A STATE OF MIND

Some say freedom is a state of mind. I asked myself, "Am I Free," and I challenged myself to explore that question. To truly be free requires that I live a heart-centered life. That is not so easy, but it has become a little easier as time passes. I now recognize when I am out of my heart. I 'm off center, unbalanced and tightly wound in a spiral of thought that now feels as though they belong to someone else.


The other day I was captured by ego when I reacted to a circumstance that had nothing to do with me. My ego took over and drove me crazy. I felt the entire energy of my body and mind shifting into a very unpleasant place. Trying to figure it out was not the answer.

How can I change this, I wondered? What can I do? I finally realized that I was stuck in my mind and had to stop and see the situation from my heart. So simple. So easy. As I did, I was surprised because I felt a change happen so quickly. The feeling disapeared immediately and it stunned me. I blessed the entre incident as a lesson so profound that I will not forget.

Will it happen again. Being human, I suspect it will. I know that when it does I can change it by taking a moment to recognize the Presence and make the shift to my heart. Thank you God for simple lessons and the insights of your Wisdom.

With Much Love,

Barbara

Rev. Dr. Barbara Rasp
http://www.wisdomsvoice.com/

A SHORT TIME

When I was in my teens, baby sitting was an easy way for me to earn extra money. One day my mother approached me about spending the weekend with someone named Maude. It seems that my mother and Maude's grandaughter were going to a bowling tournament on Florida's west coast. The look in Mom's eyes told me I'd better say yes
For a sixteen year old, being cooped up in a house with a 90 year old didn't sound like fun. In those days, however, when my mother said to do it, I did it. So, I agreed to stay with Maude while dreading the entire experience.

I spent two days and a night with one of the most adorable women I had ever met. She was such a sweetheart, and she kept me enthralled with her stories. Maude was a high school English teacher for 40 years. I decided I'd better not say too much, but sometimes teenagers have a difficult time being quiet. Grammar was not my forte, but Maude gently corrected me. She offered to give me some pointers, which turned out to be quite helpful in years to come. When she learned that I was a reader, she gave me a list of books that I might like.

Most of us can remember some incidents from our childhood. Often, they tend to be the ones that had the most impact on our lives. Maude certainly did on mine. I can still hear that precious woman as I sat by her bed as she prayed the Rosary. I can also see her sitting at the kitchen table as we ate breakfast the next morning.

If I think about how many weekends I've lived and how many places I have been, I wondered why I remembered this time so clearly. We didn't do anything special or go anywhere at all. Perhaps it's because I felt such a kinship with that lovely woman who taught me so much about life in such a short time.

Written for you with Love,
Barbara

Rev. Dr. Barbara Rasp
http://www.wisdomsvoice.com/