Find Religion

by Author Unknown

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.

And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.
What today will be like is up to you.

You get to choose what kind of day you will have!

In chemistry, He turned water to wine.
In biology, He was born without the normal conception;
In physics, He disapproved the law of gravity when He ascended into heaven;
In economics, He disapproved the law of diminishing return by feeding 5000 men with two fishes & 5 loaves of bread;
In medicine, He cured the sick and the blind without administering a single dose of drugs,
In history, He is the beginning and the end;
In government, He said that he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace;
In religion, He said no one comes to the Father except through him;
So? Who is He? He is Jesus! Join me and let’s celebrate him; He is worthy. The eyes beholding this message shall not behold evil, the hand that will send this message to everybody shall not labor in vain, and the mouth saying amen to this prayer shall smile forever.
Remain in God and seek his face always Amen!
In God I’ve found everything!
The Greatest Man in History Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was
written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title “C”ntarea
Americii, meaning “Ode To America”) on September 24, 2002, in the
Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei (”The Daily Event” or “News of the
Day”).

~An Ode to America~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one
another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages
of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and
religious beliefs. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred
million people into a hand put on the heart.

Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, and the
secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed
to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby
to gape about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a
helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over
the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the
colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if
in every place and on every car a government official or the president
was passing.

On every occasion, they started singing their traditional
song: “God Bless America!” I watched the live broadcast and rerun after
rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one
hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or
of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the
terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that
could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human
being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of
some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every
phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection
aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money
can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their
land? Their galloping history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for
hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the
risk of sounding commonplace.

I thought things over, but I reached only one
conclusion…Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu

I am grateful for the end of this year. Next year brings the hopes of major changes. Not only politically but socially, economically, environmentally and personally. What changes would you like to see in your day to day life? More love? More security? You can have these things. In this uncertain world it is up to us to prepare ourselves and our lives for the uncertain future.

Three things I know for sure in this uncertain world-

Love is real

Hope is eternal

Nothing stands in the way but self

So move yourself out of your own way and see the future year coming with real value, sacredness; love for self. Respect for self. When you have accomplished that, it is only then that you are able to share yourself as you were created to the world and be part of the greater good. If you have self loathing and lack of self respect then you have no love or respect. You can be admired by millions and loved greatly but if you have no love for your self then you are not being the whole, true person you are meant to be in this creation. What is stopping you from loving yourself? If you can find you way to forgiveness, starting with yourself is a good plan to begin this process. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves so we can be at peace with our past so we can have a future. Find peace with the past as much as you are able, so you can find the love & hope and help me transform next year in to something we can be proud to be a part of a grateful to pass on to our children.

And to all a good night! Wheew! Are you all as glad it’s over as I am? I love going to see everyone and making special memories. I can do without the added stresses and tensions that can come with the season like an unwanted virus. This time of year often feels like a huge emotional wave that comes overtakes me with sentimental feelings of nostalgia of Christmas magic from when I was a kid. Knowing now what my mother went thru to make the holidays special even as she worked full time really fills me with so much love and appreciation for her care and thoughtfulness. What care she took to pick out gifts and wrap them beautifully for us. She’d make us little letters that ‘Santa’ would leave for us thanking us for our delicious cookies. She had everything dialed in from the onion dip to the homemade pumpkin pie. She did everything with what appeared to be such ease. Every Christmas is infused with her recipes, her love, our traditions and a great need to make everything special, wonderful and delightful for us kids.

I’m the opposite of my mother’s grace. I can make onion dip and pumpkin pie. But not without the fire alarm going off or the phone ringing or something to pull me away from my task. My mom always seemed so focused and methodical in her work. She wasn’t often distracted and was able to go to task without being pulled left & right by this, that & the other. Me, on the other hand; my life seems to delight in running me around and wringing me out. Flipping me around like it’s own little red rag waving in a tornado force wind. Life doesn’t twidder about me like the bluebirds of happiness. It batters me with it’s forces of energy. I feel like a tilting planet all it’s own sometimes with my own gravitational force. I long for that seeming paradise of calm, cool & collected that my mom can achieve. I wish she’d share the recipe for that! That is what I am craving right now!

