dailydatewithgod

With the fullness of time all that begins will end and with each ending a new beginning.  When we reflect back on events we usually focus on the ending parts.  We see the scene where the marathon runners triumphant crossing of the finish line, the final touchdown, the closing dramatic scene, the graduation walk across the stage, the couples kiss after the vows, and awarding of the prize for 1st place in the competition. But what about the 17th mile, the 3rd down, the tense discussion in the 2nd act, the semester the student almost failed, the exchanging of the vows, or the 5th drill practice?  Those in between moments that get us to the final stages, are they not as important? What about for those who don’t reach the expected end?  Was the time spent up until that point not as important?  We have right in front of us today.  It is currently a Sunday here in Los Angeles, CA, and I will most likely not be getting any awards or particular milestones.  Does that mean that this day is any less important than the day that I graduated with my master’s degree or practiced my dance routine for the 24th time?  Life is the in between times and they are to be celebrated and acknowledged just as much as the endings.  Life is not lived in the result, it is lived in the process.  God gives us all of these moments and allows us to choose whether or not we want to show up.  When we choose to show up, we win.  We are saying yes to new breath, new life, new opportunities, new graces, and unlimited possibilities.  How many smiles can we contribute to today both for ourselves and others?  How many people can we look in the eyes today?  How many moments of breath can we notice the beauty of our lives today?  My prayer for us today is that we see the little triumphs that exist in these in between times that shape our lives and acknowledge ourselves for showing up for as many as we choose to.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

We are all here because Our Great Creator was convinced that we would be the best to bring the message of love to this world at this time.  We were all created by love for love.  Sometimes we do not believe that because we experience so many things which are contradictory to love.  Those experiences however are simply opportunities to bring out the love in a way that we had not seen as possible.  They are growth opportunities that encourage us to extend ourselves beyond what our minds think our heart is capable. It is a good thing that our minds do not determine our capacity for love.  In the day-to-day it can be difficult to imagine that the person who is irritating us or the circumstance that we wish would just go away, could be our most profound chance to grow in love.  These situations cause us to stop and wake up.  Our ego mind that banks on our automatic pilot sees the waking up as a disruption and therefore a problem.  This is the same mind that tells us we are merely our physical existence and all must be right or wrong, good or bad, black or white. It forgets about all the other colors of the rainbow and the simplicity of the grey.  The gooey, messy, and imperfect moments of our lives are the ones that cause us to laugh and lighten our spirits.  They are the ones that call us to see things in a different way and provide the catalyst to open our hearts.  My prayer for us today is that we look up on the non black and white experience as the rainbow that will lead us to the pot of gold of our hearts.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

The Great Creator designed each one of us intimately with time and care put towards how we can become the messengers of light and love.  We have similar ingredients to other human beings because that is how we are best suited in this experience here and now.  The difficulty for us comes in when we think that the make-up of our physical being and intellect are all that is.  We are so much more than our minds and our bodies.  They are our tools to live out our soul’s calling to be the light, to be the love of God for all to see and experience.  This is how we are uniquely connected to each other.  How we live out that expression is part of our unique design.  Our uniqueness does not separate us from our fellow humans it actually unites us.  There is room for all of us.  How do I know that?  We are all here.  God is in reality.  My prayer for us today is that we be open to seeing how our uniqueness connects us to others instead of providing an opportunity for comparison.  Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen

The famous saying that we know is that the only thing constant is change.  I have found this to ring true in my life, much to my chagrin at times.  However, the fact that things change does not need to mean that there is no point in showing up for what happens in our lives because it won’t last.  That is black and white thinking of which I have been guilty of many a time.  Being present with what is on a consistent basis is about showing up for ourselves.  It is about being present in our lives whatever may come.  Our souls do not measure our lives by the content.  Our souls measure our lives by the process.  I can choose to show up as a courageous, loving, spirited human being no matter the circumstance.  I can also choose to show up as an angry, irritated, dissatisfied, and impatient human being no matter the circumstances.  Who I am being is what shapes the experience I am having because it creates the eyes through which I am filtering the experience and a measurement of the energy I am expelling.  How I consistently show up shapes my character and defines who I am being.  But even that can be changed, if I am open to allowing in God’s perspective on who I am capable of being.  Those very circumstances that I am not liking can be the catalyst to change who I am being if I choose to accept them as a wake up call.  My prayer for us today is that we be open to noticing who we show up consistently and ask God if it is how God see’s us as capable of showing up.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

Do you remember as a kid how excited you were when you got that gift for Christmas that you hoped and prayed and asked Santa for?  The bursting energy you felt as you unwrapped the gift and saw the corner of the box or the bag that you knew had that gift?  The sheer delight that existed as you carried it around with you or played with it or told your friends about it?  These experiences prime our brains for what it is like to experience God’s gifts.  It seems different as an adult because we may not have the same excitement for the package or the wrapping.  Maybe the gift isn’t even in the shape or experience of something for which you were hoping.  The beautiful experience of God’s gifts is that the unwrapping actually happens inside of you.  When you truly receive a gift from God you find that the gift is what is awakened within your own heart.  It is the gift of letting go of old hurts or ideas that no longer serve you.  It is in the gift of acceptance of a family member for exactly who they are and not who you want them to be.  It is in the gift of our mistakes as being a portal to growth and humility which softens our heart the most.  These seeming non-gifts end up being the treasure paths to aligning our souls with the greatness of love that lies underneath all the wrapping and bows that we put on to make it seem like we are worth of being opened.  My prayer for us today is that we be willing to let go of the need to wait for a gift that comes in great packaging with bows and open the ones that are ready to burst from our hearts.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

When we pause to take in the miraculous nature of this universe, of our bodies, of the lives that we have created it can be a bit overwhelming.  All these intricate systems in place that seem to be operating without our direct input.  I don’t know about you but I don’t stop and tell my heart to pump, or the earth to spin, or my place of employment to open the doors.  In fact, more things that are going on are outside of our direct impact and control than not.  So what makes us think that if we think something is not possible, then it can’t happen?  What makes us think that we know so much and control so much that if we don’t take care of it, nothing will happen? Is it because that is how it happened once? Our version of nothing happening is really just our way of saying that it is not happening the way we want it to.  But what if God has got it?  What if God truly is Infinite Intelligence present in all beings, all cells, and all particles and atoms?  What if the impossible is happening all the time all over the place but we just don’t see it with our eyes?  My prayer for us today is that we trust and be open to see that the impossible is in fact possible in God’s world and ask for the courage to see it with our hearts.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

When you examine the particles of light of the sun they no longer look like solid beams.  Looked at closely, some of the most profound light productions are a mess.  They are particles that are all over the place, there is no straight line, yet something holds them in place. Something coordinates them so that they function the way they are supposed to and carry the message of light.  What if our lives were the same way?  What if when looked at closely, they are a mess.  There is no straight line. Yet somehow there is a greater power that is making sure we are still able to carry the message with which we have been gifted.  The path we take and the experiences we have don’t match up with our ideal experience yet we somehow bounce back and grow.  We go through things that we are certain will destroy us but do not.  Hmm.  Perhaps the Great Creator revels in what we deem as messy and imperfect.  What if God does not see the trajectory of our lives the way we do and makes use of all things?  My prayer for us today is that we be open to embracing some of our messiness as a portal through which our gifts can be used.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

Have you ever been awestruck by something in nature?  Maybe you have been to the Grand Canyon or Yosemite National Park.  Just being in places of nature’s grandeur you can sense the value in their creation.  There are such intricacies in these places of large-scale beauty and magnificence that it is clear much energy was put in creating them.  Did you know that you were created with that same energy and value?  Did you know that nothing you can experience or believe in this lifetime will cause God to see you as anything less than the grandeur that you are? It can be hard for us to even imagine the truth held in that statement when we are used to defining our value by our doingness instead of our beingness.  We live in a world that on the surface functions by ego-centric definitions of worth.  Our value is based on how much money we have in the bank, what job we have, what we own, and if we match some societal idea and expectation of the status quo.  It is because the ego needs a way to distinguish us as other and so placing us into categories is one way to do that.  The spiritual reality is that we are not separate from the magnificence of the Grand Canyon or the beautiful intricacies of the seashells.  God does not place one of his creations as more important than another.  God, help me to see me as you designed me to be today.  My prayer for us today is that we be open to trusting that God was intentional in our creation as a part of the grand design and own that in our hearts.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

The world is full of experiences of courage, beauty, valor, might, love, power, simplicity, and delight.  If we look at what our personal experiences sometimes we feel aligned with that and other times not.  Most likely the times we feel in tune with that power of the universe is when we are doing and being our best selves.  We all have certain gifts and talents that if cultivated allow us to shine.  When we shine it is because we are the channel of Light (God) for the world.  This is being in our strength.  It is not about showing off what we can do best.  It is about being the light of love for the world to feel a sense of God.  Think of how special you feel when you see a spectacular artist perform or the player dunk the basket. It can be electrifying!  Us maximizing and utilizing our talents allows for the same experience.  It may not be happening on a large stage or on TV, but those who witness it are no less impacted by it.  My prayer for us today is that we take note of our strengths and ask God for the courage to cultivate them so that we may bring light and love to the world as our gift.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

Life is here to be lived and to be enjoyed!  There is excitement in taking a chance on living it.  There is fear and anxiety in taking a chance in living it.  The funny thing is that both excitement and fear can manifest the same kind of physical experiences in our bodies. If fear and anxiety is more familiar to us then we will most likely interpret the feelings as being fear and anxiety.  But what if we are actually generating excitement? What if we are standing at the gate of an awakening not knowing what is on the other side and imagine that it could be good?  I know that I was more familiar with fear and lack of safety that I just assumed that even if I was feeling excited it wasn’t going to last.  Sooner or later the reality would show up as something to be feared.  In other words, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.  That was because somewhere along the way it did, perhaps more than once.  It was simply programming that was causing me to expect it.  The best thing someone ever told me was that God doesn’t wear shoes.  😉  Therefore if I stick with the One without shoes I need not fear the dropping of the other shoe.  (Or maybe start first with expecting a flip-flop instead of a construction boot.)  Sure nothing stays forever, but why rob myself of the experience of excitement and aliveness of life in that moment instead of waiting for it to end?  If I believe that God is with me no matter what, then I can be in the momentous experience of excitement for as long as it will last and maybe even enjoy it.  My prayer for us today is that we be willing to take a chance and walk with the barefooted One and be in excitement of one thing in our day.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen