You receive an encouraging call or message from out of the blue.  A door suddenly opens, or an opportunity unfolds.  A windfall lands in your lap at just the right time to get you out of a jam.  Multiple pieces come together and fall into place perfectly. 

To someone else looking on, the event that occurs may appear small, perhaps even meaningless.  But to you, it's quite meaningful.  It puts a smile not just on your face, but on your heart, too.  You sense that the stars have aligned in your favour, and it fills you with wonder, joy, peace and confidence.

As we enter the new year and make plans for the months ahead, what are you committed to?  This is a great question to ask yourself at the start of the year, because whatever you are committed to will serve as the foundation for the choices you make and the goals you choose to pursue.

Therefore, whatever you are committed to, along with your level of commitment, is going to have a major impact on the outcomes you achieve in the year ahead.

It comes as no surprise that many people are eager to leave 2020 behind. It was a trying year, on many levels.  But although many of us are pleased to kiss the year good-bye, we have to admit that the year wasn't all bad; there are some positive things to be found, if we look for them.
 
As you prepare to usher in 2021, consider:  what are some of the meaningful, valuable things you'll be taking with you into the New Year?  A special relationship?  A project you have underway?  Perhaps a lesson or two you learned?  Or, maybe you'll be bringing hope, optimism, and a conviction that good will triumph over evil.
 
Reflecting on the meaningful, valuable things you'll be taking with you into 2021 will help you start the year off on the right foot mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
 
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2021! 

For many people, the ever-present backdrop of Covid-19 has made 2020 an extremely challenging year.  This is now carrying over to Christmas, where Covid-related restrictions might make connecting with family and sharing long-held traditions difficult, perhaps even impossible.
 
During this Christmas season, consider taking a break from the constant barrage of news headlines designed to instill fear.  Take some time to get grounded, focused and reoriented.  Find ways to connect with others in whatever manner you can, supporting and encouraging one another.  Express gratitude for and celebrate the relationships you have; and reach out to those who are alone or isolated, as they may be struggling even moreso to deal with everything that is taking place.
 
Let's unite in praying that love, wisdom and truth will prevail in our world over deception, corruption and manipulation.
 
Best wishes for a Merry Christmas!

Can a  one day water fast provide any real benefit to you?  Absolutely!  A day of fasting gives your body a break from the work of dealing with incoming food.  This brief period of rest supports the body's natural capacity for repair, self-healing, and rejuvenation.  

Not eating for a day will also make you aware of just how great of a role food plays in your life.  As they refrain from eating for the day, many people discover that much of their eating has less to do with genuine hunger, and more to do with habit or emotional motivation, e.g.:  turning to food as a source of comfort.

“If I wanted to order a ring for myself, the inscription I should choose would be:  'Nothing passes away.'  I believe that nothing passes away without leaving a trace, and that every step we take, however small, has significance for our present and our future existence.”  

From Anton Checkhov's, My Life

What an exciting message!  Don't underestimate the power of your words, your actions, and even your very presence.

If you see yourself as being a bit of a misfit, there are probably many times when you feel isolated, alone, and disconnected.  You may feel insecure at times, and find yourself thinking that life would be so much easier if you could just "be like everyone else."  
 
The fact that you are NOT like everyone else may be challenging at times, but there's another side to it.  Misfits often possess wonderful and valuable strengths.
 
Here are 5 great qualities that can be found among the misfits of our world.

"Just as one candle lights another and can light thousands of others, so one heart illuminates another heart and can illuminate thousands of hearts.”  Leo Tolstoy
 
Imagine one heart after another being illuminated!

The next time you find yourself hesitating to offer an encouraging word, or debating whether or not to perform that good deed, remember:  your small gesture, no matter how small, truly can make a difference.

“A particular train of thought persisted in, whether it is good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances.  We cannot directly choose our circumstances, but we can choose our thoughts and so, indirectly yet surely, shape our circumstances.”  

From James Allen's, As a Man Thinketh

Allen's words echo a sentiment that has been expressed for millennia in ancient texts around the world:  our thoughts have an effect in our lives.  Always remember that you are the "conductor" of the train of thought running in your head, and you have the power to change direction at any time. 

Every day, you make choices.  You choose what to do and how to spend your time.  You choose who to associate with and the relationships you wish to invest in.  You choose your response to the various situations and circumstances that come your way. 

Over time, the choices you engage in repeatedly become habits, i.e.:  "a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior; an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary."