Faith is Taking the First Step

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King, Jr. If you are new to the concept of the Law of Attraction, you may be struggling with where to start. You may be a little afraid to get your hopes up. Don't belittle yourself yourself for that today. It comes from years of conditioning and years of believing that your life is beyond your control. It's not your fault. No man can go further than what he has been taught. Consider the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. today. You may not see the entire staircase, but you can reach out and take the first step. Have faith today and step beyond what you have been taught. Take a moment to visualize your destination. Feel the joy, feel the peace and comfort of knowing your future is limitless and step forward to begin the journey. Great things are waiting for you today. May you have the faith and courage to go forth with expectation and the joy of knowing that what you want most in life is within your reach. Today, I am grateful for swirling snowflakes and crisp cold air that fills my lungs and wakes my body. I am grateful to hear the chirping birds, to see the rising sun and for clouds as they float effortlessly toward their destination. I am grateful for clean clothes to wear, for food to fuel my body and for family that shares my day. I am grateful for movies that make me feel and books that stir ideas. I am grateful for the generous souls who put pen to paper in a effort to improve my life. I am grateful for a clear sound mind that allows me to dream and to be and to act. And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, may you step out today and ascend the staircase to your future with faith and joy and peace. May your life be filled with rich experience and deep conviction. May your steps be sure and your journey fruitful.

Imagine

To bring anything into your life, imagine that it's already there. Richard Bach Consider the power of visualizing what you want to manifest in your life today. Richard Bach brought us the message in the 70's but few of us listened beyond a fascination with his work. I read Johnathan Livingston Seagull when it was fashionable and went on to read Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, a truly inspiring book. But life happened and I moved away from their life-changing messages. And now, I am brought full circle to the concepts they contained. The power of visualizing what you want most can be done any time, any where. Don't let excuses of time get in your way today. Close your eyes and visualize, if only for a moment. Know that what you visualize will come to pass. You may wonder why I included the image of Cardinal today. It's simple really. I love birds and have a feeder just outside my window. While I write, I like to see them flitting here and there. Chickadees and finches flitter throughout the day, the hairy woodpecker stops by to enjoy the suet feeder, nuthatches chirp and twitter as they wait for leftovers, but there are no cardinals. I want cardinals. Today, I will visualize cardinals at my feeder. Today, I am grateful for the brilliant stars in the winter sky, for the soft haze around the moon and for the glisten of the snow. I am grateful for darkness and for dawn as night transforms to day. I am grateful for my computer that provides the tools I need to write. I am grateful for a loving family, caring neighbors and pets that bring me peace. And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, for I know that you are making remarkable changes in your life today. May your day be filled with wonder, peace and joy.

Dreams Determine Your Tomorrows

Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you. Marsha Norman Consider your dreams today; they are the seeds of your tomorrow. Whether you dream big or you dream small determines the degree of the greatness you can achieve. Be the mighty hot air balloon that floats effortlessly above the earth with a clear vision of the world below. Many years ago a dear friend gave me a birthday card. A gorgeous Hot Air Balloon floated across the deep blue sky. The verse indicated that she wanted to give me a hot air balloon ride for my birthday, but could not. Taped inside was a bright red balloon with the verse.. . "So, I'm sending you the seed." What a marvelous idea. The card has long been misplaced, but the thought has lingered across the years. My very own hot air balloon seed was more than I could hope for. Of course, at the time I didn't see the significance, but I understand now. To reap the things we want in our life, we must sow the seeds. Isn't it time you rewrite the book of you? Illustrate it with your dreams and watch your life as it transforms from ordinary to extraordinary. Today, I am grateful for time -- time to dream, time to do, time to be, and time to become. I am grateful for the the sun that rises, the winds that blow and the air I breathe. I am grateful for the calming peace that comes from knowing my life transforms gracefully from old to new as result of my thoughts and dreams and prayers. I am grateful for birds on wing, for the music of the wind and cats that cuddle lovingly despite the circumstances. I am grateful for family and friends that make my life full. And, I am grateful for you, dear reader as you summon up the courage to dream big and make remarkable changes in your life. May your day be filled with peace and joy and all that is good.

If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed ...

If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to your mountain, """"MOVE!" and it WILL move... and NOTHING will be impossible for YOU! - Matthew 17:20 Consider the lowly mustard seed this morning. Although there is much controversy over what plant Jesus actually referred to (some claim there are huge mustard trees, others claim that true mustard is a bush, while others prefer to believe Jesus spoke of ordinary mustard ... like the picture here... ) the fact remains that a tiny seed harbors within itself the ability to sprout and grow into a living plant much greater than itself. But how does it do that? If we are to believe the teaching of Jesus, it does it by faith ... and if we have this faith we can move mountains. The lowly mustard seed can lie dormant for years, but given water, warmth and good soil it will sprout and flourish. It doesn't worry that it cannot grow. It doesn't spend its days begging for water or praying for the sun. It doesn't fear that perhaps it is not good enough or smart enough to grow. It simply trusts that within itself lies everything it needs to sprout and grow into exactly what it was meant to be. I always thought having the faith of a mustard seed meant to have tremendous faith, something I had to work hard to attain. But the seed doesn't work hard. It doesn't need to study or perform specific tasks. All it needs is the quiet faith of knowing it will become something much greater than itself. How much greater are we than the tiny seed, and yet we lack faith. Have faith in yourself today and let the seed of who you are sprout and bloom. Today, I am grateful for the bright winter sun as it glistens on the snow, for houseplants that thrive throughout the long winter days, and for my garden of flowers that waits under the snow ready to grow and bloom when spring returns. I am grateful for those I love and for those who love me. I am grateful to be alive and for the chance to share my thoughts with you. And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your day be filled with joy and peace and may you find the faith of a mustard seed that will set you free.

As you think, so shall you be ...

The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be. William James

Why is it so hard for human beings to believe that what we believe and the attitude we hold towards those beliefs governs our lives? We've all seen it in action. We've all encountered the naysayer who is so angry and frustrated with his life that he can't see past the negative. His focus on all that is bad in the world, and in others, fills his life with events that solidify his beliefs. We know it is true. Why then, is it so hard to believe that a positive attitude can fill our lives with positive events?

I have chosen to believe in the power of the positive and hope you have too.

Today, I am grateful for the beautiful white blanket of snow that envelopes the land, for winter birds that flood my feeder and fresh clean air. I am grateful for the freedom to express myself in writing and share my thoughts with you. I am grateful for the wonderful people in my life and a loving family. I am grateful for a warm house that allows me to work in comfort, gently falling snowflakes and hot steaming coffee that starts my day. And.. I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share your day. May it be filled with peace and joy that you pass on to all who you come in contact with today.

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. ~Bill Meyer

When I visited my garden this morning, something blue caught my eye. On closer inspection, I discovered this delightful morning glory peaking out from a mass of tangled vines.

I stood amazed wondering where it had come from, and then I remembered. Early in the year, I had planted morning glory seeds along the fence. When they didn't germinate at the expected time, I planted other flowers in their place. It was the last I thought about those morning glories.

Forgetting about what I had sown didn't stop it from manifesting. Once set in motion, the seeds we sow will grow whether we remember them or not. Fortunately for me my seeds were good and positive and brought forth glorious fruit to please the eye and soothe soul.

Be conscious of the seeds you sow, for they will take root and grow.

Today, I am grateful for the vibrant morning glory that convinces me that I will reap what I sow. I am grateful for a clear sound mind that is capable of visualizing all that is good and just in the world. I am grateful for laughter and tears that cleanse the soul. I am grateful for family and friends who inspire me to be my best.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share your day. May you be ever conscious of what you sow and may the harvest be bountiful.

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch. ~Ramona C. Carroll

 



We've all been taught not to count the proverbial chickens before they hatch. I suppose there is some wisdom in that, but it flies in the face of what we know to be true about visualization and how it brings those images into our lives.

We are conditioned to believe that life must be difficult and we must struggle in order to succeed. Once again, there is some logic to that and it does serve to teach the value of hard work to get you want. It also assumes that working hard is a negative thing that causes us discomfort.

As the economy falls into disarray, more and more people are joining the forces of those who preach doom and gloom. If you are finding yourself bombarded by naysayers and those who believe the end is near, you need to step outside that circle and look to your future with faith and joy and gratitude for what you have and for what is possible.

Take the leap of faith today and greet the world as though it were a wonderful place filled with opportunity and joy and you will surely find it. Remember, what we focus on will be drawn into our lives.

Today, I am grateful for the brisk cool winds of fall. I am grateful for the brilliant sun, for flying birds and for earthy fragrance of fall. I am grateful for fresh tomatoes from my garden, for brilliant fall mums and crickets as they sing into the night. I am grateful to breath the cool fresh air and steep in the music of chirping birds. I am grateful for family and friends who bring me great joy and inspiration.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader as you stop to share your day. May your life be filled with all that is good and uplifting. May your faith be magnified and your heart be full.