Reading for December 27, 2015

Release

Affirmation: I make room in my world for new good to appear.

To experience greater peace and prosperity, I make a habit of releasing unwanted and unneeded belongings, as well as people and past situations and memories. By letting go of what no longer serves me, I make room for new good to appear.

At times I may feel constrained by my doubts and fears. Yet I move away from mistaken beliefs in lack and limitation.

Release makes my world more spacious. It opens the way for the free circulation of God’s infinite supply.

Letting go need not be painful. I am free to keep useful, artistic, or sentimental items and release whatever has fulfilled its purpose. Donating, recycling, or selling unneeded possessions can also create breathing space in my home.

And I am free to keep the positive thoughts and memories that bring me to experience joy again and again.

No matter where I begin, I ask for divine guidance. I then joyously set into motion the cleansing power of release, in the physical as well as my mental and emotional lives.

“For one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15

 

Good Morning Beloved

Recently George had a little too much “fun” at the office Christmas party. Knowing the police were on special alert, he did what they say you should do – he took a cab home.

This proved to be a wise decision, because after only a few blocks there was a police roadblock. They were checking drivers with a breath-alyzer.

But the taxi, being a taxi, was waved right on through. So it was a good decision to take a cab.

Plus, it was easier than he thought, and quite fun driving a cab. It’s really just like any other car.

But now George has this taxi in his garage and he doesn’t know what to do with it.

 

 

BURNING BOWL:

I hope you all experienced the birth of the Christ awareness within you on Christmas. Know that that very awareness is there to be acknowledged every day, every moment, if you just allow it.

 

As our reading for today suggests, there is a time to release what no longer serves our higher good. Sometimes we hold onto something from our past that may hinder our Spiritual Growth. And, often, the process of cleaning out a closet or kitchen drawer, as the reading suggests, can be a catalyst to releasing emotional blocks.

Psalms 51:10 states “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”

So, today we gather together to prayerfully support each other as we release negative and limiting thoughts and beliefs and establish a new awareness of Truth within ourselves.

 

Evelyn Underhill said, “God is always coming to you in the Sacrament of the Present Moment.”

We recognize that Sacrament as we are now and always, in the presence of pure Being, and immersed in the Holy Spirit of Life, Love, and Wisdom. We acknowledge THAT presence and power, O Blessed Spirit.

“The purpose of this quiet time is not as a memorial to the past; nor is it to be a time of wishful thinking for the future. Rather, let this be a time of definite work of denial and affirmation in consciousness, a cleansing of the old and an infilling of the new, through the Spirit of Truth.”

 

What is past is past. Live for right now. Release the old you.

 

“This is a time in which we release the past and lay hold of our good in the now and for the future. We shall achieve this release by denying any error thoughts and behavior patterns we wish to eliminate, and we shall lay hold of our good by affirming – by making firm – the patterns of True thoughts that will bring the good we desire into manifestation.”

 

Choose your thoughts carefully. Keep what brings you peace, release what brings you suffering. Happiness is just a thought away.

This is a time to trust your inner guidance. What do I need to release so I can know the God of my understanding, better?

“The process of releasing begins with forgiveness of all injury, both real and imagined. We recall the Truth that we are spirit, perfect, holy, and harmonious, and that nothing can hurt us or make us sick or afraid for spirit is God, and God can never be sick, or hurt, or afraid.”

Steve Maraboli put it well….“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”

We take a time of quiet now to call to mind all those persons or incidents in our lives, which we need to forgive.

We recognize the intensity of the emotions these memories generate in us, and we do not condemn ourselves for the way we feel. We choose, however, to change our injured feelings to feelings of harmony, love, and peace.

We know we have the power to change our emotions because our emotions are the result of our thoughts, because God gave us that power when the Divine gave us dominion over the earth and all things in it. We know that we must learn forgiveness, and we begin this learning process by becoming willing to forgive.

Matthew 5:22-24 “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say ‘You fool’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the alter, if you remember something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”

Let’s say together – “I am willing to forgive.”

NOW, Write a word, or name, a situation you wish to leave behind so you are able to begin anew this New Year.

We will give you some time…then-

As the ushers guide each row, come forward and release your past by burning this representation.

“As the fire transforms the energy contained in the paper into heat energy, so your denial releases the seeming power this condition has had in your life, and transforms that power into the purging fire of Spirit.

You may wish to say: ‘This condition is no longer a part of my life” or ‘I am free from the past, the missing the mark of the past and the results of past errors. I know the Truth and the Truth makes me free.’”

When you return to your seat, please remain silent and receive a blessing from Spirit and mediate and bless those who will follow.”

Letter to God:

Lets pray…

We come before You, Divine Spirit, hearts open, minds receptive to the gifts of this New Year. We still our thoughts that we may hear Your thoughts speaking to us and through us now.

Open us to the vision of Your Divine Will at work in all we do. Let us perceive the potential of this day and every day to create for us the goodness of Your purposes.

Still the noise of our cluttered minds, as we rest into the depths of meditation and prayer, responsive to new understandings of Truth.

On the sheet of paper given to you, write your letter to the God within yourself, affirming the good we wish to see manifest in our lives between now and the end of the year.

Use this quiet time to write your intentions for this New Year. Begin to communicate your dreams in writing. Look at them in the stillness of your own being. Let them state your affirmative prayers for the New Year.

Ideas that are as yet dormant will awaken to the promise of this New Year.

Poems that are as yet unwritten will flow through us to touch the hearts of others.

Books that are still embryos in my mind will mature into the inspiring revelation of

Your Light in the months ahead.

Friendships will strengthen in this year of transforming power. The synergy of caring enfolds me in the willingness to reach out and touch my fellow travelers along life’s pathway.

We all, each and every one of us, have a choice as to how we will live each day. We can choose peace, love, joy, compassion, gratitude. We can choose to feel Blessed for we are Blessed.

In this New Year, Holy Spirit, I know that You are with me, empowering me to transform difficulties into steppingstones to mastery. Challenges are overcome in the light of Your Truth.

 

This is the year that the Lord hath made. I will be glad and rejoice in it.

 

So, write your letter to yourself as if you are the God of your understanding, because you are.

When you are finished, Re-read your letter. Reflect on Spirit’s Truth revealed to you, and be at peace with it. Place it in your envelope and address to yourself. We will collect them and they will be mailed back to you during the month of Easter. This is a short period of time. However, we know there is no time in Spirit. Great things can be accomplished when we continue the work as Jesus, our Wayshower directed, when we pray believing that our prayers are answered, and live our lives in alignment with the answer we desire.

Let us prepare now for a time of meditation, followed by a period of silence and quiet reflection before we begin our writing.

Let’s gather together in gratitude as we complete our Letter writing. Please place your envelopes in the basket being passed for that purpose as we sing our Conscious Giving song, “Joy to the World” page 280 in the hymnal. First timers are welcomed to give a love offering, but it is not expected of you. We are just happy you are here with us.

 

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

“Advent! Our four Sunday journey into Christmas is complete today. This week we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Way-Shower, who became the perfect manifestation of the Christ. This same Christ presence is born anew in us and becomes visible in our lives in this Christmas season and EVERY season. We began our Advent journey with faith. We then decorated our lives with peace. Love is in the Bethlehem of our homes and hearts. This fourth candle represents JOY. Let your joy show. Smile. Laugh. Be peaceful. Help others. Joy comes from inside you. Let your joy shine.”

 

“In Luke we read: ‘…behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’ We let our joy shine.’

 

Joy is already ours. It is a gift from God instilled in us at our creation. Like love, it is always a part of us, always ready to be activated. We don’t have to wait for something to throw our joy switch. We can activate it in ourselves, not because of what’s going on in our lives, or even in spite of what’s going on, but simply because we are.

It is happiness that is triggered by winning the lottery or by having someone express love for us or by our favorite team winning a game or by getting a hole in one…outside forces.

But JOY is from God…and is always available for us to be open to it.

 

JOKE—–

A father took his son Billy to the Penney’s mall to see Santa. They stood in line awhile, and finally the boy was able to meet Santa and sit on his lap.

“What would you like for Christmas, Billy?” asked Santa.

“An X-Box and a Hobbit game,” Billy said.

“Okay, we’ll see what we can do about that,” said Santa with a big smile.

Later on that day they also went to see Santa at the Sears mall. When Santa asked Billy what he wanted for Christmas, Billy said, “An X-Box and a Hobbit game.”

“Will you be a good boy and do what your daddy tells you?” Santa asked.

Billy turned to his dad and said, “Let’s go back to the other Santa, Dad.”

“Why Billy?” asked his father.

“Because I didn’t have to make any deals with that one.”

 

Introduce the Dialogue:

Unity is a way of life that takes us on a spiritual adventure to the very source of our being. It calls us to understand our spiritual nature, our true relationship with God, and to live from that awareness.

When we look at things Metaphysically, we see them from a different perspective. That’s one of the major things about Unity…looking at the Bible, the lessons of life, our every moment from a different perception gives us a view of life that can be a guide to how to travel on this Spiritual path.

 

A METAPHYSICAL CHRISTMAS

 

NARRATOR: “The angel, Gabriel, was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph. The maiden’s name was Mary.”

 

MARY:   “I represent Mary, the mother of Jesus. I am the perfect love that fills your soul. I am that in you which desires to see only the good come to you and to every other creature in the universe. I am that in you which never wants to hurt in anyway for I am open and receptive only to that which is good and true.”

 

“I am the gentlest aspect of the love in your heart; yet, I am strong and perfect because all the power of good in the universe is with me and approves of me. I am the kindness and sweetness of your nature out of which will be born the understanding of your true self – a child of God.”

 

JOSEPH: “I represent Joseph, the husband of Mary. I am the strength and wisdom within you, which protects and guides the love in your soul. Sometimes others suggest that I should separate myself from this love, that His love is making a fool of me, but I cannot do this for I am only satisfied and complete when joined with love. I will never desert the love in your heart. I will nourish and support the new and wonderful good which will come out of our union.”

 

NARRATOR: “A maiden was betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph and the maiden’s name was Mary. And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary, thou has found favor with God. And behold! Thou shall conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High and of His kingdom there shall be no end.’”

 

BETHLEHEM: “I represent the town of Bethlehem. I show you that though your days and life – even though space may be crowded and jammed full – there will always be room in your heart for the Christ love to be born in ever greater ways. You come to me to take care of ordinary, worldly responsibilities. You are richly blessed and prosperous as you are willing to take care of your daily duties.”

 

“Here in the midst of the crowds and pressures, you know that the most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those weary days when out of rejection, being shoved back, having been put down – you still know that nothing can keep God’s good from manifesting in your life and your world. You choose to bring forth positive changes in your life so that you can be a happier, healthier, a more peaceful and prosperous person.”

 

NARRATOR: “Now it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled and all went to enroll themselves. Everyone to its own city and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem to enroll himself with Mary who was betrothed to him, being great with child.”

 

“It came to pass while they were there the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered and she brought forth her first born son and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for him in the inn.”

 

MANGER: “I represent the manger where Jesus was laid. I am evidence of the fact that wherever you put forth the best that is in you, you make of it a holy place. No matter how humble the surroundings or how unimportant the occasion, God is there. God will protect you and bless you. You can always trust God. You need not look for God in the grand and impressive places. Think of me whenever you are called upon to do your best in a situation that you don’t feel is quite worthy of you.”

 

NARRATOR: “And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the fields and keeping watch by night over their flock.”

 

SHEPHERD: “I represent the shepherd of your thoughts. I am the simple, and natural tendency in you that dwell in the fields of your mind. I gently, but firmly, bring you back into the right harmonious thinking when you are in danger of going astray. I am not the highest in you, but I am quick to acknowledge and joyfully surrender to your highest and best self. I am among the first to know when you have come into the joyful realization of who and what you really are.”

 

NARRATOR: “And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock and an angel of the Lord stood by them.   The glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were so afraid.   The angel said unto them, ‘Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people.’”

 

ANGEL: I represent the angels that bring good tidings and great joy. I am the radiant thoughts that come to you directly from the mind of God. Through me God tells you there is nothing to fear. Through me God tells you there is much cause for joy. My news is always joyful. My news is joyful because it concerns the wonderful truths of your being.”

 

“I tell you of your divine self. I tell you of all the peace and happiness that you are going to encounter. I tell you that you are one with all persons and I tell all persons that they are now and forever one in God.”

 

NARRATOR: “And an angel of the Lord stood by them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were so afraid. The angels said unto them, ‘Be not afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be for all the people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you – Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’

 

“Now when Jesus was born – Behold! Wise men came from the East to Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is he born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the East and have come to worship him.’ And lo! The star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young Child was.”

 

STAR: “I represent the Star which guided the Wise Men. I am your intuition. Sometimes I may seem a mere flicker in the sky of your mind, but as you recognize me and learn to trust me and to follow me, I become brighter and more familiar.”

 

“God has given me to you as a special gift to lead you into your highest good.   Trust me. Follow me. For I will not fail you, nor lead you astray. I am attracted only to the best and the true.”

 

NARRATOR: “For we saw His Star in the East and are come to worship Him. And lo! The star, which they saw in the East, went before them until it came and stood over them where the Child was. When the Wise Men saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

 

WISE MEN: “I represent the Wise Men from the East.   I am all the hidden and buried powers deep within each of you, which you are so often unaware. As soon as you came to a new realization of your wonderful true self, I came to you as further evidence of the great spiritual resources that have always been with you.”

 

“I brought you the gifts of newly discovered truths about yourself. My gold shows the richness of your spiritual nature. My frankincense shows the beauty of your true character. My myrrh shows the eternal perfection of your life in God.”

 

NARRATOR: “For we saw His star in the East and have come to worship Him. And lo! The star, which they saw in the East, went before them until it came and stood over where the young child was. And when the Wise Men saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy and they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, His Mother. And they fell down and worshipped him, and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

 

CHRIST CHILD: “I represent the Christ Child. I am the sum total of all the good which is the real you. I am the love in your heart, the wisdom in your mind, and the peace in your soul. You have given me birth out of your very own nature, just as God created you out of its Spirit.

 

“I am that in you which blesses you and makes you a living blessing. Sometimes you feel separated from me. Now because of Christmas, you have finally realized you and I are really one. We are eternally one in God.”

 

NARRATOR: “Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host – praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.’”

 

 

Our purpose in life is to create heaven on earth, that is, to actualize our own divine potential, and live in peace and harmony with all creation. This is the Joy we bring forth from within, from our Christ Presence.

 

Let’s take this lesson into meditation….

 

We wish you ALL a Very Merry Christmas.

Good Morning Beloved!

 

When a father asked his little boy what he wanted for Christmas, the boy replied, “A baby sister.”

As it turned out, the wife was pregnant, and delivered on Christmas Eve. SO on Christmas day she brought home a brand new baby sister for their son.

The next year, when the father asked his little boy what he wanted for Christmas, the boy said, “If it wouldn’t make mommy too uncomfortable, I’d like a pony.”

 

 

This is the third week of our journey into Christmas, a journey to renew us through the birth of our own inner Christ. Today we light three candles, Faith and Peace, and our third candle represents LOVE. Love is God, in us and through us. Let us light our lives with love. When love is directed by that Divine Spirit, it manifests in wisdom and brings a greater awareness of our inner Christ.”

 

This months Affirmations!

 

See only Love

Our reading for today tells us of the most powerful force in the Universe – Love. Some may argue this, but I stand by the statement. There is only God, Universe, Spirit….And God is Love.

Maybe our spiritual goal in life should be to love more. I’m open to that!

Charles Fillmore said, “Love is the power that joins and binds in divine harmony the universe and everything in it.”

Here’s an example of Love that binds:

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict.

It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing

machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

 

When the long collaboration fell apart, it began with a small misunderstanding as things often do, and it grew into a major difference. Finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on the older brother’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few day’s work” he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?”

 

“Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek

at that farm. That’s my neighbor; in fact, it’s my younger brother. Last week

there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee

and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me,

but I’ll go him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you

to build me a fence – an 8-foot fence – so I won’t need to see his place

or his face anymore.”

 

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails

and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

 

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get

the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter

worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing.

 

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished

his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no

fence there at all. It was a bridge – a bridge stretching from one side

of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work handrails and all – and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.

“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done,” The younger brother said.

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand.

 

They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. “No, wait!

Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.

 

“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but, I have many more bridges to build.”

 

Christopher Chenoweth suggests we all have a Love Quotient, a LQ instead of IQ. Of course, The Divine’s LQ would be perfect and since there is only God, only Love, in reality, ours is perfect too. We just need to express it as gifts to all.

Our gift from God is Life.

Life is the 12^th Spiritual Power of humankind. Life can neither be created nor destroyed. It can change form or vibration so its appearance to us can be different but it never ceases. It’s the vibration we talk about when we talk about raising our vibration to manifestation.

Life is a many faceted gift, coming to us as health and prosperity in all its forms, all of which are necessary to growth in consciousness. But like any other gift, it is up to us what we do with it.

