GREAT MORNING BELOVED!

The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity – A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance

Law 2: Setting Clear-cut Goals

Welcome back to our discussion on Rev. Edwene Gaines’ Spiritual Laws of Prosperity.

Last week we reviewed her thoughts on tithing and giving. We were reminded that prosperity is a spiritual law and that everyone is subject to these same spiritual laws.
And according to Rev. Gaines those Spiritual Laws are:
1. Tithing and giving
2. Setting clear goals
3. Forgiveness & worthiness
4. Finding your divine purpose

So, this week, we look at the 2nd Law, Setting Clear Goals.

Rev. Gaines has much to say about setting goals. Once the flow of good is flowing through tithing and giving, setting goals creates a vessel with which to catch that goodness!

Setting goals will require some work on our part. Time set a sided to get to know YOU & what you really want. This can be fun — you get to daydream & let you mind wander, childlike. You get to be creative, to dream big & experience your own divine nature.

As an expression of our Creator, anything is possible, yet we too often stop ourselves short of our dreams with thoughts of: to old, no money, too many mistakes in our past, married, not married, no education….the list goes on & on.

But anything is possible.

Goethe – “Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.”
So, do not limit yourself in your imagination of what you are dreaming of in your life.

Ask yourself:
“If money were no object, if time or responsibility or age or education were no concern, what would my life look like? What would the life of my dreams be?”

Be specific. No concerns regarding should or shouldn’t. I like her statement: “When you’re hungry for chocolate cake, you don’t have to give a reason. You just want chocolate cake!”

So here are her guidelines for goal setting:
1. Write down all your desires. Have a notebook & keep it with you. Writing down your ideas will send a powerful message to your subconscious mind that the world is an abundant place & all things are truly possible.

2. Choose your most important desires & list them in order of importance to you, being very specific & clear. (maybe 10 or 12 to start) Then ask “what action could I take that would show I mean business? Then take
it!…sending a clear message to your subconscious & the Universe that you mean business.

3. Consider what changes you might need to make in order to achieve your goals. Ask prayerfully what must change. Be honest & answer with authenticity

4. Choose a date to achieve the goal-one that you genuinely believe can work- this sends a strong statement to you & God. If you set a date that makes sense to you & the goal does not show by the date, you must do another self-apprasal, asking God for guidance as to what needs to be done & then listen carefully.

5. Read your list of goals at least 3 times every AM & PM, giving them the power of affirmations. This keeps them in the forefront of your mind & draws power to it (Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind)

6. Imagine yourself achieving each goal. Visioning works, just look at our athletes…and Kathleen just held a visioning board workshop…perfect timing.

7. Act as if you have already achieved your goals. Believe that you receive. Act as if.

8. Don’t tell others. This is between you & your God. Goal-setting requires a leap of faith that might be criticized by others who would not understand this process.

9. Cross off the goals as they are achieved and add news ones. This is not a one-time activity, but an ongoing process. The Universe is constantly moving – in circulation and congestion…keep the movement going in a positive direction.

10. Remember God’s highest Law is LOVE. God wants what is best for us.

This is not about being materialistic…it’s about being open to the blessings that are ours to claim. So even though you might want to ask for inner peace, that’s something you already have…just be it. Do what needs to be done to be aware of the peace you have. Peace of mind or being more loving is a choice….just do it.

We already have all the wisdom, intelligence, faith, peace and love there is. Just be it.

Rev. Gaines advises going on a 21-day fast from anger, gossip, cheating, and hostility. This will prepare us by cleansing our mind of thoughts that could hinder our success. Only when we have cleared our thoughts can we have only good intentions in our heart and on our mind, can we specify what it is we truly want—and figure out how we can go about accomplishing and achieving those things.

The success of setting clear-cut goals is evident in the experiences shared in her book. Here’s one:
Pg. 85-91

Rev. Gaines shares several other stories about her experiences of goal setting and that of others. It simply is following Jesus’ teaching: “Ask and you shall receive.”

She reminds us of Jesus who could have healed everyone but only healed those who asked…..and they asked with a heart filled with love.

So, remember, you always get what you pray for, maybe not how you expected.
And do your part by tithing on all money,
do your inner work, being self-responsible…
be specific in what you want,
be childlike in your dreaming,
and never lose sight that Love is God’s ultimate Law.
Now, lets dream for a bit…

Great Morning Beloved!

“The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity – A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance”

Welcome Back!

I missed my Sunday fill of love and hugs and seeing you all. THAT is a form of prosperity! So, we all are in a ‘hug deficit’! Make sure you get double before you leave today!

We start this morning with some questions…

Do you have as much money as you’d like coming in? Are you surrounded by abundance? Does your whole financial life sing and soar? Are you experiencing a joyful life? Are your relationships a blessing to you?
No?

Most of us would like to have better finances and more joy in our lives. And we know that prosperity is not just how much money we have in our bank account. Abundance covers so much of our lives…it’s not a one item thing.
We are going to embark on a Spiritual Journey of Abundance, because prosperity – abundance—is a spiritual thing.

Next on our journey is a discussion of the spiritual principles behind abundance according to Rev. Edwene Gaines, a Unity minister and considered one of Unity’s prosperity authorities.

Whether you agree or not, you are subject to the same spiritual laws as everyone else. When you align with those laws, your financial life will prosper. If you don’t follow those laws, whether your being out of alignment is conscious or accidental, then your financial blessings are blocked.

God by any name we use, is right here in this moment, within us, surrounding us, embracing us, connecting us, and the more awake and aware we are to God’s presence within and around us, the more joy and abundance we will be able to experience in our own lives. It’s “practicing the presence of God.”

Our challenge and our goal is to accept that that good is here and to give ourselves permission to receive it. According to Rev. Gaines, that “requires us to make some very profound and deep-seated changes within ourselves.”
And change, transformation, is what we are doing here….

In Unity, we believe that the presence and power of God is within each and every one of us. To align with it, to embrace it, Rev. Gaines states we must adhere to these four spiritual laws that she has discovered for herself.
Prosperity is our birthright as a child of God, our divine inheritance. Prosperity is the consciousness of God present everywhere. God wants you to be prosperous.
No matter what we may have done or chosen to believe in the past, it is possible for us all to wake up to our inherent divinity.

What are these spiritual laws? There are four according to Edwene Gaines, author of The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity – A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance:
1. Tithing and giving
2. Setting clear goals
3. Forgiveness & worthiness
4. Finding your divine purpose

We’ll discuss the first one today.
Most of us have an idea about what tithing is…
Tithing is an Old Testament concept. The tithe was a requirement of the Law in which the Israelites were to give 10 percent of the crops they grew and the livestock they raised to the tabernacle.

In fact, the Old Testament Law required multiple tithes—one for the Levites, the priestly tribe, one for the use of the temple and the feasts, and one for the poor of the land—which would have pushed the total to around 23.3 percent. Some understand the Old Testament tithe as a method of taxation to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites in the sacrificial system.

After the death of Jesus, the New Testament nowhere commands, or even recommends, that Christians submit to a legalistic tithe system. The New Testament nowhere designates a percentage of income a person should set aside, but only says gifts should be “in keeping with income”.

With the rise of the Church, tithing became enforced by law to keep the church and its hierarchy going. We have heard of many stories about the forced tithing in history. Actually, I’m not sure that should even be called a tithe!
Now that Church and State are separated, individual churches encourage but cannot legally force their congregations to tithe.

Today, most people look at tithe as giving 10% of any money you receive back to God.

As more people opt for spiritual growth outside organized religion, we tithe to the individuals or organizations who provide us with spiritual nourishment – those who support our spiritual growth or remind us of who we are.
This is what Unity encourages.

I tithe to Big Unity, to Unity of Rehoboth Beach and to other organizations like SmallPaws Bichon Rescue. They each enrich me in different ways.

You can tithe to whatever person or organization IS assisting your spiritual growth. This can be your teacher, doctor, neighbor, child, or even the friendly waitress who reminds you of who you are, as Edwene describes in her book. It can be a different person or organization every time, so long as it’s someone who is assisting your spiritual growth. Of course, we hope you will consider Unity of Rehoboth Beach as part of your tithe.

So, why should we tithe? Simply put, it’s spiritual law. And because it tells the universe that you trust abundance is coming to you.

Tithing engages the universal laws of flow, receiving and giving. It forms a connection between your individual life and the universal flow of abundance.

It opens the valve controlling the flow into your life. It’s a way of giving thanks to God, and we all know that gratitude is a great way to encourage more and larger gifts. Steady tithing automatically brings an equally steady increase in the money flowing into our life. If you don’t have financial flow, tithing is the first thing to do.
Secondly, tithing it tells the universe that you trust prosperity is coming to you. It says, “I have so much coming in that I can easily and cheerfully give 10% back into circulation.” It keeps your focus on prosperity rather than poverty, abundance rather than lack. And of course, whatever you focus on expands in your life. In this respect, tithing opens the valve controlling the flow into your life.

According to the prophet Malachi, it opens the windows of heaven, so that blessings can pour into your life. (Malachi 3:10) Consistent tithing automatically brings an equally steady increase in the money flowing in.

Gaines lays down firm and fast rules for tithing, such as:
charitable giving doesn’t count,
giving 9 percent is not enough,
and if you’re too broke to tithe, you will probably always be broke.

She backs that up with her own story:
With barely a dollar to her name and a young daughter to feed, Edwene Gaines began to do what most people with a steady income would fear: she tithed. She gave ten percent of every single cent that came to her, and what she experienced as a result wasn’t miraculous—at least in her eyes—for she knew that the fact of her income doubling in a matter of six months and then tripling within a year was the work of God.

She says to be consistent with your tithing if you want God to bless you consistently.

Keep in mind that tithing is different from charitable giving. Tithing is giving that first 10% back to God, in appreciation of spiritual teaching.

Charitable giving is a good thing, too, but it comes after tithing, not instead of tithing. When you tithe, you do not get to tell the recipient what to do with that money; it’s up to them.

Finally, tithing doesn’t take the place of paying for goods or services. If you tithe to a teacher who also works on you, you still get to pay their regular fee. Imagine that your car mechanic says something that really touches you spiritually; you still have to pay him for changing the oil in your car!

God created us to live in a relationship of love and trust. By tithing, by giving freely, we express our trust in our Creator. With that, our life is enriched with both inner and outer blessings. When we trust in the Divine, we become channels of these blessings to others

So, we see that tithing is giving in gratitude for a special gift from another person or organization. That gift is a part of your Spiritual Journey. In a way, your soul is getting an opportunity to say thank you for the guidance or Lesson that you received.

We here at Unity thank you all for all that you do to help us maintain and grow. And it is in part to your tithes as well as giving of your time and talents.

So I thank you a thousand times over.

A frog telephoned the Psychic Hotline.
His Personal Psychic Advisor told him, “You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you.”
The frog is thrilled! “This is great! Will I meet her at a party?”
“No,” said his advisor, “in her biology class.”

Great Morning Beloved!

The 4 Spiritual Laws of Prosperity – A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance

We start this morning with a question…
Do you have as much money as you’d like coming in? Are you surrounded by abundance? Does your whole financial life sing and soar? Are you experiencing a joyful life?

No?

Most of us would like to have better finances and more joy in our lives. But we know that prosperity is not just how much money you have in your bank account. Abundance covers so much of our lives…it’s not a one item thing.

For the next four weeks, we are going to embark on a Spiritual Journey of Abundance,
because prosperity – abundance—is a spiritual thing.

We are going to discuss the spiritual principles behind abundance according to Rev. Edwene Gaines, a Unity minister and considered one of Unity’s prosperity authorities.

Whether you agree or not, you are subject to the same spiritual laws as everyone else. When you align with those laws, your financial life will prosper. If you don’t follow those laws, whether your being out of alignment is conscious or accidental, then your financial blessings are blocked.

There is a line from the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee where a character is described as having always “looked for God too high up and too far away.”

Why do we do that?

God by any name we use, is right here in this moment, within us, surrounding us, embracing us, connecting us, and that the more awake and aware we are to God’s presence within and around us, the more joy, abundance we will be able to experience in our own lives. It’s “practicing the presence of God.”

Our challenge and our goal is to accept that the good that is here and to give ourselves permission to receive it. According to Rev. Gaines, that “requires us to make some very profound and deep-seated changes within ourselves.”
In Unity, we believe that the presence and power of God is within each and every one of us. To align with it, to embrace it, we must adhere to the four spiritual laws.

Prosperity is our birthright as a child of God, our divine inheritance. Prosperity is the consciousness of God present everywhere. God wants you to be prosperous.

No matter what we may have done or chosen to believe in the past, it is possible for us all to wake up to our inherent divinity.

What are these spiritual laws? There are four according to Edwene Gaines, author of The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity:
1. Tithing and giving
2. Setting clear goals
3. Forgiveness & worthiness
4. Finding your divine purpose

We’ll talk briefly this morning about each and then for the next four weeks, go into some detail about each one and what we can do to follow the rules.

So, the first one: Tithing and giving

What is tithing? It’s giving 10% of any money you receive back to God. It was originally given in ancient times to support the priests at the temple. The priests were praying for the whole nation and everyone in it. With the rise of the Church, tithing became enforced by law to keep the church and its hierarchy going.
In Unity we are encouraged to tithe to the individuals or organizations who provide us with spiritual nourishment: those who help us learn about spirit or remind us of who we are.

Why tithe? Firstly, because it’s spiritual law. Secondly, because it tells the universe that you trust abundance is coming to you. Tithing opens the valve controlling the flow into your life. It’s a way of giving thanks to God, and we all know that gratitude is a great way to encourage more and larger gifts. Steady tithing automatically brings an equally steady increase in the money flowing into our life. If you don’t have financial flow, tithing is the first thing to do.

Law Two: Setting clear Goals. Setting concrete and practical goals creates a vessel with which you can catch the new wealth and good fortune that tithing brings you.

Planning is identifying what you desire and committing to the steps required to get you there. If you had endless time and money, what would you be doing with your life? If you were to project yourself into the future, what would you want to be doing in two years? Or five years? Or ten years? Or by the end of your life?

Anyone want to share that dream?

Most people don’t get their assignments, their ‘to-do list’ completed because they don’t plan or follow through on their plans. The universe does everything with precision and order; the more we can do that also, the more easily and completely we create what we desire in our lives.

Planning involves focusing on what you want, thinking about it, talking about it, feeling your way into it, imagining the presence of that goal in your life, and leaning into the results of that goal.
A perfect example is right here…Unity in Delaware!

Law Three: Forgiveness & worthiness. What is forgiveness? Well, you probably know that forgiveness is more about you than the person you are hurt by or annoyed at.

Unforgiveness is like poking yourself in the eye and wondering why it doesn’t hurt the person you’re not forgiving. The problem is that while you are stuck in unforgiveness, you are blocking the flow of prosperity and blessing in your life.

Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you give them permission to hurt or abuse you; it just means that you aren’t spending any more of your precious time and energy focused on feeling hurt, indignant or wronged.

If we cling to self-defeating feelings such as guilt, shame, blame, hurt, and resentment, we cannot feel truly worthy of having the best God can give us; we cannot–and will not–accept God’s gifts.

Gaines believes that you must forgive yourself for everything you’ve ever done and forgive others for all that they may have done to you. Freeing yourself from judging others is a step-in learning what you truly want out of life.

Law 4: Finding Your Divine Purpose

Most people can’t imagine whether they would begin to do such a thing, but Gaines leads a step-by-step path to finding your own unique strengths and direction in life.

We all have some special gift, some special interest, some special talent, some special way of impacting this world so that it becomes a better place for everyone. Hold fast to your divine purpose prayerfully, persistently, and patiently.

What are you passionate about? What fills you with focus, joy and excitement? That is a great indicator of what you are here to do on this planet.

We each have a specific assignment; there is something only you can do within the overall assignment of the human race to recreate heaven on earth. Obviously, you are going to have the best and most excellent life if you follow your divine blueprint. The way to figure that out is by following your passions. You don’t have to explain them, justify them, or explain them to anyone else: your passions are sufficient in themselves.

Rev Gaines’s Favorite Quote is:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
~1 Corinthians 2:9

As a child of the Divine Spirit, Energy that encompasses all that is, we must do our part to receive what is available to us.

Our work is to know ourselves as spiritual beings. We are human, of course, yet our essence is spirit — we are heirs of a rich legacy that surpasses any human reckoning.

For most of us, however, it is as if we have inherited a fortune which has been deposited in our name at a bank without our knowledge. Until we discover our birth-right we are disempowered in so many ways!

Ignorance of what and who we truly are makes it seem that we are as orphans without the means to help ourselves in the face of life’s challenges. Once we really comprehend the vastness of our resources, life becomes a whole new experience!

We are no longer ignorant…and our 5th Principle tells us to put feet into our prayers, our desires, our birth-right.

Is your life ready for a transfusion?

It is my hope that these next few weeks will open your hearts to what is yours to do, to receive what is yours…what is waiting for you to open to that reality.

Here’s an affirmation that Charles Fillmore said 4 times a day, one that I have chiming on my phone 4 times a day: “The Spiritual ethers are filled with plenty; prosperity fills the air and I have abundance for every need.”

It’s a good start to our 4week adventure!

Great Morning Beloved!

White Stone Ceremony

Happy New Year again, to you all. I look forward to another year of sharing Unity’s messages to you all and sharing in that spiritual journey that we all are on, whether we realize it or not!

A new year is a time of new beginnings, if we allow it. As you begin this new year, I invite you to remember the Burning Bowl ceremony, in which many of us participated, when we wrote down that which we wish to release, and we literally burned those concepts, those ideas and situations: we let them go up in smoke and set an intention to rid ourselves of them.
That ceremony was and is a profoundly impactful experience. It helps us release that which no longer serves our soul’s journey, which is very freeing. And when we release, we create an empty space, which needs to be filled with something! This morning, I invite you to consider what will fill that empty space.
Both these Ceremonies, the Burning Bowl and the White Stone, can be transformative…as long as we are patient. We are like the seed that needs time to grow and mature. So be patient with yourself as you progress along your Spiritual Journeyand be so with others too.

You were given a white stone when you came in. We will use the stone in the ceremony to identify your “new name” or your guiding word for this new year.

Today is the day when we set our intentions for the rest of the year. I’m not talking about resolutions, because in the White Stone ceremony, we don’t make a list. Usually, we come up with one or two words which represent the changes we wish to make or what we want to see expressing in our experience.
But first, let’s put this in context. The ceremony is inspired by a quote from the Book of Revelation: chapter 2:17. Consider these thoughts: “Let anyone who has an ear listen: ….To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
This passage refers to a couple of actions and promises:
The first activity is listening: or Meditation
An ear to hear is not an outer ear, but the ear of the soul; the ear that hears the “still, small voice”. We develop this inner listening quality by getting out of our intellect and into our hearts, through meditation. It is a tool to help us quiet our busy mind and listen to the Divine Voice of Wisdom. We open our minds and hearts to a deep intuitive “knowing.”

Another activity or tool is surrender:
The passage says: “To everyone who conquers…” The conquering is not an outer war, but an inner one. To everyone who takes the time to listen to the still, small voice; to everyone who practices release and affirms inner spiritual qualities…. We realize it requires surrendering personal will to Divine Will, and the paradox is that in that surrender of the egoic self is Victory. It is a birthing of the Essential Self, just as Jesus taught and demonstrated.

In this passage there are also 3 Promises:
It said, “To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
The first promise is “Hidden Manna:”
In the days of wandering in the wilderness with Moses, the manna was sent by God. The people only had to go and collect it each day; they did not have to do anything to earn it. If they tried to save it, it spoiled. When we are in “the wilderness” of our spiritual searching, we receive “hidden manna,” not visible to the world. We are given spiritual energy and nourishment that sustains us…. Grace. It nourishes the soul and the body. It benefits the whole being. And we don’t have to earn it! Grace is there for us.

The 2nd promise is a White Stone:
Back when Jesus was teaching, and someone served time in prison or in bondage of any kind, they were given a white stone when they were released. It served as a symbol that they had done their time and they had been given passage to live with all the rights of a free person.
Each of us comes from the bondage of the past…some would call nonsense – false limitations, old beliefs, error thinking that have been a prison of sorts. With a release from bondage, comes a sense of worthiness: we are beloved of God, one with the Divine, free and unlimited!

The 3rd promise is a New Name:
In the Bible, we read of many name changes. For example, Saul – which means personal will – was struck to his knees. He was blind for three days and had to look within. He was given a new name at the time of his awakening. Saul was transformed to Paul, which means enlightened will. Personal will to enlightened will. He is a symbol of human will that surrenders to Divine will, and in that surrender, he claimed Divine Power.

The story of a name change is common in Biblical mythology. The prophet Isaiah wrote in Chapter 62, Verse 2; “The lower consciousness shall see your freedom, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.”

Abram, as he grew in spiritual awareness became Abraham. Sarai, his wife, became Sarah. Jacob was renamed Israel. Simon was renamed Peter.

So, as we awaken to our inner Spirit, we take on a new identity, a new name so to speak. This refers to the new, higher realization of the I AM, a new awareness of our God Self.

And this is where the Ceremony called “White Stone” comes in. In the passage, we are told “I will give a white stone and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
So, I invite you to sit quietly on what you’re being called to in the new year and claim that as your new name.
I invite you NOW to hold your stone in your hands. As you hold it, open your mind to “hearing” your new name.
Allow yourself to ask a question: Who am I or what am I called to be in this coming year? As I let go of my old habits, those I released during the burning bowl ceremony, what is it that I am called to be known as?
This new character Identity that you intend to cultivate in the coming year might be connected to that which you released at the Burning Bowl ceremony.

Let your awareness drop from your head down into your heart and gut: from your intellect and into your deep inner knowing. an awareness of Divine Love and Wisdom. Listen for a moment to your still small voice.
Open your imagination, allow Wisdom to speak, give your ego a few minutes off and let that divine holy Voice in you come through.

Perhaps there is a new career, a new title, or a new quality that Spirit is pressing out through you.
“Hear” a word or phrase that has significance for you as you begin the New Year. This word can be an overall intention…a way of being in the world…something to grow into…something that allows a deeper Truth to express more fully through you.

Give yourself permission to know that as you release that which no longer serves your highest good, you can claim a new quality… a new name.
It may be a title, it may be something like published author…or clean and sober…or grateful….
Sometimes people will write the word peace, love, or presence, …..take on a new essence of who you are becoming.

Silence…

If a name has come to you, remain quiet and allow yourself to ask for a deeper understanding, to ask if there are any steps to take. In this moment allow yourself to simply open to Spirit, to say, “God in me reveals my true essence. God in me reveals my next step. God as me lives a joyous, peaceful, fulfilling life.”
When you have received your message, proceed to the back of the room and write your name or word on your Stone. There are several choices of pens and ink for your use.
If nothing comes to you during this ceremony, keep your stone with you and continue to ask. An answer always comes to those who ask.

Please remain quiet as we give space for the messages to come to you.
PAUSE

Anytime you look at your white stone realize that you have the gift of choice; the gift to live differently, to live a more fulfilling life, to begin again, to connect with God and create with God.
The white stone carries a new name, the spiritual identity and a deeper awareness of your soul’s journey at this time in your life. No one, in the entire universe except your inner wisdom, knows what this new name is. But it has come to your awareness to be lived out, to be expressed, to be embodied as you. It is what your True Self, the Divine is calling you to be or do. It is a whisper from your soul that you are so much more than you have ever let come into expression.

Jesus said, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you this kingdom.” Accept this consciousness of ever increasing good in your life. I invite you to carry this white stone as a reminder of that promise.

The new year is a blank page…in your heart and in your life. You choose, with the guidance you receive from within, how that page will be filled.

2019 has unlimited possibilities. In creating a space in our consciousness, we open ourselves up to that unlimited possibility, unlimited potential in this new year. You choose what is written….
Let’s take a moment of grateful silence as we conclude this Ceremony.

Namaste.