Thursday, December 28, 2023

FEAR-LESS

 A New day, a new start to a New Year 2024! How time flies by so quickly. Can I, will I be able to create a new me...

I realise how important it is to develop my creative self, and listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, guiding me to become a better and more able person.

As my Writing Book says, Pen to Paper, and so it shall be. Write down all that comes to mind, even if it makes no sense.  God allows for error, yet not for idleness, so begin and spend quality time writing and reading and listening.

When one is open to inspiration, then all is well, yet relax awhile. Being inspired is like listening to a prayer in silence. No need for thoughts that hold us to the past. Simply be, just as we are.  Let God do His work in us. 

Trust in the power of prayer, and hold on tightly to love.  Be confident that God loves us, so we can ask ourselves, do we love God?



Sunday, November 19, 2023

GRATITUDE


A Grateful heart is a loving heart, and when we examine our lives, there is so much to be thankful for, to our Creator and to all those who love us.
Today I celebrate my 80th Birthday, how marvelous and almost miraculous too. Have I truly spent my life daily, with thoughts of all that is good and wonderful? 
So many good memories come to mind, and such good friends that I have, help me to have a grateful heart.  Thank You God, and to ALL who have enriched my life.
Hopefully, I do have managed to enrich the lives of some, with the Grace of God.
  

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

CREATIVITY...


At times, we can be selective about what we want to do / what we want to be etc. Good questions to ask, and hopefully we will find good answers.

For myself, Pen to Paper (fingers on the keyboard) gets me going, and I often surprise myself by the results. Perhaps not quite pulitzer standard, yet enjoyable to see what the imagination and timespent can put together.

It is important to find our creative ability, whatever it might be and be honest about spending time to follow our inspirations and imagination. What a great thrill to actually surprise ourselves and even others by our creativity.

Here in Wicklow there is a project in operation inviting artists to create Murals of a kind, and in this way add colour and creativity in displaying works of Art!

This is where we allow ourselves to express our talents for the World to see. Will we receive a good response?  Only by applying ourselves will we find out.

I'm enclosing a work of art, based on an old photograth which is receiving great admiration by the people of Wicklow town, and visitors too.

Friday, October 20, 2023

Heart-Felt

 A lot of things we do and say comes from the logic of our mind. This is good, yet there is a time for us to step away from our logical selves and aim at a different way of looking at who we are, and life in general.

This is where our Heart can become the ruler of life.   'Am I able to listen to the promptings of my inner self, the inner voice that speaks of love and gratitude and caring and sharing?'

This might seem a contradiction to being logical, able and willing to respond to the daily challenges of life and what it takes to become reasonable and responsible for our actions.  There are moments of crisis when we must act to what is happening in the World at large.

However, the person who is able to listen to the promptings of the Heart, will be guided by an 'inner light' coming from the Creator of all that is wholesome and good. A certain wisdom will step in to guide and protect. 

The awareness of our Creative Self, helps us to go beyond what we know, encouraging us to become more than we are.  This spiritual awareness will lead us to a world guided by Heart-Felt Love for all that is wonderful in life.




Thursday, October 12, 2023

TIME


 'I'll do that, when I have the TIME...

We are told, TIME and TIDE wait for no one, and how true that is. Often the best of our intentions will not be enough if we are not vigilant about 'doing' rather than thinking about doing something.

This is where an awareneaa of our weaknesses can be a tremendous help. If we are able to be truly honest with ourselves, and realise how often we put things on the 'long 'finger', we will gain the ability to apply ourselves NOW, not later.

I know for myself that often I have the best of intentions to do something, or to follow an inspiration given to me in the moment, yet how easily I can put it off, until later.

Life is so precious, as Time is, so never put off until tomorrow what we can do now!



Saturday, October 7, 2023

BE HAPPY...

It can happen, when one is feeling down or unwell, the answer is simply to be happy. It may not make sense, yet the very fact of aiming at being happy, and thinking happy thoughts will work to our advantage.  
Our mind can be a maze of thoughts and imagined difficulties at times, yet the very act of thinking 'happy' will put a smile on our face, and all will become well again. 

We forget that in mindset, we are like children having a bad day. It seems like the end of the world when our icecream falls or our toy is broken, yet a soon as we receive encouragement and a hug, our troubles fade away.

