End of Year

Endings always mean new beginnings.
Every new moment affords us the opportunity to begin again. At the end of the year I tend to look back and evaluate as well as look forward and make resolutions to improve the quality of my life in the year to come. At the very least I set intentions or wish lists. For the last 7 years I have written a list of ten things that happened last year and ten things I would like to happen in the year to come. The events I record are not only in my life but the lives of those close to me. It is a record of changes.
The list for next year often includes my wishes for someone close to me too.

If you don't choose to mark the passage of the year, after all it is simply another flowing moment - just know that each moment has within it the possibility for newness. At any time we can choose differently than we have in the past. At any time we can choose to act from love and not from fear, to be kind instead of critical, gentle instead of harsh, patient or compassionate instead of judging. Each and every hastening moment has the potential for a new experience and it is unbound by the past unless we decide to let the past define it.

There is freedom in this moment, take it!

Love again

Who or what represents love in your life? When you close your eyes and picture the face of those you love truly and completely without question, who is there? 

For me, the faces of love are my parents, first and foremost. In the past I may have had anger or resentments toward them because I felt that I did not receive some form of love I believed I needed from them. Now that is all dissolved as I have come to take responsibility for my own experiences and stopped asking for perfection from them and myself. All that remains is love. My relationships with them are the longest standing relationship of my life and our differences have been resolved.

I am still working on the relationships I have with everyone else in my life and they are at varying stages of resolution. I would like to come to that same place with each and every one but unlike with my parents their influence on me has not been as deep or demanded such urgent attention. Even so I am making a conscious effort lately to resolve issues and develop better relations with those I love because I believe it will greatly add to my peace. Being at peace I am more free. Free to be myself and to feel more connected knowing my oneness in the universal energy of life.

I am practicing by giving the compassion, understanding and generosity I would like to receive. Some days its not easy but having set the intention I am more conscious of where I am not being love. I have a long way to go yet. I begin the journey in hope and enthusiasm.

Blessings to you this day and may your circle of love grow with each moment in time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhMCBnwS220&feature=related

Create

You are creating your day in every moment. The one moment NOW is the place of choice and action. No matter where you are, be it in line at the grocery store or sitting in a car with a sibling, parent or friend or meeting a person for the first time, BE PRESENT to them. This may be the last moment you have to give your full attention to, it may be that person's last moment to be acknowledged.

Ask what can you give rather than what you can receive. This way you activate the creative power within you. You realize you have the power to create a loving or peaceful moment. You are the center of the world you create. You are responsible for the energy you bring to a room, to a meeting, to your life.

Choose wisely because YOU have the power to create heaven or hell!

Love, Love, Love

I was speaking with my mother across thousands of mile the other day when as the phone call was finishing up she said "Enough talking about nothing!" We didn't have a lot of news for one another but we still wanted the call to last a while. My reply was, yes, on the surface it may seem like nothing but what we are really saying is "I love you." She agreed that that is the most important thing.

Three different stories have been related to me in the last week of people coming to the end of their lives and in each case the person was able to see life from a different perspective. Facing death all they saw in life was love. One individual let go of a life time of judgment and resentment, mending relations with his brother.

Wouldn't it be great if we could see this sooner, if we could learn from these people, and know only love. I have been looking at my own life to see who I have distanced myself from or if I am holding unresolved anger or resentment toward anyone. If I am withholding love in any area then I may be blocking the channel for more self acceptance and greater flow in other areas of my life. If I am truly to embody love and peace I must let go of anything that is not love from my heart.

Is there anyone in your life that you still blame for some hurt you still hold on to? In the present the only one suffering is the one holding the hurt. Can you see your part in inviting this person into your experience and what you gained from it? For me it's time to explore, through journaling where these blocks may lie and to take back the power I am giving away. I am not a victim, I always have the power to forgive and to find my part and be responsible for it. I am ready to see the truth of every situation and see only LOVE. Are you?

Blessed day

Today its a wonderful day...
because I am alive,
because I feel no pain,
because I love,
because I am loved,
because I am creative,
because I made carrot soup,
because my cat sleeps beside me,
because I went to church and met lovely people,
because I meditated,
because I set an intention and carried it out,
because I prayed,
because a friend said something nice to me,
because I have a friend,
because I did something nice for someone,
because I know my power today,
because I am free.


What was the best part of your day today?
Give yourself credit for bringing about the bast part of your day.
And if it has not been a good day, listen to this, its almost guaranteed to lift your spirits.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFoXcO8llNI&feature=fvsr

Blocks in your head!

How conscious are you of your thought patterns or behaviour patterns?
Are you creating your experience each day or simply going through the motions, in habitual routines or a busy blur?

I love being busy, I love filling my time, even in the car I listen to books on CD, my mind is kept busy. Well if my mind was not kept busy where would it go to...I guess I don't want to find out! Yet if I don't find out then unconscious ideas and thoughts may be running my life.

Situations and people that irritate me come easily to my mind and I can have great arguments in my head which really doesn't serve me or anyone.  If we are all One, they are just representing a part of me that I disown and deem less attractive. I realized I could choose to bless them and as my minister says "Praise them and raise them" and that way I might heal that part of myself.
That would be better than stewing on an annoyance or rushing off to another activity and pushing irritation to one side. How can I be clear and loving with an annoyance in my breast pocket? My energy is divided, how effective can I be with blocks to love like this, lurking in the dark corners.
Ok, so I need to spend time in the spiritual practice of blessing and releasing the sticking points in my self so the flow can be clear and open. Back we come to time, time to be still and consciously choose my minds activity. I love the idea but will I take the time, in my busy day? How committed am I to growing and stretching myself? I could do these blessing exercises as I take my morning walk, that doesn't seem too difficult. Or I could set my timer for ten minutes. Either way I know its a necessary practice for me.
Signing off to take a walk...bless you all!

Another Day in Paradise

As I lay my head on my pillow these nights I say to the universe, thanks for another day in paradise!

Is that because I live on a white sand island and eat my fill from the trees everyday, chatting with the other bare footed inhabitants as we loll in the sunshine? NO!!
I live in Los Angeles and though we have nice beaches here it is a far cry from anyone's vision of paradise! I drive on the freeways and I walk on the concrete, I wonder about the source of my next paycheck yet I eat well everyday. I am not without the normal concerns of a life.

But that's just it. The normal concerns of a life. My last statement of the day is inspired by a character in a fabulous novel I am currently reading. The character is a doctor in a Mission Hospital in Ethopia. He is father to twins who witness his nightly declaration, "Another day in Paradise!" It mystifies them as they see the poverty, the human struggle, the daily parade of needy patients in the hospital. They think their father a little crazy. It is not until their world is turned upside down because of a coup in Addis Ababa  in the 1960s, which leads to the arrest of the man they know as their father, that they finally realize the truth in his statement. A day when things are normal, when the people we love are safe and warm, when our world seems mundane yet all is well, that is another day in paradise. Not till its taken away do we fully appreciate the humdrum pace of a normal day.

So may I suggest to you that today you live in paradise. If you have family that loves you, if you have health enough to love them and to do the things that you need to do, if you have a warm dry place to lay your head tonight and a fridge with food enough to eat today, you live in paradise. If you are not being bombed, persecuted, threatened, then let me suggest that you live in paradise and that the humdrum day can be something for which to be grateful!

(The novel by the way is "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese)

Life is an Experiment

"When you alter your relationship with yourself, your external world will alter accordingly."
-Katherine Woodward Thomas

I used to visualize this idea as two people carrying a plank (connected in a relationship dynamic.) One day, one person decides not to carry their side (to act or react differently.) Now the second person has to adjust their behavior accordingly. When we no longer act as we used to, naturally people have to act differently around us. If I decide to get healthier, to grow, to change the way I allow others to treat me, naturally it upsets the equilibrium. People around me don't necessarily like it even if they support me. Change can be difficult.

Then should I not change?
You know the answer to that! I cannot keep myself the same for the sake of other people. I then sacrifice my integrity and trust in myself, plus I may be paying a higher cost than I know for playing safe. I may be losing the chance of greater love or expanded experience of life. Plus I am not giving others the chance to grow with me, to change and explore the limitations they have set for themselves. So I endure some discomfort for a time and some friends may fall away but some others may be inspired. I have to allow the external things to do what they will do.
My concern is internal. I must follow my heart, the quiet voice beckoning me on into uncharted territories. Its a natural progression and if I want a different experience than I have had in the past I must forge on in expectation of some discomfort as I break the mold of past conditioning. I may also expect great reward and vistas never before witnessed or experienced by me in my life. The things we leave undone cause us more regret than the things we do, no matter the outcome.
Emerson said "All life is an experiment." Who knows how many days we have left, let us be brave and move beyond our comfort zone. What have you left undone?

More Love

Love makes the world go round so THEY say! And yes love motivates a great deal of what gets done in the world. Love plants trees, nurtures children, builds beautiful buildings, creates music, gives to the poor, looks out for the less fortunate, listens to the voice of reason and inner guidance.
Then there's fear, the other less attractive motivator. Its the driving force behind greed, oppression, crime, and all manner of selfish acts. The fear is, I can't have what I want any other way than by taking it by force.

Love increases our experience of peace while fear keeps us awake at night.

Imagine Love and Fear as fires within us that we can choose to feed or not. The one you feed is the one that dominates your experiences. There is so much fear in our society today that feeding the love fire may seem like going against the grain but doing so can change the quality of your relationships especially the most important one, your relationship with yourself.

Here's what "Psychology Today" says about the power of love.
"Love is probably the best antidepressant there is because one of the most common sources of depression is feeling unloved. Most depressed people don't love themselves and they do not feel loved by others. They also are very self-focused, making them less attractive to others and depriving them of opportunities to learn the skills of love."
For more from this article with helpful tips about loving yourself (feeding the love fire) go here; http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200212/the-power-love 
"Love is as critical for your mind and body as oxygen. It's not negotiable. The more connected you are, the healthier you will be both physically and emotionally."

Persistence

”Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." --Calvin Coolidge

Have you ever felt discouraged and wanted to give up? I know I have.

And it can happen so easily especially after a disappointment. I may have had my hopes up, and attached a lot of expectation to one event but it did not go according to my visualization. It can be so disheartening. I feel the universe is telling me to forget it or that my idea was no good.
And I have to weigh up my strategy or my endeavor and ask myself do I believe in it? Do I believe I have something of value to offer, am I passionate about what I do? If I can answer yes to these questions I do what the song says..."dont lose your confidence if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip and pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again!"

Persist, have faith, meantime do whatever lifts your spirits, till you are ready to try again. 
Listen to the song here....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6MtmkqPbps

Being Present

How busy I get, how full my days are some weeks, I don't take time to be present with those I love the most. Then the time has passed and opportunities are missed to deepen my connections and in time I start to feel disconnected and wonder how this happened.

What is life about if not to slow down and smell the roses, pet the cat, call my mother or sister, hug my husband and ask him about his day? Facebook just doesn't cut it when it comes to quality time! I take a half an hour to an hour to write my blogs each day, my cat sits patiently by my side. Tonight I think I'm going to keep this short in favor of a short walk with my beloved and a little fussing time with my kitty.

Who have you been neglecting today?
Maybe its time to go play.

Be Still

"Be still and know that I am God" AS THE CLIMAX of Psalm 46, this verse is not so much about meditation as it is about the mediation of God's kingdom in the heart of faith. The command to "be still" comes from the Hiphil stem of the verb (רפה) rapha (meaning to be weak, to let go, to release), which might better be translated as, "cause yourselves to let go" or "let yourselves become weak."  From http://www.hebrew4christians.com But to what end are we to "be still," "let go," "surrender," and even to "die to ourselves"? In Hebrew grammar, the emphasis of coordinate imperatives ("be still!" and "know!") is on the second imperative. In other words, we surrender in order to know that God is in control. We "let go" in order to objectively know the power of God in our lives. We give up trusting in ourselves and our own designs in order to experience the glory of God's all-sufficiency. Our needs are met, let it be. Be still. Take a moment and quietly enjoy this series of beautiful pictures as you are nurtured by the music. This is not the version I was looking for ( a chant I am familiar with) but it is very soothing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C01lLxEo3xM&feature=related

Grateful

Willing and grateful, I am today.

Grateful for all that I am and all that I have and the incredible abundance I experience everyday. Sights, sounds, experiences, sensations, thoughts, actions fill my day, and so many of them are joyous.So often I forget to acknowledge them. And even more so, to give my self a pat on the back for making the choices that allow me to have these experiences and sensations.
I took myself for a walk after all, I chose to paint with rainbow colors, I chose (well Spirit chose, I didn't resist) the man I married, I chose to have a cat, I chose to live in Montrose, I can take some credit for my good. Other things I am not in control of and they come as they may, good and bad.
In these situations I can be willing to look for the good, to decide to take what action I can and expect the best. Generally, things come to pass. The more I resist the longer they seem to persist. Like if I run toward an approaching storm, it passes quickly but running from it, it seems to follow me.

So, willing I am today, to face the storm and give thanks for the rainbow and the silver lining, which I know cant be too far away. I live in joyous expectation and gratitude meantime.

Surrender

How do you respond to the word "surrender?"
Do you interpret this word to mean " to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; on demand or under duress"  or simply  "to give up, abandon, or relinquish." 
I guess my first impression is the former, surrendering the Alamo, I surrender with the white flag, peaceably but only because there are guns pointing at me!
But if I think about surrendering doubt or fear, then its more of a relinquishing, giving it over, hoping someone will take it off my hands!!
Then there is outcomes, I like surrendering those too, it sure takes the worry out of the process. Like my life, I like to relinquish it to Spirit or God or Good, whatever term works. I've tried controlling things, or making plans and then having things take a completely different direction. It's not that I don't take responsibility for my actions, I do, I choose how I use my body, my time, what decisions to make and actions to take but after that I have to surrender. A big lesson in surrendering came when I met my husband. Unlike any relationship I had ever had before it flourished from the start and took on a life of its own. We both had done a lot of inner work and growth before we met but neither of us could take credit for how right it felt. In the same way as we could make a past relationship feel right if it did not. 


I've learned I have an antenna that I have honed in sensitivity over the years - it tells me what feels right and what feels wrong and surrendering to this guidance has served me well while ignoring it has gotten me into real complicated and messy situations. This definitely comes into play in my surrendering and yielding to greater wisdom than my own. Today I invite this wisdom to guide me and I relinquish my doubts as I move forward in my life. I simply say YES to the good and Thank You to the God that provides for me as he does the birds of the air and the lilies of the fields, I know my preciousness in His eyes.

New Dawn

I am grateful today to see the dawn, to witness the world come alive as it turns toward the sun once more. Without much thought we rely on this event to set the rhythm of our days. How much more do we take for granted our breath. Each time we breath out we trust that there will be another lungful of oxygenated air to fill that space. We dont know when will be the last but guaranteed we will wish for one more hour of light. As this song suggests, now, today, this very day, the moment in which you now live, this, is the best part of your life.

