Serenity's Hope Inspirational Archives

5/19/99

Have a beautiful day full of innocence and wonder! :)

Love and Light,
Serenity

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Pretend you could spend a week alone, snowed in at a charming mountain
cabin. You're thoroughly enjoying the solitude, but the second day, there's
a knock on the door. Imagine the person outside is someone with whom you'd
least like to spend any time, and now the two of you are stuck together in
the cabin. This is your opportunity to change your life in a powerful way.
Welcome that person into the cabin of your mind and spend the next several
days finding the good in someone you had once dismissed or condemned.

-Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey

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Do love anonymously. Once a day, perform a loving act for someone else
without taking credit. This may drive your ego nuts; it wants to be
rewarded for selflessness. Jesus said, "When you get your reward by
what other people think of you, you miss the real reward." (Matthew
6:2-6:6, paraphrased) When you do love anonymously, you discover who it is
you were meant to be.

Mary Manin Morrissey

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To change the course of your life, choose one of two basic methods:

1. You can direct your energy and attention toward trying to fix your
mind, find your focus, affirm you power, free your emotions, and
visualize positive outcomes so that you can finally develop the
confidence to display the courage to discover the determination to make the
commitment to feel sufficiently motivated to do what it is you need to do.
2. Or you can just do it."

Dan Millman , from 'Everyday Enlightenment'.

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Happiness is a choice -- and misery and discomfort are optional, not
inevitable.

Even when we are angry, judgmental or unhappy, we have the best of
intentions. We have been systematically taught to use discomfort as a
strategy to take care of ourselves. We can un-teach ourselves and begin
again.

Unhappiness is not an enemy--just a choice. Our work is not based on a moral
imperative: no shoulds or should-nots, just choices.

When we choose happiness, we choose love, inner peace and acceptance. When
we choose happiness, we help others choose it as well, by our example.

We can change. We can be different. We can defy our personal history.
Our past is only a memory carried into the present moment. In the
present moment, we can change it all. We do so by changing our point of view
. . . by changing our beliefs.

Beliefs are conclusions or opinions which we have invented or adopted from
others in order to make sense of unfolding circumstances. We create beliefs
for the best of reasons: to protect ourselves, to honor those we love, to
motivate ourselves and others and to express caring.

We are each doing the best we know to take care of ourselves, based on our
current beliefs.

Unhappiness is based on a logical system of beliefs. Change the beliefs and
we easily change the attitudes, thoughts, feelings and behaviors that come
from the beliefs.

With what we choose to believe, we design our inner experience and our
quality of life.

We can change any habitual unhappy or distressed responses and learn to
choose love over fear, peace over conflict and happiness over
depression. In so doing, we create life-affirming and life-sustaining
attitudes for ourselves and for those whose lives we touch.

No single energy can have more impact than the joy and well-being
emanating from a truly happy and loving person.

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If The World Were Blind

     If the world was blind,
     maybe then we'd see
     the true side of beauty,
     deep within you and me.

     No one could judge us
     by our outer looks,
     like the fancy covers
     on expensive books.

     We'd see with our hearts,
     and not just our eyes,
     and what we discover
     might be a surprise.

     There would be no need
     to try to impress,
     with the way we look,
     or the way that we dress.

     The only thing that would matter
     is the way we would feel,
     not phony or cheap,
     but truthful and real.

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God's Boxes of Love

I have in my hands two boxes
Which God gave me to hold
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the blue,
And all your joys in the gold."
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I store
But though the gold became heavier each day
The blue was as light as before
With curiosity, I opened the blue
I wanted to find out why
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by
I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be."
He smiled a gentle smile at me.
"My child, they're all here with me."
I asked, "God, why give me the boxes,
Why the gold, and the blue with the hole?"
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
the blue is for you to let go."

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Anything Is Possible

Life holds no promises as to
what will come your way.
You must search for your own
ideals and work towards reaching them.
Life makes no guarantees as
to what you'll have.
It just gives you time to make
choices and to take chances
and to discover whatever secrets
might come your way.
If you are willing to take the opportunities
you are given and utilize the abilities you have,
you will constantly fill your life with
special moments and unforgettable times.

No one knows the mysteries of
life or its ultimate meaning,
but for those who are willing to
believe in their dreams and
in themselves, life is a precious gift in
which anything is possible.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do God's will as if it were thy will,
                and God will accomplish thy will as if it were its own.

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SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace.
The hearts of a great many have already been
exposed to inner peace and it is possible that
people everywhere could come down with it in
epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious
threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable
condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs to look for:

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather
than on fears based on past experiences.

An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

A loss of interest in judging other people.

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

A loss of interest in conflict.

A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious
symptom.)

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

Contented feelings of connectedness with others
and nature.

Frequent attacks of smiling.

An increasing tendency to let things happen rather
than make them happen.

An increased susceptibility to the love offered by others as well
as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

5/19/99

This came from another e-mail list I'm involved in and I just had to share
it with all of you! :)

Namaste,
Serenity

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Here is a visualization for anyone who wants to try it. This helps me
establish Inner Peace as well as help create World Peace:
Sit quietly, eyes closed, and takes two or three deep breaths.
Now imagine a golden light showering down all over you and through you, just
as if you were in a real shower. This golden shower of Light, is the
God/Goddess/Christ Light of Love and Healing. It removes all negatives from
your mind, body, emotions, and Spirit. Watch as all the little negative
particles run out of your mind and body and run down through your feet into
the ground. See the golden glow spreading throughout your being, and see
the Light of Love go before you, to the right of you, behind you, to the
left of you, above your head and beneath your feet. Inhale the Golden
Light. Feel the Peace and Love it brings. Watch as this Light of Love is
absorbed into Mother Earth. See this light raining down on everyone and
everything on Mother Earth. There is no shelter from the Light and Love; it
passes right through the rooftops and shelters and invisible walls. This
great Light of Love engulfs everyone and everything. See the Earth glowing
with Peace, Light and Oneness. Then tell yourself that you are One with the
Light of Love and Peace. Feel it, know it to be true. Then slowly open
your eyes, and go about your day allowing Love to go before you touching
every person you meet!

Namaste! In Love & Light: Kathleen
www.Joy2MeU.com

5/20/99

Good Morning Sweet Ones!

I pray that your day is filled with anticipation, love, light, laughter,
friendship, blessings, abundance, excitement, joy and innocence!

Namaste,
Serenity

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Dear Lord and Great Healer,
I kneel before you since
every great gift must come from you.
I pray, Give skill to my hands,
clear vision to my mind,
kindness and meekness to my heart.
Give me singleness of purpose,
strength to lift up a part of the burden
of my suffering fellow men,
and a true realization of the privilege that
is mine.
Take from my heart all guile and loathing,
that with the simple faith of a child, I may
find you.

- Mother Teresa'a daily prayer

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Spiritual instruction teaches us to keep our focus on ourselves - not
in an egocentric way but as a way of consciously managing our energy
and power. So, your task is to learn what rather than who draws power
from you.

Caroline Myss, PH.D., Anatomy of the Spirit

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             Adventure

The heart of the spiritual warrior is
Constantly drawn into the battle between
The ego and the true spirit of light within.

This adventure can take the form of silence,
Like the secluded monk or play out on
The broader stage of the life in the myriad
Forms this dream world offers.

It matters not what part we choose to play
To confront the lies that keep us bound
To this temporary illusion.

What does matter is our conscious awareness
That nothing of this world is real, that it is a
School in which the soul has chosen an
Environment of opposites in which to
Demonstrate to Itself where Its true nourishment
Lies.

Let us take up the challenge of this grand
Adventure, calm and certain in the knowledge
That nothing of this world can harm the true
Presence of loving life that dwells within.

And with a peaceful approach, aware that sooner
Or later, we WILL wake up to the greatness
Of our Oneness with God, the 'All that Is'.

ฉCopyright
John McIntosh and Rev. JoAnn (Ananda) Polito

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The Flower

       For some time I have had a person provide me with a
rose boutonniere to pin on the lapel of my suit every
Sunday. Because I always got a flower on Sunday morning, I
really did not think much of it. It was a nice gesture that
I appreciated but it became routine. One Sunday, however,
what I considered ordinary became very special.
       As I was leaving the Sunday service a young man
approached me. He walked right up to me and said, "Sir, what
are you going to do with your flower?" At first I did not
know what he was talking about, but then I understood.
       I said, "Do you mean this?" as I pointed to the rose
pinned to my coat.
       He said, "Yes sir. I would like it if you are just
going to throw it away." At this point I smiled and gladly
told him that he could have my flower, casually asking him
what he was going to do with it. The little boy, who was
probably less than 10 years old, looked up at me and said,
"Sir, I'm going to give it to my granny. My mother and
father got divorced last year. I was living with my mother,
but when she married again, she wanted me to live with my
father. I lived with him for a while, but he said I could
not stay, so he sent me to live with my grandmother. She is
so good to me. She cooks for me and takes care of me. She
has been so good to me that I want to give that pretty
flower to her for loving me."
       When the little boy finished I could hardly speak. My
eyes filled with tears and I knew I had been touched in the
depths of my soul. I reached up and unpinned my flower. With
the flower in my hand, I looked at the boy and said, "Son,
that is the nicest thing I have ever heard, but you can't
have this flower because it's not enough. If you'll look in
front of the pulpit, you'll see a big bouquet of flowers.
Different families buy them for the church each week. Please
take those flowers to your granny because she deserves the
very best."
       If I hadn't been touched enough already, he made one
last statement and I will always cherish it. He said, "What
a wonderful day! I asked for one flower but got a beautiful
bouquet."

      By Pastor John R. Ramsey
       from A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul
    Copyright 1995 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

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BUTT PRINTS IN THE SAND

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there were seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord, they are too big for feet."

"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.

Thanks Robert! :)

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An angel wrote:

Many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger.

If someone betrays you once, it's his fault;
if he betrays you twice, it's your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.

God gives every bird it's food,
But He does not throw it into it's nest.
He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses more;
He who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are acts of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
The tongue weighs practically nothing,
But so few people can hold it.

Friends, you and me ...
you brought another friend ...
and then there were 3...
we started our group...
Our circle of friends ...
and like that circle ...
there is no beginning or end.

     .    *   .   (\     ***    /)      *    .    *
     *    . *   (   \ (_) /    ) * Guardian Angel *
       .     .   (_    / || \   _)    .     * .
    .      *   .      /____\       *   .     .   *

Here is an angel sent to watch over you... :)

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The Miracle of Inner Guidance

Within the illusionary boundaries of
Time and Space, perception is always
Guided by the equally illusionary ego.

Separation and limitation are the fruits
Of its guidance, with conflict and chaos
Its offspring. It seeks but never finds.

The remedy for this endless circle of
Sleepless dreaming, of frustration,
Loneliness and emptiness is to accept a
Different perception of reality.

This true perception is given an unbroken
Stream of communication by our own
Inner Guide and the change appears as a
Miracle in our world.

And yet the miracle is simply a return to
The truth of our real life, Oneness with the
'All that Is' which includes joy, peace, love,
Freedom and infinite abundance.

Let us therefore seek always within for
Guidance.

ฉCopyright
John McIntosh and Rev. JoAnn (Ananda) Polito

5/20/99

Our past is neither an accident nor a mistake. We have been where we
needed to be, with the necessary people. We can embrace our history,
with its pain, its imperfections, its mistakes, even its tragedies. It
is uniquely ours; it was intended just for us. Today, we are right
where we need to be. Our present circumstances are exactly as they need
to be - for now.

Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go

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The Greatest Secret

"Life flows from the inside out. You are affected by what happens
inside. You are affected by your own feelings, your own thoughts. Nothing
outside has the power to affect you.

Your life is a reflection of your predominant feelings toward
yourself. When you are bothered or annoyed by something another person
does, look within yourself and see what you're doing that bothers or annoys you.
When you admire a quality in another, appreciate a beautiful sunset or other
gift of nature, be aware that you are also appreciating some beauty within
you.

Next time you blame another person or anything else for how you feel
or for what you are experiencing, stop and check yourself and remember this
truth: what you feel or experience at any point in time is up to you.

Change your thoughts and you change your life."

(Susan Smith Jones)

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"Through the power of Creative Thought,
all things are possible."

(Ernest Holmes)

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"Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

(The Good Book)

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"Where the mind goes, the behind follows."

(Randolph Wilkerson)

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       Frustration and Opportunity

Cycles of dark and light come and go like the
Turning of the planet from night to day. They
Are the challenges that offer to lift us to a
Higher plane of awareness.

At the point of greatest frustration we come to
A crossroad where bitterness and humility
Are our options.

If we choose bitterness, the fruits of these
Sour thoughts will be an intensifying of the
Conditions that brought us to that point.

If we choose humility the doors to the
Highest wisdom will fly open to us and the
Inner Guide will show us the way that is
Best for our highest good.

ฉCopyright
John McIntosh and Rev. JoAnn (Ananda) Polito

5/22/99

Thank you so much Shari! You can't imagine the emotion this evoked in me. :)
I just wanted to cry with joy at the end. It really fills you up with such a
clear understanding of pure love. I hope this touches everyone as deeply as
it touched me.

Namaste,
Serenity

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My grandparents were married for over half a century,
and played their own special game from the time they had met each
other. The goal of their game was to write the word "shmily" in a
surprise place for the other to find. They took turns leaving
"shmily" around the house, and as soon as one of them discovered it,
it was their turn to hide it once more. They dragged "shmily" with
their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to await whoever
was preparing the next meal. They smeared it in the dew on the windows
overlooking the patio where my grandma always fed us warm, homemade
pudding with blue food coloring. "Shmily" was written in the steam
left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath
after bath. At one point, my grandmother even unrolled an entire roll
of toilet paper to leave "shmily" on the very last sheet.

There was no end to the places "shmily" would pop up. Little notes with
"shmily" scribbled hurriedly were found on dashboards and car seats, or
taped to steering wheels. The notes were stuffed inside shoes and left
under pillows. "Shmily" was written in the dust upon the mantel and
traced in the ashes of the fireplace. This mysterious word was as much
a part of my grandparents' house as the furniture. It took me a long
time before I was able to fully appreciate my grandparents' game.
Skepticism has kept me from believing in true love-one that is pure and
enduring.

However, I never doubted my grandparents' relationship. They had love
down pat. It was more than their flirtatious little games; it was a way
of life.

Their relationship was based on a devotion and passionate affection
which not everyone is lucky enough to experience. Grandma and Grandpa
held hands every chance they could. They stole kisses as they bumped
into each other in their tiny kitchen. They finished each other's
sentences and shared the daily crossword puzzle and word jumble. My
grandma whispered to me about how cute my grandpa was, how handsome and
old he had grown to be. She claimed that she really knew "how to
pick'em." Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave thanks,
marveling at their blessings: a wonderful family, good fortune, and each
other.

But there was a dark cloud in my grandparents' life: my grandmother had
breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years earlier. As
always, Grandpa was with her every step of the way. He comforted her
in their yellow room, painted that way so that she could always be
surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too sick to go outside. Now
the cancer was again attacking her body. With the help of a cane and
my grandfather's steady hand, they went to church every morning. But
my grandmother grew steadily weaker until, finally, she could not leave
the house anymore. For a while, Grandpa would go to church alone,
praying to God to watch over his wife. Then one day, what we all dreaded
finally happened. Grandma was gone.

"Shmily." It was scrawled in yellow on the pink ribbons of my
grandmother's funeral bouquet. As the crowd thinned and the last mourners
turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members came forward
and gathered around Grandma one last time. Grandpa stepped up to my
grandmother's casket and, taking a shaky breath, he began to sing to her.
Through his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby.
Shaking with my own sorrow, I will never forget that moment. For I knew
that, although I couldn't begin to fathom the depth of their love, I had
been privileged to witness its unmatched beauty.

S-h-m-i-l-y: See How Much I Love You.

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