Friday, December 31, 2010

New Year’s Blessing

I wasn’t planning on writing a New Year’s blessing, but the first lines of this one came into my head as I was waking up this morning.

May each year be the best of your life.
High on harmony low on strife.

May wisdom and love accompany you each day
And from your highest principles may you never stray.

May any challenges leave you stronger
Doubts and regrets trouble you no longer.

By year’s end may you achieve your resolution’s goal
While enjoying the journey as a whole.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Year’s 2011 Poem

As we begin the New Year
For a moment the slate’s clear.

Limitations are dead
Better days lie ahead.

Fresh possibilities we feel
Hopes, dreams, desires appear real.

So starts 2011
With Potential the leaven.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Blessing of Health

Today, you ask your Highest Wisdom what blessing you need to focus on. It comes back with HEALTH. If you are like me, you too often think about health in terms of what you lack, rather than how it is a blessing for you in the moment.

May you be blessed with a healthy mind and body.

May your memory be sharp as a tack
And sound ideas never lack.

May your mind the world shrewdly discern
Know when to calmly pay attention and when to raise concern.

May your physical body be equally smart
Adeptly protecting your flesh, digesting your food and beating your heart.

May you have the energy of a child of two
And your joints and muscles easily move for you.

May in every day you experience some small pleasure
And may your health be your greatest treasure.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Blessing of Flexibility

Imagine that you have reached into a basket and pulled out a piece of paper with the word  FLEXIBILITY on it. If you are like me, you laugh at yourself and mutter something like “figures” or “I need that today.” It seems life never quite goes as planned. Half of the guests scheduled to come to our Christmas dinner had to cancel out because they were sick. Internet Explorer didn’t open for me for a time this morning. My New Year’s Eve hostess just called from the grocery store and was befuddled because her favorite appetizer was nowhere in sight. None of these things are bad. They just required a little restructuring of plans. In response, I try to ask myself what I really want to accomplish and how else I can achieve the same end. So we sent leftovers home to the sick and enjoyed those who were able to attend Christmas dinner; I used Firefox instead of IE; my hostess looks for a new favorite or goes to a store she doesn’t often frequent. Here is a blessing that many of us need.

May you be blessed with flexibility in body, mind and spirit.

May your body bend and stretch easily and comfortably.

When things don’t go as planned, may you still feel calm and confident about being able to fulfill your larger goal. May you quickly be inspired with new ideas.May you find even better methods, routes, and solutions; ones that end up delighting you.

May you feel a confidence in your Creator, allowing life to unfold serendipitously. After praying or doing affirmations, may you trust the words “this or something even better now manifests in my life.”

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Question

Dear God, how can I be a gift to my friends, family, and the world today?

Friday, December 24, 2010

Blessing for Christmas

May joy be born in you today.
May you feel the love of God, family and friends.
May you savor the miracles of life, large and small.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Christmas Pain Prayer

Christmas is a time of pain for many people. Non-Christians sometimes feel alienated. Some people get upset because their Christmas “isn’t the way it is supposed to be.” For me Christmas is a time of loss, full of sad memories of those who have passed on. Recently a friend described how Christmas is a milestone for her, and she isn’t where she had wanted to be when she wrote her desires last Christmas.

Dear God, I know that Christmas is a time of pain for many people. Please ease any emotional or physical suffering. Help everyone to know that no matter who they are, no matter what is going on in their lives, that you love them. Help them to sense your comfort and strength surrounding them and to feel your peace. Help them to experience a moment of beauty Christmas Day and every day.  A-men

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Blessing of Imagination

Today you reach into the blessing bowl and pull out a token embossed with the word  IMAGINATION  on it. This is one of my favorite blessings.

The blessing of the Spirit of Imagination to you today.

May your imagination be your mental Swiss Army Knife, a tool for the many challenges of life.

When you have a dream, goal or desire, may you be able to visualize it clearly and vividly, focusing your own efforts and the energies of the universe so that you can manifest your wish.

When the world around you appears to be in turmoil, may you be able to create images of peace in your mind.

When you are experiencing sadness and despair, may you be able to create images of comfort and joy in your mind.

When you encounter limitation, may you be able to create images of a better world for yourself and for all humanity.

When you feel alone or weak, may you be able to imagine the Light of the Divine surrounding you in an all-embracing love.

Today may you imagine blessings falling down from the sky like a gentle rain.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Blessings of Winter Solstice

The Blessings of Winter Solstice to you!!!

May you know deep in your heart that life moves in cycles.

May you know that beneath the deepest snow and the coldest winds, life is curled in sleep, gaining strength, preparing for its emergence.

May you know that the comings days will be brighter; a new lightness will slowly come into your existence.

May the coming months be filled with hope and anticipation.

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Blessing of Steadfastness

Imagine that you have reached into the Blessing Bowl and pulled out the token  Steadfastness . Why have you drawn it today? I have to admit that I wrestled with the concept of Steadfastness the last few days. At first it felt vague, an idea from which I was dissociated. Then, the idea became alive, showing me pictures in my life associated with Steadfastness

May you be blessed with the Spirit of Steadfastness today.

May you have people in your life who will stick with you through thick and thin, through the good times and the bad, through your failures and your successes.

May you have an anchor in your life, something that you can depend upon when the storms rage.

May you experience the Divine at the very core of your being, a constant love and power.

Friday, December 17, 2010

The Blessing of Kindness

Imagine that you have reached your hand into the blessing bowl and pulled out the token KINDNESS. Why have you chosen it today? Below is my reaction to it, my blessing for you.

May you be blessed with the Spirit of Kindness today.

May you know the tremendous healing power of small gestures: a smile of acknowledgement, words of encouragement, the sharing of a simple meal, words of compassion and sympathy, a thank-you, unexpected assistance.

May you be kind and feel the kindness offered to you.

May you know deep within your heart that kindness is part of your humanity.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Blessing of Triumph

Pretend that you have just reached into the blessing bowl and pulled out TRIUMPH. You let out your breath and smile. It is going to be a great day!

I wish you all the blessings of the Spirit of Triumph today.

May you know the feeling of victory after a long, hard battle.

May you be proud that you never gave up, even though you might have wanted to at times.

May your life be filled with successes, large and small, until you come to the end of your earthly journey.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Blessing of Honesty

Again drawing from the list found in the novel Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn, I have the blessing of Honesty for today. I find it interesting to see where my thoughts go with each blessing. Feel free to “play along at home” and pretend that you have just reached into the blessing bowl and pulled out a small token with the word HONESTY on it. What does it mean for you today? In the meantime, here is my blessing for you.

May you be protected by the Spirit of Honesty today.

May the Divine guide you to people with high moral integrity.

May you work only with those business people and professionals who are scrupulous, who speak and act truthfully and fairly.

May your friends and family know how to balance honesty with kindness, speaking the truth when it is important and erring on the side of kindness when their opinions could cause pain.

May the Spirit of Honesty also move through you.

May you be respected for your integrity and known for your compassion.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Blessing of Travel

In the novel Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn one of the tokens in the temple’s blessing barrel is travel. I can imagine someone--perhaps searching for direction or in need of some good in their life--hopefully, expectantly opening their hand to see travel. The person could also be someone in our everyday world at a New Thought church or a workshop, pulling a slip of paper out of a bowl or basket.

May you be blessed with the Spirit of Travel.

As you travel to new places or return to those you have visited before, may you find yourself rejuvenated and refreshed. May any staleness be cleared out of your thoughts and sluggishness be cleared out of your body and may you feel invigorated.

May you meet people and see places that inspire you.

May you grow a little, be more open to new ideas and different types of people.

May you bring a little good to the people you meet, too.

Wherever and however you go, may you be Divinely enfolded in safety.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Holiday Love

Today’s blessing is on holiday love.

May you experience the blessing of love this holiday season.

As you write and mail each card, buy and wrap each present, bake each cookie, make each dish of food, and sing each song may you send a little love out into the world.

As you open, unwrap, eat and listen, may you feel the love that has been sent your way.

May you experience the love that comes to you through recipes and traditions that have been passed on through generations.

May you create new chains of love through the holiday traditions that you start yourself.

May you feel the love of your Creator, who is the foundation of the holidays.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Strength

May you be strong in body, mind, and soul.

May you feel the Infinite Power of the Divine flowing like a warm river through your muscles, allowing you to move easily in the world.

May you feel the Infinite Wisdom of the Divine flowing through your thoughts and emotions, allowing you to respond serenely and confidently as events unfold in you life.

