What Do I Want?

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

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

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

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

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

We've got to know what we want!!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

Vampiric Fascination

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

Stop Complaining - Start Imagining!

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

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

What a great message for Independence Day!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

Notes from my Cruise

Notes from my cruise:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

June 10, 2011

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

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

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

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

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


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

Friday the 13th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Friday/Earth Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

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

And so it is.

Fear Not!

April 15 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

Nature

April 8, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

And so it is.

We Are Amazing

April 2, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

Turn Away from the Condition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

Silence

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

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

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

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

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



SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

And so it is.

Getting off the Roller Coaster

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

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

Whew!!

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for Change

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

We are living in exciting times!!

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

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

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

I took a walk early this afternoon and was stopped in my tracks watching three hawks sailing in the upper winds. Absolutely beautiful against the blue sky. As they circled, one kept flying close enough above me that I could see his wing feathers clearly. I got out my iPhone to take a picture. He flew further away, and I called out "Come back, come back" and suddenly the air was filled with birds! In the upper levels were more hawks and some seagulls.. and the lower levels were hundreds of smaller birds all flying towards the northwest.

I was stunned. I watched as the hawks took chase. I turned away. I didn't want to see one of the smaller birds caught. Then I turned back, reminding myself "That's life. That's their reality. They can't live it according to my thoughts of how things should be."

I've realized that I really avoid what I think are negatives. I don't watch scary movies or the news. I don't read books about bad things happening to people. I stay away from constant complainers. I focus on beauty, and things that fill me with awe and wonder, and I laugh a lot. I love my life.

Yet, watching the hawks today made me curious - what am I missing by refusing to look at what I am judging as negative? There is beauty in every aspect of Life. If it's all God, then what part of God am I not allowing myself to see?

I'm beginning to think that having judgments freezes our openness to the Allness of God. Having judgments essentially means I think everyone should do things my way. I now accept that things just are the way they are. The only thing I can change is my reaction to them -- what I think about them or what value I put on them. And I'm still going to focus on beauty, and things that fill me with awe and wonder, and laugh a lot.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

All there is is God. There is nothing else.

Knowing this, I declare I see with the eyes of God. I look at things in the most perfect and intelligent way. I open my heart and my mind to see what is Real. I now have a more complete perspective of the Divine Harmony that I know is back of every action and reaction.

As I realize this, I am filled with an unconditional love. It fills me up and spills out into my world. I see the microcosm and the macrocosm of Life and know that It is good, very good. It is all God.

Gratefully I release these words into the Law of Mind, letting them be deeply embodied within my subjective mind. And so It is.

Turn It Over

February 11, 2011

I got an e-mail from Hay House this morning, announcing a contest to have a book published. I got all excited and then right in the middle of filling out the form, I closed the e-mail, telling myself I needed to get a cup of coffee, and I'd do this 'later.'

As I walked down the stairs, I asked myself "What are you afraid of?"

Coming back to my office with coffee in hand, the next e-mail I opened was from TUT ... A Note From the Universe ..

Have you ever wondered, Angelica, why most people have less trouble with walking and not falling down, talking and making perfect sense, and breathing without stopping, than they do with dieting, finding love, or getting rich?

Of course not, but it wouldn't be a bad idea.

It's because with walking, talking, and breathing (which, incidentally, are infinitely more complex than the latter), they engage the magic with intent and expectation, twitch a few general muscles to get things started, and then, with faith, they turn the rest over to me.

In the second group, they try to do it all themselves.*

Instant answer to my question. Most of you know that one of my hearts desires is to be published. To feel a book in my hands that I have written. To go into a bookstore and see my book featured. I had someone ask why I wanted to be published and was surprised when I gave those answers. They thought I'd be more altruistic and say something about my writing making a difference in people's life's. That part I already know. That part is what keeps me writing every week.

In my years of ministry, I've realized that sometimes the thing you want the most is the thing you're most afraid of. For me it's the old fear of rejection coming up. Could my fear also come from thinking I have to do it all myself? The Truth is - I have almost 10 years of Friday Messages. My goal has been to have enough to make a year long daily reader. I've surpassed that goal. Each Friday I sit at the computer, put my fingers on the keys and let The Divine do the typing. Yes, my writings are from my perspective -- yet I've received countless e-mails about how what I wrote was exactly what a person needed at the time.

Today, all I have to do is fill out that form, hit send, and start picking the ones I want to be included in my book. Regardless of whether or not I win the contest, I'd still be further than I am now.

