Author Seeks People to Interview for Book
Practicing Forgiveness
The Trouble Tree
Give It All Up
Author Seeks People to Interview for Book
Author Robert Schwartz is writing a book (www.courageoussouls.com) about why souls choose prior to birth to experience certain challenges in their upcoming lifetime. He would like to interview people who know why their soul chose the specific challenges they have faced. If you might like to be interviewed, or for more information, please contact him directly at courageoussouls@yahoo.comPracticing Forgiveness
Submitted by Bill Kohlmeyer Ask not to be forgiven, For this has already been accomplished, Ask, rather, to learn how to forgive. Forgive the world, And you will understand That everything that God created Cannot have an end, And nothing s/he did not create is real. In this one sentence is our course explained. What could you want Forgiveness cannot give? Do you want peace? Forgiveness offers it. Do you want happiness, a quiet mind, A certainty of purpose, And a sense of worth and beauty That transcends the world? Do you want care and safety, And the warmth of sure protection always? Do you want a quietness that cannot be disturbed, A gentleness that never can be hurt, A deep, abiding comfort, And a rest so perfect it can never be upset? All this forgiveness offers you. You who want peace Can find it only by complete forgiveness. In complete forgiveness, In which you recognize That there is nothing to forgive, You are absolved completely. The real world is attained simply By the complete forgiveness of the old. Forgive the past and let it go, for it is gone. Lift up your eyes And look on one another in innocence Born of complete forgiveness of each otherÃ's illusions. Those you do not forgive you fear. And no one reaches love with fear beside him/her. Forgiveness always rests upon the one who offers it. Forgiveness takes away What stands between your brother/sister and yourself, It is the wish that you be joined with her/him, And not apart. Forgiveness is the answer to attack of any kind So is attack deprived of its effects, And hate is answered in the name of love. Whom you forgive is given power To forgive you your illusions, By your gift of freedom is it given unto you. As you give, you will receive Giving and receiving are the same. Illusions about yourself and the world are one. That is why all forgiveness is a gift to yourself. Forgiveness is the great need of the world, But that is because it is a world of illusions Those who forgive Are thus releasing themselves from illusions, While those who withhold forgiveness Are binding themselves to them. S/he who would not forgive must judge, For s/he must justify his/her failure to forgive. But s/he who would forgive himself Must learn to welcome truth Exactly as it is. Forgiveness is the key to happiness. Here is the answer to your search for peace. Here is the key to meaning In a world that seems to make no sense. Here is the way to safety in apparent dangers That appear to threaten you at every turn, And bring uncertainty to all your hopes Of ever finding quietness and peace. Here are all questions answered; Here the end of all uncertainty ensured at last I let forgiveness rest upon all things, For this forgiveness will be given me.The Trouble Tree
Submitted by Linda Germaine I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again." Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."Give It All Up
Give it all up and you get it all back. I believe that this is an immensely potent formula for finding freedom and joy in living. Every time I have put this principle in action, it has worked. Whenever I have let go of something, God has either given it back to me, or given me something better, or shown me that I'm better off without it. More and more, I have come to see that God is always giving us exactly what we need for our highest good, and at no cost to anyone. Alan Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore
