Author: rkcdlitt

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.

Kindness

by rkcdlitt

Repeat to yourself our favorite verse from the Bible, Tanach, or the Qu ‘ran. What is God saying to you? What is it in your life can you give up allowing a little more kindness to enter? Can you find that one thing within yourself that defines the real difference between happiness and joy?

We must practice being a gardener and prune those areas of our lives that are taking up space that are not allowing our love for others to grow. When we are in the proper mold of sharing love and kindness with all, there is an explosion of birdsong surrounding us as we visit others, and our hearts see others and their needs as they truly are.

So, let us read our own Holy Book, recognize the Love Letter it truly is, and pass on that love in the way of kindness to all that God asks us to do.

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

The Bible is No Echo Chamber

by rkcdlitt

My first question is which Bible? Governing the Western world, there are three great books of learning. First, there was the Tanakh (what we Christians call The Old Testament) the struggles of the ancient Hebrews, the holy book of Judaism; then came the New Testament (written primarily by Hebrew scholars about a wandering Jewish prophet who many claimed to be the Messiah) this book became the basis for Christianity; the third great book is the Quran, dictated by God to Muhammed and adopted by the Muslims as the holy book for the third great religion, Islam.

The Middle Eastern and the Western worlds have been governed and remain governed by these three great faiths and their great books of history, tradition, and learning. Bless us all for the guidance we receive from our God above. God, called by three different names: Yahweh, God, and Allah. Regardless of what name we call our supreme being, regardless of whether we call God Father God or Mother God, it is the same God offering the same love, asking us to follow the same love: TO LOVE EACH OTHER, to offering a safe place to sleep for the stranger in our midst. Is it too difficult to offer love for our neighbor, to offer an open hand of aid, not close a closed fist of anger? Know the Bible and the Koran. None but the great books of love to our deities. Who is the echo Chamber of hatred? In a sense. His or Her books of worship reflect past wrongs that we have done to ourselves. But they also show us a way out of these wrongs. Showing us a way to joy and harmony, goodness, and love.

Speaking as a Christian. And I can only speak as a Christian because that is how I was raised. I can never see God. Because God is the only Something that is within me. It is a feeling. That I share. I know that he is here when I see that person begging on the street. Knowing that I can help him. By giving him a few dollars. I am too poor to share something other than money. My quarters are too small to open my home to others. I AM Not physically capable. Spiritually, I can lift others up. Christian-wise this has asked me to love others. And treat them equally and I do that. God loves all of us. Christian, Jewish, Muslim. We are all brothers and sisters. I have read the Bible. I have read the Koran. All beautiful works of literature. All beautiful structures of faith! Can’t we live by what they mean? And not by what? Their history reflects mankind’s wrongs and God’s help in correcting those wrongs. Let us love each other. As Yahweh. Ask God. As Allah asks. Is that so impossible to do?

 

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

Before We Think of Asking

by rkcdlitt

“Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.” – James 5:13

 

I’m not sure what will happen next in my life, but I know what will not happen. All my energy will be devoted to bringing God’s Love and peace to my corner of the earth; useless spats are worthless to fret over. I pray that we can embrace one another peacefully with our hearts leading the way, allowing love to embrace bb you and me leading us from a state of fear to a state of comfort and trust.

The Love of God dwells within us all; it is our heart! It is the gift of kindness, compassion, and brotherhood, a Love placed there by God that cannot be taken way, only shared through Grace. O God, we are your children, Jesus promises us, “I will give you whatever you ask in my name, will be given. . .” He promises Love! He asked us to Love God, Love ourselves, and love our neighbors. He also asked who are our neighbors, implying that all people are our neighbors.

We are to love all people; that is what God asks. We must think before we ask.

 ©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt

Invitation Leads to Restoration

by rkcdlitt

We have an invitation to join Jesus

after He meditates in the garden.

He spreads His arms and glows,

welcoming us in all his glory;

 

exposing us, His message precious;

to His reality, if we would only listen,

our shared experience helps us grow

guiding us and our children on our journey;

 

flowing from this simple relationship with all others. . .

His children on this “transfigurative” journey

Is our past leading to our future. . .

and a final restoration with God.

 

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

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The Extravagance of Healing

by rkcdlitt

Over 2000 years ago a little-known Jewish profit travelled from small town to small town healing those that the Pharisees and  other church leaders considered unworthy or unclean. These unfortunates were not allowed to pray in the synagogues or bathe in the public baths. They ate from the trash bins and slept in dark spots away from the places where those in charge might find them and punish them for being poor.

 Meanwhile, those with money ate the best food, drank their precious wine, bathed in the public baths, attended synagogues daily and prayed, blessing themselves for doing good. They gave very small handouts to those closest to the doors of the synagogues. And when they returned home, they punished their servants for small misdeeds while they were away.

Overall, our society is the same today as it was 2000 years ago; the only difference is we celebrate that wandering Jew in our houses of worship and call Him Christ our Savior, yet we undo everything He stood for and everything He practiced in His time while He walked among us. We are the outcasts, and we are the sinners; we have yet learned to heal. What hypocrites we remain!

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

 

 

 

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You Came Here for Me

by rkcdlitt

I just finished “The Language of God” by  Francis S. Collins in which he relates a story about his time in Africa when he saves a dying young farmer’s life, and when talking the farmer, who is holding his Bible in his arms, tells Collins why he came to Africa. He merely says, “You came here for me.”

This absolutely stunned me into physical and emotional silence!

I have had three near death experiences in my lifetime; I was saved on an operating table by three different doctors, using their God-given talents to bring me back to life. All three times, God’s angels, gently asked me not to take that last step through the portal; it was always my choice! All three times the doctors had come here for me!

I call all of the people in the doctor’s offices, from the attendants checking me in, to the nurses, the doctors, and even the custodians keeping the places clean, angels of God, because they show up every day for us.

Aren’t we blessed when we can tell someone that you came here for me! 

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

You Are Loved; We Are loved

by rkcdlitt

 

Our lifetime can be a battle between our past and our future. Our path doesn’t exist in our memories from our childhoods, at least not too clearly, much of which we don’t remember. We really don’t remember all that much-loved; we’re supposed to, I suppose. The love that is given to us by our mother, the nurturing, the kindness and goodness that was showered on us from aunts and uncles. From the suckling of the breast to the cuddling in the crib, to the laughter around the dinner table.

But we do remember the arguing between mother and father. The venom. The hatred that we grew up with. The punishments with the old wooden spoon. The breaking of the toys out of anger. First from the parents and the from our own breaking because of frustration.

What we learned through life. That there is goodness. And through the hardest times of our days. Goodness can overrule any of those bad memories because we know, deep down, that there was love in our house. How else could we have developed friendships through high school if we had not had goodness as an example in our in our home? And that goodness gave us the will and the power to endure even the hardest times of our life. And then we learned to bring out what was inside of us. And that’s the heart and soul that God gave us. And the understanding that God was with us. Every day in our life. And we learned to open our hearts. And see the beauty of God. See the brightness of God’s life. The brightness of God’s light. In our hearts and in our life. That gave us the power. To overcome. The problems. The fears, the hardships. And through determination we then discovered wisdom.

Wisdom that allowed us to know that every creature on earth and every grain of sand that we walk upon is created by God. That we enjoy and helps us get through these most difficult times. And through reason and adaptability, we learn to love and love each other. Love the beasts of the world of which we are one of. And love all of God’s creation. As the greatest reflection of God’s boundless light and love, the human heart. Within the human heart, containing the soul that is placed within us by God. The soul is not our property, it’s God’s. And that is the source of our love. And our peace. That we carry within us. That brings forth the love of the home that we grew up in. That deep within us, we remember. Has a place of love. Which is why. You are loved. We are loved.

 

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

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Kindness Is Invincible

by rkcdlitt

 

 

Have we ever heard the express, “ it is never a bad time to do the right thing?”  

It’s a good day to begin to practice this simple maxim. And, it doesn’t take any hard work, money, or extra time to do it. Many times, it can just be a simple smile, or a thank you, or even holding a door open for the person behind you, struggling with a walker.

And, you know, God thanks us in many ways: getting that last cinnamon cruller at the bakery in the morning, getting on the subway or elevator just before the doors close, or getting that long distance client call you have missed for the last week.

I love it when my five-year-old grandson says, “I love you, Grumpy” that’s my name in the family! Gee, I wonder why???

God rewards us in m any simple ways when we perform simple acts of kindness.

 

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

 

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Irresistible Distractions

by rkcdlitt

I get distracted by all the hate talk

I take it not personally it is irresistible

But then God touched me on the shoulder

And whispered in my ear that

“You are Love” and I love you

 

So, I opened my eyes and saw you

as my beautiful distraction;

You are beautiful, and irresistible!

We disagree but we need not hate!

So, come closer and we shall talk

Perhaps we can be friends. . .

 

We come from different worlds

Perhaps even different planets

Only God knows

But who cares – we certainly don’t

We’ll just share table, drink coffee, talk

 

People don’t do that anymore – talk

I guess they’re too busy chasing egos

I was in that profession for years

Then God taught me to be a teacher

 

God knows. . . She knows better than I do

Now, when I think that I have learned

God slows me down, sometimes stops me cold

For twenty-five years I learned from the young

And blesses me by bringing me you

To distract me and bring me back to real life

To sit, talk, and drink coffee.

 

©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

 

 

 

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Banality of Evil

by rkcdlitt

We are all confronted by evil; to me, most of this evil comes in the form of trite expectations expected by society. We are pressured by family, friends, political leaders, and our religious leaders to conform to a society that in reality does not exist in God’s world. Each new generation is preparing for a new age that never arrives, except only in its thinking.

There is only one way to live. We must open our hearts, push our education into the back of our minds and think in the present, or as spiritual philosophers say, in the now. When we do this, we realize that our life is meaningless unless we see others as children of God, accepting that they also are created by goodness and reflect the same. This is our one moral duty. This is loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Matthew reports the words of Jesus after His sermon on the mountain that we must live a life that gives honor to God by our good works. Ours is not the glory; glory is only in and with God. We share this glory because of God’s love and faithfulness to us. Both of which we must share with others to realize and live in God’s glorious presence. I think of the purification of the Levites by YHWH. This symbolic action brings the gift of God within us. In effect, the Israelites were sacrificing the worldly pleasures of one sect of their group to bring God’s presence within the entire population. This is what our priests and clergy do preparing for their life of ministry. However, we must do the same in our personal lives to bring God’s Love and Grace to all people regardless of their race, creed, or religion.

We must shed all unhealthy desires for worldly riches and accept that God is the only element in our lives that gives us life, invites us to shed all overbearing impulses that invade our consciousness and, helps us understand the reality of death. I remind myself that for God nothing is impossible. Being 82 years on this planet, I sometimes complain about physical problems and insecurities. It is times such as these that I think of what God did for Zacharias and Elizabeth in their advanced ages. Nothing is impossible in God’s world. This assures me that evil, the banality of evil, is ever present in our minds dictating untruths. Therefore, I meditate; therefore, I listen to God when praying. Therefore, I put my life in God’s hands every night and every day, for this is my true living; this is the life I share with my wife of 57 years, the gift God joined in my life.

Yes, there is evil in the world in which we live; but it is nothing when we accept God in our hearts.

 ©Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

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

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