dailydatewithgod

One of the things about winter is its harshness! I am aware that excess heat can be hard to deal with but there is something about extreme cold that is harsh and almost punishing.  The cold wind, the need for protection and to brace yourself when you step out into the elements.  That is what makes spring so beautiful.  As the warmer weather begins to set upon us, we can let down some of that guard and breathe a little easier. In southern California for the most part, we don’t deal with nearly as harsh of a winter. But we get just enough to experience the harshness.  Although weather is not specifically analogous to a spiritual life.  There is something about acknowledging that what we deal with in our outer world reflects what is happening in our hearts.  I like to think that we are always entering into a springtime of our hearts.  A time when we can be more tender and gracious. When we dont’ need to be protected and guarded.  God is always tender because He needs protection from nothing.  He does not waver based on the outside circumstances.  Whether the world He created is going well or not, God always provides a tender space for us to walk into.  I need to practice that with myself.  Am I tender towards myself or am I more harsh?  How does that translate into how I treat others?  After all, I cannot give of what I don’t have.  If I can be open to the tenderness of God in my own heart then the eyes through which I see others and the arms with which I embrace others can filled with tenderness.  My prayer for you today is that you look inside your heart to see the tenderness that God has placed in there and connect with it even for a moment.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

The only thing I have found to be constant aside from change is God.  Who God is never wavers.  My experience of God in more areas of my life as I open my heart up to Him is that area of my life is affirmed in love.  I need this solid presence in my life.  The firmness of God is not a harshness or a rigid way of being but more of a certainty.  I know that I can count on God being their.  It is like a backbone.  Our bones are firm and solid and provide a structure.  So my relationship with God is firm.  When all the other things in my life seem to be going amuck and I am riding the wave of life, I need to know that I can come at any moment to a place of firmness.  It is there that I am reconnected to who I am and where I come from.  I would like to think that I provide that on some level for others in my life.  I attempt to be someone who they can count on, but ultimately I will fail them because I am not God and I cannot be their ultimate and reliable experience.  I am reminded often that everyone has their own connection to God.  It may be one that they are familiar with or one that they are not, but it exists nonetheless.  What I can do is be a model of someone who relies on God, who counts on that firmness.  In what areas of your life are you certain of the firmness of God? What areas of your life would you like to sense the solidness of God?  My prayer for you today is that your eyes be open to the firmness of God in an area of your life that seems chaotic.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

One of the things that I have to appreciate is how God shows up in the smallest and subtle ways.  I usually am looking for a neon sign or listening for a trumpet blaring.  I want the overwhelming certainty that I can show others-“See! This is why”  However, it is in the stillness and the softness of life that God shows up.  It is in the times of quiet and stillness that I can hear God’s voice, where I can feel the tug to go in a particular direction.  It is not about other people understanding or giving their stamp of approval of the way that I choose to understand or follow my Creator.  There is nothing in the various scriptures I have read that says I need approval of others to follow God’s leading.  In fact, just the opposite.  I am called to choose God above others and their possible expectations.  If I am really honest with myself those expectations that I think others place on me are simply my own with the face of another.  Maybe at one time when I was younger they were someone else’s but as an adult I have simply integrated them into myself.  I am not a victim of someone else’s ideas or desires.  I can choose my own path.  The spiritual life is not an easy one, but it is much simpler, quieter, and more fluid than anything else I have experienced.  When I slow down long enough to get in touch with my heart and sense the tugging of one direction or another, then I ask the courage to follow that tug.  As I take action in that direction, despite the fear that will come up, I begin to experience an opening in my heart.  It is helpful to check with others who follow a spiritual path, but ultimately the tug is in my heart, not theirs.  It is my relationship with God that I need to focus on, not theirs.  Sometimes I get a neon sign, but most of the time it is the quiet whisper that tugs gently.  That is why I think life is about lessons not about certainty.  When I follow those tugs there is not blueprint for how it is going to turn out and it usually only grants me direction one step at a time.  I must stay in the present and continue to cultivate some stillness so I can be aware of the next tug.  The beauty of God is that I need not worry about mistakes.  If I take a “wrong” turn, God is still there and invites me to learn–does this work for you or not?  I can always check in and ask myself, is the direction I am heading in bring me closer to God or further away (is it bringing me greater peace or more unrest)?  Those are the messages that reside in my heart and in my body. How have you felt God tug at your heart? My prayer for you today is that in a moment of stillness that you can feel that tug and have the courage to walk in that direction trusting that it is where God wants you to be today.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

It is so easy for me to look at the world and see the number of things in disarray and be baffled.  I was realizing the other day as I was sharing with a coworker things that just don’t make sense to me about how certain things occur in a particular system we have at the company I work for.  It is not work that I am directly involved in but I do interact with people in those particular roles.  When I look back on it the discussion was more of a venting of frustration and complaining and served no specific purpose except to perhaps make me sound good because I had a supposed solution to the issues these people deal with.  The reality of it is, it is none of my business.  I have enough in my own life that needs to be rectified.  I do not need to concern myself with what is happening for others.  It is humbling to admit but sometimes I think it is easier to look at things happening for others at a distance and have a solution than to face the things in my life where I don’t see a solution.  I need God’s help to look closer into my life at what needs reconciliation and ask for the courage to do what needs to be done.  It could be something as simple as accepting a situation or experience that is occurring.  I have been facing some health challenges lately and it is humbling when the doctors and other professionals around me are baffled.  The good news is nothing is wrong, but then they are at a loss as to why my body is behaving the way that it is.  I need to rectify my attitude towards the situation.  I have learned that acceptance is the answer and for today I am having a hard time accepting things as they are, but I can be rectified in my attitude by accepting the fact that I don’t accept what is going on.  When I realized that, there was a small sense of peace that I had because I feel as though I am being authentic with myself and with God.  Accept my non-acceptance!  Sometimes it comes in small pieces for me.  My prayer for you today is that you be granted the courage to rectify something in your life whether it is with a situation or a person so that you can authentically present yourself to God to be of service.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I remember in junior high school we would pass around these notes between classes (okay, sometimes in class).  There was nothing special in these notes that my friends and I would pass but usual jr. high school girl talk about boys and the ridiculousness of school.  I am thankful that my gal pals at that age were not particularly cruel (though we had our emotional moments).  The messages in the notes were one thing, but it was the creative folding of the notes that made them so special. Also the designs on the outside of the note with your name.  It was almost like origami.  So when it came time to read the note you had to unfold it several times.  I was never particularly good at the special folding.  I was more of a straight shooter (fold in half over and over, no tucking of one side into another). I figured I just wasn’t creatively inclined that way. Part of the magic of those notes was as you were unfolding them, wondering what they might say.  I smile when I think about the anticipation and the irony since I just seen my girlfriend at lunch ten minutes ago–what could have possibly happened? It was the ritual of the relationship that was so important, not the information.  The magic of wonder at what might be revealed when I finished unfolding and for me the question of if I could fold it back up again the way it came–not too successful with that.  This unfolding is how our lives are.  We get handed these situations and experiences by God and we have to take them a moment at a time and see what unfolds.  We never know (though we like to think we do) what is around the corner on the next unfolding.  It is hard sometimes as I just want to be handed a manifesto on a straight sheet of paper with blue prints that say “you are here” and then a dot that says “need to get here” and draws a line.  But that takes all the mystery out of life.  If I trust that my life is unfolding just as it should and that God is there holding my hand as I walk around each corner, it can be more exciting than frightening.  As I face this day, being given breath at my waking, I am thankful to God for the opportunity to see what unfolds before me and ask that He be with me each step of the way.  Will you join me in seeing what unfolds in your life today and perhaps be excited?!  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

One of the misnomers I experienced is thinking that anything outside of me can provide what I truly need.  Many things of this world can give the illusion of providing what it is I need, whether it be through people or experiences or circumstances.  Ultimately, those things will fade away and I am left with the need still present in my heart.  As someone who experienced a lack of safety at a very young age, I made a decision or an agreement that I would do whatever I needed to do to feel safe from that moment forward.  I have to say, the human mind and body are fabulous mechanisms and when we make decisions about things unconsciously or otherwise, we find ways to make them happen.  There are two really obvious ways this manifested for me.  One was in food.  I found not only a comfort and sense of safety in food itself but managed to pack on an extra 100+ pounds as a nice safe barrier so even if someone did touch me in a way that was not comfortable I would be protected.  The other way was that I would determine what the best way was to be right and good in the eyes of others.  Once I knew what that formula was i would follow it whether or not it truly resonated with me.  If it kept you from having to question me or be disappointed in me then it was working.  We have all had experiences of some kind that made us feel that we were not safe or okay, it is part of the human experience. I truly believe that life happens for me, not to me.  I developed a way of “handling” the experience as a young child but I have outgrown those coping mechanisms, in fact they began to work against me.  So after shedding the excess weight and one day at a time not going to food for comfort, I am left standing vulnerable and in need of sanctuary from God.  The beauty of that need is that God fulfills and provides greater sanctuary than any of those other things or people did.  No amount of approval from another human being compares to the sense of heart and spirit filled divine connection that I have had with God.  And given that God is everywhere and in everything it is always there if I am open to it, if I am searching for it.  I have learned to create my own sanctuary with God in my heart.  Now that doesn’t mean that I have it down perfectly, I still have a lot of room to grow.  But each day that I am given breath is a chance to expand that sense of sanctuary in my own heart and to be a witness of that for others.  My prayer for you today is that you may recognize any false sense of sanctuary you have created in your life.  Once you recognize it you can decided if it still works for you.  If not, may you have the courage to try God as your sanctuary in that moment, even if it is only for 10 minutes or one given situation.  Try it out–what have you got to lose?  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I was created out of love by Love. I am meant to be a vessel and expression of love because that is how I was designed.  The same is true for you and everyone else on this planet.  How do I know this?  I know this because I have spent enough time connecting with the Divine Love and all of sacred scriptures from every tradition tell me this.  God does not make mistakes–I am here for a reason and so are you.  It is only when I experience mistakes and am faced with my humanity, that I have to turn yet again to my creator and ask who I am.  For many years I thought that if I made a mistake it meant I was a mistake.  I was mistaken in my understanding.  God does not make mistakes.  I make mistakes.  It is not my job to do things perfectly, it is my job to do things.  When I misjudge or make a mistake it does not change who I am.  Making mistakes brings me closer to understanding who I am because it requires me to humbly turn to my creator and say “I cannot do this alone, I need your help.  You know the way to approach this situation so that it will work towards the greater good of all–show me what to do, tell me what to say and use me as you will.”  I see my vulnerability when I make mistakes, it humbles me and allows me to connect with others because I am no longer greater than those around me.  Seeing my imperfections and make mistakes makes me one among many.  I used to think it made me less than, but that was giving myself a place separate from everyone else as well.  It was pride in reverse.  I am not saying that we should purposefully do wrong things or misjudge things, I am saying that we simply do even when we are attempting to do right.  It is part of the trials and tribulations of the human experience.  I am just grateful at the end of the day that I have a Creator who knows exactly who I am, who is always pleased with me and rejoices in the fact that I showed up and gave it a shot. I am beginning to see that life is about lessons and experiences–not the end product. (*Psst–life is about the journey, not the destination).  My prayer for you today is that you make a mistake and see what can be learned from it and not make it mean anything about who you are.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

There is nothing nicer than the greeting you receive at a friend’s house when you go over for a party or holiday celebration or get-together.  The look on the face of the host when he or she opens the door and smiles because they are so glad to see you.  They open the door wide and welcome you to their home.  At that moment you feel wanted and special and accepted.  That is how God greets us every time we show up.  We knock and the door opens and the Creator of the Universe smiles wide and big and opens the door and invites us in.  He greets us with a welcoming hug and says how he is so happy that we could make it.  We have taken that action and shown up.  When events happen in my life I would like to say that I welcome them in to my home, my heart as the lessons that will expand my capacity for love but that is not always the case.  I am a work in progress.  I do believe that life happens for me, not to me.  It is up to me to keep showing up and to trust that anything I think I cannot handle can be handled by me and God.  I aim to be more welcoming of things that happen in my life as opportunities to grow closer to God and to myself.  There seems to be a direct correlation between that and my welcoming attitude towards other people.  After all, I am here to be a representation of God so I can be the host on the other side of the door that you knock on and smile and welcome you into my home.  My prayer for you today is that you see whatever circumstance or event that occurs today as a welcome gift from God–an invitation to You.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

There are many men and women, spiritual teachers and otherwise over the centuries who have shared about the power of our words.  It is in most sacred scriptures that I have come across and it is a continual thread in my own relationship with God.  When I begin to pay attention to what I am saying, I have a clue as to what I am thinking.  So often we are not even aware of what is coming out of our mouths or what we let roam rent free in our heads.  Just a small example is that growing up there are two patterns that I later on became aware of in my speaking.  One was that I would often respond to someone’s question by saying “I’m afraid . . . ”  To things that had nothing to do with fear.  I worked at McDonald’s in high school and told a customer that I was afraid we were out of whatever item it was they wanted and my co-worker looked at me and said “you are afraid we are out of that?”  I hadn’t even realized that I said it.  I was afraid I would disappoint the customer, as I felt deep shame any time I thought that I disappointed someone.  But in retrospect I would use that term a lot, and yet I never connected that I was a person who lived with a lot of fear.  The other thing is that I would often ask if it was okay to ask a question before I asked the question.  I always had this notion that I was bothering someone and so I needed to make sure to get permission to even speak.  I would also get marked down in my writing classes for always using passive voice in my verbiage.  These are just some of the clues to the words/thinking that both hung out in my head and came out of my mouth.  I had little comprehension as to how this reflected on how I saw myself and perhaps how I thought that God saw me.  Awareness is the first step.  I cannot  control my thinking but I can decide which thoughts to take action on and that is all that matters anyway.  Life is lived.  Those words that I thought and spoke directly correlated to how I carried myself and how I saw the world–a place to be feared, needing to please everyone, and not make any waves. After much brain washing-so to speak (ha!) I don’t think those same thoughts.  By connecting with God, being open to seeing how He sees me and how he has created a beautiful life for me to live full of lessons and experiences.  Most of all by taking to heart that God loves me no matter what I do, I can see that I do not need to fear, apologize for who I am or even be afraid of causing some waves.  I know to whom I belong and where I come from.  My thoughts and words more greatly reflect that acceptance of who I truly am.  So I imperfectly embrace upon the opportunity each day to live out being a person of my word–a person of God’s word.  My prayer for you today is that you listen with kindness to what words you embody and have the courage to bring them to your creator and ask if they are a true reflection of you.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

I remember many years ago when I taught seventh grade religion I gave my students the assignment of taking the words of the “Our Father” or “Lord’s Prayer” and  making it their own.  They were to look up what the words meant and then use words that made sense for them. I remember being struck by their creativity and it was also a refreshing opportunity for me to take a closer look at words that I had been saying since I was a kid.  I was particularly struck by the translation of “give us this day our daily bread”.  We took a closer look at the role of bread in Jewish culture at the time of Jesus and saw that it was the main source of sustenance.  They had bread at their main meal, they took great care in preparing bread.  There was also the history of the unleavened bread for passover.  Breaking of bread meant the sharing of love and hospitality.  It was seen as a nourishing expression of love.  As a recovering food addict bread was more about comfort and fullness and on some level about checking out.  I won’t spend the time here explaining how I abused such a substance but suffice it to say I never stopped and reflected on it as nourishing.  Yet, I used it to provide things that most normal food people would not think of it to provide (comfort, love, etc.)  So as I look at that prayer today I am grateful to say that I have replaced bread with my relationship with God–just as it says in the prayer.  It is my connection to the Great Creator that provides me the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical sustenance that I need.  God provides love and hospitality for his people.  God takes the time and the effort to prepare experiences of nourishment and growth for us. And the nourishment that God provides goes way beyond what bread can provide. To me the most important element is that God provides for today.  It is our daily bread with which he makes sure we are nourished.  The prayer says nothing in that prayer about tomorrow or yesterday.  I am asking God to give me exactly what spiritual, emotional, physical, mental nourishment I need, that he has already prepared with love today.  My prayer for you today is that you are able to identify one way that God is providing for your nourishment in exactly the way you need to be nourished this day.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen