The Promise Of The Spirit

Stengthened by the promised Spirit of the Divine, let me surrender myself into my Father's hands, living in trust and in hope as I follow the way of discipleship toward the fullness of His Kingdom.

"Hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord!" (Ps 27:14)

Let me pray to the Lord who is the origin, companion, and goal of our life's journey.

You do not disappoint those who hope in your mercy: remember that I am slow to believe, and strengthen my faith.

You guide those who walk in darkness: teach your path to all those who seek the road of life.

O Father, your are my guide and guard along life's path. Lead me in the way of justice and love, righteousness and peace, by the guidance of the Spirit.

Stay with me Lord, through the gift of your Spirit.

Life’s Journey

Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave

safely in a well preserved body.

But rather to skid in sideways,

totally worn out, shouting

“holy shit . . . what a ride!”

Letting Go Of My Expectations

In order to arrive at possessing everything,

desire to possess nothing.

- St. John of the Cross

Expectations can cause havoc in my daily living.
I have a basic right to be treated with dignity and respect,
but that doesn't mean life will always go my way.
The twists and turns of life often carry me
up rivers of disappointment to shores I never chose to visit.
Facing life as a fully involved traveler,
without expectations about outcomes,
is perhaps the brightest way to travel.
It has been said that there is a direct proportion between
my level of expectation and the amount of stress I have in my lives.
Trusting the results to a larger plan allows
me to relax and enjoy the adventure of the journey.
I am more peaceful and confident, less frantic and controlling.
Trusting that my Higher Power will protect me,
no matter what I encounter on my journey,
helps me face the future with a calm and loving heart.

#@#@#@#

Opening The Door

The first step on the journey to our calling in life is to listen to our internal voices and respond to the knocking universe at the door.
As we do, the symptoms and anxieties that have haunted us will fade into the background, replaced by opportunities, both big and small, to open the door to what we are truly here to do.

Marooned

I have an incredible capacity to maroon myself in life's rocky gorges and perilous mountain ledges.
In this season of joy and peace, I hear again with piercing clarity God's promise to deliver me from the dangerous places I myself chose, leveling every obstacle to my safe journey home

When I am lost in the thorns and thickets of my own foolishness -- comfort me, Lord.

When I am trapped in the ways that lead me far from you -- comfort me, Lord.

When I am beset and besieged by the voices not your own -- comfort me, Lord.

When I am caught in dark places -- comfort me, Lord.

Returing To My Spiritual Home

Having wandered from any true sense of a spiritual home and any real sense of direction, many are lost, and I hungered hopelessly for I knew not what.
God, however, is a tireless seeker.

An Irish Blessing

May you be true to your strong foundation

of simple people

in love with life

in love with God

in love with the earth

the good green earth

May your spirit cradle

a multitude of stars

that carry you

around

and in

and through

every possibility

every hope

every dream

a journey never ending

always new

May you be filled

with peace and beauty

with wisdom and hope

with love and friendship

And my you be blessed

in all times

and for all times.

The Varied Landscapes Of Life

We are pilgrim people, journeying through the varied landscapes of life.
Let me travel light, unburdened by useless baggage -- material or spiritual -- and sing to the God who has given us such a glorious goal in life.

The parable of the Good Samaritan points too my salvalation depending on the way I treat whatever unfortunate person is put on my path so that God's will might be accomplished more perfectly in my live.

"I have fallen into the hands of the angels of darkness
who have not only stripped me of my garment of spiritual gace
but have also wounded me and left me half-dead.

Bind up the wounds of my sins by making me believe
that they can be healed,
for if I despair of healing they will become worse.

Apply the oil of forgiveness to them
and pour in the wine of compunction.

If you place me on your beast,
you will be raising the poor from the dust,
the needy from the rubbish heap.

For it is you who have carried our sins,
who have paid back what you did not take."

-- St. Gregory the Great

Present In The Progression

Letting Life Unfold

Our lives are guided by natural rhythms that are particular to each of us and cannot be altered by force of will alone.
Life itself is a journey made up of processes and events that manifest before us only to be swept away when time marches on.
Whether we envision ourselves creating a career, building a family, or developing the self, we instinctively know when the time has come for us to realize our dreams because all that is involved comes together harmoniously.
When the time is right, the passage of destiny cannot be blocked.
Yet as desperate as we are to touch these beautiful futures we have imagined, we cannot grow if we are not fully present in the evolutionary experience.
The present can be challenging, uncomfortable, and tedious, but life unfolds as it will, and the universe will wait patiently as we make our way into the unknown.

The fate that awaits us is not dependent on our pace, which was preordained before we ever appeared in human guise.
Therefore there is no reason to rush through life to reach those pinnacles of development associated with the paths we have chosen.
Enjoying and fully experiencing the journey of life is as important as achieving goals and reaching milestones.
There are lessons we can learn during those moments that seem immaterial or insignificant that we cannot learn at any other time.
Appreciating these takes patience, however, because human beings tend to focus on the fulfillment of expectations rather than the simple joys of being.

