Expressing Peace. Amazement. 88.

Amazement happens and is almost immediately overlooked. In fact, it’s overlooked so immediately, it may not be recognized at all.

We grow accustomed to so many amazing things we take them for granted. The increasing speed at which an increasing number of (amazing) things happen: too many, too fast for us to stop and smell the amazement.

Peace can happen fast. We’ve a much better chance of noticing it, catching it, and enjoying it if we slow down enough to be amazed.

For some amazement, I go to cause. The amazing orchestration of our solar system causes the beauties of sunrise and sunset. Earth’s rotation and revolution start and end our days and nights. Worth checking out slowly every day.

For some amazement, I go to result. Any flower’s intricacy amazes me. It is intertwined with all phases of the plants growth, regeneration, and transience. The flower itself is always its own, unique work of art. Worth taking a moment to notice.

For some amazement, I go to the instant. The child who wanders farther and farther from the parent and checks over the shoulder to know all’s secure. The dog that gathers the ball and brings it back, over and over and over. The couple past their 80’s who walk clasping each other’s hand. Worth looking for such instants.

Finding amazement is not difficult. It only takes a little looking. Making time to realize the peace from the amazement all around us isn’t too hard either. Have a go with amazement.

Amazing Presence,
you offer such abundant and continuous
demonstrations of your creation.
The blessings of Peace from which all is
are startling and exciting by their very being.
The beauty of a poppy, the magnificence of Mt. Everest,
the perfection of the seasons, the essence of a tear:
all these and so much more reveal to us
the Perfect All with which we are One.
Allow us our amazement, give us the freedom
and the grace to pause and know with wonder
how blessed we are by being One with All.
And so it is. And so we thank you, GOD.
Amen. Amen.

Enjoy Peace. Express Peace.

Expressing Peace. Gravity. 87.

Gravity is something so very familiar to me that I never think about it. Almost never.

Gravity: the force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth.

Cindy and I saw the new movie Interstellar this afternoon. (High recommendations!). It deals with gravity and time at quantum levels beyond my scientific understanding. It did, however, make me thankful for the peace gravity gives me.

My favorite dream, which I’ve experienced 5 or 6 times, finds me running on a not-so-high, grassy cliff edge beside a broad expanse of water.  I vault into the air off one foot and literally soar for hundreds of feet before coming down, landing on the other foot without breaking stride. Again and again, I leap and soar, covering great distance, always returning gently to earth.

I never break the hold of gravity. I feel I play with it, and it plays with me in turn, by letting me soar beyond the 6 or 7 feet I might “soar” from my normal stride.

The idea of floating excites me; the security that earth will call me back assures me. I need to know I’m grounded spiritually, mentally, and physically. The falling apple excited Sir Isaac Newton. It satisfies Need #3. That is peace.

Supreme Engineer,
the creation of this planet and its attraction
of all things to its center
is sublime.
No doubt the innovative powers you also built
into the human mind would have us adapt
if our every next step did not hit the earth firmly.
Yet, that we are securely held to ground
is gratifying.
I thank you, GOD, that what’s meant to hold to earth
holds to earth.
I thank you that even the earth wraps snugly round its core
and that its core continually draws us to firm footing.
And so it is. Amen. Amen.

Enjoy Peace. Express Peace.

Expressing Peace. Here I Am. 86.

Here I am. Friday afternoon, the crest between the work week and the weekend. Work to get to this point. Enjoy the pause at the top of the hill. Glide down into the weekend that, no matter how full, is where the week is meant to take me.

At my not-too-neat desk, letting the 10 hours either on the phone or at the computer flow out of my mind and off of my shoulders, I’m thinking this is peace enough. Just this between moment.

My mind wandered to a tune I’d not heard in months In the last few days I’d heard someone quote the passage: “ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!'” At once the song came to mind and has been in and out for two days.

So I pulled Dan Schutte’s “Here I Am, Lord” up on iTunes. Everyone has a favorite song, maybe not just one. This is most definitely one of mine. Not because it beautifully blends lyrics and melody, though it does. Not because it tells such a beautiful story, which it does.

It is my favorite because it activates a wonderful feeling of peace in me as it lets me so clearly know the Peace I am.

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
(Dan Schutte)

What song brings you peace? What song showers peace all over you and makes you glad it does? What song cannot give you too much peace?

Thank you, Sweet Spirit,
for the joy and grace and beauty
of songs that fill our hearts
and hold our hands
and soothe our minds.
We are not savage beasts
and music’s power is ours to love.
Gifts from you, your Spirit to our ears,
straight to our hearts.
Thank you, Sweet Spirit,
for the words we repeat
and the tunes that stick tight to our memory.
Thank you for the moments when we hear the song
or lift it with our voice all by ourself.
Thank you for the gift, the gift that says to us
‘Here I am’ each time we hear it.
And so it is. Amen. Amen.

Enjoy Song. Sing Song. Express Peace.

Express Peace. Invisible Peace. 85.

I’m laughing at myself and with myself, for today’s peace is invisible.

It’s been such fun and easy to identify an image or event or sound that showed me my peace. Every day of 84 in a row.

Today, as I’ve been asking, “What will I name between ‘Express Peace.’ and ’85.’?”, no answer has come. And as I asked I so clearly felt the peace I’ve felt all day. And it’s been a busy one. A day of questions and slippery answers. A day of answers the questions didn’t want to hear. A day of do and then do over. And over.

All the while, through all of that, my peace has never left me. A sure sign I’ve not left my awareness of Peace. I’m not boasting my ability; I’m blessing my gratitude.

I’m sure I’m not alone. Can’t you recall a time when you were super-conscious that you were embracing peace? And maybe everything around you was in hubbub, still you felt the peaceful separation? Or perhaps emotions around  you were driving in high gear, perhaps even yours, but the highway beneath them was smooth and straight and peaceful to drive on?

So today’s peace is invisible. That is OK. Interesting that what’s invisible opens my eyes. After all these days of gladly finding peace tangibly around me, finding peace just as Peace today is enchanting.

Something to take a good long look at.

Spirit,
You are invisible.
Expressions of you, reflecting their reality
as your will, are all the things we see
and hear
and touch
and taste
and smell.
The peace the grass beneath our feet enjoys
as do our feet. The peace the cardinal’s songs chirp
and our ears and hearts applaud. The peace
the roasting garlic perfumes and thrills our nose.
The peace a baby’s face giggles and our eyes laugh too.
The peace a sweet grape spurts and sates our taste buds.
All this and then the special beauty of the peace we feel
and cannot see. Invisible peace filling us without attachment
to any physical source and yet
with clear connection to the Peace you are.
This may be the closest of our peaces yet, none of our senses
are between the peace and us.
And so it is. And so we thank you, GOD.

Amen. Amen.

Enjoy Peace. Express Peace.

• Be notified of new postings

  Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  Email Address

  Subscribe

  Join 155 other subscribers

• Prayerful Life Pages

  • About Tim
  • Prosperity Prayers

• Most Recent

  • Working Affirmation? Why? What? How? (Part 1)
  • The world: what do we pray for?
  • About stress
  • Let it go! How do I do that? How does he?
  • Myself or My Self? Which Matters More?
  • Praying: Scheduled or Spontaneous?
  • Praying with Our Sense of Humor

• Subscribe to RSS

   RSS - Posts

• Tags

  Abundance Affirmations Attitude Authenticity Belief Chakra Christ Color creativity Difference Divine Spirit Energy Faith Forgiveness God Grounding Healing Help Intention Joy Listening Love Mantra meditation Mindfulness Oneness path Peace power of good Prayer praying Presence Principles Prosperity Reflection Release Smile Song spiritual simplicity Strength thanksgiving Truth Unity world Writing