A Change

“"I cannot bear it!" said the pewter soldier.
"I have shed pewter tears!
It is too melancholy!
Rather let me go to the wars and
lose arms and legs!
It would at least be a change.
I cannot bear it longer!
Now, I know what it is to have a visit from
one's old thoughts,
with what they may bring with them!
I have
had a visit from mine,
and you may be sure it is no pleasant
thing in the end;
I was at last about to jump down from the drawers."”

“My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word." (Psalm 119:148)

Lord — break my heart for the lost. USE ME. USE ME. USE ME! Push the fear & timidity out of me! Help me to follow Your Spirit’s leading, to hear You when You speak to me, & to be obedient to do what You call me to. Show me anything in myself or my life that needs to change. Help me to grow closer & closer to You. Teach me, convict me, change me, guide me, use me for Your glory & Your purposes, & let nothing get in the way of Your will. In the name of Jesus let Your will be done!

* * * * * * * *

"We must meet people at their unmet need, following the leading of the Holy Spirit."

Jesus didn’t reach out to each lost person in the exact same way, but at their place of specific need. He will guide us in the conversation, & if we follow, He will open them to receive & bring them closer to (or to the very point of) receiving Jesus.

God anoints us with His Holy Spirit when we receive the Holy Spirit & teaches us to use our specific giftings to reach the lost & also to edify & help other believers in their Christian walk as well.

~I read the above in a blog and loved what it said about the "unmet need". I hope you find meaning in it also.

she cannot imagine life without him

Not trying to overwhelm...
But just love these!

she cannot imagine life without him by *mystics* on Polyvore.com

It's your most precious gift... by *mystics* on Polyvore.com

Comforter Creator by Conform and Be Dull on Polyvore.com

God's heart cries out... by Conform and Be Dull on Polyvore.com

An Excerpt from "Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes" by June Hunt

He alone can see what’s in your heart.
He knows the depth of your emotions.

He doesn’t look at the outward.
He looks deeper.

He looks at... you!
Your inmost being. Your heart. Who you really are on the inside.

Earlier I was talking about a transformation in your heart, your soul, your spirit. This excerpt aptly describes this process just a little bit better then I ever could...

Slowly, after this divine transplant, healing begins and, as promised, your new heart becomes capable of perfect love. Your self-centeredness is now Christ-centeredness. There is healing to replace the hatred; there is a balm for the bitterness. You can face the world with a freedom and a future you have never known before.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalms 51:10). Once you have a changed heart, you have a changed life. You can love the unlovable, be kind to the unkind, and forgive the unforgivable. All this because you have a new heart--you have God's heart!

Personal Enlightenment

Lately, I have been feeling like God is beside me. I mean really feeling Him. I have felt this way before, but not as strongly as I have lately. I don't quite know how to describe it or what it means. I only know that the feeling is overwhelming. So overwhelming that it sucks the breath out of me, makes me dizzy and more often then not, leaves me weeping. I know. I know. I wish I had better words to make someone understand this strong encompassing emotion, but I don't.

I have never had much of a relationship with God; I am truly sorry to say. I would like to say that I have, but I can't. I think that I tend to reach out to Him the most when I'm in need or feeling sorrowful. That's very bad. I do say nightly prayers, pray for those in need, and thank Him for my blessings. But I think I do it mechanically, for lack of a better word. I don't quite know how to cry out to God! I don't quite know what words to use or how...I feel very lost.

I am looking for something...I can't quite put my finger on it...but something...Some link...some...connection...something...

I would like to talk about God more. I would like to learn more about God. I would like to understand God. I would like to not be ridiculed for my lack of experience and/or knowledge of God.

I would like to be an instrument for God. Sometimes I think I could be one...other times....I forge my own path and disregard God's.

I know I am rambling and not making any sense, but I want, no I need to know what to do with this feeling.

I am so confused.

I came across this article googling inspiration and such. I found it interesting. I thought I would share it. Let me know what you think. Maybe it will help you in your walk with God. Thanks for listening.

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Personal Enlightenment

While enlightenment, like life itself, is a process it only requires that the seeker begin to move his or her consciousness from ego and mind to heart and begin to live from the inside out. We often fail to recognize that our personal enlightenment is a mere 18 inches away, head to heart. Getting to that point however is easier said, than done.

Ego or as it could be called Edging God Out, will fight you every step of the way. While we truly are spiritual beings having a human experience we have also forgotten our origins. As we begin to live our lives we buy into the race or collective consciousness of separation. We forget that we are all One, with each other and with the Creator. As the longing for that connection to Source swirls within, we search for ways to have relationship with each other and with the Universe. The problem is, because we are still a part of the collective consciousness and our thinking is geared in that direction, we search outside of ourselves.

Religions, churches, and even Spiritual Guru’s have capitalized on both the need to find God and the belief that God is “out there.” Our desire to have relationship draws us to the various spiritual practices that seem to resonate within us. We follow the beliefs and practices of our chosen faith in an effort to return once again to God, but God has not gone anywhere.

The Source of all life is Omnipresent, meaning everywhere at once. There is an old saying: there is no spot where God is not. If this is true, than God is within everything and everyone, even the seeker of personal enlightenment. To find God and enlightenment then, we need look no further than within our very being.

So how does one look within, move one’s consciousness, and/or live from the inside out? It is first and foremost a conscious choice. Once a person has made the decision to have direct communion with the God of their being, it is a matter of taking time to do jus that, spend a little time with God. Prayer and Meditation are perhaps the best vehicles to achieve your desired goal of connection to the Creator. Just as you take time to be with family and friends, setting aside time to be with the God of your being is vital.

Prayer consists of more than beseeching God to answer and fix all that is not right in your life. In fact, Jesus taught us to affirm that all we need is already available to us. Prayer then becomes about being in gratitude for all you do have, all that is right, and to be in gratitude for all that is coming to you now. It becomes about knowing that God already has answered our needs and it is up to us to see the result.

Sending the creator this type of thank you is something Jesus also taught. Each time he prayed he thanked God in advance for answering the prayer he was about to lift. If we look at the way Jesus prayed we will note that he did not beg for what he desired, he simply knew it was answered, and it was. In this way, prayer becomes a way to co-create with God. Much in the same way Jesus co-created the miracles he performed. While he prayed to his father in heaven he also taught us the kingdom of God within. Perhaps, this means than that sending prayers up to the sky is not necessary, maybe we need to direct the prayers within ourselves.

Meditation is simply taking the time to listen. We are often told to listen to the still small voice within, so what or who is that voice if not the voice of God? In meditation, we practice quieting our minds and body for a period of time. Willing our consciousness to move from head to heart where we can sit in peaceful silence and listen. Answers and guidance come when we focus ourselves on the life force within us and stop looking outside of ourselves for enlightment.

Personal enlightment is less than two feet away. As we drop our consciousness from the busyness of our mind to the center of love and light that is our heart, we can rest there in the Presence. In the place of peace, love and joy we are able to open ourselves to the wisdom of the Universe.

OBSTACLES

"Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve,
there is a series of obstacles,
and the bigger the goal,
the bigger the obstacles.
Your decision to be,
have and do something out of the ordinary
entails facing difficulties and challenges
that are out of the ordinary as well.
Sometimes
your greatest asset is simply your ability to
stay with it longer than anyone else."

~ Brian Tracy

Your Core

In the center of your core being

Dwells the truth

Look with tomorrow's eye,

Yesterday's knowledge,

Live the truth today

In the colors of your dreams future

Rest the peace

In your soul's core

Of whom you are

Love is the truth

Gal in the Glass - Just Love This

Hope you can read this...I just love it!

Plans

Following Your Bliss

True Beauty

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping hand,
you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands,
one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows,
and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

7 years ago, I discovered these tips, or poem as you may call it. I would write this poem over and over again in every book that I have. It came to point where I could remember the lines by heart.

It is a beautiful poem of what and how a woman's beauty is expressed.

The author of the above poem is Sam Levenson (December 28, 1911-August 27, 1980), an American humorist, writer, television host and journalist. Sam Levenson wrote "Time Tested Beauty Tips" for his grandchild. However, the poem soon became falsely attributed to Audrey Hepburn.

Contrary to many internet postings and email-go-rounds, Audrey Hepburn didn't write this lovely poem. The poem was mis-attributed to her because she often quoted it and had read it to her children.

This is a great poem and it's inspirational.

Am I Okay?

To many thoughts racing around
Spinning and whirling, not making a sound
Feeling so angry, so lost, so hated, so confused,
So unloved, so unworthy, so sad, so abused,
I can't let this one pass by me
It's Everything,
It's every instance,
It's every time you asked
What did I do?
Say no to you? No...
Is this alright with me?
No, No, No, No...
No, its really not
This is over
I am done
I am through
It's finally going to be over...
Leaving me so broken and so blue
But Finally, Finally, Finally away from you.

Late at Night with Rain

Late at night, when I can't sleep, which is more often than not...I blog and check Facebook. NO one else on the planet is usually on FB at say "4:10 a.m."...but me... Funny how the world peacefully slumbers when you cannot. But peaceful is not a word that usually describes me at this time of morning; restless, anxious, reflective, hopeful and frustrated might be though. Tired? NO tired doesn't fit into that category....and so, I write...What else should one do?

Earlier it rained. I love the rain. It cleanses the earth. Washes away all that settles on its surface. Let's the day start afresh-anew. I stood out in the rain. The water felt refreshing and revitalizing...like teardrops after a long, hard cry. I stared out into the rain; beautiful rain. I felt it. It's emotion - clear and indifferent-unchanged. It's like the rain has a life-calm, tranquil, restless, strong, contradictory. I experience unexplainable emotions. I cry. I smile. I stomp my feet and fling my arms out. But strangely, I am calmed, soothed even. Rain. Confusing, irresistible rain. My Rain. My Life. My Metaphor. My Truth..

Relinquish

the diamond takes shape slowly
with integrity's great force
and from
the profound courage to
never relinquish love
~Hafiz

Lyrics from Breathe by Bon Jovi

Wrap my loving arms around you
Protect you when the waves crash down on you
When you're lost and you're scared
I'll be the air. . . BREATHE

When you give and you take

And it feels like something breaks
It's alright -BREATHE
When it hurts - BREATHE
When you doubt - BREATHE
When it burns - BREATHE
Let it out - BREATHE
When you give - BREATHE
When you love - BREATHE
When you live - BREATHE
When you touch - BREATHE
If all that we've got is each other
Than all that we got is a lot
When it hurts - BREATHE
When it burns - BREATHE
The feeling inside you is feeling like I do
Take a breathe - BREATHE
Let it out - BREATHE
Just close your eyes don't hold it inside you
BREATHE

Sometimes lately the world is scary and everything feels like it is crashing down around me. I know the choices I have made are tough choices. I know the walk will be a long one. I know there will be more mountains then valleys. And I do know that the final destination is so worth it; of this I am sure.

These lyrics just give me hope and comfort that somewhere out there in this big ole world, there is someone who can help me BREATHE. Who can wrap their loving arms around me and make me feel safe, warm, wonderful and free...BREATHE....Just BREATHE....

Beautiful Fact

Lord
There are countless things in my life
That are inexcusable.
There are things unaccountable
And things unexplainable.
There are things irrefutable
And things irresponsible.
But it comes to me with unutterable relief
That because of Your amazing love
Nothing in my life is unforgivable.

Ending a Marriage - Arriving at the Decision

The toughest thing about a relationship could potentially be knowing when and how to end it. You committed to it believing it would never end. Realizing it must requires a complete reversal of a genuine, well rooted, belief. You trusted your feelings. You had faith in your relationship, faith in your partner, and faith in your ability as a couple to withstand anything life threw at you. You may have solidified it with children and property. Reality's erosive tremors, big and small, destabilized your faith gradually, over years of time. When you finally admit that not much of what you believed about your feelings, your partner and your relationship was true, what will you do? Some people live in the ruins of a bad relationship longer than others. Some die in it.

How do people decide finally to get out? Step by step. How many steps it takes depends on the person taking them. Even severely abused partners go back an average of six times and try again. There is no shortcut to the end, no ten ways to tell when to give up and get out, no fail proof formula that fits all. People who finally leave, even if it seems sudden, have probably left in every way except physically many times and in many ways before the final exit.

We don't talk about it much before we do it, because talking about it produces expectations from the audience that we don't want to produce. "I thought you were leaving. Are you still going to leave? When are you leaving?" We can't always answer those questions definitively. If we talk about it we run the risk of it getting out before we're ready to announce it, then someone might ask, "Is everything okay between you and ...?" We're not ready for that either. And what could they do if they knew?

We don't want to go to a counselor because we're past having faith in our partner's promise to try and we don't care anymore whether it works or not. We don't care whose fault it is. We just want to know what it's like to be free of the dreadfulness our relationship has become.

We take responsibility for our mistakes, and forgive others for theirs, but know that that doesn't mean we have to live with them. We consider our options, what we're willing to sacrifice to gain freedom. We work out the details unselfishly, usually privately, with determination and patience so that those who are affected will be hurt as little as possible. We make decisions carefully considering the consequences of each one. We resolve to avoid adding mistakes to mistakes, and forming new intimate relationships until our emotions have stabilized and our families have adjusted to the change. We weigh advice carefully and look for the motives behind it.

Relationships

"Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep...

Wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you...The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'

~ Author unknown

Ingrid Michaelson BE OK Video by The Official Stand Up To Cancer Page - MySpace Video

Ingrid Michaelson BE OK Video by The Official Stand Up To Cancer Page - MySpace Video

Shared via AddThis

You Can't Go Back and Start Over, But....

...you can start today, right now, and create a new ending. I just love this quote. It got me thinking about the past, and how we can let wounds, mistakes, and regrets keep us stuck or immobilized in fear in our present. Many of those wounds from the past are often times the root of why we self sabotage, give up or over indulge in things like food, shopping, sex, alcohol, and drugs.

Those pains from the past are very real, and they can live a lifetime, and you can feel like you'll never be the same again or that you're damaged beyond repair. And you have every right to feel those things. We all have the right to be angry, mourn, and be sad or depressed about injustices that happened to us. We should give ourselves time to grieve and heal.

But then at some time, it's time to let go and move forward. There is no perfect time, and it doesn't have to be graceful, smooth, or well planned out. We just need to move, take a baby step foward. We need to pull our ship out of the harbor and head toward our destination. We can always course correct later. The point is, we're in the sea moving in our journey. At some point, we have to face why we continue to feed our pain and fears because really it only serves to keep us from the life we really want.

I like to believe that the universe has a much bigger plan that I cannot see...yet. And perhaps those things that happened to me were just possibly the catalyst for me to become more evolved, more loving, and more forgiving.

I find comfort in the story of the caterpillar who at one point has to die, live in a cocoon, and then re-emerge into the world as a butterfly. The caterpillar had to experience great pain and suffering and loss, was kept hidden from the world for awhile, but now can fly high and beautiful. I like to believe that one day I'll have my butterfly moment.

We can't ever go back and start again, but we have today. It won't be easy. It won't be a cake walk, but it's a new possibility. It's something to believe in and never give up hope on. We can decide right now and take steps at this very moment even tiny ones to create our new ending, the ending where our dreams and goals are waiting for us:)

So, what are you waiting for?

Tone Loc - Wild Thing

We all have a "Wild Thing" that lives inside us. Wild Thing is the part of us that has no inhibitions, doesn't care how "nice girls" are supposed to act, and lives in the moment. Wild Thing knows how to let loose, wear that fire engine red lipstick, and work the sexitude. Wild Thing gets naughty and apologizes later rather than asks for permission. You can let Wild Thing out to do her thang without hurting others or yourself.

It's easy, almost a pre-requisite to let Wild Thing out. Is Wild Thing caged in amongst your fear and insecurities? Is that fear really an excuse to deny your sexuality, your rebel, your true self that you're afraid of?

Now, letting Wild Thing out on a daily basis is not a healthy or responsible thing to do, but once in awhile it's healthy fun to let Wild Thing out to play. That's why most people love vacation because it's a time when you can let Wild Thing out free without judgment from yourself or others. Trip rules: "What happens on the road, stays on the road."

If you haven't seen your "Wild Thing" in eons, let her out this weekend. Go kiss that boy you've been wanting to smooch. Go buy that sexy teddy you've been secretly eyeing and then strip for that hottie. Have a girls night out where no one is allowed to talk about work, kids or significant others.

Ditch the chores and taking care of everyone else's needs, and take one day to make it all about you. Do what you want to do, and don't explain yourself. Dance and sing "Wild Thing" in front of the mirror like you're a rock star!