The 10 Statements or Commitments

Looking at the so called 10 commandments, we could really call them statements, if we correctly look at the interpretations from Hebrew and Greek. They are actually known as the Decalogue or “10 words.’ And calling them statements is appropriate, for if we are to have free will, then, they need to be Statements, not Commandments.

And, like the Lord’s Prayer from last week, the basic principles of these statements are found in almost every religious or spiritual tradition.

The statements have obvious literal meanings, and these are all valid. But beyond that there is a deeper, metaphysical meaning. When we look at the Bible from a metaphysical viewpoint, it is a story of our soul’s evolution. The events that happen are, in effect, events of our soul’s discovery of who we truly are.
Metaphysically, the name Moses means drawing out and Egypt means the darkness of ignorance…so we are coming out of the darkness of a consciousness limited to material senses and awakening to the Truth via the Ten Statements. An important point to consider is that Egypt was at one time a life saver, the Israelites went there during severe famine. But it became a place of oppressive confinement. Coping strategies that worked at one time may no longer work at different points in our spiritual growth, an important point to remember.

And, these Statements are carved in stone-unchangeable; thus, they would be preserved intact, not destructible as a paper item may be.

So let’s look at each statement:

1) I am the LORD your God, you shall have no other gods before me.

This is the most basic principle we believe; there is a God and this God is the source and creator of everything-Is everything. This God is in and through everything and is indestructible, all-powerful and absolute. This God is the inspiration within our continuous onward and upward movement toward our increasingly greater good.

And as I mentioned in an earlier lesson, it doesn’t matter what name we use to identify God. The name could be Spirit, Goddess, Buddha, Divine Universe…these are all names for the same energy. I just use God because it is understandable for most.

God is the I AM THAT I AM, and we are I Am, and we make our own destiny and our own fate by the things which we attach to that I Am.

To worship other divinities would mean that we reject the imperative character of the first statement. This means not only other so called Gods, but our jobs, material possessions or relationships should not come before our Spirituality. We sometimes confuse the channels of our good with the source of our good. AND, channels change! Some we must let go, so others may come to us.

We also acknowledge that there can be no other power equal to or above God. So, there is no devil over powering us to err. We must recognize our physical illnesses and pains as stepping stones for our growth, not as something caused by a so called devil.

Another way to look at this is asking ourselves “what comes into our minds when we think of God?” This is what is most important to us. And where did this God-thought come from? From our own thinking or from our domestication?

So this ‘statement’ could be a commitment – I make a commitment to Love.

2) You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Most of the tribal peoples worshipped idols and images made of silver, gold, wood and stone. They were human or animal deities. Or the sun, moon and stars. And when they traveled, they took their God’s with them, in smaller versions of their specific “God,” kind of like pocket-Gods.

And they believed in a 3 tiered universe – the heavens, the earth, and the waters, according to the creation story. Thus, we are ‘commanded’ to not make any idols from anything in the universe.

God is the only Presence and Power. To attribute power to anything other than God is idolatry. Graven image means things we idealize; property, concepts, or people. This does not mean that there is anything wrong with worldly possessions since God is in and through everything. It does mean that God is Spirit and Spirit is all there is. It is the Spirit within that gives it value.

Money, fame, and pleasure are popular gods in today’s world. But we give power in other ways, too. Our ‘internal dialogue’ is the biggest graven image we have. It is like a train of thought, delivering us to a station labeled ‘illness,’ or ‘loneliness,’ or poverty.’ Instead, we could be riding the train to ‘joy,’ and ‘love,’ and ‘peace.’
Martin Luther said, “Whatever your soul clings and relies upon, that is your god.”

So, what is your “pocket-God?”

The Bible uses the word “jealous” in the sense that if you give power to anything but God, you have lost God altogether. It really could have been translated as zealous or impassioned. Though if we look at it this way, jealous may fit – jealous can be defined as vigilant, so God is vigilant in guarding us.

As for “punishing children for the iniquity of parents,” in the symbology of the Bible, you are a parent, and your children are your works. We often pass on false beliefs, and those beliefs can go into the third and fourth generation, if not checked.

There’s the story of a newlywed couple making a pot roast. As the wife was preparing the meal, she removed each end of the roast and placed in the pan. The husband ask why she did that and the wife explained that was how she was taught. He insisted that it was incorrect, why would they do that? So, they choose to call the mother of the wife to get an explanation. She just said that was how she was taught, so they called the grandmother.
The grandmother laughed when she heard about the ‘discussion’ and explained that the reason the ends were removed from the roast was not because of any special secret recipe, it was because the pot was too small for the roast! Passed on from mother to daughter for generations!

Think of what other customs have been passed to each generation and are they still applicable?

The commitment for this Statement – I make a commitment to Wholeness.

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

To take something in vain suggests futility, without success. This cannot be associated with the name of God…name means Nature-the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing; its essence.

You cannot take the name of God [your conviction concerning God] in vain. Whatever your idea of God is, whatever idea you really believe in, that is what will be expressed in your life. The idea behind our belief is what you are saying when you say God’s name. That is why we have different names that are used to try to express what God means to us…Goddess, Divine, Sacred, Universe, Buddha…etc. We use what works for us.

This commandment enjoins us to show the utmost respect and reverence for God and the uses we make of the name. In other terms, we must show reverence not only in our worship but also in our language because a verbal expression is an expression of our true belief. When we connect God’s name with a negative condition, we are using in in vain, negative is not a part of God, and it’s not part of us.

And, what we say, echo’s back to us. Whatever we place after I AM, is what we are saying about our God and ourselves. Keep it positive. Our words are causal—the first part of cause and effect.

This commitment is: I make a commitment to Positive Expression.

4) Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.

This statement emphasizes the sacredness of the individual; it reminds us that the Sabbath was made for us; it applies to everyone: family, slaves, foreign residents, even to animals! We get caught up in our busy lives of doing and getting. The seven days of creation are the time that it takes to create a new condition in your life.

In any kind of mental work that you do, you must have a Sabbath. Build up the new consciousness—and then, let it alone. We must set aside a time for God in accordance with our personal need. The word Sabbath means rest; Keep a restful state devoted to goodness. When we rest our minds and remain in communion with God, our outer life reflects this peace and barriers lower that existed between our spiritual and secular lives.

Even though the Sabbath was traditionally from Friday sunset to sunset on Saturday and was gradually changed to Sunday, it is really a state of consciousness. It’s a time of freedom to be who we truly are. Freedom is living in alignment with spiritual law. Checking in with ourselves –Am I loving, moving, thinking, doing, and being in the flow that I want to be in”

It’s a time of letting go and allowing God to work through you. It’s a time of human being, not doing.

I make a commitment to Let Go.

5) Honor your father and your mother

Of course we are to honor our earthly parents. Near easterners considered it a sacred duty to care for their parents and to be guided by them. In Biblical times, one who cursed their parents were put to death.

This statement encourages us to make peace with our family of origin. We cannot move deeper into our own personal and spiritual growth until we have made this peace. Make the choice to heal and forgive. I am reminded that my parents did the best they could at the time with the knowledge and awareness that they had. We can’t change the past but we can change how we deal with it.

This statement also gives us practical instruction in prayer. Our real father and mother is God. We are to hold our heavenly parents in reverence. To get activity, to manifest, we must have both masculine and feminine aspects, both knowledge and feeling, giving and receiving. To honor our spiritual Father/Mother is to recognize God as the only Power, the only Presence, the only Cause.

Heaven is within us, and we experience It to the degree that we become conscious of It. We must be in balance, we must love both aspects of ourselves; masculine and feminine which is our true nature. We must love and honor them equally in order to remain balanced and happy.

And we must honor and accept the Christ within each of us.

I make a commitment to Thinking and Feeling.

6) You shall not kill.

Originally, this was meant to keep members of the same tribe, race or religion from murdering each other. You can see how that would be important travelling over the desert for 40 years! When someone did kill another accidently, there were cities of refuge where they could go to avoid being put to death as punishment.

We have no right to deprive anyone of life. When we hold negative, limited, life-killing thoughts continuously, a killing-vibration emanates from our hearts and mind. Love is the cure for this vibration. You can understand now why forgiveness is so very important.

God has imbued our lives with personality, character, values, and physical attributes. For another to try to take that life – in any manner- would be to dishonor the God-essence of that individual. This includes maligning a person’s character, name, nature, or physical being. Remember-what we do to someone else we do to ourselves. But even more, what we to ourselves or someone else, we do to God.

Another way to promote life is to share your gifts – time, talent, treasure-must be kept in circulation or they become stagnant. Stagnation is a form of death. You have heard the adage, “Use it or you lose it.” It applies here. To give is to receive.

I make a commitment to Life.

7) You shall not commit adultery.

The moral nature of this statement is obvious. Adherence to it is tantamount to personal purity. “Respect the integrity of the family institution.” A person who commits adultery is showing utter disrespect for the basic law of marriage.
To adulterate means to corrupt or make impure with the addition of foreign or inferior substances. We are created in the image and likeness of God, of perfection. Adding anything contrary to that, any impure or negative thoughts or beliefs, is adultery. So this statement is about raising our thoughts to the level of God/Self-realization. And this refers to ourselves as well as others. Whenever we see ourselves or others as less than the Christ within, we err with this Statement. Whenever we judge others or ourselves. This is error thinking.
Look to your integrity as the opposite of adultery. Integrity is what keeps us on the soul journey.

I commit myself to Integrity.

8) You shall not steal.

This is another statement on how we should treat others. It is integral to the Golden Rule. “You must respect the right of people to enjoy what belongs to them.”

Stealing is trying to get something for which we do not have the consciousness, and are therefore not spiritually entitled to. You cannot keep anything for which you do not have the consciousness to have. Really think about what that means.

We can take this a step further to encompass the theft of freedom from individuals by dictators and taking away free will by strong-willed people.

Many a doting mother robs her children of their right to make decisions and to live their own lives.

We steal through shoddy workmanship, by falsifying information, by stretching lunch breaks, padding expense accounts, boasting, bragging, by taking credit for something we didn’t do, we steal other people’s time when we are late for appointments and meetings.

We steal another’ effort when we don’t appreciate them, and our selves when we don’t appreciate what we have accomplished.

This is the law of compensation, we reap what we sow. Emerson said, “He who robs another, robs himself first. He or she makes a break in their own integrity or wholeness at the expense of one’s ultimate good.”

And remember, no one can keep your good from you; the law of Being allows that whatever comes to you, whatever happens to you, and whatever surrounds you is in accordance with your consciousness.

I make a commitment to Consciousness.

9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

There is an ancient story about a ruler who sent his servants out, one to find the greatest or most creative thing that humanity has ever known and the other to find the worst or most destructive thing that humanity has ever known. They both returned with the very same thing…can you guess what it was?

The human tongue.

We use the power of speech to communicate, but it can lock us into prisons of misunderstanding. We use it to fill up space so we don’t have to be truly intimate or to really look at ourselves. And lack of speech isolates us.
But speech can be used to heal and comfort too.

Obviously, “We must respect truth in human relations,” and not tell untruths about anyone.

This may be the most important of all the statements, if properly understood. The real or fundamental meaning is that you always express what you are. You cannot be one thing and express another.

We believe we create with words, words have power. And we believe we are all One. Therefore, what I say about another will come back to me.

To witness means understanding with intelligence and wisdom; true knowing. Bearing false witness is gossiping and listening to gossip. We must learn to oppose ideas, not people. We have a responsibility for what we say. Ask yourself: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it needful?

You’ve probably heard the story of a well-respected man who found himself a victim of gossip and rumors in his village. His reputation was completely ruined. He finally confronted the person responsible for the rumors, who apologized profusely, admitting he was wrong and asked what he could do to make things right. The man who was the target of the rumors took his accuser to a second story bedroom, picked up a feather pillow, slit it open and shook all the feathers out the window. AS the breeze took the feathers away, he turned to his accuser and said, now go pick up all the feathers. The guilty man cried that it was impossible. And the man who was wronged said, It is just as impossible to pick up your words.

We have a choice whether to toss feathers of gossip and negativity or feathers of love and goodness.
We must always express what we truly are. We cannot be one thing and express another. We cannot continuously lie, to ‘bear false witness’ about another because their true colors will become apparent and so will ours.

I make a commitment to Honesty.

10) You shall not covet ….anything that belongs to your neighbor.

To covet means metaphysically to seek fulfillment from an outside source. To covet implies a sense of lack. It means to plan to take or do a certain thing; an intention. It is a form of adultery or idolatry because you are giving power to something other than God, or denying God as Source.

This is a rule of personal ethics which flows from the principle which might have been worded as “You must find happiness within the confines of the human gifts which were allotted to you.” We cannot truly desire anything that does not already exist for us. The desire causes the existence of the thought, idea, answer, etc.

The word desire comes from de meaning of and sire meaning father, so we desire God. We have a yearning inside to awaken the connection to God, our Christ Presence.

The keys to this commandment or statement or commitment are appreciate yourself, admire what others have reminding yourself that you have the same source, and acknowledge God’s abundance-have gratitude!

I make a commitment to Appreciation.

The 10 statements are simple codes of conduct with deeper meaning for us to discover the implications to our state of consciousness. It takes time to make conscious changes. We vacillate back and forth between our old lives and our new ones, just as the Israelites did, but we must remember that life is a spiral, and as we rise we are given opportunities to grow and heal in increasingly deeper levels. We have guidance for this journey, and your God is always with you.

In conclusion, we are reminded that there are only 2 commandments: those given by Jesus when asked what was the greatest commandment; He said;” You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like onto it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

It is from this teaching that we learn Love is the key to Life.

The Metaphysics of the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

That was the traditional version of the Lord’s Prayer. The English wording that is used today reflects what was mandated for use by Henry VIII.

This prayer was the answer Jesus gave to his disciples when they asked to be taught how to pray. It is considered a short prayer, by Jewish standards. And, it was meant to be a pattern to be used as we prayed. It is a series of affirmations.

Many people rattle through it like parrots, forgetful of the warning that Jesus gave us against vain repetitions, and, of course, no one derives any profit from that sort of prayer.

The word prayer means setting your mind like a trap so you can catch the thoughts of God. It means to focus, tune in; adjust and prepare our minds and hearts to receive God’s guidance, love, peace, and divine energy.
The purpose of affirmative prayer is not to change God, but to change us.

Prior to this suggested format, our Wayshower, Jesus, had said to be sincere when we pray, “…enter into thy closet; and when you have shut the door, pray in secret.”

Just so you know, the meaning behind “pray in Jesus name” is to pray with the same kind of understanding about God and our human family that Jesus had.

He suggested the time, place or number of words are not essential, but to be open and trusting and with a receptive heart. Jesus changed the importance of all prayers by His emphasis on forgiveness taking the place of vengeance; love taking the place of hatred; and by seeing God is a loving parent, protector and provider.

Many feel the Lord’s Prayer is the most important of all the Christian documents. It was carefully constructed by Jesus with certain very clear ends in view. That is why, of all his teachings, it is by far the best known, and the most often quoted. It is, indeed, the one common denominator of all the Christian churches. Every one of them, without exception, uses the Lord’s Prayer; it is perhaps the only ground upon which they all meet.

The first thing that we notice is that the Prayer naturally falls into seven clauses. Seven symbolizes, in this case, the individual soul. The seven clauses are put together with the utmost care, in perfect order and sequence, and they contain everything that is necessary for the nourishment of the soul.
Let’s look at the prayer line by line:

“Our Father which art in heaven”

This is an immediate and radical restatement of our relationship to God—not as a distant, awesome Power to be approached in fear and trembling, like Dorothy and friends standing before the image of the Wizard, but rather abba, “papa,” intimate and familiar, and so you know, in Aramaic the reference is neither male nor female. We miss the whole point of the prayer if we get caught up in the masculine/feminine idea.
Father is a term of endearment and trust. For Assyrians, to call someone Father is the highest honor one can bestow.
Vibrationally it connects us to the creative energy of all the universe. And that energy is within us existing as divine potential.

Dr. O. C. Smith writes in his book, “Little Green Apples,” … when Jesus uttered the Lord’s Prayer, He began it by saying, “Our Father” – yours and mine – because He knew that this Infinite Presence and Love that God Is, which permeates the Universe and created us, is the same loving Presence that created Him. In other words, what Jesus was seeking to share with us was the Truth that we are all made out of the same substance, the same “stuff.”
Therefore when we pray, we don’t pray to It; we pray “as It.” Jesus said, “I and my Father are One.” He knew there was no place where It ended and He began. That is why He said, “our.” He knew that the same Principle applied to all humankind throughout eternity. We can never be separated from this Loving Presence.

Do you see that in a single blow ninety-nine percent of all the old theology was swept away, with its avenging God, its chosen and favorite individuals, its eternal hell fire, and all the other horrible paraphernalia of man’s diseased and terrified imagination? God exists – and the Eternal, All-Powerful, All-Present God is the loving Father of Humankind.

Next we see that the Prayer says, not “My Father,” but “Our Father,” and this indicates, beyond the possibility of mistake, the truth of the Brotherhood of Humankind. It forces upon our attention at the very beginning the fact that we all are indeed family, and that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither chosen nor un-chosen,” because we all are one.

Here Jesus in making his second point, He ends all the nonsense about a “chosen race: about the spiritual superiority of an one group of human beings over any other group. He cuts away the illusion that the members of any nation, or race, or territory, or class, or color, are, in the sight of God, superior to any other group. A belief in the superiority of one’s own particular group is an illusion to which mankind is very prone, but in the teaching of Jesus it has no place. He teaches that the thing that places a man is the spiritual condition of his own individual soul, and that as long as he is upon the spiritual path it makes no difference whatever to what group he belongs or does not belong.

The implied command is that we are to pray not only for ourselves but for all humankind.
The final point is we get to pray directly to God, without any intermediaries. We have no need for Priests or ministers to pray for us. We can always pray on our own. That does not mean having others pray for you is not desired. Praying for someone is not the same as needing someone to pray for you because of religious restrictions.

“Hallowed be thy name”

Let your name be set apart. To sanctify, to dedicate it for a holy purpose.
The vibrational energy of the name for God is sacred. It vibrates within us in the “sacred place of the most high.” We “hallow” that name by allowing its vibration to define our very being—and by seeing ourselves as temples of God’s energy.

People in the Near East and everywhere, really, tend to use the name of God falsely. They would say, By God, this is worth so much money but I give it to you for thus…” Or, this rug is perfect by God’s name and I will give it to you for x amount of money, tho it is worth so much more.

Jesus was setting God’s name apart, making it holy.

When we recognize, God, Infinite Presence, we recognize the sacredness of our One-ness with Its nature. And as we enter into this Presence in our mind and heart, we align ourselves with Its nature … and It responds to us.

“Thy kingdom come”

Let all divinely, spiritual forces guide our lives. We are to set God’s name apart as the guiding Light for our lives. When we pray that God’s kingdom come on Earth as it is in heaven, we are asking God to express through our lives on earth as powerfully as in the higher dimensions of existence. We are making the commitment to allow God to manifest, through our daily lives, in ways that demonstrate recognition of our true identities as a beloved Son or Daughter of God.

The kingdom of God is universal and upholds justice and equality for the entire human family. We must stop looking the other way; stop praying only for ourselves. We must pray for everyone and every nation.

All that God Is, is Good … and this Good is available to us now … but, it is up to us to accept it and “let” God work through us in expressing the Good that we desire. It is the Truth that God can only do for us … what God can do through us … in other words we must heal our mind of anything that prevents us from realizing that the Infinite supports us in our Good.

“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

When we pray “Thy will be done,” we are surrendering our personal wills to the Divine Will. As we surrender to Divine Will, we do so knowing that our Creator will bestow all things Good upon us. There is no fear, no hesitation in receiving our Good.

Since God has created us with the ability to choose … God’s will for us is to choose … and it will be done unto us as we choose … through our thoughts, our beliefs and our willingness to demonstrate faith.

Instead of choosing to use our free will in selfish, negative ways, separate from God (which causes our trials, from sickness, sin, poverty, to trouble and death), we need to include God in all our plans and actions. Our business is to bring our whole nature into conformity with God’s will. There is where we will find our peace.

With this affirmation we choose to let the inner possibility and the outer manifestation be the same. In Aramaic the word translated as “will” more accurately means “heart’s desire.” Again we are agreeing to—and taking responsibility for—a creative, intimate union with God.

Nothing is withheld from us. Nothing … if we can only believe that we “have it now.” And we don’t have to believe that we have it in the “physical” … only in the “spirit” … and this “believing” is the state of our mind that allows God to manifest our Good in our human affairs … through us … right here where we are … just as we know it is so in mind. In affirmative prayer … we bring heaven to earth … into the situations, circumstances and conditions of our life.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

In Aramaic the text reads “Provide us our needful bread from day to day. Bread is very important in Aramaic homes. It is a food staple. While preparing the bread, the women pray. During a meal, even enemies will speak as friends, never lying while partaking bread.