Like many people, you have no doubt longed for a device that would give you the power to fast forward through certain periods of your existence.
Yet haste is by its very nature vastly more stressful than serene fortitude.
When you feel yourself growing impatient because the pace of your development is deceptively slow, remember that everything that will occur in your life will occur in its own time.
Quelling your urge to rush will enable you to witness yourself learning, changing, and becoming stronger.
There is so much to see and do in between the events and processes that we deem definitive.
If you are patient enough to take pleasure in your existence's unfolding, the journey from one pinnacle to the next will seem to take no time at all.

On the Journey Towards Hope

written by ALBERT M. LEWIS

The journey towards hope is a deliberate and difficult decision, especially if hope is not a common part of our life and vision.
The extreme opposite of hope is despair, and the middle ground is indecision or ambivalence. Ambivalence prevents us from seeing the mystery and hearing the music of life; all is gray, and sameness surrounds us.
Despair causes us to see and feel everything in consistently blotted blocks of black.
Hope, the consciously conceived child of the desire for more, is parented by the will to dream ever so slightly about a tomorrow, and to let go of what must be cast off from today.
Moses, Jesus, and certain prophets wandered in the desert of doubt and despair for as long as forty days.
Yet each of them allowed himself to be open enough to be delivered, and ultimately to become the deliverer.

Hope whispers to us: "You are alive and loved, even if you cannot fully feel it."
The inhale and exhale of a breath, the blink of an eye, and the yawn of tiredness or boredom remind us that hope is part of the soul yearning to be fully acknowledged.
Hope rises from the soul first as a rivulet and then as a great stream.
It begins in the daring to sleep or nourish ourselves.
Hope is rooted in the soul, watered by tears shed and shared, and given life by us and God.
At any moment, therefore, you are at least halfway there.

- RABBI ALBERT M. LEWIS is the Director of the Emeritus College at Aquinas, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a weekly columnist for the Grand Rapids Press.

Henri Nouwen Society

Already Arrived

In one sense we are always traveling, and traveling as if we did not know where we were going.

In another sense we have already arrived.

We cannot arrive at the perfect possession of God in this life,
and that is why we are traveling and in darkness.

But we already possess Him by grace, and therefore, in that sense,
we have arrived and are dwelling in the light.

But oh!

How far have I to go to find You in Whom I have already arrived!

-- Thomas Merton.
The Seven Storey Mountain.

A Window on Our Spiritual Lives

Even though our emotional and spiritual lives are distinct, they do influence one another profoundly.
Our feelings often give us a window on our spiritual journeys.
When we cannot let go of jealousy, we may wonder if we are in touch with the Spirit in us that cries out "Abba."
When we feel very peaceful and "centered," we may come to realise that this is a sign of our deep awareness of our belovedness.

Likewise our prayer lives, lived as faithful response to the presence of the Spirit within us, may open a window on our emotions, feelings, and passions and give us some indication of how to put them into the service of our long journey into the heart of God.

-- Henri Nowen

Being Vulnerable

On the Journey Towards Being Vulnerable

written by STEVE IMBACH

Our media are saturated with images of individuals wearing the mask of "all togetherness".
I rub shoulders daily with people quick to reassure me of the unreality "I'm fine, thanks".
I find myself trapped in a superficial community, stuffed in my self-imposed cocoon of fear and shame, afraid to admit my brokenness and weakness.
I can't face the possibility of rejection and loss, not making the cut, not fitting in.
To break out of this prison, we are invited into the honesty of becoming vulnerable.
Vulnerability dismantles our obsession with getting it right.

As I take off the mask of "all togetherness", I discover a vast world of freedom.
In my vulnerability, I become accessible to fellow companions on the journey.
My vulnerability invites others in, offers understanding and empathy, but also can be a cry for help.
Even though vulnerability's path is often painful, its reward of deepening intimacy is welcome.
Being vulnerable opens my heart to a larger worldview.
I become free to explore beyond the exhausting self-focus of supporting my false image of "OKness".
I find myself challenged to deeper transparency as I sing along with Leonard Cohen

"Ring the bells that still can ring,

forget your perfect offering,

there is a crack in everything,

that's how the light gets in".

A Lifelong Journey

Going home is a lifelong journey.
There are always parts of ourselves that wander off in dissipation or get stuck in resentment.
Before we know it we are lost in lustful fantasies or angry ruminations.
Our night dreams and daydreams often remind us of our lostness.
Spiritual disciplines such as praying, fasting and caring are ways to help us return home.
As we walk home we often realise how long the way is.
But let us not be discouraged.
Jesus walks with us and speaks to us on the road.
When we listen carefully we discover that we are already home while on the way.

