ALIVE

Yesterday morning was wet and windy and I had not slept well but I had this incredible feeling that it was good to be alive.  I knew that tiredness would haunt me all day but that did not matter.

Religion I have found does not fence me in nor does it restrict me;
it opens the door of my soul to appreciate the small, beautiful and precious things in  life. 
It encourages me to be more compassionate and understanding.

Reading the Bible I see once again that it contains  stories of  life ofpeople who face all the same problems I do.  The snake sneaks into our minds to tempt us with dissatisfaction just like it did Adam and Eve.  The story continues with family jealousy and bitterness, distrust, rape, greed, war and violence to mention just a few.  For me it has made me aware of the need of a higher power to forgive me when I fail and help me up when I am down.

Even Jesus was driven by the spirit to face the devil in the wilderness.  Wilderness to means a place of emptiness and doubt and where I have found new inner strength.

I can relate to the young boy Jesus looking to find the Father he already felt calling him.  Twice I was lost as a very young child, once going to meet dad coming home from work and I missed him and just kept walking.  I was brought home in a police car.  The next time we where in one store planning to go on to another one and when I couldn't find my parents I went on ahead.  This time I was taken to the police station. both  times I wondered why they were so worried.

Karen in her second chapter reminds us to look at our own world beginning with our family.   to see that others have needs too that at times call for us to sacrifice. Each member has a value and hopefully we also learn compassion and one of the important things is not to be judgmental and to learn to not always speak out what we are thinking.

Respect is very important.  Also a sense of humor.  We are what we believe.

Dad and I went visiting at the hospital in the afternoon even though his feet were painful. Hugh was very pleased to see us and seems to be a bit better.

 Dad did go to the hot tub at the pool and was able to use a pass from 2005 that Carol had given him.  I will make him an appointment to see the doctor. 

"The Golden Rule requires self-knowledge; it asks that we use our own feelings as a guide to our behavior with others."  from Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.  Karen suggests that we have inherited a reptilian brain of our ancestors that struggled out of the primal slime some 500 million years ago.  Survival motivated by feeding, fighting,  fleeing and reproduction making fear fundamental.

This was my garden surprise hidden among the bigger plants.  All looking very green!