One Little Candle (reblog)

There isn’t enough darkness in all the world

to snuff out the light of one little candle.

Robert Alden

Be Bold

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe~

Hunger, Love, and a grateful heart…….

A quote by Chief Dan George

“When Christ said that man does not live by bread alone, he spoke of a hunger. This hunger was not the hunger of the body. It was not the hunger for bread. He spoke of a hunger that begins deep down in the very depths of our being. He spoke of a need as vital as breath. He spoke of our hunger for love.

Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love our self-esteem weakens. Without it our courage fails. Without love we can no longer look out confidently at the world…

But with love, we are creative. With it, we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others.”

Chief Dan George

You would not know this if I did not say it, but I just erased an hour worth of writing and editing of my thoughts and feelings about this quote. But, I realize that my words only muddled the experience, and really nothing more needs to be said by me. Today, I will contemplate on his love, and give thanks for who he is and who I am in him. I will thank him for filling me with the love I so desperately need everyday of my life. I will thank him for every opportunity to to have a breath to experience this wonderful world, to know the peace and the joy that comes simply by knowing him, holding him close to my heart. He is the greatest lover, brother, father, and friend, and I owe my life and all I am to him. He has literally saved my life from certain death, more than once. Not just spiritually, but physically too. By my own hand to take my own life, and from others who would wish to harm me……I am in a delicate and vulnerable place today, but I will use it as an opportunity to strengthen my roots and grow closer still to the source of my life, my Lord, my hero. I do not need to be afraid….though right now I am fragile, I will not break….and if I break he is able to piece me together….and if I break, let it be for his glory. Today, I will rejoice and be glad in this new day, another day to be alive and know love. I hope everyone has a blessed day filled with comfort and love as you go about your daily activities. Some time today, stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and send up a thank you, a grateful heart, as an offering for such a beautiful, phenomenal life……..

~ Celeste ~

Positive Anger

Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.
Maya Angelou

When I first read this quote, it impacted me. But still, I could not quite put my finger on why. So, I have chewed on it for a while and have come to appreciate the wise words of this statement. Anger is a self preserving emotion. It’s function is to protect, defend, and to behold righteousness in truth. Anger is the most base of all human emotions, and in it’s purest form is an effective instrument that drives us to passion, motivation, and even success.  Anger is a purging agent that comes in and does it’s job swiftly, and then it is up to us how we will direct the leftover and excess energies of such a potent emotion.  Anger is not meant to linger. In fact, even Jesus said not to let the sun go down on your anger. Anger that is left to stew will continue to burn, the embers slowly transforming into a disease, a sickness, if you will.  I think most of us are intelligent enough to know when we have crossed the line, been angry over something for too long.  When it affects the quality of our lives and interferes with our happiness and peace, we know we have some soul searching and contemplating to do.

I have spent a lot of time being angry in my life, and to this day I still have to pull in on the reins of a fiery disposition. But coupled with love and forgiveness, it is possible to allow our anger to serve a greater purpose for our lives. Anyone who speaks with wisdom and conviction, I assure you, had put a great deal of time in subduing this emotion. They would not settle for a second rate existence of bitterness and resentment. They have creatively found ways to use the life force of anger in different aspects of their lives. We all have this capacity. We are able to be the masters of our anger, monarchs of our indignation. Believe it or not, you can still be angry in a respectful way and not lose your dignity in the process.

I encourage anyone feeling anxiety or depression to look for the root source of these symptoms, and reflect on how it got to be there. I promise you that anger will always be the initial source, coupled with the pain we felt when the emotions were born. Let’s give ourselves a gift, something of lasting value that has the potential to change our lives and impact our world. Seek out forgiveness when you have discovered the triggers. Putting in just a little time to search, discover, reflect and apply in this way will truly bear the sweetest of fruits. We hold the keys to our own happiness and the power to be victorious.  To me, that is the most amazing gift of all.

