What if?

A Facebook friend, Eric Steven Rankin (author of "The Aquarians") wrote:

On the winter solstice a couple of days ago (when the northern hemisphere of Earth began to experience ever more light with each passing day), comet Lovejoy appeared on the horizon and was called the "most incredible sight I've ever seen" by a crew member aboard the International Space Station. This is the comet that was supposed to have been burned up by it's close pass by the sun, but instead survived to create a visual wonder at Christmas/Solstice time. And it's name is Love-Joy? What are the odds of that? Maybe we're getting a message!

(Here's the view from the Space Station: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoZIwtgEqKY )

What if we are getting a message! I got excited about this idea. What if Comet LoveJoy was foretelling a new age, like the star the Magi followed to find The Christ. This time though, there is not one Christ, but many.

What if we are now living in the period of time that people of the future call the "The Shift," the "Time of Transformation" or the "Age of Enlightenment"? You can't deny that the consciousness of humanity is changing rapidly. I see it changing for the good.

If we believe it, we have a great responsibility. Each one of us is participating in creating our future in our own way and it is up to us to expand our boundaries and do our best for the good of all. This means to be conscious of being conscious. To honor and respect all the many aspects of Life: the earth and all it is made of, the plants that grow upon it, the insects, the birds and the many forms of Life that pollinate it, and all animals - including ourselves - that feed upon it.

It means to truly pay attention to our relationships with each other, whether we are interacting with our friends and families, strangers in the market place, or walking by a homeless person on the street. It means realizing at a deep soul level we are all One.

Brian Tracy writes "The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good."

We're all spiritual adventurers, exploring the greater good - following a messenger called "Love-Joy" and creating a world that works for everyone! Let's make it a Great One!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

As I awaken to a new day, a new year, I do so with gratitude for all that I was, all I am, and all I will be. Though it seems like I am always changing, the Truth of me is unchangeable, as the Truth of me is God.

I declare this year to be a year of amazing experiences - a deepening in consciousness, and expansion of mind. I declare this is a year in which even ordinary, everyday experiences are felt with a spiritual awareness. I declare this year to be one of health, wealth, and creativity. I declare this year to be one of Love and Joy.

I celebrate the newness of 2012. I am happy to be here to experience another year. With a heart filled with gratitude, I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are so, and so it is.

Taking a 'Reading' of the Collective

Every year I like to observe what I call the "consciousness of the Collective" as I look at all the holiday ornaments and decorations in the stores. I pay attention to the colors and the styles, as well as talk to the clerks, asking them what they've sold the most of.

This year the word that came up over and over was "classic." The most purchased ornaments were round balls - red, gold and silver. I also noticed a proliferation of penguins and the color magenta in various store displays.

The word 'classic' means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality.

The color red stands for Life and Love ... Gold for Illumination ... and Silver for balance of mind and emotions.

Penguins bring focus as their gift. Magenta is a color of universal harmony and emotional balance. It is spiritual yet practical, encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life. Magenta is a color of transformation. It helps create harmony and balance in every aspect of life; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

So -- my "reading" of the collective consciousness is this: once again there's a longing to go back to what we think of as "better times" ... the classics. Yet we're realizing that what's important is Now. We're beginning to be more and more conscious and balanced in our lives ... time being precious, love being most important... and we're becoming more focused on creating and sustaining something of value in our world.

This is a very good thing.

Blessings for an amazing Christmas. Pay attention, stay centered, breathe in Love. Recognize every moment as a gift -- because that's what it is. A gift of the One Life that is living as YOU!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Today I acknowledge the Spirit of Christmas. It is that Love that has no beginning and no end. It is surrounding me, uplifting me, filling me up. It is who I AM.

I am open to the rebirthing of the Christ consciousness in and as me in this moment. I am ready to move into the place of Universal Harmony. I am balanced in every way, and this is good, very good.

I am grateful for knowing that there is only One Life - this Life is God's Life - and this Life is my life now. I now relax in sweet surrender knowing only the best is here now.

And so it is.

Re-inventing Family Ties

'Ike aku, 'ike mai, kokua aku kokua mai; pela iho la ka nohana 'ohana.
(Recognize others, be recognized, help others, be helped; such is a family relationship.)

When I read this Hawaiian proverb recently, a memory flashed into my mind.
I was outside, enjoying my rosebushes in my Hawaiian garden. The phone rang, I rushed into the house to answer it. It was my Mother. She started berating me because I hadn't contacted her recently. The conversation ended abruptly and I fretted about it for quite awhile. I had instantly turned into an 11 year old, feeling shamed and guilty and tried to defend myself.

The holidays are family time - and some of you, like me, had an "interesting" childhood. Perhaps some of you even wanted to divorce yourselves from the whole 'family' scene, as I did by running away at age 16. Yet even though I was in my 30's during the above memory, I still was attached by family ties. Those ties were labeled "should" and every year while my parents were alive, I wrestled with the idea that I 'should' go visit them. I wasn't brave enough not to go, yet I dreaded it and the holidays always turned out terrible.

(When I moved to Hawai'i, I had a wonderful excuse -- I was too far away! I created my family of choice and started looking forward to the holidays.)

Now that I'm more spiritually mature, I realize I was perpetuating the holiday crazies with my family because I expected them to be a certain way. The Universe only says Yes - so of course, I got to experience what I was expecting. Dr. Holmes wrote in the Science of Mind - "Principle is not bound by precedent." which means that just because something always happened a certain way before, it doesn't mean it has to happen that way again. If my parents were alive today, I might join them for the holidays, and I would do it as an adult. I would recognize them, allow them to recognize me. I would help them, and let them help me. I would be totally present, with a different consciousness - the consciousness that recognized them as unique, individualized expressions of The One. We would have a much different family relationship than we'd had in the past.

I can't do that physically anymore -- but I certainly can do it in my mind! Can you? Sometimes family time means accepting them just they way they are and loving them anyway - loving The Divine within them.

This year let your family ties be ones labeled 'Love.'


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is love, absolute calm, and harmony in all things. This is my Truth. God is everywhere present - so love, peace and harmony are within me as well. There is That Within Me that reminds me of this at every moment.

As I move through my holidays, interacting with family, friends and co-workers, I remember. Just because something was uncomfortable in the past, doesn't mean it has to be that way again. I declare right now, that I remember that I am the one that brings the consciousness I want to experience with me - no matter where I go or who I am with.

This year I choose to experience the Love that this season is really about. I choose to recognize the Christ in all life. As I do so, It is recognized in me. I allow myself to be of service this season, and to let myself be served. I am comfortable with my family of birth, my family of choice, and my global family. I remember we are All One.

With a grateful heart I release these words into the Law of Mind, rejoicing in their embodiment!
And so it is.

Leaving the "stuff" behind

Ernest Holmes writes: "The subjective mind is the seat of memory and contains a remembrance of everything that has ever happened to the outer person. It also contains the family and race characteristics. It retains these memories, in a certain sense, as mental pictures. The subjective mind might be compared to a picture gallery, upon whose walls are hung the pictures of all the people whom the individual has ever known, and all the incidents which he has ever experienced. (SOM p. 347.4)"

I've had the pleasure of visiting family this month -- two sisters in Florida where I officiated at a niece's wedding, and my sister in New Hampshire for Thanksgiving. I am very thankful for these experiences. I didn't experience a 'family' feeling as a child, and for much of my life I didn't know how to deal with 'family' since I didn't have a good model. I took those mental pictures I had as a child and compared everything to them. There were pictures of what I'd experienced, and pictures of what I thought it should be like. I tried to analyze myself into what I thought a 'family' feeling would feel like.

I was not raised with any of my sisters. In the past, I have analyzed how I might have turned out if I was. I compared our lives and wondered if I would know how to love better. I realized that in my 'picture gallery' that Holmes refers to were not only portraits of the people I've known, but those portraits were colored by either my past knowledge or my imagination of who I thought they are. My knowledge really had nothing to do with them -- it was all something I made up.

During these recent visits, I decided to just appreciate my family, who they are, and who I am with them and I've had a great time!!

Today I got an e-mail from Alan Cohen with this quote -

"Love does not require analysis, just appreciation."

I've decided to close my photo gallery while new, current photos are being created.

As you have your family experiences this holiday season, let yourself leave the past behind, and appreciate each person in the present moment. This is truly a freeing experience!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is Love -- the greatest healing agent in the Universe. God being Love - It is everywhere, including within us and all life.

Knowing this, I let go of past perceptions and approach all things as new. I let go of analyzing events according to my past. I am willing to experience each person and each experience as if it was the first time.

I choose this day to appreciate everyone and everything in my life. I know all are God!

With a grateful heart, I step into my Now with a sense of freedom. It is good, very good. And so it is.

Gratitude is the Key

In the early '90's I started a Gratitude Journal process that I'm still doing. Every night I write 5 things I am grateful for. A few weeks ago I started posting a daily picture reflecting something about gratitude on Facebook. I have so much to be grateful for, I could continue to do these two things forever and not be able to list everything. My life is so full, and I can see how using gratitude as a spiritual practice has been a key point in making it what it is. As I focus on being grateful, I constantly have more to be grateful for.

The Chinese have a proverb: "When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them."

I interpret this in three ways:
One -- Many of the things we're grateful for seem to come from outside of ourselves -- so be grateful to all who have made them possible.
Two -- Be grateful for your own consciousness. Everything you have, you created in consciousness first. You're the one who planted those seeds in mind that have become visible.
Three -- Be grateful for the Source of all ideas -- that powerful Presence Within You -- the One Mind from where all ideas come.

I feel Gratitude is the highest form of thought - the key to the Universe.

When you celebrate Thanksgiving in what ever way you choose to do so, remember this proverb -- and

make it a sacred practice.

THANK YOU for being in my world.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only One Mind - the Mind of God. It is everywhere present. It is where I am and It is within me. I am where It is and I am within It.

I live in gratitude and am in perfect alignment with Divine Mind. I accept my Divine Nature and the Divine Nature of absolutely everything.

The Universe freely and unconditionally supplies me with everything I require. I know no lack of any kind. Divine energy fills me up. I am powerful, loving, healthy, inspired, creative, peaceful and harmonious. My life is good, joyous and abundant. I am satisfied and fulfilled.

How grateful I am to know I am an important part of the Whole. God lives though me, as me. All of Life is grateful to me for being open and receptive to It.

I now release these words with a grateful heart. Life is good. And so it is.

One Truth, Many Paths

Every once and a while, someone comes to me and asks why our Center doesn't teach other healing modalities, like Reiki, EFT, or things like channeling, etc.. Then there are others that are adamant about not having anything but the Science of Mind taught in our Center or on our book table.

My response: It's all God - all Good. What ever works for you - go for it! Personally, I love Spiritual Mind Treatment, our form of affirmative prayer - and over the 25 years I've been a Religious Science Minister, I have seen the Truth revealed in so many people, resulting in bodies and hearts healed, minds transformed, and lives becoming magnificent.

Some say the Science of Mind is not enough. When Mike Dooley (author of Notes from the Universe) was in Baltimore, he started his talk by saying that people would come to him, telling him they loved his books and his "notes," but when was he going to do something more advanced? He'd look at them and say: "What's more advanced than "It is done unto you as you believe?" I loved that!

The Science of Mind doesn't deny any methods of healing, or forms of religion. None of them are wrong or more right than others. It teaches what our founder, Ernest Holmes, discovered after he realized the golden thread running through most of the major religions and philosophies of our world. Though many spiritual teachers have said it in different ways, in my opinion, this golden thread can be summed up by two statements: "All there is is God" and "It is done unto us as we believe."

This means that beneath all these other modalities, is our teaching. God is Law, and the Law is - It is done unto us as we believe. For any modality to work we have to believe it will. What ever I believe will work, will work for me -- what ever I don't believe will work, will still work by seeming to not work.

Some modalities say a person doesn't have to believe for their method to work -- yet in asking for a session, there's got to be a part of the asker that 'hopes' it will work .. and if that hope - or the need -- is strong enough, it will work, without their conscious awareness of believing it will do so. If a modality seems to work the first time, they'll try it again, and again, until their hope become a conscious belief. That modality might not work for others, but it will always work for them. Thank God we have so many options to choose from!

One day we'll realize that we all have the Power we attribute to others. We'll realize it is within us, and when we realize that, we'll KNOW there is really nothing to heal. How do I know this? Because it's all God. And that's the Truth!



SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

The Universe is made of an amazingly powerful Energy that is the Source and Substance of all things. This Energy works through a part of Itself called Law. It works through us, as us, at all times, just as it works through all Life.

Knowing this I now let go of any judgments I might have about other ways of doing things. I know each person is on their right Path, and this Path leads them to the Truth of their Being. I pay attention to my own Path, and allow myself to be expanded by the contemplation of It.

As I walk my Path, I see we all desire the same things, and so I Know for all of us an eternally embodied feeling of well-being, peace, harmony, and love, and this is good, very good.

I celebrate all the ways we come to Truth, knowing they are all part of the Divine Whole. I celebrate the way that works for me, and I let It be my Good. I celebrate the way It works for others and I let it be their Good. I release these words with a deep sense of gratitude, and I let them go. And so It is.

Trick or Treat

I read online that Halloween has become a 6 billion dollar business! WOW!!

Here's a different kind of Trick or Treat, doesn't cost us anything - except what we want to pay in spiritual coin: ... written by Rev. Karen Weingard, in Beverley Hills.

T here is only one life and that one life  is God’s life expressing fully as my life
R adiating all of the qualities of love, joy, peace prosperity, compassion and truth
I know these qualities are to be expressed thru me as God’s divine purpose  
C aressing every precious being as I acknowledge that the power of the
K ingdom of Heaven is taking place within 

O ne family organized in unity of the spirit 
R ejoicing in the love and joy emanating throughout  universe

T hriving in our singular purpose of bringing our unique gifts to the planet
R ecognizing our mission is to be  love
E xpanding fully  as the brilliance of our evolution
A nd allowing the abundance of spirit to reveal completely
T hroughout every aspect of creation


AND SO IT IS!!

Have fun and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Be Vigilant

Last week I bought a woman's magazine for a recipe I wanted to try. I finally got around to looking at the magazine this week. As I flipped through it, I had the weirdest feeling ... part of me wanted to rip out the recipe, and put the magazine in the recycling. I didn't want to finish looking at it. So I started again at the beginning to see why.

In a 232 page magazine, 25 full page ads were for food, 21 were for cosmetics, 21 were for medications, (and some of those were 4 pages long) 17 were for household items (cleaners, etc), 9 were for house items like furniture, floors, etc., 7 were for clothes, 2 were for credit cards, and 1 was for a car. This does not include all the little ads filling up the spaces.

Now this isn't necessarily bad - the magazine has to pay for itself & make some money, that's just business. What bothered me is the tone of some of the advertising. For instance, 21 full page ads for medications - "get a better grip on life" ... "after _________, you can have it all" .... "come out from under the cloud.."

21 full page ads for cosmetics - "gravity doesn't stand a chance" ... Erase age instantly ... "makes you look younger."

Then I look at the articles - "Why Your Food Isn't Safe" ... "Are Smart Cards Safe?" ... "Is Your Bedding Safe?" ... "Staying Safe in a Risky World" ... "Crisis Control" And, not one of the models in the clothing articles was above a size 4.

So - even though we're all going to do it, getting older is bad, we've got to be thin or we're not pretty, nothing in our world is safe, and if you take pills, you'll be OK. YIPES! All these are subtle messages, but they are messages all the same.

Now - for the magazines sake - I must say there were also very good articles amongst all the fear based stuff.

So why do I bring this up? It surprised me!! It surprised me how subtle negative energy seeps into everything in our lives. It made me more aware how we have to vigilant at the doorway of our minds - whether speaking, listening or reading!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is a creative Principle in this Universe that works for us by working through us. It is the working nature of The Divine. This Principle is both intelligent and loving. It is here for us, and It is within us.

I now declare there is a Silent Witness within me that guides me along my Life Path, leading me past the negativity and fear based effects of the world way of thinking. Though I might notice it, I am no longer affected in any way by the mass consciousness unless it is for everyone's highest and best good. I live in a new world. A world of Love, Life and Light. My world is supportive and nurturing, peaceful and harmonious.

I celebrate my decision to live this way. I am so grateful I can be more aware of my thoughts, feelings and beliefs. I celebrate everything as God and this is good, very good.

I release these words into spiritual law, knowing they are now part of my Truth. And so It is.

The Truth Sets Me Free!

During Oprah's 2nd Lifeclass, various people were shown in clips from past shows as they revealed a truth about themselves and their lives. The show's byline was "The Truth will set you free."

As I watched, I realized this is really what the Occupy Wall Street movement is all about! On the outside, it's about people and corporations and the misuse of funds, yet the bottom line is "No more secrets!"

When I think back over the past couple of decades and the scandals of various types - they were all secrets that had been revealed.

Oprah reminded us that holding onto secrets creates an atmosphere of shame -- and we all know that one!! It doesn't feel good at all! Revealing our secrets, releases the shame. It also allows us to take ownership of what ever we've been hiding.

What secrets am I hiding? or You? Good question. Sometime we've hid them so well, we don't even know who we really are. Let's join the party -- Let's Occupy Truth! If the secret is from the past, tell someone you trust and let it go. There is probably nothing you can do to change the experience - but you can change your energy around it. If you're living a secret now, just remember, if something has to be kept secret, it's something you shouldn't be doing. Move back into integrity. It takes a lot of energy to keep secrets. A lot of energy that could be used for other things!

All this revealing of the Truth is definitely setting us free -- on global and individual level. As we do the work, we are free to be the authentic beings we really are!!

Spiritual Mind Treatment

We live in an unconditionally loving Heart -- the Heart of God. This Love has been ours since we began, and will be ours forevermore. This Love is within us now, and nothing we could ever have done, or do now, can make this Love leave us.

Knowing this, I now allow myself to release what ever I've been hiding. I step out from behind the wall of shame, and declare my Truth. Regardless of appearances, I have always been doing the best I could at the moment. I let go, and let the space where shame resided be filled up with Divine Love.

As I do this, I now feel a lightness of Being. I am able to feel so many things now. My energy is free flowing, and I am free!

With a grateful heart, I breathe deeply and know my Truth. God is the only presence, Love is the only power.

I release these words into the Law of Mind, relaxing as I do so. I am free. And so it is.

Celebrating 25 Years

25 years ago this Sunday (Sept. 25) the Center for Spiritual Living East Hawaii received it's church charter and I was installed as the pastor. I had started that Center nine months before with 5 people in my living room -- it was an idea who's time had come!

When I started classes in 1981 with Dr. Leo Fishbeck of the Glendale, California Center, I had no idea that a couple of years later I would move to Honolulu, HI to study with Rev. Helen Street. When I left, Dr. Leo called me his Pacific Missionary. I had no idea how prophetic that was. I didn't know I would not only start a Center on the Big Island, but pastor one in Vancouver, BC, start one in Langley, BC, and then move to Baltimore, MD to pastor another one!

If someone had told me that over the years I'd be traveling on a woman's pilgrimage with Rev. Edwene Gaines in Glastonbury, England, meditating in the Great Pyramid and having lunch with Mrs. Anwar Sadat in Egypt, having lunch and a private moment with the Dalai Lama in India, visiting Machu Picchu in Peru, attending the Parliament of World Religions in Barcelona, Spain, or being on a first class cruise, studying Joseph Campbell and visiting Greece,Turkey and Italy, I would have laughed. Not me!! Before I went to Hawaii, I'd never even flown in a plane!

If anyone had told me I would be known for my writing and my prayer work or that I would have prayer clients all over the world, I would have giggled!! Yet I have boxes of cards and letters thanking me for helping them facilitate their healing.

These are only a few things I've experienced because I decided to turn my life over to Spirit. Not in the way of letting go of my self, but of consciously becoming more aware of my Higher Self and choosing to express It.

People have said "You're so courageous." Maybe I am, yet I don't see it that way. I've come to the edge of Trust so many times and been afraid, yet have kept moving forward and been amazed at the results. I truly believe what I teach. There is an Infinitely Intelligent and Unconditionally Loving Presence absolutely everywhere - and I am constantly learning more about It and opening up to new levels of It. There is a bottom line Law that all the great masters taught - "It is done unto you as you believe." I believe God can be trusted.

What would your life be like if you always trusted?

I stand in eternal gratitude for all that has been, is now, and will be. I look forward to the next 25 years - Thank You God!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God in us, as us, is a mighty force for good. It is infinitely intelligent, and unconditionally loving. It is the Lifeforce that makes all things animate, and it is the energy that holds all things inanimate together.
 
Today I recognize The Divine as my 'life line' - people, places and events that have brought me to this moment. In this moment I honor all who have walked my Path with me, whether ahead, alongside or behind me - whether I have known them or not. We are all going home together .. home to a deeper understanding of the Truth of our being.

I honor all the places I have been. Each one has been God serving me in my growth. I know I have left each place better because I was there for a time.
 
I honor myself as well. I am the one walking the Path, co-creating my world. None of this would or could have happened without me. I celebrate my Self with joy and thanksgiving. I celebrate my choices. I see they have all been exactly what I needed to deepen my awareness.
 
I celebrate The Divine Within- knowing It is my true home. My life is God's Life, and I am making it a good one!! Gratefully, I release these words. And so it is.

The Face of God

A week ago, I stood at my bedroom window for a last look out before drawing the

blinds. The moonlight was just bright enough to see that there was something out by the brook. A doe and her fawns often eat from the green apple tree, so I turned off my bedroom light to get a better look. The moon glimmered off a handsome set of antlers! It was the Buck!! I've lived here for 7 months now, and this is the first time I've seen a male. I watched in awe as he stood there, still as a statue. A doe walked up to him and they touched noses, and then she went for the apple tree. It seemed as if he was keeping watch, and when she was finished, they walked away.

I felt honored, like Nature had opened a window and let me see into another world.

In his essay "Nature" Emerson writes "Nature is the gigantic shadow of God cast on the senses. The beneficence, the beauty, the mystery of nature are like the beauty, the beneficence, and the mystery of God."

All of Nature is conspiring to support us and every culture has given meaning to it. The Chinese consider the deer to be a symbol of happiness and good fortune. Indeed, its name in Chinese is a homonym for the word abundance. The First Nation peoples say that the gentleness of Deer is the heart-space of the Great Spirit which embodies His love for us all. Celtic stories are full of The Stag leading fairies through the forest.

Back to Emerson: The first paragraph of this essay has these lines:
"The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should not we also enjoy an original relation to the universe?"

Yes, why not? Let's spend time admiring Nature every day. See the wonders, the magic, the face of God.

Spiritual Mind Treatment

Everything around me and in me is God. Everything I can experience with my senses and more, is God. This is what Nature is - God. In Nature I see examples of how we are all provided for, how abundant and beautiful Life is. I see my own Self.

Today I declare my eyes are open to Nature. I allow Nature to nurture me, inspire me, empower me. Like Nature, I open myself to the givingness of the Universe. I rejoice in It's beauty. I am enriched as I fill my senses with the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and feel of Nature.

I am so grateful I can do this. So grateful for this amazing planet we live on and all that is on it. I celebrate God as Nature today! And so it is.

September 11

Back in the early 90’s, there was a sit-com on TV called Dinosaurs. I loved it. They talked about important issues with humor. In one program, the two legged dinosaurs and the four legged dinosaurs were fighting over the rights to a particular pistachio orchard. One side started carrying signs that read “We are right.” The one painting the signs got tired of writing all that out, and just put the initials W. A. R.

Flash forward to September 11, 2001 – No matter where we were or what we were doing, we all remember that date. It was a Tuesday morning … a morning we got up and went about our daily morning routines, not knowing something momentous was about to happen. I was living in Vancouver, BC. I came out of the shower to see my young roommate sitting on the couch crying. The TV was on, so I thought it was a sad movie. Then I thought maybe something had happened between her and her boyfriend. "What's the matter?" I asked. She just pointed at the television. I walked closer and thought what a weird movie -- and then as the scenes played over and over again, I realized what had happened.

For me, as an American living in Canada, the day was agonizing. I couldn’t do anything for anyone – all I could do was watch and pray. During a meditation that afternoon, I saw the twin towers as a gateway that had been blown open in our collective consciousness. It was a gateway of our choosing. We could choose to see the ‘axis of evil” flooding in, or we could see a wave of compassion flowing out. I chose compassion as did millions of people around the world. We began to move from feeling separate to a new idea of global oneness.

Other disasters have happened since that fateful day - each one shaking us to our core and giving us an opportunity to choose how we want to react.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the day our world changed in an instant – all because some people thought they were right and everyone else was wrong. It is a good time to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, and those that are still suffering the effects, whether physically, mentally or emotionally, by examining our lives to see where we are stuck in "We Are Right." It could be an issue with a neighbor, a boss, a spouse, a child, or even someone that’s not in our lives any longer. Whoever it is, we will know by the energy we feel in our body when we think about them. We can look at our personal disasters, do our forgiveness work if needed, and let those people (including ourselves) have safe passage through our minds and hearts.

I stand for Truth in Peace with all of you.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT


There is only one Life, that Life is God’s Life and that Life is the Life we are living right now. All there is, is God. There is no other. This Life is filled with possibilities. It is based in unconditional love, and works through spiritual law.

Knowing this, I now declare all wars I have had in my life are over. No longer do I hold anyone hostage in my mind. I open my heart and let go of my need to be right. I accept that each of us has our own ‘rightness” and others might not be the same as mine. I accept that regardless of appearances, the Truth always sets us free.

Today I choose to reinforce the Divine Pattern of Peace in my heart. I declare on an individual and global level we are able to see the blessings in all events. If we can’t see them immediately, we call them forth anyway, knowing the highest good for all concerned.

With a grateful heart I celebrate being a part of the Compassionate Heart. I rejoice in being able to allow Peace to reign in my life and the lives of others. I celebrate God in everyone and know the Peace of God at a deeper level than I have ever experienced before. The Law takes our declarations and makes them manifest, and Love heals and points the way.

