My Everyday Mystic by Jan Puta: blog for the soul

I live in Wisconsin in Central USA. Virginia is over towards the eastern end of the states. I’m not planning on driving there or flying for the Christmas season, but my heart is already running around those country roads.

In the December issue of “Open Roads: Open Hearts, Open Minds,” I have the privilege of writing the feature article. “Let There Be Light: How to Make It, Keep It, and Share It’ begins with the Chinese proverb: “Don’t curse the darkness – light a candle.”

Looking around nature, the economy, and international politics, we can find many places to bring more light right now.

• As the days shorten with the onset of winter and the nights get longer, we need more light!

• As the talk of recession and economic instability gets louder, we need more light!

• As natural disasters claim homes and lives in all parts of the world, we need more light!

• As many people close the door and want to be left alone in their black hole of depression, we need more light!

And obviously, as you’ve guessed by now, I’m not talking about turning on the ceiling lights or even lighting more candles.

I’m talking about a Light Source that is out of this world and guaranteed not to run out, not to run up your electricity bill, and won’t discriminate against who uses it and who doesn’t.

LIGHT is first and for mostly about Love.

We’re getting into that time of the year when our greeting cards and gift giving tell us that over and over again. But let’s take love out of the traditional expectations of our culture and raise it up a notch. Let’s take love out of the dating scene and sexual attraction and give it the place of honor it deserves.

One of my favorite viewpoints on love comes from 1 Corinthians 13:

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly. Love does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails.”

This is the kind of love that changes ourselves and changes the world we choose to help transform.

This is the kind of love I wish for all the readers who open and share the good news in “Open Roads” in Stuarts Draft, Virginia and beyond.

Many thanks to publisher and editor, Becky Allen, following her heart’s desire in putting this publication together. Blessings on the great wildlife rehabilitation work being done by the Rockfish Sanctuary, Inc. – it’s always a great joy of mine to read about their triumphs. And thanks to the many contributors who share the story of their journey through the changing of the seasons and the spiritual challenges of life.

So many ways to find the light, keep it, and share it.

If you’d like to get a copy of “Open Roads: Open Hearts, Open Minds,” contact publisher and editor Becky Allen at openroads@hughes.net or call at 540-377-2198.

We are here to learn from each other. Drop us a line in the response box below (or click on the comment link in Facebook) and share your thoughts about how you make, keep, and share more light in your life at this time of the year.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Janice M. Puta
Author of Pathways: Tales for the Spiritual Seeker
Free Preview: Pathways: Tales for the Spiritual Seeker