heartsteps

Divine Mother does not force you to love and be loved.
She merely offers you the opportunity.
She invites you to be present and accept the gift of Her love.

Once you have received this gift,
it will vibrate in your body and in your consciousness,
expanding outward to embrace your life and everyone in it.
All that you do or say will be done with this energy
and contained gently within it.

As you receive, so will you give.
The reactive cycle of fear
will be replaced by the creative cycle of love.

You will become part of a world-wide healing ministry
that will transform consciousness on the planet.

Paul Ferrini

A Perfect One was traveling through the desert.
He was stretched out around the fire one night
And said to one of his close ones,
“There is a slave loose not far from us.
He escaped today from a cruel master.
His hands are still bound behind his back,
His feet are also shackled.
I can see him right now praying for God’s help.
Go to him.
Ride to that distant hill;
And about a hundred feet up and to the right
You will find a small cave.
He is there.
Do not say a single word to him.
Bring the man to me.
God requests that I personally untie his body
And press my lips to his wounds.”
The disciple mounts his horse and within two hours
Arrives at the small mountain cave.
The slave sees him coming, the slave looks frightened.
The disciple, on orders not to speak,
Gestures toward the sky, pantomining:
God saw you in prayer,
Please come with me,
A great Teacher has used his heart’s divine eye
To know your whereabouts.
The slave cannot believe this story,
And begins to shout at the man and tries to run
But trips from his bindings.
The disciple becomes forced to subdue him.
Think of this picture as they now travel:
The million candles in the sky are lit and singing.
Every particle of existence is a dancing altar
That some mysterious force worships.
The earth is a church floor whereupon
In the middle of a glorious night
Walks a slave, weeping, tied to a rope behind a horse,
With a speechless rider
Taking him toward the unknown.
Several times with all of his might the slave
Tries to break free,
Feeling he is being returned to captivity.
The rider stops, dismounts – and brings his eyes
Near the prisoner’s eyes.
A deep kindness there communicates an unbelievable hope.
The rider motions – soon, soon you will be free.
Tears roll down from the rider’s cheeks
In happiness for this man.
Anger, all this fighting and tormenting want,
Sweetheart,
God has seen you and sent a close one.
Sweetheart,
God has seen your heart in prayer
And sent me.

Hafiz

We have seen the highest circle of spiraling powers. We have named this circle God. We might have given it any other name we wished: Abyss, Mystery, Absolute Darkness, Absolute Light, Matter, Spirit, Ultimate Hope, Ultimate Despair, Silence. But we have named it God because only this name, for primordial reasons, can stir our hearts profoundly. And this deeply felt emotion is indispensible if we are to touch, body with body, the dread essence beyond logic.

Nikos Kazantzakis

Possibly the only fear greater than death is love, real love. Finding out that you do love, that this is your nature, is the beginning of the end for everything in you that thinks it’s separate.

Adyashanti

Whoever you are as you read this
whatever your trouble or grief,
I want you to know and to heed this:
The day draweth near with relief.
No sorrow, no woe is unending,
though heaven seems voiceless and dumb;
So sure as your cry is ascending,
so surely an answer will come.
Whatever temptation is near you,
whose eyes on this simple verse fall;
Remember good angels will hear you
and help you to stand, if you call.
Though stunned with despair I beseech you,
whatever your losses, your need,
believe, when these printed words reach you,
believe you were born to succeed.
You are stronger, I tell you, this minute,
than any unfortunate fate.’
And the coveted prize — you can win it.’
While life lasts ’tis never too late.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Oh God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry.
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless.
When I have a home,
help me to remember those
who have no home and all.
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer.
And remembering,
help me destroy my complacency.
Bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help.
By word and deed,
those who cry out
for what we take for granted.
Amen.

Samuel Pugh

Takers and just talkers
Lone Rangers
Excuse makers
Fair weather workers
Braggers
Magic bullet seekers and sellers and
Quitters.
God, send us and help us to be
Righteous warriors
Moral guerrillas
Scut workers
Nitty-gritty doers
Detail tenders
Long-distance runners
Energetic tryers
Risk takers
Sharers
Team players
Organizers and mobilizers and
Servant leaders,
to save our children.

Marian Wright Edelman

The gifts you have been given in this life do not belong to you alone. They belong to everyone. Do not be selfish and withhold them. Do not be selfish and imprison yourself in a lifestyle that holds your spirit hostage and provides no spontaneity or grace in your life.

Risk being yourself fully.

Let go of the expectations others have for you. Let go of all the “shoulds” and “have tos” and consider what thoughts and actions bring you the greatest joy. Live from the inside out, not from the outside in.

To move toward your joy is not selfish. It is in fact the most kind action you can perform toward others. That is because your gift is needed. The spirit of others cannot be lifted up unless you trust your gift and give it unconditionally to the world.

Paul Ferrini

To live content with small means,
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely,
await occasions,
hurry never —
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

William Ellery Channing

Doing your best is about trusting in yourself and trusting in creation, the force of life. You set a goal and go for it 100% without any attachment to attaining it. You don’t know if you’re going to reach your goal, and you don’t care if you do. You go for it, and when you reach the goal it’s wonderful. And if you don’t reach the goal, that’s wonderful too. Either way, you are complete because love in motion is a wonderful thing. Taking action is an expression of yourself, it’s the expression of the spirit, and it’s your creation.

Just expressing yourself leads you into ecstasy because you are creating. This is life as an art.

Don Miguel Ruiz