Being grateful is a decision. Anticipating the good that will undoubtedly "wear our name" is also a decision. In fact, every experience in one's life is an opportunity to say "yes, I am happy this particular experience has paid a visit." Each one is always meant for our good; for our growth; for our eventual use with the many other people who will cross our path. I was certainly not "a believer" in the concept of acceptance before becoming a member of the fellowship. It wasn't lost on me that every idea I had ever cherished now needed to be up for re-co[...]
0 I spent last evening with my husband and a few of our good friends. Following a Christmas Eve service at Unity Church, we gathered at our home and enjoyed a meal, coupled with the quiet pleasure of being in the presence of one another. There is no better way to spend time, whether it's a holiday or simply any ordinary day in our lives. Because when you stop and think about it, no day is really ordinary. Every day that we are in the company of others is extraordinary. And why is that? I think it's because God has carefully orchestrated the encounters we h[...]
I love the topic of joy and not just at the holiday season. One reason is simply because the word "joy" brings the memory of a very dear friend to mind, a friend whose name was Joy. She died on Valentine's Day two years ago and seldom does a day go by that she isn't remembered by me. She had a lot of joy in her life. Unfortunately, it was blended with a lot of pain. That's all too common, isn't it. However, when I think about Joy my heart feels lighter, and that's the crux of this post, in fact: making our hearts lighter. Scientific research has est[...]
I am one of those folks who loves all aspects of the holidays. As I said in my last post, from the lights to the music, I am hooked. I also honor the tradition of giving to others and take many opportunities to do so. Pulling an angel from a tree at the grocery or at church, and then shopping for the very item someone has requested fills my heart with joy. It's even more fun than choosing some thing for myself. I didn't grow up in a wealthy family, but we could always count on a few gifts at Christmas. Far too many children aren't that lucky and taking[...]
I'm grateful that the holiday season has begun. It always lifts my spirits. Having just come through a blue period makes greeting the Christmas Season a welcome activity. I'm someone who truly loves the holidays. I love the lights on the houses, the decorations within, the music playing in the stores and on the radio. Even the shopping and the sending of cards is fun for me too. I have many childhood memories of Christmas with my grandparents, and all the aunts and uncles and cousins that still bring smiles to me too, one in particular is the memory[...]
I know I have been here before. I get here every few months, in fact. The blues settle in for a spell and then I remember all that I have to be grateful for. It's not that I ever really forget but I get lazy and complacent and seem to want something more. I can't put a name to what "that more is" however. Fortunately I know the solution. And it's to be present to all the other God-chosen people who are on my path. I've selected them, along with God as my guide. And they have selected me too, for what we can teach one another. Our journey has been[...]
Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community, What I Believe - You and Your Higher Power
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Change is inevitable. . .
This is an apt topic for me to blog about today because I am resisting a change that's beyond my control. Our minister has decided to leave our church at the end of the year. That's only six weeks from now! I know that many of us are feeling the loss already. He has brought us so far in four years and he is loved, not only because of his solid spiritual message, but because he is alive with enthusiasm. The church has experienced many changes in the 22 years I have attended it but this one took me by surprise, total surprise. Many friends, who also atte[...]
We celebrate Veteran's Day annually but it's far oftener that we should pay homage to those men and women who so willingly serve in some branch of the services to protect the rest of us. Every moment of their deployment puts their life on the line and they do it willingly; they have not been drafted. Each of these individuals has made the decision to put the lives of others before their own: that decision includes our lives as well as the lives of their comrades. What they too often get for their courage, their commitment and their loyalty is silence from t[...]
My theme in all the work I do at this juncture of my life is about creating more peaceful relationships. Whether it's a book or a workshop, my focus is on helping others, and myself too, live with less strife. I sincerely believe we add to the peace of the world we inhabit every minute we choose to treat one of our contemporaries with respect and kindness. Just speaking gently is a good beginning, in fact. Sound too simple to really be the solution, you think? Think again. It's the pathway to a kinder, more gentle world, one that begins in the heart fo[...]
I have spent the last twenty years of my life writing and speaking about relationships; how we can improve them by making them more peaceful, more productive and more loving within our many communities. You have read in other blogs of mine or in books I have written, or perhaps even heard me say in a workshop that nothing and no one appears on our radar screen by accident or complete surprise. Perhaps we didn't know what was just around the corner, but it was known. That's a huge blessing to all of us, I think. It has allowed me to relax about the future[...]