Gleanings

If you can look at the sunset and smile,
then you still have hope.

If you can find beauty in the colors of
a small flower, then you still have hope.

If you can find pleasure in the movement
of a butterfly, then you still have hope.

If the smile of a child can still warm your heart,
then you still have hope.

If you can see the good in other people,
then you still have hope.

If the rain breaking on a rooftop can still
lull you to sleep, then you still have hope.

If the sight of a rainbow still makes you
stop and stare in wonder, then you still have hope.

If the soft fur of a favored pet still feels pleasant
under your fingertips, then you still have hope.

If you meet new people with a trace of excitement
and optimism, then you still have hope.

If you give people the benefit of a doubt,
then you still have hope.

If you still offer your hand in friendship to
others that have touched your life,
then you still have hope.

If receiving an unexpected card or letter
still brings a pleasant surprise,
then you still have hope.

If the suffering of others still fills you with
pain and frustration, then you still have hope.

If you refuse to let a friendship die,
or accept that it must end,
then you still have hope.

If you look forward to a time or place of
quiet and reflection, then you still have hope.

If you still buy the ornaments, put up the
Christmas tree or cook the turkey,
then you still have hope.

If you can look to the past and smile,
then you still have hope.

If, when faced with the bad, when told
everything is futile, you can still look up and
end the conversation with the phrase...
"yeah...BUT.," then you still have hope.

Hope is such a marvelous thing.
It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides,
but rarely does it break.

It sustains us when nothing else can.
It gives us reason to continue and courage
to move ahead, when we tell ourselves we'd rather give in.

Hope puts a smile on our face when the heart cannot manage.

Hope puts our feet on the path when our eyes cannot see it.

Hope moves us to act when our souls are confused of the direction.

Hope is a wonderful thing, something to be cherished and nurtured, and
something that will refresh us in return.

And it can be found in each of us,
and it can bring light into the darkest of places.

NEVER LOSE HOPE!

~ Author Unknown~

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Two thousand one, nine eleven
Five thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait

A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat"
They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear.                                        
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
Trust us sir, we've passed that test."

"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores.

A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day.             

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"

The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me."

Then, before them all appeared a scene 
                   Of rubbled streets and twisted beams                                           
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must
Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone

"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"
So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."
Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '44

The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears, 
                  I see sorrow - but I don't see fear."                                                

"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
Are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.
All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one."

                       With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
                       "Take my hand," and from there he led
                   Five thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven 
                On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven   

***************************************************

The Problem Independence
from the Relationship Suit
Key concept: Fear of feeling; receiving or

committing; compensation for old emotional slavery

Independence (an unhealed reaction to heartbreak

and jealousy) is one of the three major roles. This role

is a compensation for a painful place of heartbreak,

jealousy, sacrifice or loss. The extent of our

independence is also the extent to which we are

afraid of intimacy and of being in the vulnerable

position of receiving because it would bring up the old

painful feelings. What we are attempting to do

through this role is dissociate from painful feelings.

Unfortunately, this cuts off the ability to feel at all,

including the positive feelings and the potential of

receiving. So, the extent of our independence is the

extent of both our heartbreak and sacrifice, which we

have yet to heal. At the heart of independence is a

lack of connection and commitment to others.

Independent people tend to be hard on both

themselves and others. Part of the problem is their

belief that 'if the job is going to be done right, it has

to be done by me'. The other part of the problem is

that this leads to sacrifice, giving without receiving,

which is a role in which we do not give our true self.

Because independent people are afraid of intimacy

and of receiving, they will attempt to run away from

situations, either physically or emotionally, as a way

of 'solving' the problem. This includes being stoic or

dissociative. Another key aspect to independence is

the way one is subtly (or not so subtly) competitive in

relationships. This may be a hidden competition, in

which one becomes so good that no one else dares

compete, or becomes so good that one develops a

jaded 'why-bother-competing-at-all' attitude.

