dailydatewithgod

I was reminded this week, at a time when I needed it most, that there is always light present.*Even when it seems darkest, in the middle of the night, the moon’s light still shines.  I just can’t see it sometimes.  It is a simple reminder of the constancy of God.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am that God always is.  Sometimes it is the only thing that I have to hold on to.  When my world seems turned upside down.  When I am stuck in negative thinking and cannot seem to let go, I know that God never waivers.  God is always a light to shine hope.  God is always a stand for the light that is within me.  God is always ready to shine the light on any situation or thinking that is blocking the light from me.  I just need to be willing to turn towards that light.  The mystifying characteristic of darkness, like the ego, is when I am in it too long, I am convinced it is all that is.  I begin to doubt the simplicity of poking holes in the darkness and the power of even the littlest light when I do.  Like that old-time gospel song, “This little light of mine.  I’m gonna let it shine.”  It isn’t about me making something of nothing, it is about me embracing that God is light and God’s light is always within me.  My prayer for us today is that in the midst of whatever darkness we are experiencing, we have the courage to ask God to shine a little brighter within us so that our eyes may be opened to the light within and around us.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I would not say that I am a cat versus a dog person as I have equal affection for both and had many pets of both species, but cats often stand out in my mind as more mysterious and therefore more interesting to wonder about.  I do believe that they each have specific God-like qualities that enable us humans to be touched by the unexpected.  I have had many cats and dogs over the years as pets and am grateful for the qualities that they embodied which gave me a sense of something more being involved in creation of living thing.  Curiosity seems to be an overwhelming quality that both animals possess, thought they demonstrate it in different ways.  Puppies are constantly curious and when they discover things, they seem to either cement the discovery in their mind or forget it at once and do it over and over again.  Cats on the other hand, seem to live by the motto, “the more curious the better” throughout their whole lives.  I suppose that is where the term “curiosity killed the cat” comes from.  Either way I think we can take the model of their behavior and incorporate into our own lives as I see it as a trust in God.  Somehow cats know that it is more important to keep checking things out.  If it is to their end, then it was a life well-lived.  But most of the time (given they have 9 lives 😉 it is simply something new to discover about life.  My prayer for us today is that we adopt a motto of curiosity about our life and take a little risk.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

It seems only natural to go with the flow.  Going with the flow is peaceful and non-disruptive.  No waves are made, no dissention in the ranks, and peace abounds, right?  Or maybe not.  It depends on what flow we are going with.  The flow of our spirit and soul, yes. The flow of God’s creation, yes.  The flow of expectation of others–hmm, not so much.  The flow of societal norms, it depends.  The most courageous thing we can do in this life is look closely at the deeply held beliefs that we have. The ones that we have adopted, most of the time unconsciously, and ask if it is true for us.  So much of what we see as our opinion or ideas are simply a collective.  A collective body of ideas can be very powerful.  God has called us all to a higher purpose to each individually be the light of the world.  Sometimes that means standing in opposition to what society or our family has deemed part of the flow.  My prayer for us today is that we have the courage to question one of those acceptable thoughts/beliefs and determine if we are being called to go with the flow or stand in opposition.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

The only life I know of is this one.  We don’t get a dress rehearsal, this is it.  Today is the day.  Now is the moment.  Carpe Diem!  If I think about the things that stand in the way of me being present and enjoying my day, it is usually when I am thinking about something else or some other time.  I am focused on what is scheduled for a week from now.  I am reflecting on how something went yesterday or last week and wondering what will happen as a result of that interaction.  The question remains does being in those thoughts put me in favor of this very moment?  Is this something that I need to be focused on right now or is being present in this day more important?  If today is the only day I have, maybe I need to reconsider where my mind is.  My prayer for us today is that we pause when we find ourselves in our heads somewhere other than this moment and ask God where he would have us be.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

It takes courage to hope.  It takes making a decision to not buy into the societal story of how things bad are.  The truth of the matter is that they are only “bad” depending on what we are focusing on.  They are only “bad” depending on what we are comparing it to. As human beings we have a tendency to compare, categorize, and itemize everything that we come across.  It is actually a very useful strategy to assimilate information.  And when we need to take in information quickly because we are going to be outrun by a bear, it is an important skill.  In today’s world the only bear that we are trying to outrun is our mind itself.  When we connect with our spirit, there is no comparison, there is only now and this moment.  We do not see things in relation only to something else but are fully present to what is happening and where we are in the moment.  This is when we experience God, this is when we live in hope and possibility because there is nothing else.  Sounds impractical doesn’t it?  Perhaps, but where would you rather live?  Being present and connected is not about some Pollyanna form of existence.  It is simply being fully present to what is in this moment, recognizing that there is no yesterday or tomorrow.  My prayer for us today is that we have the courage to take time out to connect and be present in the moment so that we may enjoy the beauty of the now.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I never realized that when you have a sense of purpose in life you are much more useful in word and deed.  Everything we do flows from our sense of purpose. I suppose that is why the question, “why am I here?  why are we all really here?” pervade our experience.  It is one of those deep down questions that we wonder often as we go through life.  We look around us and pick up on cues from others to answer those questions.  The answers we get satisfy for a while but ultimately we must return to our Maker to help us answer those questions in a deep and satisfying way.  A sense of purpose and usefulness allow us to feel complete and whole.  But chasing after that sense of who we are from the outside leaves us often with more questions.  My prayer for us today is that we have the courage to take those questions within.  Bring those questions of why we are here and how we can be useful today to Our Creator.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

