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Joy, Joy, Unending Joy

Joy, Joy, Joy, unending Joy.

In this season, we hear a lot about joy.  It is in the Christmas songs on playlists, Joy to the World rings out as we negotiate a parking space at the mall.  We see the word lit up in lights among the decorations.  We are reminded to be joyful by advertisements for alcohol, diamond jewellery, or perfumes.  But what is Joy?   

Joy supersedes happiness. Happiness is an emotion that can come or go depending on the circumstances surrounding us.  It is a good, positive emotion that makes us, well, happy.  Joy is deeper, more profound.  Joy is a state of being. Joy holds a higher resonance.  It embraces a deep delight, gladness, a sense of well-being, a sense of spiritual wellness. Joy is like a deep well that sustains us even in times of trial or drought.  Happiness may happen to us.  Joy is within us.   Jesus tells us to “Ask, and you will receive so that your joy will be complete” JN16.24

Joy can be described as bubbling up, like an eternal spring that exists within our hearts.

 I did a quick survey before I wrote this article, and asked people. “What brings you joy?”

These are the answers that I received from different people.  Interestingly, many people gave the same answers.

Playing with my grand children, watching children play, listening to children speak or sing.

Listening to music, singing, dancing.  Music lifts our mood. Singing a song out loud, really loud. Playing the piano. Playing my drums. Dancing in the kitchen while I make dinner.

Playing with or watching my dog.  Petting our cat.

Holding my new baby.

Playing a game with others.  Spending time with my friends.  Having a deep heart-felt conversation. Getting something accomplished, especially if I had been putting it off.

Sewing. Throwing clay to make pots or mugs. Swimming in the sea.  Painting.

Baking a pie, cake, or cookies, and chocolates and gifting them to my friends and family.

The smell of orange, or cinnamon…invokes a memory of baking with my Mom.

Walking in the snow. Walking on the beach.  Watching and listening to the birds outside.

Just being with my loved ones.  Smiling at people.  Saying Thank you.  Listening to my spouse.  Surprising my child with a gift or an outing.

Read the list again and see what you notice.  Most of the joy moments came from being with others, doing for others, or being in nature or feeling close to God.   Not one person I interviewed said their joy came from a diamond necklace or a new car or a bottle of Scotch.  

The other element I noticed was that so many found joy in giving to others.  One person volunteers every year with a charity that provides meals and gifts for people. She said it was the highlight of her Christmas season.  Joy comes from a sense of purpose, rooted in relationship with self, God and others.  That is what Jesus was talking about. 

There used to be a slogan for the Red Cross, saying ‘Blood, it’s in you to Give”.   Isn’t it true that joy is also in us to give.  In fact the more we give of it, the more we get back.   Remembering that joy is deeper than a passing emotion, it is an essential part of you.  It exists within you.  It is not something to be strived for, it is already there. As you become attuned to resonance of joy, you will see and feel and choose it.

Take some time today or over the next few weeks and uncover, experience and elevate your joy. 

Sometimes, I dare say, even often, our joy gets covered over. We may perceive that we are too busy, too stressed, to oppressed, to obsessed, to distracted, too confused, too abused, too sad or lonely to uncover and hold our joy.  Those are lies. The truth is your joy never leaves you. It waits patiently for you to remember and come back to it.  Your spirit holds it there like a candle lighting your way in the darkness.  Joy, Joy, unceasing Joy.

Come in from the cold. Come to the light that waits for you. Pause, breathe.

Remember how loved you are.  You are love. Created in the image of love. The eternal love that is never extinguished.  Your spirit knows. Rest. Ask and receive.    

May joy be with you, within you, and through you.  May you sing out loud and let joy fill you with that glorious, magnificent resonance.  May the soft stillness of snow falling, or of a sunrise bring a smile to your face and a glow to your being.  May peace, joy and love live within you. May your joy increase, and your wonder never cease. May God blessings surround and sustain you.

Handling Life
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Spring  Renewal and Regrowth

Spring – the words itself invokes visions of light, green growth, shoots of flowers, and plants

peaking up out of the dark earth.  The scent of fresh air, and damp soil. The melodious song of so many different kinds of birds filling the morning with their cacophony of joy.

The warmth of the sun’s rays beckoning us to come outside, shed your jackets, coats, sweaters and boots.  Feel the warm of the sun and a gentle breeze caress your face.

Leave your worries to embrace this new day. This new opportunity for growth, renewal and fresh, creative ideas.   This time for play.  For within play is afforded the space for creativity.

Spending time with children allows us to view the world with their eyes of innocent and wonder.  They don’t concern themselves with the latest election polls, the cost of things or whatever the latest media disaster or distraction is.   They are simply joyful in the moment.

Walk with a child in the woods, or a beach or in a backyard and discover how they act? What bugs attract them, ladybug or beetles? What sounds do they pay attention to?  What thoughts do they share with you?  Listen, and explore this world which holds a natural rhythm that is for our benefit.

Walk with yourself or a friend and let your inner child be refreshed, cherished and listened to.  Yes, give yourself permission to be goofy. To jump in those puddles, to stoop to smell the crocuses, snowdrops, and the glorious scent of the  hyacinths in bloom. This is our season of renewal. What would you like to renew?  What would you like to bring new life to?

A forgotten friendship?  A passion for painting or photography?  A spiritual journey?  Perhaps you want to teach a skill, or learn a new skill?  What would the kid in you like to do? Is this the year you join a softball team?

We can plant seeds in this the springtime of our life.  We can expect new growth and have expectations of harvesting future bounty.  That is called hope.  Hope Springs Eternal.

It is not a coincidence that after a winter of isolation, hibernation and Netflix that we crave a new experience.  Spring and the increase of sunlight in this hemisphere does create a quickening of the blood, a desire for something new, a spring fling mentality.  Go outside. Get some sunshine. Breathe that fresh clean ionized air.  Allow a renewal of your state of mind and spirit.  The season is changing.  You can choose to change with it.

As you put away your boots, and bring out your sandals – can you permit yourself to walk lighter?  Can you put away some of the worries that hold you down? Most of the things we worry about, never come to pass. Release them and renew our minds with light and loving thoughts.  Let that child-like sense of wonder stay with us.  Foster it. Fertilizer the acts of kindness that make our hearts sing like those birds in the morning.

Listen to your inner wisdom, asking the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts.  What new adventure awaits today?  Who can I call and share this happiness of the season with?

What good trouble can I get into?  Where are those puddles?  

Wishing you a joy filled, adventurous, bouncy Spring.

Blog Posts Healing Practices
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Watch What You Think

Why do we think the way we think? 

What has informed us? One element of being human is that we are consistently seeking new information.  We think that is knowledge.  The news, social media, libraries, the education systems all exist because of our desire to know.  Curiosity is a good thing.

Well, maybe not for cats.

Do we believe things just because we are told that those things are true? How many things throughout history that have been believed to be true are false?  They are so far from being true that in some ways we cannot fathom that people believed them.  For centuries, it was believed that women were less intelligent than men. It was believed that certain cultures or races were less intelligent than the race in power at the time.  It was believed that the earth was the centre of the universe.   These were presented as facts.  Yet these presumed facts are as far from the truth as can be.

History shows us that just thinking something is so, does not make it so.  

You have heard it said that your thoughts create your actions, your actions create your habits, and your habits create your life.   What are those thoughts that are creating your actions?  What is the recording that is playing in the background of our mind?  Where did those thoughts come from?  Are those thoughts true?

 It is worthwhile to examine those thoughts which we hold to be true. Joe Dispenza says to mediate is to become familiar with.  Are we even familiar with the thoughts that percolate though our mind?   As a mother, how often have we said to our children, usually when trying to correct behavior; “Now you sit there, and think about it”. Think about what? Without giving them guidance on how to address an issue or solve a problem, or change their perceived correct response, how can they be expected to think any differently?   Is this not true for ourselves?

In the book, A Course in Miracles, it states in one of the 365  lessons  “All my thoughts are past thoughts”.   Unless we are willing to introduce or imagine a new way of thinking, we are destined to repeat the same thoughts. Fortunately, this book does teach ways of changing our thought patterns.

The mind, the body and the spirit are not separate.  They are intertwined by a constant, cascade of intelligent energy.   There has been much research on how the state of this synchronized and harmonious activity between the heart, brain, and other physiological systems affect the body.  When the heart and brain are in coherence, it can have profound effects on both physical and emotional well-being.  When the heart and the brain are in a state of coherence levels of stress hormones, such a cortisol decrease, and the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine increase.  In other words, I feel good. I can think clearly. I am calm. My mind is creative. I can solve problems.  My relationship with myself and others improves.

This wholeness of heart, mind and spirit is wellness.  This energy informs our cells. It is the energy of life.  To heal is to make whole.  There is no separation of heart, mind or spirit.

Therefore, the thoughts do influence our heart.  And our heart influences our thoughts.

Something to think about.

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Correcting Conflicted Values

When our values are conflicted our spirit resonance is restricted. We turn this around when we become brave enough to look in the mirror and ask the tough questions that we hear pinging around in our soul. Tranquility comes from dropping into your heart. Get away from the chaos to a place of quiet. It does not have to be a weekend getaway. 30 minutes is a good start. As you get comfortable with the quiet you can start asking yourself questions. Questions such as

What would you have me see?

What do I need to know?

These two questions start the conversation with your deepest self. Have a pen and paper with you to jot down your insights, the answers to your questions. More questions will come. Allow them to come. Acknowledge them and wait for the answers. You are having a conversation with your deepest self. You know, the one stuffed so far down you do not recognize her. This is a process. Be gracious with yourself. You are getting to know an old friend, the little girl inside you. She is shy. Give her time to come out and sit with you. Be patient.

You need to know you are divine, worthy. You are loved. When you get away from fear love expands. When our values are conflicted, we see our world getting smaller. This is an illusion. The reality is we are infinite. When we change our way of thinking everything around us changes. The number one thing is to value yourself. You are of value. You are love. Out of love comes faith. Faith for a future. Faith to make a change, a baby step or a leap, a leap of faith. You will not see the outcome of your change until you make it. Henry Ford said, “If we believe we can or believe we can’t, we are right.” It is the belief that creates the outcome. Dr. Bruce Lipton’s work proves it is not the medicine that heals it the belief that the medicine will provide healing that heals.

When you realize you are a thought of God you are a created being. You are love incarnate. You expand. You forgive. You simply cannot hold onto the discomfort, the hurt, the ego because it no longer fits with who you are. We are all cracked, wounded egos. Let the ego go. Open you hand and release the illusion of what we think we are. Know in your whole being that goodness runs through you. Forgive. Align with your divinity. Align with the magnificent sacred part of who you are. You are excellent, delightful, superb, pleasing, attractive and eternal. You have a knowing by inspiration, intuition and insight. Live your life through the love that you truly are. Let your love lens show you your worth, your value, your intention and, your purpose.

We would love to hear your comments and get to know you. This is an interactive forum. Enjoy the day and all of it’s blessings.

Rose and Judy