Grow Where You are Planted

GROW WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED….."…A MEANINGFUL LIFE COMES NOT IN RUSHING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER BUT IN COMMITTING TO LIFE WERE WE FIND OURSELVES." (Richard) ..what you are looking for is where you are now….Jesus Christ says the Kingdom of God is within you…be who you are where you are and you will not be disappointed….and when you are old you will find what you need in the values, riches you have cultivated within….

Silence

THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE; AND AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE A FIRE, BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE FIRE; AND AFTER THE FIRE CAME A GENTLE WHISPER. (1 Kings 19:11-12) - "Silence is God's first language." (Thomas Keating) - we are uncomfortable with silence. in silence begin to hear the voices in your mind. wait, and listen for that gentle whisper that comes from deep within, the whisper of Holy Word.- after that you will be a different and better person.

Rebirth Comes Out of Tragedy

WE ARE ONE ON THIS PLANET

WHAT EACH PESON DOES AFFECTS ALL

IF I SEW SEEDS OF HATE

IT INFLUENCES A YOUNG MIND SOMEWHERE

HE IS 21 YEARS OLD

HATE BURNS IN HIS MIND

HE WALKS INTO THE CHURCH

PEOPLE ARE GATHERED FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAYER

HE SITS WITH THEM AND LISTENS TO THEIR HEARTS SPEAK

THEN HE STANDS 

SHOTS ARE HEARD AS HE MURDERS NINE INNOCENT PEOPLE.

HATRED HAS WON ONCE MORE. WHO FED HIS HATRED?

IT IS NOW THURSDAY EVENING AND PEOPLE IN MANY TOWNS ARE GATHERED 

PRAYERS ARE SPOKEN, SERMONS ARE UTTERED

THEIR MESSAGE IS NOT TO HATE

NOT TO SEEK REVENGE

NOT TO CHOOSE THE LOW ROAD OF VIOLENCE IN RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE

THE CALL IS TO SEEK UNDERSTANDING, 

TO REMEMBER WORDS OF OTHERS BEFORE US

LOVE, NOT HATE CARRIES HUMANITY

VOICES OF GRIEF AND COMPASSION

PEOPLE EMBRACE ONE ANOTHER FOR COMFORT AND CONFIRMATION

HOPE DOES NOT GIVE UP 

REBIRTH COMES OUT OF TRAGEDY

Musings

MUSINGS

OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES AND CIRCUMSTANCES PUSH OUR LIFE ROOTS DEEPER SEEKING LIFE GIVING WATER FOR NURTURE AND STRENGTH. WE GROW DOWN AS WE GROW UP. IT IS A LONELY TREE PUSHING ITS ROOTS DEEPER EVEN THOUGH SURROUNDED BY OTHER TREES. MAYBE THERE IS SOME KIND OF SUPPORT IN THE PRESENCE OF THE OTHERS.

Listen

'I don't know how to pray, but I know how to pay attention. That's the deepest kind of prayer." -(Mary Oliver, poet) -YES!! - In my early years prayer meant speaking my thoughts and feelings and hopes to God. This continues to be helpful; however in my now years I find great meaning in quietly paying attention. These early morning hours listening, looking upon the beauty where I am…maybe it is sort of like just sitting quietly content to be in Holy Presence.

Fwd: thought

"Thank you again, God, for your servants, both knowing and unknowing." (Sam Adriance,Daily Guidepost 2015)-The thought expressed in this quote is that God's servants come from among persons who are followers of Christ and from persons who are not Christians. This speaks to the truth that the "Brooding Spirit" moves freely across all humanity and all creation attentive to what is happening. Spirit sees and visions potential, moves within the person in a way that person does good, even if unaware of his/her part in Divine Purpose. 

God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.(William Cowper) trust…..

Holy Presence

keep all your senses open, alert for God's surprises all through this day….meet the moment hopefully ….and as the light of the sun embraces you so does the compassion of Holy Presence.

Fwd: A letter from the Post Office... this is absolutely the best!!

I HAVE READ VARIATIONS OF THIS STORY BUT I STILL FIND IT REFRESHING IN A ODD WAY..

 

We don't know who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the deader office letter department who understands LOVE...

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. 

The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. 

She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her.

I told her that I thought that we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? 
Abbey died yesterday and is with you in heaven. 
I miss her very much.

I 'm happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. 
I hope you will play with her. 
She likes to swim and play with balls.

I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog.

I really miss her. 
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey & Meredith, 
addressed it to God/Heaven.