I have previously written a couple of posts that will compliment this message, and aid in advancing to the next steps. For more insight, here are the links:

celestealluvial.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/forgiveness-is-a-process/

http://celestealluvial.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/embracing-pain-a-transformation/

~ Celeste ~

Did you know you helped to change the world today? Thank you….

Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one.
Marianne Williamson

I cannot express the brevity that this statement resounds through my soul, or how excited I get when my spirit believes and bears witness to such a simple yet profound truth. What you do really does matter. It is like a ripple effect. It effects you personally, it effects those close to you in your circle of family and friends, and that extends out to their extended families and friends, and it keeps going and traveling around the world.  For those of you who have a hard time believing this, I challenge you to test the waters, and increase your faith and broaden your vision enough to be open to all the small signs and wonders around you…..to every good piece of news and information you receive through close acquaintences, your place of work, the radio, local newspaper, and TV, like the news. I know the news is full of bad news, but there are morsels of good things in between, if you pay attention. There are even websites and magazines and television shows filled with good stories and testimonies. These things have a direct correlation to what we have sown, what we have dared to believe possible. We can use these good news stories as evidence and feedback, that the good you are personally doing does matter.

Now, some of you may think I am a little ‘out there’ with this belief, and far reaching at best, but I know, I am convinced, that each one of our thoughts, words and actions create our reality…..so everything that I see and hear is processed through this personal belief….all good deeds and acts of love begin somewhere, inspired by someone, and was given a life of its own, beginning with a single thought and choice to act on that thought. Who is to say that a good deed you did for someone, an act of kindness, an encouraging word, a hug even, didn’t get passed along through others, and grew in love, and began to create an atmosphere of love and inspiration in which people began to act on your positivity? An example would be…..a young boy deciding to raise money for other sick children…..a wealthy man who donated thousands to a good cause….a group of people who got together to open a food bank for the hungry….a young mother who received the seed of kindness, broke the abuse cycle, and passed it on to her growing child, who did, or will, grow up to be a motivational speaker, or the next president….. the list goes on. Who’s to say your initial act of kindness didn’t create the spark and settled like a flame in someone who received it down the line? It is very possible, and in fact this is how it happens. Of course we could never see it in action and know for sure its exact origins,  but are not all things entwined somehow, and work together on a larger scale? It is feasible to say that you certainly had a hand in contributing to the betterment of humanity….all of us working together planting the seeds whenever we can, wherever we go. 

To some, this message is insanity….to others, great vision or great faith. To me, it is simply the way things work as I go along trying my best to do my small part in the scheme of things….but I am not naive enough to think that these things do not matter, or that they go unnoticed, or lost somewhere in the universe….no….on the contrary, we all matter and have a hand in our own fates, and impact the lives of many through a single act of kindness. I believe….and now I dare you to believe too. It wont be long before your heart warms with satisfaction at all the small beautiful wonders and acts of love throughout the world, knowing you did your part, giving yourself a little credit for these things, and being able to participate in the jubilant celebration of life. To me, this makes it all worthwhile, and carries me through times of darkness, pushing me into ever greater heights of faith and love.

May your day be blessed, as you give a blessing to another.

~ Celeste ~

Forgiveness is a process

Forgiveness is like faith. You have to keep reviving it.

~Mason Cooley~

Here are some secrets that I have learned when it comes to the issues of pain, the heart, and forgiveness…..

**Forgiveness is for you, not the other person. Holding resentment and unforgiveness hurts only you. The offender will never feel what we are going through, from the deep remorse to the murderous rage. And stubbornly hanging on to hate will not bring them to conviction or judgement, nor bring us to peace and contentment.  To hold someone in unforgiveness for something, no matter how much wrong they have done, makes us the prisoner, and a partaker of that same wrong. Forgiveness is a gift to ourselves for what we have been through…it is the only way to have real peace and lasting contentment.

