Christmas

May you be filled with Christmas cheer,
and may it fill your heart in the coming year.
May you greet those you meet each day
with a smile to cheer them on their way.

May you treat each day like a gift from above,
and enjoy the time you have with those you love.
May you bring something good to all you do,
and let your love and joy come shining through.

May you be filled with wisdom and grace,
and may you live life at an unhurried pace.
May you be the miracle you were meant to be,
and always look for the beauty that is there is to see.

Lisa McIntosh

Thanksgiving

Thank you for the sky above.
Thank you for the ones we love.
Thank you for the sun that shines.
Thank you for these gifts divine.

Thank you for the joys we share.
Thank you for the crisp, sweet air.
Thank you for the gift of life.
Thank you for easing our strife.

Thank you for another year.
Thank you for our loved ones dear.
Thank you for bringing us here.
Bless us as we greet the new year.

Lisa McIntosh

Clarity

I open my eyes,
but do I see?
I listen to you,
but do I hear?
I hold your hand,
but do I feel?

If I want to see clearly,
I must open my heart.
If I want to truly hear,
I must clear my mind.
If I want to feel deeply,
I must open my soul.

Lisa McIntosh

Travelling Light

Unpack your worries.
Feel the breeze on your face.
Smile at fellow travelers.
Life is a journey.
Pack light.

Lisa McIntosh

Summer

I feel the grass beneath my feet.
I smell the flowers’ perfume sweet.

I taste the fruit fresh from the tree.
I hear the birds as they sing to me.

I touch the blossom on the vine.
I know life is a gift divine.

Lisa McIntosh

Time

We are given a gift each day -- all those wonderful moments that await us. How will we choose to use them? I don't want to waste them anymore. I want to cherish each one and somehow make a difference in my little corner of the world. There is enough anger, bitterness, and rage in the world. I don't want to add to that any longer.

I know I am not perfect, but I am truly dedicated to adding love, peace, and encouragement to the world through the way I conduct myself during each moment that is given to me. There will never be another moment like right now. If I am cleaning the house, I will be cheerful and thankful I have a home to clean. If I am working, I will be grateful I have a job. If I am reading, I will remember all the wonderful people who taught me to read. If I am just sitting with my children, husband, or dog, I will be glad for their company.

Many times, I find myself in a rush to get on to the next thing on my list, the next task to accomplish. I am not saying I have decided to just sit in a field and do nothing. I just think I will be a more content, peaceful person if I find joy in the gift of this moment before me. Some tasks may be more easy to enjoy than others, but as the saying goes, "you can't have a beautiful garden without getting dirt under your nails." But no matter what task is presently occupying our time, we can take a deep breath and remember to be present to what we are doing and do it to the best of our ability with a joyful heart.

We are all important, valuable people no matter what our present occupation. There are people in our lives who depend on us, love us, and to whose lives we bring great joy. Never forget that you are a wonderful person with a gift to give the world. Give the world the gift of your uniqueness. Cherish the moments you are given.

Hope

Each day is a new start.
Each day holds promise.

Love is a choice.
I choose to love.

Hope is a choice.
I choose to hope.

The future is bright.
Today, the future begins.

Lisa McIntosh

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of you.

After the Storm

The rain washed the sky.

The sun beamed down upon the earth.

The clouds were washed in golden light.

I was shown a piece of heaven.

Lisa McIntosh

Everyday Miracles

Sometimes it is hard to see the sun, because it seems as though life is full of cloudy skies. At times like these, it is especially important to count our blessings. Take a few minutes and get paper and pencil. Make a list of all the things for which you are thankful. It can be as simple as the person who smiled at you today as you made your way to work, the warm hug of your child as you dropped them off at school, the cheerful song of the birds outside your bedroom window, or the fellow driver who let you into the line of traffic. These little blessings are often overlooked.

Life is made up of so many small, everyday miracles. It is important to take note of them and appreciate the gifts we are presented with each day. If we are waiting for some monumental event to happen that we believe will change our lives dramatically, we are wasting the gift of this moment. It is easy to believe that if only this or that happened, then we would be truly happy. But the fact of the matter is that we must choose to happy right here, right now.

Maybe those things we are wishing and working for may transpire in our lives, but they will not bring happiness. Unless we have made the choice to be happy with our lives as they are, some hoped for event will not change our attitude. It may temporarily bring us a sense of euphoria, but then we will begin to wish for the next thing.

I am not saying we should cease to strive to improve ourselves. Of course, it is vitally important to work toward goals and do our best in all we do. But we must enjoy the journey. If and when we reach the pinnacle of achievement in our given field -- what then? If we do not have within us a sense of contentment and satisfaction with who we are, we will still feel empty and keep looking for some "thing" to fill us.

If we choose to greet each day, each moment, with the desire to improve our little corner of the world, we will have set for ourselves an achievable, admirable goal. We do not need to win the Nobel Prize or the Congressional Medal of Honor to make an impact on those we come in contact with each day. Something as simple as reaching out the hand of friendship to someone who is in need or helping our children with their homework has a positive impact on our world. Each time we choose to smile or hold the door open for the next fellow, we are improving our community.

Small gestures of kindness make an incredible impact on those we come in contact with each day. We may be unaware of this impact, but it is important and makes a difference in the lives of others. For example, in high school I always smiled and said hello to the girl who had my seat in the English class after mine. This took no extra time or effort on my part, but I found out at the end of the year that I had been making a difference. In my yearbook, this girl wrote that my smile and friendly hello always brightened her day and lifted her spirits. I was making an impact simply because I chose to interact in an affirming way with a fellow citizen in my little corner of the world.

All of us can impact our world for the better. The small gestures of kindness we offer to others throughout the day will be a blessing to others. Let us all choose to be kind, caring, and considerate to those we come in contact with each day. The ripples of goodness we start in motion will make a real difference in our world.