Psychologically, competition is a form of avoidance

which puts all the emphasis on winning. This can be

very destructive in a relationship, since

competition's underlying objective is avoidance of (or

distraction from) the real next step forward.
Using the card: If you get this card today, you are

being asked to look at how your disconnection from

yourself or others (your separation and/or

competition) is creating the problem or issue you

have at hand. Success here will mean a new level of

joining with others. It will reflect your willingness

not to be afraid of painful feelings and your own or

others' needs, and your willingness to feel even the

hidden ones until they transform to positive feelings.

You are asked to repossess what you've been denying

in yourself, and have been projecting on to others; to

learn to accept your needs and feelings, so that you

can also accept and respond to them in others

without running away. Graduating from

independence to true partnership and

interdependence clears out feelings of dissociation,

power struggle and deadness in relationships, and

moves you into the richness of life which comes with

intimacy and connection.

**************************************************

For every woman who is tired of acting weak when she knows she is strong;
There is a man who is tired of appearing strong when he feels vulnerable.

For every woman who is tired of acting dumb;
There is a man who is burdened with the responsibility of ‘knowing everything’.

For every women who is tired of being called an ‘emotional female’;
There is a man who is denied the right to weep and be gentle.

For every woman who is called unfeminine when she competes;
There is a man for whom competition is the only way to prove he is masculine.

For every woman who is tired of being a sex object;
There is a man who must worry about his potency.

For every woman who feels ‘tied down’ by her children;
There is a man who is denied the full pleasure of parenthood.

For every woman who is denied meaningful employment and equal pay;
There is a man who must bear the financial responsibility for another human being.

For every woman who was not taught the intricacies of an automobile;
There is a man who was not taught the satisfaction of cooking.

For every woman who takes a step towards her own liberation;
There is a man who finds that the way to freedom has been made a little easier

*********************************************************

Exerpt from:

Playing in Life
Two days with Socrates and Jerry Lewis
B Y K A R E N F R A S E R

The task: to not unquestioningly believe anything my mind told me, to not habitually censor my conversations in order to stay small or safe, to not repress my desire for play for fear of judgment. I began to question every movement, every impulse, every motivation to see what premise it was based upon. Did I believe what I wanted to say was not worth listening to? Did I feel I would not be accepted if I lived out loud? In what ways did I limit my life by no longer allowing myself to play and fully enjoy the moment? How big was my playground? What was outside of the boundaries and why?

*******************************************************

Grace is given to Souls.

You don't get Grace when you are busy being an ego. An aged state, however, gives you time for contemplation. There is so much richness to this time of life. There are changes in body, changes in friends and family as people pass away. These changes are wonderful grist for the mill of awakening- of awareness. Being is important. You do, do, do all throughout your life. In your older years you get to Be. You consciously draw back from worldly pressures and deadlines. Sometimes it feels like in today's world time has sped up-yet it hasn't. We know that through meditation you can stretch time out. Growing old is like going into meditation. There is a slowing down that allows you to redirect your focus.

~Ram Das a.k.a. Dr. Richard Alpert
----------------------------------------------------------
 

How to stay young

1. Disregard all nonessential numbers. These include age, weight and height.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. If you really need a grouch, there are
probably family members that fill that need.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Just never let the brain
idle.

4. Enjoy the simple things. Remember - when you were young, that's all you could afford. When you
were in college, that's all that you could afford. When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford!

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked
anywhere by your distinctive laughter.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is
ourselves.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies,
whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can
improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a foreign country, but forget the guilt trips!

10. At every opportunity, tell the people you love that you love them.

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The point of a relationship is THE RELATIONSHIP. That’s right … the bond, connection, and interaction between you and your partner. Both of you make up the whole.

It isn’t about him. It isn’t about you. It’s about WHAT YOU CREATE TOGETHER

************************************************************

The Awakening
By Virginia Marie Swift

A time comes in your life when you finally get it. When in the midst of all
your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks, and somewhere the
voice inside your head cries out ~ ENOUGH!

Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child
quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder
once or twice, you blink back your tears, and through a mantle of wet lashes
you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening. You
realize that it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or
for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon.
You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are
not Cinderella. And you realize in the real world there aren't always fairy
tale endings (or beginnings for that matter), and that any guarantee of
"happily ever after" must begin with you; and in the process, a sense of
serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you're not perfect, that not everyone will
always love, appreciate, or approve of who or what you are, and that's okay.
(They're entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the
importance of loving and championing yourself; and in the process a sense of
newfound confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and
blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you)
and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say,
and that not everyone will always be there for you; and that it's not always
about you. So, you learn to stand on your own, and to take care of yourself
and in the process, a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they
are, and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties; and in the
process, a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness. You
realize that much of the way you view yourself and the world around you is
as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into
your psyche. You begin to sift through all that you've been fed from the
world about how you should behave, how you should look, and how much you
should weigh; what you should wear and where you should shop, and what you
should drive; how and where you should live, and what you should do for a
living; who you should sleep with, who you should marry, and what you should
expect of a marriage; the importance of having and raising children, or what
you owe your parents.

You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand
for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to
discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have
bought into to begin with; and in the process you learn to go with what's
inside your heart.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is
power and glory in creating and contributing; and you stop maneuvering
through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn
that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of
a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which
you must build a life. You learn that you don't know everything, it's not
your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing.

You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility, and the
importance of setting boundaries, and learning to say NO. You learn that the
only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry, and that martyrs get
burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. Especially God's love,
Agape. How to love, how much to give love no matter if you are not receiving
it in return. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a
relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more
intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man or woman on your
arm or the child that bears your name.

You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would
have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations, and outcomes.
You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and you
learn that you don't have the right to demand love on your terms just to
make you happy. And, you learn that being alone does not mean being lonely.
And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will
never be a size 5 or a perfect 10, and you stop trying to compete with the
image inside your head and agonizing over how you "stack up."

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing
things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement
are perfectly OK. And that it is your right to want things and to ask for
the things that you want and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.
You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love,
kindness, sensitivity, and respect; and you won't settle for less. And, you
allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with
his/her touch and in the process you internalize the meaning of
self-respect.

And you learn that your body really is your temple, and you begin to care
for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking
more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue
diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time
to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you
take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for, and that
wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it
happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you
need direction, discipline, and perseverance.

You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it's OK to risk
asking for help. You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the
great robber baron of all time. FEAR itself. You learn to step right into
and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle
it, and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your
terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living
under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn't always fair, you
don't always get what you think you deserve; and that sometimes-bad things
happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions, you learn not to
personalize things.

You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers.
It's just life happening for your own good. And you learn to deal with evil
in its most primal state ~ the ego. You learn negative feelings such as
anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected, or they will
suffocate the life out of you, and poison the universe that surrounds you.
You learn to admit when you are wrong and to building bridges instead of
walls.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we
take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only
dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a
long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by
yourself; and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to
never settle for less than your heart's desire! And you hang a wind chime
outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point
to keep smiling, keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful
possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with the Holy Spirit by
your side you take a stand; you take a deep breath, and you begin to live
life the best way you can.

*****************************************************

The soul is always beautiful,
The universe is duly in order,
every thing is in its place,
What has arrived is in its place
and what waits shall be in its place.
by Mary Rutherford DC

One of Wayne Dyer’s visualization exercises is to see ourselves riding on the trolley car of life with a pre-determined path through a set of experiences that teach us about ourselves. Everyone who enters or exists our trolley car does so at exactly the right time. If we get irritated about what happens then we are overlooking the miraculous nature of these events, because everything happens just as it’s supposed to in order to help us learn about ourselves.

During uncertain times, we can use Dr. Dyer’s visualization the trolley strap hanging from the top of the car and see ourselves letting go of our anxieties and frustrations by just allowing ourselves to float up so that we can grab on to that trolley strap and allow ourselves to be taken to the exact places or to the exact experiences we need.

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 Definition of Unconditional Love

"I love you as you are as you seek to find your own special way to relate to
the world, or the way you feel that is right for you. It is important that
you are the person you want to be and not someone that I or others think you
should be. I realize that I cannot know what is best for you although
perhaps sometimes I think I do. I've not been where you have been, viewing
life from that angle you have, I do not know what you have chosen to learn,
how you have chosen to learn it, with whom or in what time period. I have not
walked life looking through your eyes so how can I know what you need.

I allow you to be in the world without a thought or word of judgment from me
about the deeds you undertake. I see no error in the things you say and do,
in this place where I am. I see that there are many ways to perceive and
experience the different facets of our world. I allow without reservation
the choices you make in each moment.

I make no judgment of this for if I were to deny your right to evolution
then I would deny that right to myself and all others. To those who would
choose a way I cannot walk, whilst I may not choose to add my power and my
energy to this way, I will never deny you the gift of love that God/dess has
bestowed within me for all creation, as I love you so I shall be loved, as I
sow, so I shall reap.

I allow you the universal right of free will to walk your own path, creating
steps or to sit a while if that is what is right for you. I will make no
judgment of these steps, whether they are large or small, nor light or heavy
or that they lead up or down, for this is just my viewpoint. I see you do
nothing and judge it to be unworthy and yet it may be that you bring great
healing as you stand blessed by the light of God/dess.

I cannot always see the higher picture of divine order. For it is the
inalienable right of all life to choose their own evolution and with great
love I acknowledge your right to determine your future.

In humility I bow to the realization that the way I see is best for me does
not have to mean that it is also right for you. I know that you are led as I
am following the inner excitement to know your own path.

I know that the many races, religions, customs, nationalities and beliefs
within our world bring us great richness and allow us the benefit of
teachings of such diverseness. I know we each learn in our own unique way in
order to bring that love and wisdom back to the whole. I know that if there
were only one way to do something, there would need to be only one person. I
will not only love you if you behave in a way I think you should, or believe
in those things I believe in, I understand you are truly my brother and
sister though you may have been born in a different place and believe in
another God/dess than I.

The love I feel is for all of God/ess world. I know that every living thing
is part of God/dess and I feel a love deep with every person, and all trees,
and flowers, every bird, river, ocean and for all the creatures in all the
world.

I live my life in loving service being the best me I can becoming wiser in
the perfection of divine truth, becoming happier in the joy of unconditional
love."

-- Author Unknown

********************************************************8

THE LABYRINTH

"Your life is a sacred journey. And it is about change, growth, discovery,
movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is
possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply,
listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step
along the way. You are on the path... exactly where you are meant to be
right now... And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story
into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing of courage, of beauty, of
wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love."
~ Caroline Adams

We are all on the path... exactly where we need to be. The labyrinth is a
model of that path.

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the
imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path.
The Labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into
the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools.

A labyrinth is an archetype with which we can have a direct experience. We
can walk it. It is a metaphor for life's journey. It is a symbol that
creates a sacred space and place and takes us out of our ego to "That Which
Is Within."

Labyrinths and mazes have often been confused. When most people hear of a
labyrinth they think of a maze. A labyrinth is not a maze. A maze is like a
puzzle to be solved. It has twists, turns, and blind alleys. It is a left
brain task that requires logical, sequential, analytical activity to find
the correct path into the maze and out.

A labyrinth has only one path. The way in is the way out. There are no blind
alleys. The path leads you on a circuitous path to the center and out again.

A labyrinth is a right brain task. It involves intuition, creativity, and
imagery. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed
to solve the problem of finding the center. With a labyrinth there is only
one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive,
receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a
spiritual path.

At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the
center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened
understanding of who you are.

~ Daniel H. Johnston, Ph.D.

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ABOUT LOVE

Fear has many reasons not to love; love has one reason not to fear: It alone is real.

The path to your dreams is not paved with self-protection; it is paved with trust and a sense of adventure. That road widens with your willingness to step forth even if visibility is less than full. You don't need to see the whole staircase - just the next step. Leaps of faith are rewarded far more often than building survival bunkers. Hesitation pales in the face of resolution. Look before you leap - but then leap. You may land in a place far richer than where you stood.

With Trust,
Conflict and judgment are naturally reduced, as is a need to have relationships manifest in any special way, and people are free to interact lovingly and peacefully in the present moment. And in this atmosphere of trust, the joy of co-creativity can spontaneously arise.

It would be so easy to quit trusting.  So many out there are not worthy of being trusted.   But I am convinced that to trust is not a thing of fools but of the wise, for without trust, there can be no love, so then is it not true that love is worth the risk?  If I trust, then I cannot make a fool of myself,  but the one I trust can become a fool by betraying my trust.  To never trust is to never love.

Love enriches the live of both people. never keeping score of who does more and does what. Just the point of doing.

If you are truly in love and love the other person unconditionally, you will want them to be happy -- even if that means they do not want to be with you - which has to be their choice, not yours. Remember we all have been given free will by God and are all allowed to use it whenever we want to, which means that two people involved in a relationship can be on two totally different wave lengths.

"Often the true path of love begins only when romance has begun to taper off, for love is the capacity to see light when darkness has begun to eclipse it."

Are you so sure your mistakes are just mistakes? Or could they be building blocks to a success beyond any you imagined?

Everything is part of something bigger, and mistakes are no exception. Every minus is half of a plus,

Trust implies faith that there is a wiser plan afoot than the one that meets the eye. Only the inner eye, the insight of higher wisdom, can make sense out of apparent human error.

We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.

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PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON

      People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you
      know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

      When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need
      you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to
      provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally
      or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there
      for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your
      part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to
      bring the relationship to an end.  Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk
      away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must
      realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is
      done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move
      on.

      Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come
      to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or, make
      you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done.  They usually
      give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real.  But only
      for a season!

      LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build
      upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept
      the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all
      other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind
      but friendship is clairvoyant.
      ~ unknown

      Thank you all for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a
      season, or a lifetime!

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      Building a Support System

      Building a nurturing community is an important aspect of following one's
      Path, because only in the context of a warm circle of caring people can
      you maintain your faith (when it's tested) with loving support. And aren't
      we all tested from time to time?  Peace within a loving community of
      friends is not a difficult goal for which we have to struggle.  The joy of
      being with like-minded people is something we all share.  Finding joy in
      the inherent mystery of the world, and gratitude for whatever life brings
      us helps to create harmony in our lives and relationships.

      As long as you are searching for security through unchanging, static
      relationships or material goods, wisdom will elude you. But the very
      moment you accept that there is no security through attachment, you will
      gain the courage to open yourself to the natural flow of wisdom that can
      be found in every experience.  Let your relationships be free to be what
      they are, knowing that whether they are good or not so good, there is
      wisdom to be gained from every experience.

      Put your trust in the fact that everything within the circumstances of
      your life is there for a good reason... to help you grow on your spiritual
      path... to help your character grow in unconditional love toward your
      fellow man.  Put your trust in the wisdom that comes from deep meditation
      in the Silence, to help you realize the direction of your journey through
      the circumstances of this life. 

      If we learn to trust that this changing Universe brings us exactly what we
      need at every moment to move forward on our journey… if we can dance to
      the continually changing music of the spheres… then we will learn agility.

      It’s worth thinking about…
      ~ Misty-Eve*

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What does Love Mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have
imagined. See what you think:

____________________________________

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails anymore.

So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got
arthritis too. That's love."

Rebecca- age 8

____________________________________

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Billy - age 4

____________________________________

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and
they go out and smell each other."

Karl - age 5

____________________________________

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries
without making them give you any of theirs."

Chrissy - age 6

____________________________________

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4

____________________________________

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before
giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."

Danny - age 7

____________________________________

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you
still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"

Emily - age 8

____________________________________

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen."

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

____________________________________

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you
hate,"

Nikka - age 6

(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

____________________________________

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

Noelle - age 7

____________________________________

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends
even after they know each other so well."

Tommy - age 6

____________________________________

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all
the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."

Cindy - age 8

____________________________________

"My mommy loves me more than anybody

You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

Clare - age 6

____________________________________

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5

____________________________________

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford."

Chris - age 7

____________________________________

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all
day."

Mary Ann - age 4

____________________________________

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones."

