HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

My beloved ones…

In you, I have made all things new

casting out old ways that are no longer useful

Be on the lookout for all I have prepared for you

You will know My wish for you

when you look upon a child

and see God in the face of a newborn babe

Innocent and bright

Fresh from the womb

Carrier of My dreams

Another chance to get it right

The ultimate expression of My Love for you

With an open mind and Love in your heart

You will see with new eyes

all that surrounds you

The beauty and grandeur of the natural world

Light, color, music and form

Life in all its shapes and sizes

The Divine order in all of Creation

And the rhythm of the Universe

as it pulses through the ages

A bold and radiant light is in YOU

You are My hope for the future

You are the expression of My Love

Draw near to Me with a thankful heart

Recognize the blessings bestowed upon you

and rejoice in the Love that is here!

I long to make your life a glorious adventure

Do not fear the unknown

Trust in Me to carry you through

Lean on Me, and believe Me when I say

Nothing will separate us

as you let go of old ways that are no longer useful

…and you begin anew!

7/7/12

Copyright © 2012 by Charlene Burgess

On Being Human

Ten Rules for Being Human
by Cherie Carter-Scott

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

ANGELS

“There is a medieval belief that angels want to sing to us. It makes them happy to do so. All we have to do is listen.” ~ F. David Peat

“As we journey through our lives, may we walk with awareness of our accompanying angels, knowing we may experience them in many ways. Angels may bring comfort when we are suffering, peace that calms raging inner wars, hope in times of despair. And during normal, everyday times, when nothing significant seems to be happening and we seem to be just plodding along, our angels, with their gentle humor, joy, laughter, and warm presence, can add a wonderful lightness to our lives. IF, that is, we remember to ask them for what we need! Be sure to include your angels in all your days; be open to their surprises, talk to them, ask them for any help you need, from the most mundane to the very important. You may be amazed at what happens -- and don’t forget to thank them for always being there!” ~ Anne Strader

“No one on earth could feel like this,
I'm thrown and overblown with bliss
There must be an angel
Playing with my heart.”
~ Annie Lennox

“Living with an awareness of the companioning presence of angels . . . we come to realize angelic joy is working with us, surprising us, and reminding us that we are loved beyond measure. Limit not the myriad ways your angelic companions may knock on the door of your heart. Spending time in the Silence draws them nigh.” ~ Nan Merrill

“Blessed are You, Who understood my tears,
You comfort me with love's embrace.
Though my eyes cannot see You,
I feel your gentle Presence,
like angel wings lifting my spirit.
You turn my mourning into joy,
I dance to a new song.
Blessed are You, O loving companion
of my heart.” ~ Nan Merrill

“... walking and talking with an angel is really fundamentally no different from walking and talking with an ordinary human being. Both the angel and the person are expressions of the ultimate mystery; both are emanations of the Beloved ... There is only one sacredness and we all have it.”
~ David Spangler

Native American Prayer

Oh, Great Spirit
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me, I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold
the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand the things
you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my Spirit may come to you without shame.

(translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887)
published in Native American Prayers - by the Episcopal Church

Daddy Dear

Daddy dear,
What did you fear?
Did someone tell you
You weren't good enough
Belittling and bullying to make you feel small
Is that why you thought you should pass it along

Reclaiming your power to make you feel tall

Daddy dear,
What did you fear?

Forever a prisoner of your own mistakes
Losing hopes and dreams
When others held your fate
Your life coming apart at the seams

Daddy dear,
What did you fear?

Did I get in the way
Of everything you hoped to be one day
Was it my light, my passion, my love for life
Did I challenge you to look in the mirror
Did my radiance cause you fright
Daddy dear,
What did you fear?

The legacy of your forefathers
Passed down through the ages
Being threatened by a new generation
Calling your authority into question

Daddy dear,
What did you fear?

Loss of control in a world that was changing
Turning to love
Hearts and souls rearranging
Boomers coming of age to work it out
Standing for justice
We would sing and shout

Daddy dear,
What did you fear?

Was it love, peace or equal rights
Freedom of speech, truth or justice
When we got tough 'cause we'd had enough
And we wouldn't give up the fight

Daddy dear,
What did you fear?

Did you not understand
God's purpose
God's plan
For a world filled with love, no more fear
God's dream was in our hands, daddy dear!
Don't you know there's only one way
Truth and Love are here to stay

Daddy dear,
Why do you still fear?

I pray that you will find your peace
Forever held in God's loving embrace
Don't worry 'bout me
I'm finding my way
Through the clutter of doubt
In a world gone astray
It's time to finally make that change
For a better tomorrow
For the whole human race

Daddy dear,
Have no more fear!

Your trials are coming to an end
I forgive you, daddy
And I'm moving on
For God has given me a true love friend
 

11/05/10
Copyright © 2010 by Charlene Burgess

Sunset of the Evening

A golden puddle settles on the sea
Where the sun descends, saying goodnight to me
Sweet dreams, My child...
I’ll see you again
At morning’s light

Liquid sunshine
Cool as the evening
Hot as the flame of Love’s embrace
Paints a masterpiece
Its canvas, the sky
Brilliant colors to please the eye

Your beauty and passion are ever alive!
Expressed in the magic of nature...
An evening’s sunset

It leaves behind a memory of bliss
Laughter and tears of a day well lived
A reminder of the Love
You’ve planted in my heart
Your gift to me forever more

The birds sing a soft lullaby
Their music fills the air
Then silence descends
Its stillness comforts me
Holds me in its arms
and reminds me You are there
It keeps me warm and softens my despair

Your beauty and light
Fill my dreams at night
I cherish this dreaming
My Sunset of the Evening

Copyright © 2010 by Charlene Burgess

The Rainbow Is My Love Message

I've left suddenly
I had no time to say goodbye
Short moments, but still shorter
if there is a light that pierces your heart

The rainbow is my love message
Maybe one day you could touch it
With the colors it would cancel
the most discouraging and distressing pain

I've become the sunset of evening, you know
and I speak as the leaves of April
and I live inside of every sincere voice
and with the birds I live a soft song
and my speech more beautiful and dense
expresses with the silence its sense

Some things I didn’t understand
that are clear as the falling stars
And I have to tell you that it is infinite pleasure
to carry these heavy suitcases

I really miss you so much my dear friend
and so many things I have to say
Listen only to the real music
and always try to understand

Listen always to the real music
and try to understand if you can


~ Excerpt of a song by Adriano Celentano ~