One small candle can light a darkened room

Good morning! I am starting to get into the routine of spending a few moments each morning with my smoothie and my journal and just seeing what arises in the consciousness.

Today it is a about helping others. A friend of mine is having a very tough time right now. She is feeling physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually destitute. I asked if there was something I could do, and she asked if I might be able to pray for her.

I don't see praying in a religious sense, but rather as a way of surrendering our pain to the light of some greater force at work in the universe. Doesn't matter what you call it. But it's there and it is loving.

So, this is what I wanted to write on my blog for today.

Let us pray for those who are lost in the darkness
of their own pain...of poverty...of persecution...of violence...of war...of ignorance

Let us pray that they find a candle of hope to light their their way
That the angels of mercy, compassion and love
lift them from their darkness.

In the darkness, we can find the light

For the children
who live underground (I saw this heartbreaking documentary a couple of weeks ago about some children in Bucharest living literally underground. They felt safer there than at home. Some were as young as 10 or 11 and each night they inhaled petrol or some other horrible fumes yet they had a dignity that I and a committment to live that I found incredible)
And breathe fumes into their lungs
To escape, just for a few moments
The desperation of their existence
May someone lend a hand urgently
Before it's too late.

There is so much pain
So much sadness
So much sorrow.

How can one possibly bear to look and see and engage?

Too much for small shoulders to carry
Too much for one heart to bear.
Yet somehow they carry on
Fighting for this gift (?) of life.

I feel so impotent
So lazy
So distant.

I hear the whispering of a divine message...

You alone cannot liberate
all beings
from their own pain
one must
ultimately
meet their own maker
and decide how to live

all you can do
is continue to liberate yourself
and in doing so
you give others the freedom to do so for themselves.

then you must follow the path
set before you
with joy and gladness and courage

for the angels will reveal to you
how you can make a difference
must make a difference.

But you must fill your own cup first
and fulfil your own dreams
for they are important too

and then the cup will overflow
and the love will be shared
it has to be

When you turn on the light in a darkened room
have you noticed how the darkness disappears?
Have you noticed how little light it takes
to cast away the darkness?
Just one small candle can light a whole room.

So it is with love.
Just a little love can cast away fear
But one candle can only do so much

Little by little
As we join together
We can spread the light
and then others can start to, are already,
igniting their own flames.

Peace be to all.
Amen.

Tread lightly

Step gently on this earth

and with a gladdened heart

For when you are gone

All that will be left

Are your footprints

Have a beautiful day
Love Beth

Take your time

Relax.
There is plenty of time for everything.
No need to rush

Let life gently unfold before you.

Be at peace

In a timeless, vast universe,
what is this concept of time anyway?

Suspend all thoughts of achievement
Even just for today

and let yourself just Be.


Relax....


Breathe...


Quietly now....


Still....

Now go about your day and enjoy!

Love Beth xoxox

Happiness

Today I want to write about happiness.
What if you discovered that happiness is both a state (of being and mind), as well as a choice?
Believe it or not, we can choose to be happy.
The Dalai Lama talks of it in his wonderful book, The Art of Happiness.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Happiness-Handbook-Living/dp/0340750154/sr=8-1/qid=1171794256/ref=pd_ka_1/203-3634280-8712741?ie=UTF8&s=books

Remember: there is always going to be times when it is not possible or authentic to be happy.
So, how can one choose to be happy? Here are a few ideas to consider...

1. Be grateful for what you have (write a list in your gratitude diary)
2. Realise that this too will pass
3. Gain perspective on the bigger picture - why get caught up in something transient when you will be here, in this spirit form, for milenia either past, present or future? This moment is really a drop in the ocean
4. You have been given life, which is a great blessing. As long as you are breathing, you have a choice. Not about what happens to you so much as how you react to it and what you do with your current circumstances
5. Don't put yourself under pressure to be something or someone you are not
6. Pray for peace and see how little time it takes for that warmth to wash over you. Archangel Michael is a good one for happiness
7. Recognise that what others do or so to you does not have to effect how you feel. It may do, it can do and it often does, but it doesn't have to
8. Listen to a beautiful piece of music, sing a song you enjoy, paint or draw, write a poem, go outside for a walk, wonder at a piece of art, look at old photos you enjoy, make some hearty soup, take a long bath, watch an inspiring film, read an inspiring book... self nurture provides a playground for happiness to blossom.

So, to your happiness and those of all beings.

Love Beth xx

Thought for today...

Be yourself.
Be utterly, truely, completely
your wonderful, radiant, pure self
In whatever form that may be.

Go on, let it shine
Let all of you be seen.

It might feel and seem risky
But when you reall think about it
It's all you can do, isn't it?

Have a lovely, sparkly, shiny day everyone.
Love Beth xx

Message for today

Nurture yourself.
Nurture the very core of your being.
Feed yourself loving words, loving thoughts and loving foods.
Be peaceful here.
No rushing about. Just sit calmly with yourself
And let the whispers of truth, of love and of hope wash over you.

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Love Beth

Together we can do this

Here is a video clip of a horse rescue in the Netherlands last year which I found incredibly touching.

It is better with the music if you have it.

See what you think...

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-4584913278289860160

Finding peace in chaos

It has been an unsettling start to 2-007. I think there is something in the air round here because lots of people have said it feels like they are kind of floating about without any real sense of purpose or joy. I've not managed to get to the bottom of it, but I think it might be something planetary!

Anyway, as we are in the dark time of the year (ie winter) on this side of the planet, I've been doing a little bit of introspection and come to the following conclusion. (well it could be winter, it could be me, or it could be this annoying little mid life crisis I had recently. am still having I expect. something to do with being closer to 50 than 20. it's a wierd wierd concept and I am struggling to get my head around it).

Anyway, the point is, I had this little revelation recently and it was quite nice in that I felt better for having had it. It's like I have to recalibrate my brain again to be comfortable with it but I found something peaceful there that I wasn't expecting.

And (drumroll please), the revelation was this: Life's not about getting to the point where everything is all OK, but rather about being OK with where you are at in the moment.

Then you can put all your effort, love and focus into what you are doing right now, rather than getting disappointed with things may not be working out as you would want them to or planned them to. It allows for gratitude for the small blessings. It allows for space to breathe and make mistakes and try new things. It allows for dreaming but not for us to be solely focused on the achievement of goals and aims. It allows heart space to BE.

It means that when life starts throwing harder and harder challenges at us(which it probably will as one gets older, kids, work, money and all that, and blessed be if not), then we can be prepared to enjoy the ride.

Don't you just love it?!

One year today!

Hey, I've been doing my blog for a whole year now. And I have no stat counter, so if anyone is out there, can you please let me know you are there!

I love this blog because it is such a gentle reminder for me to turn the loving inwards and reflect at times what is important in the daily hustle of life. It also seems to be a way of keeping in touch with some of the beloved sisters (men are also welcome) who if all in the one place, couldn't do their job of spreading love all the way around the world.

Thanks for reading and if you have anything you want to include, anonymously or otherwise (aside from advertising for performance enhancers or window cleaners) that would be truely welcomed.

Peace, love and light to you all

Love Beth xx

A toast to the sisterhood

This story came into my life today and it is so wonderful, I wanted to share it. Not sure who it is by aside from it being a wise woman!


A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters.

Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.
Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and
all your other women relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do.

"What a funny piece of advice!" The young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!' But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about.

As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life. After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between
you.

A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, sisters in spirit, (even mother in laws) all bless our life! The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

To the sisterhood. For without you, we are nothing.

Finding balance

Hey there! Sorry I've been away for a while. It's been hectic over here and I have been running to catch up. I'm not a very good fire fighter and as usual, trying to keep too many balls in the air. But hey, I went to Paris and it was beautiful. I went to Hamburg - also divine.

Anyway, I'm back and thinking of putting a veto on travel for the next month so I can get into my detox and have a bit of quiet time.

I saw that movie The Pursuit of Happyness. It is amazing. It is so worth seeing. Hard to watch in places for me. I found it almost painful. But oh so inspiring. Will Smith was incredible I thought. See it if you can.

The theme on my mind today, though, is about balance.

Sometimes it is quite tricky to balance the spiritual life with the demands of everyday living, like working, travelling, having kids, relationships. Even just eating healthily and making the time to cook a decent meal sometimes seems like a big deal for me. But the point of the spiritual life is to bring it into our daily living. While I did think about the monastic life, and fully respect those who choose this path, I feel there is something terribly important about living an everyday existance consciously. Being extraordinarily ordinary.

The other thing I think about balance is that it is not fixed. It is an oh so fluid concept. It is not something that is attained and then forever done, tick that box and move on. It is a constantly evolving series of choices that we make every day.

And then you have the other bit which is where you put your attention. Like not wanting to spend every day 'getting to know yourself', but also not getting so caught up in life you forget to turn the loving inwards from time to time to check in and see how your soul is doing.

Anyway, I think what I wanted to say is: hello sweet soul. I'm here. I'm doing my best to make time for you and all the other bits and pieces.

And thanks to all you precious souls who sent your birthday wishes. I felt very loved and very grateful. Thank you all. xxxxx