Fly!

The other day I was waiting at a traffic light and heard a beautiful bird song. I noticed the bird sitting on a branch. Suddenly it seemed like she threw herself off the branch and headed straight down. I gasped, and watched as she flapped her wings, gained altitude and soared. Then folding her wings against her body, she rode the winds, only flapping a bit to keep herself aloft.

The light changed and I drove on, but the visual picture stayed with me. If that picture had a word, it would be Trust. The bird didn’t hold onto the branch for dear life as the wind blew – she threw herself into it! It held her up and she only needed to flap her wings when she wanted to adjust her direction.

I thought about how with the winds of change in today’s world, there’s a part of us fearfully clinging to the past – to what we’ve known. We’re now realizing that what we’ve known isn’t necessarily going to work anymore. It’s time to throw ourselves into the wind and soar! We can look at the wind as Divine Law. It will support us. We just have to flap our wings and let It know where we want to go!!

I came home to find this in my e-mail box. I love how the Universe confirms my thoughts!!

Have you ever seen the acrobats on the big trampolines, or the people in the circus on the big bounding nets? And they hit that net and they spring forth into flight. Well, the moment that they hit the net, that's like the platform of your life. But it is the flying through the air that is the main event.

We want you to think of your "now reality" as nothing more than the net that is springing you -- but it is the flight through the air that is your life.

So many of you, you hit that net and then you lay on your stomach, and then you wrap your fingers and toes into it, and you put your face tight into it, and you say, "I've got to face reality." And we say, you didn't come forth to face reality. You came forth to spring off of reality. You came forth to let the reality be the basis from which you take flight. --Abraham-Hicks Philadelphia, PA ‘99

Whoo Hoo!! Let’s fly!!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize and honour the powerful Presence that is absolutely everywhere. It is the wind beneath my wings, and the wings themselves. It is my breath and my heartbeat. It is - therefore I am.

I now declare I willingly untangle myself from wherever I have been stuck. I jump up and fly! I know that as I make the leap, the whole Universe is supporting me. I now leap into a new consciousness of Self. I leap into the consciousness of health, wealth, service and love. Everything my heart desires is now mine, and what I desire is for the greatest good for all.

Gratefully I fly free – allowing The Divine to guide and support me – and I enjoy the flight!

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

Memories

I love my life! I am becoming more and more aware that everything I do is Sacred, no matter what I am doing. This past week, I dog-sat two darling puppies. One was a Yorkie and one was a Coton de Tulear.

One evening the Coton came to me and wanted to be picked up. Of course I complied, and as I sat holding her, I marveled at her soft, white fur. I breathed in and closed my eyes and suddenly was 8 years old, sitting in the washroom at Ramona Convent, hugging my only toy to my chest – a white stuffed dog. This dog was the most important thing in my life at that moment. It was the only familiar thing. I had been sent away to live at a girls school and was in a place of strangers. I didn’t know anyone. I wasn’t Catholic. I was an outsider.

Memory is amazing. As I relived a moment in time that happened 52 years ago, it was like I was right there. I could feel the cold white tile floor under me, and see the bathtub cubicles. I could hear the whisper of the nun’s habit on the polished wooden floors as she came down the hallway to check on me. I could hear myself crying, and I could feel the tightness of my muscles. I could feel my fear.

Dr. Holmes writes “…. Memory is an unconscious operation of what was once a conscious thought.”

Somewhere inside the vastness of me, I am still sitting in the washroom feeling alone and afraid. I wonder where this thought is active in my life now?

Dr. Holmes also writes that by changing our thoughts we can re-mold our affairs; and that by right thinking we can bring new conditions into our lives.

I can imagine that nun saying “Everything will be all right. You’ll do fine.” Did I believe her? Could I believe her? I don’t remember. However, I knew I could do something about it now. Going into meditation, I took that lonely little girl and her precious stuffed dog, and put them on my lap. I hugged her and infused her with all the love I could. I acknowledged all she had been through already in her short life, and shared some of the wonderful things she would experience as she grew up. I told her the nun was right. We turned out wonderfully.

All of us have memories of experiences that are still affecting us today. We can allow those memories to surface, gently and easily, and love ourselves through them. We can acknowledge our fears, change our thinking and trust the Divine. Doing this, we will revitalize our present time experiences and move forward with grace.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize there is One Life – the Divine Life that is everywhere present, all knowing, all powerful. It is Creator and created. It is within us right here and now.

Knowing this I declare these words for us in the first person:

I am ready and willing to open my heart and live more authentically. All that is unnecessary to my highest good and greatest joy is now released. I am open to experience my Self and all the wonders of Life. I am filled with Divine Light and Love and there is nothing to stop me from being all I can be.

I am healthy in mind, body and emotions. My health radiates throughout my financial life, my work life and my relationships. I know this for myself and for everyone I meet. We have all turned out wonderfully as delightful expressions of this One Life.

Gratefully I release these words into the Law of Mind knowing they are already so and the Truth sets us free. And so It is.

Stand in the Light

This morning while walking the dog, I stopped to talk to a woman sitting on a bench. She kept saying how cold she was. As I walked away I noticed another bench close by which was directly in the sun, and turned back to her. “Hey,” I said, “it’s warmer over here.” She nodded, and replied “Thanks, but I’m already settled here.”

Not long after I had a phone call from a client during which I heard myself saying “You’re really arguing for your limitations!”

I then picked up the Science of Mind and opened it randomly for an “Ernest Fix” … and what did I see, but on page 411 ..”We can sit in the shade or move into the sunshine.”

Ok, Universe, I got the message! I asked myself “Where am I so settled in my stuff that I won’t move into the Light!?! And how much do I argue for my limitations?!?

These are the times for all of us to ask ourselves these questions. Regardless of what’s happening we have a choice. The awareness of these Principles gives us the tools to move beyond the chaos. Everywhere we are – God is – God in us, knows what It wants as us, and I now choose to let go of my arguments, stand in the Light and know – I absolutely know - God can be trusted!

It’s my pleasure to serve you today.
Blessings, Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is one Mind, One Intelligence that effortlessly creates all there is out of Itself. It is the Source and Substance of all things, seen and unseen. As a unique aspect of this One Mind, I am all that It is.

I am ready and willing to step into the Light and stay there. I remain on purpose with the Intelligence of the Universe. I no longer settle for what does not make me happy. I accept my responsibility in creating a world that works for everyone by using the Principles I have learned. As I choose to express more Good in my life I am blessed and bless everyone in my presence.

I rejoice in being able to see Wholeness – Holiness – everywhere I am. I am so grateful to be living in the Light. I am grateful to have the courage to move into the Light whenever I find myself in the shadows. I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are done, and so it is.

Healing

Lynne McTaggart writes in Living the Field:

"Healing is the most natural practice in the world - we can all do it and, consciously or unconsciously, many of us do. It is simply the transmission of energy through the healer into the patient. There is only one essential qualification: love."

This reminded me of a story told by the minister from New Hope Fellowship in Hilo, Hawai'i. A young mother in his congregation had been taking her daughter back and forth to the hospital for months. No one could figure out what was wrong with the child, and she was getting weaker and weaker. One day the young mother stopped by Pastor Wayne Cadero's office and told him, in tears, that she was taking her daughter again to the hospital and was afraid it would be for the last time. She asked Pastor Wayne to come to the car, give her child a blessing and say goodbye. Wayne got in the back seat and took the child in his arms. He saw how her lifeforce seemed to have drained away, and he tried to pray but no words would come, all he could do was hold her and love her. After a while, words came, and he prayed for her, then got out of the car and watched them drive away, sure that it was the last time he would see the child. A few days later, he received a call from the Mother, who was overjoyed. Her daughter had started to revive the moment she got to the hospital!

When I heard him tell this story – I knew a deeper meaning of the phrase "God is Love." I often tell people "Love is the greatest healing agent in the universe."

Yesterday in Raywyn Erickson's class, she said that if we are experiencing dis-ease in any way, we are withholding love. In my mind I capitalized the word Love, and thought of it as "withholding Love" -- refusing to acknowledge and experience That Which We Are.

If you are working on a healing project in any area of your life – perhaps you could try this:

Sit quietly, breathe deeply, and declare your intention for healing. Now open yourself to FEELING loved. Let Love flood every cell of your body, every thought in your mind, and every feeling in your heart. Bathe in that Love for awhile, and when you feel the time is right, allow yourself to focus that Love like a laser on your project, remembering your intention for healing. Breathe deeply again, and feel grateful. Feel gratitude flood your body, mind and heart. Know that the work is done.

If you choose, you could follow this exercise with the Spiritual Mind Treatment below.

Dr. Holmes wrote "Love is a cosmic force whose sweep is irristible!"

You are the Beloved.

Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is Love. Love points the way, and the Law makes the way possible. This is my Truth! Love is the greatest healing energy in the universe. It is greater than any illness – of mind, body or emotions. It is greater than any financial or relationship challenges I might be experiencing. God is Love, therefore Love is all powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present.

Remembering this I now declare everything in my life that I think needs to be healed – is healed.

I let go of all my old stories that kept me separate, and accept wholeheartedly that Divine Love is within me and every atom of the universe, doing Its perfect work. I am whole, healthy and complete.

God is Love and therefore so am I. God is the Lover and I am the Beloved. As the Beloved I am so grateful for all that I have experienced. I know my life's Path has brought me to this now moment, where I have let it all go, and stepped out into the world as the Truth of my being. This is good – this is God!

