Peace

Before me peaceful

Behind me peaceful

Under me peaceful

Over me peaceful

Around me peaceful.

This is such a simple reminder ...

it brings me to center ... to peace.

This is what I need more than anything!!!

Namaste'

cate

Persevere

It is the wind and the rain, O God, the cold and the
storm that make this earth of thine to blossom and
bear its fruit.  So, in our lives it is storm and stress and
hurt and suffering that make real men and women
bring the world's work to its highest perfection.  Let us
learn then in these growing years to respect the harder
sterner aspects of life together with its joy and laughter,
and to weave them all into the great web which hangs
holy to the Lord.
                      - W. E. B. DU BOIS

I remember hearing once that life itself is what smooths out our rough edges and polishes us into those beautiful polished gems that glow with the truth of who we really are.  The roughest days tumble us about like stones in a polishing mill, and as we are rolling around the sharp edges begin to break down and our inner glow begins to shine through   ... at the same time, as the rough edges are worn down, we begin to live life more smoothly.  We have fewer rough edges to get caught up on people  and life on a daily basis ... we have a growing smoothness of wisdom that guides us through life more  gently.
Life ... it is always giving and growing, isn't  it?  No matter what ...it is generous ... and when you begin to feel buried in the cement, suddenly a beautiful flower will pop through to remind you that life is truly alive and well and loving you on and on ...no matter what lies before you.
Special blessings today for Mary Ellen and Lee.                         Love to all ~ Cate

Silence

Tonight, let us honor silence, "the perennial flow of language, 
interrupted by words,"  as Ramana Maharishi calls it.  May
we respect the need for silence in our lives.

let  us sit together in silence ... cate

Blessing on All

We envoke your blessing on all the men and women
who have toiled to build and warm our homes, to
fashion our clothing, and to wrest from sea and land
the food that nourishes us and our children.
     We pray you that they may have health and joy, and
hope and love, even as we desire for our loved ones.
     Grant us wisdom to deal justly with every man and
woman whom we face in the business of life.
     May we not unknowingly inflict suffering through
selfish indifference or the willful ignorance of a callous
heart ...
                           -Walter Rauschenbusch

I was driving through town tonight as the rescue squad was pulling out of the station on the way to a rescue ~ I looked into the faces of the two men in the truck and wondered what they were thinking.  These men were on their way to help someone in need, possibly a life and death situation.  They do this every day ... they are only a phone call away!  
This is their work, this is their contribution to the village of people ... we all have a calling and a contribution that is uniquely our own.  
What a reminder this is to me to say thank you to each and 
everyONE ... we are all a necessary part of the whole ... 
it takes a village  ... Cate

We pray for children

We pray for children
     who sneak popsicles before supper,
     who erase holes in math workbooks,
     who can never find their shoes.
And we pray for those
     who stare at photographers  from behind
          barbed wire,
     who can't bound down the street in a new
          pair pod sneakers,
     who never "counted potatoes"
     who were born in places we wouldn't be
          caught dead,
      who never go to the circus,
      who live in a X-rated world.
We pray for children
     who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of
     dandelions,
     who hug us in a hurry and forget their
     lunch money.
And we pray for those
     who never get dessert,
     who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
     who watch their parents watch them die,
     who can't find any bread to steal,
     who don't have any rooms to clean up,
     whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
     whose monsters are real.
We pray for children 
     who spend all their allowances before Tuesday,
     who throw tantrums in the grocery store
          and pick at their food,
     who like ghost stories,
     who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and
          never rinse out the tub,
     who get visits from the tooth fairy,
     who don't like to be kissed in front of the
          carpool,
     who squirm in church or temple and scream
          in the phone,
     whose tears we sometimes laugh at and
     whose smiles can make us cry.
And we pray for those
     whose nightmares come in the
          daytime,
     who will eat anything,
     who have never seen a dentist,
     whom aren't spoiled by anybody,
     who go to bed hungry and cry themselves
           to sleep
     who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for children who want to be carried
     and for those who must,
     for those we never give up on and for those
     who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother ... and for those who will grab
     the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.
                             - INA  J.  HUGHS

From one line to the next ... one breath to another ...

one child to their neighbor ...

this prayer points out how we are each a part of each other,

all closer than our very breath.

What a reminder this is that what I may do for anyONE

effects  everyONE.

May this day find me loving and tolerant of all ...

generous and kind to all ...

present and kind to all ...

we are all ONE!!!

cate

God's love is on this earth

This world is nothing more than

Beauty's chance to show Herself.

And what are we?

Nothing more than Beauty's chance to see Herself.

For if Beauty were not seeking Herself

we would not exist.

Every particle of creation

sings its own song

of what is, and what is not.

The wise hear what is;

The mad hear what is not.

And only a cracked mirror 

will show a difference.

All your knowledge

leads you in the wrong direction;

All your worship

only puts you to sleep.

Insipid is this world

which only believes in what is seen;

Here, taste the wine from this Cup

which cannot be seen.

The one who has adorned himself

with the Creator's form

is the only one fit to guard

the purity

of both worlds.

On account of those who repeat His name

This Earth has become a paradise,

an honored place

in the order of creation.

God's love is on this earth,

And the heavens forever bend over to greet her.

- GHALIB, Translated by Jonathon Star

There are so many images and invitations

within this writing ~

we could talk about it for a long time.

Of course, who has that kind of time during a busy work week?

Instead, I received it as a simple invitation

to be aware of God in nature!

I saw the most incredible tulips today!

They centered me

and gave birth to a smile.

When I don't take the time to notice something as beautiful

as that ... I know I am too busy!!

Are you too busy?

Love,

Cate

Pray to Begin the Day

Empower me
     to be a bold participant.
     rather than a timid saint in waiting,
     in the difficult ordinariness of now;
     to exercise the authority of honesty,
     rather than to defer to power,
     or deceive to get it;
     to influence someone for justice,
     rather than impress someone for gain;
     and, by grace, to find treasures
     of joy, or friendship, of peace
     hidden in the fields of the daily
     you give me to plow.
                              - Ted Loder

This beautiful prayer by Ted reminds me of the different ways 

I can live each day..... each cross road can present me with

another choice about how I will live my day,

who I will be in the decisions I make.

My day always goes so much better

when I begin it in prayer ...

and ask God to guide it

and prioritize it for me.

It is a simple prayer .... it makes a huge difference!!!

Love, Cate