Have they not love they have nothing.

By Andrew Murray, 1888

In olden times believers met God, knew Him, walked with Him, had the clear and full consciousness that they had dealings with the God of heaven, and had, too, through faith, the assurance that they and their lives were well pleasing to Him. When the Son of God came to earth, and revealed the Father, it was that such intercourse with God, and the assurance of His favour, might become clearer, and be the abiding portion of every child of God. When He was exalted to the Throne of Glory, it was that He might send down into our hearts the Holy Spirit, in whom the Father and the Son have their own blessed life in heaven, to maintain in us, in Divine power, the blessed life of fellowship with God. It was to be one of the marks of the New Covenant that each member of it should walk in personal communion with God. ' They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity! 'The personal fellowship and knowledge of God in the Holy Spirit was to be the fruit of the pardon of sin. The Spirit of God's own Son, sent into our hearts to do each moment a work as Divine as the work of the Son in redeeming us, to displace our life and replace it by the life of Christ in power, to make the Son of God divinely and consciously present with us always--this was what the Father had promised as the distinctive blessing of the New Testament. The fellowship of God as the ThreeOne was now to be within us; the Spirit revealing the Son in us, and through Him the Father.

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/murray/7764/7764p.htm

The Spirit of Divine Love

excerpted from the book  The Spirit of Christ  by Andrew Murray - 1888

The Spirit of Love


The fruit of the Spirit is love.'-Gal 5:.22. 1 beseech you by the love of the Spirit.' -Rom. 15:30. Who also declared unto us your love in the spirit, Col.1:8

Our subject today leads us up into the very centre of the inner sanctuary. We are to think of the Love of the Spirit. We shall have to learn that love is not only one, among others, of the graces of the Spirit, is not only the chief among them, but that the Spirit is indeed nothing less than the Divine Love itself come down to dwell in us, and that we have only so much of the Spirit as we have of Love.


God is a Spirit: God Is Love. In these two words we have the only attempt that Scripture makes to give us, in human language, what may be called a definition of God.' As a Spirit, He has life in Himself, is independent of all around Him, and has power over all to enter into it, to penetrate it with His own life, to communicate Himself to it. It is through the Spirit that God is the Father of Christ, the Father of spirits, that He is the God of creation, that He is the God and Redeemer of man. All life is owing to the Spirit of God. And it is so because God is Love. Within Himself He is Love, as seen in the Father giving all He hath to the Son, and the Son seeking all He has in the Father. In this life of Love between the Father and the Son' the Spirit is the bond of fellowship. The Father is the Loving One, the Fountain; the Son the Beloved One, the great Reservoir of Love, ever receiving and ever giving back; the Spirit the Living Love that makes them one. In Him the Divine Life of Love hath its ceaseless flow and overflowing. It is that same love with which the -Father loves the Son that rests on us and seeks to fill us too, and it is through the Spirit that this Love of God is revealed and communicated to us. In Jesus it was the Spirit that led Him to the work of love for which He was anointed, to preach glad tidings to the poor and deliverance to the captives ; through that same Spirit He offered Himself a sacrifice for us. The Spirit comes to us freighted with all the love of God and of Jesus : the Spirit is the Love of God.

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/murray/7764/776429.htm

Messages for all

http://www.angelicmessages.org/index.htm

The Celestial angels (also known as Divine Love angels) share the messages at this site to assist humans with their souls' progression and provide guidance for improving our lives here on earth. As you will see, the angels focus on the availability of God's Divine Love and the importance of incorporating It into one's path of growth. You will also find loving, helpful, and supportive messages from the angels on a variety of other topics, as well as links to other Divine Love sites.




Who are the Celestial Angels?
The Celestial Angels were once mortals like you and I and have since been transformed by the Divine Love of our Father through sincere and earnest prayer, with faith, to our Father for the bestowal of His Divine Love. As our Father sends His Love into our souls, by means of His Holy Spirit, our souls are transformed from being created in the image of God into the very Essence and Nature of God. The inflowing of the Divine Love into our souls is the "New Birth" as it is the only way to True Salvation and Immortality. Jesus, a son of God, is the highest Celestial Angel and True Master and Founder of the Celestial Heavens.

The Divine Challenge is an open invitation

http://www.divineloveministry.org/chosen.htm

How can you determine whether or not there is a God?


