Miracles

There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle.     Albert Einstein

Another way to think of living life is whether your glass is half-full or half-empty.

We can't control what happens to us, what others say or do to us, whether we are born rich or poor, what race we are, where we are born and live including what country, what faith we are exposed to, whether we are healthy or disabled, or whether we live in a war zone.

We can make a choice to accept what we have, to reach for new horizons, to enjoy the small moments of joy and happiness that we find, to be grateful for the opportunities we have.  We can choose to use educational stepping stones to achieve personal and occupational success, we can work hard to make a difference in our family and work lives, we can reach out to others and help them grow with us. We can take responsibility for ourselves for either success or failure.

Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we can thank God for the blessings we have.  We can become the best person we can be so that we can make the most of our skills and abilities. There are miracles that happen everyday if we just look for them.  At the end of the day we can look back and be thankful for the countless miracles that life presents to us.  We can be a miracle for someone else.  We are a miracle because we were created by God!

Wise Men Still Seek Him

I saw this sign by a church.  It is so true.  Wise men and women will seek God.  It is important to remember the true meaning of Christmas.  It is about loving God and loving others. If we remember to seek God and make him the focus of our lives, we can move mountains!  We can accomplish our purpose in life, whatever that is.  With God all things are possible!  No matter what happens to us, God can make us stronger as we go through the trials of of our lives.

God loves us.  He loves you!  Keep him with you on the roller coaster of life. When God closes a door, he opens a window.  Every change in our lives can become opportunities for growth and faith.  Have wonderful holidays!  Look for someone who needs you and find the spirit of Christmas!

The Courage of Mary

Mary. the mother of Jesus, was young, unmarried and pregnant.  Her husband to be. Joseph, knew he wasn't the father.  Mary was courageous because she accepted her pregnancy with great faith, knowing that she could put her faith in God.  She knew that she could have been stoned to death, shunned by her community and certainly would not be able to marry Joseph.  It is important that we remember to accept other people as they are and leave judgement to God.  We don't know God's plan for each person we meet.  We don't know their history, we don't know why they do what they do.  We can reach out to others with love and remember that God has our back.

Fortunately Mary chose to do God's will and Joseph reached out to her with love.  They chose to put their faith in God's will.  Every baby is precious in God's eyes but especially this particular baby!  Christmas is a celebration of love and faith.  It is a deep joy that can permeate our daily lives!

Please have wonderful holidays!  Remember how special each one of us are to God!  You are unique and magnificent in God's eyes!  He made you and He loves you!

Grief and Holidays

Quote from a Hallmark movie:  "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal.  Love leaves a memory no one can steal."

Holidays can be especially difficult for those who have recently experienced the death of a loved one, friend, neighbor, church member or even someone who we needed to make peace with.  Holidays bring memories of the past that were shared with special people. It is sad to think about going through the holidays without that person or persons or a special animal.  There is no special way to take away the pain except to go through it.  Most people feel that the time spent with this person was worth the agony of losing them.  It is a big price to pay for loving others but it does remind us that we are alive and we still have impact on the lives of others!

Cry if you need to cry.  Then pick up the pieces of your life and begin again, one step at a time.

Reach out to others who are hurting also and share your grief until you can begin sharing the fun and laughter you enjoyed with the person who died as you explore the memories of happy times.

Plan new ways to enjoy the holidays that are an expression of you and the loved ones and friends who are still with you. Create a new normal for the holidays without the physical presence of the person who died, but with their spirit and memory.  There are no right or wrong ways to handle grief as long as you keep yourself and others safe and peaceful.

Find a way to give to others.  We are all hurting from something.  We are all also capable of enjoying life again and sharing our blessings with others.   I wish all of you happy holidays and peace.

Entertaining Angels

"Be welcoming to strangers because you may be entertaining angels."  Attributed to the bible.

Christmas is the season of angels, with books, movies, paintings, and references to angels.  Angels are supposed to be our helpers but what do they help us with? They are not here to grant wishes such as a wish for money.  They are not here to keep us from experiencing pain, death, illness, or violence. So what are angels supposed to do?  I don't know since I don't remember ever meeting an angel but I have heard about them from hospice patients and have written about them.

My experience has shown me that angels are here with us to make the difficult times easier.  I believe they are present when we die to ease our fear and help us on our journey.  Sometimes angels are with us to help us to learn lessons about ourselves, provide emotional and spiritual support and to remind us that God loves us. While it may be difficult to identify an angel, we may be wondering about special people in our lives who have helped us over the rough spots in our lives, who sacrifice for us so that we have want we need or even what we want, who make us think deeply about the meaning of life and faith, who challenge us to become better, more compassionate individuals, and who may force us to move forward when life is challenging.

There are angels from heaven and earth angels who make heaven seem possible.  All we have to do is look outside ourselves to find people who are beautiful in spirit but not necessarily beautiful in earthly standards.  I have known people who have found comforting animal angels who have provided unconditional love to human beings and other animals in crisis.  The spirit can  be strong and beautiful even when the body is fading and unrecognizable.  The body is only housing the soul.  Look beyond the physical when finding angels!