**Often when we think about forgiveness, we expect the results to be instantaneous. We prematurely believe that if we are ‘good’ and do the ‘right’ thing, that we will be rewarded with all the gifts, wisdom and freedoms that go along with the act of forgiving someone, and are automatically released from its burden. But I think we all know that is not how it works out for us, and usually the opposite of this is what feels truest. We have made our own mistakes and offences, suffered at the hands of others, and made the choice to forgive….but still we struggle with the pain and feelings of resentment, of grief and anger.

**This is because forgiveness is a process. It is a choice that we make initially the first time. And then, we have to make it again and again when the painful memories and feelings surface. We may have to make this choice on occasion, from time to time, or in the beginning, we may have to choose forgiveness moment by moment amounting to numerous times in a day. There are even times we feel we just do not want to forgive. This does not mean that we are weak. But on the contrary, it takes strength and shows we are serious and determined to see ourselves free from the chains that bind us.

 **Our emotions do not always line themselves up with our will to forgive, and rarely support our choice to forgive. Chances are you will never be able to use your feelings as an indicator of weather you have forgiven or not. Memories are real, and the experiences that made them were just as real, and not easily erased. And they shouldn’t be. For no matter how terrible or traumatic, or maybe even seemingly petty that past event was, those things help make who we are. We can stay in bitterness over it, or we can move ourselves along and live free of the inner turmoil of self infliction.

**Forgiveness is an opportunity for growth. It does not have to be a crippling and gruesome experience. Often we are so hard on ourselves, we cannot see what progress we have made. We may feel guilty or inadequate in God’s eyes for not being able to forgive in the way he does, or in the way we thought we should. We may feel as though we have missed the mark somehow. Relax a little, give yourself room to be many things in the healing process. Sort it out gradually. No one says you have to accomplish total forgiveness in a certain way, or in a certain amount of time. As I said earlier, this healing virtue is for you. And not everyone is the same, and we all experience the process a little differently and in different timing. But one thing is the same for us all….it all begins with a choice. You choose forgiveness, and you keep choosing it daily, no matter what you may feel. The pain may never totally disappear, but in time, it will lessen, and you will see your personal growth, gaining victory one small step at a time.

**The hardest person to forgive will always be yourself. It is so important and life changing to accept in ourselves the things that are hard to accept, the things we have said and done that we deeply regret. Think of it this way. A child or family member we dearly love has made a terrible mistake, one that has hurt not just themselves but others they love. You see their pain and turmoil, and you long to impart to them the forgiveness that you have sought out for them in yourself. You so desire to see them move on and begin living again, learning and maturing from the wrong they have done. The pain you feel from seeing them in their pain, is how our our own spirit grieves over us when we are in a tormented place….the same way the Father feels for our sufferings. He longs to extend that compassion and mercy to us and help us move away from the dark side of the tribulation. But we can only do this for ourselves. So extend to yourselves the same love and mercy that you would someone you dearly love….for chances are someone is still hurting from watching you suffer, and longs to see you live again. Make yourself this friend within yourself. You are every bit worth it, and the fact that you are alive and breathing is proof enough. Now, you just have to walk in it and bear witness to the miracles that will follow………………………

Feel free to ask any questions, or seek friendly assistance or advise from me anytime.  You may contact me at celestealluvial26@gmx.com …

Namaste,

Celeste

Birthday reflections and blessings….

Today I turn 34, and as I sit reflecting back on my life, the good and the not so good, I am finding something positive in everything. It is never too late to mentally review and recall past memories, especially painful ones, and find something good that came from it. We can help ourselves along in the healing process in this way, going back in time to touch a younger version of ourselves with the present knowledge we have gained, embracing ourselves as a child, accepting, relearning, and practicing self forgiveness….I know these things work because I have done them.

So I wanted to share some positive words of encouragement with you today, and pass along my own birthday blessings and wishes to you. I could not think of a better way to celebrate and share the love!

So, here they are, a few of my favorite quotes, poems and photos for you to enjoy. Everyone have a great day and be blessed and prosper in all you do.

Namaste.

To realize

 The value of a sister/brother

 Ask someone

 Who doesn’t have one.

 To realize

 The value of four years:

 Ask a graduate.

