Archives: August 2009
Mon Aug 31, 2009
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Mufasa – The Lion King
Dear Hearts,
Today, let's all try to remember how connected we all really are. One day the Master teacher Jesus was asked, "Who are my brothers and who are my sisters?" He pointed to all those in front of him (many were strangers) and replied, "these are your brothers and these are your sisters".
As we see different faces during our day, do we go to a place of separation? Those that look like us and think the way we do, we call "we". Those who don't look like us or perceive life differently, do we immediately separate ourselves, calling those individuals "them"? If we do this, then in essence we are living a "we vs. them" life.
How dull life would be without diversity. As we look around God's magnificently created Universe, we see all colors, all shapes, and all varieties. Are we to live differently, limiting ourselves only to those who think, act and look like we do?
There is a beautiful Sanskrit word, "Namaste" meaning, "the God in me greets the God in you'. It would be a wonderful practice today if we silently said, "Namaste" to each person we came in contact with, whether at the office of at home. Not only does the word bless another, it blesses us by helping us remember that there really is no separation.
This day, I know that I am interconnected within this wonderful circle called life. I accept this for me and mine. Thank you, God, and so it is! Namaste!
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Sun Aug 30, 2009
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Zen Meditation
Dear Hearts,
Don’t we sometimes get a mental picture of an enlightened being as an individual who lives on a mountaintop or in a monastery spending countless hours thinking about God and praying ~ unencumbered by monetary needs or the responsibility of family and friends?
While there are such individuals, there are also countless spiritually enlightened men and women moving among us… living what seem to be “ordinary” lives… just as we do. They might live next door or occupy the adjoining office or perhaps we brush shoulders with them in the supermarket.
The truth of is the enlightened soul doesn’t need to be someone else. The invitation to be an enlightened soul is issued to us daily. It’s an invitation to anchor our day in prayer and meditation, to go through our everyday routine being present in the moment, to practice loving-kindness, to stay anchored in peace, to keep our sense of humor, and to be aware that regardless of the circumstance, God is always there. It’s an invitation to us to show up for God or for good.
Today, there’s an invitation issued to you and to me to be an enlightened soul within the very lives we lead. The choice is ours, but if we accept the invitation, then this day we will be here for good, for God in all that we say and do.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
(*Jack Kornfeld)
Sat Aug 29, 2009
In our book section, you can order Oprah's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Deuteronomy 33:27
Dear Hearts,
Often in times of trouble and heartache, we don’t know where to turn. We seem to flounder. Worse case scenario, we try to find comfort in food, alcohol and/or drugs, etc. that offer us no solution only a few moments of forgetfulness.
When we are in pain or sorrow, let’s remember to turn to God. We are told that God will be our refuge and our strength, our fortress in times of trouble. Scripture reminds us that there are everlasting arms that are always there for us, to cradle us, to give us strength and bring us peace.
While the heartache and trouble we may be experiencing may not change…we change. When we turn to God we are given the tools to deal with whatever life has presented to us. We are given the clarity to see what needs to be seen, the peace that is beyond human understanding, the wisdom to know what to say and what to do, the joy of knowing that in the midst of all of this…God is there and we aren’t walking the path of this life alone.
In this life we will feel sadness, we will be troubled, we may literally feel that our heart has been broken. But beyond all the feelings taking place on the human level there is the infinite strength, the infinite goodness that God Is… and the everlasting arms of God are always there for us.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Fri Aug 28, 2009
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
- Anonymous
Dear Hearts,
Psychologists tell us that it is much more difficult to heal from verbal abuse than to heal from physical abuse. Physical abuse injures our body...verbal abuse injures and sometimes shreds our self-esteem. Our words are not just to be spoken off the top of our head ~ the words we speak need to be spoken with respect and care so we uphold the dignity of another person, whether that other person is 1 week old or 100 years old.
Our words are important and convey so much about who and what we are. There is an old joke about "open mouth, insert foot". Let's take extreme care that we don't do that today. If what we're about to say is not loving and said with kindness, let's not say it!
Let's all be conscious that our words have the power to uplift another, to help another feel that they are loved, to bring peace and hope to another, to build self-esteem in another, to tell another that they're of value to us. If we need to caution another, discipline a child, or give a job review, it can be done gently and with kindness.
We're here so that when others see us, they see the God within - and that when we speak, others hear the God within speaking through us. The voice of God speaks with gentleness, saying whatever needs to be said with love and compassion.
So today, let's make a pact that if what we say is not kind, loving or can be spoken with compassion, let's simply not say it.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Fri Aug 14, 2009
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Rabbi Hillel
Dear Hearts,
Haven’t we all, at times, thought to ourselves that another friend, loved one, co-worker, etc. deserves that break, or that raise, or that relationship; somehow thinking and feeling that they deserve it…yet, somehow we don’t.
There’s a difference between narcissism (where we are totally self-involved) and a knowing that we are God’s children and that no matter what our past has been, we have an innate dignity and goodness, not because of what we’ve done, but because of who we are.
So if we asked ourselves, “Am I really there for myself?” “ Do I root for myself and cheer myself on?” “Do I feel worthy and deserving of the best life has to offer?” What would our answers be? Let’s not shy away from those questions. They are vital to our doing our best, giving our best, and serving life in the best way we possibly can.
Rooting for us takes nothing away from another. The more we can root for ourselves and be there for ourselves, the more we have to give to another.
So, today, let’s be our own cheerleader, knowing that God doesn’t love one of us more than another. God wants the best for each and every one of us. Can we say the same? Let’s know that we are God’s beloved in whom God is well pleased, no matter what our past may have been. God is cheering us on now …are we cheering for us also?
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Tue Aug 11, 2009
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Anonymous
Dear Hearts,
Haven’t we all had thoughts that if we were only in a different relationship or family; job, home or car, etc. etc. then we could surely be able to bloom and grow?
However, the challenge is to bloom right in the midst of our present circumstances. Before we say that’s impossible, let’s think about it. There are no mistakes in this Universe, at this point in our lives, we are right where we're supposed to be. Our job is to make the best of the circumstances. There is a Twelve Step saying, “Wherever you go, there you are.” So while we believe it’s our circumstances that might need to change in order for us to blossom, in reality it’s our thinking that needs to change.
Ghandi was jailed many, many times during his life. They say he got to look forward to those times, so that he could catch up on his correspondence! St. Paul, who spent time in the worst kind of prisons, utilized that time to pray and sing. Mother Teresa walked the ghettos of Calcutta and was joyful doing it. These individuals show us that it really isn’t about our circumstances at all.
Today, instead of wishing ourselves out of our circumstances, let’s commit to bringing love, peace, harmony and joy into our circumstances. Let’s bless our circumstances. When our attitude about our circumstances change, we begin to change and interestingly enough...we begin to blossom and bloom right where we're planted.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Mon Aug 03, 2009
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book, Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
- Vince Lombardi
Dear Hearts,
One of the most awesome things about the Olympics is no matter how great the fall or the error, each athlete got back up and continued to give his or her best. Surely, they must have felt humiliated at the time of the error or fall, but their focus on their goal of doing their personal best outweighed any momentary defeat. During the last Olympics, at least one individual, after what seemed like an irreversible error, forged on and won the Gold Medal for their particular sport.
The test of any champion whether an athlete, social worker, executive, homemaker, physician, etc., isn't about not making errors or getting knocked down, it's always about how quickly we rebound. Each one of us are born to be champions in our particular endeavors....if we're knocked down today, let's give ourselves to the count of three and then be back up on our feet ready to give it our personal best....one more time.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara