Happy Thanksgiving!

"For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird, and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee!"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Forgiveness

"Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive." (II Corinthians 2:10) The only thing that brings peace is forgiveness. I found that to be true this weekend.

I went to see my mom with my husband, granddaughter, and grand dog. My granddaughter's dog is a cute little pomeranian mix that has never been housebroken. We keep him outside and in the garage at night so that he doesn't make messes. He has a yip that was irritating my step father so he asked why we didn't leave the dog home. It hurt my feelings so I started to cry. That night when I went to bed, I decided that the only way to soothe my hurt feelings is through forgiveness.

I looked at the situation through my step father's eyes and saw it from his point of view. In the morning, my step father made me coffee and apologized. I was sorry too, and the whole thing was over.

Had either of us decided to hold on to resentment, it would have destroyed the peace and made everyone around us tense. Our perceptions either pull us down or lift us higher. The choice is ours. A Slovakian proverb says, "Anger is the only thing to put off till tomorrow." For today I choose to adopt an attitude of forgiveness instead of one of resentment. That is the only way to peace.

Light and love,
Patty

The Peace of God

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15) Tonight I realize how fortunate I am to be immersed in the love and peace of God. I am so relieved that He loves me unconditionally. I focus my thoughts on love and good.

Any decisions I have to make are not mine alone. I have God to help me have a good weekend and experience wonderful things. In the 23rd Psalm, David says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul."

We can be grateful even in the midst of sad news. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." In God's light, we can heal our lives.

With the relationship we have with God, we can be grateful that we have God's spirit within us. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

Tonight I fall on my knees in amazement that in this now moment, I can let go of all anxiety and fear. As a lily in the field, I surrender to what is, and I am grateful.

Light and love,
Patty

Harmonious Living

"The world is one percent good, one percent bad, ninety-eight percent neutral. It can go one way or the other, depending on which side is pushing. This is why what individuals do is important," writes Hans Habe. What each one contributes is so important.

Last night, my husband and I went to our granddaughter's band concert and enjoyed it so much. The realization hit me that each band member has to practice individually to make such harmonious music. It's individual effort as well as group effort. I was so proud as I realized in her music she is a valued part of that band.

We are all a part of the harmony of life. We each have our individual make up in our families and in our work place, but we work together to make a collective whole that enhances the unit. I'm so grateful for our individuality, and yet so happy that we can harmonize and live together peacefully. "May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another." (Romans 15:5)

Light and love,
Patty

Time to Get Healthy

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Our maple tree is losing all its pretty red leaves. I guess it is preparing for winter and rest. Our bodies get into that rest mode too.

With Thanksgiving only a little more than a month away, it's time to reflect with gratitude our many blessings. I so appreciate the bounty of food I have in my life.

At the same time, though, I long for the trim body I had not very long ago.

Florence Shinn wrote, "The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy." My overeating is catching up to me. I've been gaining weight!

Now I am coming upon the season of plenty with my body's innate desire for rest. Wow! What to do?

Well, I received an email a couple of days ago with all the super foods I could use to restore my sense of health and well-being. This holiday season I am letting go of the of the bad habit of over-eating. Just like my maple tree, I'm going to shed what no longer serves me. Here are some healthy foods to get me back on track. This will be my gift to myself. Want to join me at God's pharmacy? This is the info I received in my email:

"A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye.... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body."

This is the kind of food I want to give my body instead of the unhealthy food I have been feeding it. What an opportunity to meet the challenge by letting God assist me in my quest for health and well-being! "My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net." (Psalms 25:15) Join me if you want, and we'll share our successes!

Who Are We?

"Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind." (I Peter 3:8)

What a blessing to share our compassion wisdom, love, and understanding! We bring about peace and love by letting God shine all negative thoughts away. We can let God heal all our relationships when we remember who we are.

Who are we anyway? We can be God's love made manifest. If we let God guide us, we can let go of all guilty, unloving, fearful thoughts by taking each one to the Holy Spirit and letting Him bring us back to love.

This week let us walk in gratitude and love. If a thought enters our mind that does not bring us peace, let's take it to the Holy Spirit and let His light guide us to everlasting joy.

Light and love,
Patty

Out with the Old, In with the New

"Don't cry because it's over----smile because it happened," is a quote from a pamphlet called BITS AND PIECES.

We build our lives brick by brick. When my girls graduated high school and left home, I was alone and suffering from an "empty nest". A few years down the road I met my wonderful husband and entered a new phase of life. Around that same time, God blessed me with grandchildren so my life became very fulfilling.

Sometimes we go through changes that make us feel like we are giving up something very valuable. I know I felt this way when my daughters left home. As a single mom, those girls were my life. What I didn't realize was that God would offer me a joyous alternative. I didn't realize that I was about to meet the love of my life and experience the joy and beauty of grandchildren.

About ten months ago my oldest granddaughter came to live with us. Now I am re-living those days of school functions and having such purpose in my life. It's amazing to see God's perfect picture. He had a much better plan for my life than I could have ever dreamed. Last night my husband and I had the pleasure of watching her up on stage in a school play, and I felt like I was in such a perfect place in my life.

We just need to learn to trust God for help, support, and guidance. He will give us strength. "Be strong and courageous...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Joel Osteen says God has more in store for us if we believe our best days are ahead of us. My best days are not past; they are yet to come.

Love and Light,
Patty