Just got home from a lovely service in Erie PA. Great energy and lots of love… I shared the fact the last time I spoke there, I used another song and the significance of that talk and what happened the next day…

As promised, the song DAY by DAY was used. Afterwards it was suggested that they add it to their song book, so that was rather awesome!!! Here are my notes for the talk, I went slightly off course but I think it worked out well in the end.

Good Morning and Laughter

Jack Rudy, has instilled in me that it is important that when speaking that I should at least make someone smile and give you something to think about.

Mortal: What is a million years like to you?

God: Like one second.

Mortal: What is a million dollars like to you?

God: Like one penny.

Mortal: Can I have a penny?

God: Just a second.

March 27th is World Theatre Day

It is appropriate that I have been listening to a lot of Broadway Musicals this past week. Theatre for me has changed so many things. It is a lot about who I am today. It got me to think back to that first Theatre productions I was involved in High School. Godspell and how one song has weaved its way into my everyday life

Day by day

Oh Dear Lord

Three things I pray

To see thee more clearly

Love thee more dearly

Follow thee more nearly

Day by day

Godspell is a series of a parables, most of which are based on the Gospel of Matthew; three of the parables featured are only in the Gospel of Luke.

Godspell, with book and original concept by John-Michael Tebelak and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, originated in 1970 as a play and Tebelak’s master thesis project at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Did you know the words were originally attributed to Saint Richard of Chichester.

· Feastday: April 3

· Patron of Coachmen; Diocese of Chichester; Sussex, England

· Birth: 1197 Death: 1253

· he was orphaned while a young lad, managed to regain his fortune which had been mismanaged by others, and received an excellent education at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, Italy

· He insisted upon strict adherence to discipline among the clergy, aided the poor, and fearlessly denounced the corruption and vices of the contemporary Church and the royal court.

Prayer of Saint Richard of Chichester

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly,
and follow thee more nearly, day by day.
Amen.

Cultural Influence

“Day by Day” has become a popular standalone song. It became a well-recognized single from the original cast album in 1972 and spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at the #13 position. The song has been covered by several different bands and was performed/referenced in various films, including Meet the Parents and Wet Hot American Summer.

The original cast album was on the Billboard Hot 100 for Pop Albums, peaking at the #34 position. The album also received gold certification on December 12, 1972 (sold more than 500,000 copies).

The musical has been referenced/parodied in a multitude of television shows, ranging from Ally McBeal to The New Adventures of Old Christine and King of the Hill.

I feel it needs to be explained that they all mean the same to me:

· God/Goddess

· Devine

· Mother/Father

· Creator/Lord

· Infinite Intelligence

· Spirit

· Universe

To see thee more clearly

Owl

I asked for guidance about this verse in meditation and I was given an owl. Then they started appearing everywhere. I went and looked their meaning up:

· Owlslive within the darkness, which includes magic, mystery, and ancient knowledge. Related to the night is the moon, which owls are also connected to.

· It becomes a symbol of the feminine and fertility, with the moon’s cycles of renewal. Even the mythology relates owl to this wisdom and femininity.

· The owl was a symbol for Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, before the Greeks gave their pantheon human forms. According to myth, an owl sat on Athena’s blind side, so that she could see the whole truth.

· In Ancient Greece, the owl was a symbol of a higher wisdom, and it was also a guardian of the Acropolis. Diana, the Roman response to Athena, was strongly associated with the moon, and also the owl.

· The Pawnee and the Sioux saw the owl as a messenger (akicita) to the first of all evil creatures (Unktehi).

· The Lakota tribe had an “Owl Society,” where the warriors fought primarily at night and painted dark rings around their eyes because they believed that would allow them to have an owl’s acute vision.

· Intuition, ability to see what others do not see

· The presence of the owl announces change

· Capacity to see beyond deceit and masks

· The traditional meaning of the owl spirit animal is the announcer of death, most likely symbolic like a life transition, change

If we take time each day and be silent, we can know the Divine more clearly.

Love thee more dearly

Frog

The frog has been a long loving totem of mine. Instantly thought that this symbolized love for me. The heart chakra is after all green. Dug a little deeper and their meaning is interesting:

· It is said that the frog is symbolic of the cleansing. You can call on the frog spirit to support you in clearing negativity and “toxic” energies. The frog being associated with water, it may be a good spirit animal to call for emotional release.

· Renewal, rebirth

· Fertility, abundance

· Transformation, metamorphosis

· Life mysteries and ancient wisdom

· To see a frog in your dream represents a potential for change or the unexpected.

I am struggling with a book “Three Magic Words” has anyone read the book? What are the three words? “I AM GOD”

To be more loving we cannot have negativity. We must let go of it and send love in the direction of those that wrong you.

Trust me I know only too well how challenging that is.

That means our neighbors, our enemies and those that frustrate and anger us.

Follow thee more nearly

Hummingbird

This was a more interesting find. I sat and thought about animals and none seemed right, looked up sheep, a lion and an eagle. None of their meanings made any sense. I decided to take to Google for a Spirit animal so I used the search “Spiritual animals nearly” went to the 13 page and on the 5^th entry – Hummingbird. As I read I understood what Spirit was trying to get across.

· The hummingbird spirit animalsymbolizes the enjoyment of life and lightness of being. Those who have the hummingbird as a totem are invited to enjoy the sweetness of life, lift up negativity wherever it creeps in and express love more fully in their daily endeavors.

· This fascinating bird is capable of the most amazing feats despite its small size, such as traveling great distances or being able to fly backwards. By affinity with the hummingbird, those who have this bird as totem may be encouraged to develop their adaptability and resiliency while keeping a playful and optimistic outlook.

· Lightness of being, enjoyment of life

· Being more present

· Independence

· Bringing playfulness and joy in your life

· Lifting up negativity

· Swiftness, ability to respond quickly

· Resiliency, being able to travel great distances tirelessly

By doing the first two we accomplish this.

Day by day

This is a daily task, not something we do once a week, month or year.

I want to thank everyone today for allowing me to share my thoughts.

Sometimes we need the wisdom of the owl to see what is in front of us, other times we need cleansing of the frog to remove the toxic elements holding us from love and often we need to be like the Hummingbird. As we enter Mercury in Retrograde, fly backwards and accomplish great things, be present in every moment and lift out the negativity that surrounds us. And how do we do that?

Day by day

Oh Dear Lord

Three things I pray

To see thee more clearly

Love thee more dearly

Follow thee more nearly

Day by day