The month of March brings us the Spring Equinox, heralding birth and new beginnings.  It is a good time to feel gratitude for all that life offers us.   Having gratitude is a way to honor ourselves for being born into this Earthly experience.   Gratitude helps us embrace the challenges along side the blessings because they are both gifts.

I wish to pay tribute to the birth of my Father and Mother, family and friends as I honor each one.   This month of March would be my Father's 100th birthday and although he has passed, I continue to honor his birth.  My Mother passed in March a week after my Dad's birthday only 3 years ago and I honor her birth as well.   I give thanks to both of them for bringing me into this life.

In March, ten years ago, I faced the biggest transformational experience of my life.   The day before my Dad's birthday, I was bitten by a brown recluse spider that brought me face to face with my own mortality.  Going through two surgeries and much physical therapy to first save my finger then to release my finger, I faced the deepest fear I have ever known and I found my greatest courage.  By embracing my courage, I was able to see it as a significant gift.   Courage and faith in divine presence sustained me.   I also fell in love and that opened my heart to give me strength and hope and so much more.   My gratitude continues to run deep for it all.

Gratitude invites inspiration, a great force that propels us forward into newness.   The spirit within us motivates us to take action in creative and expanding ways.   When one is inspired to write a poem, paint a picture, play with a camera, learn something new or change a habit, let go of something no longer useful, heal an emotional wound, inspiration leads the way.

Take a moment to be still and breath into that quiet place inside then simply be open to inspiration.  It may come as a new idea or an old idea coming to new light.  As we become more accustomed to sparks of inspiration, we learn to listen to our inner self and our hearts desire.   Sometimes the newly inspired idea needs a moment to grow just as a seed needs to be planted and nurtured.   Patience becomes a virtue as we cultivate our new garden of inspiration.

Several significant ingredients in allowing inspiration to flow are gratitude, forgiveness and acceptance.   When we live with gratitude in our hearts, we are thankful for all experiences that have made us who we are.   When we have forgiveness in our hearts, we allow ourselves and others to simply be, removing judgment.  When we have acceptance in our heart for ourselves and others, we allow our light to shine a little brighter.

I know I speak to your heart when I say, find your inspiration and plant your garden whatever it might be.   Heighten your gratitude and trust in your power to blossom.  Your light of creativity is necessary to brighten and transform this world.

Another meaningful message from:

Faith in You

by Astara  

"Our highest calling is to be here now living fully, expressing our gifts through divine inspiration.   Your highest calling is to be you.  As we travel together through this earthly life, let us remember that we are here together, on purpose.   Your gift is my treasure and my gift is your treasure.   While we each continue to grow through change and challenges, through inspiration and creativity, we all awaken individually and collectively to the love we are.   Love is where we meet and know each other.   Knowing this deep within our heart center is to know God/Goddess, Spirit, Source, Divinity within."  click to read more