Hope

Hope is about trust.
Hope is about walking in faith
not always knowing
where, how or even why,
but knowing their trust
in the Ultimate
will guide them
and their journey.
Hope is what
the spiritual leaders before us had.
Whether it was
Jesus,
Ghandi,
Rumi,
Doris Day,
Buddha,
Moses,
Mary,
or someone else,
they walked in hope,
of a journey
they could not forsee

Walk in faith.
That is what many
spiritual leaders did.
They walked in hope
knowing their faith would
guide them forward.
We hope that the same
is true
for us.
We live with a promise in our hearts
Like those before us,
we may not know
where,
how, or why, but we know
from whom.

I get by

I  say this
and I start singing
I don’t want to get high
with a little help from my friends,
but I want to remember I get by
with a little help from my friends.
This reminds me that the same is true
for my friends.
They get by
because I offer some help.

We are there to help each other through,
to help lighten each other’s burdens,
to lighten the burdens of the world.
if we each did what we could to
lighten the burdens of the world
and others, then
we would all get by a little easier.

What if we all tried to be there
for each other
and for the world.
What if we did what we could to
help each other through the rough times.
What if we did what we could to help each other
get by.
How much better would the world be if we
did for each other and
did not just think of ourselves?

Donate

Divine High

I have friends who drink
to get high
do drugs
to get high
gamble
to get high
shop
to get high and
engage in all kinds of behaviors
to get high.

I have had my own moments of
getting high.
They come in moments of
transformation
moments of Divine grace,
moments of revelation
where I become intoxicated
in a way that involves nothing but
the presence of the Divine.
This is when I experience
a high that can only come
from being in the presence 
of the Divine.
This is my Divine High

Donate

Embrace the Moment

That was not what I wanted to hear
It was not what I wanted to happen,
It was one of those moments
that made me want to avoid it,
run away, hide, and pretend it
does not exist.

However, what I have learned is to
embrace the moment.
Good or bad, I have to
embrace the moment.
Whether I want to or not,
it is through embracing the moment
that I grow, evolve, and transform.

Sometimes we think something
is the worst thing that could happen
in our lives, but the worst thing is not
embracing the moment.
There is a blessing in the hardest of moments,
like when I lost the feeling in my leg,
lost part of my vision,
lost my paratransit services
lost ___________________.
However, when I embraced all of that
I found peace, power, strength, and grace.
Whatever you encounter,
embrace the moment,
and give thanks for the blessings
and the lessons.

Donate

Thank You

To all the people who have gotten on my nerves,
Thank you.
You have taught me so much
about myself.
You have taught me to
turn the mirror on myself
and see that same quality
in myself and learn from it,
so thank you.

To all the people who have hurt me
Thank you.
You too have taught me to
look at why I allowed you to do so.
You helped me grow and become
more aware of where I needed to heal,
what expectations I needed to release, and
what else I needed to release in my own life,
so thank you.

To all the people who have not lived up
to my expectations.
Thank you.
You have taught me to look at what
I was still expecting and not aware o.
You have reminded me of the difference
between expectation and agreement.
You have helped me to seek clarification,
in those situations where I did not have it,
so thank you.

To all those who have helped me to grow,
because something you did hurt me,
disappointed me,
let me down,
irritated me,
or just got on my last nerve,
thank you.

Donate

Just for Me

It was one of those days,
when I just wanted to cry,
when everything seemed
harder than it should be.
It was one of those days
when nothing seemed
to fall into place and
things and people were dying.
Then I was reminded that
I was created for a purpose.

So this morning I am working
on remembering that
the world was created just for me.
That all that is happening
is just for me.
The challenges I am going through
are just for me.
Everything God is bringing me through
is just for me.

It is to help me
grow and evolve.
It is to help me
be more patient and understanding.
It is to help me
see the Divine in all of life.
It is to help me remember
it is just for me.

Donate

Saying Goodbye

It was almost 30 years ago
when I bought that black sweater.
Over the years,
it has kept me warm,
gone on dates,
seen me through
good times and bad.
My black sweater stayed
with me longer than
some friends.

Then the day came,
that I had to say goodbye.
I was so worn out and tattered
I could no longer wear it
not even at home.
There was something about saying
goodbye
to this sweater that had seen me through
30 years of life.

So as I prepared to let it go
I took a moment to give thanks
for all the dates it had been on with me
for the days it had kept me warm,
for the tears and the laughter it has shared, and
for so much more then
I could remember
or I could put into words.

As we release the old,
may we remember to honor
all it has seen us through
and give thanks for the ways
we have been served and blessed

Donate

Is that God?

Sometimes we try to be courteous,
we try to be nice
and respectful.
We don’t answer the phone
when we are out with people.
We try to pay full attention
to the one we are with.
We try to be present.

Then the question was asked
what if that is God calling?
What if we are sitting here talking about nothing
and God needs you to be of service
do we answer
or do we ignore.
Does it matter on who we are with
and what they say?

What if those moments in life,
we view as annoyances are really
Divine interventions?
What if we could see the Divine
in those moments we want to ignore?
What if those moments are
our invitations to be the Good Samaritan?
What if God called, and we did not answer?

Donate

Memories

We all have memories.
Each day is an opportunity to make more
Even if you do not like
the ones of the past.
Today you have a chance
to create new ones.
You have the chance to create
memories
which will help you live well,
to stay well
and remember well.

You have the chance to create
memories
which will help you live the
life you are wanting to live.
You have the chance to create
memories
which will bring you one step
closer to the goals you are setting
for yourself.
You have the chance to help others
create memories,
which will help them on their journey’s

You may not feel as if you had power
over the memories of the past,
but you do the ones starting right now.
Even in the painful ones you can find
blessings in the memories and
gifts which helped you grow and evolve.

Hold on to the memories.
There are those I have lost
in my journey.
Once you let them go
they seem to disappear.
So hold on to them
and create new ones
Memories are powerful.

Donate

Hearing

One of the things my students have taught me is to
do more than listen.
They want me to hear them.
They want me to remember
they are on a journey
of their own.
They want to learn from my journey,
but want me to learn from theirs.

Hearing
is not just about being heard,
but about hearing.
It is a process of sharing
the wisdom we have both gathered
with each other, but we must be open to
hearing.

It doesn’t matter who the other is,
whether they are the same age or not,
the same sex, race, ethnicity or class or not.
What matters is that we hear them,
that we open ourselves to hearing their truth,
and ask them to be open to hearing ours.
Let’s change the world today by
hearing.

Donate

Smiling

Smiling

Have you ever watched someone smile,
but it does not feel
like joy, peace, or happiness.
Sometimes you can watch them smile,
but it feels sarcastic.
Sometimes their smile reminds
you of how politicians and diplomats
smile at each other.
Sometimes their smile makes you want to leave
and avoid them .

Then there are those smiles
that brighten up a room.
There is something about their smile which is like
a breath of fresh air.
It may leave you feeling hope
fill you with their overflowing joy
make you share their happiness
or experience their piece

A smile is not just a smile.
It is a way of communicating
what is in our heart,
soul,
and mind.
It is how we share
the one who lives within us
and who wants others
to experience the love and warmth
all through a simple, but genuine
smile.

Donate

Walking on Diamonds

There have been times
When the road was hard,
sometimes brutal, and
I just wanted to stop,
but I pressed on.

The road seemed hazardous.
The path constructed of
and covered in the
sharpest of rocks.

Then the blessing happened.
I saw this road,
which appeared hard and hazardous
was not what it seemed.
The road was not cloaked in hazards
but in blessings.
It was not paved in the sharpest of rocks
but the brightest of diamonds.

It is then that I hear my Bubby
when you can see the blessings
in the situation, then
you will be okay.

All this time I have been
walking on diamonds.

Donate

Generosity

We all give,
but some of us are
Generous.
We share our gifts
with others
in a way that transcends
what is expected.

This sharing of one’s gifts
is an act of generosity.
It is a way of sharing their
blessings with others.
It is a way
of practicing generosity

So what happens when
we say no.
When we say no,
we are blocking their blessings.
we are denying others the
opportunity to practice generosity

Why would we deny others
the opportunity to be generous
to share their blessings.
Do we realize that when we say no
that this is what we are doing.
What if we said yes to the invitation
to gather with friends
even if we want to say no.
What if our saying yes not only
blessed us but allowed others
to practice generosity

Donate

Drop In Center

It is always nice
in the case of an emergency
to have a drop-in center.
What if we were our own
drop-in center.
What if we took quiet times
and listened to the wisdom
in the silence.
What if in the silence we heard
the wisdom of the Infinite
What if in this space we gained insights
we could not receive in the
noise of our lives.

What if we thought about quiet
as us saying hello and welcoming
wisdom and understanding to
just drop in.
Would our drop-in center
be open more often?

Donate

What You See

My Bubby would say,
when you can see the blessing
in any situation,
then you will be okay.
She taught me
what I looked for
I would find.
If I looked for problems
I would find them
if I looked for gifts and blessings
I would find them

The more I look for something
the more of it I will find.
The one little problem
will become a huge field of them.
The smallest of blessings
will lead to a path of growth and evolution.

What I look for in life
is what I will find.

What if you saw each “problem”
as a teacher,
as a gift
which was bringing you closer
to your Higher Power

What if life was filled
with nothing but
opportunities for
growth and evolution.
What if we cannot see them
because we let our ego
blur our vision.
Today let us give thanks
in all circumstances and
work to see the blessings and gifts
in all life brings our way.

Donate

The Work Begins

The work is not in my reading.
The work begins when
I am done.
When I sit with the ideas,
reflect on them,
decide on whether or not
to let them in my heart
and nurture me

The work begins when
I put the book down.
When I reflect on the ideas,
the teachings,
the gifts,
and the inspiration.

It doesn’t matter if it is
fiction or non fiction,
sacred or secular,
academic or non-academic,
there is something for me
to think about
and thus the work begins
when my eyes are done.

That is when my heart works.
Sometimes it is about what grade
most reflects what my student
attempted to show me.
Sometimes the work is for me;
it is about me releasing a belief,
changing a behavior,
being willing to grow and evolve.
Even as I read my own work,
the work begins
when my eyes are done
and I open my heart
and continue the journey.

Donate

God's Plan

God’s plan for our lives,
is not always ours,
well truth be known it rarely is.
See God this way of bringing

people and situations into our lives
which we would often times prefer
were not the answer
to our prayers.

God’s plan for our life
is not about what we want
for our lives
but what are going to help us
develop a deeper relationship with God.

It might be the person who
gets on your last nerve, or
having to wait 3 ½ hours for a ride home,
when you cannot drive, or
that situation which makes you
want to have a meltdown at Walmart, or
you can fill in your own blank,

God’s plan is not about what we want
or who we want to interact with.
God’s plan is about us and
removing the obstacles which
are blocking us from our own
evolution and deepening
relationship with God.
This is God’s plan for us.
Growing closer to the
Divine who lives in us and
guides us through our lives.
This is God’s plan.

Donate

In God’s Lap

When I was a little gurl
there was nothing more comforting
then cuddling up
in my parent’s lap.
As I grew bigger,
I became too big for their laps,
 but I was never too big for God’s lap

God’s lap
is my sanctuary.
It has taken various forms.
It has been a field of flowers.
It has been the warmth of the sun.
it has been that safe place in my dreams.
it has been the calming of a warm shower.
it is any space or place where I feel
unconditionally loved and safe.

God’s lap
always has room
no matter how young or old we are.
God’s lap
always offers
the comfort and healing,
the love and the safety
we so often seek in life.
Next time you are in need
curl up in God’s lap
and know you are loved

Donate

FEAR

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

Fear can eat away
at who we are
and what we believe.
It can slowly eat away
at our heart and soul
as if we are dying inside

Face
Everything
And
Rise

Faith can set us free
from the fears
the world tries to feed us
so face them
and rise
instead of die.

Donate

Celebrate Yourself

"I celebrate myself,"
The poet Walt Whitman wrote.
Are you celebrating yourself?
What if you celebrated
all of you,
your achievements,
your experiences, and
your existence.

How would you look at yourself
if you were celebrating
all of who you are?

Would you be saying
I am God’s beloved
I know God is pleased with me
Would you know you are good?
Would you stand in front of yourself and say
“I celebrate myself.”

Donate