Hope Perches in My Soul

The sunrise this morning was a lovely fusion of soft pink, deep rose and orange that lit up the sky like a beacon of hope.  Whatever is happening in the world today, there is still, in this moment, beauty, kindness and love.  Whatever injustice is occurring, whatever difficulty I or someone close to me is going through, I can call to mind beauty and goodness and “think on these things”.

Emily Dickinson wrote,

 “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul-and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all…” 

 It is the thing that whispers to our heart “don’t give up”, when the going seems hard.  It is what stirs from deep within and nudges us to pray when we are feeling tired or discouraged, to seek God’s strength when we are at the end of ours.

I can choose, always, to give in to discouragement, or to give flight to the thing with feathers that perches in my soul and to rise above whatever is dragging me down.

This morning, as I listen to the birds singing their lovely tunes and breathe in the colors of the flowers in the garden, I am strengthened and encouraged.  All is well in this moment.

Breathe in the beauty of the morning, give flight to hope...

I Set Down My Burdens

The cares and responsibilities of life can be like burdens that I carry around, often without even being aware of their joy-sucking impact on my spirit.  Worries, decisions that have to be made, problems that I try to solve for others - all these and more can feel like a heavy suitcase of negative energy that I drag around.  I sense the need to release their hold on me, if only for a few moments and so I imagine just setting this heavy baggage down, giving it over to the Great Unseen Force of Unconditional Love and Light who we call God.  I let the suitcase go and follow the flow of my breath, connecting to my Source, accepting the abundance that is mine for the taking, simply because I am loved without measure.

There is no fear or lack in this space, there is no worry for others, because all will unfold as it is meant to be, in Divine timing.  Here I find only peace and joy, flowing freely, healing light washing  and setting free as love pours over all.

This moment, admittedly, is fleeting, as worries will find their way back in through the cracks in my psyche.  But it gives me hope, strength for today and an assurance that I am never alone.

Set down your burdens, follow the flow of breath and accept the gift of abundance that is yours for the taking...

Today's essential oils:  Joy and Abundance

Change is Growth

Late in the evening of July 4^th, after watching some neighborhood fireworks, I sat alone on  the deck, the warm, humid summer air wrapping around me as I sipped a glass of wine and watched the fireflies dance through the woods like tiny fairies.  I was feeling wistful, as I thought about July 4th holidays gone by and the many changes that are inevitable in life.

For so many years, growing up, there were campfires, torchwalks and fireworks on this day at our family cabin.  We sat for hours, telling stories and gazing at the vast expanse of sky and stars.  These special family times continued as our children grew up and they became part of the fabric of our traditions.

My husband’s family had large picnics at his aunt and uncle’s cottage in Canada and in my mind’s eye I can clearly see the beautiful expanse of the lake and wide stretch of sandy beach that our children played on.  There was swimming and windsurfing, sumptuous picnic feasts and walks to the corner store to use our Canadian coins for special treats.  Driving home, we would see the downtown fireworks display and the day would be complete.

So many of those special people are now gone from our lives, passed on to some other realm.  They are loved and missed always, but things will never be the same again.  They live on in our memories of course, but the path of our lives has changed forever.

 Life is so sad, really in this sense; the inevitability of death and change is something that we must acknowledge and accept so that we can move on, so that we don’t become stagnant.   It is in this acceptance and in the letting go of the past that we are able to grow and find a new path.

I ask for help with this today- to understand that I can continue to hold those happy memories in my heart, while letting go of my sadness and attachment to them.  I ask for the wisdom and strength to fully embrace change as an inevitable part of life and as an essential step on the path to spiritual growth.

Thank you God, for the blessing of change in my life….