A Reflection!

Today is the last day of this year, I am satisfied there is much that I learned in the past twelve months and experienced personal growth.  This year was good as I regained confidence, stretched myself to new levels of understanding and made a decision it is okay to reveal my heart to those closest to me.  The quest to conquer Kilimanjaro and experience life in Africa and walk on the ground of another continent, embrace others and to share my life with complete strangers who became my friends was well worthwhile.  I believe when we are able to separate ourselves from our daily lives and the stereotyping others place upon us, without fear of judgment we then can reveal and live as who we really are.  We decide in our anonymity  to be fearless, and in this state of courage we unveil our true selves.

This has been a good year to rediscover the inner recesses of my soul and decide to choose to live more in the moment rather than to continue to live in the past.  I probably feel deeper than most who know me, and because of my true ability to love deeply, care without constraint, I also feel more hurt, more pain.  Conversely, I am also able to love with more passion, care with greater sensitivity and express myself more vividly. 

The message I have for you is this:  Be true to yourself, be true to your soul.

The sparkling of our eyes is a reflection of our soul, we see this when we look into a mirror.  Today is a good day to look into a mirror and mentally capture the twinkling of our eyes and maybe in that moment connect internally with ourselves and rediscover the spark of passion deep within.   We then can carry on with a smile.

In 2012, I plan to reveal  more of my true self, the person who has boundless energy, high ideals, goals to be achieved, and love to release upon my friends, family members and those who do not even know me.  I plan to hug more, kiss more and help those whom I care so deeply to uncover who they want to be.  This is a good year to live without fear.  This is a year to be bold, a year to express who we really are and be true to ourselves.  We owe this to God our creator, we owe this to ourselves.  And as we love more, others will love us more too.

Dream, live and love!

Living to Make a Difference!

Living a visionary life is the real charge that our Lord has given us, to live without restraint in taking His word to the world.  For most Westerners, we are content with living small lives, but living small lives does not create personal fulfillment or for that matter fulfill the true will of God.  He has created us in His own image, we are to be His beacons on this earth to open the minds, hearts and souls of others; and it requires more than a small faith and a small effort.  Today in our world, every six seconds a child dies due to malnutrition or under-nourishment, a horrific sad fact.  The question at hand is what are we doing today in our daily efforts to reverse these statistics?  As sad as this fact is, as much as these physical deaths are such a tragedy, there are so many souls lost due to unbelief in God’s saving grace.  We must question our contribution to this malady.  We must question our efforts to save the souls of others and by what means we can achieve the great charge we have been given by our Savior to reach the world. 

Sitting on the sidelines of life is not an option.  You and I were never created to watch life, rather to live life boldly and to the fullest extent.  We are here to help others.  We are here to create links of understanding between other human beings, between each other and ourselves.  We are here to see the face of Christ in every person we meet.  Now I of all people realize how challenging this sometimes can be, but if we begin to live our lives with this thought, we can begin to make a difference.  We are here to protect those who are not able to stand up for themselves, to feed those who are hungry and engage those who have misguided thoughts to seek understanding by learning of Christ.

I do believe a balance of support and challenge in our lives allow us to live more fully, and today choosing a mission to fulfill the works of God in the hearts of others will provide an avenue to live in this state of equilibrium.  No one ever said life would be easy, on the contrary, people are people and there will be days of heartache and sadness, however living to a higher standard will create a ripple effect that will impact positive change in our world.

Personal leadership requires making decisions, sometimes decisions are not always popular with everyone affected, however choices have to be made.  The choices we make are based upon moving in the direction God has chosen for us as outlined in His word.  It is no easier today than what it was for Abraham or Moses, but possessing a great faith and taking action on our faith is the life we are destined to lead as Christians.  Some may believe our modern day world is so much more sophisticated than that of many centuries ago.  However, every time we watch the news and learn of murder, betrayal, theft, adultery, crime and lies we are reminded how much our world is separated from God.  If our faith is real, then we need to reach out and begin by making a difference every day.

Today, get on your knees and pray for the strength of the Lord to enter your heart, for the Holy Spirit to fill your soul with His presence, and lead you to the path for what you are destined.

God Speed! 

Who do you want to Be?

