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Blessings are acts of invoking goodwill energy for the purpose of uplifting living beings. Events like weddings, baptisms, and group gatherings; places like homes and workspaces, and inanimate objects all may be blessed to enhance spiritually our life experiences. Blessings are a way of bringing the sacred into all aspects of our lives. Higher energies are invoked towards the recipient whenever a blessing is given. True blessings require self forgetfulness on the part of the bestower as energy is actually transferred from them, the "blesser." And if the act is truly selfless, invisible spiritual energies are drawn in through this action, and can bring great healing results. In a "perfect world" all waking thoughts would be toward the blessing of every thing and every one on earth. Unfortunately lower thought forms may prevail, such as the emotions of greed and anger, and may be too strong to be eliminated immediately in this way. Yet if everyone held vibrations of blessing, as found in the beauty of nature such as flowers and clean soft rainfall, all consciousness would become devoid of pain and suffering. Blessings are consciousness-raising efforts given toward the good of All, even if it is a particular person or place that is being blessed. The power of any blessing is heightened whenever there is group energy being united in thought and intent. The purer the energy of any blessing, the more effective and powerful it is in its manifestation. Purification is a desired attribute of the blessing ceremony. Rituals such as baptism by water employ this precept, and the use of candles or incense during the ritual ceremony speaks to the invocation of higher energies in order to achieve the purest result. Let's examine some instances where blessings are appropriate, as examples of how to bring the energy of goodwill into our lives. When families or couples come together to live or simply to share experiences, joy can be invoked through the blessing ritual. The idea is to create a ceremony in which energies are attracted to be available to the family or couple as they share activities and experiences. When two people make a commitment it is appropriate to bless their relationship, whether it is a marriage ceremony or simply a dedication of love for each other. Usually friends are invited to participate as witnesses, thereby bringing their attention and body energy to a particular place at an appointed time. Gifts can be given as symbols of well wishing, and food is prepared to nurture all who attend. The attention this brings to the couple unites the love between two people with the added love of their friends and families. The more accord in this intent for goodwill, the more invisible energies are attracted to the site. In some cultures it is customary to fast prior to such an event, so that everyone who attends is purified and has thus prepared with intention to bless the couple. Getting ready for the ceremony, wearing special clothes, buying presents or cooking a meal, are done so with attention on the couple and their declaration of love for each other. The ritual ceremony is basically a performance in which energy is given to and words are spoken about the purpose of the couple's union. All who attend are witnesses to the love that the two people declare. If everyone who is gathered gives selfless approval to the union, the combined energy of these thoughts will attract similar vibrations from the universe and result in a true blessing that does not stop when the ceremony has ended; rather, that thought form has been empowered to go with them into their daily life as long as they live. Afterwards if the difficulties of life seem to try and test the relationship, the thought form of Good Will and joy that became a part of the consciousness of the couple during the ritual ceremony serves to support and reinforce their commitment to each other. Even if in the future they decide to go separate ways, the blessing ritual performed on their relationship will bring truth to and provide ease in the transition: the highest good for all involved. The ritual of breaking ground for a new building or blessing a new home can attract higher energies to the structure if there is unity of purpose in the dedication. At the groundbreaking ceremony for a building, it is appropriate to look ahead to its use. For a home, to see love and harmony come to all who are to live there can bring a true appreciation for the house or apartment and will help the people or family find joy as they perform daily tasks and share in the comforts and security. Such dedication of purpose can be achieved through the use of incense to clean the air in the space, or putting crystals in the ground. Planting flowers and trees inside or in the surroundings is an act that can enhance the environment even after the plants decay and fertilize the soil. Though it is appropriate to have a ceremony when starting to build or moving into a new dwelling, subsequent rituals held there can call in higher Good Will energies as life goes on. While special events are more likely to be blessed with ceremonies that are planned and may involve a group of participants, simple routines such as meals and meetings can also be enhanced by blessing them. In our Western culture saying the blessing before dinner is commonly done; this practice can empower those who eat if there is a sincere invocation of grace as the meal is served. A dedication of the food to service and healing, in gratitude that the need for sustenance is being filled, transforms the mundane to the sublime. Going into a business or community meeting with a still mind and an open heart, along with the intent for the highest good for all who participate and who are affected by the meeting, brings focus and purpose which can help to bring greater results. Consciousness begets consciousness, and if we come from a pure place as we share ideas, deeper understanding is possible. Even seemingly "bad events can be served through blessings. When the car stalls, or you’re running late for an appointment, it can be helpful to replace the curse that tends to arise by getting still for a moment and asking for goodwill energy to come forth. Delays can be transformed into new opportunities if you have an open mind and let go of the immediate expectation. These more casual types of blessings can be spontaneous, created by appreciation, in present time, as inspiration. It is really a matter of bringing love energies into the situation at hand, simply by combining those energies with your attention. More formal ceremonies call for planning and preparation. Dancing, chanting, singing, and visualization are more active forms of blessing, which can be used by groups as well as when alone. Writing a poem or a song in preparation can bring creative energies into the blessing ceremony. Having the participants and witnesses take turns speaking about their feelings during the ritual can bring a true sense of sharing to the ceremony. The setting is also important. Creating an alter using flowers, cloth, and candles can transform a room into a temple. Burning incense will clear the space of negative vibrations and allow for the attraction of higher forces, as described above. Blessings are true selfless gifts that can heal us, others, and our world. There can never be too much true blessing, so go ahead ... get "Blessed Out"!
Tags: Blessings swalk1955
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Imagine
Posted On 03/22/2011 05:07:45
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Imagine, for a moment,
that peace befell the land,
that all of humankind reached out
and held each other's hand.
Imagine, for an instant,
the touch of skin to skin
proved so powerful a feeling
every nation felt like kin.
Imagine, for a second,
love possessed the honest soul
of each citizen on the planet
and the world was truly whole.
Imagine, for a heartbeat,
how quickly hatred would dissolve
and compassion rise up gallantly
with blazing-strong resolve.
Imagine, in your lifetime,
this chain of hope began
and the link at its inception
was your firm, extended hand.
Imagine......
Tags: Imagine swalk1955
Your beauty will be everlasting,
without worry of wrinkles or age,
if your loveliness is radiated from
within your heart.
Dark clouds will not dull the shine
of a wondrous, beautiful day,
if your path is illuminated by the glow
within your heart.
Possessions will hold their value
and appreciate over time,
if you tally the treasures that lie
within your heart.
Faith will stand eternal
and hold your beliefs in place
if you drink from the well of trust
within your heart.
Love will serve you kindly
and keep you ever secure
if you honour the living Truth
within your heart
Tags: Your beauty swalk1955
To have a special friendship Is such a wonderful thing? Joy, happiness and laughter Aren’t all that it will bring. Along with it will come sadness? Sorrow and pain, But having special friends Can make you smile again. Special friends will hug and comfort you In your hour of need, They take you by the hand and guide you, Sometimes take the lead. Caring and sharing Is such a vital part? Of a loving friendship Straight from the heart. To have a friend stand by you, Each day with what it brings, Makes a special friendship Such a wonderful thing. You are MY special friends. It isn't important how or when it started, What matters now? Is that we won't be parted.
Tags: To have a special friendship swalk1955
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Tea cup
Posted On 03/19/2011 09:54:10
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Love this story or not - you will not be able to have tea in a tea cup again without thinking of this.
There was a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups.
Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay.
My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "Don't do that." "I don't like it!" "Let me alone," but he only smiled, and gently said; "Not yet!"
Then. WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick" I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly; 'Not yet.'
He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then ..... then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet'.
When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Oh, please, Stop it, Stop, ' I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!'.
Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering "What's he going to do to me next?"
An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!"
Quietly he spoke: "I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you."
The moral of this story is this: God knows what He's doing for each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.
So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this .... Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter
Tags: Tea cup swalk1955
I like to think that angels,
Are loved ones who've moved on,
It doesn't say this in the Bible,
But, it doesn't say I'm wrong.
For instance, there's my grandparents,
Who went to heaven long ago,
But I can sense their presence,
As if they're still with us below.
Sometimes when I am feeling blue,
And way down in the dumps,
I swear my grandma kisses me,
And she's done this more than once.
I hear grandpa's jolly laugh,
Time and time again,
And when I do, I chuckle, too,
I can't help but join in.
So, I know that they are angels,
Who are here to keep us cheered,
And I find it very comforting,
To know that they are near.
And there are other family members,
Who have since moved on,
Aunts and uncles - cousins, too
Yet I know they're still around.
I find myself quite frequently,
Talking to them all,
And it seems they all reply to me,
When they hear me call.
I, too, have been protected,
From death and tragedy,
And I know a family angel,
Was looking after me.
Our loved ones may pass on,
But they never really go,
We miss seeing, touching, feeling them,
Yet they're still here, you know.
We can't have a family gathering,
Without including them,
Angels don't need invitations,
They're always welcomed in.
And when the rest of us pass on,
And it's our turn to bid goodbye,
God will host a family banquet,
At His palace in the sky.
We will have a blest reunion,
Like never held before,
With our precious angel family,
Who'll be together ever more
Tags: Family Angels swalk1955
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TAXES
Posted On 03/19/2011 08:41:46
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A Tax Assessor came one day to a poor Christian to determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay. The following conversation took place:
"What property do you possess?" asked the assessor.
"I am a very wealthy man," replied the Christian.
"List your possessions, please," the assessor instructed.
The Christian said:
"First, I have everlasting life, John 3:16
Second, I have a mansion in heaven, John 14:2
Third, I have peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7
Fourth, I have joy unspeakable, 1 Peter 1:8
Fifth, I have divine love which never fails, 1 Corinthians 13:8
Sixth, I have a faithful wife, Proverbs 31:10
Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children, Exodus 20:12
Eighth, I have true, loyal friends, Proverbs 18:24
Ninth, I have songs in the night, Psalms 42:8
Tenth, I have a crown of life, James 1:12"
The tax assessor closed his book, and said, "Truly you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation."
I pray that all of us will have this kind of tax free "wealth."
Have a richly blessed day!
Tags: TAXES swalk1955
Dreaming - The Room...
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room.
There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls/Guys I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalogue system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.
A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I have told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my sister and brother". Others I couldn’t laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Mother." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my 55 years to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I have listened to," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented. When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't mattered now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel with." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me. Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no, " as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand
on my shoulder and said, "It is finished." I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door.
There were still cards to be written. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Tags: Dreaming - The Room...swalk1955
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she said. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home." The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!! Hello God 
Hello God, I called tonight
To talk a little while..
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial...
You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own...
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.
I want to ask you please to keep,
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they're bound.
Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.
I thank you God, for being home
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.
Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.
So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God, I love You, too,
And I'll call again tomorrow!
Tags: An Invitation swalk1955
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