Peace

The decision to start the Summer Olympics today on 8/8/08 at 8:08 p.m. was no coincidence. The 8 is an auspicious number. The word for eight is "ba" in Mandarin and "baat" in Cantonese, resembling the word for prosperity and abundance.

I only watched the end of the opening ceremony on TV this morning, and I’d like to see the rest, because what I saw was awesome. During a song, there were many women dressed in white making beautiful gestures with their hands. The cameras panned the audience, and most of them were making the same gestures. I finally realized the gestures were of wings of a dove, symbolizing peace. Ahhhh, that made it even more beautiful.

I know there is some controversy surrounding these games, (and when isn’t there controversy at any big or little event?) yet what do we want to focus on?

I am honouring the many athletes from all over the world and supporting the hard work and efforts they have made. I honour the dance that represented peace to me. I will focus on being global citizens, instead of focusing on our differences in culture, ways of governing, etc.

Dr. Ernest Holmes, in his famous “Sermon by the Sea” said “Find me one person who is for something and against nothing, who is redeemed enough not to condemn others out of the burden of his soul, and I will find another savior, another Jesus, another exalted human being.”

That exalted human is us - only we don’t quite believe it yet. We are moving into that understanding. There is a Buddhist saying that says: “If we are facing the right direction, all we have to do is keep walking.” Whether we know it consciously or not, our soul is on a peace-keeping mission. We can more consciously work with It by consciously using Principle, and doing our Spiritual Practices. Becoming more intimate with The Divine. Remember – right where we are, God is. This is my Truth, and I’m sticking to It!!

Grateful Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is but One Power – we call It by many names, but It is so much more than that. This One Power resides in every corner of the Universe. Every corner is Its own Self. It resides within me as well.

As I breathe deeply and accept this Truth, I feel all judgment and fear dissipate with my outgoing breath. The Peace I am is now revealed. I feel it within me and all around me. In Peace I celebrate the activities I see in my world – my own and those of others. I know they are all a reflection of my thinking/feeling nature. I am filled with Peace, so I see and experience Peace, and this is good, very good.

I am so grateful for the consciousness of abundance. I know this is an abundance of all good things, including the deep peace of my soul. I am grateful to take responsibility for my part in walking in the right direction, and being an emissary of Peace.

I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are so. And so It is.

Trust

Friday night was the closing party for our Summer Conference at Asilomar. What an awesome, history-making week it has been! Religious Science International has changed its name to International Centers for Spiritual Living, and we have officially voted to participate in the integration process, bringing what was once one organization that became two in 1954, back together. We are practicing what we preach – Oneness!

The speakers and workshops were inspirational, the music was incredible, the food delicious, and the grounds beautiful. It was great fun to talk with friends I haven't seen for years, and meet many new ones. I am so glad I attended!

I have a notebook full of talk ideas from the notes I've taken. To synthesis all these ideas into a smaller package for this Friday Message, I'd have to say the main theme was Let go of separateness and Trust the process.

If we are feeling anything that is not Love .. we believe we are separate. If we are feeling angry, resentful, victimized, left out, abandoned or feeling like "they" (whether "they" is people or the environment) are against us, we have separated ourselves from Love.

How do we move back into Love? We pay attention. We find something to be grateful for. There is so much. We can be in awe of the mystery of how our body works … how our mind works … the wonder of communicating with others with our bodies, minds, hearts and Spirits. We can be in awe of our ability to choose what we desire to experience and the mystery of Principle at work in our lives.

We remember God is Love – and Love is everywhere we are, therefore it is impossible to be separate. We can let go and trust the process.

A wonderful song by Erika Luckett, one of this week's musicians, had this line: "If we're not in awe, we're not paying attention." I just looked up to see the tree outside our room window filled with little birds. They are living in a separate reality, yet it is integrated with ours. This is the way it is with the people in our lives – at our work, at home and at play. They have their own reality, yet it is integrated with ours. How awesome it is to let go of feeling separate and to trust the Loving Intelligence within them and within ourselves.

Dr. Ernest Holmes, the founder of our organization, said over and over: "There is a Power for Good in the Universe, and you can use It." This is our Truth. Together, we are creating the lives we want to live and making the world a better place.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I acknowledge the One Mind out of which all unmanifested energy becomes manifest. The One Mind that is infinitely intelligent and unconditionally loving. The One Mind that is everywhere present and all powerful. I am using this Mind all the time. There is no way I could not. Though my thoughts and feelings, my world is created.

I now let go of any feelings of being separate. Right where I am, God is, and where God is, all is well. Since God works through me effortlessly attracting who I think I am and what I think my life is about, I declare that I bring a fresh, new consciousness of Love into my life and into every place I am.

There is nothing in me to support separation. I was created to enjoy Life. There is only One Life, that Life is God's Life and this is the life I am living. It expands in me and my heart knows Oneness.

How grateful I am to be able to let go of the belief in separateness and to trust the process! How grateful I am to recognize myself as Love!

I now release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are already done. And so It is.

NOTE: Lynne Mc|Taggart, author of The Intention Experiment, is hosting a WORLD PEACE INTENTION EXPERIMENT on September 14th. Please go to her website to find out more, and participate if you'd like! www.theintentionexperiment.com/peace/