Who do you want to be?
What do you want to be known for in your life?

What places do you plan to travel and discover?

What kind of a relationship do you want your kids to say you have with them?

Is your love life vibrant, exciting, enticing and exuberant?

Do you enjoy open communication and mutual understanding with those most important to you?

Who do you want in your life?

Who do you break bread with each week?

To whom do you display your greatest kindness?

Do you really want to die with the music left inside of you?

Is where you reside and live holding you back from being all you can be?

Are the people you are surrounded by positive, optimistic, hopeful, possess advancing personalities

and want to live the fullest expressions of who they can be?

Do you value peace of mind?

Do you realize your happiness is dependent upon you?  No one else!

Do you value love?

Who do you embrace and who do you kiss?
Who loves you?

Do you value communication?
Who needs your thoughts?

Who needs you need to drop a note, send a letter or special card?

Do you encourage others to live their full potential?

Real freedom is experienced in letting go?

Do you trust?

Who are you true to?

Real trust is found in being true to yourself.

Who do you want to be?

Are you that person now?
Is there anyone stopping you?
Is it you?

Live Magnificiently!

When we live up to our highest values, we expand our lives and grow our sphere and we become more holy rather than living a life of our lowest thoughts.  Life is to be a quest of magnificence and each day is a new canvass to carry out our highest aspirations.  We must be grateful for the gifts we have been given, and in a state of gratitude we begin to step onto the welcome mat leading to a multiplicity of opportunities and understanding.  We are to transcend past our weakest thoughts and realize the bliss we can choose for ourselves by desiring and living lives exhibiting our best character.  When we live up to our hightest values, we live lives of greatness and express our best and true selves.

Thought for the Day!

This morning while listening to Joseph Prince, he shared some thoughts which I would like to share with you.  These thoughts come from I Timothy and will challenge to think if you focus on the word conscience.  Joseph Prince said, "peace is of the conscience; and joy is of the heart."  The way he related this is when Jesus appeared before the disciples after the ressurection, He said, 'Peace Be With You and that resonated with the conscience of the disciples'.  Jesus then showed them His nail marks and they experienced joy in their hearts. 
Here are the verses for you to reflect upon...
I Timothy 1:5
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
I Timothy 1:19
..holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.
When we become discouraged or disoriented with life, we must continue to live to a higher standard in our conscience or we may shipwreck our faith.  In new millenial terms shipwreck could be substituted with plane crash.  We all know very few if any survive a plane crash, so it is important to protect our thoughts, to hold onto our faith and thus we grow in spirit.
There are many of us who face everyday challenges and life does not always present itself as easy, so I hope these words will provide a reflection for you to live a greater life with faith, hope and peace.
May the Peace of the Lord Be With You!

Incorruptible Beauty!

^“Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” -  I Peter 3:4 NIV

^“Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”  – I Peter 3:4 KJV

The incorruptible unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit…

Wow!  This scripture, this thought makes one realize we must choose to live our lives on a higher plane, and upon doing so, find ourselves of real value in God’s sight. 

So, here we are asking ourselves: how do we live each day with a gentle and quiet spirit?  It begins with a mindset to realize we are servants.  We are here to serve God and we are here to serve His children, our brothers and sisters in humanity.  We are here to be caretakers, lovers of life, respecting His word and choosing to deeply appreciate others we encounter as a part of our existence.  Now, this may seem a little pollyanna as how are we to truly appreciate and love everyone who becomes a part of our existence, as there are those we rather would not embrace.  God would challenges us to pray for others, accept and love and treat them as if they are our family and very own blood.

Maybe if we decided to commit ourselves to really live with ‘the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit’, then our lives may change.  There are those individuals whom we have met that possess this exact trait.  Upon encountering them, we leave their presence more peaceful and with a refreshing calm which overtakes us.  I know you have experienced this, it is not often, but I know you have.  Most of us would choose not to live with what seems a more passive mindset.  However, is it truly a ‘passive approach’ these remarkable individuals choose as their mode of living?  Perhaps, they have decided to choose a more robust way to live, which includes always seeking peace.

As we reflect on the first three fruits of the spirit, should we find it so surprising it is peace, love and joy.  We ponder: the unfading beauty or the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet soul.  Why do live any other way?  Are we such fools not to realize if living as one who loves, sincerely cares, and seeks to enrich the lives of everyone regardless of who they are, or their lot in life, we ourselves evolve to become more beautiful.

I think of Mother Teresa, is this how she lived her life?  Of course, she is one of many examples; and there are those individuals we have encountered on a more personal level.  And today, taking the lead of these persons, we too choose to live a life of servanthood, and daily fixate ourselves on the choice of living more gently, more caring, more giving.  In doing so, we evolve and our spirit gradually transforms to become more beautiful. 

My hope for you my reader, is that you are able to live a magnificent existence, a superb life filled with joy and happiness.  And, at the end of each day before you lie down to rest find yourself pondering - have I lived this day, today - a life which is precious in the sight of God? 

Peace to you!

Live Brilliantly!

The definition of our lives is dependent on our ability to capture the multiplicity of opportunities which lie before us.  Every day is like a new page in the chapter of our lives, every day is so important to really live rather than to take a casual flippant attitude towards letting it slip by.  Our lives are comprised of years, and years comprised of what we do with each day.  We all should be so wise to not let one day just slip by without making a difference in our own lives.

How do we make a difference in our lives?  We make a difference by deciding who we are, choosing to live a more refined life by resolving to enhance the life of every person we meet.  We are to look upon each person we encounter as the most important person in our lives at that moment, and upon doing so we truly impact them with our presence.  When we are blessed to hold an infant child, every morsel of our attention is placed upon that baby because we want the child to feel loved and special.  In the same manner, if we choose to exhibit that level of caring to others in our life, we impact them, as well as ourselves.

After holding a baby, it changes us.  It is not uncommon after a woman holds a baby that she tells everyone she meets the remainder of the day, guess what I did today? ….I held a baby.  So, the idea I am attempting to impress upon you is treat every person you meet as that special baby, and then see how your life is influenced by others.  And you will also be influencing others as they you.

Truly our life is greater when we realize and embrace the notion that it is the relationships in our lives which allow us to live an enhanced life.  Obviously, we may not have a genuine connection with every person we meet, however if we are sincere in our reaching out and remain true to our cause, we will know the difference.  The difference is vastly more important to ourselves as it is our life we are attempting to always enhance.

Today, notice the sunrise and sunset, be unafraid to gaze into the eyes of those you meet, look into the windows of their soul and take note of their persona.  Be faithful to yourself, take a walk and pray for others, and in your mind list everything of which you are grateful.  Decide to love yourself, and realize that God placed you on this earth to make a difference, and without reservation choose to be that difference in the life of one person each day.  Simply compliment someone, write a note, take a friend to lunch, maybe ask another how they feel. 

By the way, it is okay to live without reservation.  When we have the urge to make a positive remark or compliment, and we choose to rather not say it and keep it to ourselves, we miss out on expressing our true selves in that moment.  It is better to be yourself and live a more extroverted life rather than to live in an internal world which causes one to miss out on real living.  Do not hold back!  Live how you truly want to live, this is your life now… you are the master, remember that and take action!

Decide to be a lover today, love God, love your life, love others, love what you do, and above all choose to really live and not miss out on one opportunity to be your most expressive and creative self, and your life will change.  Live Brilliantly!

Thoughts

Tomorrow, I leave to travel a world away to East Africa.  While there in the plains, I will see the faces of small children who did not choose to be born to the life of which they are destined.  For us Westerners, it is good that we understand how blessed we are to be born into the luxurious life we live no matter how we feel about our lot in life.  We are the fortunate ones!  Very few Westerners are starving or dying of thirst for lack of water.

My objective is to only post the most positive of my thoughts rather than to share the dark places within my soul.  It is best if we always share the brightest of all lights within ourselves to illuminate the lives of others we contact.

An empty soul or heart void of love is much worse than empty pockets.  Today, look around at all you possess:  your clothing, your bed, your pillow, your phone, computer, car and the list can go on.  We are all so fortunate to have so much.  Pray a great prayer of thanksgiving!  Then think about others who are less fortunate and recognize how they are able to find beauty in the soul of one another.

True caring, real empathy and deep love seem to be a rarity these days, most people are always willing to accept less.  My stance is rather than to live a life of contentment, we should live a life of real bliss.  This is so much a greater cause and is definitely worth the effort to discover.

May God Bless You!

Look and Speak in the Direction of Where You Want to Be!

Today, I want to write to you my friends.

I want to write to you that we draw everything in our lives to us, and if we want to change our lives, it must begin with our thinking.  Obviously, changing our thinking is a real process because sometimes we get ourselves hung up in a quagmire of hurt, disappointment, frustration and anger creating this feeling we can never leave the rut where we have placed ourselves.  This is where I want to begin today, helping you to acknowledge inside of you there is so much potential and power, it all comes down to a personal choice of which you have to make.

I have definitely had my share of disappointments in life, to know me and understand the essence of who I am is to experience a person who always perseveres.  I do not believe in giving up, people who give up many times stop short of the greatest of opportunities, experiences and relationships, in my book, they are fools.  It is better to exhaust all avenues towards striving forward to a dream, rather than to quit.  When one quits, they fail themselves and most likely fall short of the greatness that lies within or a greatness to be discovered illuminating their lives.

It is important to realize we are the ones responsible for choosing our own destinies.  It is also important to realize we cannot always help the choices of others in our lives.  There are some important moments when we must decide to change the direction of our own sails when the ‘wind of opportunities’ have stalled.  Sometimes business opportunities cease, relationships end or we face other small and large tragedies, rather than to keep a course where there may be no breeze to carry us to greater destinations, we allow ourselves to remain in the stale water.  After a while, we must realize it does us no good to stay there.  So we finally choose to change the course of our direction discovering a new wind in our sails, a new breeze to refresh the skin on our face and we look forward to today with confidence, and a new eagerness, and a great hope. 

We then decide for ourselves there is a great prospect of a plethora of opportunities.  When we believe in a new reality, we set in motion the people, places and events drawing them to us.  Sometimes it seems like it takes a long time; the reason is we continue in our ambivalent feelings and thoughts.  We really can’t sit on a fence.  We have to make a firm decision about our futures, and upon choosing to do so we chase after a new dream and with a firm resolve realize a new reality.  It all begins with the picture we paint in our minds, that is why it is so important to be careful of what you think.  So my friends, think only positive, optimistic thoughts.  Norman Vincent Peale wrote in his book, The Power of Positive Thinking, “A man who is positive and optimistic and undertakes his work with the assurance of success, magnetizes his condition and draws unto himself the creative forces of the universe.”

Today, choose only the best thoughts you can think!  You are a magnet, with every thought you think you draw a new condition into your life.  You only deserve the best!  God only wants you to have the best, so rather than continue down a path of mediocrity filled with hurt and pain, only think of joy, happiness, fulfillment and contentment painting and creating a life of magnificence.  You are the one who holds the brush, choose wisely as you dip it into your palette, find the colors that represent the life you really desire.  Love, happiness, contentment and self-actualization are only a few thoughts away.

I love you and respect you too much, not to tell you this, and for myself, I too must daily practice and believe.  My hope is we can all create great lives of destiny realizing no matter what the remainder of the world thinks or how they want to live, we have made our choices.  We are living magnets, so let us choose what we desire. Today, let us attract and believe only the best, and live brilliantly!

What do you believe?

A view from the hills on my daily hike.

What do you believe?

What do you expect in your life?

How do you choose to live?

Are you ready for real love?

What do you believe?

Everything is easy.

Abundance is everywhere

Feeling good is natural

What do you believe?

You know what you want

You have deep faith

Broaden your horizons

What do you believe?

You have vision

You take action

Your dreams become reality

What do you believe?

There is no more pain and sorrow

There is only optimism and hope

Nothing can keep you from what you want.

What do you believe?

You are magnificent!

Your future is bright…

Your life is becoming more spectacular every day!

What do you believe?

You are loved

In fact, you are showered in love

And you like it!

What do you believe?

Tomorrow looks fantastic

There is excitement to be felt in this day

Your future is painted in the way you handle yourself this day

And every day!

What do you believe?

I love you

And I always will

My love will never waiver

You have total confidence to know that will never change.

What do you believe?

What do you want in life?

And why do you want it?

Choose to seek the truth, the real truth

I wonder what you will discover.

What do you believe?

Today is a great day to learn

Today is a great day to live

Today is a great day to love

What do you believe?

What are you feeling in this moment?

Your feelings bring about truth

If you do not like your life, change your feelings.

You are the one responsible

No one else.

Live today like there is no tomorrow!

And finally, realize what you believe will be your reality.

Choose to believe

Choose to love

Choose to be loved

Choose to live.
Remember it is your life,
It only belongs to you, no one else.
Choose to live it!

Decide to Love

What do you value?

Today as you reflect on what is important, I want you to realize to achieve real power in your life you must decide to love.  You see, if God is love, and He is… then as Saint Paul suggests, ‘we are to become imitators of Christ’ then we too are to become love.  When giving away our love, we forget about ourselves, our selfish ambitions, personal needs and desires and focus upon the wishes and requirements of others.  Loving is more than being there for holidays and easy moments, loving is to continue to love when our feelings are hurt, others forget us, and we are not always considered a top tier priority.  Loving someone takes patience, and an understanding desire to know the future will be brighter, more positive and completely fulfilling.

The more we love, the greater our lives are fulfilled. 

The more we love, the more passionate we become.

The more we love, the more in touch we are with the Holy Spirit within.

The more we love, the more we give away.

The more we love, the more God provides us.

The more we love, the more empowered we become.

The more we love, the more we are loved.

The more we love, the more we fulfill our destinies.

Today, choose to love for the sake of living a greater life, strengthening your personal values and becoming more.

Choose to Live!

Painting By Michelangelo

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
- Michelangelo

What do you fear?

Why do you fear?

Are your fears real?

Do you have faith?

Why do you have faith?

Why do you believe your faith is real?

Look at yourself in the mirror, are you real?

What makes you think you are real…. a reflection?

So, if you can see yourself, then you know you must exist.

Can you see your thoughts?

How do you know they are real if you cannot see them?

Of course, you and I know are thoughts are real…

Your life is a reflection of your thoughts.

Then why do we give power to fear, rather than to faith?

Jesus said, “Have faith!  If you say unto this mountain go throw yourself into sea and do not doubt, it shall be done.”

What mountain lies before you?

Do not give power to your fears.

Feed your Faith...

There is nothing you cannot accomplish!

Choose to live bigger than you are today.

Walk each step with faith

You can choose to live small or large...

The choice is yours…

What do you choose?

So many choose to live their life without living it!

Please don’t let that be you!

Recognize the strength that lies within you.

You are awesome!

There is so much power within you to accomplish much.

Do not doubt!

Be faithful to yourself.

Be faithful to God.

Today, choose to live not just a mere existence...

Stretch yourself.

Decide to chase a dream…

Then do it!

'Choose to Become Whole'

Today, I want to share with you that you must work on yourself to be the best person you can possibly become.  There is so much to you, great capabilities to achieve great success in every aspect of your life.  Celebrate your individuality!  You do not have to be like other people, you do not need to follow the crowd - follow the beat to your own drum; it is quite okay to do so. 

As you explore all the possibilities of your life, what do you feel are your greatest attributes?  Your ability to connect with others, be a friend, a good listener, perhaps one of your best qualities is to provide acts of service to others.  Maybe you possess a great intellectual mind and are capable to solve large complex problems or successfully negotiate tough deals.  Maybe you are very skilled with your hands and able to create, build, repair, and restore large and small to the most complex and the simplest of gadgets.  No matter your talent, capitalize upon your innate ability and through discipline you will develop many skills.

Today is a good day to choose to recognize the great qualities of all those in your life.  Instead of focusing on your similarities, maybe you should choose to learn about your differences and embrace them.  Allow your significant other to be themselves and allow them to flourish in their individuality.  A great mistake many couples make is to be strive to be alike in everything and in doing so limit their own uniqueness.  This is a sad statement. Rather, I encourage you to support your differences in the way you think, see issues, and in your personal interests.  It is okay to have differences rather than be in relationship where you mimic one another in everything you do.  None of us need a clone, rather we need someone to enhance our lives, challenge our thinking and stretch us to grow to become more.

