life: acoustic & amplified

poetry, quotes & thoughts about life

Archive for the category “Joy”

20 Mar 2012

Might need this bat for mine…

Batting!

Toward the end of winter I came upon
the Lord on a diamond, batting.

I said, “ Lord, what are you doing?”
“These are your sins,” he said,

as a shadowy figure on the mound
with a vicious arm pitched.

He had no instinct: swung at everything,
even dirtballs. And hit ’em every time.

He had a beautiful swing,
fluid, sure, and joyful.

He hit pitch after pitch, endlessly.
I lost myself, watching.

“Out of the park” he said, his eye
on a nasty looking knuckleball,

and swung like a dancer,
gracefully unwinding.  Chock!

It rose up over the fence, over the trees,
released from all earthly bonds,

floating free until it disappeared,
infinitely gone, still rising.

He watched it go, as if
he’d never seen such a beautiful thing.

“I love this game,” he grinned,
and set for another pitch.

I think he was honestly
pleased with himself.

______________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
 Used With Permission
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

 happy spring training baseball people!

Posted in art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, confidence, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, inspiration, Joy, laugh, Letting Go, Life, Love, Miracles, People, Poetry, Reflection, Spring, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, truth | Leave a comment
13 Mar 2012
1 Comment

Top o’ the mornin’ to you!!!

Posted in beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, determination, Encouragement, find art at pinterest, fun, Gratitude, Joy, laugh, Letting Go, Life, Love, music, People, Smile, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, truth
05 Mar 2012

ask, seek, knock

Almost 22 years ago I asked God! I had no idea if God was real at that point. I sure didn’t see God in any of the people around me. Religion sure had no answers, and so I started on the path with a very heavy scepticism. I really had no idea of anything. I truly emptied myself, of all I had been taught all my life, and worked to challenge my thought process. I challenged and thought about everything that came into my life.

I determined only to follow what brought me peace and led me towards happiness. I knew I would make mistakes – because I had no idea what I was doing, but I determinied I would do my best to face what I did and not make those same mistakes again! I determined to take personal responsibility for my life and my actions and I started off  on my experiment to find life. I was challenged to TRY to live as close to the principles I found in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5-7, The Sermon on the Mount.

It is interesting to me that over those years, when I struggled through this challenge that is humanly impossible, I struggled to feel the humanness of Jesus. I really had no idea if what I was doing was doing anything but leading me into brokenness and pain. I had to hold onto two things. The promises and hope of God, and the fact that I felt the personal, gut peace which no one else had access to. There was something bigger than what I could possible do happening! I was witnessing and aware of this. It was growing and so was my belief – no one could take away what I had seen, felt, tasted, experienced. Those miracles that came to me are more than evidence – they are my life-blood!

I now know Jesus intimately – after all I have been trying my best to live his words for the past 22 years! I KNOW HIM! I know his beautiful heart. I have lived his truth – it is my truth! LOVE!!! FREEDOM!!! RESPECT!!!! SERVE!!!

Yesterday I heard a sermon on Jesus as the Bread of life. As the crowd rejected ‘eating his flesh’ (knowing him intimately) his disciples were left alone with him. He asked them if they would leave also and Peter said, “Where would we go? You have the words of eternal life”. Yes, I echo that today. I have no where else to go – my experiment has turned out to be so much more than I ever expected. I am in love with Jesus! and it makes me glad!

I still know very little as far as the mysteries of God – I am so glad that I am not arrogant enough to think I can figure out the creator of this amazing world! I don’t worry about a lot – I am too busy falling in love, knowing the heart of love, figuring out how I can share that love with others who need it so badly!!!

Posted in Adventure, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, confidence, courage, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, Gratitude, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, Peace, People, Purpose, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, success, Tears, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment
26 Feb 2012
1 Comment

I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion – Phil 1:6

Confidence… thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.
– Franklin D. Roosevelt

So many of us believe who we have been created to be just isn’t good enough. I know the feeling, I understand it fully. I have had it most of my life – I still struggle with it in some areas of my living, which is why I am always aware! I want to be the BEST I can be. I want to reach my highest potential for happiness. I want to be who God created me to be and do what I was created to accomplish!

Someone recently told me that they ‘liked my confidence’. That it gave them ‘hope.’ Somehow it kinda hit me weird, I immediately heard the old voices telling me I was ‘talking too much’, ‘I just wanted attention’, that I was ‘vain’ – I felt like maybe I was being ‘too much’ and I felt myself pull back and not speak as much as I wanted to.

So, of course, I have thought it over for the past few weeks and processed the comment, why I felt that way and, I gotta tell you, the more I ’roll around’ in her comment – the more I am really liking it! Ha! I want people to have hope, I want to be the instrument of hope and peace! My confidence comes from the faithfulness, healing and miracles, which I have experienced over a difficult and broken life! It is not about self confidence – it is Christ-confidence!

I know this is much, much bigger than me! I have confidence because I have discovered the truth of the unconditional love of God! I am beloved, you are beloved! Every soul on earth has this vast value and this beloved status!!!!! Wooo hoooo! Now that’s something important to share!!!!!!!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.     Maryann Williamson – Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural Speech

http://songsfromthevalley.com/April-10-3.7-Beauty.pdf

 

 

Posted in art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, confidence, courage, create, determination, do, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Joy, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, Mother, Newsletter, Passion, Patience, Peace, People, power, Prayer, Purpose, quiet, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability
25 Feb 2012

face the truth

Where the Wild Things Are

Go with him
into the deserted places
where mind won’t survive,

deep in your wilds, exposed,
with the beasts,
feral, shifty, wise

in their wordless ways,
their primal hungers,
their devouring instincts,

disappearing easily
into your canyons and outcroppings.
You don’t vanquish them,

you watch,
and learn to survive among them,
and witness the mystery,

how they lie down beside him.
Even they know
these washes and gulches

are a palm.
In this extremity,
you find your place

among your terrors,
your wastelands,
your angels.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Posted in Adventure, America, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Blog, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, Death, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, Life, light, Love, Miracles, People, Poetry, Prayer, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Solitude, strength, Tears, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment
24 Feb 2012

We are beloved!!!!

Posted in Adventure, Alone, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Change, Choice, courage, create, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, People, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Smile, strength, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment
23 Feb 2012

Can you feel the music?

A lot of the daily messages I get right now are about Lent. I didn’t grow up with Lent and so I find it somewhat exotic. Over the past several years I have observed the practice and have found it so beautiful and beneficial. It is an important event, and it is a time to go deep into some tough issues. The messages I get in my daily inspirational doses are great (for the most part) and present Lent as both difficult, but joyous! Which I believe is true. We must begin to be vulnerable to our brokenness, if we want to feel our deepest joy!

It is interesting to me the contrast of when I hear people talking about Lent in everyday conversation. Like at my job, or in a restaurant. It seems a lot of people feel like Lent is about deprivation and punishment. I over hear them dreading ‘giving up’ chocolate, beer or meat and wondering if it will interfere with their entertainment schedule, or if is just too hard. Most of them seem to be dreading it. When I can, I try to insert myself into their  conversation (I hope they appreciate it at some point! ha) and assure them that is not what Lent is about – we are not called to punishment! We are called to a deeper experience of life. We are called to freedom, love and joy! Life is beautiful  – that is the message!

I try to encourage the people who feel this way to turn it around this year. Don’t be punished by ‘giving up’ use the 40 days to ADD something special. Write a 40 day journal and concentrate on looking for one good thing a day to be thankful and write about!

Lent is about reflection about deepening our lives in every way. Let’s try to get the message out that Jesus never wanted religion – his beautiful life and death was because of love to give us truth and freedom. He wants our love, relationship, communion, fellowship, passion. Yes, it’s all about love.

 

Posted in Adventure, Alone, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, Death, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Lonely, Love, Miracles, music, Party, Passion, Patience, Peace, People, power, Prayer, Proof, Purpose, quiet, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Smile, Solitude, strength, success, Sweet, Tears, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, words | Leave a comment
22 Feb 2012

how to live a happy, peaceful life:

wow!
it’s always my choice!

Posted in Adventure, Alone, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, force, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, laugh, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, Passion, Patience, Peace, People, power, Prayer, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Smile, strength, success, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, worry | Leave a comment
21 Feb 2012

In the willing hands of the believing, the emptiness can sing. He means to fill our emptiness with song. – Ann Voskamp

In Lent, as we fast from rich, sweet foods, we fast from our rich, sweet Alleluia. On Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras, in French) an old tradition is to use up all the fat — the milk, eggs and butter in the house (usually in pancakes). And we use up all the alleluias. A liturgical tradition for this day includes burying the alleluias,carrying a small casket out of the church and interring it, as we would for someone we love. It’s a tender moment.

Use up your alleluias today.  Relish the word.  Walk around singing it, saying it, praying it.  Rejoice in being “shriven” —having confessed and been absolved (hence another name for today, “Shrove Tuesday”) — before you enter into a season when your freedom is still being worked out.  Then tonight, bury yourAlleluias. Kiss them goodbye. Wish them well.  They will go down into the darkness, into the silence, to be drowned out by the moans and the cries. Let them go. They have infinite life in them.  They will arise again on Easter, having seen Hell and transfigured it, and returned, singing.

But today do not worry yourself about the dark journey to come.  This is the day the Lord is creating. Let us rejoice and be glad.  Alleluia!

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

 

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Blog, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, force, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Happy Holiday!, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Party, Passion, People, Prayer, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Smile, strength, Sweet, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words, Writing | Leave a comment
20 Feb 2012

dreams & ideas are for doing

Trust that little voice in your head that says

‘Wouldn’t it be interesting if…’

And then do it.

– Duane Michals

Posted in Adventure, America, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, laugh, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Passion, Patience, People, Poetry, power, Prayer, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Solitude, strength, success, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning | Leave a comment

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →