ARCHIVES 2023
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 About 42 percent of Americans avoid news coverage, according to the Reuters Institute. That's up from 38 percent in 2017. Nearly half of the people who have turned away from the news say that they are doing so because it has a negative effect on their mood.
“Feelings like disappointment, irritation, anger, and fear – instead of being bad news – can actually be moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.” – Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart Affirmative prayer: Today, I live mindfully, allowing my feelings to be signposts for my next adventures, my next points of healing, my next breakthroughs. I do not resist the feeling that’s in the undercurrent. I bring it to the surface, give it meaning, give thanks for it, and employ it to the service of my greater good. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.
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 The closer scientists look at the concept of time, the more it seems to fall apart. Time ticks by differently at sea level than it does on a mountaintop. The Universe's expansion slows the passing of time. There are periods of the Universe's existence where time gets twisted beyond recognition. And some scientists think time might not even be real.
“The past, present, and future are all properties of consciousness. The past is recollection; the future is anticipation; the present is awareness. Therefore, time is the movement of thought. Both past and future are born in the imagination; only the present, which is awareness, is real and eternal.” – Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I live in this timeless moment. My awareness of the eternal now centers me in the depths of love and joy, and I ease up on my grasping and resisting. I reside in pure Beingness. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  Nine-year-old Roberta Flack was thrilled one day when her father brought home an old, beat-up piano he got from a junkyard. “Since I was four, I had tapped out tunes on tabletops, dreaming of having a piano.” Roberta’s parents cleaned and tuned and painted her “new” piano a bright, grassy green. Young Roberta was so excited she "couldn't wait for the paint to dry." Recently, Roberta published a children's book, The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music.
“Visualize the thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build it.” - Robert Collier, American author Affirmative prayer: I vividly imagine the life I want, knowing that it is Spirit’s pleasure to give me the Kingdom. I am clear about the divine qualities I desire to experience, seeing and feeling the blessings of fulfilled dreams. I conceive the image of goodness, believe in my worthiness, and achieve its reality. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15, 1929, and was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964.
“Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I surrender my smallness, my narrow view of myself, and I embrace the truth of Oneness about my life, about all life. I give myself in service to the higher good. My hands and my heart are instruments of peace, compassion, and justice. May I be an avenue through which the Divine pours Itself into the world. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  M&M's newest packaging, which presents its female characters upside down, is designed to illustrate women flipping antiquated gender roles and changing the world. “We’re using the power of fun to create purposeful connections as we work to create a world where everyone feels they belong,” said executive Gabrielle Wesley. A portion of profits will go to organizations that are “uplifting and empowering women.”
“Nothing will change in the way we see the world until we see women as an equal image of God; the image of God as birthing mother, loving spirit, heart of justice, and womb of the Universe.” – Joan Chittister Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I give thanks for the Divine Feminine; for the wisdom, courage, and nurturing hearts of women everywhere. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  Jude Kovie, an 11-year-old boy with autism, and his family immigrated to Colorado a few years ago. One day, Jude surprised everyone with his musical talent, playing on an old keyboard. When a local piano tuner, Bill Magnusson, heard Jude play, he was so moved that he bought the lad a grand piano. He also offered to keep it tuned, and he’s paying for professional lessons to hone Jude’s skills. “Jude’s talent is beyond special. He's Mozart-level. It's coming from somewhere beyond." Listen here.
“Teach them to live beyond themselves. Urge them toward excellence. Pull them upward like an angel arranging clouds. Let your spirit move through them.” – Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides Affirmative prayer: Today, I encourage the talent, heart, and soul of others. I allow my belief in their abilities to lift up their belief in themselves. I give thanks for the wonders of their deeds, of their lives. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  The United Nations reported that the ozone layer is on course to fully recover within four decades. The Montreal protocol of 1989, which called for the phasing out of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer, was signed by the leaders of governments around the world, and nations are making good on their commitment. The action shows what’s possible for humankind.
“Possibility and change are faithful. They open us to new depths. Deep within us – within every life – there is something eternal happening.” – John O’Donohue, Anam Cara Affirmative prayer: Today, I give thanks for the goodness and integrity of people the world over. I join with others in caring for our precious home. I’m so glad to be in this thing called Life with God-inspired companions. Thank you, Infinite Presence, forever. Amen.  The heavens were a fascination for Galileo. An Italian engineer and physicist in the 1600s, he studied Venus, the Milky Way, and Jupiter’s moons. He worked tirelessly, even after he was convicted of heresy, his friends abandoned him, and he was put under house arrest. He remained curious. Galileo's discoveries supported the idea that the Sun - not the Earth - was the center of the Universe.
“When you don’t get what you want, be curious, not judgmental. When it’s taking too long, be curious, not judgmental. When you’re having the same negative thoughts, when the world feels scary, when you don’t know what to do, be curious, not judgmental. When the path seems to come to an end, be curious, not judgmental. - Steve Nash, transformative coach (The phrase, "Be curious, not judgmental," is attributed to Walt Whitman.) Affirmative prayer: Today, I boldly drop one judgment. I allow curiosity to lead me into ways of discovery and advancement. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  “The glass blower knows, while in the heat of beginning, any shape is possible. Once hardened, the only way to change it is to break it.” – Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening
Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I am ready to change the bugaboo in my life – that thing that is causing such distress that I’m willing to break and be broken. I give myself with complete trust to the repair and healing I seek. Today, I have the soulful resolve to take the risk, have the hard conversation, and take the courageous action, knowing that great blessings are in store for all in this story line. Thank you, God, for life made new. Amen.  Today marks the two-year anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capital. Attorney General Merrick Garland said this country “will never forget the sacrifice of the law enforcement officers who defended the members of Congress that day. And we will never forget the five officers who responded selflessly and who lost their lives.”
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” – Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) Prayer: “Awaken hope in me. When the planet's war, terrorism, and violence envelop me with its pain, awaken hope in me. When the best in me feels beaten down by the worst in someone else, awaken hope in me. When the secret of the soul's ongoing journey takes me into darkness, awaken hope in me. Amen.” – Joyce Rupp |