Protected, Safely Solitary. {Poem}

Photo by Raegan Young. All rights reserved.

"Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find 

all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." ~ Rumi   

What would you have to give up to have the relationship you want? Are you really ready for intimacy? What would you lose? What are the risks? What are your fears? Be completely honest with yourself. Share your thoughts below! 

Read Unconsciously Resisting Intimacy: Are You Secretly Afraid To Be In A Relationship? (coming soon)

Recommended resources for personal and relational growth:
Margaret Paul's Inner Bonding
Inner Bonding Relationship Toolbox
Michael Brown's The Presence Process

You Fly With Two Wings

Wings Like EaglesPoster by PraisePaintings

I recently heard someone say something like this: You fly with two wings - one is intention, the other is faith. I felt surprised that the second one wasn't "action" (I had been expecting it to be when he was saying this.) But I felt a flutter of excitement and a resonance in my spirit, and memorized the idea.

A couple days later, my frustration with a particular aspect of my life became unbearable and I declared to myself that something was going to move within the next two days - there just was going to be some movement, and that's all there was to it. I simply couldn't bear it anymore. But how was I to accomplish this when there was no "massive action" to take? There really didn't seem to be anything I could do.

The next day I became more brave and realized there was something I could open up myself to more than I had before - so, with fear and trembling, I did.

And something moved.

That's when I remembered the wise words spoken the week before: You fly with two wings - one is intention, the other is faith. My intention had become so strong that it was finally a wing with which to fly.

My faith had also become stronger - I knew that something had to happen, and believed that it would, even though I didn't know what nor how. When the invitation to greater bravery presented itself, I recognized it as my opportunity to flap that little wing of faith.

There was action on my part, yet it was a tiny action (though massive internally), and it was action that flowed naturally and fluidly from my intention and faith.

So, with these newly strong wings, I will fly.

I'm not sure where I'm going or what I will find, but at least I am flying. ♥

Open Hearts Spiritual Direction

photo by Meagan Nicole Photography

One of the things I love about facebook is that I have found soul friends there who brighten my days with their writing and conversation, challenge my thinking and doing and being, pray and send love when I am in need, and help me find my way when I feel lost. Some of them I have met in person; most I have not.

It is a remarkable world here in cyberspace. It is a giant, enormous world, with so much love, and so much pain. Behind these screens are living, breathing men and women, boys and girls. My prayer for all is that in-person hugs and love and friendship abound. My hope is that as we encourage and teach and share with one another via this medium, we will all grow and change, and people will draw closer to each other spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We need each other. And the good news is, we have each other!

I confess that I have become a fan of those images with inspirational sayings on them that some wonderful people send through my newsfeed. A couple weeks ago I was experiencing "inspiration overload" and felt rather annoyed by them. Then I realized it was because I was taking some too seriously, and others not seriously enough. When I opened my heart to receive, I found that my heart led me to take some lightly (perhaps I didn't agree with them, or wasn't ready for them, or felt too "triggered" by them, and that's okay) and to take others deeply, thoroughly, into my being. There is so much available to us for our personal and spiritual development, and we get to choose!

So, in the spirit of spreading the love, I have created a page, Open Hearts Spiritual Direction, where I will share glimpses of my journey and invite you to share some of yours as well. I will also be posting some of those inspirational images, as I have just discovered photobucket and am finding great pleasure in discovering and co-creating meaningful works of art. :) My goal is to post a blessing each morning and each evening, reminiscent of the morning and evening vespers in monasteries and other sacred gathering places. We will have to imagine the sound of the bells.

I hope that you will consider joining me.

With love,

Melanie ♥
                 

Listen to your dreams (waking and sleeping),
Follow your heart (it's quietly leading),
Live out your passions (answer the call),
Discover your joy (feeling it all),
Open to love (let it flow in your heart),
Now is the moment (create a new start).

"The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a person’s life, to get behind the façade of conventional gestures and attitudes which one presents to the world, and to bring out one’s inner spiritual freedom, one’s inmost truth." ~ Thomas Merton 

Open Hearts Spiritual Direction Walking with you while you find your way.

To learn more about spiritual direction or to find a spiritual director in your area visit Spiritual Directors International.

Tapping World Summit

                                 

I'm excited about this - Tapping World Summit 2012 - looks fun and potentially life-changing (weight loss, finances, sleep, relationships, pain relief, and more). The little bit of tapping/Emotional Freedom Technique that I have done in the past has actually helped me quite a bit with some personal growth issues. My sister recently told me that it is being used successfully to help veterans with PTSD. So, I signed up - it's free - starts Monday. I like that it will be a "tap-along". . . sort of like a sing-along :) . . . working through the different areas/needs. Check it out and see what you think! ♥

Tapping World Summit