retired literature and writing professor; I write spiritual, meditative, and prayerful blogs. My life is devoted to prayer and healing prayer for all I meet.
When we open our eyes to view things with our hearts, we are intellectually and spiritually reborn into an existence very few of us want to, or, better yet, have time to examine thoroughly. What I know that I have to do is recognize that I do not have to reinvent anything. It is there before my heart and is easily readable.
I am a grandfather of three boys. I pray that I can be the wise influence in their lives that I missed growing as a child and early adult. Both of my grandfathers and one of my grandmothers had died before I was born, and my remaining grandmother, as much as I loved her, was a fading princess who needed to be the coddled center of attention all the time I knew her.
So, I missed the sage grandfatherly advice, or, sage knowledge, Wisdom. I eventually turned to God and found my way. I learned what our ancestors preached, taught, and lived. I found the faith that led me to peace and Love. The earliest Christians understood that Jesus was the perfect man representing the Christ of God’s Love and care. He was and is the example of perfect to follow.
I am a prayer minister and a lay chaplain for the Marine Corps League; I bring God’s Love and Peace to those in need. I pray that through the words God gives me, I help replace the basic human foundation of fear with the eternal Love given to us by God. I offer that God’s true Love starts with love of self, not selfish love, but love of self as a child of God. When we accept this, we demonstrate the Love that Jesus shared freely and openly.
When we love ourselves as children of God, we can only recognize others as children of God also; then hate, jealousy, and fear are no longer. This is the main message that Jesus brought. When we bring conscious love into our lives, we are walking on the cherished path of light that only God gives.
In discussions with Job, Elihu advises, “Let us judge for ourselves what is right; let us decide together what is good. (34:4)” I understand that Job is going through a very tough time and his friends are in discussion with him. But this is wrong advice, particularly when he goes on the talk about not trusting God.
Man cannot distinguish between right and wrong; this has been proven too many times through history. If we say that we ourselves are to choose what is right, we are usurping God’s Goodness. This means we are acting a God, denigrating His importance in our lives.
I have had troubles in my life; not as many as Job, but many times I have felt that God had abandoned me. How wrong I was!!! Eventually, God opened my eyes to Truth and Wisdom, allowing me to live in total appreciation of God’s existence within me.
By allowing God to lead me, I now live in comfort and am able to spread God’s love to all I meet. I recognize God’s humility and try to adopt His humility as my life code.
Good morning, all. Whether we are enjoying the sand between our toes or the aura of old-world Europe or surviving Virginia humidity, we are all warmed by the same Sun – enjoy, it is a gift!
Why do we worry so much about what our future will be? I know that we are always under pressure to succeed, to earn more money than we really need. We never seem to be happy with what we have and what we are given. By the time we are in secondary school, we are brain-washed to succeed at all costs. This creates a world of fear within that erupts outside when things go wrong. But, who’s wrong? It we live only in the world created by selfish societies; we are miserable and feel at fault when things do not seem to go according to o plans.
It is our duty to replace this inner fear with a world of peace. Only we can do this. When I became a teacher at age 51, I found that I loved what I was doing. I was happier than I ever had been. Although I was primarily an AP teacher, occasionally I was given a less than college bound class of students to teach. I loving called them my sweat hogs from the old television show Welcome Back Kotter. They were wonderful students. I loved those classes and have many of those students as personal friends 20+ years later.
I was comfortable teaching these students because I absolutely loved what I was doing. I am far from perfect, but my teaching career was perfect. Paul writes to the Philippian’s, “. . . whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I will add, act on these things. For if you live your life and job in love with what you do, you will eternally be warmed by the Sun.
I was having a friendly discussion with a friend who truly believes that the white male is the most important and most blessed Christian. Although he is civil to most people, he places them on a lower plain of existence. I truly love this person as a brother and another son of God, but I always try to convince him otherwise.