-- Henri Nouwen

The Magical Mystery Tour

Spirituality is the sacred center out of which all life comes,

including Mondays and Tuesdays,

rainy Saturday afternoons in all

their mundane and glorious detail . . .

The spiritual journey is

the soul's life commingling with ordinary life.

--Christina Baldwin, Life's Companion [1990]

My heart is open.
To life, to love, and to my greater good.
Nothing can come to me if my heart is closed.
Opening my heart doesn't mean laying myself out as a doormat.
All my faculties are still engaged.
I am not suspending my judgment and discrimination - I'm removing from my inner world that which blocks me from being able to receive and experience the simple pleasures of any given day.
Life is happening all around me; the world is full of magic if I can recognize it and take it in.
I can own everything my eyes can see, but if I lack the ability to be touched and moved by the beauty that surrounds me, I am still poor.
I can own more or less of anything.
But if I have the facility to take in the wonder that surrounds me, I am rich.

I experience this magical mystery tour called life.

Ego

The ego seeks the destination;

the soul seeks the journey.

Small Steps of Love

How can we choose love when we have experienced so little of it?
We choose love by taking small steps of love every time there is an opportunity.
A smile, a handshake, a word of encouragement, a phone call, a card, an embrace, a kind greeting, a gesture of support, a moment of attention, a helping hand, a present, a financial contribution, a visit . . . all these are little steps toward love.
Each step is like a candle burning in the night.
It does not take the darkness away, but it guides us through the darkness.
When we look back after many small steps of love, we will discover that we have made a long and beautiful journey.

We Must Discover Wisdom

We don't receive wisdom;
we must discover it for ourselves
after a journey that no one
can take for us or spare us . . .
--Marcel Proust

Life is a learning experience. I can learn the lesson of my life, but not someone else's.

What We See -- Judging Others

Though it is human to evaluate people we encounter based on first impressions, the conclusions we come to are seldom unaffected by our own fears and our own preconceptions.
Additionally, our judgments are frequently incomplete.
For example, wealth can seem like proof that an individual is spoiled, and poverty can be seen as a signifier of laziness-neither of which may be true.
At the heart of the tendency to categorize and criticize, we often find insecurity.
Overcoming our need to set ourselves apart from what we fear is a matter of understanding the root of judgment and then reaffirming our commitment to tolerance.

When we catch ourselves thinking or behaving judgmentally, we should ask ourselves where these judgments come from.
Traits we hope we do not possess can instigate our criticism when we see them in others because passing judgment distances us from those traits.
Once we regain our center, we can reinforce our open-mindedness by putting our feelings into words.
To acknowledge to ourselves that we have judged, and that we have identified the root of our judgments, is the first step to a path of compassion.
Recognizing that we limit our awareness by assessing others critically can make moving past our initial impressions much easier.
Judgments seldom leave room for alternate possibilities.

Mother Teresa said, "If you judge people, you don't have time to love them."
If we are quick to pass judgment on others, we forget that they, like us, are human beings.
As we seldom know what roads people have traveled before a shared encounter or why they have come into our lives, we should always give those we meet the gift of an open heart.
Doing so allows us to replace fear-based criticism with appreciation because we can then focus wholeheartedly on the spark of good that burns in all human souls.

-- DailyOM

Messengers From The Wilderness – Weeds

Simply expressed, a weed is any plant that grows where it isn't wanted. Weeds are defined by their tendency to flourish at the expense of a gardener's overall vision, and we tend to battle their presence in our yards.

It is interesting to consider, though, that a plant is a weed only within a certain context, which is to say that one person's weed is another person's wildflower. Most of us have pulled at least one dandelion up by its roots and disposed of it in the interest of preserving the look of a perfect green lawn, yet the dandelion is good medicine, packed with healing properties and vitamin-rich leaves that are a delicious, spicy surprise in a summer salad.

In the wild, there is no such thing as a weed because the overall vision is in the hands of Mother Nature, who accommodates and incorporates all forms of life. In nature, balance is achieved over the long term, without the aid, or interference, of a human supervisor.

While one plant may prevail over others for a certain period of time, eventually it will reach an apex and then it will naturally decline, allowing for other forms to be born and survive. This self-regulating realm was the first garden of our ancestors, who learned the art of agriculture from studying the forests and fields of the as yet uncultivated earth.

In a sense, weeds are harbingers of this wildness, pushing their way into our well-ordered plots, undermining more delicate flora, and flourishing in spite of us.

The next time you see a weed, you might want to look deeply into its roots, discover its name, its habits, and its possible uses. Instead of seeing an unwanted intruder, you might see a healer offering its leaves for a medicinal tea or its flowers for a colorful salad.

At the very least, if you look long enough, you will see a messenger from the wilderness of Mother Earth, reminding you that, even in the most carefully controlled garden, she cannot be completely ruled out.

-- Today's DailyOM