New Year, New beginnings?

I love the New Year even if it is just another day designated as the changeover of the calendar. I have always kept a diary and delight in the newness of the page for the January 1st entry. It's a time of reassessment for me, not so much to set New Year's resolutions but intentions for the year to come.
I write out ten things that happened in the previous year and ten things I would like to happen in the coming year. It's my way of acknowledging my progress or the changes that a year brings in circumstances, in relationships and career. At the same time I get to be conscious of what I would like to create. And we create each day anew if we choose to. So whether its January 1st of Feb 1st or the ides of March itself, one thing holds true, the past can only affect the now if we choose to allow it to. I love this passage from Thomas Troward, which acknowledges the possibility for expansion of our lives and the possibility of completely new experiences.

"My mind is a center of Divine operation. The Divine operation is always for expansion and fuller expression and this means the production of something beyond what has gone before, something entirely new, not included in past experience, though proceeding out of it by an orderly sequence of growth. Therefore, since the Divine cannot change its inherent nature, it must operate in the same manner in me; consequently in my special world, of which I am the center, it will move forward to produce new conditions, always in advance of any that have gone before."
-Thomas Troward, The Dore Lectures on Mental Science

May you allow and enjoy in 2011, new conditions beyond what has gone before, as your life expands and the Divine finds fuller expression through you this year. May you create the new beginnings you most desire.
Blessings, Joan

Walking Through Illusion

Betsy Otter Thompson leads us to see with deeper discernment the growth opportunities in life's challenges in her book "Walking Through Illusion." Using different Biblical characters who struggled with memories, complaints, beliefs, handicaps and confusion, to mention but  a few of her chapter titles, the reader is brought on a vicarious life path to the insight and gift of the challenge faced in each situation. The characters were each personal acquaintances of Jesus Christ and Thompson channels His compassionate understanding of the path their lives took. Each individual is doing his best as are each of us. What Thompson offers us is a door to unconditional love of ourselves and others if we are willing to explore our own challenges and look at our lives from a broader perspective.
A workbook, each chapter is followed by thought provoking questions so we may explore our own experiences with each issue. Most helpful I found were her own own personal insights, gained on her own life journey that conclude each chapter; the theory in practice.
I am reminded of a question posed once about upsets in relationships, why is it when we love someone who upsets us we cannot simply skip the anger, confusion and argument and jump to "I love you" which you know will come at the conclusion? This is what would happen if we truly walked through the illusion as Thompson is asking us to do. She offers us gems of great value if we seek a more peaceful and lovefilled experience of life and who would not wish for that. May your Christmas and New Year be blessed by the revealing of what is of true value in all aspects of your life.
To check out her book go to http://www.betsythompson.com/index.php

Season of Light

Personally I love Christmas because I have strong positive associations from my childhood. With nine children in my family we were not affluent in terms of money and but we were abundant in comradery and love. Christmas carols, cards, gifts and get-togethers, its a busy time of year!

These days there are so many ways to be stressed at Christmastime: shopping, lack of funds for shopping, planning dinner at your place or not having a place to go for Christmas, organizing travels, dealing with colds, flu, family or maybe a combination of all of the above!

Or maybe you are someone who stays centered at this time of year, feeling only the goodwill and childhood joys of the season. Its possible!

Whatever your experience, my wish for you this coming week is to find time to really be present to your power and to your every experience. You are alive, you have the capacity to love and be loved - whatever is going on around you or within you, you can choose to be the light of love. Your presence is the greatest gift of all so be conscious of where you spend your time and be aware of your thoughts. A kind word is a simple and inexpensive gift so why not give generously this week! First to yourself and then to others. Its not really complicated but its so easy to forget.

If there is sadness of loss in your Christmas, acknowledge it and find a way to include that person in this year's experience. Lighting a candle in their honor at the Christmas table is one possibility. Loss makes everthing more precious and helps us see what is truly important. Be present in your present relationships.

You have the power to make this a peaceful, love and light filled Christmas. 
YOU are the light of the season!

I Find My Path

I always find my path, even if I sometimes have the impression that I have lost my way. So often I have taken pointless detours. I find the one and only reason for my presence in the universe- my ultimate realization, the return to Unity. I now walk in peace.

Bleak mid winter.

With the images and news I am seeing from my homeland of Ireland I am reminded of iambic pentameter! In the convent where I went to school the poem "Winter" was used as a beautiful example of this rhythm of poetry writing. Reading the poem again I cant help but think of the perishing cold that these characters had to fend off with wool and wood. How hard their lives must have been and short their life expectancy.

The double glazing, the gas heating system and my fleece jumper ensure my body heat, and my electric kettle boiled water for my tea this morning. I am grateful.
I woke up, I walked to my kitchen to feed the cat. I am grateful.
My husband walked by and kissed my head, I am grateful.
I see my sister's latest art on Etsy, I am grateful.
I use Skype to call my mother, I am grateful.
And though money may be tight and the winter bleak, I put a prayer out for protection to my angels for my family and for all people experiencing difficult circumstances. I affirm Spirit as our source and sustenance and know that we have much to be grateful for and grace will see us through. 

WINTER.

When icicles hang by the wall
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail
And Tom bears logs into the hall
And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp'd and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;
Tu-whoo, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
When all aloud the wind doth blow
And coughing drowns the parson's saw
And birds sit brooding in the snow
And Marian's nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;
Tu-whoo, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.