How about you? Do you have something you really desire and have let fear immobilize you? It's time for all of us to 'twitch a few muscles to get things started and turn the rest over to God."

* www.tut.com


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only One Cause - the Infinite Intelligence of the Universe. This Cause is Divine Energy moving through all things, guided and directed by consciousness. This consciousness is within all things, including me.

Knowing this, I now declare I am ready and willing to let go and let God do Its perfect work in, through and as me. I follow the desires of my heart, knowing they are Divine Desires, and listen to my intuition. I let go of fear -- fear used to be false evidence appearing real, now it is feeling excited and ready.

In my mind's eye, I see myself doing what my heart desires. I feel what it feels like, and I feel my Spirit smile. How grateful I am to know that my seeing this sets the Law in motion and all the Power of the Universe is behind making my vision real. God, being infinitely intelligent knows exactly what do to when and how to do it. I listen and follow with gratitude.

I release these words knowing they are so - and so It is.

What Do You Choose?

Well, well, well ... there's all sorts of excitement in our world!! Wild weather patterns, revolutions, mass deaths of animals, a rise in UFO sightings ... what a great soap opera we're creating together!

Someone said to me the other day -- "Look at all the bad things happening in the world. What if the whole idea of Armageddon is true?"

A Hawai'i friend, Tony Burroughs, author and creator of the Intenders Circles, wrote in a newsletter not long ago:

The mainstream consensus reality
is but one reality
out of an infinite number of realities
that you can choose to put your attention on.

This is the Truth!

Even while watching the news, when we look at our individual lives, most of you who are reading this can say "These things that are happening are not my reality. Sure, I have my challenges, yet my life is pretty good. I have food, clean water, a roof over my head, friends and my neighborhood is pretty peaceful."

We have a lot to be grateful for -- because there but for our consciousness, go we.

Another person I talked with was raging over the injustices of various governments. I reminded them - the government is us. "So what do I do?" they asked... "just sit on my butt and pray?" "Sure - why not" I responded, "unless you have a really compelling desire to do something and can figure out what to do ... you might as well. Complaining or being angry only adds fuel to the fire. Choose another reality."

I believe, that as a student of the Science of Mind who's byline is "Change your thinking, change your life," or as a follower of the Master Teacher Jesus who said "It is done unto you as you believe," our job is to keep the High Watch. Our job is to choose another reality.

How do we do that? We have to look at what we believe about God. What ever we believe about God is what we get to experience in our lives. Do we really believe God is the energy of Unconditional Love? Or do we believe God is the energy of competition? Do we believe God is the energy of Divine Peace? Or revenge? It is totally up to us.

I know you've heard about the old Cherokee who is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one we feed."

Which reality are you feeding? Spend time each morning contemplating the nature of The Divine in your life.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only one Life, one Heart, one Mind, one, one, one. It's all God. This Life is the life I am living. This heart is my heart, this mind, my mind. God and I are one.

Knowing this, I choose now to experience a peace filled reality by focusing on those qualities of the One that bring me peace. I refuse to get sucked into the mainsteam consensus reality that wants me to be afraid. If everything is God, then there is nothing to be afraid of. I choose another reality.

I know that as I deeply embody this consciousness, I am not only serving myself, but all of humanity. It only takes one to know the Truth, and the Truth will set us free. I will be the One.

I am so grateful for the adventure that is my life. I am grateful to know the Source of that life, and to know that the Source is Love. I celebrate my freedom from fear, and my awareness that I always have choice.

I release these words knowing they are so - and so It is.

Birth and Death

25 years ago, I woke up to a 4:00 AM phone call -- "The volcano is fountaining! Get up here now!" My friend, Michael, lived in Volcano National Park on the Big Island of Hawai'i, and had promised me he'd call the next time it went off. I dragged myself out of bed and drove up the hill. We stood in a small park about 5 miles away from the vent and we could see it perfectly against the dark sky. The lava was fountaining 900 feet in the air. I was so awestruck. I was witnessing the birth of new land.

We watched for quite a while as the sun rose and when the fountain died down, Michael invited me and some of the other spectators to his home for coffee. I started to walk away and then turned and looked back to see one more burst of molten lava shoot into the sky. It was like it fountained just for me. Wow!

At the house, one of the visitors noticed the new big satellite dish in the back yard and asked about it. Michael handed him the controls and turned on the TV. Every station had the shuttle explosion. Hardly anyone touched their coffee. We sat there stunned, watching as the stations showed the picture of the explosion over and over again.

