Happy New Year - Reflection

"New Year's Eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march ofthe universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that thepassage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights."
~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Affirmation: I make time to reflect on my recent path and progress.
Meditation: Dear God,As this years draws to a close, we reflect on the many events of our lives and in our world. For the many blessings we have enjoyed, we give You our thanks and praise. If we walked though challenges, we give Thanks that You were with us through every experience. For many of us, this is a time to evaluate the path we have been on and make any adjustments that might be necessary. Help us make mindful, spiritual resolutions. We bless and release 2008 as we know that the best is yet to be. Thank You. Amen

O G - Steve

Hi Cupcake!

Thanks for the post! You have been an invited guest for some time now so feel free to post your own messages.

You are not far from our hearts either. The kid and I think of you every day.

May all that is Great and Holy be with you and keep you safe. We love you.

Rosie and the kid

New Beginning

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today."

~Cherokee Indian Proverb

Affirmation: I am free from the past.

Meditation:

Dear God,In preparation for an incredible New Year, we release the failures and successes of the past. Everything that has gone before is now complete. We empty ourselves of all our yesterdays. In this moment, we are One in You. Thank You very much. Amen

Boardies my Loves

Hiya and aloha my Sparklettes of Divinity

Today my best friend's husband passed away. He was very ill for some time. I have been with her helping her with life since early this morning. Tomorrow I start over and with Higher Power's help we will do another day together.

Apologies for not attending to your questions. Give me a couple of days.

And just in case...Happy New Year darlings. No worries 2009 will be MUCH better.

Being with you in breath
love
Rose

Mystical Mystery

"We have a will toward mystery, a yearning, greater even than our will to live. And lucky, too, because our will to live, our grasping at life, is killing us. The will toward mystery is our homesickness for God."
~Stephen Levine

Affirmation: My yearning for God leads me deeply into the mystery of life.

Meditation:

Dear God, My heart is full and glad today.I love the mystery of Your presence and the sweetness of Your voice. Thank You for this amazing journey and all that it contains. In the stillness of meditation You fill my soul with love and light.Thank You. Amen

Harmony

“Be a sweet melody in the great orchestration, instead of a discordant note.The medicine this sick world needs is love. Hatred must be replaced by love, and fear by faith that love will prevail."
~Peace Pilgrim

Affirmation: I am singing in harmony with life.

Meditation:
Dear God,
Thank You for the deep connection we have with You and with all creation. We gratefully blend our individual talents for the good of all. We may have individual parts to sing, but there is only one song in the universe. We join our thoughts and our voices in that unending song of Love. Amen

What Does Mindfulness "Do"?

In the beginning mindfulness takes away worries and fears about past and future and keeps us anchored in the present.
In the end it points to the right view of the self.

-Ayya Khema, "Be an Island"

Buddhist Wisdom

Guarded in speech,
Well-restrained in body & mind,
Do nothing unskillful.
Purify these three courses of action.
Bring to fruition the path that seers have proclaimed.

-Dhammapada, 20, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Hi Rose! Merry Christmas! I became an Aunt today! Kelvin and his girlfriend had a baby girl, Makayla at 5:48 pm. She is 8lbs and 2oz.

Lisa

They awaken, always wide awake: Gotama's disciples whose mindfulness, both day and night,

is constantly immersed in the body.

-Dhammapada 299, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

The mindfulness is found and maintained by focusing on your breathing...Conscious awareness and attention to inhaling and exhaling.
My mind dances like a flea, and even after all these years it is suprisingly easy for me to get distracted during mindful meditation. It works though, don't give up trying. love, ~R

Christmas

To him, it was not the gift that mattered, but the giver.
~Walter de La Mare

In our material world today, we often get off track. We forget that what we really need in our lives is love and close friendships. It's too easy to take our relationships for granted. It's also too easy to take our gifts for granted - the big gift of another chance at life. For Christians, today marks the birth of Christ, the child who came to bring love and forgiveness to all. Whether we are Christian or not, as recovering people, we know that love and forgiveness do open the gates to new life. When we live in the light of the holy spirit - whether we call that power Jesus, Yahweh, Muhammad, Buddha, or Creator - we find ourselves living that new life.Let each of us, in the name of our own Higher Power; spend this day in celebration of the new life we have been given.Prayer holy spirit, thanks for delivering new light into my life and giving me another chance. Teach me to live in the light of love and forgiveness. What a gift. ActionWhat gifts of love and forgiveness can I deliver to others? What can I give from my heart that will bring someone light and joy? A smile and a hug? A phone call? An afternoon of conversation and play?

God Grant Me - More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple

Give and Take

... [To] take something from yourself, to give to another, that is humane and gentle and never takes away as much comfort as it brings again.
Thomas Moore

We take different kinds of pleasure in giving. Perhaps the purest is the gift to a child so young it doesn't really know who the gift came from; the pure joy that the teddy bear or pull-toy produces is our regard, unmixed by any expectation of return. When children get older, we want something back from them: gratitude, respect. The gift is less pure. When lovers exchange gifts, their pleasure is often tinged with anxiety: Did I give more that I got? Did I get more than I gave? Or with power: He'll always remember where he got that shirt; she owes me something for the fur jacket.To friends and relations our gifts reflect many things: our appreciation of their lives, our shared memories, our prosperity. We tend to give in a spirit of self-expression.Perhaps the closest we can come to a pure gift is an anonymous one; a gift of volunteer work, of blood, or a contribution to a charity. Such a gift which can never be acknowledged or returned by those it comforts can heal our spirits when they are wearied by too much ego.
The gift of myself can be a gift to myself.

May Santa be generous to you and yours.

For My Christmas Boardies

"The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside yourself, but shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has come."
~ A Course in Miracles A

Affirmation: I see the Light of God shining brightly within each person.

Meditation: Dear God, On this eve of Christmas, we focus our attention on Your eternal, indwelling presence. We remember the story of the first Christmas and of Jesus' birth long ago. We are also mindful of the current conditions of our world: service men and women who are deployed far from home, current financial situations which may challenge our friends and families, winter storms which have affected people in many different ways, and so many people who yearn for peace but haven't yet learned to be peaceful. Especially in the midst of these circumstances, we are glad it is Christmas Eve! For Christmas is about the birth of hope for every person and the celebration of Your presence, right here, with and within us all. Fan the light of hope within our hearts until it shines more brightly than those things which would distract us. No matter what the challenge, we know that Christ is the answer. May the Christ be reborn in each of us during this Holy Season. Thank You, God. Amen

Buddhist Wisdom

Those of superior faculties and great wisdom get the point right off the bat--guidance doesn't mean gum-beating and lip-flapping.
Truly awakened people with clear eyes would just laugh.
The great masters of India and China only met mind to mind--from the first, there was never any "mind" to attain. But if you make a rationale of mindlessness, that is the same as having a certain mentality.

-Ying-an

all of these Buddhist Wisdom quotes I'm getting from beliefnet.com

On Relationships

In normal relationships, there may be low times as well as high times. It's unrealistic to expect every minute to be perfect and filled with happiness. There may be times when my partner and I disagree. We may want to do something separate from each other, want to spend time alone, or simply be in a bad mood.
Relationships of any kind don't always have to be fun and exciting. Real life is about experiencing emotions of all kinds. We may experience sadness, frustration, anger, disappointment, depression, or any other feeling that isn't usually considered to be positive. These feelings are all part of life. I will accept that as long as I'm communicating my feelings, all of them are okay. I will allow others to have their own feelings too.

Judith R. Smith

Restoring Our Values

"In elevating to a level of demiworship people with big bucks, we have been destroying the values of our future generation.
We need a total rethinking of who the heroes are, who the role models are, who we should be honoring."

RABBI BENJAMIN BLECH, professor of philosophy of law at Yeshiva University

Maya Angelou

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreamswants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: one friend who always makes her laugh…
and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: a good piece of furniture not previously owned
by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE: eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE:a feeling of control over her destiny..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to quit a job, break up with a lover,and confront a friend, without ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY ..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that her childhood may not have been perfect...
but it's over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she would and wouldn't do
for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to live alone...
even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table, or a charming Inn in the woods.... when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. What she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

Be yourself...everyone else is already taken.