On this Halloween night, I remember the times when my own children were young and so excited to go trick or treating.  I remember the plans that revolved around what they were going to dress up as, how was I going to decorate the house, the shopping for candy, how much should I get, what if we ran out.  Who was going to stay behind and man the door for the other trick or treaters’.  Living in Arizona at the time I also worried if it was going to be hot!  How would we do the hair, the picture-taking opportunities.  What house would we be avoiding this year and what house we had to go too?  I remember the quest for the flashlight’s which always needed fresh batteries.  Would the kids have buckets or bags, what was easier for them.

Halloween seems to be the beginning of the mad dash for the holidays.  My children are grown and I have learned to relax and simply enjoy the holidays each one separately.  I have learned that it is the people who matter and not the trappings.  My gift has always been to share a conversation, a cup of coffee, tea or some home cooked food.  Those are the things I enjoy about the holidays, the traditions of cooking and being around the table together, the conversations of the people I love, friends, family and strangers alike.

When my children were small it was the quiet stories before bedtime, the giggling in the sheets, the mom just one more, the character voices and their laughter as I completely jumped on that train, it was their precious breath as they slept, it was the warm snuggle at bedtime and in the morning, it was in those quiet moments that I felt the miracle of the lives God gave me to protect and love with my entire being.

They are grown now and I still love the quiet moments we have together, the soft giggles, the conversation, the loud laughter when someone does something silly.   The squabbles when they get aggravated at each other or tired of me loving on them.   Those are the moments that I cherish each day.

Our minds are so active in today’s world; we are constantly bombarded with stimulation, judging, loud noises, voices, phones, television, books, magazines, and the constant chatter of social media and having to check in, rush here, rush there, fight the traffic to get home not to mention the over load of stimulants in our bodies just to get us through the day.

I deliberately and purposeful try to keep my body and my mind in a place of gentleness, peace and love.   I eat healthy for me, I choose exercise that fulfills me in spirit, body and mind, I choose to limit the amount of caffeine I consume, I choose to limit the outside chatter and I choose to spend time in stillness and quiet!

Do you know that healing comes from the stillness of our minds and our bodies?  Do you know that to process our lives and to get into our sacred space that stillness of the mind is essential?  The quiet isn’t showy or dramatic, but I know that the whisper of a touch heals entire bodies and souls.

The stillness gets our bodies prepared for healing of our mind, body and soul.  Physical healing as well as spiritual healing.  The stillness fills us up with hope and wonder.  The quiet allows for powerful dreams and visions to happen, in the stillness you will find your complete and utter connection to our God, our Creator and our Universe.  The connection that feels like, your heart is beating in time with the universe and your body feels suspended on air as you enter into the presence of our creator.  The stillness in your sacred space allows your body to come to complete rest, where healing, peace and joy reside.

How among our crazy lives can we find stillness? find quiet?

It starts with one decision. One moment of clarity that you aren’t living connected to our Creator. One moment of clarity that you are just moving through your life with no memory of the souls that you touched that day or the souls that touched you.

It takes a decision and a commitment to practice!

Your mind will wander, it will pick at you, it will demand that you pay attention to it.  You will fidget, your body will be restless.  However, I promise that it gets easier every time you do it.  These are a few ways that I practice…the beauty is in finding your way… the way that talks to your inner self and breathes a sign of relieve…

My practice now comes in many forms however, I started by sitting in my sunroom and just breathing slowly and gently.  Today, it comes in the place of my patio, where most days the sun peaks through the trees.  It comes in the form of an early and dark morning run; the time of day when you can see the stars, the moon and the sunrise.  It comes in the form of each moment of breath I take to bring awareness to my body.  It comes in gentleness, it comes in quietness, it comes on the whisper of an angels’ wings.

One decision today to practice so that you can feel connected, feel peace, feel love and FIND HEALING!  

Day 91 to Transformation!

Psalm 46: 10   “Be still, and know that I am God;