SEE THE POSSIBILITIES

The past few weeks, I have been reflecting quite a bit on forgiveness. In part, this came about because of a film we watched a few months ago called The Power of Forgiveness. One of the women in the film, Alexandra Asseily said in the film, “I think that if we all just remember that if we forgive ourselves, it’s a wonderful beginning to forgiveness. Because actually, if we really forgive ourselves for all the wickedness we think we have inside or all the things we think are wrong with ourselves, we would then be so much more compassionate with others. And I think probably it’s our lack of compassion with ourselves that makes us so upset with others.”

Forgiving ourselves is an opportunity to break the emotional ties to the pain and set ourselves free. It is an opportunity to release the pain, anger, and other emotions that have built up within us over time.

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Thought for the day

"Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future."

 - Louis B. Smedes
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Thought for the day

"Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time-just like it does for you and me."

 - Sara Paddison
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Thought for the day

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free."

- Katherine Ponder
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Thought for the day

“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”

― Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism
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Inspiritual song of the week

If we work together to make this a better world, there is hope. May we all work together to keep hope alive http://inspiritual.biz/inspiritual-song-of-the-week1/

Thought for the day

“One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.”

― Rita Mae Brown
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Thought for the day

“Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.”

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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SET YOURSELF FREE

If you had the opportunity to free yourself from an emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical jail would you? That may sound like a strange question, but it is one, which requires some reflection. Over the course of our lives, we experience things, which can create painful memories on various levels (emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically). As long as we hold on to the pain of those memories, we create an energetic tie to the moment in which they occurred or the cumulative effect of painful memories over time.

As I have shared in previous reflections, I learned of some amazing people in this world who model forgiveness and its liberating affect in their lives, while watching a documentary called The Power of Forgiveness.

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Thought for the day

“The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.”

― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council
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Thought for the day

"The lesson is acceptance of differences. Don't forget you are a part of everything and everything is a part of you. If every human being recognized the power of the love and forgiveness principle, all consciousness on earth would change instantly."

Kuan Yin
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Thought for the day

"The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world." -

Marianne Williamson
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LIVING, FORGIVING AND THE FOUR AGREEMENTS

All this month, I have been thinking about forgiveness. Each week, I have learned something new about myself, something I need to let go of within myself and forgive myself for thinking, feeling, or internalizing. Planning Zoe’s 60th surprise birthday party has brought up a few things I needed to forgive. This week, I have had to learn to release expectations about people and events. I had to learn to let this weekend celebration of Zoe’s life be what it was supposed to be. I had to release my expectations that people would communicate with me when there was a change in plans, as I would have with them. I had to release my desire to have the whole family together at one time. As with relationships, once I learned to release expectations around how things were going to be, it was just fine. However, for that hour or so that I was working on releasing my dreams and fantasies, I have had to forgive myself for self-imposed suffering.

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Thought for the day

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

― Mahatma Gandhi, All Men are Brothers: Autobiographical Reflections
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thought for the day

“You have peace," the old woman said, "when you make it with yourself.”

― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven
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EXEGETE YOUR COOKBOOK

When I was in seminary, my homiletics (fancy word for preaching) professor, Dr Gail Ricciuti, taught us how to exegete a periscope. In other words, how to critically analyze and understand a scripture. One of the first steps, she said, was to forget everything you have ever heard about how to interpret a scripture. She taught us that by holding on to what we thought we knew, we would be blinded to the new revelations that the scripture could reveal to us. In retrospect, it seems that she was teaching us a similar lesson to Matsuo Basho, a Japanese Haiku poet, who once wrote,

When journeying upon the path of wisdom, do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought. Seek the meaning behind their footsteps, and not upon the steps themselves. For in seeking the footsteps you shall be glancing only upon the next footprint. And you’re sure to stumble upon an unforeseen obstacle. But in seeking the meaning behind their footsteps you’re sure to see ahead; comparable to looking up while walking. Thus allowing you to easily maneuver around the hurdles on the path you walk. …And if you walk like this long enough, you’ll one day, to your surprise, find yourself among the wise.

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Thought for the day

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.”

― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
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Inspiritual Song of the Week

This song reminds us we can transform the world one act of kindness at a time. http://inspiritual.biz/inspiritual-song-of-the-week1/

Thought for the day

“True forgiveness is when you can say, "Thank you for that experience.”

― Oprah Winfrey
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Thought for the day

“Keep in mind, hurting people often hurt other people as a result of their own pain. If somebody is rude and inconsiderate, you can almost be certain that they have some unresolved issues inside. They have some major problems, anger, resentment, or some heartache they are trying to cope with or overcome. The last thing they need is for you to make matters worse by responding angrily.”

― Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential
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A MUSICAL TRILOGY

Back in March of this year, so not so long ago, I remember reflecting on an old Beatle song, Let It Be. Yesterday, I was reminded of the importance of those words one more time. I remembered that it is what it is, nothing more or nothing less. In this month, when we are focusing on forgiveness of self and others, I found myself having to practice what I teach. I learned that someone I trusted had failed to tell me they could no longer uphold their part of an agreement. I have to admit, my first reaction was “seriously, you are just now telling me this and you have known for months.” Then the emotional work on my side began as I realized that I was sitting in judgment of this person and the situation and the Beatle song began coming back to me, just let it be.

My conversation with this person had caused me to lose balance temporarily. That did not make either of us right or wrong, it was the Ultimate Creator’s way of helping me in my own journey and maintaining awareness of what the Ultimate Creator was doing for me in that moment. So I had to let it be!

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Thought for the day

“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat......Forgiveness does not create a relationship. Unless people speak the truth about what they have done and change their mind and behavior, a relationship of trust is not possible. When you forgive someone you certainly release them from judgment, but without true change, no real relationship can be established.........Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive. But should they finally confess and repent, you will discover a miracle in your own heart that allows you to reach out and begin to build between you a bridge of reconciliation.........Forgiveness does not excuse anything.........You may have to declare your forgiveness a hundred times the first day and the second day, but the third day will be less and each day after, until one day you will realize that you have forgiven completely. And then one day you will pray for his wholeness......”

― Wm. Paul Young, The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity
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Thought for the day

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.
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Thought for the day

“We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things that have bad consequences. But it does not mean we are evil, or that we cannot be trusted ever afterward.”

― Alison Croggon
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LETTER TO MY FATHER

This weekend is father’s day and Monday will be my birthday. So it is a bittersweet weekend in my life. I am grateful because I am here to celebrate one more year. At the same time, I miss you more then there are words to express. It is hard to believe that you have been gone for 9 years now. I remember how many times my birthday fell on Father’s day and you would tell me that I was your Father’s Day present. So today, I just want to take time to tell you how much I love you and how grateful I am that you fathered me for so many years. I am grateful that you and Mom birthed me into your hearts and raised me as if I was your own.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of you. Every day I think about how you were supposed to be here living with Zoe and I I think about how much Zoe and I were looking forward to spending time with you, caring for you, and getting on your last nerve. 

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Thought for the day

“Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too.”

― Will Smith
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“People have to forgive. We don't have to like them, we don't have to be friends with them, we don't have to send them hearts in text messages, but we have to forgive them, to overlook, to forget. Because if we don't we are tying rocks to our feet, too much for our wings to carry!”

-- C. Joybell C.
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Inspiritual Song of the week

This week's Inspiritual Song of the week reminds us to forgive ourselves. "Forgive yourself, forgive yourself Nothing ever frees you more than just believing."  http://inspiritual.biz/inspiritual-song-of-the-week1/

BURGERS ARE ANOTHER BLACK DRESS

This morning I was reading a blog called Loving Food, Fashion, and Life. Her entry was all about cheeseburgers and as that was what I had planned to make for dinner, it caught my attention. Her opening line was “If you’ve never had a plumpalicious burger stuffed with cheese in the middle that clearly oozes out cheesiness with every bite, well—you’re missing out on a good portion of life.”[1] As I was imagining this burger, it dawned on me that the cheeseburger is one of those basic black dresses (or suits) that I have talked about as it applies to broth and grilled cheese sandwiches.

There really are only two basic essentials to a cheeseburger: the burger and the cheese. The bun, in some respects, has become just one more accessory to the cheeseburger. One would think that there is not much to making a burger, but the blend of meats varies from person to person and restaurant to restaurant. They do not even need to be made with beef. One could use ground turkey, chicken, lamb, or a mixture of vegetables, beans, and grains to make a vegi burger. I have made some burgers out of baked beans and oatmeal. I have also taken other meats and added them into my ground meat. For example, I have mixed chorizo or Italian sausage or bacon into my burger patties before cooking them.