MAY I SUGGEST
Copyright © Susan Werner
Listen here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPh4MpxwJo
There is a world
That's been addressed to you
Addressed to you, intended only for your eyes
A secret world, Like a treasure chest to you
Of private scenes and brilliant dreams that mesmerize
A lover's trusting smile, A tiny baby's hands
The million stars that fill the turning sky at night
Oh I suggest
Oh I suggest to you
Oh I suggest this is the best part of your life

There is a hope
That's been expressed in you
The hope of seven generations, maybe more
And this is the faith
That they invest in you
It's that you'll do one better than was done before
Inside you know
Inside you understand
Inside you know what's yours to finally set right
And I suggest
And I suggest to you
And I suggest this is the best part of your life

This is a song
Comes from the west to you
Comes from the west, comes from the slowly setting sun
With a request
With a request of you
To see how very short the endless days will run
And when they're gone
And when the dark descends
Oh we'd give anything for one more hour of light

And I suggest this is the best part of your life

The Force is with you!

The miracles of Jesus were 'natural demonstrations of divine power,' a force available to any one with correct knowledge. In Religious Science we conceive of God as personal, present and active in the governance and organization of the world and the universe. Man and the universe as a whole are spiritual rather than material in nature and that truth and good are real, whereas sin and error are illusory aspects of material existence; our small mind's mistaken thinking. Like Christian Scientists we believe that through prayer, knowing and understanding God, all things are possible for good.

Take away the idea of God and replace it with Universal Energy. Thought has energy, according to Quantum Physicists, beliefs, have the power to heal or to kill you.  Are you ready to put this into action and demonstrate the miracles of "divine power" or "mind power?"

A tall order - part of my mind responds! Yes, a high aspiration maybe but having read Christian Science healings I know it is possible. Miracles do happen by invoking a Higher Power in which we have deep conviction. If so, why are we not all getting on board with these beliefs and testing it out for ourselves, seeing proof, demonstrating healing and seeing our lives expand in joy, love and success.
The collective consciousness seems to believe that the material world is most real. Ideas of God are accepted to occupy a limited space in the rhythm of people's lives. What can we trust, ancient texts and stories? Quantum Physics, a new and far fetched theory? Or can we trust an innate knowing or sense of something greater than ourselves? 83 percent of Americans claim to belong to a religious denomination but how many actively engage this higher power in their daily life? It can be called upon, felt, known and experienced in the blink of an eye. You might as well believe in something positive as something negative. Court the presence of optimism, call on the guidance of a Higher Power, be still and know. Release doubt and worry and striving. At least experiment with patience and trusting and see what ensues. Do your own exploration. You have nothing to loose but your stress!!!

Let these words be true...

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? From the Sermon on the Mount, Mathew's Gospel

Scarlet for Me, Scarlet for you

"Something has a hold of my heart," were the words that came to me last night as I doodled with this painting. I googled it and found the words from this Gene Pitney song (you can hear it at the link below) I was very excited with the connection as the words were so fitting with the emerging theme of the image, changing the greys, changing the blues...When something has a hold of your heart or attention, it can change your vision of your entire world. The song can refer to falling in love and how our perceptions alter and everything looks more alive, vibrant and intense. It can also refer to passion for anything. When we are caught in the throws of love, passion or enthusiasm for anything our world changes color.

If you were to let something get a hold of your heart, what would it be?
Can you give it greater reign? Can you give yourself to it so thoroughly, you let it change you?

Life can be more vibrant when we give our hearts permission to lead us. Loosen the "shoulds" for a while and see what ensues. I recall a lady being asked why she thought her grandmother lived so healthily and well to the grand age of 113? She said, often her grandmother would choose what she wanted to do verses what she felt needed to be done! Sounds good to me and I can see how we might be less stressed if we followed this advice. I'm going to give it a try!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMQc8HthUFE&feature=related

Something's gotten hold of my heart
Keeping my soul and my senses apart
Something's invaded my night
Painting my sleep with a colour so bright
Changing the grey, changing the blue
Scarlet for me, scarlet for you

Reflections of the Divine

We are each reflections of the Divine, a power or force that is universal and transcends human capacities. Is this how you see yourself?
Made in the image and likeness, sons and daughters of God, creators, imaginers, inventors, writers, artists, mothers, fathers, carers, nurturers, lovers, stand up comedians, singers, (in the shower or on stage, it's all good,) gardeners, judges, maybe even politicians, (maybe?) whatever way you choose to express yourself, we are all reflections of the Divine.

I just love this idea, that we each in our unique way are expressing a part of the Divine, we are drawing out of thin air something new, something never seen before and if it has, (there is nothing new under the sun, they say) its our version. No one else can do it just like you. Bad, good or indifferent, no one can do it just like YOU!

So see yourself as the Divine sees you, unique, perfect for you, as you were born, with creative abilities, the limits of which you have not yet tested. It serves no one to play small. Think big! Then remember, life in this body has an expiry date and go test those limits!
What are you made of? The Divine, limited only by your imagination. What have you always secretly wanted to try? Dont wait, begin it today, just try, just take the first step, go beyond your comfort zone and live now. Take a deep breath and jump in with both feet and as my friends sister says, when its time to go, you can give a great wave and shout "thanks everybody, its been great!"

ENJOY!

So you think you can't change?

Bruce Lipton says a negative thought can kill you, and positive healthy thoughts can heal.
The mind influences biology, the subconscious mind is equivalent to a tape player, the conscious mind is creative.
The subconscious has programs in it that have strongly influences our biology, it carries out all the functions of our body such as heartbeat and all those functions we don't have to think about. 95% of our day is run by the subconscious and we don't even see that those programs are not supporting our conscious desires. We tend to take a victim mentality when things don't work, blaming the outside world.
The subconscious being a tape player you cant negotiate with it. You can talk till you are blue in the face but that tape player keeps playing back the same messages. Not till we hit the record button can we change that recording. Tapping or as its often referred to as EFT, emotional freedom technique is one way to record new data.

I just love what he says about healing yourself and believing that a doctor is a necessary step. We are more powerful than we know and are capable of incredible change if we can change our beliefs. Its how the placebo effect works and we can multiply this, if we work with scientific principles in Quantum Physics. Genes do not have to control your experience.

In his words, "Quantum physics and epigenetics provide amazing insight into the mystery of the mind-body-spirit connection. While Newtonian physics and genetic theory dismiss the power of our minds, the new science recognizes that consciousness endows us with powerful creative abilities to shape our lives and the world in which we live. Our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs control behavior, regulate gene expression and provide for our life experiences." 

listen to Bruce H Lipton, PhD an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit.
http://www.2011tappingworldsummit.com/VideoSeries/?page_id=60

Who loves ya baby?

When you first arrived on the planet did you deserved to be loved? You were cute, you were cuddly, fresh smelling, vulnerable and wide eyed, so I 'd say yes, you were deserving, you were innocent, being loved was as natural as breathing.

Where or why did all that change? On my bad days I can be so mean to me. I say harsh things, I make unkind judgments, I am not a good friend. Thankfully I have good friends who can mirror to me my strengths and love me despite my weaknesses. I dont have to put up a facade with those loving friends, I can expose my fears and doubts and be nurtured. Because of them and because I have some experience of unconditional love in my life I can in my darkest moments see some sliver of light. I am grateful. As if I was latching on to the trail of a distant star I focus on that glimmer until I can come out into the light of truth. I am still that innocent child and no matter what state my life is in I am still deserving of the same love.

This goes for you too, so be gentle, encouraging and compassionate to yourself. Life supports you in its infinite possibilities, life supports you in the myriad of inspirational ideas that spring to mind, your job is to follow through in trust. Take the action that feels most uplifting to you and as my mother would say "one step and then another and soon the longest journey is done." Don't loose heart, she also said "Rome wasn't built in a day" so be patient. My co-workers mantra lately applies "It all comes right in the end!"

So "Who loves ya Baby?" Me and God and Kojak!!!!!

No Atheists in Foxholes

The statement "There are no atheists in foxholes" is an aphorism used to argue that in times of extreme stress or fear, such as when participating in warfare, all people will believe in or hope for a higher power.
So says Wikipedia.

For me, already far from an atheist, the challenge is to turn to that Source in times of stress and not to the mainstream thinking or material evidence. Its easy to be faithful, to meditate, to pray, to give thanks when times are good, its when they appear to have gone awry that I am amazed how fear shakes my foundations. At least initially my reaction can be despair, depression, helplessness. Its not unusual and not permanent, in the same way as all things that come to pass.
I realize in stressful times it is the opportunity to double my practices, to look at my faith and reacquaint myself with my beliefs. It is an opportunity to put into practice all the tools I have honed in good times and to remind myself I have a ready tool kit. Once the initial shock at the new circumstance wains enough, I can, from a place of calm and not panic, see more clearly the way to proceed. I am never helpless. Help is available to me everywhere I turn, my loving friends, my church, my journaling, my inner wisdom, the still small voice which I court in in silence. I simply ask for guidance and wait expectantly for the way to be revealed as I act on the inspiration that comes to me. This I am grateful for even as I am patient and trusting in the process. Impatience is distrust, so I allow the Truth to unfold in the right timing.

As John Milton poetically said "God does not need either man's work, or his own gifts: ..... They also serve, who only stand and wait."

God, or as I see it "Love, Health, Prosperity" reveal themselves in time as we attend to what is ours to do.  What is in front of you right now? Dishes in the sink, a pile of paperwork, phone calls to make, then attend to them and let God attend to the big picture. Trust in the Greater yet to be and observe its revelation in time!

Love one another

Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy. - Sai Baba

Its so true that love is infectious. I watched a 5 year old hug and kiss an old lady in a wheelchair and I could feel that unconditional loving of a child who does not judge whether a person is deserving. I see it in my cat who, even when I force her to take her antibiotics, which she hates with a passion and struggles to avoid, comes to me minutes later wanting to be on my lap. Dog lovers know what I'm talking about.


Happiness is infectious also. Someone displaying their happiness in the work place can affect co-workers to the extent that a work project can enjoy increased productivity and speedier progress. Communities, families, social groups are similarly positively affected by a member's happiness, especially one serving in a leadership role. 


Loneliness is also infectious. Strange as it may seem, someone living alongside a lonely person tends to share some measure of that same feeling. Human beings even in this society where privacy is prized, need to feel connected to maximize happiness. These facts are generally accepted to the extent that work is being done in the military to increase empathy between soldiers and also between astronauts spending time in space. 


Throughout human history groups have always been stronger and more effective than an individual working alone. Do you feel you are working all alone sometimes? Maybe today you could give some thought to how you can enlist support for yourself or for another. Henry Ford had a mastermind group that met weekly to support each others endeavors by unifying their thought. Christ says "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am." To be gathered in his name is to see beyond the separate self and realize we are interdependent and interconnected. Realizing this we can increase empathy and open the way to unconditional love. And that's a two way stream from which we all may benefit. Worth exploring, do you think?
Namaste!

Make me a channel

Today I would like to share a hymn I have always particularly loved as it represents a goal worthy of our aspiration. If you want to hear it sung by Sinead O'Connor click here. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdgSPu4vO94&feature=related


 The Prayer of St. Francis
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy.
 
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life.

LOVE

"Love in your mind produces love in your life, this is the meaning of heaven.

What we are trying to control is much better off without us and what we are trying to fix cant be fixed by us anyway!" - Maryanne Williamson

The conclusion is simply to love. Love where you are - at very least be there in willingness to see the purpose and beauty in your situation. Love yourself and the others involved in your circumstances as you are, unconditionally! A tall order you may exclaim in horror and yes it is, but its not impossible! How about beginning with willingness and setting a time period to practice? Do you think you could practice unconditional love for a half hour or half a day? Its an amazing practice, to let go of our ideas of how a person or a situation should look and let it be OK. It can actually be a relief, to not be in resistance, to not have to try and impose rules or righteousness. Imagine!

Every encounter is a holy encounter, allow us to see that today and loosen the attachment of ego, to worldly and mundane ideas. Let us see as Spirit sees and let us remember how much we have to be grateful for, rather than focus on what is missing. Let us not withhold love and if we tend toward harsh judgment or criticism let us remember to ask for a shift in consciousness, for that miracle of seeing the truth of our oneness with others, and let us observe the Golden Rule. Do onto others what you would have them do onto you. Be the love you wish to experience today. Wear a symbol of your intention so you might be reminded throughout the day, a special ring, a badge or broach, a watch, a piece of string around your wrist, all good ways to remind ourselves as the day progresses and we are distracted. Allow it be a great day!

Power

That deep emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God.  - Albert Einstein


When you think of power what comes to mind? Presidents, world leaders, military forces, natural forces? How about authority, rules, accepted beliefs? Who has power over you? I like to think I have power over my choices and beliefs, and I do to a degree. Yet there are ideas already set in consciousness that pervade society and are accepted as truth by the majority to the extent they dictate their decisions and actions.  We are all subject to these.


Here's one harmless example - jackets should be worn with buttons in front. If I decided to wear my jacket backwards I would be ridiculed or at least pointed at in public, definitely thought of as odd at work and  loose some credibility I would imagine. 
This is just an example of going against the flow. Nicolaus Copernicus came up with the new idea that the earth was not the center of the universe but the sun, to much controversy. In 1616 Galileo came to his defense yet  the Catholic Church authorities banned Copernicus' ideas. Now there's power!
Or is it? Authorities may tell us how to think but just like Galileo who kept silent following his trial, still held to his beliefs, we too have the freedom in our own minds to hold to our own truth. Those in authority, those with the big bucks, those with seeming power can not hold back the tide of new thought, of innovation and change. Ideas that have truth in them will win out in the end. Truth has power, love has power, imagination has power. You have power in how you choose to think and what you choose as your truth, a reasoning power of which Einstein speaks. This is God in you, closer than hands and feet. Be open to it today and align with the Power in you. Listen to the words of Steve Jobs and be inspired. God speed Mr. Jobs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Getting to "I love me"

At what point in your life did you get to really appreciating who you are, to accepting yourself in all your imperfect delightfulness and unique abilities and gifts? Maybe you are still working at it or maybe you had an innate knowing from the beginning that you are precious and loved even if the world tried to tell you otherwise. For myself its been a long journey and it may be part of the maturing process but I would not be twenty again! Back then I thought I was just the odd woman out in life, I might as well have been an alien. My clothes were never cool enough and they just symbolized the misfit I felt inside. Shy and introverted, life was a painful experience. Wherever I went, there I was, never acceptable to myself, gauche and inept in the light of my judgment. Of course this was the energy I brought with me and sometimes got reflected back to me as a self fulfilling prophesy.
Thankfully that excruciating existence has long since been traded in for a gentler and much more loving experience. What changed it all you might ask and I have to say it came slow and with much conscious work on my part. I hated the restrictions of my fears and charged headlong into finding my way out. First of all I emigrated from all that was familiar, jumping into the deep end of discomfort and almost drowned. Culture shock and learning to drive in LA at the age of 30 was almost more than I could handle after being a bicyclist and train commuter for a decade. I used to blush dreadfully when speaking in groups so I took acting classes. I did improv as a way to be more spontaneous. It was a crash course in finding out who I was and truthfully it was not all that loving.
Yes I tested my metal and found I was stronger than I ever imagined but it was not till I found my spiritual home that I could be more gentle with myself and allow myself to be loved unconditionally. Now, I love me. Imperfect as I am, I am proud of who I am and I can be more gentle with my ineptness and my unique expression in the world. I am not an alien - I am just unique! And I am the same as everyone else in their uniqueness. Do you know that about yourself? Can you say "I love me?" If not, can you at least be gentle with yourself today and allow in the possibility you are lovable and precious exactly as you are. Speak lovingly to yourself today, to the hurt and lonely child within, he or she looks to you for protection and support. Be her best friend today and make it a joyous day!

Always look on the Bright Side of Life!

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. - World Health Organization

Positive mental health is a presence; the presence of positive emotion, the presence of engagement, the presence of meaning, the presence of good relationships and the presence of accomplishment according to Martin Seligman in his book "Flourish." He goes on to explore physical health as it is affected by our mental state and how when we are optimistic and feel we have some measure of power/ input in our healing we are more likely to recover from illness.

If we have had experiences in our lives where we had no control over our circumstances we may have "learned helplessness." Cant you feel the weakness in that state of feeling as if there is no point, that we have no power. It goes hand in hand with pessimism and pessimists generally underachieve in their jobs, in sports, in the classroom and they are more prone to depression.

So there's a lot to be said for looking on the bright side of life, to knowing what you say and do matter, that you have the power to change things. I keep coming back to meditation and that step back we can take as we observe our thoughts and be present to ourselves. Thoughts dictate or lead to our emotions so if we can detach from the thought, knowing we are not victims of them, we can prevent the spiral into fear, gloom or helplessness.  Knowing we have the power to do this gives us mastery of our attitude and can lead to more positive emotion, to engagement and to meaning, those requirements to flourishing and health.
So no matter what circumstance we face in life there is a course of action we can take in becoming present and acknowledging our own power as Spiritual beings. As Seligman concludes "When people flourish, health, productivity, and peace follow."
I can say yes to that! Can you?

To thine own Self be True

"The river that flows in you also flows in me."-Kabir

We are not separate though with our eyes we look out from one perspective imagining we observe another. Our perceptions can be wrong when we imagine a life, a motivation or the happiness of another. No one goes without challenges in life and if things look great today for them, I cannot know what they have already weathered in life or what might be in their future.
Years ago, an ex-boyfriend of mine who's life I envied, he was now married with three lovely children while I remained single, said to me, "There's nothing to envy." I couldn't see what he meant. I wanted his life.
Yet I traveled round the world, climbed mountains and saw sights that today still bring me no end of pleasure in their recollection. I would not trade any of my experiences.

We each make our decisions according to our hearts. With each commitment to a path we cut away other possibilities in order to have the experiences we have chosen. This is part of the creative process of living. Not choosing we cannot live. Choosing we must let go of what we did not choose.
So I make a choice today so I may live my life according to my unique perspective and know that further along there will be other choices and opportunities. My life will look different to my friend's life but I don't know what he has had to cut away in order to have his experiences. No path is better than another, especially if we allow ourselves be guided by our own inner compass. So be at peace today with your life and gather the wisdom of your unique experiences. You have chosen and you represent one of the many variations in color and flavor that life offers. Without you, life would be lacking  and we would all feel the loss.

To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. - William Shakespeare

Change is the Only Constant

"There are 6 billion belief systems in the world" - Andrew Newberg

Its so interesting to me the way we make sense of the world, each of us doing our best to be at peace with our version of how things are and work. Newberg also says there are huge gaps between the world out there and our inner worldview, so the brain stays busy revisiting its cognitive maps selecting some perceptions, ignoring others and filling in the blanks with conjecture. Busy brains!

No wonder in these times of media bombardment more and more people are turning to meditation. I just attended the Scripps Institute Nursing Conference  in San Diego and witnessed the latest ideas in healing. I was part of the Chakra Pavilion as an artist and Practitioner with Centers for Spiritual Living. I spent three days in a room full of energy healers and it was a delight to see and hear the nurses talk about the work they are incorporating into their medical practices.

Dr. Mimi Guarneri, heart surgeon and head of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and Healing Hearts Program believes in treating the whole patient - mind, body and soul. She works with cardiac patients using treatments such as biofeedback, acupuncture, guided imagery and hypnotherapy, healing touch treatments, kundalini yoga, cooking classes, stress reduction and meditation!

Beliefs are changing as part of the expanding consciousness of the universe. Are you open to it?
As we meditate, we take a step back from the routine thoughts that may have us stuck in a groove. Try it today and be willing to allow new in. Life can get better, experiences can be expanded, healing can come in unusual and unexpected ways. Just be willing today and see what transpires as you loosen your hold on old beliefs.

A New Beginning

Each day is an opportunity for a new beginning. I think that's why I love early morning so much. Its like untrodden snow, no one has put there mark on it yet and I have a feeling of optimism and expectation as I begin the day, (especially if I have had a good nights sleep!)
Its so interesting to me to observe my highs and lows - day to day - like night and day it can all change with a conversation, a piece of news a realization or a thought. Those thoughts are most powerful! My thoughts about what I perceive or hear have the ability to change my mood and my feelings tend to follow them down to the abyss or to the peak like the children to the pied piper! It all starts with a thought.

This is the reason I meditate. There was an elderly lady I used to receive prayer from when I first came to church at Centers for Spiritual Living. She used to say to me that the mind was like an untrained puppy, you had to keep calling it back and directing it. I remember back then this used to irritate me and when I wanted prayer I would seek out someone else but of course I got her, with her profoundly simple message which I most needed to hear!
So today if I feel low or depressed I ask myself where are my thoughts, what am I telling myself? Once I identify where my mind has gone I call it back.
What do I know is True? What do I believe about myself and the world? What counsel would I give another? How can I love myself in the midst of all that is going on?

I know that I am deserving of love, that I am loved, that I can love, I know that nothing can make me less precious in Spirit. I know that I am part of all life, one with the very source of all potential outcomes and variations in the universe. As I go through this process I begin to feel a shift - slowly I begin to grasp my connection to the Divine, and now releasing the small fearful thoughts I allow in something new, something positive, powerful with the potential to create something more desirable. I choose rather than become a victim. So I say thank you to that lovely lady today, who is no longer with us on this plane but so much with me in Spirit, and begin a new day, making it a good day as I go no matter what comes my way.

Resistance is Futile

What have you been resisting lately? There is a certain energy to resistance, we have to use our will to push something away or to hold ourselves back. I find that effort exhausting personally. But I will resist all manner of things that I absolutely know are good for me, like hiking in the hills which is a boon on any given day I choose to do it. I resist cleaning my office and I wonder why when I finally give in and delight in the order I have created. I often resist invitations to events that don't feels like they might be comfortable for me and even when I say Ok I'll go, with a "I suppose this could be a good thing" attitude,  I can feel my feet dragging and my enthusiasm lagging. Can anyone relate?
Then I go and I have the best time possible. I've heard similar stories from friends, "I didn't want to go to the party and I ended up meeting my soul mate!"  I wonder why we don't  approach the thing with less resistance and more expectation of good, especially as we give in, in the end. It would make the entire process more pleasurable.
Maybe there was a bad experience once and we let it color our vision of the future event. Slowly I'm learning that precedent has no power over the present, that its possible that new experiences can have no relation to the past. The more I learn to give up resistance, the sooner I can allow more good into my life!
A little trust, a little optimism, a little visioning of a positive outcome, more consciousness of my own power to create and  releasing of a need to control, can add up to being in the flow. In the flow who knows what might come? Can I handle it? I say yes, yes, I am willing to accept more good. At least I'm going to try to let go of that energy of resistance, and say yes to life. I trust, I imagine good - I'll keep you posted as to how its working for me.

Challenge Yourself

Never compare someone else's outsides against your insides, a very wise friend once said to me. Meaning, appearances can be deceiving and we can never know the whole picture of whats going on for another. It's much wiser to compare yourself today with who you were in the past and see your progress.

I know for myself I can see so much growth, I used to be so shy and uncomfortable in my skin. I know a big part of that change came from firstly making the choice to move to a new country, very much out of my comfort zone and secondly through continual study of Science of Mind. I was both pushed by pain and pulled by inspiration in my growth. I am much happier today than any time previously in my life.

At some point I set the intention to expand and grow, from here on, through joy and love, less of the pain thank you very much! And glad to say that has been the case in large part. I think too that I also need to challenge myself and continue to move out of my comfort zone if I am to broaden my experiences. If I keep doing the same thing I keep getting the same results, if I want something new I have to take new action. I also have to ask myself what am I willing to give up in order to have this new expanded experience because its inevitable that some old beliefs and behaviors wont survive.

When I became a Spiritual Counselor with my church I let go of the fear of commitment. I was afraid if I took on this role that much would be asked, even demanded, of me, something that would impinge on my freedom. It dawned on me I could let go of this idea when I was aware how much I loved doing everything involved in being a Practitioner AND that I could say no!

I now invite the next phase of my expansion and declare my willingness to grow while releasing any ideas that do not serve me in this endeavor. Will you join me? Can you be willing to be willing? Even this slight movement can start the change, loosening the grip of the old and creating an opening for new. I give thanks for all that may transpire in our willingness to know more of who we are. And so it is!

When am I not myself

I was not myself last night! That's a phrase I have often heard people use and I use it now as I think about my mood last night. I was very tired, not having gotten a good nights sleep the night before. Preparing for an art show and trip out of town combined, to be followed quickly by a wedding, I was feeling overwhelmed. I was grumpy, finding fault, generally out of sorts and stressed. Not my usual self, definitely not my highest self.

Yet I wasn't being anyone else even if I was doing a good imitation of Cruella DeVil, inside my head!  I certainly didn't enjoy the experience and I'm certain my husband didnt either! I wanted to get out of my own skin and walk away from that person I was. I was conscious of it all too. In the moment I even thought I can let go of this mood but another part of me did not want to. It was all a mild insanity, a personality split, most definitely a separation from good.

You'll be glad to hear in the morning it was as a bad dream, clear headed and mild, I begin my day glad to have the old me back again. Thank goodness things come to pass! I'm grateful for my husbands love and patience and his ability to see the whole picture and not react to me as I was then. I hope to remember this when I encounter others having a bad day. People who are nasty or impatient that I meet in the course of my day today may also be undergoing a temporary aberration. I hope I can remember to bless them and smile, send them love and know that inside there is another more loving and centered being whose voice is temporarily silenced. In fact my actions may even coax it out. Either way I trust in the balance of all things and that my experience has allowed me find more compassion for others who are not themselves today.

Florish

Do you have someone you could call at 4 am if you really needed to? If your answer is yes then you are more likely to be flourishing in life. "Other people are the best antidote to the downs of life and the single most reliable up," according to Martin Seligman from his new book Flourish.

In the first two chapters he gives two exercises which I found worth trying and he insists are guaranteed to increase your feeling of well being. The first is DOING A KINDNESS. This he says has been found by scientists to produce the single most reliable monetary increase in well-being of any exercise tested!
The second is GRATITUDE and he sets a very specific exercise.

Close your eyes and bring to mind someone who contributed greatly to your life, someone living with whom you could easily meet face to face. When you have identified this person, write them a letter, it should be about 300 words; be specific as to what this person did for you and how it affected your life and how it still comes to mind. Now set up a meeting with them without telling them your purpose. Its much more fun when its a surprise! When you meet them read them the letter - do not let them interrupt, but watch their reactions and your own. Only after you have read it completely discuss the contents and your feeling for each other.
"You will be happier and less depressed one month from now." Seligman guarantees.

I'm going to try it, I hope you will too.

Know the Truth

What do you do when you hit a bump in the road of your plans? In the past I probably crumpled in disappointment or cried in frustration. These days I find, along with a mild feeling of concern I tend to be amused. In my mind I see myself throwing my head back in maniacal laughter (picture The Count from Sesame Street) saying "I laugh in the face of this set back because I know the Truth!"

With experience I have seen how these setbacks are nothing, that I have dealt with them, that they have come to pass and it all turns out alright in the end.

As practitioners of the Science of Mind we step into our Power and declare in the face of all that contradicts us with our eyes, that all is well in Spirit and we are being blessed by our circumstances.
Yes we turn to prayer, yes, we can take three wonderfully cleansing breaths, yes we can turn to an inspirational reading or dial a prayer. These are all fantastic things to do when we meet a bump in the road. In time the shift from despair to a knowing  smile can take seconds.
I used to think if you were enlightenment enough you just wouldn't encounter as many problems but as the Buddhist say "Before enlightenment - Chop wood, carry water, After enlightenment, Chop wood, carry water." And we would agree with Norman Vincent Peale "The secret of life is not what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you."
So take those delicious cleansing breaths and know the Truth. You are strong, you are precious, you are a spiritual being, always perfect, whole and complete, untouched by circumstances that come to pass not to stay.

Being of Service

I remember an English TV show from the 80s called "Are you being Served?', it was set in a Department Store on the floor for ladies and menswear, supervised by a very proper Mr. Peacock. It was a great favourite of my Dad's as he worked in this environment when he was younger and I'm sure enjoyed himself and the interesting characters with whom he worked. They had two refrains - one to the customer "Are you being served?" and another to each other if they had a question "Are you free?", meaning not serving anyone at this moment.

So I'm asking you "Are you free?" Because I have a question for you, when it comes to work do you think about the service you give? Each of us right now has a place in the world where we are of service and its very easy to dismiss the value of the things that we do.

Whether I am volunteering, working for pay, doing dishes or speaking with a friend, I am in service to something or someone. If I am between jobs I can often feel isolated as if my life lacks purpose or value but this is a false idea. Its not what you do but how you do it that matters. If I tidy my office I contribute order to the world, when I wash dishes I can do it with love not grumbling, when I work I can remember my essential part in the process as well as the consciousness I bring to the workplace.

The energy we bring to each task big or small is the most important way we can serve the world. If I can bring my best self to all that I do today I contribute consciously, allowing Spirit to work through me, being uplifted in the process and adding that lightness to the very atmosphere I create. Once I am in the flow I can be assured that my good is coming back to me by laws of circulation.
I just have to remember to ask the question, "Are you being served?" by my consciousness, my love, my attitude, and adjust in consciousness accordingly.

Demonstrations

Demonstration - the act or circumstance of proving or being proved conclusively, as by reasoning or a show of evidence: something serving as proof or supporting evidence.

 

In Science of Mind we pray in the present tense, with feeling and we affirm through our connection with the One Source (which goes under many names, God, Spirit, Universal Energy, just to name a few) that our good is already present, our needs are met and we are an embodiment of all the qualities of this Source individualized. In fact we are indivisible from all that God is, as we say like a wave in the ocean. 

Ernest Holmes said all the theology in the world is no use unless as a result of your Spiritual practice you are not seeing evidence of increased good in your life. I think this very practical approach was one of the things that attracted me to Religious Science to begin with. We are a science because we work with the laws of the universe. Therefore like any science there is evidence, results of our experimentation, we call them demonstrations.

Very often I pray, I get what I asked for and forget to acknowledge the results, as if my prayer had no influence, that the thing just happened regardless. Bringing my attention to the process and remembering my powerful part in the results can help to remind me to take a more active role in my life circumstances.

As Ernest Holmes himself said;

"We are alchemists in the laboratory of the Universe, what then shall we create?" 

