dailydatewithgod

When I think back on the course of my relationship with God I am truly humbled.  Not only does God approach me with much more forgiveness, understanding, and laughter than I do, but each morning he essentially says, “Let’s Create.”  Each day is a new opportunity.  God does not wake me up and go “Okay Colleen, you really messed things up yesterday and by the way in a few days you are going to need to focus on (fill-in-the-blank).”  Nope God is all about today and the present moment.  He wants me to be reborn to this new day.  Just as the scriptures say, “Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  New day, new breath, new opportunities for love, hope, courage, faith, joy, triumph, and blessings.  A new day to experience God as I have not experienced God before.  The circumstances that I come across today have the potential to transform my heart, awaken my soul, and bear witness to the beauty of life.  I play a significant role in that.  God did not create me, nor you, for small things.  Everything that we come across in the course of they day give us an opportunity to create a life either full of God or void of God.  Hopefully I have the courage to choose the life-giving option.  If I am present to it, there is a much greater chance of that.  Yesterday I woke up with a head full of noise, a laundry list of all the things that I was doing wrong.  This was not from God, this is old programming–some story I adopted years ago about how I am not doing it right.  I have learned that I cannot exist long in that kind of head space without wanting to do something to blot it out–so the first thing I did on my date with God (prayer and meditation time) was tell God what was roaming through my head and ask that it be removed.  And it was for a while, but it came back. So then I told a friend about my thinking and it left for a while.  Then I exercised and since that always brings me back to my body and in the present–it left for quite a while.  When it came back I felt that God had given me a few more tools–a reminder to just do what was in front of me to do and a level of acceptance that my head just needed to be in a funky place that day but that it didn’t mean anything.  Lastly, I talked back to the thoughts in my mind with wonder.  In other words, I started saying things like, “What if it is exactly what is supposed to be happening?  What if, we are not supposed to feel differently about that situation?  What if, there is nothing that should have been done differently? What if the future holds gifts beyond my imagination because of what I have experienced in the past? This, I have learned stumps my thinking–there is no response and so slowly the noise in my head got steadily more and more quiet.  Now, for some this may sound like an insane person talking about the thoughts in their head–but it is the same voice or thoughts that are telling you that as you are reading this.  We all have an inner dialog. The left side of our brain in particular that likes to inform us of where we stand at any given moment.  The key to facing that is to question it and to come from the heart and soul.  In other words, it is a God-job.  When I am condemning myself, I am not seeing the possibility of creation today.  When I am condemning myself I am not facing this new day with hope, joy, wonder, laughter, and or forgiveness.  Not only is each day an opportunity to create, but each moment within each day is an opportunity to start anew.  My prayer for you today is that you seize the opportunities to reconceive your notions for this day at whatever moment you choose to do so and know in your heart that God is there to help.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

Each moment of decision charts a course for us to take.  Many times we take this particular course without thinking about it or without paying attention as to what is navigating our direction.  How many times have you driven to work and when you got there you don’t remember exactly what you encountered because it was the same way you go every day.  It is easy to take the same course each day on several things.  Our brains have an automatic pilot that allows us to do many things without thinking about what direction we are heading in. I am quite grateful for this because I would not want to have to think too hard each day about how to get to work or get dressed, etc.  On the other hand, when I am experiencing something new or something I want to be new, the automatic pilot can kick in. How many of us have embarked on a new relationship that was filled with newness and then one day we woke up to find it filled with the same struggles as our last relationship?  Or a new job that you started and then realized that this boss is just like your last one?  Our outer world is simply a reflection of our inner world.  Everything we see and feel is based on our perception.  So this lack of newness is simply us getting to view our own programming, our own blueprint.  The outside experience will not change until we begin to change from the inside.  It can be a brutal wake-up call to come to terms with this because it calls us to take responsibility for how we are experiencing the world.  The good news is that we can be guided by the Great Navigator if we choose.  We can look to God to show us what to learn from this situation or how to change our perspective so that we may experience life anew.  This invariably means letting go of our map or the ideas that we know exactly how it is going to go.  Our ego may not be so obliging but it is possible, after all God gifted us with our ego too.  We can choose to set our course for life based on the navigation given to us by God.  What is required to do that?  From my experience the to biggest catalysts are an openness to uncertainty, a willingness to be present, and to view life as an opportunity to learn.  Then we can go with the different twists and turns that come across our path, use them as a chance to learn, and be surprised by life.  If we trust the Great Navigator for the course and direction of our lives, we need not fear where we will end up.  My prayer for you today is that you be willing to let go of your plans and take a look at the course that God has in mind for you with the trust of a child.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

What if the whole reason we are placed on this earth is to be God for one another?  To carry a message of light and hope and abundance and joy? My ego scoffs at that idea–what about me?  What about making a difference and showing the world who I am? Well, what about that–what if those ideas are the same but only seem contradictory.  What if showing the world who I am is showing the world an element of God made manifest? Hmm.  Perhaps the two are the same it is just who or what gets the credit.  It reminds me of when I used to teach.  Some of my high achieving students were so concerned about the grades that they received, they cared little about the lessons they were learning on the way.  They wanted to know if the answer that they gave was right.  I wanted to know how they came to the answer that they had in mind.  I wanted to see how God was manifesting in their world, they wanted to know that they were god-like and perfect.  What if the answer was yes already?  What if there was nothing to do or achieve or become?  What if we are already what we are striving to do and be?  What if we have just lost connection with our source of power?  What if it really is about the journey and not the destination?  This might explain why we never quite get there.  Or why we when do get there, we think, “Is this it?”  “Is this what my heart was really striving for?” In the many, many times that i have turned to God full of questions, wanting to know why and how, I often get a simple answer back in a soft quiet voice, God says to me “I AM”, “I AM with you”, and “I AM within you.”  My job is to suit up and show up, let go of my ego so that God can work through me–easier said than done at time, I know.  Simpler than our minds thing is possible, I know.  Yet true still the same.  Most spiritual concepts are simple and clear.  My prayer for you today is that you are able to connect with your true source of power and being, know that you already are all that you want to be and that you have an amazing opportunity to channel God to the world in your own special way.  Make it a good ride today!  Peace~Colleen

Our source of power comes from somewhere.  When you look at us down to the cellular and atom level we are all balls of energy. The universe consists of a million tons of energetic components and we are part of that.  The question remains, where does the source of all that energy come from?  Or more importantly, are you connected to it?  Are you powered by it or something else. Think of a time when you were most energized and excited. When you were in that space you felt connected to everything around you.  Life seems to have a flow and things had a certain ease to them.  You find yourself not feeling troubled by what might happen but present to what is going on in the moment.  That is what it means to be connected to God.  The more we recognize the power that connects us all and provides for us, the more we are free to enjoy life.  When we are in fear or worry or anger or resentment, our power gets used up very quickly because it is not who we are and we are not relying on a power greater than ourselves to walk us through whatever it is. I want my source of power to be one of light, love, patience, forgiveness, joy and serenity, how about you?  My prayer for you today is that when you are feeling drained, you have the pause to stop and check in and ask what you are plugged into? Where is your power coming from?  Is your battery running low?  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I am not sure if it is an American thing or a single-person thing or what but the idea of being independent runs very strong through me as I have seen it do so through most people.  We all want to see that we can do and be on our own.  It gives us a sense of self and a part of growing up.  But as with all things there is a balance required.  I also have to look at my thinking.  I may be independent in my actions but if I am relying on what you think of me to determine the validity of my actions, how independent am I really?  Growing up I learned really quickly how to do things that met with other people’s approval–parents, teachers, authority figures.  I knew what was considered acceptable and what was not. As a girl I simply wanted to feel safe and accepted. So when my ideas ran contrary to what was acceptable I changed who I was to please others, most of the time. This got me very far, but even as I got older I began to see that it was wearing on me.  As I became spiritually awake and developed my relationship with God, this notion of other’s approval was right in my face.  What I have come to realize is that it is very finite.  It makes me dependent upon you (whomever you are) being in an approving mood.  But what if you are having a bad day?  I know when I am having a bad day, nothing seems right with myself or with others and situations. If someone is looking to me to approve and say that who they are is okay–it is not likely to happen.  This is where I need to cling to God.  God’s love is constant and ever-approving.  It does not mean that it isn’t nice to get approval from others but I must take it in stride because it is really not about me.  It is about where they are.  When we are in a good mood and feeling good about ourselves we are loving and accepting.  When we are in the opposite mood and thinking, nothing is acceptable.  It has very little to do with the other–it has to do with what is happening on the inside.  True independence of spirit is knowing to whom or what I am clinging to do determine who I am and who I am being.  My prayer for you today is when you are looking to the world to approve of you, ask yourself, do I approve of me?  Does God approve of me? (and is your God really God or some human notion of God?)  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

We are fascinating beings!  God has gifted us with so much.  We are here for a greater purpose.  And even with all of that, we can be so silly.  We walk into a situation and think, what can I get out of this?  Who said anything about getting something out of it?  What if the whole reason we are where we are is to contribute something?  This does not mean we take on the world and become the savior.  This means, how can I be a representation of love and kindness in this situation?  If we are created out of love and full and are not lacking anything, then we don’t need to get anything.  God provides all that we need.  If we look to our connection with God to satisfy ourselves then we can approach life in a contrary fashion to our default of what we can get. If I am going into a situation thinking what can I get out of this or leaving a situation and thinking I didn’t get anything out of it, then I know I need to turn my eyes toward God to fulfill me. My prayer for you today is that when you find yourself looking to what you can get out of something, have a pause, connect with God, get what you need and ask, “How can I be of service right here, right now?”  Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen

One of the funniest things about us humans, if you stop to think about it, is the potential we have to complicate things.  One of the things about God is that he keeps it simple.  Our minds race as something is happening.  It is in a rush to find the file that resembles what is happening at the moment so that it can quantify it and categorize it and determine what our past reaction was.  So then our minds are filled with pictures and thoughts and whichever ones we attach to creates our feelings and then based on that we take action.  This, of course, is taking place in a matter of milliseconds so we are not even aware of it.  Again, it is a great survival tool if we are facing a bear in the woods, because we need our bodies and minds to react quickly and efficiently so we can either fight or flee.  This is not particularly helpful when the bear is your significant other and they want to have a discussion about the family budget.  But our minds still approach the situation in the same way.  The key here is to pause and breathe and check in with our hearts.  Then we can slow down the response and make a choice based on the present circumstances.  Most times there is nothing to fight or flee, it is simply a call to be right here, right now.  One of the simplest ways that I remind myself to be present is to look at where my feet are.  Then I know that I am exactly where God wants me to be and he will provide the tools I need to deal with whatever is right in front of me to do and be.  My prayer for you today is that you have the pause to stop and be grateful to be exactly where you are in the moment.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

You feel as though your heart is on fire!  You are struck by a moment of sheer joy that is beyond words. You feel moved inside your heart and spirit so much so that your mind is quiet and all you can do is surrender to the experience.  We have all had this kind of experience at least once in our lives.  It is a moment of pure spirit.  It is God alive within us in a way that causes us to feel transformed from the inside out.  We might have struggled to find words to describe it, wondered if others around us ever felt it, but afterwards there is a part of who we are that has been changed forever.  This is how God felt the moment that you were born and took human form.  In fact, this is how God experiences you all the time.  God is so moved by his creation of you that he can barely contain himself.  When we experience this we are fused with God. The igniting reminds us that we are a part of God and it is who we truly are.  We cannot help be transformed by it.  The reality is that we can experience this is in both small and grand ways.  There are elements of our day-to-day human experience that enkindles the fire of our hearts, but ultimately they will not be enough.  It is only when we let our hearts be ignited by our union with God that we are truly connected.  This fire experience transforms us in a way that calls us to transform the world.  This is why we are here–to be on fire for God, to share that with the world in the special ways that we have been gifted.  The greatest gift we can give the world and to ourselves is to go within to get in touch with the fire in us and how it can be made manifest.  In the Catholic Christian Tradition, today is the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles after Jesus had left the earth.  The Spirit came in the form of tongues of fire and the experience of understanding each other while speaking different languages.  They were given the courage and the strength to carry out their mission of spreading the good news of God’s love for all.  What is the message that is within your heart that  you need the courage and strength to share and express with the world?  How can your heart be transformed today so that nothing stands in the way of you being God for the world?  My prayer for you today is that you take time to go within and connect with what sets you on fire and ask God to grant you the gift of his spirit so that you have the courage and the strength to carry it out.  Here is a little prayer that I have always liked  “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.” or an even simpler one that was introduced to me at the feast of Pentecost when I was in college and I have said every morning ever since then, “Holy Spirit, show me what to do, tell me what to say and use me as you will.” Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

It is a very lonely world when I think that it is only up to me.   There can be a fine line between playing the victim and thinking I got it all figured out.  It is important to recognize that I am not a victim, that I do have a choice.  It is even more important for me to recognize that sometimes the best choice is to turn it over to God.  I cannot possibly know and perceive all the factors involved–only God can do that.  I like the expression, “Row to shore as though it depends upon you.  Pray as though it depends upon God.”  One of the gifts of relegating the outcomes to God is that it allows me to stay focused on the moment.  I can be more fully present in what is happening when I am not preoccupied by how it is all going to turn out.  I would love to say that I do this well, but that it would be more accurate to say that I am a work in progress.  It takes discipline to direct my thinking to the present and release the outcome to God. It requires first a trust that God has my best interest at heart.  I am always surprised at the notions in my mind of a God that has anything but my best interest at heart.  In those situations I get to see where I have placed human qualities (like some authority figure at some point in my life) on God.  When I see that, I am given the opportunity to choose that God as I understand Him/Her is much greater, deeper, stronger, and kinder than I can possibly imagine or experience.  The key for me is noticing when I am thinking “I can’t handle this” or “it’s overwhelming.”  Of course I can’t handle or am overwhelmed by it, I am not supposed to “handle” it.  I am just supposed to be present to what is happening at that moment.  And I am usually overwhelmed because I am trying to think about the future and be present in the moment at the same time (and even dealing with thoughts of the past–no wonder I am overwhelmed!)  It is in those moments that I can take a breath and turn my palms facing open and upward and release the situation to God.  Then my prayer authentically becomes, “How would you like me to show up in this moment, who would you have me be and learn right here and right now. Thank you.”  My prayer for you today is that you find one situation that you are trying to “handle” and let go of the handle.  Take a moment to pause and ask God to show you the gift of why you are there in that moment and trust that God will see to the outcome.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

We are all independent and we make choices, some of them conscious, others subconsciously.  At every moment decisions are being made about where to go, what to do, what to say.  We think that we make these decisions independent and all on our own.  But as is usual with life, there is a duality present.  We do make these decisions independently, but we also make them based on past experiences, prior knowledge, what we feel like, what we are thinking about, what we hope will happen, what we think others reaction might be, etc.  We manufacture in our mind the outcomes to some extent and are led in the direction of the outcome that we are seeking.  There is an intention set before us whether it is set consciously or subconsciously or even unconsciously. Our brains are firing off messages that get sent to our body as we begin to formulate the end result of our decision.  It is a magnificent machine.  It is pushing for our survival.  The question is not whether or not we are being led by something, the question is what are we letting ourselves be led by?  How different might our day be if before we made a decision about what to say to someone or whether or not to eat something, we stopped and paused and asked ourselves, what is driving this decision?  What do I hope will happen as a result of this decision?  What is leading me to the choice that I am making?  Perhaps it sounds arduous and ridiculous to stop and check in with ourselves, but how else does one design a life of purposeful living?  How else does one know what he or she is being led by?  I think a gift of daily meditation time comes not in tremendous spiritual experiences that I have during the meditation but instead the pause that I have throughout the day.  In that pause moment, when I am doubtful or even agitated I can breathe, check in with my heart (God) and spirit and decide what is leading me in the direction of my decision.  Does it move me closer to who I truly am or who I want to show up in the world as?  Or, is it simply based on prior programming, that may have served me well in the past, but not where I want to go today in this moment?  Living this way means that I am no longer a victim of circumstance or of my own thinking–it takes courage to step up and choose what I want to lead me.  My prayer for you today is that in a moment of decision you reach for that pause and check in with your heart and spirit (God) and ask, will this lead me to become the best version of myself today?  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen