Messages From SpiritLight at Home
Happy Mother's Day
May 2005
Welcome to the 25th issue of Messages from SpiritLight at Home offering monthly inspirational thoughts, insights into new, useful, fun, sometimes unusual and interesting ideas and some of my favorite links on the Internet.
- A Message from Deirdre
- New Pages
- Inspirational Thoughts
- Favorite links
- Tips for the Day
- Subscriber's Sites
Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother. Lin Yu-tang
A MESSAGE FROM DEIRDRE
I remember hearing the following poem for the first time in the seventies. It struck a chord with me then, and I have never forgotten it. Its message showed me where I was at that time and where it was necessary for me to go for the future.
First believing that these wise words were written by a mother for the benefit of her child, my research revealed that it was actually written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann, a poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who lived from 1872 to 1945. Which reminded me - yet again - that wisdom and sensitivity to all things is certainly not gender specific!
Desiderata was later printed in a collection of Ehrmann's poems published in 1948, and has surfaced every now and again to remind us all of the importance of living a life of truth, consciousness, humility and love.
Desiderata
- As far as possible,
without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
- Avoid loud and
aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit. - If you compare
yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
- Enjoy your
achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. - Exercise caution in
your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
- Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass. - Take kindly the
counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. - Beyond a wholesome
discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
May you always believe in this world, strive to be cheerful and, in practicing that, find true love and happiness in all things!
God's Blessings to you all,
NB: Desiderata is Latin for "Things to be Desired."
My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. Mark Twain
INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS......
Brought to you from various resources around the Globe. We embrace all religions at SpiritLight at Home and will endeavor to bring to you inspirational stories that can be applied to your own beliefs.
Consulting Your Soul by Wayne Dyer
Recently I approached a traffic light where a man stood in shabby clothes with a three-legged dog by his side. As I waited for the light to change I looked at this scene with compassion and felt an urge to contribute something. The sign he was carrying indicated that he was homeless. The people in my car commented that he was a strong young man, there were plenty of employment opportunities, and why should anyone give to people who are capable of working. They indicated a kind of mild contempt for this man soliciting funds whom they felt "should" be working. My thoughts were on him and the fact that he cared for and fed this crippled dog. I rolled down the window and gave him several dollars for which he expressed enormous gratitude.
As the companions in my car semi-scolded me for being a sucker and for enabling him to continue to be a beggar I thought of some words of Mother Teresa. "You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway." Truly this was not between me and my friends in the car, nor was it between that homeless man and me. It was between God and me. Something inside of me urged me to extend love and a little cash to the man and his dog. That "something" was a fleeting moment of consulting my soul.
To me, spiritual and physical are not two separate dimensions of reality. I think of spiritual practice as a way of making my life work at a higher level and receiving guidance for handling my problems. The ways in which I do this involve a few simple, basic practices:
- Surrender is the most crucial and perhaps most difficult for me. In surrendering, my thoughts are something like this: I simply do not know how to resolve this situation and I am turning it over to the same force that I turn my physical body over to every night when I go to sleep. I trust in this unseen part of me to keep my heart beating, my blood circulating, and so on.
- Accessing spiritual solutions means converting my inner thoughts and feelings from discord and disharmony to love. In the spirit of surrender and love I silently chant, "I invite the highest good for all concerned to be here now." I try to see anger, hatred and disharmony as invitations to surrender and love. With this understanding I have the option to allow spirit to manifest and work through me.
- I believe my spirit is inseparable from the infinite. Having a relationship with the infinite part of myself encourages my recognition of spiritual solutions. The awareness of my infinite nature is terrific for putting everything into perspective.
- My approach to problem-solving involves cultivating an empty mind. In this space I listen, and allow myself to have complete faith that I will be guided in the direction of resolution. I let go of my ideas about how something should be resolved.
- Finding spiritual solutions to my life's problems always involves generosity and gratefulness. For me, this means giving my life to my soul purpose and being grateful for the opportunity to do so. I believe that I get back from the world what I put out to the world, not only physically but also in terms of my thoughts. So, I recommend spiritual practices that involve being generous and grateful with thoughts as well as actions.
- Nurturing a sense of connectedness to everyone and everything invites spiritual solutions. When I see myself as connected I am not looking for occasions to be offended or to judge. I don't see anyone as my enemy or an obstacle. This is how I relinquish negative self-talk and connect to the solutions that are available to me. In moments of despair I try to affirm, "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I know nothing that is separate from me."
- Finally I choose cheerfulness as a gauge of my level of spiritual consciousness at any given moment. The more cheerful, happy, contented, and satisfied I am feeling, the more aware I am of my connection to spirit.
So, does all this mean I'm suggesting that you always give money to people who ask for it? No. But I am suggesting that the next time you see someone asking for money; look at that situation as being between you and your spiritual consciousness - between you and God. Consult your soul and if you feel that you don't want to give, don't. But rather than letting anger or judgment rule the moment, offer that person a silent blessing from the part of you that is a part of him. This is consulting your soul.
Source: http://www.drwaynedyer.com/articles/art1.cfm
A man never sees all that his mother has been to him until it's too late to let her know he sees it. William Dean Howells (American Novelist 1920)
NEW PAGES
* A2Z Embroidery - http://www.A2ZEmbroidery.net - Our new sister business for all your special embroidery needs. Spiritual sayings, angels, pets - you name it!
UPDATED:
* Deirdre's Poetry: http://www.spiritlighthome.com/Poetry.html
* Our Works Page: http://www.spiritlightworks.com
He that would the daughter win must with the mother first begin. English Proverb
DEIRDRE'S FAVORITE LINKS
(Just favorites in my bookmarks - no profits made here. Any advertising (if any) is placed at the end of the newsletter.)
1. Free Guided Meditation - Welcome to our online guided meditation room. Visit here daily to enjoy 10 minutes of relaxation and healing reflection. Use these meditation techniques for inner happiness and healing. You may select your own meditative image and pause/start guided meditation script or sound. Click here or paste into your browser: http://www.selfhealingexpressions.com/meditate.shtml
2. Words of Wisdom - Consider the following quotes. Click here or paste into your browser: http://www.geocities.com/bgaughr/words_of_wisdom.htm
- 3. An article by Wayne Dyer on his website considers the question of how we can work toward peace, and of what lessons can be learned from the wars of the past. With empathy you know in your heart that it's not a sign of weakness to attempt to understand that the people we call terrorists have placed the same label on us, and that the use of force will create a counter force, a never-ending saga of killing and hate. Ending war involves cultivating empathy in our policies and the love of God in our hearts. Click here or paste into your browser: http://www.drwaynedyer.com/articles/
A mother understands what a child does not say. Jewish Proverb
GRANDMA'S TIPS FOR THE DAY (Instead of Humor of the Day) Thanks Don!
Did You Know......
..that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately - without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."
..that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.
Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose. (But don't do this if you have GERD) Note: if you don't know what GERD is, you don't have it!
Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon of horseradish in 1cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.
Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.
Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly - even though the product was never been advertised for this use.
Honey remedy for skin blemishes. Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.
Listerine therapy for toenail fungus. Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
Easy eyeglass protection. To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.
Coca-Cola cure for rust. Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done. (Are you ever going to drink Coke again???!!!)
Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer. If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and would rather not use insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.
Smart splinter remover...just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.
Hunt's tomato paste boil cure. Cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.
Balm for broken blisters. To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine - a powerful antiseptic.
Heinz vinegar to heal bruises. Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
Kills fleas instantly. Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.
Rainy day cure for dog odor. Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
Eliminate ear mites. All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.
Quaker Oats for fast pain relief. It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.
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Disclaimer: I have not yet tried any of these remedies, but am certainly going to! Remember, however, that they are not intended to substitute for the professional care of your physician or Vet!
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I believe that always, or almost always, in all childhood and in all the lives that follow them, the mother represents madness. Our mothers always remain the strangest, craziest people we've ever met. Marguerite Duras (French Author 1914)
SUBSCRIBERS' SITES
Many of our subscribers have fascinating web sites. Please let us know about yours so that we might mention it in this section. Write to: deirdre@spiritlighthome.com
Bless you all and have a great month. Happy Mother's Day!
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