Remember your power today as the individualized Spiritual being that you are. In Unity with Spirit, I claim your good today as deeply felt connection, as an awareness of your prosperity and power, and joy in simply being here now. I am grateful for all that you are and bring to this life. I release my prayer to Law and let it be, and so it is!

Prosperity

How do you know when you are prosperous? What is the measure you use? What I can  identify when I give it thought  is a feeling of freedom, to feel unrestricted and to have choices.
Yet I can already see areas in my life where I have a feeling of freedom and choice. I put the laundry in the washing machine, I turned a dial and walked away, I wrote a blog and returned to clean clothes. There is freedom, thank God I didn't have to wash them by hand.
One thing that astounded me when I came to the US first was the supermarkets. So many choices in cough medicine!
I eat three varied meals a day. I am already flourishing, with freedoms women have rarely enjoyed before in history and still don't in many countries. I can forget how prosperous I already am.

The dictionary definition of prosperity is a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune.

 

Finances! Well when it comes to that... what number on a bank account will suffice to feel prosperous? Its a loaded question, loaded with shoulds! You should have so much for retirement, you should have savings enough to be able to live without a job for 6 months, you should bla bla bla! Its nice to have those things but some people who have them don't feel prosperous - there's the fear of loss, of stock market fluctuations, still the fear of not having enough can preside like a dark cloud over the mind.

 

Balance in all things and FAITH has to be the middle ground in this thing called prosperity. Good stewardship, trust in the infinite abundance of the source within and around us, and gratitude for what we already are and have. Our security is not in the bank account of the financial institution but in the bank account of Faith, faith and confidence in our creative selves and the universe that provides.What idea or inspiration have you been provided with lately but ignored ? Decide to take confident action today, mix in some love, faith and gratitude, and see how prosperous you feel!

Day 21

Its day 21 of September and twenty one days since I committed to support the release in consciousness of the idea of lack. I don't know how anyone else is doing but I feel I have been challenged on many levels by thoughts with deep roots coming to light for release and healing. I have to acknowledge that this is a process I am in the middle of and need to continue to work on. This is not discouraging to me even as I wish I did not have to address my issues. I feel I want to address them, I have invited them to tea, to sit and negotiate and smooth the way to change.

Some old ideas are more stubborn than others and I now recommit for another 21 days to continue to be willing to change to do the work and to refocus on the Truth.

I continue to affirm I possess all sorts of riches which I can bestow upon others. I can bestow them generously and my action will open the way for even greater riches to flow. I can start from the point where I am and give on the spiritual and mental plane, feeling the creative impulse extend through me to the material plane. It is all energy and I put this energy into motion knowing it returns to me multiplied abundantly and in myriad forms.
And so it is, Amen.

Discipline

I had an boyfriend once who hated when I mentioned the word discipline. Immediately he associated it with external authority, teachers, parents, priests! I had to explain to him I was talking about self discipline - acting according to an intention set by yourself. Staying committed to a course usually for improvement as my dictionary gives the example; acquiring the habit of promptness requires self discipline.

Practicing Science of Mind requires self discipline as we practice dominion over our thoughts so we might improve our circumstances. Releasing old ideas takes discipline as we replace our automatic reaction with creative acts.

I have been having a problem lately with self discipline in one area of self improvement, my diet. There is a rebellious child in me that stamps her foot and says no when I try to direct her to better food choices! Ive had to sit down with her and find out why she's so acting so stubborn. I realized  there were feelings I was keeping at bay when I did this, feelings I was trying to ignore. Just as with a child, we cannot use force, criticism or punishment with ourselves to keep ourselves in line. Fear or force of will will like a hastily constructed dam, only last so long.

Love on the other hand is the most powerful force in the universe, and when our motivation is love we can make monumental shifts. Talking to by unhappy and rebellious inner-child with gentleness and understanding has produced more alignment within me with love. Now I am also aligned with the flow of good and as I keep regular corrections to the tiller of self discipline I move more swiftly in the direction I wish to be going. Give it a try!

Monday Monday

Monday mornings, back to work, to school, or to the void of not working or the first day of a vacation, Monday morning is a beginning of a mini cycle in our month, year, lifetime. As with any beginning we can make choices, start as you mean to go on! Did you think this morning how you would like your day to unfold or did you start already racing, from shower to breakfast to car?

Do you think it would make a difference if you were to take one 60 second piece if time and close your eyes to bless the new day?  Just one minute, to remember the Truth that spirit is the activity in and through the day and consciously give it full reign. It is powerful to remember our dominion over our thoughts and even better to take that dominion and make a choice to not just react to the world but be a creative force in the world.

Lets set an intention today to allow our Truth to be reflected to us, the Truth of our preciousness in Spirit, the Love we are and the Love we are freely given as children of the universe. It's a blessing to be alive, to breathe, to love, to see, to walk, to hear, to give, to receive, to smile, I could go on. Remember the abundance of the stars and know your blessings out number them, feel it today. Give thanks for it today.
I claim a supercalifragilistic-expialidocious day for you, now go enjoy it!!!!

Presence

I want to comment on this poem, but it would be superfluous. Just to say I revel in this man's writings and feel he has a direct line to all souls, to Spirit. Truly we all have and if we practice presence, and acknowledge the sacred in the mundane we might maximize on it. John is no longer with us physically but his Spirit most definitely is. Enjoy...

Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you from all falsity
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.
May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror your inner dignity of soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.
by John ODonohue from a Book of Blessings

Pay it forward!

 "May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."


I received this in my e-mail today from a friend I have not seen in years. We have lived in different continents for almost two decades now. She has three young children and though we used to write long letters, sharing our struggles and our hopes as well as our doubts that our dreams might never be a reality, our communication now is reduced to a scant trickle. Its OK. Some of our fondest dreams are now the reality that prevents our sharing in the present but I know the love that supported those dreams is being passed along by both of us. 
So rather than regretting what is lost I choose to quietly let the words she has sent me permeate my day and in gratitude I bless her.
I hope these words bless your day also.

Connecting to the Divine

The Seventh Chakra – Your Crowning Glory

The energy center at the crown of the head, connecting to the Divine, allows us to transcend all senses as its focus is on the spiritual meaning of life. This allows you to experience the goodness of the universe directly. It opens your way to becoming a bearer of light to the world.

Mission statement - I know.

To most effective way to open this chakra is through prayer and meditation.

Listen to Baroque music (Vivaldi, Pachebal, Teleman – it regulates the heart and puts the body in a deeper meditative state.)

Talk to God, Spirit, and ask it to direct your life, to help you moment to moment to find your way to the highest possible good.

Look for the sacred. Open your eyes, ears and heart for signs of Spirit around you.

Life is a remarkable gift, not a moment of which should be missed, pay attention to the miracles around you, unfolding daily.

Consciously bless yourself and your day before you open your eyes in the morning.

Sound a bell, donate to a local animal shelter, and tithe to your church as an affirmation of your soul’s abundance.

Rest on the 7th day, learn to value downtime.

Acceptance

"Believe in yourself as the physical instrument through which God (Spirit/Energy) operates.
Absolute dominion is yours when you have sufficient self-mastery to conquer the negative tendency of thoughts and actions.
Ask yourself daily; "What is the purpose of the power that put me here?"
"How can I work with the purpose of life and liberty in me?"
After having decide these questions endeavor hourly to fulfill them. You are a law onto yourself.
If you have a tendency to overdo anything; eat, drink or blame circumstances for your misfortunes, conquer that tendency with the inward conviction that ALL POWER is yours. Eat less, drink less, blame circumstances less and the best there is will gradually grow in the place where the worst seemed to be.
Always remember that ALL is yours to use as you will.
You can if you WILL; if you WILL, you do.
God the Father (Spirit/the Universe) blesses you with all He/She has to give.
Make good Godly use of it."

From Your Invisible Power - The Religious Science of Judge Troward by Genevieve Bertrend
Italics are mine.

Be willing to open your mind today to the truth spoken here, and in gratitude accept your good!

Oneness

I love the idea of Oneness, the idea that we all, each separate individual, as well as every rock, tree and creature are connected. Everything in creation emanating from a single source of life. It can be a difficult concept to really get your head around and I'm not sure I have or every will completely but it feels right.

As part of my Practitioner training I had to attend a stranger's memorial service. This had its discomforts I can assure you as I felt I was intruding on the intimacy of a family's grief. I sat in the back and listened to the eulogy and the sharing of who this lady had been in life and I guess I got what was the lesson we were intended to learn. I felt her loss, I felt her humanity, her desire to leave some good behind and sensed the love that the gathered group had for her. I saw myself in any one of those attending and in she who had left this mortal plane.

Once we are born, we strive for so many of the same things, to love and be loved, to express who we are in our unique and varied ways, to live fully and well, to be all we can be and make some contribution to this thing called life. If I could see this in a woman I would never have the chance to meet, can I see it in strangers I encounter today. And if I see myself in others can I be unkind, judgmental or cruel?

We are all connected by the divine spark of creativity which brought us on purpose into this life form and being one with this force we are imbued with its wisdom, beauty and power always. Oneness that connects us eternally, unfailingly. At any moment, if we choose to remember this, we can realize our own power, the power to transcend any challenge or difficulty, the power to create new circumstances, to forgive, to give, to uplift our thoughts, to love, to ask for forgiveness. We need not fear or be anxious.
Lets try and remember the power that we are as spiritual beings and our connection on that plane with all those we encounter today.

Abundant Support

I cant write today without touching on the commemoration of the tragedies of 9/11. No doubt following those events there were a lot of questions flying to heaven looking for a god or asking where is the order in this chaotic and seemingly cruel random existence.
My prayer today is that each and every person touched by these events has found a measure of peace, that they have made their own sense of it, each finding his or her own answers.

"Unfortunately every attempt to grasp the totality of life from a cognitive perspective is bound to fall short, because the brain is limited in how it perceives the world.
We may try to fill in the gaps with intricate beliefs but ambiguities and uncertainties remain and these are the very things that pull us deeper into our biological quest for knowledge, meaning and truth.
Around and around we go, for wherever there is a mystery, our brains are destined to explore."
Page 99 from "Why we believe what we believe" by Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman


Each of us must find what resonates in our own hearts as we make sense of our worlds but one thing I am fairly assured of is, that every person affected by these events were offered some form of loving support, from sister,  brother, mother, daughter, father, stranger, neighbor, friend. In some small way or large, love was offered.
It is my belief that Spirit/Life always supports its own expression, so we are each supported in our highest expression today and always.

P.S. So were those who died so tragically supported? It is my belief they were equally supported in their transition to a higher plane of existence. Like in birth, they have started life in a new form, no doubt welcomed by loved ones already passed and offered no less loving words and gestures. This is simply my sense of it, you must find your own.

ORDER

"The wonderful thing about emergence is you don't need something new to get something new!" - Murray Gell-Mann, who discovered the existence of the quark (smallest particle of matter)

It is believed by science that if you get enough things interacting with each other something new naturally emerges. Out of chaos, order.

In other words, something can come into existence, something beyond what has been seen or experienced before, by an orderly sequence of natural growth.

This same activity can work in each our lives to create new experiences and circumstances, each greater than any we have experienced before. As in the macrocosm so in the microcosm. 

Give this idea some thought, if it makes sense to you, really embody it. 

No doubt you can identify how growth has happened in your life so far. Maybe that gain was hard won through painful experiences or imposed change. Why not choose to have it happen through joyful experiences next time?

If we can really embody this idea of order and allow it to have its way in our lives we can hope for greater experiences of love, joy and abundance. There is no limit to what the mind can imagine so visualize the expansion of your experience. What is it you wish for? Greater contentment, peace, finances? Be willing to allow it and keep your mind stayed on this idea order, its a natural law, like gravity.  Trust in it fully and you will not be disappointed.

"Each one should realize that there is nothing in him that denies that which he desires. Our unity with our good is not established while there is anything in us that denies it." - Ernest Holmes 

Circulation

We have all heard "What goes round, comes round."  The idea of circulation seems to be a widely accepted idea. Emerson talked about this concept liking the microcosm to the macrocosm, as blood circulates in the body so too does all energy in the universe. Drawing from this, what we put out will indeed come round. So what do you want to put into circulation?

If you wish to experience love, give love. If wealth, put money in circulation. Tithing is the idea of giving a tenth of your earnings to that which feeds you spiritually. Even if you cant or don't feel comfortable giving a tenth then give what you can. Remember you are putting energy in motion. Give of your time if money feels impossible. Give of yourself. Its not difficult to give a smile, a compliment, a kind word, in fact it can make someone's day. You have the power to do this.
Doing it reminds us of our power. What a simple mechanism we so easily forget. You are a center of power and a cause of circulation of energy, what are you waiting for? Go to it!!

"The progress of the intellect is to the clearer vision of causes, which neglects surface differences. To the poet, to the philosopher, to the saint, all things are friendly and sacred, all events profitable, all days holy, all men divine." R.W. Emerson

This is my favorite image of Emerson, it seems to capture his intelligence and his playfulness. I love his mind and often quote him. He wrote many essays  in the mid 1800s which are as relevant today as they were then. Did you know Louisa May Alcott who wrote Little Women was a neighbor of his and was a little in love with him. When Louisa's sister got married Emerson kissed her on the cheek in congratulations. Louisa who never married, commented, "It might be worth getting married if one got a kiss from Mr. Emerson!"

Abundance is Now

Place your order...we do it all the time in restaurants and we usually receive what we order. Several stories have been shared with me in the past week about how people put out an order to the universe in very definite ways, some very specific and some not so much. Each got a response and learned something in the exchange.
No.1 You must be very specific.
No.2 When you are specific be prepared to get what you asked for!!

In the latter I recognized that the order was not placed as a command of even a plea but simply a statement of what the person felt she deserved. It came from the heart with a deep knowing that it was a Divine Right. It was as if this woman had come to a place of realization that she had been accepting less than she deserved and in that came the shift in consciousness. A week later her hearts desire showed up and she was a little taken aback. Now she had to work on her fears and sit down with herself to see what those were. She discovered her courage to say yes to a new experience. Getting what you want demands new behaviors and often what stops the receiving is comfort with the status quo.
Are you ready to let go of some way of being in order to have your greater good?

Sit with this question today and make your declaration of what you truly deserve as a child of God. Not as a demand or a plea but as a simple statement backed by conviction.God is not with-holding but we may be with holding from ourselves!


Buddah said; You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.

Individuality

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world of men will always try and impose its vision on to you, of how you should behave, what you should do or how you should live. I hear people who are seeking employment, in transition from a dying career, ask what the work place wants. It always rankles me. So you are going to try to fit a round peg in a square hole I think.

This is such a mistake that is commonly made. In relationship with parents and lovers its asked, if I behave this way will I be acceptable. Bosh, I say! Be yourself in mutual respect and allow yourself to be loved as you are as you respect the other.

If you love, love to the best of your ability, with kindness, support and compassion for the beloved. If you need employment look to what it is you thrill at doing, LOVE is the key. And you express it uniquely so don't be afraid to be yourself. This is what the world needs. Believe it. As an individualized expression of the Life of God, you are a center of its Infinite Abundant Nature. How good it is to know this!

"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." -Emerson