dailydatewithgod

God is patient.  Each year he awaits the flowers to bloom, each morning the sun to come up, each moment for our hearts and minds to turn to him.  God is kind.  He loves us no matter what.  He embraces our mistakes even when we don’t see them.  He loves our quirkiness because he recognizes the possibility of us showing him to the world in a new and fascinating way through us.  We tend to be a little less patient.  We can’t wait to get through the light and forget about letting that other car during rush hour. We get frustrated when the web page takes more than 5-10 seconds to load.  We are not as kind.  We do not understand why the other person is taking us for granted.  We are not as interested in seeing things from their point of view.  We are offended when life isn’t working out the way that we wanted.  When I look at the pattern of my life.  I see that it has been primarily spent doing things my way. And while that may work for old blue eyes, it has gotten me more misery than joy.  When I turn to the Great Creator to seek guidance and co-create my life, things seem to work out much better and with much less effort on my part.  This takes on many facets–listening to my intuition, paying attention to my dreams and desires, practicing self-discipline, setting boundaries, taking action instead of trying to just think my way through something, and most of all trusting that perhaps my first thought is not the one that I should go with.  When I fully turn my will and my life (my thoughts and my actions) over to the Great Spirit beautiful things enfold.  It means living more than I think I am capable of, practicing understanding, acceptance, and forgiveness towards myself and others and most importantly not abandoning God, myself,, or others when things don’t look good.  If I am to live in a wholehearted fashion, I must look to the One who embodies wholeheartedness and follow that example.  My prayer for you today is to look around you at examples of wholeheartedness and ask God quietly how you might do that in some small way to  show commitment to your own life. Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I once heard that the most powerful prayer is two words, “Thank you.”  Whatever happens in life we can say thank you. Good and bad, say thank you.  It becomes a way of a acknowledging that whatever is happening is for us and for the greater good.  Even if it is a challenge and a difficulty, it will bring about something good.  I have learned that the “difficult” experiences are the ones that cause my heart to grow and change.  From them I become more open and loving and see others through the eyes of love.  This is why we are here.  So I can take on an attitude of gladness, no matter what is happening because I trust God to do God’s job.  God’s job is to turn whatever the situation is into something good.  When I am in the thick of it, it can be hard to be glad or be thankful but when I remember that God is bigger and stronger than any situation or circumstance, then I can breathe and relax.  I recognize that I don’t have to simply endure and get through something, I can hold on and not run (which is sometimes my first instinct–how soon before this is over?)  I can choose to trust.  That brings gladness.  At the very least it calls on me to let go of the idea that I know how it is going to turn out–humility.  My prayer for you today is when you are facing something that you want to run from or “get over with”, ask God to show you how you can appreciate it and be glad that you are willing to see it in a new way.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I have come to recognize that we are all doing the best we can with what we have been given.  That applies to people who love me and people who have hurt me. People do what they know.  If they knew differently, they might do differently.  Unless we seek to grow and transform we are a product of our programming.  In the first six to seven years of our lives our brains are on record.  During that time we form thoughts and ideas about what life is “supposed” to be like.  We do not have an editing or questioning device.  That doesn’t come until about age 7, which I believe is why it is called the age of reason.  Only then do we begin to question more of what is going on around us. However, our blueprint is set by that point.  This blueprint sets in place the way that we react to life, what we expect from life.  It creates our perspective.  Again, this is neither a good or bad thing, it is our reality. People do what they know.  I have come to realize that there is a lot not only that I don’t know but even more that I don’t know that I don’t know.  That is where the growth can begin.  That is why I need to connect to the Great Creator who knows all.  Who loves all.  Who understands all. And most importantly, who loves enough to forgive all.  When I come from a place of understanding and forgiveness, no one is out to get me or harm me–they were just doing what they know.  It takes the sting out of things and is humbling because I realize it isn’t about me.  But it is a chance to learn about me–to grow in understanding of how I react to things and chose to continue that way or be open to another way.  I have had a number of events in my life that weren’t “supposed” to be.  But given that I cannot change the past, I can only learn from it, I am no longer interested in what happened.  I am interested in what parts of it I am still carrying with me and using to project into my future.  Being fully present is where God is.  I trust in the healing power of God to take care of the past.  I trust in the power of God and I to be in the present and face what is in front of me this moment whether it has remnants of the past or not.  My prayer for you today is that you be open to understanding that God understands all and it is okay if we don’t.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

We begin this life on earth as such pure vessels. From the get go someone was there to catch us as we entered the world.  Then our parents or caretakers spent the early part of our life trying to protect us from major catastrophe while we explored the world that we are living in and formed our ideas and thoughts about what this world is all about.  We were still in touch with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world that could not be quenched.  That is what is so fun about watching little kids-the freedom and adventurous spirit that embodies them.  What happened to that in us?  Somewhere along the way we had an experience, big or small, that tainted us.  For some it continued, for others it was a one-time thing, but we are all affected in some way.  We then made agreements and decided how we would conduct ourselves going forward based on this experience. The pure vessel that we are was not tainted, it was just seasoned a little bit.  We may have made it mean who we are and how we are supposed to be, but our essence was never changed.  By continually turning to God we can be reminded of who we truly are.  We can begin to see that these experiences that seasoned us are our greatest gifts.  They often develop in us the capacity to be one among many.  It is said that our greatest weakness is our greatest strength.  It makes no sense to the mind, but the soul knows and the heart reaches out to connect when we recognize we are not invincible.  It is not our job to get through this life unscathed.  It is our job to keep returning to our center (God) when we experience the ups and downs of life so that we are not completely knocked off course.  God needs us to be Him to the world in whatever we are experiencing in our lives.  God wants us to know that God still is everywhere and in everything.  If we stop connecting with him in the midst of our own madness, then he cannot work through us.  God uses all of life’s circumstances for the greater good.  If you read the stories of the people in the bible, they are filled with those who made terrible mistakes and yet God never abandoned them.  In fact, it was those people that he used to carry his message of love and forgiveness.  Who will convince of the power of forgiveness, someone who has had to overcome great obstacles to forgive or someone who floats around untouched by the world.  My prayer for you today is that you may see your seasonings as the things that bring out God’s flavor for the world.  Just think how tasteless life might be without you. Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

It can be hard to imagine that we began as a jumble of cells in our mother’s wombs.  But actually we began even before that.  In the Hebrew and Christian scriptures there are references to the idea that God knew us even before we were formed in the womb.  We were just an idea.  Before we came into being there was light and energy that was being brought forth into existence.  The point is we have never stopped being part of that light and love from which we came.  Our job is to clear away the stuff that gets layered on top of who we truly are.  When we pause and get centered, there is a clearing that happens. Sometimes, though, there are many years before we stop to reconnect with our light and in that time we have acquired some layers.  Our first task is to take a close look at those layers–good and bad and see if they are truly in alignment with our essence.  This creates clarity in our lives and allows us to shine forth for all to see.  I know I wanted to hide for many years.  I literally managed to put on layers of weight of what I thought were protection.  I was not connected to the Great Protector. And by protector I don’t mean preventor.  I don’t see God as one that prevents bad things from happening, life happens-positive and negative experiences.  But my connection to God will help me to keep a clear perspective, remind me that I am not the experience that is happening. I see God often as the One that brings  love back to my mind.  Allows me to be open to seeing things in a new way and protects me from completely destroying myself and others based on my negative thinking that has simply lost sight of hope.  My prayer for you today as you encounter a particular layer that dulls your clarity of who you really are–either new or old–that you have the courage to pause and ask the Great Protector to shine the light of perspective on it.  Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen

What do you hear?  What do you listen for?  How do others listen to you?  What is your listening of yourself and others?  The statistics on listening are something along the lines that we actually listen to about 25% of the time? I learned a while back that a quick way to test if I am actually listening to someone is to see whether or not I am waiting for them to finish so that I can speak.  The moment we begin to formulate a response to what someone else is saying, we have stopped listening.  It takes great patience to quiet the voice in our head that has already started chattering as a result of what the other person is saying.  It is called active listening.   The other things that happens often when we are listening is that we have a certain listening of another person.  The way that I can check this out is if before we even have the conversation I am telling myself that I know what they are going to say –dead giveaway. LOL!  It takes discipline to be open to what my occur in a situation.  I believe the saying goes–we have two ears and one mouth, use accordingly.  Listening requires us to slow down, be aware, be open, and not have the answers.  One of the most important tools I have learned is when the other person is done talking, I ask “How can I help?”  That way I don’t have to come up with something before they are done talking because even when I do it may not be what they are looking for.  Mind you, this looks like me having a prayer conversation in my head when I am listening to someone.  In other words, the moment someone starts talking to me the answers or what I am going to say in response begin almost immediately so I have to breathe and ask God to help me focus on what they are saying.  When I do that, not only am I honoring the other person by actually listening to what they are saying, but I can then hear what God wants me to hear. I also have learned to listen to the things that come out of my own mouth.  I have heard it said that I need to hear whatever I am telling someone else.  Our word is our wand.  What we speak becomes reality.  God is  speaking to us through other people, situations, our own speaking–multiple modalities.  Whenever I think God is silent, I have to pause and ask if God is silent or if I have just stopped listening for God and am only paying attention to what is being said in my own head.  I hear God in music, all kinds, all the time.  Every cell on this planet is an expression of God’s love for us, including our cells.  On a rough day, the fact that my body is functioning speaks of God’s love for me–simple but true.  Sometimes I can’t hear God because I stopped listening for love.  I don’ t believe love is my destiny, my core, or where I come from, but just because I don’t remember, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.  My prayer for you today is that you are reminded that God is speaking love to you and of you.  Will your heart be open to listening today?  Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen

Variety is the spice of life!  That very common saying sounds lovely, doesn’t it?  Change things up!  Be open to surprises.  Try something new.  But somehow when I am experiencing sadness I am not interested in its contrast to joy.  When I am angry I am not interested in appreciating that I am experiencing the flip side of contentment.  But the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the emotions of every part of the spectrum are the full experience of life.  Why is it that when I am experiencing difficulties it is hard for me to see that just around the bend will be an experience of ease? It is funny to me that negative experiences keep me focused on the moment and then quickly catastrophize into the future–“it’s not going to get better!”.  I have this beautiful mind that thinks when things are negative they will not turn positive again.  My mind immediately buys into the doom and gloom of the situation instead of trusting that it will pass.  And it always does pass.  Not only that but when I look back at my life, I see that those experiences that were trying and uncomfortable actually became the portal through which I experience life more fully.  Years ago I was struck by a line in a movie, “Shadowlands”.  It is the story of C.S.Lewis and his wife.  Joy was dying of cancer and when she was having  a good day they were out in the country.  She turned to him and said “The pain then is part of the happiness now. That’s the deal.” The ebb and flow of life is the deal.  When I look at nature I see the same thing.  Does the tree get angry when it loses all its leaves or does it accept that it is in the winter season of its life and when spring comes there will be new leaves on its branches?  When I am in the thick of a “negative” experience I have found that returning to my center, bringing my focus back to God, helps me to ride it out.  Maybe because in my heart of hearts I trust that my Creator is with me through it all.  My Creator wants me to experience all of life.  I am the one who puts the label of good and bad, right and wrong–it’s just life, that’s the deal.  My prayer for you today is that whether you are experiencing an upswing or a downswing that you can trust that Someone is on the playground with you. Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I used to think that life just happened to me.  That I was a victim of circumstances. I have come to realize that not only does life just not happen but life happens for me, not to me.  Each circumstance is an opportunity to grow.  I can text my growth by my reaction and action to what is happening.  I am not a victim.  I can choose how to view what is happening and choose how I wish to respond to it.  If I am clear about what my purpose is then it is easier to deal with things that “just happen”.  In other words, I can look at a painful interaction with another person as just that–this sucks!  How come they didn’t hear what I said?  I stink at relationships with others people. I can create a whole myriad of stories around just one conversation with another person.  However, if I believe that part of my purpose is to grow in love, forgiveness and understanding I can look at the conversation with curiosity:  I wonder why they responded the way they did?  Where might they be coming from?  Could I have been clearer in what I said or how I stated my case?  And most importantly, “God, show me where you are present in this conversation.” I by no means remember to do this every time or when I am in the throes of an interaction. But I have learned that the first scenario leads me to doom and gloom, isolation from others, anger and frustration, etc.  The second scenario opens my heart, sees the situation as an opportunity and brings me closer to whom I truly am (my purpose).  Being purposeful does not mean being perfect, it means looking at every experience as something that will bring me closer to who I truly am and am called to be in this world.  My prayer for you today is that you see a difficult or troubling experience in the light of your purpose in this world. (Hint: you might need to ask for help on this and that is a good thing ;))  Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen

There is this amazing web of connection that enjoins everyone on this planet.  It resides in our soul connection.  It sounds like some sort of cheesy new-agey concept, but each one of us is connected to the other.  If we pause long enough to really look at other people we can see the similarities between ourselves.  That is because we are all made of the same stuff.  The Great Creator in his infinite mind wanted us to experience the gems of this human life while staying connected to others.  We think we need to do this all on our own.  Yes, ultimately at the end of the day it is us and God but the other people around us are gifts and opportunities to grow in love.  The more we grow in love the more we are connected to our spirit and to the Creator of Love.  So next time you find yourself being bothered by someone else, stop and ask how you are connected to them, and how they are an opportunity to grow in love.  Love is why we are here.  God is love.  God created us and wants us to experience the fullness of life which is love.  We are given opportunities to grow and we scoff at them.  We becomes dismayed because things aren’t working out the way we hoped.  Instead we can ask ourselves, did encountering this person provide me with an opportunity to connect to my soul and spirit which knows the language of love?  Did I grow more in love from this challenging circumstance?  It seems counterintuitive but our souls understand even when our mind does not. We need to take the elevator down to our heart to check in and see if we are on track.  My prayer for you today is to see the people you encounter as the souls that are here today to bring  you closer to love.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen