January  5,  2022

Thought for Today

“Growing older is not upsetting; being perceived as old is.”

 Kenny Rogers

January 4, 2022

FIND  THEM  EVERYWHERE

 

 You find them everywhere.
 
It is natural for us humans to build places of prayer.
 
Temples, mosques, churches, chapels dot the globe.
 
These “upper rooms” get us in touch with God in the upper room of our mind as well as in our inner center: our heart.
 
Holy Places help us to be holy – to be whole.
 
Holy Places help us to see the holiness of all places.
 
Holy Places help us to enter into heaven, into eternity, to be one with God – to be one with all people who have gone before us and those who are going to come after us.
 
Holy Places are the eye of the needle. We can’t fit in without letting go of our burdens – those inner burdens that bloat us, that fill us, that sap our energy.
 
Holy Places are the great equalizers.   We are all one when we are all in the same room together.
 
Chartres, Sancta Sophia, the Wailing Wall, Mecca, Sagrada Familia, the local church, the hospital chapel, the secret garden, are all there to help us get and be centered.
 
When Moses had his great revelation of god, he heard the sacred words, “Take off your shoes.  You are standing on Holy Ground.
 
Holy Places are Holy Ground – places where God Speaks to us, places where we can question God, places where God reveals who God is slowly, “I Am Who Am.”
 
Holy Places are Holy Ground – places where God missions us - where God sends us to others – where God tells us about a shut-in down the road from us or a teenager whom we tend to neglect.
 
Holy Places are places we only got to - but places we come from – filled with God. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022

January  4,  2022

 

Thought for Today

 

“There are two types of people – those who come into a room and say, ‘Well, here I am!’ and those who come in and say, ‘Ah, there you are.’”

 

Frederick L. Collins

January 3, 2022

 

 

THERE IS A GOD!

 

Our family is a family of card players!

 

It beats TV every time – especially if you win the most games that evening.

 

Down through the years, having played so many game, our family has a list of stories, memories, sayings, traditions sand customs.

 

One of our sayings is, “There is a God!”

 

Whenever someone says THAT, you know you’re about to lose the hand you’re playing.

 

“There is a God!”

 

It’s a saying usually used when someone draws a joker, or the winning card – and then they put their hand down on the table.

 

The tension – the inner tension – had mounted.  Everyone figured someone else has their card – or the card they need is already down and covered. Surprise we draw a joker or someone discards our card – and we can pick it up to win the game.

 

“There is a God!”

 

“Rummy!”

 

“There is a God!”

 

What a great prayer.

 

We’re in the supermarket.  We turn into a new aisle. We see a beautiful 18 pound baby sitting up in a shopping cart – staring at us – with a supermarket smile.

 

Without pausing we say, “There is a God!”

 

We’re on vacation at the beach.  We get up early and walk down to the ocean say and look out into the Eastern sky. It’s just as the sun is rising and we automatically say,  “There is a God!”

 

We’re out walking the dog at night.  We pause as the dog does his business. We look up into the heavens – something he hadn’t done in weeks. The night sky is filled with stars  - the moon is a bright flashlight – and we say, “There is a God!”

 

“There is a God!”

 

“What a great prayer!”

 

 

 

 

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022

 January 3, 2022

 

Thought for Today

“The important thing in life is not to have a good hand but to play it well.”

 

Louis-N. Fortin

Penses, Proverbs, Maxims

 January 2, 2022

100  BLESSINGS  A  DAY

 

 

According to the Menachot (43 b), a Jew is to recite 100 bendictions every day.

 

What a great idea.

 

What a great practice to practice.

 

It would make us more and more aware of all the blessings we receive each day.

 

Start counting.

 

We wake up in the morning – alive – filled with the gift of life.  We open up our eyes.  We say, “Another day. Thank You God.”

 

We just made our first prayer of thanks – our first benediction - of the day.

 

99 to go.

 

We stand under the shower. The water showering on our neck and the top of our shoulders feels so good. “Thank You God! Water! A shower. Hot and cold water combined in such a way to make it all feel so comforting.”

 

98 to go.

 

Orange juice … cereal … coffee … cold butter and peanut butter on toasted English muffins … and also strawberry jam sometimes. “Praise You God.”

 

97 to go.

....

 

It’s 11:30 P.M. and we’re falling asleep.  “Thank You God for a great day and for this comfortable bed.”

 

0 to go.

 

“Wow, God, did 100 benedictions today. Thank You.”

 

“Ooooops…. That was 101. Thank You.”

 

“There’s another. 102!”

 

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022

January  2,  2022

 

Thought for Today

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass.   
It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”