The Four Candles--

 --Unknown author

Peter Griffin

Four candles slowly burned.

The ambience was so soft, one could almost hear them talking...

The first candle said, "I am Peace!

The world is full of anger and fighting.  Nobody can keep me lit."

Then the flame of Peace went out completely.

 

Then the second candle said, "I am Faith.  I am no longer indespensible.

It doesn't make sense I stay lit another day longer." 

Just then a breeze softly blew out Faith's flame.

 

Sadly the third candle began to speak. "I am Love.

People don't understand my importance.  So they just simply put me

aside.  They even forget to Love those who are nearest to them.  I haven't the

strength to stay lit."  And waiting no longer, Love's flame went out.

 

Suddenly a child entered the room and saw the three unlit candles.  "Why aren't

you burning?  You're suppose to stay lit 'til the end."

Saying this the child began to cry. 

 

Then the fourth candle answered, "Don't be afraid, I am Hope.  While I am still

burning we can re-light the flames."  With shining eyes, the child took the candle of Hope and relit the other candles.

~ ~ ~

 

The flame of Hope should never go out from your life... and with Hope each of us can live a life with Peace... Faith... and Love! 

 

Inspire a friend today... pass along this uplifting story.

 

Photo credit:  "Candles" #17574
(PublicDomainPictures(.net)

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Parody: The River Grasses

~~ by Robert Elias Najemy

 

David Wagner

Have you ever sat by a river and watched the mesmerizingly graceful movement of the river grasses, which surrender themselves completely to the flow of the river?

At their base they are firmly attached to a rock on the riverbed. If they were not securely attached in this way, they would be carried away by the current and would perish.

The upper part of these grasses has absolutely no resistance and is thus free to flow in an infinite variety of movements caused by the river's ever-changing flow pattern.

A similar type of event may be seen while observing various sea grasses, which are attached to the bottom of the sea and move with the gentle currents and tides.

We have something to learn from these grasses. We can learn the delicate balance between discipline and freedom, between routine and diversity, between control and surrender, between tradition and change. Obviously, too much of any of these opposite qualities will create problems.

On the one hand we need to have discipline, routine, control and tradition to give us a security base, a moral base, a sense of inner strength and stability in facing the ever-changing circumstances of life.

Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, concentration, meditation, proper diet, self-analysis, exercises and breathing techniques help to create that centered feeling of an inner stability and inner security.

Then we can feel free to allow ourselves to flow with life, trusting the Divine, life, others and our own selves; free from the fear of being harmed, overcome or swept off our feet.

The greater our connection with our inner security base, the more spontaneous and free we can allow ourselves to be.

We all need to find our own way of connecting ourselves to the spiritual rock within us, so that we may adjust and cope in a more relaxed way with the ever-changing situations and tests of life.

Be disciplined and flow.

~ Be Well ~

 

About the Author: Robert Elias Najemy is a spiritual empath, life coach and author of more than 30 books, 600 articles and 400 lectures on Human Harmony. His recently released book "The Psychology of Happiness" (ISBN 0-9710116-0-5) is available at Amazon. Robert makes his home in Athens, Greece. Please visit his website here.

  

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Image credit:  "Cattails on Pond" 

The Caterpillar and the Butterfly--

Sandra Fehler

--by Robert Elias Najemy

Some people criticize those who retreat into themselves feeling the need to search inwardly and practice spiritual disciplines, as ego-centered and anti-social. 

What they must understand is that for many this is the road to * true selflessness, * which allows for real service to society.

As long as we have not found our inner center of strength, security, self-worth, values, beliefs and life motivation, we will have little to offer to those around us. We will mainly need to take.  We will be "social" because of what we get rather than out of desire to give and serve.

The caterpillar lives a life of taking. It eats and eats all day long and doesn't offer much to the world around it. Then it closes into a cocoon and is transformed from an earth-bound, not very attractive, being into a beautiful butterfly, which eats little and offers much beauty and happiness through its appearance and movement.

In the same way, many on the spiritual path reduce their external activities and temporarily close themselves into a cocoon of spiritual practices, so as to get in touch with their inner-self. Then they eventually come out of this transformational stage with wonderful qualities such as peace, love, wisdom and a desire to offer to those around them.

Thus we have three stages:  the socially active consuming caterpillar,  the caterpillar which is taking refuge in the cocoon and finally-- the beautiful butterfly.  The cocoon stage of * inner work * is usually a prerequisite to becoming a butterfly.  --Be Well

 

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About the Author: Robert Elias Najemy is a spiritual empath, life coach and author of more than 30 books, 600 articles and 400 lectures on Human Harmony. His recently released book "The Psychology of Happiness" (ISBN 0-9710116-0-5) is available at Amazon. Robert makes his home in Athens, Greece. Please visit his website here.

Photo credit:  Royal Butterfly #10054 here