I will touch briefly on the birth of stars.

Our Miracle Universe, absolute darkness. Not a hint of light. No stars anywhere. No sounds of any kind. Nothing of any kind. Nothing at all.

Then suddenly a huge explosion like the universe has never known before, and probably will never know again.

In a matter of seconds, the universe was engulfed in a huge cloud of hydrogen gas.

The Big Bang had just occurred. From a tiny point called a singularity in the universe, the universe as we have come to know was born.

If the stars are out there in the daylight, and we don’t see them, what else don’t we see?

Perhaps we need the contrast, the foil, the opposite to see what is hidden.

It really is a gift to appreciate what we have, and not take it for granted. There is a saying, that some dream of what we see as everyday normal, common place. I’m not saying this is bad, or that we are decadent.

Rather, it’s the difference between seeing objects and seeing essence. Being thankful for a spoon is just as important as being thankful for a smartphone.

Whenever I am in the car, and about to enter a busy place,
I always say, "Thank you for allowing peace in the traffic."
Feel it, even a little.

Almost every single time, and I mean 100's upon 100's,
there is a gap in the traffic when I get there.
I usually see a large block of cars that have just gone by,
and another block approaching in the distance, but for me,
there is clearly a nice, wide open space, right at that moment.
I believe that everyone involved has either slowed down or
sped up, to open the gap just for me.

I close my eyes and open my mind to a scene.

It is simple. The same person always appears. The person is near a tree. The person is dressed in a robe, standing. It could be Jesus, Buddha, or some master. But I like to think of the person as my higher self, the part of me that is still on the other side, and has access to great wisdom.

I’ll call the person “the master.”

I don’t speak. The master doesn’t speak. Yet I know the master knows what I need, and always gives me what I need. Something really happens. It isn’t pretend. It only takes 20 seconds.

You know who often teaches me
How to live life
Is my dog Missy
My shi tzu
I have to tell you
She really shows me how to embrace the day so often
When I get up no matter what time
What the weather is, whatever the conditions are
She just jumps up and is ready to the greet the day
She eyes me as I move around my home
She looks at what I do
And if she sees me put on my shoes and socks
Immediately she is ready to go
She has no clue where I am going
It could be somewhere not even fun that I am going
She wants to go

Do we change as we get older or do we stay the same? There are many possible answers to this question and maybe there's a unique answer for every person who makes it into retirement.

This year, on my birthday, I joined the ranks of old geezerdom. I don't feel any different than I did before, and I didn't even realize I had attained that distinction until a friend a year or two my senior welcomed me to the ranks.

(chanting) O Lord Hear My Prayer

Sometimes knowing you have a choice isn’t obvious. Sort of, “What, I can choose?”

I do not read the newspapers, nor watch the news.

I choose my reality.

I sometimes imagine myself in a place of turmoil like Jerusalem. I stand there, eyes closed, with ripples of “illumination” going out from me, as if a pebble were tossed in a pond. Every second, going out hundreds of miles.

Then, at the same time, I picture myself in the center of China, doing the same.

Whenever I hear that someone is not well, I immediately, within 10 seconds, say “Thank you for allowing assistance for that person.”

I am talking to God, to the Presence, if you will. Notice that I am not asking but trusting.

If someone is complaining, say about their job or another person or whatever, I listen, but keep repeating silently to myself, “Thank you for showing me the truth. Thank you for showing me what they are “really” saying.”