“Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”
-Garth Brooks
“I tried praying. It didn’t work.”
Have you ever heard someone say this before? Or have you ever personally felt that way?
Spirituality
FAITH – THE ALTERNATE SIDE
“Faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
Is faith a term that can only be used in the context of religion? Can you have faith without being religious?
Poetry For The Soul
Hello again, Dear Reader. For this week’s installment, I am trying something quite different. With the desire to offer you inspiration in dark days, I have selected some poetry for your perusal.
Being a novice at writing poetry, I have been trying my hand at Japanese-style poetry. Many are likely familiar with the Haiku. This style of poetry consists of three lines containing 5, 7 and 5 syllables to equal a total of 17 syllables. Some may not be familiar with the Japanese Tanka. This poetry consists of 31 syllables containing five lines with 5, 7, 5, 7 and 7 syllables, respectively.
It is my intention that in reading some of this poetry, a sense of hope may overtake confusion and frustration even if for only a little while. So without further explanation, I present for your enjoyment a bit of poetry to soothe the soul. I will begin by presenting one of my favorite poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and a poem that has inspired me since my early teen years, A Psalm Of Life…
Now I will share part of my heart with you, Dear Reader, and humbly offer you my words…
Haiku:
As the seasons pass
The mystery of life smiles
Trusting the future
An open heart gives
Joyfully sharing its light
Revealing brilliance
Colors bursting forth
All possibilities near
The future reclaimed
December in bloom
Sunshine warms this desert land
Winter upon us
No guards at the keep
All battlements are removed
Moments now are safe
Paths not clearly seen
A perilous journey made
Traversing forward
Just left of center
Here to offer up a smile
Misfit but standing
Although the sky laughed
And the cold did steal within
Warmth returned again
Tanka:
The rains wash the land
Lady bugs bees and birds know
Comforts such as these
Shoots of green still holding on
Nature’s embrace wild and free
Eyes fixed on a star
We embrace this mystery
Unknowns accepted
Clinging to one another
Knowing we possess true wealth
Marking off time
I watched the threads unravel
My soul was exposed
Quickly moving for cover
Here I saved myself at last
Watching from above
Whilst painting a stand of trees
Willows pines and firs
Whispering sweet songs to me
Awaiting something sacred
Pastures of yellow
Mountains cling tight to fog
Biting winds whip past
Gray overcast skies above
The grip of Winter tightens
Faithfulness as guide
Resilience rewarded
Suffering relieved
On these shores I rest my head
Amid the foam and moonlight
After the deluge
When hope dangled like a twig
At the twelfth hour
The voice of fate softly spoke
Lending kindness to lost souls
In closing, Dear Reader, I remind you to please endeavor to keep your love and hope alive. I wish for you endless inspiration as you face your daily challenges. Be not disheartened. The winds of change always blow.
As always, please feel free to comment below in “Join The Discussion”…I do check back throughout the week for your questions, thoughts and comments. Until next time, Dear Reader, please stay strong, safe and healthy! Cheers!
CONTEMPLATION
OUR DAILY WISDOM WORD TODAY WILL BE CONTEMPLATION. TO CONTEMPLATE OR REFLECT IS OFTEN A GOOD THING IF IT MEANS YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU GROW FROM BY YOUR OWN SELF-OBSERVATION. CONTEMPLATIONS, BECAUSE IT USUALLY INVOLVES A DEEPER LINE OF THINKING CAN OFTEN BE SPIRITUAL. CONTEMPLATION DOES NOT MEAN TO SECOND GUESS EVERYTHING TO DO. IT HAS A SIMILAR MEANING AS REFLECTION WHEN WE USE IT TO LOOK DEEPER INTO MEANING. LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACTUAL MEANING OF CONTEMPLATION IN OUR WEBSTER DICTIONARY AND THE DAILY WORDS MEANING OF THIS WORLD.
WEBSTER DEFINITION OF CONTEMPLATION-THE ACTION OF LOOKING THOUGHTFULLY AT SOMETHING FOR A LONG TIME. 2. DEEP, REFLECTIVE THOUGHT 3. RELIGIOUS MEDITATION
DAILY WISDOM WORD MEANING OF CONTEMPLATION-TO LOOK DEEPER INTO THE MEANING OF SOMETHING.
CONTEMPLATION CAN HELP US TO DEVELOP A CLEARER THOUGHT PROCESS. IT IS NOT THE SAME AS SECOND GUESSING YOURSELF. IT IS ANALYZING A DEEPER, MEANING OF SOMETHING. IT IS NOT OBSESSING, BUT A FORM OF SELF GROWTH. WHEN WE REFLECT OR. CONTEMPLATE, WE OFTEN CAN TEACH OURSELVES SOMETHING NEW. CONTEMPLATION IS BEST WHEN DONE IN A QUIET PLACE WHERE YOU ALLOW YOUR THOUGHTS TO GO DEEPER WITHIN YOUR MIND. MANY PEOPLE CONSIDER OUR DREAMS AS SOMETHING TO CONTEMPLATE ABOUT. AS WE’VE ALL HEARD, WE USUALLY DREAM ABOUT SOMETHING WHEN IT EITHER REPRESENTS SOMETHING THAT BOTHERS US OR WE ARE REFLECTING ABOUT AN EVENT OR OUR ACTIONS. CONTEMPLATION IS A FORM OF DEEPER THOUGHT OFTEN DONE IN CHRISTIANITY WHEN WE MEDITATE.
CONTEMPLATION CAN UNLOCK THE BARRIERS BETWEEN OURSElAND THE SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WE HAVE WITH GOD. WE FEEL AT PEACE AFTER CONTEMPLATING, AND ARE REASSURED WE ARE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION IF IT HAS TO DO WITH A PERSONAL SITUATION. I OFTEN CONTEMPLATE THOUGHTS OTHERS HAVE AS WELL AND ALWAYS SEEM TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW FROM REFLECTION OR CONTEMPLATION. IT IS GOOD TO GO DEEPER WITH YOUR THOUGHTS. TOO OFTEN, CONTEMPLATION OR SELF-REFLECTION OR CONNECTION GO UNNOTICED DUE TO STRESS AND A BUSY LIFE. WHAT WE DO NOT REALIZE IS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MANAGE STRESS BETTER IF WE TOOK THE TIME TO CONTEMPLATE AS IT OFTEN HAS PEACE WITHIN THESE THOUGHTS.
CONTEMPLATION PROMOTES A DEEPER THOUGHT PROCESS. WE FIND OURSELF LOOKING AT SOMETHING FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND SELF-GROWTH COMES FROM THIS FORM OF REFLECTION. DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO TO A DEEPER LEVEL WITH YOURSELF. YOU CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE CONDUSIVE WHEN DOING SO. NEVER FEAR REFLECTION. NOT ONLY WILL IT CREATE A DEEPER LINE OF THINKING, IT CAN CONNECT YOU TO YOUR OWN THOUGHT PROCESS. WHEN COMBINED WITH MEDITATION, IT WILL HELP MOVE EVERYDAY THOUGHTS ASIDE, TO GET CLOSER TO YOUR HIGHER POWER.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING ABOUT CONTEMPLATION TODAY. THE DAILY WISDOM WORDS COMMUNITY CAN HELP WITH CONTEMPLATION. WHEN WE WRITE DOWN OUR THOUGHTS THROUGH POETRY, IN OUR OWN WAY, THIS IS A FORM OF SELF-REFLECTION. JOIN TODAY FOR JUST $5. REFLECT ON YOUR THOUGHTS AND CONTEMPLATE. YOU WILL DISCOVER NEW THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF AND A DEEP MEANING IN THE WORLD AROUND YOU.
SAMANTHA LEBOEUF/DAILY WISDOM WORDS
OTHER DAILY WISDOM WORD POSTS THAT MAY INTEREST YOU! http://dailywisdomwords.com/devotion/
ADORNMENT
An emotion one feels when we worship something or someone is adornment. Is adornment a positive thing? In my opinion, it can be or not. When I think of “adornment”, I only feel this way towards God and Jesus. However, others can feel adornment towards others. Adornment is placing others on a pedestal. One thing I have seen is others adorning or worshipping other human beings. This may lead to the idolization of one who is a leader. Before going any further, we will take a look at the definition of adornment.
Webster Dictionary meaning of Adornment-1. A thing which adorns, or decorates; an ornament. 2. the action of adorning something. Something that adds attractiveness.
Daily Wisdom Words Definition-1. Worshipping a thing.
I think we can all easily get caught up in worshipping “things”. We work hard for what we have, and if we are like most people, this is not by choice. It is hard to think about the really important things in life when your focus is directed on something else 40-50 hours of the week. However, adorning or worshipping the things in life produced from this time and energy isn’t a positive thing at all. I don’t know if many of you have heard the saying, “We are born with nothing in this world, and go away with nothing.” The point I think this quote makes is exactly what I just pointed out. It is easy to get caught up in material things.
I am no stranger to this. I spent close to 25 years thinking of the home I had as mine. I guess looking back on this, in my own way I worshipped this home. It was my pride, my joy, what I had worked hard to buy myself. Before I knew it, the recession of 2008 hit, I had severe health issues, and it required everyone in my family to help me pay for this home. I actually kept this home until my children had both moved out and my daughter married. However, I had to face the fact that it was so difficult to pay for it that I no longer could. Also, it wasn’t practical to need that much space any longer. I simply couldn’t justify it. I had to move.
Along with moving, I sold half my belongings and found a place half the size of this house. I spent one year severely depressed, and almost had a mental breakdown as I had also lost my career. My point by picking this daily wisdom words is don’t worship and cherish the “things” in your life but cherish your loved ones and God. Thanks so much for reading about adornment with me today. Have a beautiful and blessed day!!!!!!! Samantha Leboeuf/Daily Wisdom Words
Losing a Loved One – Part 2
“If only are eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how different would our ideals of beauty be?”
-Unknown
In a previous post, I had talked about dealing with deaths of loved ones. To summarize that post, I had written about how to keep loving the person that’s gone. I would like to expand on that thought a litte more today.
I’ve always believed that souls do not die, only bodies do. And having loving memories of the deceased keeps them alive, spirutually.
That said, we do have to learn to accept that they will never be with us again physically and that can be difficult to cope with at times.
A few years ago, I lost my fiancee to a horrific tragedy. Everybody around me kept telling me to think of the good times with her and how much joy she brought in my life. In the long run, however, that proved to be somewhat of a conflict for me.
I would stare at her picture sometimes and reminisce for hours. The problem was coming back to reality because each time I did so, she was no longer there.
After speaking about this matter to several people, including a therapist who I am still in touch with till this day, I learned how to cope with it with embracing a specific ideology:
The intangible is as powerful and meaningful as the tangible. The lack of being able to touch something or someone does not devalue their presence in our lives.
Admittedly, this takes time to embrace or even believe it, especially if you’re not a particularly spiritual person.
But this doesn’t just apply spiritually. Due to technology, the world is getting smaller and smaller. We now interact with people all over the world who we may never see in person.
The Daily Wisdom Words website itself is potpourri of wonderful writers and poets most of whom have never interacted face to face. And yet, the result is beautiful.
If we learn to accept that a physical presence is not always necessary, it can give us solace both spiritually and practically.
How do you deal with the loss of a loved one? Do you miss their physical presence? Do you feel them around you spiritually? Give your opinions by commenting bellow.