Finding Joy

Yesterday, a friend's email shared a presentation on building a joyful community. The word "joy" stuck in my mind, and brought up a familiar taunt: When are you really Joyful?

Despite my chipper attitude on twitter (pun intended), I experience doubt, depression and deep sadness. Growing up outcast and all-but-completely rejected by my own family, I have scars that never fully healed. I also have few friends I can turn to when I need help. I struggle financially to meet basic needs. So very easily I can nod in assent to those words and wonder: When am I really joyful? Do I even know what joy - true JOY - is?

Then a confident, if quiet, Voice answers: Joy is here, but I stubbornly hold myself away, while I put faith in the lies.

While I believe that I have not found true Joy, or that the pains from today or my past can prevent me from being joyful, I will not find Joy - only the taunts.

I need to stop listening to the lies.

There is One that has undergone pain far beyond anything my mind can understand or imagine - and that One experiences an insurmountable and Eternal JOY.

And He doesn't want to experience this alone...

Nor are we required to wait until a point beyond our own death to do so.

I find Joy in this life that taunts want me to forget:

When I spend time in the morning just sitting with God (see earlier post), or engage in a conversation with a sister or brother, there is simple Joy.

When I share Blessings in rhyme on Twitter, or write stories or blog posts, my husband notes how my face lights up with a big smile.

When I pray, there is Peace. And when I lean into that Eternal Peace and Love, my soul sings with such JOY!

May you share that same Joy, this day and always. It's there for us all ~ reach for it!

What's In a Name

Recently I've been working with Spreading Joy Corp to get a collection of my tweets published as a book. I wanted to publish it anonymously with a small reference to @JesusSister, as the focus - and credit - should be God and Christ, not me.

The proof came from the printer with my full legal name on the cover and book spine. My face fell when I realized this.

I was ready to request my name removed, despite observations that it works well in the cover layout and gives future publications a boost. But before I put my foot down into a bucket of concrete stubbornness, I sought some insight through prayer.

I was overruled. I don't fully know why, but God wants my name there.

I reached a point where I can not always hide behind online names, and must publicly acknowledge what I believe.

In the Northeastern US, we separate business and religious aspects of our lives. With this book published, my legal name will be associated with Christ's teachings, which may hinder applications for Human Resources or management positions.

With all that God gave me, this is a small thing I can offer in return. Did I not say this book should be about God, not me? It's about time that I incorporate that philosophy into the rest of my life. It's about God, not me.

Stepping Back

I've wanted to blog for a while, but nothing was put on "paper" (virtual or not). I have even been remiss in responding to emails and snail mailed letters. I think I finally found what the bottleneck may be.

The issue is... me.

I started a long list of blog ideas, things that I want to write, want to share, and want to say. Once I started that list, nothing was written, for I would turn to that list for inspiration. I did not turn to God.

For my blogs to be effective, I need to step back, turn to God, and ask - respectively, of course - "OK, I understand things don't work well without You. So can you please tell me: What do YOU want me to write about?"

How quickly the ego jumps back in. In writing this post, I included the aforementioned list with elaborations and descriptions. I micro-blogged inside this blog post.

When I realized that the list would put the spotlight back on me and my ideas, and detract from the message this post, I put the delete key to good use.

Let's face it, my understanding is so limited in the grand picture, but God's isn't. Do I want to help others? Or do I want to shine with my own light? Even if I shine for a time, the batteries in my flashlight will eventually die. But God's Wisdom shines with a much greater Light.

For that to shine, all I need to do is step aside.

Heaven and Hell

As I had a brief discourse on Heaven and Hell in a email correspondence and a blog response, I wanted to share this with my readers too.

To many, the concept is that the good go to Heaven, and the bad - especially those for whom we hold a grudge - are condemned to the eternal fires of Hell. But I believe God's plans for everyone to be saved. As God is beyond time, all are already saved. It plays out in time, from our perspective.

Heaven is being with God, completely infused with Love of which we only experience in small part here. There is Peace and Joy complete. There is Life. It is indescribable in the words we use. There is no fear, anger, sadness, loss or pain. There is also no time, for God (and ourselves with God) exist beyond time.

HOWEVER... change can only take place INSIDE time. That is a reason we are in this life experience: to change, and through our learning and changing to grow. Growth requires change; change requires time.

Hell exists, but there is no lake of fire, burning sulfur reeking the air, or red devils with pitchforks to torment our bodies for eternity. Hell is complete and utter separation from God, an awareness that one is cut from Life. It is completely dark, as God is Light. It is very cold to the core of one's being - so cold that it burns. And one deals with the torments of the mind: self-recrimina- tion, self-loathing and self- hatred. Our connections with God (even unconscious) can lighten these self-inflictions. While we experience God to a lesser degree here than in Heaven, the buffer is gone completely in Hell. There is its torment.

So if everyone is saved, why is there a Hell? The answer lies in the moment humanity has called "Judgement." There is no account of bad things done (list of sins). Past mistakes are forgiven through Christ, so they NO LONGER EXIST.
 
Introduced into our minds at the threshold, instead, we are given the Truth -- complete, clear and unhindered. We ourselves make a personal assess- ment and are given a choice. Do we wish to hold on to that which is not the Truth, which are things that our egos (and through our egos the adversary) teach us? Such things include how we see others as well as ourselves. Or do we want to accept the Truth? It is also at this point of death that many, including Atheists, are simply given the proof and understanding that they could not find in this life existence.

We are given the Truth of what we and God really are, that all the "sins" we hold against ourselves ceased to be, and that all grudges we hold against others ceased to be. We can simply and joyfully accept this whole, or make the determina- tion to turn from it and say "I do not want THIS." It is what Christ's teachings refer to as the Unpardonable Sin, as it results in the person being cut from God - in Hell.

Now here is the element of Mercy that many will not agree with: Christ's Forgiveness extends beyond this life and beyond time. That is why His Resurrection, conquering death two millennium ago, can affect all those both before and after - all humanity. His action, His Love and Self-sacrifice extend OUTSIDE of time.

When Yeshua / Jesus said He will be with us ALWAYS, He means ALWAYS - both in this world and beyond - even in the depths of Hell. If we experience Hell beyond this life - HE IS THERE. The teachings say that He passed through Hell following His crucifixion. If this is done beyond time, He is with every soul -- past, present and future -- when they experience Hell.

Because Hell is separate from God, it does not stand for eternity (which is of God), but exists for a time. As long as there is time, there is growth and change. The hand of Christ is always there - outstretched from beyond time, ready to welcome a brother or sister home. Waiting for us to simply CHANGE our mind. By the end of time, we ALL will be in Heaven with God. For when the last soul is home, both time and Hell cease to exist, because there will be no purpose for either.

What are your thoughts?

Forgiveness

Of things discussed yesterday (see prior post), was God's Forgiveness. While some see it as Christ washing our sins away, and others seeing it as Christ's Love standing between us and God, I explained it this way:

God's Forgiveness is such a Wonder. Unlike how we see sin, where we bring it to mind and then try to see past it, God does something different. For when you are told not to think of a pink elephant, a pink elephant is the first thing to pop into the mind - with or without a tutu. So how can one see past a sin, if we focus on it?

God does not bring our sin to mind. Because God is outside of time, it's quite possible for the Divine to reach back into our past and eliminate that sin. It dissipates so it now never existed. It is only our own perception and the adversary's whispers that tell us it continues to exist, to drag us down.

But in truth, we are free. 

Intentions

I got an earful from Yeshua. His  disappoint- ment affects me far more than hours of ranting would, especially when I love and respect Him so much. He was right, though; I screwed up.

Long story short, I focused the spotlight on myself, rather than where it needs to be.

At the fair yesterday, I approached a booth with Jesus' name in reverse-image, challenging one and all to read it.

My plan was to get them into conversation for the sole purpose of showing them my ring with Yeshua's name in Hebrew, to see if THEY could read THAT name.

What am I? Six years old?

While we chatted, my mind focused on the predetermined goal. I was almost oblivious to what was being shared through me. Instead, my goal served to derail something that would have been priceless to share.

While I found myself trying to get the person to STOP reading the highlighted passages from the bible to me, and use his own words, I was not successful. I could have encouraged him to rely on the Spirit within to give him the words to speak, instead of the pre-packaged "how to convert them" spiel.

As my focus was between two goals, I was effective at neither. It was like trying to convince a child that he could ride a bike without training wheels, when the child was ready to throw a temper-tantrum if you approached the bike with a wrench.

You can not serve two masters. You cannot be effective trying to hit two goals either, apparently.

The ring added NOTHING to the conversation, to what I really COULD share with this person. The only reason I approached this tent was to stroke my own ego. 

There, I said it!

I regret that I had that as my intention. I didn't notice the warning shot fired out my own mouth at the conversation's start. At a mention of Jesus' anger toward the Pharisees, I added that it wasn't only because they acted better than the rest (as the Roman leaders did that too). It was because they were chosen to interface between God and man, and they used their positions to seek the fame and stroke their egos, instead of doing what God asked them to do.
.

And here I did the same thing... stroking my ego. It's no wonder I got an earful.
.

But life continues, and I ascend another stepping stone along the way, even if I happened to trip over it first. :P

Time with God

What if you got a message that God wanted to meet you and sit a spell with you? What if you were told God is sitting on the front porch, front steps (or as we say in NYC, "front stoop") right now?

Would you be thrilled? Would you be happy? Would you be afraid? Would a jumble of all these well up inside?

When I was told God wanted to meet with me outside, just to sit outside the front door, I went beside myself. Part of me was joyous that God wanted to spend time with me. Part of me had that sinking feeling and the question, "What did I do wrong...?"

I dragged my feet. I mentally batted around the doubt that the request was real. I checked my email. I took my time getting dressed. But that request remained opened, the feeling inside confirmed it.

God was waiting.

So I went out to face the news, ready for a recrimination that I had not only did something to merit this talking to, but also that I've now had the audacity to keep God waiting. :(

But God wasn't waiting to yell at me or punish me. God simply wanted to spend time together, just the two of us. Sunrise seemed the perfect peaceful moment that God wanted to share with me. And the invitation wasn't just open to me, but to all of God's Children - each and every one of us.

Do we dare to set aside the time, before the crazy clutter of our routine and schedules? Before all the dark thoughts of doubt and fear block the bright thoughts from our mind, we can make a choice. We can take a few moments to sit with God just outside the front door, or we can try to tackle the day by ourselves.

Which will be more successful?

By request, I now spend some moments with God outside my front door daily. Some days I shiver, as frost lines the plants and steps around me.  Some days I shiver, as God's Peace fills me and gives me the strength and confidence to face my day. Some days I shiver, at the sheer wonder of the Blessing it is to sit with God for a quiet moment. No prayers. No requests. No apologies for the mistakes I've done. No demands. Often, no words at all. Just the two of us sitting side-by-side, sharing the moment. It is exhilarating!

And I invite you to do the same.

It is definitely worth it!

Images: Top from xroads.virginia.edu. The rest from the internet: sources unknown.

Saints and Begorrah

Growing up in the Catholic faith, I was surrounded by reminders of the saints: from paintings in the classrooms, to statues in the church next door, to studies of the various lives of saints across history, to the collection my mother had around the house. She even recently buried a statue of a saint on my deceased brother's property to quickly sell it. I have never understood that part of the Catholic faith.

If anything, my understanding of saints were that they were one more layer between me and God - and it wasn't an observation I treasured. Through the eyes of a child's ego, there was a pecking order that I learned:

• God the Father
• Jesus the Son
• Holy Spirit
• Angels (7 tiers)
• Mary (Mother of Christ)
• Saint Peter
• The other Apostles
• Saint Paul (formerly Saul)
• Other Saints
• The Pope
• Cardinals
• Archbishops
• Bishops
• Monsignors
• Priests
• Nuns
• Holy Men
• Holy Women
• Lowly sinners
• me

There is a lot of "red tape" between me and God. Thus, it was practically impossible to access God's ear. I'd have a better chance walking into a large corporation unknown and getting to talk with the CEO right away. Sometimes I wondered, why would God WANT to hear from me? He had all these other important people in line ahead of me.

I was also frustrated that all these other people, with their own ideas, perspectives and opinions, would add to, filter, or otherwise influence any message that may be sent down to me. There was no intimacy between God an myself, but all those "middle managers." In the years following, I learned to change that list:

• God (Father/Jesus/Spirit) as One
• (through the intercession of the Spirit)
• me

This simplified things and invited me to actively seek and participate in a meaningful conversation and develop a RELATIONSHIP with God. For a time, that worked.

For a time...

Yeshua (Jesus) has been pushing me to open my prayers to incorporate others. Not only praying for others (which I do); He means praying TO others - the saints and Mary.

I've gone back to praying the rosary, but to take petitions to St. Jude, Mary or others seems... foreign to me. Saying pre-written prayers seems cold and lifeless (spirit-less), and I wrestle with the parallel of praying to a "Saint of Such-and-Such" and the practices I've seen in pagan worship. They really are not so different...

Yeshua's answers to my arguments is that the saints are not needed for God and I to communicate. It is not a "ladder" (what I call "pecking order"). But the saints and Mary WANT to help us. Our prayers open us / our lives to that help.

I guess it is not dissimilar to when God works through another in this life, where (S)He is able to accomplish something just fine without our help. Because we WANT to help, God enables us and works through us.

We also need to be open to God's help in order to receive it ourselves. So it may be the same for the saints and Mary.

I learned that there is a point from which God, Yeshua, and others who have "gone before" us, actually exist beyond time. So to be able to affect things in "our time" is quite possible.

Yeshua has taught me that I am connected with all my brothers and sisters - past, present and future.

Maybe it is as simple as when I ask another online to say a prayer to help me through an IC/PBS flare or similar issue in life. We are all brothers and sisters...

... even beyond time.

+       +        +

Saints and Begorrah

Saints and By God

:D

Back in School

September is traditionally "Back-to-School" month here. As adults, some of us "rest on our laurels" when we are finished our formal education, believing we've finally finished learning.

And then - sometimes right away or sometimes many years later - we notice that the "laurels" upon which we  rest aren't growing as wide as our backsides upon which we also rest.

Continuing formal education is not an option for many, especially with the high cost of tuition and associated fees, or due to time constraints with job and/or family. But we should not let that stop us from learning. As we learn, we grow.

One of my favorite ways to learn has always been through books. I am comfortable with them; they have been a trusted friend since I was young - even the pile I was forced to read for all those English/Literature classes. Well... I never DID make it to the end of Jane Eyre. :P

Sometimes I try to go through the more educational tomes as well as the collection of fantasy books and fiction I enjoy reading for fun. I still haven't figured out who moved my cheese?

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the pile of "For Dummies" books on my desk at work. Since switching to Windows 7 (from XP) and to Microsoft Office 2010 (from 2003), I find myself in a world of frustration playing hide-and-go-seek with buttons and other features. But I continue to learn the technology too.

A new way I learn is via interactive conversations with others online, such as emails or chat. I also have started a love affair with the blog - both in writing and reading others. Even when I don't leave a comment, I still learn. It's like a coffee-shop classroom, where we learn from each other virtually, even though we never say a word face-to-face.

There is also the time needed to let it all sink in. I need to set aside some time out of my busy day (or extend that day by getting up a bit earlier) and ask the Spirit within to be my teacher. I need to understand what God wants me to learn from all that I see, hear, read, and experience. Osmosis doesn't always work; learning takes place at a much deeper level.

Over the past two weeks, I've connected with a young man in India who is studying to be a Catholic priest.

While he expresses his amazement that God has connected him with someone who brings much for him to learn, the fact has not been lost on me that it's a two-way street. I've started to learn many things from him as well.

I now have an opportunity to learn how to teach through interaction with others, and I found a stepping stone that Yeshua (Jesus) has given me.

 

Those that read my blog regularly know that I have many gripes about the Catholic Church, and have been quite vocal about it here. I also know Yeshua wants me reconciled with the Church. I don't know why, but because He asks it, I want to do so. This opportunity that has been placed before me is a learning experience.

September is back-to-school month, and Yeshua definitely has a hand in my curriculum. Of that, I am both very glad and quite grateful.

:D

Quantum Leap

In last night's dreams, I lived a few moments of others' lives, people I've never met before. This has happened previously, giving me a chance to see many different walks of life.

The dreams are like an old TV-show called Quantum Leap, where the main character jumps into the life of another, any part of the world, any time period, male or female. There's a few minutes of complete confusion, as he figures out who he is and what's happening.

However, I don't have an assistant that no one sees with a blinking Lego-like device in his hand reading off the stats and information. It is there, though, in my mind. For those few minutes, I AM the person, sharing their memories. Yet, I hold those memories long after I wake up.

Some memorable and very detailed snippets include:

• a child huddles on a mattress against the wall in a war-torn country; the skittering sounds of insects cross the floor in the waiting silence, and there is a taste of dust from the air
• a young child sits half-bored as his grandfather tells of  past snowball fights using trash-can lids as shields; behind the bored look, the nugget of an idea "I can do that too" blooms
• a girl, just about to leave high school and go to college, still struggles to understand who she is inside, when all her friends seem to know who they are and enjoy life to the fullest
• an exhilarating ride on a roller-coaster through the dark with lights all around is followed by a friend's nudge and nod to ride it again
• a pregnant mother sits quietly in a warm sunbeam, as she caresses her barely extended middle and wonders what her daughter's life will be, imagining both wonders and worries
• a young mother at her wits end and the verge of tears, tries to manage three wild preschool-aged children in her care, exhausted and desperate for help with no where to turn
• a father enjoys his weekend with the kids, playing games well into the night, despite the backlash he will receive from his ex-wife; this is his time to hear about their lives and see the light shining in their young eyes
• a mother colors pages with her two children at the table very recently cleared of dinner plates; it was a long day at work and school, and they share a moment of fun, trying to ignore the dishes, homework and work brought home that anxiously await their attention
• a woman in a ghetto prays right after her half-grown son left to seek vengeance, sweating in fear as tears stream down her cheeks; she half-expects the knock to announce news that he was shot, but desperately prays that it would not be so
• a father helps his daughter move out on her own, proud of the woman she has become but still wonders who will be there to watch over and protect her when she is so far away from him
• a woman, working as a store clerk and depending on sales commission, paces the store floor and worries about the bills at home; the store is empty of customers - again
• a man works on a bridge, trusting his full weight to straps and clips as he arm-wrestles a rusted bolt loose and ignores the churning water and boats passing several hundred feet below his dangling boots
• a woman enjoys a moment of peace and solitude away from her office job, gazing at a lone dandelion growing in a sparse bit of green; she then decides to share the remainder of her sandwich with the birds fluttering at her feet and in overhead tree branches; the gentle breeze that rustles the leaves is filled with the songs of city life
• a middle-aged man walks through the temptations of goodies in the workplace cafeteria, after he promised his wife he'd stick to a diet; a major guilt trip follows two oreo cookies, making them taste like sawdust
• a middle-aged woman sits for a spell, speaking to her neighbor on the steps of her home in a low-income neighborhood; after trading news, she's accepts the invitation into the neighbor's kitchen, where they share a cup of  tea - and some good gossip
• an older man tries to find work, knowing he competes against younger candidates fresh out of college with the latest IT skills (and even the HR person is young); thoughts about what to say to the family when THIS job falls through dance in the mind, making it harder to understand the questions
• a person atop a mountain range, snow bright peaks all around, pushes back the faux-fur lined hood to feel the sunshine and cold breeze touch a bare head; the frosty air inhaled is a moment of pure bliss after a long fight to survive cancer, eyes close in wonder of the moment of life
• a homeless man on the street huddles in an large three-sided box with one open side against the brick wall, listening half-asleep for footsteps that may help or harm
• a man rejoices in his lover's embrace, exhausted and excited, following a long wedding day, looking forward to a life together
• a woman in a shelter rooms with three strangers, where she cannot sleep but cannot leave to go for a calming walk either, or she will loose her place where it is warm, so many strange sounds and smells surround her
• an elderly woman shares a can of cat food with her only companion, a white cat with a blotch of brownish-black on its back: a companion very much loved and of which she is so very grateful to have in this cold world, so she uses the "good dishes"
• a gentle smile and warm feeling grows in an old man, as a widow makes it clear that she is interested; no matter how old and bald, there's still life inside that someone wants to know better

How easy is it for me to look at another's life and judge a situation from my own perspective? How often have I stepped back and looked at things through their eyes instead?

.

There is far too much to experience in this life than one person can do. Can you imagine what the planner would look like if we did? But we are not alone; we can learn from each other, as simple as genuinely listening. 

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Together we can shine like we can never do alone!

Hour of the Wolf

In Babylon 5, there's a description of a time of desperation and courage. One of the characters defines it as the Hour of the Wolf, between 3 and 4 am, in the middle of the night when wolves are at your door.

Two things popped into mind when I heard that: (1) I like wolves; one may say they are a totem animal of mine. (2) 4 am is my time with Yeshua, immediately following what some say is the darkest part of the night. A third item followed days later, 3 am parallels 3 pm, the hour Christ died on the cross.

At 3 am last night, I got up to pee. Noting the time, I chuckled, wobbling half- asleep to the bathroom and back. It's the hour of the wolf. I looked into the shadows of the apartment - without fear.

At 4 am, I woke and was told to sleep and dream. This was a night for one of the lesson dreams. For the sake of brevity, I will not share all of it, but the key part.

We were aware of wolves outside, but were safe indoors. I glanced out windows hoping to catch a glimpse of them. It was twilight before the dawn. 

Three men entered, carrying someone severely attacked. The legs were gone, and the mind was driven mad. I tried to touch one of the hands that flailed wildly. I got a flash that there was a different "wolf" within this poor victim as well, a possession of sorts. One of the men there said he had not "seen an attack this bad since the rise of New Germany".

Without thinking, I shoved the gatherers aside, placed my hands on the victim's chest and reached for God. There was a sense for the first time within me -   I   can   do   this   ! The bleeding stopped instantly. The moans stopped with the pain.

The eyes snapped open and glared at me. I firmly commanded - Out! It tried to ensnare my mind: I am a simple human after all, I cannot command it to leave. I had none of it. God held my hand and I was a child of God's. Out! Now!

With a shriek, it left. The victim was stabilized and rapidly healing. Suddenly drained and very tired, I took a few steps to the side.

My birth mother approached me and said I did that. Then she pointed to the other miracles I worked unwitnessed in the dream. I was a miracle worker!

I turned to her and replied quietly but firmly, "God works miracles, not me. Regardless of form, it is always God."

I walked outside, tired and drained. Heading across the compound for another building, I recalled the wolves outside. But God was still with me. So I bravely walked through the twilight and crossed in front of a locked-up building. A low growl came from the darkness under the trees...

In the valley of the darkness

I will fear no evil

For God is with me.

In the valley of the twilight, when evil approaches with a wolf's menacing growl...

 ... I climbed the drainpipe like a squirrel.

I woke up, shaking a bit. There is still more to learn of Faith and placing my full Trust in God.

*** Images from the internet. Final image: by Dark Natasha, website unknown. Others: sources unknown.

Lord's Prayer

English-speaking Christians may know the Lord's Prayer akin to the following, which I had memorized as a child even before entering school:

 Our Father,

Who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

On Earth

As it is in Heaven.

Give us this day

Our daily bread.

And Forgive us our sins,

As we forgive

The trespasses of others.

Lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

[For Thine is the Kingdom,

And the Power,

And the Glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.]

Without  understanding, I memorized it. No child in the early 1970's used terms like "Thy and Thine," and forget about  "Hallowed." But I dutifully memorized it and prayed it often, learning to incorporate it into the rosary.

Over the years, my studies have lead me to see many things through different eyes, but I never questioned the words from this prayer, antiquated though they are. It wasn't until recently that I've studied the words as they were originally spoken in Aramaic - and my Aramaic is even less fluent than my Hebrew. :P There are many different "direct translations" from Aramaic to English, from "O Cosmic Birther" to "may your utmost shine in the highest vibrations." ~~~ Eh?

Though we are all interconnected, interwoven in this tapestry of life, we each still hold a unique perspective. The Spirit within can teach us from this point, even things that are outside our perspective.

If I don't understand something I read or hear today, I turn to Yeshua and ask Him point-blank, "What did you mean by this?"

The answer immediately blossoms in my mind, or sometimes I need to re-read a passage until something clicks. Yet, I must relinquish my preconceived notions, today's definitions of the words (reading English - a language Yeshua never spoke), and decades of teachings. My mind needs to be blank to allow a real understanding to enter.

For me, this is how I have come to understand the Lord's Prayer. For others, it may differ, based on spiritual backgrounds.

Our Creator and Parent,

Who exists both here

and Paradise,

Holy is Your names.* 

The Kingdom is here

When Your Will is done,

Connecting Earth

To Heaven.

Please let us have each day

That which we do need.**

Let our mistakes

Die with the past,

When we do the same

With the mistakes of others,

So they exist no more.

Please lead us away from

Things we do not need,

And thoughts that

Lead us away from You,

Both of which

Bind us to this world.

Please, bring us Home.

For the Kingdom is Yours.

All power is Yours.

All glory is Yours.

Not ours.

Now and for all time.

I believe this with all my heart.***

* Though grammatically incorrect, I did mean multiple names, one God, one of many divine paradoxes.

** Food, water, shelter, protection from elements, and - of course - Love.

*** The meaning of "Amen," akin to "So be it" and "Be it so."

What does the Lord's Prayer mean to you when you ask the Spirit within your soul?

Images: All from the internet. Black & white one with Christ and girl reading: GoodSalt.com. The rest: Source Unknown.