In honor of life and a
brighter path, a gift has been given to the world. Mankind has been
given the
choice to follow a path of Universal Light. All, who follow the path,
seek to
attain enlightenment.
This gift encourages mankind to follow one's
heart, to allow one to
believe in an inner strength, and to use the inner strength to
reinforce the
tie to the Universe. A single thread connects us to the Universe and to
the
Universal Love surrounding our existence.
Everyone has their own thread that connects
them to another. Life is a
tapestry made from the threads of peoples' lives, interwoven like
expensive
silks, each one precious in its own right.
Our inner strength is made
precious by life and guides as a flame to persevere in times of
hardship.
Sometimes we feel our flame of life flickering and growing dim, and
then
someone acknowledges who we are, and what we can be, and rekindles our
life
with hope and love. The love can then be shared with others who are in
search
of peace.
One of the keys to peace in
our lives is to be tolerant of all other people. We can learn from one
another,
but when we have no tolerance towards the beliefs of others, we stop
learning
and do not advance as a human being.
If we are open to others beliefs and ideas,
we make our own beliefs stronger. If we are closed to knowledge, we
become
hypocrites with closed minds.
We must not let hypocrisy
deter us from following a path of enlightenment. To find the elusive
peace we
seek, we must not forget to look deep within ourselves. To attain an
inner
peace in life, we must relax the mind as well as the physical body.
Attaining peace is like
holding a handful of water. If you cup your hand gently, you can hold
the water
and drink from it. If you tighten your fist, the water falls to the
ground ..
lost.
Follow the path to
enlightenment with a sense of wonder and an openness to the vast
mysterious
forces abounding in the Universe. It is the source of all true art and
all
science.
Once we can no longer pause to wonder and
stand rapt in awe of nature and all that surrounds us, we become
mere shells of life for our eyes are closed to the wonder of
enlightenment and
the future.
Most of us spend time
dreaming of the future, never realizing a little arrives each day.
Today is the
day for planning for the future. Yesterday is for looking back and
realizing
your mistakes.
We learn from our mistakes.
We must also be open to recognize the different ways to learn. In
seeking that
knowledge, it is the wise man who does not try to force his ideals upon
others.
We cannot force knowledge onto mankind; we can only show him the door
and wait
for him to walk through and find the light within himself.
Be true to yourself, be open
to knowledge, share the love of the inner self and enlightenment will
be an
attainable goal.
© November
2001 Brenda
"Rion" Sewell
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
"Lord, make me an
instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred,
let me sow love;
Where there is injure,
pardon;
Where there is discord,
union;
Where there is doubt,
faith;
Where there is despair,
hope;
Where there is darkness,
light;
Where there is sadness,
joy.
Grant that I may not so much
seek
to
be consoled as
to console
to
be understood
as to understand
to
be loved as to
love.
For it is in giving that
I receive;
it
is in pardoning
that I am pardoned;
and
it is in dying
that I am born to eternal life.
Amen
St.
Francis of Assisi
