Day Twelve of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations, Merry Christmas!!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY TWLEVE of our 
Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. Amy Grant's Breath Of Heaven(Mary's Song). You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord 

Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy 

that we have been born again, because God 

raised Jesus Christ from the dead. 

Now we live with great expectation, and we

have a priceless inheritance- an inheritance

that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled,

beyond the reach of change and decay. (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Every moment of everyday, we have the opportunity to be born anew. Heaven really can be, and is, experienced on earth every day. Christ is the pure light within us- unadulterated by fear, worry, anger. Sins are lies, untrue thoughts about ourselves and others, that would confuse us into believing that we are anything other than our true nature, Love. God created us in His nature- we each have this Christ within us, as us, the pure Spirit of love that connects us with every other living soul in life. Fully remembering this truth about our nature brings about the experience of heaven on earth.  THIS is to have the Christ within us born anew moment-by-moment, day-by-day. So as you celebrate the birth of Christ today, pray that Christ will transform & transmute any sins(errored thoughts & untrue beliefs) within you into LOVE. Angels rejoice when we return to our natural state of being. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing! Merry CHRISTmas to us all!!

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way! 

Happy Happy Christmas Eve!!!

Day Eleven of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY ELEVEN of our 
Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. Amy Grant's Breath Of Heaven(Mary's Song). You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL

The truth is God is ALWAYS with us, Christ IS the Breath of Heaven, breathing AS us.

"I am waiting in a silent prayer.

I am frightened by the load I bear.

In a world as cold as stone,

Must I walk this path alone?

Be with me now.

Be with me now.

Breath of heaven,

Hold me together,

Be forever near me,

Breath of heaven.

Breath of heaven,

Lighten my darkness,

Pour over me your holiness,

For you are holy.

Breath of Heaven."

What load are you carrying on your own, without asking Spirit for help?? What things have you been trying to do/fix/solve/create single-handedly, on your terms, in your own way? How is that working out for you?? Now is the time to surrender the struggle. Surrender doesn't mean admitting defeat, it means we're no longer willing to struggle, push, and control life alone. It means inviting-in Spirit, it means making a way for a supernatural solution to the burden we've held so tight, for God can make a way out of no way. We don't have to walk this path alone, we simply invite God to be with us now. The truth is God is ALWAYS with us, Christ IS the Breath of Heaven, breathing AS us. We just need to remind ourselves of this reality. What burdens are you ready to hand over? Today is the day. Simply ask for intervention as you listen to this song. Give up doing it all on your own. Because you ask, it is done. Rejoice in the newfound lightness of your load. Amen!

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:22

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way! 

Day Ten of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY TEN of our 
Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. Martina McBride's What Child Is This. You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL
God's love for us is unconditional. The Lord is like a Father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear(respect) him. Psalm 103:13

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way! 

Day Nine of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY Nine of our 
Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. We are going beautiful gospel. I just found this song last week, and it's been sometime since something moved me so much! It's Heather Headley featuring Chris Mann singing Because You Need Me. You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL
Are you aware that GOD NEEDS YOU? You are the only you who can do things quite like you. God made you, one-of-a kind, completely unique. God has planted visions and dreams and goals in your heart that only YOU can create in quite the way YOU would create them. If you can feel the dream, it means it is destined to succeed, when you follow your inner guidance and ACT, simply because it was planted in you by the Power of our Creator. 

I know that somedays you may not actually listen to the song, but today, take 5 minutes to listen, even if it's without the kids. It's incredibly moving. Enjoy it as you Remember the Truth of Who You Really Are today! ;)

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way! 

Here are the lyrics to this incredible love song to God within each of us:

"Because You Need Me"
(Heather Headley feat. Chris Mann)

Where was I before your love?
Drifting like the clouds above.
And who was I before I knew your name?
A song without a melody,
A road without a destiny.
And how could I have ever known you’d touch me
And I’ll never be the same.

The world is open to me, now,
With you I feel the solid ground beneath me
All because you need me.
And now my life is in your hands,
You gave my heart a second chance to beat,
All because you need me.

I’ve always had this love to give,
But never had a strength within
To be brave enough to love with all I am.
You saved me from a wasted night,
You tell me that I saved your life,
A flower crawling for the rain,
I said a prayer for you and then you came.

The world is open to me, now,
With you I feel the solid ground beneath me
All because you need me.
And now my life is in your hands,
You gave my heart a second chance to beat,
All because you need me.

And in your eyes I know where I belong
And here, beside your heart, you keep me strong.
You are the reason I could carry on,
Because you need me.

All because you need, all because you need me.

The world is open to me, now,
With you I feel the solid ground beneath me
All because you need me.
And now my life is in your hands,
You gave my heart a second chance to beat,
All because you need me.

You need me.

Day Eight of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations

On the Eighth Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY EIGHT of our 
Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. Karen Drucker's I Am So Blessed. You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL
Give thanks for blessings seen and unseen.

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way!

Day Seven of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY SEVEN of our 
Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. NO, WE DEFINITELY HULA DANCE TODAY. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. Carrie Underwood's Do You Hear What I Hear. You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL
I can ask God to guide and order every part of my life. Big things and minute details. What is the still small voice whispering? Do you know how to hear the gentle voice of guidance and instruction?

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way!

I really enjoyed today's message from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling:
December 19-
Do not be weighed down by the clutter in your life: lots of little chores to do sometime, in no particular order. If you focus too much on these petty tasks, trying to get them all out of the way, you will discover that they are endless. They can eat up as much time as you devote to them.
Instead of trying to do all your chores at once, choose the ones that need to be done today. Let the rest slip into the background of your mind so I can be in the forefront of your awareness. remember that your ultimate goal is living close to Me, being responsive to My initiatives. I can communicate with you most readily when your mind is uncluttered and turned toward Me. Seek My face continutually throughout this day. Let My Presence bring order to your thoughts, infusing Peace into your entire being.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
Also read: Matthew 6:33

Day Six of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY SIX{eek, we are halfway there!} of our 
Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. NO, WE DEFINITELY HULA DANCE TODAY. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. Bing Crosby's Mele Kalikamaka. You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL
Like many parents, I've had a heavy heart this week. Naturally my girls don't really understand why, and it felt like a classic case of the sillies would help us all feel better and remember the truth of this season. The Truth is that we are loved and that our hearts can be renewed daily, moment-by-moment by the power of Christ within us. So, let's declare our right to Joy and Safety, and rejoice God's promise with a fun, sweet way to say Merry Christmas! Have a little fun as you dance with your kids for the next 2:57 minutes. You'll feel a little better, I know I do. ;)

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. 

My body rests in safety. Psalm 16:9

God fills our hearts and bodies with Joy, and God loves when we celebrate His promises(Universal Laws).

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way!

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS WEEK! May all your tasks be done in JOY! :)

Day Five of the Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

Welcome to DAY FIVE of our Twelve Days of Christmas Meditations 

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; 

yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 

Isaiah 53:4

I'd like to share a few beliefs I hold about God. I believe that:

- God, who loves and adores us, did not "allow" this atrocity in CT.

- This tragedy was NOT God's Will. 

- Taking God "out of schools" did not create an angry God who chose to punish us in this way, regardless of our opinions on the topic of God in schools.

- God is NOT happy to be welcoming these sweet, innocent angels home so prematurely. 

God is just as upset and heartbroken about this experience as we are. As our Spiritual Parent, He grieves this loss with us. God seeks to comfort us in the midst of our distress, and in my personal experience there IS a peace and comfort that can ONLY come from going within and remembering the Truth of who - and Who's - I  Really Am. Of all the actions that can be taken, I choose to begin within. As we each address the upsets and wounds within our own hearts, we make a seemingly small step with a HUGE effect on creating greater peace in our outer world. However God is calling you to act, my prayer is that you will hear and act in Love. And that your children watch and learn from your loving example. 

Daily meditation with the children:

CANDLE

WE LIGHT. “We light this candle as a reminder of the Christ that is Light within ALL of us”

STILLNESS

WE SIT. SOMETIMES WE DANCE. In a circle, prayer hands or not, open hands or not, holding hands in a circle could work. You can try some bowing and “Namaste”. Namaste translates into “The light in me bows to the light in you”, for me this means “the Christ in me acknowledges the Christ in you.”

SONG

WE SING. Cristofori's Dream. by David Lanz. This is my personal #1 favorite meditation song. I listen to it every day. You can listen through the Spotify player at top left of page. ;)

MINI-DEVOTIONAL
God understands all of our feelings. He celebrates our Joys and mourns our sorrows with us. He even understands our confusion. We can share our whole hearts with Him and ask him to lighten our sadness. We can ask God to lighten our feelings of sadness and fill us with Love. This is GRACE.

A few biblical scriptures where God feels our emotions:

Exodus3:7 – Then the Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying and am concerned about their sufferings.

John 11:33-35 – When Jesus saw her weeping ….He groaned in spirit and was troubled. “Where have you lain him?” Jesus asked .They said unto Him, “Come and see.” Jesus wept.

Isaiah 53:4 - Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

THANKFULNESS

WE PRAY. You can try “God Our Father”, or any prayer of thanks here.

God Our Father(to tune of Where is Thumper)

God our Father

God our Father

Once Again

Once Again

Thank you for our blessings

Thank you for our blessings

Amen

Amen.

Try a few “Thank you God for ____”, or "God Bless ____". 

THREE OM’S TO PRACTICE RECEIVING BREATH

WE BREATHE. Hilarious and Oh-so-fun for the littles. It's not so much about the OM as it is about creating a way for them to connect with their BREATH. Om is an ideal way to teach them to feel their breath. Deep breath in, and exhale OM{sounds like A U M}. Three times. No idea how to "Om"? Click here for the how, or just make up your own way!

For a more in depth reflection:  "Out of love for us, God gives us freedom, freedom to live, and do, and be.  But in that freedom there is the potential for tragedy.  Sometimes bad things like earthquakes or terrorist attacks or plane crashes, happen. That doesn’t mean that God willed these horrible events any more than a parent wills skinned knees or broken arms, nor does it mean God is watching them from afar.  To the contrary, with love like that of a father or a mother, God sheds tears with us when lives are lost.  God grieves with us and hurts with us when tragedy strikes.  God comes to be with us as one of us, in the weakness and suffering of a Savior who was born in a manger and hung on a cross.  That is the God we know, and we know that God will be with us whatever happens to us, to rejoice with us, and weep with us, and walk with us every day of our lives up to the very last one and beyond.

Where is God when it hurts?  God is in every hug, every kiss, every comforting word.  God is in every donation, every care package, every cup of cold water.  God is in every batch of mortar, every load of bricks, every foundation rebuilt.  In all these things, God is slowly filling up the emptiness of our pain and our heartbreak, the void left in our hearts when disaster comes."  Read more from Lee Koontz in this Presbytarian sermon at this link.