Spiritual Thoughts

[Ann]

As you walk your path of life and love
guide yourself into spirituality
Be patient with yourself;
there is no rush when it comes to
advancing on whatever path you choose.
We have chosen to come again,
A new day dawns as WE awaken
to the marvel of heaven on earth.
WE are spiritual beings
wearing human cloaks.

Trust yourself and go within.
As the rambling begin to quiet,
listen to the whispers of your
inner self; your intuition; your spirit.
Keep what is good for you.
Love ALL unconditionally.
ONE becomes a Way of Life.

-- Mayan Code of Honor

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Ty

4

Sharing

Ann


Chris

[Pony]

beautiful Ann, Thanks

[3legacy]

(((((((((Ann)))))))))
Namaste
Kiss Heart of Spirit In Love & Service

[Ann]

Trust yourself and go within.
As the rambling begin to quiet,
listen to the whispers of your
inner self; your intuition; your spirit.

As I struggle with my recovery, and with issues that have been difficult for me to deal with, I find that taking time to "go within" and listening to the whispers is often where I find my answers.

My spirit already knows what my heart and my mind have not been able to grasp. If I listen carefully and quietly, the whispers will guide me.

Hugs
Ann

[Ann]

This is something I have kept in my "Recovery Treasures" and thought this might be an appropriate place to share it.

I AM THERE

Do you need Me ?
I am there.
You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.
You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.
I am at work, though you do not understand My ways.
I am at work, though you do not understand My works.
I am not strange visions. I am not mysteries.
Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know Me
as I AM, and then but as a feeling and a faith.
Yet I am here. Yet I hear. Yet I answer.
When you need ME, I am there.
Even if you deny Me, I am there.
Even when you feel most alone, I am there.
Even in your fears, I am there.
Even in your pain, I am there.
I am there when you pray and when you do not pray.
I am in you, and you are in Me.
Only in your mind can you feel separate from Me, for
only in your mind are the mists of "yours" and "mine".
Yet only with your mind can you know Me and experience Me.
Empty your heart of empty fears.
When you get yourself out of the way, I am there.
You can of yourself do nothing, but I can do all.
And I AM in all.
Though you may not see the good, good is there, for
I am there. I am there because I have to be, because I AM.
Only in Me does the world have meaning; only out of Me does the world take form; only because of ME does the world go forward.
I am the law on which the movement of the stars and the growth of living cells are founded.
I am the love that is the law's fulfilling. I am assurance.
I am peace. I am oneness. I am the law that you can live by.
I am the love that you can cling to. I am your assurance.
I am your peace. I am ONE with you. I am.
Though you fail to find ME, I do not fail you.
Though your faith in Me is unsure, My faith in you never
wavers, because I know you, because I love you.
Beloved, I AM there.
--- James Dillet Freeman

[Ann]

Yet only with your mind can you know Me and experience Me.
Empty your heart of empty fears.
When you get yourself out of the way, I am there.
You can of yourself do nothing, but I can do all.
And I AM in all.

Again, like the post above, I need to learn to be still and get out of my own way, to let the spirit and the light shine in to guide me.

Hugs
Ann

[Ann]

The secret of seeing is to sail on solar wind. Hone and spread your spirit, till you yourself are a sail, whetted, translucent, broadside to the merest puff.
--Annie Dillard

Our progress today, and certainly our serenity, is enhanced by our willingness to accept all that we are blessed with today. Not only to accept, but to celebrate, trusting that these events are moving us toward our special destiny.

Flowing with the twists and turns in our lives, rather than resisting them, guarantees smooth sailing, helps us to maximize our opportunities, increases our serenity. Accepting our powerlessness over all but our own attitude is the first step we need to take toward finding serenity.

Resistance, whether it is against a person or a situation in our lives, will compound the problem, as we perceive it. We can believe in the advantages for growth that all experiences offer. We can sail with our experiences. We can be open to them so they can carry us to our destination. We can trust, simply trust, that all is well and in our favor, every moment.

My serenity is in my control today. I will look to this day with trust and thanksgiving. And my Spirit will soar.

~Each Day a New Beginning.~

[CAPTAINZING2000]

TY

ANN 4 SHARING THAT!!!!

have any more??

[Ann]

There's lots more, Zing,. I'm hoping others will share their spiritual thoughts and inspirations here also. It's nice to have a thread that we can come to as a resting place to just read and recharge our spiritual batteries.

I'm glad you enjoy these.

Hugs
Ann

[Ann]

When our myths, dreams, and ideals are shattered, our world topples.
--Kathleen Casey Thiesen

The act of "becoming" topples our world, and rightly so. We outgrow yesterday's ideals, and we have begun realizing, in our unfolding, the dreams of last year. Now new dreams call us. Recovery has toppled our world. Hallelujah!

In our abstinence, each day offers us fresh opportunities to "create" new realities to replace the outworn, outgrown myths of the using days. But letting go of the old takes patience, persistence, and strength. The old comforted us, when there was little else.

Perhaps we need reminding that were it not for the shattered myths of last year or last week, we'd not be progressing, unfolding, as the bigger picture calls us. We have a part to play in this life, as do our sisters, our friends, our children. New dreams and ideals will lead us on our way. Old dreams served us yesterday, and the past is gone. They can't direct our present.

I will look with excitement at my toppling world. It signifies growth - intellectual, emotional and spiritual. Old ideals will bind me--I will dare to dream new dreams and go where they lead with confidence.

~You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.~

[Ann]

Spirit

Day and night there is movement of foam on the Sea.
You see the foam, but not the Sea. Amazing!
We are dashing against each other like boats:
our eyes are darkened though we are in clear water.
O you who have gone to sleep in the body's boat,
you've seen the water,
but look at the Water of the water.
The water has a Water that is driving it;
the spirit has a Spirit that is calling it.

Time is limited, and the abundant water is flowing away.
Drink, before you fall to pieces.
There is a famous conduit, full of the Water of Life:
draw the Water, in order that verdure may grow up from you.
We are drinking the water of Khidr
from the river of the speech of the saints:
Come, O heedless thirsty man!
Even if you don't see the water, artfully, like the blind,
bring the jug to the river and dip it in.

~Rumi~

[Ann]

"The satiated man and the hungry one do not see the same thing when they look upon a loaf of bread."
- Jelauddin Rumi

Spirit is Infinite, the Totality of All. It is complete and natural, loving and opulent. Within Spirit, the natural unfolding of expression continues as the creative process; the Infinite unfolding into Itself. This creation is eternal and exists because of the action of Spirit. I am a part of that action.

Through conscious growth, I realize my progress. As my awareness grows and my realization deepens, my perspective changes. I am increasingly free of small concerns and feelings of powerlessness. I am opening to a greater idea, a greater sense of being one with the One. My power is greater, my love more pervasive, my wisdom deepening. My new perspective comes from a higher position in consciousness. As I accept this new perspective, I come to own it, releasing old and limiting views. I move into greater self acceptance and greater trust in Principle.

I see myself as a contributor, one who brings a great energy to life. I give thanks for this realization, and for its continual unfolding in my life. My perspective of myself is greater, higher, and more loving today, and greater yet tomorrow. And so it is . . .

[CAPTAINZING2000]

ty


chris

[Ann]

THE FOUR CANDLES

The four candles burned slowly, their ambiance was so soft you could
hear them speak.

The first candle said, "I am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to
keep me lit." Then Peace's flame slowly diminished and went out
completely.

The second candle said, "I am Faith, but these days, I am no longer
indispensable." Then Faith's flame slowly diminished and went out.

The third candle spoke, "I am Love and I haven't the strength to stay
lit any longer. People put me aside and don't understand my
importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them."
And waiting no longer, Love went out completely.

Suddenly, a child entered the room and saw the three candles no
longer burning. The child began to cry, "Why are you not burning? You
are supposed to stay lit until the end."

Then the fourth candle spoke to the little boy, "Don't be afraid, for
I am Hope, and while I still burn, we can relight the other candles."

With shining eyes the child took the candle of Hope and lit the other
three candles.

Never let the Flame of Hope to go out of your life. With Hope, no
matter how bad things look and are... Peace, Faith and Love can shine
brightly in our lives.

(author unknown )

[Ann]

~ Earth ~

How beautiful you are, Earth, and how sublime!
What wisdom in your obedience to the light, and what nobility in your submission to the sun!

How seductive you are when veiled in shadow and how radiant is your face beneath the mask of darkness!

How crystalline are your songs at dawn and how marvelous are the praises sung at the hour of your twilight!

How perfect you are, Earth, and how majestic!

I have crossed your plains and climbed your mountains; I have gone down into your valleys and entered your caves.

On the plains I have discovered your dreams, on the mountains I have admired your splendid presence.

And in the valleys I have observed your tranquility; among the rocks I have felt your firmness; in the caves I have touched your mysteries.

You who are relaxed in your strength, haughty in your modesty, humble in your arrogance, gentle in your resistance, limpid in your secrets.

I have crossed your seas, explored your rivers, and walked the banks of your streams.

I have heard Eternity speak through your ebb and flow and the ages return the echoes of your melodies over your hillsides.

And I have heard Life calling to itself in your mountain passes and along your valley slopes.

You are the tongue and lips of Eternity, the cords and fingers of Eternity, the thoughts and words of Life.

Your Spring awoke me and led me towards your forests, where your breathing exhales in the distance its sweet perfume in spirals of incense.

Your Summer invited me into your fields to be present at your labor, at the birth of your jewel-like fruits.

Your Autumn showed me, in your vineyards, your blood running like wine.

Your winter took me into its bed where your purity broadcasts its flakes of snow.

You are fragrance when young, force when growing, magnificence in middle life, and with the ice of old age, you are crystal.

On a starry night I opened the lock-gates of my soul and went out to be at your side, with a curious and hungry heart. And I saw you looking at the stars which were smiling at you.

Then I cast off my chains and shackles, for I discovered that the lodging of the soul is your universe, that its desires grow within yours, that its peace dwells within your peace, and that its joy lies in that long hair of stars that the night spreads over your body.