The Global Heart is expressing more compassion, and that compassion leads to a deeper understanding of Oneness, and comes from unconditional love. God is Love and Love heals.

This is my Truth. And so it is.

It's Time to Break the Bonds ...

I saw the film "The Help"last week. I sat in the theater after it ended for a bit feeling a feeling I had had when I finished watching "Dances with Wolves" many years ago. Confused Anger. What is it about being white that makes us feel like we're superior?

In Hawai'i, I learned that over and over again white people have gone into a culture and demanded they should be more like them -- and if they're not, because of the color of their skin or their religious customs, they refused to let them continue their customs - they treated them as if they were not human.

I believe I wrote about seeing the two young people of color in the back area of the townhomes where I live, and noticing they were looking up at the decks as they were walking by. I shut and locked my deck door, thinking they might be checking us out ... and then felt really stupid when I realized they were part of a team replacing the gutters on my neighbors home. I wondered why I automatically assumed they were up to something? Cultural conditioning.

When I was young, my parents were world travelers. For years we had an English governess, and then she retired suddenly just before my parents were leaving on an extended trip. My Mother had to take who the agency sent. It was a black woman and her teenage daughter, who just happened to have the same last name as ours. I can remember my Mother freaking out, giving us all sorts of instructions about not talking with the daughter at school, or playing with her at home, etc.. I couldn't understand why and even though I knew I would get in trouble when my parents came home, I made friends with the daughter. How could I live with someone, ride on the bus to and from school with them and not befriend them?

Years later, I asked her why she was so prejudiced. She didn't think she was. She talked about how she'd had a favorite black bartender during their parties, and Japanese gardeners, and Mexican cleaning ladies. Cultural conditioning. The whole time she was talking I could hear that she still felt she was better than they were. It saddened me, yet this was the way she was raised. She never really got it that things could be different.

I'd felt like we've come far beyond that, probably because of the circles I move in, yet in speaking with one person of color recently I discovered that they feel invisible in one of those circles.

We are the ones that can break the cycle of cultural conditioning. It's time. We do it by truly recognizing we are all One. Ernest Holmes writes: "As a person realizes their Oneness with Creative Mind, they are released from the bondage of false thinking.  They see, too, that freedom means liberty but not license."  (Glossary, p. 595.2) We don't have the right to treat anyone as if they aren't all that they are - Spirit made manifest.

If I have harmed anyone through my cultural conditioning, - by my acceptance of a race consciousness that denies anyone their good - I apologize. I will do my best to end this way of thinking and living right here and now.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Spirit is absolutely all there is. Everything and everyone is a personalization of The Divine. There is nothing but God.

Remembering this, I declare that I have released my cultural conditioning. I am open to a deeper wisdom about all people. I know they are One with me. There can only be One, because all is God.

As I live in this Truth, I lift up the consciousness of humanity - We are all recognizing our spiritual magnificence, and this is good, very good.

I am so grateful to be part of the breaking of the cycle of cultural conditioning. I am free!! and so is everyone else.

I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they have been embodied. And so it is.

An Invitation to Prove Principle

Maryland and other states along the East Coast are preparing for the worst. Hurricane Irene is heading for us.

In the Declaration of Principles of Religious Science, Dr. Ernest Holmes writes:

"We believe in the control of conditions through the power of this Mind."

This is not something new. The ancient Hawaiians and other indigenous peoples believed their Shaman, Medicine Man or Holy Person could control conditions. Weather is just a condition.

I went out to get cat food at noon. I was so surprised to see the amount of traffic! The market had long lines. A lot of the shelves, especially with water and batteries, were empty. The energy is thick with fear. We're afraid of a condition.

If you read these Friday Messages, I know you believe in the Truth of the Principles we teach. So I'm going to ask you to participate in an activity with me. Every time you hear or think about the hurricane, imagine it swirling its way out into deeper water. Maybe you could even imagine standing with thousands of others, blowing the hurricane out to sea.

Am I saying don't prepare? No, we have to work at the level of our belief. However, I am reminded of the story of the Midwestern town that hadn't had rain in months and months, and the Pastor was asked to lead an outdoor prayer service. One little girl brought an umbrella - she believed.

The weather maps we see on TV are projections, based on past experiences -- no one really knows what will happen in the long run. Holmes also wrote "Principle is not bound by precedent." Just because something happened a certain way before, doesn't mean it has to happen that way again.

So I am going to be like the Kahunas of old - I'm going to stand on Principle and declare we are all safe. I see the hurricane weakening and heading out to the sea. The State Fair, the weddings, the parties, and yes, church on Sunday morning will still be held. I ask you to join me.

And again, we all have to work at the level of our belief. If you can't imagine the hurricane swerving off course, please join in this Spiritual Mind Treatment written by Dr. Arlene Bump of the Ft. Lauderdale, FL Center for Spiritual Living:

"This is what I know: There is an Infinite Intelligence in the Universe that is everywhere present and in action at all times. We know for every person, place or thing in the path of Hurricane Irene that they are in perfect alignment of wholeness and unity which expresses as safety, balance, harmony and community with everyone using their inner wisdom as a guide for their action and activities.

We affirm that all governmental agencies are functioning quickly, safely, efficiently and on time to fulfill every need and want in order and ease. There is perfect alignment and clear communication as everyone comes together as ONE to be guided, guarded, directed and protected in rightness and wholeness during this time -- not only before and during the Hurricane, but also in the aftermath as each one is mindfully conscious of their inner guidance, safety and support as creation and re-creation takes place. Divine Infinite Intelligence functions perfectly, on time and in order for everyone and everything.

I know this word is being joined with all prayers everywhere as we hold a high watch for the unfoldment of this word in every way and in every place.  Each one is mindful of their spiritual wholeness and this conscious awareness guides all in a path of safety.  This word manifests as a perfect experience as we send blessings and affirmations of our heart into the energy of each one.   This word is released now to the law of Mind that knows what to do and how to do it.  We know, accept and take the action of that acceptance for all."

These are the times ...

“These are the times when we stand humbly and boldly in the presence of our own great promise. These are the days when through our decisions and actions, we determine our legacy for those to come.”  --Jean Houston

The other day I was reading an e-mail from someone who was feeling absolutely overwhelmed. They were afraid to open anymore e-mail -- they just couldn't handle getting another letter requesting funds for yet another disaster in our world. They felt they couldn't do enough for all the people that are suffering.

I've been there, haven't you? Lately it seems that crisis after crisis is rolling over us - whether it be in our personal or global lives.

Yet, we in the New Thought teaching can offer a lot more than money. We can offer a new vision. We can focus, not on the awful, but on the awe full.

Paul writes in Phil. 4-8: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I sit on my deck in the mornings, looking out over greenness watching the various wildlife interact. There is peace in my world. I sat in a outdoor restaurant in a mall tonight eating a delicious dinner, listening to great music and people watching. There is prosperity in my world. I walk into our Center on Sunday mornings and observe the people interacting. There is Love in my world. I am in awe of the good that flows through my life.

We might ask ourselves, 'Why do we have so much, when so many have so little?' There is a simple answer -- it's consciousness. We have the consciousness to be in the circumstances we are in, otherwise we wouldn't be in them.

Rev. Michael Beckwith once said the 'news' is a call for prayer. Let me ask you -- do you really want to perpetuate a legacy of fear? Or do you want to stand humbly and boldly in the Presence of our own Great Promise?

So we pray, knowing there is a Greater Vision being birthed in this time we're living in.

Spiritual Mind Treatment

There is only One Life, that Life is God's Life, and that life is the life we are living right here, right now. I accept this as my Truth and as the Truth for everyone.
 
I declare we are now opening up in deep surrender to the Powerful Presence within us. This Power is a Power for good. We release all our attachments to the events of our past that kept us stuck in fear. We breathe deeply and celebrate our freedom!
 
In this freedom we make new choices. We let Infinite Intelligence guide us into right action, and let Love support us in our decisions for our lives.

We choose unlimited happiness, peace and harmony on all levels of our being. We know who we are - Spirit in form, and this is good, very good.
 
With a grateful heart, I know these words are words of Truth and have been embodied in the collective consciousness. And so it is.

Butterfly Mysteries

I've been sitting on my deck in the mornings lately. My neighbor has a beautiful 'butterfly' bush. I'm not sure that's the true name of the bush, but it's large and lovely and attracts butterflies.

I was watching a large yellow and black one as it flitted from flower to flower when I noticed other movement in the bush. As I focused, I discovered a tiny brown and white butterfly. I have never seen this type before. As I watched it, I noticed there were others, and the more I watched, the more I saw.

It reminded me of laying on the grass at night, looking at the stars, and how the more you look, the more you see.

