Preparation

When I am alone, I solve a lot of my personal problems through spiritual study, actually, all of them.

But I find that I still stand on shifting sand when I come into contact with other people.

I asses what I need to do and be in each situation with each group instead of just listening within.

It throws me off balance.

So now, my preparation will be to remain in God-contact, to keep the same feeling that I have when I am immersed in my spiritual study.

The spiritual facts and principles are always in operation.

I will develop my ability to keep listening and feeling those when I am in a public setting.

I have no idea if I can actually keep my focus, but I will certainly begin the process.

(This was written on Oct. 21, 2014) and I can now say I am getting better at it.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Your Freedom Now

The Universe is giving you your freedom.

Take it right now.

Do not stop to look at the disturbances or distractions along the way.

You have a mission, a deep spiritual identity.

Go the direction it is sending you.

You have already tried out the kind of life that is all around you.

You know how that one works.

Find the higher road.

Listen to your high calling.

You are made to be uplifted and to uplift others.

Go up.  go out.  Go forward.

Let your footsteps dissolve into a higher path.

Let your life show your freedom.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Heat in the House

Sometimes we are reminded of the luxury in which we live.  

This happened when the heat went out.  On Wednesday, the repairman was called.  When he didn’t reply, a friend’s repair service was contacted.  He came out late Thursday, but was not familiar with this brand of heater.  Late Friday, he informed us that he  was unable to reach the central office for advice, because everyone else in the area was calling.  The original repairman turned out to be out of town.  He recommended someone else.  The someone else was called and scheduled for Monday.  He was booked solid for Saturday.  On Saturday, he called with a cancellation for Sunday morning.  The heat was repaired on Sunday morning.  Hurray!

A luxury of repair services.

In the meantime, a neighbor loaned us a space heater.  

Luxury of neighbors.

We added more quilts, did baking, went to the internet cafes, went to work on the weekend, and found various other places to stay warm.

A luxury of so many places.

What we discovered: 

It takes a lot of energy to stay warm.  Even with lots of layers of clothing, we still felt like hibernating.

Everyone enjoyed the continuity of meals.  Good food equals good community.  A luxury of food and community.

With the heat back on, we don’t have to think about it.  We can come and go and do whatever we want and need to without taking special steps to stay warm.

Appreciation of such a luxury.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

The Third "Billy-Goat Gruff"

You remember in the story of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”, the small and middle-sized billy-goats tempted the ogre to wait for the third and largest billy-goat for a larger meal.  When the third and largest billy-goat came across the bridge, he butted the ogre right off the bridge and sent him downstream.

I am at the point in my life where I am the third and largest billy-goat gruff and I can now toss the ogres from my past life off the bridge to my new life and send them downstream never to bother me again.

Looking at various art and creative blogs and watching creative youtube videos, ideas I can share began to flow for me.  I was putting together lots of ways to do this when I ran up against several objections from my childhood.  

These voices have been getting more and more specific due to my demand to actually hear what they are saying instead of just feeling intimidated or depressed or scared.  When I put the feelings into words, I can refute them and argue on my own behalf.

So now that I have insisted they come out of hiding, I am also giving myself the strength to remove them.  When I was the smallest billy-goat gruff, I was a child abuse victim.  I still had my creativity.  In fact, that is one of the ways I survived.  

Then, I got to the next stage of my life, the middle-sized billy-goat gruff, where I just worked really hard at my school work and music lessons, graduated high school and college, got jobs and married and raised a family, all with my background safely buried.

At the ripe age of fifty years, my background began leaking through all the busyness, and I had to develop the tools and strength to deal with it.  Fifteen years later,  I have made good progress, but occasionally nasty and cruel things, such as attitudes and sayings, come through from time to time, especially when I am ready to move forward.

So today, when my creativity was in full flow and the negative remarks began surfacing in my mind, I stood my ground and decided that I am the person who knows who I am and what I am capable of doing.  And that is when the image of the billy-goats gruff came to my aid.  

I am now at the point where I am the third and largest billy-goat gruff and those ogres have got to go!

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

You're My Friend, I'm Your Friend

I am building community from within.  

Whenever I see anyone, I now think in terms of our friendship.

We have been harassed into competing and isolating ourselves from one another, and yet, as humans, we thrive in community.

I walk around in a state of appreciation for whatever I see.

When appropriate, I offer sincere compliments.

Otherwise, I just send appreciative energy.

I notice more isolation than ever before - the few children who still walk home from school, people sitting by themselves in coffee shops - I’m one of them, although I’m sure we are all working.  I nod when I walk by them.  Sometimes they nod back.

It is fun to initiate conversations while in line at a store.

Admiring people’s children is always a good opening.

Asking about recipes when I am in an ethnic grocery is also a sincere opportunity.

I love connecting and I am creating more opportunities to do so.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

New and Old

I am easing into my old situation, but with a new view.

I have brought my new livelihood with me and I am developing it.

It feels different.

I know where I am going.

I am peaceful and confident.

It is all new, but in an old situation.

I wasn’t even sure I could do this, but I am.

As I continue my study about who I am and continue to express my deep sense of me, I am involved in my new livelihood wherever I am.

I love seeing how the pieces are fitting together even here.

Old painful memories have given way to a new view of my life.

It is worth living through such situations and circumstances just to see the progress that is possible.

Nothing is impossible to the forces of the Impersonal Beneficent Universe.

I am inspired.

I am taken care of.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Government from Within

When I consider the weakness of the political system, I am led to consider government from within.

Regardless of the way voters are being treated, I can be kinder, more compassionate.

Regardless of the way districts are gerrymandered, I can be generous to all.

Regardless of the special interests, I can be interested in the well-being of all.

Regardless of the emphasis on endless, pointless war, I can resolve the little irritations of my life more and more quickly.

Regardless of politics for personal gain, I can be thankful for those who are showing us the weakness of the system, and look for ways of accomplishing good for all in other grassroots ways.

We all have the ability to become more deeply conscious of why we are on this earth in this form.

We all the opportunity to widen our outreach and acquire the skills to communicate better.

We can all do more little things to help build community.

These are all steps which help create good government from within our own consciousness and within our own communities.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com