Just A Closer Walk

Thanks to a wonderful friend (Jun) for sending this to me.

Behold, I Do A New Thing

Progress means ease, relief, peace, less strife, less struggle and happiness.

- Sufi Hazarat Inayat Khan

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How many times have you heard someone say, "That's just the way I am," or "I can't change." How about , "This is me, take it or leave it!" Oh how we hold on to what limits us. Don't we realize, if our way worked, it would be working. Can't we see that holding on to what "I am" keeps us from realizing who we are? It is natural to resist change. It is insane to fight against it. For some reason we believe if we have to change, there must be something wrong with the way we are. The issue is not right or wrong. The issue is working or not working. Everything must change. The best can always be better. The fast becomes fastest. The great becomes the greatest. When we make minor adjustments as we see they are needed, we save time and the expense of a major overhaul.

Behold, I do a new thing.

(Thanks Nancy ....)

Work

Work is love made visible. Keep working with love. - Anonymous

Have you ever watched people who love what they do? They work with a smile on their faces or a song in their hearts. They move with grace and ease. They attend carefully and lovingly to every little detail. They never tire of what they do. They do it willingly, joyously for themselves, for you and for anyone else who shows the slightest bit of interest. They talk about what they do, they read about it, staying up on the latest trends, teaching it or some part of it to newcomers and converts. When you love your work, you do it with passion. It rises up from within your soul and excites you. You want to do it all the time, in as many ways as possible. Wherever you go, whomever you're with, you want to do what you love because it feels good. Try to love what you do and do it with passion.

God is Love ....

The love we desire is already within us.
- A Course of Miracles




God is love. That is where we must begin. We cannot expect to have a loving relationship with our family, mate or children until we heal our individual relationship with God. In the ancient traditions of people of color all life was centered around the Creative Force and its elements. Our ancestors had a wholesome respect for the Creator and all creations. They honored the earth for support, the sun for the life force and themselves as expressions of creation. Today we relate to one another's ego. We want to please one another because of who we are or what we have. We hold people in awe; we want people to fulfill our needs; we demoralize ourselves and one another for what we believe is love. God is love. That's it! God does not give presents. God does not have needs. God does not argue. God does not make threats. God does not feel abandoned. God does not deal with rejection. The only thing God does is love you and that is the only reason you are here.

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The only relationship I will seek today is a relationship with love.

Talk ... Listen

God would not give us the ability and opportunity to be succcessful and then condemn us to mediocrity. - Debra Anderson

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Everything in the world was, at one time, just an idea in someone's mind. The chair you are sitting on. The clothes you are wearing. The car your drive. The multimedia instruments that bring information to us. They were all ideas that someone took the time, had the faith and made the commitment to bring forth. How many good, no, great ideas have you had lately? Do you have ideas about things you would like to do? Ideas about the quality of your life? How to make life better for someone else? Why then are you not acting on those ideas? Ideas are all we have. That's what we get from the One on high. We already have the ability, skill and access to information. What the Creator does is generate ideas. Many people get the same idea at the same time. Some of us act, others don't. The next time you are wondering what you are supposed to do in life, remember all the idea blessings you let go.

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Go ahead, God, talk. I'm listening.

On Eagle's Wings

Our God is a God of life and being. I can only imagine how it must have been for those people long ago who rejoiced when Jesus came to their city and cried, "Hosanna!" How their hearts swelled with good will and how happily they threw their hats in the air. I can imagine, too, when I look within, how the good will fades, and the rancorous ill will grew into the cry, "Crucify him!"

How capable are we of swinging from praise to denial, from singing to despising? We are not always steady and sure in what we want in our lives and our loyalties.

Yes, we can rejoice when it is time for rejoicing, sing when it is time for singing, and praise when it is time for praising. We can also be grateful that when we forget our Heavenly Father and follow less worthy inclinations ... He does not forget us.

How many times have we been brought back by Him from our erring ways only to be grateful that He did? That His love is as persistent as it is? Let us seek more of a flavor of that kind of love in our lives so that we can be more open to others, more creative and responsive to the beauty and splendor that life can afford.

Since God refuses to give up on us, let us pray that we will refuse to give up on ourselves.

As we move toward the celebration of the great, glad news of Easter, let us lift up our hearts and our whole lives. I've included in this post something I find a meaningful meditation as we enter Holy Week. I hope you do as well.

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Creating a New Me

"The life of every person is like a diary in which we mean to write one story, and write another." (Sir James M. Barrrie / 1860 - 1937, British Playwright)

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We are growing and learning every moment of every day. Regardless of what we have been told, we can and do change with every new experience. Each experience enhances our capabilities by giving us something new to draw upon. Every new capability we discover and develop leads to a new opportunity. As long as we have the capability and an opportunity, there is a new possibility for us to grow and learn something new. Dare not to limit yourselves to only knowing or doing one thing. Take a chance by putting all you know to use. Accept all invitationss to do a new thing and when you do it, celebrate. Move toward you wildest dream, take the labels off your mind and step boldly into your greatness. Think about this if you will - ".....with every new step I create a new me."

Your attitude about who you are and what you have is a very little thing that

makes a very big difference.

- Theodore Roosevelt

Can you see, hear and speak? Can you walk, move around and do things for yourself? Did you eat today? Yesterday? Someday last week? Can you pick up a telephone? Turn on a light? Stick a key in a door and have a place to sleep? Are your feet adequately covered? Do you have something to wear? Are your lungs and kidneys functioning? Can you breathe without assistance? Can you move your hands, arms, legs and do the things you want to do? Is there someone who will help you if you need help? Is there someone from whom you receive love? Is there someone you know who will be there no matter what you've done? Can you laugh when you want to cry? Cry if you need to? Does your mind let you know the difference between the two? Is there a tree you can touch? A flower you can smell? Can you stand in the rays of the sun? Give thanks for every "yes" you can give and remind yourself that you are truly blessed.

Expressions

Would the Creator, with all the love, power and wisdom of the universe, make us all so different and them deem only one right way to get to His kingdom? I would think not. As an expression of the awesome power of the ultimate creative energy, we the people have been blessed to bring forth various expressions. We call it race, culture, tradition and heritage. In essence, who we are collectively is a unique expression of God. No one knows better than He the beauty we bring to life, and He cannot be wrong. As we lift our minds and hearts to know, to be aware and to understand that we are all expressions of the Most High, we will begin to recognize thebeauty of God at our disposal. Our world reflects God's strength as tradition, God's wisdom as culture, God's love as race and ethnicity. Who are we to decide which part of God is best? Let us be reminded God's strength, wisdom, power and love are being expressed as you and me.