Permeating the Home

I have been thinking a lot lately about the things I surround myself with, and how that effects me - positively or negatively. TV, music, books, friends, work, and my immediate environment all influence my attitudes and my outlook on life. They inspire and uplift, or ... they drag me down and hinder my progress.

I gave up watching the news years ago. Same stories, really, with different faces, different names. Occasionally, there was some good news. But, you know what? That's not the experience of my life. There is LOTS of good news. There is hope, there is joy, and there is love. I'm not saying that other stuff doesn't exist - it does. I witness it every day I'm at work. I'm just saying I don't need it to be permeating my home.

I was out in the garden when this thought passed through. The sun was shining and everything was lush and green. Flowers are blooming everywhere. Here is peace. Here is joy. Here is God.

It was breathtakingly beautiful. I was in awe of the way the leaves had sprung forth, and how each tree and flower knows exactly when it's time has come to grow and bloom. My heart was full and my spirit light.

I want the same INside my home. I've focused a lot of attention to my yard. For me, that's easy - I love being out in the sunshine, feeling the breeze, tending the earth. But I need to focus the same attention internally.

It's my home. My sanctuary. My refuge from the world. I want to walk in and feel the same as in the garden: Here is peace. Here is joy. Here is God.