28 - Conclusion

Conclusion

Transcript

Current Episode Introduction

This episode is:

• a conclusion to the short-form, self-reflective podcast series based on the book, A Good Dose of God: Everybody’s Best Friend. It briefly summarizes the essence of my interpretation relevant to each verse of the poem, "The ABCs of a Dose of God," and highlights how reflecting on the verses in the poem has had a positive impact on my life.

Summary

• Reflecting on verses of The ABCs of a Dose of God poem provided me with opportunities to interpret various ways in which I have noticed God’s presence in my life. This is a summary of my interpretations relevant to the verses. Here is the general scope of my reflection on each verse:

  • Verse A, “A dose of God is in the Angels sent to you from up above,” is about people in my life who positively influence my well-being.

  • Verse B, “A dose is there while on the Beach relaxing with the one you love,” is about being with someone I care about at a place where we both enjoy relaxing.

  • Verse C, “It’s on the radio in the Car when you hear your favorite song,” is about feeling good through resonance with language content delivered through a musical or other auditory or visual way.

  • Verse D, “It’s in the sound of your Delightful voice when you decide to sing along,” is about immersing myself in the moment -- or being an active participant in the moment -- when I have an opportunity to do something I love doing.

  • Verse E, “A dose of God is Everywhere even in your darkest day,” is about allowing myself to connect with a divine presence during moments of despair.

  • Verse F, “A dose is there in your best Friend helping you to find your way,” is about receiving guidance from close friends or others that promotes my procession in a direction appropriate for my life.

  • Verse G, “It’s in the presence of the Grief as you lose someone close,” is about accepting loss beyond my control, particularly the passing away of people who are close to me.

  • Verse H, “It’s in the middle of Happiness as you obtain what you want most,” is about being satisfied by practicing perseverance through the achievement of a goal, or, otherwise stated, to be happy by ambitiously allocating time and energy toward a desired state.

  • Verse I, “A dose of God is on your Ice cream when you receive an extra scoop,” is about seeing life through a lens of abundance by recognizing and appreciating things and experiences that exceed reasonable expectations.

  • Verse J, “A dose is there when you find Joy as you twirl a hula-hoop,” is about experiencing pleasure during physical activities that benefit multiple attributes of my holistic well-being.

  • Verse K, “It’s in the pleasant sounds of Kids as they play freely through your house,” is about being around the energy of kids immersed in the present moment by engaging in activities they enjoy.

  • Verse L, “It’s on the Lips of a gentle kiss as you say goodnight to your loving spouse,” is about small regular gestures of love being expressed between my wife and me.

  • Verse M, “A dose of God is in the Mirror when you look at yourself and smile,” is about acknowledging, accepting, and appreciating various attributes of myself.

  • Verse N, “A dose is there when the weather is Nice and you can run that extra mile,” is about taking advantage of opportunities to spend additional time and energy on the pursuit of outcomes I desire.

  • Verse O, “It’s there when you’re on the Open road without another soul is in sight,” is about embracing solitary spaces to connect with God’s presence through the vast wonders of both the external world and my internal self.

  • Verse P, “It’s in the energy of a Party when out with friends on a city night,” is about having fun with friends at events where good vibes freely flow.

  • Verse Q, “A dose of God is in the Quiz on which you earned a perfect score,” is about demonstrating my ability to meet criteria that represent achievement of an outcome.

  • Verse R, “A dose is there when you do what’s Right and give to someone who needs more,” is about giving altruistically to others in ways that help meet their needs or otherwise contribute to their well-being.

  • Verse S, “It’s at the lake on a Sunny day when you jump into the water,” is about being spontaneously and voluntarily courageous in a way that allows me to jump into, or act upon, an exciting or intriguing opportunity.

  • Verse T, “It’s the refreshing Taste of lemonade to cool you off when you get hotter,” is about finding a source of relief or refreshment when I am feeling under pressure or otherwise burdened.

  • Verse U, “A dose of God is Under the blankets as you snuggle by the flame,” is about uniting with someone I love to share a common experience that matters to us both.

  • Verse V, “A dose is in the Value of moments you spend throughout this lifelong game,” is about seeing life through an optimistic lens in a manner that enables me to glean optimal value from the perceptively positive, negative, and neutral moments in my life.

  • Verse W, “It’s in your heart with your free Will to choose how you will walk your trail,” is about being intentional in how I interpret and interact with the world.

  • Verse X, “It’s in the eXtra effort you offer that allows you to direct your sail,” is about engaging in constructive struggles that assist me in refining a vision of where I want to go or be.

  • Verse Y, “A dose of God is here for You right now and will forever be,” is about being aware, accepting, and appreciative of the blessings that have been bestowed to me.

  • Verse Z, “The available dose cannot be Zero just look around and you will see,” is about being present in a way that allows me to notice God’s eternal existence.

• In some ways, writing reflections based on the verses in the ABCs of a Dose of God poem seemed to parallel the process of walking a labyrinth, as they have both been methods of engaging in contemplative practices that have facilitated my entry into a present state of being. For example, at times when I have walked into a labyrinth, it has seemed as if I was entering a physical maze, unable to outline the sequence of steps that would lead me to the symbolic “tree of life” in the center, which may signify deep resonance with divinity in such a way that promotes a renewed and loving perspective to be applied in subsequent experiences. Although the complete sequence of steps at the onset of entering a labyrinth was unclear, each step clearly led to the next step and eventually guided me to the center. Similarly, as I began writing a reflection in response to a verse in the ABCs of a Dose of God poem, it seemed like I was entering a mental maze, unable to describe the progression of thoughts that would lead me to the purity at the core of my being, which is where I could encounter enhanced resonance with divinity in such a way that would also promote a renewed and loving perspective that I could carry with me into the world. Although the sequence of thoughts at the onset of a written reflective journey was unclear, each thought led to the next thought and eventually to the center of my understanding. As a result of these parallels, I interpret a labyrinth as being, at least to some degree, a visual representation of the contemplative practice that I implemented when writing reflections.

Gratitude Statement

I am immeasurably grateful for:

• all of the ways in which God’s essence continually permeates common experiences and feel that engaging in written and unwritten reflections on His existence through the lens of The ABCs of a Dose of God poem has helped me live a more present and peaceful life.

Guiding Questions

Take a moment to reflect on your awareness of God’s infinite existence:

• How have you resonated with God’s presence lately?

• Where do you see Him now?

Closing Statement

• This concludes the self-reflective series of episodes based on The ABCs of a Dose of God poem. Each episode included a brief description of a single verse, a personal reflection demonstrating how the verse facilitated my own resonance with Doses of God in my life, a statement of gratitude, and a few guiding questions that may be considered for your own reflection.

Positive Vibes

Thank you so much for listening. May you consistently position yourself to accept and resonate with the Doses of God that are ever-presently here for you.