Author: rkcdlitt

May God’s Peace enfold us; drowning us in the glowing luxury of God’s Holy Word. Open our inner minds to the many mysterious impressions God send to us daily. We study and accept God’s Holy Wisdom, allowing us to listen in silence to the voices within us, teaching us who our true selves are. When the Kingdom of God is in our midst, our breathing becomes an invitation to languish in the desire for God to reach us.

God is our eternal companion; absolutely nothing is more powerful than the love and presence of God in our lives. We live in a dual world of light and dark. These twin pillars can make our lives difficult and make us angry. But when we open ourselves and let our hearts return to God, we restore our beings to the perfect world God wants for us. We are never alone, and therefore, our faith and trust grows with each passing day. We love, we hope; both are lifelines given by God. God is in our lives; let the Peace of God enfold us every day.

© Russell Kendall Carter

There are many views as to when God created the Earth and the infinity of planets and stars. Being an educator, I believe in was many trillions of years ago. Saying this, I also believe that God is not finished creating the universe. With each birth of a human, a dog, a bird, or even the smallest aphid on the planet God’s creation is happening all around us.

I was born to do the will of God, which means that I am called to do the work of God’s creation. I was born to believe not only in God, not only in His creation, but I am called simply to believe. I believe in my calling; I believe in your calling. With an open mind, the generous spirit God gave me, and a very caring heart, I am a seeker. God gave me an open mind and the wisdom to use it for the improvement of mankind. I know this because I see goodness all around me; I see goodness all around you. I see God’s face in your face. Every day God speaks your name and my name; our name is love. This name calls us to find our way to doing God’s will. . . always.

The Creation of God, the Kingdom of God is within our very being; it is never out of reach. Jesus tells us that God dwells within us. We know this because each day are renewed by the Holy Spirit living both with us and within us. We are the miracle God created to heal others. We are the miracles working to remove the hardships and terrors others face. We carry the word of God, the fire of God’s language to the door of those in need.

We serve God; we do many things for others. We are people of faith! As Jesus gave His life for us; we give our lives for those who eat the crumbs left over by the dogs. We are seekers of Truth, God’s truth, not man’s. There are terrible things occurring around us each day, violence on the street, violence by our governments,

And violence in the spoken words on the news each night. We ignore these for they are wrongs done by man; we are called to do the work of creation. . . God’s Creation, not man’s. Let all men and women of faith, of character step up to do the work of creation.

© Russell Kendall Carter

When we study and learn Wisdom (not wisdom), we find a timelessness that cannot be compared with anything we previous experienced. We enter a portal that leads directly to God. We learn how to talk with God, and by talk, I mean listen. Because it is in the listening that our voice is stronger!

When I muse on the workings of God, I think of the loave and fishes and know that the word of God is Holy. My understanding of the Word leads me to know that all of His children eternal blessing. I live in my faith and trust in God keeping my promise to God, and God keeps His promise to me. This is my redemption.

God comes to me in my silence, but He does not come silently. He is a roaring lion, reminding me we are all here for a purpose; no one is to be left behind. The appalling silence of most people is a great disappointment. He speaks to me to recognize that all people are His children. All people are placed here for a purpose; we cannot judge what that purpose is. God has His Holy plan; He reveals this to us in our actions in helping others. That is our Holy destiny.

As the Psalmist writes, “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.” Everyone matters, everyone is welcome, everyone is loved, everyone loves; there are no exceptions; there are no conditions. As we cast our fortunes with God, we are sustained in God’s Life, Love, and Blessings. May we all live to God’s holy wish for our lives.

“Yea, though I walk through the shadow of evil. . .”

© Russell Kendall Carter

I am a social person, but I love my quiet times. I put aside my restless heart, my restless mind and feel the spirit of God’s Creation. I listen; I learn. I enter the silence of Zen. God leads me into the quiet hours, where my mind and heart are in His Hands. My Gracious God fills my heart with His words.

My private sanctuary is not private; it is filled with God’s Love, God’s comfort. He teaches me a healing prayer for those with whom I pray. My meditations move from mortal reality to the happy space of God’s Spirituality. My prayers count; let His prayers comfort you. Let our prayers go on forever, going to heaven and then around our tiny globe called Earth.

Let us free ourselves from the shadow of Covid, walking beside the calm waters blessed by Jesus. Let us redeem ourselves with the sanctity of God’s healing. This is our sacred time; this is our quietude.

© Russell Kendall Carter

Our spiritual life grows every time we pray. We meditate silently, awaiting something from God that we cannot ignore. . . or even explain. God is our stronghold; God is our life! Everything we experience is from His grace. Whomever we honor are welcomed to His table of retribution and promise. We experience His love together.

We are sheep who in our prayers and meditations have found The Shepherd. We are purified by Love in our inner most being. We are taught in our meditations by Jesus that Love is most important in our world, even though we rarely practice this. Nothing in the world is more important than the love we share. Love is a gift and a blessing that never tires, purifying our spirits; Love always brings forth the goodness and blessings of God and His Glory.

Whether we are in our times of prayer or times of work; whether we sleep or are awake, when we call upon God to bring love into our lives, we are saved from the perils that surround us.

Heavenly Father, my prayer is that all in our spiritual lives bring praise to Your Creation and magnifies the love, compassion, and community we share in Your name.

© Russell Kendall Carter

Let us walk together in love and brotherhood; let us leave the past behind. The mistakes and errors of the past lead us through a door of remembrance to the future. We put aside those past deeds to renew our spirit of love and walk with the Wisdom of God who asks us just to be. He wants us to be ourselves, to be loving, to be and share goodness. To be in His presence, as He receives us, is one of the miracles of life.

God is forever; because He forgives our sins, we are the light of His world. With a renewed sense of consciousness, we are cleansed and restored, lifted by His will from our societal storms. We are like the oceans in raging storms. On the surface all is tempestuous with thunder and lightning, but deep below are still waters; all is calm within for there is where God dwells.

On this day, I pray that we receive a mysterious text reminding us who we truly are, allowing us to walk in a new direction firmly in the light of God. Our past is forgotten; our future is new and blessed.

© Russell Kendall Carter

What does it mean when I hear that God loves me? God’s love for me never changes, and I am blessed forever. I know this because when I read the teachings and the life of Jesus, He always cared about people’s souls and bodies. And He still does. He tells me often: “As the Father loves me, so I love you.”

I know you understand what this means to me. God sees me wandering in my personal desert, hungry and thirsty for relief. He knows what I need; He feeds me with His cup of compassion and love. As I rise from my self-inflicted desert, I see the river of hope that God shows us, but only when we don’t follow our own plan; I am in my own desert only when God’s GPS is ignored.

When I turn back to God, my prayers are answered; I am held in God’s unchanging hands of love. God sees me weak with hunger for Love, Compassion, and Peace, all of which only God gives. God blesses us forever; as seekers, we accept God as our eternal sustainer of truth and love and life. . . all that only God gives.

© Russell Kendall Carter

From the Earth we are born and to the Earth we return. But that interim period is absolutely a gift from God. Young or old – there is little change, for we are all children of God – forever. God brings us into this world in love and in love we live; God visits us through love.

I remember reading this in Ecclesiastes: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” But until I heard the Byrds singing “Turn, Turn, Turn,” it didn’t register as something that meant something to me. The songs of the Byrds in the folk style of the days of yore represent the art of the times. As I look back on my 79 years, I realize that my life is surrounded by art. Art circles the years of my life with joy and pleasure.

This art comes from God and is an important part of my circle of life. Art instructs; art teaches! Art brings us together making all life inter-related; I share my life of art within the spiritual Body of God. But art does not surround me for I am not in the center; the center of my life is GOD’S; I merely revolve around His blessings. I trust God; I learned from St. Paul in 2 Thessalonians, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” My circle of life is peace; my circle of life is Love. All comes from God. As God shares with me, I share with you. My life is a work of art given by God; as yours is.

© Russell Kendall Carter

My presence is with God; I am mindful of my cherished Love and relationship with Him. I am strong in my Love of God for He keeps me alive in His Holy Kingdom. My forefather was made from the dust of the earth. The earth surrounds me. When I am with the earth, I am in silence, listening. . . listening. My personal survival depends on the earth, God’s Holy creation. I am not the center of my universe; it is God whom I long to please.

I approach the subject of my presence slowly, quietly, reverently, listening for God wherever I may go. I know that when I listen for the presence of God, I leave my self-contained, private world and become a part of His Spiritual Kingdom. I trust the lovingkindness of God to carry me through my trials; my individuality is not trustful when I doubt; therefore, I turn to God and enter that loving space between heaven and earth, my place of prayer. It is then that I offer my prayers of intercession for others. For I know that by lifting my fellow man in prayer, I am strong in God. And others are strong in God.

Heavenly Father, we all walk in the shadow of death and hard times; it is Your Love that lifts us and returns us to life and health. It is Your Love that my presence rises to help others in their troubles; thank You, God, for allowing me to pray, to live, to love.

© Russell Kendall Carter

God is our salvation; He created us; He knows us before we are in our mother’s womb. He thirsts for our Love; He thirsts for our Trust. Yet, it should be the other way; we should thirst. God is our salvation. There is neither church nor government that does what God does for us. God speaks directly to us; we merely have to open our hearts to listen. . . to receive.

The reality of God’s Love comes to us through the teachings of Jesus, taking darkness and trepidation from our lives. God is our father, mother, brother, and sister. And Jesus comes to us in Love and humbly conquers the world. Let us reflect on all of the goodness and love that we experience each week. This comes from God.

The Bible often mentions how God lifts us and strengthen us. That is because we come to Him as imperfect beings, made in His image, but not Him. Isaiah reminds us that God is always with us, strengthens us, and helps us. Look to the sky; it brings us comfort, warmth, promise; this is God. God does wonderful things for us; therefore, nothing can be too difficult for us. Be silent, listen, pray; God Loves.

©Russell Kendall Carter