My Divine Purpose

I have always felt that I was meant to do something or be someone who would do great things in my lifetime.  So far, in my eyes, I have led what I would call an ordinary life.  There have been great moments, but none of which would be called triumphant by anyone who has truly achieved greatness and received accolades for their success. 

I have led my life with integrity.  I have had few close friends whom I can still rely on, and they on me.  Even though it may seem like a small thing, there is greatness in that.  I nursed a sick husband for sixteen years until he left me for a better place.  Together, we raised a challenged daughter to be very self-sufficient.  Because of our encouragement, she has accomplished more than anyone ever thought she possibly could.  I was insistent that she be everything that she could be and then some.  We raised a son, who, given the challenges of coping with an ill father and a handicapped sister rose above the difficulties and became a man with great character of whom I am extremely proud.  When he was a little boy, I heard him tell his friends, “My Daddy doesn’t go on business trips.  He goes to the hospital.”  My heart broke into pieces and it has never recovered.  Perhaps seeing my family through these seemingly ordinary events is my life purpose.  Sometimes, I think we have to stop and rest and just let God and our angels guide us to where we are needed on our paths.

It really doesn’t take very much to make me happy.  The first robin in spring to make a wish upon, a penny from Heaven, a tiny perfect bird’s nest that has mystically fallen from the sky and been left just for me as I walk to my car.  And, my dogs make me feel serene as I listen to the sounds that my sweet 15 year old dog, Nike, makes as she sleeps, and the nudging and cuddling of my little poodle, Phoebe, as she lies under the safety of our blankets at night.  Then, there is the sight and aroma of my garden and the sheer delight of being able to watch things grow and use some of them in my cooking.  The look of love that I can conjure up from my plentiful memory bank from my sweet husband’s eyes as he would watch me from his chair as I rubbed his aching feet.  Oh, those beautiful blue eyes that would light up at the sight of the first rose that I would offer up to him to intoxicate all of his senses.

There have been times in my life when I know that with the help of Spirit, I have been able to create miracles.  I have never looked upon these events as anything that no one else could do.  I am simply aware of, and look for the signs that I know are being left for me, and then I proceed to make my miracle happen.  I can be determined when I want something.  Obviously, I don’t always get what I want, but I probably get what God determines that I need.

I have the knowledge that I will always have enough money to share and spare.  I know that as long as I am alive and beyond that, my children will never go without.  I know that I will always have a few kindred spirits in my life to keep me in check.

My divine purpose?  I don’t know, I think I’m living it.  As long as there are friends, family, music, flowers, good food for my table, my dogs, health, sunshine and good wine, I will be happy; for these are the treasures that feed my soul.  If you remember the Dick and Jane books, the first word we learned was LOOK.  Perhaps, with the reading of this story, you may not have to look very hard to find your divine purpose.

Christine Crawford

02.14.2008 Ó

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!

Author Unknown

My Chapel

Oh beautiful mountains, rising so high-

Your jagged pinnacles, touching the sky-

Oh how majestic, just like a King

Guarding your Kingdom, Winter and Spring.

Oh beautiful forests, so lush and so green

Stretching your limbs to the height of a dream-

Standing so straight - Standing so tall-

Not even caring if it’s Summer or Fall.

Oh beautiful meadows, sprinkled with rain

Touched by the dew at beginning of day.

A rainbow of colors, with a whole lot of green

Oh how peaceful - just like a dream.

Oh beautiful river touched by the breeze-

See how you wander and wind through the trees.

Or the beautiful waterfall, made from the snow-

To the trickling stream in the valley below.

Or the beautiful lake with her color of blue

Shimmering with sunlight - each day anew.

Oh beautiful breeze that blows through my hair-

The soft touch of God as he lingers so near-

The song of a bird -  The sight of a deer -

These are the things that keep bringing me here.

This is my chapel - This is my faith -

Knowing that my God is everyplace.

Esther S. Kinder

11.01.1990 Ó

THE TWELVE CONDITIONS OF A MIRACLE

1. Emptiness. Calmly release whatever you are withholding from the world: Giving creates a vacuum for more to flow in.

2. Alignment. Shift to a mind-set of compassion and the greater good; move from concern over yourself to the concerns of others.

3. Asking. Clarify your true needs. If you don't clearly put your request into words, the universe won't even know to respond.

4. Maximizing. Make full use of your existing tools, resources, and blessings. Whatever you focus on expands.

5. Giving. What flows away from you flows back magnified: Become a joyful giver.

6. Grounding. Experience the present moment as much as possible. A solid grounding in the present establishes a firm base from which to act — and receive.

7. Visualizing. Using all of your senses, see and feel yourself having the feelings and experiences that form the basis of your wish.

8. Gratitude. Bless your resources. Express your feelings of gratitude in words.

9. Acting as If. Stop procrastinating. Take the leap of faith and act as though your new reality has already manifested.

10. Engaging the Cycle. When you receive, immediately look for a way to give something back. Work with the circular energy flow that characterizes our universe.

11. Receiving. Eat and be filled. The art of adequate receiving is often overlooked.

12. Recycling. Gather up the fragments: Reuse all of your physical resources.

The following version of Christian D. Larson's creed, without the title "The Optimist Creed," is quoted from Science of Mind 71 (June 1998):

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Christian D. Larson