

Therefore, my preparation begins with my heartfelt welcome to Jesus, who is the infant Baby, dependent on this strange world of ours to accept His presence.

All that comes to mind is to simply prepare my heart to love the Infant Child, just as I would embrace a baby, dependent on my love and who is open to the love of the whole world.

Whatever and however we are with ourselves, we are invited to welcome this innocent baby into our hearts and minds.

Happy Birth Day Jesus! 

FOCUS

What we focus on, we become.
This is so true because we become what we are taken up with and give our attention to, whether it is a job or desire of some kind.
Looking at our lives from a spiritual point of view, we have this wonderful ability to become God-like when we focus on God and truly believe that we are created by God to love.
It seems too easy really, simply to focus on God and take on the Mind of

God.
Perhaps what can make this even easier is to truly know ourselves and how tiny we are in comparison to the Creator of the Universe.
To become God-like is a wonderful invitation and all we have to do is focus on God's tremendous Love for us..

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

We had a good discussion this morning at table about life and loving and especially what St. Therese has shared with us about how to love.

She believed that God desires us to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind.

To have confidence to the point of boldness in the Love that God has for us.

Such a wonderful thought to carry with us through the day, especially in our preparations for Christmas.

To have a true Christmas spirit depends on so many efforts on our part.

Being happy is a good start and then dealing with whatever is or may cause us to be unhappy.

To have confidence to the point of boldness is a good challenge to take with us each day as we prepare for the birth of Christ.

God is willing to give Himself to us in the form of an innocent baby, dependent on his loving mother and human nature to protect him.

We may experience good moments with our celebrations of Christmas and maybe some moments that challenge us to become better than we are.

How wonderful to gift ourselves with the innocence of Christ!

Searching for Beauty...

With Christmas glitter all around and shops full of beautiful gifts, a trip to town

can be a pleasure and also a temptation.

This happened to me today as I sauntered along O'Connell street and marveled at the invitations that came from all quarters, beautiful clothes / beautiful shoes / beautiful books...

Had I a need for something?  This question guided me and protected me as I felt tempted, then realized my needs were of a simple nature and easily fulfilled.

My desire for artistic beauty began with a visit to St. Andrews Church, just beside the dart station in Westland Row.  The building itself is a work of art and the paintings high up on the walls are to be admired if one could get close enough to see their beauty.  Most of all, the Church is open to the public and Mass is celebrated every day.

My next pleasure was a walk through Merrion Park, a quick visit and yet so peaceful even without the display of flowers that decorate the park in the summer.

By now my natural desire for a lovely warm cup of coffee to sustain me on a winter, wet and windy day was found in the Cafe in the Natural Art Gallery, capped by the company of my friend and cousin, Carmel.  

I talk and she listens and I listen and she talks and our strong friendship is being renewed.  Perhaps this is the best pleasure of all.

Of course, one doesn't go into the Art Gallery without availing of a peek at the artistic treasures contained therein. Even a few minutes can be enough to come away with a small treasure, a postcard of one of the famous paintings.

Braving the rain and winter weather, I managed a stroll through Trinity and a peek into Pennys for a bargain  and a visit to the GPO to see the display of lights and animal figures and the moving Crib.  A few stamps to buy and cards to post and my day in Dublin was complete.

A short wait in the rain for my bus home and so glad was I to say farewell to Baile Ath Cliath. 

Our Lady of the Positive

Listening to a Meditation tape this morning, I became aware of the truth that the Mother of God, our Lady is the best example of One who is Positive.

There are so many titles given to our Lady and perhaps the best one of all is to call her Our Lady of the Positive.

Whenever our Lady appeared on this earth ( and some believe this happens all the time) She always presented her message with great love and respect for those she spoke to, with a truly positive spirit.

I visited Fatima last year and was so impressed by the Faith of the people of Portugal and all the visitors from around the world, how drawn they were to the Mother of God who spoke to three little children and encouraged them to pray.

'Pray often, pray well'

What a positive world we could live in, if we pray often and follow the example of Our Lady of the Positive.

(Crib in GPO)

A Creative Mind

Being Creative is a wonderful way to express ourselves and experience the Joy of having a creative mind.

There are so many ways in which we can be creative and it's important for us to discover the way that draws us and fills us with passion and life!

For myself, I love Creative Writing and all the different ways that one can express oneself.

I like to write Plays and Stories with humour and meaning, developing characters that can express life in modern settings and even move readers to laughter and tears.

One of my brothers loves to write Poetry and has a natural flair for so doing, and enjoys the work involved in giving time to writing.

I would encourage people to put pen to paper and allow their 'inner-child' to tell a tale and in so doing be moved by whatever comes to mind.

The beauty of Creative Writing is found in each present moment. 

Perhaps tomorrow we will find ourselves being inspired in a totally different way.  What an adventure this can be.

Let's surprise ourselves, being in the flow of inspiration and the wonderful Joy that follows.

Joyful, yet sad...

Last night I attended the celebration of Mass in Wicklow Gaol.

A nice crowd of people came and we were entertained with lovely, prayerful  music.

The purpose of the Mass was to help us remember all the poor souls who spent time in the Gaol and perhaps even died there, so many years ago.

One old lady was ninety years old and it was recorded that she had failed to pay her tax.  Perhaps, whole families lived there and young children, begging or stealing food because they were hungry.  

Hard to believe nowadays that people died of hunger and yet on my visit to Dublin the day before, I witnessed a young girl with a sign 'I'm hungry. Please help me.'  

The Gaol is a sad place and yet there was somehow an atmosphere of Joy.

In the spiritual world we learn to know that there are many Holy Souls who would love us to pray for them and they can play a part in our lives too. 

Little Things mean a lot...

Sometimes, little things become big things, at least in our minds and suddenly,  life become difficult and we are no longer happy.

Perhaps it's only acute awareness of what matters most that will protect us from taking ourselves and life in general too seriously.

When difficulties come along as they will, we find ourselves challenged, that's a good time to reflect for a moment and count our blessings.

If we can make a habit of counting our blessings, then we become able to cope with all that comes our way.

It's a good game to play with ourselves and reflect on how we respond to the many invitations we receive.

Minimize the hurts and Magnify the blessings we receive each day, then truly 

Little things will mean a lot!

Veronica at RDS SHOW!

Eager to Love...

For all who believe in Creation, we know we are created to love and be guided through life by Love.

Believing this, does not necessarily prompt us to love.

Of course, we all want to love and be loved and this spiritual longing within us is also a very natural feeling.  It insures that we are open to love / open to others and open to becoming a loving person.

Perhaps our best encouragement comes from our desire to be happy and also to make others happy.

What better environment can we be in than one where we are surrounded by positive, smiling faces.  Then love comes easily.

However, this is not always the case.  We can experience times in our lives where even smiling can be difficult. Life becomes a big challenge and we may not have answers to our difficulties.

What can we do?

The answer is a simple one, Put Love First!

Whatever the cost, be eager and willing to love.

Develop this awareness of needing to love and become eager to love.

They say God loves a good trier and so does the world at large.

Be eager to love and step by step, watch all problems disappear.

OUR NEED FOR ONE ANOTHER...

Meeting and greeting others is such a big part of our lives, and rightly so.

was it Tomas Merton who wrote, 'No man is an island'.

We need and depend on others, simply to be ourselves because through our contact and relationship with other people / friends / family and even strangers, we somehow gain a knowledge of who we truly are.

This is a wonderful awareness to have and yet can be frightening too.

Are we not meant to stand alone before God and All and lose our dependence on what others think and say about us?

If Truth be known, our journey in life is that of an apprentice, learning to develop our personality and become aware of our true purpose is life.

This is made easier if one has Faith and believes that we have a Creator who loves us dearly and willingly supports every effort we make to be honest, both to ourselves and others.

When we delve into the lives of the saints and especially those who have written about themselves and offer us guidelines in how to live a good life, then we have a template / a map to guide us through life.

Believing in God can be difficult for some, especially the way in which religion may have been taught to them, yet believing in Truth is absolute!

Some of us have been spoiled by good and honest parents who taught us how to live a truth-filled life, yet all of us have equal opportunities to learn about Love and how it teaches us to be a lover of Truth!

TO BE OR NOT TO BE...

As Shakespeare put it, 'To be, or not to be, that is the question.'

One could suppose that he is telling us to choose whatever we want to be, or else 

drift through life and be swayed by what others do and say.

When we become aware of this reality and of how much depends on ourselves in the quest for truth, then we might easily be afraid.

This is where our Faith guides us along the path of Truth and we remember the words of Christ... 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life...'

Why choose to worry when we have a Mentor who willingly guides and helps us on the journey of life.

Allow quiet time to listen to He who has all the answers.

Just be!

SAINTHOOD!

A new Saint has been recognized, a man who worked very hard to foster the Faith of young people in Ireland by laying the foundation for a Catholic University.

Saint John Henry Newman was a man who always followed the Truth, however hard that might be.  He was a well-known Anglican priest, a good man.

It was difficult for him to become a Catholic, yet his search for truth left him with no alternative.  He had found the full Truth of Christ.

Being a quiet and unassuming person, he is not as well known as other saints, yet already he is held responsible for two known miracles.

If the full Truth were known, this elderly, academic man is responsible for helping to save the Faith in Ireland.  

Perhaps, now more than ever, we need his help. A gentle prayer sent in his direction will work wonders, depending of course on our belief in miracles.

WILD ATLANTIC WAY!

A trip to Donegal was presented to me. In company with my sister, Mairead,
we traveled by McGinley coach from Parnell Square via Monaghan and Derry to Carndonagh, up near Malin Head.
This is a fine way to see how beautiful and green Ireland is, especially through the county of Monaghan,  however, perhaps more enjoyable in summertime.
The Atlantic way through Donegal is wild and wonderful!
Carndonagh is a nice town with a beautiful Church and friendly people.
We battled our way up to Mass the next morning while rain and wind did its best to put us off. Ah, but we were brave souls and put up a good fight even though our umbrellas didn't make it.
Time was well spent with our cousins, bringing back happy memories of years ago and an awareness of how fast time moves on. 
We visited Moville and stopped in Greencastle; an opportunity to take photos.
As a child, my visits to Donegal took place during the summer holidays.
The Wild Atlantic Way definitely lives up to it's name.  A good challenge for hardy people!

KNOCK TRIP!

Last Sunday I made a pilgrimage to Knock with family and friends.

It was the yearly trip from Cabra Parish and a first time for me to do so.

What an experience it was and I look forward to do so again, God willing.

A special day for Knock and buses came from all over the country, almost every county was represented. It was jam-packed!

I had never see such crowds, not even in Fatima.  We battled with the crowds to find seats in the Basilica, which holds 5,000 plus!

Our discomfort was out-weighed by our delight and encouragement to witness

so many people willing and able to show their love for our Blessed Mother, Mary the Queen of Knock.

Of course the bus trip home was a delight, only time for one rosary recited by grateful hearts; a stop for a lovely meal in Athlone and a sing-song afterwards to lighten our spirits.  What a day! 

On reflection, I realize how important it is to share ourselves and our Faith with

each other.

God's Cottage

A visit to Glendalough via Local link was a treat for myself and my sister.  We visited God's Cottage, a first visit for my sister Mairead 

Spent a little while in the lovely Chapel and shop before visiting Glendalough graveyard and Saint Kevin's monastic buildings.

Such a thought, Kevin was just a man who wanted to live a quiet monastic life.  However, he soon attracted followers and they became a spiritual community which attracted even more people.

Today, so many years after Kevin and his monks lived in this beautiful natural place, people come from all over the world to enjoy the peace and quiet
( relative quiet with all visitors) and the natural beauty of Glendalough ! 

( Glen of two lakes)

COURAGE!

To be courageous is wonderful and allows a person to rise above themselves.

In a way, it's an invitation to follow our spiritual selves and step out of our comfort zone and embrace God's Will in all that is presented to us.

We could ask ourselves then, what happens when we believe ourselves to be without courage; to be a person with a timid nature?

These are thoughts that present themselves to me whenever I need to face a challenge.  I wonder where do these thoughts come from?

A Child of God has no need to be afraid or anxious.

Our Faith teaches us that God loves us and cares for us the same way a Father cares for his child.  Even more so, because God is Love.

I realize now that feelings of fear and anxiety are invitations, helping us to trust in God's love for us.

'Fear not, I am with you always...'

How wonderful to truly believe in God's love for us!

SAINTS I LOVE

For my 21st Birthday I was gifted a copy of the Life of St. Catherine of Sienna.

My second name is Catherine, so I read about her and was impressed.

She was a princess and from childhood, had a special love for God.

She suffered a lot when her husband died, yet continued to trust and depend on God's love for her. So I learned from Catherine that suffering helps us to be close to God.

When I joined the Community I was given a book called 'The Story of a Soul'.

Such a wonderful introduction to the life of St. Therese of Lisieux.

Her life-story invites us to abandon ourselves to God; to simply believe in how much God loves us.

Therese's simple approach to the spiritual life is a great encouragement for me to follow her 'Little Way.'

Most of all I have a love for Mary, our Lady, the Mother of all Saints.

WELCOME THE FUTURE!

The Future is always a mystery.  

We may think we know what's going to happen in the next hour / day / month / year etc., yet only God has a true awareness of the Future.

For that reason, we can be a winner if we learn to trust in God and pray to be guided by Him in regard to the future of our lives.

Wise people and saints advise us to value the present moment and live in the Now. Good advice if only we could.  

Often, our thoughts take us away from the present moment and we are filled with thoughts of what might or might not happen.

I believe that if we can learn to Welcome the Future, then we will be free to relax and allow the mystery of the Future to guide and inspire us.

When we truly believe that God loves us and also believe that God knows ALL, especially what is most good for us, then we are in a happy state and free to love. 

INISHEER

I've just returned from a trip to Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway.
It was an adventure just to get there, coming from Wicklow town.
My journey began at 8am on the 133 bus from Wicklow into Dawson street, Dublin. Step off one bus and on to another, 145 bus to Hueston Railway station.
The train to Galway was at 11.25pm so I had a good hour to relax and replenish myself for the journey.
Travelling by train is a joy and especially with the modern models we now have here in Ireland.
I arrived around 2pm in Galway city and had time to meet up with a friend, Nuala for lunch and a good chat.
The Park Hotel provided a good venue and not expensive either.
Next stop was Kinlay Travel, Eyre Square, who organize trips to the Aran Islands.
They team up with Lally buses who connect people from Galway city to Rossaveal harbour where the boats sail from.
By 6.30pm I was sailing on the 'Queen of the Sea' to the islands.
My day trip ended at 8pm that evening where I was met by good friends, waiting on the Pier of Inisheer.
I quickly settled into the Hostel on the island, then off to a very welcome meal offered by another good friend.
God bless friends and my Pass!

GIVE ALL FOR ALL!

The good will to give ALL for ALL is found in a glad and happy heart.

therefore it's important to keep ourselves happy and learn to do all we can do with love.

It's always good to remember that God cannot be undone in generosity. 

We may think we are doing a lot for God and later learn that it is He who is doing ALL for us.

Even our good thoughts are guided by His loving interest in us.

When we fail at times, it can often be a blessing.

Our failures may well teach us more than our successes.

Perhaps, the whole idea of giving ALL for ALL is a personal invitation from God, inviting us to grow in awareness of His giving of ALL for us.

LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES!

life is full of surprises and challenges.

Each day can appear to be the same-old-same-old!

Not so.  Each day is so unique, just as we are unique and developing like a delicate plant.

We need sunshine in our lives and we need rain. 

We need change to help us to grow and practice in using our Faith.

It's such a pleasure to know that Life itself is guiding us and helping us to blossom into the beautiful person that we are.

We may look at ourselves and only see the reflection shown in a mirror, or we can reflect within and become aware of this wonderful person who is loved and cherished by God.

The more we learn to see the beauty in ourselves, the more able we become in being aware of the beauty in others.

Life is full of wonderful surprises!

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM!

I dream of being a really good writer and having my book published before the year is out.

However, I realize that for a dream to come through, hard work is needed.

Efforts, however little will help, yet a powerful effort will move us forward at a good pace.

Being a dreamer is a positive way to be because then we prompt others, as well as ourselves to follow our dreams.

Dream big / dream often and follow through with a good heart and plenty of hard work to boot!

Remember, God is with us, always. 

PERSEVERANCE WINS THE DAY!

Life is full of ups and downs and so we can be rattled and shaken and even afraid at times.
Is our life worthwhile? Are we aiming in the right direction? Are we okay?
So many questions and scruples can jump into our mind and upset our peace of mind, if we allow that to happen.
There is a positive road that encourages and helps us to move forward without fear or scruple.
All we have to do is relax and use a little Faith.
Is God a loving Being who cares for us and is more than willing to guide us through life?
Is this the believe system we have and practice?
St. Therese, often called the little Flower, believed in this Image of a Loving God who cares for us, the way a Father would care for a child.
Well, this is my belief and so I can relax and allow God to guide me and help me when I need guidance and support.
My shortcomings do not matter as long as I believe in God's Love for me and for each one of us.
Fear not, simply persevere in this wonderful belief that God cares and loves us.

ADVERSITY

Adversity happens without an invitation on our part.
We are happy, able and willing to go forward with our lives, full of positive endeavors  until...
Something goes wrong / accidents happen / conflict with others / misunderstandings etc.
Whatever or however it happens, Adversity steps into our lives and causes pain and even discouragement.
A positive solution is needed and as a writer we learn to use all that comes our way as fodder for writing.
Perhaps we have a good story in mind and characters we like and feel we can develop so as to interest our readers...
All this is good and based on our imagination and creative ability.
And yet may lack a strong realistic personality.
This is where Adversity comes to the rescue!
By developing the ability to take ourselves out of the picture and put our characters in instead, we find ourselves with realistic people whose stories we can develop, adding passion and anxiety and emotions to give these creative persons life.
For example:  I had an experience of jealousy recently.
Someone I like preferred someone else's company or so I thought.
Solution?  Well a writer writes and what a gift to experience the emotion of jealousy and transfer it to one of my creative characters. Suddenly, I was no longer deflated or jealous, in fact grateful for the experience.
Roll on Adversity, my creative tutor!

CREATIVE SELF

Being creative is a wonderful way to explore ourselves and the world we live in.
Creativity I believe is part of every person, even if we are not aware of it.
This awareness to our creative self comes about when we are willing to open ourselves to the beauty and wonder of the world.
It may come about through Nature, when we allow ourselves to admire our surroundings and the beauty of all that is natural.
For me, my creative self comes about through my discovery of all that is spiritual, especially my belief in a loving God.
The spiritual world allows us to see without seeing / to believe without clear understanding / to love without any desire to be loved.
Let each one of us look into our hearts and discover the wonder and beauty of the 'hidden' world and all that is spiritual.
The Bible quotes so many times,  'Fear not...'
This could well be the key to unfolding our creative self!

FATIMA

I'm now home from my holiday in Portugal.
A day was spent in LISBON,  the Capital of Portugal and I was blown away by the beauty and culture of the City, especially the Exhibition...
'The Story of Portugal'  outlining the development of the Country through the years.  This is truly a great Work of Art and the artistic settings makes one part of the history as it unfolds.
Two days were spent in FATIMA and this became a Pilgrimage for me.
The Basilica is such a magnificent tribute to the honour and glory of God and in many ways is similar to the Basilica of Rome.
The added, new basilica of the Blessed Trinity is such a magnificent work of Art.
Modern in its structure and yet inviting to all who would have need of being a pilgrim, as I felt I was too.
As evening descends, a Procession of Light takes place.  I was privileged to be part of this event.  Each one of us held lighted candles and as the Rosary was recited and chanted, all raised their candles high for all to see.
The statue of our Lady of Fatima was carried in procession and we followed, our lighted candles resembling a river of light in the darkness.
So wonderful to see such a crowd of young and old taking part with reverence and joy!
I look forward to when I can come again to visit Fatima.

A JOURNEY...

I'm preparing to go on a Journey, to visit Lisbon and Fatima, two special places in Portugal.

I've never been there before so the journey will be laced with adventure, especially for me who is most comfortable living in Ireland and loving the daily surprises with weather / will today be summer or winter?

However, having taking 'flight' before to other countries, I've enjoyed myself and the knowledge of how other people manage their lives, especially in hot countries.

There is a different awareness of what one might call modesty and also a certain innocence in how well people look and live their lives.

We are created in the Image of God and yet don't really know Him.

Perhaps, the whole idea of knowing and loving God is found  in a positive and loving attitude to others.

'Love and do as you will.'  a profound statement, highlighting how important it is to become LOVE.

The JOURNEY of LIFE and our connection with God will happen, perhaps when we are unaware of just how close God is to us.

ALIVE and WELL!

Today was special in many ways. First off was the Confirmation ceremony at morning Mass.  Fr. Donal was excellent in his words of encouragement to the young boys and girls as he outlined how the Holy Spirit was inviting them to be members of the Church in a special way, and how the gifts of the Holy Spirit will guide and help them to be faithful to their renewed Baptismal promise.

Later in the day, meeting friends and enjoying the unusual June weather.

Was it lightening and thunder I heard?

The rainfall, teasing at first, became an unmerciful downpour, sending us running for shelter.  In a way it was fun too, dripping wet and so glad to get into dry clothes and have a hot cuppa!

Perhaps it's all the little pleasures of life that keep us alive and well and grateful for the good things in life. Also, able to embrace the little pinpricks that teach us to be a better and more loving person!

LIFE IS FOR LIVING...

There are times when we don't reflect and examine our actions wisely.

This happened to me on my first swim of the season in Brittas Bay.

It was a wild and windy day with sunshine and wonderful waves inviting me in.

Would I? Dare I?  I said I would and so I did.

Totally out of my comfort zone and yet with a love for the adventure of floating with the waves, I ventured in.

I would dip in, then quickly get out again.  That was my wonderful plan!

Getting in was not so easy as I was knocked off my feet twice, then eventually

I gained a spot where I could swim and ride on the waves as they came towards me. How wonderful.

Now was time to get out as I could feel the pull of the waves taking me back

out to sea.  I began to realize, this would not be easy.

I swam towards the shore as best I could, yet each time the waves pulled me back again.  It became a battle and I realized it was time to shout for help.

'Help, help...'  I swallowed a mouthful of seawater as I felt the urge to panic.

No, mustn't do that.  'Help, Oh God help me...'

What a wonderful feeling to feel the presence of another person, the Lifeguard!

'I'm putting my arm under yours and you can hold onto this.'

I held onto the orange object and with relief felt myself being pulled to shore.

Paul, my friend came and took hold of me on the other side.

I was almost out of the water, yet only felt safe when lying on dry sand.

Oh, thank God and thank all you wonderful people!

DE-CLUTTER!

DE-CLUTTER is a vital part of almost all of our lives.

No sooner do we 'tidy-up' and enjoy having a comfortable home/office etc. then the clutter begins to pile up again.

It can become a stress-related situation in many people's lives.

A tidy desk will allow us to move forward and follow what we are most interested in, simply to put pen to paper and write!

Being able to de-clutter is a God-send to those of us who have a habit of holding on to information and writings and half-written scripts etc.

Being a writer is a talent and a wonderful gift to have and share with others, so a disciplined mind is essential.

When it comes to writings of importance, those we feel a special love and affinity with, it's great to have the ability to de-clutter and cut out all those little darlings and trimmings that prove to be non-essential.

We can turn a mundane story or script into a winner, simply by discarding what is not needed.

Equally, we can destroy a wonderful piece of writing by losing the 'soul' of it's contents by a lack of wisdom and understanding.

Take TIME out!

I find for myself that time is necessary to fully understand the gems created in what is written. 

Often, a good editor would advice a promising writer to 'sit' on their manuscript for awhile, perhaps even a month or more.

Come to the pages with a fresh outlook as if someone else had written it.

Be bold and objective and who knows a masterpiece is being created.

Pen to Paper, write, then re-write!

Enjoy the process.

LESS is MORE!

The luxury of having my own room comes with a price as I have learned to my cost.

Perhaps it's because what it contains is regarded as mine results in a huge conflict within myself.  Little and not so little objects creep in, especially my love for books. Not to mention clothes for special occasions ( acting etc.)

The answer to my dilemma can be solved easily if one was able to simply let go and discard my 'darlings' whatever they might be.

I guess this is what life is all about, moving forward and being open to change.

My desire to change will take time and yet I realize it only takes one step at a time, baby steps and hopefully I will run forward!  

The willingness to let go and leave room for what is essential must be done.

In a way, it's like 'dying to self' as one learns in developing a spiritual life.

Most important is having more time for one's relationship with God.

This is where Prayer and Discipline will be my saving Grace!

Begin again...

My efforts to write a book have resulted in a huge awareness of my lack of technical skills.

I want so badly to simply put pen to paper and yet when my computer mis-behaves ( is it the computer or the operator?) I find myself lost in a world of frustration.

Do I really have something to say or am I just playing with words and fooling myself into believing that my desire to put pen to paper will result in a good, finished book!