The term bread as used, means both bread and ideas, truth teachings, understanding in Aramaic.

As we allow God’s energy to flow unimpeded into our daily lives, there is a constant supply of all we need. We do not have to worry over “what we will eat, or what we will wear.” We are to seek attunement with the kingdom of heaven within us and know that all our needs will be supplied before we can even identify them. The God within us sees all of life, is unlimited, and ever-present with us. There is no way we can experience lack, as long as we remain open to the influx of God’s abundant supply flowing to us from a source within ourselves. We are never separated from our Good. It is only our consciousness level that leads to experiencing lack or imperfection.
God provides us with ideas so we prosper. God’s Truth gives us understanding of life, of ourselves, and of others.
This is the first actual prayer request in the prayer—we shift our focus from God to self. It completes a kind of contract: I will birth your heaven and you will see to my needs.

Not only does God answer our prayers for the things we think are important, but for even the smallest of things that we may want or need. God is the Source of everything, and in this statement we are acknowledging that we understand this … and we accept our Good.

Bread means all things (food, clothing, shelter, freedom, knowledge, travel, etc.) required for a healthy, free, harmonious life. It is God’s will that we be healthy, happy, and joyous. God alone is the source. Lack results from seeking our supply from another source than God. Investments, business, employment are merely channels through which God’s good comes.

This phrase signifies the realization that God is our source for all supply. We receive through prayer. The presence-of-God realization is a thing that no one can have or do for us. We must realize God in the present moment and that we are the instruments and expression of God.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Because we have forgotten our true identities, this portion of the Lord’s Prayer has created much confusion. In our spiritual blindness, we believe we are praying for God’s forgiveness. God beholds each of us according to the perfection with which we were created. We are continually making decisions as to how we will live our lives. We make mistakes and create pain. But, the part of us that is God never changes.

God has no need to forgive us. We must forgive our physical self for the mistakes we make while on Earth. Negativity is not a permanent energy. It can be transformed—into the pure energy of God.

Likewise, we are to view those who offend us in the same manner. They, too, make mistakes. We can just as easily transmute the pain, which we allowed our offenders to create in our lives, as we can transmute the pain we created for ourselves.

Failure to forgive self—and others—creates pockets of negativity within our energy field. These pockets clog the passageways to our reception of the constant flow of Good coming to us from our I AM, or Christ PRESENCE. Our spiritual progress hinges upon our willingness to forgive and transmute all mistakes made by self and others. We cannot move forward on the spiritual Path as long as our energy fields are clogged with negativity. It is for this reason that forgiveness of self and others is of such paramount importance.

The Aramaic word means “failures,” “mistakes.” A better way to say it would be forgive us from our offenses as also we have freed our offenders. The tense is important: we must have forgiven others before we can claim our own forgiveness.

“Forgiveness frees us from past error.”

Jesus allowed for human error by including forgiveness as part of this prayer, which is the only way to begin the rectification of human mistakes; and it must go both ways. Whatever mental or emotional message we send to others, we always keep the original thought, picture, and energy. So, we must forgive others as well as ourselves.
We’ll talk more about forgiveness at another time.

“And leave us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

This line doesn’t really make sense in the traditional English translation (“lead us not into temptation”). It is absurd to think that God might lead us into temptation. The Aramaic phrase is rather “don’t let us remain in” temptation. And the word for temptation means “unripeness.”

Since we possess the gift of freewill, it is up to us to be so closely attuned to our Christ PRESENCE that we will not enter temptation. God does Its part by holding, for us, the image of our perfection. We must do the rest. As we seek first the kingdom of God within us, we turn our backs to evil. (Evil here is defined as turning our backs to God.) We deliver ourselves from evil by choosing to hallow God’s name and power, by choosing to assist in creating heaven on earth. Because we possess freewill, God allows us to experience the consequences of our choices, thereby learning to choose the good. In the Bible, “let us” constitutes a command. It is a powerful affirmation of what we intend in our lives. With the words “do not let us,” we are stating our intention to our Christ PRESENCE and thereby, overcome temptation and deliver ourselves from evil.

Our mind must be free and open to the Divine impulse of ideas and guidance. As long as we are thinking someone owes us something … or that we owe someone something … our mind is not “free” … it is being disturbed by an un-truth … in the spirit there is no debt for on this higher level, we are One … these debts are spiritual; shame, blame, guilt, etc. … and in the moment we free ourselves from the false belief in karma, our mind is open to the influx of power and guidance of Spirit.

“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” This was added later.

The Aramaic might more accurately be translated as “Through you the kingdom, through you the energy of life, through you the harmony of all things.”

With these words, we are affirming our intention to maintain a consciousness of the kingdom within ourselves. From this kingdom will flow our abundant supply; it is the Source of all our Good. We are affirming our intention to allow the power of our Christ PRESENCE to flow through us and to do the works God would have us do. Jesus explained repeatedly, “I can do nothing on my own … whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. “We are to be the channels through which God finds expression on this planet. The power for all we do is to flow from our Christ PRESENCE.

To believe our personality self possesses the power to achieve our goals is to fool ourselves and to create scenarios in which we adopt false beliefs about who we are. Likewise, the glory for our good works belongs to our Christ PRESENCE. When a rich ruler called him “Good Teacher,” Jesus responded, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”

This sums up the omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience of God. God is working by means of us, but the Power belongs to God. We recognize that Divine Intelligence is working through us and can perform difficult tasks. The Omnipresence of God in our lives transfigures every aspect of our lives, turning sorrow into joy, age into youth, dullness into light and life. We glorify God by letting God’s light shine through us.

It has been stated over and over again that “nothing is good or bad, only thinking makes it so”… the temptation to put ourselves down and the temptation to put someone else down … both which creates a negative atmosphere in our minds. Our thoughts cannot be focused on that which is for an expansion and increase of Good in our life if we are dwelling on the negative. All that we are is Good [God].

All Life Is God … there is none other. All Power Is God … any seeming other-power is an illusion of our minds. Whatever we accomplish, is for the glory of God … for without the Spirit of Life within us, working through us, as us and for us … we can do nothing. The Master Mind Jesus stated, “I of mine own self … can do nothing” … and neither can we.

The Aramaic term AMEN means ‘to make firm’, ‘sealed in faithfulness’. It refers to anything that is true, lasting, never ceasing, eternal, perpetual and faithful.

It says, I am committed, I will be faithful. “It is a Hebrew word meaning certainty, truthfulness, and faithfulness.” AMEN also means “So be it.” When we end our prayer with AMEN, we are affirming our faith that the answer is already present in our lives. We are certain of this Truth. “So be it” is our fiat, or command. Prayer is not pleading for favors from a distant God. Prayer is a means of co-creating with God—of bringing forth that which is already ours to claim, our rightful inheritance as a Son or Daughter of God.

The Lord’s Prayer is Affirmative prayer in that each statement creates an “action” in mind … an action that creates an expansion in mind of our relationship with God … empowering us to live a more fulfilling and abundant life.

This prayer brings us some simple realizations: 1. God’s presence is like a loving parent who is forever present and concerned about the welfare of the entire human family; 2 We are all children of a gracious heavenly presence that has provided for us all in all ways; 3. Gods’ sovereign presence (kingdom) and will are to be expressed on earth; 4. We must understand the value of forgiveness, for ourselves and others; 5. God, as a benevolent parent, helps us not to enter into temptation but delivers us from error; 6. God alone has the kingdom, power, and glory to accomplish all that we need;

Now I’d like to give you the translation from the original Aramaic:

O cosmic Birther, from whom the breath of life comes,
Who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration.
May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest.
Your Heavenly Domain approaches.
Let Your will come true in the universe (all that vibrates) just as on earth (that is material and dense).
Give us wisdom (understanding, assistance) for our daily need,
Detach the fetters of faults that bind us, (karma) like we let go the guilt of others.
Let us not be lost in superficial things (materialism, common temptations),
But let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our true purpose.
From You comes the all-working will, the lively strength to act, the song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age.
Amên. Sealed in trust, faith and truth. (I confirm with my entire being)

Let’s take these thoughts into prayer.

The Lesson of Trees

You know, sometimes we just muddle through day after day, not ever paying attention what’s going on around us. We drive to work, we go home, we go on errands and do not see what’s around us. Just like all the Muggles in the Harry Potter books who had no idea of the magic around them, we see what we expect to see. We miss so much, and often it is nature that we are missing. Nature is vast and has many lessons for us. We talked about the oceans last week, and this week I feel the trees hold a message for us. Very appropriate since Autumn starts tomorrow.

There are many lessons we can receive from trees. Probably as many lessons as there are varieties of trees!
“Trees get everything they need without striving and they are never in a hurry. Trees are strong because they root down into the earth, reach for the heavens and bend with the wind.” Sharon sent me this and I felt it very appropriate. Also, it reminded me of Treebeard in “The Two Towers” from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He frustrated the Hobbits by going slow, but in the end, he and his fellow trees stood tall against their enemy. Another lesson possibly there…But I digress.

We all probably have seen the message on Facebook: Advice from a tree – Stand tall and proud; one day I’m going to do a lesson on Jane Austin’s, “Pride and Prejudice,” a favorite of mine, but I digress, again!

We often do not stand proud. Marianne Williamson is credited with the quote, ““Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You’re playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. 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 fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

An amazing quote.

So what are we afraid of? A tree stands tall in all kinds of situations. There is no fear. The trees accept their place in life. With no expectations. We discussed expectations a bit last week.

According to the book “The Trees Around Us”, trees are vital to much of the life on earth. Forests cover almost one third of the land area of our planet. They help protect, sustain and improve humankind’s supplies of fresh water. They purify the air and convert carbon dioxide, water, minerals and sunlight into nutrients and oxygen. Many plants, insects, fungi, worms and other organisms are dependent upon the shade, moisture and leaf debris provided by trees. Additionally, the environment provided by trees supports a wide variety of reptiles, birds, and mammals.

And a study at the University of Michigan found that smelling the distinct organic aroma of growing trees, and listening to soothing nature sounds, like the rustling of leaves, stimulates our brain’s frontal lobe and increases production of energy-boosting beta waves which can literally double our energy in as little as 10 minutes. No wonder we love a walk in the forest! IF anyone wishes to enjoy the rustle of leaves, just come to my house in about a month as the leaves start falling, I’ll have plenty for you to enjoy!

Trees heal! Studies have shown that patients with views of trees out their windows heal faster and with less complications.

Many of you may have heard of the story of the two hospital patients, one with the view out the window and the others with his eyes wrapped. The one with the view described the trees and flowers, and many other sights of nature. But when the man with his eyes bandaged was allowed to see, it was just a brick wall out their window. His roommate described a vision that helped heal, instead of something depressing. Perception, another lesson topic!
Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. And exposure to trees and nature aids concentration by reducing mental fatigue. So if we feel we need another reason to get out in nature, say it’s for your health…take a ‘not sick day!’

And studies have shown that Trees reduce violence. Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have a greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts. Trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear. A reminder that love overcomes fear.

So, what other life lessons can we learn from trees?

1. To be flexible. Be flexible so you don’t break when a harsh wind blows. The trees that bend a little to the harmless breeze will later grow to withstand the wild wind. I’m pretty sure we all have seen or heard something along the line of, “adversity makes us stronger.” And, if we maintain a degree of flexibility in our attitudes and viewpoints we will not be broken in any storm of criticism or opposition. We will be stronger after we have gone through the storm, or as I like to say, after we have broken camp in the valley of the shadow and come out the other side.
From the FB page I Must be a Mermaid – “there is a gentleness that exists in the subtle breeze and bending of tree limbs, as if someone or something was whispering to us ’be flexible, resilient, go with the wind, the flow.’”

2. Trees teach us to value the little things. Leaves, though they can be small, are vital to the life of a tree. Similarly, expressions of encouragement and appreciation, whether it be by spoken word or in the form of a simple “Thank You,” especially a written expression of your gratitude, can go a long way to build the spirits of the receiver. The motivation of others to work with us and support common goals may die at the roots if we are not appreciative of others.

3. Mighty oaks do indeed grow from little acorns, the little nut that held its ground. Trees teach us to not be intimidated by small beginnings. Efforts, when enriched with strong motivation and determination, will grow to fruition. Remember you are a great, mighty and powerful spiritual human being, with dignity, direction and purpose. Unity of Rehoboth Beach is a perfect example of what can happen when we start something with conviction, direction and purpose!
4. We are taught to not be afraid of change by trees. As David Zindell observed in “The Broken God”, an acorn is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree. Invigorate your life by letting go of the past and pressing forward to something new.

5. Trees practice teamwork. Trees and plants do not suppress each other. When they do start to get crowded, they grow in all sorts of directions to find the light they need to survive.
In forests, individual trees support one another. Even a giant Sequoia growing by itself could be blown over, but by interlocking its roots with other trees around it, Sequoias are able to stand as a grove against any wind. How much support do you share with those around you? Teamwork can accomplish much more than the sum of individual efforts, often making the difference between success and failure.

6. Trees show us how to grow leadership. As noted above, trees provide an environment that supports the growth of many other life forms, including saplings, small replicas of itself. An important leadership characteristic is to provide an environment that empowers and enables others to take on greater responsibility so that they, too, can develop into full-grown leaders. Everyone is a leader in one way or another. We are looking for others to add to our Leadership Team here at Unity of Rehoboth Beach. Share your gifts with others.
7. Trees are an example of a value-system. Trees have extensive root systems. Some trees, such as mesquites, grow taproots that are often larger than the trunk and that can extend down into the ground hundreds of feet to reach vital sources of water. And they remind us to drink plenty of water! How extensive is your root system? Is it solidly embedded in principles and values that provide valuable guidance when life-choices need to be made? That’s your integrity.

8. Don’t pine away over old flames. A little pun, but good advice. We cannot dwell in the past. Living in the NOW is what is important.

Sometimes you have to shed your old bark in order to grow. This goes along with accepting change. I’ve mentioned many times how important it is to not let things pile up, that causes the energy flow to clog, whether internally or externally. Allow yourself to expand and grow. Imagine what would happen to a tree if it did not shed its bark as it attempted to grow. OUCH! It would be stymied. And so are you if you do not release what no longer serves you.

9. Grow where you’re planted. And enjoy the view. What could this mean? Often times we humans look across the fence and think that’s looking better than what we have on our side. We compare ourselves to others. This can be very damaging to our soul. It’s your journey folks, not mine, not your neighbors, not your friends, not your spouse’s or partners. The joy is in the journey, not at some imagined destination. Relish it.

8. And, it’s perfectly okay to be a late bloomer. Some trees do not bloom or fruit for many years. I’ve met so many folks who have made dramatic changes later in their lives, I’m one of them. These changes are partly because they needed to grow in their own, meaningful way and time, and partly because the opportunities were not available for them until later in life. It’s all ok. As I mentioned earlier, we are all on a journey and each path is different for each and every one of us. That doesn’t make anyone better than the other.

9. Avoid people who would like to cut you down. Who needs negativity in their life? Sometimes it takes us a while to notice who supports us in positive ways. As we learn to love ourselves, we also learn what type of person is good to have along for the journey. It’s ok to let them go, they are on their own journey.

10. Trees remind us you can’t hide your true colors as you approach the autumn of your life. Be content with your natural beauty. And I would say that is true for all times in our lives, not just the autumn, though I can understand why the autumn of our lives is mentioned with its beautiful colors. We often look back on our youth as being “IT”. That nothing can be like that time of carefree fun and doing stuff. But as I look around the folks I’m getting to know here, I see so many blooming in the so called autumn of their lives. We have a lot to give in our communities. Don’t hold back…live your life!
Max DuPree said, “We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” Think about it.

11. So, go out on a limb. If you really believe in something, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. Trees do it all the time. And if they over-stretch their boundaries, they either stop or re-direct their growth in a different direction. So, what was it you always wanted to try? And why are you waiting? It’s never too late.

12. You could say trees provide a sense of environmental leadership, supporting the growth of other life forms and saplings. They provide an environment that enables the other life forms to develop and grow. Here are a few things trees do for our benefit:

So, what are you doing to aid the environment? What are you doing to aid our communities? Oh, if we would be as diligent as the tree.

The Buddha said “Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow, come and go like the wind. To be happy rest like a giant tree, in the midst of them all.”

The best lesson of all….Be in the NOW.

The Oceans are US

Someone just asked last week in class what is it that draws us to the ocean, to water? Is it the soothing sounds of the water splashing against the beach or rocks? Lapping in and out in a wondrous beat, reminiscent of our heart beat?

Or is it the salient composition that is similar to that of the amniotic fluid within the womb, maybe our desire to get back to that connection with the Source that we all come from?

Maybe it’s the peace it brings to us, contemplating the world as we let the waves flow over our feet or as we dangle them in the flow of a stream.

Or maybe the fact that we are made mostly of water brings us back to that which we are?

Whatever it is, it is a true connection with nature. And, the ocean is a symbol of us in so many ways. We often hear of the Oneness that we are a part of described as the ocean and the waves. We, as the wave are individuals, yet part of the WHOLE, the ocean. So it is with the Universe, the Source. We are it and IT is us.

The ocean can be looked on as a symbol of much more. Let’s look at it metaphysically. The ocean can symbolize both the good, the God in us as well as the “Missing the mark” in us.

If you missed one of the earlier lessons. “Missing the mark” is the

Original, if you will, definition of ‘sin’. Sin is an archery term for missing the target. And it is Unity’s definition of traditional Christianity’s term, sin. Because we see what traditionalists call sin as a mistake, a chance to choose again, make a better choice, ‘missing the mark’ of what you wish to do and then, choose again.
So, let’s take a look at what we humans have done to the oceans-how we have ‘sinned’ against them.

There’s lots of trash – plain old every day trash that pollutes the oceans, we see it wash up on the shore, it could be paper, or little odds and ends of things – metaphysically, this could be those simple little things that cross our minds and we push them aside. Maybe little grudges we hold tight to us, thinking we will get the last word. But, like those little things, the trash never seems to go away. We need to release the little things before they become BIG things.

We find Bottles and cups washing up on the beach –these cups and bottles are those thoughts we carry with us from our past; words or deeds done to us that we just can’t seem to forget or forgive. We fill our cups with words of anger from our parents or siblings, partners or spouses, they could be words of limitation, thrown at us in anger or weakness. It could be gossip. And we carry them with us, sometimes they resurface to pour the hurt and pain over us again and again. We ARE the only animal that relives hurt…purposely In fact!

Hypodermic needles – this could be race consciousness; all those thoughts and actions outside us that we allow to be injected into our thoughts and sometimes, our actions. Race consciousness doesn’t have anything to do with the color of your skin. It’s about the influence of the world we allow upon us. Think about your reaction to things that are happening in the world WHETHER NEXT DOOR OR ACROSS THE WORLD…that’s race consciousness. And it’s up to you whether you let it be injected into your consciousness and carrying it with you to be injected into other people’s consciousness. You always have a choice.

Clothing that washes up after being left behind on the sand or from other source – these are things we hide behind, could be thoughts we hide, thinking others won’t approve of us if we let our true selves show; could be actions from our past that we don’t want others to know about. Could be the false front we hide behind with our appearance, trying to be something or someone we are not. Whatever it is, we don’t show our true self. And who is that hurting? What do you think?

Food – This is all the words and thoughts we ingest and believe every day when we listen to others, when we listen to the news and let the negative words and pictures that are used to enter into our very being. Words like: crisis, disaster, terrible, unfortunate, catastrophe…You choose the ones you hold onto. You pick what you will ingest. You have heard the saying, “You are what you eat,” well, that goes for the food for thought too.

Driftwood – could be what we would call each and every one of us when we ‘just go along with the flow’ of things happening around us. When we feel that something isn’t right but we don’t do anything about it, we just let it happen. Like having our head in the sand. We hear the call to do what is ours to do, but then, don’t do it. We just drift right past it, turning our head away.

Plastic – Plastic is anything that we refuse to let go of. Plastic take about 500 years to disintegrate in a landfill. Imagine what something that lasting is doing to your insides? To your consciousness, and to your soul? What are you holding onto? Do you feel it in your stomach area? That is “plastic” thoughts.

Boats – ah, possibly people who don’t want to go ‘there.’ Too much work to look within myself. It might hurt too much. Why would I want to know and understand myself? Let me enjoy the fruits of my efforts so I don’t need to concern myself with other’s needs, the state of the world, etc. Just let me buzz by….

Oil – represents un-forgiveness, it clings on us and is hard to shake off, but if you know the right Way, it can be removed. We all know that forgiving is healing for us more so than the ‘other’. It is truly difficult to truly forgive. Think about the oil spills we have witnessed and how the work is not only on the surface but deep down too. Forgiveness work takes time and effort, just like cleaning an oil spill.

De-salinization – the more the ice caps melt in the North and South poles from Global Warming, the more the ocean water loses its salt balance. Let’s think of this as our ‘busyness.’ We are so busy we don’t have any time or energy to do what we need to do for soul work. We keep our day filled with stuff and don’t look at what’s inside, what really make us who we are. And we are out of balance, just like the ocean’s waters.

Now let’s look at how the Ocean represents God, Source, Goddess, the Universe in us.

“There is one holy book; the sacred manuscript of nature, the only Scripture that can enlighten the reader.” Hazrat Inayat Khan

The waves – As the waves splash onto the beach, the rhythm reminds me of going with the flow of life. No resistance. No pushing and shoving. Just in like our breathe, and out. In and out. The natural, peace-filled flow of life can be seen in the ocean tide as waves wash in and out from the shore. We can feel the flow of life as air moves through us with the rise and fall of our chest as we breathe.

“Every breath is a sacrament, an affirmation of our connection with all other living things, a renewal of our link with our ancestors and a contribution to generations yet to come. Our breath is a part of life’s breath, the ocean of air that envelopes the earth.”

As we observe the action of the waves, we can relate to the natural flow of thoughts and ideas as they pass through our mind.

One idea that comes to mind is let go and let God. The beach takes what the wave has to offer, inhale; and then releases and flows back; exhale. Give and take; take and give. There is no expectation of the wave or of the beach. The beach takes whatever the wave offers and does not hold onto the wave as it retreats back to the ocean. Expectation is often what causes pain in our relationships. We have an expectation of what the relationship should be. What we want from it. The wave and the beach have none. They just go with the flow.

The wave has no guilt with what it leaves on the shore and none as it retreats back. There is no attachment associated with this ebb and flow. We attach much to people and things. People I understand. Things not so much.
Prosperity – All of this flow is divine energy. Spirit’s life-giving energy flows to and through all creation—through every system, every process, every being on earth. The flow of the Divine enables us as humans to overcome hardship, heal from disease, and come together in times of need. Prosperity is not just the amount of cash you have available, it’s family, friends, people, pets, nature, having our physical needs met. If prosperity includes money in the bank, that makes it just as wonderful.

Go deeper – some say that the ocean is the next, great frontier. If we look at that thought metaphysically, it’s easy to see that going deeper into ourselves is the real frontier. We are urged often by the call of spirit to know our soul and what our soul’s wish is. We often do not listen, or are not quiet enough to hear. Or maybe not ready to see or hear, as the scripture states “…for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.”

Consider the icebergs, a part of the oceans near the North and South poles, we see only 10% or less of a visible iceberg. The majority is below the surface, much like ourselves. We have much to uncover, to discover and to share that is not seen on the surface. And we have many ways to discover who and what we truly are. There are many paths. Unity is but one Path to answer the big question- “Who AM I and Why am I here?” We hope you find your spiritual home here, at Unity of Rehoboth Beach. But, if not, we pray you find where you are comfortable and spiritually fed, and that you have others to join you on your journey.

Vision – The ocean reminds us to look to our vision, to HAVE a vision. As we stand on the beach looking out at the vastness of the waters before us, we can hold a vision of oneness, of how great this world is and all the wonder it holds for us. We can be reminded of the vast horizon before us and that what we envision CAN come to be.

Control – When an obstacle blocks a stream of water, the water finds a way to flow over, under or around it. Sometimes the stream of water gathers strength and moves with force and speed through narrow passages. Other times it collects and rests in shallow places. We are free to choose the course of our life’s stream and to determine the flow of our life. And, believe it or not, our choices determine if we are flowing or forcing our way along. But we do not need to control everything, everyway. We can find the flow and go with it.

Gary Zukav said, “By choosing your thoughts, and by selecting which emotional currents you will release and which you will reinforce, you determine the quality of your light. You determine the effects that you will have upon others, and the nature of the experiences of your life.”

If we step into the waters of the ocean, we find that the waters embrace us. It lifts us up and if we relax we find that it supports us as we float along with the flow. And if we get caught in a rip current, we learn not to fight it but allow it to float us back to shore. Relax and go with the flow. How often have you heard those words of advice? It works for more than rip currents!

There’s a saying, “Life comes to us in waves, but we can learn to surf.” What does that mean? I believe it means what we mentioned earlier, to go with the flow, to trust your Higher Power, to Let Go and Let God. It means to find what is yours to do and then take the steps to do it. Or as we like to say, To put feet to your prayers.

Strength and weakness – There is strength and there is weakness when we consider the ocean. Strength in the force of the water during a storm and the weakness, one could call it, as the beach relinquishes to the wave. But there is also strength in the reforming of the beach after a storm. As the waves crash onto the shore we stand in awe of the force of nature and it gives us respect for that force.

But we also can stand in awe as, after the storm, we see the water calm and the beach and waves go back to their dance of intimacy. Touching and flowing with each other. It remind me of the relationships we have with those we love, how we can be so close and then so distant. Too often we forget to be like the ocean and the wave, and come back together again. So the beach can rebuild its relationship with the wave and the wave can come calmly to the beach and help it rebuild it.

Water is associated with emotions. As we observe the oceans, we can relate our emotions to the action of the waters. Storms are our strong emotions and sometimes they crash onto the shore with force, as do our feelings. Sometimes the ocean is calm, just as we are. And sometimes, it looks calm, but below the surface, there is turmoil-maybe from anger, maybe excitement.

Meditation – Sitting on the beach, watching the surf can be so meditative. I’ve often just sat there and let the sounds take me away. It’s very calming and grounding for me.

What does the sea say to you? And are you listening? The negative emotions we feel is our indicator of resistance, while positive emotions are our indicator of allowance. Are you allowing as the beach allows the wave to give and receive? Are you breathing in and out?

Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

What ripple are you creating?

Notice I haven’t mentioned the creatures of the sea. That could be a whole new lesson!

Living Intentionally
What does that mean to you?

Too often, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, doing the same thing the same way over and over every day. But if we are going to live at our full potential, we should constantly be growing and sharpening our skills. We should strive to learn and grow every single day because when you stop learning, you stop growing. When you stop growing, you stop living.

There are many sources of valid spiritual guidance in the world—all focused on the same universal principles of purpose and empowerment. If you don’t ‘hear’ what you seek in the Bible, you will find the same truth, phrased differently, somewhere else. What’s important is to keep looking, and then to claim the truth as you find it. I have found mine through Unity and where Unity has taken me.

In this season of your life, what are you doing to stretch yourself? What are you doing to express your version of the Golden Rule? What are you doing to improve your skills?

Living intentionally is one way I strive to improve my skills, to live by the Golden Rule. It is defined as using a variety of contexts like spirituality, ethical and personal values to base how you live your life. You intentionally live by a set purpose or manner. You are aware of your lifestyle choices. The way you live is based upon your basic beliefs and values. Intentional living represents an individual’s or a group’s effort to live with integrity in relation to his or her conscience and environment.

What exactly does it take to live a life of intention? It takes a decision; a simple decision that will ultimately test the strength of your commitment and the depth of your faith in what you believe.
While much of life is lived on “auto-pilot,” living with intention is another way of approaching life. It involves learning to become more psychologically and spiritually awake, alert and emotionally available to one’s own inner workings, while naturally becoming more attuned to all other aspects of life. As greater self awareness is cultivated, it is reflected in a life that simply works better – better choices, more authentic relationships, deeper connections.

Emphasis is placed on getting the most from, and giving the most to, the present moment. Rather than rushing ahead (which is living anxiously), or clinging to the past (which is living depressively), learning to live in the now opens the door to creating previously unforeseen opportunities.

Leo Buscaglia wrote “Don’t spend your precious time asking ‘Why isn’t the world a better place?’ It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is ‘How can I make it better?’ To that there is an answer.”

My whole life has been a journey of awakening – sometimes wide awake, sometimes half asleep, sometimes snoring! As I have journeyed, I have become increasingly aware of how I live my life. And I can use what I call my favorite words to help explain that way of living. Those words are Intention, Integrity, Discernment, Reverence and Love. And these words are the answer I have found my effort to make the world a better place. My answer to Living Intentionally.

Most anyone who has spoken with me in deep discussion knows my thoughts about these words and their meanings to me. I often use them as part of discussion when facilitating classes as examples of my life experiences.
I’d like to express my thoughts regarding each of these terms. First, Intention: Intention is defined as an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result; a purpose or attitude toward the effect of one’s actions or conduct, purpose, on a goal that one intends to accomplish or attain, intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about, it suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

When we have a purpose of how we wish to live our lives, we find that our choices are much easier to come forward because we know who we are and what the purpose of our being here at this time is all about. We know that our life is based upon the intention to live a positive life, to choose love over fear, to choose our thoughts so they are based upon how we wish to see our world unfold around us. We choose the kind of energy we wish to invoke around us to show we are the light of the world.

Many people I know take the first few moments of the day or after their morning prayer or meditation time to set an intention for the day. It’s a spiritual practice to place your thoughts and energy to what you want to experience through the day.

American Author Alexander Woollcott, said “There is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” Each day provides its own gifts. Maybe you’d like to practice setting an intention for a while and see how it affects you day.

I found this quote by someone unknown that I’d like to share with you: “This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good.” Let each day be something good.

My second word is Integrity, defined as possession of firm principles: the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles, or professional standards: the state of being complete, sound or undivided.
I use integrity as a guide for choices being made every second of the day. These are most often not choices that I sit and ponder hours or even minutes over. If I am living my integrity, there is really no choice to make because the correct choice, that is within my intention of how my life looks; are almost automatic.

As we move through our journey to recognizing and acknowledging who we really are, our integrity becomes truer to the Divine that we are. It becomes almost painful to be out of integrity. And when I am faced with a situation where I do ponder the choices presented to me, I only need to pause for a moment in most cases, because if I am living in my integrity, the obvious choice is always there, easy to see and put into action.

My next word, Discernment, is defined as a keenly selective judgment. If we use the biblical reference; we call it righteous judgment (John 7:24). Most people hear the word judgment and place a negative connotation to it. And if we use judgment in the capacity of prejudice, based upon preconceived notions that are not justified, then it is a negative thing.