Living with a lack or limited thought pattern diminishes the gift of life. With life being the greatest gift of all, we should “Live the life you love and love the life you live.”

See, love is the key here. Jesus was born in love, taught love and exuded love. He taught “Love God with all your heart and mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love is a universal power and when we come from love, choose through love, we can never go wrong. A beautiful example of Love not going wrong, but in fact working out for the good of all is the story of Naomi & Ruth in the Book of Ruth, one of my favorites.

This is seeing only love.

 

Seeing only love means we have control over our actions. That we think before we speak….is it true what we are contemplating to say or is it a reaction to hurt feelings or anger?

Will what we wish to say or do be harmful to anyone or anything? Once the words are spoken, they cannot be taken back.

Is it necessary to do or say what we were contemplating to do or say? Is it REALLY worth it?

We could say that we have had many opportunities to react negatively to circumstances that are happening lately. Our country seems to be in an epidemic of violence. But we can see this as opportunities to be a lighthouse….to shine the love that we are. Peace begins with each one of us.

You see, we seem to have an innate drive to find love and God. We should make the commitment to follow that drive. Going against that drive could be ego driven…

I do not know where this quote comes from, but I use it often….“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always in effectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no one could have dreamt would have come their way.”

We are seeing ‘commitment’ from you in many forms right here at Unity of Rehoboth Beach.

When we put ‘feet to our prayers’ we do so following the Principles that are to be our guide through this life. The Principles lead us to follow what Jesus and many of the Master taught.

The common question to help us stay on course is, “Where did I meet God today? And where did I miss God?”

 

Part of being a follower of the teachings of Jesus is to constantly re-examine ourselves to find out how we can be at our best. If people have a problem with putting themselves under the microscope, perhaps they’re afraid of what they’ll find.

What would you find?

Brendon Burchard asks, “What if our job was to leave evidence that we loved and inspired others?”

 

I’ve seen this list a few times on Face Book: Ways to show love:

Listen without interrupting

Speak without accusing

Give without sparing

Pray without ceasing

Answer without arguing

Share without pretending

Enjoy without complaint

Trust without wavering

Forgive without punishing

Promise without forgetting

 

Plenty of evidence there….

 

Here’s a story about love and life from Unity’s Christmas Vaults:

Love Came Down at Christmas

 

God comes into our lives at Christmas in many different ways. Sometimes in a Santa Claus suit, as in this true story which appeared about (probably more than) ten years ago in a Kansas City newspaper bears witness. . . .   Charles Howard was a department store Santa who used to visit children in the hospital after closing hours at the store. One year, during the week before Christmas, he went to see Nancy, an emaciated polio victim who was being kept alive by motors, pumps, and an assortment of medical gadgets. Before he entered her room the nurses told him it would be Nancy’s last Christmas.

 

When Nancy saw him, dressed in his Santa Claus suit, her eyes seemed to speak and her pain wracked body quivered with excitement. “She wants to kiss you, Santa” her mother said as she read her daughter’s lips. Howard leaned down and felt Nancy’s one good arm around his neck and a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“I wasn’t worth a darn after that,” he said. Before he left, Nancy gave him three sticks of candy for his reindeer. That night Howard couldn’t sleep. The next morning he wrote Nancy a letter. He told her how wonderful it had been to see her and how his excited reindeer made him divide those three pieces of candy so that each of them could have a piece of their own. “When I tucked Dancer in bed,” Howard wrote, “He had his piece under his pillow.”

 

Two days after he wrote the letter, a nurse called on Howard at the department store. From the instant Nancy read his letter, she said, a change had come over her. “I think she is going to get well,” said the nurse. A year later, from his Santa’s throne in the department store, Howard saw a little girl in braces running toward him. It was Nancy.

 

Kahlil Gibran wrote, “The appearance of things changes according to the emotions, and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.”

 

Howard had become part of a miracle because he had opened himself to be a channel for the Christ potential within himself, and let the healing energy that resulted flow freely to that sweet little girl.

 

That Christ potential is within us all. The Christmas Season is a time when we remind ourselves of that potential.

The Christ is still being born in unexpected places, at unexpected times in our world today. This Christmas I pray that the Christ will be born in you and I, too, in surprising and wonderful ways.

 

 

Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 1 Samuel 25:6

 

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,

whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable… think

about these things.” Philippians 4:8

 

 

MIRACLE THINKING

When Sandy asks me what I would like to talk about, often the words come from me before I even plan them. I okayed this date with Sandy & she emailed me to ask, “What will you talk about?” I immediately typed “Miracle Thinking.” Then I looked at my computer, and said to myself, “miracle thinking?”

I had just heard a radio interview of Randy Peyser talking about her new book “the Power of Miracle Thinking.” I was taken with the phrase & I was impressed with the interview. When I thought it over, I realized that I’ve been doing Miracle Thinking for awhile now.

Of course I wasn’t always like this. Somewhere the switch flipped from negative to positive & it ain’t never going back. I know that now. Some years ago, you wouldn’t have convinced me of any reality about the results of positive thinking even with a hypnotist in the room waving a watch, saying “you are getting sleepy.”

What’s a miracle? The Spanish word for sight is “mira”, so could a miracle simply be a different way of seeing things? I think it must be. I know once I move out from the surprise, kind of back up with the camera, a really wide angle emerges. When I can get the panoramic view, I have it made. The water changes to wine with a snap! And with all my experience, I’m still surprised to drink from the glass.

Sometimes miracles happen even when I’m clearly not in a state to anticipate them. When I graduated massage school in Albuquerque in 1996, I was living with a woman named Nancy. I came later to call Nancy “my roommate from hell” & she kindly reciprocated by proving that out to me in no uncertain terms. And I’m sure I reciprocated the title right back at her. Of course, Nancy was one of my best teachers.

Nancy knew a woman named Ruth. Ruth lived in Montana & wished to open a community for women healers. I had spent five months living in an intentional community in upstate New York & I loved the idea! And I felt I was a healer, hey, I just graduated massage school, yea?

Nancy & I shared a lot of fear & upset on that trip from Albuquerque to Montana. I had a vehicle; she didn’t. She sprained her ankle two days before we were to leave, I could climb on top of the car to pack stuff. She was getting unemployment while I had no visible means of support, having just graduated from being a starving student, to being a starving graduate. So after living together for six weeks in a room in Missoula, Montana, I finally got a job. In my LIFE, it’d never taken me six weeks to get a job. I knew Nancy was running really low on any desire to have me around and our disagreements were escalating. That second day I came home from work, which was third shift waitress at a diner, she said she wanted me packed, out, and gone by noon that day.

My Divine Planners make a habit of staying ahead of me by a few steps. Even then, I knew she didn’t want me around anymore. My greatest fear in life was to be homeless so I had big backpack of denial I was carrying around. Did I bring on an eviction with thinking those thoughts? Maybe. But my antennae were out & I had investigated renting a room. I just needed more money than I had in hand at that moment. Later, getting thrown out of our little apartment would become the best thing in the world for me, but in the thin moment of her telling me to be gone by 12 & slamming the door to go visit Ruth while I packed, I considered my options through the adrenaline rush. I had made $35 in tips over the two nights I’d worked. I’d given Nancy $5 toward what I owed her – totally a token payment, but I was six weeks without any cash & feeling pretty needy.

When I looked into renting that room, I found out I needed $130 to move in. So, I had $30. Now, one week earlier, before I’d scored my waitress gig, I’d written to a friend in Jersey to ask if he could spare $50 to help me buy gas so I could look for a job.

I was muttering to myself while I packed; I figured I at least had enough on hand to find a campground to stay in. After about ten minutes of mushing my stuff into big gray tubs, there was a loud knocking on the door. I was already aggravated, & got even angrier as I yanked it open, figuring Nancy’d forgotten her key, wanted me out on this abbreviated timeline & now was making me stop packing to let her in. I was astonished to find the FedEx guy outside who handed me a cardboard envelope & that signature device they use. I scribbled my name & ripped open the tab of the envelope. There was a $100 bill inside from my friend; no note, no words, just a Ben Franklin from someone I had not been the kindest to when I last saw him. So how much money did I have? How much money did I need? And I love telling this story because each time I do, I am beautifully assured that the universe loves me enough to rescue me from myself. In that teaching moment, I learned my biggest fear was nothing that couldn’t be handled with love.

Miracle thinking gets easier each time a miracle happens. I stopped calling it “universe” & started calling it “youniverse” right then.

Randy Peyser’s book is mostly stories, anecdotes & ideas about how to get over yourself by reaching out for the best that is out there every time. I’m happy to say that just about everything in here is something I’ve practiced at some point. I have had miracles greet me at every turn & I make so many wrong turns my GPS stutters its directions.

Randy’s first notation is choose to be #1. The Japanese call it “Ichiban.” Number one. Are you number one in your own mind? And if you’re not, I hope you feel really guilty whenever someone says, “Well, you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first.” Because that is so TRUE! If you are not coming from a position of personal power that is rooted in personal worth, YOUR GPS probably isn’t going to work well at all.

From this internal strength & worth, from this place of belonging in the youniverse, you can ask for anything. If it’s right for you & if the timing is right for you, and if you have asked for it from a deeply felt understanding that it IS God’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, it’s yours. Where is that worth & worthiness in you? If you had to understand it in the form of a standardized measurement, are you living at 100%? Yes? No? What percentage are you living at? If you’re at 50%, how do you feel when you get half a miracle? Not me, baby. Recently I was at volunteer thank you dinner & when the hosts said they were having a raffle based on our ticket numbers, my first reaction was a mild, “wonder what I won.” My number was the first called & I won two tickets to ClearSpace Theatre.

Which leads to another of Randy’s premises: youniverse never says “yes…but” We say yes but all the time. We say, “Oh, sure I’d like to win the lottery, but that’ll never happen to me.” Or “I’d love to meet a terrific person in my life, but I don’t want my heart to get broken again.” 50% anyone?

You can’t find a miracle sitting in your easy chair, eating Doritos, watching TV & wishing for something different. Sorry, but you need to get off your duff & get out there & happen to life like you’ve wanted life to happen to you. You’ve gotta find the miracle you want by offering yourself up to it. And you have to allow the miracle. How many times has someone offered you something terrific & you’ve said, “oh, no, I couldn’t accept that!” I can’t tell you the number of times someone’s told me they’re hurting & could really use a massage so I say, “sure, come see me.” And I never hear from them. Of course the first reaction is usually about money; but even when I say, just come see me, no charge! No call. In my opinion, it’s no insult to be offered a gift. Often the giver has a real need to even offer. I have had to retrain myself to simply say, “Why Thank You So Much!” when I am offered an unexpected gift.

I am still learning to be a good receiver & that being in receivership doesn’t mean I’m bankrupt at all. Need some practice? Here’s an exercise offered in the Abraham writings by Esther Hicks where Abraham recommends writing fake checks. He says to get your abundance muscles going, work them out by using an old checkbook to write yourself a check for some wonderful amount, say, a million dollars. Then focus your attention on what you would do with a million dollars. Of course, Sandy & I know Unity of Rehoboth Beach would be your first choice to give some to, am I right?

Next day, write a check for two million. What’ll you do with that? Make a list! I got up to about 16 million before I simply got tired of giving away money. By then, I had the idea well-fixed that I wouldn’t be keeping much of it, so I figured I was copacetic with the idea of sharing it. Do this! It will awaken your abundance in a real way that’s also a feel-good, fun exercise! There’s a story told that one night in 1990 when Jim Carrey was a struggling young comic trying to make his way in Los Angeles, he drove his old, beat-up Toyota to the top of a hill. While sitting there, broke, looking down over the city, and dreaming of his future, he wrote himself a check for $10 million, put in the notation line ‘for acting services rendered,’ and dated it for Thanksgiving 1995. He stuck that check in his wallet – and the rest, as they say, is history.

By 1995, Jim had seen the tremendous success of Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, The Mask and my personal favorite, Liar, Liar. His per film fee at that point had escalated to $20 million.

Visualize what you want. Sit still & feel how it feels to have what you want. World Peace? High-heeled sneakers? New golf clubs? How does it feel to be pulling those puppies around the golf course right now? Empower the feeling to bring it alive. Love the idea into being!

Always think in terms of this or something better. When I found the apartment I’m living in, the landlord said he had a few more people to interview before offering it, but he’d be in touch. Well, I felt pretty strongly in my gut it was mine – it’s the ideal size, it had absolutely everything on my list but one thing – remember the list, people? And when I make a list, I include everything on it. I even use a steno pad so I can have two columns. Still, when he said he had to talk to others, all my doubts rose up – did I make enough money? Was I ever going to get my own place? Apartments aren’t easy to come by near the shore, they’re either outrageously priced for a single person or simply not available. As I drove away from this gorgeous place what came into my head was the phrase: “this, or something better.” And I felt great again. I didn’t know what could be better than having an apartment over Derrickson Creek with everything I wanted, but I knew that it would have to be really spectacular. And I was comforted by that thought: Wow! What could be better? All right!

Another story: when I realized I wanted to travel cross-country, I wished for a van. I made a list of everything the van would have. The last requirement was that it be blue b/c I’ve always wanted a blue car. I had a small inheritance from my Mom to use. I focused on the van, I prayed, I visualized myself driving it, sitting up there over the road… no van. Weeks passed & the summer was ending & I had to get on the road soon and…no van. So I reviewed the list. I erased the “blue van” from it. Within a week I had a maroon van & the prior owner was a short man, so I didn’t even have to adjust the driver’s seat.

If you are stuck with a picture of something you don’t want, or if you are experiencing a health challenge, don’t hesitate to ask the Big Eraser to come in. My sister experienced this. When a loved one she knew sustained terrible, disfiguring burns, she went to see him in hospital. He passed away from his injuries, but Teri was left with an awful image of someone she dearly loved. One day when she just couldn’t seem to get this picture out of her head & was again choking up about it, a huge pencil came into her mind, turned itself over & rubbed out the image top to bottom. She never experienced seeing her dear one that way again & now remembers this person only as the beautiful spirit he was. Youniverse will take care of you!

Bring Joy into your alignment with life. Youniverse likes a good target; make it easy to find you. “Hey, over here, good things! Yeah, me! I’m the one living rightly, I’m the happy person who found the pony in the room full of manure…c’mon down, I’m SO ready to be gifted by your presence.”

The best part is youniverse always has a bigger plan for you than you have for yourself. It isn’t about having the right answer so much as it’s about asking the Right Question. Randy tells the story of the people who bought their dream cottage & within two weeks uncovered a plumbing problem. The difficulty was located in a place impossible to reach which would require them to remove the entire back wall of the house. The wife decided to not even bring this situation up to her husband as a problem. Instead she said to him, “We are expecting a miracle.” On the second day of asking around if anyone knew a good plumber, they found a man who not only had heard of this kind of blockage, but had designed a snake which would fit into the problem area. No wall takedown required. They refocused problem thinking & simply expected a miracle. Youniverse provided one.

Lighten up & just do it: live your joy in life, don’t dip your happiness into the misery of another – that’s like getting the candle burning & dropping it into the sea.

If all this sounds like the impossible dream, stay awake.

So, take a deep breath & listen with both ears as I finish the story I started at the beginning of this talk. Here’s how one miracle fuels another. In the room of the house I stayed in after I left Nancy, there were many things Youniverse gave to me. A calendar of Ansel Adams photos – breathtaking. Books & cassettes which had been abandoned. Most intriguing to me was a pair of really good sneakers, but I’m a size 8 & these were 9’s. I kept them anyway, thinking maybe I could just wear two pairs of socks. These were expensive sneakers, well made, very sturdy. But time passed by & after I’d been at the house for a few weeks, one day the phone rang & it was my dear friends, Ed Douglass & Jerry Small. Ed asked me how much longer I was going to stay in Montana. I told him I had no plans to return to New Mexico – but what I didn’t mention was that it was only ‘cause I was mortally embarrassed to have made such a mess when I’d told Ed & Jerry both how well I was going to do up there. Here I was waitressing the midnight shift, barely getting to do any massage. I couldn’t face going back to ABQ to tell my friends how much I had disappointed myself by leaving there. But when Jerry insisted “Ed, tell her WHY you called” and Ed said, “Carol, I have cancer. I want you to come back to work on me.” I simply said, “Ed, I’ll be there in two weeks.” And I started packing once again. I had lots to think about on those 1,100 miles. And I got to travel back through some of the most beautiful country these eyes will ever see, down through Utah’s Moab Valley, visiting Canyonlands & Arches National Park.

The night after I’d returned, I drove over to La Montanita for some health foods for the larder. A woman was sitting barefoot in the parking lot, begging everyone to give her shoes. “They took my shoes,” she said to me as I walked by. “What size?” I asked. “Size 9,” she replied. “Just a sec,” I said. And walked back to the van to get those sneakers.

I like to think Youniverse offered me the opportunity to be her miracle.

Think love, think empowerment & most of all, think MIRACLES!

Thank you.

Good Morning Beloved!

 

A newly married man asked his wife, “Would you have married me if my father hadn’t left me a fortune?” “Honey,” the woman replied sweetly, “I’d have married you, no matter who left you a fortune.”

 

The First Sunday of Advent – Faith or Hope

 

The season of Advent is a time HISTORICALLY marked for remembering the years of preparation and consecration prior to the coming of the Messiah.

 

For many centuries, the Christian Church has identified the beginning of the Christmas celebration with a time of reflection and expectation called Advent.

 

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival” and, when used in conjunction with Christmas, reminds us of the anticipation and expectation held over hundreds of years by the people of Israel for their Messiah and promised King.

 

For centuries before Christ, Hebrew rabbis methodically and passionately taught the Jewish people that Messiah was coming. They taught that the people should be ready when he appeared. They emphasized the need for holy living and obedience to God’s law.

 

This explains how the lowliest shepherds and fishermen of that day were acquainted with the promises of a Messiah. This season of preparation was all by God’s design.

 

Metaphysically, what do you think advent means? Keep in mind, when we look at something metaphysically, it’s what it means to you…the underlying message of the word.

 

Here’s some more information on the word as you are thinking of it’s meaning to you…the further definition states ‘coming into being or use’…

Any thoughts?

 

Today, we mark Advent with the display of a wreath – its circle reminds us of Divine Spirit, some call God, some Goddess, others Buddha, and still others Universe—whichever; eternal and endlessly merciful. It is evergreen – reminding us of hope. Our Advent wreath is round, without beginning or end, to represent the completeness that we have in Christ, the Divine in us.

 

The four outer candles incorporated into the display represent the time of waiting and preparation for the Messiah during the four Sundays of Advent (thought by many theologians to represent the four hundred years of prophetic silence between Malachi and the angelic visitations of the Gospels).

 

The light of the candles reminds us of the Light of world, and the prophetic promise of the coming…our becoming.

 

Our first candle represents Faith or HOPE.

 

We are told that faith can move mountains, and perhaps you have even experienced a metaphorical mountain move in our life. Did you ever hold onto a hope, against all odds and have it prevail?   There’s your mountain!

 

Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity wrote “When we believe [in the possibilities of things not seen], putting aside all doubt and whatever suggests failure, the thoughts of faith begin to accumulate substance and fulfillment follows.” This is how powerful we are, when we maintain a sense of positive expectancy, the very universe responds!

 

As it says in Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 

Here’s an example of Faith in action:

 

“A farming community suffered during a protracted drought. The parched earth produced little of the life and wealth-sustaining crop every family depended upon. A local minister called the community together to pray for rain. The town square became crowded with citizens from all faith traditions. The minister greeted everyone, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. The minister’s eyes landed on a young girl approaching from the dry fields. The crowd parted as she neared. She was the only one carrying an umbrella.”

 

 

A king had a disturbing dream that all his teeth had fallen out. As was the custom of his time, he sent for a soothsayer to interpret the dream. “Your Highness,” the man said after reflecting a few moments, “The dream means that all your relatives will die and you will be left alone.”

 

This troubled the king even further, so he sent the soothsayer away and sought a second opinion.   Hearing the king’s dream, the second interpreter began to smile and dance about: “Rejoice, O King!” he said. “The dream means that you will live many more years. In fact, you will out-live all your relatives!”

 

Think about it….

 

Both seers told the king essentially the same thing, but the second gave the interpretation from a significantly different perspective. Our feelings about events are determined not by “the facts,” but by our interpretations of what those facts mean.

Dale Carnegie said, “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.

It is what you think about.”

 

Which version of the dream’s meaning would you accept?

 

Shakespeare wrote, “There is nothing in this world either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Our foundation statement in Unity, the rock upon which our faith rests, is that God is the only presence and power in the Universe. Good is the only presence. Apparent “bad” is temporary, and it functions to provide opportunity for expanded good.

What experiences can you think of that were ‘opportunities for expanded good’ in your life? (Selling my house)

 

“The wind blows where it wills,” Jesus said. Life happens! And we don’t always have a choice about which way the wind blows. But we do have the ability to adjust the sails of our thinking. Jesus taught, “According to your faith, be it done to you.” Where do you choose to place your faith?

 

Jesus also said, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” When we practice applying the highest and best truth we know, we make a positive difference in our world.

 

What do you think that means?

 

For me, it refers to Unity’s 5^th Principle –         “Knowing and understanding the laws of life, also called Truth, are not enough. A person must also live the truth that he/she knows.”

SO, it’s great to say and think we have faith, hope, in the things that we envision to manifest in our world, BUT….and it’s a nice sized BUT (1 T), if we do not put any action to the thought, the so called belief…the things we have HOPE for, that we are placing our FAITH on, if we do not put action behind that faith, all the HOPE in the world will not make it so.

Remember this from last Sunday? Action precedes internal transformation.

 

There’s a big difference between knowing the PATH and walking it.

 

Paulo Coelho, the Brazilian Author said, “When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are [some of the] tools God uses to show us the way.”

 

And Karen Wright, Inspirational Author and Speaker said, “What exactly does it take to live the life of your dreams? Perfect timing? Fortunate opportunities? A million dollars in the bank? Not even close. It takes a decision; a simple decision that will ultimately test the strength of your commitment and the depth of your faith.”

I like to use the word CHOICE….because you always can make another choice……

 

 

Good Morning Beloved!

A man goes to the doctor and says “Doc, all my friends say that my leg talks.”

So the doctor puts his stethoscope to the man’s thigh and he hears the leg say “I need money.”

Then the doctor moves the stethoscope to the man’s knee and, again, the leg says “I need money.”

Finally he moves the stethoscope to the ankle and the ankle says “I need money.”

“I know what’s wrong with you,” the doctor said.

“Your leg is broke in three places.”

 

Remembrance Service

As we prepare to enter the sacred season of Christmas – of rebirth and new beginnings, we do so with an expanded awareness.

Anchored in the Truth that God is LOVE & knowing that Spirit is within each one of us, this morning helps us all be more accepting with ourselves and each other – to honor the changes and transitions that have happened in our lives – so that we can be awake to what is emerging in and through us & into our world.

Change/growth is the ‘consistent constant’…Energy/spirit never dies nor stops moving, it simply changes form, it transfers.

We honor those changes today.

 

By remembering – by honoring our past – we open the way for deeper awareness in the present – for the true peace that passes understanding so that the Prince of Peace, our authentic Essence can be born anew in us – and keep in mind that this authentic essence can be born anew every moment. We honor that rebirth every year and will do so again through this Advent Season.

 

Remembrance – is also about being REAL – about acknowledging our humanness –

We acknowledge and remember losses in our physical form, associated with (1) changes in our lives; (2) loss of relationship; (3) loss of loved ones through physical death; and (4) the other unspoken losses that we are carrying with us.

Despite all of the hype and pressures of the world for us to be happy & excited about celebrating Christmas, for many of us this is a most challenging time of year. There can even be a tendency to withdraw – not go to the gatherings & celebration or to see the lights & reminders that we are supposed to be having a happy holiday.

 

Yet, if we acknowledge the challenges that the season can bring up in our lives, it is a wonderful opportunity for healing and for deeper understanding and new beginnings – for bringing real peace into our lives; the “peace that passes understanding.”

• For some of us, Christmas time reminds us of the anniversary of a loss of someone dear to us;
• Some of us have other losses- a job loss, financial loss, friends & family who have moved or drifted away, children who won’t be home to share the holiday for the1st time;
• Loss of health- our own or our loved ones;
• Concerns about the state of our world, hunger, disease, war, terrorists;
• Some of us may have loved ones who will not be home for Christmas because they are serving in the military somewhere around the world – and we pray daily for their safekeeping and the end of conflict. We pray for peace.
• And our 1^st responders and those who work in hospitals, etc. and miss some holiday celebrations and we miss them during these festivities.

These changes and real life situations can bring us down.

We must keep in mind that changes is often the catalyst for growth.  As we come to terms with understanding loss and ‘growth opportunities,’ we can see it has potential and value.

Michael A. Singer, author of “The Untethered Soul,” writes “When your mind starts telling you what you have to do to make everything okay, don’t buy into what it’s telling you. And that’s the only time everything will be okay.”

When will you ‘be ok’ with there changes?  When will you see them as opportunities/

A long ago tale tells of twin sons born to a king who never knew which of his sons came into the world first.  Knowing that he must appoint a crown prince, he had to choose fairly which would be his heir.

He told his sons that being king was a very heavy burden. He said, “To discover which of my sons is able to more cheerfully carry that weight, they are to go to the farthest corner of the empire and bring back a burden that my counselors will place of equal weight on your shoulders. The crown will go to whomever returns bearing the burden as it should be borne.”

He told his sons that being king was a very heavy burden. He said, “To discover which of my sons is able to more cheerfully carry that weight, they are to go to the farthest corner of the empire and bring back a burden that my counselors will place of equal weight on your shoulders. The crown will go to whomever returns bearing the burden as it should be borne.”

So the sons left, and on the way they encountered an elderly lady with a weak body unable to carry her bags. One son stopped to help while the other objected and continued with his search for his own burden to carry. The one who stopped continued to find people who needed his help. Eventually he reached the farthest corner of the empire where the king’s counselor put a burden on his shoulders equal to all he had experience in his travels, and it was so heavy he could barely manage it.

When he arrived home, the other brother was shocked as to how his brother could manage so heavy a load since he, himself, was unable to. The future king said that each time he stopped to help another with their burdens he developed the strength to carry his own.

We may not see the strength at the time, but if we learn from each ‘growth opportunity’, we grow an inner strength to help us through our lives.

Wangari Maathai said, “There are opportunities even in the most difficult moments.”

What could these ‘opportunities’ bring to us?

Change and transitions teach us what matters; to treasure the smallest of blessings.

As we remember the names of friends and family who have transitioned and their stories, we smile and carry them in our hearts and cherish them even more.  Some we remember and smile, some bring tears; some bring both!

And we learn from them, from those stories – each one has a lesson for us. It may be to take better care of ourselves and those we love.

One of the things we may learn is acceptance of the inevitable.

Death is part of the future for everyone. It is the last post of this life and the reveille of the next. Death, like birth, is only a transformation, another birth. When we die we shall change our state – that is all.

Another thing we may learn is to think safety when we are doing things around the house, or driving somewhere, whether near or far. The accident I had last year has made me even more safety conscious than I was prior to it. And experiencing breast cancer has allowed me to share my experience, encouraging others to take the steps necessary to take care of themselves.

And sometimes there is an understanding and an awakening that comes with the change. It may bring with it a different direction in our lives that we never thought would be ours.

Even 10-15 years ago, I really would not have imagined I would REALLY be here, doing what I am doing today.

And back in high school, I was planning to marry after school…until the death of the guy who would have been my husband. That changed those plans.

Then the realization that I was gay changed things again.

A change in career several times brought new and different opportunities.

And here I am! Amazing what change can do. And the steps were not large steps, they were one at a time, small steps.

How about you? What changes in your life have been the catalyst for a different direction?

Action precedes internal transformation.

Your peace is more important than driving yourself crazy trying to understand why something happened the way it did. It’s time to let it go.

Byron Katie would ask, “Is it true?” Is it still true that Fred died? Or that this body has cancer? NO! That was then, this is NOW.

Annoyances and interruptions are confrontations to your self-esteem, your ego; not your soul’s purpose. What’s in front of you will lead you to what’s next for you. Step-by-step you are raised to the next level with all that is necessary to encounter your soul’s assignment. It’s not a matter of your being the chosen of God but rather, are you choosing God’s expression with your actions?

How do you choose to act today?  Tomorrow?

Let us turn within in a time of meditation:

As we are aware of all of these things we have talked about for ourselves & for others in this room, let us TAKE A DEEP BREATH & release it and let it go as we open to the awareness of the Presence of Spirit and the support and reassurance of community.

I invite you to take some more nice deep breaths and gently move your focus of attention to heart.

As you follow your breath inward, move to that place where your heart and you soul merge, where your wisdom lies.

Take another deep breath and as you let it go, take a moment to just gently be aware of everyone else letting go with you and supporting you on this journey as we relax and join our hearts with Spirit in this time of remembrance.

We come together today to honor all of the phases of our lives. The times of joy and the times of loss, the times of celebration and the times of grief, the times of companionship and the times of loneliness.

Today we acknowledge that which weighs heavily upon us as we enter this Christmas season.

There are times in each of our lives when we must say goodbye to love. We release a loved one into his or her eternal journey, while we stay in life. Yet our beloved remains in our hearts. We are reminded of them in many ways, especially during this special time of year. We take this moment to remember loved ones who have made their transitions this past year & in preceding years.

Other losses may have occurred, and these, too, need to be brought into the healing light of remembrance. We may have experienced the loss of love through divorce or separation. We may have experienced a loss in our role as child, parent or spouse.

We may have experienced the loss of our identity as it was defined by those roles.   We take this moment to honor the old roles, so that we may realize the new roles.

 

We sometimes grieve other changes in our own lives; changes in employment, a move to a different home, loved ones or ourselves finishing and moving on from school.

In each of these changes, there is a letting go, a letting go of one stage in life and the acceptance of another. Let us now bring into consciousness the ways that we have changed in this past year – and let go.

As we bring this time of meditation to a close, we wrap our memories in love and acceptance. Our memories weigh lighter upon us, while at the same time adding color and texture to our lives. We are open to the ways we have been shaped by them. And we are open to shaping a holiday celebration that honors all of our experiences – all of our memories including our losses and our new beginnings.

We open to the inner space of God’s healing PEACE

We open to God’s unconditional LOVE

 

We are guided by our Faith in all that is good.

Let us use these words from the Quran as a guide for the Christmas Season and all year: “Humans are one family. So make peace with your family” Quran 49:10

And as you are ready, gently bring our focus of attention back into this room – staying connected to our Inner Peace.

After the service everybody pays respect to those items on the altar and then of course you take your memory item(s) home.

UNFOLDMENT

‘A time will come when your innermost voice will speak to you, saying ‘This is my path, here I shall find peace, I will pursue this path, come what may’ If you will persist and are patient, and above all never lose faith, your path will lead you unerringly to your goal’
White Eagle
Well, here we are. Would you like to know just where “here” is? Earth is located in the universe in the Virgo Supercluster of galaxies. A supercluster is a group of galaxies held together by gravity. Within this supercluster we are in a smaller group of galaxies called the Local Group. Earth is in the second largest galaxy of the Local Group – a galaxy called the Milky Way. The Milky Way is a large spiral galaxy. Earth is located on a small spur of one of the two Orion Arms of the Milky Way. Here we are part of the Solar System – a group of eight planets which orbit the Sun. We are the third planet from the Sun in the Solar System. I figure you know the rest of the data: northern hemisphere, USA, eastern seaboard, state of Delaware, township of Milton, on Coastal Highway, between the cornfield & the red barn…How does that make you feel? More expanded, right? That’s unfoldment in space. There’s definitely a divine plan to our placement, a divine order to our being here, in THIS place, at THIS time. Welcome to the place of your divinity!

When I mentioned to a couple of you that the name of my talk today is “unfoldment”, I got a few oohs & ahs. These sounded so wise & & understanding, I wondered what YOU knew that I needed to talk about.

We are all here on earth to unfold. As everything is! An acorn will never be an oak tree if it doesn’t unfold. We’ve spent a year next to this cornfield, and we watched it gather up energy from the earth to sprout, grow, bear a harvest, and then release all of that energy after this cycle. Just so do we gather up energy from any number of sources, sprout, grow, bear fruit & return to the energetic universe. Another name for this cycle is “unfoldment”

While life calls us to grow & change, we Humans have free will. We can stop at anytime & dig in our heels & settle down in the place where we are. We can refuse to make a change. What happens when we do this? Seems to me life doesn’t stop & settle in with us for long. Oh, it’ll allow us a little reciprocity, but overall Life expects so much more of us. God expects more of us. WE expect more of us. From a galaxy to a cornfield, we always start from the tiniest place. The Talmud proclaims over every blade of grass there is an angel whispering: “grow, grow, grow!”

Life is always tapping us on the shoulder. Sometimes it’s a love tap, but if we shake off the interruption too many times, sometimes Life heads out the back of the barn & brings back a 2×4 to use for the next tap. Ever had that happen?

Fortunately, our spiritual selves don’t need Mapquest. We get our downloads through grace & express uploads through prayer. Our energetic bodies have this built-in growth app, called the Chakra System. It’s the equivalent of that angel whispering, “grow, grow, grow!” Our unfolding is built-in, authentic, automatic. It’s a surety that is meant to shoehorn us into spiritual growth.

Neil Kramer, a contemporary mystic, philosopher & author says, we live in a “hit & run world.” He says there are fail-safes to keep us from “spiritual stagnation.” I love that phrase: Spiritual Stagnation. But none of us want that to be a description of any part of our lives. He describes unfoldment as continuing to learn, as not giving away our power or burrowing into the sand – or the television – as we do grow.

I believe the only reason we are here is to find the way to God. The simplest path to God is within, so let’s start by taking a peek at the seven chakras. The western world has only started paying attention to the chakra system recently. They are more they are commonly part of the Eastern body of knowledge.

Each chakra has a color, a symbol and its very own sound. Each has a physical body area it helps activate, balance, energize & heal. Chakras are spinning wheels in our energy bodies, our “aura” if you will. I’ve brought along a Kirlian photograph of my aura, which also shows chakras. It shows my energy egg which fortunately is round, like me! That photos can be taken of these lends a lot to their credibility. So come with me as I describe the seven chakras. So pass it along, if you would.

I feel quite safe saying the existence of a human body is to provide habitation for a soul. Our ideal growth pattern is evolution into wise, loving, compassionate extensions of Source. Here’s how the chakras set us up to do exactly that:

The root chakra, Muladhara, is at the base of our torso. (Its symbol is the four-leaf lotus.)

Each chakra takes about seven years to open fully. You know that old saw that every seven years your life changes? This dovetails with that. In some religions, seven is the “age of reason” & when the indicators that we are more than physical beings begin to manifest. In times past, when a child reached seven years, statistical chances of survival rose exponentially. Till then, they were simply too fragile for the world. So during the first seven years of life, the root chakra is all about your being physical being in the world. It’s concerned with issues related to survival, like food, shelter, sleep, protection, & the practicalities of survival. If we don’t remember our first seven years here, we’ve all experienced how powerfully children are connected to survival. Threats are met with some powerful resistance, even if that threat to a child’s survival is not having that ice cream cone right now!

From 7 to 14, the second chakra, Savadhisthana, begins to develop. (Its symbol is the six-leaf lotus.) Second chakra is located about two finger-widths below the navel.

Once called the sexual chakra, now called the “polarity” chakra, Savadhistana is associated with creativity. From 7 to 14, our physical characteristics develop. In the beginning of this developmental cycle, girls & boys separate from each other – like repelling magnets. Life can be all about the body as it radically changes from child to young adult.

From 14 to 21, third chakra is defined: Manipura (with a symbol of the ten-leaf lotus.) Manipura is where we locate the solar plexus in the physical body. Literally, our light begins to shine on the world as we develop social relationships. Our roots are grounded; we have a good idea about our male/female growth patterns. We now relate to others independently. Usually teens relate better to outsiders from the family while family members get short shrift.

21 to 27 brings Anahata or heart chakra (the twelve-leaf lotus) online. After reaching out to society in general, finding our place in the pecking order, we move from general relationships to specific relationships. Often this is the time when a relationship gets “serious.” This is when we relate on a heart-to-heart basis with one other & make decisions about our lives within that loving context. We narrow the broad beam from the solar plexus to the more specific tight beam of the heart. For a long time, this was the time when society expected us to connect romantically, to refine our territory to a one to one.

Around 27, Vishuddha, the 16-leaf lotus, lights up. During 27 to 35, we may change our minds about that one to one relationship. Or that the satisfactions of life cannot be found in the job we have held since graduation. This is where we consolidate our power, refine our definition, state our identity more powerfully. By this time, we stand or fall when it comes to speaking our personal truth. Now the throat isn’t just a voicebox. Remember the chakras are not specific, like stage spotlights; they are general energy centers. What’s in or around your throat? The Thymus (T-cells, immune system) or maybe what are we allergic to in our life? The thyroid is here & that’s about brain development (we are defined by what we say about our thoughts.) Here also are the glands producing digestive enzymes for saliva. So Vishuddha additionally can participate in our tastes of life – food & otherwise, how we break life down into bites to assimilate it and so on. 27 to 35 establishes our power in the world. If our children were born in our twenties, by 35 they are old enough to be on their own pretty much & we are freer to move about in the world, to do our own thing.

35 to 42 is the age span that empowers Ajna, or the third-eye chakra. Our spiritual eye awakens. We rely on subtle perceptions more. The front of the brain is more about perception than reaction. Physically, behind the third eye is the frontal lobe which is about the ability to project future consequences of current actions, it helps us choose between good/bad or better/best actions. We can decide to override or suppress what doesn’t really fit anymore. We determine what’s alike & what’s different between events or things. Frontal lobe remembers emotional memories.

Last, we come to the crown chakra, Sahasrara, right here where the bones join – called “the place of 1,000 meetings” with a thousand-petal lotus. Some will tell you it floats just above the head. Crown chakra is the location where Heaven speaks to us and from which we speak to Heaven in return. Seems only fitting that crown chakra wakes at 42 – the kids are mostly grown, our place in life is mostly established. Remember, not too long ago in history 42 would have been old age. What better time to open communications with what comes next? With our divinity? This is where a monk’s tonsure was shaved – to bare his scalp to a more direct divine contact.

The seven chakras are supposed to open sequentially. But Life is not logical. And our body chemistry isn’t always sequential, especially when stimulated by additives & hormones in the general food supply. Emotional events impact us heavily: a death, a broken heart, or an epiphany can all blow a chakra wide open or dim it down, or even close it off. If you’ve been told you can’t sing, throat chakra may shrink. If you feel like you’re a “loser,” solar plexus may not have enough energy to relate to others well or at all.

In India, when someone has an ecstatic experience & discovers God, they are said to be “God-struck.”, and there are shelters to help take care of them since they may not know how to take care of themselves. Remember, if the lower chakras didn’t open or were ignored in favor of talking to Heaven, those life-skills got skipped over. These people may see God in every cloud, but this can mean they don’t know enough to come in out of the rain.

There are exercises to clear or clean your chakras, to re-open them or rebalance them. Energy healers can also help. You can measure your own levels of energy coming from each by focusing your attention on them mentally or even with your hands. Give yourself a chance with this, we are dealing with very subtle energy here.

If you watch an infant sleep, you’ll see that they expand with every breath. They unfold when you simply hold their gaze with love in your eyes. We do the same in the light of a loving Creator who looks deeply, expressively, into our eyes each time we see someone we love, a friend, a pet, or even a leaf opening on our favorite plant or tree. Daily, we drive past unfolding fields. Our magnificent ocean is always unfolding, in the form of waves when the water unfolds into surrender on the beach.

So we, too, rise on currents of lovingkindness to bathe another in our sheer-light beauty – one human unfolding to another. We keep ourselves from spiritual stagnation when we do that which is ours to do.

Unfolding is seen as a guerrilla tactic by the ego which wants everything to stay just the same so it can tell you you’re boring, unbeautiful and ten thousand other untrue things. Ego likes to run in place. Spirit wants to explore, discover, Spirit asks you always to participate more with God & creation.

Ego too serves a holy purpose, but “serves” is the keyword in that sentence. Ego is the servant of your spirit. If we can keep our ego out of the driver’s seat, we hold the space for our heart to steer the way.

Think about ways to encourage your heart and soul to unfold. What can you do to make it so? Instead of picking up the remote, pick up your journey-staff and walk out to the road to meet your world for it was created only for you. While you’re at it, breathe in & feel your soul expand all the way out to that Orion Arm.

Thank you.

Good Morning Beloved!

A cab driver picks up a nun. She gets into the cab, and the cab driver won’t stop staring at her.
She asks him why he is staring and he replies, “I have a question to ask you but I don’t want to offend you.”

She answers: “My dear son, you cannot offend me. When you’re as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I’m sure that there’s nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive.”

“Well, I’ve always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me.”
She responds, “Well, let’s see what we can do about that: #1, you have to be single and #2 you must be a Catholic.”

The cab driver is very excited and says, “Yes, I am single and I’m Catholic too!”

The nun says, “OK, pull into the next alley.” He does and the nun fulfills his fantasy.

But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

“My dear child.” said the nun, “Why are you crying?”

“Forgive me sister, but I have sinned. I lied, I must confess, I’m married and a I’m a Baptist.”

The nun says, “That’s OK, I am on the way to a Halloween party, and my name is Steve.”

Today we are starting a series of occasional looks into the different cultures and religions that are sharing our space on this planet. It is my intention to bring a variety of speakers from these different cultures to add to our knowledge of their culture. After all, Charles Fillmore looked to the Spiritual Cultures of the world as he forged, with his wife, what now stands as the foundation principles of Unity.
Our first encounter with the different cultures is appropriate for this time of year, because some of the traditions that we celebrate in these next few months come from what history has labeled Paganism.

For example, Trick or Treating – All Souls Day in England where people gave out [asties in exchange for prayers for dead relatives.

Masks and Customes from the ancient Celts who would use them to avoid being recognized by ghosts.
Our Jack O’Lanterns come from the Middle Ages where turnips and potatoes were carved to ward off evil spirits.

And the colors of orange and black come from pagan harvest celebrations symbolizing crops and the death of summer.

If we look a little furtheron the calendar, A lot of Christmas decorations and Christmas trees were a pagan tradition. Candy canes and holly were used to decorate Pagan temples back in the times of ancient Greece. Giving gifts, the yule log…all pagan

And Easter was named after the Norse Goddess Ostara. The food she ate to stay immortal was egg and the animal she was associated with was a rabbit. Easter egg hunts that are held by many is an old pagan tradition.

There are many more similarities taken from the so called pagan cults of early times. Let’s hear more about it from Paula.

Basic Beliefs of Wicca:

Coven – A gathering of people of like beliefs. Similar to a church or fellowship.

Magic or a Spell – An intense mental focus of one’s will. This can be carried out in a silent payer/meditation and through rhythmic chanting alone or in a group.

This is basically a different way of saying affirmative prayer.

While not exclusive to every single tradition, the following are some of the core tenets found in most Wiccan systems:

· The Divine is present in nature, and so nature should be honored and respected. The Divine is present in all of us. We are all sacred beings, and interaction with the goddesses or gods is not limited just to the priesthood

· The idea of karma cosmic payback system is echoed in the Law of Threefold Return.

The law of threefold return, speaks to the belief of the energy in the form of thoughts, actions, or inaction one puts out – will be repaid – in this or another life time. Thus “Harm none, do what you will

This is akin to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”

· In Wicca, Holidays are based on the turning of the earth and the cycle of the seasons. This is often referred to as the wheel of the year. The wheel has 8 spokes –

There are eight major Sabbats that are celebrated.

And there are rituals for the different phases of the moon. Different phases relate to the amount any type of energy believed to be available. Thus increasing the power of a spell,

· Respect the beliefs of others. There’s no Recruiting Club in Wicca, it is considered – to be doing harm -if a believer of witchcraft were to try to convert another person. Wiccan groups recognize that each individual must find their spiritual path on their own, without coercion.

Sabbats

February 2 – Valentines Day

IMBOLC –Imbolc is considered a traditional time for rededication and pledges for the coming year.

Around March 21

SPRING EQUINOX / OSTARA –Ostara is celebrated on the spring equinox.

May 1

BELTANE – Is a celebration of fertility:, livestock andc rops and this is where the maypole dancing.

June 22

SUMMER SOLSTICE / MID-SUMMER / LITHA – Litha is considered the turning point at which summer reaches its height and the sun shines longest. – Night and day are equal. Sunlight begins to diminish.

August 1

LUGHNASADH / LAMMAS – Lughnasadh It is the first of the three autumn harvest festivals which symbolizes the first fruits of the harvest.

September 21

Autumn EQUINOX /MABON –It is celebrated on the Autumnal Equinox,

this holiday is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share our resources

October 31

SAMHAIN – Samhain is considered by most Wiccans to be the most important of the Sabbats’. It is generally observed on October 31st. Samhain is considered by most Wiccans as a celebration of death and of the dead, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets and other loved ones who have died. Samhain as the Pagan New Year

During the time between Samhain and Winter Solstice – is a time of reflection of the past year and to plan for the coming one.

It is a time many use to create a Yule list of what they hope to accomplish in the new year.

December 22

WINTER SOLSTICE / YULE – this holiday is for the rebirth of the Great Sun God, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. This again isa time when night and day are equal and then sunlight begins to grow.

Good Morning Beloved

A sweet grandmother telephoned St. Joseph’s Hospital. She timidly asked, ‘Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?’ The operator said ‘I’ll be glad to help, dear. What’s the name and room number?’

The grandmother in her weak tremulous voice said, ‘Norma Findlay, Room 302.’

The operator replied, ‘Let me place you on hold while I check with her nurse. I have good news, her nurse just told me that Norma is doing very well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back as normal and her physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged on Tuesday.’

The grandmother said, ‘Thank you. That’s wonderful! I was so worried! God bless you for the good news.’

The operator replied, ‘You’re more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?’

The grandmother said, ‘No, I’m Norma Findlay in 302. No one tells me anything’

Discover Letting GO & Letting God

October strength purple (Affirmations)
Topic: Discover Letting Go and Letting God
Affirmation: Letting go and letting God prepares a smooth and easy way before me.

The power for October is Power. I think it fits appropriately with our out-reach project this month very well. As we work with the People’s Place emphasizing the “Purple Purse” campaign, we see how getting into our Power is required when facing domestic violence and learning what steps we need to take to resolve the issue…whether it is counseling or leaving; it’s a difficult choice.
We have a Special Guest this morning and she has a few words for us about her experience with Domestic Violence and the Purple Purse Campaign that the People’s Place is participating in.
So, please let’s warmly welcome Shacre as she shares with us today.

The important thing to remember is we have resources to aid in our ‘learning opportunities’. They may be of a ‘sense’ nature, meaning of this physical world, and so we have resources such as doctors, security people, and community outreach organizations like the People’s Place.

But, we must not forget the Spiritual resources we have also. Our reading this morning listed some very nicely: Divine strength, grace, faith, self- confidence – these are gifts of INNER STRENGTH.

Our lesson today is about Letting Go and Letting God. This is another resource available to us when we are facing a growth opportunity.

How you ask? By letting go of our ego trying to DO everything OUR way, we often find the way easier, and we are quicker to finding peace.

When we let go and let God, we often find the way easier because the Divine within is guiding us to the BEST path to resolve the issue.

Have you ever paid attention to your dog as you are walking? If you are letting them go at their own pace and path, they will more often than not, find the easiest path to take as you wander through the woods.

We would do well to follow the wisdom and insight of our four legged friends.

The rivers and streams do the same thing. They go with the flow, in and out and around things and objects.

When we let go and let God, we find answers that we would never have thought of on our own because when we open up to the Divine Universe, all the answers become available to us, we just have to be open to them.

Remember the story in the Bible about the Tower of Babel? What was the REAL lesson there? The people of Babel wanted to build a tower to heaven…to God. And so they started working together to build this tower. And, supposedly, (stay with me), remember it’s a story and it’s a lesson in Jewish history…God wasn’t happy about it and so he made everyone speak a different language. They couldn’t understand each other and so, that was the end of the tower.

Here is where I stopped reading the Bible when I was young. I figured what’s the point. God didn’t want us to get along.

Almost like The Game of Thrones when Jon Snow was killed…I threw the book across the room figuring there wasn’t any hero or heroines left….but I digress…

But if we take that story from a different perspective, looking through the eyes of Spirit, we see that this is another story telling us to look within, not outside for help, guidance. Let go of our ego telling us “WE CAN BUILD THIS TOWER TO THE HEAVENS ALL BY OURSELVES!”

Ego, be gone…let go and look to your Buddha, your Goddess with in.

We often hear, “Do you want to Be right or be happy?” Let go of ego, of doubts and let the Divine Universe guide you, bless you, BE you.

The phrase, ‘I let go and let God’ is become something of a cliché. But like most clichés, it’s a simple way of expressing a profound truth. Truth is still the truth, whether or not we believe it. That is the beauty of the truth.

Eckhart Tolle said; “Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.”

“Just let go. Let go of how you thought your life should be, and embrace the life that is trying to work it’s way into your consciousness.” – Caroline Myss

On Sunday, we asked the question, “How Big is Your God?” AS I lay on the table at Dynamic Physical Therapy, having my last treatment for the day, I pondered that lesson. And this is what I came up with: Our Creator is just that.

So who is the most creative person your know? Is it a singer? And composer? I am in awe of people who can write and sing and play instruments. A writer? There are so many good books and articles, we would need six lifetimes to read all that has been written up to this point in the lives of humanity.   I dabble in writing but nothing comes out like the authors I read.

Did you consider an artist? And then what kind of artist? Pastels? Oils? How about all the materials one sculpts with? And then there are the landscape arcitects….my favorite right after Rodin!

Did you think of the teachers who strive every day to find creative ways to teach our children? Or the folks who have envisioned and then manifested the internet? Computers? Social Media?

How about the bakers and the people who discover new ways to present the foods we eat? Yes, they are artist also.

Have you looked at yourself? As a parent, we all have to be creative many times to help our children learn the ways that will help them grow into responsible adults, not to mention what things to do on a rainy day to keep their minds occupied.

Here’s my point…we cannot even fathom the creative force that manifested this Universe, much less the multiverses that are being discovered. And to think for one second that we have the audacity to attempt to exclude any part of it is just unfathomable.

I am constantly in awe of the variety and depth of this Earth. And of the people and life that inhabit it. Let’s do what is ours to do to not only take care of it; let’s do whatever we can to honor it, to realize the sacredness of it and do our best to enable ALL life to flourish.

So, just how BIG is your God? Can IT encompass all that creativity that is being manifested through us as THE Creator?