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Monthly Archives: November 2011

First Sunday of Advent

Hi Everyone,

This morning I got the message that it was time to post again so here I am.

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. I pray all of you, in your own way, enter into the Advent season with an open heart & mind, looking at the darkness within and all around and anticipating the arrival of the joy filled light of love & peace. This is what the Christmas Season is really all about!!! This is really what life is about.

Think Holy be Holy…Stay present even if it becomes uncomfortable. Pay attention to your thoughts….no judgement, no critisizm just notice the dark thoughts, let them go, knowing that the light is coming. Be grateful for loving thoughts and spread the light as best you can in the midst of darkness.

I hope more of you will share your reactions to what I’ve said…..I can learn much from you….please share!!!

Remember to feed your soul!!! Let’s feed each other!!!

 
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Posted by on November 26, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

5 Lesson of Life….

November 18, 2011

This is an old e-mail. I don’t know if these stories are true but I do know when you are willing to see beyond appearances to the Divine in all things this kind of stuff happens.

We can learn from these stories what works in life.

Blessings to all of you….

Remember to feed your souls….read these stories when you have time. there’s a lot here.

Love

Anne

Five (5) lessons about the`way we treat people

1 – First Important Lesson – Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor

Gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student

And had breezed through the questions until I read

The last one:

“What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the

Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,

Dark-haired and in her 50’s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question

Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if

The last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“Absolutely, ” said the professor.. “In your careers,

You will meet many people. All are significant.. They

Deserve your attention and care, even if all you do

Is smile and say “hello..”

I’ve never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned her

 

Name was Dorothy.

2. – Second Important Lesson – Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American

Woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway

Trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had

Broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally

Unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960’s. The man

Took her to safety, helped her get assistance and

Put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his

Address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a

Knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a

Giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A

Special note was attached.

It read:

“Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway

The other night. The rain drenched not only my

Clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along

Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying

Husband’s’ bedside just before he passed away… God

Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving

Others.”

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.

 

3 – Third Important Lesson – Always remember those

Who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,

A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and

Sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in

Front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked.

“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and

Studied the coins in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the

Waitress was growing impatient..

“Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

“I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on

The table and walked away The boy finished the ice

Cream, paid the cashier and left.. When the waitress

Came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the

Table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,

Were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had

To have enough left to leave her a tip.

 

4 – Fourth Important Lesson. – The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a

Roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if

Anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the

King’s’ wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by

And simply walked around it.. Many loudly blamed the

King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did

Anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of

Vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the

peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the

stone to the side of the road. After much pushing

and straining, he finally succeeded. After the

peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed

a purse lying in the road where the boulder had

been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note

from the King indicating that the gold was for the

person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The

peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve

our condition.

 

5 – Fifth Important Lesson – Giving When it Counts…

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a

hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who

was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only

chance of recovery appeared to be a blood

transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had

miraculously survived the same disease and had

developed the antibodies needed to combat the

illness. The doctor explained the situation to her

little brother, and asked the little boy if he would

be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a

deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will save

her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed

next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing

the color returning to her cheek. Then his face

grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a

trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away”.

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the

doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his

sister all of his blood in order to save her.

 

”Live with no regrets, Treat people the way you want to be treated, Work like you don’t need the money, Love like you’ve never been hurt, and Dance like you do when nobody’s watching.”

 
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Posted by on November 18, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

Another powerful quote…..

November 14, 2011

Richard’s Daily Meditations 
MYSTICISM
Mystical moments are experiences of enlargement and connectedness or 
union. Suddenly you’re bigger. You don’t feel a need to condemn, 
exclude, divide or separate. Unfortunately, most of us were sent on 
private paths of perfection which none of us could achieve. 

The path of union is different than the path of perfection. Perfection 
gives the impression that by effort or more knowing I can achieve 
wholeness separate from God, from anyone else, or from connection to the 
whole. It appeals to our individualism and our ego. It’s amazing how 
much of Christian history sent us on a self-defeating course toward 
private perfection. 

As a result, many people just give up—even many clergy and 
religious—when they see it isn’t working. They end up practical 
agnostics or practical atheists. They keep up the form, keep up the 
words, continue going to church, but there is no longer the inner desire 
and expectation that is possible with the path of union. It’s not 
mysticism that defeats the soul; it’s moralism that does. 

From Following the Mystics through the Narrow Gate …
Seeing God in All Things (CD, DVD, MP3) 
http://store.cacradicalgrace.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SP-C-34&Category_Code=&Store_Code=CFAAC

 
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Posted by on November 14, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

More about…..Seeing Holy!!!

November 8, 2011

Seeing Holy Everywhere

We are created in the image and likeness of God. and so is everything else. That is…..everything in the world is a reflection of our Creator’s Love. The Energy of God is in everyone and in everything. We may not see it that way right now….but I think as we practice paying attention to people, places and things we will see more and more the handy work of God. Everything is holy and everything can be an altar if you look at it that way. Honoring the Divine everywhere.

Now think about how your body works. I personally don’t know all the various functions that the body performs to keep us alive but every once in awhile I marvel at the workings of our digestive system. We put food in our mouths, we chew it up and swallow it. That’s where our participation stops and the body takes over. How does the the digestive system take this chewed up matter and process it through our bodies? How does it know exactly what to do when and what goes where? WOW!!! Now that’s Holy for me!!!

Also consider this possibility about people….all people are walking Holy opportunities. For me they are opportunities for us to experience Grace filled blessings for them and for us. Remember what Jesus said, I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me , I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” he went on to say when asked how did this happen? He said,  “What you do for the needy you do for me.”

What I say is: “With the right attitude whatever you do for someone else like making eye contact and smiling, giving a nod of recognition, complementing some one for no reason except you like what you see even, if you don’t know them or…… spontaneously going out of your way to be kind and or generous to a stranger, are also ways to honor the divine essence in that person.”  I’d say look for ways to do those various suggestions….and see what happens to your attitude.

Barbara Brown Taylor in her book, An Altar in the World says, “So next time you are out and about practice paying attention. Look twice at the people and things you might just as easily ignore. This is one way into a different way of life, full of treasures for those who are willing to pay attention to exactly where they are.” And…I say you’ll be seeing holy everywhere!!!

How the body works is one amazing system that’s difficult for most of us to understand and we give very little thought to this system unless the body breaks down.

But now think about all the systems that are in place in nature. The system of Universe and all the planets, plants life, one more beautiful than another, insects of every size and shape, awesomely beautiful birds from tiny humming birds to huge eagles, animals of every size, shape and color. Oh my it’s mind blowing.

Right now we are witnessing the leaves falling off most trees. Just as soon as they fall off there is a process in place to move the tree through it’s natural paces to prepare it for new leaves. How does that happen?…That’s holy for me! Most of the time we look at trees without their leaves and think they are dead when in fact they are very much alive in the mind of God and growing in a way we can not see. Now that’s holy! That for me is “Seeing Holy.” Try it and see what happens. We are called to see beyond appearances…..that’s where Holy lives.

Now think about the earth. It is traveling around the sun and at the same time is spinning on it’s axis so fast that the gravity of the movement keep us and everything else safely on the planet. Think about that! Now that’s Holy. Yes the ground we stand on is full of God’s love and wherever we stand is Holy Ground….just know this and acknowledge this and see what happens to you.

These are just a few of my thoughts about seeing Holy….I’m sure you can think of some yourself.

Here’s another quote from Ellen Grace O’Brian….

“We meet God, the One Reality, in every situation. Look through life’s myriad disguises today.”—Ellen Grace O’Brian

Remember to feed your soul….with Holy Vision everywhere!!!

Love & Blessings

Anne

 

 
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Posted by on November 8, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

Seeing Holy!!!

November 4, 2011

Here’s a quote from Ellen Grace O’Brian

“Erase the division in your mind between heaven and earth, self and other, faith and works. The world will become holy in your sight…..Ellen Grace O’Brian”

She’s the best spiritual teacher I’ve ever had. She taught me to be willing to see everything Holy and to let whatever happens speak to me.

Well first of all I’m grateful that the main sewer line was replaced and now we have easy access for clean out if necessary.

O.K. so what did I learn from this? As I was praying this morning I thought about what Ellen taught me and decided to take a look and pray about what this whole project of cleaning out and replacement of the sewer line was really all about for me personally.

I remembered that when I sit to mediate, I invite the Holy Spirit to come in and purify my mind, my heart and my body. I believe……no, I know that that’s exactly what’s happening to me. I think some main line issues have been removed, cleaned out and replaced and the physical clean out and replacement of the main sewer line to my home represents exactly what is happening inside of me. Oh there’s more work to do, there’s always more to know, grow and change but I’m willing so, it’s all in God’s hands. Now there’s easy access to further clean out….Amen!!!

“Remember to feed your soul!” and…..you’ll be able to open your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your heart to love in such a way that you’ll experience the “Joy” of being alive!!!

Here’s one more quote from Ellen….

“Joy arises from the soul when we acknowledge God everywhere. This joy is not emotion. It is the flowering of Self-knowledge that frees us from fear, envy, grief, or greed.”

Love & Blessings Galore!!!

Anne

 

 

 
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Posted by on November 4, 2011 in Uncategorized