Perhaps this is why 'spiritual childhood' can have such power in our lives. We learn to become like a child with our loving Father, the Creator of the Universe, believing that He loves us. Then, all is well because All is Love!



Wednesday, September 27, 2023

CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS...


The whole idea of being Creative gives expression to our unique individuality as a person, able to think and act and be someone special in this wonderful and crazy world of ours.

Of course, we learn from others, guidelines as to how to be creative, especially with the written word. When we want to make an impact, using our individual talents, we can follow patterns set out by others.  This is well and good, provided we do not become a'copy-cat'!

So, the challenge is to learn to put pen to paper and write our own thoughts and inspirations, even though the guidelines we follow have been taught to us by others who have been successful with their stories and poems and novels and films.

This is where our belief system kicks in.  It is so important that we believe in ourselves and the inspirations and promptings that come to mind. It can happen that we at first, will copy a certain style from someone we admire, yet our sense of truth will protect us and encourage us to be truly ourselves.

This is the hallmark of becoming a great writer /artist / poet / whatever God-given talent we have. Above all, to be true to the unique person we are. 

SIMPLICITY

The ability to have a simple approach to life is quite a clever way to handle emotional upheavels when they come our way.  Life is so wonderful and diverse. 

As the song says, 'One day we are up in the air, next day down on the ground...' yet with a simple approach to all that comes our way, we learn easily to cope and find a happy guide to deal with everything in life.

The other day I was listening to an old Late late Show by Gay Byrne.  It seems people were asked to send in a card with their name and phone number, a sort of Draw with a Prize to win.  The lady who answered the phone was quiet..

'Yes, this is me.. Who are you?

The audience laughed, but she did not. Gay immediately picked up on whatever was wrong, asked, and found out her daughter had been knocked down and died, the day before. His compassion was immediate, and cut back on the celebration intended.

This, to me is the power of a simple approach to life. We can let go of where we are and what is important to us, for the sake of what is most important at that moment.  Gay was a great man, more for his understanding of people, than his showmanship.

Perhaps, this is what simplicity can teach us, a simple approach to life as it is being presented to us.





Saturday, September 2, 2023

IMAGINATION...


I had no idea what to write about... imagination...  what is that and how does it effect our lives? However, I soon realised that no matter what age we are, or where we live, or what occupies our daily lives, we are essentially, imaginative people.

And, if this is true, we have only ourselves to blame if we find life tedious or boring, because our imagination is like a fire within that lends to all sorts of creative ideas. There is no limit, except the limit we put on ourselves.  

Next question to ask ourselves would be, why?  Why would we limit our creative abilities when we can almost reach for the moon and believe we are there, by simply using our imaginative skills to create the illusion.

In our endeavour to become a creative writer, the sky is the limit as to what we can put down on paper. Our belief system will do the rest. Simply begin, pen to paper.  

 

Thursday, July 13, 2023

CELEBRATE...

 When we celebrate, we become a happier and more fulfilled person, and the good thing about celebrating is, we seldom celebrate alone!

What about the idea of celebrating Failure?  Of course, we never like to fail, yet being of a fallen nature, with imperfect habits and ways, we can be certain of failing in someway or other.

This can be discouraging at times, and yet so many lessons come from our failures.    When we are able to look at ourselves, objectively, we would see that so much is learned through failing.

Imagine how arrogant we could become, if we never failed, yet a quick examination of ourselves will show how much is gained by mistakes we make.  We can get upset OR we can grateful and learn to become a better and more loving person.

The choice is always ours, so no need to feel bad when we fail. 

Simply Celebrate Failure




Tuesday, June 20, 2023

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

The ability to have a Holiday Spirit, even in the most ordinary days and ways, is a gift and a good way to know that one is alive and well, healthy in mind and body.

It can happen that one is distracted by little things that don't work out well, or maybe a lack of understanding can put one down, mentally.

As the Book says, do not sweat the small things... i.e. someone forgets to say hello / a favourite item is lost or broken / feeling tired or upset etc.  Let them all go, and hold on to what is most important...  being happy!

A Holiday Spirit is found when we follow our hearts and enjoy life, regardless!



Tuesday, June 13, 2023

MINDFUL...

To be mindful means awareness of what might be happening, in this present moment. It seems such a simple and easy thing to do, mindfulness, and yet it can be a challenge because our mind might is somewhere else, rather than where we ought to be.  

If we allow ourselves to be distracted by things other than what we are meant to be doing, then we have a problem.  It can happen so easily with children. They are supposed to study, yet all they may thing about is playtime. 

Perhaps the solution lies in following our heart, and allow ourselves to do what we would love to do, rather than what we think we should be doing.  So much time and energy can be spent on being of a dutiful mind. This can be virtuous at times, yet nothing is better than doing what we love to do.

Dance if you want to dance / sing if you want to sing / play if you want to play, and if it comes to mind, pray when we want to pray!



Monday, June 5, 2023

POWER

When we look at the World today, we can be amazed at the Power of Inventions. Already, steps are being taken to live on Planets outside the Earth.

Almost everybody has a smart-phone, and even children have the technology to use ways of communicating with one another. 

WhatsApp is a tool that allowed me to speak to my sister, living in Pakistan, and view her as if she was in my room with me. How powerful! 

I am impressed by the giant steps taken in Knowledge and Learning abilities. It's almost as if Schools are no longer needed, and one can simply sit down at a Computer or I Pad and be taught everything and anything.

This Power to learn and become whoever we want to be, is fantastic. However, is it always used for the best intentions?  Am we learning to become a better, wiser persons,  OR wasting time with foolish or negative knowledge?

Oh yes, the Power to create a better World is in the hands of each one of us, depending on how we live our lives, and more especially how connected we are to loving one another. 



Tuesday, May 30, 2023

COURAGE...


Courage is often regarded as being fearless, and acting without fear of any kind, a real Hero!  A good image, yet perhaps, flawed.

It takes Courage to face our fears, and not to run away.  This might well show us what it takes to become a Hero.  The person who is willing to face their fears is someone with a courageous heart, willing to face the trials that come, and not put off by feeling fearful.

The other day, a little blackbird flew into our home.  He crashed against the windows, trying desperately to get out, and even though the door was open.

 Again,  he crashed against the window with a bang.  I thought he had surely killed himself.   I was afraid to touch him, yet when I realised he would probably be killed, I had to step in, out of pity for the poor thing.  I grabbed hold of a cloth, managed to throw it over him, bundled it around him and ran out the door, holding him tightly.   As soon as I was outside, I pulled away the cloth and he flew away, hopefully not too hurt.

A little lesson for me.  Courage is found when we face our fears and do it anyway!

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

FRIENDSHIP...

True friendship is of a spiritual vein. A true friend will be one who knows how to care and share, yet also able to step back and allow freedom above all.

St. Francis De Sales is quoted as saying... 'Let your charity extend to everyone, but limit your friendship to those with whom you can share virtuous things.  The more perfect they are, the more perfect will your friendshp be.'

This could well be a tall order in today's World, and yet when practised, it works. We need to value the gift of friendship, and believe that when we are drawn to another person, it is a wonderful grace to respond to our hearts.  

A positive mind will always triumph, and it is good to know, a friend in need is a friend in deed!



Tuesday, May 9, 2023

ELEVATE...

 
There is a famous Song... You raise me up... which gives a good description of what it means to Elevate, to raise someone higher.  This could even relate to a prayer where we praise God for loving us..

We can Elevate ourselves to become a more able-minded person, simply by choosing to give of our best, at all times.  It is a mind-conscience awareness of how great Life and Living can be.

Often, we may have an experience of a child with a parent who wisely knows how to Elevate the child with praise.  If I work hard to write a poem, and am successful, then I can become elevated by honest praise.

Also, I can elevate another person by praising their efforts to create something good. This is a wonderful gift to use, especially when people are wounded and vulnerable. Just as God elevates us by calling us His children, we too can be a force of good that will elevate others.

Positive praise is always welcome.



FORTIFY...

 To Fortify... to make stronger / better, will demand effort and concentration. It means an examination of ourselves and learning about our strengths and our weaknesses.

Fortifications are used a lot in buildings where weak points are found, and so must be strengthened and fortified against future damage. 

The same can be true of ourselves. Having a positive mind helps us to know our strengths and work on them, yet also it is necessary to examine ourselves and be honest about our weak points.  This is where we must fortify ourselves from falling into bad habits and weaknesses that will cause us to become discouraged.

The Jesuits, an order of religious, have a whole rule book called, ' Examination of Conscience'.  It involves a list of known weaknesses, and remedies that will help a person to become more able, and more aware of being a Truthful person.

Putting it simply, it is such a brave and clever thing to Fortify ourselves in relation to everything we do.  This way, we protect ourselves from negativity, and learn to become a truly positive and happy person.



Saturday, March 18, 2023

DIRECTION...


In life we often get invitations to move out of our comfort zone, and this can be stressful.  Already, we are at a loss, facing the unknown, yet with the right help and direction, we are saved a lot of pain and anxiety. 

This is expecially true when it comes to relationships, and the invitation to open our heart to another person / another way of living and being.

The invitation that stepped into my life, so many years ago, was huge / life changing. It meant giving up the way of life that I was used to / giving up the friends I knew, and especially moving away from my family.

Could this really be a Providential invitation?  Surely God works through the ordinary and natural ways we have grown up with, and the commitments we have made in life?

I sought good advice and was simply told to 'try it out', which I did. Now fifty years later I am astonished at how my life turned around, with great happiness and graces.

I was directed to take a certain path in life, I tried it out and thank God it worked. 


Wednesday, March 8, 2023

CREATE...

During Covid lockdown, my younger sister, Goretta,  decided to take up knitting again. This time her new interest was in crochet. She began with scarves and hats, then bigger projects came to mind. I received a lovely gift of a bedspread. It has become my winter delight when the evening's are cold and chilly.

Then, a friend began to take seriously, her interest in photography. Although confined at first, opportunities came to go places, with camera.  She now has an Exhibition of her work on display in the local Library.

To me, this is a perfect example of how important it to be creative, and follow whatever we are inspired to do, creatively.  

My saving grace during Lockdown was my interest in Creative Writing. Even when inspirations seemed slow to come, I began writing about a girl called Josie, a young teenager. Each morning I would write her story.  After awhile, it became a necessity to add to her story, an enjoyable habit, and how sad I was when her story came to an end.

I was again faced with the desire and need to Create!



 

Thursday, February 9, 2023

INTRODUCTION to CREATIVE WRITING:


INTRODUCTION to CREATIVE WRITING

 by Vera Cait

Creative Writing is an Art Form whereby  we use WORDS to express ourselves.       Poetry is a good example where the written words instil emotions and memories, moving us to find pictures in our minds of what the words are telling us. 

 At other times, we can find ourselves expressing passion by a selection of words, similar to Valentine Cards.  One doesn't often tell a person how much they love them, yet the written words on a card will do just that.  

Perhaps a little over the top, yet which one of us would not be impressed with receiving a Valentine Card? 

The Written Words can also be a form of Therapy.  By writing down the feelings or memories we have about a certain incident, the words can act as a Stress Buster, allowing us to become aware of hidden traumas buried in the depths of our minds

To be Creative with Words, all we need is Pen to Paper, and Time to write.

Monday, January 30, 2023

Believe...


 Today I met a young person, a young mother with a husband and one year old child. She wanted to give me an envelope with money enclosed.

Her story related to many years ago when she visited our Shop with a friend. The money is to pay for something her friend had stolen from the shop and gave it to her. 

Now that she has become a born-again Christian, she feels compelled to pay for what was stolen, and to apologise. She believes that to follow Christ we must be honest and make up for any mistakes or wrongs that one has been party to.

I accepted the gift of money, then invited her and her husband to have tea with us.  I explained that I am a believer in the Catholic Faith, and introduced her to a book by Saint Therese.  She took a photo of the cover, but not the book.

We sat in our Studio and had tea and biscuits.  I was impressed by her faith, yet a little sad that she would feel obliged to point out the faults she believes exist in the Catholic Faith.

What we believe is very personal and must be respected, yet if we truly believe in our Faith, are we morally bound to share it with others?  I ask the question because that is what I tried to do many years ago, to go out and preach the Gospel, and let all peoples know that God is a God of love.

I believe and I wonder...


Tuesday, January 10, 2023

ASPIRATIONS

Our ASPIRATIONS denote who we are. 

When I aspire to dance, I become a dancer

When I aspire to swim, I become a swimmer.

and when I aspire to write, I become a writer.

Whatever I aspire to become, will become my reality, will be me.

Pen to Paper, fingers on the keyboard, let's write!







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