Lauren - age 4

____________________________________

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come
out of you." (what an image)

Karen - age 7

____________________________________

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's
gross."

Mark - age 6

____________________________________

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean
it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8

____________________________________

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a
contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly
gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard,
climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"

____________________________________
 

~~~~ A Creed to Live By ~~~~

~~ Don't determine your worth by comparing
yourself with others. It is because we are
different that each of us is special.

~~ Don't set your goals by what others deem
important. Only you know what is best for you.

~~ Don't take for granted the things closest to
your heart; cling to them as you would your life,
for without them life is meaningless.

~~ Don't let your life slip through your fingers
by living in the past or for the future.

~~ By living your life ONE DAY AT A TIME
you will live all the days of your life.

~~ Don't give up when you still have something
to give.

~~ Nothing is really over... until the moment
you stop trying

~~ Don't be afraid to admit that you are less
than perfect; it is this fragile thread that binds
us to each other.

~~ Don't be afraid to encounter risks,
It's by taking chances we learn how to be brave.

~~ Don't shut LOVE out of your life
by saying it's impossible to find.

~~ The quickest way to receive LOVE is to
give LOVE, the fastest way to lose LOVE is
to hold it too tightly and the best way to keep
LOVE is to give it wings.

~~ Don't dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without HOPE;
To be without HOPE is to be without purpose.

~~ Don't run through life so fast that you forget
not only WHERE YOU'VE BEEN--but also--
WHERE YOU'RE GOING.

~~ Life isn't a race, but...
A JOURNEY-- TO BE SAVORED EACH STEP
OF THE WAY --Author Unknown

***************************************************

If someone or something has left you by surprise, or seemingly unfairly, you are in a perfect position to affirm, "Til breath do us part." Life itself is breath, and if Great Spirit has breathed someone out of your life, there is a reason. Rest assured that the same life force that breathed them out will breathe someone or something else in. Spirit is intelligent and responsible. Know this, and fear will have no power over you.

Everyone comes into our life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Some people show up for a momentary shared purpose and move on as quickly as they came. Others walk by our side for a significant phase of life. (Sometimes those who challenge us fall into this category as well.) Others are lifetime companions, and we are truly blessed by these. Real friends are with us even when we do not see them, as we are with them.

Breath brings us together and breath moves us apart. Breath starts years and ends them. The breath of life is like the breath of our body: for every breath out, there is a new one in. Inspiration, release; inspiration, release. Let us complete this year not with regret or lament, but with breath, which not only does us part, but most profoundly does us join.

******************************************************

To be Loved is to be whole

When love and human connection are absent from our lives, we feel
impoverished and dry. Life seems less than full. Our senses seem dulled. The
world seems to lack the lively spark of life, to be less beautiful and less
compelling. It is as though we are in a desert, where the water of life
seems to have retreated under the harsh sand.

The force of love, which the Greeks represented with the magnificent figure
of Aphrodite, transforms us and the world at the same time. It need not be
an intimate partnership, for friendship and family bonds are also forms of
love that sustain and enliven us. But to live without intimacy is to live in
a desert of the heart. Opening to others entails risk ~ the risk of being
hurt ~ but unless we take that risk, we do not truly live.

By Patricia Monaghan
________________________________________________________

Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously

by Osho

Excerpt From the Book :   The Courage of Love   This Cake is Delicious !   Love is very rare. To meet a person at his center is to pass through a revolution, because if you want to meet a person at his center you will have to allow that person to reach to your center also. You will have to become vulnerable, absolutely vulnerable, open. It is risky. To allow somebody to reach your center is risky, dangerous, because you never know what that person will do to you. And once all your secrets are known, once your hiddenness has become unhidden, once you are exposed completely, what that other person will do, you never know. The fear is there. That’s why we never open. Just acquaintance, and we think love has happened. Peripheries meet, and we think we have met. You are not your periphery. Really, the periphery is the boundary where you end, just the fencing around you. It is not you! The periphery is the place where you end and the world begins. Even husbands and wives who might have lived together for many years, may be just acquaintances. They may not have known each other. And the more you live with someone the more you forget completely that the centers have remained unknown. So the first thing to be understood is, don’t take acquaintance as love. You may be making love, you may be sexually related, but sex is also peripheral. Unless centers meet, sex is just a meeting of two bodies. And a meeting of two bodies is not your meeting. Sex also remains acquaintance – physical, bodily, but still just an acquaintance. You can allow somebody to enter to your center only when you are not afraid, when you are not fearful. There are two types of living: one fear-oriented, one love-oriented. Fear-oriented living can never lead you into deep relationship. You remain afraid, and the other cannot be allowed, cannot be allowed to penetrate you to your very core. To an extent you allow the other and then the wall comes and everything stops. The love-oriented person means one who is not afraid of the future, one who is not afraid of the result and the consequence, who lives here and now. Don’t be bothered about the result; that is the fear-oriented mind. Don’t think about what will happen out of it. Just be here, and act totally. Don’t calculate. A fear-oriented man is always calculating, planning, arranging, safeguarding. His whole life is lost in this way. I have heard about an old Zen monk: He was on his deathbed. The last day had come, and he declared that on that evening he would be no more. So followers, disciples, friends started coming. He had many lovers, they all started coming; from far and wide people gathered. One of his old disciples, when he heard that the master was going to die, ran to the market. Somebody asked, "The Master is dying in his hut, why are you going to the market?" The old disciple said, "I know that my master loves a particular type of cake, so I am going to purchase the cake." It was difficult to find the cake, but by the evening somehow he managed. He came running with the cake. And everybody was worried – it was as if the Master was waiting for someone. He would open his eyes and look, and close his eyes again. When this disciple came, he said, "Okay, so you have come. Where is the cake?" The disciple produced the cake – and he was very happy that the Master asked about it. Dying, the Master took the cake in his hand… but his hand was not trembling. He was very old, but his hand was not trembling. So somebody asked, "You are so old and just on the verge of dying. The last breath is soon to leave you, but your hand is not trembling." The Master said, "I never tremble, because there is no fear. My body has become old but I am still young, and I will remain young even when the body is gone." Then he took a bite, started munching the cake. And then somebody asked, "What is your last message, Master? You will be leaving us soon. What do you want us to remember?" The Master smiled and said, "Ah, this cake is delicious." This is a man who lives in the here and now: This cake is delicious. Even death is irrelevant. The next moment is meaningless. This moment, this cake is delicious. If you can be in this moment, this present moment, this presentness, the plenitude, then only can you love. Love is a rare flowering. It happens only sometimes. Millions and millions of people live in the false attitude that they are lovers. They believe that they love, but that is their belief only. Love is a rare flowering. Sometimes it happens. It is rare because it can happen only when there is no fear, never before. That means love can happen only to a very deeply spiritual, religious person. Sex is possible for all. Acquaintance is possible for all. Not love. When you are not afraid, then there is nothing to hide; then you can be open, then you can withdraw all boundaries. And then you can invite the other to penetrate you to the very core. And remember, if you allow somebody to penetrate you deeply, the other will allow you to penetrate into himself or herself, because when you allow somebody to penetrate you, trust is created. When you are not afraid, the other becomes fearless. In your love, fear is always there. The husband is afraid of the wife, the wife is afraid of the husband. Lovers are always afraid. Then it is not love. Then it is just an arrangement of two fearful persons depending on each other, fighting, exploiting, manipulating, controlling, dominating, possessing – but it is not love. If you can allow love to happen, there is no need for prayer, there is no need for meditation, there is no need for any church, any temple. You can completely forget God if you can love – because through love, everything will have happened to you: meditation, prayer, God, everything will have happened to you. That’s what Jesus means when he says love is God. But love is difficult. Fear has to be dropped. And this is the strange thing, that you are so afraid and you have nothing to lose. The mystic Kabir has said somewhere, "I look into people… they are so much afraid, but I can’t see why – because they have nothing to lose." Says Kabir, "They are like a person who is naked, but never goes to take a bath in the river because he is afraid – where will he dry his clothes?" This is the situation you are in – naked, with no clothes, but always worried about the clothes. What have you got to lose? Nothing. This body will be taken by death; before it is taken by death, give it to love. Whatsoever