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Time moves on

Time moves on

A silent marker of another time
caught in the lens
the moment captures my imagination
I treasure the moment
close my eyes and make it mine

Live each day with an open mind,
What is being offered up as the daily special
Peruse the menu carefully
It is always our choice, which direction we choose
Do we stay with tried and true but boring
Or… do we try something new
Whatever your decision, it will be now…
tomorrow will be another day,
the moment you are in now will be history

How can you say you have embarked on a spiritual path unless you can look back on years of daily practice and be comforted in the momentum it has given you?

Savor each moment, once it is gone, it’s gone!

PL Precept # 7   Everything exists in relativity.

Blessings…serene moments & sweet dreams

photo – virtual art- SL -Q

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Intuition & Appreciation

Intuition & Appreciation

Over the many years of my existence I’ve learned to follow my intuition, if a thought pops up into my head, I do my best to act on it. Usually I discover, that there was a reason for my actions.
I had planned today to be out with a friend, however, it didn’t happen, so I found myself with “free” time. We have been away for several days, days that were busy, fun and full of activity. Ah HA! time to regroup and just chill.
Having decided that was what I was going to do and feeling very content with that decision, I was rather surprised to hear myself suggest to hubby that I go along with him to the extreme west end of the city.
Believe me when I offered to tag along, I had not idea why I wanted to get back in the car to drive and shop some more, There are two shops in that end of town that I have gift certificates for, but I was not pumped to shop.  My attitude was one of “I’ll just explore”
At the first shop, I found the perfect gift for friends that I will be seeing in a couple of weeks. Wow, I thought, this is great, must be why I wanted to be here.  The next shop just blew me out of the water. The bookshelves were full of books on one of my favourite topics. Philosophy and Theology. My head was spinning as I tried to select only a few of the books and not gather them all and dump them in my basket.  I found two wonderful dictionaries, Pocket Oxford Chinese dictionary, so new I could still smell the pages, it will go with my Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese dictionary, and the Oxford School French Dictionary, both mint.
ahhh heaven!
Oh, and a brand new copy of The Tao of Willie (A guide to Happiness in your heart, by Willie Nelson). There are many more, but I will share them with you over time, this is a blog after all and not a novel.
Since I’m recently back from Japan, I may start with Religion and Social Crisis in Japan (Understanding Japanese Society through the Aum Affair).. hmmm not light reading.  BUT, I allowed my intuition to guide me in my choices. When I look at the variety in my choices I’m happy happy happy..

When you pray on a regular basis,you become more and more comfortable with you “intuition”, in prayer we learn to realize that as humans we do not live solely by our own power, We “are” thanks to the “grace of God”

For this I give thanks, and have a true appreciation for things as they are. I accept what comes my way, with ‘age” I am learning that accepting isn’t always a walk in the park.. and if I don’t know at the time, I will eventually know, what the Universe has intended for me.

When you let go and listen to  your intuition -you will be blessed, treasure the fleeting “connection with a higher power”,  your inner smile deepens to and fills you with Joy.  multiple BLESSINGS are being sent your way filled with love and appreciation, 

photo-a virtual scene from SL -by Q

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Feel Joy in Doing Things for Others

Feel Joy in Doing Things for Others

We all live helping one another in our daily lives. It isn’t enough to do things just to make yourself happy. Let’s find joy in helping others first.
Start with your surroundings and spread peace to the world around you. Let’s think of outcomes that make not only you, but others around you happy as well.
Expressing kindness to others, will enhance your personal feel good moments….
Feel the love and share.    =^_^=

May your day,afternoon, evening be blessed with sharing and caring moments.

photo by M. Murphy

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Feeling the stress?

Feeling the stress?

Have a good balance between mind and body. Being overly concerned about things, or overexerting yourself physically
will cause you to be off balance mentally and physically. Be careful not to overdo things.

Have a great week-end you all, May your week-end be filled with fun, laughter and activities that will bring lasting memories in the years ahead.

Blessings – now and always!

photo-  whippet doing what he does best =^_^=    by Q

Rev. Fukito Kimura

Finally I can  introduce you to Rev. Fukito Kimura, I am trying to get a better picture of him, and when I do I will post it.  This man is genuine, kind  and compassionate.   I mentioned him just the other day.  It has taken me awhile to present him to you because he speaks no English and I no Japanese.  He was kind enough to reply to my question,  how was it he became a PL minister.  For those of you who read Japanese, I will copy paste his response to me.  The training to be a PL minister is long and it is one of total dedication to the goals and philosophy of the church.  Reading his words, is not meeting him in person, but perhaps if you travel to Japan, you will look him up, or if you want to know about PL, talk to us here in the USA or Canada.

Rev Kimura

What follows are his words translated by Rev. Eugene (Ottawa  church)

One month has passed since Founders’ Day.
I’m very sorry to respond late in regards to your questions, Dymoon.
I will write the reason for becoming a minister.
I attended a university in Nara Prefecture after graduating from the PL high school. In 1987 when I was a senior in the university, I have not decided on what to do after graduation.
One day, a upper classman from my old high school dropped by that I was acquainted with. He asked me if I wanted to become a PL minister. I knew how hard of a work you put in as a PL minister and people around me was also expressed not becoming a minister, so I thought to myself that I would not cut it as a minister.
But, the upper classman’s request was very serious and he kept insisting for me to become a minister. What started to change my mind was the upper classman’s words of, “Let’s repay Oshieoya-sama.” That simple act of giving back for the blessings you received made more sense to me than looking for a job that I can do or want to do. By the end of summer (the school year in Japan is from April to March), even though I had many ideas of my future, I started to think that I might have regrets in the future if I don’t become a minister. Hence, I decided to become a minister.
In October of the same year, I went to take the entrance exam for the ministers trainee school together with the upper classman. And, I was accepted into the 26th Class of Ministers’ Trainee which started in April of the following year.
It would take too many spaces here to write everything, so I’m going to jump to the point where I met my wife and had 3 children.
My time in living in Holy Land has been long, but recently I had the opportunity to do Misasage at a church for 4 years. The Misasage at the church had change my views quite a bit towards other people and especially towards myself. It’s not that I was lazy, but through practicing my Mioshie and PL teachings, I learned the meaning behind what it is to overdo which I tend to do. At my current Misasage at the Rensei Department, it gives me great joy knowing that it is a continuous changes that happens and with that, we strive to make it so that it conforms with Oshieoya-sama’s feelings and ideas which will lead to the Rensei participants being able to appreciate.
The following is what I keep in mind while I do my Misasage.
That is, never forget to do Shikiri (prayer). To do Misasage with Shikiri, it makes you humble, and to align yourself with Oshieoya-sama’s feelings and ideas. I grew up in PL Holy Land, so to pray was second nature. But, I did not experience the true blessings in praying until I was over 40 year-old.

What is the difference between doing your Misasage just with your own strength and doing it with Shikiri. To give you an example in my own ways, to make a boat go forward, one way is to use an oar to paddle. You will move forward just as much as you paddle. A better option is to use a sail. If the wind blows into the sail, the boat will move forward like gliding on top of the water. I believe to do Shikiri is the sail that catches the wind that is called Oshieoya. By catching the wind with the sail (Shikiri), your timing with everything around you becomes better. A person who can help you do things will appear when you need them or receive the perfect tools to do what you are doing. It makes a great difference in your Misasage when you do and don’t do Shikiri.
Furthermore, because I do Shikiri, no matter what results I get, I can always believe that this will turn out for the beast due to the fact that I am riding on Oshieoya-sama’s wind.
During the Overseas Rensei, I believe that I was able to talk to you while you were waiting for the next lecture was because I was doing my Misasage with Shikiri. If you were able to have appreciations towards what I said, then it must be because Oshieoya-sama’s Shikiri was there. I have also expressed my intuition to other people as well. To do the Rensei Misasage is about accumulation of all your experience.
I believe that all staff who did Misasage did so with Shikiri to truly make the experience wonderful for all the PL members from overseas who came to Holy Land this year,
This is the reason why I became a minister and my state of mind doing my Misasage.
Thank you very much.

教祖祭から1ヶ月が過ぎてしまいました。
さて、デーモンさんからいただいた質問に対しての返事が遅くなり、申し訳ありません。
私がPL教師を志願した経緯を簡単に書きます。
PL学園高校から奈良県の大学に進学した私は、1987年に4年生になり、進路に悩んでいました。
そんな時に親しくしてくれていた先輩にPL教師にならないかと誘われました。PL教師の仕事の大変さを知っていましたので、私にはその仕事は無理だと思っていましたし、周囲にもPL教師にはならないことを言っていたくらいです。
しかし、その先輩の誘いは本気で、粘り強く話し掛けてくれました。その先輩の「おしえおや様へ恩返しをしよう」という言葉に感動して、だんだんと気持ちがPL教師になる方へ傾いていきました。自分に合った仕事を探す、やりたい事を見つけるのではなく、「おしえおや様へ恩返しをする」という単純な動機が自分の心を動かしていきました。その間にも、いろいろな自分の将来を描いてみましたが、夏休みの終わる頃になると、PL教師にならなければ、将来後悔するのではないかと思うようになり、とうとう教師志願をさせていただくことになりました。
そして、その年の10月に、その先輩と2人で教師養成機関である「PL教校」に入校するための試験を受けました。
そして、翌年4月から教校本科26期生としてPL教師になるための研修を受けることになりました。
その後のことは書いていると、とても長くなるので省略しますが、PL教師として献身させていただいている間に今の妻と知り合い、結婚して、更に子どもが3人授かりました。
本庁での生活も長いのですが、最近は約4年間の教会の献身も経験しました。この教会での献身は私の考え方を大きく変えました。人に対して、また自分に対して厳しく考えることが少なくなったように思えます。怠け者になったということではありませんが、PLの教えや「みおしえ」を実行させていただく中で、「度を過ごす」という間違いの意味を学ぶことができたと思っています。現在の錬成課の献身も毎日が変化の連続で、おしえおや様の感動に沿った錬成を推進させていただき、錬成員に喜んでもらえることが大きな喜びになっています。
次に私が献身で心掛けていることです。
それは、「遂断り」「祈り」を忘れないことです。遂断りながら献身をさせていただくということは、謙虚な気持ちを忘れないことと、おしえおや様の感動に沿うということ
です。私はPL聖地で育ちましたので、遂断ることは当たり前の行いでした。しかし、遂断ることの本当の有難さは、40歳を過ぎてから、改めて感じる体験がいくつかありました。
自分の力だけでする献身と、遂断りながらする献身の差は何でしょうか。私なりに例を挙げるなら、ボートを前に進めようとする時に、オールで漕いで進む方法があります。オールで漕いだ分だけ前にボートを進めることができますが、もっと良い方法として帆を張るという進め方もあるでしょう。風を帆一杯に受ければ、ボートは水上を滑るように進むはずです。遂断るということは、おしえおや様という風を受ける帆を張ることだと思っています。その風を遂断りという帆で受ければ、自分の周囲の巡り合わせが、タイミングが良くなり、自分を助けてくれる人が現れたり、必要な道具が授かったりして、遂断らない時と違って明らかに献身がはかどっていきます。
また、遂断ってさせていただくと、どんな結果になっても、おしえおや様の風に乗っているのだから、きっと良いことになると思えるようになりました。
海外団参錬成でデーモンさんが講義の時間を待っていた時に声を掛けさせていただけたのは、遂断って推進の献身をさせていただけたからだと思います。その言葉に対して、感謝の気持ちを持っていただけたのならば、おしえおや様の遂断りが働いたのだと思います。デーモンさん以外の方にも気付かせていただいた表現をさせていただきました。錬成の推進とは、その積み重ねだと思っています。
今年の教祖祭団参で、外国から多くのPL会員が聖地を訪れましたが、皆さんには、錬成課をはじめとした多くのスタッフが遂断りながら、気付かせていただいたことを大切にしながら、献身をさせていただいたと思っています。
以上が、私がPL教師にならせていただいた経緯と献身の時に心がけていることです。
ありがとうございました。

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Have the courage to take the first step

Have the courage to take the first step

How often have you thought of something you’d like to do that is different from anything you’ve done before? Or, it could be as simple as break from the regular routine of taking the same way home every night, shopping in the same stores, hanging out with the same circle of friends and doing the same things each time you do.

One group of friends got together every second week to have dinner, after dinner they would pop across to the shopping area and browse awhile before having a night cap and then going home. This one week, a friend had her cousin visiting and asked if she could bring her along, What they discovered was that having that one extra person join them, changed the dynamics of their conversations during the meal, and which stores they visit after the meal. Why, because the “guest” brought a different view point to their discussions, and when they shopped preferred to browse in stores they seldom entered.
By the time they got to sit and have their night cap, they found they were each and everyone of them feeling “re-energized”. Their night out had been one of discovery and fun, they’d explored different topics, and seen other dimensions in their friends, as well as having made a new one.

If you are timid in life, you will never be able to break free and start something new. Believe in yourself, take chances now and then, Life opens up, if you Let Go, and venture out of the “comfort zone”

 

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I’m late, I’m late

I'm late, I'm late

For a very important date! Today is my birthday! I was greeted with so many well wishes, I wanted to say thank you to each and everyone of you who remembered. I so appreciated hearing from you.
One of the most precious gifts is friendship, the personal time one takes to share a moment with someone else. Means a lot to me. Even with the electronic age,the fact that someone remembers, fills me with happiness.
That little girl raking leaves with her Dad, is a memory of a time shared with a man I’ll never ever forget. He passed away when I was 10, but his influence, love and nurturing live on in me today.

