Thought to Ponder . . .

Walk softly and carry a Big Book.

A Short Memory

God is true: he has a long memory for his own promises and a short memory for my failures to keep my own.

Grant me the grace to put my trust in my God's fidelity rather than my own short-sightedness.

Teach me to hear and to live the words I pray.

Make me walk in the ways of truth and beauty today.

Let us strive for purity of heart, poverty of spirit,
and for the character of little children
and we will be threefold blessed.

-- Blessed Peter Favre

Keep Smiling

You can't let adversity get you down.

Keep smiling.

--Violet Hensley

Smiling is first an attitude and then an action.
I don't have to be bubbling over with inner happiness to smile.
On the contrary, if something is bothering me, I may discover it will not loom so large if I focus my energy on smiling at a friend or even a stranger.
Some would label it miraculous how changed a problem seems when I decide to put my energy into smiling at the passersby in my life.
The separation I feel from others is what often gives rise to my problems, regardless of their details.
Giving a smile and getting one in return diminishes my sense of separation.
Problems diminish, too.

Elder's Meditation -- Becoming Teachable

Many of us, when we are young, spend a portion of our lives in learning.

Unfortunately, some of us spend this time learning the hard way.

When we are young we sometimes think we know everything.

Sometimes we do foolish things.

As we get a little older, we realize we don't know anything.

This is when we become teachable.

There is a saying that goes, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

We usually aren't teachable unless we are ready.

The ancestors are waiting and willing to help.

When we are ready, many beautiful teachers start to come into our lives.

Then we really start to grow and mature.

We are ready for the spiritual lesson.

Creator, help me to become ready and teachable.

Thought to Ponder . . .

Attitudes are contagious.

Is yours worth catching?

Elder's Meditation -- Finding The Red Road

There are certain times in our lives when a voice whispers to us.
The voice doesn't always talk. Usually we hear it best when we are sick an tired of being sick and tired.
Inside of every person is the knowledge that a Supreme Being exists.
Sometimes a restlessness occurs and it makes me feel I need to be doing something or I need to be going somewhere or maybe I start wondering who am I?
Often when this happens, I feel lost.
Inside of everyone is the natural, built-in desire to be walking the Red Road, or to be seeking a relationship with the Creator.
No one can force us to make this journey.
We must make this journey because we want to.
This journey is not on the outside. The path is inside of ourselves.
It is inside that we must begin our search.

Oh Great Spirit, help me this day to look within myself.

If trouble arises, let me realize that it's not what is going on
but how I am looking at what's going on.

Give me Your power this day to conduct
myself according to Your way of life.

Gratitude

Ironically, gratitude's most powerful mysteries are often revealed
when we are struggling in the midst of personal turmoil.
-- Sarah Ban Breathnach