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Love and Friendship
From the Pearls of Wisdom of the Summit Lighthouse ************************************** "I asked God for
water, he gave me an ocean. I asked God for a flower, he gave me a garden. I
asked God for a tree, he gave me a forest. I asked God for a friend, he gave me
YOU. There is not enough
darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle. A candle loses
nothing by lighting another candle. Three ways to greet our family and everyone we meet: Heart to Heart we
greet everyone with: 1. A Beautiful Smile Remember the meaning of the letters in
the word “smile”: the letters in the word smile can mean “Sending My
Infinite Love Everywhere” 2. Sweet or kind words
of love, 3. A Happy Heart of Love. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their
labour. For
if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone
when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. (Ecclesiastes
4:9,10) Friendship and friendliness are dentistry’s
most permanent fillings. ****************************************** O God, please bring to bear within my world all
that I need to be your perfect chalice. Please grant your grace so that I may extend it to those in need. Purge from me anything that would block the full radiance of your love pouring through me at all times and to all peoples. O Lord, I see in my mind’s eye now all those who require your love and I ask you to use me as your vessel to give to each one the water of life in the exact portion that that one needs to come home to your heart. This I ask according to your will and divine mercy, O Lord. This day I surrender to my divine calling, knowing that it is more blessed to give than to receive. O God, I surrender to you all that I am and ever hope to be. Come into my temple this day and every day and make your abode with me as I abide in Thee. Be Thyself in action in me this day and greet all whom I meet with the perfect blessing for each one, that all may be raised into a greater awareness of Thyself in action everywhere. As you go about your day, give the roses of
your heart to the Father/Mother God in prayerful moments and silent contemplation. Visualize giving these roses to those you encounter as well, saying: Here is a rose from my heart. I give it to you,
my friend, O my long-lost friend whom I have now met again on the road of life. Know, O soul, that you are precious in His sight and that you can, by God’s grace, make it all the way home if you simply love enough. (The teaching above is from the Hearts Center) *************************************************** Friendship Life is sweet because
of friends we have made And the things in common we share We want to live on,
not because of ourselves But because of the people who care It’s in giving, and
doing, for somebody else On all that life’s splendor depends And the joys of this
life, when you’ve summed it all up Are found in the making of friends Author unknown "Good
friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know
they are always there." When you have once
seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man
can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him. --Albert
Camus "I believe that
friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble
remembering how to fly." Peace Begins with One Person Ivory Harlow began working as a waitress after a tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force. She is studying for a bachelor's degree in business administration. Harlow lives in San Antonio with her husband and dog, and enjoys writing poems and non-fiction. “Can one act of
friendliness start to generate peace? I believe it can. Peace begins with one
person but spreads like warmed syrup.” All Things Considered, October 30, 2006 · I serve coffee at a
counter-style diner in Texas. I often see a look of isolation in my customers'
eyes. They come in the front door, wander to the counter, pick up the menu and
look around the diner for something they can't short-order: a connection. In an age of online chat,
online shopping and even online school, it's no wonder people come into the
diner starving for human connection. Most of my customers can remember a time
when the milkman came to their front door. As I serve up their eggs and bacon,
they offer updates on their grandchildren. They ask me about the happenings in
my life. One day, I walked back to
the smoking section to pass around a fresh pot of coffee. There was a woman who
had been sitting in a corner booth for at least three hours. She asked me,
"How much is just one breakfast taco?" I told her I didn't know, that
I'd never served just one by itself. Going back to the kitchen I thought about
her rotted teeth and tired eyes, and how she'd consumed enough caffeine for
three people already. I offered her a free pancake breakfast. I fibbed that it
was a leftover from an order I had messed up. She asked to borrow bus fare and
promised to return and pay me back. I handed over tip money from my apron
pocket. She smiled a ragged grin on her way out the front door. Three weeks later she
returned my two dollars. She had gotten a job and a friend's couch to sleep on.
She offered to buy me breakfast on my break! This kind of thing gets me
wondering if something as simple as a short stack of pancakes can bring about a
small shift in society. I'll go even further: Can one act of friendliness start
to generate peace? I believe it can. Peace begins with one person but spreads
like warmed syrup. When I connect with my neighbors, they return it in kind. So I believe in friendliness
and an open ear. For me, it starts with making eye contact when I pour coffee
and ask my customers, "How you doing?" and then listen to
their answer. My job is to take care of
customers at the counter in a small Texas diner, but I also believe we're in
this world to take care of each other. *********************************
A Prayer for Justice
************************************ “For enmity and hate are contrary to friendship and concord.” William Caxton
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