One of the most vital roles that our back plays is in support of our movement and balance.  If you have ever had back problems, you know how vital a role it plays in your everyday life. Sometimes we don’t know what support is or what it means until all of sudden we find ourselves without it.  The foundation of a building provides the base support for beams which then provide the structure and framework for the walls and the rooms.  Do you know what your foundation is?  Do you know what support beams your foundation is holding up?  Our mind is full of ideas that support our day-to-day actions.  We have some foundational ideas that support the structure that allow us to do one thing and then the next.  Most of these thoughts and actions are so automatic we do not need to stop and create them.  It all functions automatically.  Just like we don’t have to decide to tell our back to extend energy to our leg bones and muscles before we take a step, it just happens and we aren’t even aware of the communication.  Usually we have no need to become aware of the ideas that influence our automatic pilot unless they are breaking down or we no longer want the result of those thoughts.  In other words, it no longer works for us.  Then we are willing to change.  This is why I have found such freedom in being able to recognize that nothing is personal.  No one is doing anything to me.  They are simply operating out of a system that works for them.  And they will continue to do so, until it does not.  Most of the thoughts and ideas that are firmly embedded in our brains comes from the foundation that was laid for us as children from our families and society.  They say the first six years of our life our brain is on record.  We observe and take in messages and ideas on how life happens, how people are expected to interact, and what our reaction is.  As that foundation begins to get rattled, we can grow up from the groundwork that was laid originally and create new structures.  The foundation that was laid was neither good nor bad.  The question is, does it work for us now or not?  My prayer for us today is that when we find ourselves face to face with an idea/thought that no longer works for us, we be willing to ask God to help us release it with love.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

Life is in session!  The class is happening, the year has started and part of me wants to skip class already. 😉  Funny how it only took a few days, huh?  I have come to realize that when I try to fight reality, I lose every time.  It does not seem to stop me from trying though.  What is it about our ego that can get so fixed on wanting things the way we want them?  What makes me think I know best way for things to go?  The truth of the matter is that so often when things are not going the way I want them to, they turn out way better than I could have imagined.  It is important for me to remember that God truly is in charge and God has my back.  Whatever happens the power of the Most High is on my side and will be with me every step of the way.  I will do my part and walk through the feelings and take the action to show up and be present as best as I can.  Being present means letting go of meaning that I create, letting go of any fantasy I have about how it “should” be and attending to life as it is.  Simple–yes, easy–not necessarily, doable–most definitely.  It is clearly no mistake that the challenge I put out there for you and me this year was to each day find one thing that we are willing to let go of meaning about and ask God for the Creator’s meaning.  For today, I am willing to set aside the meaning I have created for the situation at work.  What meaning are you willing to turn over today?  My prayer for us all is that we have the courage this day to ask God to remove that which stands in the way of us being in attendance for our lives.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

One of the things that i love about the word rhythm is the way that it is spelled.  It was in my music class my freshman year in college (ironically, the first class in college that I flunked-lol, a story for another time) that I learned how to spell the word.  I like it because it spells just like it sounds and it used a “y” as the vowel which we is not so frequent in the English language.  Then there is the fact that it is six letters–two sets of three: One-two-three, one-two-three, like a waltz (yes, you are gaining insight into the mind of a dancer).  It flows off your tongue but most of all the word conveys the idea that there is a flow.  Sometimes life is not what we expect, it doesn’t spell out the way we think it will, it uses symbols we don’t normally use and it has a pace all its own.  When we surrender to how it is and look for the genius in it and what we can learn from it, we find that there is much more than what it seems and maybe just maybe our expectations can be exceeded. It doesn’t have to be a disappointment that things are what we expected, it can be an opportunity.  My prayer for us today is that we embrace the unexpected rhythms of life and see them in a new way.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

One of my favorite quotes (paraphrased) is “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to go ahead anyway.”  I have heard many versions of this but the idea is the same.  No one said we would not be fearful.  The difference is that courage enables us to not be stopped by the fear.  This gives me reassurance on a couple of levels.  First of all, when I am experiencing fear I do not need to focus on getting rid of it or making myself wrong for having it (like that ever works!). Second, I can acknowledge that it is there, and look at what concrete contrary action I can take.  This is what it is about, how can I get out of my head that is manufacturing the fear and get into action in my life?  Even if it is simple and small action–anything to chip away from the story in my head.  My prayer for us today is that we be willing to ask God for help to act courageously even when we don’t feel like it.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen