Awake and Aware (Kathy)

Good Morning to all of you! I want to thank each of you who has taken the time from your busy lives to post a Holy Moment and lift me up. I have often wanted to write something, but until now I haven't stopped long enough to do so. It feels good to be a part of a group who simply wants to say, 'it's not really about me; it's about discovering God inside of me and God inside of every other person'. Of course, this extends to every creature, flower, stream, and atom for God created all of it, right? It's exciting when we actually see and feel it, and that only happens when we slow down enough to be AWARE. This group is a reminder to me to be more awake instead of sleep walking from one thing to the next. I have made a positive change in my life by no longer making the news a priority. I cannot solve the world's problems, but I can cultivate and plant seeds in the little piece of the world that I occupy, Mother Teresa said. This huge paradigm shift in my approach to my life has opened up space for so much joy. I literally have much more time for reading, walking and quieting my mind through Silence. I am not sure how I missed that critical message through the Bible where many times it referred to Jesus going somewhere to be alone and pray. If He had to be alone to hear the voice of His father, then it would only make sense that we have to find alone ​ time to ​ stop our own talking ​ and simply listen to hear God's voice. I am the world's biggest talker; I love to talk A LOT, so being still and silent was not just a brand new concept, it was and is very difficult. Practicing this 'quiet time alone' has opened my eyes to countless 'holy moments' that I surely would have missed. While it is a practice of 3-4 minutes each morning, it lays the groundwork for new ears and eyes for me all day long. I can't really explain it because it's very special to each person. I can only say that now I don't ever go through a day without stopping at least once to feel my breath fill my lungs and then leave my body...that's the breath of my life...that's God living in me who gives me my very breath...and one day I will breathe an actual last breath, ​but my life won't be ended. ​ Now that's a joyful thought! This practice of quiet time has increased my patience and diminished my anger. For example, I used to get so upset when dogs pooped in our yard, but now I just pick it up and it's not the end of the world. I used to be so bummed when the Ravens and Orioles lost, but now I am only disappointed, but my days are not ruined. Basically, I have made room for so many 'holy moments' that I have been missing.... Now that you know my back story, my 'holy moment' encounters in future emails might make more sense. Have a good day! Hope and Love, Kathy