Tag Archives: faith

The New Serenity Prayer 3-25-21

Posted on by under serenity prayer

The New Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the people I cannot change,
which is pretty much everyone,
since I’m clearly not you, God.
At least not the last time I checked.

And while you’re at it, God,
please give me the courage
to change what I need to change about myself,
which is frankly a lot, since, once again,
I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.
It’s better for me to focus on changing myself
than to worry about changing other people,
who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,
I can’t change anyway.

Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter
than everyone else in the room,
that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,
or that I alone have all the answers.

Basically, God,
grant me the wisdom
to remember that I’m
not you. Amen

Taken from American Magazine

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Ya Mo B There 3-6-21

Posted on by under music, overcoming challenges, peace, spiritual

I went for my first walk in months this morning. It was chilly but absolutely beautiful. On my playlist was Michael McDonald. I love all of his music including his songs when he was with The Doobie Brothers.

As I listened to the lyrics of “Ya Mo Be There” I found a sense of comfort knowing that no matter what I’m going through right now I have a “Higher Power” that will always be there. Sometimes I don’t feel that way but today as I listened to Michael belt out this tune, I had a sense of comfort. Who knows, maybe it was just being outside with a blue sky above me surrounded by hills still covered in snow.

I’m sure many people don’t realize what the meaning of “Ya Mo B There” means or even understand the true meaning of the lyrics.

The actual spelling of the song title is Yah Mo B There. Yah is a shortened version of Yahweh, which means God in Hebrew. So the title literally means “God will be there” and is interpreted as “God be with you.”

Ingram and McDonald spelled things differently so as not to scare anyone away. Good idea! The title has perplexed people since 1983. Another fast fact, the idea behind the song was the religious teaching that nothing can save mankind except our Father in Heaven.

I’m not sure if anyone reading my post believes in a higher power. However, those who do have their own interpretation. For some, higher power is God, for others it’s the Universe. Some refer to their higher power as the outdoors, a sunset, the ocean….regardless what your belief is we can all agree that we have a higher power who can save us, guide us, comfort us and when the world around us is as zany and crazy as it is today, we have a higher power that can even restore mankind.

With that said, Ya Mo B There merits a share today. Happy Sunday.

The Baggage We Carry 11-6-20

Posted on by under spiritual

The Baggage We Carry by Kerry Walters

When we go into the inner desert, we appreciate for the first time just how much unnecessary baggage we carry around. We see and gasp at the incredible artificiality of our old way of life, the flimsiness of our old values, the duplicity of our old self. The process is harrowing because it rips away everything by which we’ve defined ourselves. But this desert dying, this going under, is a necessary condition for the kind of “ineffable joy” and “wonderful light” that suffused Francis at the end of his time in the pit.

—from the book Perfect Joy: 30 Days with Francis of Assisi by Kerry Walters

Stop. Look. Listen 6-17-20

Posted on by under gratitude, spiritual

Stop! Look! Listen! The universe is always speaking to us.

I saw this beautiful rainbow tonight. So beautiful I got out of my car to take a picture. As I was taking the picture I noticed the stop sign. At the same time my phone buzzed with a reminder I have on my phone to buzz me throughout the day as a reminder “Something Wonderful Is About To Happen”. I have this reminder because life happens sometimes. Life can feel
Super crazy. For me this is a great reminder to always expect something wonderful.

Just when things get a little overwhelming, the universe steps in causing me to stop, look and the next thing I know my phone buzzes and causes me to listen. At that moment I am reminded “Something Wonderful Is About To Happen”.

Tonight it was a beautiful rainbow. Life is good and the good news is The Universe Has My Back always providing me with something wonderful. I just have to Stop, Look and Listen.

Happy Anniversary To Me 4-20-20

Posted on by under overcoming challenges

Today is my sixth month anniversary. Six months ago, I was on my walk. It was Sunday. I was praying that day asking god to intercede in my life and help me to land on my feet again spiritually, emotionally and physically. I was so tired of the anxiety, depression, PTSD, a negative mindset as well as the constant fear and worry that had taken control of my life.

This coming May will be five years that I returned from San Francisco. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve isolated myself in my room ever since. Life happens sometimes. Challenges arise, traumatic experiences happen. Health problems, relationship problems, job loss, finances…..Life as we knew it can change in a New York minute.

That Sunday, I made the decision to take my life back. I won’t bore you with the details. Some things are just meant to stay private. However, I will share I have been working diligently to take control of my mind, body and soul and spirit everyday. The result….I’m happy again. I love life again….and I’m grateful. I have a whole new perspective. I see the blessings in all things even at a time when we are all forced to be in isolation. I’m learning every day to create a better me. You too can create a better you the minute you decide to take control of your life. Good times will happen as will bad. Happy times will happen as will sad. It’s how we choose to react to every situation. Personally, I chose to react poorly.

Six months ago, I chose peace, love, serenity, joy, health, family, but more importantly life! I choose to live my life in a state of gratitude opposed to depression. It’s been six months ago today that I prayed asking God for help. He heard me that day because today is my anniversary and every day I find myself looking forward to the day as well as what the future will be that is right in front me. With any luck, the light that shines in my life will exude and shine brightly on those I encounter everyday. Life is good! It always was. I just failed to recognize it.

(Maui….my favorite place)

A Task For Angels 2-19-20

Posted on by under spiritual

By Paulo Coelho October 21, 2018

Many years ago lived a man who was able to love and forgive everyone he met.

Because of this, God sent an angel to talk to him.

“God asked me to come and visit you and to tell you that He wants to reward you for your goodness,” said the angel.

“Any favor that you desire will be granted. Would you like to have the gift of curing?”

“By no means,” answered the man. “I prefer that God Himself choose those to be cured.”

“I can’t go back to heaven without granting you a miracle. If you don’t pick one, you’ll be obliged to accept one.”

The man reflected a little before answering: “Then I want Good to be done through me, but without anyone noticing – not even myself, so that I don’t commit the sin of vanity.”

And the angel gave to that man’s shadow the power to cure, but only when the sun was shining on his face.

In that way, wherever he went, the sick were cured, the earth became fertile again, and sad people regained their joy.

The man traveled many years over the Earth without noticimg the miracles he worked, because when he was facing the sun, his shadow was always at his back.

In that way he could live and die without being aware of his own sanctity.

Watering The Right Lawn 2-6-20

Posted on by under spiritual

A dear friend read this devotional at a meeting tonight. I was so moved by it I asked for a copy to bring home and read everyday. I think we’ve all been guilty a time or two in thinking the grass was greener on the other side. We make hasty decisions based on a belief that somehow the grass will be greener on the other side. Sometimes we even leave a relationship to chase another “knight in shining armor” only to find that knight was nothing more than a toad. It’s then that we realize the grass We were on in the first place simply needed a little watering.

For me this is a great reminder to find the blessing in where I am today. Emotionally, physically and spiritually. I’m not where I want to be but thank god I’m not where I used to be. I’ll just keep watering my side of the grass until the winter I find myself in finally turns to spring.

Mitt The Real Hero 2-6-20

Posted on by under political

I don’t particularly like to voice my political opinions. Mainly because there is so much hostility and divide in this country right now. It seems that if I don’t believe a certain way I find myself being attacked. That doesn’t work for me. I feel Honesty, empathy, value and integrity are no longer alive and well in this country. Thats my opinion. However, whatever your political beliefs are it’s undeniable that the real hero yesterday was Mitt Romney. He stood up in the midst of a storm to stand up for his moral beliefs, his faith in god as well as his integrity. That takes courage. He gets 5 stars in my book. Like him or not…agree with him or not but as Christians isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Choose to do the right thing even when it means being condemned, bullied and vilified.

Faith 9-16-19

Posted on by under spiritual

LUKE 7:1-10

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus is amazed at a Roman centurion’s faith: “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” How often the Bible compels us to meditate on the meaning of faith! We might say that the Scriptures rest upon faith, remain inspired at every turn by the spirit of faith.

Faith is an attitude of trust in the presence of God. Faith is openness to what God will reveal, do, and invite. It should be obvious that, in dealing with the infinite, all-powerful person who is God, we are never in control.

One of the most fundamental statements of faith is this: your life is not about you. You’re not in control. This is not your project. Rather, you are part of God’s great design. To believe this in your bones and act accordingly is to have faith. When we operate out of this transformed vision, amazing things can happen, for we have surrendered to “a power already at work in us that can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” Even a tiny bit of faith makes an extraordinary difference.

We Remember 9-11-19

Posted on by under 9-11

“In the midst of all the violence and corruption of the world
God invites us today to create new places of belonging,
places of sharing, of peace and of kindness,
places where no-one needs to defend himself or herself;
places where each one is loved and accepted with one’s own fragility, abilities and disabilities.
This is my vision for our churches:
that they become places of belonging, places of sharing.”
— Jean Vanier in Befriending the Stranger 

And, on this solemn day of memorial in the United States, remembering the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the many that perished that day, may we all pray and work for unity, understanding, love and peace.