Work As Play

"We are only confined by the walls we build ourselves."

                                                                                                        "author unknown"

I was in Dallas a few weeks ago on a business trip that I dreaded. It was an assembly of delegates in a business rife with politics. (No, I don't work in governmental politics but the atmosphere is still as delicate to maneuver.) I work with all guys in a technology company, which tells me that God has a HUGE sense of humor. The guys are not afraid of going to battle, if necessary, to put us in a better position on the chessboard of work. I am not afraid either, in fact, I have surprised  myself in recent past with my fearlessness. But walking into the lion's den is never my cup of tea.

The quote above, that began this post, was sent to me by my son who knew I only wanted out of there. It is so irritating when your child turns your lessons back on you, no matter how well intentioned. Honestly, it made me smile, then I turned a magnifying glass on my thoughts and the feelings that resulted because of them. I question how long I will use the minutes of my life doing a job that most of the time I have to force myself to like?


I know that pushing the limits of my comfort zone is good for expanding who I am and this is why I have chosen to do this so far. So for now the question lingers...how long?

About Me

"A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul"

                                                                                   author unknown

I am grateful that Spirit continues to open my eyes in each moment. Not yet every moment, but often.

This morning as I threw in a load of laundry, saying a silent prayer of thanks that I have clothing and a washer and dryer and a room for sorting and folding, I am struck by the knowing that one day I will miss this. As that knowing lights on me the sun chimes in the entry way begin their melodious chiming.

It makes me smile and my aunt Jean, who gave the chimes to my mother comes to mind. She misses this and one day I will to. So today I enjoy the sun streaming through the windows warming up the terracotta tiles on the floor for my bare feet.

Earlier on my mat this morning (yoga) I am aware that Spirit is awakening my Soul...continually. It is a process not a destination. My breath transports me to a peaceful place of awareness. This morning I am stiff in places and stretches I have done many times before were painful today...and so I notice. Where are the places I am holding pain inside my Soul/body this morning? What mistaken belief am I affirming as if it is real? God is here in my breath...breathing me.

 Mumford and Sons have a song that calls out to me and, obviously many others, it is called Awake My Soul. Listen sometime to the lyrics and the happy heartfelt way they sing and play their instruments. I stop whatever I am doing when I hear this song...these beautiful men are in touch with Spirit in ways that I don't know and for a moment I am with them.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0hQ3PQ3VUo


I pray you AWAKE it is a wonderful place to experience the world.

WORK

"Think of your work life, therefore, not as separate from your spiritual life but as central to your spiritual life. Whatever your business, it is your ministry."

                                                                                               Marianne Williamson

Magical change is floating through the ethers and dancing around me. There is an underlying anticipation, not, the dread, I was feeling in the recent past. Joy flutters nearby, landing lightly so that I notice a better way to live.

Do the years always bring wisdom? I think not. It is important to pay attention to what we are thinking and our particular point of view. By understanding that our way is not the only way to think or to live, we expand our consciousness, and cultivate our wisdom.

When life seems to be falling apart can we realize that we always choose our vantage point in life. Our part in choosing how we look at life will continue only as long as we pay attention. If it is possible for Nelson Mandela to spend a great part of his life in prison and not become bitter, then it is possible for any of us. Some of us live in self imposed prisons.

Then we tell ourselves stories about why this cannot change. Is there a place that you have always thought you wanted to go? Did you go? Do you really want to go? Do you need to hold yourself back? You can go or not go. The choice is always yours. Know that this is true. Always.
Self imposed prisons can keep us from eating or eating too much. From making a telephone call. From doing what we know we could do to open to our next level.

We choose who we want to be and we become that person by stepping through fears. By doing the thing that makes us nervous and allowing ourselves to feel good about our accomplishments. Small steps or giant leaps, it really makes no difference. Unless, of course, that is one of the perceptions you have chosen to hang onto.

Listening is a difficult skill since most of us are waiting to talk. We are formulating our thoughts without paying complete attention to what another is saying to us. We think we know what they are saying or maybe we don’t care.

The changes we have been seeking are upon us. It is happening even as I type these words. Something so magical and wonderful that I cannot fathom it is weaving closer. The energy is near and its presence is known. I am preparing for the change. Dusting, sorting, and getting things in order. 

I love seeing Bob laughing and playing with Roxy! We will have more laughing days. We can take care of our beautiful home again…loving it for sheltering us from the heat and the storms of life. Our reverent refuge.  This is our place of peacefulness. This is the place where we are restored and renewed. Made ready for another day of finding joy in whatever comes our way. Moving through the day with the understanding that God is in charge gives one a feeling of protection.
 

 

WORK

"Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream...
                           merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream...."

My Soul has guided me to allow my true self to be seen in all situations...I can say, that until recently, I have tried to stay hidden, in the background. This is the place I have been most comfortable. A mostly silent observer. But Spirit continues to whisper different plans for me...even when I argue about the value of what I offer. I now figure things out that previously I couldn't do. I create plans and strategies for our business. I share my vision with our team. Our future as a company remains to be seen even as this inner me unfolds.

Last night I worked a trade show. This is not my favorite part of my job. These vendors pay bunches of money, then stand in their booth hoping to make a contact with someone, maybe build a relationship and get them to purchase their products. To me, this is so manufactured. So out of touch with the reality of life. Maybe, at one time, this was the ideal but it only seems tired to me now.

The head of this particular association is a strong, powerful women who has run the association like a well oiled machine. She has always been articulate and professional, but real. She may not know it but in many ways, she has been who I have modeled myself after as I learned the ropes in this new venture. I admire her very much.Several months ago she had a massive stroke and doctors had no hope for her survival. But she has survived and is back at work. This is a testament to her nature. As I spoke with her she mentioned that she has amassed more than three years of vacation days. Three years! 

"I feel like I am riding the wave of GOD, watching the future me reveal her Self."                            

 Later I was talking to someone else I have known for maybe fours years...we are friendly but superficial. Business. He shared that he was diagnosed with Non-Hodkins Lymphoma two weeks ago.

It was our most real conversation. I lightly touch on meditation and inviting stressful thoughts to sleep in a different room for the night...not to worry  because they will still be there in the morning.

As we are talking another guy walks by and my "new" friend shouts out, "how ya doing?". The other guy says back, "good man, you livin' the dream?" My new friends answer was "yes, I'm livin the dream." This six second encounter catapulted me off the tradeshow floor. To these thoughts...

Yes...it is true. We are all livin' the dream. Where we focus our attention reveals our values. Whatever we think about what surrounds us, enfolds us, becomes us. Thoughts (concious or unconcious) and the actions that follow create the lives we live.

I want to share a video, it is short and powerful. A beautiful 109 year old Holocaust survivor tells her secrets: (Maybe the video will come later when one of my kids stops by and shows me how to add it.)

She says in essence that Optimism is the key to her life...life is beautiful...to admire...to think...to be thankful...know about the bad things but look to the good...ah yes...I second that emotion....

                                                 

Home

"Ritual is the technique for giving life"

                                                                           Thomas H. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr
                                                                           IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE

Homemaking and creating nurturing spaces is something that seems a little old fashioned today. It may be quietly talked about in the safety of women's friendships...but not often. No matter how much we seem to progress in areas of our work, the art of creating the atmosphere of "home" is mostly left to women...and this creation is likely left to chance. Instead we focus on the decoration of our homes, nervously wondering whether or not we got it right.

Some women seem to be born unto this, others, not so much. Creating a refuge for ourselves and our families can be like everything else in life...a journey inside ourselves. Even if we choose not to put ourselves into it..it is still a reflection of our inward journey...something else is more important to us at this time.

As a young girl and throughout my life I have noticed the difference in houses of the women who invited me in. Admiring the differences and learning from each one. It is ritual that sets them apart.
A cooks kitchen, a room for reading, a massive television or a garden, these things and many more broadcast what is valued most by the family who lives there.

Being organized has never come easy to me...I remember the first time I invited my in laws (a very large family) to my tiny ranch style house for Christmas Eve. It was a tradition started in my family by my Aunt Jean. She was an excellent housekeeper and she planned and prepared for weeks before the party. I on the other hand knew what I wanted to serve and had decorated my tree but even the day before, I was ill prepared for guests.

My sister in law Francis stopped by to help and in her wonderfully southern way taught me the "art of stuffing". (That is placing things out of sight under beds and tables and anywhere else we could find the space.) She knew we didn't have time to put things away and clean as we went along so she graciously helped me "stuff". After that I got more serious about my home keeping habits.