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Thought for the day

“Forgiveness has nothing to do with absolving a criminal of his crime. It has everything to do with relieving oneself of the burden of being a victim--letting go of the pain and transforming oneself from victim to survivor.”

― C.R. Strahan
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Thought for the day

“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”

― John F. Kennedy
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FORGIVENESS AND JUSTICE

A few weeks ago, our movie group gathered to watch the documentary, A Power of Forgiveness. One of the scenes in the documentary that stood out for me was about a psychology professor who specialized in forgiveness, marriage, and family. Dr Everett (“Ev”) Worthington’s experience with forgiveness is not just something he writes about, but something he practices in his daily life. In the documentary, it told the story of

In the late 1990’s, on a New Year’s Eve, someone broke into his mother’s house. An attempted theft turned into a brutal murder when his mother fought back. A suspect was captured who volunteered details no one could have known who was not at the scene. However, because of “some issues with the evidence,” a jury would not indict.

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Thought for the day

“I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.”

― C.S. Lewis
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Thought for the Day

“I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.”

― Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
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Thought for the day

“Last night I lost the world, and gained the universe.”

― C. JoyBell C.
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FORGIVING MYSELF

Dear Sharon,

I know you strive to be loving in all you say and do. However, knowing you as well as I do, I also know that there are times that you have not done so and that you often times remember those moments. Today, I begin by forgiving myself for all the times I have harmed others or myself in any way either intentionally or unintentionally, knowing or unknowing. I forgive myself for anytime I have hurt others or myself during times of confusion. I forgive others who have harmed me intentionally or unintentionally, either knowingly or unknowingly. I forgive others for anytime they have hurt me during times of confusion. I forgive myself for allowing others to hurt me. I forgive myself for any situation that I am not yet ready to forgive in my life. I forgive myself for all the ways I have ever harmed myself. I forgive myself for all the ways I have ever negated myself. I forgive myself for all the ways I have ever doubted myself. I forgive myself for all the ways I have ever belittled myself. I forgive myself for all the ways I have ever judged or been unkind to myself. I forgive me.

Thought for the day

“It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on.”

― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
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Inspiritual Song of the Week

Thanks to Zoë A. Davis who suggested this song as our song of the week. Remember that you are like Titanium. No matter what life throws at you, you can choose to rise -- http://inspiritual.biz/inspiritual-song-of-the-week1/

Thought for the day

“The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either -- or both -- when needed?”

― Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes
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FIESTA MIX LESSONS

This evening, one of the women who came for Love and Inspiration, brought a bag of Fiesta Mix she had picked up at the store. Fiesta Mix, for those who have never had it, is a combination of pretzels, Cheetos, and two kinds of tortilla chips. I guess you could say it is a junk food party in your mouth. When she first brought the bag, it seemed like your ordinary bag of mixed snacks.

As our discussion about things happening in our life progressed, I realize that even something as simple as this mixed bowl of snacks had a powerful lesson to share.

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Thought for the day

“To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.”

― Confucius
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Monk on Bernie lane

New Drawing from Guest Contributor Monk on Bernie lane http://inspiritual.biz/monkonbernie-lane/2014/6/2/my-snake-totem-sending-me-a-dream

Monk on Bernie lane

New Blog Post from Guest Contributor Monk on Bernie lane http://inspiritual.biz/monkonbernie-lane/2014/6/2/our-totem-animals-can-speak-to-us-in-our-dreams

Thought for the day

“Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.”

― Criss Jami, Salomé: In Every Inch In Every Mile
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FORGIVE YOURSELF

Forgiving others is one thing. Forgiving ourselves is another. It seems as if every day I become mindful of yet another piece of poison, as Don Miguel Ruiz would call them, that I somehow internalized as a child and have been living with for decades. The lies were all a part of my domestication to the planet. As we evolve and grow, we become mindful of those lies which we no longer agree to and which we must replace in our lives.

Removing them from our lives is one part of the process of healing and evolving. The other part is forgiving ourselves for internalizing them in the first place. Most of these lies, we may not have even realized were lies when we first internalized them. We just ate them because we were told they were good for us.

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Thought for the day

“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.”

― Thomas Stephen Szasz
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June 2014 One Spirit, Many Voices newsletter

All are invited to submit spiritual, metaphysical, and inspirational pieces for our newsletter. The deadline is the 20th of each month

http://inspiritual.biz/newsletters/

Thought for the day

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”

― Oscar Wilde
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