Pass It On

“The point is not to pay back kindness but to pass it on.”
– Julia Alvarez

Some of my fondest memories are those when I got to pass on things to others. The joy of spreading love and kind words is almost indescribable. Imagine receiving and holding in your hands the most beautiful object in the world and then sharing it with someone else. The warmth that starts in your heart spreads throughout your body as you allow the love and kindness to flow from you. You may even see a smile on another’s face after you passed it on. This is a double blessing.

Love and kindness are the most beautiful objects (although it is not a physical objects…it can still be felt) that we can pass on. And, what is so remarkable about sharing love and kindness, is that your heart fills up with more love and kindness in the process. It is a gift that gives back such positive feelings in return. Imagine that. It is so wonderful and amazing!

Today I wish to pass on to you blessings of a glorious upcoming first weekend of the season as you close out your week. May you experience joy and peace as you prepare for the first full week of Summer (or Winter), which is also the last week of June.  I hope you will be able to be around all your loved ones and be engaged in all your favorite activities! What do you wish to pass on?

Related articles

• Love lies in service (teachingsofmasters.wordpress.com)

Listen With Your Heart

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear,
slow to speak, slow to anger; James 1:19 (ESV)

What does “Listening With Your Heart” mean to you? It conveys those times when you allow love and your heart guide your ears to truly listen to another. It is during those times when you are not formulating what you are going to say next. You are truly taking in each word and making eye contact with the person who is speaking.

You are empathizing and valuing the person with whom you are engaging a conversation. How does it feel when you are speaking and those around you are truly engaged with their eyes and their hearts to your story? Can you imagine the love and joy your manifesting in another simply by listening with your heart?

Related articles

• Pay Attention With Your Heart (janrmiesse.com)

Who Are You Trying to Please?

Most of you intellectually know that you cannot control the feelings of others. You simply cannot make someone happy if they have decided they are not. The only ones we need to try to please is ourselves and God. When we are in joy, guess what? Your joy will infect others! You will have more positive energy and it will show! Really! In delighting ourselves, we ultimately delight others.

However, when you spend all your energy trying to please others, that positive energy wanes. You will feel tired and unappreciated when your expectations of pleasing others is not met. Why put yourself through that. Case in point, you are expecting out-of-town family, so you go out of your way to clean your home from ceiling to floor, detailing every nook and cranny. Why? Are you doing this to make yourself happy or your guests?

Nine and a half out of ten, your out-of-town guests are there to visit you, not your spick-and-span house, right? Do what makes your happy and joy-FULL. Make  your guests feel comfortable, but don’t dampen your spirits and positive energy by burdening yourself with detailing your home. That will certainly ZAP the JOY out of you; and, it would be counterintuitive. By pleasing yourself, you will please others. Do everything in love and joy. Please yourself and God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (ESV)

God Sees What We Can’t

No one is like the Lord our God, who rules from the heaven. Psalm 113:5

Today’s post is directly from Max Lucado’s Grace For the Moment Volume 2 devotional:

Max Lucado told his story: On a trip to the United Kingdom, our family visited a castle. In the center of the garden sat a maze. Row after row of shoulder-high hedges, led to one dead-end after another. Successfully navigate the labyrinth, and discover the door to a tall tower in the center of the garden. Were you to look at our family pictures of the trip, you’d see four of our five family members standing on the top of the tower. Hmm, someone is still on the ground. Guess who? Yes, me. I was stuck in the foliage. I just couldn’t figure out which way to go.

Ah, but then I heard a voice from above. “Hey, Dad.” I looked up to see Sara, peering through the turret at the top.” You’re going the wrong way,” she explained. “Back up and turn right.”

Do you think I trusted her? I didn’t have to. But do you know what I did? I listened. Her vantage point was better than mine. She was above the maze. She could see what I couldn’t.

God has a different vantage point than we do. This story beautifully illustrates that God sees what we cannot. What is the lesson in this? When we are stuck in our labyrinth of life challenges, trust and listen to God. God will point us in the right direction. We only need to ask through prayer. God will give us courage and signs by putting encouraging, helpful people and/or information in our path.  

Related articles

• Courage (sabinianabalagtasbaliba.com)

A Tribute to Daddy

 I would like to use this space today to write a personal tribute to my father, Herbert Rüdiger Kowitz, for Father’s Day, the best Daddy in the whole universe.

 Daddy, thank you for your loving guidance, your generous spirit and all the quality time we had as a family. You kept us safe and secure. We have lived comfortably and enjoyed many, many wonderful times together. Who knows how many more we will have, but I have learned to cherish each moment with you and Mommy.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 I love you deeply and dearly. Thank you for wisdom and being an amazing role model. Thank you for being dependable and responsible. Thank you for your many devoted hours volunteering in the band boosters and other community service organizations. Thank you for chaperoning many band trips and being a chauffeur for all the extracurricular activities Monique and I were involved in as kids. Thank you for designing and building all the stage sets when we were in community theater. 

Thank you for your quirky sense of humor, imagination and creativity. Thank you for picking up the pieces when things in my life seemed unbearable. Thank you for supporting all my decisions even when  you did not agree. Thank you for the countless moments you have spent on us instead of  you, being the doting father and devoted husband. You have done so much for us, Daddy, the list can go on and on! I am deeply grateful and feel completely blessed that God has given us such a fabulous father and daddy.

 You are a magnificent problem-solver and always figure out every challenge presented to you from simple fix-up jobs at home to more complicated rocket science stuff at work! I admire your ingenuity and engineering mind. You have done some amazing work at NASA, but MOST of ALL you have been an AWESOME father and daddy!!!! I LOVE YOU, DADDY! Happy Father’s Day!

Summer Wish List

It is nearly summer (in the Northern Hemisphere of this world) and school is out for children and teenagers. This is a great time to make a Summer Wish List. There are no rules or directions. Let the list carry on into your imagination and be creative. The warm weather we are experiencing is so relaxing; it invites us to daydream and wish….as in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I dream of far off places of rainbows, wishing stars and waterfalls. I wish to see a zillion butterflies and take in the fragrance of honeysuckle and watermelon. I wish to play on the seashore collecting seashells and memories galore. I wish to dance with fireflies underneath the clear summer night skies. What are your Summer Wishes?

Related articles

• 102 Things To Do This Summer: Our List & Series (cozycakescottage.com)

Setback or Blessing?

For every setback, disappointment and heartbreak, ask yourself the following questions: What is the opportunity in this? What does this create (room in my life for)? Where could this lead to? Therein you will find its gift. Everything has a reason. We just do not see it until we are on the other side of the door of opportunity.

For example, when my first speaking engagement got cancelled short notice, I found that I had the opportunity to refine my presentation. So, when I did get to present it, I had raving reviews. At first I was deeply disappointed, but I found the “silver lining” in that “dark cloud”.  What disappointments in your life turned into blessings in disguise?

Garden Update

Dr. Angi, delightful and savvy, how does your garden grow?

With hope and love and all the above  to create a world of joyful glow. 

Below are pictures of our vegetable garden that we started from seeds back in April. It is doing well! We lost a few of the squash; but the tomatoes and basil are doing great!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Related articles

• In the Garden… (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)

Believe In Yourself

This is a great reminder. I saw the words on Facebook today. It is exactly the message I needed to see. So, I tweaked it and made it even more JOY-FULL!

We are what we BELIEVE; furthermore, we need to be ourselves. Embrace the good and the challenges. No one is perfect (thank goodness). Life would not be as exciting if we were all perfect, right? Most mistakes make humor. Good humor brings happiness. The choice is our own. We can decide to believe in ourselves and be, or not. One of the two choices is going to make you way more happier. I choose to BE ME and BELIEVE in me. BElieve in YOUrself.

Which One?

What expression do you identify more with: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”; or, “only fools rush in?” Are you one that looks before you leap, or do you feel those who hesitate is lost? Do you plan for the future or do you live for today? Do you feel too many cooks spoil the broth? Or, do you feel many hands make light work?

There are many conflicting sayings and expressions that many identify with depending on the circumstances. It truly depends on the situation for most. Sometimes I feel I should take the risk and venture into certain things; other times I feel it would be foolish to rush into it. Sometimes I prefer teamwork, especially during projects that need input, brainstorming and creativity flow; and, other times, I prefer to work independently especially when I have a deadline to meet and time becomes a factor.

With all the social styles and personality generalities that are out there, most of us are a blending of them. By taking the time to ask yourself why you feel or act a certain way will give you an insight and new perspective into yourself. How do you check-in with yourself? How do you weigh your choices? Or, do you simply act now and ask questions later? Does it depend on the situation? Do you act differently at work than at a social gathering? Food for thought, maybe? I invite you to be patient with yourself and with others as each of us value things differently and it will vary from one situation to another.

Related articles

• Identifying Social Styles of Others (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)