My mind was reeling. I had gone from an ecstatic delight in watching birth - to a deep sadness watching the news. I thought about how temporary life is - how it burns brightly one second and can be over the next.

This memory today makes me even more conscious of how important it is to Love. I remember Joseph Campbell saying that our lives are like the blink of Brahma's eye. We only have a short time to express and experience the Love we are here to be. Don't deny yourself the pleasure of Love in any of It's forms - mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Whether it be a smile for a stranger, moments spent in prayer and meditation, a bit of communion with nature or pets, or a deep intimate experience with a loved one -- go for it!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Love is the Source and substance of all that is. It is the invisible Divine Essence that becomes form through our thoughts and feelings. It is the All there Is.

I now declare I am ready and willing to be a Love Generator. I choose to be in the Presence of Divine Love as I move through my life, and I share this Love with joy. As I share It, It comes back to me, pressed down and running over.

Love is what I am here for. Love is who I am. As I Love, I experience joy, and great good comes into my life and the lives of those I love. How grateful I am to know this, to feel this.

I release these words into Spiritual Law, knowing they are my Truth and so it is.

Don't Hang On

A wonderful friend, Danika Dinsmore, shared something on her blog this week that I want to share with you:

"When my father died one of the things I found most depressing was all the projects left undone. Big things, small things, broken things, unopened things . . . but the truth of the matter is, none of us ever leaves this life a completed checklist, inbox empty, all correspondence returned. At some point we’re going to have to let it all go, so why not practice now and lighten your cosmic load.

I feel like I’m dragging myself into this new year, and strangely many of my friends are feeling the same way. So we’re practicing the art of letting go of stuff that’s holding us back and down. Whatever’s left unsaid and undone, that’s been haunting you for weeks, months, years, STILL has a piece of you – your mind and energy – if you let it. And if there’s nothing you can do about it, or you choose to do nothing about it, then the healthier decision is to let it go.*

(One of my favourite quotes on this comes from dear friend Mauri Bernstein who said, “2010, just jiggle the handle and let it go.”)

*Another good practice after you have done the “letting go” is to replace it with a positive thought. i.e. You let go of the fact that you stopped going to the gym and replace it with thoughts of loving yourself unconditionally.

Boy - this was so perfect for me as I pack to move into my new home. How on earth did I get all these piles of unfinished business? I've only been in this apartment for a year, yet there are piles of papers I was going to read or file for reference, articles about crafts I want to try, stacks of books I want to read and who knows what else I'll find!

Knowing the outer is a reflection of the inner, I wonder -- what unfinished business am I hanging on to in my mind and heart?

OK, here's my New Year's Intention: "If I can't deal with it immediately, don't hang on to it." This will work for papers or thoughts and feelings!

Love this: “2010, just jiggle the handle and let it go.”


(Danika Dinsmore is author of a new young adult novel Brigitta of the White Forest. She is also an award winning poet, writing teacher, and screen writer. Her blog - which is great for aspiring writers - is http://theaccidentalnovelist.wordpress.com/)


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

The whole universe is in the process of evolving. The only constant is God. I now see this as the pattern of my life. I am constantly evolving and the only constant is God.

Knowing this, I choose to let go of what no longer serves me with ease. Infinite Intelligence assists me in knowing in an instant what to hang on to and what to let go of. I choose to live in the moment, mentally and emotionally. I no longer carry anything from my past into my future moments. I am free, unencumbered with old stuff and filled with vitality. Life is good!

Gratefully I release these words into Spiritual Law, knowing they are done now. And so It is.

What Direction am I Going?

I succumbed to the coldflu thing that's going around. I didn't want to - I was sure I wouldn't - but I did.

At one feverish point I could almost hear myself chanting "I'm not sick, I'm not sick, I'm not sick." I had an instant visual of that chant being said as locomotive engine wheels turned round and round. The train was heading quickly in the direction of "Sick" instead of "Not Sick." I had to figure out how to get to the engine at the other end of the train and get it to start moving in the opposite direction! The harder I tried to get it to go toward 'Not Sick" the faster it seemed to go toward "Sick." In my imagination I saw myself finally pulling on the break and stopping the train. Only then could I get it to go in the other direction -- and then I realized the other direction was not called "Not Sick" --it was called "Well."

I realize now I had to just let go and be sick before I could start being well. This is called "being with what is." It doesn't mean we have to stay there -- being with what is stops the forward motion towards what we don't want to experience. When I stopped thinking about being sick, I could choose being well.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Today I know the Truth about myself. I am a living, breathing, expression of the One Life. That Life is God's Life, and It is perfect.

I choose now to be more open to expressing God in my body, and in the body of my affairs. Since it is all God, it is all Good. I no longer dwell upon what I don't want - I only see the end results of what I do want.

I am so grateful to know these Principles and to be reminded of them. I am grateful to know that who and what I am is so much more than what I experience. I let go and let God be God in, through and as me now.
And so it is

Happy New Year!

Much of the world as I know it is doing Life Reviews. As another year passes, we look back at the remarkable changes we've gone through. I certainly have!

A friend spent today doing "the last time she'd ___________ in 2010."  It wasn't about things she no longer wanted to do -- it was about the last egg she'd eat in 2010, the last book she'd read, the last cup of coffee she'd drink, the last load of laundry she'd do, the last shower she'd take. I thought that was an interesting thing to think. What if we approached everything like that? Like it was the last time we'd ever do a thing, no matter how profound or simple it was? I'm sure we'd be paying a lot more attention!! Our actions would be filled with meaning. It's called living in the NOW!

Then again, many of the conversations of the last couple of days seem to be around New Year's Resolutions. I have often made them, and just as often, broken them. As I listened to people talking about being more successful, losing weight, being more prosperous, or finding their RPM (right and perfect mate), I realized all that will come - more good is always coming. I could have it anytime I could accept it was already so.

This year I decided to set an Intention -- not about what I wanted to do or have -- but what I wanted to Be. I declared my intention to be more loving, more compassionate and more kind than I was this year.

What I absolutely Know, is whether we decide to be more in the Now, or what ever resolutions or intentions we declare, this time next year, we will be different people.

Somewhere in the years 170 to 180, Marcus Aurelius wrote in "Meditations": "All things you see will be changed, and out of their substance will make other things and again others so the world may be ever new."

Right now I declare that is Good -- why? Because no matter how things change, it's all God!

Happy New Year everyone!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I step into this New Year, ready and willing to have a greater experience of the One Life. I am open to the realization that God is my good, therefore my good is always here.

I choose now to be more than I thought I was - I step fully into my Divinity, knowing it is my true self. Out of this comes magnificent changes, not only for myself but for all in my circle of influence and beyond.

I declare 2011 is a good year -- a year of experiencing Life in Its abundance of all things. I am healthy, happy and fulfilled, and the vibration I live in, is a powerful, positive force for the good of all.

I now release these words to the Law of Mind, knowing they are deeply embodied. And so it is.

Christmas Eve

When I was a child I read a legend that said if you stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve, you'd hear the animals talk. I don't know how many years I did this, but they never did talk.

As I got older, I realized they talked to me all the time, and I to them. It just doesn't sound like what I thought it would when I was a child. My cats have body postures and sounds that tell me what they want and sometimes I get things telepathically. I've learned over the years to communicate in their language by listening and watching and so have they. They speak in the language of Love.

This is a good lesson for us as we join family members and friends for the holidays. Not everyone speaks our 'language.' Instead of getting frustrated, we can take a deep breath and just listen. It doesn't matter if their beliefs or politics are different from ours. We don't have to agree or disagree. We can just listen - and love.

Gurudas Sunyatananda wrote on his blog Living Dharma today: "It would serve us well to remember that the true objective of Christ’s teaching is not for us to become Christians, but to become Christ’s."

Christ is Love. Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of Love!

Happy Holy Days,
Rev. Angelica


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is Love, and all there is is God - so Love is everywhere. Love is what I came here for. Love is what I am.

As I realize this, I open my heart and let Love in. I become so full that it spills out everywhere I go and radiates from everywhere I am. Love blesses all.

How grateful I am to know this Truth. Love is now my guide in all my actions and activities. Love clears my mind and soothes my heart. It is as easy to love those that don't speak my language as it is those that do.

I now release these words to the Law of Mind, knowing they are deeply embodied. And so it is.

Once upon a time ....

I got an opportunity to see how easily we, or rather, I, slip into stories we make up.
The lease on my apartment is up at the end of January. I didn't want to have to do all the work it usually takes to find a new one, so I prayed and declared I was in my new home, easily and effortlessly. A week later, while out with a girlfriend, we saw a 'for rent' sign and followed it. Within days I was inside a wonderful townhome and knew I was going to live there. As we walked out, the landlady said she wanted to rent to me. I arranged to mail the deposit check. It happened so easily, with all the details working out perfectly.

Last Monday, I went online to check my bank account and saw that my deposit check had not been cashed. It had been a few weeks since I had mailed it. I immediately began to panic. "What if it got lost in the mail? What if she rented the townhome to someone else because she never received my check!!" I immediately called and left a message -- and went further into panic. "OMG, I'm moving in 4 weeks and now I have to find a place to live. What if I can't find one?"

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about FEAR being Future Emergencies Appearing Real ?? Well, that's where I went -- for about an hour!!

I had to go to the store - and I swear, there is something about being outside in fresh air that clears the mind! I remembered how I'd felt about the place when I saw it. I remembered how easily it had come about. I remembered I had prayed for a new home and having it manifest with ease and grace. I gave my head a shake and reminded myself there was no need to worry.

When I got home, the phone rang, and it was the landlady telling me she hadn't deposited my check yet - and yes, the townhome was mine.

I breathed a sigh of grateful relief and thought about my hour long freakout. How easy it was to spiral down that rabbit hole! It was so intense! Not a place I like being at all.

It would take a different writing to tell why I went down that rabbit hole -- and of course, I had to look at that. I tell you this story because I know I'm not the only one who makes them up.
We are born story tellers. Unfortunately we've gotten used to telling stories of difficulties. The interesting thing about our stories is that they are really creative. Not only creative as in how they're told, but creative in how they manifest in our lives!

What stories are you telling about yourself and your life?

It's time to tell stories of delight and wonder. This holiday season is the perfect time to start!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Spirit as Absolute Cause is the Allness of everything. I have confidence in the All Good. My faith in the Law of Mind is complete. Spirit works through me with ease and grace.

Knowing this I declare that doubt and fear cannot hinder my Good. They have been washed away by my reliance on God.

I declare that as I speak my word for good in my life and in the lives of others, that calm confidence brought on by my consciousness of the Absolute, works wonders. It gives me a sense of Divine Authority. I am happy, whole and complete in my Divine Self.

How grateful I am to be able to move through things quickly and have a deeper understanding of Truth because of the experiences. How grateful I am to know that the Law always works.

I now release these words to the Law of Mind, knowing they are deeply embodied. And so it is.

Wishing and hoping or ....

Sitting in the vet's office today, I found myself once again lusting after someone's iPad. We spoke for a moment about what she used hers for, and I heard myself saying "Maybe Santa will bring me one for Christmas." We both laughed .. and then they called her name, she and her doggie went in to see the vet, and I wondered about that comment I'd made. Was that my inner child popping out for a visit? Or do I really wish there is a Santa Claus? A magical being that will pop into my life with all sorts of delightful goodies? Or perhaps a fairy godmother who will wave her wand and I will be slim and trim and beautiful. Or a mighty Guru who will touch me on the forehead and all my negative thinking will be evaporated and I will be enlightened.

Many people treat God as if It were Santa or one of the above beings ... asking for this and that .. but not doing what's necessary to get those things. Dr. Ernest Holmes wrote in the Science of Mind that we can manifest anything our heart desires, and the only thing we have to pay is spiritual coin. How many of us are really willing to do the spiritual work necessary to have the consciousness of those desires?

Dr. Holmes also wrote, "But even God cannot give us anything unless we are in a mental condition to receive the gift.  The Law cannot do anything for us unless It can do it through us.  We live in the midst of eternal good, but it can only be to us what we believe it to be.  We stand at the mouth of the river, but we must let down our own bucket if we wish it filled with the pure waters of Reality."

In other words, I gotta let go of wishing and hoping, and know that when I have the consciousness of an iPad, I'll have one. When I have the consciousness of being slim and trim, I will be. When I have the consciousness of being enlightened, I will be.

Let's see, where did I put my coin purse?


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the Spirit of Creative Intelligence everywhere in this Universe. This Spirit is constantly giving of Itself to Its myriad of expressions. It gives to me as I allow It to.

I choose now to consistently do my spiritual practices, keeping myself in the consciousness of recognition. Everything is God. Everything is tailor made for me by right of my consciousness. I now declare that my days of wishing and hoping are over. I do my spiritual work, and declare a thing to be so and it is. I trust the Law to work, and It works well.

How grateful I am to know these Principles and how to use them. How grateful I am to be able to use them for the highest good for all. I release these words, knowing they are already so, and so it is.

