Hope is something inside of us that is more than just a wishful thought, but a knowing…a trust of something better. Chanukah reminds us of Hope. At the time of the battle between Greek authorities and the Maccabees, Judaism was outlawed in Israel. This revolt, led by the Jewish priest Matthias and his five sons, […]

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. ~Karl Barth When we have joy in our heart, where is the room for anything else? To sign up to receive newsletters and updates from Michael, scroll to the bottom of the Ah-Man Website. You’ll find additional information and resources in the latest issue of the Ah-Man Newsletter. […]

For every bad there might be a worse; and when one breaks his leg let him be thankful it was not his neck. ~Joseph Hall  Such simplicity! I know you must have gotten a chuckle from this one. I did! To sign up to receive newsletters and updates from Michael, scroll to the bottom of […]

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. ~Helen Keller Of course Helen Keller is not instructing us to ignore things but to try and see the light beyond the shadows of life. It is not always an easy task, but with practice, it gets easier. To sign up to receive […]

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. ~Albert Schweitzer This is a wonderful and inspiring quote. Personally, I do not believe our light goes out, but rather […]

This poem was written by St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380): If Someone Cried in Heaven If you cried in Heaven, everyone would laugh For they would know you were just kidding. To sign up to receive newsletters and updates from Michael, scroll to the bottom of the Ah-Man Web Site. You’ll find additional information and resources […]

The following poem was written by Rabia of Basra (717-801), a female Sufi Saint The Sky Gave Me its Heart The sky gave me its heartBecause it knew mine was not large enough to careFor the earth the way it did Why is it we think of God so much?Why is there so much talk […]

The following poem is from the book "Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West" by Daniel Ladinsky. This poem was written by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)- a Christian saint In All Things It was easy to love God in all that was beautiful. The lessons of deeper knowledge, through, […]

The following poem is from the book "Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West" by Daniel Ladinsky. The poem is "The Woman I Love," by Hafiz. The author's ful name is Shans-ud-din Muhammad Hafiz (1320-1380) ~ A Sufi Saint The Woman I Love Because the Woman I love lives inside […]

When we put the spiritual principles that have been set forth through the Ten Commandments, Yama NiYama or the 12 Steps (adapted from the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous) first in our lives, we are setting the stage for living a life that will create harmony and balance in the world. In the 12 Steps, […]