 To realize

 The value of nine months:

 Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

 To realize

 The value of one month:

 Ask a mother

 Who has given birth to a premature baby..

 To realize

 The value of one week:

 Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

 To realize

 The value of one minute:

 Ask a person

 Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

 To realize

 The value of one-second:

 Ask a person

 Who has survived an accident.

 Time waits for no one.

 Treasure every moment you have.

 You will treasure it even more when

 You can share it with someone special.

 To realize the value of a friend or family member:

 LOSE ONE.

 Remember….

 Hold on tight to the ones you love!

 Our world is special because YOU are in it-

We all hit a time when we’ve lost hope and need someone to put their arms around us and say, “I’ve got you right now. I won’t let you face this alone.

Bear Hug!

  Whatever our hands touch -
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture
On doorknobs, dishes, books.
There’s no escape.
As we touch we leave our identity.

Wherever I go today
Help me leave heartprints!
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love.

Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern.
May my heart touch a lonely neighbor
Or a runaway daughter
Or an anxious mother
Or perhaps an aged grandfather.

Send me out today
To leave heartprints.
And if someone should say,
“I felt your touch,”
May they also sense the love
that is deep within my heart.

~ author unknown ~

IN REMEMBRANCE

Serene and beautiful and very wise,

Most erudite in curious Grecian lore,

You lay and read your learned books, and bore

A weight of unshed tears and silent sighs.

The song within your heart could never rise

Until love bade it spread its wings and soar.

Nor could you look on Beauty’s face before

A poet’s burning mouth had touched your eyes. 

Love is made out of ecstasy and wonder;

Love is a poignant and accustomed pain.

It is a burst of Heaven-shaking thunder;

It is a linnet’s fluting after rain.

Love’s voice is through your song; above and under

And in each note to echo and remain. 

II 

Because Mankind is glad and brave and young,

Full of gay flames that white and scarlet glow,

All joys and passions that Mankind may know

By you were nobly felt and nobly sung.

Because Mankind’s heart every day is wrung

By Fate’s wild hands that twist and tear it so,

Therefore you echoed Man’s undying woe,

A harp Aeolian on Life’s branches hung. 

So did the ghosts of toiling children hover

About the piteous portals of your mind;

Your eyes, that looked on glory, could discover

The angry scar to which the world was blind:

And it was grief that made Mankind your lover,

And it was grief that made you love Mankind. 

III 

Before Christ left the Citadel of Light,

To tread the dreadful way of human birth,

His shadow sometimes fell upon the earth

And those who saw it wept with joy and fright.

“Thou art Apollo, than the sun more bright!”

They cried. “Our music is of little worth,

But thrill our blood with thy creative mirth

Thou god of song, thou lord of lyric might!”.

 

O singing pilgrim! who could love and follow

Your lover Christ, through even love’s despair,

You knew within the cypress-darkened hollow

The feet that on the mountain are so fair.

For it was Christ that was your own Apollo,

And thorns were in the laurel on your hair. 

JOYCE KILMER

 

REMEMBER TO SMILE, AND HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

Embrace one another

We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.  ~Luciano de Crescenzo

Secret of Life

Take time to Think. It is the source of Power.

Take time to Play. It is the secret of perpetual Youth.

Take time to be Friendly. It is the road to Happiness.

Take time to Work. It is the price of Success.

Take time to Pray. It is the greatest power on Earth.

Take time to Love and be Loved.

It is the way of God.

~ author unknown ~

Believe

I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me.
Anna Quindlen

This is such an encouraging quote to those who feel lost or alone in their trials. In our human weakness, we do not have the confidence to believe that we were made sufficient for our own selves, being able to love ourselves unconditionally and pick ourselves up in the midst of sorrow, or to have the words to give ourselves much needed positivity. But the wonderful truth is we do. And as I said in my post ‘Good News’, it is certainly a practice in slowing down and hearing. Even one person can help to change the course of the world, but those changes must take place first within ourselves, toward ourselves. For when we can treat ourselves properly, we can then reach out to others with wisdom, love, and confidence.

So I just wanted to spread some love and positivity to my readers, and remind you that you are a magnificent creation, with abilities and gifts, and your uniqueness contributes greatly to those around you, and ultimately to the world. And you have everything with you for this journey that you will need to overcome anything that comes to your doorstep. Indeed miracles will happen when we believe in ourselves and make ourselves a familiar friend to our own selves, enabling us to share that with others. The only thing required is slowing down to hear, and to be thankful for these blessings, and for the gift of you, to yourself and to the world. This confidence and faith can move mountains.

Hope your weekend is full of peace and enlightenment.

Cheers

~ Celeste ~

Good News!

……….The good news is, it is a ‘practice’ in hearing, no changing required, no toiling in labor…..Changes will come naturally as we hear, and continue to hear, and increase our hearing. There is always a voice inside of us speaking, we just need to slow down enough to listen, clearing away the weeds (cares) of the world that choke the voice out. As we succeed and grow by this, We become an active part of that voice, that which is divine, and become the change we are seeking, and gain that which we think we can earn by doing. Therin lies faith. Your personal faith.

 ~ Celeste ~

Let your light shine

 

“…Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” –Marianne Williamson

I love this quote. It is such a bold statement that holds such truth. As I have grown in years and wisdom through my life, I can see a direct correlation of my own thoughts and actions affecting the thoughts and actions of others. And this did not happen by me trying to change another person because I thought they needed something changed. It happened as I worked on myself, peering deeply within and answering my own questions that I wanted to find the truth for. Rearranging those questions to better reflect the answers I felt in my heart to be true. If this sounds confusing, just ask yourself a different question, and keep asking untill the answer comes with conviction. Because it is not just the answers that are important. It is asking the right questions. We hold sway over our own ability to see clearly, this is a fact, weather we believe this or not.

Now, I am not sure how I came up with this from reading this quote, but before I began to write, I had decided to just start with the first word and keep writing without editing, whatever it was in my heart that I felt compelled to say. So, there you have it. And now as I read back over it, I am impressed because it makes perfect sense to me, and I have let myself draw from and learn from the vast knowledge that dwells in my spirit, that which was there in the beginning. It is there in everyone. I love to challenge myself and expand upon my thoughts on numerous subjects in this way. I gain an amazing amount of insight from doing this. As writers, I am sure most of you have done something like this. And if you have, keep doing it. If you have not, try it. It is very liberating and enlightening, and it is fun. 

Please leave a comment with your thoughts, and let me know what you gained from this. I love learning new things and sharing knowledge.

Hope everyone had a good Monday….

with love

Celeste

A word of hope

The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach.
Pliny the Elder

Illuminate the darkness

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.”

Whenever we hear the word ‘darkness,’ usually we relate it to something negative or sinister. And indeed there are abominations that lurk in the dark, but we are not speaking of that now.

We can think of darkness as a huge space or span of time for potential substance, substances of good things that we have the power to fill, to mold and shape, at will.  Like a huge, empty

canvas that is void of all light, a naked void longing for something tangible. The possibilities of what we can create with our actions, thoughts, and words are endless.

If we are fearful of this darkness, do we fill up this space with avoiding and fear? We can use our time here on Earth in much more productive manners and create a world that would end

the suffering of our species, bringing love and light to where there was none. I could not think of a better motivation to do good with all we have been given. Yes, the darkness awaits us.

But it is an opportunity to make it something beautiful with our own magical lights, turning the void into a living beating heartbeat of life, filling it with purpose and intellegence and

compassion; all things useful. The darkness then serves the greatest opportunity and purpose than any other thing in this life, and I am thankful for this gift, this trust we are given to

multiply and grow, to build and flex our spiritual muscles, to hone our uniqueness alongside a higher calling.

~Perfect love casts out all fear, 1 John 4:18~

Written by Celeste

Speak to the darkness

“I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.” ~ Richard Wright ~

Love this quote…..it speaks to my own desires