Friday, January 24, 2003

The Starting Point


I had a wonderful conversation with a young, dear friend last night. We were talking about the state of the world--these clouds of threat that hang over us all as individuals, as a country, as world. I told him that I believe that the natural state of all God created is health--and that we, in our own bodies, our families, our communities, our world--are built to righten naturally. Our immune systems attempt to chase away germs; our hair grows back; our bruises and cuts heal. In our families, upset and misunderstandings get washed away with love and forgiveness. In our businesses, mistakes and bad choices become part of the learning fabric essential to making better, healthier choices in the future. There is reason for hope, and it begins with a recognition and welcome of the healing gift God has built into us all. We will grow and learn and strengthen ourselves and each other, if we're awake to it and willing to apply it. And God will use our health to call others out from under the dark clouds and begin to allow the healing in their own lives in a new way.

I ran across this quote this morning that captures that starting point of healing:

    But where was I to start? The world is so vast, I shall start with the country I knew best, my own. But my country is so very large. I had better start with my town. But my town, too, is large. I had best start with my street. No, my home. No, my family. Never mind, I shall start with myself.
    - Elie Wiesel

Enjoy your day, and have a good weekend! :) k

Monday, January 20, 2003

A Question


If your thoughts were powerful enough to instantly create what you are thinking about, what would you would want to create today?

Saturday, January 18, 2003

With Me :)


I want to follow up on my last posting real quick. First I have to say what we all know: God is amazing. Not long after I wrote that message the other morning, I began to feel a shift inside. A strength. A calm. By the afternoon, I was in full swing on my projects, making great headway. By nighttime I'd cranked out a major portion of a project and was moving on to the next. Today, three days later, I can report back that God has been with me and in me and his strength has surrounded me in my work every step of the way. I ask him for guidance and do the next thing I know to do to the best of my ability. I don't allow myself to entertain that panic thought, "How will I ever get all this done?" The calm assurance--and productivity--is a great gift, and it was--and is--there for the asking. God is truly with us, in whatever capacity we'll allow him. I want him in all ways, in all times, in all circumstances. Thank you, God! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! :) k

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

With Me or Not


Last night I somehow dropped off to sleep worrying about three wonderful-but-huge projects I have this month. This morning I woke up in a panic before first light, feeling overwhelmed and incapable of meeting all these looming deadlines. Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up and pulled all the covers up over my head, thinking over and over again, "God is my resource...God is my resource..."

What I'm struggling with today is my perception of my own limitations and, at a very basic level, a question of whether I really believe God's promise that He is always with me, that the battle is His, that He is the vine and I am the branch. If I am struggling with the thought of "my limited resources" of time, money, energy, whatever--isn't that the same thing as declaring that I'm in this alone and relying on my own strength? Do I believe God powers me or not? Is it Him at work in me and through me, every minute--or is He here one minute and gone the next? That's not the God I know...and I think I'm being led to a new place where I will understand and live from the very base of my beliefs. He has brought abundant work. I am thankful. He equips us for the jobs He has for us. He tells us to look to Him for strength and direction and let the battle be His. Can I apply this to all levels of my life and believe the best about myself--because He works in me?

I'm reminded of a quote I read a while back: "When you find that you're running out of time, pray twice as much as you normally would." It might not seem logical, but our spirits know that the most important moments of any day are the ones in which we can reconnect with our Source. And that can happen in a split second, whenever we choose it to be so. A good reminder. Blessings on your day! :) -k

Saturday, January 11, 2003

Faith in Faces


I happened across this site this morning and it gave me such a warm feeling I wanted to pass it on: www.pictureyourself.org. This site is just filled with people who have taken photos of themselves (you know, the camera-at-the-end-of-the-outstretched-arm thing). But I was touched by all these people sharing real moments of their lives in this way. What must we all look like, together, to God? What a breathtaking mosaic of beauty, love, laughter, and light. He must be so glad He created us! We're such colorful companions! :) k

Friday, January 10, 2003

Climbing Up on God's Lap


I don't understand much about the "energy" dynamic between people--I can't really put words around the effects we seem to have on each other when we're joyful, or grumpy, or angry, or sad. As highly compassionate beings, we tend to take on whatever others around us are feeling--for better and for worse. Today I did this without wanting to, absorbing another person's mood like a human sponge. Now I find myself weary and worn out and feeling like I need to put on some footed jammies, get a mug of hot chocolate, and climb up in God's lap for a while. I think I need some Divine cuddling and an "everything-will-be-okay" hug. :) k

Thursday, January 09, 2003

A Light Moment


I had such a neat experience today in a meeting. As my client and I were talking, he was getting passionate about an idea and I suddenly felt his mind just open and light pour in. In that instant, I saw how God prepares us through love for the moment He chooses to fill us with understanding. What a blessing! I will remember this for those times I'm tempted to regard others as "close-minded." God will find a way, through what they love in their own lives, to bring all the openness He needs for their enlightenment. Thank you, God! You've thought of everything! :) k

Thursday, January 02, 2003

Letting God Make the Pass


This morning, feeling a bit burdened, I sat in the living room under a comforting afghan watching my son Cameron play the new PS2 game he got for Christmas, NFL 2003. At 9, he can name all the quarterbacks for NFL teams and run through enough plays and stats to make your head swim. I was sitting with him physically, but not really there mentally, turning over and over a worry that had preoccupied much of my thought this morning. I vacantly watched the virtual ball fly through the air from the kicker to receiver. A perfect catch.

"Did you do that?" I asked Cameron. "Do you control the ball or does the computer do it?"

Cameron, never looking away from his game, with fingers and thumbs flying, said "When I'm kicking, it's best to let the computer control it. If the computer does it, the receiver catches it every time. If I control it, I have to make sure the ball gets there...and that's a lot harder."

I sat and felt the Aha! spread through my tense mind. Thanks for the object lesson, God, I thought. If I let God call the shots and direct my circumstances, I can be certain they will be resolved in the way he wants them to be resolved. If I grab the controls away and try to do it myself, chances are that my fears and worries and misperceptions will cause the ball to miss its mark. I know this, and I know I know it. And yet, it's so easy to forget. Thank goodness I have a football-loving 9-year-old around to remind me.

Blessings on your day! :) k