These five attributes live inside each one of us. It isn’t a matter of developing them or finding them or creating them. It’s simply a matter of uncovering them. Acknowledging them. Accepting them.

We are like a lawn full of dead leaves. The dead leaves are our unwanted thoughts. Our unnecessary feelings. Our unkind expressions. Our unforgiving judgments. Our hurtful actions. Toward ourselves and others. Now, let’s get a rake and rake through the dead leaves of unwanted experiences and find the flowers underneath. Just underneath the surface of our pain there grows a beautiful flower. And another and another. These flowers symbolize within us our truth as creations of God.

They are called …
The Presence of Love
The Energy of Love
The Essence of Love
The Decision for Love
The State of Love

The Presence of Love. Happiness and Joy welling within us when we allow it.

The Energy of Love. Health and Well Being, a natural state of being that is our gift from God.

The Essence of Love. Harmlessness personified by kindness that flows constantly through us.

The Decision for Love. Helping others to find their inner flowers becomes our greatest joy.

The State of Love. Heaven is a state of mind and dwells within us right here, right now.

We may occasionally recognize these attributes in ourselves, but usually we let them pass by with little or no attention. What if we paid attention? What would we see? What would be our experience?

Happiness is every peaceful moment. It can be seen in a sunrise or a playful kitten. It can be seen in the unspoken joy that wells within us for no reason at all. Pay attention when this happens and focus on this feeling. It is the presence of Love.

Health and well being are when we see ourselves as more than a body. When an understanding comes over us that we are okay just as we are. No strings attached. No special conditions imposed. This is the energy of Love.

Harmlessness is when we choose to be kind instead of hurtful to another. No matter how small the act, our willingness to be harmless offers a loving, healing experience for us and for others. This is the essence of Love.

Helpfulness happens whenever we see someone in need and offer a hand, a word, an encouraging smile. Whenever we see someone’s cry for help and then answer it with a prayer or a blessing on their behalf. Whenever we withhold judgment and choose love instead. This is the decision for Love.

Heaven is God’s love that lives in each one of us. It is seen as light and experienced as truth, constant and unchanging and eternally us, one with each other and one with God. This is the State of Love.

Isn’t it a warm and lovely thought to know that underneath the dead leaves of our experience, just out of our awareness lives this amazing world ripe for miracles and quietly waiting for our attention? And when we pay attention it appears in full panoramic view and nothing else exists.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

There are schools of thought that believe that all healing is held in a single smile.  Could this be true? Could the simple act of smiling make the world a better place?  What if, instead of frowning at someone or something that you perceived as disturbing or disruptive today, you gently smiled?

What if, when you wanted to make a situation better and you couldn’t think of the words, you just quietly smiled?  What if, you wanted to convey something beautiful and loving to someone and the right thoughts to express this eluded you and so you took the other person’s hand, softened your eyes and smiled into theirs? What if you looked in the mirror and saw the hurt and the sadness in your own eyes and you turned that around by giving yourself a confident and loving smile. 

A smile is reassuring.
A smile is comforting.
A smile is contagious.
A smile is an easy way to communicate love, kindness and forgiveness.
A smile releases endorphins and makes us feel better.
A smile expresses joy and happiness.
A smile is a stepping stone to laughter.
A smile is a gift, an offering of an open heart and a helping hand.
A smile is very, very powerful and when you give it to another, you give it to yourself.

Today whenever something disturbs you, try this exercise, curve your lips upward, soften your vision and smile. Not just with your lips, but with your eyes. Let it come from deep within your heart.  It’s impossible to be depressed, sad, anxious, angry or afraid when your heart is smiling. Let a smile be your prayer.  Let a smile be your meditation.  Let a smile be your affirmation of your true worth and value. Let a smile change someone’s day.  Let a smile in each moment change your life.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

In this season of thankfulness, let’s open our hearts and minds to all that is beautiful and amazing in our lives. Gratitude is an attribute we all must cultivate if we want to open the world’s door to God’s loving presence. In gratitude we bless this moment, and everyone in our lives. In gratitude we remember to be thankful for our own loving selves. When our hearts are grateful, we shine a heavenly light upon everyone and everything. Our gratitude lifts the world to its highest state of being and brings peace to all.  

GRATITUDE
G ratitude is quiet grace in action and
R emembering to look, to listen and be
A ware of every opportunity to
T hank God for all the blessings
I n our life and to use them as a chance to
T rust in our own truth and in God’s Loving Laws,
U nderstanding that the entire Universe is
D esigned for our happiness and to give us
E verything we need if we simply trust and let it be.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

At one time or another we all ask, Who am I?  and Why am I here?

The answer is simple.
You are the glorious child of a loving God.  And your purpose is to be free of all fear.

Being without fear …
… engenders hope,
… allows you to extend and receive love more fully,
… opens your mind and heart to allow God’s Holy guidance,
… heals your heart, your mind and your body,
… encourages you to be your best self at all times,
… causes you to always remain calm and calms others,
… keeps you in a joyous state and attracts joy to you,
… protects you and yours and keeps you safe in the light and love of God,
… allows you to be open to the abundance of a loving God,
… promotes forgiveness without condoning or condemning,
… lets you walk quietly in the world with your heart and mind open to all possibilities,
… guarantees you a life dedicated to serving a higher purpose.

Leaving fear behind is a journey and takes patience and decision. You can practice this daily (and moment by moment) by simply looking straight at what disturbs your peace, and with a gentle, knowing smile, understand that the Universe has something better for you than this. May you walk gently and in peace this day knowing that you are blessed and can bless with your tiny willingness to forgive all things and be at peace.

Many of us get stuck in the same place, often hating our lives and then refusing to do anything to change it. What keeps us from changing is fear. Fear is in the mind and so it is our minds we must change first. Some people can act their way to a change of mind, but most of us must practice seeing ourselves and the world differently before we can effect change. That is mind training (or re-training). The most effective ways to begin our mind changing program is through meditation, prayer and affirming.

Meditation is opening to the Divine Universe and listening in stillness.
Prayer is asking for help.
Affirming is turning our fear thoughts into love thoughts.

With every fear thought comes a corresponding love or peace thought. When we have a thought that blocks peace and change, we can make a conscious effort to turn that thought around. Even if it feels insincere and false at first. Practicing the art of affirming will polish our skills in believing in the best in ourselves.

Journaling is an effective tool for mind re-training as well. In a journal we can, over time, see for ourselves where our fears lie and ask for help in releasing them. A blessings journal or section of our journal will help us remember what is good in our lives so we can begin to focus more fully on the positive aspects of ourselves and our lives. It is impossible to be grateful and fearful at the same time. And even those things which we fear can be seen as tools for our growth and therefore something for which to be thankful.

Forgiveness is an important tool for mind changing as well. If we can practice forgiving ourselves and everyone in our lives by letting go of the past and releasing our anxiety about the future, the thought of changing our minds will be much less fear inducing.

Another tool is being in the NOW. In this moment life is perfect. As all the great teachers teach, the past is over, the future is not here and Now Is All There Is. An affirmation I use daily and sometimes hundreds of times in a day depending upon the kind of day I’m having is, “God is the Love with which I experience this moment.” And then I focus with love only on what is happening right now. Whether it’s doing the dishes, working at the computer, having a conversation, vacuuming the floor, eating a meal, falling asleep, awakening in the morning, driving to a destination, we can do it all with conscious intention and God’s pure love. With this affirmation the past falls away and the future doesn’t exist.

The most important attribute for change is TRUST. We must trust that there is a Power that exists beyond our small selves. A Power that only Loves us and sees beyond fear and so is able to transcend fear for us. God is able, with just our small willingness to change our minds, transform all fear into pure joy. And then we can rest in Him and trust in ourselves. We are now able to trust that we deserve happiness and peace, abundance and a heavenly experience right here on earth. We can see that we are trusting when life is easy. If it seems as though we are fighting for survival or if we feel stressed or uncertain then we know we are making a mistake and trying to create our own destiny.

When we trust, we allow and when we allow our experiences instead of trying to manipulate them or force them into our limited vision of what should be, our lives expand and every day becomes a miracle right now. And beautiful, positive and perfect change just happens without our needing to worry about a thing.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

Breathe in the light of your own perfection.
Breathe in the beauty of your sweet spirit.
Breathe in the truth that lives inside you.
Breathe in this moment and keep it with you always,
knowing NOW is all there is.

As we rest within our self and surrender to the Universe all that we do not want, a flood of peace flows over us and we know somehow we are at home right here where we belong. It makes us smile.  And we walk the world with quiet grace in our own light. And everyone around us shines their light with ours. And all the world reflects our light and there is nothing else. Joy. Love. Peace. Stillness. Life is simple now with you and me in total recognition of each other. Joined at our heart place. Our spirits walking hand in hand. Angels are our company. God is our strength.

Now we can breath easy and know that all is well …

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

THE DANCE

A rainbow arcs from here to Heaven.
Let’s dance across it in the promises of God.       

The child sat in the hall just outside her parents’ bedroom.  The door was open a crack.  With one bare foot she softly kicked it wider.  She curled her knees up to her chest, hugged herself and rocked in silent rhythm to the dark and dangerous dance she saw her parents performing with each other.

As if in slow motion her mother swung her arm back and threw the hairbrush.  It thudded dully against the wall.  Her mother’s voice rose in pitch as she turned her body toward her husband and flung words that pierced the child like sharp arrows  Though all the words weren’t clear to the child, their meaning was.  The meaning was anger.  The meaning was hate.  She saw her father stop her mother’s arm with his powerful grip as it swung toward him.  Her parents’ voices joined together in a tight duet of raging emotions, words overlapping so quickly it was impossible to tell who was speaking.  One thing the child knew.  No one was listening … except her. 

She heard the dreaded words from her mother, “I’m leaving you!”  Her father threw his arms around her mother holding her tightly against his chest as her mother tried in vain to free herself from his tight grasp.  They rocked this way in a painful dance, for a time that spanned forever in a child’s eyes. Her mother’s sobs broke her heart.  Her father’s harsh tone scraped against her insides like his unshaved jaw against her delicate cheek. Only that was fun. This was searing pain.  This dance was not new to the child, but each time she saw it and each time she heard the scary words, she died a little more. 

Tonight something changed inside her.  She did something she hadn’t had the courage to do before.  She staggered to her feet, stood in the doorway, held out her hands, palms up like a street urchin begging for alms and cried out, “Mommy!  Daddy!  Stop it!”  Her small face was scrunched up tight and tears poured from her eyes.  She faced them for an instant longer, then whirled and ran to her bedroom and slammed her door.

The silence following her entreaty echoed in the deadly quiet of the night.  Within seconds her bedroom door opened and the hallway light flooded her room. Her mother ran to her.  Her father switched on her bedroom light. Before long she was wedged lovingly between her parents on her bed.  “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry,” her mother choked softly.  

 ”We didn’t see you there,” her father said, his voice cracked with emotion.  “But that’s no excuse.”

“Don’t you love my Mommy?” the child asked in a small voice?  “Don’t you love my Daddy?” 

“Of course I do!” her parents cried in unison.  They rocked her in their arms and began a new dance that included the three of them and changed the timbre of the night from terror to remorse and for the child, hope. 

The child saw then, what her parents didn’t seem to notice, a heavenly light that encircled them and warmed the little girl from the inside out.  As is the way with children, fear faded quickly from her mind and joy lit her face.  She giggled now for this was a new moment and all was forgiven.  She saw her mother’s lips twitch as she looked back at her father.  As her father’s eyes stared straight into her mother’s, they softened and then twinkled.  In unison her parents burst out laughing. 

“Family hug!” the child cried.  Her parents rose from the bed and sandwiched her between them and they created another new dance. This one filled with light and joy.  Together the three of them circled the room in an awkward two step in time to the beautiful music of healing laughter.

Somehow the child knew the past was over and her mother and her father had learned something important.  If she had had the words to express it, it would be this; It’s okay to disagree, but it’s not okay to hate.  And it’s not okay to attack your children with your pain.

As the girl grew into a woman and became a mother herself, she never forgot that night. Each evening before she and her husband tucked their own children into bed, she cried out the now familiar words, “Family hug!”  Then the parents clasped their arms around their children and the children around each other.  And together they danced around the room in an ungainly shuffle, nearly losing their balance as they shrieked with joyful laughter.  And the child inside the woman smiled at the heavenly light that encircled her beloved family and warmed her from the inside out.

THE END

I dedicate this fictional story to my daughters who experienced my dysfunctional relationship with their father. Sadly, our story wasn’t as simply resolved as this one. I saw myself as a mentally abused wife and I believed my fight to protect myself and my daughters was the right thing.  I didn’t know what I was doing to my children. They were six and twelve when I left the dance. They are in their thirties now, but still the battles that they witnessed linger in their minds and touch them in ways I never imagined.

There is so much Love living inside you. You have an amazing capacity for kindness and service and laughter and joy.  You are intelligent. You are beautiful inside and out.  Because of your spiritual openness and your intelligence, the following information will be very helpful to you.  You have asked for help and help is here.

Whenever we feel challenged or saddened or sensitive about a situation in our life, we have the words to pray: “I want the peace of God instead of this.” 

Remember to be grateful even for the difficult times, for these are our greatest opportunities to learn and grow.  Those who push our buttons the hardest are our greatest teachers.  Instead of pushing back, let us try going inward and being grateful for this teacher for he/she is helping us to recognize where our weaknesses lie and what we need to release so we can grow toward peace.

It’s important to understand there is nothing in this world we have the power to change all on our own. We will feel a weight lifted from our heart when at last we are able to see we don’t need to feel responsible for changing the world or anyone in the world.  Nor do we need to carry the burden of guilt for the world’s insanity.  Our power lies in the fact that we can change our mind about the world. The power of God is not in the world but in our minds.  When we change our mind about the world, we have done everything for it is in our mind, our spirit mind that we are able to see God’s Light and we are able to experience the peace and joy we crave.

When we are not at peace the words we can use to affirm that we are ready for change are: “I know I am mistaken because I am not at peace. God, help me to see the world through Your eyes.” And “I want the peace of God instead of this.” 

When we are willing to see the world differently, we open up the channel to all healing, ours and the worlds. Now we can be guided in what to do and what to say in all things. And it will all be effortless. We will smile more and our hearts will rest lightly in Him. Joy won’t be just a word any longer, but our only experience. A Holy light will shine upon our path and no longer will we question our purpose here.  For it is clear. Our purpose is peace.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

A friend invited me and several others to post an entry on her blog entitled, What I Would Tell My Children Before I Die.  My children are grown.  I wish I had been offered this challenge when they were small. But even though they are adults, I do have things to say to them. Below is an excerpt. 

For the full post go to http://notesalongthepath.wordpress.com. This would be a great exercise for everyone.  Even if we don’t have children, we should take the time to think about what we would say to them if we did, because these are the same wisdoms we should offer everyone, including ourselves.  These are the loving thoughts that perhaps we wished our parents had gifted to us.  When we offer something loving to our children, and then extend it to the world great healing happens.  Think about a world where we love and accept and enjoy and forgive each other just as we do our children.  We allow the children to make mistakes.  We accept that the children have lessons to learn and we are willing teachers. We immediately want to console a crying child. Who doesn’t want to hug a child?  Try to see everyone as a child, including yourself and see if your perception of the world doesn’t change.

Excerpt What I Would Tell My Children Before I Die

I would tell my daughters that they are a gift; a gift to me, to each other and to the world.  And as a gift they have certain responsibilities. They have the responsibility to be happy and to share that happiness with each other and with everyone they encounter.  They have a responsibility to understand the power of their energy in the world.  When they are allowing peace and love into their lives, that peace and love flows through them and helps to heal everyone and everything.  Since peace and love and happiness is their natural state, not fear and anger and guilt, it’s quite a simple matter to remember that when they are in a state of mind other than love, they must simply, and as soon as they are able, choose again. 

I would tell my daughters that it isn’t so much what they do here, but what’s in their hearts when they do it.  And even if their intentions aren’t perfect, God’s love will make the necessary corrections and every blessing they have ever offered or tried to offer, perfect or imperfect, will be saved for them.

I would tell my daughters that they are not their bodies, but they have a responsibility to love and care for their bodies.  Their bodies serve a purpose in helping make the world a better place and their lives easier if they allow it.  They must enjoy their body and value it, not for its size or shape, but for its true design.  Their smile can express kindness and love.  Their voices can speak for those who can’t.  Their eyes can radiate joy. Their hands can offer help and hope. Their arms can hug a child. Their feet can take them wherever they are needed and wherever they need to be.  They should eat with healthy enjoyment.  They should exercise until it feels good. They should play with delight.  They should be grateful for their health. They should work with purpose and a sense of fun.  They should take the time to smell the lilacs, breathe in the beauty and feel the textures of life.  When they use their bodies in this way, they will always be beautiful.

I would tell my daughters to never forget their spirit.  Breathe. Pray.  Meditate. Live a joyful life in each moment.

What’s the gift we forget to give?
Silence
Gentle silence in the face of chaos
Is what we search for and can’t find
In the midst of the busy noise of the world
That assaults our senses morning, noon and night.

Silence is so quiet that we overlook it
In our search for joy and peace.

Yet in silence lies the answer to all our questions.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

In all things live great possibilities beyond our wildest dreams.  Possibilities are not always scientific. They cannot always be seen with the naked eye or heard or touched.  But with an open mind and heart, they can be felt and somehow known by something deep inside us.  It just takes a little trust. 

Trust first in the possibility for your own great happiness and a Love that transcends this world.  Trust that you have been gifted with many windows of opportunity to be a messenger of peace and that is your true purpose here.  And if that window seems a bit dingy at times, then take a soft cloth and the Windex of Truth and polish it until it glistens and the Light that is you shines clearly through. 

The next step is to smile gently, soften your vision and your heart and lay your Holy, silent blessing upon the next person you see.  And then the next and don’t stop until every Child of God brought before you receives their Gift.  The clerk at the grocery store, the person who cuts you off in traffic, your friends, your family, your co-workers.  The list is endless.  And then take note of how you feel.   Doesn’t a calm and quiet feeling of peace and gratitude fill your being? Can you not suddenly see that your power to change the world lies in simply dispensing blessings right here, right now?  And who gets the highest blessing from your act of gentle kindness?  You, of course. 

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

Let’s monitor ourselves for thoughts that lessen our experience.  When we are tempted to believe that we are something less than a Holy Spirit child of God, let’s make a conscious effort to re-think that thought.  Whenever we are tempted to believe our past experiences are less than helpful and not of our own choice, we must re-think that thought as well, and reclaim power over our life.  Let’s remember everything is helpful when perceived properly.  Instead of woe is me, let’s ask, “What’s the lesson here?”  The quicker we learn our lessons, the sooner we can move toward joy.

If we smile gently at every negative thought and then immediately put another, more loving thought in its place, the thought that holds us back will disappear. In this way we will have trained ourselves to a new way of thinking. One in which we are no longer the victim, but an empowered being who is helpful and productive and free from a past that no longer serves us. 

We belong in a place of quiet, calm, peace, joy and absolute love.  That is our true calling.  This is our true home.  Yesterday is over.  Tomorrow never comes.  Now is where we live and now is always perfect.

Our thoughts should be:

I am happy because happiness is my natural state of being.

I love and am loved because there is no other way for me.

I forgive the past and surrender the future because in so doing I find my peace. 

I am happy in my relationships, successful in my work and joyous in my play. I never forget to play.

I am on my spiritual path even if I don’t recognize it. It’s up to me where I choose to follow it.

I know my path isn’t everyone’s and I respect that, while staying true to the path set for me.

I have no choice but to be what I really am, God’s light in the world.

Since I have no choice but to be a Light, I might as well let go and and let it shine free.

Deny yourself no longer, Beloved Child of God, and you will surge forth, and soar upward to the heavens of this world where joy fills your being, and where your heart is lifted up to Him Who owns it and where peace is your every day experience.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

Challenges and difficulties teach us, but they do not define us.  There will come a time when we no longer need them because we will finally understand that pain and suffering and sacrifice is not nearly as fascinating as joy and love and healing.  Being at peace does not mean that life is bland and everyone is the same.  It means that we are now open to some really amazing adventures and experiences that will change the world. Being small in a dark and limited place inside our mind is really not that interesting when we finally accept that we can soar with the Angels if we so choose.

Fear is boring.  Love gently gives us wings and allows us to fly to places no one has ever been.  And in the end it gives us everything we’ve ever wanted and more than we ever dreamed possible. 

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

Though it is not easy, it is very simple to be happy.  We need do nothing, but simply be willing to accept our inheritance of peace and joy.  It takes some mind training for we have a tendency to slip off into fear whenever we lose focus.  We have taught ourselves to believe in the ego’s limited laws and to forget about God’s unlimited laws. But with patience, kindness and gentle forgiveness toward ourselves and the world, we can remember we are entitled to miracles and so open ourselves to the unlimited laws of God’s grace.  Simply be willing to accept that you might possibly be mistaken in how you see yourself and the world. Allow the possibility that you are deserving of God’s Love and even more, that it could really be true that you are His Love.  Do this and the way will open.  You can now live by the powerful and loving laws of God, which transcend the little laws of the ego.  And as you do, see with joy and delight that the world’s insane laws of separation and injustice, of scarcity and sickness and death, of suffering and violence are rendered harmless to you.    

God does not expect perfection, only a little willingness and He will do the rest.

Together, let’s take the hand of Love and let Him lift us up above the fray.  And from this higher place, let’s rest in His Love and in His Light and smile with relief and gratitude that our suffering is done and Love has taken its place this moment and every single time we choose it.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

I see you on a golden path of light. You are illuminated and you illuminate.  There are actually only two paths.  The first path, the one most commonly travelled, is outside of us and causes us to move away from our inner truth.  The second path and the one many of us are not aware of though we often sense that something is missing, is the path of calm acceptance which lives inside of us. On the path of calm acceptance we need only ask one question of  the Universe, “Which way?”  Upon asking this quiet question, our potential expands to encompass all possibilities for we are now flexible, open and responsive. In being flexible, open and responsive to the love and the miracles around us, we gift ourselves with a beautiful experience that we can share with others. 

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

The power for peace and happiness lies only within us.  Not in anyone else.  This important lesson must be learned before we can truly be happy.  When we depend upon the actions and words of others for our peace of mind, our happiness and our joy, our acceptance and our worth, we will never be peaceful.  People change their minds about each other from moment to moment depending upon whether those in their lives are doing or saying what they perceive to be the “right” things.  The dynamic of most relationships is to give love when we are being given what we think we need from someone and to withhold love when the other person is not giving us our due. Can you see what a flimsy basis this is for determining the value of anyone?  

The good news is that happiness is a choice and one we can make every moment of every day.  All on our own. And therein lies our power.  The power we deny because we have forgotten who we are and still believe we must impress someone else. Other people’s opinions are valued way too highly and are based not upon who we are, but who the other person is; their life experience and values and fears.  How can anyone know us when they don’t even know themselves?  How can we know someone else when we don’t know ourselves?  Judgment is God’s job.  Being willing to surrender judgment to Him is ours. 

Imagine if you could see the TRUTH of YOU.  Your beauty and your glory and your light are beyond your ability to imagine.  If you only knew.  You would never suffer another moment’s doubt or sadness or fear or anger … IF YOU ONLY KNEW.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

Beloved Child of God, you know you are ready to take some steps to help yourself to a happier experience. You are ready to be used as an instrument of God’s Holy Love and Peace and Joy in the world. You know you are tired of being afraid and are ready for something better. That’s why you are reading this. That’s why your heart is aching for something more. That’s why the stress and anxiety and depression of the world’s craziness weighs so heavily. Somewhere deep inside you, you know that you don’t have to carry the weight of trying to be something you’re not. Or live in a world where insanity appears to reign.

God’s Love is fluid and flexible and never set in stone. It follows us wherever we go and no matter what we’re doing. And yet His Love is constant and eternal and unchanging as well. Although God does not cause sickness and war and scarcity and chaos, His presence is in every aspect of the world’s insanity. This means that everything in a world filled with fear can be turned around by simply turning to Him for help at all times and in all things. God cannot stop His children from doing strange things, but He is there to guide us when we are ready to choose a better way.

You are so ready for peace and joy, Beloved Child of a Loving God, and so am I. Take my hand and together let’s allow ourselves to be lifted to a higher place where we can simply be a Light in the World as we were created to be. We don’t have to concern ourselves as to how or where to shine our light. That’s God’s job. Ours is simply to be willing to accept that we are the light and to smile quietly and let the joy flow in.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

There are two aspects of us in this world.  The aspect of the ego in which we live most of the time in fear and darkness.  And the aspect of the spirit in which all are glorious and wondrous and perfect.  The aspect of the ego is minute, like a drop in the ocean and the aspect of the spirit is the ocean.  Instead of seeing the drop disappear into the ocean, we spend our days trying to force the ocean inside the drop.  Now, imagine how uncomfortable and painful that is to live in such an unnatural state.  And yet we all do it.  We see the drop as our life and the ocean not at all.  Or as a figment of our imagination, or an unattainable dream. If we only knew how bizarre that is, we would have to laugh at ourselves and our limited perceptions.   

The fact is that the only thing that is real is God (The Ocean) and He is pure Love.  And we, as His blessed drops are created whole and perfect in His image. Thankfully God offers a way out of our backward, twisted thinking by allowing His presence to be in all things.  That means that we can choose to see everything through the eyes of God’s Love if we wish and we can do this at any moment. 

Let us affirm ourselves:

“I have the power of happiness within me.  I am willing to choose it now.”

 “I am a powerful, loving and perfect being.  The fact that I have forgotten this cannot change it.”

“I am a beautiful, sacred and holy creation of a loving God and nothing else.”

“I am grateful to know I am a blessed drop in the Holy Ocean of unlimited Love.”

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

“It is through our relationships we will be healed.”

Let us rest our mind lightly upon someone who consistently disturbs our peace. Then envision a light around them and see them, not as they appear in the world, but as they must be as a creation of a Loving God.  Let’s let go of all of our attachment to what they say and how they say it; to what they do and how they do it and simply let our heart open in gentle and forgiving kindness and hand them to God for healing. 

There are only extensions of love or calls for love.  Anyone who is unhappy and manifests unhappiness in the world is doing so because they don’t know they are entitled to miracles.  And if they did know, they would probably be afraid of what that means. Some are comfortable in the dark place in their minds. They may have lived in fear all their lives and it’s possible they have grown accustomed to that way of thinking. Unless we want to continue to join in the games of anger and resentment and judgment and revenge, of hurt and victimhood, we must be the one to change our mind. We must be the one who chooses to align with the power of Love and see a better way for ourselves and for all others in our lives. In the quietness of our mind we can believe for those choosing pain and fear, that they deserve better than what they are allowing in their lives. 

We can do this through prayer and through meditation. We can rise to a higher level and silently offer everyone in our life, the love for which they are calling.  No matter how miserable someone may appear, in their heart they desperately want to be told by a Loving Presence that they are wrong.  Wrong to think they are victims of an insane world.  Wrong to think they must attack before they are attacked.  Wrong to think they must protect themselves from their “enemies”.  And if we are the one living in fear, defensive and projecting anger, then we must take own hand, open our own heart and let the light of God’s love shine away all that disturbs us.  This can all be done without a word being spoken aloud, for ourselves and for everyone. If we are in a physically abusive relationship, we must always get ourselves into a safe place. From a place of safety, we can effectively do the work of allowing healing in.

It doesn’t matter if we see no difference in how someone behaves toward us for our efforts; it’s all about how we choose to react to that person.  We can simmer or fight back or we can quietly and kindly leave the dance floor and they may never know it.  But we will know it by the peace in our heart, by the love and joy we now manifest in our life.  By the empowerment we experience by choosing Love instead of hate.  By choosing God instead of fear.

It’s never too late to turn a disturbed relationship into a Holy relationship simply because it does not need a physical action or words spoken aloud to make this happen. It all happens in the mind and in the heart and in the decision to forgive and choose again.  Even if someone has left this world long ago, we can still choose to follow a new path of forgiveness and heal our relationship with them in our own heart. We don’t do this for the other person, we do this for ourselves. We do this so that the poison of a sick relationship no longer makes us sick.

We can’t make the changes with the thought of changing someone else’s behavior.  Each child of God has their own free will to choose their own experience and thankfully, that is none of our business.  Our business is to choose to allow healing in our own life, our own mind, our own spirit and our own heart. 

If we falter and find ourselves succumbing to the temptation to play the game or dance the dance again, it’s not important. We can simply ask for help and choose again … and again … and again.  Every moment is an opportunity to be peace-filled and joyous. Every moment is an opportunity to choose God instead of fear. Every moment is an opportunity to choose to heal a relationship. It is through our healed relationships that we are now open to the abundance, peace, joy, health and well being and safety and protection of a loving God.

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.

If we believe life is a rehearsal
Let’s practice joy …

If we believe life is “the real thing”
Let’s Be Joy!

It’s imperative that we understand who and what we are if we are to be open to our own happiness.  If we think we are victims of an insane world, we need to think again.  It is our thoughts that bring us peace or keep us tied to fear’s dark pain. Our thoughts are as powerful as God.  This is because we are the thoughts of God. Each and every one without exclusion is a thought in the Mind of God.  And God is Love.  And God is all there is.

A Course in Miracles teaches that we cannot change the world, but in order to be at peace and to experience the abundance and joy of God in our lives, WE MUST CHANGE OUR MIND ABOUT HOW WE SEE THE WORLD.  We can’t keep thinking and talking about how terrible the world is without seeing and experiencing that.  If we look for darkness and pain, then as powerful creations of God, we must give ourselves what we look for. We can’t be consistently happy without choosing it. If we truly want to experience miracles (and anything that comes from love is a miracle), then we must look for miracles.  We must choose Love in all things.  We must STOP judging ourselves and others. It’s the only way to heal our spirits, experience a wonderful life and make the world a better place.

Most of us cannot do that without some help.  And so God has sent helpers.  Everywhere are seen and unseen helpers in and throughout the world.  You know who and what that is for you.  Turn to your helpers and ask to see the world through God’s Loving eyes.

You have experienced plenty of fear and suffering in your life.  Aren’t you getting tired of that?  Aren’t you weary of seeing your life reflected in a painful past?  An uncertain future? What could it possibly hurt to try another way? 

Our forgiving and loving thoughts are the truth of God within us. The truth is that we were created in the image of God and God is only Love.  This means that in our essence, our spirit, deep within us where we don’t always look, we are only Love.  Instead of frantically seeking love in all the wrong places, let’s surrender the seeking and BE LOVE.

Be Love.
Be Peace.
Be Joy.
Be Radiant Light.
Be Loving Thoughts.
BE YOUR SELF!

May you walk in peace today knowing you are blessed and a blessing in the world.