The answer to this is simple - pray to God for His Divine Love and wait for an answer.

Many people go through life thinking that there may be a God and some even pray to God for help in their lives. Many people who go to church "believe" that God exists. After all, that is what their family has been taught for generations. Furthermore they believe that if they follow certain doctrines and rules and regulations that they will eventually go to Heaven. All this "thinking" and "believing" is of the mind - and as everyone knows, the mind can change depending upon experience.

What if I were to tell you that you can transcend your mind and receive undeniable proof that God exists! So, what the catch?

The catch is that it will require some effort on your part - effort in terms of prayer/meditation. How much prayer and mediation? That all depends upon how strong your desire is to know the truth. For some of us the truth came after praying three times a day for several days. For others it took three weeks of daily prayers. If this sounds like too big of a commitment, compare the amount of time you will be devoting to prayer (three times a day for three weeks) compared to your entire lifetime on earth. It is but a drop in the bucket.


How will you know when the truth has been revealed to you? When God makes His Presence known to you, you will know it! The experience slightly differs from one person to the next. But everyone shares that it is a life altering experience. Some feel a burning sensation in their heart region. Others feel waves of love flowing over their body again and again. Others share that it was like a nuclear explosion going off in their body. For me, the experience was so powerful that I thought my physical body was being harmed.

God has touched many souls in this way. The truth is that He Loves you and wants you to know that He is real. The way the God communicates to us is Soul to soul. And that is why we must pray using our souls to know the truth.

Try the experiment three times a day. A good goal to shoot for is 20 minutes each session, three times a day for three weeks. Be gentle with yourself - the first few times may only last a couple of minutes, or you may skip a session or two. That's ok. Just keep at it. The more you pray the easier it will become to get into a prayerful state without distractions.


When you are ready to pray/meditate, ask God:

for your soul to be in ascendancy over your mind;

to be protected by any negative energies;

to be surrounded by God's Love and Light;

to be in rapport with God's Angels;

pray using the prayer perfect (below).

Our Father, who art in heaven, we recognize:

That Thou art--art all holy and loving and merciful, and that we are the children of Thy care, and not the subservient, sinful and depraved creatures that our false teachers would have us believe.

That we are the greatest of Thy creations and the most wonderful of all Thy handiwork's, and that we are the objects of Thy great Soul's love and tenderest care.

That Thy will is that we become at one with Thee and partake of Thy great love which Thou hast bestowed upon us through Thy mercy and desire that we become, in truth, Thy children--and not through the sacrifice and death of any one of Thy creatures, even though the world thinks that one Thy equal and a part of Thy godhead.

That Thou will open up our souls to the inflowing of Thy love, and that then will come Thy Holy Spirit to bring into our souls, this, Thy love in great abundance until our souls may be transformed into the very essence of Thyself; and that there may come to us faith--such faith as will cause us to realize that we are truly Thy children and that we are one with Thee in very substance and not in image only.

Let us have such faith as will cause us to know that Thou art our Father and the bestower of every good and perfect gift, and that only we, ourselves, can prevent Thy love changing us from the mortal to the immortal.

Let us never cease to realize that Thy love is waiting for each and all of us, and that when we come to Thee with faith and earnest aspirations, Thy love will never be withholden from us.

Keep us in the shadow of Thy love every hour and moment of our lives, and help us to overcome all temptations of the flesh and the influence of the powers of the evil ones who so constantly surround us and endeavor to turn our thoughts away from Thee to the pleasures and allurements of this world.

We thank Thee for Thy love and for the possibility of receiving it, and believe that Thou art our Father--the loving Father Who smiles upon us in our weakness, and is always ready to help us and take us to Thy arms of love.

We pray thus with all the earnestness and longings of our soul, and trusting in Thy love give Thee all the glory and honor and love that our finite souls can give. Amen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How do I know the truth about whether or not I have a soul?

When you try the experiment mentioned above, God will respond with His Holy Spirit to send His Divine Love into your soul. God's Divine Love is a physical substance that actually changes the nature of our souls. When Divine Love enters into our souls, we feel It! And for the first time in our life, we will without a doubt know: 1) that we have a soul; and 2) where our souls reside in reference to our physical bodies. We won't spoil it for you and tell you where you soul is located - we will let you discover that on your own when you attempt the experiment.

Focus on God’s Love

Surely it is the arrogance of ignorance to even attempt to judge06/26/2011 by John Smallman



The sky is brightening as dawn approaches, heralding the new age for humanity which was planned many eons ago. It will be an era of peace and harmony, the likes of which has never before been seen on Earth. Prophets have foretold it, angelic choirs have sung of it, and finally the time for it to be ushered in is very close. Many of you are holding the light, the intent, the resolve, and the love to bring it into being, and yet, at times it has seemed almost hopeless to believe that it is coming, as you observe the wars, the hatred, the frustrations, and the distrust that continue to manifest in many places around the world. But truly, an enormously powerful wave of divine Love is enveloping the planet, causing attitudes to change and long-nurtured grudges to be released.

Focus on God’s Love enveloping you all always, and intend to open your hearts to receive It and allow It to flow through you to all of humanity in a wave of joyful awakening, because it truly is God’s Will and yours that you do this. You are all eternally one in the Father, and to judge and blame each other, and yourselves, for the suffering in the world is utterly inappropriate. How can you judge when your Father, Who is infinitely wise and loving, does not? Surely it is the arrogance of ignorance to even attempt to judge?


Remember that those who appear to cause the most suffering are the ones whose suffering is most intense, and that they are projecting that suffering outwards because it is so unbearable within them. When you relax, meditate, or withdraw into silent prayer, intend to be clear and unobstructed channels through which God’s Love can flow constantly, swiftly, and abundantly to where it is needed, and He will honor you by availing of your offer.

If you wish to direct that Love to someone you love or see as being in need, that is fine, but do not attempt to limit It to the needs that you can identify because that just obstructs the channel that you are, thereby diverting the flow around you, and the abundance offered to you mostly bypasses you. The most effective and loving intent that you can offer to your Father is the freedom to channel His Love through you to wherever He sees that It is needed, constantly. Doing this is the most powerful way in which you can be a part of the awakening process.


Many are still locked in judgment, blame, and condemnation, as though paralyzed by those attitudes, and the abundant flow of God’s Love through all available channels is the essential remedy to that painful and inflexible state. It flows as soothing balm, gently easing the pain and tension, and restoring movement and flexibility to what had become locked in resentment. You can see the evidence of this easing of attitudes all over the world, and as increasing numbers of you open yourselves up as divine channels, the speed of easing will accelerate phenomenally, as it is God’s Will.

The intent to be an unobstructed, divine channel is an aspect of the inextinguishable divine Flame within each one of you. It has always been a part of you, and you are now becoming increasingly aware of it, as you allow your own unloving attitudes to dissolve. The more you allow them to dissolve – by embracing love and forgiveness – the clearer it becomes that this is God’s Will for you, and also your own. It is an uplifting and inspiring sensation which will continue to strengthen as those unloving and judgmental attitudes fall away. Delight in the knowledge that you are doing God’s Will, and leading each other Home.

With so very much love, Saul.

Love Speaks to Me

Love speaks to me

and calls my name.

Never again

am I the same.

Words of Wisdom

line the halls of my mind.

My heart continually fills

with Love from the Divine.

What am I to say?

Don't get in your own way.

I'm here for you

to help you along.

All you need to do is

dance and sing my song.

Love Speaks by Debra Clemente

Soul Singer

Pieces of Illumination

Excerpt from the book In Illuminata by Marianne Williamson

There is a spiritual renaissance sweeping the world. Most people feel it, some deride it, many embrace it and no one can stop it. It is a revolution in the way we think.
Its torchbearers are a motley mix. Some are religious in a traditional sense, while some are not. Some are successful in the world, while some are not. Some of us genuinely like one another, while some of us do not. Some are politically liberal, while some of us are conservative. Some seek Truth in fellowship and some seek Truth alone. Some of us are old and some of us are young.

We are an assorted group, an unlabeled group, but together in spirit we are affecting the world in significant ways. We are turning away from a purely worldly orientation. We seek an ancient God and a modern God. We feel a current of change, a cosmic electricity running through our veins now. However disparate our personalities and interests, we all agree on one very important point: Mankind has come to a major crossroads, at which the spirit alone can lead us toward human survival.

We wage, in our way, a revolution based on love. We seek to replace an old, oppressive order, not so much politically or socially, but within our minds where it lives and works. We try to hate no one, for we recognize that hatred itself is the enemy. We hope to change the world into a place of grace and love.

Interview With God

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/popup-frame.html

Truth be told

Excerpted from the writings of a Dominican Nun in Ireland

(Acts 17:28). Union with God is not something we have to acquire; God is already the ground of our being. ‘God is your being and what you are you are in God’ – as the author of the Book of Privy Counselling assures us. It is more a question of realising this in our lives and living out of the truth of this realisation.

For many years now I have been very taken with, and influenced by Ruth Burrow’s understanding of prayer and the mystical life. ( she is a contemplative Carmelite nun and writer) In her book, Essence of Prayer, she says:

‘The mystical life is the human person becoming more and more receptive to the inflowing of divine love, which as it enters, of necessity, purifies and transforms.’ – but the mystical life is not basically other than the Christian life, says our own Fr. Marie-Dominque Chenu OP.

In prayer, this emphasis on our participation through ‘ receiving’ leads to my own conviction that it is at the time of personal prayer when, as the psalmist instructs, we must try to: ‘Be still and know that I am God’ when our bodies become still and our minds become silent, through whatever means is helpful to us, -that God can achieve in us the greatest purification and transformation that is so necessary through the inflowing of divine love – as I quoted earlier ’the human person becoming more and more receptive to the inflowing of divine love which, as it enters, of necessity purifies and transforms’. In allowing ourselves just to ‘be’ there for God, - not doing anything, not ‘saying’ prayers or making petitions (good as this is but not at this particular time) – just being silently aware of God’s presence and allowing Him to heal us and love us - receiving this love passively and surrendering our whole being to this powerful, silent, hidden, secret action of God- this type of prayer, I firmly believe, is of vital importance in all our lives. Fidelity to it and persevering in it is, as Contemplatives, our greatest contribution to the preaching mission of the Order, the Church and the world.


St. John of the Cross’ says: ‘In contemplation the activity of the senses and of discursive reflection terminates and God alone is the agent who then speaks secretly to the solitary and silent soul. Even though the soul is not then doing anything, God is doing something in it.’


St. John of the Cross also says: ‘ that the journey towards union of the soul with God does not consist in consolations, delights and spiritual feelings but in the living death of the cross, sensory and spiritual, exterior and interior’ .


True prayer means wanting God not self. Our own documents on the Contemplative Life affirms this when it says: “ withdrawal from the world for the sake of leading a more intense life of prayer in solitude is nothing other than a very particular way of living and expressing the paschal mystery of Christ, which is death ordained towards resurrection” (Venite Seorsum 1)


The more we pray, the more time and commitment we give to being with God, the more we are purified within and this inevitably is painful. Direct contact with divine love is deeply disturbing. The love of God, all self-giving, confronts our terrified self-protecting, would-be self-reliant, autonomous self and this produces deep pain. Accepting and surrendering to this pain, this process of purification, by staying with God in prayer, is a tremendous challenge and a great grace. It would be all too easy to avoid this painful encounter by distracting ourselves by doing things, becoming involved in projects that are good in themselves, multiplying contacts, etc but to do that in our life, to avoid this stark encounter with God during this particular time of prayer, would be a form of escape, - that is how I see it.


Our own Meister Eckhart encourages us : ‘Do not waver from your emptiness’


Yes, prayer requires great poverty of spirit.


It is helpful to remember that prayer takes place at the deepest level of our person and escapes direct knowledge and indeed is beyond our understanding; therefore we can make no judgement about it. Where it takes place, in our deepest self is God’s holy domain and we have to trust it utterly to Him. This is one of the principal ways in which we surrender control.


We must be ready to believe that ‘nothingness’ is the presence of divine Reality; emptiness is a holy void that Divine Love is filling. We must give up wanting assurances either from within or without. The inflowing of God into our secret depths of its very nature must remain secret as John of the Cross tirelessly insists: ‘…. it happens secretly in darkness, hidden from the faculties….so hidden that the soul cannot speak of it.’ But its effect on our life as a whole will be marked – chiefly by growth in love and selflessness.


On this subject of love Fr Anselm Moynihan OP has written; ‘The contemplative life is truly par excellence the vocation of love, that which gives the highest expression to our love for God and at the same time provides the greatest stimulus to the increase of that love. That is why it is so vital to the Church, for it nourishes the very heart of the Church, the life-spring of all its work of bearing witness to God’s glory and saving the souls of men.’

http://www.dominicansinteractive.com/articles-dominican/59-our-preaching-story

The Prayer of Saint Francis

"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is discord, harmony;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light, and

Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved
as to love; for it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."



Christ's message is for all

"Have faith in God. The Lord is our God. Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and all thy soul, and all thy mind, and all thy strength. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The love of God manifests in the love of man." This is the central teaching of Jesus.

Christ's message has always been: "Love thy neighbour as thyself". He said: "The Kingdom of Heaven is within thee. His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Be not anxious. Seek ye first His Kingdom. Everything will be added unto thee". He was the way, the truth and the light, for all men to follow.

Christmas is a state of spiritual awakening. To realize the Kingdom of Heaven within yourself, to hold communion with the Lord in the chambers of your heart, to regain your lost divinity, to attain Christ-consciousness or cosmic consciousness, to love all, to include all in the warm embrace of your love is real Christmas.

Realize the spirit of Christ. Walk in the footprints of Christ. Dive deep into the heart of Jesus. Ever seek to express, in your daily life, love, joy and peace. Imbibe Christ's message of love and sacrifice. Manifest the latent Christ within you. Follow the Sermon on the Mount. Attain God-consciousness. Live in the spirit of Christ's teachings. Annihilate this little self-arrogating personality and melt yourself in Christ or the Universal Soul. This is real Christmas.

Real Christmas never comes and goes. It is eternal. Feel the spirit of Christmas not only on one day, but throughout the year. Every day is a Christmas day for a real follower of Christ, for a thirsting aspirant. May you all walk the path that Jesus laid out! May you all be living embodiments of the Sermon on the Mount! May you realize the Kingdom of God within you here and now!

By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA's writing of LORD JESUS http://www.dlshq.org/saints/jesus.htm

Start now

The Supreme power of God is called ‘Divine love.’ A spark of that love lies dormant in the depths of every human heart. Through a practical process of meditation, chanting, and remembrance, the power of divine love is enlivened and in this way, the Blissfulness of the Divine name dawns in the mind and remains in the mind all the time. This is divine love consciousness.

Dedicate yourself to loving, Gracious God, He will take care of you, and in the end He will come to you in His Divine personified form. Just start something: cry for Him, cry for His Grace, for His Love alone. That will purify your heart and put positive imprints on your mind and move you towards the path of dedication. In this way a devotee or any person who determines to find God understands that this life is a golden chance to find the love of God. It can start any time he desires to. Your time is passing. Every moment...what is gone is gone. It will never come back. Start now.



http://www.barsanadham.org/eternal-article.html

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

A hymn written by Charles Wesley, 1747, Music by John Zundel, 1870


Listen to the Music

Love divine, all loves excelling,


joy of heaven, to earth come down;


fix in us thy humble dwelling;


all thy faithful mercies crown!


Jesus thou art all compassion,


pure, unbounded love thou art;


visit us with thy salvation;


enter every trembling heart.





Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit


into every troubled breast!


Let us all in thee inherit;


let us find that second rest.


Take away our bent to sinning;


Alpha and Omega be;


end of faith, as its beginning,


set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,


let us all thy life receive;


suddenly return and never,


nevermore thy temples leave.


Thee we would be always blessing,


serve thee as thy hosts above,


pray and praise thee without ceasing,


glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation;


pure and spotless let us be.


Let us see thy great salvation


perfectly restored in thee;


changed from glory into glory,


till in heaven we take our place,


till we cast our crowns before thee,


lost in wonder, love, and praise.

       

One Love For All

This most wonderful gift of Divine Love is still available to each of us. I believe every declared Saint had it. I also believe we can each gain the same graces the Saint's were bestowed with and become Saints as well.

The Spirit of Gertrude excerpts from Book

It must be observed here, that the soul is purified from the stain of sin principally in two manners : first, by the bitterness of penance, which is represented under the figure of a bath; and secondly, by the sweet embrace of Divine love, which is figured by the garden.



JESUS CHRIST once appeared to the Saint, and, showing her His Heart, said to her: " My beloved, give Me your heart:" and as she presented it to Him with profound respect, it seemed to her that He united it to His by a canal which reached to the ground, through which He poured forth abundantly the effusions of His infinite grace, saying to her : " Henceforth I shall use your heart as a canal through which I will pour forth the impetuous torrents of mercy and consolation which flow from My loving Heart on all those who shall dispose themselves to receive it, by having recourse to you with humility and confidence."


Two angels of the choir of Seraphim then presented her to the Holy Spirit, who penetrated the three powers of her soul. At the first Kyrie eleison, He illuminated her reason with the glorious light of Divine knowledge, that she might always know His will perfectly. At the second Kyrie eleiscn, He strengthened the irascible* part of her soul to resist all the machinations of her enemies, and to conquer every evil. At the last Kyrie eleison, He inflamed her love, that she might love God with her whole heart, with her whole soul, and with her whole strength.

Saint Gertrude gains the grace of Divine Love

I have been on a mission. A mission from God. I am seeking to connect the dots between the special graces I have received with the bestowal of God's Divine Love and the paths and practices of the Church declared Saints.

This information just arrived. How exciting. It has been said so many ways but it is the same truth. Hidden in plain sight. The wonderful mystical gift of God's Divine Love. Saint Gertrude understands this special grace much the same as I. There is a difference she notes between the ordinary love and this special bestowal of love from God's Divine Heart. The most Sacred Heart. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door will be opened.

Just below is an excerpt from the book Spirit of St. Gertude and following it is the book online.


SPIRIT OF SAINT GERTRUDE
CHAPTER X.
OF A MYSTIC TUBE BY WHICH WE MAY DRAW EVERY GRACE FROM THE HEART OF JESUS.


The Lord appeared to St. Gertrude, full of sweetness and grace, breathing forth a holy vivifying odour, and pouring forth from the august throne of His glory the influences of His love for the sweet Feast of His Nativity.

Then, the Saint having prayed Him to enrich all who had been recommended to her prayers with special grace, He said to her : " I have given to each a tube of pure gold; of which such is the virtue, that by it they may draw forth all they need from my Sacred Heart." By this mystic tube she understood that good will by which men may acquire all the spiritual riches which are in heaven and on earth. For example: if any one, burning with the fire of pure and holy desires, endeavours to give God as much thanks and praise, and as many testimonies of service and fidelity as certain of His saints have rendered to Him, the infinite goodness of God regards this good will as if it had really been effected. But this tube becomes more brilliant than gold when men thank God for having given them so noble and elevated a will, that they might have acquired infinitely greater advantages by it than the whole world could bestow. She knew, also, that all her sisters who surrounded Jesus Christ received Divine grace by similar tubes. Some appeared to receive it directly from the Heart of Jesus Christ, others from His Hands; but the further from His Heart they drew these graces, the more difficulty they had in obtaining them; whereas those who drew them from His Divine Heart obtained them more easily, more sweetly, and more abundantly. Those who drew directly from His Sacred Heart represented those persons who conform themselves entirely to the Divine will, who desire above all things that this will should be accomplished in them, both in regard to spirituals and temporals. And these persons touch the Heart of God so powerfully, and render it so favourable to them at the time that God has determined, that they receive the torrent of Divine sweetness with as much abundance and pleasure as they have abandoned themselves perfectly to His holy will. But those who endeavoured to draw their graces from the other members of the Body of Jesus Christ, represent those persons who endeavour to acquire virtue according to their natural inclinations; and the fear and difficulty they experience is proportionate to the extent to which they have relied on their own judgment, and have failed to abandon themselves to Divine Providence.

Words have power

Although I knew I wasn’t helping myself by thinking of it, I couldn’t seem to drop the words from my mind, the words of another. Something said off the cuff that he most likely did not give another thought to. He didn’t need to, because I did.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That little jingle easily rolls off my tongue. I wish that hurtful words thrown my way would never stick. “I am rubber, you are glue! Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks on you!” I know all this. I know that another’s words can only hurt me if they become mine when I repeat them in my mind. Oh, how I didn’t want them to become mine.

This made me think beyond myself, beyond the hurtful words, which I had heard only one time from the other. How many hurtful words are thrown carelessly in another’s direction? Often in the direction of those we love the most. Those words have the most potential to stick, the most potential to cause real damage. Maybe they were only said once but if not taken back they most often stick forever in the head and heart of the other. Playing like a broken record, repeating again and again in one’s mind.

Words do have power, even thoughtless words. Because I understand this I knew I could not keep them. If I kept the words they would become mine. “NO! I DON’T WANT THIS! HELP ME,” I pleaded, “TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!”

“DO NOT REPEAT IT MY PRECIOUS”

These very words came to my mind. Words of instruction. Words of love and words of endearment. Words I have never heard before. Words that I repeated again and again all today in my mind.

“MY PRECIOUS. DO NOT REPEAT IT MY PRECIOUS”

These words came not from me but to me, from a higher consciousness, my higher self, from a place of pure love, from God. I hear this voice quite often, this small still voice, which speaks of comfort, direction, wisdom and most of all love. No, the voice was not mine. I am certain of this. The words were not mine, not in the beginning.

“MY PRECIOUS”

What a loving term of endearment. For as much love I have known as a daughter, wife and mother I do not recall ever calling anyone or nor anyone calling me “my precious”.

“MY PRECIOUS, MY PRECIOUS, MY PRECIOUS”

As I repeat these lovely words again and again to myself tears run down my face. Warmth fills my chest and I am rapt in Divine Love. God love me this I know, because the small still voices tells me so.

“MY PRECIOUS, MY PRECIOUS, MY PRECIOUS”

These words are mine. I claim them. I keep them. I hold them dear. God’s love is for us all. I am not a chosen one. I am one who has chosen God.

WILL POWER



Only for a moment.

 
The gift of will power is given only to humans. Dog's don't have it. Think about it. Do you think a dog who resists snapping up a table scrap does such by any element of self control? No way! It's all a matter of conditioning and training.

Will power goes so very far beyond the common concept of self control. Not long ago I only understood the term to mean the ability to control one's own desires. The power to resist temptations of sensual pleasure. That concept of will power only goes so far and often seems quite unlike a power source but a constant battle. One battle of the will after another. Even within one's own being.

I am now coming to the understanding that each of our own wills is our source of power. A very real source of power that works as simply this statement. Whatever one wills one creates. That power is given to each of us by our creator. It's a power of choice.

We each have the power to choose our own way or God's way. It never has been a matter of a select few being God's chosen people. God has already chosen each of us by the mere fact of our creation and he created each of us with the power of choice. The power to recongnise choices and choose.

God does not force his will upon us. He is always here waiting to be found, acknowledged and chosen. It feels very special to be chosen doesn't it? It is. God wants to be chosen as well. God wants his love to be our source of power. He wants to pour his Divine Love into our very being. So that each of his children are filled with his power and have a radiant joy for life. Overflowing with his love. Spilling Divine Love out of them wherever they go and upon whomever they meet.

This Divine Love is God's gift available to each repentant heart, each selfless soul who thirsts for closeness to the father, who falls onto his knees surrendering his own will to God asking for God and his Divine Love to come into his heart-soul-spirit and fill his very being.

God is always here, always connected to each of us. It's like a direct phone line where God is the operator always on call. He's always online waiting to assist. Live Chat. It's up to each of us to pick up the phone, answer the call, ask for direction. We have to say that we want to be connected. We have to ask for help. We have to admit we can't do it alone. Then we need to shut up. Be quiet. Be still and listen. Listen to the quiet still voice within.We have to shut out the world and open to the universe. The abundant universe of possibility.We have to accept God's guidance and act only when inspired. Inspired action is following God's will given from within. It's a knowing, an urge. Impromptu action that just feels right. Without thought, you feel your way. Feel the good. Feel God. Feel God's will become your will.

When one's will is according to God's will good is created for all. When one truly surrenders his own will to God and asks that God work through him, "Thy will be done", life flows wonderfully. Gone is the constant inner battle of controlling one's own will.

The right path is shown. Daily bread is given. Green pastures appear. Trespasses are not counted. No evil is feared. God's name is hallowed. Love flows freely. Temptation ceases to exist. Thy kingdom comes. Thy will is done.

I pray again today that Thy will be done through me on earth as it is in heaven. So be it.

Live in Love

Love is always present.
Love is never lost.
Love can not be wasted.
Love is enough.
There is enough love.
Find love everywhere.
Share your love.
The love you share is shared with you.

The "W" in Christmas

A heart warming Christmas story

I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a 6 year old.

For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in 10 minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer.

So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads.

Those in the front row - center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W."

The audience of first through sixth graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W."

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is.

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.