I hope the season brought you joys from Christmas past, blessing on Christmas now and peace for the coming new year’s future. It’s not time to drop the fun of giving though. I have a couple things I received that I can’t use or return so I will donate them or pass them to someone who may be able to use and appreciate them. I also have a big pot of soup to make from the turkey carcass we brought home from a holiday gathering. I will make soup up and freeze it in quarts to give away. It’s always nice to have homemade soup. I also have some more fudge wrapped up that needs to get out of here before I eat anymore of it! I think the mailman has his name on some!

Every baby is Jesus’ perfection trying to be seen and acknowledged and reborn again and again. We can see it if we have the eyes, heart & hormones of a mother, or a vivid enough imagination that could imagine such as so. The love of a mother and the power a mother feels as she nourishes & sustains life, gives birth and continues to sustain that life with milk made from her own body, is the key, integral relationship in any human life. This is an act  so full of dynamism that any peace loving culture should rely on breastfeeding as a great beginning to creating happy, well-adjusted people thru out the world as a whole today. Lack of bonding as we can sometimes see in bottle fed babies, who miss out on the breast and the close mother/child bond, creates a population that is more enamored by the achieving of material gains then relating on a heart & soul human level with other human beings.  As we can see in the world today these shifted values have altered the path the world is on to a degree that has bred and nurtured people who are hell bent on greed, war, destruction and other traits that come from the damaged, improperly nurtured psyche.

Mary didn’t milk any of the barn animals for milk for baby Jesus. She nourished Him with milk from her own body. This act is a woman’s sacred art and has shaped futures of children from the beginning of time. Making milk for an infant can be a joy and a pleasure. It is certainly a lot of work for the body. Milk holds everything, every nutrient and satisfaction for a child; mind, body & soul. The act of breastfeeding instills innately the preciousness and value and worthiness of taking the best care, time & energy with your child. The care that come thru breastfeeding plays a role in the formation of every relationship thereafter. Ecological breastfeeding-when the breast is given on demand, without the use of bottles or pacifiers, can also suppress fertility, as the body adjusts so beautifully to accommodate the mother’s & child’s needs.

Any act such as breastfeeding which requires such devotion & sacrifice on a person’s part automatically makes the act a sacred one. Any sacred act infuses the preciousness and worth that we as a society lack in today. We wouldn’t have 1/2 the wars & murder or even depression, suicide or basic dissatisfaction with life if we had just given our children their birthright; our milk. Or more accurately-their milk. And she gives until it hurts. As they need. To establish their selves as such to value all life around us. This is one of the fatal flaws we make as humanity in not being absolutely blessed and supportive of the breastfeeding mother. It is a wound in the psyche that can not be healed or filled with any other outside resources and have the same impact it has when given from the source.

Breastfeeding stimulates important nurturing hormones called prolactin & oxytocin which induce feelings of contentment & satisfaction in not only the mother & child but also in anyone who even witnesses the act of breastfeeding! These are the same hormones that are produced when an orgasm is achieved.

We were created for ecstasy & bliss! Our whole system supports this but cultural & societal norms have altered this natural path & disrupted the core of the essence of our being.

Breastfeeding also reduces the likelihood of a woman getting breast cancer.

Support your hardworking mothers!

Have you been feeling the love? Have you set a warm ember of hope thru a memory or event you enjoy or have been looking forward to in your heart? I hope so! I want to whole-heartily encourage you to find your genuine smile. If you can’t be a friend to someone-then be your own best friend. If someone else can’t then you have to. Take yourself out somewhere special. Be kind. Use kind words. Smile with not only your mouth but your eyes as well. Listen to that small inner voice of wisdom and hear it and heed it.  Are you impelled to take an offramp not on your normal route? Don’t ask why or erase it away! Listen to that little voice of inner wisdom. There are a myriad of reasons why and the one reason may not be readily apparent. The why may be irrelevant, it’s the action of listening and acting on that impulse that creates repertoire of trust within yourself that you can build upon.

Do you want more joy in your life? It is there, within you, just waiting to be discovered and tapped. What do you want to create next year? It’s a brand new year and time for us to contemplate the last year and plan for the next. What did we do well? What can we improve upon? Did we right any wrongs or just muddle along? We can only get out of our life what we put into it. Give it your all!

In this season of the winter solstice, let us be merry, kind and generous in heart & spirit. Let us share when and where we can. Let us be gentle and kind to each other. Let us give with joy and celebration.

I made 6 pounds of fudge that I have passed out to the friendly ladies at the post office, the librarian and the local thrift store. I also brought cookies to the guy that works at Kinkos. You should have seen his face when he realized I brought them just for him. In his gratitude he was taken in a rush and flood of emotion. His personal turmoil burst forth the painful truth of his marriage gone bad that has left him  lonely, bereft and depressed. My little treats haven’t solved any great problems that the worlds holds for us to solve but it has brought us closer as neighbors sharing this spaceship planet earth all of us here together. I felt the love. It was even better than the fudge! And the fudge was really, really good!

During this season of giving I can’t help but feel the pain of the millions of people who all they want are things money cannot buy. Like peace and hope. Or love and joy. What is the value of these things? What does hope look like? What does peace look like? Hope, to me, looks like the eyelashes of a tiny baby that rests on a silky cheek. Peace looks like the wind that raises the birds in the sky; elusive & fleeting. Love looks like a smile, open and friendly, ready to be generous and maybe even share a laugh. Joy looks like the fertile earth that has been dug up by the leaping paws of a happy dog, that has unearthed the earth itself with galloping strides of joyful bursting forth in energetic delight.

What do your wishes and hopes look like? Are they asking you to notice them, like the blossom of a flower, who tries so hard to get noticed, touched, smelled and appreciated? Breathe life into your dreams so they can come to fruition. Keep them alive anyway you can. Write and plan your dreams. Now is the time to access and reassess everything you have in your life . Conscientious people live the life that they want. Instead of life having you; you have the life you want. By accessing your life, your choices for the coming new year you can get rid of what no longer serves you, be it a bad habit or stressful unfulfiling work. Try to use your eyes that can see things like hope in the eyelashes of a child. This will create a balance of creative and pragmatic energies that will serve you well for the coming new year ahead. I wish you many blessings of all the good things in life that hold the true meaning of the season. All the things that money cannot buy have the most value. May you be showered with all the good things in life! And don’t forget, the best things in life aren’t things.

ONE.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE.
Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.
When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE.
When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.
Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.
Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN.
In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN.
Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE.
Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN.
When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN.
Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN.
Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN.
Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE.
Spend some time alone.

I believe:

That our backgrounds and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

That no matter how good a friend is, she is going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive her for that.

That because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to, doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

That it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

That you should always leave loved ones with kind words. It may be the last time you see them.

That money is a lousy way to keep score.

That you either control your anger or it controls you.

That sometimes I have the right to be angry, but I never have the right to be cruel.

That it always isn’t enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to forgive yourself.

That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world won’t stop for you.

That to love others with my whole heart I must first love myself.

That the people you care most about in life are often taken from you too soon.

That life is more precious than money will ever be.

That it really is better to give than to receive.

As soon as I get embroiled in all the great things the season has to bring, reality kicks in and so does the fear and loathing. A dear friend of ours has found lumps in his throat and neck and we are very concerned for his well being. Of course the first thing that pops into mind is cancer. It’s just like an automatic reaction. When I was a kid the worst thing in the world was cancer. This was before we seen what aids and other incurable disease could do.

So the season is now fraught with fear of disease, tests, scans and needles and waiting for results.  The worst part is the waiting. Time goes into a bubble warp and twists and turns and drags it’s feet when you are in waiting. Time has no friend like the good news we hope to hear from this uncertain place in time. One of the worst parts is that he doesn’t have insurance and has put this off for months and months now. That precious time can make the difference between stage III or IV cancer and have a huge impact of his rate of cure. I am ashamed of a country as rich and powerful as ours who has nothing better to give it’s own people than a war hell bent and built on lies, and lack of the most basic care that every human needs and should be entitled to as our birthright as proper medical care. What is this country coming to? We are endangering human life as we natter on about health care solutions. The solution lay in giving. Give until it hurts. Then maybe the people who are really hurting can get some care and relief.

Hold on to your loved ones tightly! Nothing is guaranteed. We can be grateful we get to see the sunrise of a new day. What will we do with this new day? My hope for you is to be able to linger in the beauty of all that surrounds you be it people or nature that you love. Indulge your senses. The time to live is now! Nothing is certain and anything can happen. It feels like flying by the seat of your pants. It can make you uncomfortable, but the ride is fun and the view is great. Enjoy the view in your life today. If there is no focus on illness or disease or despair, then rejoice for your good fortune.

Do you know what that means? It means give up something of value to yourself so you can bring joy & humanity to others who may be without. Give something that is your own; give what you want. Give something that is comforting and warm. A hat, scarf or mittens. Slippers or homemade soup and bread. A warm smile, nod, handshake or hug. Give something you love and would want for yourself. Cloak a part of your world with kindness and warmth. Give something you could keep yourself but out of the goodness of your heart you want to share that which you already strive for and love. Nourish someone. Give them sustenance for life. Heart & soul. This is why we are here. To do so eases wrongs and sets the world right. To do so is a sign of spiritual & emotional maturity. To delay one’s own gratification for the needs and fulfillment of another is one of the highest forms of intellectualized spiritual truth that represents a high level of emotional maturity. This maturity serves as a lifeline of grace & peace to an all too often gray & hardscrabble world. Behaving as such sends a very important message into your life and into the world around us. A message that lingers and sings words of Hope, Joy, Charity, Faith & Love. In today’s world-this is revolutionary! Viva La Revolution! No pain, no gain! Get giving! It hurts so good!

…And youth is wasted on the young! I am reminded today of my best friend who died  much too young; age 36, of breast cancer. Yesterday would have been  her 44th birthday and I can’t help but remember & miss her. I wish she was still around to laugh and talk with. She is one of the few people left in my life that knows my past, knows where I came from. There is something particularly special about that in a friend. Oh, I have other great friends who know me well. I’m an open book and generally will answer any question as truthfully as possible; which isn’t always pretty! But someone who ‘knew you when’ has a unique perspective on what makes you tick. If you have this kind of friendship in your life, then you are very blessed. If you don’t have a meaningful friendship, what is stopping you? A secret to friendship is seeing God/dess love behind every friendship.

If you have a friend, close or long lost, take a moment today to send them an email if you can. Or if you can’t reach them that way, send some good thoughts their way thru your heart connection. How many times has the phone rang while you were thinking about someone and then there they are on the other line? Our heart connection with our friend’s is just like that. There is no misunderstanding that is greater than the love a friendship holds. Oh, yeah, also, before I forget, if you have breasts, please give yourself a breast exam, or find someone who would doubly enjoying doing so. Life is too short as it is to let something that can be cured end anymore good & useful lives.

I love you Toni! Come visit me in my dreams tonight! We’ll go play, just like old times!

Toni Jean November 26, 1963 - June 10, 1999

Nice as can be! Great cook! Caring friend! Always there to lend a hand. Friend.

Beautiful blue eyes. Button nose. Brown hair. Italian stare. Always care. Friends forever. Daughter, sister, auntie, wife, mother. Step lightly for a dream lay buried here.

When I visited your grave  I thought I would be able to dance from the joy of loving you, calling you friend. I ended up drinking my tears in sadness and loss. I ate strawberries and drank tears; just as we ate strawberries and drank laughter together. Remembering you…

Today was another day infused with gratitude, serenity and goodwill. I drove around with my 4 year old daughter and the dog, spreading smiles and good vibes everywhere we went. The day began with my girl finding some jingle bells. As we drove down the road she jingled those bells right in time with the fantastic Latin music that the local radio station played. I rocked on the steering wheel as the dog had her head out the window in blissed out face full of wind, glee. Even though it was cold out, we had 3 of the windows down and the heater going full blast. As we drove in the canyon that links us to the outside world an impatient driver tailed us closely making me nervous. I waited for a safe spot and pulled of and she drove by giving us a friendly wave. I was glad to anticipate her need to get there sooner than me and I was left feeling all the more gracious for moving out of her way and going on in my own merry way.

