dailydatewithgod

 Hope is one of those elusive concepts that seems to slip right through your fingers, yet we know it when we see it.  It is that look of promise, that scene of understanding, a sense of things unknown being possible.  I remember last year at this time I began to think of what my intention would be for the new year.  I am not so big on resolutions per say because I try to stay focused on one day at a time, but I did want to set forth in my mind a direction for my thinking and thus feeling and experience.  My intention therefore was to be open to things unknown and the possibility of the impossible.  How is that for vague? LOL!  I just remembered back to 2009 and how on New Year’s Even I was driving to be with friends in Arizona.  I misjudged the timing and forgot about the time zone change, so while my plans were to be with them, at the actual stroke of midnight I was on the freeway.  It struck me that I was on the I-8 transition to I-10.  There is no I-9 that I am aware of and it was like I was walking into a year where there was no path set up for me.  That is very much how the year was for me.  One month in I was laid off from my job due to budget cuts, I had the opportunity to do some extra work on a film (of which I ended up for 2 seconds on the final cut-woohoo, very exciting!), I took the Landmark Forum and a couple of other courses resulting in tremendous transformation in my life which mended relationships with my family.  And there were many little events that contributed to a year that at the start had no clear path.  Without realizing it I was hoping for a similar year in 2012.  Now, as I look back on the year the moments of unknown were many but it was not as clear-cut as it was in 2009.  I remember when I was watching the second Narnia film the God character, Aslan, the lion, was questioned about why he took so long to show up.  His reply was something along the lines that he doesn’t do the same the same way twice.  It struck me because I know for me I am always looking for some sort of routine and set schedule of how things will happen and unfold so that I can rely on things to be safe.  But I suppose that is the distinction of safety versus hope.  God is all about hope.  God is all about stretching and doing things differently.  There is a trust that occurs with hope which I suppose is why it is said that these three remain, “faith, hope, and love.”  I get the impression when the apostle Paul wrote those words it was because he wanted the Corinthians to know that they needed to coexist, that those three concepts support each other.  So as I look back on 2012 and moments of the impossible becoming possible I see many, most of which involve personal relationships and connecting with others in new ways.  Similar to 2009 but in a deeper way.  I am committed to transforming my life so that will always be there, but there is a deeper need for hope as I continue on that path especially since it twists in turns in ways that I cannot imagine.  My mind of fear wants to be scared of that but my faith in a God who is beyond all understanding hopes in that.  As I look to the day, I will find ways to be hopeful.  When my mind wants to be fearful and come up with scenarios of how it is not going to work because it didn’t before, I will remember that God will show up in a different way this time.  My prayer for you is that you experience hope in your heart today–that you face something that seems impossible and have a moment to take a deep breath, connect with that hope (God) and be a shining light for what is possible in the world.  Perhaps that seems like a lot for a Monday, but I am hoping it is possible.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

 You know that moment when you are parched and all you can think about is where to get some water?  You might get distracted momentarily on your quest to do so, but the moment you swallow you are reminded–I need water!  They say that by the time your throat is dry you are past the point of dehydration.  In other words, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day so that you don’t get thirsty.  So why would God want me to be in that state of needing, desiring and a drive to meet that need?  I have often read this notion through Christian and Hebrew scriptures and even a reference in some of the easter religions.  When we are thirsty, our body needs fluid replacement and we are driven to meet that need.  I believe that we all desire God, that we all desire to connect with God and I am reminded this morning that it is a desirous urge that must be met and fulfilled.  Growing up I hated drinking water.  It sounds extreme but I just did not like it.  I would rather drink juice or soda or even iced tea (which I didn’t even really like). However, when I was really thirsty I would give in and take a long tall glass of cold water and feel replenished like nothing else.  In fact, it was only in those times where I was so thirsty (after dance class or gym, or going on a hike or the soccer game) that I would drink the water.  So not only is about being thirsty, but knowing that God is the only thing that can truly quench my thirst.  As a kid, in the hopes of not having to drink water I would have that other stuff and was still thirsty.  I thought for sure because there was water in those substances that it would work–no go.  Today, I often look to other things or relationships to meet my deepest thirsts and in the end I am drawn back to my relationship with God.  Only God knows how to nurture my cells, hydrate my body, mind, and spirit and give me the energy to go forward.  The other thing I like about this notion of being thirsty is that it reminds me to be in action in my life.  I don’t build up a thirst by sitting around and waiting for things to happen.  I get out there and play in life and always reconnect with my source of replenishment.  My prayer for you today is that you are in action in your life and when you realize that you are desiring replenishment like nothing else you will thirst (see and seek God).  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

As I came to my date this morning, my mind was already preoccupied.  Sometimes my head seems to wake up before I do and is ready with a laundry list of things to worry about or how things are not how they are supposed to be.  So, I stop and thank God for the gift of this new day in which to live and be of service and if my head (you know the same voice in your head that right now is asking “what is she talking about?”) is still going,  then I often repeat the Serenity Prayer “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” Or I say over and over “Veni Sancte Spiritus” which is Latin for come Holy Spirit.  Needless to say by the time for our date I felt I needed a mind makeover, so as God often does he invited me in and began to remind me of all the little things that were good about this moment.  That I am alive, that my body is moving, that the light will be up soon, that the rain which fell most of the night will wash all things away that need to move on, that I don’t have to stay inside my head all day because there is much to be done, the flowers on my table still smell fresh, the towel after the shower was warm and God thinks that I am lovely, even when my thoughts are not.  God is in awe of me because he created every cell of my body and being.  He gave me the gift of my brain and of thinking, he gave me ten toes and ten fingers, a heart that pumps oxygen to all those lovely little cells, and most of all He has given me the opportunity to appreciate all the multitude of little things where He is present today.  He wants me to experience the same awe that He does.  I like that, notice the little things that are blessings. The little things that I did not create, that came from some place greater and if that being greater than me can orchestrate all these lovely little things, it can certainly handle all the little elements of my life.  So as I face this day grateful for the time with God to pause and be reminded of how in awe he is of me, even the parts of me that I am not in awe of; I can then turn to live my day and look for all those things to be in awe of.  Will you join me and be in awe of all that is around you and within you, even if for just a moment?  Make it a great one.  Peace~Colleen

We have entered the season of giving.  The folks from Salvation Army are outside the stores with their buckets and their bells.  Emails and letters are coming in from non-profits requesting donations. We are out and about looking for gifts to give loved ones and coworkers for Christmas.  Sometimes I have to stop and wonder why all the hustle and bustle over this one day?  Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a wonderful season and a great opportunity for me to focus on how I can give and do for others and not focus on what I am going to get.  I find that the more energy I can spend focusing on others, the less time I have to create stories and opinions about my life and just live it.  Generousityt to me is something beyond giving. It is the intention of the spirit.  More than just the giving of a gift-whether it be a physical gift or of time.  Generosity is about giving past what I believe that I am capable.  It is a trust that God will work through me in giving.  It extends to my attitude towards others–not just what I do in action.  You will probably see me write this often, but life is all about what we make it mean.  I remember reading a quote (on a dentist’s office wall of all places), “Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.” Even at a young age there was something about it that made sense to me.  Over the years that concept stuck with me and when I really began to expand my spiritual growth Isaw how true it.  There is what happens (10%) and there is what I make it mean (90%).  I experienced this fully about 10 years ago when I did an inventory of my life and looked at the attributes and attitudes I had been operating from most of my life.  It further solidified the understanding about five or six years ago when I attended the Landmark Education Forum. (I highly recommend Landmark for anyone–incredible experience!)  As I look towards my day today, I am moved to draw close into the arms of my Creator who is full of all things, so generous with the beauty of life and connect to the fact that I am part of that.  From that space I can then be generous with myself and others as I go through my day.  This may mean giving someone the opportunity to go ahead of me in line, cutting someone some slack at work who hasn’t completed something I am waiting on, or not making meaning about an interaction with a friend or coworker.  My prayer for you today is that you recognize the generosity (God) that lives within you.  That from that space within you, you can do things you didn’t think were possible, you can do more than just give you can have an attitude of giving from the heart in big and small ways.  May it a great one.  Peace~Colleen

 My first thoughts when this message came to mind were of perfection which I have a tendency to run with.  I spent many years of my life trying to be perfect and do things perfectly–I still sometimes do, out of a notion that if I were just perfect everything would be okay and I would be safe.  Sounds funny and rather ridiculous, huh?  I suppose it was based on a childhood notion and as a child I succeeded in being the good little girl and doing what was expected of me.  The problem is that as I became an adult that notion is a little bit murky because there are many more arenas in which I am playing at the game of life and the rules tend to be different.  Alas, I have to come back to my home base.  What does it mean in God’s eyes to be good?  When I look up the word, it means “morally excellent, virtuous, righteous; of high quality, excellent” (thank you to dictionary .com).  Again, I can hear God saying (as if in a southern drawl)–“Dahlin, let’s keep it simple.” Be good in the moment.  In other words, instead of using that notion for some blanket over the whole day, go through the day and at each choice point of which there are numerous, ask yourself, what is the good choice here?  What is the good choice for myself, for others, and for the world?  In other words, God is asking me to stay connected and check in with Him because I don’t always know what is good in that moment.  I have heard that GOD is an acronym for “Good Orderly Direction”.  I find that God wants me in the moment and so as I go through my day today I can look for the good, make a choice for good, and be the good for myself and for others.  Nothing in that message talks about being what others want me to be.  I think that is a childhood notion of good because I was dependent upon others and their approval for my survival, that is not the case anymore.  I can choose to be good because it is what I am connecting to my heart and my spirit.  My prayer for you today is that you may connect with the good (God) in you for I know that when you connect with that you will see good in your world and you will choose good.  Make it a good one! Peace~Colleen

Such a simple notion, why are those the ones that I want to complicate?  Be present, in the moment, attuned to what is happening now.  Be present in my body–pay attention to the sensations and the feelings.  This past Saturday I had the opportunity to go hiking on a path that I frequented with friends and family while growing up. I had not been on that path in over ten years which means that the last time I hiked this path I weighed about 160 lbs. more than I do now.  Talk about being in the present.  I was keenly aware not only of the path I was hiking but how my body felt.  Yes, it was much easier but even more than that I noticed I did not spend the majority of the hike thinking about what was coming ahead in fear of how difficult it would be.  I wasn’t distracted by chaffing going on in between my legs because they don’t rub together any more.  Don’t get me wrong I am no fitness guru now.  I do exercise every day as an amends to my body, but I will not be in the iron man anytime soon.  What is funny is that as I walked the path I was remembering the times in the past when I walked there and the interactions I had with others so while my body wasn’t taking me out of the present moment, my mind was.  Not that remembering things is bad but the greatest moments of peace that I had on the hike were when I looked up at the mountains surrounding me and watched as the sun began to come across and light the path, illuminating all the saguaro cacti which have been there for years. It was almost like the scene in a “Peaceful Warrior” when you can see the hummingbird slowly flapping its wings–I took a breath and said Thank you to God for bringing me there and of course for the body that I presently inhabit.  I find that those two things–my breath and a thought of gratitude are the quickest way to bring me to the present.  There are so many things in our lives that call for our attention and the ironic thing about it, is that few of those are what is happening right now.  Yet, right now, the present is all we have.  If I dont’ stop and be with it, it is gone.  Now, I can assume another one will come, but as I am sure many of you have experienced–there are no guarantees. 

God, Creator of all the present moments I ask your help this day to be present. To be a gift to myself and to those around me by being in the moment I am in as much as I can for today.  This is after all the season of gift giving, show me how I can be a present to myself and to those around me.  Remind me when my mind strays to breathe and to be grateful for I know those will bring me back to you.

My prayer for you all today is the same, may you experience many present (God) moments today.  Make it a beautiful one. Peace~Colleen

In the Northern Hemisphere this is the time of year when the days get shorter and darker.  Maybe that is why we are so dazzled by Christmas lights and candles.  I think it is because when we see light we connect with something that is of light inside of us.  There is something so mesmerizing by just staring at a candle flame or even a bonfire.  The way it moves when there is a slight whiff of air and then again straightens itself up when the air has passed.  I think we are that same kind of light.  For some of us the light has dimmed quite a bit and we don’t think it is there anymore. That is why others of us must let our light shine brightly.  Much like Marianne Williamson has said,  ” And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” We can be the ones to spark their flame.  When one candle lights another, the original one does not shrink, it gets stronger.  By helping others find their light, it does not deplete ours, instead we become more connected with our own and it shines brighter.  For me, that requires being connected to the Creator of Light.  My flame did not create itself, but it is my job to maintain it, to discover ways to make it shine brighter so that all the world can see and be connected to that same Creator.  I can hear one of my favorite hymns in the background “This little light of mine.  I’m gonna let it shine . . .”  Light in the darkness is so beautiful, but sometimes we are confronted by it because we have been in darkness for such a long time. We must trust that our eyes will adjust to the light.  I once heard in a tv show, “Joan of Arcadia” in which the God character reminded Joan when she helped shed light on a situation ” love doesn’t grow in the dark.”  I don’t always want to bring light to the dark places, but when I do, I see that God is there waiting with the brightest light of all and with love.  For today, I am going to look for ways to be a light in my own life and those of others.  To connect with the light inside of me that is connected with the Creator of Light.  My prayer for you today is that you are able to connect with the light within (God) within you and see the light in others.  Will you join me and make this day a bit brighter?  Make it a beautiful one. Peace~Colleen

I guess another way I would understand this message is to participate, but I am not sure that is what God was trying to convey to me.  I first began to think of all the ways that I am apart from others and situations.  I have to say that most of my life I felt apart from, different and separate. All it really did was keep me focused on me and my situation-a rather desolate place to be.  I am not sure why I thought that way.  Perhaps there is a story there from some childhood experience.   I have learned however, while the reason why is interesting it does not move me forward.  Insight, no matter how tremendous does not often propel me into action.  I have learned that to be a part of life, a part of this world, a part of interacting with others requires a certain level of humility.  A humility to know that I am no better or worse than anyone else here.  I can imagine that we are meant to be a part of each others lives simply by the fact that we are all on this planet together.  To practice this humility means that I need to refrain from comparing myself to others.  Instead I look for the similarities.  The beautiful thing about that is what I focus on expands, so the more I focus on the similarities the more I see them. So I can choose today to be a part of by focusing on how I am like others with whom  I come into contact. My course of action then, is to do this with my family members, the person in line at the grocery store, in the church pew, or at the airport.  This means looking past what they are wearing, what they are doing, what they are saying and focusing on the spirit within them that is just like mine. The spirit that propels them to seek love and acceptance and connect with something greater than themselves.  I believe we all long to connect but we just have different ways of going about it.  We are all in this together and I believe that God’s heart sings with joy when we connect with each other and are a part of each others lives.  So for today, I will humbly look past the differences between me and you and focus on how our hearts are alike.  Will you join me on this quest today?  I look forward to seeing you on the path. Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen

As God and I spent our date time together this morning and this message came to me I was reminded of a time that we met up many years ago when I was in college. I had committed to spending a 1/2 hour per week during Lent in meditation and when I went the first time into the blessed sacrament chapel and sat on the cushion and focused on my breathing–not sure exactly what to expect a picture developed in my mind.  It was me walking into the chapel and the man of Jesus coming up to me and embracing me and saying “I am So glad you came.  You said you would come and you came!” Literally, the next 1/2 hour was of this same vision over and over.  No matter how much I tried to change the conversation and talk about how I knew that there were things I was doing wrong.  He just kept saying, “I don’t want to talk about that, I just want you to know how excited I am that you are here.”  At the end he asked me if I would come back next week and I said yes.  Sadly, I don’t think I did, well not for many years.  Why I wouldn’t come back to such love and acceptance?  Maybe because it was foreign to me.  I was in the middle of a period in my life where I was on a death path(of which I can share more later).  I am grateful, however that I finally did make it back.  Maybe not in that chapel, but then again I find I can be in a sacred chapel at any moment of any time if I just remember that the body I live in is a sacred chapel and that the world I live in –everything and everyone was created by this loving God–it is all sacred.  I remember when I studied Native American religions, I was so touched that that was how they saw the world.  There was no place where the Great Spirit was not present.  I have even read “God is either God is everything or He isn’t.” So I have much to be aware of today because when God was thanking me for showing up today to be with my family I felt a calling to see God in every moment today–the beautiful Arizona sky, the interactions of my family members, the love of people on the street, the flowers,and me.  Even when I think that God is absent, I am reminded that it is just a thought and it is not true.  I just need to take a breath and be aware.  In what small way can you be aware of God today? He will be so excited when you notice–trust me on this.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen