God’s Loving Word

by rkcdlitt

“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.”
John 1:1

The Word provides a –
known Creation,
a mystery to me,
almost imperceptible.
I abandon arrogance and
stand in awe of the Word.
I recover meditation and prayer, I
relearn truth, love, and grace;
I ask and I seek.
I allow my heart to grow,
receiving the Word as a newborn,
believing in the One
greater than myself, greater than all things.
I learn holistic truth through His Word.
I seek eternal Love in the Word,
renounce popular theories
unworthy of attention,
seeking the mighty something
within the Word.
My gifts are of the Word,
longing to be shared.
I consider my own call
to truth, to life.
I am vulnerable and
expose my weaknesses
to fruitful truth,
achieve liberation
from the night sky,
filled with the Word’s truth.
I become a prophet
speaking Truth,
speaking the Word,
sharing my natural gifts,
using the Word.
Look to the Word
when confronted
by fear, disappointment.
The Word unburdens,
lights my path,
expands my heart,
becoming inseparable from
the quantum knowledge,
and universal Word,
forgives my debts,
other’s debts to me.
I shake off illusion,
step from the shadows,
walk into the light,
accept the sacrament of forgiveness,
spread the sacrament of forgiveness.
I long to live in the Word,
as the Word lives in me . . .
from the Giver of the Word.

Congregation worshiping at altar beneath stained glass; sign reads “THE GLODY OF GOD.”

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

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God’s Eternal Soul

by rkcdlitt

“And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” — Ecclesiastes 12:7

Our own personal lives,
that live with the community
and worship in our churches,
find that we can live only in the now.
All are present in our prayers.
As a congregation, we pray
for the Spirit to be with us,
joining our souls with Christ.
When we are in a state of grace with Christ,
our soul is translucid to God, for
where God does His work within our soul.
God builds His home within us;
it is in the soul, and
we must lift ourselves and join
with God to receive His glory,
His majesty, and His grace.
Our soul belongs to God;
it is where He purifies us.

Woman meditating cross-legged beside a forest stream

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.

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Spiritual Refueling

by rkcdlitt

“So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

The Holy Spirit guides us in our lives;
Our listening is important, for
the Spirit speaks through others.
We must be open to the Holy Spirit
and transform ourselves
to listen; the Spirit counsels love;
God’s word comes to us
through the Holy Spirit.
Our pride brings us trouble;
our pride is a big problem;
we talk a lot and listen poorly.
Our character must include patience;
patience brings hope;
hope is the love of God.
When we love God, we receive
Spiritual refueling.

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

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A Reflection on What is Within Us

by rkcdlitt

“By this, we know that we abide in Him and He is us, because He has given of us His Spirit.” 1 John 4:13

God is always with us,
within us;
His presence is quality,
grace, and spirit.
He does not need a door
or window to enter our soul;
He is always within us.
His majesty enlightens
the essence of the soul.
We need not search for Him outside;
the Holy Spirit is always within us.
When we feel the presence of this Holy Spirit,
we tend to feel exultation, or seem overcome,
by the uplifted feelings;
by allowing these feelings to recede,
we see before us lighted paths
that lead to greater and greater blessings.

When a soul loves, it knows not how,
or whom it loves,
or what it desires.
God sends this love,
unselfishly,
inviting us to give it all,
helping to light the paths of
others whom He blesses,
and sharing the goodness of
these heavenly delights.
When the soul prays in love,
it is a beautiful hummingbird
flitting from flower to flower;
these flowers are other persons.
When we recognize these holy gifts,
we open our hearts and the hearts of others
to receive His favors.
We then have a modest taste of
heaven here on earth.
Loving God, loving ourselves,
invites us to love our neighbors.
In these ways we fulfill God’s
expectation of doing good works
in His name.

We receive these gifts continually by
the spiritual exercise uniting
contemplation with meditation,
clearing our minds of all mundane
thoughts that trouble our lives.
Through this daily exercise,
our mind empties itself of our worries,
excites our imagination to think that
takes us away from God,
lighting a path of His Holy Majesty.

Radiant white dove with glowing wings descending toward a kneeling group by a river

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

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Mend Our Ways

by rkcdlitt

Jesus says,
we must change our ways,
we cannot covet.
His parable of the rich farmer,
amassing so much;
he built a bigger barn.
This farmer is in us;
we accumulate stuff,
bigger, more expensive stuff.
George Carlin says,
when we have too much stuff,
we build a bigger house.

Our bodies do not
need bigger things.
More things, more stuff;
only our egos need these.
We need to mend our ways, only then
can we receive God’s daily bread.
Let us amass love, not more stuff.

God is within us, and
our souls grow and we
expand our love for all.
Our growth is unlimited,
when God is within us.
When God is within us,
He brings us daily bread,
not food, not money, but
everlasting Love,
everlasting compassion,
everlasting kindness.

Bearded man sharing bread with villagers and children at sunset

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

I Know Thee by Thy Name

by rkcdlitt

I have travelled far and wide, yet never met thee;
journeys have been shared; Your presence ever with me;
I have read much about Thee questioning at every life’s page do’est turn;
scholars have written about Thee; the ages taught eminently;
but I remain so uneducated in what is truth for mere humanity;
what was written seems mythical, seems unreal, apocryphal lectern.

They speak of You as a shepherd, a good one we have always known,
and they say we belong to You; we are Your sheep from the flock flown;
we destroy and we desecrate God’s creation in all we reside;
our grace, our faith, our gratitude, fail to grow in Your true home;
perhaps You are never truly where we think You perform;
perhaps You are merely the myth and not my desire.

As I believe in God, I believe in the love that You doth bring
the love that God graces us with freely, of Thee we sing;
the myth of Your life is that you know the Father’s dove
that this is true for all of us. The meaning being
yet we do not learn to cease looking for a king;
I know thee by Your name; Your name is Love.

A burlap banner reading 'love God and neighbor' displayed in a vibrant community garden.

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

Leave a comment

You and Me: Us

by rkcdlitt

I often wonder if I am the only person who is tired of only hearing bad news on the all day news programs. The cable channels are obsessed with what the latest Administration tragedy is, and the local stations are obsessed with how many people have killed others in DC.

Two news anchors conversing at a news desk with breaking news screens behind them

I am convinced that we, as a people, are ready for some good news. We have to remember that our lives and the fullness of them is by keeping our eternal union with God. We want to wake up in the morning and see all people as human beings; we are not of different races; God does not care what religion we practice; She also doesn’t care what gender we are; She sees us only as her children, equal in all respects. I also think that God wants us to see each other the same way. In the Good Samaritan story, Jesus asks who proves to be the better neighbor. I try to be that neighbor, as we all should.

Woman offering groceries to an older man on a city sidewalk

There is a lot of pressure in the news for us to turn back the clock and view people as Black, as alien, as queer (and I hate that word). These horrible memories and terms are meant to separate us, where God’s words unite us. God wants us to look toward the future and join hands in praise of Her and in praise of us. We are Her legacy: let’s not disappoint Her. Let’s look at each other as brothers… and sisters.

I received an email with a statement by Wangari Maathai, in which he wrote that the challenge (in our lifetime) is to restore the home to the tadpoles, giving the beauty of the world back to our children. We owe this to them. This means that we must control our waste, preserving natural beauty, and be respectful of those who live at the lower edges of our society. And, by respect, we cannot, must not, force them to do what they have rejected or been rejected by. Some have been forced from society by those who think they do not conform, or experiences such as war have left them empty, psychologically. Others have selected to reject society because they cannot stomach what society is today.

In either case, we must respect their feelings, their experiences, and their desires: we must invite them to join, or rejoin, our renewed society. We cannot offer them a Garden of Eden (even if we could), but we can offer them the chance to be part of the greater family of humanity, of peace, of understanding, just as God wants us to do. This, I feel, is the message of the Good Samaritan. The parable may be 2000+ years old, but its relevance is everlasting.

I pray that we join together, accept the word of God, and open a better world for the future. Have a good day, my brothers and sisters – those I know and those I have yet to meet.

God bless!

Text reading GOD’S SYMPHONY above angels and musicians performing in a celestial cathedral

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

Friends*Strangers Evolution

by rkcdlitt
Couple reading books together on a bench in a leafy garden

How great thou art
allowing us the chance
to meet others and befriend;
to earn and accept them
just by being… how they seek true beauty,
whether they love plays or visiting museums,
love traveling the world,
or love sitting on a park bench reading,
good friends seek friendship together.

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

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Coat of May Colors

by rkcdlitt
Dolly Parton playing an acoustic guitar onstage before a crowd

Back through the years I go wanderin’ once again
Back to the seasons of my youth
I recall a box of rags that someone gave us
And how my momma put the rags to use

There were rags of many colors
But every piece was small
And I didn’t have a coat
And it was way down in the fall

Momma sewed the rags together
Sewin’ every piece with love
She made my coat of many colors
That I was so proud of

As she sewed, she told a story
From The Bible, she had read
About a coat of many colors
Joseph wore and then she said

“Perhaps this coat will bring you
Good luck and happiness”
And I just couldn’t wait to wear it
And momma blessed it with a kiss

My coat of many colors
That my momma made for me
Made only from rags
But I wore it so proudly

Although we had no money
Oh, I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me

So with patches on my britches
And holes in both my shoes
In my coat of many colors
I hurried off to school

Just to find the others laughing
And making fun of me
And my coat of many colors
My momma made for me

And oh I couldn’t understand it
For I felt I was rich
And I told them of the love
My momma sewed in every stitch

And I told ’em all the story
Momma told me while she sewed
And how my coat of many colors
Was worth more than all their clothes

But they didn’t understand it
And I tried to make them see
That one is only poor
Only if they choose to be

Now I know we had no money
But I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
Made just for me

THANK YOU, DOLLY

Your Ego

by rkcdlitt

How much of your ego is wrapped up in material stuff? We often count our successes by material possessions, but it is our spiritual enrichment and inheritance that leave a true everlasting dream-like promise of a future that we can work for, or at best stumble to.

Consider this reflection by Saint Augustine:

God of our life,
There are days when our burdens weigh heavy.
Shine light on our path and lift our gaze to the hopeful skies;
Inspire us with courage;
Help us feel connected with the heroes and saints throughout time;
and awaken our spirits
so we can uplift all who travel with us
on life’s journey, to honor and glorify You.

We have to give ourselves permission to make mistakes as we learn to live with others and understand that we are not perfect. We must remember that God is always in control; we are made in Her image, right from the very first step we made on this earth.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!
Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. D.Litt.

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

Leave a comment

Farm animals grazing in a green pasture near a farmhouse
Families gather around an ornate fountain beside Café du Soleil in a town square
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