Gifts

   The beautiful weather is smiling on us under that blue sky with the autumn colors all around as we mosey down our trail taking in all that surrounds us and feeling a sense of well-being just living in the presence of the Holy!  What an incredible day!  What an incredible life.

   As we walk along thinking on these things I begin to ponder the joyous gift that this day is.  In fact, every day is a gift filled with wonder and so many folks go to bed every night thinking about having to endure another day tomorrow and hoping and praying that it is better than today.

   Often my children or someone close will ask what I want for my birthday or Christmas or some other occasion.  They all chuckle as I reply, like I always do, "all I want is peace on earth!"   But my answer is not so fanciful, not so far from reality.  What I really want is peace of mind and heart.  "On earth" might be a stretch.  But when we stop to consider the countless gifts that we receive daily we come to understand that peace lies in a very special place and it is with us everyday.  Peace really, really does begin with me and we discover it when we practice gratitude for the many gifts that are ours everyday!  Not just holidays or special days.  Even when we experience and endure hard times, scary times, times when survival is a question!  Sometimes we will encounter people who challenge us.  As we encounter life we are experiencing a great gift because in those challenging times we can learn and re-learn to put our trust and our faith in something besides our "stuff."  We learn that our "stuff" is temporary.  Eternity is found in our faith in the Holy, the one we call God. God touches our hearts through the common soul that we share with God and gives us the whole spectrum of creation!  All of it is at our disposal.  In it are gifts of wonder and mystery, sometimes even "magic."  The gifts flow to us, good times, bad times, the people whose paths cross our own.  From the Divine comes unlimited gifts of life.  Some things may not seem like gifts, but they are because they focus our attention on the Creative Force of all.
   Namaste!