iandthoureflections

I and Thou – Christmastime

Christmas season is a time of reflection and a time for hope. A time to b Blog_Pic47 e thankful for Christmas past. To be grateful for Christmas present and to hope for a new Christmas yet to come.

Christmas past is full of memories, good and bad. Ornaments. Electronic games. Church. Children’s Choir. Families hustling and bustling. Cooking, cleaning, and entertaining.

Christmas present is full of friendship, love, and reconciliation. Quietness. Instrumental music. Church. Stillness. Reflection. Sadness. Loss.

Christmas future is full of hope. Hope for a newfound family. Spouses. Children. A new generation. Accepting. Communicative. Trustworthy. Safe. A place to be yourself. No masks. No drama. Harmony. Peace.

Psalms 37:7-8

7Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Photo Credit: Marie Gale

I and Thou – Where is your Peace?

Beaver Lake, New Jersey. It doesn’t change. Year after year, the lake is the same. The kiddie beach, teenage float, wiener roast, square dance and the boat parade is the same. The Sunday Church Service on the lake (only accessible by small motor boat or kayak) is the same. The clay tennis courts are the same. The clubhouse is mostly the same. The only change is the Pic_BL5 people. The people are older, wiser and sometimes different. Owners come and go as homes pass down through the generations. A fairly timeless place. A place of peace. A place of serenity. A place of community.

Are you in the right place at this right time?

Photo Credit: Ruth Walton

A placed deemed worthy. Worthy of you. A place to flourish. A place to excel. A place to find peace.

God wants you to feel peace. A sense of peace in the community. A peace in the world around you. A peace in fellowship with others. Do you have this peace?

God’s world is heavenly. It is a world of goodness, love, and peace. A place where there are no politics or any other volatile issues. One day, the world will change. It will become the world God planned for all along. A world that is hard for the human mind to grasp.

God is real. Sometimes too real. God is in each of us, waiting for us to hear. Just like you. It takes strong faith and a full surrender to find the peace that God wants you to have. The peace that all is well. The peace that allows God to work miracles. The peace that will enable you to enjoy your work. Passion. Calling. Peace.

God wants you to find a Beaver Lake.

Philippians 4:7 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I and Thou – Be like Children

Blog_Pic_30 Where can you find love?
In the forest or the trees?
In the pink sky at daybreak?
In the violet sky at dusk?
In the eyes of children.

Where can you find joy?
On the dog path in the park?
On the white peak mountain top?
On the raft in the rapid river?
On the faces of children.

Where can you find laugher?
Listening to a joke?
Listening to a funny story?
Listening to two lovers?
Listening to children play.

Where can you find peace?
Going on a hike?
Going to a place of worship?
Going to work-out?
Watching children sleep.

You are a child of God where really big problems seem so much more manageable. Are you afraid? Afraid to take a risk? Not sure where to turn? Whether you choose the right road or the wrong road, God will be with you. Seek God’s direction, and God will direct your path. Be a child, take God’s hand, and look for the light. The light will guide you. Follow the light. Light is good, light is life…light is God. Adventures really do connect you deeper to your faith. Go explore today!

I and Thou – New Beginnings

Blog_Pic45 Artwork by: Elsa Weib

Settling into a new environment takes time and patience. Acclimating to a new routine takes time and patience too! Whether you are beginning high school, college, or your first job, you will need to work hard and learn the ropes. Leaning on God helps alleviate anxiety when transitioning to a new situation. Keep your eyes on God, and let God worry about it. God wants you to do what you do. God wants you to transform you into the person you are meant to be. Be thankful and grateful for the people that God places in your life to encourage and support you on your journey. God wants to bless you. All you need to do is ask for blessings. Invite God to walk side by side, along the way, with you.

I and Thou – Attitude Check

Blog_Pic45 Artwork by: Mrs. Neeraj Parswal

Self-sufficiency is antithetical to Christian doctrine; yet, you seem to enjoy doing everything yourself and not asking for help. Maybe it is time to check your attitude. Your faith. Your direction. Where are you going? Are you really allowing God to direct you? To lead you to new and different causes? Are you fulfilling God’s mission for you? God longs for you to rely on faith for strength and courage. Talk to God. Ask God for direction. For motivation. To transform. Into a new creation. Be thankful for people who are placed into your life to serve a purpose to lean on, to support, to encourage. Autonomy is worldly. Reliance on faith is Godly. Choose wisely.

I and Thou – Weave God In

Fathers. Mothers. Daughters. Sons. HUMANS.

Blog_Pic44 God wants the best for you and from you. Commune with God to set and reach goals. Weave God into your daily life. Try going to God each start of a new day to ask for guidance and priority setting. And, at the end of each day, spend time to be thankful. Thankful for another day. A gift. The gift of life. The gift of friendship. The gift that may have a lasting impact on a soul. Think outside of your comfort zone. You have had experiences in your life that molded you into you. You would not have been able to achieve what you have achieved without those experiences. Lessons give you courage and confidence. You can be a person filled with love and peace and genuine caring for the people who cross your path. God craves to mold you. Let go and let God. And, do all the beautiful things God wants you to do.

I and Thou – Celebrate Life!

Mother’s Day is bittersweet if you have a good relationship with one child and a non-existent relationship with the other. How on earth can this happen? Well, today we are not going to try to figure this out. No one is to blame, and no one is to be sad.

Today is a day of celebration!
Celebrating love. Blog_Pic43
Celebrating life.

Whether or not you are in good standing with your children, today is a day to celebrate Mothers; regardless of the emotional baggage that may or may not be there. Mother’s are rocks. Mother’s are saints. Mother’s are close to being divine. Whether your mother is alive or not, think of the nine-month gestation period which she carried you. She loved you from the moment she suspected she was pregnant. She delivered, fed, and nurtured YOU! And, that is worth celebrating!

I and Thou – The Peace of God

God wants you to feel peace where you are. The peace of a great community and the beauty of your surroundings. The trees, the plains, the mountains, the ocean. Where ever you are…the vastness that is in front of you. Whether there are skyscrapers or small-town squares, you are where you are right now. You are right in saying this is the right home for you at this right time which is right now. If you take time to listen, God speaks to all of us. The birds singing. The flowers blooming. The sounds of nature all around us. Whether we can see the little dipper or the big dipper or no dipper at all, God is where you are. Are you? Blog_Pic42
We live in a world of chaos. One of struggle, pain, and sorrow. The tug between good and evil. God and no God. Is there really a God? And, if there is, how come there is so much pain? Life is life. And, in life, there is God. God’s world is a world of order. It is one of goodness, love, and peace. God is so real; sometimes, it is hard for the human mind to grasp. A mystery. And, don’t we all love a good mystery? God is in each person; waiting for you to allow yourself to hear. Shhh….do you hear? It takes faith and a full surrender to have the complete peace God wants you to have. The peace that all is well. The peace that allows God to work miracles. The peace that will enable you to enjoy what you do. The peace of community. The peace of solitude. The peace of God. Let us radiate God’s goodness, love, and peace. Shall we?

I and Thou – Dare to Stand

God created all people. Over the years, people have scattered and lost sight of God. Many cultures rejected God and began to believe they were self-sufficient. They didn’t need God in their life. Many people today, still believe they don’t need God and worse, they think that people who do believe in God, are somehow weak or less than. It is the people who dare to stand up and say YES I believe in God, the one True Blog_Pic41 God, the God who made heaven and earth that is seen and unseen, who hear God’s voice. The Giver of Life. The Almighty God. God brought all goodness to the planet. It is the people and the work of Satan that destroyed so much of the goodness. In the end, God will reign. Forever and ever. The human mind doubts this, and it is tough to believe that there will be a forever and ever. Life will end as we know it; yet, our spirits will live. It will BE forever. Your soul will commune with God eternally. You will live in the light, and your physical aches and pains will disappear. You will have no more pain. No more sorrow. No more heartaches. You will be reunited with those who have passed onto the next life before you…spouses, parents, all of your loved ones and especially estranged children. Declare God’s divinity now! Stand up! Be accountable! Ask Forgiveness! Go and spread the Good News! God is alive! Every knee shall bow down to God. Be bold and worship! All are welcome and that means YOU…it is time…rejoice! God is alive!

I and Thou – Be the Joy

You seem to be in a rush most of the time. You have a need to “get things done.” Sometimes you really don’t think; yet, you act. Does this sound like you? Perhaps you may need to slow down, think more and work less.

God wants you to be happy, secure and full of joy. And, for you to do this, you will need to slow down your pace and take time to be kind. Stop. Smell the roses. God will lead you to a tranquil place far removed from civilization as you know it, where you can grow and have the freedom to do Blog_Pic40 what you need to do. God provides choices. Weigh them carefully. Ask for guidance.

Quiet your mind and receive God’s presence. Focus and create a space to commune with God where you can open your mind and heart. Ask God questions. God may not give you the answer that you are looking for, but God will answer. Because God hears. God hears everyone. Not many people understand God. It takes faith to feel God’s presence. Trust God. Slow down. Take time to experience joy. The joy of spring. The joy of chirping birds. The joy of butterflies. The joy of friendship. The joy of community. The joy of you. Go and be the joy!