A new day is rising...

I see the Divine in the flowers, trees, and bird song. I see the Divine in you and sometimes me. I strive to see the beauty of creation in everything and everyone. There is a grace, a blessing, and unconditional loving presence above, below, and within all things and all life.

I believe this unconditional loving presence is so abundant it cannot be imprisoned by hate and greed. Even when the powers that be lie and manipulate to control and fuel their ego, the presence of love seeps through.

I rejoice in the unconditional love that always finds a way to comfort and heal. When we are at our last breath, this loving power is there to keep us from drowning.

We are the emanations of this love. We are here for a purpose. We must share the light and love of spirit. Turn off the internet. Stop watching the commercials. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and your Amazon account can wait.

Sing a song of gratitude. Let your joy for life shine. Know that unconditional love will always negate the darkness.

A new day is rising.

Nature's abundant beauty...

Our world offers us exquisite beauty to focus on each day. Here in the New England area where I live, the leaves are changing color, the deer are coming more into the open areas and the sun mixes wonderfully with cooler temperatures.

I think that when we focus on the abundant beauty in nature, our demeanor becomes more calm, peaceful, and beautiful. When we are open and accepting of love and friendship we become more loving and friendly.

Please know I am not naive. I hear the hate. I see the fear. However life has shown me, hate does not serve me. Hate is an idea of the frail human ego. Love is an emanation of the Divine.

When we focus on peace, calm, and compassion, we are ripples of these Divine characteristics in our community.

I find that when I am afraid, anxious, and in turmoil, I go inward. I breathe, I pray, and I meditate. I listen to that "still, small voice." I listen to my Higher Self. This process brings me peace. My body relaxes and my mind let's go. I find myself in an experience of beauty and harmony.

Let your light shine

I was raised Catholic.  I am catholic.  I love the words of Jesus.  In the new testament, Lamsa translation from the Aramaic, Jesus's language, Matthew writes in Chapter 5 the Sermon on the Mount.  From this writing, I have always been drawn to the Beatitudes.  The Beatitudes speak to me today.

"Blessed are the humble, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I look for humble, wise, and caring leadership.  My humility reminds me we accomplish nothing on our own.  Many others will always play a part in our success and service.

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement for Social Justice, there Is too much to mourn.  Our collective grief is overwhelming.  Our only sane solution is unity and compassion.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be well satisfied."

Worldwide, millions hunger and thirst for justice.  Racism, sexism, poverty, hatred, gender prejudice, and violence towards those we perceive as different must end now.  Love and fellowship are the only answer.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall have mercy."

I pray to release my judgement and to be more forgiving and merciful.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

I am privileged to live with the pure in heart.  My beloved wife Sandra and our daughter Ashley are both pure in heart.  I see God in them each and every day.

"Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God."

My intention has always been focused on peace.  To be a peacemaker you stand with the great spirited warriors; Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, St. Francis, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.

"Blessed are those who are presented for the sake of justice, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

This persecution is sadly part of humanity.  The persecutions are historical; slavery, holocaust, genocide, apartheid, and they continue on the streets of our cities today.

"Blessed are you who reproach you and persecute you and speak against you every kind of evil, falsely, for any sake."

This has happened to each and every one of us who we speak the truth with integrity, empathy, compassion, and love.

Gratitude can change everything

Gratitude can transform a mundane day into a celebration of Thanksgiving.  It can turn boring routines into moments of awareness and joy.

We have the power to choose.  We can change our perspective and see something or someone with fresh eyes. We can expand our world view.

Gratitude has been proven to enhance physical and psychology well being.

Here are a few of the research based benefits of gratitude:

• enhanced long term happiness
• enhanced positive emotions
• increased social supports
• increased optimism
• improved mental health and reduced stress
• reduced blood pressure
• improved sleep

We have an opportunity each day to create our lives with positivity by putting our focus on gratitude.

Gratitude is loving, and in that love, we become a better version of us.

Unconditional Love...

 "I looked in temples, churches, and mosques.
But I found the Divine within my heart." - Rumi

There is an infinite unknown that knows who you are.  This infinite is unconditionally loving and emanates love, peace, and happiness to each of us.  We each decide on the structure of this infinite, unconditional, loving presence.  Our Higher Power is personal to each one of us.

Many years ago, while working with educators in Idaho, I had an intimate experience of God.  It was 4 in the morning and I was awake since my body was on East Coast time.  I heard God's voice. More accurately, I was enveloped both inside and outside of my body and consciousness with a feeling and message of unconditional love, trust, peace, and joy.  I have followed this Divine message ever since.

Let your life be a catalyst for connecting everyone to the Divinity and unconditional love that resides and emanates from each of us.

Take Action Now. Be Kind.

 "I cannot do everything, but I still can do something.
I will not refuse to do something I can do." 
- Helen Keller

Every day I can focus on the good I can do. I can smile, say hello, have a positive attitude, be generous, and be of service. Every time we take positive action for the good of humankind, the world is enhanced.

Everyone of us, in our own unique way, can take actions that make the world a better place. We do not need to be famous, wealthy, or powerful. We only need to be kind.

Our kindness will have an impact. People will feel better in our presence. We will live in a beautifully diverse and multicultural world. Our kindness will help create a world where everyone feels accepted and cared for.

Take action now. Be kind.

Skills to help us through the pandemic and beyond

Reach out to, spend time with and hold those you love.  If you can not hold them because of COVID-19 then look them in the eyes, be deliberate, go slow and say "I love you".  Spend time connecting and being explicit about what you love in them.  Do not let a day go by without loving.

When you have the ability to be with someone in person or virtually give them your full attention.  Listen without interruption. Turn off the phone.  Turn off all other media and outside stimuli.  Be present.

Give yourself time to focus on your own health and well-being.  Appreciate the sunlight in the morning.  Get up and be thankful.  Review everything and everyone you are grateful for having in your life.  Take nothing and no one for granted.  Stretch, do yoga, meditate, pray, walk, run, swim, say hello from 6 feet away.  Learn to like yourself.  Be in nature and express creativity.

Be of service, somehow to someone.  If there are elderly in your neighborhood, take out their trash, cut their lawn, trim their trees.  Help others and allow others to help you.  Renew your sense of purpose and make a contribution.

A Global Family

The earth is populated with an exquisite diversity. Every life is precious and adds to the greater whole. We are all children of God. We are all relatives in a global family. We must ask ourselves how are we treating our family.

I have family members that live with disabilities and lifelong challenges. I have family members who are heartbroken and grieving loss. I have family members who are genius and unique and creative. I am part of a family that makes mistakes and tries to do and be better.

My ancestors have survived wars, holocaust, slavery, pandemics, and mental illness. My people make music, sing, dance, write poetry, and make beautiful art.  My family has lived in different parts of this world and teach me what is sacred in other cultures and faiths. My family comforts me when I am sad and inspires me to dream great dreams. 

There are no strangers in my family. Everyone is welcome, you are my family.

We are all unique creations

 "If you had an enemy, and knew his heartaches and his anxieties, you would be disarmed of your hostility and claim him as a brother." - Longfellow

We were born in different places, in different families, and different cultures.  We learned different languages, different faiths, and different traditions.  

Where we were born and what we learned were our reality.  But our reality is only one reality. There are vast numbers of other realities, other cultures, other faiths, other languages, other families. These other realities have as much value and sacredness as your reality. They do not need to be you and you do not need to be them. We are all unique creations of Divinity.

We are all here to live in compassion and understanding.

Thoughts, Beliefs, Actions

 "When any real progress is made, we unlearn and learned anew what we thought we knew before."

- Henry David Thoreau

Everything begins with a thought. Where we are today, individually and as a nation, began with our thought process. Thoughts create beliefs and beliefs create actions.

It is time for a new thought. It is time for a belief in humanity. It is time to act with kindness, hope, empathy, and compassion. We must unlearn prejudice, fear, and hatred. We can see, think, dream, and create a better world.

Every thought, every belief, every action we take, ripples out and impacts the world. We must rethink and create loving responses to poverty, racism, sexism, homelessness, climate change, and healthcare.

We have an opportunity NOW!

Individual thoughts, beliefs, and actions, inspire national and global change.

I take responsibility for my thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

It's in every one of us to be kind

Our nature is unity. In prehistoric times we banded together for survival. Now we must evolve from survival consciousness to thriving consciousness. Unity is our only hope to thrive.

We must treat everyone with respect and equality. We must work for unity in all neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and houses of worship. We must stop creating false, man-made, unnatural hierarchies of power. We must support all children and families.

Every human being is a unique expression of God. Please help to break down the walls of racism, sexism, hatred, and violence. Please help to build bridges so that every age, every culture, every gender, every group, and every individual can live in peace.

It's in every one of us to be kind.

Creating Unity

We all have the same origin. We all begin our evolutionary journey as human beings in an area of East Africa. Climate and conditions changed us on the outside, but inside we are the same. We are the same genetically.

"The concept of race has no genetic or scientific basis." – Craig Venter, Human Genome researcher

Every human being is an expression of the Divine. We are all one with spirit. We are all one with God. I will never argue or debate about the name you use for God. There are hundreds of names for God. I want to evolve past the hostility for what we call God. I want to evolve to the place that we all, call God.

I want to evolve to the place where we all seek to create unity.

Our diversity is an opportunity to join in beautiful harmony. The love of the universe is our ultimate song.

"While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else are also God's creation." - Maya Angelou

Love or Fear

We, as a people, are living our chapter in an ancient story.  A story of love or fear.  Those who fear, seek power and domination.  They have destroyed the environment and are so narcissistic they would destroy their fellow humans.  Those who fear are spiritually bankrupt.  They lack compassion and empathy.  They are so afraid, they gorge themselves on the noise of hatred, racism, sexism, and violence.

Those who love, seek to join, connect and build relationships.  Those who love build wholeness, community, and unity.  They know they carry the seed of unconditional loving spirit, and they plant the sacred spiritual seed wherever they walk the earth.  As the world heals and blossoms, there will be a renaissance of love.

We have all, at sometime, been both love and fear.  

We must now reflect on our next choice.

Who am I, love or fear?

Choose one.

Community

The economy should never take precedence over valuing and nurturing human life. Every human life. This is a core issue today. Without the health, safety, and well-being of humanity there will be no economy. We must remember and reclaim that we are the economy. Not the elite 1%. We, the every day people of the 99%. We the “essential workers” who support life. For most of us there will be no bonus or bail out.

We have to be courageous. We have to live our lives based on core values. Values of caring, respect, compassion, and integrity. The financial bottom line must always be subservient to these essential core values. When we allow ourselves to make governmental and economic decisions based on caring, respect, compassion, and integrity, the economy will thrive.

Greed has created fake leaders who are narcissistic, abusive, and strive for domination. The bottom line has oppressed and dominated the larger population. We have been sold a lie that our security lies in having more than someone else. This lie has almost destroyed community.

Community is the answer in this pandemic.

“In and through community lies the salvation of the world.“ - M. Scott Peck

In community individuals come together, we depend on each other. We share with each other. We communicate with caring, kindness, and honesty. We commit to each other. We rejoice together and we grieve together. We support each other. We trust each other.

“Trust is the heartbeat of genuine love”- bell hooks

In community we are open and courageous. We want to know and be known. We recognize and affirm each other’s value. We acknowledge each other‘s presence and make connection. Being kind connects us.

The ultimate goal of community is “to seek ways in which to live with ourselves and others in love and peace” - M. Scott Peck

Human Connection

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