Dec 3
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi
Blinders off.
Full view.
Doors in walls.
Walk through.
Windows.
Let the light and fresh air in.
Look up to see the expanse and depth.
Look in to see the expanse and depth.
Be renewed in the seeking.
Refreshed in the rerouting of thoughts.
“That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility.” – Rumi
“If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.” -St. Therese of Lisieux
“When one loves, one does not calculate.”
― Saint Thérèse de Lisieux
May you give and receive love without counting or measure (impossible and doable);
May you know you are not alone today or ever (unbelievable and truth);
May you always pause to be awakened by the beauty of a small flower (ridiculous and brilliant);
May you put down all that you are carrying to walk lightly and with ease (not me and yes you);
Test your assumptions;
Add an “and” to expand and deepen;
More yes than no and a mix of both;
Gratitude, kindness and love all remain waiting to be released and applied;
Go first (no waiting), stop counting (overflowing), never alone (Amen).
“The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too.” – Saint Teresa of Avila
Feb 14
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Teresa
“Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.” – Leo Buscaglia
Valentine’s Day began as the Feast of St. Valentine to honor the love and sacrifice of early Christian martyrs. One account includes the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century. Another one is of Saint Valentine restoring sight to the blind daughter of his jailer. There are other associations connecting the saint with the advent of spring. With a wind chill temperature of 45 below in Minnesota this morning, I’m going with celebrating the advent of spring soon, please.
Like Christmas, Valentine’s Day has been secularized to sell stuff, with a focus on romantic love. Returning to its origins, you can choose to celebrate the power of all love, the gift of springs in the winters of life. Reflect on those who love you and who you love in return, present and past. Deepen your awareness to the healing, sustaining and transformational power of unconditional love from God, self and others.
Celebrate the power of love today and practice it imperfectly everyday to be transformed. Cast love, light and joy and be open to receive it in return.
