Word Magic, The Final One for 2023

 The final word for 2023 is LEARN

Definition:  gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.

Laying in bed very early on a recent morning I thought about words and what have I learned. As a young girl I loved opening the dictionary and pointing to a word to learn and start including in my vocabulary. Over 30 years ago I started picking a word for the year. Some years I would get through part of the year and almost forget about the word, but then I would say "pay attention" and always I would learn something.

This past year my word was VOICE. It was one of those words that I sort of ignored for awhile. When it chose me I thought I would speak more, but I realized I really wasn't speaking more. Recently what I learned is that there are different ways of using your voice, not necessarily by speaking. For me I realized that in using your voice you are REVEALING you. I needed to reveal me and who I was. So slowly I am revealing who I am by words I write and very occasionally by what comes from my mouth. Sometimes the words in my head trickle out in whispers from spirit.

Words are Magical, we learn from them. I hope and pray that in my sharing words this year you also have learned and embraced some words into your own lives.

 

In paying attention and noticing what word I was being drawn to for my own personal word for 2024, two words came to me. For several months I have felt that there needed to be more kindness in the world and I wanted to embrace that word. I strongly feel like next year is going to be a year of challenge for many of us and that what will get us through it and grow is kindness. Kindness for ourselves and kindness for others. I can fully take that into my heart, but I also needed a word that would challenge me. Ugh!!! I don't really like words that challenge me, for they teach me lessons I am not sure I want to learn. My challenge word is move. I know, that is sort of a strange word to choose, but I need to move my body more. I feel better when I am moving everyday. So for 2024 my personal words are Kindness and Move.

 

This is my last Word Magic for 2023. For next year I will be focusing on Words of Kindness and Joy on my Monday posts. Who knows where that will take me, maybe a joke or a poem or maybe a story. In sharing words of Kindness and Joy I hope we all learn to share a smile for those that cross our path.

The pictures I shared today are just to make my words more beautiful. This last one was taken in November as I walked this path with my favorite cousin and dear nieces. We shared words during our brief time of being together and I think we all learned new family stories.

Whatever paths we take words will come to your mind, may we grow and embrace them, learning together.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Word for the Day - 2020

Whisper (Whispering)

Whisper is a hard word to picture with out people speaking closely.
But whisper is in the sound of a soft breeze blowing through the flowers and the trees.
It touches my face with the softness of butterfly wings.
It sings in my ear of the sounds of nature all around.

From Wikipedia: Whispering is generally used quietly, to limit the hearing of speech to listeners who are nearby; for example, to convey secret information without being overheard or to avoid disturbing others in a quiet place such as a library or place of worship.

I am the whisper in the wind,
in between meaning and the lines of understanding.
I am the shadow that stalks your dreams,
lost in between fantasy and reality.
I am the song, the heart that aches;
I am the tears that fill oceans,
the waves that break.
I am the nine of swords over lifetimes,
but I must trade each blade for a coin,
or so they say.
But you are my love, my breath, 
the light that soothes the darkness.
You are the beauty of the woods,
cool water in the scorching heat,
the life that runs through my veins.
You have always been.
And I will always wait.

by Raine D. on Poet's Unlimited 

Brush of something unseen against my cheek,
an angel touches me in a whisper of love.
I see the glimmer in the twilight hour
and know that you are near.
What whispers in your heart these days?
What sings to you of songs of hearts delights?
Come, my friend, walk with me
and listen to the whispers of the air.
Tell me, what do you hear?

~m.miller 

I have often said a whisper, a touch, a glimmer in the eye
is my guardian angel walking nearby. 

All pictures taken one year ago in this very week.

Quiet Moments of Winter

 The lights on the Christmas tree through squinty eyes.

 The snow quiets the world around me

and I send out love to those that walk there.

 Sip a cup of cocoa and maybe a favorite tea.

 Light the candles and sit in quietness for just a little while.

 The softness of the winter light,

it dances just before me.

A single candle light or a multitude

of lights.

They soothe my soul.

I take in the quiet times between

a celebration or two.

Savoring the darkness,

I light my candle

and sip a warm cup of something sweet.

These small things are what carries 

me through the darkness of winter.

And I BREATHE,

just the softness of my breathe,

the silence,

the music in the air of the quiet

surrounds me.

Take time, dear friends,

delight in the breath, the light,

and blanket your heart with JOY.

Gifts and Happiness

 

To receive a gift
I delight
I embrace
I treasure it
I hold it tight and laugh with glee.

