HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

My beloved ones…

In you, I have made all things new

casting out old ways that are no longer useful

Be on the lookout for all I have prepared for you

You will know My wish for you

when you look upon a child

and see God in the face of a newborn babe

Innocent and bright

Fresh from the womb

Carrier of My dreams

Another chance to get it right

The ultimate expression of My Love for you

With an open mind and Love in your heart

You will see with new eyes

all that surrounds you

The beauty and grandeur of the natural world

Light, color, music and form

Life in all its shapes and sizes

The Divine order in all of Creation

And the rhythm of the Universe

as it pulses through the ages

A bold and radiant light is in YOU

You are My hope for the future

You are the expression of My Love

Draw near to Me with a thankful heart

Recognize the blessings bestowed upon you

and rejoice in the Love that is here!

I long to make your life a glorious adventure

Do not fear the unknown

Trust in Me to carry you through

Lean on Me, and believe Me when I say

Nothing will separate us

as you let go of old ways that are no longer useful

…and you begin anew!

7/7/12

Copyright © 2012 by Charlene Burgess

CHOSEN

There is nothing random about your life

You are on a path of My choosing

The truth is…

You are Mine

My Joy, My Soul

All the best of Me

Moment by moment

I reach for you

Will you be there?

Every moment is alive with My presence

Will you BE in each moment with Me?

I will walk with you and stay in your heart

Because I have chosen you

But to know My presence,

You must also choose Me

Will you say “Yes!”

Will you stay with Me?

Your heart is intimately connected with Mine

As it shall be each and every moment

You choose to receive

The Gift of My Bliss

As you surrender more and more of yourself to Me

In constant sweet communion we’ll be

Your worries will cease

And your heart will know only My Peace

There is simply no more time

Will you be there?

Will you still care?

My Chosen One…

Surrender your will to Mine

Let My Spirit direct all your steps

So that we may forever walk together

Along the path of Peace and Love Divine

05/02/12

Copyright © 2012 by Charlene Burgess

Rest in My Radiant Presence

When the world around you

seems to spin faster and faster

until everything is a blur,

When the challenges you face

are consuming you,

Go to that cushion of calm

at the center of your soul

where you live in union with me.

Return to this soothing center

as often as you can,

For this is where you are energized…

filled with my Love, Joy, and Peace.

The world is a needy place;

do not go there for sustenance.

Instead, come to me.

Depend on me.

And your weakness will dissolve

into nothingness

as I saturate your being

with my Light.

When you find your completeness

in the Power of my Love,

you can help other people

without looking to them

to meet your own needs.

Live and rest in my radiant Presence,

precious one.

And your light will shine brightly

into the lives of others!

03/25/12

Copyright © 2012 by Charlene Burgess

Gift of Light, Power, Truth & Joy

Now it’s time to open your present.

Gifts of tin and glass wear out in a day

and are gone.

But I have a better gift for you.

It is a ring for you to wear.

It sparkles with a special light

and cannot be taken away by anyone.

It cannot be destroyed.

You are the only one in all the world

who can see the ring that I give you today.

As I was the only one who could see it

when it was mine.

Your ring gives you a new power.

Wearing it, you can lift yourself

into the wings of all the birds that fly.

You can see through their golden eyes.

You can touch the wind

that sweeps through their velvet feathers.

You can know the joy of going way up high

above the world and all its cares.

You can stay as long as you want

in the sky,

past the night,

through sunrise.

And when you feel like coming down again,

your questions will have answers

and your worries will have gone.

As anything that cannot be touched

with the hand or seen with the eye,

Your gift grows more powerful

as you use it.

At first you might use it only when

you are outdoors,

watching the bird with whom you fly.

But later on, if you use it well,

it will work with birds

that you cannot see.

And last of all you will find

that you’ll need neither ring nor bird

to fly alone above the quiet of the clouds.

And when that day comes to you,

you must give your gift to someone

who you know will use it well,

And who can learn that the only things

that matter are those made of truth

and joy,

and not of tin and glass.

Every gift from a friend

is a wish for your happiness,

and so it is with this ring.

Fly free and happy

beyond birthdays

and across forever,

And we’ll meet now and then

when we wish,

In the midst of the one celebration

that never can end.

Excerpt from…

“There’s No Such Place As Far Away”

by Richard Bach

Walk By Faith

As you take steps of faith each day,

I will show you how much you can do!

When you received the Gift

of my Light and Love,

I empowered you to live beyond

your perceived ability and strength.

And now you know...

If you live your life too safely,

you will never feel the thrill

of my Spirit working through you!

In the challenges you face,

my strength in you is limitless.

Stay close to me, and together

we will accomplish God's purposes.

03/17/12

Copyright © 2012 by Charlene Burgess

Where There Is Love

With a promise to carry on, dear friends, I made a clean break with everything that defiled or distracted me, both within and without. I had made my entire life a fit and holy temple for the worship of God.

Trust me. I've never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage of anyone. I told you earlier that I'm with you all the way, no matter what, and that has not changed. I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all the world’s troubles.

When I arrived, I couldn't settle down. The fighting among men and the fear in your hearts kept me on pins and needles. I couldn't relax because I didn't know how it would turn out. Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted my head and my heart with the awareness of your intense devotion. True reassurance came to me in how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me. I went from worry to tranquility in no time!

I know I have distressed you greatly with my departure. Although I felt awful at the time, I don't feel at all bad now... now that I see how it turned out. I'm glad that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God through me. Distress that drives us to God turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain.

And isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to me? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for. My primary concern was for you—that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us. And that's what happened!

When I saw how you felt—your exuberance over me and your love for God—my joy doubled. It was wonderful to see how revived and refreshed you were by everything I did. I went out on a limb in telling God how great I thought you were, and you didn't cut off that limb. I hadn't exaggerated one bit. God saw for himself that everything I had said about you was true. He can't quit talking about it, going over again and again the story of your prompt obedience, and the dignity and sensitivity of your generosity and love. He is quite overwhelmed by it all!

And I couldn't be more pleased—I'm so confident and proud of you!

2 Corinthians, Chapter 7 ~ The Message
Adaptation by C. Burgess

ANGELS

“There is a medieval belief that angels want to sing to us. It makes them happy to do so. All we have to do is listen.” ~ F. David Peat

“As we journey through our lives, may we walk with awareness of our accompanying angels, knowing we may experience them in many ways. Angels may bring comfort when we are suffering, peace that calms raging inner wars, hope in times of despair. And during normal, everyday times, when nothing significant seems to be happening and we seem to be just plodding along, our angels, with their gentle humor, joy, laughter, and warm presence, can add a wonderful lightness to our lives. IF, that is, we remember to ask them for what we need! Be sure to include your angels in all your days; be open to their surprises, talk to them, ask them for any help you need, from the most mundane to the very important. You may be amazed at what happens -- and don’t forget to thank them for always being there!” ~ Anne Strader

“No one on earth could feel like this,
I'm thrown and overblown with bliss
There must be an angel
Playing with my heart.”
~ Annie Lennox & David A. Stewart

“Living with an awareness of the companioning presence of angels . . . we come to realize angelic joy is working with us, surprising us, and reminding us that we are loved beyond measure. Limit not the myriad ways your angelic companions may knock on the door of your heart. Spending time in the Silence draws them nigh.” ~ Nan Merrill

“Blessed are You, Who understood my tears,
You comfort me with love's embrace.
Though my eyes cannot see You,
I feel your gentle Presence,
like angel wings lifting my spirit.
You turn my mourning into joy,
I dance to a new song.
Blessed are You, O loving companion
of my heart.” ~ Nan Merrill

“... walking and talking with an angel is really fundamentally no different from walking and talking with an ordinary human being. Both the angel and the person are expressions of the ultimate mystery; both are emanations of the Beloved ... There is only one sacredness and we all have it.” ~ David Spangler

Native American Prayer

Oh, Great Spirit
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me, I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold
the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand the things
you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my Spirit may come to you without shame.

(translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887)
published in Native American Prayers - by the Episcopal Church