It was a practice. I cleaned and the house stayed neat. I let it go. I tried again. I failed again. Until years later neatness is finally a habit. It makes me so happy when my children say I am a clean freak! I am far from a perfectionist. But I do use the technique of ritual...drop it, pick it up, open it, close it, get it out, put it back. These ideas and others were novel to me. They honestly have no idea. What they do know is I want my house to welcome me home...to feel like a hug when I walk in. To be a refuge from the outside world. For regrouping, refreshing and renewing my Soul before I go back out into the world and I want it for my family also.

Now for the the ritual of dusting.....

WORK

"Let us, then, be up and doing..."

                                                              Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


It is Monday morning and I am at my desk ready to begin my work day...as I look around this morning there is much work that calls to me, waiting to be done. Sometimes we move through our days just "up and doing", like Longfellow says, yet we can give the things we do, a quality unique to us, if we pay attention. Actually the quality is always unique to us with or without our attention. Yikes!

It is the essence of our Soul that we impart to our daily work. We were all born of the same God, the God of love...how is it that we sometimes get so far away from this fact? How do we lose ourselves "just up and doing"? I know that Longfellow meant for us to  make plans to do things, and the planning and the doing, increase our energy...it is true that we need things to look forward to and work to accomplish in order to be fulfilled. And it is also true, that sometimes, we only need to relax into our being and allow the God of the Universe to fill us.

My work teaches me to make a plan then take steps to activate the plan. While I go about my work I occasionally veer off the path and learn many things about my Spirit...where am I holding myself back? Why do I think there is only one way to tackle a task? I know that in everything I do God/the essence of my Soul whispers lessons for me to learn. I listen closely and continue to grow.

Maybe everything is not a lesson...maybe we are here just to be. 

Maybe that is true for others but learning the lessons of Spirit seems to be the reason for my life. It has been a life long learning journey...I pray and meditate and read and worship and still life unfolds in ways that force me inside..asking for answers...maybe my learning curve is large. One lesson that I have learned is that God/Spirit is always here with me. Always. Loving me. Guiding me. For that I am grateful.

Now, to my daily work...

                   

Reasons To Celebrate

"Grown-ups never understood anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them."

                                                                             Antoine De Saint-Exupery


Early Monday morning my husband and I flew to an idyllic setting in the rolling hills of Tennessee. The reason for the trip was a celebration of life for his cousin Craig. Craig died recently with a horrible and painful cancer yet he was surrounded with many people who loved him and he knew that they were there.

His mother, my husband's aunt Helen, is one of the people I admire most in this world. Many years ago when her children were young, she was driving to meet her husband after work and came upon an accident. The accident involved her husband who died at the scene leaving Helen with three small children to raise. Craig was eight years old and he was the eldest. Now he has died leaving behind his eight year old daughter. Before he left his body he said wanted Amanda to have what he did not have growing up: her father.

It is strange how sometimes life loops around...how both Amanda and Craig lost their father at eight years old. Why remains yet another of life's  mysteries. I wonder if we ever discover the why's? God reveals some secrets but others remain outside our level of understanding. It is here that we can only rest in the love God has for each one of us. Losing the questions in our complete and total faith that the Master of the universe...God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace is in control and all is well.

Everyone who came together for Craig's celebration of life stayed at the same lovely lodge which had gathering places indoors and out with garden paths and woodland trails. Being together for 24 hours allowed time for Craig to reveal himself through stories told by those who loved him best. We watched video pictures and listened to stories as we sat by the outdoor fire and made smores.

There was a pond with fish to feed for the children. I watched Amanda play with her friend. She seemed to sink into the comfort of her surroundings, knowing that everyone who gathered here cared about her loss. She will surely miss the father whose legs she rubbed to bring him comfort. But now she will go on...with her beautiful  mother, full of strength and love and her wise and courageous grandmother to guide her.


This is what Craig wanted, those he loved to gather and celebrate his life. It was a restorative day a time for reconnecting with distant family members and resting in the fact this is part of the unfolding of life. His wife and mother and sister honored his wishes in such a precious way and will continue to celebrate him as they go about the days of their lives. His body may be gone but he is still with them in their memories...being helpful...as Amanda said.

