Aligning with Grace

Life gets busy sometimes. Life gets in the way. WE get frazzled. And overwhelmed. But all we have to do when we are feeling that way, is to simply STOP! Yes, stop! Stop whatever we are doing. And just breathe! I once read, that the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh recommended that every time we came to a Stop sign, to see it as an invitation to become more mindful and to breathe, rather than perceiving it as a nuisance. And when you think of it, everything is about perception. We see things as WE are. So teaches the Talmud. So today, as you go about your day - running errands - or on your way to and from work - remember to  STOP! JUST BREATHE! And ENJOY the moment! We can never know how many of them we have left, so let's not take life for granted! Just breathe and enjoy THIS moment - for THIS IS the only moment you have, whether you are on your computer, your phone, or simply spinning your wheels and running around! I invite you to ...

I did not set out to write a series of Advent reflections. I write only when I am inspired to do so - and when I get a clear message that somehow something in my heart must be conveyed... And while I know that not everyone that reads this blog comes from the same spiritual or philosophical background - or even the same interests or convictions - I try to convey messages and values that are both timeless and universal, and accessible to all. And so today, I write of peace, because in the last few days, so many messages received have reminded me of its importance... As I mentioned a few days ago, I have been reading the daily reflections on a a site called "Following the Star," and this weeks entries focus on peace. Forty-two years ago today, Thomas Merton , perhaps the most prolific spiritual writer of all time - and most certainly of the 20th century - died accidentally, while attending a monastic conference in Thailand. Merton was a Trappist Monk, an activist, a poet, a theo...