We put our return address on it. 
Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she 
said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. 
That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.

A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. 
I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand.

Meredith opened it. 

Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' 

Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. 

On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note: 

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away. 

Abbey isn't sick anymore. 
Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.

Abbey loved being your dog. 

Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in so I 'm sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me.

What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. 

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I 'm easy to find. 

I am wherever there is love. 
Love, 
God

Don't say you're too busy to forward this. Just go ahead and do it.

Healthy Inner Life

"But we cannot live successfully in community until we learn to live with ourselves." (Pilgrimage into the Last Third of Life)-"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10) - As long as I am "out of sorts" within myself I cannot behave positively with others. - How can you or I maintain healthy inner life…..?

Fwd: THE CAREGIVER

GIVES WITH HEART, COMPASSION, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, ENCOURAGEMENT, IN THE FLOW OF GRACE, NOT IN ANGER, NOT IN DENIAL, NOT BLAMING, WITH SOME DEGREE OF GRIEF, DOES A LOT OF LISTENING WITHOUT GIVING ANSWERS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE.(these are some notes i wrote while sitting in the hospital recently with my wife who was the patient.)

Realize God

"…the spiritual life is not about getting closer to God. Instead it is a journey of consciousness. We realize union with God; we don't acquire it or receive it." I read this thought in the July 2015 issue of Weavings. It speaks to me this morning. The Holy, the beauty, the love of God is all around us and within us. Sometimes we don't pay attention until the darkness of life comes upon us. In these dark times of pain, broken hearts we may become aware of God. We cannot get any closer the air we breath. It is there and life is sustained as we breath. We may not pay it much attention until we cannot get enough. Relax, be quiet, become aware …..the reallization of God is within you……..

Life Happens

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> THE FIRST FIVE OR SO YEARS YOU LAY THE FOUNDATION AND SET UP MUCH IN THE MIND OF THE CHILD. FROM THEN ON THE CHILD GROWS AND THE PARENT CONTINUES IN THE ROLL OF SUPPORT AND NUDGING THE CHILD THIS WAY OR THAT. GRADUALLY THE CHILD PULLS AWAY INTO HIS/HER OWN MIND AND CHOICES. THE PARENT REMAINS AS SUPPORTIVE AND SOME TIMES COUNSELOR(IF ASKED). THE IDEAL IS FOR PARENT AND CHILD TO INTERACT AND CONVERSE AS ADULT TO ADULT.
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> THIS IS ALSO A PATTERN FOR OUR SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP.
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> BUT LIFE HAPPENS, FRAGMENTS, BLEEDS, CRIES. THERE IS LONELINESS, SEPARATION, RECONCILIATION, FORGIVENESS, HEALING, GROWING STRONGER IN THE BROKEN PLACES.
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> AND AMAZINGLY YOU AND I COME TO OUR OWN AWARENESS OF THE 'WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE AND GET OUR FEET ON THE GROUND.
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> THIS IS WHY I AT 81 AM STILL A PERSON OF HOPE
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Live the Heartbeats

"TO LIVE OUR LIVES IS TO TRUST THE APOSTLE'S WORD THAT 'THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN(TRUST) CHRIST JESUS'. (Romans 8:1)….GOD WILL NOT HIDE FROM US, ..GOD WHO CALLS NOT FOR OUR PERFECTION BUT FOR OUR COURAGE TO RESIST COVERING OUR FACE-- AND OUR COMPASSION TOWARD OTHERS IN THEIR TROUBLE."(Weavings) - Seems to me one of the hardest lessons of life to learn is that life is messy and perfection is not going to happen this side of heaven. The best we can do is accept the gift of unconditional love in the life of Christ and get on with living. We are saved by Grace through Faith in Christ. Live the heartbeats and experiences of this day in the wholeness of Grace.

Let Go and Let God

"When we stop struggling, we float." I read this recently. It has been expressed in other ways too: "Let go and let God." - Let the weight of you life be carried in the waters of Grace. Relax, everything will happen when its time comes…….add your own ……

We are not alone

WE ARE NOT ALONE

plant trees for the future

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit." I read this quote this morning and found it most relevant. I look at the tall trees in our community and realize I enjoy their shade but those who planted them may not be on this earth now. It is well to view life from the perspective of eternity. We are all in the flow of past-present-future as we breath in and out, as we do the business of the present….

Speak the Truth

"It does not require many words to speak the truth" (Chief Joseph-Native American Wisdom)-I LOVE YOU needs no other words.