Taking Time to Notice

"We must learn to be still in the midst of activity
and to be vibrantly alive in repose."                   ~Indira Gandhi

I was finally able to get out for a nice bike ride last weekend. The day was brisk, fairly overcast, but really no snow and the pavement was dry and clear! For most of us, our every day days get  on the fast track pretty quickly and are full of business and busyness! How good it is to have a Sunday to step back a bit, relax, reflect and do something fun. 

This is where Indira Gandhi's quote comes into play ... so often we think that we are not able to be still in the midst of the chaos of the day. Even the weekends or the day off can get packed with things to do. It is important to teach ourselves ... train ourselves, to look out the window once in awhile and gaze up at the beauty of the sky, or out over the landscape and breathe, or pay attention the bird hopping along the sidewalk as we walk between meetings. These little things do not seem like much, but they do put us in a contemplative frame of mind! Those are the quick moments that can bring a sense of peace to our minds and hearts and perhaps allows us then to turn strong to meet the rest of the day!

I share with you a wonderful piece of advice that I  found once from Pema Chodron ...
"Let everything stop your mind and let everything open your heart."

In the Spirit of St. Francis ... Pace E Bene ~ Peace and All Good!

Be Kind and Loving

Yes, we are called, we are invited to approach our world and all the difficulties we face with merciful, compassionate, tender hearts. I just read a quote this morning that said something like "... when our eyes are open we SEE and when our hearts are open, we UNDERSTAND ..."

Part of the conversion of St. Francis of Assisi came when he allowed his eyes to see the leper that was coming towards him as a person - a person who felt rejected, but none-the-less was loved by a God of Infinite Goodness. Francis, by the grace of that same loving God, opened his heart and understood! AND THAT has helped to change the world!

In the cold of this winter and in a world that sometimes feels hostile, may we not be cold-hearted! Be kind and loving today .... to yourself and to those whose paths you cross!

Pace E Bene ~ Peace and All Good!

Dwell in Possibilities

... Dwell in Possibilities ....
We are at the beginning of a new year ~ a year that is filled with so many possibilities and so much potential! My prayer is that every person strives to bring PEACE to their corner of the world and also work for the COMMON GOOD of all people ... Just imagine!

St. Bonaventure, a great FRANCISCAN theologian and mystic wrote: "Justice is the restoration of beauty to all that is broken..."
When we have caring for each other, when we have peace in our hearts, peace in all parts of our lives and peace in our world we will have BEAUTY! ... Dwell in Possibilities ....