Power

"To live happily is an inward power of the soul." ~ Aristotle 

Cakes are made from the outside in

Buildings are built from the bottom up

Make up brushes on 

 and washes off

 ah..but joy....

and happiness....

and freedom from fear

 only comes from living from the inside out

Today...take inventory

What is powering your soul?

Does it feel like this?

or this?

 Choose your power

and that's poetiquejustis 

 Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more

than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—

infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. 

Can You Live With It?

Choose well

Homer

It is easy to choose to spend more time planning menus

Than planning your life

It is tempting to concentrate on choosing an outfit

But only moments choosing an attitude

We choose our favorite teams

Burger joints

and authors

But never seem to get around to choosing

our philosophy of living

Why is that?

Choices are many

Important ones are few

Today- make one you can live with

and that' poetiquejustis

Choose this day whom you will serve

but as for me and my house

we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

The Littlest Things

It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things 

are infinitely the most important.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A single rose

A friendly smile

Someone to walk with you

That extra mile

A setting sun

An ice cream cone

Feeling that you are not alone

After the glitter and the glamour chatter

You know it is the little things that really matter

 

and that's poetiquejustis

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

It's Your Monkey...It's Your Circus

  Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance,

order, rhythm, and harmony

Thomas Merton

Knowing when to let go

and when to hang on

When to look danger in the eye

And when to the lighten up

When it is time to be center ring

and when its time to just watch for a while

                   Sure- life can be such a circus

                                                        But it is still the greatest show on earth!

                                                              and that's poetiquejustis

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 

1 John 1:4

Heart Warmth

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me
 an invincible summer

Albert Camus

It is not until we are surrounded by darkness 

that we learn to appreciate the light

It is not until we are utterly alone

That we long for the friendships we let slip away

And it is in our travels when we turn our heart towards home

   Author Barbara DeAngelis said:
"Difficult times always create opportunities
for you to experience more love in your life"

In the wintry days of the soul
Look for the love...look to the light....
until you find your own invincible summer
and that's poetiquejustis

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Dogging Your Steps

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, 

and to turn around three times before lying down.  

Robert Benchley

Dogs do not know how to quit

You can take off out of the house without them

and they might be disappointed

 

But they will just dream about the next car ride

 

You can eat the last piece of pizza without sharing

 

 

But they will just find something else to chew on

Dogs simply laugh at the nonsense about  not being able to learn new tricks

 

Who do you think is teaching the puppies?

Been disappointed lately?

Feel like someone ate the last piece of pizza?

Go ahead!

turn around three times!

Catch your breath

But never, ever take it lying down!

and that's poetiquejustis

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us

Hebrews 12:1

Are you Listening?

It is the still voice the soul heeds, 
not the deafening blasts of doom

William Dean Howells 

We have a hillside beach house facing the ocean
 and the silence as you stand in the front yard is unutterable

The backyard, however, faces a canyon 

 and through that canyon runs a freeway

There, the swoosh of cars is relentless

Peace 

or frenzy- 

it just depends upon where you stand.

Your soul is very much the same way

Every day

There is frenzy lurking - waiting to assault your soul 

as people and things and commitments and the news stream by

The Good News?
 There will always be peace within your grasp if you tune out the noise

 and listen for the still, small voice

It just depends on where you choose to stand

and what you want your soul to hear

And that's poetiquejustis

“Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain,” the Lord said to him. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks—but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was a fire—but the Lord was not in the fire. 

And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice.

I Kings 9:11-12