Now, I've sat on my deck many a morning enjoying the wildlife that appears -- (a multitude of birds, coyotes, deer, a ground hog, and lately a tiny bunny) - and I've seen lots of large butterflies on that bush, but never the small ones -- and yet, every day since I first noticed them, they've been there. Just like the stars.

What else am I missing in my life because I don't focus? How much of the abundance of our world am I missing? How much love am I missing? How much good am I missing because I am just looking at the surface of things? What are you missing?

We truly live in a multilayered universe. Let's open our eyes wider by opening our hearts to all the beauty around and within us!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

"The eye of the Spirit cannot be dimmed, neither can It be limited in Its ability to see." ~Ernest Holmes

We live, move and have our being in a great field of Source Energy. This Field is multilayered. It has everything in it that we could possibly imagine and more. This Field is here for us to play in - we are apart of It, as It is a part of us.

I choose now to see with the eyes of Spirit. I see beyond the surface into the center of all things - and what I see is Spirit looking back at me in all It's many forms. Spirit shows up as Life Itself -- it shows up as beauty, harmony, peace, love and Truth and so much more.

As I see these things, I am so grateful to be able to see them. I am grateful to be living in a physical body so I can experience this world. I am grateful to know that what I see isn't all that is. There is always more to be discovered.

I rejoice in knowing this Truth, and I release these words into Spiritual Law, letting it assist me in maintaining the consciousness I have declare for myself and all others.
And so it is.

You Are Creating NOW!

Earlier this week I celebrated my 63rd birthday. I'm so grateful for all the acknowledgment I received. Someone much younger said "WOW, you have less years left than you've already lived" and that sent me into reflection.

I remembered being in a class Anne Wheeler and Joy Tuttle in my beginning years in the Glendale California Church of Religious Science. I think it was called Living from Inside Out. In the first class, we were given a folder, and and told to decorate it the way we wanted. It ended up being my first treasure map. I had a picture of a man and woman walking the beach in some place tropical -- I liked it because it said something about husband & wife team ministry. (yes, I knew immediately I was going to be a minister. I had pictures of jewels, and tigers, and a fantastic car and images of travel.

I also found a piece in a magazine that I thought should be my epitaph:
"She lived her life better than most people's fantasies." As I glued that on my folder, I had no idea how true it was going to become! I manifested that husband and wife ministry - in Hawai'i. I've had wonderful jewels, petted live tigers, had a couple of fantastic cars, traveled the world and met many amazing people.

These reflections brought me back to the present with something I've been thinking for awhile - I LOVE MY LIFE!! Do I have regrets - a few - don't we all? I've had my sorrows too. Yet, I have so much more to be grateful for. And it's not over yet!

I love our teaching. It works whether we're consciously activating the Law or not. I didn't know anything back in that class in Glendale, yet I set something in motion that has been awesome.

I've also been working on a couple of new Visions. One with physical things I want to do and have, and another with qualities I want to continue to experience - JOY being the major one!

Yes, I love the way Spirit works!! I had gone away from this writing for a few moments, and when I came back, I checked my e-mail. Rev. Janet Kingsley of the Center for Positive Living in Sedona, AZ has been using some of the Spiritual Mind Treatments from my blog as "Spiritual Vitamins" in her weekly newsletter -- and this one is perfect!! (Those who were at our Center last Sunday will know why I'm giggling!!) I share it with you here -- and remember you are creating your life right now -- make it a magnificent one!!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Oh Great Spirit of Joy, fill my heart with laughter!!
 
I celebrate the Joy of The Divine today, and allow myself to recognize this aspect of my own Being.
 
Regardless of what is happening around me, I smile and I declare "I am a gift of Joy that God gives to a wonderful world." I let go of the need to be serious about my spirituality. I let go of the need to be serious about my life and the world. I know I am co-creating everything I am experiencing, so I choose to create more Joy.

As I experience more joy in my life, it clears the undercurrents and ripples out to do its cleansing, healing work in places I am not even aware of. The silent peace within me is revealed, and that too is revealed in our world.
 
How I adore the Spirit of Joy in me!I am so grateful to experience and spread joy and laughter.  And So It Is!

What Do I Want?

Lately I've heard quite a few people say "I'm not praying for what I want anymore, I'm just praying that God will show me what's next."

In one respect I really honor that statement, because it denotes a sense of spiritual surrender -- the "not my will but Thine" consciousness. if you're really ready and willing to go on an amazingly mystical, mystery tour, you will. Be advised: Sometimes it won't seem so amazing or mystical and it will certainly bring up everything that needs to be cleared for the journey! So if this is what you really, really want, here's a hint: Be really clear on the qualities of the God you believe in! IE: If you have any vestiges of the old judgmental Father God, you will be judged and faced with various authority issues. If you truly believe in a Loving Presence, then ahhhh, you will be loved beyond measure. Believe me, surrendering certainly shows you the God you really believe in!!

And yet, Ernest Holmes writes: If someone should ask whether or not God has any intention for them, the answer would be that the only intention God could have,if one is an individual, would be to let the individual alone to discover themselves. In this discovery of the self, we impress the Law (which is sensitive, creative and can deduce only) with the images of our own belief about ourselves, and the Law creates a form around these images.

This means that not only do we have to be clear about the God we believe in, we've got to be really, really clear about what we believe about ourselves as well! We've also got to have a Vision of who we are becoming. We've got to know what we want.

We're taught in the Science of Mind, to treat (affirmatively pray) for the consciousness of the thing we desire. If we want God to show us our next step - then we have to treat for the consciousness of knowing there is an infinitely intelligent and unconditionally loving Mind within us that is guiding us ..... but we also have to know where we want to be guided to. It could be greater love, inner peace, true intimacy, a feeling of abundant living, divine health, fulfilling our purpose, etc. We create the mental mold, setting the Law of Attraction in action, and the Universe goes to work!

We've got to know what we want!!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I know there is a Power for Good that is working in, through and as us, to fulfill Itself as us.
This Power is infinite -- this Power is Love.

Therefore I declare I am ready and willing to create the life I have always wanted to live. I imagine myself feeling a deep peace in every area of my life. I see myself experiencing The Divine in ways I had not thought of before. I feel Divine Love as it radiates through every cell of my body, and every thought of my mind.

I choose gratefully. I choose wisely. I choose with a great joy at being able to choose. I am moving forward with grace and ease, and I celebrate Life!

I release these words into the Law of Mind knowing they are so now, and so it is.

Vampiric Fascination

A long time ago I was fascinated by the Anne Rice Vampire books, and then a few years ago, picked up the Twilight series to see what all the teens were reading. This series seems to have generated a whole new genre -- paranormal romance. My niece told me about the Sookie Stackhouse stories, and now that's become the True Blood series on TV, which I'm hearing about from many.
I'm enjoying it all and yet I wonder ... what is it about being immortal that fascinates us?

The funny thing is that we are already immortal. Chapter 23 in the Science of Mind is on immortality. Ernest Holmes writes "It would seem that we have a spiritual body now, and do not need to die to have one. We now remember the past, and have outlived many physical bodies during this life. So it looks as if we were already immortal and need not die to take on immortality. If there are many planes of Life and consciousness as we firmly believe, perhaps we only die from one plane to another. This thought makes a strong appeal and seems reasonable."

Jesus made himself known after death to his followers. Hindus and Buddhists believe we will recycle and work on ourselves until we finally reach enlightenment and don't have to reincarnate anymore. Many other world religions believe in immortality in one way or another.

I believe our fascination with the idea of vampiric immortality is the "never dying" part -- and that comes from an innate fear of death. Why are we so afraid of something that is a natural part of this earthly experience? And why do we want to hang on to these bodies?

In this chapter, Dr. Holmes also writes that "we should learn to trust Life." Yes, there's a time limit in this dimension. Knowing this, let's remember there is nothing in the universe - or in us - except Life Itself and Life can be trusted. As we trust, we can embrace life fully and gratefully. We can live immortally now.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I celebrate Life -- It is everywhere, in me and around me. It is complete in Itself. It is the source and substance of all things. It is infinite intelligence. It is unconditional love.

Knowing this Truth, I recognize my immortality. I do not long for anything, and I am not afraid of anything. I am pure Spirit, my thought is God thought. My thought leads me into wondrous adventures - experiences with my physical senses that remind me how wonderful it is to be Spirit incarnate. I am confident and satisfied and filled with potential. My Life is God's Life and it is good.

With a grateful heart I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are already so. And so it is.

Stop Complaining - Start Imagining!

You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. -- Buckminster Fuller

Whether listening to politicians, the news, my neighbors or sometimes my own thoughts, one thing comes across quite clearly. Most people don’t want to do the work to create the “new model.” We just want to complain about the old, point fingers and expect someone else to make it all better.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone that could make it all better? Well, there is – and that someone is US!! What ever we’ve been complaining about lately, it’s in our face because it’s up to us to do something about it. The time of passively sitting by is over. 
And where do we do the work that must be done? In Mind, of course. It’s up to us to get our underused imaginations back to work and create the new models. It’s up us to set clear intentions, and give them to the Universe. It’s up to us to trust that Infinite Intelligence knows what It’s doing. And it’s up to us to stop telling the stories of the old models!
Steven Covey writes: "Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change." 

What a great message for Independence Day!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God - the creative intelligence in and behind all things, including us, is urging us to move out of our littleness and step into a greater field of possibility.

Knowing this, I open my heart to Divine Love. This Love fills me with a greater sense of Self than I've ever had before. This Love points the way for me to go, and the Law of Mind makes the way possible. I am ready and willing to let go of all I believe is wrong in my world, and return to the Divine Center where peace resides. As I feel this peace deep within me, I realize I am ready to move forward in my life. I have the courage to do that which is mine to do, and I do it with a willing heart and mind, knowing that as I make this choice, the whole Power of the Universe is behind me. I am making a new model of how to live in and as Spirit, and this is good.

How grateful I am to know that I can speak my word and have it be so. How grateful I am to live in a country that is filled with and encourages possibilities.

I release these words, knowing they are the Truth of my being, and I live from this new vibration with a great sense of joy - the joy of service, and the joy of being served. And so It is.

Notes from my Cruise

Notes from my cruise:

One morning, while saving our table by the window for breakfast on the ship, I sat watching the ocean. Around me swirled the sounds of different languages. It was an experience of multiplicity in unity. The calm, everywhere presentness of the ocean, with the diversity of communication.

For a moment I saw the ocean as The Divine, and the sounds as all of Its expressions, and even though I couldn't understand much of what was being said, everything was in harmony.

Life can be like this. No matter what is going on around us, we can be in harmony. It's about consciousness.

One afternoon I stood at the aft of the ship, and watched the trail we left in the water. It seemed to stretch back into infinity. I thought about how everything we do leaves a trail like that -- an energetic trail. A trail that makes a difference.

The ship is continually moving, and one evening, while in the elevator, I had the oddest feeling of being on a space ship. Shades of Star Trek! It was very easy to imagine the elevator doors opening and I would be on the holodeck. Going to the theater on the ship was a lot like that. Every night was a different experience - one night we were at a Broadway theater, one night at a Jazz Club, one night at Circe-du-Solei. This experience made me remember that we're making it all up as we go along - and it is very nice to have made up such a first class experience!

What are you making up?? What trail are you leaving? Are you in harmony with it?

As you move through your space, remember thoughts become things, and it's our responsibility to keep our minds working for the highest good for all. We are co-creating this life. We're the one's assigning value and meaning. We're the ones leaving a legacy that will stretch back into infinity and beyond. Let's choose to do this well!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is One Infinite Energy that is the Source and substance of all -- It is Life Itself. It moves upon Itself as Love and becomes physically manifest through the Law of Mind. It became me and lives in, as, and through me.

This Energy is everywhere present. It is in all areas of my life. As I think, the Law of Attraction is activated and I draw to me all I need to experience my own divinity. I choose to think responsibly, and creatively. I enjoy Life as It expresses as me. I am in harmony with It. I know that what I do makes a difference for many others, without my even being aware of it, so I pay attention.

All there is, is God, and It is done unto me as I believe. I am so grateful to know these Principles and to be able to use them consciously. I am so grateful to be alive at this time, in this space on this ocean of The Divine. And so it is.

June 10, 2011

People keep asking me "What was the best thing about your holiday?" I keep answering "I don't know - it was all so good!" and that's the truth.

What an amazing adventure! Not only did I get to experience a top-of-the-line cruise ship for my first cruise, and attend a class on Joseph Campbell and Myth, I also got to explore locations where democracy, art, philosophy, spirituality and beauty were revered. As we toured the ruins of ancient Greece, Turkey and Italy, looking at what was left of buildings that would have towered above us, I was in awe of the creativity of those grand civilizations.

In Ephesus, Turkey, I was walking down a dry, dusty, marble street and was amazed to see a single bright red poppy growing from under a piece of an ancient marble pillar. It started me thinking about the people living in those times. I thought about their daily lives, and realized they weren't any different than us. They played as children, grew up and got married, shopped, took care of their families, went to work, enjoyed the theater and various cultural events. They became laborers. merchants. politicians or priests. They went to war and won or lost ... and no matter whether it was war or the environment that destroyed their civilizations, Life went on.

I'm sure you've received various internet pieces that come though about "the good old days" and how it would be wonderful to be back in a simpler time again. One of the earliest philosophers, Heraclitus, was born in Ephesus, and is known for saying "An individual can not step into the same river twice." Yes, what went before is gone, and Life moves forward.

The poppy's message was to let go of thinking "things could have been better if..." and to continue to revere beauty, wisdom, democracy, art and spirituality. Together with countless unknown others, we are creating a world that years from now, tourists will visit and wonder "Who were these people? How did they live?" Let's leave them something to be in awe about!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only One Mind -- that Mind is the Mind of God. We are all using this Mind at every moment. Life Itself is flowing through us, guiding us, nurturing us, to the degree that we acknowledge and allow It.

I declare with this word, that I am ready to see the past for its beauty and value, and let go of everything else. I step out on the Path of Life ready to co-create magnificence. I do this by being conscious of my actions, thoughts and feelings today, and by being responsible for my contributions to this world. Everything I do, I do for the good of all humanity and this beautiful planet we live on.

I am so grateful for all I have experienced, and all I am now. I know that together we are creating a living library for future generations to experience. This is good, very good.

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

Friday the 13th

Whoo Hoo, it's Friday the 13th!! There are so many stories around this date. This year, I'd like to give you a new story: The Festival of Wesak begins today.

Wesak is the most important of the Buddhist festivals and is celebrated on the full moon in May - which is May 17. It celebrates the Buddha's birthday, and, for some Buddhists, also marks his enlightenment and death.

When the Buddha start to wander around India shortly after his enlightenment, he encountered several men who recognized him to be a very extraordinary being.
They asked him, "Are you a god?"
"No," he replied.
"Are you a reincarnation of god?"
"No," he replied.
"Are you a wizard, then?"
"No."
"Well, are you a man?"
"No."
"So what are you?" they asked, being very perplexed.
"I am awake."

Buddha means "The Awakened One". How to awaken is all he taught.

In the early '40's, Alice Baily, a renowned Theosophist, initiated a Western celebration of Wesak -- a week long celebration of the enlightened ones who came before us - such as the Buddha, the Christ, and Kuan Yin. According to Baily, there is a sacred valley in Tibet where thousands of pilgrims gather yearly to watch the Buddha return and experience his interaction with The Christ and other great masters as he blesses the world.

The more modern Wesak festivals, for instance, the one held at Mount Shasta, in California, are for the purpose of helping our planet move into Light and Love.

Instead of falling into the fear of Friday the 13th, this can be a time of recognizing our own potential for enlightenment. For Buddhists enlightenment is a blessed state in which the individual attains Nirvana - the transcendence of desire and suffering. I see this as a release from 'needs' and fear. What would your life be like if you didn't have any needs? Or if you were fear free? What would it be like and how would it feel to be able to say "I am awake."?

The Truth of us is that we are already awake, we just don't think we are. There is That Within Us that has never been asleep or mesmerized by the worlds ideas of needs. This week let's honor Wesak by recognizing the Truth taught by the Great Masters that have gone before us and open up to our own Divinity.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Today I acknowledge the powerful Presence within me that is infinitely intelligent and unconditionally loving. It is Source Energy and not only fills the universe with Itself, but IS the universe and everything in it. How grateful I am to be able to recognize It.

I now liberate my mind from lack and suffering with Truth Consciousness. No longer do I sleep through my life. I am awake in each moment.

Every area of my life is blessed beyond measure by my awakening. How grateful I am to be able to know that as I do this, I create a ripple of Truth that spreads throughout my circle of influence and far beyond. The whole world is waking up, and this is good, very good.

I release these words of Truth into the Law of Mind, enjoying their manifestation. We are so blessed. And so it is.

Thoughts

There's been a lot of talk about the recent events in the Middle East. The perpetrator of the USA's 9/11 experience has been killed. People rejoiced, and people got mad because of the rejoicing. Conspiracy factions got busy posting reports that the man's been dead for years, or isn't dead at all, and morality factions are either decrying the way it was done or saying it's about time.

I've been silent except for a Facebook status line saying I felt sad because of the rejoicing.
I'm one that picks up bugs and puts them outside. I have a hard time with the idea of ending life.

And yet - spiritually, life never ends - it just transforms into something else. What it transforms into we don't know, nor do we know what happens after we leave these bodies. We have ideas and beliefs, and I think we'll experience those beliefs to a certain degree after bodily death.

What I do know, is that the experience that everyone's getting excited about, has already happened, and we can't do anything about it. We can check in with how we feel, and if there's something we are led to do, then we can do it, otherwise we need to stop complaining or allowing ourselves to get scared and get on with our lives instead.

Martha Beck sent this piece this morning in her "Daily Coach Tips" ...

Holding on to anything as it is in this moment is the equivalent of hoarding. Let everything change - it does anyway.

What are we hoarding emotionally? Anger, resentment, envy -- what ever it is, it boils down to fear. Why hoard fear? There is nothing constant in this Universe except God. The way It expresses through the physical world is constantly changing - constantly transforming - we might as well go with it.

I'm so grateful we have the teachings of the Science of Mind, so that while things are changing around us we can still live in peace - using the energy of change to co-create a world that works for everyone!

And now to totally change the subject:
This SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT is for Mother's Day

There is that within me that is the Divine Mother. It celebrates my life, as It is the cause and the source of my life, and lives through me, as me. It is unconditional Love. This Love is always giving Itself to me.

I now say YES to this Love. I feel it deep within my being, and allow myself to experience It without any conditions. I am the Beloved, loved beyond measure. I accept this. It is my Truth.

This Love fills me with the strength and courage to live my life magnificently. It constantly reminds me I have nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be ashamed of. I am the child of Love made manifest, and this is good, very good.

I am so grateful for embodying the consciousness of Divine Love. I celebrate the Divine Mother with joy. And so it is. 

Good Friday/Earth Day

When I look at all that is happening with our planet, the fact that Good Friday and Earth Day are the same day this year is a fitting message.

Metaphysically the crucifixion is symbolic of an initiation into higher planes of consciousness. The symbol of the cross has been used in many of the worlds spiritual traditions, even before the time of Jesus. There are many types of crosses, however, generally, the cross is seen as the linking of an upright line with a horizontal line. For me, it's the active (I) principle of Spirit connecting with with the receptive (-) principle of this dimension. Where these two lines join is often associated with the Heart Chakra -- the place of creative power - Love.

I've written before that I believe the events of our world, whether environmental or man-made, are opening the Global Heart. An initiation that seems to be global in scale, but is really a journey each of us must make alone.

Jesus, a Master Teacher, was an example for all humanity to follow. And what did he teach? Love.

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:36-40)

Good Friday is reminding us to live in our hearts as well as our heads - to BE LOVE.

What would it be like if we really honored these commandments? What if we not only loved our families, our friends, and yes, even our enemies -- and loved the earth as well?
What would your life be like? What would the planet's Life be like?

Granted it seems like there's a lot to be done - yet we can start with just one thing. I posted a different sort of flashmob video on Facebook the other day. In the film someone placed a plastic bottle on the floor of a mall, quite close to the trash cans. Many, many people walked by, and even stepped over it. Finally someone stopped, picked it up and put it in the recycling bin. At least a hundred people then stood up and cheered.

I decided I would be more conscious. I got the opportunity to practice in Giant's parking lot yesterday. There was a plastic bottle right by my car. I picked it up, and for just a moment, I wanted people to jump out from behind cars and cheer! Which made me think: I want acknowledgment for doing a good deed - and I know I'm not the only one! Is that one of the reasons we don't pick up litter? One, that someone else left it there, and two -- what's in it for me? How juvenile is that!!! What if picking up after our brothers and sisters is part of our initiation into higher consciousness!

The combination of Good Friday and Earth Day is an excellent time to become more spiritually mature. To BE LOVE and BE RESPONSIBLE.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is Love and they that Love shall know God.
God is Pure Source Energy - absolutely everywhere, including within us. It is Love working through Law, creating constantly.

Today I choose to Be Love. I let go of everything unlike Love, and move into my heart with a feeling of gratitude. I celebrate this wondrous world I live in. I am so grateful for the colors of nature, for the different weather patterns, for the animals and insects and plant life. I am grateful for how Mother Nature nurtures me through many different avenues.

In my gratitude, I choose to pay more attention to how I treat the planet and its inhabitants, including myself. I recognize the gift of The Divine called Life and how It manifested Itself as me.

I am responsible for my actions and reactions. I choose for them all to be in Love, as Love.
I know God is Love and therefore that is what I am.

I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they sink deeply into my subjective, becoming the builder of my universe. And this is good, very good.

And so it is.

Fear Not!

April 15 2011

Oh boy - April 15th -- a day that strikes fear in the hearts of many in the United States. The last few days I've heard quite a few people talking about money! Not only about taxes, but gas prices, food prices, and other things that are rising. The conversations have had an underlying fear - fear of not having enough.

I found myself participating in the fear as well. I'm going on a amazing journey a month from now. I am going on a Mediterranean Cruise!! There's a group of us who will be studying Joseph Campbell and seeing the places myths were born. I am really excited, and yet nervous, as it seems like I'm going to need more money than I thought.

However, I'm reading "Practicing the Presence" by Joel Goldsmith. Dear Joel -- such an absolutist - and just what I needed at the moment. I read this statement on page 60:

"God fulfills Itself as our individual being. If we can lose concern for ourselves, for our welfare, and for our destiny, God takes over and God fulfills Itself by providing us with the necessary wisdom, activity, opportunity, and prosperity that It may be fulfilled on earth as It is in heaven. Earth becomes heaven to the degree which we let God fulfill Itself as our individual experience."

In other words, The Universe is constantly giving of Itself to us, through us. God is Good, so It is constantly giving good. The only thing that prevents us from experiencing this good, is our worry or 'concern' about how we're going to make ends meet, or keep healthy or get the right job, etc., etc. Dr. Holmes called worry 'negative prayer.'

When I'm asking myself "How am I going to come up with the extra money?" I'm forgetting that I'm not - Spirit is!

We are to direct the Law, and let the Law do Its work. Let yourself imagine what your life would be like with no worries, no concerns! How does it feel? Breathe into it! That's letting earth become heaven!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the Power of the Divine right here and now. It is in every corner of the Universe and beyond. It is within everything including me. It is - and that is all there is.

Knowing this, I now let go of my doubts and fears. I no longer worry about anything. I am no longer concerned about anything. I know the Truth of all things - and that Truth is God. The Truth sets me free to experience my life in a magnificent and fulfilling way. Spirit now works through me unimpeded and this brings me great joy.

I am so grateful for the richness of my life. I am grateful to be able to let go and let God work through me in wondrous ways. I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are now so. And so it is.

Nature

April 8, 2011

What is it about Nature that thrills the soul? We all feel it, especially in the Spring. All of nature seems to be coming awake - including us.

Yesterday I saw a bird I'd never seen before and with the help of a Facebook friend discovered it was a Grackle. I sat and stared at the iridescence of the purple and blue colors of his feathers. The other night as I was closing my bedroom blinds, I saw four deer walking through the trees in the moonlight. I stood and stared at their beauty and quiet grace. A short time ago I saw two foxes playing in the snow. I watched them chase each other and play fight - and the next morning I was delighted as I saw the tracks of their play in the snow. I saw hawks very close while walking and stood and watched them swoop on the wind. Each time a frisson of excitement went through me. It was like a peek into another world. A world of freedom and grace and play.

You might think I live in the country, away from other houses, but I don't - I live in a townhome in a rather populated suburban area. It has a lot of green space in back and a brook.

Maybe Nature thrills us, because of these things:
Nature demands a stillness to observe it. We have to stop and pay attention. We have to let everything go and just be with it.
Nature soothes us - it doesn't hurry, yet everything is accomplished. It reminds us that everything really is all right. Everything is happening just the way it should.
Nature refreshes us. Taking a problem outside, after breathing good air and being in nature, especially in trees, we get a new understanding.
Nature honors us each time we honor it. Seeing wildlife up close is like being given a great gift.
Nature brings peace to our soul.

George Washington Carver wrote: "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

This is what Spring is to me -- a reminder to tune in.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is Peace is our Universe. Peace is God. It is serene and calm and Divine Right Order is everywhere. This is true about Nature and true about us. Nature is the body of God and we are part of Nature.

Today, whether I get physically outside or not, I allow myself to contemplate Nature and all Its beauty, Its grace, Its rhythms. I let these be integrated into who I am, and what I am doing and I breathe deeply and feel the Peace.

How grateful I am to be able to say like e. e. cummings: "I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes."

And so it is.

We Are Amazing

April 2, 2011

Last night I watched the film "Seabiscuit." Seabiscuit was a small horse with lots of issues, who, with his jockey, (who also had lots of issues), ended up being horse of the year in 1938, and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression.

For me, the message of this film is: No matter how small we are, (or think we are) or how much we've been through, there is no reason to give up, and our willingness to keep going empowers others to do the same. We are valuable to this world!

As I thought about events in our world today, and even in our personal lives, I went into deep gratitude for the resiliency of the human Spirit! We are so amazing!

We are amazing because of Spirit. No matter what we've gone through, or what our background is, or what anyone thinks about us, or what we think about ourselves, there is That Within Us that knows our True Self. It is our True Self and in that Self, we are always whole and holy.

Marianne Williamson wrote, and was quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech:

"You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others."

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the powerful Presence of The Divine that is absolutely everywhere and in everyone. This Power works for us, by working as us, through us. It is a Power for Good.

Knowing this, I now declare that I am finished with thinking little. I know who I am - an expression of the One Heart/Mind. I release the past and stand proudly in this moment, ready to do what is mine to do. I have all the Power of the Universe behind me, ready to serve at every moment. Nothing is impossible to those who believe. I declare that I believe in the Glory of God within me and within all others. I am liberated, ready to let my Light shine. I rejoice as I see this reflected around me.

Gratefully I celebrate the resiliency of our Spirit. I breathe deeply and say YES to the Universe and it is good. I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are done. And so it is.

Turn Away from the Condition

It seems like every day I get a dire warning about radiation, or tainted food and water, or GMO's, or you name it. These can be very scary, and sometimes it's hard not to buy into the "ain't it awful" consciousness!

Yet as students of New Thought, our responsibility is not to fall under the miasma of fear driven thinking, but to do what we can in consciousness. We change our thinking and change lives. How do we do that? The best way I know is with Spiritual Mind Treatment (affirmative prayer)!

Dr. Holmes, the founder of the Science of Mind, writes, "In treatment we turn entirely away from the condition, because as long as we look at it, we cannot overcome it. By thinking upon a condition, we tend to animate it with the life of our thought, and thereby it is perpetuated and magnified. (SOM, pg 164-3)

As long as we're watching the news, reading the e-mails, and listening to people tell us how awful everything is, and buying into that consciousness, we're perpetuating the problems. You might say "But, Rev. Angelica, I want to know what's going on!" I understand that, so let me give you three ideas to practice involved detachment:

Watch the TV or read the reports this way ... every time there is something dire on, instead of going into fear, think of it as a call to prayer - and do one.

Use the Power of No. Let's say the newscaster is saying that the reactor in Japan has been breached, and things are very serious. Say out loud "NO, that is not our Truth!"

Use the power of your imagination. See Japan in its loveliness and its people serene. See Libyans living in peace. See women everywhere feeling like the Goddess. See our inner cities filled with creativity and kindness.

What I know is that as we do these things we are setting them into Spiritual Law, and the Law always works. Let's release the fear and be a conscious part of the solution!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

All there is is God. It knows all, is all powerful, and everywhere present. It is within all things, including us. Therefore, right now I use the Power within me to do good in my world.

I stop looking at what's wrong and move into an attitude of gratitude for what's right. I allow myself to bless everything with my conscious awareness that we are all participating in an evolutionary process that will bring greater good to all. It gets better regardless of appearances.

I commit to doing my part. Honoring all of life with my thoughts and feelings, I open my heart and use my mind to co-create a world that works for everyone. We are living in a Field of Infinite Creativity, and this is good, very good.

Gratefully I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are so, and so it is.

Silence

I know this isn't a 'fact' yet it seems like we've had a constant barrage of environmental and man-made crisis starting with the events on Sept. 11, 2001.

At that time I saw those towers like a gateway - a gateway that opened the global heart. As I reflect on the last 10 years, I see our hearts open, then get complacent, then open again with each new event.

Witnessing the pain, suffering and loss from each event is overwhelming. We are reminded that life changes in an instant. We ask ourselves, "What can I do?" We keep opening our wallets and praying and that is all we can do, unless we're really guided to be a part of a rescue effort.

I have a friend who belongs to the Red Cross, who is ready to go at a moments notice and has seen the worst of the worlds events. Knowing that he's in the trenches sometimes makes me feel guilty because I'm not doing more.

Then I read something like this and know this is my gift to give:



SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Today I sit in Holy Silence, fully present for all those who are suffering in this world. I let Love use me in ways that I will never know. I keep my heart open.

I am grateful I can do this work. I am grateful for my ability to transmute pain into Love and to know that Love is the greatest healing agent in the universe.

Today I sit in Holy Silence, fully present for God.

And so it is.

Getting off the Roller Coaster

WOW! What a roller coaster I've been on! The Integration Conference was amazing -- the two Center for Spiritual Living organizations (United and International) are now one. It was an extremely emotional experience for many of us. I then came home to a week of serious flu & torrential rains. From high to low.

This morning I woke up with the sun shining in my window and felt so much better. I got up feeling high again, only to discover that Japan had had a 8.9 earthquake, setting off a tsunami that was heading for Hawai'i. A really serious tsunami. The image of the wave washing cars, boats, trucks and houses before it as it moved is seared in my mind. My heart went out to the people of Japan. I have a lot of friends in Hawai'i - and even though there hasn't been any tsunami damage in years, in 1960 the whole downtown area of Hilo was destroyed. Another low.

Whew!!

Well, it's true that the one thing we can count on is change. Things change in all sorts of degrees, but they change, and the world around us is never the same. So how do we deal with these highs and lows? I start by taking a deep breath and centering myself. And then I go into prayer and if I'm too frazzled to really feel my prayer, then I like to chant ... and my favorite chant is "Be still and know I am God." This works for me every time.

In the meditations section of the Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes wrote:

"Be still and know that I am God."
I am still in thy Presence.
I am quiet and peaceful, for I put my trust in Thee.
A great stillness  steals over me and a great calm quiets my whole being as I realize Thy Presence.
The heart knows of The, O Most High within.
It is still in Thy Presence, and it puts its whole confidence in Thee alone.  In thy Presence I am still.
And so It is.

No matter what we're going through, "Be still and know that I am God" is an amazingly calming and strengthening prayer.

Blessings to all of us as we move through our world.

Ready for Change

This Sunday, I join almost a thousand people arriving in San Diego to attend an historic meeting between the International and United Centers for Spiritual Living. After 57 years as two organizations we are integrating into a new organization - we are becoming One.

I've been hearing about this happening for the 25 years I've been a minister. We have prayed and talked and argued who was better, and prayed and talked some more, and finally the time has come.

Today I received this e-mail from Dr. Carol Carnes and share it with you:

I am in San Diego attending Board meetings prior to our very historic Integration conference when two organizations become one. It is rather like a wedding. The two “families”of the bride and groom have been planning and preparing the details for several years. Everything is ready for the big day when all the relatives will get to vote on the details of the “pre nuptial.” Like a real wedding, once we have agreed on the details and signed on the dotted line, the real work begins.

Getting there is exciting and fun and demands our attention and diligence. Being there is a whole other thing. Then we begin the deeper work of oneness, of real relationship, of letting go of old attachments and alliances, of being open to fresh new ways of togetherness. With real focus and intention very soon we will forget we were ever apart. It will seem as if it has always been “us” as one entity.

Like any couple starting out, a new venture has as bright a future as those involved are willing to create. It does not just happen. Nothing does, really. The turns of events in our lives are fashioned from the human mind, from what we deem to be possible, from who we believe ourselves to be and what we think we deserve. Most of all, our greater good requires us, in every case, to surrender our old ways of thinking, being and doing. If we are not renewed by shifts in consciousness, our lives will be repetitious and predictable, two elements which contribute to failed relationships.

Love will not keep us together but a shared vision and a willingness to work towards it every day will. May the happy couple live long and prosper.

Peace is ours now,
Dr.Carol Carnes
www.positiveliving,.org


Last week I got an e-mail that the two Unity organizations are now talking about integration.

I see our organizational integration as part of a larger picture. I love looking at microcosm/macrocosm patterns. The actions in Egypt show us that integration is happening on a much larger scale. And thought it looks like various countries on our planet are not doing it so peacefully, there is still action towards the greater good for all.

We are living in exciting times!!

Where are you coming into integration in your life? If you feel out of balance, now is the time to jump into these cosmic energies and regroup! Scientists studying Chaos Theory, say that a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. Believe this!! As we butterflies flap our wings, we see the change we want in our world.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is one infinitely intelligent Mind in this universe. It is the universe. It is the Source and substance of all there is. There is nothing but Divine Consciousness everywhere.

I am an expression of this Divine Mind. It is, and always has been, and always will be, working through me, according to what I feel and believe.

So today I stand proudly and say "I'm ready to participate in the Divine Marriage. I am an agent for change." The desires of my heart are for peaceful coexistence, and a celebration of everyone's gifts and talents. I believe this is happening now. I am excited to see this happening in my life and in the lives of those in my circle of influence. We are causing ripples in the Infinite Field of Creative Potentiality, which move out into our world, and change happens, and the manifestation is good.

I am so grateful to be living in these amazing times. I am grateful to be one who knows the Truth and stands in it proudly. I am grateful to know there is only One Life, that Life is God's Life, that Life is perfect, and that Life is the Life I am living now.

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