http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/index.xml ExpectGood Inspirations en-us Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:56:45 EST Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:56:45 EST exceptgood@aol.com http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P227 “You shall only have one God before Thee.” Exodus 20:2 Dear Hearts, Most of us grew up with knowledge of the First Commandment. But do we follow it? We might say, “Of course, I believe in one God”. However, we might ask ourselves…on a daily basis, what is our God? Our God becomes whatever our main focus is. If our main focus is materialism, then materialism becomes the god before us. How do we know the one God the first Commandment speaks about? All great spiritual... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P51 "Peace on earth, can it be?" Bowie/Crosby's version of Little Drummer Boy Dear Hearts, As the 2008 holidays approach, "Peace on earth, can it be?" is a difficult question to ponder. We see the crises and terror around the world and the question that comes to mind is, "Why does there have to be war?". Maybe this is the day that we might join hands with all the great visionaries and say, “What can I do to bring peace?" It's easy to look outside... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P44 "Tis the season to be jolly..." from the traditional Holiday Carol..."Deck the Halls" Author Unknown Dear Hearts, Each one of us have the power to name and claim qualities in our life. Circumstances and/or other people don't have that power even though sometimes we think they do. The real truth is...that power is ours and ours alone. If we find ourselves on the negative side of life, we have the opportunity to change our thinking and by changing our... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P242 "The person who lives only for themselves are the dullest of company—especially to themselves!" Norman Vincent Peale Dear Hearts, Haven’t we all met people who only talk about themselves? People who personify the saying, “enough about me…now tell me what you think about me!” Being around those who consistently speak about "I, I, I"…gets to be pretty dull. And the more our lives revolve only around “I”, the smaller our lives become. We are all here for... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P378 "Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional." Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith Dear Hearts, During this lifetime, there is no escaping pain. It comes physically, emotionally and spiritually. It’s not a question of pain coming into our lives, pain will enter all of our lives. But what about suffering? Do we have to suffer? When pain presents itself we have the opportunity to move through the painful experience. Sometimes we find that we need to seek spiritual, physical... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P140 “For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind.” Isaiah 65:17 Dear Hearts, As we observe God’s magnificent Universe, we see that it’s constantly being made anew. Nature is an onward progression, continuously changing, never going back but always forward…always moving. The Prophet Isaiah‘s words are in complete alignment with God’s Universe. Isaiah is urging us to continually move on by no longer dwelling in what was,... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P54 "To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition." Samuel Johnson Dear Hearts, At the end of today, we get to go to our house (whatever that may look like) and prepare for our Thanksgiving. As we think about where we live, do we get a feeling of contentment and joy? Will we remember to give thanks for the shelter and warmth our house provides? As we move into this holiday, one traditionally associated with house and hearth, let's ask ourselves, is our... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P20 "Ultimately, it is through serving others that we become fully human." -Marsha Sinetar Dear Hearts, How often do we become so self-involved that we don't even think about doing something for another person? We seem to get lost in a little world of our own needs and wants. Yet, the greatest teachers who ever walked the face of the earth have shown us, through their example, a different and much more fulfilling way to live. We look at Jesus, the Master Teacher, who... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P455 “Comparison is the death of Joy.” Michael Gott Dear Hearts, A friend of mine was recently at a college reunion. He is a loving husband, devoted father and a success in his chosen field. Yet, my friend found in speaking to different friends and hearing their accomplishments over the years, that his happiness for them was overshadowed by his mental comparison of other’s achievements. He had thoughts such as “why didn’t I think of that?” or “why didn’t I do that?” or “I... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P31 "But if you have nothing at all to create, then perhaps you create yourself." Carl Jung Dear Hearts, Haven't each one of us said at some point in time, "I'm not creative". The truth is we are incredibly creative. For moment by moment, we're creating our lives. In India, when a baby elephant is born it's tied with heavy rope to a tree so that the elephant can only move within a certain circumference. After the elephant is three months old, a slender river... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P369 "Imagination is the highest kite one can fly." ~ Lauren Bacall Dear Hearts, One of the most beautiful things about children is their vivid imagination. Imagining that they are kings/queens/pirates/explorers/inventors. However, as we grow older our imagination begins to fade. We get locked into the daily drone of life and we begin to think within a certain boundary. Our imagination is put aside because we have to live “real” life. There is always so much more to... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P394 “Love in not a relationship…love is relating.” Osho as paraphrased by Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith Dear Hearts, We all give much thought to relationships. We may wish we were in a relationship with the “special someone” or that the relationship we’re in were “better suited to our needs”. We think that in order to be in relationship we must be “in love”. But love is so much more than “in love”. “In love” can wear off very quickly. But when we realize that love is relating…relating... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P30 "The familiar, precisely because it's familiar, is unknown" Hegel Dear Hearts, In examining Hegel's statement, we are being invited to look behind the facade of our daily "familiar" lives. We take so much for granted, precisely because we deem it "familiar". So often our relationships or our jobs, because of their familiarity, seem downright boring! We loose the wild and mysterious that lies right behind what we deem "familiar". We... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P353 ”The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.” -Ann Landers Dear Hearts, When we have an idea that another person might help us or help our loved ones or friends, it’s easy for us to “roll out the red carpet” to that individual. But what about the people we meet on a daily basis that aren’t there to provide us with anything other than their presence? How do we treat those individuals? In the Bible, it is quite clear, Jesus said,... http://www.expectgood.com/dearhearts/wsdl.php?id=P90 "Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back in nostalgia nor forward in dread or anticipation, but …accepting it as it is now." Anne Morrow Lindbergh Dear Hearts, What if we did as Mrs. Lindbergh suggested and accepted our relationships exactly as they are now...in this present moment? As we live today, being present in each and every moment, we get to stand in our truth and authenticity. It is when we leave the present moment and go to “if only” or “what...