They say to receive the gift of happiness is to give.
I see God's happiness in the gifts received,
the delight in me.

In turn I give of the gifts
In the giving 
I delight
I laugh
I dance in God's delight
I am happy.

~m.miller

photo taken under the big tree in my garden

Spirit Whispers

Recently I came across the following poem on another blog and felt it was appropriate to share for Spirit Whispers.  I have just past my 800th post here at Delights of the Heart.  This is the last day for Spirit Whispers as a regular Monday series.  I can promise you it may pop up from time to time, just not in a series.  In celebration I thought it was time for a give away.  I have a small book of poems by Maya Angelou, a small bag of tea from Thailand, and probably another trinket or two I would love to send to someone.  Leave a comment on this post and I will announce the winner on Friday.

Your Seed Pouch

Lanterns 

Hang from the night sky 

So that your eye might draw 

One more image of love upon your silk canvas 

Before sleep. 

Words from Him have reached you 

And tilled a golden field inside. 

When all your desires are distilled 

You will cast just two votes: 

To love more, 

And be happy. 

Take the sounds from the mouth-flute of Hafiz 

And mix them into your seed pouch. 

And when the Moon says, 

“It is time to 

Plant,” 

Why not dance, 

Dance and 

Sing? 

~ Hafiz

Can't you just imagine Dancing and Singing among these trees heavy with fruit.

They are ready for the harvest.

Go out, loving more and being happy!

Spirit Whispers

God is in the ordinary.
God is in the everyday.
We can notice God and listen
in the growth of the tree or of the flower.
In the rising of the morning sun,
in the stars at night,
and in the moon,
God is there.

This was taken loosely from the book,
Listening for the Heartbeat of God
by J. Philip Newell

Spirit Whispers

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."--John Muir

A friend recently shared this on Facebook and I thought it appropriate for Spirit Whispers today.

I hope each of you has opportunity today to spend sometime in the beauty around you. 

Spirit Whispers

At the time I took this picture I just thought it was a pretty picture.

Later looking at it again I realized in my heart what it said on the side of this boat.

PILOT

Sometimes I can feel adrift, just floating with no destination.

Sometimes I get lost in the muddle of my day to day routine.

Sometimes I lose track of where I am heading.

Do you do that?

The PILOT can help to direct us back and keep us on track.

For me PILOT is God or Spirit.

What helps you to find your way back when you are lost?

Spirit Whispers

Sacred Spaces
To me walking on the beach is a sacred space
A place where I feel closest to God
A place where we can chat
and where I can cry

Where do you feel closest to God?
Where do you go to your Sacred Space?
Where do you go to chat or to cry?

Spirit Whispers

Do you pray?
Meditate?
Are there symbols that help?
What symbols help you in your prayer?
Are you asking when you pray?
Are you worshiping?

Sometimes I find when things are going well,
I forget to pray or meditate or even write in my journal.
Then when difficult times come along
I turn to prayer and meditation.

Do you sometimes do that too?
I don't think I am the only one here doing this.

I am a visual person, so I think maybe I need a visual
sign to remind me to take time in quietness to say a prayer,
meditate, or write.  I am a better listener when I take time
to pray and meditate.

Spirit Whispers

Today instead of a whisper, I am hollering.
Sometimes don't you just feel like hollering?
This is my husband.
He always is there to carry the basket of goodies
when we have tea outdoors.
He needs a bit of a holler to spirit
as he begins radiation this week for prostate cancer.
His heart is also giving him some challenges too.
So if you could just say a little prayer today,
it would be greatly appreciated.
It can be a whisper or a holler.
 I thank you.
Do you need a whisper or a holler to spirit today?

Spirit Whispers

How does your inner landscape look today?
Peeking inside your heart?
Is it heavy
sweet smelling

full of tears
full of love
smiling
joyful?
Take a peek
sort of like a doctor's check up
and notice what you notice today.
Be gentle with yourself
and fill your inner landscape with
images that feed your soul.

How do you do that, you say?
Sometimes it is listening to music that is gentle,
reading beautiful poetry,
walking in a garden and relishing the beauty there,
or just looking at beautiful pictures.
Take care and treat yourself gently today and always.

Spirit Whispers

Last week I mentioned opening your eyes to see.
This week I have been focusing on seeing to believe.
BELIEVE is my word for 2011.
Then I received an email that spoke very much about seeing to believe
and I just wanted to share part of it.

"I remember some years ago watching an interview with an
accomplished photographer for National Geographic, who said
that when he is photographing in nature it is sometimes critical to believe
there is something there to be photographed even before you see it with
your eye.  He went on to say that this experience had transformed his hearing
of that often repeated phrase "I'll believe it, when I see it" - he said
that he had come to understand that sometimes you will see it,
only when you believe it possible."  from Zachary Moon.

What can we take from this quote?
Do you believe it is possible before you see it?

Spirit Whispers

Open

The door on this church is closed.

Yes, you can see it there.

Your eyes are open to seeing the closed door.

Eyes are like doors.

They open to the soul,

if you allow it.

So today open your soul

to see and notice what is there 

to feed you.

No, not food, but to feed your

spirit and give you delight in the day.

Spirit Whispers

For those of you that are new to my blog, today I am resuming
a series called Spirit Whispers.
For me and others I find that we don't take the time to sit quietly
and just listen.  I encourage you each Monday to take that time.
I often run a series for awhile on Monday's and this one sits well with
me for now.  When the time comes for a closure, I usually have a give away.
Today's sharing is the words from a song we sometimes sing at the church that
I attend, but I think the words can touch the heart of you too.
Sit with a cup of tea and a few moments of silence as you read.

Teach Me to Stop and Listen

by Ken Medema

Teach me to stop and listen.

Teach me to center down.

Teach me the use of silence.

Teach me where peace is found.

Teach me to hear your calling.

Teach me to search your word.

Teach me to hear in silence

Things I have never heard.

Teach me to be collected.

Teach me to be in tune.

Teach me to be directed.

Silence will end so soon.

Then when it's time for moving,

Grant it that I may bring

To every day and moment

Peace from a silent spring.

Spirit Whispers

Listen to your inner voice.

This weekend I received my weekly email from Cheryl Richardson
and her story of a hat reminded me of listening to our inner voice.
Visit Cheryl here and read this special story, 

The Hat Adventure: Reawaken your passion for life.

Spirit Whispers

To See
To truly see
We must listen
Open our hearts
To see the heart of another
See their beauty
See past the sorrows
See into the face of God.
We must stop and listen
with an open heart
and See.

What are you noticing today?
Are you truly seeing?

Spirit Whispers

Several years ago I picked up a pamphlet that talked about

Centering Prayer, written by Robert O'Rourke.
Here is a brief look at what he had to share on Centering Prayer:

The experience of centering prayer is to find God within.

There are four simple steps to centering prayer:

1) Upon entering prayer, take a few minutes to quiet and relax your body,

and then move in faith to God dwelling in the center of your being.

2) Choose a single, sacred word that expresses for you the fullness

of God.  Begin to repeat this word inwardly.

3) Whenever your mind wanders or becomes aware of anything

else, gently return to your sacred word.

4) After 15-20 minutes quietly reenter the world, asking God

to remain with you and make His (or Her) Presence know.  

One of the first things we need to do in all forms of meditation and prayer

is to detach ourselves from the fast-paced world of activity and follow God's simple

invitation:  Be still and know that I am God.

Be prepared for an onrush of thoughts.

As a result of returning to your sacred word, you slow down the

onrush of many thoughts by focusing on one.

As you do this, tension begins to flow out of your life.

This is another way of being still and listening,
releasing the tension within you.

Spirit Whispers

Some of us need to discover that we will not

begin to live more fully until we have the

courage to do and see and taste and experience

much less than usual.....

There are times, then, when in order to keep

ourselves in existence at all we simply have to sit

back for a while and do nothing.

And for a (wo)man who has let her/himself be drawn

completely out of her/himself by her/his activity,

nothing is more difficult than to sit still and rest,

doing nothing at all.

The very act of resting is the hardest and most

courageous act she/he can perform.

~Thomas Merton

-------------------------

In Celebration of 700 posts, the winner of my "this and that" give away is:  Joy
Joy please email me with your address and your gift will be on it's way.  My email is in My Profile location.

Spirit Whispers

To Pray is to

laugh

whistle

dance on happy feet

sing

shout

and jump---higher than ever before

But it is also to 

whisper

wonder

stumble in dark places

cry 

scream

or just hold a worried head

in tired hands and wait......

Prayer is our tired reaching out

to the One

who holds us closer

and loves us more 

than we would dare imagine.

~Greta Schumm 

.............................................

Honey and Ollie Give-away

And the winner is: Gwen
Congratulations Gwen and a huge
thanks to Rainy for sharing her beautiful earring club with my readers. 
Visit Rainy's blog here to learn more about the earring club.