Meditating to Heal

“And thus responded,
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Thus says Jesus in Matthew.

I go to bed each night after telling my wife of 59 years that I love her. I then go into our den, turn on my oxygen pump and TV to reruns of SVU Law and Order and go to sleep. I forget to thank God for my day. I forget my greatest commandment to love God; to thank Her for the 83 years of pure bliss with Linda, my two grown children, and three grandchildren. Without Her, I would still be that twelve-year-old delineate in East Orange, New Jersey.

I begin my going to bed procedure again, only this time, I thank Her with all my heart and with all my mind and with all my soul. So my advice to you is once you have conquered loving God with all your heart and soul and mind, then start on your neighbors. And notice how at rest your heart becomes.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!
Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

In the mid-1990s, at the age of 50, I found myself at a crossroads. Though I possessed the wisdom that comes with age, my social maturity was akin to that of a mid-teen. I was without a job, as the store I had owned went belly up, and I was recovering from major abdominal surgery. Amid these challenges, the only silver lining at that time was my role as the assistant swim team coach at a local high school.

The team consisted of about thirty teenagers, each with social maturity levels that sometimes resembled that of a seven-year-old; they complained, bickered, whined, and occasionally swore at me, to which I sometimes reciprocated with a blessing of my own. Despite their youthful antics, they shared a profound sense of friendship among themselves. By midseason, this friendship extended to include me.

Another word for friendship is love. I cherished coaching that team; I dedicated almost 15 years to it, yet I was still emotionally akin to a teenager when I stepped away. The primary shift during my time was the deepening of my love for the students. It felt as though God took over my heart, transforming how I viewed each athlete. Halfway through my coaching journey, I returned to college to pursue teaching. God led me into the high school classroom and eventually into the college classroom, all inspired by the love and effort demonstrated by those initial 30 swimmers who reminded me that God’s name is Love.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!
Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

On this 25th day of October, the last Sunday of the month, and only seven days before All Saints Day, our days are getting shorter as the Sun sets earlier, reminding us that winter is near. This seasonal change often leads us to cram more work into the shorter hours, increasing our inner stress, which can disrupt our natural barriers and harm our relationships with others.

Many years ago, I began taking a five-minute “me-break,” a time to “zoom out” and reconnect with my core self. I find peace in the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 12, there are such gems: “And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.” This resonates deeply within me, clearing my mind and transforming my day into one of gladness.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

Jesus made real honest friendship a truly important essential part of a balanced spiritual life. This was his second most important commandment. Even though he lived on the margins of society, he preached this to the Pharisees in the Synagogues. So, fear not my brothers and sisters. Wherever you are, Jesus will find you in your lonely places. For God is our home. God is within us. God is our soul.

Many times in the Bible, He’s the besets to knock. He just asks us to seek. Never telling us where—yet he tells us to look within ourselves. Yet we don’t listen. In our capitalist Christian world, we forget these simple things. God is within us. That’s what Jesus came to say. God is not hiding. In our deep dark lonely places, that is where we find God. We are not alone.

Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for God is with me. God is there… God is here… God is here… Amen.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99.

 

A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.

I have nothing more to say today, friends.

 

Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

 

 

I love my neighbors, but some of them are strange—really strange. But then, so am I… really strange! I try to walk or get on my peddler every day; I’m always meeting new people. And I always stop and talk with them; this is an easy way to make new friends. When we part, I always say that I am honored to have met them and grateful to have talked with them. Each night, I thank God for a wonderful day with my wife and tell Him I am grateful for the 59 years of marriage we have shared. I end my prayer with a wish for one more day.

In the morning, I thank God for allowing me another day to spread my gratitude with love to others. I begin each day and end each day by telling my wife that I love her. My constant outlook of gratitude prevents the clouds and thick darkness from forming around me, as stated in the Psalms.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.

Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!

Russell Kendall Carter, BA, MAT, Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive
the Kingdom of God a little child he will never enter it.” Mark 10: 15

Sun so bright,
a gift of the living God.
We, His children
ask, search, knock.
It will be given
through the open door
of His multiplying mercies.
Ignore hateful words.
Live as a child of God
and bring others we meet into our doors.
God invites us into His house,
because we are His children.
When we invite the stranger into our homes,
we have the trust of a little child,
the trust and love given by God.
Come! Be a child.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!
Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

In a world filled with religious identities, one might choose to step away from all of them. The desire to be neither Christian, Jew, Buddhist, nor Muslim reflects a profound internal struggle and a quest for personal truth. By declaring oneself a “Singular,” it invokes a sense of independence from traditional faiths and advocating for a life free of hate and divisiveness.

As we navigate through life’s diverse holidays and seasons, we often wear facades, much like costumes donned for Halloween. These masks symbolize the superficial differences that divide humanity. When the clock strikes midnight, shedding these costumes can lead us to a realization: in the grand view of existence, we are all the same—equal in the sight of a higher power.

The question arises—why do we allow differences to breed conflict? The persistent squabbles over religious beliefs often stem from fear and misunderstanding. Many people engage in rituals within their places of worship, expressing gratitude yet simultaneously denying the rights of others within religious minorities. This is a stark reminder that nationalism based on religion can overshadow the fundamental principles of equality.

In a heartfelt wish for unity, there is a call to embrace the unique gifts bestowed upon each individual. Recognizing the shared spirit of goodness can foster acceptance and cooperation across faiths. By exploring the teachings of various religions—whether it be the love encapsulated in Jesus Christ, the wisdom of the Buddha, the teachings in the Torah, or the revelations in the Qur’an—we can find common ground.

The message is clear: to cultivate love and light for the betterment of all humanity. Love is a divine symphony that resonates with beauty and harmony.

P.S. May you embrace love and spread it warmly to others. It’s through love that we can truly connect.

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. D.Litt.
If you are inspired, check out my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

Isaiah 12: A Reflection on Salvation

Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and not be afraid:
for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song;
he also is become my salvation.

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
And in that day shall ye say,
Praise the Lord, call upon his name,
declare his doings among the people,
make mention that his name is exalted.

Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things:
this is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion:
for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.

Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

Hello, Brother; I have missed You for so long. I think about You every day, but only in a cursory way, never in a caring way, only off-handedly. You have been with me my entire life, and yet I have been foolish enough to disregard You as being real. So many people—friends, neighbors, pastors, and the like—have told me I must pray to You, but I have never met You, never even sat down at a table and shared a meal with You. Not even a cup of coffee!

And yet I feel I know You too well, but not well enough to praise You. So why do I call you Brother even though my mother had but one son?

I think of You now to come to the side of my brother-in-law having heart surgery as I write, to guide the hands of the surgeons to heal my friend and return him to our family.

Hello, Brother Jesus, I do Love You So!

P.S. I Love You. And I pray You love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99