Raymond D. Longoria Jr.

We can, each of us, be likened to houses made entirely of colorfully stained-glass. They sparkle and shine when the sun is on them, however when the darkness sets in, their greatest beauty is revealed only by a Light from within.

Why would I want to believe this? I am a human being having a spiritual experience.When I could Choose to Live this;I AM a Spiritual being having a human experience.By True Faith, living and embracing the latter, There can be no fear, no worry. Existing as a Spiritual Being there is Truly nothing in this world that can harm me. For I AM Eternal, absent beginning or end.

I'm Thankful in the knowledge that Each of us are making choices according to the best light we have. That there is never reason for embarrassment, humiliation, regret. This Life we live is here for us to make mistakes and learn from them and Spiritually grow. Imagining a person that has never made mistakes is like staring at an unworkable stone.

She wasn't the perfect mom. However, she was the perfect Mother for me.

We must not decide how anyone else should or shouldn't be Living.Whenever I'm about to use the word "should" I use the word "could" instead. Should is judgemental, could is empowering.Try it out on yourself with the things that you talk to yourself about...I should do better. or I could do better.

No-one knows enough to righteously say something is impossible.__ith God ALL things are possible.__ow tell me, what does that leave out?

Sometimes the Lord must bring the bodylow before Raising the Spirit ever higher.

Fear banged at the door; Love answered,and discovered the disturbance had gone.

Thank You is a great thing to share... If a situation brings Gratitude to mind, then a heart felt Thank You is a great way to express it.

In the darkest of places, even the slightest glimmer of Light shines as the Sun.

In having compassion for another's Spiritual blindness, I can learn to Forgive myself.

A mothers Love is as deep and powerful as any ocean, in the depths of it forgiveness forever is found for her wandering child.

Shortly after I started hitting some notable milestones on my Spiritual journey, I went into a thrift store that benefits veterans, My eyes were quickly drawn to a dusty and tattered image of Christ laying mixed in with some other things on a shelf. I picked it up, And on it was written these words:"If you accept it...I would give you the gift of seeing yourself as I see you..."The truth and love of that image and simple words stopped me in my tracks and opened my heart. Since then I have received a wonderful gift, to know myself as an Eternal Spiritual Being, a Child of our Loving Father in Heaven....And no I didn't buy it, I received the message loud and clear, So I left it there, in hopes that the image and words would speak to someone else's Soul in the same way they had spoken to mine.

Giving Thanks leads to a desire to forgive, and forgiveness speaks of pure surrender and acceptance of the things that have happened in our lives, with that accomplished we can experience the Peace and Joy of true Forgiveness, Not only for others but for ourselves also.

When I carried the world entire upon my shoulders, so much of me was painfully dedicated to "fixing" myself, till finally I invited Christ into my Life and discovered that I had never been "broken" at all. EVERYTHING I thought was lacking in myself He had long ago made Whole.

I speak of the power of trying, because I have fallen and struggled to stand. I speak of generosity because I battle selfishness. I speak of joy because I have known sorrow. I speak of faith because I almost lost mine, and know what it is to be broken, in need of redemption. I speak of Thanks because I am grateful for the totality of this Life... not just the easy parts.

There have been times in Life when my light has been extinguished and the smoldering embers of it were blown back into flame by another. I give deepest Thanks to all that have rekindled my light.

Anger is Always built upon a foundation of fear and suffering.