"School of Life"

"There are things that we don't want
to happen but have to accept, things
we don't want to know but have to
learn, and people we can't live without
but have to let go." Author Unknown

My husband's mother used to say,
"Getting old ain't for sissies." And, I
think she said it because as you
continue to live it isn't always easy.

Life is a series of lessons that come
up for us, and we get to choose our
response to them.

A week ago a friend of mine who had
become prayer partners with me
almost two years ago died. This is
something that I didn't want to happen,
but I have to accept.

This is a part of the things we all don't
want to know, but we get to learn
about any way is that people really are
not immortal. You don't get out of here
alive. (You would think a hospice
nurse like me would realize this.)

One of the lessons I'm learning through
having two friends die within four months
of each other is to cherish the friends I
have now. A part of cherishing them is
to let them know it instead of putting it
off for another time.

I encourage you to learn from this
school of life, and cherish your friends or
work on what is yours to do now. Don't
put it off.

Let Us Pray:
Living, Loving Presence, we are grateful
for Presence leading, guiding, and
directing us in this school of life. We are
grateful for Comfort. We are blessed.
Amen.

Thank you so much for your friendship
and love. I feel so blessed.

Peace, Love, and Joy,
Sandy

"Open and Receptive"

"Openness and receptivity invite the
richness of life and allow you to be
fully present to all of God's blessings."
Chris Michaels

The opposite of being open and
receptive is to be closed and shut
down.

It is the difference between having an
open hand to receive or one that is
closed and unwilling.

Spirit has blessings for each one of
us as we open to that still small
voice within us that desires to lead,
guide, and direct us.

When we are open and receptive it
opens the way for God's blessings
to flow into our lives.

Those blessings often come in ways
that are totally unexpected from what
we may have planned.

If you need to be in control and have
everything planned out in detail, this
will take courage to step out.

What I know is that the Universe is
always for you, never against you,
and always wants to bless you.

I invite you to be willing to be open
and receptive, and to see the blessings
that come your way.

Affirm: I choose to be open and
receptive to all the Good God has
for me now.

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Presence, I fully accept, and
I'm open and receptive to all the Good
flowing to me now. I am grateful.
Amen.

I'm so blessed to have you in my life,
and grateful for your support.

Peace, Love, and Joy,
Sandy

"A Beginner"

"...when we are beginners, everything
is fresh and new, each moment an
adventure of discovery, every act
contains a promise of surprise."
Wayne Muller

We can get in such a rut of doing the
same things in the same old ways
that our life becomes dull and boring.

Dull and boring can lead us to feel
like we need a new job, a new house,
or new relationship to brighten things
up.

Just changing our outer circumstances
is not the answer to what is happening.

What we can do is begin again. We
can adjust our view to the beginner's
mind and take another look at our lives.

As our quote states we can make "each
moment an adventure of discovery..."

Are there ways we could be different or
take a different action than we have in
the past?

Life is an adventure, and it is up to us
to look for newness and the "promise of
surprise" that can be ours.

Let Us Pray:
We acknowledge that we are the Presence
of God expressing. There is no separation
and we are grateful for this journey. Amen.

I'm grateful for you, and wishing you the
Highest and Best.

Grace-filled blessings,
Sandy

"A New Year"

"In whatever sense this year is a
New Year for you, may the moment
find you eager and unafraid, ready to
take it by the hand with joy and
gratitude." Howard Thurman

We have a baby year before us, and
it is up to us to create what that year
will be like.

No, we don't know exactly what each
circumstance will come our way, but
we can make the decision of how we
will be in those circumstances. We
always have choice.

My decision is to step into this New
Year "eager and unafraid, ready to
take it by the hand with joy and
gratitude." How about you?

Charles and Cora Fillmore wrote in
"Teach Us to Pray," "...words of praise,
gratitude, or thanksgiving expand, set
free, and in every way radiate energy."

The energy of freedom, love, joy, peace,
and prosperity are ours as we speak
praise, thanksgiving, and gratitude.

This is the kind of year I want for each
one of us. Will you join me in holding
this intention?

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Holy Spirit, we go within and
consciously connect with You. Our
intention is to express as You: Love,
Joy, Wholeness, Abundance as the
consciousness of our Unity with You.
In gratitude for this knowing. Amen

Day one of our journey together in
2012! What an adventure we are on,
and I'm grateful to have you as my
traveling companion.

Happy New Year,
Sandy

"A Christmas Card"

"...'I am bringing you good news of
great joy for all the people..."
Luke 2:10

According to this well known story
an angel came announcing the birth
of a special baby, and bringing glad
news to everyone.

Now we send out Christmas cards
to people sending them our good
wishes as we remember this story
that has been handed down through
the ages.

I was curious about where sending
Christmas cards started, and this is
what I found on-line.

"In 1843, the Christmas card was
invented by a man named John
Calcott Horsley, who lived Italy. He
was hired by Sir Henry Cole in an
effort to depict the desolate living
conditions of the poor. The idea was
to raise awareness and encourage
people to help those in need.

"Ironically, the result was a card
portraying a happy family, including a
child sipping wine. Scrawled across
the front of the card was 'A Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year to
You.' This led to criticism as it was not
socially correct for a child to drink
alcohol. Despite this, the Christmas
card was a hit and manufacturers found
it difficult to keep up with the demand. By
1880, the Christmas card business was
big and growing rapidly.

Christmas cards are ways we reach out
to people we often don't talk to the rest
of the year, but they are also ways of
letting people know we love and care
about them.

I'm grateful to you, and I'm wishing you
Happiness on this Christmas Day, and
abundant blessings in this New Year.

Let Us Pray:
We are grateful for the reminder to bless
those we love and care about who have
been a part of our lives. We are grateful
to know the Christ Presence fully Present
in each one of us. Amen.

Merry Christmas,
Sandy

"Let Go and Let God"

"...letting God be God in me is my
decision alone. There is no hellfire
and brimstone to threaten me--only
an unconditional love that simply
wants to wrap itself around me. So,
I choose to let go and let God. How
can I lose?" Katherine Saux

I can remember when I was totally
running my life from a fear of a big
guy in the sky that I didn't see as a
loving entity but someone who was
out to get me.

Even though I was "saved" because
I had "asked Jesus into my heart," I
was afraid. I had a list of self-appointed
rules that I had to follow, and if I didn't
and something went wrong in the world
it was my fault (pretty powerful, huh?).

This is no longer where I come from. I
know God as Love. God is within me,
and there is no separation.

I can let go and let God be God in me,
because there truly is no other way.
There is no God and Sandra. There is
only God. God in every cell of my
being.

And, not just God in me, but God in
every cell of your being. There is no
place where God is not.

So together may we choose to let go
and let God. How can we lose?

Let Us Pray:
Living, Loving Presence, we consciously
connect with You as we go within. We
feel only Living, Loving Presence. We
choose to let go and allow You to move
as us. We are grateful. Amen.

This is a journey of unfolding, stretching,
and growing. I'm so grateful that we are
journeying together.

Grace-filled blessings,
Sandy

Attitude of Gratitude

"... gratitude is not a condition,
it's a decision. It's a decision we
make to look past the apparent
problems in our life and find the
good." L. Wesley Hopper

We are always at choice in the
circumstances of our life.

We can look at what is going on, wring
our hands, and say "poor me."

Or, we can decide to find something
in the situation to be grateful for.

It is the difference between living a
life as a victim or victor, because a
victim makes the choice to see the
glass as half empty.

The victor is able to see the
possibilities, and to find a reason to
express gratitude.

No matter what the situation may be,
God's Presence in us is always
Present, and for this we can be
grateful.

Let Us Pray:
Living, Loving Presence, we go within
and connect with You. There is nothing
to fear. We realize You as Presence in
every cell of our beings. We are grateful.
Amen.

As we realize your faithfulness in
supporting this ministry with your Love,
we are grateful.

Love,
Sandy