I don't know how many people have been in love; I mean truly, madly, deeply, hopelessly in love. I thought I was once. When you are that in love it changes you inside and out. It changes how you think, act, and what you say. It changes the way you feel, how you look at things, how you spend your time and money. Being in love changes you, usually for the better. Love forces us to think of someone else's wants and needs before our own. We make sacrifices in big and small ways to make the relationship work. It is a give and take, talking and listening and it is open and honest communication. A relationship is a dialogue not a monologue.

Loving someone changes a lot, but loving God and being in a relationship with Him changes EVERYTHING.

Working from the belief that you believe in the stories; you can't stay the same. You can't truly live your old life when you know The Life. The apostles were the perfect example. They weren't great men, particularly smart or famous, but when they saw Jesus, they dropped what they were doing and followed him. Then imagine the Transfiguration and the impact that that moment had on the apostles. This was the transforming love of God made manifest: He was radiant like honest-to-God glowing. It hits like a ton of bricks if you begin to understand the magnitude and the scope of His death and resurrection. How can one heart love that much?! And this fact is especially hard given the knowledge and experiences we have in the world we know today!

And then the most intimate and profound act of love is the gift of the Eucharist which comes from the words meaning grateful, thanksgiving, well and offer graciously. Kharis is the Greek word for Grace.

Catholics believe that the bread and wine at the mass are transformed in essence although not necessarily in substance to the body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the reception of the Eucharist, God's ultimate gift of love is revealed and shared with us as he gives us his very life. And we consume him in a profoundly physical and spiritual way. We are literally uniting with Christ and the two become one in body and soul. It is the most perfect expression of love's life-giving power. Christ marries (joins) himself to us.

When you have something so good, so amazing, you can't keep it to yourself. You just have to share it and tell all the world about it. You are in love, and you are loved. You are loved by God and THIS... CHANGES EVERYTHING!

All of the fear, has now drained out of me.
Echoing love, in any direction I see.

People that look at me, often times stare.
Wondering how, that I haven’t a care.

All of these things, and the changes I’ve met.
Empowering myself, to remove all regret.

Repelled or attracted is what they will feel.
Buried inside them, are things to reveal.

There are layers of reality, that are governed by force.
The others are parallel, linked directly to source.

When connecting with one, you’ll immediately know.
The division of worlds, is beginning to show.

The traveler arrives, so let it be known.
Whichever your realm, you are never alone.

There is so much more, than can be seen with your eye.
The new light will help, you see shapes in the sky.

The truth of self growth, are secrets disclosed.
More lies now than ever, still the universe knows.  

If knowing inside, you were chosen for this.
Now come the hard times, that will lead you to bliss.

Removing the thoughts, that filled you with fear.
Easily done, since you’re the only one here.

No longer are you subject to karma’s swift wrath.
Taking your place, upon the middle path.

Take a glass of August, to sip at harvest time
a vessel overflowing, with a stem of wilting vines
the final press and corking up of summers cheapest wine,
too sweet, too ripe, too seasoned, with the changing year’s decay,
overblown and blousy with the taste of yesterday

Hyper fixated
my mind keeps on racing
with entwined and abrasive
slights to my native ways and my nature
always finding a way to
sabotage and engrain a
sense of imminent danger
along with the worst ways to
mend and to gauge
making positive changes
on how I appear to myself in my brain
I'm hyper fixated
My mind keeps on racing...

Go alone
Go scared
Go overwhelmed
Just go.

Now is the right time.
You're thinking about doing it.
So go.

Do not talk yourself out of it.
Recall all the changes you've ever made:

Trick question - you cannot -

There’s immeasurably many
Just know that almost all have been uncomfortable.

It’s better to live with the regret of doing
Rather than having not.
Train yourself to try

You cannot circumvent the discomfort
You can welcome and embrace the growth.

Always keep your eyes open,
You never know, what’s in your path ahead,
Your trail could lead you far, or the end could be dead,
Some situations, will be cool, others hot, and you’re clothes,
You will shed.
Other days will be slow, and hard,
You may move, like your pants are full of lead,
After a long night, you might wake up confused, finding yourself,
Laying on a stranger’s bed, it’s normal to make mistakes,
Then you feel like, kicking yourself in the head.

An active, curious mind, will entertain you, many hours,
On different days, many things will be confusing,
Just keep trying to find answers, someway,
There will be moments, you want to relax, and go somewhere,
And play.

Some moments, will seem perfect, everything, will go right,
Everyone around you, will be helpful, and stick together tight,
Other times when you’re awful hungry, even the food you don’t,
Really like, will taste good, to the last bite.

                                   The Original: Tom Maxwell ©  04/19/2024 A.D.