I always try to bring the conversation to a higher level, how much good there is in the world, how God nourishes and strengthens us. God holds our hands when we struggle through anxiety, need, incomprehension. God offers us Wisdom, which hopefully we keep us from straying from His love. I also mention that when we are in despair or angry, God steps in asking us to expand our perspective of the world and how we fit in the world.
Another thought occurred when talking with him; I asked if he believed that man is made in the image of God. He agreed; I then asked which man? Look around the world and see the thousands of different types of men. Which one? Jesus was the Son of God? Yes. What color was He? The response was white; I asked what about the Palestinians today and he said they are not white. I responded by saying that Jesus was of the people of that region and His mother was also. Jesus in all probability was not white.
This stopped him dead in his tracks. We separated shortly after; I pray I do not lose a friend. I feel that as a former educator, I was only doing what I always do, ask people to think. This is the profession God prepped me for and it is one I do lovingly.
Have the patience and courage to begin again anew each day, and trust in God’s help; his mercy is new every morning. Greet all with the love of a strong family; well conversations that share each other’s stories
We each have a unique gift; it is our story whether we tell it fluently or with hesitation, it is our story and it is meant to be shared. Until we share our story, it is incomplete and emphasizes that it never ends. Share this gift, for in its telling, it is a holy statement of your life. It is powerful, especially when you include God in your telling.
Without God our story is incomplete, incomprehensible, unforgiving. God helps us understand our story and we understand our story when we forgive ourselves, giving us permission to share. When we share, God opens our eyes to what our story means and allows us to see what is beautiful and caring, preparing us for what lies ahead.
I pray to God – whom I never see; but I know that I am protected by His Grace and Love. I cannot look at God as I cannot look at the Sun; the light is too brilliant for my mortal eyes, but I can see what light shines on around me. As the Sun cast light on the beauty around me, the birds and the trees, so the light of God shines on me allowing me to see the beauty of His creation, allowing me to see my brothers and sisters, His children.
My very life is a gift from Him. Everything from God is a gift. His gift to me is the work of my soul. It is difficult work, but I love it. I pray as I bring God’s comfort to those in need; I bring them spiritual understanding through faith and understanding of the Truth God brings. I am so grateful for this work of the soul.
“. . . God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5)”
I find one of the most difficult words to understand is comprehend, to perceive, to take in. I prefer take in because to truly understand something I have to take it within myself to truly feel its effects. This is the way I understand darkness and light. Darkness is not just the absence of light; darkness is that which is totally devoid of understanding! Saul was in complete darkness until his eyes were opened by Jesus on the road to Damascus.
I am on my own barren road of discovery, totally devoid of light. However, as I near my own destination, my own Damascus, my grasp of Reality grows. I find that the need of a Sun or moon to light my way is not necessary, for the light of God, as Jesus taught, lights my journey with the blinding light of God’s Truth. I am a child of God, a creation perfect in every way. I am both honored and humbled by God’s choice to have me share His Love and His Truth as taught to us by the Pascal Lamb, Jesus Christ.
I often consider myself to be independent of outside influences. Ha! This is as untrue a statement as there ever was. people influence me every day of my life. as a prayer minister and a lay chaplain, I am very attuned to all those I meet because my mission from God is to bring comfort and prayer to anyone in need. To do this, I need people; but most important, I need God. So, I am not ashamed to admit that my two most influential dependences are God and everyone.
I look at God’s creation and see beauty, birds, flowers, and people. The beauty I see gives me unbelievable power to prayer and healing to others. I strive to bring God’s Love and Peace to the forefront of good relationships between people and each other and between people and the rest of God’s creation. I thank others for allowing me to pray for and with them; then I thank God for allowing me to pray for and with others.
God wants to be with us on our life journeys. He invites us to open ourselves to His will and follow His desires for our beloved planet. It is our gift from God. When I use the words “open ourselves,” read awakening. We awaken to the Love and Grace of God’s presence. Our faith keeps our relationships with God as key to the beginning of our life of grace and peace. We are never alone. Personally, I continue to strive to recognize and express my appreciation for all of the people I meet; after all, they also are children of God as I am.
Meditating to Heal 
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