But when we use discernment in our choices, we are using our intentions for our life as we envision it and using our integrity to help us base our discernment in living that intentional life. So discernment puts the intention in play and your integrity to the test, if you will, to make those choices that are yours to do, knowing what is yours to know.

Every major religion in the world, without exception, affirms a close variation of what is called in Christianity the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

It’s a spiritual guide that appeals even to our intellectual nature. It comes into play with discernment. And it makes sense! If everyone were to apply this sort of enlightened self-interest to all interactions with others, the world would unquestionably be a friendlier place.

But it hardly seems powerful enough to be perhaps the most universally acknowledged spiritual truth in the world. It’s a little too obvious, too simple. Is there more to it than meets the eye? There is.

The Golden Rule is not simply a recommendation of proper behavior. It is a key to the deepest truth the universe can demonstrate: our Oneness with each other, and with the Power of God. We do not treat others lovingly just because it is good for them – or even good for us. “As you sow,” Jesus taught, “so shall you reap.” Or as it’s often expressed in Twelve Step recovery programs, “To keep it, you must give it away.”

Next, Reverence defined as feelings of deep respect or devotion. In the first creation story in Genesis, God gives dominion to humankind over all the animals and plants covering the earth and flying in the skies, and swimming in the seas. Dominion is authority or control. In the second chapter of Genesis God tells humankind to take care of the Garden and all its inhabitants, both animal and plant.

We can become closer to discovering who we really are, to recognizing our divinity through our reverence of all life and finding beauty and love in all life. Virtually anything can be held in reverence: nature, music, prayer, birth, death, sexuality, poetry, persons, pilgrimage, sports participation, etc.; they become occasions for the experience of God, moments when we become aware of the presence of Spirit, when the sacred becomes an experiential reality. If we take a moment to recall those moments when we were in a reverent state of mind, we can relive the peace, the positive energy of the moment. Maybe even an epiphany that joyfully presented itself to you and the wonder you felt as this sank into your consciousness. If we allow reverence to fill us in our daily endeavors, we will find joy much like Brother Lawrence who found joy in washing the dishes and scrubbing the floor. We may chuckle at the idea but the point being to be in the presence of Divine Spirit as we go about our day, and do so with reverence, intention and integrity.

Neale Donald Walsch said, “Your soul doesn’t care what you do for a living – and when your life is over, neither will you. Your soul cares only about what you are being while you are doing whatever you are doing.”

Another quote by someone unknown, “Your work is not to drag the world kicking and screaming into a new awareness. Your job is to simply do your work… sacredly, secretly, and silently… and those with ‘eyes to see and ears to hear’, will respond.”

Eckhart Tolle asks, “Then what is the relationship between something that you do and the state of joy? You will enjoy any activity in which you are fully present, any activity that is not just a means to an end. It isn’t the action you perform that you really enjoy, but the deep sense of aliveness that flows into it.”

Lastly, Love is defined as to feel tender affection for somebody or for something such as a place, an ideal, or an animal, to feel and show kindness and charity to somebody or something.

I have believed Love, Loving, is the answer for most of my journey. And to be honest, I believe it has been a belief since I can remember looking out the living room window one evening at the age of 11 or 12, wondering what was true since what I felt was true was very different that what I was seeing around me in my family and my world at the time. After much, much searching, I find myself here, today, believing that the real choice we have is based upon two directions – LOVE or FEAR. We can place everything in those two categories. And when we look at any and all questions, thoughts, doubts, problems, challenges…whatever you wish to label it…love is the answer. What would love do? If we believe that Jesus is the way-shower and his message is love, then whatever we do, we do in Love, for Love, with Love, as Love.

We just talked about Love being a verb last week. That IS the answer…loving in every way.

A friend called me a while back to tell me I have been right all this time. We all want to hear that once and a while. What she was saying is she had just finished listening to a lesson from Ester & Gerry Hicks, teachers of Abraham’s message and authors of “Ask and it is Given” among other titles. And the message in this latest offering from them was that everything boils down to LOVE or fear. Those are our choices.

Think about the choices you make day to day. How do you make them? What criteria do you use to choose?

Bernie S. Siegel said, “Choose to love and make others happy, and your life will change, because you will find happiness and love in the process. The first step towards inner peace is to decide to give love, not receive it.”
SO, when I say, LOVING IS THE ANSWER, it means that I have taken the message of Intention, Integrity, Discernment, and Reverence, and wrapped them all into the package labeled LOVE. And it’s not just love, but loving, the verb, the action that shows our love. And this is how I try to live my life. I know, I know, Yoda says there is no try, there’s only do & not do, but I’m not where Yoda is yet.

Dr. Leo Buscaglia, said: “It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of person kind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.”

And Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Living may “WORDS” helps me come and stay alive.

And finally, these words from Paulo Coelho “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
By living intentionally, I strive to be better each moment. You too, can strive to fulfill your passion for life, choose wisely.

It Is What It Is

Joke-
A woman was walking down the street when she was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked for a couple of dollars for dinner. The woman took out her wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, “If I give you this money, will you buy wine with it instead of dinner?”

“No I had to stop drinking years ago”, the homeless woman told her.

“Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?” She asked.

“No, I don’t waste time shopping,” the homeless woman said. “I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.”

“Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?” asked the woman.

“Are you NUTS!” replied the homeless woman. “I haven’t had my hair done in 20 years!”

“Well,” The woman said, “I’m not going to give you the money. Instead, I’m going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.”

The homeless woman was shocked. “Won’t your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I’m dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.”

The woman replied, “That’s okay. It’s important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and wine.”

In the book, “Point of Power”, Rev. Dr. Paul Hasselbeck wrote, “What I look for and what I think I will find is what I tend to find, not because it is inherently in the event or situation but because it is in my mind. I see, perceive, and experience my world through my thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.”

We see what we expect to see. And we see what we have labeled it or named it.

The word CHURCH is a perfect example. What do you think of or feel when I say the word CHURCH? Many people have a hard time with the word because of their prior experiences and the attitudes they have developed because of those experiences. And so, they exclude themselves from the experience we have here today because they haven’t erased the word CHURCH and the attitude they formed from their past yet.

The same is said about many words, especially those found in religion. God. Father. Goddess. Christ. Sin. Bible. What were your feeling as I mentioned those words?

We have talked about some of these words. In Unity, they mean different things than they do in traditional religions. In fact, Unity doesn’t even like to use the word ‘religion’. We think of ourselves more as a Spiritual movement.

In Genesis 2:19-20, it’s written:
“Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the human to see what they would name them; and whatever the human called each living creature, that was its name. So the human gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.”

All the animals, birds, beasts were named and thus, that is what we expect when someone says, fish, robin, hawk, dog, cow, etc.

And in Matthew 16:13-16
When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

So, those of us raised in the Christian tradition think of Jesus as ‘the Son of God’, at least until, as I did, they looked into the other traditions.

As it is named, so we see it.

I had an experience while I was attending my last set of Leadership Classes at Unity Village. We had a double class of prayer; types, techniques, etc. As we were discussing praying for others, we had a practice session with a partner. My partner was Paula, a woman I had met during the last set of classes. When it was my turn, I was to give her something that I wanted to pray over, so I shared with her something that had come up regarding my health that I was experiencing at the time. It had to do with a nodule that was found on my thyroid gland, a biopsy was taken but there was not enough material to make a diagnosis. Being a breast cancer survivor, I wasn’t very happy about having another ‘lump’ in my body. Paula gave a very good prayer “for the right and perfect solution,” as I expected she would. After she was finished, as we were discussing the process we had just gone through, she told me something I had not considered….she said “it is what you call it”.
She was right. I was calling it a worry, a concern; a challenge, something that might throw my life into a tail spin. I was recalling my experience with Breast Cancer. I needed to call it, to ‘label’ it in a positive manner.

Our bodies hear everything we or others say to it. We should use caution when listening. I was listening to my fears of cancer and not to what I was learning in class. I needed to put my lessons into practice.

I’m sure I am not alone in this, calling something that is a change, something more. A crisis. A disaster. It’s devastating. What a shame. Poor so and so…. Just look at any situation in the world today or in your life and how it is labeled. And the labels we give to certain animals and to people! Pit Bulls for example. Or people from different cultures.

We see what we expect as Rev. Hasselbeck said. Why do we do that? Is there a benefit to naming something or someone in a negative way? Dr. Phil use to say that when we keep doing something negative; it means we are getting some kind of payback. So what is the payback for calling something a ‘crisis’? Or ‘devastating’?

The real question is why do we label something negative knowing that our thoughts create our world? Doesn’t that give our power away?

Again, my Metaphysic instructor at Unity Village, Rev. Dr. Hasselbeck says we would be better off asking ourselves what are we going to do about the situation instead of asking why it happened. Asking why, he states, keeps us in a victim role. But by asking what can I do about it takes us away from feeling helpless and into action.”

While visiting a friend several years ago, she was talking about manifesting a job opportunity. She related how she had asked for the last opportunity by listing what she wanted from it: abundance, of course, but she also wanted to be CHALLENGED. And she was. In every way….

So this time, we talked about fine turning that manifestation, and listed abundance, joy, peace, but also rewarding. No challenge. This second opportunity turned out to be much more of what she really wanted and needed.

See how easily it was to make a simple thought for a good experience into a pile of unwanted experiences? And to turn it around to good? That is what we did with the job opportunity.

Superstitions are another good example of labeling something negative…break a mirror, 7 years of bad luck. Why not 7 years of joy, peace, and good? What other superstitions can you think of that suggest a negative result to them? Anyone?(walking under a ladder, seeing a black cat,)

When painful events bring grief or discord into our life experience, when we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, we don’t have to pitch a tent and linger there, labeling it a tragedy, a crisis. Ernest Holmes said; “If we do not know the Truth in difficult times, we do not know the Truth”. What does that mean? I think it means that when we do have an opportunity to trust in Spirit, we need to do just that. Trust Spirit to guide us through.

Yet sometimes we do linger longer in the Valley than maybe we need. We only need to process the situation at hand. Yes, grieve if it is needed. Yes, Look for insights. Yes, Ask yourself painfully honest questions. But Stay there after you’ve searched everything thoroughly and learned your lessons. No. That is being a victim.

Each day is full & ripe with as much satisfaction & meaning as we choose to see. Henry David Thoreau said; “the question is not what you look at but what you see.” Our filters have a way of influencing what we see. And what do we see when we look at someone who is “different” than we are? If we are seeing through our filters, we often place that Spirit into a physical definition of different than; different color of skin, different life style, different way of living, different dress, different belief.

