Be Still My Soul

 

Kyiv - photo from unsplash.com

Hello dear friend,

I am very glad that you dropped in to read my latest post. I hope that you are well!

As, in Wales, we are still buffeted by strong winds - though storm Eunice has moved on after creating mayhem I was so happy that, watching #Songs of Praise on the BBC, one of my most favourite hymns was sung:  Be Still My Soul - part of the classical piece, Finlandia.

Composed by Sibelius in 1899, in the, then, Grand Duchy of Finland, Finlandia became a symbol of Finnish nationalism. After The Winter War in 1939 - when almost half a million Soviet troops stormed Finland - the Finnish poet V.A. Koskenniemi, wrote the words used today. For more info on the music and culture of Finland please see: https://finland.fi/arts-culture/finlandia-by-jean-sibelius/

I have never been to Finland and I learnt all of the above online today. But I do, as I said, so love this hymn. 

Here is an extract of Be Still My Soul which you can either sing or say as a prayer. 

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side;

bear patiently the cross of grief and pain;

leave to your God to order and provide;

in every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend

through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

And for a little extra peace in your soul, and in the world, try the following quick meditation.

1 minute meditation 

* Close your eyes and take a deep in-breath. As you breathe out feel the whole of your body relax. 

* Now say this prayer, or one of your own:

 "Dear Lord, please help me to feel that stillness in my soul, and to take it into my daily challenges, so that I may live in peace with everyone. And Lord, may Your Peace reign throughout the world.  I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen."

* When you are ready open your eyes and have a big stretch.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback on this post.

God bless,

Teresa 

For articles, plus more info about me and my work please visit my website.  (www.teresaodriscoll.co.uk)

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!

I have been asking God for guidance and listening to His replies for many years. I share my methods in Pray Then Listen, A heart-to-heart with God.

Check out Pray Then Listen In UK / In US  / In Singapore / In New Zealand / In Australia

Available as a Kindle version or paperback! 

Set on the green and beautiful Greek island of Corfu in this novel I show the ever-present backstory of life, as I interpret the supernatural elements of our dilemmas and choices. 

I know, that no matter what your beliefs or experiences, you will surely recognize the tussles of my characters, as tussles in your own life....  Enjoy!

Click on the following links to check out my novel, Angel at the Paradise Hotel In UK /  In US / In Singapore /In Australia / In New Zealand

Available as a Kindle version or paperback!

You may like to see my blog on the Backstory of this novel

I wrote 9 Days to Heaven, How to make everlasting meaning of your life as my personal evangelization effort.  

Check out 9 Days to Heaven In UK / In US / In Singapore  /  In Australia / 

Available as a Kindle version or paperback!

Here is the link for the YouTube book trailer:  9 Days to Heaven 

 

Up your leadership skills through Nehemiah

 

Hello dear friend,

Thank you  for dropping in today. I hope you are keeping well!

When a fellow Christian author asked me to review her new book I felt, as always, greatly honoured! 

From the USA, and a missionary in South Africa, it is great to connect with another author; living in a different part of the globe, but very much of the same heart for Christ. Here is my review.

An engaging, thought provoking, and informative read. This book goes way beyond a typical executive manual. Part memoir, liberally laced with biblical wisdom, the general principles of these leadership skills can be used as effectively in the home or place of worship, as in the workplace. The author turns the story of Nehemiah – who listens for, and carries out, God’s will, in order to achieve successful outcomes – into a step-by-step lesson on using the Bible as a blueprint for Christian living. If you need to lead someone then delve into these pages and learn how to do it God’s way.

I greatly recommend this book to you.

Let the important theme of the book sink into your heart with the following meditation.

1 minute meditation 

* Close your eyes and take a deep in-breath. As you breathe out feel the whole of your body relax. 

* Now say this prayer, or one of your own:

 "Dear Lord, please help me to discover Your will through the Scriptures, and to carry it out by the power of Your Holy Sprit. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen."

* When you are ready open your eyes and have a big stretch.

With every blessing!

Teresa 

For more info please visit my website:www.teresaodriscoll.co.uk and my other blog: https://creativelivingforthebestyou.blogspot.com/

For further inspiration take a look at my book 9 Days to Heaven, How to make everlasting meaning of your life, is a practical guide to joyful living which has already helped many through a crisis in their life.  To see the book trailer click on this link: 9 Days to Heaven

The book is available as a paperback from any good bookshop and many websites. Click here to buy the e-book on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Days-Heaven-Make-Everlasting-Meaning-ebook/dp/B00AIR8CSC

Power of Love Shared in Words

 

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

Hello dear friend,

Thank you for stopping by. Today, feeling emotionally raw - it is my late-mother's birthday - the day's reading in Our Daily Bread, a publication that has enriched my life for over twenty years, amazed and touched me. (https://odb.org)

Written by Xochitl Dixon, it featured David, a farmer, who, a few years before, had the rug pulled from under him when the bank repossessed his farm - worked by his family for decades. When he learned that the property was coming up for sale he moved heaven and earth to scrape together the finances to buy it back. 

"David arrived at the auction," wrote Xochitl, "and joined a crowd of nearly two hundred local farmers." Would his meagre bid be enough? "He placed the first bid, taking deep breaths as the auctioneer called for higher bids. The crowd remained silent until they heard the slam of the gavel."

I gasped as I read that last line! The implications:  the selflessness of David's fellow farmers as they chose to put "the needs of David and his family above their own financial advancement". It brought a tear to my eye. What a beautifully written dramatic story filled with hope and love. It lifted me up. It reminded me too, of the power of writing. 

I hope it lifts you too.  And, for my fellow writers, I hope it reminds you of your purpose...

For a little more inspiration in your life try the following quick meditation.

1 minute meditation 

* Close your eyes and take a deep in-breath. As you breathe out feel the whole of your body relax. 

* Now say this prayer, or one of your own:

 "Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to remember that it is Love, You, Who keeps the world turning. And I ask you to remind me of this often, even as You encourage me to show that Love to everyone I encounter. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen."

* When you are ready open your eyes and have a big stretch.

With every blessing.

Teresa 

For more info please visit my website:www.teresaodriscoll.co.uk and my other blog: https://creativelivingforthebestyou.blogspot.com/

For further inspiration take a look at my book 9 Days to Heaven, How to make everlasting meaning of your life, is a practical guide to joyful living which has already helped many through a crisis in their life.  To see the book trailer click on this link: 9 Days to Heaven

The book is available as a paperback from any good bookshop and many websites. Click here to buy the e-book on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Days-Heaven-Make-Everlasting-Meaning-ebook/dp/B00AIR8CSC