In our pursuit to live uniquely, rather than in a homogenized relationship, we choose to openly accept our differences and realize it is okay.  We also celebrate our similarities noting the glue that ties us together in our relationship.  The glue is our shared values, lifestyle choices and commitment level to those important to us in our lives.

A great concept in our relationships is to decide to allow each other the freedom to be ourselves.  When we recognize why we were initially attracted to someone it is usually because there was something special about them and also they shared our same values.  In my book, character is very important, what attracts me to a woman is someone who is confident in her demeanor, has high values, and loves herself and others.  Maybe not everyone needs that in someone they seek, but it is essential we each learn what is our (turn-on’s) so to speak because those traits are the prerequisites we desire in those we bring into our lives.

I hope these thoughts are causing you to realize the importance of recognizing your uniqueness and that of the special person in your life, or those you want to enter your life.  I want you to live an unparalleled existence with great happiness, joy and with unbounded love by unbinding the most important person in your life providing them the freedom to be his or herself.  In doing so, you provide them with a great gift and with mutual understanding you too will be showered with the greatest gift of all to be yourself.

You will then find in allowing each other this great freedom, a new math 1 + 1 = 1

An Adventure!

I find it intriguing all the books, magazine articles and the enormous amount of literature and media about relationships.  As men and women in our 21^st century society, we make it too complicated and create this labyrinth of entanglement.  So why can’t it be simple?  I love you and you love me.  We embrace, we kiss, take one another’s hand, smile, laugh and love. 

A great relationship begins with two people who are willing to discard each of their complicated components.  Life is pretty simple, find someone who commands your every thought and attention and love them.  The challenge is how do we find someone who we are completely mesmerized with and who also is willing to love us in the same manner, or be ready for love and accept our love. 

Love in itself is about giving yourself away, to forget about selfishness and to share the best of our own individual nature.  I believe in all my writings you as the reader have a great idea of what I believe about love.   At first, when we fall in love with someone, it is a choice and after awhile we become entranced, and it is no longer a choice if we truly love.  You see, we can’t help ourselves from loving the other person, it becomes a part of our personal nature and we love and love.  Some people call this obsession, of course it is obsession, what do they think real love is?  We all want to find ourselves obsessed and to be the obsession of someone special.

I really do believe some people have a greater persona to love than others.  Some individuals are very guarded, this idea of guarding one’s heart is so selfish.  The only motive in guarding oneself is to protect oneself from hurt. The greatest lovers to ever grace this earth, always open themselves to all possibilities, hurt, pain and the possibility of misery are worth the real prize in finding and experiencing true love.

In our life’s adventure to find true love, we must sometimes forget the past, it does not matter.  Only the promise of what this day holds and the vision of what we can conceive about our future is what makes a difference.  The best place to start in our endeavor is to first love ourselves.  Take inventory of every wonderful trait you possess, because everyone regardless who we are has this most magnificent person inside of ourselves.  Some of us bottle up all our feelings, or perhaps have been trampled upon in the past and have settled for mediocrity rather than revealing the distinctive brilliance which lies within our souls.  So without question, forget the past, forget about those have trampled upon you, also abandon every doubt you have a tendency to cling to, and decide to live with passion and faith.  Inside of your heart there is great beauty, a radiance to be revealed, so sumptuous that others in life will be attracted to you.  You see my friend, this is the place to start in your quest for real love, to love yourself.

Why would you want to be in a relationship with someone who did not love themselves? How in the world would they be capable of loving you?  And if you did not love yourself, how could you love them?  It would not be fair, and without the balance of this parity of love, you have nothing! 

So to find true love, be everything God created you to be.  In fact, decide this day to release your real personality, your most charismatic self, and in doing so you’ll find peace and personal happiness that will lead you to and draw others to you who also are in love with themselves. Your life will be more magnificent than you have ever dreamed, and the special person you have been waiting to discover will find you.   

"A Prayer"

Dear Heavenly Father,

We glorify you for the creation of this magnificent universe and especially for those special people you have placed into our lives.  We confess unto you that we are not always perfect, we long to be perfect, but we cannot help ourselves to sin.  We thank you for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His love and sacrifice covering all our sins with His blood.  We pray today that you would change our hearts to be like you… loving, caring, giving, forgiving without a thought of selfishness upon our hearts.  We ask that you place your Hand upon us and direct the Holy Spirit to lead us this day down the right path in life.  In Jesus our Savior’s Most Precious Holy Name we pray.  Amen.

Love



The Lovers - Picasso

Love...

Do you like that word love?

What does the word love mean to you?

How do you love?

Are you unafraid to love?

How do you want to be loved?

Love is connecting without judgment.

Love is Forgiving.

Love is Truly Caring.

Love is Listening.

Love is Sharing.

Love is who we become as we evolve.

Love is Embracing Others.

Love is choosing to put others first.

Love is choosing to let yourself go.

Love is believing in yourself and others.

Love is recognizing what is special.

Love is Simple.

Love is Kind.

Love is Effortless.

Love provides you a feeling of fulfillment.

Love elevates your life.

Love causes you to live better.

Love encourages you to be your best.

Love transforms hearts.

Love is more than a feeling, it is a choice.

When in real love...
We want to unwrap ourselves and reveal our best.

We want to give to someone special everything we are capable of.

When in love, we accept others for who they are and they see us for who we are and we still love one another.

When in love, we choose to always stay together.

When in love, we touch, we kiss, we embrace with our souls.

When in love, we pray, we believe and we grow.

Is this the meaning of love to you?

You are a Hero!

Tonight I was reading my notes in one of my small notebooks where I have written some goals and  thoughts about my dreams.  A phrase written prominently on the second page is a quote I had found from somewhere and I am not sure of the author.  It reads, “You are the hero of your own saga!”  For my female friends, “You are the heroine of your own saga!”  In essence, this is your life, it belongs to you and no one else and now is the time to live.  What great dream or thrill do you desire to achieve? Where do you want to travel?  What adventure or thrill do you seek in your life?  There is nothing that is not within your grasp.

There is nothing or no one stopping you, but you!  Today, I want to let you know I believe in you!  I believe you have the strength and the courage to accomplish anything you set your mind to achieve.  Today is a great day to pull out all stops, to live your life with great abandon and recognize God placed you here in this world to use every ounce of your potential.  There is no reason to sell yourself short. You have what it takes to live out your wildest fantasies.

I am fortunate to have very special people in my life who care for me and love me.  I have wonderful parents, I have a wonderful daughter and granddaughter and loving siblings.  My family is very close, not every family is as close as mine, and I thank the Lord for His grace in this area of my life.

I have tremendous friends, people who know how much I truly love, truly care, truly give and know that I am really there for them with my heart and soul.  And likewise, I have very special friends who have helped and supported me in so many ways, and I love them.

It is important in life for each of us to know, we are to live our lives full out, hold nothing back!  Each of our days are numbered and every day you really do not live to your full potential is day wasted.  Truthfully, there is nothing that you cannot achieve; do not listen to the naysayers and critics; who really cares what they have to say!  I do not, and neither should you. 

James Allen wrote, “Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.  Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your idea is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.”

Andrew Carnegie was quoted as saying, “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hope.”

I challenge you this day to live your life as if you are your own hero because you are.  Live daringly, live brilliantly, live with zest, live with abandon!  Do not fear, it does not become you, live with faith, real faith that God is with you and nothing can stop you.  Choose to believe in yourself.

If you were to ask anyone on the street to describe a hero, they would say it is a person who has gone above and beyond to provide extraordinary acts of service with bravery and bravado.  Make this description who you are in your life to yourself and to others.  Please know you are an amazing person and God created you to be a great change agent in your own world.  Today, decide to be a hero if only to your significant other, your children, your parents and grandparents, siblings, neighbors, co-workers and friends.  Take inventory of your talents and abilities and with a positive attitude make a difference. 

Live with great faith!

A Reflection!

Today, my reflection is upon prayer.  There are so many things I have prayed for, I have prayed for peace and contentment, love and restoration, forgiveness and healing, the opening of minds, for the mending of hearts, miracles and understanding.

So many times we pray, and it seems God does not answer, but He does, it is just a matter of waiting.  Sometimes we hold onto ideas and sought after dreams for such a long time, we miss the answers.  I also believe sometimes people pray for change, when the change resides within themselves.  They pray for a better love, when in reality, they have the best God could ever offer.  They pray for different circumstances in their lives, when the direction they are moving, even though there may be pain and difficulty is the best route. 

Life is not always a smooth road, people are not always the most amiable and open minded. Sometimes, we are our own greatest stumbling block to happiness, love, wealth and success as we define it.  We need to learn to get out of our own way.  This is probably the toughest lesson to learn.  We usually always think we are right, but if you were to calculate the real percentage of times we are correct, what would be answer be? 

The words I have written here in all the various posts are written as guides for myself and all who read to reflect upon their own lives.  There are so many in my life who I truly love, admire and respect.   Some have only seen glimpses of my soul, and others, we have connected and our bond is eternal.  

This morning after coming home from church, I drove up to the cemetery, parked the car, turned off the engine and gazed at my grandmother’s grave.  She was my best friend, there is so much of her in me as there was I in her.  I loved her dearly!  We exchanged so many tears, so many embraces, I held her as she did me, and there was nothing she was unafraid to tell me.  Her husband, my grandfather died in 1952, I was born in 1963, unfortunately, I never knew him.  My grandmother adored him, she lived on to the age of 95 never re-married or sought the affections of another. She loved him with her whole heart and soul, and she taught me how to love with my whole heart and soul.

I have had my heart broken enough, and long to never have it broken by another woman ever again!  My last love stole a large piece of my soul because I gave it to her.  She had my whole heart, she had captured my mind and I am still not whole.  I read today, ‘happiness is when you make the other person believe they are reason for it.’  I suppose the reason for sharing this thought, is there is so much for me to learn.  We all make mistakes, none of us are perfect, nor will we ever be.  There is so much to my personality, only a couple of people in my life truly know me.  I have a magnetic personality, when on stage, I am truly best self, I enjoy the intimacy of really knowing my friends, I do have a deep personality, some think I am intense.  But those individuals have never seen the other side of me.  I love to dance, laugh, am very exciteable, love physical activity, wrestling with others, trudging up hills, hanging from trees, swimming, attempting daring exploits and enjoy moments of true ecstasy. 

So, what is a person like me to pray for?  I suppose praying for faith would be a good starting point.  My faith has been shaken, especially when literally hundreds upon hundreds of prayers seemed to never be answered as I thought they should be.  Next, real healing would be a good prayer; and perhaps for my friends to be unafraid to accept me as I am.

I am a writer, but no one ever writes me, do you know how sad that is.  Maybe it is because, when we write we reveal who we are, and some people are truly scared to do so, or perhaps they feel it is too intimate.  When I die my letters and thoughts and will remain, and those who know me and others who have never known  me will grow to find out whom I am, what the drivers in my life really were and how I loved.

Today, I encourage you to write.  If you must, only write a note to someone in your life, but also take time to begin to write a real letter with your deepest thoughts.  Take time to reveal a portion of who you are, sharing with someone and provide them encouragement to live a greater life.

Now, after you finish reading these words, take a moment to silently pray for God to give you strength to live a life of destiny.  Pray for a life filled with happiness, love, caring, understanding, giving, abundance and ecstasy.  Pray for the strength to forgive others as He has forgiven you and live with faith that today will be better than any other day in your life.  I challenge you to be unafraid to share who you are with those who are very special in your life.  This is your life - it is yours to live as you choose.

Live Brilliantly!

'Great Lover'

I am a great lover, there is so much inside of me to give to you.

I am a great lover, my whole heart and soul awaits.

I am a great lover, you will find no one more true.

I am a great lover, my soul awaits you.

I am a great lover, I will cherish you.

You permeate my thoughts.

I will never let you go.

I will always be faithful.

I will always be true.

I am a great lover, you will never regret!

I am real.

I am sensitive.

I am passionate.

Take my hand, gaze deeply into my eyes…

I am a great lover, you know it.

Let me awake to your smile.

I long for your embrace.

I don’t want to walk down life’s road without you!

I am a great lover, and need you…

I am a great lover, no real arrogance, just truth.

I long for you…

Will you hold me today as I want to hold you?

You will never regret.

Together is better than living apart.

Let me love you.

And please love me too!

I am real, I hope you are real too!

Stop waiting for tomorrow,

As I am a great lover

And cannot wait to be with you!

Stars, Moonlight and You!