life: acoustic & amplified

poetry, quotes & thoughts about life

Archive for the category “Purpose”

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
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
19 Feb 2012

If you want it – it’s all there for us!

We just have to choose who we want to be and then keep making choices toward those amazing things!!!! I love that!

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

Be Sure to Take A Beautiful Path

The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

More options for inspiration at http://pinterest.com/al513/the-path-we-take-makes-all-the-difference/

Posted in Adventure, Alone, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, find art at pinterest, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, laugh, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Lonely, Love, Miracles, music, Passion, Peace, People, Poetry, Prayer, Purpose, quiet, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Seasons, Smile, Solitude, Spring, Stars and Moonlight, strength, success, Sweet, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words
17 Feb 2012

We are the light!

 Transfiguration

The disciples were having no strange vision,
nor the evangelist concocting a tableau
for the delight of Renaissance painters.
It was simply this: for a moment
Jesus’ friends were seeing truly,
seeing him as he was,
seeing a human being as we all truly are,
shining with the whole glory of Creation,
stardust that we are.
They saw through the scruff and dirt
that this rough world leaves on us,
saw past the judgments and appearances,
the masks and costumes and shrouds
that we throw on each other:
they saw the heaven within a person,
the image of God.
If only they hadn’t been so shocked
they would have noticed it in themselves.
Jesus had to tell them later:
“You are light for the world.”
God shines in you,
gleams with the splendid light of heaven.
Beyond any smudge this world can put on you,
or any human word or deed can remove,
you are dazzling, radiant with newborn light.
Right now, sitting there reading this,
you breathe God’s light in and out.
Your nerves spark with life.
Your eyes light up the world.
Let this light fill you, the fire of God.
Be mindful of this radiance.
Look for the light in all whom you meet.
Trust the light. Give thanks for the light
Even in your sleep, the light closes its eye,
but breathes deeply, calmly, faithfully.

Light,
refracted from the rising Son,
increasing throughout the day
as it condenses within each living being,
until, even after nightfall,
all glimmers with wonder.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Used with Permission
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

 

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Blog, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Passion, People, Poetry, power, Prayer, Proof, Purpose, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Smile, strength, success, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning | Leave a comment
16 Feb 2012

love sets free

Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. – C.S. Lewis
Today is a ‘Freedom Anniversary’ for me! It is a big deal! My life has been a progression of stepping towards freedom.
The battles have been long, dangerous and hard to win in order to free myself. Both physically and spiritually. I am not completely there yet – it is a life-long exploration and journey to free myself. The chains and bars in my prisons, because I find they are legion, are very strong. My Alcatraz type barren -rock islands were such a long way from shore, with many snipers, predators and sharp rocks in the water and on all sides of the shores. My guards were very alert and ready to shoot me, or keep me locked down and in solitary for my whole life. They were gleeful when I fell and happy over my pain and destruction.
And yet, the love, the words, and truth, of God were so much more powerful than any of these things, that no prison in this world could not hold me and, for 22 years now, I keep walking out of my prisons into the brilliant light and sunshine of the free!!!!

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage|
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.

http://songsfromthevalley.com/July-09-2-14-Freedom.pdf

Posted in Adventure, Alone, America, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Blog, Burnign Bridges, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, Death, determination, do, dominance, Dreams, Encouragement, force, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Happy Holiday!, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, Judging, kindness, laugh, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Lonely, Losing, Love, Miracles, Mother, music, Newsletter, Party, Passion, Peace, People, Poetry, politics, power, Prayer, Proof, Purpose, quiet, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Seasons, Smile, Solitude, Songs from the Valley, Spring, Stars and Moonlight, strength, success, Sweet, Tears, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Uncategorized, Vulnerability, Winning, words, worry, Writing | Leave a comment
15 Feb 2012

Words That Feed Us

When we talk to one another, we often talk about what happened, what we are doing, or what we plan to do. Often we say, “What’s up?” and we encourage one another to share the details of our daily lives. But often we want to hear something else. We want to hear, “I’ve been thinking of you today,” or “I missed you,” or “I wish you were here,” or “I really love you.” It is not always easy to say these words, but such words can deepen our bonds with one another.
Telling someone “I love you” in whatever way is always delivering good news. Nobody will respond by saying, “Well, I knew that already, you don’t have to say it again”! Words of love and affirmation are like bread. We need them each day, over and over. They keep us alive inside.
Posted in Adventure, Alone, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Blog, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Lonely, Love, Miracles, Mother, music, Passion, People, power, Prayer, Proof, Purpose, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Smile, Solitude, strength, success, Sweet, Tears, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words | Leave a comment
13 Feb 2012
2 Comments

The Importance of Personal Responsibility

's avatarHeartWork

An Invitation to Wholehearted Living hosted by Elaine Hansen and Margaret Rahn

http://heartworkguides.com/brene-brown-the-price-of-invulnerability-and

The importance of vulnerability and tenderness has become increasingly into the forefront of my thinking over the past couple of years. It is one of the most important choices we have to make as humans and the choices we make over this is a ‘life or death’ kind of choice. There are little decisions we make over this that lead us to live a false life.

Our society seems to encourage and celebrate ‘badness’. ‘Good girls gone bad’ seem to make people laugh and admire them for going this direction. Tiny example of this – I heard a father singing a song with his 8-year-old daughter, ‘…whips and chains excite me’. WHAT?????? WHY???HOW????? Can we truly believe we can sing and laugh over these types of words and actions and our lives and relationships will move into happy directions? Words are soooo important!!!!

Somehow we have decided we don’t want to live in reality. There is much pain in life – there is also much joy in life and in order to truly experience life, we have to allow both of these things to be felt, embraced, and accepted. We are here to help each other be better, to heal, to give love and lift each other up. We are given the choice of how we experience and share these things! And we have the power to live a happy, or an unhappy life.

Mostly we just react to life. We don’t realize we are choosing, we just strike back when someone hurts us, not realizing what we are doing. It feels natural. It feels powerful and good in that moment. But the consequences are very grave. As we choose to shut down our hearts, as we choose darkness, anger, revenge and blame, our actions become more desperate to ‘feel’ and so we spiral into addictions, abuse and secret behaviors that lead us further and further into darkness and way from shame. We begin to believe lies and forget that we are the beloved creations of God and we are loved beyond what we can ever comprehend.

If you click on the link above you will find out about a workshop I went to on Saturday and will also see two TED talks by Brene Brown on her vulnerability research. Sooooo good!!!

I have lots more to say about this…but I am out of time for this morning…think about these things!!! Make choices towards your own personal responsibility and happiness! Determine to seek it out for yourself! This is your personal life story – don’t let someone else rob you of your happiness and love!

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, Death, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, Judging, kindness, laugh, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Passion, Peace, People, Prayer, Purpose, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, strength, success, thankfulness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, words
11 Feb 2012

true success is finding the joy and miracle of each moment

“What day is it?”

It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, courage, create, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Party, Passion, Peace, People, Poetry, power, Prayer, Purpose, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Smile, strength, success, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words | Leave a comment
05 Feb 2012

enjoy all the miracles of life!

Dazzle and Glow
by Kathy Galloway/Love Burning Deep

Did the sun ever shine so brightly again?
Was there ever again a day of such distinction?
Did the light and shadow ever compliment each other quite so gracefully?

On that day, I remember, I ate chicken soup,
and rode a tractor throught the fields of heaven to certify sheep.

On that day, I put my head down on my arms and wept,
and a friend told me he loved me.

On that day, I hugged another friend in the glory-hole beneath the stairs.

On that day, I thought I would die of feeling,
But lived to wash the coffee cups at midnight.

On that day, we ran like children to the door
and tood and sighed like children at the northern lights,
painting the dark sky with a wash of silver.

On that day, mystery and mundanity embraced, and
caught me in their arms for ever more.

What a blessing of a day!
The benediction of the dazzle of water in a ditch,
and the glow of love, light, and night.

Used with Permission

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Change, Choice, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, laugh, Letting Go, Life, Love, Miracles, music, Passion, Peace, People, Poetry, power, Prayer, Purpose, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Smile, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, words | Leave a comment

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →