LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE.

As a writer I am always looking for inspiration. I can always tell that God has a sense of humor too, because my best inspirations often come at the most inconvenient times when I have nothing to write them down on. I can remember once years ago when I was walking with my children around a local lake in the Summertime. The sun was sparkling off the crystal clear waters. Butterflies were dancing above the wild flowers. The shady trees were full of chirping birds. It felt so peaceful there. I smiled and relaxed. Of course, that is when the idea for a new story suddenly appeared, fully formed, in my mind. We were still a half-mile away from our car and I was afraid my aging brain would forget part of the story before I got there. I took my pen out of my pocket then and started writing it down on the palm of my hand.

Later after I had transferred the inspiration to paper and was washing the ink off my hand I laughed and asked God why He always seemed to speak to my heart at the strangest times. As soon as I said it, I heard in my mind: "Because that is the only time you are listening!"

Maybe if we all want to hear from God more often we should just shut up and listen. God speaks to us in the silence of our souls. God whispers to us in the quiet of the storm. God talks to us but never talks over us. If you want to hear God''s inspiration and guidance in your heart and mind, you have to shut off your own noise. If you want to feel God''s love inside you, you have to silence the chattering monkey within.

We are all Children of God and He is forever ready to love us, inspire us, guide us, improve us, and help us to grow into the people we were meant to be. His inspiration comes to us through our thoughts, our intuition, our experiences, and our lives. All we have to do is let Him in. All we have to do is open our hearts and close our mouths. All we have to do is listen.