May you feel the Infinite Light of the Divine flowing into every corner of life, allowing you to trust that you are never alone and that there is always something greater than your small self on which you can rely.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Christmas Shopping Civility

“Peace on Earth” extend to all
Please don’t make the cashier bawl.
Frustrated customers too often take aim
On store employees place the blame.

Even if the wait is a mile
Try to extend a holiday smile.
Let “visions of sugarplums dance in your head"
And leave harsh words left unsaid.

To your fellow shoppers also be kind
And soon enough you will find
A spirit of kindness and brotherhood goes a long way
To help all around you remember the meaning of Christmas Day.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Hope

The seed thought for today is hope. This weekend, a cousin of mine e-mailed me that his Goddaughter committed suicide the day after Thanksgiving. I have no words that can bring comfort. Indirectly, I can send the energy of hope to those out there who may be in the same place as she was.

May you believe that each day will have at least a little good in it.

May you believe that no mistake, accident or condition can keep you from God’s love,
And may you feel that love strongly, deeply within your heart.

May you believe that the universe wishes you well.

In moments when you feel overwhelmed, may you feel yourself enveloped in God’s loving, wise, powerful presence and know that there is an answer, a solution, that brighter days are ahead.

May you be blessed with the Spirit of Hope today and always.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Synthesis

The seed thought for today is Synthesis, not a concept that easily comes to mind.

May you be blessed with the Spirit of Synthesis today.

May you know that life is overflowing with possibilities;
A situation that now seems hopeless, progress that seems stuck, or a problem that seems unsolvable may not be.
By drawing from diverse disciplines, new answers and solutions are born.

May you dare to explore new fields of knowledge and art.
May you use the Spirit of Wisdom and Play to combine the old and new, East and West, familiar and unfamiliar into new forms in order to make the world better for yourself and others.

May you know the magic that comes when two people working together come up with an idea that neither of them could have thought up on their own.

May God’s wisdom guide you today and always.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Serenity

In Sharon Shinn’s fantasy novel Troubled Waters, one word blessings are printed on small tokens found in temples. I have been using a list in the beginning of the book as inspiration to help me create seed thoughts for my blog. My seed thought for today was serenity. My mind, of course, needed to get into the act and question the difference between peace-- another seed thought--and serenity, leading me to a wonderful, inspirational link. Here is the blessing I wrote:

Despite all the striving and stress that may appear around you, may you feel the Spirit of Serenity today.

May you know the tranquility that is found in quiet moments:
Watching a sailboat glide across calm waters on a sunny day or a butterfly glide on a gentle current,
Looking at the stars on a clear summer night,
Listening to the sound of a flute in the distance,
Gently folding your hands before grace is said.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Change

May you accept change as a natural part of life and release any resistance.

May you embrace change as a partner, working with it to create good in your life.

May change bring you growth and a fresh perspective.

May change bring you joy from places that you have never known before.

May change bring you peace that comes from finding the changeless at the center of your being.

Affirmation for Health in Haiti

I see God’s healing light surrounding the people of Haiti. Each person is filled with health, well nourished and well hydrated. I see them all in safe, protective homes. I hear the television anchor saying how miraculous this turn around in Haiti has been. I am an instrument of God’s healing, and with God all things are possible.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Innovation

May you experience the Spirit of Innovation today.

May you look around you with a childlike sense of wonder and see how objects and techniques came into being because someone decided that something could be done in a new way. They sensed a potential. They saw a need that they wanted to satisfy or a joy that could be created.

May you look at your own life and realize that you too have the potential to create something new, whether large or small. To begin, all you need to do is check in with your Inner Wisdom and ask “How can I bring good into the world today?”

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Courage

May you have the courage to act upon your convictions and to speak your truth.

May you have the courage to stand up for those who are weaker or more vulnerable than yourself.

May you have the courage to see yourself clearly—the good and the bad, your strengths and your weakness, the parts that are attractive and those that are repellent—and still love yourself.

May you have the courage to be yourself—who you truly are in your heart—even if who you are isn’t in style or cool.

May you have the courage to go where you feel Divinely guided, even though the path ahead doesn’t seem clear or when others around you cause you to doubt yourself.

May you have the courage to set big goals even if you have no guarantees of success.

May you have the courage to try new things, to grow, even when you feel silly at first or think you are too old/young, masculine/feminine, dignified, uncoordinated, or set in your ways.

When you feel frightened and don’t want to go on, may you find a Strength Within you that is greater than yourself.