I and Thou – Numbing Times

Blog_Pic52 300,000+ Covid-19 cases in US
8,000+ Covid-19 deaths in the US

Today seems to be a good day, to begin with, a prayer.

Dear God,
As our nation and the world grieves for those who have suffered, are suffering, and those who are yet to suffer, lift your country, your world, your creation up to God. Pray that God will comfort those who are facing death. Weak with labored breathing. Void of their loved ones. Alone. Pray for our health care workers. Doctors. Nurses. Therapists. A warm hand. A warm smile. These front-line angels who are the last people on earth your dying brothers and sisters are seeing. Thank God, for these angels who are connecting patients with their loved ones by cell phone, or other technologies. Thank God, for signs in windows. For claps at night in the streets for front-line workers. Ask God for courage. The courage to help neighbors in need. Even if it means staying home. You need to do your part to limit the spread of this deadly virus. Ask God to provide the strength of Samson to each front-line worker. Health care workers. Public safety workers. Grocery stockers. Grocery cashiers. Corporate leaders who are stepping in and out of their game to help the greater good. Thank you, God. As you enter HOLY WEEK, this week, say a prayer each day of gratitude. Gratitude for what you have. Amen.

Today is also a good day for a spiritual check-in.

How are you? How is your spirit?

This pandemic has extraordinarily impacted you in some way, shape, or form. Whether it be wearing a face covering when you embark on your food shopping trip or finding websites spinning in never-never land. Or, working from home, or not working at all. Weeks have gone by, and your life is different. There seems to be much more noise. More news. More chaos. It is more difficult to calm your spirit. To take a deep breath. To take all of this in. Stop. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Count to 10. And then open your eyes. Are you breathing? Then, you have life! Life to live. Life to love. It is okay to feel sadness. To feel lonely. To feel hopeless. When you do – take a breath. And remember you have life! Life to hope and life to love. Reach out to those you love. It only takes a few minutes to pick up the phone. In these times, it is essential to hear a voice. If you have no one to call – Call God. God hears all.

Photo Credit: <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background photo created by kjpargeter – http://www.freepik.com</a>

I and Thou – Heart is Home

blog_Pic51 Home is where the heart is, so you say. You have all heard this before. Yet, after 15 days of “social distancing,” maybe home isn’t really where the heart is.
Where is your heart? Is it with family? Friends? Or is it sad and lonely? Is it reaching out to those you love? Or, is it making amends of a fractured relationship? Home is where you feel attached. And, that may just be in your heart. And, your heart wants to feel loved. It wants to feel comfortable. It wants to feel secure. Safe. Safe from hurt. Safe from harm.
As the country shuts all non-essential services, it creates the opportunity to assess what is indeed essential in life. Don’t look backward for the what-ifs. Look forward to what’s next. You now have the time to dream. Or, at the very least, to contemplate what is really important. Dig within yourself to create that bucket list of what you want to do in the years ahead.
Spend more time with family.
Spend more time reading.
Spend more time with friends.
Spend more time doing what you love to do – whatever that is.
Name it. And, why don’t you create a cute container that you can write a note to drop in?
In fact, how about list the following:
One activity you want to spend more time doing.
One act of kindness you want to do next week.
One book you want to read in the next 30 days.
Take this gift of “shelter in place” and make it count for yourself and for others.
Humanity in the face of a global pandemic…starts with you!

[Photo Credit: Rainbowswithinreach]

I and Thou – The Beacon

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You are a beacon of God’s light.
The light reflecting on water from the moon.
The light at the end of a tunnel.
The light that inspires us.
The light of strength, energy, confidence, and encouragement.
The light that guides others to the love of God.
The love of friends and family.
The love that comforts us in grief.
The love that rejoices in our accomplishments.
An unconditional love.
Love for ourselves, others, and strangers.
Love for humanity.
The desire inside all of us – to be the beacon of light.

Image credit: http://www.lightworkerenergyart.com/

I and Thou – Love

Love is all about giving and taking, ebbing and flowing. Love is innate. Blog_Happy-Valentines-Day-by-PLATUX-modern-Art-Artist It drives us to become the people we are meant to be. Love encourages. It builds up. And, yes, even times, it causes pain. Loneliness. Separation. However so lonely, however so separate…deep down, love will prevail. It always does.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I and Thou – New Year…New Path

The Bible is Blog_Pic49 a living document that speaks to each person in their own unique way. It is the Holy Spirit dwelling within you who discerns the word of God. The words of God that are in your heart and mind need to direct your path. These words can profoundly influence each decision that you make in your life. For each choice, there is a wide path and a narrow path. God walks beside you on either one. You choose one over the other for many different reasons. Some go back and change their minds. Others realize the wrong path and then have to live that path until another way becomes available. God does walk alongside; yet, some do not know. Many seek God in deep distress. And that is okay. When you surrender and ask God to participate in all your decisions, life becomes more bearable, and your path will become more evident. When you stick to the principles that God has outlined in scripture, you will prosper. And, in so doing, you will experience God’s love where you are. Where ever that may be. The place that God has led you to. For now. Wishing you a new path, full of joy and love for 2020.

Photo Credit: Dominic Martinelli

I and Thou – New Year’s ABC’s

Happy New Year!

Artwork Credit: David Baruch Wolk
Title: Holy Alphabet

In with the new and out with the old.

In with…

Affirmation and out with rejection.

Blessing and out with condemnation.

Calmness and out with turbulence.

Delight and out with discontent.

Endearment and out with alienation.

Friendship and out with aloofness.

Gratitude and out with thanklessness.

Harmony and out with discord.

Improvement and out with stagnation.

Justice and out with falsehood.

Kindness and out with selfishness.

Love and out with hatred.

Magnificent and out with ordinary.

Navigate and out with ignore.

Optimism and out with hopelessness.

Passion and out with indifference.

Quirky and out with conventional.

Relationship and out with estrangement.

Self-reflection and out with self-absorption

Tranquility and out with upheaval.

Understanding and out with unfeeling.

Value and out with worthlessness.

Warmth and out with coldness.

X-traordinary and out with the standard.

Yet and out with but.

Zip and out with inactivity.

In with the new and out with the old.

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.