Aligning with Grace

Thoughts are powerful... I have been thinking about this a lot lately... Yesterday, I began a mini retreat of sorts, that is already filling my life to the brim with many blessings. I will not speak of it much right now, except to say, it is shifting my understanding, my experiences, and yes - even my thoughts... As I entered into this "retreat" last evening, I picked up a copy of Marianne Williamson's newest book, A Year in Miracles , which had arrived in the mail, just as the sun had begun to set, signaling the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath. I had already prepared my space by lighting candles and playing soft, healing, spiritual music. I settled into a comfortable chair and began reading the entry for the day, which was perfect in every way... "I dwell in peace, knowing that God is here and God is good..." The section I read was the perfect entry to begin this mini spiritual journey, and very moved, I proceeded to read the rest of the entries for t...

The summer begins to wane, and I have spent it - more busy than I had originally anticipated or expected - but at the same time, it has afforded me space for deep reflection... This morning I read the following quote, which touched me profoundly. I asked myself - how true is this for me? "The meaning of life, is to give life meaning." ~ Ken Hudgins If I review the events in my life and that of many others thus far this year - and indeed - if I review the course of my life in general, I would have to say this is true - in every conceivable way... There are times, I have sought the meaning of life elsewhere - in the thoughts and prose - and the teaching of others - valuing the nuggets of wisdom contained therein, more than those that are born of my own internal musings. But as I wrote to a friend today, the days of endless study with others, is essentially over for me - at least for now. Instead, I will drawn upon the vast wealth of insights, knowledge, and intuition that resi...

Recently, I picked up the book Living in Gratitude: A Journey That Will Change Your Life , by Angeles Arrien . Marianne Williamson , one of my favorite authors, wrote the Forward. This is a practical book designed to enable you to cultivate the practice of gratitude throughout the year. Arrien begins her book with this often quoted pearl of wisdom by Meister Eckhart : "If the only prayer you say in your whole life is thank you, that would suffice." The introduction contains such rich and wonderful material that fed my themes and comments in my classes this past week. If you wish to increase your gratefulness a thousand-fold - or even just ten times, this is the book for you. Let me end by sharing some of the wonderful insights from the Introduction to this book... "Every language in the world has a way of saying 'thank you...' Gratitude crosses all boundaries... Gratitude is essentially the recognition of the unearned increments of value in one's experience.....

We live in very interesting times indeed... So we are told, by intuitives, psychics and scientists alike... On Tuesday, I literally "felt the earth move under my feet," as Carole King once sang - and was ready for "the sky to come tumbling down," as I ran to the basement in a state of confusion, once I fully realized what was going on. My son reminded me, the basement is for tornadoes. You run outside if there is an earthquake. And truly, I've been through them before, but not in at least, three decades... This earthquake was significant, because I live in Virginia, about an hour from the epicenter. The quake registered a 5.9, and was felt up and down the Eastern seaboard. Today, we prepare for what may be the worst hurricane to hit some areas in decades. Is there a hidden message in all of this? Many can be drawn, but this simple quote that Marianne Williamson posted today, says it all for me: ‎ "When in the midst of outer chaos, se...

I have been reflecting more on the relationship between offering blessings and happiness - and trying to embody these, in my actions and deeds as best as I can. As often happens when we focuses our thoughts on a particular subject - we draw more of the same into our energy field - so that everything we read or encounter reminds us of its importance. This morning, as I read a post by Marianne Williamson on Facebook - and the inspirational poem and newsletter that arrives in my inbox every morning, I found that all three had a word of wisdom for me - and so I share them with you today: "Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." ~ Denis Waitley "Each day, we must learn again how to love, between morning's quick coffee and evening's slow return." ~ Barbara Crooker "Five minutes meditating in the morning literally blesses your entire day. It expands time, calms your nervous system, restores your cells, a...