One misty night, weary of idle dreaming, I went to meet you. And you appeared to me like a giant armed with furious tempests, fighting the past by means of the present, overturning the old to the advantage of the new, and letting the strong scatter the weak.

In this way, I learned that the law of Man is your law. I learned that he who does not break up his branches dried out by his own tempest will die of indifference. And he who does not rebel to make his own dead leaves fall will perish from indolence.

Immense are your gifts, Earth, and deep are your groans; long too are the languishing of your heart for your children who have been led astray by their greed on the path of their truth.

We cry out to each other, and you smile.

We go astray, and you pay the penalty for us.

We soil things, and you sanctify.

And we blaspheme, and you bless.

We sleep without ever dreaming, and you dream in your eternal wakefulness. We speak to you while piercing your breast with swords and lances, and you heal our wound-like words with the scented oil of your waters.

We sow our bones and skulls in the palm of your hand, and you make willows and cypresses grow. We store our refuse and excrement within your caves and you fill our attics and taverns. We disfigure you with our blood and you wash our hands in the Eden river. We dissect your entrails in order to extract cannon and rockets from them, and from our bones you create the lily and dew.

Earth, you are long-suffering and magnanimous.

And the Earth cries out to the soil:

"I am the womb and sepulcher and I shall remain thus until the stars fade away and the sun turns into ashes."




Kahlil Gibran
The Eye of the Prophet

[Ann]

* Bowl of Light *

There is an ancient Hawaiian story that says that each child has, at birth, a bowl of perfect light. If he tends to his light, it will grow in strength and he can do all things - swim with sharks, fly with the birds, know and understand all things.

If however, he becomes envious, jealous, angry, or fearful, he drops a stone into his bowl of light and some of the light goes out. Light and the stone cannot hold the same space. If he continues to put stones in the bowl, the light will go out and he will become a stone himself. A stone does not grow, nor does it move.

If at any time he tires of being a stone, all he needs to do is turn the bowl upside down and the stones will fall away and the light will grow once more.

Pali Lee and John Koko Willis
Tales from the Night Rainbow

[Ann]

Spirit Of The Wolves
~ Dasani DesertWind~

The Spirit of the Wolf Lives Strongly in me, and dwells deep inside my soul, it will always be a part of me , and I will always feel as if I am The Wolf. This is the beauty and grandeur that makes me who I am, I am the Wolf, and my true home will always be the wilderness. This gives me the strength and Will to Survive.

[Ann]

There will be storms, child
There will be storms
And with each tempest
You will seem to stand alone
Against cruel winds

But with time, the rage and fury
Shall subside
And when the sky clears
You will find yourself
Clinging to someone
You would have never known
But for storms.

"Storms"
by Margie DeMerell

[Ann]

Even
After
All this time
The sun never says to the earth
"You owe me."

Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights up the
Whole
Sky.

-Hafiz

[historyteach]

gorgeous!!!
Shalom, friend!

[Ann]

I love this writing, and just want to share that the beach in the photo is "my beach" where I walk as often as possible, and where I find peace. Please enjoy my beach with me, and the light that shines there.

LIGHT

by Eric Ashford

Light is your understanding. Light is the knowing, and not the knowledge. Light is being compassionate with yourself. Light is not clinging to anything. Light is wanting nothing. Light is knowing you have everything worth having. Light is seeing what is, in what appears. Light is the understanding of children. Light is your sensual nature and your spiritual reality. Light is your divinity. Light is your acceptance of humanity. Light is your awareness of the love you are. Light is your open and unashamed heart. Light is your forgiveness. Light is the content of form. Light is beauty in all things. Light is no thought in thought. Light is soul awareness. Light is growth, decay, and renewal. Light is gratitude. Light is releasing all that has gone. Light is knowing you are at the very point of perfection now. Light is an awakening from fear. Light is awakening from littleness. Light is the gift of grandeur. Light is the home of peace. Light is the bloom of creation. Light is your breath in God. Light is God on your breath. Light is where you came from. Light is where you are. Light is where your going. Light is anything that is open. Light is recognition. Light is the bud of manifestation. Light is the bloom of holiness. Light is the vibration of infinite energy, infinitely expressing itself. Light is Love. Light is the eternal in the atom of this moment. In all the world there is only you.
Shine.

[historyteach]

(((Ann)))
Your beach is breathtaking!!!
Shine on, my friend...Shine on...
L'Chaim!

[Ann]

I'm happy to share it with you, Teach. I just tripped over this picture, and i believe it's a bit of an older picture, but aside from the truck and car on the beach it's exactly what it looks like now. It IS breathtaking. Teach, and I'm glad you liked it.

Hugs
Ann

[Ann]

Children

And a woman who held a babe against
her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for
itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not
to you.

You may give them your love but not your thougts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make
them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with
yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living
arrows are sent forth.

The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the
infinite, and He bends you with His might that His
arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for
gladness;


For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He
loves also the bow that is stable.

~Kahlil Gibran