|
|
 ®
Volume 33, #7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 2018 |
|
© |
![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-1c.jpg)
![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-2c.jpg)
Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!
download
PDF
Our Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bishop Crowley
"Each day we are sent forth on a mission to live the Beatitudes. Ours is not a life of avoiding evil, it is a vibrant opportunity to live and breathe the goodness of God.
"Ours is not a mission to tear down, to destroy. We are sent forth as those Christians who love one another, to build up, to recreate in love this universe that will forever bear the mark of whatever we contribute.…
"What will be the heritage that we shall pass on to future generations and upon which we shall judge ourselves before the face of God? We have been sent; let us be about our mission."
Self-Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, Serenity, p.37
"You are the person with whom you talk to most often. To become a serene person, consistently talk to yourself serenely.
"Become aware of the tone of your voice when you speak to yourself. This often is so automatic that many people never consider it an issue. But it can be a major factor in whether or not you are usually serene."
Beginning Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "A Smile",
The Christophers
"Beginning today, you can move beyond that dismal, gray existence of mediocrity and start exploring new heights. But this new adventure will begin only with your personal commitment to becoming better than you have known or seen yourself to be."
Love and Forgiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAILY WORD, July 1992
"As I forgive myself and others, I remove any inner obstacles that might prevent me from being whole and well. Forgiveness establishes me in peace. Seeming slights and hurts begin to fade away when I do not reinforce them. I live in the present moment, in an atmosphere of love and forgiveness."
Providence Provides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Shonis
Providence does not mean that God will provide for the world, but that God has already provided by giving us the unique ability to think, to choose wisely, and to grow."
My Symphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Henry Channing
"To live content with small means;
To seek elegance rather than luxury
and refinement rather than fashion;
To be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;
To listen to stars and birds, babes and sages
with an open heart;
To study hard;
To think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasions, hurry never;
In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common—
This is my symphony."
Live Up To… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vauvenargues
"The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one’s opportunities and make the most of one’s resources."
Celtic Spirituality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Esther de Waal, Weavings, II, # 3
"Celtic spirituality was a practice in which ordinary people in their daily lives took the tasks that lay to hand but treated them sacramentally, as pointing to a greater reality which lay beyond them. It is an approach to life which we have been in danger of losing, this sense of allowing the extraordinary to break in on the ordinary. Perhaps it is something which we can rediscover, something which Celtic spirituality can give to us if we would let it renew our vision by teaching our eyes to see again, our ears to hear, our hands to handle."
Pray for Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World
"Scroll 10: ‘I will pray for guidance.’
"Never will I pray for the material things of the world…Only for guidance will I pray, that I may be shown the way…and my prayer will always be answered.
"I will pray in this manner:
‘O Creator of all things, help me. For this day I go out into the world naked and alone, and without your hand to guide me I will wander far from the path which leads to success and happiness.
‘Guide me so that I may acquire ability equal to my opportunities.
‘Assign me tasks to which others have failed; yet guide me to pluck the seeds of success from these failures. Confront me with fears that will temper my spirit; yet endow me with courage to laugh at my misgivings.
‘But all these things be only if thy will. I am a small and lonely grape clutching the vine yet thou hast made me different from all others. Verily, there must be a special place for me. Guide me. Help me. Show me the way.’
‘Let me become all you planned for me when my seed was planted and selected by you to sprout in the vineyard of the world. Guide me, God.’"
Faithfully Listen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dag Hammarskjöld
"The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside. And only the one who listens can speak."
On Humor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soundings, May ‘87
"Humor is a valuable tool. It’s also a dangerous weapon. It all depends on whether you are laughing with someone or at someone. The borderline between the two is often narrow."
Grudge Collector . . . . . . . . . Denis Waitley & Reni Witt, "Road to Success," Possibilities
"Don’t be a grudge collector. Too many people spend too much time everyday thinking of past hurts. They imagine vividly in their minds every grudge. Instead use your excellent mind and superior ability to self-image, to create scenes of positive, pleasing emotions."
On Shenanigans . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac
"The word shenanigans is a shortened form of an Irish blessing or invocation, Shee nanna gasne, ‘the Shee are rattling the dishes.’ The Shee were invisible fairy folk who…as the blessing implies were very fond of mischief. The purpose of such spirited pranks as making tables tap dance and causing pots and pans to prance was to teach humans some humility.
When any unexplainable events happened in the house, the Irish would pronounce the blessing invocation, Shee nanna gasne. It was both a polite greeting to the wee folk and a gentle invitation for them to leave. For although the pranks of the wee folk were reverenced reminders to humans that they were not in total control of their lives, no one wanted the invisible visitors to be permanent house guests.
What is Proper Pride? . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, Gateway to Happiness, pp. 124-5
There was a king who sent his son to a far away place to learn first hand how the peasants lived. The prince was told to let no one else know his true identity. During the time he would live among the simple folk, he was to dress and act in all ways as they do.
But the king was afraid his son might forget who he really was. When he would act and speak like the peasants, he might lose his royal identity and absorb their faults into his personality. For this reason the king told his son to put aside time each day to remember that he was the king’s son.
Similarly, a person’s soul has a spark of divinity. Forgetting one’s lofty identity, one might pick up bad habits. Therefore, remember at all times that you are a child of the great king and it is not befitting to act in a lowly and degrading manner.
Saturday Night
March 10
Apple images are from ClickArt Incredible Image Pak 65,000 Broderbund, Inc.
Graphics used with permission from ChurchArt Online. They are not to be copied or downloaded.