Thoughts of Christmas

 

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." - Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol" 

 "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus." - Francis Pharcellus Church  

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." - Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol" 

 "Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!" - Charles Dickens, "The Pickwick Papers" (1836)

  "Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling." - Edna Ferber  

"I do like Christmas on the whole.... In its clumsy way, it does approach Peace and Goodwill. But it is clumsier every year." - E.M. Forster  

"Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the most Divine Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven's making." - Leigh Hunt 

  "Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." - Washington Irving 

 "I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

 "I hear that in many places something has happened to Christmas; that it is changing from a time of merriment and carefree gaiety to a holiday which is filled with tedium; that many people dread the day and the obligation to give Christmas presents is a nightmare to weary, bored souls; that the children of enlightened parents no longer believe in Santa Claus; that all in all, the effort to be happy and have pleasure makes many honest hearts grow dark with despair instead of beaming with good will and cheerfulness." - Julia Peterkin, A Plantation Christmas (1934) 

 "Love came down at Christmas; Love all lovely, love divine; Love was born at Christmas, Stars and angels gave the sign." - Christina Rossetti  

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." - Dr. Seuss  

"A Christmas gambol oft could cheer The poor man's heart through half the year." - Walter Scott  

"To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year." - E.B. White, "The Second Tree from the Corner" 

 "Somehow, not only for Christmas But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others Is the joy that comes back to you. 

  "And the more you spend in blessing the poor and lonely and sad, The more of your heart's possessing Returns to you glad." - John Greenleaf Whittier

It Is Spring!! YES!!!

Rumi says: "What dies in autumn comes up in spring because this way of saying NO becomes, in spring, your praise song YES." Where do you need to say NO so the song of YES can be heard, the seed of YES can flourish? Sometimes they need to be said internally so old habits die & new ways of being are cultivated. Sometimes they need to be said out loud, so the world can hear them.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer

I am entering a new chapter in my life, and still being like the caterpillar, I am morphing /changing some beliefs, thoughts and discarding some old archaic ones that caused more grief than created joy. Oh, they were good, as they did kind of protect me, and yet they allowed the same old patterns to repeat themselves. Have you ever read Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping? It is a good read, and if you find yourself repeating some things over and over again, purchase the book and then contact Rev Sher about it.

I was in a game 15 months ago with her and uttered the phrase, “Oh, here we go again!” not realizing that my intuition was trying to convey a message to me. 6 months later, the relationship I was in - ended.

So, I found myself creating the same pattern in my life over 40 years! For the 3^rd time! The last time around – last fall, when a relationship ended, I decided that it was imperative to find out why and figure out how to think anew! I have been working on this via journaling, therapy, meditation, and listening to the whispers so if I chose to do a repeat, it is a conscious informed choice rather making an unconscious choice. While I knew that each obstacle or time for growth can be painful and yet be a blessing, I needed to learn to walk the talk. I am learning that each event is blessed and I am grateful for all the learning opportunities I have had. I can let go and know that while I may not approve, I am at peace with the outcome. Life is indeed “Great” and as Rumi says what dies in the fall is also saying yes to what becomes, in spring. Where there is death, there also is life, and that means change. So, I welcome the new life and possibilities that are manifesting now in my life as well as what I am co-creating. And since this is spring – I am welcoming my new life!

On a lighter note, tonight my son and I went roller blading and bike riding. He used the roller blades and I used my bike. He pushed his son in the cart and we were making excellent time. For a while there, I rode ahead and slowed down at the intersections, checking for traffic and then would yell “Clear” so he could roller blade through safely.

After a bit of this, it occurred to me that when I lived in Sioux Falls in the 70’s, I rode around with the police officers on the 11 to 7AM shift. I often referred to it as a time of play, and later developed a respect for what the police did each night. Some nights it was so boring, making rounds, stopping at coffee shops, checking businesses out that it would create a long night…..until all of a sudden something would happen….a car running a light that turned into pursuit driving; or a code coming in that an accident with fatality had just occurred;…then the adrenalin would course through our arteries and trigger the flight or fight mode. Of course, there was no flight…just fight! So as a civilian in the squad, I had the chance to watch for traffic on the passenger side and yell “clear” as we approached intersections.

Now my life is a little calmer as I build a business called Tiny Green Cabins or consult and work with my son undertaking remodeling work for Redeeming Restorations LLC.

Tiny Green Cabins are earth friendly cabins, tiny houses, and small homes ranging is size from 48 square feet (Mini-Sota model) to 252 square feet (Denali Model) The Wildflower Cabin is 120 square feet and built with green certified materials, reclaimed products as well as recycled materials. The Breathe Easy is a toxic free cabin for those that desire a safe house or safe home to live in. The insulation used is Ultra Touch Cotton insulation made from recycled blue jeans or Air Krete foam insulation. Even the floors are insulated!

Redeeming Restorations is a neighborhood Builder / Remodeler serving the twin cities metro area. We provide many services including remodeling, restoration projects, decks, new construction, handyman services, and custom art murals.

Castles in the Air

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.”
— Henry David Thoreau

“Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
— St. Francis of Assisi

“After the final ‘no,’ there comes a ‘yes,’ and on that ‘yes’ the future world depends.”
— Wallace Stevens

"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Anything you really want, you can attain, if you really go after it."
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

*****************************************************************************************************************************

YOU'VE GOT TO THINK BIG TO BE BIG

High achievement always takes place
in the framework of high expectation.

You'll always hit what you aim for in the long run.

Why not aim high?

If you don't have a dream,
how are you going to make it come true?

Have the courage to follow your dreams.

It's the first step towards attaining your destiny.

Big thinking precedes big achievement.

Be true to yourself

Daily Guru

**********************************************************

"In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential we embody, and if we do not embody that, life is wasted."
-- C.G. Jung

Where are you not being true to yourself?

All blocks arise when we’re not being authentic, when we’re not being true to ourselves. We know we’re not being authentic when we feel discomfort of any kind.

When our thoughts, feelings and actions align with our essence, we express the qualities of soul. Always trust that your soul knows what’s best for you.

Believe in yourself and act on your ideas. Give yourself permission to do what you want with your life. Take the initiative to set meaningful goals for yourself and achieve them. Begin to tell yourself why you CAN have what you want!

"A true knowledge of ourselves is knowledge of our power."
-- Mark Rutherford

*************************************************************************
These quotes are supplied courtesy of Higher Awareness
THE DAILY GURU

Paul Ferrini's Weekly Wisdom

The Dance and the Destination

In the end, all lakes and rivers empty into the sea. All forms of love merge into divine, unconditional love, the essence of who and what we are. All of us are pulled by an inner current to be born, to grow, to individuate and to merge into the greater whole. That is the divine dance. The beauty is that all this happens by itself. We do not have to do anything to make it happen.

Paul Ferrini's Weekly Wisdom

Ecstasy

Every moment is ecstatic if we take the time to experience it fully. So keep your eyes and your heart open, welcome each moment as it comes,and bless it as it goes.

Know that everything is okay just the way it is. Every experience you have had has already been forgiven. You are not a prisoner the past. You are free to respond as you wish in this moment.

Paul Ferrini Weekly Message

Releasing Past and Future
Our greatest spiritual challenge is to be happy in this moment . We can’t be happy if we are upset about something that happened in the past or worried about achieving some outcome in the future. We can be happy only when our energy is invested in working with what is happening here and now.

Paul Ferrini Weekly Message

Waiting for Direction

We all need time to breathe and to be.
It’s a sacred time. It’s a time when we
gather our power and our direction.
If we don’t take this time, we may act prematurely or impulsively. Our actions may
lack power or they may result in unfortunate consequences we did not anticipate.

Perceptions

"Learning the lessons life brings takes a great deal of patience and compassion. We need to realize that it isn’t easy for us to change how we perceive reality. If it was, we wouldn’t need so many lessons. Most of our lessons do not ask us to change ourselves, others or the world. They ask us to change our perception of ourselves, other people, and the world around us. "~ Paul Ferrini