Speaking of Spirit

On this day, thirty plus years ago, I became a mother for the second time.  Waking in the early hours this morning, I wondered how best to celebrate my daughter, who is many states away, enjoying family and friends on this auspicious day. Spirit has a way of nudging me when I ponder like this. "Give thanks!" she whispers in my soul, "Give thanks!" Of course!  So, for all my girls, I give thanks. THE BLESSING OF DAUGHTERS Blessed Parent of us all, I lift up my heart and soul to you in eternal gratitude  for the blessing  of daughters! I am rich beyond measure,  because I share in each of their lives. I treasure each smile, each tear, each bump and bruise, each triumph, each broken heart, each joyous event, each question and each bit of wisdom. Thank you for our times together - and our times apart - for those times especially, help us see how precious "together" is. Thank you for our differences, for these differences make us...

Photo Credit (c) 2017 L. M. R. Neas Rachel Carson said, "One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'"  I thought of this yesterday, as my cousins and I were wandering through my gardens, soaked in unexpected sunshine, surrounded in sweet, summer, bird song. Standing in the middle of the lush, verdant, herb and rose scented yard, I thought to myself, "How glorious! How completely delicious this is!" Later, as I sat scanning headlines, I realized just how endangered all this beauty is. The ozone layer keeps thinning. We keep polluting. The bees are dying. Entire species are disappearing. Those in power seem hellbent on destroying the fragile balance for greedy purposes.  Disgusted and heartbroken, I turned off the computer. Immediately, I did what I always do in these times of trouble...lifted my heart to the Divine, praying for some miracle to s...

Photo (c) 2017 L. M. R. Neas "Faith sustains us in the hour when reason tells us that we can not continue, that the whole of our whole lives is without meaning... Faith and reason are the shoes on your feet.  You can travel further with both than you can with just one... That's all that faith requires. That we surrender ourselves to the possibility of hope. For that I'm content." J. Michael Straczynski - Writer, Producer  Consistently, I am amazed at what speaks to me, what brings me inspiration, and/or what brings me peace, after I have asked the Divine one of those "big" questions. Recently, distraught over the world situation coupled with requests from loved ones to pray for those suffering from pain and abuse or for those grieving, I wondered how do we keep going.  More correctly, I asked, "How do we maintain our faith when faced with so much evil, hate and despair?" As a minister, I know Sacred Scripture holds many answers to our ...

Photo Credit: (c) 2017 L. M. Rhinehart Neas Whatever kindnesses we do for others, we do for the Divine, which is what we read th roughout the sacred scriptures of almost all faith paths. As children growing up with a vivid imaginations, we may find it easy to see the Divine in others. However, as we grow older, more occupied with the trails and tribulations of life, this ability wanes.  How can we meet others in a continual spirit of Love and Compassion? How can we keep our inner eyes open to seeing the Divine in all, even those who are difficult to care about in this world, now?  First, as always, we must see the Divine within ourselves. Each of us is born with this Sacred Spark within us. This is what helps us to feel the pain of others when they suffer, and the beauty around us when we are in nature. This is what brings us joy.  If we feed our spirits, the spark can become a beautiful, loving Light. If we continually harden your hearts, ignoring the pain and...