Author: mslauraasmith

Usually I do not make New Year’s resolutions. I watch the numbers swell at the gym every January only to shrink by the first of February. I question whether the New Year is the best time to attempt a new habit. It is cold; I am slowing down and in hibernation mode. The days are…

I open my hand and allow God to fill it. Lying in bed this morning I found myself slipping into a fear-filled space. What if I don’t have enough to do this? What happens when that? Fear has a life of its own, it exists without justification. It pokes at me in the early hours;…

God has three answers to our prayers, yes, maybe, and I have something better for you. There are many paths up the mountain and just as many ways to come into conscious contact with a Divine Source. Some people believe that we should pray in a certain way, that we should not make personal requests…

I am reminding myself, as temperatures dip way below zero, that winter in the Berkshires is an amazing time of year. The snow coats the trees, icicles shimmer in the sun, and bright red berries create art against a backdrop of snow. Winter is the season to look within, to retreat to a warm cozy…

Snow If I were to place a frame around joy, it would be gold gilt, snow piles, fresh, white and sparkling in the light from the streetlamp. Snow dogs leaping through the powder, noses buried into cold blue gloss. A sigh, a snort, another leap, after fresh rabbit tracks. Now inside beside the fire, ice…

I don’t know if it is the time of year (likely excuse) but I have been acting like a child. I am not a child so this poses a problem. Toys R Us had a commercial, years ago (maybe still) and the jingle went like this: “I don’t want to grow, I’m a Toys R…

As snow settles on the ground in the Berkshires I am reminded that the solstice is right around the corner. Every morning at the same time, after a brief meditation I swing in my hammock chair in front of a picture window and write. Each day when I sit it is a tiny bit darker.…

I just had to jump through hoops to receive a little help from our government. These were not merely ordinary hoops, mind you, they were flame encircled ones. I don’t ask for help often, but it seems that when I do, it tends to come with a price tag. This is just normal human behavior.…