So This is Christmas

December 25, 2019December 23, 2021 becomingandbeholding3 Comments

The tree is lit

while loved ones slumber.

The house hums with anticipation

and joy.

Memories of Christmases past

dance in the heart.

We have reached Christmas again.

No matter what is under the tree,

no matter who gathers around it,

we are all joined together

to embrace the universal gift.

Love is born again.

It’s wrapped in mystery and grace

and sparkles with a glow

like moonlight on fresh snow.

Open this gift first.

Unwrap it and let it linger long

and ever present

in your hungry heart.

You are loved beyond measure.

Share the joy.

Poem · Poetry · Uncategorized

Late Bloomer

July 26, 2019July 26, 2019 becomingandbeholding2 Comments

I saw some unusual flowers yesterday

which bloomed in unexpected ways.

Their beauty ignited my heart

and blessed me with renewed vision.

Witnessing a perfect glow can do that –

it connects us to what is real

and true.

We color the world with so many hues –

the seasons directing the light

and filling the wide spectrum perfectly.

Sometimes the necessary germination before

the the colors can be expressed

takes time –

and that is by design.

For a full bloom

cannot be forced prematurely.

To be a flower

means being present to

the light being born in you

in its own time.

Your bloom will arrive in its fullness,

according to the Gardener’s plan.

Therefore, rest in the truth of the sunrise

and be soothed by the rain.

Wait your turn.

Your job is to allow the glow to be born in you

and to trust in the promised opening.

For part of the beauty of it all

is that the timing of your full flowering is not up to you…

It is perfectly fine and beautiful still

to be a late bloomer.

Photo credit by Gary Stanton, taken at Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, MA.

Poem · Poetry

Pearls

October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 becomingandbeholding2 Comments

Oh, the precious lessons

along the way!

They seem so hidden

at first –

but when they arrive,

or get uncovered,

they shine with brilliance.

We trudge and troll –

weary of the path,

tripping in the same old ways…

but when our eyes

dare to look anew,

we may spot a pearl.

Its presence

is grace revealed.

Its beauty

releasing us

of our misdirected ways.

A pocket full of pearls

is the treasure of

transcendence.

Keep your pearls close you.

They whisper and lift

as you continue on.

Poem · Poetry

Transitioning

July 11, 2018 becomingandbeholdingLeave a comment

When in an unfamiliar place,

you are on your way.

It usually comes with lots of tension.

You become unsettled,

and maybe even a little bit scared.

Transitions are that rocky time

when your usual patterns are useless

and you have to allow for

change.

The big ones are literally

earth-shattering,

setting you off kilter,

making you feel raw and

vulnerable.

But when you get to the other side,

you are in that shiny spot of

All New.

You have grown new muscle, and

you are reborn.

When this freedom flowers,

you realize that

the pain of change

was nothing but

the peeling of the layers

that are no longer needed.

Poem · Poetry

Go Gently

March 22, 2018 becomingandbeholding1 Comment

Here I go again,

getting lost in the tangle of

outward motivations which

lead me away –

like an excited child

pulling on my arm –

Come this way!

But my wisdom within says,

Not so fast.

You have been here before, remember?

We play this game over and over

until finally,

we are done playing.

We are ready for change.

Like Jacob wrestling with the angel,

we finally get blessed with divine insight

into who we are,

and the exhaustion of repeated patterns

falls away.

Here is the truth of it all:

we come to God

through suffering or wisdom –

and sometimes both.

Most of the time,

we create our own suffering.

So, my child,

Learn to trust your

inner light.

You were born with it,

and it waits for you to listen

to its guidance.

Be patient with how it flickers

until you are ready

for its full shining.

Go gently on your path,

and keep your eyes open.

Forgive your missteps along the way.

Just keep moving forward.

And whatever you do,

do not close.

For your light cannot shine,

if your shades are drawn

and you will keep tripping in your darkness.

Poem · Poetry

Beyond Stuck

March 18, 2018March 18, 2018 becomingandbeholdingLeave a comment

Your mind is a place of learning,

she said.

You create your reality there.

My invitation to intentionally look within –

an amazing challenge,

even for a deep, open one like me.

Like a spinning top,

the hardest part is to stop –

it is so effortless to

just keep going,

settle for the mindless whirl.

When I do manage a pause and

a glimpse inward,

I am humbled by what is keeping me

busy up there.

Really? THIS is what I am thinking about?

The constant auto-pilot and noise

is embarrassing!

But taking it personally

is not helpful.

So much of what is in my mind

has been given to me

when I was not looking.

I am looking now.
I am now learning to peek within

with curiosity and gentleness –

and sometimes even, humor.

Laughing really does help.

Healing comes

with awareness and new choices

along with a large dose of humility.

Shaking off the old

and building the new…

I am learning to protect my consciousness –

what I allow in,

and what to ignore.

It is a dynamic classroom

in which I am

forever a student.

Poem · Poetry

Your Whispers Heal My Soul

March 7, 2018March 7, 2018 becomingandbeholdingLeave a comment

Slow down.

Take it easy.

Listen.

You are trying too hard.

Open your eyes – notice.

Relax and breathe.

Trust and receive.

Allow me to help.

Get out of the way.

Be kind to yourself.

Don’t worry!

I’ve got this;

I’ve got you.

Freedom is yours.

Choose it!

This is a new day.

I love you completely.

Blossom with joy.

Be Love.

I have shown you how.

Remember me.

We are One.