I was raised in a wealthy family, but not how you think. My father took a train to work every morning (we owned no car). My mother arose at four AM every morning to work in a bakery across the street from our third-floor apartment in which we lived. My sister and I walked to school every day carrying our deluxe lunches of lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches. My father always told us before he left for work that God loves and protects us, and we should not be afraid of anything as we go to school. It was a code we were taught to live by. That was over 70 years ago. I have had a very good life, a sometimes-rough life, but a good life. My wife and I (together 57 years) live quietly, enjoy our children and grandchildren and occasionally get the chance to travel. My father was correct, God does not expect us to go it alone. Every time I fell, God was behind me to help me get back on my feet. With love of both God, my wife, and a lot of hard work, we gave life with lots of love to a healthy family hopefully raised in the old-fashioned way. As we begin a new year, we see our world as a very scary dangerous world. I see the headlines and there are no safe places to hide from those who want to do harm to whomever is in the way. New Orleans, Arizona, Virginia; individuals or groups have the intent to do harm to innocent people everywhere. My only defense is an offense, and that is to have love and peace in my heart and on my lips at all times, and to know that Love casts out all fears. So, trust God. You are not alone. God loves you.
Here it is, the end of another year! As true with all years, we have had to climb a few hills, but we also had some smooth paths to walk also. Generally, God has been good to us. As we approach the new year let us all keep on the path that God has paved for us. Greet others with a smile and share with them God’s love. Know your own heart and its ability to grow every time you meet others. Be in good health and trust your instincts; God put them there for a reason.
It’s December 26th. Our small family celebration of Christmas has peacefully passed; my brother-in-law returns home tomorrow, and my grandson returns to college on Saturday. It was truly two days of love, arguments, and love. We exchanged gifts in good humor, many were frivolous jokes, grinch related, but there were serious gifts also. My daughter prepared two feasted feeding many more than six people could eat, but somehow we ate it all. Of course, my brother-in-law will take some back home, and my grandson will have much for his coffers on returning to college. I did notice one oddity: my highly successful iron-willed daughter and my steel-secured wife were disagreeing about basic things and mothers and daughters often (replace: always) do. This so much reminded me how much my young successful iron-willed wife and her steel-secured mother were constantly disagreeing over every insignificant detail possible. Family, ah, family, we ain’t perfect, but we are all love. It just makes my heart want to sing!
So misunderstood, yes; . . . but loved by God! In his lack of misunderstood grace, his genius hidden by disability, and feared by those he seen, but shines through to those who take stop to wait, to listen to offer. . . God’s Love to this beautiful man.
Gracious and Loving God, I open our minds to the goodness and strength You bring in our lives. When we searched for beauty You blessed us with human warmth and Love. Poured us aplenty with doses of blessed goodness and strength. You created within us a compassionate presence that is so much greater than ourselves, so much greater than our imaginations could ever take us on our own. It is then that I remember God steps forth as the loving arms of Mother. Giving us true happiness.
Do you feel it deep within you? It’s always there but not beating. Not beating like your heart. It’s a warmth that’s always there. Sometimes you try to ignore it. But it shines through regardless. This light is the soul that God places in our hearts that shines up through our faces for others to see; we feel, but cannot see it in ourselves as others do. We can only see it shine in others. It is God’s wonderful plan seeing the light within you shine for others to see, and for you to see their light shine to see their beauty.
We are all children of God. By His Grace, we are the light of God on earth. We are the fruit of the best of His Creation, therefore, we are true. . . and right. . . and good. If we accept God’s light and life, our paths before us are filled with His goodness and light and life. The paths of our lives cross with others’ on their paths of light and life. When we accept others as our brothers and sisters, we grow broader and deeper in God’s love. Jesus says in Matthew that we are the light of the world and by doing these many good works, we glorify God.
I awoke this morning with the blood of God flowing through the veins in my body. If you ask me how I know, I will tell you that I live with the goodness that God has blessed me with allowing me to live for the better part of almost 82 years on this small orb we call Earth in the atmosphere somewhere in the vast milky way God created billions of years ago. After I thanked God for allowing me one more day, I kissed my wife, told her I loved her, and bounded out of bed (slowly creaked my ancient bones) to face the new day. Let’s face facts, our lives are difficult; we face some troubling times in our lives, but we make our way through these times. My grandmother always said that the tunnel may be dark, and it may be long, but there is always light at the end of that tunnel, and that light is God, and if you add one more letter “O” to God, which is :Good; and we know that God is Good., we are born of God; we are born of Good; therefore, we are all born with the strength of Good, the strength of God.
Meditating to Heal 
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