reflect ...........

* All the goodness, love, value and tenderness we experience in life fall short precisely because we already know something deeper. When we feel frustrated, angry, betrayed, violated or enraged, it is in fact because our outside experience is so different from what we already hold dear inside."


Life as we know has a unique ability to uplift and energise us. But just as quick it can shatter and bring us back down to reality in the blink of an eye. Our expectations in life are often not met, particularly values that are precious to us such as love, trust, honesty, goodness and so on. What we hold dear and precious to us is not always reflected back to us in how people relate to us. We need to begin to understand that this is not our fault. No one can take away our own sense of worth, our identity, our fingerprint, our energy, our gifts and talents and all those things that are precious to us. Others may not understand us but we are assured that God understands us, loves us and will always stand by our side.

~ Lotus Life ~

Lotus Life............


The lotus is a symbol of purity.
Its roots are in the mud, but the flower remains above dirty water.
Live a lotus life.
Be in the world, but unaffected by impurities.

Life `

Our intake on life varies from person to person. Some of us see life as a trial, some kind of test and others see life as something we are all given to make the most of. Whatever our intake on life and our belief in what will happen to us beyond this life we can not doubt the difficulties that life throws at us. It is our attitude towards these difficulties that will determine the life we will have.

Although we are not in control of the circumstances that are thrown our way, we are in control of how we handle these circumstances. We are responsible for our own actions and the choices we make.

Awareness ~

Awareness ..........


'‘Awareness is noticing the blessings that often get overlooked in our busy lives. Gratitude for a special blessing can inspire us to look further and discover even more good in our lives. As we are inspired, let us also be inspiring to others.’'

If we tend to see today as the same as any other day then we have lost our sense of awareness. Yes there is a lot of repetition from day to day in many of the things we do, but the blessings that today will bring will never be the same as the ones you had yesterday and tomorrow is an entirely different story. Busy lives and heavy working schedules put on the blinkers and our awareness of these blessings.

Can we pause when a special moment happens?
Can we hold it?
Can we allow it to inspire us?
Every inspiring moment has its roots in God.

* The answer *

The answer ................


Turn criticism into appreciation.
Turn judgment into admiration.
See beauty in darkness.
See love in light.
See truth in love.

Always forgive as the world is transformed through kindness
and patience and by changing our perspective and changing our perception,
we change our world.

The world cannot change through demand and expectation.
Learn to value failures and mistakes, to be patient towards all that is unsolved
in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves ...

Do not now seek answers, which cannot be given you,
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then, gradually, without noticing it,
live along some distant day into answer.

* Stand up *

Stand up .........


Your heart is the most important part of you; don't let it be hurt by another living soul.
Be your own life driver, stand up and never be afraid to face the world on your own.

Remember you managed to fight for 9 months on your own before you were born
so you have passed your 9 months probation.
Why can't you take it from there and make things happen?

* Peace *

Peace .........



'Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have.'
~Doris Mortman

Much of the unhappiness in our world today has its roots in how we see ourselves. Too often we put ourselves down and fall into the tempting trap of comparing ourselves to others. God never makes comparisons or compares us to someone else. We can never live up to be someone else but we can live up to who God created us to be.

We can begin this by believing in what we have to offer. It doesn’t have to be earth shattering but our little is all that God wants. Others may demand much but never God. God always wants to extend peace to us. Can we make peace with ourselves first and let the negative and cloudy parts of our past behind and move on. It is the only way forward.

* Focus *

Focus ............


When we take our eye off what needs to get done or what's important in life, the chances are high that we are missing out on a lot. It is good to give that 100% into what needs getting done.

This does not mean giving 100% of our time, 7 days a week. No one could manage that! What it does mean, is that when we do something, no matter how small, it's best to give it our all. keep focussed and especially on the really important things in life. When we find ourselves saying ‘I can’t’, we pray for the encouragement to say ‘I can’.

* Stepping stones *

Stepping stones ..............



** Life is a process of starting over again. Every day marks moments for new beginnings and hopes. The comfort of our faith is that it allows one to let go of disappointments and missed opportunities. It teaches us that no moment is wasted and that if we think we have failed in our promise, the seeds of opportunity for growth and fulfilment never fail. **

We need to hear more and more that it’s ok to let go of disappointments and missed opportunities. The high rate of depression today especially in young people would link it with an inability to cope with some crisis in life.

There is a huge pressure to perform, be successful, be cool and to be far more than we can be. There is an onus on all of us to nurture every possibility of a new beginning especially with young people.

Failure and disappointments are part and parcel of life. We can use them as stepping stones and as moments of growth.

* Balance. *

Balance .........



‘There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.’
~Kahlil Gibran

Salt is something we can’t do without. It is involved in regulating the water content and balance of our body. Too little of it and we’re in trouble and too much also puts us in trouble. It’s all about finding the right balance.

The main purpose of salt is not just to add taste to food but to bring balance to our bodies. So it is with us. Finding the right balance in all we do is a life long challenge. Many search and long for this balance. Putting our trust and faith in a loving God gives us a great foundation to find and build this balance.

* Hope *

Hope ...........



‘Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.’


A boy was in the burn unit of a hospital for many weeks making little if any progress. His teacher was asked to visit him and tutor the boy with some schoolwork while he was in hospital. As she tried to tutor him it was obvious the boy was in a lot of discomfort. The teacher felt ashamed of putting him through such a senseless exercise. The next day the nurse asked her: “What did you do to that boy? His entire attitude has changed. It’s as though he has decided to live.”



A few weeks later the boy explained that he had given up hope until his teacher arrived. “They wouldn’t send my teacher to work on nouns and verbs with a dying boy, would they?” We too journey into people’s lives and into places and events that on the surface seem to have no meaning or purpose to us. Yet God gently works through us, creating many surprises and in ways we least expect.

* Forgiveness *

Forgiveness ……….

Somebody hurt you, maybe yesterday, maybe a lifetime ago, and you cannot forget it.
You did not deserve the hurt. It went deep, deep enough to lodge itself in your memory.
And it keeps on hurting you now.

Forgiveness is God’s invention for coming to terms with a world in which,
despite their best intentions, people are unfair to each other and hurt each other deeply.

Forgiveness is a word that is often spoken, and it is to be part of our lives, woven into our relationships with each other.
It has been said that forgiving is love’s toughest work and love’s biggest risk. It is hugely challenging.

We live in a fragile and imperfect world. It affects us every day and sometimes extremely so.
To forgive someone allows us to take a step forward, a step towards new beginnings.
Not to forgive means we stay firmly rooted to the one spot,
we never move on and any chance of a new beginning just never happens.

If forgiveness is to be a part of our lives and woven into our everyday relationships,
then we sometimes have to take the first step to make it happen.

* Balance of life *

Balance of life ………

*….The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in our life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us.
If we can do that and live that way, we are a really wise person……*

There are always different ways of seeing things in life.
We are either optimistic or pessimistic or somewhere in between.

Our world has been around for millions of years and we are a tiny part of the whole story.
If we can see the bigger picture,
if we can see life from experience,
if we can look at it from a faith point of view,
if we can look at it from the foundation of good sound values,
then life can be viewed with balance.

Our prayer today can be a simple one asking God for more balance in every aspect of our lives.

* Truth *

Truth …………

“….Truth alone can succeed; falsehood is a waste of time and loss of energy……”

Falsehood, whatever its apparent success, has its limitations and its end.
For at every step the false person will feel falseness;
and with every step a person takes towards falsehood,
he will feel his feet growing heavier and heavier when he encounters the truth,
while those who walk towards the truth will feel their feet becoming lighter with every step they take.

* Turning point *

Turning point ..........



* Paradox is everywhere: Sometimes the things you think will make you happy end up saddening you and sometimes the very thing that breaks your heart is also the thing that opens it to warmth and gratitude.’*

Life can never be described as predictable and boring. So much can happen in a week, a day, even in a few minutes. There are so many twists and turns in life. If we are happy with our lot and with what we’re doing then we should be grateful. It too can change. Taking for granted what we have, sets up to loose it when we least expect.

It is comforting to know that sadness too has a turning point. Sadness is not always something negative or to be avoided. We know that God is very much in touch with our sadness and joy. Sometimes we have to wait patiently to know when the tide has turned.

* 0ur need of God *

0ur need of God ......

Life can best be described as challenging, on occasions cruel and rarely easy.

From our own experience we know it is often unpredictable, exciting and also at times overwhelming. It would take a person of remarkable strength and zeal to journey through life on their own. We need support, love and encouragement on our journey. It’s a need that must be met every day and not on the odd occasion here and there. Some of us are lucky to have this need met, others not so.

The one common link we all have is our need of God. Having God on our side gives us deeper roots in life. These deeper roots give us that positive edge in everything we do each day.