In PL we celebrate Ancestor’s Day on the 11th of each month. My father taught me that everyday is a celebration of “life”…to challenge myself, and always look at life as an experience to be lived. Not to fear failure, but to proactively challenge each new situation.

Believe there is always a reason, for what is. Know that tomorrow is another day. Have faith in the Divine love of God that is always with you.

You may be late, but you will always be on time for where you need to be in that one given moment.

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Begin your day with Appreciation

Begin your day with Appreciation

Welcome each new day,
start today with a renewed appreciation for the world
around you… and the people in your lives.
With the world rapidly changing, we need to continue
to evolve, that sometimes means changing how we see things.
At one times their was a family structure that very different from what we see in a lot of families today. Especially here in North America.
In Canada and I believe in the U.S.A. we have something called Mother’s Day, which is one day set aside to celebrate our Mother’s, or the women in our lives who are Mothers, GrandMothers Great Grandmothers, which is nice. It really is.

However when I look around, I see that many women today are not just stay at home moms. They more often then not are wearing multiple hats, mother,sometimes they even have to be the father too (single parent family). They hold down one and sometimes 2 jobs not including the role of being a Mother which is full time. It is hard work being independent and self sufficient,

PL Principle #11 – Realizing that children are God’s children, I will raise my child to become a useful citizen for others and society. Realizing also that children are mirrors of their parents, I will not raise my child indulging in my own emotions and just wanting to satisfy my feelings of love.

The quote I’ve used today by Dorothy C. Fisher is a statement to be applauded.

Let’s be in Tune With the Times.   -Begin your Day with  Appreciation

Blessings and love to each and everyone of you, Now and Always.    YOU are my Sunshine!!!!

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Good Morning World

Wake up and have a great day!
Everyday is a new beginning…
For me it is off to church to receive Oshieoya-sama’s blessings and to deepen my faith in PL…
Sharing in community is rejuvenating. PL faith grows not only through intellectual understanding but also through actively participating in PL activities.
It is a way of life. One I embrace with all my BEING

LOVE and BLESSINGS where ever you are ENJOY your day, fill it with meaningful moments! You will smile in your sleep all night =^_^=

song is Com Quem Contar (Ana Maria Miranda Coelho Rios)    Who To Trust      (song is sung in Brazilian Portuguese)

The translation of the song, the English words don’t fit the melody so much but this is the songs wording in English.

I was unhappy – Not knowing what to live for  – I knew not how to smile.   Life just wasn’t worthwhile – not knowing what I could do –  Not knowing who to trust.   **** I sought, I sough, At last I found – Oshieoya-sama, Oshieoya-sama *** chorus (twice)

Now I know – realizing what life is for – I always live with a smile.  – Life is no longer a trial.  I now know who to trust, Oshieoya-sama – ***chorus four times ***

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public bathrooms – Japan- for children

public bathrooms - Japan- for children

I found this to be absolutely one of the best ideas for parents who are traveling with children. the cubicles are only so high, so the child has his privacy, but the parent can watch to see that he/she is safe and doing alright.

I loved the idea.  This is the little girl’s side.

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Then there is this side for the young boys.

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Really now isn’t that just ingenious?  Had I not been traveling through Japan with friends who knew the country, I would have missed a lot of the super fabulous sights that I got to see and take in.  Their toilets were an experience, mine at home, and what I see here now that I’m back home are so boring.  Bet you didn’t expect to be reading about toilets, however you must agree that this idea of having the child size bathrooms available in public areas, where time is almost always a factor in the getting to and from in a very busy train /transportation system is fab!

The Japanese call the rush hour tsukin jigoku or “commuter hell”...  Commuter trains – I read stats for  back in the the late 80’s.  The figure for the system  was something like 19 million passengers a day on 28,000 trains.  Old people, and parents with children in tow stay off the trains during the rush hour.  The shopping including restaurants are top notch in the stations where you enter,leave and transfer.  Can you tell I was most impressed.  The cleanliness will get me going on a whole new topic. =^_^=

Saying “Thank You” creates a heart to heart connection.  Every day I thank Rev. Goto and his family for including me in their trip  to Japan.  Yes I was going for Rensei training. but had I not been gently encouraged and supported to step outside my comfort zone, I would have missed the opportunity of a lifetime.  I listened to the “spirit within” and I am filled with a deep gratitude when a memory surfaces.  i.e. seeing the pictures of the children’s bathrooms.

Use Sunday to recharge, make time for yourself, if you can, attend church,  Kahlil Gibran said something like, “pray in times of distress and need, but also in the fullness of your joy and in days of abundance”

Affirm your faith, not your doubts!

photos thanks to Waku Goto

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