Coming away from my frustration and discouragement, I realize that writing a book, or indeed taking on any project is a positive effort to move forward.

First and foremost I am learning about myself and my impatience in dealing with problems.  

What is life all about if not a learner's guide to self-discovery.

I can be annoyed at my inabilities OR I can become a student of life.

What better way to face the truth about ourselves than to take on a project that stretches us and forces us to become better than we are.

Patience comes with facing impatience.

Courage comes with facing our many ways of avoiding a challenge.

Knowledge comes from knuckling in and learning to overcome obstacles.

At the end of it all is the wonderful realization that one is learning to love life!

COURAGE

Courage is a great gift to have, to be able to grasp Life as presented in each moment and respond with a positive spirit.

To be a courageous person is more simple than we might think. 

How we feel does not make us who we are because how we respond actively is the person we become.

Feelings are like the weather, up and down.

We may feel afraid or unable to face certain things, yet no worries.

Courage is a positive response to each invitation presented to us.

Remember, we are never alone.

We have God with us, always.

We just need to lean on the Courage of God and move forward!

'Courage, do not stumble

though the way at night be dark

There's a Light to guide the humble

Trust in God and do the right.'

FRESH START

Living in Ireland is a great help towards looking on each day as a Fresh Start.

Perhaps what helps most is the weather, always changing.

I love the whole idea of making a fresh start each morning, just by looking out the window and taking on board what the weather is like...

Spring / Summer / Autumn  / Winter  can come in just one day here in this lovely country of ours.  How could you not love it!

The Spiritual life can be just like the weather, always changing and surprising us each day.

No matter how determined we are to follow a certain pattern which is solid and safe, we may find ourselves in the winter of darkness OR surprised to find ourselves blossoming in the summer of sunshine.

I like Spring because it seems to open up new avenues of grace where one is invited to reach out and enjoy new beginnings happening in nature and in our souls too.

Autumn can be challenging as we learn to let go and depend more on God working through us. 

Yes, the determination to open up our hearts and soul to God and continue to make a Fresh Start each day.

EASTER

Easter is a time for new beginnings, to let go the past and embrace the future.

Perhaps what is most important is to live in each present moment.

With great ceremony and celebration we have renewed our belief in the 

Risen Christ and the wonderful awareness of God's love for us.

To go forward means to take on the image of Christ and say YES to all that God might ask of us.

This bond of trust is our redeeming factor.

Walk with God and become the fruit of Easter!

SIMPLICITY

To be simple in our approach to life is not simple!
Perhaps this has a lot to do with how our minds and lives become cluttered.
We want to have a simple life and we know this is a

wonderful way to be happy and have peace of mind...  so, what's the problem?
A child learns to walk with little steps and if we can learn to imitate how a child learns, then we are making progress on the road to simplicity.
Take a step and follow through, whatever the goal may be.
For example, we have an untidy room and want to declutter...  take a step towards doing just that.
Make a beginning in whatever way we can, simply start perhaps with one item.
Open a press or drawer and empty the contents out.  Take a moment and with as much honesty and energy we have, begin to discard the 'rubbish'.
This can be hard, letting go of old memories / gifts / photos / clothes etc.
Now is a good time to remind ourselves of our desire for simplicity.
Step by step, follow through, perhaps one hour per day ( more if possible) and how glad we will be.  Happiness will be our reward!
The same applies to our Mind, if it has become cluttered.
Remind ourselves again of our goal, Simplicity, and work on one thought or project at a time.
This simple approach to life is so, so rewarding, what happy people we will be!

LET GOD IN!

I have a friend who often repeats these words, 'Be happy...'
How profound it is to be truly happy, no matter what!
Perhaps it has a lot to do with our ability to let go of our own ideas and desires and let God in!
Could it be possible that we put up a barrier so others cannot 'touch' us?
Very easy to do, to play safe and hide behind a facade of what we know and are used to doing etc.
God loves us and yet we only experience this wonderful and all powerful love when we are able to step away from ourselves and 'let God in'.
Of course, this also applies to allowing other people to come into our lives.
Love is by invitation only.
Be sure to invite LOVE in!

OPEN MIND

Being open-minded is a gift and one to be valued.

It helps us to accept new ways and ideas and the ability to build on what we already know.

The person who is open-minded is able to discern beauty and truth and develop an awareness of what is important in life.

Whenever we read the lives of the saints, we can be surprised at how changes happened in their lives, simply from being open-minded.

God has given us an intelligence and a mind that affords us to think about life and all that is important to us and others.

So, when we allow ourselves to be open-minded and look at life with 'new eyes' we can be inspired and moved to become a better and more loving person.

God's love is all around us.  It's often a question of discovering new ways to respond to Love!

SAINT PATRICK

This Sunday, 17th March 2019 we will celebrate the Feast day of Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland.

All around the country people will hold Parades and Festivities , wearing green hats and badges and letting the world know that we are Irish and pay tribute to a great and humble saint.

Perhaps a lot of the celebrations will be a bit of boasting of our Irish roots and I hope somehow a show of gratitude for this special man who lived with us so many years ago as a slave and yet felt such compassion for the people of Ireland for their lack of knowledge of God's love for them which caused him to return and share with us his gift of faith.

The world today doesn't leave much room for compassion and caring for others apart from our own families and friends.

To befriend the stranger is something special and comes from a deep belief in just how much God cares for us.

That's the kind of faith our forefathers had and because of it, Ireland became known as a place of a thousand welcomes.

I hope we still have this ability to welcome strangers and live up to the image that Ireland is a land of saints and scholars.

God bless the Irish spirit.

GRATITUDE

Whenever I need encouragement, Gratitude comes to mind. 

I search for something to be grateful for and before I know it, I'm filled with encouraging thoughts and ideas.

How does it work?

Very simple; whatever we dwell on, we become.

When I'm able to see the good side to life, then I become a  positive and happy person. The opposite happens if I dwell on anything negative.

Therefore, the practice of being grateful is both simple and full of wisdom.

Another help can be a time factor of listing all the things I can be grateful for.

For example, I'll now begin a list of things to be grateful for:

Living in a happy and positive community

Good friends

Good family members

Ability to write, creatively

Ability to work and be useful

Looking at a good, inspiring film

The power of prayer in my life

Understanding the value of weakness

My relationship with God

Above all, the gift of Faith.

Ten good reasons for being grateful and more to come!

Have fun...

The world is such a vast and interesting place that often we can be drawn in to more that we realise or want.

Perhaps the most important thing in our lives is to have fun, really have fun.

This takes courage and honesty, to be truly ourselves and respond to all the wonderful graces and inspirations we receive.

When it comes to God, we are dealing with a Power beyond our comprehension. Therefore it becomes easy for us when we take on the image of Christ and His awareness of His loving Father.

This is who God is, a Father who loves us more than we can understand.

We have a limited image of Love because we are imperfect.

Taking on board the Truth of who God is, we are grappling with the awareness of what LOVE is.

GOD is LOVE!

Have fun and enjoy being loved by a loving 'Father'.

Above all, Love!

In this busy world of ours, we can so easily get caught up with many things. This is where our ability to choose is vital, especially if we want to develop a spiritual life and value our peace of mind.

A simple question can be, 'will this lead me closer to God, or not.'

The truth is simple and also the answers we receive, if we are able to choose, and choose wisely.

The world is a wonderful place and we are naturally attracted to what gives 'colour' to our lives, yet we must be careful and honest and ask ourselves, is this how I want to spend my life?

The greatest treasure is this life is found in developing a relationship with God.

He has presented us with His human nature in Christ so now we are invited to fall in love with Him.

Happiness

No matter who we are or where we are, we are interested in being happy.
At times this is an easy chore as all we have to do is be who we are and have an interest in those around us.
This is self-evident in people who put happiness as a priority in their lives.
It means we are willing and able to work at being happy.
No frills or great drama, just learning to be ourselves and allowing others to be their selves too.
When we venture into the spiritual life, we can often find ourselves faced with difficulties in relation to ourselves.  For some reason, our happiness skills can be faulty or at least we become aware of the common flaws that are found in our nature and personality.
No worries. This is the best time to turn to God and let Him know we need help.
When we ask for guidance then it will be given to us.
Often, we can be surprised at the simplicity and ease of mind that we receive.
Perhaps, now is a good time, beginning a New Year to renew our confidence and belief in just how much God loves us.
'Ask and you will receive....'
Could it be easier?  Do we need to get lost in thoughts that confuse us?
Simply turn to God and be surprised at the experience of Love that we can and will receive.