Peace

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grateful Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

Birthdays !

Last night I went through a huge box of pictures I have been carrying around for quite awhile. Some were so old I couldn’t remember all the names of the people in them. Some pictures are faded and almost look antique. Many are pictures of people who have “changed address” as the Hawaiians say. All were images of experiences frozen in time that evoked memories.

The thing that fascinated me the most is that I was pretty! I have always thought I was plain. I have seen these pictures before and never noticed that. Why didn’t any one ever tell me? Well, they probably did – but I didn’t hear it. I thought my sister and Mother were beautiful. They knew they were beautiful and acted like it. I wanted to look like them.
For awhile I wrestled with the idea I had missed something … that if I had known I was pretty when I was younger, life somehow would have been different. Then once again I realized how evact consciousness is. I always “thought” I was plain, and so that’s what I saw. My Mother and sister “thought” they were beautiful and so they were.

I was looking through those pictures because tomorrow is my 60th birthday. I had been going through the “oh my gawd how could I have gotten so old” syndrome … for some reason 60 seems sooo much older than 59. I was approaching this birthday with a little frisson of dread every time I thought of the Big 6 – 0. Then I remembered I’ve been 60 since my last birthday! (At our one year birthday, we’ve already lived a year) It’s been a very good year.
So rather than be disappointed because I never realized I was pretty when I was younger, or dismayed because I am now in my 60’s, I decided to change my thinking. I re-read my favourite writing on birthday’s … it’s by Dr. Robert Bitzer, one of the Greats of Religious Science.

“I love birthdays. They have nothing to do with age or getting older. They represent milestones of progress and degrees of growth in wisdom. Years do no make us older; thought does that if we let it.
The greatest event in our life was our birth. A tremendous comic push literally catapulted us from the womb. This God thrust has been a continuous mighty force in our life ever since. Our self-evolution takes us on an upward spiral in our soul’s expansion. Each year as we go over the spot on our spiral that registered our birth, we receive a new cosmic thrust from the same originating mind; inspiration and power for a new year, new life, new expansion. Nothing of the past year is included in the spiral; only that which is ahead of us. We are always the product of our self acceptance.
We came from God, we are still in God and always will be life. This should be our eternal remembrance. The longer we live the more things we have to forget. Progressive souls rise above mistakes, failures and frustrations. Such beliefs and experiences are cast out of consciousness. Those that cannot, or will not, detach themselves from mistakes and negation, become subject to the burden which false beliefs impose.
An ancient teaching affirmed that our positive, constructive attitudes register in our consciousness as light. The Infinite recognizes us only as shining light. Failure and negation are not recorded. Only our sincerity and integrity, revealed as light, has nay permanence. We are accountable for our progress and what we do accomplish. “Thou, God, seest me perfect. How do YOU see yourself on your birthday?”

How do I see myself on my birthday? As I looked through those pictures I was reminded of what a good life I have lived, full of love, and good friends. I’ve had wonderful experiences, traveled to amazing places, interacted with awesome people. I’ve gotten to do what I’ve wanted to do most of my adult life. I am so very grateful!

Years ago, when I was first getting into Religious Science, I took a class that included making a treasure map. On it I put some words I had decided would be my epitaph: “Her life was better than most people’s fantasies.” And so it has been – and it’s not over yet!!

Thank you all for being a part of my life. You are part of what has made my life so magnificent!

Grateful Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Divine Love flows throughout the universe from the one Source that is infinitely intelligent. This Intelligence is my Lifeforce. It has always been, and always will be.

Today I celebrate re-birth. I open my self to the Divine Flow and let It make all things new. My body is refreshed, my mind is cleared, my heart is clean.
As I step into the newness of Life, I do so unimpeded by old beliefs. I live in the Light and it feels so good. I am so grateful for my expanding consciousness.

The other day I was driving over the Port Mann bridge, through the traffic, and starting thinking about the plan to twin and toll the bridge. I wondered if this solution would really be a solution, or whether it would just cause more problems. I thought about the years it was going to take to build the project and the traffic tie-ups it would cause. And being one who uses the bridge every day, the future didn't look pretty at all!

Suddenly a Telus van appeared out of nowhere, forcing its way into the line of cars in front of me. On the rear of the van, in huge letters I read:

The future is friendly.

I started laughing. How delightfully the Universe brings me back to front and center!!

I had been going down a mental road of how awful things were going to be! I know I'm not the only one that does this.

Ernest Holmes wrote "Life is for us and never against us." This is a great thing to remember when we start going down the "isn't it going to be awful" road.
The future is friendly. What a great affirmation!!


SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the Source of all possibilities and power. This is God, the Infinite Good. This Good is visible in my life right now.
Good operates at the very centre of my being and is in action in every area in my life. This is my Truth. No longer do I live in fear of what might happen. I know the future is friendly.

I eagerly anticipate the delightful experiences I am attracting by knowing God has only my highest good and greatest joy in Mind. Life is good and the future is friendly!

With a grateful heart I accept this Truth and celebrate It's working as Law in my life. And So It Is.

Last week both the United States and Canada celebrated their birthdays. No matter what we did to celebrate our respective holidays, the underlying reason for the celebrations is Freedom. Yet when one turns on the TV, or reads the local paper, it seems many freedoms are being legislated away, and that freedom is something people are suffering greatly to have.

Ernest Holmes writes about Freedom in the glossary of the Science of Mind: "Real freedom means that we are created in the image of perfection and let alone and allowed to make the discovery for ourselves. Freedom of will means the ability to do, day and think as one wishes; to express life as one personally desires.
"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free," Jesus taught. The understanding of Truth – Infinite Principle – is the emancipator. We are bound by our very freedom; our freewill binds us. The Universe, being deductive only, cannot refuse us anything. The very force that makes us sick can heal us. As we realize our Oneness with Creative Mind, we are released from the bondage of false thinking. We see too, that freedom means liberty but not license."

I've always liked the phrase "The Truth shall set you free." However, as Sue Monk Kidd, author of the spiritual memoir The Dance of the Dissident Daughter writes "The truth might set you free, but first it will shatter the safe, sweet world you live in."

Perhaps this is what is happening around us. Old paradigms are dying – new ones are being born. Nothing is the same as it was "back then" nor should it be.

What is this Truth that shall set us free? Holmes tells us it is the understanding of Infinite Principle – and for me, that Principle is "It is done unto us as we believe." There is an inherent belief in individual freedom – it is a soul-longing. As we let go of the old paradigms that include the idea that "they are doing it to us," and accept our Oneness with Creative Mind, realizing we have choice at every moment, we will be part of the creation of liberty for all.

Thank God for Freedom!!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

We live in an infinite field of creative potentiality. This Field is the originating Energy of the Universe. It is everywhere present, all powerful and all knowing. It is around us and within us. It is God.

I now declare my intention to live in a peace filled world. I am grateful I choose to live in a part of the world where this Divine Idea is easier to manifest than in others. I now take responsibility for knowing Peace for all my brothers and sisters, no matter where they live, or whether they are animal, mineral or plant. I consciously recognize our Oneness.
I am grateful to know the Truth – there is only One God, one great creative Energy at work in, through and as all of us – and I declare we have come to a place in consciousness where this Truth sets us free.

I release these words into the Law of Mind, knowing they are done in my life, and in all life. And so it is.

Here's a message from an Austin Street church marquee in Coquitlam:
"Anything worth worrying about is worth praying about."

Who among us hasn't spent a sleepless night worrying about something!?! And how quickly did we turn from worry to prayer?
… need I say more?

Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT
I acknowledge the powerful Presence of The One – one mind, one heart, one body. I live in this body, use this mind and am nurtured by this heart.

Today I declare "I let go of my need to worry." As I do my spiritual practices, I reinforce my conscious awareness of my True Nature, and realize there is nothing to worry about.

Today I declare that in the future I will turn to prayer first, knowing how powerful it is.

Gratefully I celebrate the Law of Mind, letting these intentions become part of the fabric of my subjective mind, and this is good, very good. And so It is.

Our Thursday morning book group is working with Lynn Grabhorn's "Excuse Me Your Life Is Waiting." This sentence jumped out at me yesterday:

"I don't need conditions to change to be happy."

At various times in my life, I've spent time in the land of "if only" …and I'll bet you have too. If only I could loose weight. If only I could find a better job. If only I'd win the lottery. If only my mate was different. If only it wasn't raining. Those statements are filled with the feeling that everything would be better in our lives or we'd be happy .. if only.

Truth be told, I spent a bit of time in the land of "If only I'd lose weight my clothes would fit better" last Sunday. I ended up getting more and more frustrated as I tried on one thing after another. That is not the way I want to start my sacred service on a Sunday morning! I was able to breathe my way out of it. And what a freeing feeling to read "I don't need conditions to change to be happy." My weight is a condition – granted it is a condition of my consciousness – and that's another article all together – but it is not WHO I AM. Disease is a condition – not who we are. Money, jobs, mates, etc., are all conditions – they are what we are experiencing –not who we are!!

Who we are is intrinsically happy – who we are is an expression of The Divine. As Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French Jesuit priest, paleontologist and philosopher said "Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God."

A wonderful thing is – as we allow ourselves to be happy regardless of conditions – the conditions change. They come into alignment with the Truth of our Being. And this is a very good thing!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the Perfection of the Universe. It is Joy in its purest form. It fills me up and moves through me with grace and ease. It is my life.

Today I release all feelings of unease around the conditions of my life. I only know Joy. I open my heart to celebrate this Joy and share it with everyone I meet. I feel it flowing through every atom of my being.

As it does, my body is made whole, my relationships are more loving, my work is soul-satisfying and my financial life is fulfilling. Regardless of the conditions surrounding me, Joy is my true nature. I am happy and at ease.

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

Every morning I walk around the garden to see how things are growing. Lately I've found myself getting excited as I watch the flower buds developing. I haven't seen what the flowers are like on many of the plants getting ready to bloom as they were here before I was. I've discovered peonies with buds now show tiny stripes of red, rose buds starting to open showing white or pink, and lobelia starting to look blue, The daylilies I planted are sending up their stalks. The strawberries have white blossoms which I know will soon become luscious red fruit. There are other plants I am not familiar with that have tight little green buds.

I started thinking about my feeling of excitement about the known and unknown – and realized this is one of the main ingredients to manifestation. I planted things in this garden, and know they will become something wonderful. I am tending other plants anticipating that they will become something beautiful. My excitement is in watching the process.

Excitement is defined as "the feeling or condition of lively enjoyment or pleasant anticipation." We all have many "buds" in our consciousness. Some from mental seeds we consciously planted and some seeds we accepted from the collective consciousness. (Some of those we had to pull out like weeds.) These buds will soon flower. Can we be as excited about them as I am about the emerging flowers in my garden? YES! We can think of the seeds we have planted in our mental gardens with joyous expectancy and gratitude, and those attitudes will be like the fertilizer put on plants to make them grow stronger and quicker!! A divine Miracle-grow! <>

Happy Gardening!!

Blessings, Rev. Angelica

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I am consciously aware that there is One Life in this universe. It is within everything I experience with my senses and more. It is within me, filling me up, nurturing me, guiding me, sustaining me.

As this Life lives through me, I do this as well. I fill up, nurture, guide and sustain everything in my consciousness.

Today I choose to see my consciousness as a precious garden. I pay attention to the details. I weed, and water, and feed the seeds I have planted by using meditation and Spiritual Mind Treatment. I joyously expect delightful results.

My mental garden is a place of serenity. It is abundantly prolific. It is radiantly beautiful. It is awesomely fruitful.

I rejoice in my creations, ever so grateful for my awareness that I am tending a Divine Garden. Divine Life is the One Life that animates everything, and It is the life I am living now.

And so It is.

May 17

Today I am going to have my first real experience with weeds for this Spring. Most people don't like to weed, but for me weeding is a Sacred Practice. With the recent rains, there are lots of them, and as I pull each one, it is as if I am removing something from my subjective mind I have allowed to grow in my mental garden. Perhaps one area is filled with the belief in limitation, another area might be the belief in some negative aspects of aging. As the areas become weed-free, I can almost feel the plants breathing a sigh of relief, stretching their leaves to the light. Just like the thoughts for good in my mind that might be getting crowded out by the negative.

Your mind is a garden,

your thoughts are the seeds,

the harvest can be either flowers or weeds.

Author Unknown

As much as I don't want weeds in my garden, I have to give them credit for some lessons they have for me. As I pull them I notice weeds are actually beautiful little plants. I admire them in the meadow outside the church office. It is only my judgment of them that makes them bad for my garden. They are impersonal. They will gladly grow anywhere!

Weeds are not intimidated by the beauty of the roses, the strength and height of the trees or the green of the lawn. They don't compare, and they don't have to analyze the reason for their existence. They just grow. Do I?

Weeds will move concrete in driveways, boulders in the garden, and find the smallest crack in the wall to send up their stems! As I pull them, I admire the tenacity of dandelions. Where you pull one, two might grow. How committed they are to their growth! Am I?

As I pull weeds today, I bless the Life Within them, and am grateful for them as my teacher. I am grateful to the thoughts that no longer serve me as I release those as well.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

The Power and Love of the Universe is everywhere I look today. It surrounds me, and fulfills me. I can never be separate. It is my Life. I am spirit, having a spiritual experience that I call being human.

I choose to have my human life reflect the beauty and wisdom of The Divine. I pull the "weeds" from my mental garden, not because they are "bad" but because they no longer serve me.

I now plant seeds that flourish and grow and are able to be in service to humanity as well as to myself. I plant compassion and forgiveness. I plant love and liberty. I plant wisdom and a deep knowingness of the Truth of our being.

I am so grateful for being aware of the Source of all, and I acknowledge It in my mental garden with joy. I see my mental garden reflected in my life and this is good. I celebrate the Truth of these words, and release them knowing I am part of God's garden, healthy and beautiful!

And so it is.

I believe one of the reasons so many people signed up for the Oprah/Tolle web casts was because the subtitle of Tolle's book A New Earth is "Awakening to Your Life's Purpose." "How can I discover my Purpose?" is a question I have heard many times in my 22 years of ministry. Before then I asked it myself.

Western culture leads us to believe we have to be famous at what ever we do to be of value. We keep looking to what we are supposed to be doing in the future. What if our Purpose is just to BE. What if our Purpose is to be doing what we are doing RIGHT NOW! Right now, you are reading this e-mail …. This is your Purpose. In a few moments you might be pouring a cup of tea. That is your Purpose. When we are questioning, "What am I supposed to be doing here?" we are missing out on what is right in front of us to do.

So here's my take on "How to find your Purpose:"

1. Be where your body is

2. Honour The Source Within

3. Do what is in front of you with grace

4. Be grateful for everything

See how simple that is? OK, it might not be easy, especially #1 – however the more we do it, the easier it becomes, and we will find that we are achieving our Purpose – to BE - a living, breathing, expression of The One.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

Breathing deeply, I let myself rest in the center of my Being. I relax into my Spirit self, knowing this is who I am in Truth. I feel the Oneness and know I am much more than I think I am.

Today I am ready to BE. As I do the things in front of me to do, I let myself do them with grace and gratitude. All activity is sacred and I approach each activity, no matter how mundane, as sacred work.

I pay attention to the little details of my life in Present Time. I recognize each of them as a love note from Spirit. I am so grateful to be alive, awake and aware. I am grateful for the way my body works, for the way I do the work of my hands, for what I feel as I do this work. I am The Presence of The Divine.

I know who I am. I know what is mine to do. I know my Purpose. For this I humbly give thanks. And so It is.

What are you feeling right now? What ever it is, in this moment you are creating a resonance that is permeating your world, bringing back to you things, people and experiences that are like what you are feeling.

In 365 Science of Mind, Dr. Holmes establishes Joy as a focus for May. A poem by Victor Hugo is on the preface page to this month:

Be like the bird

That, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight,

Feels them give way beneath her and yet sings

Knowing that she hath wings.

Perhaps something in our life feels like it is giving way. Or we look at the general state of the world and feel afraid. How can we come into Joy? Our "wings" are the knowledge that, whatever the circumstances or appearances, whatever we are feeling is caused by our thoughts, and our thoughts can be changed.

Even greater than that, our "wings" are our awareness that behind and through everything is a Presence that is infinitely intelligent and unconditionally loving.

"Joy is the realization of the truth of oneness, the oneness of our soul with the supreme love." Rabindranath Tagore

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I celebrate the feeling of joy I have as I recognize the Presence of God in everything. This Presence is within me, filling my heart and mind.

Knowing I am free to choose what I want - I choose Joy. I release all old feels that dragged me down. I declare everything in my life is made new by the joy I now feel. My health, my wealth, my relationships and my creativity are expanded in joy. There is nothing too hard for Divine Law. My life is filled with love and laughter and many good things. I celebrate Joy!

With a heart filled with gratitude, I let go and let God life Its fullest through me. And so It is.

The Eckhart Tolle/Oprah experience on the web has been wonderful! It's almost unfathomable to imagine the 11 million people tuned in! Wayne Dyer has a new book, Deepak Chopra has a new book, every day I receive at least two e-mails about new books explaining how to have more, and be more. Spiritual cinema is becoming in vogue with a new film seeming to come out every week. Just Awesome!!!

We live in such exciting times! So many tools to awaken to the Truth of our Being, so much help along our chosen Path.

And with all these wonders, have you thought at all about your part in it? Dr. Holmes writes in the Science of Mind "One of the most important things for us to remember is that we are always causing something to be created for us."

A few years ago, Religious Science International developed a Vision Statement: Awakening humanity to it's Spiritual Magnificence!

We can see the evidence of this coming into manifestation everywhere! And WE are doing it!! I congratulate each of you for doing your part. I know sometimes it seems like a lot of work – however, keep it up - it is worth it!!

I stand and applaud us all as we walk this Path together.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the Universe as an intelligent ever-flowing frequency filled with Love and Light. It creates out of Itself through me in perfect balance.

My world is in Divine Right Order. Every area of my life has a balance of play and work and both are fulfilling. My thinking and emotional bodies are in harmony. Life becomes richer and fuller every moment. I serve humanity with the greater livingness I am experiencing, and this is brings me joy.

I am a Divine Being, living in Divine conditions, knowing Truth alone is real. I also know Divine Law is the only power in my life. Everything I think, say, or do is from the spiritual viewpoint of God and I stand on Higher Ground.

How grateful I am to be alive, awake and aware in this moment. I release these words into the Law of Mind knowing they are my Truth. And so it is.

Last week while visiting the washroom at Starbucks I looked up at poster of a tree with words all over it … the words on the trunk jumped out at me:

"The deeper the roots, the higher the reach."

I don't remember what else was written on the poster, because that statement was so profound. I began to wonder "How deep are my roots?"

Years ago I planted a Kukui Nut Tree in my back yard. The early Hawaiians used the nuts as lamps because of a pool of oil that filled the top of the nut. They considered the Kukui a sacred plant and a symbol of enlightenment.

I nurtured that tree, and it grew large and beautifully. It even grew leaves with seven points instead of five, which I took to be a mystical symbol. It grew white Kukui nuts on it, which I wasn't expecting as they are more rare - another mystical symbol. I could feel the energy of this tree as I nurtured it. I gave it love and it gave me strength. I would take visitors out to see it so they could feel the energy. I loved this tree.

Then one day we had a tremendous windstorm. The upper part of the tree was ripped off, and the roots were torn up. A friend who specialized in Hawaiian plants said the root system was too shallow. He replanted it properly yet it didn't have the same feeling for me. I felt like part of me had been torn up. I mourned that tree.

I meditated on the experience and realized I had put my Power outside of myself. I had given it to the tree. The tree did wonderfully for a while, but when a challenge came up, it couldn't stand up to it.

That's what happens to us when we give our Power away. When our Spiritual roots aren't deep enough. What are those roots? They are the Presence at the very core of our being. They support all our thoughts and feelings. They support our expression of Divine Life. It might look like we're reaching to the sky, but when push comes to shove, if our spiritual roots are not deep, we fall apart. How do we make them stronger? Through doing our spiritual practices, consistently and consciously. And not just with our thoughts. Dr. Holmes writes in the Science of Mind "The Creative Power responds to feeling more quickly than to any other mental attitude." Let yourself feel your meditation and Spiritual Mind Treatments, and your roots will grow deep and the higher your consciousness will reach.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

The perfect Presence of The Divine is around me and within me. It is my lifeline. It is my roots.

I choose today to nurture my roots and allow myself to flourish. I do my spiritual practices with grace and love. I gather my power back from all the places I have left it, and allow myself to see that my true Power is Present Within.

As I contemplate these roots in my meditation and Treatment work, I recognize my Source. I allow myself to expand into Christ Consciousness, empowering me to say "If you see me, you see God." I celebrate my awareness of the Sacredness of all Life.

There is only One, and that One is working through me according to my deepest feelings and beliefs. I rejoice in knowing these Principles, and working with them as I create a more authentic life.

I am grateful that my roots are deep and my Life is Divine. And so It is.

Once again I'm grateful to the Mountainview Alliance Church on 200 St. who's marquee gives me inspiration on the drive home. A few days ago it read:

Use your past as a springboard not a sofa.

When I first saw this I started laughing, remembering a commercial where young man was sitting on the couch watching TV, and when he turned off the TV and tried to get up, the couch tried to suck him into it, and even chased him through the house when he got away.

Then I started thinking. We love a comfy sofa. Sometimes the sofa is old and threadbare, yet because it's comfortable and familiar, we don't want to replace it – we just throw a cover over it, and continue to use it anyway. Sometimes we sit down on the sofa, and a sort of laziness comes over us, and it's easier to just sit or lay there, than get up and be productive.

Are we like that with the stories of our past? Do we sink into those stories, and because they are so familiar, do we find it difficult to rise above them? Do we try to cover them up? Do we let them become entities, chasing us through our lives? Do we let them immobilize us?

Yes, we do. Sometimes we live in those stories as if they are happening today. Sometimes instead of doing the work necessary to move beyond those stories, we cover them up with excuses, or rationalize them.

All of our experiences are meant to move us along our evolutionary path. None of them are permanent. We can let go. We can and have learned from our history. It truly is time to let our past be our springboard – individually and collectively.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

There is only One Life – that Life is God's Life, and It is living Itself through and as me right now. It always has and It always will.

I rejoice in knowing this, because it reminds me that everything I have ever said or done has been the right thing for the moment. How can God make a mistake?

It was the right thing for that moment, perhaps not this one. Therefore I let go of my stories of the past. I will always have a history, but I do not need to be attached to it.

Because I remember I am in the process of creating new history with every thought and feeling, I declare I have learned what I wanted to learn from each story I created, and have let those stories be a springboard into my now. I declare I am fully present. I live in this moment, authentically. Each moment is a Divine Moment and I make it a good one. More springboards into my future!

Gratefully I release these words into the Law of Mind, recognizing their value. The Truth sets me free!!

And So It Is.

Charles Fillmore, the founder of Unity, at the age of 94, said, "I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm and spring forth with a mighty faith to do the things that ought to be done by me!"

WOW! Now that’s living an authentic life!!

“I fairly sizzle ….” When was the last time you felt like that? What would it be like if our lives excited us this much?

Regardless of how much we are tired of winter, bills, our work, etc., we can choose to Sizzle! The coming of Spring is a good time to make a choice to feel this way.