And not just someone we don’t personally know…we use these same filters on people we are acquainted with and label them ‘friend, ‘not too friendly,’ ‘mean,’ ‘sad,’ “distant’ and often we hardly know them. Have we ask them who they really are? Have we given them a chance to get to know who we are? Or are we judging them based upon our DOMESTICATION? Can you see how that may limit how we relate to others and may cause discord in relationships? How about looking for how we are alike?

And do you know the difference between ‘judgment’ and ‘righteous judgment’ or ‘discernment’? The word ‘judgment’ is colored by our domestication, by our filters, by what others are saying about the person or object or situation.

‘Righteous judgment’ or ‘discernment’ as used in the Bible and many of our spiritual texts, means we are looking with eyes of love, using our heart to guide us, we are seeing the Christ Consciousness in the person or situation and we choose from that perspective whether to involve ourselves.

This is a Hugh difference.

Think about how we define success, “The achievement of anything that you desire must be considered success, whether it is a trophy or money or relationships, or things. But, according to Abraham Hicks, if you will let your standard of success be your achievement of joy-everything else will fall easily into place. For in the finding of joy, you are finding vibrational alignment with the resources of the Universe.”
So, how do you define success? And how does that definition color your world?

It doesn’t serve us to create from false beliefs, yet that is what we often do. In our daily creation, we have a choice, we can choose to create consciously or unconsciously. Thoughts believed take form in our world, so it is most important that we only believe those thoughts that we desire to manifest, those that support our Spirit, and reject the others, no matter who is communicating these concepts.

We often get caught up in situations we have little or no control. This is where the power of our choices can help empower us to live our Truth. When a situation comes up where we have an opportunity to grow, we can look at what we have named it. We want to look at the potential good in the situation, not at the negative. As has been said, experience the moment, but then observe your habits & attitudes; try to understand where they came from; why you may be denying your good in this circumstance? Getting to the bottom, so to speak, of your belief, can help discover where it started so you can work on releasing it and choose positive thoughts instead. And if we are defining others through our filters and beliefs, we need to look at them and see with true sight.

So, when a ‘so-called’ disaster strikes, whether floods, tornadoes, illness of a family member or friend, instead of asking WHY, we can go into action, whatever it is that we are capable of doing. It could be saying a prayer, sending funds or help packages, or it could be going and doing something. Anything positive will help the situation. It can be as simple as sending Love and Light to the situation or person.
This is one why we have a Prayer Request Box and why Prayer is so important in Unity. We KNOW it works! So send a prayer when you have a concern or opportunity to grow.

Putting action, the WHAT in place instead of why, keeps us in a positive frame of mind, which is what it’s all about. Positive energy helps us all. What you do for yourself, you do for all.

Another area to pay attention to is if we are ‘seeing’ that our inner and outer circumstances are in sync. I have a friend who decided to buy a new car. She didn’t need a new car but was trying to look ahead: mileage was getting up there, her commute was long; she might be changing jobs. Even though she loved the car she had and all the other cars she was looking at would have caused her extra efforts to add the equipment needed to transport her kayaks, even the ‘not right’ feeling she had about the whole thing, even though she wasn’t comfortable in the drivers’ seat, she headed to the car dealer to make the buy. On the way, she received an even more direct ‘hint’ that she should reconsider the following through with purchase…a sign right in front of her said, “Don’t Do IT.”

Well, she bought a car…and after driving to work several days, she didn’t like the way it sat so she traded it for another car…didn’t like it, so she traded it for another car. This is all in a matter of about a months’ time. She didn’t like this car either, but determined it wouldn’t be wise to trade again, so she’s driving her mother’s car! STILL!

This is a simple example of not following our Truth, not listening to our inner voice. She ‘saw’ a need to get a car, not letting Spirit guide her, but listened to ego instead The error thinking, not listening to our intuition, not listening to our bodily signals, we can add suffering to our lives. Science of Mind says: “The universe does not demand suffering! Someday we shall decide that we have had enough.”

And Kahlil Gibran said, “We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.” Think about that!

SO when do we determine we have had enough suffering? When do we leave the Valley of the Shadow of Death? Do we linger there or do we learn what is ours to learn, do what we are to do, and then leave?
Charles Fillmore said, “God’s greatest gift to man is the power of thought, through which he can incorporate into his consciousness the mind of God.” But if we are to use this greatest gift, are we to dwell in its negative side? No, we use thought to create, to understand.

By questioning all our thoughts and beliefs and what we are being told, we can ask these questions in the Light of eternal Truth: 1. Is it beneficial for everyone, including all animals and the Earth? 2. Is this an unlimited thought, meaning that all is possible? 3. Does this thought empower us to live as we choose?
And if we say NO to any of these, we may want to ask ourselves where did I get that thought? What am I defining and why? And WHERE did that come from?

Rev. Dr. Hasselbeck also said, “The good news is that we create our own reality our own life experiences through our thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. The bad news is that we create our own reality our own life experiences through our thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. Knowing this we can assume our power, the power God always intended us to be.”

“The first place we lose the battle is in our own thinking. If you think it’s permanent then it’s permanent. If you think you’ve reached your limits then you have. If you think you’ll never get well then you won’t. You have to change your thinking. You need to see everything that’s holding you back, every obstacle, every limitation as only temporary.”

And thus we can know, as Robert Frost said, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” And knowing this, we can also know it’s not the world that needs changed, it’s what we think about the world that needs changed. And then life goes on.

“Happiness can be found everywhere, and in everything. Or not. It’s our choice.” ~ A.D. Williams

Aug. 10, 2014
This little story was found in the Readers Digest: From a minister – Apparently I did not proofread the Sunday bulletin as well as I had thought when I prepared it. Imagine my surprise Sunday morning when I read the announcement about our coffee hour: “Please come down to the basement and say hell to the pastor.” (Ann G. Straight, in Reader’s Digest)
I hope that you say HELLO when we meet during Fellowship and I do hope to meet you all! Please grab your coffee or tea and come back into the room for conversation.

You know, it happens to the best of us-We try so hard to proof everything before we print it or send it out, so imagine our surprise when we discovered that the address was incorrect on the inaugural bulletin last week! It’s Coastal Highway, not Poastal! But we just let it go…after we corrected it for this week!

Anyway…
I’m a Unitic. That’s U.n.i.t.i.c not lunatic!

What does that mean? It means I believe in the 5 Principles that the Fillmores, Charles and Myrtle came up with after they first heard a speaker talk about metaphysics and healing our bodies through our thoughts and prayers. They went on to explore the world religious and spiritual cultures and choose to follow the teachings of Jesus. Notice I said the teachings of Jesus, not Christianity, tho Unity does profess to be a study in PRACTICAL Christianity. We look at Jesus as a Way-shower, a Brother who was able to transcend the Spiritual Principles, or Laws, and become one with Spirit, Goddess, Lord, Divine Universe, Great Spirit, God…what other names are there for the Divine Energy that we are all made of?

SO what is a Principle? It’s something that doesn’t change, like 2+2=4 or the law of gravity. No matter who you are or where you are on this earth that is fact!

Spiritual Principles work the same way. No matter who you are or what you do, certain things just work. It’s the Law of Cause and Effect, for instance, or the Law of Attraction we hear so much about. We’ll talk more about these laws in the future.

The Five Principles Charles and Myrtle Fillmore came up with and put into practice are listed in your bulletin.

1. There is only one Presence and one Power, God, the Good. This means that there is only God and only Good. No evil, no devil. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. That means we have to handle what happens in a dualistic world – spiritual and physical. There’s a lot we can discuss about that dualistic life that we live, but not today.
So if there’s no evil, no devil, what about all the so called “bad” things that happens. Well, that’s all perception, isn’t it? Try to look for the good. If you can’t find it initially, it will come eventually, sometimes it takes time. Sometimes we have to grieve. Sometimes we have to play the victim. But we eventually have to come out of the valley of the shadow of death and start anew. We may even set up camp there in the valley for awhile, but, eventually, camping gets old, as does playing the victim and being sad and unhappy all the time. That’s when it’s time to break up camp and move through the valley and back into the light.

There is good in everything. Think about every ‘crisis’ in the world or in your life, and eventually you will find something good that came from it. I am stronger because of the abuse I experienced in my childhood. I am more aware of what others can do to you if they are not in connection with their higher self. And I am more aware of who I truly am because of the life experiences I have had.

Wayne Dyer said, “See the beauty in everything. As you awaken to your divine nature, you’ll begin to appreciate beauty in everything you see, touch, and experience.”

Unity doesn’t say we ‘sin’, we like to look at things others call sin as “missing the mark,” which the true meaning of the word ‘sin.’(it’s an archery term, did you know?)

In fact, the Aramaic word that was translated as evil actually means immature. So it really means that we are not living from Divine Consciousness when we miss the mark. In my youth and not so youth, I have missed the mark a lot. But as I grew in awareness and consciousness, I don’t ‘miss the mark’ as much. Oh, I still do, I’m sure…just not as much! But as Paul wrote to the Corinthians in chapter 13, verse 11, “When I was a child I spoke as a child, but when I became a man, I gave up my childish ways.”

In case you were wondering, we don’t have a ‘devil’ in Unity either. Joseph Conrad, an English writer, said “The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary. Men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” We are here to change that!

2. The second Principle is God is present in all people as our Divine Essence, our Christ Nature. Now, as we said, you can call this divine energy, God, Spirit, Buddha, anything you wish, even your own name!
God is everywhere present. God is all knowing. God is unlimited. Not all powerful but all power. Not just all knowing, but all knowledge. Close your eyes and imagine God as the stars, the trees, the grass, the animals, God is love, wisdom, creativity, imagination…God as you and me.
Imagine God as Oneness within you and me and all around us. Jesus said many times He and the Father are one. So are we.
The Native American, Black Elk said, “Peace comes within the souls of men when they realize their oneness with the Universe, when they realize it is really everywhere, it is within each one of us.”
Buddhists envisioned this Oneness as a net stretching in all directions, as did the Hopi, only their vision was a web, connecting all things. The Chinese call it Tao, the Hindus call it Brahman.

Many names for the same Presence and Power. The same energy that is within everything and everyone. Just different vibrations.

And since God is Principle, this Power and Presence is unchangeable, It just IS. God does not pick and choose who to bless or who to love. God IS love. That is all God can be, and the word love is so limiting we hesitate to even use it. The sun doesn’t pick and choose who to shine on…it just shines. And neither does God discriminate against any of us. God loves us all.

And if God is all good, we, too, are good, since we are made in God’s imagine. “Then God said, Let us make humankind in our image…” Genesis 1:26

Jill Alman-Bernstein said, “We are all love. Our hearts, our souls, our thoughts are full of love. Our very essence; so pure and simply love. We need to be reminded of this truth, and of the compassion and kindness that we must give ourselves in the name of that love.”

3. We create our life experiences through our way of thinking. We have free will. So we choose what we think, say and do. Everything in the manifest, physical realm has its beginning in thought. And we are learning in our classes that the feeling, or emotion we place behind those thoughts determine if they will be seen in the manifest world.

And here we must be careful, because unconscious thoughts count when we are manifesting. One more reason to know who you REALLY are and what you are truly thinking. And here’s an example: last year I had my eyes examined. (I know, some of you wish I had my HEAD examined!) I was informed I was starting to develop cataracts, and I had a special kind that interfered with some peripheral sight. So, I started having the thought that I must be careful of not having an accident from some car I don’t see coming from my side. Well, I had that accident this Memorial Day weekend. Did I attract that accident? I don’t know, I may have helped to create it. My point is, watch your thoughts, both conscious and unconscious. And it takes work to learn what those unconscious thoughts are.

4. Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we connect with God and bring out the good in our world. Prayer is creative thinking that heightens the connection with God-Mind and therefore brings forth wisdom, healing, prosperity and everything good. There is power in affirmative prayer, which we believe increases our awareness of God. And what IS Affirmative prayer? It’s prayer with gratitude instead of begging. It is connecting with the spirit of God within and asserting positive beliefs about the desired outcome. Affirmative prayer is the same method of prayer Jesus taught when he said, “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). Affirmative prayer reflects the certainty that we are each being led to our highest good, whatever form that may take, despite any temporary appearances.

Myrtle Fillmore sat every day and prayed to her cells telling them that they were perfect, whole, and healthy. When her husband saw that she was getting better, he did the same. They both healed themselves through prayer…she from TB and Charles lengthened his leg that was injured when he was young and had failed to grow a normal length.

How do you do affirmative prayer? Start by centering yourself. Let your mind clear so you can better connect with Source. Try to get into a meditative state. And give thanks. Gratitude is so important. Rosemary Ellen Guiley, author of Prayer Works, states that

“Prayer is ineffective when it is accompanied or followed by negative thinking, or the endless repeating of affirmations. We have to put power and intensity into our thought, change our thought, and believe in the guidance we are receiving. If we spend energy on negative beliefs and feelings, we will get negative results, even if we and others pray daily for us. For example, if you pray for a job and then complain to others that you have no job or can’t find one, you are undermining your prayer.”

“In Unity, we believe that all things work together for our highest good,” says Lynne Brown, vice president of Unity’s 24/7 prayer ministry called Silent Unity. “We pray to align ourselves with God and to allow ourselves to be inwardly guided to that good. Through affirmative prayer, we help co-create the good that is possible in our lives.”
So Be a conscious participant in your creating.

5. Knowledge of these Spiritual Principles is not enough. We must live them. Knowing and understanding the laws of life, also called Truth, are not enough. A person must live the truth that he or she knows.

This is what we are doing as we live our journey, learning as we go along. Becoming a better person each day, each moment. And if we ‘miss the mark’, we know we are not cursed, not going to ‘hell’, but we get to make another choice.

Are you aware of the difference between the words decide and choice? Decide has as part of its root, ‘cide’, c-i-d-e, which means ‘to cut off’. We see it in many word that are associated with killing as in insecticide, pesticide, genocide…So, there is no ‘second chance, or CHOICE, in ‘decide’.

So, maybe we would do best to “watch our language” as my metaphysics teacher would say, and use CHOICE instead of DECIDE.

And remember:
“The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.” Paulo Coelho

I choose today’s Reading because of what we are doing here this morning. We accomplished something. Something rather astonishing and special. A year and a half ago, some of us gathered to start book discussion groups in the hope of becoming more aware of who we were as individuals and as Spiritual Beings. That seed was planted several years ago when, as I visited with friends, sitting on their deck overlooking the Indian River Bay, one of us said, “This would be a great place for a Unity. The energy here is ripe for it.” Or something to that effect. Not sure which one of us said it, but I’m pretty sure we each were thinking it!

Those seeds, those thoughts, grew into…Unity of Rehoboth Beach. Think about what we have accomplished. Let me read this again…

From Science of Mind, May 2014

Every day is filled with delicious moments of grace, joy, freedom, and abundance. Every day, each of us does something that is transformative. Let’s slow down and give thanks.

Are you savoring your accomplishments?

I know several times in our group discussions, we have mentioned one way or another, about looking at how far we have come, especially in place of how far we THINK we have to go. And then we use that as a means to propel us forward. That is part of our passion.

Nikos Kazantzakis, author of Zorba the Greek, said “By believing passionately in something that does not yet exist we create it.”

Several of us believed in this idea or Principle that thoughts create our world, our experiences. Obviously, I did. Because I took the time, energy, courage and devotion to take the steps needed to become licensed to be able to step into this position. And, with the help of many, many friends, I got to move here with that intention.

And you, sitting here, believed enough to take time and energy and especially courage, to step into this Spiritual process that involves delving deep inside yourself, seeking the answers and the questions that move you forward in your self-discovery, and the discovery that you are Divine.

In John, chapter 14, verse 12, Jesus said, “…you shall do the works which I do; and even greater than these you shall do.”
So how do we DO these works, whether they are starting this Unity ministry or making someone’s day by sharing a smile?
For me it started with finding my passion, which is teaching, leading discussions, and helping others in whatever way I am able. Then I found a place where I felt at home…Unity. And from there, I fine-tuned my integrity. We’ll talk about integrity some Sunday. Put them all together and I have groups to lead discussions, I get to help others as needed and now we have Unity of Rehoboth Beach to reach out to this blessed community, in hopes that others find the peace that I have found.

Each of you will reach inside yourself and discover your passion. Each of you will fine tune your integrity. And each of you will find the works that are yours to do…whether it’s starting something or completing something. It doesn’t matter how small (and nothing is truly small), you will do the works that are yours to do. And in doing those works, you are blessing the Universe, each of us, as well as yourself. So keep it up…smile those smiles, help others, be of service in any and every way.

Do even greater works.

In one week, we will have enjoyed our first Sunday Celebration Service at the new Unity of Rehoboth Beach. I one week I will either be sitting here, contemplating the few tweaks that have to be performed before next Sunday or I will be panicking because the Celebration was no celebration to talk about.

This adventure has been a long time coming. I ‘found’ Unity in the early nineties. It took me a little time to get into it, mostly because I let another determine my path. But once I started attending that little church in Mechanicsburg, PA, I was hooked.

It didn’t take long before I was taking classes to discover who I really was. Then, I looked at taking these classes for credit, encouraged by one of my mentors, Rev. Erica Tranthum, to work toward being licensed by Unity.

That was a long road, but it culminated in being licensed in the spring of 2011, under the direction of another mentor, Rev. Toni Fish.

So, I’ve been here in the Rehoboth Beach area for a year and half, facilitating book discussion groups in an effort to be of service to the folks here who are looking for something more in their lives. And after a year of those groups, it was time to take the next step…apply to Unity Worldwide Headquarters for official recognition as a pioneer ministry.

And we were approved! Thinking I could get things running quickly I looked to have the first Sunday Service on Father’s Day. But, that was put on hold when I had an accident as I was heading home to Pennsylvania for the Memorial Day weekend. I’m still recovering from the broken bones from that accident.

The delay was actually a good thing. I had much more to do to prepare for the opening Sunday. There’s a lot more legal things to attend to than I had ever imagined.

But the even better thing that happened from the accident was finding out what a wonderful support group we have grown here. I had friends taking care of everything from the insurance claim to the dogs, to me when I came home from the hospital with strict instructions to not walk on the left leg or bend it.

This wonderful group of people cleaned, did grocery shopping, took the dogs for grooming, helped me from room to room, cooked and provided meals, drove me to appointments…they did all kinds of things to make sure I could concentrate on healing.

I am truly blessed. And I hope they realize who they are and how grateful I am for the service they provided and still provide. I can drive now, but I can’t mow the grass, can’t get the dogs to the groomer, can’t even get groceries.

So, what is this message all about? Not sure. Another attempt to thank those people who have gone out of their way to help me, and yet, I know that service to others is what love is all about.   And I know that those people who have helped me have done so from their heart.

And so I am so grateful, as the song goes, so blessed. Thanks you my friends.

Who’s ministering to you?

As I sit here at home, pondering my life experiences, I wondered who is ministering to you. Now I could say that means, “Who is ministering to me?” And then I followed that with all the things I do for myself, daily, to help me through the day.

I have the Daily Word, and other spiritual type messages that are sent to my email account, and reading through and pondering them is part of my morning routine. I also make it a point to cruise through Facebook and read and ponder the many positive and spiritual messages that are posted, often reposting the ones that I believe would be appreciated by others on Facebook.

Then I also have several reminders that are timed on my phone, reminding me to remember PEACE, or SEND LOVE, or I AM GOD MANIFESTING. These messages chime into my day as wonderful reminders to take a break from the day-to-day routines that we allow ourselves to get into, often forgetting what is really important-to just BE.

Being limited with my movement (automobile accident two weeks ago), I can go as far as my deck and sit out there and let nature minister to me. I listen to the birds, and watch them fly from feeder to tree to another tree. I watch for the hummingbirds, and marvel at their tiny wings full of energy. I grumble for a short while at the squirrels and how they devour the bird food and scamper around chasing each other. The tree frogs sing their songs and I just smile.

ANYTHING in nature, ministers to me and I allow myself that time to receive it. No negativity about the squirrels, just truth….they eat more bird seed than the birds get! I don’t let the fat that I can’t walk down to the waterfront and watch the ducks, or the sun shine on the water, or look for crabs and fish in the water. I know that will be there when I am able to walk again.

The point in all this is, we have to receive the gifts of ministering as they are-where they come from. And so, I acknowledge here, one more area where I minister to me-I adjust to the fact that I require assistance to live and to have my dogs taken care of while I recover from this accident. Sometimes that is so very difficult when one is used to taking care of most of their needs.

I’ve had to adjust to a lot. And I am so very thankful that many friend have stepped up to assist in all this and continue to do so.

So, I ask again-“Who is ministering to you?”