Do not Do what You Hate!

In my recent exploration of the Gospels which were NOT in included in the bible, here are a few interesting quotes;

"Do not tell lies,  and do not do what you hate; for all things are plain in the sight of heaven."

"There is light within a person of light, and it lights up the whole universe. If it does not shine, there is darkness."

"the Kingdom is inside you, and outside you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will see that it is you who are the living children of the living Father."
Gospel of Thomas (Doubting)

Judas is described as Jesus' closest friend, someone who understands Christ's true message and is singled out for special status among Jesus' disciples.

In the key passage Jesus tells Judas, "'you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.'"

Kasser, the translation-project leader, "Jesus says it is necessary for someone to free him finally from his human body, and he prefers that this liberation be done by a friend rather than by an enemy. So he asks Judas, who is his friend, to sell him out, to betray him. It's treason to the general public, but between Jesus and Judas it's not treachery."

“Look, you have been told everything. Lift up your eyes and look at the cloud and the light within it and the stars surrounding it. And the star that leads the way is your star." So Judas lifted up his eyes and saw the luminous cloud, and he entered it.” 
Gospel of Judas

"Every nature, every modeled form, every creature, exists in and with each other. They will dissolve again into their own proper root. For the nature of matter is dissolved into what belongs to its nature. Anyone with two ears able to hear should listen!" 

"Levi answered, speaking to Peter, "Peter, you have always been a wrathful person. Now I see you contending against the woman like the Adversaries. For if the Savior made her worthy, who are you then for your part to reject her? Assuredly the Savior's knowledge of her is completely reliable. That is why he loved her more than us."
Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)

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!

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!