Facing Fear

In one of the many wonderful e-newsletters I receive, I read this:

"I learned a fascinating thing about fear: it has its own fear!
If I move toward my fear, not away from it, it will start to lose its nerve."

Unfortunately I didn't write down who wrote it, but I thank them.

Sometimes we humans allow fear to become so real in our lives that it seems like a thick wall in front of us, preventing us from going further along our Path.

Most of the time, this fear is a story we've created through assumptions and built up in our minds. Think about this for a moment. How often does the fear you feel actually belong to a specific experience? Like walking along a forest path, for instance, and meeting a mountain lion face to face. Or having your car spin out of control on a icy road? Present time fears happen rarely. The rest we make up.

I'm sure you've heard the old acronym False Evidence Appearing Real. How about Future Emergencies Appearing Real. We live in the consciousness of "what if....?" We hear talk about the Great Recession and fear losing our jobs. We hear about flu season and fear becoming sick. We fear that which may or may not happen. One thing we ought to remember is that fear is a way of focusing our attention on that which we don't want, and what we focus on, we bring more of into our lives.

Here's one more acronym for you: Forgetting Everything's All Right. Yes. we've forgotten that in Truth, in God, everything is all right. That Love is the only Power and It is infinitely intelligent. When we remember this, we stop running from or resisting fear - we can move toward it, and that thick wall we thought was across our Path, dissipates into thin it. It transforms into nothingness - no thing at all!


Blessings, Rev. Angelica


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Today I identify with the One Life, the One Heart of the Divine. It is everywhere I am because It is within me. How grateful I am to remember this.

In the One Heart there is no room for fear. I now let go of my addiction to it and step into my Truth. There is nothing to fear because everything is God. Everything is Good. In every area of my life where I have allowed fear to guide me, I choose again. The Infinitely intelligent Mind of God supports me in all ways.

I celebrate my awareness of this Truth. I am grateful to be reminded of how valuable I am and how powerful I am. I am fear free!

I release these words, knowing they are deeply embodied in my subjective mind. And so it is.

Grateful

It surprised me yesterday morning to open the blinds and see the parking lot in front of our building almost empty. After all, it's a holiday weekend! Then I remembered, lots of people go home for Thanksgiving. This is the first time I've experienced people being able to go home so easily. On the West Coast of Canada and in Hawai'i - many people's families lived far away. Things are not so far here -- I've heard about people going to West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, just to name a few places.

I thought about all those people sitting down with their families. During the holidays relationships take center stage. Dr. Holmes writes in 365 Science of Mind "We all long for intimate relationships, we wish to feel that we are one with people. This yearning, which every normal person has, emanates from an unconscious, but spiritual, perception that we all are one with Life Itself."

Yet, relationships are complicated -- some are easy and natural while others are complex and difficult. I thought back to when I lived in Los Angeles, California and how I would visit one or the other parent on the various holidays. Sometimes buttons got pushed that I'd forgotten I had. I seemed to regress to a certain age around my parents, no matter how old I was.. For me, it was age 11. Lots of 'stuff' happened when I was 11. Invariably I would drive home telling myself I wouldn't do that again next year!! Yet I always did.

As I immersed myself more in the Science of Mind teaching, I realized that regardless of what happened when, or what buttons get pushed, how I reacted to them was up to me.

If you find yourself getting tangled in the old family stories, take a deep breath and remember to be grateful that you have life. Gratitude is the fastest way to move from where you are to where you want to be. Gratitude shifts our energy and gives us the key to creating the atmosphere we choose.

Today I am grateful for all of my families -- family of birth, adoptive family and family of choice.. Regardless of what has gone before this moment, because of them I am here, doing what I do and loving my life. God in them, as them, served me in some way

"Our inner happiness depends not on what we experience, but on the degree of our gratitude to God, whatever the experience." - Albert Schweitzer


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is the only presence and love is the only power. Good alone is real. This is my Truth and the basis of my being.

Knowing this I now declare I am grateful for my family - whether they be by birth or by choice. Each of them is important to who I am today.

I am willing to totally accept everyone exactly as they are. I let go of all fantasies about how I think things should be or should have been. Everyone is in their right place at the right time, whether I like it or not. No matter what might be happening in any area of my life, I choose Love. Love is the only power. I choose Love by being grateful. Grateful for Life Itself as It shows up in the people around me, and in myself as well.

God is the only presence and love is the only power. Good alone is real. This is my Truth and it is good, very good. I release these words into Spiritual Law, and know they are so.
And so it is.

Gratitude

A FaceBook friend, John Lusk, had this on his status this week:

"I am grateful for noticing my GPS (Gratitude Perception System) was powered off this morning and had the good sense to turn it on and recalibrate it for clearer direction."

I love this -- I've used the GPS device as a metaphor so many times -- and this is the best one!

I love being open to perceiving things to be grateful for! There's a French proverb that says "Gratitude is the heart's memory." I've been writing 5 things I'm grateful for every night since I read Sarah Ban Breathnach's book Simple Abundance in 1995. Some nights, after I've written the things I'm grateful for in that day, I flip the pages and read what I was grateful for on the same date in the years past. What great memories! My intentional focus on gratitude has led to more and more things to be grateful for.

Let's remember our internal GPS as we participate in Thanksgiving dinner this year. We can power it up by taking a deep breath. If things become strained or rushed - that's the time to let the GPS recalibrate!! Thank goodness it does it automatically!!

I am grateful for you, my dear readers. You have kept me on point for 10 years!! Every Friday, no matter what, I get to focus on how I can share Spirit with you. I always feel good when I send it off. I'm grateful for my computer and for the internet, which makes this possible. And I'm grateful for Spirit as It moves through my mind inspiring me, and out my fingers inspiring you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings, Rev. Angelica


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is Love - and Love is all there is. I am one with this Infinite Love. It lives and moves and has Its being in me, and I in It. We are One.

I trust Infinite Love to guide me along my Life Path. There is within me a Voice -- I now choose to hear it more clearly. It is constantly recalibrating my way as I walk my Path.
It is my automatic pilot. It is my authentic self. I am so grateful to know It.
As I stand in an attitude of gratitude, I set up a wave of Infinite Love that moves throughout the Universe, nurturing, blessing, healing, and guiding whether we are aware of It or not. I now choose to know that as the wave I set up moves outward, It does so with a quickening of Spirit, and an awakening of hearts and minds. A wave of gratitude comes back to me and the circle of Life eternally continues.

I am grateful for this teaching, for the people in my life and for these words - and I release them into the Law of Mind knowing they are done. And so It is.

Great Fullness

A few weeks ago, as part of our Season of Gratitude, Rev. Deb Teramani did the Sunday message and gave us a gift of a purple bracelet with the words "Great Fullness" on it. I have been wearing that bracelet every day, and love the reminder to acknowledge the great fullness of my life.

Because of my focus on how full my life is, wonderful things have come into my experience. Not only material things, but a realization that as I focus on the Great Fullness - the whole Universe supports me in every way possible. Here is a rather dramatic example:

I stopped by Staples for some printer ink. Having made my purchase, I got in my car, started the engine, and tried to move the gearshift from park to reverse. It wouldn't move. Because today's cars are computer based, I turned off the car and started it again, and still the shifter wouldn't move. I sat there for a moment and tried again. Still no movement.

I started to get angry at myself. After all, I had just received an invitation from Triple A to join -- why didn't I pay attention! I wondered who I would call, or what I would do.

At that moment, I glanced in my rear view mirror and noticed a man doing something. He bent over and when he stood up I saw he had a little boy in his arms! A rush of electricity went through me. If the car had worked, I might have run over a child! All I could think was "Thank God! Thank God."

I watched the father strap his child into its seat and drive away. I knew that I could now leave and turned the key. The gearshift moved into place with ease and hasn't given me any trouble since.

William James wrote "Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your beliefs will help create the fact."

I re-write that with 'life' as 'Life.' As I've been focusing on the Great Fullness, I truly believe Life is worth living. It's a Good Life, and It has proved Itself over and over again!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only One Life. That Life is God's Life. That Life is perfect and that Life is my life now. This is my constant awareness. This is the Truth.
As I continue to expand my understanding of this Truth, I am guided, guarded and loved beyond measure. I am Spirit's exquisite expression of Itself as me. I am precious and valuable.

As I know these things, they reflect in my outer world. I am provided with all that is necessary for the expression of this One Life. I choose now to stop being afraid of living and move into my heartspace - reveling in the Great Fullness of Life.

God is good, and all is well in my world. Gratefully I release these words, knowing they are so, and so It is.

Imagine

Lots of things we read nowadays say that in order to keep our minds fresh and young, we must constantly learn new things. Do things we haven't done before. Something that stretches us. During the evenings this month I'm participating in National Novel Writers Month -- 1700 words a day! Yipes. I feel like I write all the time, yet it's about spirituality, and I'm writing a romance. 1700 words is A LOT. It's giving my imagination a real workout.

What a delightful tool the imagination is. I can create a whole universe, peopled with interesting characters, and do anything I want with those characters. Maybe this is why John Lennon's song "Imagine" is so popular. Yes, the song is about living in a world of peace -- yet it's also about using our imaginations to create that world. We all did it as children. There is something deep inside us that remembers and knows it's possible.

Ernest Holmes, in the glossary of the Science of Mind, writes "We did not make Life and we cannot change it, but we can use It, and the use of Life is through the imagination; because this faculty has, at its roots, the very well-spring of life and action. Imagination carries with it feeling and conviction, which means life and action. It awakens within us all the inner forces of nature and stirs into action latent powers which otherwise would never come to the surface."

What is it that you've been praying for? Have you activated your imagination? If you're praying for a new job, have you "seen" yourself working? Have you "seen" yourself with your new mate? Have you "seen" your body strong and healthy? Have you "seen" yourself walking into the bank and making a big deposit?

At one of Jean Houston's seminars, she recommended getting your whole body into the visualization. She had us imagine what we wanted to be doing, and then told us to act as if we were doing it. I wanted to be a published author - so I sat with my hands up at an imaginary desk, moving my fingers like I was typing on the computer. Then I imagined myself sitting in a bookstore greeting people and signing books and put the action into that.

For a moment - allow yourself to do this. Think about what you want, and then put some action into the visualization.

This is what we did as children. Remember being a princess or a nurse or a warrior? Remember how we used to act out the parts? Let's get back to the place where using our imagination is fun, and awaken that latent power within us!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the awesome Power of the Universe. It is infinitely intelligent. It is the All There Is. The Source of all and the substance of all.

This Power is within me. I know that one of my key tools in my spiritual tool box is my imagination. I now use this Power to speak Law with all the feeling and belief I can, and declare "I have my heart's desire right now - I can see it!"

In my mind's eye, I see myself doing what I want to do. It is easy to let go of the doubts and fears. I see myself enjoying my life. I see myself filled with a deep sense of purpose and peace. I see myself interacting with people in delightful ways. I see my choices serving not only me but others as well.

As I imagine these things, I know the Universe moves easily to make this my reality. Nothing is impossible for God. I now declare that things move quickly and easily, and with grace and it is good, very good.

Gratefully I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing the Law always works!! And so it is.

Skepticism

Recently I had an experience that seemed impossible. I sat and watched it happen, and was amazed and pleased, yet I have had a hard time letting go of the "how did that happen?"

My reasoning mind wants things to be logical. I found myself thinking about the experience trying to discount it because it didn't make sense. I want to know how and why. I know I'm not the only one who does this.

I started thinking about our teaching, and the fact that we can do a Spiritual Mind Treatment, and all of a sudden (or so it seems), the wheels of the Universe have moved in a way that makes everything possible, where it didn't seem possible before. Things manifest in wonderful, almost magical ways.

Maybe our desire to have everything be logical and make sense is what slows down demonstration time!

In the mind of a child, magic is real. They haven't been told yet that it doesn't work. They don't even have to pretend. I've noticed that the beginning students of Science of Mind make demonstrations more quickly than those who've been in it for awhile. Maybe beginners mind is more like a child's mind. There's an excitement about this new thing to play with. Somewhere along the line, something happens to our excitement and things don't manifest as quickly. Perhaps we need to develop a willingness to let go of skepticism or reasoning, and just allow things to manifest.

What is helping me to do this, is knowing this Truth: With God all things are possible!
And it's all God.


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We live in an elegant universe. It is filled with all possibilities, with the potential of all we can imagine. It works with Love through Law, in and as us.

I choose to start believing in the Power within me. I am using at all times whether I believe in It or not - always has and always will. This Power is unlimited. It knows nothing of recession, illness, lack, or feeling separate. It only knows It IS and It works wonderfully and immediately.

Therefore I know the Truth about myself and all beings. We are wonderfully made. We are healthy and loving. We are wealthy beyond measure. We are the Infinite in earth suits - a mingling of dust and divinity, breathed into Life.

I release all skepticism, doubt and fear. I am so grateful to know the Universe serves Itself in, through and as us. How easy it is to manifest our hearts desires.

As these words are written, so they are. And so it is.

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.