AN APPLE A DAY

An apple a day, they say,
keeps the doctor away.
That is fine and great,
but what about the non medical struggles
An acquaintance of mine used to say,
a good heart
keeps away the farts.
Those people who smell
up your life

My gratitude journal
keeps me humble.
My inspiration journal
keeps me open.
My intention journal
keeps me focused.
My joy journal
keeps me balanced
My writing
keeps me growing

What are the apples
in your life?
Is your heart
keeping away the farts?
What do you practice
to keep you healthy?

GOD SMILES

This week has been filled with distractions.
People have died.
People have been placed in hospice
People have been forced to move
People have been going through
the most challenging of times
So many people in need of prayer.
In the midst of the storms,
I seek God’s smile.

in the midst of the distractions,
in the midst of Mr Mittens needing surgery,
in the midst of friends having to move in with us.
in the midst of the end of month stress
in the midst of the first week of school confusion
in the midst of the grief, the frustration, and the pain
I seek God’s smile.

When I seek God’s smile
I lose track of the distractions,
I lose track of the pain,
the suffering,
the stressors
and find myself in a
momentary state of peace.

Then it fades
and the distractions suck me back.
It becomes like a game of
hide and seek while I try to
hide from the distractions and
seek God’s smile and
work to stay in the presence of
God’s smile.

LIVING ROOM

I was sitting in my living room,
staring out the window,
feeling the warmth of the sun
and realizing when I open the door
I can feel the coolness
of the breeze.
I can smell the candles,
see the beauty,
feel the elements,
hear the sounds
all bringing me messages
from the UIltimate.

Then it hits me that my heart
is the living room for the Infinite.

The Ultimate lives in my heart,
my heart is the living room for the Divine.
No matter how I think about it,
my living room takes on new meaning
new symbolism, and
new life because the living room
is now the living room.

it is the room I must go through to go
anywhere in my house or in my life.
it made me realize that
my living room,
my heart,
should be what I go through
for everything in my life.

My heart needs to be the
living room of the Ultimate,
it’s holy abode,
and I need to redecorate and
transform my heart
to be the sacred living space for the Divine.

Amen.

T > I AND C

Looking at the title of my blog for today, some of you might be thinking it looks like a mathematical formula. Let me see if I can walk us through this mathematical expression. Metamorphosis is the transformation that occurs in some animals as they move from one state of being to another, like from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Over the course of our lives, we have been in the process of our own transformation, physically and spiritually.
There is a scripture in the New Testament Book of Romans which tells us quite simply do not conform to this world, but be transformed in it by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect. Paul’s words challenge us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

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LESSONS FROM THE DESERT DWELLER

One of my favorite places to go for nourishment and inspiration is the Spiritual Literacy library on YouTube. This week I was pulled in by a one-minute story about the hospitality of a person known as nothing more than the Desert Dweller. According to the story, this person has lived in the desert most, if not all, of his life. At the end of each day, the Desert Dweller leaves a lit lantern by the side of the road and a now worn out note in a plastic sheet protector letting people know how to find his cottage should they be in need. This story comes from a book by Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart.

For me this story is about the attitude we have about our willingness to open our hearts and homes to others. It is not about whether or not people accept our invitation. Rather, it is about our willingness to extend the invitation in the first place.

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THE WHOLE SALMON STORY

Have you ever seen a commercial that just sticks with you because it is making a message that transcends the product it is selling, or attempting to sell to consumers? I have a few, but one of them for me is a commercial for Wolf stoves, a top of the line appliance company. Years ago, I saw this commercial, where this “spirit,” was watching a woman prepare an ambitious meal in her apparently new Wolf stove. He was trying to place doubts in her mind that she could prepare what they wanted one to believe was a challenging dish to prepare. Eventually, her faith in herself and her confidence in her abilities caused him to leave and she continued on with the preparation of her meal.

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HOW I EXPRESS MY DEVOTION

So I have been thinking this month about devotion and what I am devoted to and how I express my devotion.  Recently, someone asked me how I can express my devotion without being a part of a formal worship community. I smiled as I realized that for me, I am part of a formal worship community. I gather each day with my readers around the world in our own way and in our own time and we meditate on a thought you have led me to each day. Then I give thinks for at least five things that have happened or I have become aware of in the last 24 hours. Sometimes I feel like there are more than five, but I always feel as if I am supposed to stop at five for some reason. Maybe that is because the number 5 is about your grace and goodness. I remember reading once that the Ten Commandments are really two sets of five commandments. The first five have to do with our treatment and relationship with you and the last five have to do with our relationship with others.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Let's be intentional about focusing on our similarities and building bridges of compassion

BEING IN YOUR PRESENCE

Dear God,

I have been sitting here the last few days thinking about a question somebody asked me about what my spiritual rituals are like. What do I do to stay connected, focused, and balanced? As I have been thinking about this, I realized there were multiple ways for me to answer this question. On the one hand, you are one of the first things I think about every morning. I get up, go to the bathroom, and come to the computer, think about our theme for the month and post a thought to give others and myself something to think about. Then I open my gratitude journal and write down five things I am grateful for in my life. Most days I also try to write down why I also appreciate that which I just gave thanks for in my life. Then I write one thing that is inspiring me each day. Finally, I think about what I want to manifest in my life that day. That is one way for me to talk about what I do to stay connected with you.

However, that is more about what I do, and while it is a part of what keeps me feeling like I am in your presence, there is so much more to it than that.

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AFTER THE ANIMALS LEAVE

This month, I have challenged each of us to awaken to the beauty in life and its experiences. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to this quote by Emily Dickinson who wrote: “Beauty is not caused. It is.” As we focus on our connection to the Divine and the presence of the Divine in us, we are better able to appreciate beauty in everything we see, touch, and experience. As John Keats's observed in Ode on a Grecian Urn: 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty.' As we live in the truth of who we are as spiritual beings brought here by the Ultimate, we can begin to recognize not only the beauty within ourselves but all of life. Each time we see beauty, we see a symbol of the Divine. Every time we encounter truth, we encounter a symbol of the Creative Spirit. Every day of our lives, we are invited to experience the beauty in each day.

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What do you intend to create

What do you intend to create in your life this week? http://inspiritual.biz/my-intentions/

Intention Journal

What do you intend to create this week? http://inspiritual.biz/my-intentions/

Your intention

What do you intend to create this week? http://inspiritual.biz/my-intentions/

Set Your Intention

What do you intend to create today? http://inspiritual.biz/my-intentions/

"IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT, FEATURE IT!"

This seems to be the theme for this week, “If you can’t fix it, feature it1.” I wish I could say I created that phrase, but it was given to me by a colleague of mine Rev Glenna Tillery Shepherd, pastor at Decatur UCC in Decatur, GA. It is like that old saying, we have all heard – “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” We all have things, situations, and parts of our lives that we can’t fix. It is not about what it is, but what you do with it.

This week, for me, has been filled with examples of featuring it, when you can’t fix it. For example, the other day I met an amazing person who has Tourette’s syndrome (his can’t fix it thing), however, when he is drumming he becomes asymptomatic. Therefore, he drums. He has taken what has helped him all his life and features it in every aspect of his life

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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.