*This story is enhanced if you pre-read “Too Important to Ever Forget.”*

First         Shut out all of the distractions, external & internal.

Consider that God is with you, anointing you with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in your life. . .

. . .providing, encouraging, sustaining and loving.

When you receive the Holy Spirit into your life, Fruit will appear in you.  

Breathe slowly. Focus on your own spirit.

Rest your eyes and relax for a minute before you read on.

Second    Be reminded, you are not alone.  God is here. Take it in.

It’s not a question of goosebumps or tingly feelings.

It’s a question of faith; believe, when there is no evidence. Believe. You are not alone.

“Jesus said, ‘The first is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-30

These verses request something of you.

How are you doing at meeting those demands? How is your loving? (journal)             

Seek God’s mercy for insufficient loving of God, neighbor and self. Pray. . .

God has plans for your spiritual relationship.

If you seek God, you will gain the strength you need to succeed at overt, deep, sustaining love.

Third       Love God.

“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’”  I Corinthians 2:9

Reflect. Take a moment, reevaluate your current relationship with God.

Write and offer a prayer, expressing your desire to love God more completely. . (journal)

. . .Next, as you open your heart to worship God, praise your creator.

Start by naming it, claiming it, owning it. God is worthy of adoration.

With every inhale draw in God’s goodness and with every exhale dispel doubt and negativity.

As you love God, receive God’s goodness that comes from the Holy Spirit.

Fourth     Love your neighbor.

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you,

you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,

if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Reflect. Who is God calling you to love? to forgive? to reach out to? to minister to? (journal)

Offer a prayer, seeking God’s perspective on the quality of your loving. . .

. . .Next, open your heart to receive the love of wonderful people in your life.

Start by naming them, claiming their love, owning their love, accepting their love.

With every inhale draw in the love of people around you and exhale any disappointment of feeling unloved.

As you prepare to love others enthusiastically,

receive God’s goodness that comes from the Holy Spirit.

Fifth         Love yourself.

“Thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel;

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” Isaiah 43:1, 4a

Reflect. God loves you so much, whether or not you acknowledge it.

God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to prove that love to you.

Nothing can separate you from that love.

Be aware that you are worthy of God’s love.

God created you! And said, “this is good.”

Love on yourself. Start by naming it, claiming it, owning it, accepting it.

Write and offer a prayer, expressing gratitude for your gifts, talents and blessings. . (journal)

. . .Next, open your heart to the reality that you are perfect, absolutely perfect.

You are loved by God, worthy of love and equipped to love.

With every inhale recognize how blessed you are, your gifts, your talents, your capacity to love.

With every exhale dispel every doubt and insecurity that robs you of peace.

God created you and called it good, receive God’s goodness that comes from the Holy Spirit.      

Sixth        Open your heart and feel the power of God’s love in your life.

You are truly loved. You are not alone.

God is with you, and God is going to support you. Feel it and believe it.

Bathe in the Holy Spirit as you bathe in the light and warmth of the candle.

Be challenged this day, to be a reflection of goodness.

May all who see you today experience the goodness within you.

Consider how this centering moment can influence the rest of your day. (journal)

This is too important to ever forget. God is good. And God created you and you are good. God is calling you to share your goodness with all of the rest of creation. Goodness is born in love. Goodness exists because of love. Goodness is revealed through love.     

The manifestations of goodness are numerous and only limited by your creativity. Be inspired. What good can you do today? What goodness can you share? Goodness may be realized in the way you speak to others today. Goodness may be witnessed in the extra effort you provide so that someone else, someone who maybe hurting or broken, will feel God’s goodness through you. Goodness may be strong, loud, and vibrant as you scream against injustice. Goodness may be quiet, felt in a reassuring touch or pleasant smile. Goodness may be uncomfortable as you defend a wounded outcast but goodness is always beautiful.

God created and it was good. God creates and it is good. Through our creation we are given the possibility of reflecting the image of God’s goodness.

Regardless how selfishness strives to overshadow good, reach for the good deep within you from God. You were born to experience goodness and offer goodness to a world where evil thrives. Today, more than any other day, choose goodness as your demeanor. Share goodness, repeatedly and enthusiastically. May this string around your finger elicit a breath prayer every time you see it. May your prayer remind you that goodness is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is yours to seek, experience and share.

Be challenged. And then be ready to be blessed by goodness.

Tie a string around your sixth finger and may it remind you of the power of goodness.

Choose a breath prayer and memorize. Here are three examples for your consideration:

1. 1. “Holy Spirit, fill me with goodness. Use me to inspire goodness.”
   2. “May the seed of goodness in me, bear Fruit of goodness around me.”
   3. “As I rest in the Holy Spirit, goodness rests in me.”

Repeat this prayer to yourself every time you glance at the string around your finger.

Say it. . .maybe 20 times today.

Mean it when you say it at least 5 times.

Change what you are doing to reflect this prayer at least once, today

May this spiritual discipline today, bring you closer to God and closer to the person God hopes you will become.

Take time to reflect, journal, pray.