Reasons To Celebrate

"For everything that lives is holy; life delights in life"

                                                                                              William Blake


This morning as I listen to the birds show their happiness at the arrival of Spring...I enjoy the promise that Jesus made. A promise of renewal...over and over again until we get it right. The promise of God's love prevailing over everything...All we have to do is believe and follow. How simple. How comforting.

Sometimes what we pray for and think we must have is not what we get in life. There are times that we must accept what life is like right where we are and know that the adventure is continuing to unfold. Spirit knows the way when we do not...our Soul sees over the horizon when we can only see the circumstances surrounding us in a given moment. If we hold only negative, small thoughts about what is happening we block the light and guidance that Spirit constantly offers us if we only look inside.

Today my husband and I go to mediation on our house. The house where last Sunday 50 of my family and friends celebrated Easter with brunch. The house jumped to life with the sounds of ten happy children running up the stairs and through the halls. Old pictures from slides brought to life by a cousin who died this weekend was the entertainment and focus of prayer. The picture showed the history of the Smith family of eight now all grown up with children and grandchildren.

Spirit shows me and history proves that all things change and sometimes we must let go for a greater good to come about. So this morning before meeting with lawyers at the courthouse. I give thanks for the ability to dream up and build and live in this beautiful home. It has been a refuge and a place for celebrations and has housed the people that I love the most, for an hours chat or an over night stay. I welcome what comes next because I know that Spirit conspires to lifting me up if I do not block the flow of good coming to me with thoughts of doom.

Lord, I ask that you allow me to feel you supporting Bob and I today. I ask that you change any thoughts that are blocking me from feeling your complete and total love today. Please walk in before me and hold me up...I know that I can do all things through you, Amen                                          

Work As Play

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

                                                                                                      Proust

My niece just sent this. Along with a beautiful writing by Martha Beck that I will end with. 

This morning at my yoga practice the instructor guided us into a clearly uncomfortable pose. Staying with the discomfort, my mind begins rumbling..."I don't like this"..."maybe my legs won't hold"...How long are we staying in this position?" Then the instructor begins to talk about our focus and where our minds might be at this point when we are supposed to be focusing on the breath. Do we know that we are strong and have the ability to remain here indefinitely? Are we giving into the discomfort and telling ourselves we need to give up?

Yoga is a practice I use to study not only my body but also my mind...do I give up easily? It always shows up on the mat. Am I strong and calm and balanced? This shows up, also. 

I don't remember if it is the Buddhist's or if it is a Zen saying..."the monkey mind", always rambling unless we guide it with our noticing.

The rest of what my niece sent me was by Martha Beck and is so beautiful that I wanted to share:

"Stop now, right now, and look around you. This is your place in the labyrinth. There is no place else you need to be. See with eyes that aren't fixed on goals. or focused on flaws. You are part of the endless, winding beauty. And as you learn to see the dappled loveliness of your life, as your new eyes help you begin loving the labyrinth, you;ll slowly come to realize that the labyrinth was made solely for the purpose of loving you".

Yes, you.

Work As Play

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success."

                                                                            Dale Carnegie, lecturer and author

Lately work has whisked me away from the realities of my life, once again. I get so wrapped up in the intrigue of it all that sometimes, I look out and realize that other important things are also going on. My company is on the verge of great success or utter failure. My husband and I have given up pretty much all aspects of our previous lives for this internet company. We were apartment owners with a beautiful house in a downtown setting. But the lure of something larger drew my husband in.

Because I did not cultivate and go after my own dreams I have been drawn into another's. Sometimes I play the blame game but, I know that the reason I am in this place at this time, is because I didn't take responsibility for my own life. This has been a hard pill to swallow. 

The other night my husband and I were walking home after a neighborhood party and it occurred to me that we have given everything up for a website...I was filled with deep despair and anger at my husband for making these possibly horrible choices and dragging me along with him. 

God/Spirit does not allow me the luxury of hiding from the truth for long. While I knew that I was supposed to learn and grow in my new life circumstances and embrace them as best I could, what eluded me was my own part in this drama. Always thinking that my husband has lessons to learn before things will change and I am here to help and expand myself...

Last night I heard my Soul laugh at me! In all of my life circumstances either Spirit or Ego tries to take a stand and as Spiritual as I want to be....my ego has been blinding me to an ugly truth. I am fully at fault for all of my life circumstances including this one. There is no one else to blame.

I have grown through this and will continue to grow while uncovering the answer to the question...What is this here to teach me? Not anyone else...this is my journey.

About Me

"You can transcend the dream of fear and live a different life"

                                                                                         Don Miguel Ruiz

I was asked a question about what I am thinking when I wake up...the short answer is that the thoughts are always different. Usually reflecting whatever I am most recently obsessing about. But after a while other thoughts come to me, demanding an awareness.

My Soul wants me to take this question seriously...what am I thinking when I wake up? The question needs to be changed to what thoughts do I notice when I first awake? The truth is these thoughts come and go through no effort of my own. I just attach myself to some of them. Since our thoughts determine the essence of our lives it is probably a good idea to choose the ones that bring us the feelings we would like to experience. If these chosen thoughts lift us up and make us feel lovingly supported and expansive and worthy then we can know that the source from which they come, is God.

So my morning ritual is something like this: On waking I take a moment to listen...sometimes the chatter that is my mind is quiet, so I listen for the sounds of birds or ducks on the lake or city sounds. I stretch and open my eyes to notice the light and gauge the time. If thoughts are vying for my attention I sometimes quickly write them down for later action as I have come to know that these whispers from my dreams are guiding me to grow. By writing them down I free my mind to just notice   the way the light comes in through the windows and the sound of my husband sleeping. I hear the sound of my feet walking  across the wooden floor in my room then feel the chill of the travertine tile as I step into my bathroom.

Splashing water on my face I look into the mirror and see another truth...she is not me. I have learned to be gentle with her when once I was harsh. I look deeply into those eyes wanting to know more than I do, but today is not the day, those truths will be told and the animals need to be fed and walked. The day beckons and, most days, I am happy to oblige.

About Me

"Dream delivers us to dream and there is no end to illusion."

                                                                                                Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is a wonderfully quiet volunteer opportunity my niece Nikki told me about. It is, "No One Dies Alone" at ORMC. There is an opening between life and death that intrigues me. When my children were born I became aware of the amazing connection between here and 'there'. I have been drawn to this place ever since. There was a warmth and such an infusion of loving presence that filled the room. I know that I will experience that again. I know that there is no stopping of life. It continues. 

Tonight I got a call from a friend. We have known one another for at least twenty years. She asked for one of my children (they are adults).Since neither was available I offered to come. She needed a witness and her attorney would be coming in hour. Her husband could not be the one. I did not think to question her. Of course, I would come. Yet when Derek arrived just before the call to summon me, I asked him to go instead. His lovely, girlfriend, Meg was with him so she joined him. My friend needed a witness to change her will...tonight at 7:30pm.

Life continually changes yet the seer inside remains the same. Even when we are paying attention changes happen without our recognizing them at the time. Death will come knocking and life is only sweeter because of it. There is nothing to fear.

Reasons To Celebrate

On Saturday morning there were 111 people in my yoga class! We were very close together. Usually I do not notice the other people in class, as I focus on what is going on inside of me during this time. But on this day the man in front and to left of me is breathing in a way that is irritating. Breathing is very important in Yoga...ujjayi breath, the breathe of the ocean. One should be able to hear it.

As the class continues I realize that the women in front of me to the right is working very hard to make her "warrior" lower and stronger. I am noticing her work instead of my own.

We continue breathing and flowing from one move smoothly to another and I notice yet another women who bothers me in another way. Again I move to my breath, unfocused and wondering why there are so many annoying people here today when Spirit whispers, these are the places in you that you have not been aware of. 

As I looked outside of myself during what is always an inner exercise I was noticing the weaknesses of my own practice.

Maybe I will never become the person I long to be. One who never judges another, one who is always patient, kind, loving. One who always moves with the awareness of Spirit in all things.

How can I be okay with that? This is so important to me, how is it that I do it badly?

Can I be okay with who I am and not who I want to be? I am upset and everything is churning inside.

 Now a calmness settles over me..."be gentle with yourself,  I hear. So that is how I can bring non judgement to another. Stop judging myself!

 Leave the judgements to the one who is perfect.

Long ago I was met with the realization that everyone doesn't "hear" this voice and so I kept quiet about it and felt myself to be different. I promise that I am not a "crazy person" and do not need to be medicated, at least most of the time!:) But I stayed quiet about the presence that surrounds me when I pay attention. The one that whispers, that I hear in my heart because these are not the conversations of everyday life.

We may not "hear" or "feel" this presence in the same way but if we can calm our parade of thoughts and pay attention to the stillness that beckons, the quiet waiting in the background then we can understand that this connection to Spirit is the way we were constructed.

 It is true, as Jesus said, "I and the Father are one". While we bumble around in search of God He/She lovingly awaits our attention. Always here. Always.

Reasons To Celebrate

"And the peace of God which passeth all understanding will guard your hearts and minds..."

                                                                                 Phillipians4:7

I thought to write about this kind of peace and suddenly I had nothing to say. Words would not come. And so I waited, knowing that if I was meant to write them it would happen in due time.

Even now I am uncertain...yet I honor this time of writing...beginning with a prayer. 

In an earlier posting I talked about how Summer got her name. What I may not have mentioned was the turmoil I felt when they said there was a possibility that the baby could be less than perfect. I remember not talking to my husband about this at first because I didn't want it to seem real. Though there was almost constant conversation with God and I that day. Back then I only went to God when I wanted something. "Help me, God with this" was usually the way it went. Rarely did I think to be thankful. 

Through the years, beginning when my children were small, I began noticing the profound "wonderfulness" of life. Spirit sat with me at times when I wanted to die. Life was not so sweet with young children and a husband who didn't really want to be there. I didn't blame him, we were only learning what true partnership is back then. Or maybe I didn't value myself enough at the time.

Early in our relationship I toyed with thinking suicidal thoughts...but just as the thoughts began carrying me away, a baby would cry. This seemed to happen right on que shaking me out of my darkness. This sweet little creature needed holding...or was I the one who yearned for soothing? So we had each other these babies and me. Before their angel dust fell away and their human bonds began...they gave me glimpses of where they came.

Bound by Motherhood and the urge to protect and nurture them in ways that would allow them to grow untethered. I discovered a teacher, a friend, a protector, a counselor, a loving presence where I could rest, or lick my wounds. A peaceful place where the answers would come. This is the place of Spirit. It is always here hovering in the background the place where my Soul is refilled and renewed.   

My relationship with own Mother was stormy at best...but that is another writing. We did love each other, very much...but I had to learn to "mother" myself in order for our loving relationship to finally exist. 

 

Reasons To Celebrate

It has been a while since my last post. I was so ensconced in the holiday season that certain other things had to move from front and center. But I am back at my computer now.

                               
The season was bright! Bob and Summer brought home the biggest tree to date! I don't understand the need for something bigger or more all the time. We put our tree in the entryway so it is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. It took a few days of contemplation and almost deciding not to decorate this year before Spirit whispered, "you must get started". We cut two feet off the tree so I could get to the top with my ladder and begin the process of  decking the halls.

The house sings at this time of year. It has been a beautiful swirl of family and friends. Chopping, baking, and soooo many dishes! Summer and Derek were always in and out with friends in tow. This is the part of Christmas that I love because of the blessing of the Christ within. The promise of Jesus who guides my Soul to give attention to that which is before me. Whether it is a stack of dirty dishes, ornaments to be packed away or someone special who needs a moment to be "heard". Since there isn't enough time for everything the holy moment is always the one I am living now.

As I write it looks as though I am in a Christmas Store. Collections of snowmen and Santa's, Christmas linens, Mama's angel napkins rings. Photos taken during Christmases past cover my bulletin board. I love having those who are not here physically still with me as part of my celebration. I am blessed, we all are, though we may not always notice the blessings.

                                             

I am interested to see where the river of life is taking me...I invite you to journey with me this year and maybe uncover that secret place within you that is always connected to Spirit. The Christ within.

Recently two different people asked me to write down what was happening at times when difficult things were happening in my life and I stayed in a peaceful place that seemed improbable. I pay attention when nudged...most of the time. It made me really study what was going on spiritually inside.

I'll close for now wishing you the excitement of new beginnings and tomorrow we'll explore how peace can light on us even in the midst of turmoil.