I read a quote by Earon Davis on the Gaia website recently:

“As we get older, the future gets shorter, and the past gets longer, but the present deepens.”

Too often we’ve allowed ourselves to become bogged down by the busyness and routines of our daily lives. Choosing to Sizzle will deepen our present moments … and in Truth these are the only moments we have … we might as well experience them consciously!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I recognize the power of the Divine absolutely everywhere. The whole universe is alive with Its energy. This is true for me as well. I fairly sizzle with enthusiasm. I am alive in Spirit and Spirit is alive in me!

I choose to feel the Sizzle more than I ever have before. My life aligns itself with my Divine Purpose. My body is healthy. My financial life is abundant. My work is fulfilling. My relationships are a perfect expression of Divine Love.

Divine Energy crackles through everything I experience. I am joy filled and so grateful to be so excited about Life.

God is good, and all is well in my world. And so it is.

Dear Ones,

In a recent CBC interview, Poet and activist Maya Angelou said “We are in the throes of finding out who we really are. How courageous we really are. How intelligent we really are.” Ms. Angelou was referring to the American people in regards to the upcoming elections … yet I see this as a more Universal Truth.

Regardless of appearances, in fact, because of them, we are waking up – globally and individually!

We’ve come to a point in our collective consciousness where we realize it is up to us to do the work we’ve wanted others to do for us. It’s up to us to take dominion. We’ve actually had dominion all along, and now we’re becoming conscious of it. As we choose to have dominion, we are choosing to live in the fullness of our Divinity.

Ok, just what does “Take dominion” mean? It means to take our Power back! Many people had given their power away to doctors, lawyers, the media, families, etc. They stopped thinking for themselves. Taking dominion means to stop being a follower and use the precious gift of Mind and use It consciously.

This definitely takes courage!! Ms. Angelou went to say “without courage you cannot practice any other virtue consistently. You cannot be consistently fair, kind, true or generous. I have the courage to do what I know I must do.”

The word courage has its roots in the Latin word for heart. Let’s open our hearts to the fullness of our Being, and recognize how courageous and intelligent we are!

Take dominion of our lives!

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

I celebrate the Divine Essence within me. I recognize the infinite intelligence of Divine Mind and the unconditional love of the Universal Heart. In this Presence I live and move and have my being. It is my Life.

Today I choose to take my power back from all the places I have given it away. I let go of what I think other people think or feel about me or how I am living my life. I choose to express the Divine with my heart, mind and body. I see It’s effects in all areas of my life. As I embrace more Spirit, I have more love, health, money and creativity. I am a well-spring of Good. My heart is courageous, my mind is strong, my Life is God’s life!!

Gratefully I celebrate all I AM, and all I am experiencing as I live a Divine Life. And so it is.

This afternoon I watched a blue heron fishing in the creek behind my home. It was an awesome and interesting experience for me. Awesome because being able to observe nature at work is … well … awesome. Interesting, because I also observed myself while watching.

You see, a heron spends a lot of time just standing still. Then suddenly, there’s a quick dart and a couple of swallows, and that part of the meal is over. When it moves, it moves very slowly, and then again there is the stillness.

I had a hard time watching the stillness. I even got out my binoculars to see if its eyes were moving during that stillness, but they weren’t. I knew something was going to happen soon and didn’t want to look away, but the stillness seemed like it stretched into agonizing hours! My mind was racing with the things that I “should” be doing. I had to argue with it to make it ok to just stand and watch - after all, how often does one get to see a heron fishing?

I liken this experience to my learning how to meditate. At first, even five minutes seemed like hours, and I was in constant conflict with trying to quiet my mind. Then a wonderful meditation teacher, Eicho Michi, told me to think of those thoughts as clouds passing in the sky above. Not to get attached to them, and if I did, release them and gently return to the stillness.

Eckhart Tolle writes in “Stillness Speaks:” Your innermost sense of self, of who you are, is inseparable from stillness. We’ve allowed ourselves to become so mesmerized with the need to DO that stillness is foreign. Yet stillness is our Truth. That heron taught me that in the stillness all needs are met. What you want is attracted to you.

Stillness is where all creation begins. Stillness is God.

SPIRITUAL MIND TREATMENT

God is infinite Self awareness, infinite Love. It is the centrepoint for everything that ever was, is now or will be. I live in the centrepoint and Divine Life radiates from me.

No longer am I mesmerized by the ways of the world. I choose today to spend more time in the stillness. I choose to stand at the point of creation. The whole world might be wobbling around me, yet my stillness lets me live my life in grace. This grace is reflected in the people and experiences around me, and it is good, very good.

Gratefully I celebrate the Law that honours my choices with ease. I celebrate the Truth that sets me free. I release these words knowing they are done now. And so It is.