you have will be taken away; before it is taken away, why not share it? That is the only way of possessing it. If you can share and give, you are the master. It is going to be taken away – there is nothing which you can retain forever. Death will destroy everything. So, if you follow me rightly, the struggle is between death and love. If you can give, there will be no death. Before anything can be taken away from you, you will have already given it, you will have made it a gift. There can be no death. For a lover there is no death. For a non-lover, every moment is a death because every moment something is being snatched away from him. The body is disappearing, he is losing every moment. And then there will be death, and everything will be annihilated. What is the fear? Why are you so afraid? Even if everything is known about you and you are an open book, why fear? How can it harm you? Just false conceptions, just conditionings given by the society – that you have to hide, that you have to protect yourself, that you have to be constantly in a fighting mood, that everybody is an enemy, that everybody is against you. Nobody is against you! Even if you feel somebody is against you, he too is not against you – because everybody is concerned with himself, not with you. There is nothing to fear. This has to be realized before a real relationship can happen. There is nothing to fear. Meditate on it. And then allow the other to enter you, invite the other to enter you. Don’t create any barrier anywhere; become a passage always open, no locks, no doors on you, no closed doors on you. Then love is possible. When two centers meet, there is love. And love is an alchemical phenomenon – just like hydrogen and oxygen meet and a new thing, water, is created. You can have hydrogen, you can have oxygen, but if you are thirsty they will be useless. You can have as much oxygen as you want, as much hydrogen as you like, but the thirst will not go. When two centers meet a new thing is created. That new thing is love. And it is just like water; the thirst of many, many lives is satisfied. Suddenly you become content. That is the visible sign of love; you become content, as if you have achieved everything. There is nothing to achieve now; you have reached the goal. There is no further goal, destiny is fulfilled. The seed has become a flower, has come to its total flowering. Deep contentment is the visible sign of love. Whenever a person is in love, he is in deep contentment. Love cannot be seen but contentment, the deep satisfaction around him...his every breath, his every movement, his very being, content. You may be surprised when I say to you that love makes you desireless, but desire comes with discontent. You desire because you don’t have. You desire because you think that if you have something it will give you contentment. Desire comes out of discontent. When there is love and two centers have met and dissolved and merged, and a new alchemical quality is born, contentment is there. It is as if the whole existence has stopped – no movement. Then the present moment is the only moment. And then you can say, "Ah, this cake is delicious." Even death doesn’t mean anything to a man who is in love.   Reprinted by Permission of Osho International commemorate the end and the beginning of a cycle in your love life. A desire to be free and retreat may take precedence. Reject artificial or attention-getting behavior. Temporary lovers or shallow distractions may not cultivate trust or may bring only momentary fulfillment, for these things need constant replenishment and upkeep. Aimlessness, dependency or wasteful indulgences may not leave much room for the soul time you need in order to foster personal development. Instead, reclaim your sensuality by nurturing those wild, but finer things you may have taken for granted. Those simple things that you can count on to almost take care of themselves will give back in abundance. sex sells, but the quality, not the quantity, of your sensual self should be your consistent measure for improving earthly pleasures. Don't let it be just a way to keep score or merely something to cross off the to-do list -- otherwise, you might become bored with the same old same old. Try not to be absorbed by the minutiae of every detail. Find something in which the process itself gives you pleasure, rather than only in its tangible end result. Having your eye on the prize can keep you focused, but a preoccupation with perfectionism might adversely affect the support and security of your domestic situation, or slow the progress in what could otherwise become a labor of love. In relationships we attract that which we need to learn. We resonate with some people and not with others. We learn love and how to let go. Not everybody loves us how we wish to be loved. They too have choice and lessons to be learned within their own path. The Law of Attraction does not say that we can bend someone else to our will. Freedom is the gift of thought and how we gift that to ourselves and others is The Secret. Giving someone all your love Is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return; Just wait for it to grow in their heart But if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, An hour to like someone, And a day to love someone, But it takes a lifetime to forget someone. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile Because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.