Sometimes life is hard.
Possibilities are impossible.
Understanding is
misunderstood.
Hope is hopeless.
But every belief I have and
Everything I’ve learned in life
Leads to this:
There are others in the world
With bigger mountains to
climb
With bigger oceans to swim
With bigger divides to cross.
My mountains are speed
bumps in the road
My oceans are narrow
streams
My divides are cracks in the
sidewalk.
I am blessed beyond measure
I am abounding in love
I am lucky to be me.
Joanne Hirase-Stacey
Creator, artist, author of the world,
what joy to sense the seasons turn,
the colors change
the flowers bloom,
the trees hum,
the music of birds,
the caress of the winds,
the stories of clouds.
The beauty of Your world
makes my own spirit dance,
as I watch time passing,
I know that You are eternal,
the Centre of Life,
the Creator of all things,
and I know
that there is beauty far beyond my imaginings,
and that all of us,
Your children,
Your creatures,
Your plantings —
live to honor You,
and sing your praise with
every breath.
God saw all that he had made, and behold it was very good.
(Genesis 1:31)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (Living Bible Translation)
Today, I went to church.
I stepped out into the garden
and the choir was already in full voice –
sparrows carrying the melody with soprano trills and leaps
to the jubilant chorus of a solo robin,
while the early morning gentle autumn sun
shone through the petals of a sunflower
like a stained-glass window.
A fat furry bee zig zagged past me
searching for its harvest of nectar
in the scarlet flowers of a runner bean plant.
In this church
the prayers are gratitude
the hymns are praise
and the lesson is peace.
And all the creatures exemplify the gifts and grace of God.
Amen.
L.M.D.
A Network for Grateful Living is a global organization offering online and community-based educational programs and practices which inspire and guide a commitment to grateful living, and catalyze the transformative power of personal and societal responsibility.
We hold grateful living as an engaged mindfulness practice, grounded in both wisdom and science, which supports our ability to see the wonder and opportunity in every moment, and motivates us to act boldly with love, generosity, and respect towards one another, ourselves, and the Earth.
Thank you to my blogging friends – the poets among you, the philosophers, horse addicts, photographers, nature lovers, encouragers, scientists, theologians . . . thank you everyone for your patience and understanding while I take time to rest and recover.
Moment by Moment 