I was cleaning up some papers this past week and found an old fortune cookie slip. It read:

"God can heal a broken heart, but you have to give him all the pieces."

I don't know when I got this fortune or why I saved it at the time, but it showed up again at the perfect time. With the inner work I've been doing with my "What am I Really Hungry For" group (using the book Women, Food and God), this fortune really hit home.

Last week I gave an assignment of going into the silence with the intention of healing, and then writing down 11 things we forgive ourselves for 7 days. As I have been doing the process, I've found emotional ties to things I thought I had already released. What I really did was think I had released them, but the feelings were still there.

For instance, I was abused as a child - the woman who adopted me at 2 1/2 was the abuser. She died years ago, and I have done many forgiveness processes, yet sometimes I find myself angry or hurt because I didn't experience love as a child - or even have a childhood. When it comes up, I think "Darn, I've done the forgiveness work on this, why is it back?" -- and now I know -- I've never given up all the pieces.

Ernest Holmes tells us it takes thoughts and feelings to create the consciousness of a demonstration. It makes sense then, that one has to release both thoughts and feelings with unwanted demonstrations as well.

How about you? If you're working on revealing the Truth about a situation, ask yourself if there are pieces you haven't given up - and then take a deep breath and let go. The infinitely intelligent, unconditionally loving Presence knows exactly what to do with all the pieces!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is Love and Love is the greatest healing/revealing agent in the universe. I celebrate my awareness of unconditional Love and the power It has as I acknowledge It and let It flow through me.

I choose to let this Love fill me up and wash away all vestiges of pain in my emotional body and all thoughts of bondage or limitation from my mental body. As I do this I feel a sense of release in my physical body. I feel a lightness of Being. I have given all the pieces to God and my heart is healed.

Gratefully I embody these words as my Truth, surrendering them to the Law of Mind. The Law works, and works very well. I let go and let God do Its perfect work, in, through and as me, now and forevermore. And so it is.

Don't Doubt

One night I was channel surfing and came upon a program that was explaining some Sekh teachings. One of the comments that caught my attention was:
The first Law of Prosperity is “Don’t Doubt.”

That is not only the first law of prosperity but of practicing our spirituality as well!! Don’t doubt! Pray and don’t doubt the effectiveness of your prayers. Speak your word for health, and don’t doubt. For your new job, and don’t doubt. For love and don’t doubt!

Doubt is uncertainty in the context of trust. It implies challenging some notion of truth, or hesitating to take action due to concern that one might be mistaken. It is to hesitate in accepting something as truth.

Dr. Holmes writes in 365 Science of Mind:
“When the intellect is no longer contradicted by our emotional reactions, by unconscious doubts and fears, then the word of our mouth will immediately bear fruit.”

To me, the opposite of doubt is trust and expectancy. If we are going to let go of doubt, what do we trust? That Powerful Presence that is absolutely everywhere in the universe, that honors our deepest beliefs and feelings through Its aspect called Law. Dr. Holmes writes that “Learning to trust will make us happy.”

How do we trust? In this world of mixed messages, it’s easy to slide into doubt. I believe we have to consciously set an intention to trust, and every time we find ourselves doubting, consciously realign ourselves with Truth. The more we do it, the more we re-pattern ourselves, and trusting becomes natural.

One of the ways we can re-pattern ourselves is working with the Law in eager expectancy. (Doubt is expecting our Treatments will not work.) I love this writing by Dr. Holmes:
“What great joy should accompany everything that we do -- an expectancy, love. Love everything, praise everything, recognize all things, believe all things, accept all things. There is a laughter of God -- let's laugh it. There is a song of the Universe -- let's sing it. There is a hymn of praise -- let's praise it. There is a joy, a beauty; there is a deep abiding peace; let's experience it."

Now this is happiness.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is One Perfect Power in the universe. It is infinitely intelligent and unconditionally loving. It surrounds and encompasses me. It is everywhere. It is my life. I trust that in every moment, the Power for Good is working in and through me.

I now choose to let go of all my self-imposed doubts and fears. I allow myself to fully benefit from this Power for Good. As I speak my word for my life, knowing that I am now healthy, wealthy, creative, loving and wise, I know these words are being immediately acted upon. I step up in eager expectancy, delighting in all I attract with my clear mind and pure heart.

I laugh and sing my praises for this wonderful Law that is always at work for me, through me. My life is joy filled. I am happy because I trust!

Gratefully I release these words to the Creative Process and allow each moment to unfold in grace and joy. And so It is.

Game of Life

I saw a cartoon the other day -- two people were watching television, and from the TV came the announcers voice saying: "Next - on The Amazing Race to Enlightenment - can Jim & Suzy achieve Right Mindfulness? ...and will Barb and Candy be eliminated for relentless clinging to the self?"

I laughed, and then I thought OMG, we do this don't we? We're acting like we're living in a reality show! We're constantly comparing ourselves to others, hoping we'll make it, wondering if someone is going to mess up before they make it (and sometimes secretly hoping they will), doing everything we can to prove we're more conscious than the average soul.

There seems to be two parts to this show -- sometimes we're playing Spiritual One-up-man-ship, and sometimes we're playing "I'm Not Worthy."

The Truth is, we're all as enlightened as we could ever hope to be right now. We just don't believe it. We don't believe it about ourselves, nor do we believe it about others.

What would happen if we started acting as if? What if we started acting from a place of enlightenment instead of working towards it?

Good question. Another is "What does enlightenment look like?" I think it looks like life just as it is - only without fear.

Blessings, Rev. Angelica


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only one Life, that Life is God's Life, that Life is perfect, that Life is my life now. This is the Truth. All there is is God, and that includes me.

How grateful I am to be reminded of this Truth. I now realize there is nothing to be healed, there is only Truth to be revealed - in myself, in other people and in my world.

I chose right now to be a conscious revealer of Truth. This means I now drop complaining, whining, self-pity and feelings of not being enough. I am more than enough - I am Spirit in form.

I am already a winner in the game of Life, and so is everyone else. We are here, alive, awake and aware. This is easy to declare as our Truth, because it is already so.

Gratefully I release these words, knowing they have sunk deep into my subjective mind. I am proud to be alive. And so it is.

Epiphany

Have you ever had an epiphany? Most of us have. We think they are sudden events .. in fact the 3rd definition on Dictionary.com is: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

However, epiphanies are sort of like the Hollywood myth of being "discovered overnight." A lot of work goes before the discovery.

I see epiphanies having 4 parts: 1st - there's some sort of set-up that prepares us to receive it. 2nd - there is an external trigger. 3rd - there is the actual realization and 4th - there is proof that the epiphany has changed us.

Here's an example: Years ago, I had been working at a job I liked, but knew it wasn't my 'purpose.' I took classes and did lots of inner work, tried lots of different things, but never felt I had found that thing that was mine to do. All my classes taught me to do what I loved to do. My problem was that I loved doing lots of things.

(1 - the set-up) At one point I decided to become an herb farmer -- The medicinal and cooking uses of herbs fascinated me. I already had lots of herbs growing in my garden and had even designed my packaging.

(2 - the trigger) I got some books from the library to further educate myself and one day while looking through these books, I found a list of herb farms. There were so MANY in Southern California, which was where I was living. I remember a feeling of disappointment. My herb farm dream fizzled. I had to ask myself -- Why? Why did I want to grow herbs? The main reason was for the healing properties. As I contemplated this, I remembered all the classes I had taken in hands on healing, etc. Over the years as I had pursued my metaphysical leanings, someone had always talked me out of them. (Usually a boyfriend, telling me people would think I was strange).

(3- the realization) Suddenly I KNEW I could choose anything I wanted -- I wasn't with anyone, and I didn't have to allow anyone to stop me again! My life was my choice!

The time that elapsed from seeing the lists to having the realization of being at choice was about 10 minutes - an epiphany - or a revelation. I ended up dancing around my bathroom (isn't that where so many good ideas come to us) and feeling such a sense of joy.

(4- the proof of change) A few weeks later my cleaning lady told me about Rev. Terry Cole-Whittaker who had a TV show at the time. When she told me about Terry, I laughed to myself -- I'd tried religion and that wasn't for me. The next Sunday morning, I made my coffee and pushed the button on the TV, intending to watch a movie - and there was Rev. Terry, a beautiful little blond woman in a white suit. I don't remember what she was talking about, I just remember that I didn't even make it to my chair, I sat on the floor and listened. Everything resonated in my body and a voice very clearly said "You can do this."

Here I am 29 years later, doing what Terry Cole- Whittaker was doing (minus the TV show).

Epiphanies touch every area of our lives, not just one. My epiphany was that my life was always MY choice, and that realization has never left me.

Many people are frustrated with their lives at the moment. If you are, perhaps this is the set-up period to a epiphany of your own. With the way things are in our world, perhaps we're on the verge of a global epiphany. I think we're ready!

Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Taking a breath and turning inward, I acknowledge the Presence of The Divine. It is the LifeForce within me that is guiding me along my True Path. I celebrate my conscious awareness of this Presence, declaring It works through me ease and grace.

I now declare I am ready for my personal epiphany. I am ready to do the work necessary to discover that which is mine to do. I release any fears or doubts surrounding this, and realize I have always been working towards the Truth of my being. I release any frustrations about time or circumstances. Divine Mind, the Source of all, knows exactly what I need.

As I accept this Truth for myself, all the power of the universe rushes in to fulfill my heart's desires. I know this for everyone else as well.

I release these words into the Universal Heart knowing they are done, and so it is.

Shoulds

I was talking with a friend yesterday and asked "What would you like to read about in my Friday Message?" She said "Why do I continue to do what I shouldn't, and why don't I do what I should?"

Yipes! I was hoping for something easy!! Let me say right off that I don't like the "should" word, yet oh my - how I relate!! So let's look at these two questions:

1. "Why do I continue to do what I shouldn't?" ... I'd like to be flippant and say "Because we can" ... However, that doesn't really answer the question. There is a group of us who are working our way through the "Women, Food and God" book. It has opened my eyes to a few things. I love tortilla chips ... and I swear the shopping cart has a mind of it's own when it passes that aisle. I know I shouldn't buy them because I will eat them when I'm not physically hungry - and not just a handful either! I've observed an argument going on in my head as I move past that aisle - "Oh, you could get a small bag." "There are no small bags." "You don't have to eat them all in one sitting." "I don't want to even tempt myself." "A few chips won't hurt you." "No, I don't want to be tempted." "Who made the rule that you can't have chips?" "Well...I did... so maybe I could just eat a few at a time..."

Most of the time, I end the argument by forcing the cart past the aisle, even though the chips call to me all through the rest of my shopping experience.
But when I don't avoid the aisle, why do I continue to do what I shouldn't?
As I've learned in the Women, Food and God book, there's something else going on - something deeper. I realized I have to stop and sit with the situation. What am I really hungry for? What does my Spirit want in this situation?

2. "Why don't I do what I should?"
Many people I know are self-employed, and find themselves playing on the computer, reading novels, doing house or yard work or laundry, instead of working. Maybe it's phone calls that need to made, bookkeeping that needs to be done, or going out to contact clients. We find all sorts of ways to avoid what we think we should be doing. This answer is simple -- we're afraid to put ourselves out there -- afraid of rejection or doing it wrong, and we're avoiding feeling that fear.

Again we have to stop and sit with the situation. What does our Spirit want in this situation? Then feel the fear, and do it anyway!

One thing I know for sure -- if we have a clear Vision of what we want - whether it be a healthy, trim body, or a successful business -- and we are committed to that Vision -- the tyranny of the shoulds is not so frequent. So perhaps the real questions is: What does Spirit want to do through me? By the way, the word "commit" comes from the Old Latin and means to "join together." You are not in your Vision alone! God and you are doing it together!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We live in an infinite field of creative potentiality. Using the Divine Aspects of Love and Law, we can be anything we want to be, and do anything we want to do. All this is possible because this Field is Divine Energy and this is what we're made of.

I now declare I am finished with the tyranny of the shoulds. I pay attention to the Divine Vision that wants to express as me. I allow myself to get enthused with it, creating in me a willingness to do what it necessary for the fulfillment of this Vision.

I remember I am not alone. There is That Within Me that is serving me well, and has only the highest good for all concerned in Mind. I trust this Presence, knowing that it is infinitely intelligent, and that all the answers are within me.

I step up to my Vision, I re-commit myself to it, and I move forward gratefully, acknowledging my Source. I breathe deeply and say YES!

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

One Person

September 10, 2010

The news has been painful lately. I quit watching it on TV years ago as it was too depressing, but now I find myself drawn into reading things online.

Our President can't do anything without someone finding something wrong with it, Mother Earth seems to be really acting up, a preacher wants to do something which could have larger consequences, miners are stuck underground possibly for months, fires burn ferociously, disasters abound, just to mention a few things.

Part of me is saying "What ???" Part of me wants to grab peoples shoulders, give them a good shake, yelling at them "What are you thinking??"

Then the metaphysical part of me kicks in and says "Everything is just as it should be," and I take a deep breath and decide I will give them safe passage through my mind.

My buying into these stories doesn't help solve them. My wanting to yell and shake people only adds to the chaos. I can't solve a problem with the same consciousness that created them.

Ernest Holmes wrote in his famous "Sermon by the Sea" ...

"Find me one person who is for something and against nothing, who is redeemed enough not to condemn others out of the burden of his soul, and I will find another savior, another Jesus, and an exalted human being."

I want to be that person who is for something and against nothing. To do this, I have to give myself a shake, ask myself what I'm thinking, and detach from the mesmerization of the media, constantly reminding myself it's all good - it's all God.

Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Regardless of appearances, I KNOW the Truth. All there is, is God. God is the Source of all things, the essence of all things. It is not a person, but a Divine Energy that fills the universe and so much more. This Energy is within us, working through us by means of Love and Law.

Knowing this I now declare that all whom I come in contact with, either personally, via the media, or any other way, have safe passage through my mind. I allow myself to consider them with a clear mind and a compassionate heart.

I know and claim there is a Higher Intelligence working through all, for the highest good of all. I call forth that Intelligence within me, so I don't get mesmerized with sensational details. I allow myself to be part of the solution by declaring the Truth and knowing the Truth sets us all free.

Gratefully I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are done.

And so it is.

Wanting

I moved into my apartment last February, painted it the colors I love, attracted all kinds of wonderful furniture and started to settle into my new home.

Two months later, 4 adults and 2 children moved in upstairs. My wonderfully peaceful home became full of noise - footsteps, TV, kids playing, people talking, doors slamming, telephones ringing. One night I woke up in a fright as I could hear someone in my closet! After turning on the lights, I realized the noise was from someone hanging up their clothes in the apartment upstairs!

I haven't lived in an apartment for years, and when I rented the one I did, upstairs noise wasn't even in my consciousness. It certainly is now!

I decided to start looking for a townhome to rent. I found one that was fantastic, good area, wonderful view, lots of space, etc. I went to the management office of the complex I live in to see how to break my lease so I could move. Whoa - lots of paperwork and a huge "breaking the lease fee" as well as being responsible for the rent until this apartment is rented again.

They offered me the opportunity to move to another unit on one of the top floors - yet even that was another pile of paperwork, a large "transferring" fee, and having to sign another year's lease.

As I walked back from the management office, I realized two things - one, I will never rent from a corporation again, and two - I've got to love what I have, and quit bemoaning what I don't have! My lease is up in 5 months - those months will fly by, and the most perfect townhome will be ready for me.

That afternoon, I read Marci Shimoff's recent e-newsletter, which was all about this same thing!! She started with a statement by American Zen teacher Adyashanti:


"The key to happiness is wanting what you have
and not wanting what you don't have."

I just love it when the Universe affirms an ah-ha I've had!!

I realized my being obsessed with the noise upstairs obliterated my happiness with my apartment. Everything became centered on "when I find my new home." I'd even become envious of others people's homes.

I am going to want what I have. This doesn't mean that I don't want to better my circumstances. I will when the time is right. Right now I accept what is and I am going to focus on what I like about my apartment. I'm reclaiming my happiness. Will that stop the noise from upstairs - probably not, yet I will be so busy appreciating what I have in this moment, I won't be fixated on it. And that brings back my peace.

What are you wanting that you don't have? Have you become obsessed with it like I did? Are you missing the good that is right at hand now?? Let's all take a deep breath and want what we have.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

In my conscious recognition of the unity of all things, I remember who I am. Spirit in form. I remember that Spirit is absolutely everywhere and in everything.

I am so grateful for Infinite Intelligence within me, that constantly brings me back to Center. I choose now to pay more attention to It, instead of being distracted by the things of the world. I know now, that nothing can shake me off Center -- I can think I am out of balance, and it will show up in my life, yet within me, there is always that Powerful Presence that is perfectly aligned with everything that I am, and everything It is.

I choose now to love what I have. I choose to be at peace with my world just the way it is. I do not need to judge anything. I do not need to change anything. I can if I want, but I am no longer run by need. I am run by Love, in Love, with Love.

I am so grateful to know these Principles and use them. I am so grateful to be able to speak my word into the Law knowing the Law works. I celebrate loving what I have.

And so it is.

Awe and Wonder

21 years ago yesterday, I was standing in the Prince Kuhio Mall, on the Big Island of Hawai'i, with the Friends of the Paneawa Zoo. I had charge of an I'o, an Hawaiian hawk, was sharing stories with the shoppers about raptor birds.

In the middle of my spiel, I saw my best friend and her husband walking towards us. Kalyan was pregnant - very pregnant. I asked her how she was feeling and she said she was in labor! They were heading home. I promised to get there as quickly as I could, and I did. I got there in time to see my goddaughter born.

Not having any children of my own, this was an amazing experience. I was in awe of the female human body and the things it is created to do. The knowledge and nurturing of the midwives was incredible. I felt such as rush of joy as I looked at the tiny little being that was born.

I remembered thinking that here was a new soul coming into our world, and into our lives. And that we were so blessed to be able to take care of this new soul.

Now Esther is officially an adult. I am still in awe of this young woman, and her Mother, who's done a great job.

Though I haven't birthed babies, I've birthed lots of ideas - and so have you. Have we looked at those ideas and their manifestation with awe? Have we been amazed at the wonder working power of Divine Law? Have we felt grateful for the blessings we've brought into our lives?

I hope your answer from now on is YES! Mine is.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Divine Life - that perfection of Love and Law - is moving through us, as us, at all times. It is the Source of all that is and is eternally creating.

How grateful I am to be consciously aware of my part in the process. How grateful I am to know the process is continually going on.

I choose to make good choices, tapping into Divine Wisdom with my meditation and prayers. I choose to be a good caretaker of all I have brought forth, even if that means letting go. I choose to acknowledge myself and all the work I have done. I remember there is only one Life, that Life is God's, and that Life is the Life we are living now.

Each person, including myself, is God in form, a blessing to the world. This is good, very good. I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are the Truth. And so it is.

Superstition

Ooooooo ... it's Friday the 13th!! It's only 8:52 AM and already I've heard 3 references to Friday the 13th being bad luck...

Logically, why should a number, attached to a particular day, be 'bad luck'? It doesn't make sense, According to Wikipedia, the legends of Friday the 13 are numerous - maybe starting in the 1100's, but the real fascination with this date came about in the early 20th century. We've got centuries of collective consciousness to deal with. I also read that it used to be a good luck day, but the Catholic church, trying to get rid of all things pagan, promoted it as bad luck.

We know it's done unto us as we believe ... here's an interesting point ...Wikipedia also referenced an insurance company that states that fewer accidents happen on this date because people are being more careful!

It makes me wonder - what other superstitions have I bought into that are imbedded in the collective consciousness?

The Buddha said "The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly."

Not to anticipate troubles!! We do that all the time. It's called worry. Dr. Holmes called worry "negative prayer" ... and that's what believing in superstitions is as well. Allow yourself time this week to investigate what superstitions you've bought into and intentionally release them.

Today is a good day - It's God's day!! Live the present moment wisely and earnestly.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only one Life - that Life is God's. This is the life we are living right now.

Knowing this, I now declare nothing outside me can harm me in any way. Nothing inside me can harm me either. I have now released the bonds of the collective consciousness around superstitions and know the Truth. The bottom line is "It is done unto me as I believe." I now choose to believe in a blessed life, a life filled with all my heart desires. I believe in Good everywhere, and I know this is so because all there is - is God.

With a grateful heart I release these words, celebrating my freedom from superstition. I live, move and have my being in Higher Ground. This is good, this is God.

And so it is.

Emerging

I spent the a week in Chicago at the International Centers for Spiritual Living Summer Conference. It was fantastic! For me the theme was emergent evolution -- humanity emerging as the authentic loving Self -- a conscious awareness of being Spirit.

At the final talk, I was reminded that this was the last summer conference the International Centers for Spiritual Living will have. Next year, it will no longer be International and United - it will be one organization - Centers for Spiritual Living.

I felt myself going through a period of sadness. I thought about the Past Presidents Panel that was held earlier in the week, and how I remember so much of what was talked about. I've been in this organization for 30 years, 24 of them as a minister. The sadness was for what was ending, not for what is to be. Even though there is a tremendous amount of planning, no one really knows what the new organization will be like. As I thought of that, I got excited.

There is a lot of change going on in the world right now - a lot going on in our own lives. We must allow ourselves the luxury of grieving what was, without getting stuck there. As we move through our grief, we find a whole new world - one that we have no idea how it will turn out, but we know will be greater and more expansive than the one we just left.

It must be - that is the way the Universe works. It's always making something better than what It was before.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We are living in an infinite field of creative potentiality. The Original Essence of this field never changes. It is Love and Law. Love points the way, and Law makes the way possible. We are not only living in it, we are It. We are the expressed consciousness of this Field.

Knowing this, I now declare I am ready and willing to be a vital part of the expansion of humanity into its authentic self. I am willing to move along my personal path with a sense of awe and excitement as to what will be, using my mind to create in me a clean heart and a consciousness of Love.

I see the desires of our hearts made manifest and I celebrate our oneness. Because of our Oneness, I know that what I think, do and feel has an effect on the whole.With Love, I gratefully see my world and my life emerging into divine balance. This is good, this is God.

And so it is.

Pray for Change

My neck and back had been hurting lately, and I visited my chiropractor. He suggested that since I use a laptop, the screen is in the wrong position. He advised me to put the computer up on phone books, and get a new keyboard.

(Did you know that the proper height for your computer screen is for the top of the screen to be at eye level?)

So off I went to Staples and came home with a bells and whistles ergonomic keyboard. Now I've been typing for over 45 years (OMG! How can that be!) and I am quite fast. This new keyboard, however, is quite a learning curve. OpenOffice Writer puts a squiggly red line underneath the misspelled words, and sometimes my documents look like a sea of red!! Thank goodness it does so I can correct things before sending them out.

Then I started thinking -- what if we had a program where our negative words showed up in red before they got out our mouths? It could be a movable program. First it would work in the middle of the path from our brains to our mouths, and then when we were used to it, it would move into the space before the thoughts that become words. Soon we wouldn't have any negative thoughts at all!!

Oh wait - we do have a "program" like that! It's called Spiritual Mind Treatment or Affirmative Prayer! All we have to do is set it in motion and let it do its work! Of course, even SMT has a learning curve -- and the only way to learn is to DO IT.

And just like my new keyboard, the more I use it, the more familiar I become with it, and the easier it is to use.



SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only one Power - one Presence - One Life. A Divine Energy that is the Source and substance of all things. It is within me, and is activated by my thoughts and feelings.

I now declare with Love: I am ready and willing to release any thoughts and feelings that created behaviors that no longer serve me. From this moment on, I expand my consciousness to a new idea of who I am - Spirit in form. I am a divine expression of love, health, wealth and creativity made manifest. All the "programs" within me are facilitating a higher good.

I am grateful to be able to choose this. I am grateful for these teachings. I celebrate Life!!

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

Wonder

It's Summer! All sorts of images arise - memories of beach adventures, back yard parties, camping, fireworks, vacations. Enjoying nature in all her glorious beauty.

Have you ever lain on a blanket and just stared at the night sky? The stars are so beautiful. You begin to notice the constellations, the milky way, maybe even a shooting star or two. And the more you look, the more you see. Soon the black sky with a few brilliant jewels becomes layers upon layers of lights, twinkling in the atmosphere.

This is how meditation works in our lives. When we first begin our practice, we see the obvious things around us, yet as time goes by and our practice deepens, we begin to see so much more - more beauty, more love, more Light.

It was always there - It will always be there -- as we become still and mindful, we open to the beauty of Life as It reveals Itself.



SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God - the manifest and unmanifest beauty of Life - is present absolutely everywhere. God is the source and substance of everything I experience with my senses and more. It is all that there is.

I now relax into the season of summer and all that means to me. I choose to slow down and experience Life in new ways. I am opening up in deep surrender to the wonders of Life. I see more with God's eyes, hear more with God's ears, taste more with Gods tongue, touch more with Gods hands. Because I am willing to be mindful in every moment, more of Life is revealed to me.

How grateful I am to be alive! How delightful is the world I have chosen to live in! How glorious are the new things I am discovering! How magnificent God is!

I release these words to the Law of Mind, knowing the Law works. I celebrate all of Life right here, right now! And so it is.

The Path

Next week Friday I will be "officially" installed as the Pastor of the Center for Spiritual Living Baltimore.

I stated thinking about how I got here. In the past, I've always thought about this Path starting when I was a young adult ... however, this evening driving home, I
remembered being in 4th grade in Ramona Convent Catholic Girls School, running out of the classroom crying. I had just stood up proudly in class and announced I was going to be a priest. Sister irritatedly told me: "Don't be silly - girls can't be priests." and my classmates laughed at me. I got teased about it for months - and because of that - I told them I didn't care what the "rules" were -- I was still going to be one!

That declaration has taken me on an amazing adventure! I played in the Disneyland of metaphysics with great success. I joined various different faith paths and read lots of spiritual books and had fun. In 1979, I had an indescribable Revelation, and just a few weeks later, I discovered Religious Science and knew I'd found Home and my vocation.. The adventures continued. I found myself in Honolulu, Hawai'i, and then started a church on the Big Island. I traveled to awesome power spots around the world. I lived in a different county and I started another church. Now I'm here.

Most of the things I have done were because of an Inner Urging that kept at me until I said Yes. Sometimes I felt I had no choice - yet my choice has always been to be of service to humanity. And in return I have been served well.

I wonder what adventures are ahead -- what ever they are, I know Spirit will guide me well, and I will do my Work to the best of my ability.

And it will be good, very good.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

How grateful I am for this thing called Life. I know there is only One Life, that Life is God's Life, and that Life is the life I am living.

I choose to continue to life this Life to the best of my ability, enjoying every moment. I choose to have my expression of this One Life be for the highest good. I choose to continue to be a vehicle for awakening humanity to its spiritual magnificence.

As I do this, the Power of the Universe supports me, the Love of the Universe nurtures me, and Mind of the Universe empowers me.

I am so grateful for all that I am, and all that I will be. I am so grateful I have heard the Inner Voice and honored It and will continue to do so.

My God is so good to me. Gratefully I release these words to the Law of Mind, and so It is.

Pray

All of us have been effected by the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. People are sad and people are angry. There's a lot of conversation going on with a lot of emotion.

As a global New Thought community, we have to feel our feelings and then get to work. We know that changing our consciousness can change absolutely anything!

There have been so many wonderful meditations, prayers and processes posted on the internet. I put some together to work with and I invite you to join me or create your own and use it this every day this week:

1. Find some ocean water if possible, and if not, use a bowl of water as a surrogate, and declare your intention:

'My intention is for the Deepwater Horizon's oil leak to be immediately and successfully contained, and full eco-balance restored to the surrounding sea and marine life.' 

2. Do a little ho'oponopono:

To whales, dolphins, manatees, pelicans, seagulls and all aquatic bird species, fishes, shellfish, planktons, corals, algae and all ion creatures in the Gulf of Mexico,
I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.

3. Visualize the waters clean, and clear, and the plant and animal life healthy.

4. Say a prayer of gratitude for being able to do this work.



(1. Lynne McTaggart, author of The Intention Experiment, 2. Dr. Masaru Emoto)


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We live in an Infinite Field of Creative Potential. This Field is acted upon by our thoughts and feelings and sets the Law of Attraction in action. I let myself embody this sacred Truth as I move into the center of my being, centering myself in peace, ready to make my declarations into the Law.

I am one with the ocean, the sea life and the oil. I choose to take my energy off the challenges. I step forward as One who will make a difference by knowing a greater Truth. I see the oceans healthy and clear. I see the sealife healthy and growing well. I see everything back to its natural patterns.

Gratefully I release all attachments to the how. I know the Law works. The Truth is revealed as easy and effortless solutions. I keep my mind and heart on the end results. I celebrate God's Life in all that there is. And so it is.

Cleaning House

Have you seen the commercial on TV for a paint that masks household odors?
If not, you can see it here: http://dutchboy.com/refresh/

When I first saw it, I shook my head and said "What??? How about cleaning the house!"

Then I suddenly realized, this is an outward manifestation of something much bigger. Just think about the work of Debbie Ford, Byron Katie, Deepak Chopra, and many other spiritual teachers today. They are talking about Shadow Work. The work many of us would rather cover up than tackle!!

I've done it - haven't you? In fact, we as a race have swept so much under the collective carpet, it's exploding around us!

The whole universe is trying to get our attention -- it's time to clean up our act! In fact, it's time to stop acting, and become Real. It's time to communicate those things we're holding back on. It's time to let go of the feelings of resentment, shame, and blame. It's time to stop denying our problems, trying to run away from them or lying about them.

It's time to become transparent and loving and honest.

In the Science of Mind, by Ernest Holmes, we are told to turn away from the condition and pray for what we want as if we already have it. However he did not say to deny what is. He said to stop feeding the condition with the attention we give it. In order to turn away from a condition we have to accept what is, and move to what we want. For instance, if I have a broken arm, I accept I have it, and turn my attention away from the story around the break, towards knowing I am healed.

In this very moment, each of us has the potential to be more than we've been up until now. Are you willing to do the work? Let's do it and call it Sacred Work! What we do for ourselves is helping the whole of humanity and the planet herself. One thing I know for sure -- we are not alone in this Work. God's got our back!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is One Life, that Life is God's Life, and that Life is my life now. I let myself embody this sacred Truth as I move into the center of my being, breathing in the Love that is everywhere.
I am one with my brothers and sisters, and the animals, plants, minerals, water, air, fire and earth. I do not refuse to see what is happening around me, but I do choose to take my energy off it. I step forward as One who will make a difference in this world by dreaming a bigger dream, knowing a greater Truth.

Divine Love moves me to be actively conscious and mindful. I am honored to aware that I am able to participate in Life. I celebrate my willingness to be an empty vessel - allowing myself to be filled with all that is good.

Gratefully I release all sense of separateness, and know the Truth is always revealed. I am lovingly honest and transparent as I let God be magnified though me. And so it is.

Conpassion

The other night I watched a show on ABC called "What Would You Do?" There were many scenes of people getting harrassed by other people in front of observers.

One was an event in a restaurant, that was staged over and over again by actors during a weekend, where over 100 people witnessed a same sex couple being verbally abused, in front of their children, by a waiter. I was so dismayed to see that most people turned away, trying to pretend the event wasn't happening. Only 7 people stood up for them.

Another incident was a young man with Down's Syndrome, who was sacking people's groceries. Over and over again, people made rude, derogatory remarks knowing full well the young man could hear them. I stood up and cheered when an older black woman stared down two teenagers and told them: "He's someone's beloved child -- aren't you someone's beloved child?" The teens visibly shrunk under her look.

The show was painful to watch. It's hard to believe how cruel we can be. When the host of the show questioned people after each incident, most said "It was none of my business." Why have we become so afraid to get involved? If it was happening TO us, we'd want people to help. What happened to our compassion?

Today I did a christening ceremony in a back yard filled with friends and families. During lunch I watched the children. Each were having experiences of playful wonder and delight. I want them to keep that wonder and delight in life alive. One of these children could be the next president of the United States, a spiritual leader, a teacher, a policeman or ??? It came to me how important it is for us to model compassion to these young ones.

Not just for them, but for our world. We are all one. In the mystical Jewish tradition it is said "Kindness gives to another. Compassion knows no other. "



SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the Divine Presence in all. I let myself move into the center of my being, breathing in the Love that is everywhere. I let go of judgment, and open my compassionate heart. This is the heart of God.

I am here for my brothers and sisters. I do not refuse to see what is happening around me, as I know that what is happening to them is happening to me. I let my compassion guide me wisely. Love is the Divine Impulse to be actively conscious and mindful. I know we are here for each other, and I am honored to be able to participate in this life.

Gratefully I release all sense of victimization, and know the Truth is always revealed. I let go and let God be magnificent as each of us. And so it is.

Transparency

Late last night I was playing with a Facebook app called "Goodreads" and I wanted to share it with one person. Unfortunately I hit the wrong button, and even tho I tried to shut down the app, it sent an invite to everyone on my gmail list -- and I have a lot of contacts!

When I realized what happened, I started to get nervous. All these people were going to see what kinds of books I read. Yes, I read wonderfully enlightening spiritual and self-help books, and many good novels -- but I also like escapist reading -- romance novels. My ex used to tell people I read Truth and trash. (You'd be surprised at how much Truth is in trash novels these days -- but then again, I can find it anywhere.)

This morning as I saw the numbers of people who'd also signed up for the app, I again thought "Oh no ... they're going to know I read romance novels!" Now I'm not sure why romance novels have such a bad rap -- the first one was written in 1740 so they've been around a long time. They make up 55% of the paperback market, yet even Wikipedia agrees that "Despite the popularity and widespread sales of romance novels, the genre has attracted significant derision, skepticism and criticism" and that "...most women are embarrassed to be caught reading one."

Reading this made me groan in embarrassment as I thought of my e-mail fiasco. My secret is out!!

Then a story from Marlo Morgan's book "Mutant Messenger" came to me, in which she writes about being on a walkabout with some aboriginal people in Australia. The walk was mostly in silence, yet when the group stopped to rest or eat, it seemed like the verbal conversations were ones that were continuing a conversation she hadn't heard the beginning of. She asked one of the women about it, and the woman told her that they talked all along the walk -- they talked telepathically. Marlo wondered out loud, "I wonder why I can't do that?" and the woman responded with "You Westerners have too many secrets."

What if we were really transparent people? We are the ones who give value and meaning to the things in our lives. If we were transparent, we wouldn't have secrets. OK - I enjoy romance novels. I'm going to stop being embarrassed about it. Truth is, I like writing them as well, but have always been afraid to submit anything because, after all, I'm a minister - what will people think?

The Science of Mind teaches that what we think is what we're teaching others to think about us. As long as I'm embarrassed about something, or have secrets, I will be afraid to be my Real Self. My fear will very subtly color every conversation and connection.

As we look around us at the global picture, we see lots of "secrets" coming to light. And maybe that's the point. Let's bring our secrets and fears to "Light." In the Light we can release the energy that's been holding the embarrassment in place and be free!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Divine Life is absolutely everywhere. It is within me and around me. It is me.
Divine Love moves through me in compassionate waves, Divine Mind makes the way clear for a greater understanding of Truth.