Our first stop was at our favorite thrift store, where we picked up a recorder and some more bells so we could add to the musical mayhem. I insisted my daughter played the recorder ‘pretty’ instead of the full breath bleeeet that she preferred to play. As we exited the thrift store, I anticipated another person wanting to exit and grabbed the door to help her make her way. We shared a smile and some small courtesy talk and again I was left feeling gracious and buoyant.

As we drove on we seen an older fellow holding a cardboard sign asking for any ‘help, everything helps’. So I pulled a couple dollars and a coupon for a free taco out of my wallet to give him. He was so happy and said, “God Bless you”, over and over. I told him no problem, happy to help, sorry I didn’t have more to give him. He petted our sweet dog who lapped at his face and we left him feeling better than we found him. We drove on.

I was amazed at how receptive everyone was to us. We had nothing really to do today. No where in particular to go. We just needed a day out of the house as cabin fever settles in as the weather turns colder and we spend less & less time outside. We were happy to let the guy with only one item go in front of us in line, and to move aside for the hurried mom with 2 little ones in tow. By the time I got home, I was like a helium balloon flying high as I recalled the small ways I was able to spread a little joy and sunshine on this cloudy and overcast day.

Go out and spread your good graciousness. It feels great! I was so happy to be me today. I was happy to share the earth with my comrades in arms. I am grateful to be able to bring even the smallest joy. Bringing many small joys brought me great joy! I highly recommend it!

More cowbell, anyone?

I basked in the harvest of my gratitude today and found it created a calm graciousness in me. There is a woman speak thought that says when we steal, it is essentially telling God/dess that there is not enough in the world for everyone. This misconception is fundamentally wrong. There is enough for everybody;  more than enough. The way the world works now, wealth is hoarded, undistributed and the masses are truly hungering for ‘their own’. We can see this hungering in the crime we see in our poverty ridden communities who’s destitute lives have lost hope & meaning.

When I was gravely ill with a serious disease, that Christmas, on Christmas eve, in fact, we got a phone call from someone we had never met or spoken to. She told us her & the 4 H group and the local church had gotten together and got us a bunch of groceries. Boy, did they ever! We had so much stuff that we couldn’t even put it all away in the cupboards! It was a fantastic surprise that came out of no where and made our holiday for we were in dire need of some help. This act of kindness from complete strangers has reverberated in me since that day. The world has tried for many years to take away my dreams, my hopes, my strength and in one fell swoop my faith in humanity had been restored. It’s gratifying to know that one small act such as sharing with those in need can really make the difference for someone. Or for someone’s whole family!

I can’t give grocery carts full of food. But I can make homemade breads and shape it into Challahs, braids, bagels, ropes, pretzels, cinnamon rolls and other delights to share. I want to make it a season of literally breaking bread with my neighbor. As I sit here a fresh loaf of bread is cooling on the kitchen counter. I long to break bread and share with those who may not only be hungry in body but also in spirit. Bread is fundamentally a symbol of transformation as ground grain is brought to rise. I hope the bread (words) I share here can help even one of us to rise above the lip of the pan that is keeping us from spilling over into the world and nourishing one another with our kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness and love. Be someone’s simple, nourishing bread today by transforming someone’s day with something simple, even if it is just your genuine smile. You never know how far it will go, whose life it will touch and how it continues to grow. I want us to break big bread, like the episode of I Love Lucy when the loaf of bread rises so huge that it pins Lucy to the wall from it’s immense size. I want us all to be sharing the best of ourselves that rises to the top and gives the most life affirming and sustaining aspects of our character. Take this as a challenge of sorts. Where are you going to bring the bread of peace & community this season? What form is that going to take for you personally? Let yourself be transformed just as the ground grain is transformed into body sustaining bread and kindness turns into the soul sustaining bread of life.