Sometimes I feel scared about the direction the world seems to be going in. Some days, I see the goodness clearly. I work to support people working for positive change. I try to be the change, to let go of what I can’t change and change the things I can. I tell myself, I’m doing my part.  Other days, I want to pull the covers over my head in the morning and  watch Star Trek bloopers on YouTube in the afternoon.

When it’s hard to let go because worrying is so familiar, when we don’t know what else to do, we can look to the truth that has always been there for us. We can hold on to what is good and let the worries trickle away through our fingers. What is good remains.

A Pueblo Indian Prayer

Hold on to what is good,

even if it’s a handful of…

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.”
― William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

Close to the silt of the earth
in muddied river beds
brittle and bare
a searchlight scans the heartland.

I find myself hungering for more,
as I scour landscapes of silence.
Not just desiring knowledge,
but inclining towards the wonderment
of creation….

I feel the sensations of a fragrant earth,
and the out flowing of the mystical.

I let go of despair.

To understand my heart from the inside,
I have eyes for those who travel with me on this journey
towards the center.

In this heartland I am revived…..

Come, quench the once unquenchable.
Unravel the verses that linger
Yet remain misconceived.
Thaw the frozen!

Smoldered with dust
Left to rot in the open,
The pages within wither.
Alas, white lends to yellow.

Declassify the thoughts
Once labelled a masterpiece
Of rancid air.
A lovers delight yet
A Puritans despair.

Delve further than the rest
And unearth betwixt
The facade of dolour
A victim of a misshapen script.
Wherein my dearest,
The lead truly lies uncompared.

-Rounak Barman

Image courtesy- https://wealdenliteraryfestival.co.uk/wealden-writing-photography-competitions-2018/

Life and the Universe have a funny way of bringing us to the exact people,
places, circumstances, and messages that our souls are calling for at the right
time. What appears as an accident in our lives is not always what it seems.
Nothing happens by chance, and there are no coincidences. We begin to understand
that there’s a reason for the way our life is unfolding even though it may not
always be immediately apparent.

Text & image source: Spiritual Awakenings ॐ https://web.facebook.com/Spiritual-Awakenings-%E0%A5%90-105433989565465/

As I was walking through the woods a few days ago, I came across a single blossom, suspended by an almost invisible thread of spider web.

It took some time to catch this delicate flower with my phone camera. An ever so slight breeze kept moving it out of view of my small lens. During my efforts, I noticed the branch from which the lonely blossom had made its descent, an elderberry treen in bloom.

My heart was captured by the thought of our loving Father holding us individually in His capable hand. I reflected on His delight in the Church when individuals display His heart of love and care to one another. I wondered if we always comprehend our individual importance and moreover the great power the Holy Spirit displays in the community of believers.

A single blossom, on the way
The Father’s mindful piece of art.
Alone not able to…

A struggle, a choice to make.
An internal conflict.
To give up control each day.
To let God take the reins.

What stops me?
The list can go on.
Pride, fear … excuses.
To be my own master.

Yet, He waits patiently.
Knowing our human nature.
Our brokenness;
Our weaknesses.

Shattered pieces.
Scars hidden within.
None sees, except God.
Waiting for me to surrender.

Surrender to God.
In my brokenness of spirit.
In my weakness of body.
I turn to God. I surrender.

By C.E. Pereira
(22-6-2018)