The Truth is I have never done anything wrong. I now release my secret embarrassments. I no longer give them any value or meaning. I let them go with a sigh of relief. I am now free. Free to be my Real Self. Spirit in form, expressing uniquely as me.

With a grateful heart I declare my transparency. I am now more open to the indwelling Spirit and this is good, very good. And so it is.

Breathe

A few people I know are going through what seems like a “dark night of the soul.” I’ve been there. I know how hard it is when it seems like everything in your life is falling apart. When you feel like your prayers don’t seem to be working or you’re not even really sure anymore if this stuff we practice works!

After I had my experience I realized that a dark night of the soul is when things of the world no longer work. This is when the pedal hits the metal - when we really have to “keep the faith.” We have to ask for help and regardless what our life looks like, we have to trust. A way always opens, usually through our hearts.

In hindsight, it’s in trusting, even in the depths of darkness, that we realize that what we believe in – God, Love working through law – is always with us.

Hindsight is great – yet how do we get to that place in the middle of the dark night experience? Breathe and remember this wonderful Unity prayer:

The light of God surrounds me;
The love of God enfolds me;
The power of God protects me;
And the presence of God watches over me.
Wherever I am, God is ...

Breathe and trust.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

In this moment, this sacred moment, I breathe deeply and remember:
There is only One. One manifesting as creative power, a loving heart and an infinitely intelligent mind. Since there is only One, It is right where I am – at the core of my being, expressing Itself through me.

Because I know this, I choose to love myself and all concerned through any dark nights. I let go of any judgments and am compassionate and forgiving. I know those times are temporary, and in fact, make me appreciate my life even more when they are over. Instead of being afraid of them or resisting, I now allow myself to be open to the newness that follows in their wake. I am open to a greater idea of who I am, Spirit in form.

I celebrate Life and all the ways It expresses through me. I am so grateful to know that the Light is always where I am, and I open my eyes and see!
And so it is.

Peace

"Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it."
~ Ernest Holmes

At the beginning of this month, a family moved in upstairs. Up until then, the unit had been empty. The building I live in is an old building, and the units have been renovated quite nicely. One thing that wasn't renovated were the ceilings. Suddenly the quiet I had been enjoying disappeared. With every step the family takes, (and with 3 children there are a lot), my ceiling creaks. At first I thought that after they got all their things moved in and their unit fixed up, the noise would die down, but it hasn't.

I've allowed it to bother me. I've told people about the noise. I expect it every night. I even have it timed. I know what time the parents get home, and what time the family goes to bed. I've had headaches and frustration.

Then last Sunday I met a young woman in the parking lot with a darling doggie, who immediately began to tell me how horrible the ceiling noise was in her unit. She was really angry! At first I was glad I wasn't the only one with the problem and commiserated with her - then I realized she was my mirror! The Universe was reflecting to me what I was feeling - with a little more drama. I realized I had been choosing to be a victim, and this was not where I wanted to be.

In speaking to my prayer partner about this realization, she shared a powerful quote with me: "I cannot prevent the wind from blowing ... but I can adjust my sails to make it work for me."

I don't know if there's a solution to the ceiling noise, but I do know I can choose to be ok with it. I thought about how people who live near trains or freeways say that after awhile they don't even notice the noise. I had been focusing on it, allowing it to bother me -- and now I choose to remove my focus. Nothing outside of me can move me off Center. I choose Peace.

Where do you need to adjust your sails?


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

All creation is One. All creation is the wholeness of the Universe expressing uniquely. Just as this is true for all life, I know it is true for me.

I now declare I live in the peace of Spirit Within. Nothing outside of me can affect my peace. My mind, heart and body are in perfect harmony with Divine Peace. This is my birthright.

When ever I start to feel oppressed or distressed by something outside me, I now declare I am easily and gently reminded of my Truth. I see Life's reflections around me, and realize they are there to remind me of who I am. I am grateful for the insights and inspirations revealing my True Self at every moment.

I now see and experience only Good around me and am grateful to be a part of the creation of that Good. My life is unfolding in harmony, peace and joy.

I release these words into the Law of Mind, seeing the perfection of their manifestation in my world. This is good, very good. This is God.
And so it is.

Gifts

Last weekend I went to the Sugarloaf Arts and Crafts Festival here in Baltimore. What a magnificently delightful array of colors, textures, scents and creativity. I love craft shows because I am reminded of my own inner artist, and how much fun it is to be creative.

A woman I spoke to while waiting in line for the restroom said she loved to come to the shows, but they made her sad. When I asked why, she said it was because she'd always wanted to be an artist, but had no talent whatsoever. I asked "So what do you like to do?" "Cooking" she replied. "Then you are an artist" I exclaimed "It takes an artist to create a good meal!" At first she looked at me like I was crazy, unwilling to let go of the story of not being creative, then her eyes got bright and she gave me a big smile. "I'd never thought of it that way" she said, "but I think you're right. My sister is always telling me how talented I am in the kitchen." "Then you're a culinary artist" I said - and it was my turn to go.

I wonder how many of us do the same thing -- look at someone else's work and wish we could do something like they do - instead of focusing on our own gifts.

In Ernest Holmes classic writing, This Thing Called You, he states,
“You exist that Divine feeling, fire, imagination and creativity may be expressed through you. The Spirit comes to you with a new and fresh creativity. You need not ask what others have done or how they have done it. Be yourself and express life as you find it. Never imitate. Trust the self. Find the self in God and God in the self.”




SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is that within me that is infinitely creative. It seeks expression through me with unconditional love. I know this is Truth. As I acknowledge It, I am allowing It to flow though me freely.

I open my mind and heart to do the things that are mine to do. The ones that give me great pleasure while I am doing them. The ones that make me forget myself and serve others. No matter what my unique gifts are, I no longer ignore them by longing after anothers. I am all I desire to be right now, and I have everything within me to fulfill those desires.
I am grateful to remember the feeling of knowing I am in my right place, doing the right thing, and grateful that I can. I am so blessed.

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

Weak Spot

A few years ago I hurt my back pretty badly. This evening I was sharing with a friend my story about how I started getting better quickly when I decided to be grateful when my back didn't hurt, instead of focusing on when it did. At the end of my sharing, I heard myself say "My back is my weak spot." I hesitated for a moment as what I heard myself say sunk in, and added with a laugh: "..and because I believe that, I get to experience it."

Wow! Over and over I am surprised at how subtle this stuff is. How long am I going to claim that for myself?!? Well, certainly not any longer, now that I realize what I've been doing.

To take this even deeper - I've hurt my back and healed quickly many times over the years since 1975 when I was in a car accident. I've written about that experience - about my arguing with my intuition and getting broadsided by a Cadillac because I didn't listen. So - is not listening to my intuition really my weak spot? Not any longer!!

Where's your "weak spot"? Listen to your conversations -- they will tell you what you need to know to go deeper. Let's live from our soul - not from self-created effects!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

As I take a breath and settle into this moment of stillness, I remember who I am. A wonderful expression of the One Heart. A perfect being in the One Mind.

Today I know the Truth and the Truth sets me free from all 'weak spots' I have claimed for myself. Infinite Intelligence working through creative law, is commanded by my thoughts and feelings, and sets the law of attraction in action, creating my experiences. I now choose to think, feel, speak and act from a Higher Truth, and this Truth sets me free from all manifestations I have judged negative in my life. All is now good in my body, my relationships, my work and my finances. I am strong in my belief of The One expressing through me in every area of my life.

Gratefully I release these words, knowing they are so, and so it is.

Stories

Have you ever really given thought to the conversation that is going on 24/7 in your mind? Anyone who meditates has certainly seen easy it is to get hooked into various patterns of thinking!!

It is important to notice these things. Quite often thoughts slip out our mouths before we're aware they were going to do so. My teacher, the late Rev. Helen Street, once said that she only had to talk to someone for 5 minutes to know what God they worshiped.

Are you telling someone that money is the reason you can't do something? You're worshiping the god of lack. Talking about a former love partner, a boss, the government, etc., and what they did to you? You're worshiping the god of victimhood.

What we worship - or contemplate - we become.

You see, through our thoughts (which through experiences become beliefs) we define our lives. We are constantly creating a conversation with ourselves about what this world is about. We are all born storytellers. We give our stories color and meaning. The world around us reflects our stories.

What stories are you telling?

Many of us are starting to tell our stories around a central Truth: "All there is is Divine Energy - filled with unconditional loving intelligence - and this is who we are." Now we use our thoughts and words as tools for transformation -- not just for ourselves, but for our world.

And this is good, very good.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is one Mind, and this Mind is God's Mind. Within this Mind is all the world has thought, felt and experienced. Within this Mind is all I have ever thought, felt and experienced. This is the Mind I am using now - always have been and always will.

I now rejoice in my conscious awareness of the infinite intelligence within me. I celebrate my being able to use my awareness to change my 'story' whenever I want. I do so now. I declare I am now experiencing a world that works for everyone. I don't have to know what that looks like, yet I know it is happening, because I am choosing it as my new story. From this point on, Infinite Intelligence works through me to make this our reality. I am defining my world as a safe, healthy, nurturing, creative place to live.

Our lives are more valuable than we could ever know. Our lives are the Invisible made visible. How grateful I am be realizing this at a deep soul level.

I release these words, knowing they are my Highest Truth, and so It is.

Ego

Something's been on my mind lately and I feel like I have to speak up, so here goes:


We've got to stop bashing the ego!!


I've heard how the ego leads us astray, how EGO stand for "Edging God Out", how the ego keeps us in fear, etc., etc., etc. We're told that the ego is needy - always in search of appreciation. It's considered a very negative thing. Every time I hear something like this, I want to stand up and yell - NO don't say that!!


So here's the dictionary definition of Ego:


1. the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.

2. Psychoanalysis. the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.

3. egotism; conceit; self-importance: (Her ego becomes more unbearable each day.)

4. self-esteem or self-image; feelings: (Your criticism wounded his ego.)

5. (often initial capital letter) Philosophy.

a. the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.

b. Scholasticism. the complete person comprising both body and soul.


According to word history: ego first shows up in 1714, as a term in metaphysics. Not until 1891 does it denote a sense of "conceit." It became an official psychoanalytic term around 1910; and "Ego trip" was first recorded in 1969.

I wonder what was happening in the collective conscious to have the "I" go from being self to something we consider negative?


The ego is that something that makes us shower and do what we can to look presentable. It is the part of us that makes us want to do a good job, and feels good when we do. It's the part of us that likes being a good person. How can that be negative?


Now here's the definition that turned me around years ago in my thinking about the ego. From the glossary of The Science of Mind: "The I AM of the Bible, the Christ, the perfect idea of God. In metaphysical terms, the Ego refers to the Real Consciousness of man."


Why would we want to get rid of that?


Even more importantly, let's look at the basic teaching of the Science of Mind. I believe we can boil it down to two sentences: 'All there is is God' and 'It is done unto us as we believe.' If all there is is God - then the ego has to be an expression of God as well. And since it is done unto as we believe, we have to pay attention. If we're claiming that an essential part of our psyche is bad -- it has to act the part! If we think the ego leads us astray, edges God out, keeps us in fear, is needy, etc., etc., etc., then that's what we get to experience - in ourselves and in the people around us.


Let's begin thinking of the ego as the Self - the perfect idea of God as us - our Christ consciousness. Easter seems like a really good time to do this.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT


Recognizing the Divine Essence permeating the universe, and knowing It is everything there is and more, I celebrate my conscious awareness that this Divine Essence is within me.


I now allow myself to let go of putting any part of myself down. I declare I now realize the fullest expression of my identity in Spirit. I have retrieved all parts of me I had tried to let go of, and I feel whole and holy.


I Am the center of wisdom, the experience of pure possibilities, the Light of the Divine. I am all my heart desires to be, right here, right now. I am home in my Self.


With a grateful heart, I celebrate my Truth, knowing this Truth is pure Love. I now release these words into the Law of Mind, and so it is.

Trust

We've heard a lot of 'stories' lately -- in the media, our friends conversations and yes, even in our own minds. Stories of lack, limitation, blame, etc.. The other day I was talking with musician Charlie Thweat and he reminded me of a statement from the Course in Miracles:

"Trust will solve every problem here."

Why don't we trust? Most of us have an experience or two in our past that led us to believe we couldn't. It also led us to the place where we think we have to do it all ourselves. That belief, of course, drew other experiences that proved the beliefs value in our lives. So we struggle, and the struggle brings more struggle.

Some traditions tell us to turn our lives over to Spirit. Yet, if we can't trust others or ourselves -- how can we trust Spirit?

The problem is our perception of Spirit. We treat it as if it is a person, with all the qualities of being human - both good and bad.

The Science of Mind teaches that Spirit is not an entity - it is Principle. I like to think of It as energy - a Divine Energy that is all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present - including within us. It is a Principle that anyone can use, in fact we've been using it our whole life! Now that we are aware of It, we can consciously use It!!

Think of this Energy as being like the electricity in the room you are sitting in. You can't see it, but you know it's there and instantly available when you flip the switch. You don't have to do any special ritual or ceremony. You don't have to say particular words. You don't have to make any promises to make it work. You know the electricity is there, so you reach out and flip the switch.

What would your life be like if you believed it were this easy? Contemplate this today. Consciously decide the quality of Life you want, declare your intention, and remember, trust will solve every problem.



SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

All around us is the creative intelligence of The Divine. It is constantly giving of Itself to Its creations. We are one of those creations. This wonderful Divine Energy is within us, acting as us at all times.

I allow myself to trust. I declare "I rely on Principle working in my life." I clear my mind and heart to think good things. I am in tune with right action. I am inspired by Love.

Everything I need is at hand. I have nothing to complain about whatsoever. Spirit moves me forward in grace. My life reflects the Divine Life, and this is good, very good.

I am so grateful I can trust. God is my all sufficiency. All is well in my world.

I release these words to the Law of Mind, trusting they are so, and so It is.

Gardens

March 20, is the first day of Spring. Take a deep breath. Everything is lightening up.

A while ago, I planted some basil seeds in a small pot and put it on my kitchen window sill. Even though it looked like just a pot of dirt, I knew something was working underneath the soil. The urge to grow showed up as two tiny plants today, and in the next few days, even more will come up, and soon I will have to thin them.

This is what Spring feels like to me. It's like we've been seeds, buried in the darkness of winter, yet even though it was dark, something was working in us, as us. This something is Spirit, and if Spirit was a person, I think this would be her favorite time of year. We're breaking our hard shell casings, and sending up our intentions towards the Light. Those ideas we'd planted are coming into fruition. Sometimes they start to manifest in many different ways and we get really busy. They've got to be thinned out. Of course, as a gardener of my basil and of my thoughts, I will keep the strongest ones, the ones that will do the most good.

Our minds are our sacred gardens. They will nurture and support us if we tend them daily. Water and fertilize with your prayers and meditation, pull any stray thoughts, reseed every so often, and then relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We live in an infinite Field of creative potential. This Field is Divine Energy. It is powerfully loving, absolutely intelligent, and within everything that is. There is no place where this Field is not. That means It is within us as well, just as we are in It.

I celebrate this Truth. I know that as I plant my intentions in this Field, everything that is necessary to the fulfillment of those intentions is already here - within the Field and within the intention itself.

I now declare I am willing to experience Spirit at a greater level. I do so, by making room in my consciousness. I am aware that the Law works, and I am willing to get out of its way.

Every experience is now Spirit filled. Every emotion is Loving. My mind is a storehouse of divine ideas. All these things are good, because all is God.
Gratefully I release these words to the Law of Mind, knowing they are so, and so Is is.

Observations

The weirdest thing is happening this morning. I have no inspirational ideas for this weeks Friday Message at all. I have done everything I normally do to get inspired - meditation, Treatment, looking at various books, even checked the file I have on the computer called "FM ideas." Nothing !!

So - I've swept & vacuumed, cleaned the bathrooms, petted the cats, checked e-mail and Facebook ... still no inspiration!

Have you ever had one of these days? Where you want to accomplish something yet it just doesn't seem to be happening?

It's been interesting to observe my mind. I started to judge my self. After all, I am a writer, and I love writing. Why can't I think of something to write about? As I thought about that, I started to stress about it. I have lots of people who read the Friday Message every week -- how can I disappoint them? Then I wanted to eat something.

I finally decided to surrender. I realized as long as I was in judgment or stressing I was perpetuating the lack of inspiration. I decided to write about it instead. I realized underneath the judgment and stress was fear. And what was I afraid of? That if I didn't produce this week I would lose readers! And for a writer, readers mean love.

Well, when I got to the bottom of that I started laughing. The thought that I would be afraid I wouldn't be loved because I missed a Friday is so silly!! How subtle this stuff is!

Are you in judgment or stressing about something? Being in judgment is like taking a position, and a position denotes no movement. Stressing just brings about more to stress about. Surrender, and ask yourself what you're afraid of.

Over the years, I've discovered that most bottom line fears are "I'm not enough" or "I'm not lovable." Let go of those fears..They are lies. How could we not be enough? We are unique expressions of Spirit - and Spirit is always more than enough. How could we not be lovable. We are unique expressions of Spirit - and Spirit is Love itself, and therefore so are we. And That's the Truth!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is Love and Love is the greatest healing agent in the universe. God is Love, and since I am an expression of God, then I am Love as well.

If there is anything in me I am not comfortable with, I let the healing power of Love move through me, erasing all that is unlike Itself. I also open my mind and heart to remember I am the Beloved - right here, right now, just the way I am.

All fear is now gone. Any position I had found myself stuck in has disappeared. I am moving forward on my Life's Path with gratitude and grace.

I am so grateful to know I am the Beloved. I share this Love everywhere I am.

I release these words knowing they are so, and so it is.

Choices

A few weeks ago I wrote about meeting my Nephew and his family at the airport and how delightful it was to see them.

Something else happened that day that haunts me. As I was walking down the hallway heading towards the gate where the military comes in, I saw many young men and women in uniform walking toward me. I waved at them, called "Welcome Home" and got great responses. I watched them greet family members or making plans to see each other and celebrate. They were glad to be on U.S. soil again.

And then I saw Her. A young woman walking by herself, face blank, eyes devoid of any emotion. I felt that inside she had been holding herself together for so long that she had lost herself. I wanted to run up to her, take her in my arms and let her know everything was going to be OK, but the wall of energy around her said "stay back." It was as if I approached her, a crack would appear in that wall and she would start screaming. I smiled at her and said "Welcome home," but she didn't seem to hear or notice.

Even thinking about her now makes my eyes well up. What had she seen or experienced that stole her joy?

I wanted to rail at the horrors of war, and all that it is doing to our young men and women and their families ....

Yet now I have to ask myself: "What is there in me that resonates with her so much that she haunts me?" Perhaps because I know we all have the potential to allow our experiences to break us - or to make us stronger. Perhaps because I have been where I think she is, and I know she can choose to move up and out of the darkness and reclaim her joy.

Dr. Holmes writes: "While it is true that wrong conditions exist, they could not remain unless there were someone to experience them. Consequently, the experience must be in consciousness. Change the consciousness and the false condition will disappear. Conditions are not entities, we are entities."

If you're feeling in a dark place today, raise your vision - remember the Truth of You!! Or remember there are many of us who are raising you in our Vision.
I now choose to hold Her in my heart, blessing her with an awareness that this too shall pass. I see Her smiling again.

This is why I love our teaching, and am doing what I do. I know we are more than we think we are - and more powerful than we could ever imagine. I know that by lifting our consciousness we help untold numbers of people. This is a good thing - this is a God thing.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only One Life - that Life is God's - and this is the life we are living now.

This is our Truth, and I declare that we are remembering. As we walk our Path, we do so with a compassionate heart for all who do not know they have choice, including ourselves in times of darkness.

I declare that we are more open to a conscious awareness of our Truth. It lifts us up, and we lift others. In every area of our life, we remember we have choice -- the choice to love, to be fulfilled in our work, to be prosperous and healthy. Our remembering sets the Law of Attraction to working for us and countless others.

I celebrate these Principles, so grateful for how I have learned about them and how to use them. I am filled with joy as I release these words, knowing they are so, and so it is.

Courage

Years ago, at the beginning of this Path called Religious Science, I took a class called "Insight Out." In the class, we were to decorate the folder that would hold the class handouts as if it were a treasure map. Being a wordsmith, my folder had a few pictures and lots of words. One of the phrases I cut out was "Her life was better than most people's fantasies."

And so it is. I have lived in beautiful places, met so many wonderful people, and had great experiences. I have traveled the world, interacted with awesome people, and have had the privilege of participating in many peoples lives. And its not over yet!

All of this came about by my being willing to listen to the Voice Within. Many times I argued with that Voice, and resisted change with every fiber of my being, but did what I was guided to anyway.

People tell me I have a lot of courage. Brian Johnson, creator of the Philosophers Notes, quotes Rollo May, in Courage to Create: "The word courage comes from the same stem as the French word Coeur, meaning 'heart.' Thus just as one's heart, by pumping blood to one's arms, lets, and brain enables all the other physical organs to function, so courage makes possible all the psychological virtues. Without courage, other values wither away into mere facsimiles of virtue."

Brian then writes:

"I love that.
Imagine your body without your heart. Say goodbye to your arms and legs and brain and all your other organs and, well, your life.
Now, imagine your life without courage. All that love and kindness and compassion and creativity and joy and patience we live to express? Gone.
Courage. It’s the “heart” of our psychological virtue system.
Without it, all the values “wither away into mere facsimiles of virtue.”
Powerful way to look at it, eh?"

Rollo May also wrote: "Finding the center of strength within ourselves, is in the long run, the best contribution we can make to our fellow men."

Change is the only constant. Instead of being afraid of it - step into it as a Grand Adventure! The adventures of the body, as well as the emotions of the heart, are here to be experienced, and through that experience, serve our world.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We live and move and have our being in a glorious, infinite field of creative potential. This Field is our Source, and the substance of all It creates. It creates through us.

I rejoice in the awareness of my unlimited potential. I know that as I live from my heart/mind, I have the courage to step out and be more aware of the Divinity that I am and that is all that there is.

My courage opens the way for love, joy, compassion, and I feel good! This feeling good expands into every area of my life, and creates more good, that then expands into the lives of those I come in contact with.

I am so grateful to know these Principles, to be open to following Divine Guidance, and to live the Life I live. I release these words, knowing they are so, and so it is.

Treatment Works!

Yesterday I went to the airport to welcome my nephew and his family home. I got to meet my Great Nieces for the first time.

3 years and some months ago LeNee, my nephews wife, went into labor, waaaay too early. She was carrying twins, and months were spent in the hospital in Germany where they were stationed, to keep her from delivering. When the girls were born, they were 2 months early, and very tiny. (Justin, my nephew, told me that each baby was about 9" long.) They spent those two months in the hospital. Daily, dire predictions about the twins future health were made by the doctors.

LeNee asked me (and I'm sure others) to pray for the twins. I did, and today those little girls are not only healthy, they are advanced for their age!

It's not often that a practitioner gets to see the results of their work so clearly!! As I held these darling little girls, and talked with them, I rejoiced in their strong spirits. I feel so honored to be a part of this family.

When I asked LeNee if I could share this story as an example of the power of prayer, she said "Absolutely! I've told many, many people about the treatment you did for them, how powerful it was for me." She also printed it out with a pretty font so it can be hung on their wall. She calls my Treatment a blessing ...

Never doubt that the prayers or Spiritual Mind Treatments you do for your self or others are effective. We are more powerful than we know.

"When prayer removes distrust and doubt and enters the field of mental certainty, it becomes faith; and the universe is built on faith."
~ Ernest Holmes

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is a Power for good in this Universe, and we are using It. This Power is a Divine Energy that is waiting to be used by us. It is within us, always available. It sets us the Law of Attraction using our beliefs and feelings. It is up to us to direct it to where we believe it will best serve.

Therefore I now let go of all doubts I might have had about the power of my word. I choose my words wisely at all times, realizing that they have an effect in my circle of influence. I pay attention to what I am feeling as I speak my word. I now declare I feel confident in my use of the Law. I make wise choices that are for the highest good for all.

With a deep sense of gratitude for knowing and using these Principles, I celebrate Spirit with every fibre of my being. God is good, and all is well in my world.

I release these words, knowing they are so, and so it is.

We are Mirrors

The other day, I re-read the Book of Love Notes that were written by my congregation in Langley BC and given to me at my going away party. Two words that were written the most were "loving" and "generous."

As I was reading I looked up and noticed the first decorative piece I purchased for my new home. It is a life sized statue of a pair of hands. The two hands are joined with little fingers together, palms up and open. They are open in a gesture of offering.

I've been enamored with hands for years. I've collected pictures of hands of all ages and sizes. I've watched the graceful hands of hula dancers telling a story. I've studied Mudras, which are spiritual gestures in Hinduism and Buddhism. I learned how to get my hands involved in my Visions with Jean Huston, and how to get them involved in my prayers with Dr. Jim Turrell. How delighted I was to find a brain research paper published in the National Academy of Sciences in November 2009, which proved that hand gestures stimulate the same regions of the brain as language.

The statue's gesture is my personal symbol -- it represents offering myself in service.
All my life I have been of service to people, animals and plants. When I was younger, it was unconscious. (It could even have been part of being a "people pleaser.") When I started my spiritual Path, it became a more conscious act, then as I have continued along that Path, it became just what I do and who I am.

I started thinking about how generous and loving so many people have been since I arrived in Baltimore. From a place for me and my kitties to live for awhile, a car to drive, things I needed for my new home, to the car being dug out of the snow, I am constantly being provided for. At first I was a little overwhelmed at the generosity. Yet, as I look at this statue of offering hands, I realize that because I give, I am given to. We are each other's mirrors.

Ernest Holmes writes: "Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it. The more spiritual the thought, the higher its manifestation. Spiritual thought means an absolute belief in, and reliance upon, Truth. This is both natural and normal."

What was my thought? I am always provided for. When I first started my ministry 24 years ago, I read that Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, who founded Unity Church, literally wrote a contract with God, stating that their part would be to carry out their ministry with love and integrity, and practice the principles to the best of their ability, and in return God's part would be to sustain them in finance, health, and peace of mind. They signed the contract and lived by it.

So I wrote a contract as well. With an absolute belief in, and reliance upon Truth, I can serve without worrying about anything because I have a contract with the Universe. I am always provided for. So 96% of the time I get to hang out in Gratitude - and I'm working on it being 100%!

Love to all this Valentine's Day, and thank you, thank you, thank you!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only One Life and It is living through me and all things. It is the Source and substance of all there is. It is a Divine Energy that responds to every thought and feeling. It is both Love and Law.

Knowing this, I now declare I am willing and ready to embody this Truth. I am willing to be all I can be, in love and integrity, living in accordance with Spiritual Law, and in return, I know The One supports me fully. No longer do I need be concerned about anything for I know It provides for me in ways I can hardly imagine, and they are all good.

I celebrate my awareness and my use of Spiritual Law. I know the Law works!! I release these words with a grateful heart. And so It is.

Present

I love the poems of Mary Oliver … somewhere on a page with her poems was this:

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

The newscasters have been telling us all week about the huge snowstorm due to hit this weekend. Yesterday I went to the store to get a few items. It took over an hour and a half. At first as I tried to find the shortest line, (the lines went way down the aisles) I was getting aggravated… then I remembered these three lines. I stopped and went to the end of the closest line and decided to Pay Attention. I saw items on the shelves I’d never seen before, and probably would never have noticed since I have my favorites and tend to buy only those. I saw people of every color, age, size and shape. I talked to quite a few of them which I wouldn’t have done on a regular shopping trip. I got to help a woman and her elderly father who was in a wheel chair. (Imagine doing your grocery shopping pushing a full cart and a wheel chair!) I got to watch the local TV station interview some young boys and saw them go from embarrassment to bravado.

As I left the store I was astonished at the fullness of the experience I had just had. I realized once again that it’s the attitude we have while experiencing life that makes it painful or enjoyable. I could have, like so many in the store, slid into the aggravation I first experienced, yet I knew I had a choice – and I choose to be fully present.

Today outside my window the snow is falling. I pay attention. There is a peacefulness about it. It is beautiful. I am astonished by the simplicity of snow.

And now I’ve told you all about it.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is one Life, that Life is God’s Life and this is the life I am living. This LifeForce within me, that is the Source and substance of all things, the Energy that makes all things work, is infinitely intelligent and unconditionally loving.

I declare I am no longer living this magnificent life in reaction. I pay attention. As I do this my senses are sharpened, awakened and empowered. Everything seems brand new. My world appears to be more peaceful and a lot more fun. I am astonished!

By my actions and attitudes I tell the world of my belief in the goodness of all. I am a living example of how powerful we are. I inspire others to open their hearts and minds, and this is good.

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

Attitude

This morning I was on hold with Comcast, the local digital internet/tv/phone provider for quite awhile. Finally a woman came on the line and we went through the conversation necessary for me to get service at my new apartment. Just after she gave me what my new phone number would be, her computer crashed, and after trying to fix it, (more time on hold) , she apologized and said she would have to connect me with the local office (Funny thing – she was in Canada!!) and tell the clerk all the details while I was on the phone. As she was doing this we got disconnected. She had given me the number of the local office in our conversation earlier, so I dialed it. After going through all the “press this number” directions, I heard a recording saying they were experiencing higher than normal calls and there would be a longer than normal waiting time. I felt anger flash and hung up the phone. I had just been through all this!!

I really wanted to have the services hooked up sooner than later, so I took a breath and dialed again, getting the same message. As I listened past the time I had previously slammed down the phone, I heard “Estimated wait time – 6 minutes.” I started laughing. I got angry over 6 minutes! (Of course, when I first heard the message I assumed it would be longer – like 15 to 20 minutes.) My laughter gave me an attitude shift and when the new service person came on the line, even though I had to go through the whole conversation again (with more questions than before), not only was it a fun and pleasing experience, but this time I didn’t have to pay a deposit and got a much better phone number!!

This experience reminded me to not make assumptions – and as William James wrote:
The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.

Change what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling and Life changes to reflect your new state of consciousness!

Life is such a giggle!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We live in an awesome Universe. It is a living, breathing thing. The energy of Divine Life is within us, among us, around us. It animates every living thing. It is the Source and substance of all there is. This is just amazing!

This Energy is both Love and Law – Love points the way, and Law makes the way possible. Today I honor my awareness of this Truth by choosing to experience everything in Love. I declare all my experiences are Love based. No fear or judgment enters in. Joy and Laughter take the place of where fear and judgment resided.

I release these words into spiritual law, knowing they are embodied deep within my subjective mind. I see the results and they are good. And so it is.

All One

Last week I mentioned appreciating the phrase “I see you” from the Avatar film.

Evie, a fellow member of Vibrant Nation, wrote this:

“You might be interested to know that there is an African group, the Ubuntu, who acknowledge one another, almost like we say "Hello", but they say, "I see you" and the one they see says, "I am here". When discussing this with them they explain that to be "seen" brings the 'other' into existence. Without this kind of acknowledgement one does not exist.”

Wow! Many years ago I did courses in Re-evaluation Counseling.” It is a peer-based counseling system, and in our advanced courses the instructor talked about how people of color often feel invisible.

Let me tell a story on myself. Sometime last Saturday night, all 4 tires on the car I had borrowed disappeared. Tuesday, the car got towed to the repair place and I had to go and sign some papers, so a friend drove me to the shop. We got lost. We couldn't find the street we were supposed to turn on. The area the shop is in looked to me like an all black, distressed area. At one point, we stopped at a traffic light and I saw 3 men standing at the bus stop. I wanted to roll down the window and ask one of them where the street was but the streets name was "Amos" and all I could think of was the old TV show "Amos and Andy" and how these men might think I was playing with them and get mad, so I didn't.

As we drove on, I realized that as I looked out the window, I had been avoiding looking at any of the men. I was afraid! I have never had an actual experience with a black man that would have caused me to be afraid, yet there it was, an invisible barrier - something I believe I downloaded from the collective “fearful white woman” consciousness.

It made me think about walking by homeless people and averting my eyes.

No wonder people feel invisible! Because of our fears we won’t even look at them!
And what is that fear based on – being different? Different colors? Different languages? Different religions?

So how do I/we get beyond this? Dr. Holmes writes:

The manifest universe is the body of God ... all people are incarnations of the One Spirit.

When we let go of our desire to have everyone be like we are – when we celebrate our differences instead of judging them – then we will truly embody Dr. Holmes statement. All there is – is God. The tire thief, the people on the streets, people of different colors, religions, countries – they are all God. There is nothing but God!!

Thank you for helping me remember this.

I See You.

PS - http://www.vibrantnation.com/ What women over 50 + know


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Today I celebrate the One Life – recognizing It as God’s Life, knowing It is perfect, and It is the Life I am living right now. This Life is infinitely intelligent, unconditionally loving and everywhere present.

I speak my word declaring I am ready to remember this Truth at all times. There is no Life but God’s no matter what the appearances. I choose to rise above the fears of my cultures collective consciousness. I know that by doing this, I lift the consciousness of humanity.

We are all One, there is no way to separate us. We are One in the body of God. I now celebrate multiplicity in Unity. I marvel at all the ways God has shown up in humanity.
I now choose to see God in everyone, I know they are here, I welcome their existence.

I am eternally grateful to be waking up. God in me, as me and through me, now blesses this world. And so It is.

Seeing

Yesterday I saw Avatar for the second time. This time what came across for me was the simple greeting “I see you.” It’s a lot like Namaste – yet with the worlds events it began to mean even more. I know Namaste means ‘The Divine in me recognizes the Divine in you.” This is a wonderful, very important thing. Yet most of us want to be seen as we are as humans.

We want to be acknowledged for who we are, warts and all.

Many want to turn away when painful things occur – they are hard to deal with because they make us face our own mortality. A 7 point earthquake can happen anywhere. Any type of natural disaster could occur at any time. Unnatural disasters can happen. We can die at any moment.

To the spiritual being within us who is having a human experience, all is happening in Divine Right Order. To the human being trying to understand his or her spiritual nature, lots of things don’t make sense.

It is time to SEE each other. Regardless of our age or color, our financial status, our relationships or our jobs. Regardless of our pain, our anger, our sadness, or our happiness. It’s time to open our compassionate hearts and really SEE each other.

I See You.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I acknowledge the Grand Overall Design – this thing I call God. There is One Mind, the mind of God. There is One Heart – the heart of God. There is One Life – the life of God. This Life is the life we are living right here and right now.

I now choose to acknowledge our humanness as well as our divinity. In Truth they are one and the same, but up until now we have chosen to think of them as separate. I now See the humanness in others and then look deeper and see Spirit expressing. I allow myself to be compassionate with myself and all others. We are all doing our best.

In this Seeing, we begin to have greater reverence for all of life, and all of life’s experiences. Whether we are feeling limited or full, we are expressing the Divine. No matter what emotion we have, we are expressing the Divine.

I am so grateful I can See and allow myself to be Seen. The Seeing is precious – Life is precious. I now value every moment of it.

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