life: acoustic & amplified

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Archive for the category “Leadership”

25 Jan 2012

Praying for Someone

When I pray for someone I don’t ask God to do certain things. God is already doing more than I know. God does not need to be informed or convinced of anything, nor is God taking a vote. And I don’t know exactly what needs to happen, anyway—what the best outcome is, or the consequences of my desires. God is present with life-giving grace in every person, place and situation, and God will be present in the future. My prayer does not change that. What my prayer changes is me.

What I do when I pray is open my heart to others and to God. I am mindful of God’s gracious presence, the Loving One who dwells in each of us, and mindful of God’s blessing, God’s hope. I am mindful of the person I am praying for. I give them room in my heart, a place for their being to find blessing and rest. And I surrender my spirit to God on their behalf. I make my love and blessing available for them. I allow myself to be deeply connected to them in God, as if we are both children in God’s arms, or twins in God’s womb. I pray so that something might happen in the harmony of our spirits that couldn’t happen in them alone. In this way I can pray even for my enemies. I pray to be as lovingly present to them as God is. In fact I offer up my love for God to use in any way, even for some other person or purpose I know nothing about. I pray simply to be a part of God’s love, to participate in loving kindness.

I don’t know how this affects the person I pray for, or the world or the future, but I trust that it does. By a spiritual butterfly effect, my being lovingly present touches other spirits, which touch others, and the web of the world’s consciousness changes. As I become more mindful of the Loving Presence, and more lovingly present myself, I am changed. And when you change one note, you change the chord. When you change anybody, even yourself, you change the world.

So I pray, and trust the unknowable power of God. And grace happens.

_________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
http://www.unfoldinglight.net

Posted in Adventure, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Gratitude, Growth, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, Peace, People, power, Prayer, Purpose, quiet, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment
24 Jan 2012

Prayer changes….everything…

The past couple of months I have been doing a lot of thinking, reading, learning and coming to new understanding about prayer. For the next few days I will be posting some of the things I am learning.

For many years I tried to ‘pray’ in fancy ways and words. ‘Dear Lord, Thank you for your bountiful blessing…etc, etc…blah..blah…blah. I never felt like God had answered the phone. I was just leaving a voicemail. It was a little frustrating. Then my life exploded into millions of tiny fragments. For many years as I sought grace and healing my prayers were guttural. There were no words for me. There was no music for me. It was a path of such pain that the suffering was silent. There was no way to express it. Over and over my soul would cry to God, ‘help me…help me…help me…give me your strength for this moment…help me…help me…to love you and give you thanks right here in the middle of my circumstances.’ I would read Psalm chapter 37 and Matthew chapter 5-7 and cling to them.

And God has done what He promised. He gave me strength  for each moment, grace for the journey, hope for my future, miracles in extravagant abundance and peace and healing as I accepted and absorbed this amazing gift of life I have been given, joy overflowing and I have been blessed me in so many ways I know I will never run out of ideas to share about the grace that has come my way.

That doesn’t mean I, or everything in my life is perfect, or will ever be, while I am on this earth. That’s not even the point. A few months ago I went for a walk. My spirit was troubled and I needed to talk to God. Nature is my best place to communicate with my creator. I never fail to connect with God in the beauty of this world that has been so lavishly decorated! As I sat on a bench and started to talk to God something interesting happened…I really wanted to complain about what was happening to me – ha, yet as I began, the amazing glory of God, the maker of heaven and earth began to come into my focus, and I realized that I had nothing but thanks and praise to give and my heart and the words changed. I realized that God already knew my problem and is taking care of it..already…and I gave thanks in a whole new understanding. I sat on the bench and wrote the following song lyrics:

I’ve come to talk to you again
Oh won’t you hear another story
My whole world is at its end
When suddenly I see your glory

Cause I don’t need to ever fear
I’ve seen your miracles and wonders
So I will rest. You’ll dry my tears
Then I’ll fall asleep while my heart ponders

Your love, Your love
Is more than I could ever hope
Your love, Your love
I want the world to know
Cause everybody ought to know

I’ve come to listen once again
Oh let me hear you in this silence
Your grace will fill me to the brim
Shine your light right in the violence

Your light, Your light
Pours though my soul into the night
Your light, Your light
Help me and guard my heart
Cause everybody needs Your light

All I can do is give you thanks
All I can do is praise your name
All I can do is sing you a love song
Every day and all night long

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, power, Prayer, Purpose, quiet, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Smile, Stars and Moonlight, strength, success, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words, worry | Leave a comment
21 Jan 2012

be vulnerable – say no to risk management

Intimacy is the act of telling another human being the truth about yourself and risking rejection. Without the risk, there is no real acceptance.                     ~ Dick Doherty

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, Judging, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, People, power, Proof, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment
19 Jan 2012
3 Comments

One step at a time…that’s all

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Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, Circus, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Party, Peace, People, power, Proof, Purpose, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Seasons, Smile, strength, success, Sweet, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning
18 Jan 2012

Ideas for when your internet is blacked out :)

Or take today to unplug and talk to God in the silence!

Posted in Adventure, art, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, People, quiet, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Smile, strength, success, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment
17 Jan 2012

Timing is everything!

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, determination, do, dominance, Dreams, Freedom, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, worry | Leave a comment
16 Jan 2012
1 Comment

Seek Love, Freedom, Justice, Courage and Respect

Under even the greatest oppression, a select few people have what they need. But this is not true justice. True justice is a whole society that is just; therefore there is no justice until there is justice for all. For this reason the struggle for justice is never-ending; there will always be setbacks, but never a reason to give up.

Even under the worst tyrant, there may be a powerful few who are free to act as they choose. But this is not true freedom. True freedom is a society in which everyone is free; therefore there is no freedom until all are free. For this reason the struggle for freedom must always set people free; freedom can never be achieved by coercion.

Injustice is always hidden, disguised as the way things ought to be, protected by social habits and assumptions that we never question or confront. Seeking justice always requires that we dismantle existing social structures. Those who seek justice will always meet resistance, but it is a struggle of truth against fear, and truth is stronger. 

The freedom and justice God intends for us (part of what Jesus called the Kingdom of God) is not a far-off fantasy; it is a gift implanted within us at our very creation. It arises as a gift when we treat one another with reverence. It can’t be enforced or manipulated or brought about by fear, violence or threat. It can only be set free in us. It can only be achieved by nonviolence.

Reverence overpowers coercion. It may take great time and sacrifice, but it will not fail. Even in offering its opponents the freedom to reject it, nonviolence has succeeded in setting all parties free. Even God does not threaten, coerce or manipulate us, but offers us grace and reverence. The cross is God’s nonviolence.

Our reverence toward others, including our enemies, regardless of the cost to us, even the cost of our lives, unleashes the infinite, world-changing, life-giving power of God’s grace in us. Just as an exploding bomb releases itself into the area around it with destructive force, a loving person releases herself into the world with creative power. This is the mystery of resurrection.

Martin Luther King, Jr. lived the resurrection life. Give thanks today for all those who have given of themselves for the sake of freedom and justice. And pray that you may have the courage, faith and compassion to stand among them, to join in the sacred struggle for “justice and liberty for all.”
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Posted in America, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, Peace, People, politics, power, Purpose, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, strength, success, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning
15 Jan 2012

make choices wisely & always keep in mind…

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, courage, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, Losing, Love, Miracles, People, Purpose, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, strength, success, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning | Leave a comment
13 Jan 2012

A Scottish challenge for us this day – from one of my favorite writers!

Behind the Wires

Look around you, can’t you see what you’re missing,
Look around you, open your eyes;
There’s a whole world of loving and meeting
In a place where hostility dies.

Oh, I know that you don’t mean to hurt me,
You only want to protect what you’ve got,
But don’t you know the best way to lose it
Is to think that your freedom can be bought.

If you shut out your spirit of adventure,
If you close up your heart from within,
You build walls to keep out the danger
and find that you’ve locked yourself in.

I believe that peace is what we’re after,
But we’ve drawn up the lines for a war;
Surrender in trust to one another,
It’s the only thing worth fighting for.

So come out from behind your fences,
You’re in a war that no one can win,
Take a chance, lay down your defenses,
If I pull down the wire from the outside
Please won’t you pull it down from within.

 

Kathy Galloway (written for the women of the Greenham Common Peace Camp)
Love Burning Deep
used with permission

 

 

Posted in America, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Growth, Habits, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, Poetry, politics, power, Reflection, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words | Leave a comment
11 Jan 2012

What’s your name?

The meaning of names is a fascinating history. I found out the meaning of my birth name when I was about 9 or 10 and it thrilled me at the time that is meant something very personal to me – Amy Carol Duvall = Beloved Song of the Valley. From my earliest memories I had identified myself as a singer and so this was even more special to me.

Over the years I didn’t really think much about my name, I was just trying to survive life itself. Over those years I was given other names by the people I loved and cared about: fat, cow, lazy, clumsy, stupid, liar, vain, ugly, etc. The list was pretty long and none of it was very good. Words, and the thoughts they produce, are so powerful. Do we realize the power of our tongues and thoughts? It was very hard to live with those names, yet I had no way of rejecting them…they were true, right?

As I lived those names I always had a feeling of shame. I tried to hide them and not let anyone know. I tried to cover myself with coolness and ‘act’ like I was better than others by my love of fashion and my house being beautiful. I didn’t want to be called by those names, yet I didn’t know how to change them. I was too weak, a complete liar, vain and never finished anything hard (my mother told me that and she knew me better than anyone).

In 1990 I began a journey with God, and that journey began something that is truly remarkable. I began the process of earning a new name. I didn’t even know it, but as I began to attempt to live beyond my own abilities, and make frail attempts to live the words of Jesus in Matthew 5-7, I was earning a new name.

In 2007 I wrote my life story – as I looked for a title the meaning of my birth name came back to me. OMG! I had lived my name for all those years! I had walked through the valley as God’s beloved song. It hit me that maybe it would have been better to have been given a more fun name, but the realization was extremely profound at that time and it even became the inspiration for the title of my good-newsletter, Songs from the Valley (www.songsfromthevalley.com).

After this realization, I began to pursue and examine being God’s beloved. This is the amazing truth I found – we are ALL the beloved. It was so exciting to find so much evidence and documentation of how God loves us so much. It began to change me, this being loved so much by my creator! The truths of the value of each soul, and God’s real, unconditional love, has been shown to me over and over. It is mind-blowing and makes me a little giddy whenever I think about it.

Anyway…

Over the past four years God has done some amazing things in my life, and I have become aware that I am no longer in the valley, but I just realized that I have a new name. This is big! I am no longer the Beloved Song of the Valley – I am now the Beloved Song of Christ. Wow!!!! I stand amazed by grace.

We have all been given true names by God. It is who we really are. What’s your name? Beloved _________ of Christ! Ask and seek and you are guaranteed to find it. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matt 7:7

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, Mother, music, Peace, People, power, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, words | Leave a comment

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