YOUR DEDICATION

Day 6 of the diet: Hang in there, only 1 more day to go. Then again, you may be experiencing such profound changes in your outlook that you desire more. Today’s teaching is on love and its power, its ability to change us at the core and the unique availability of love. Love is always available, if we are willing to take action. As we have learned, Faith without works is dead, and just as faith, love requires action. You must build up “by faithful daily exercise the true Love Consciousness.” This is a key ingredient in your daily diet since “Love and tolerance of others is our code.”

The path of enlightenment requires work, effort on our part. We start our day by “asking each morning in meditation that our creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.” Do you start your day with meditation? No? Why not? Would you try to make a cake without flour? Drive your car missing a tire? Of course not. Meditation is an integral part of living on the Spiritual Basis. If you are not meditating daily, start at a simple level. Find a quiet place where you will be undisturbed for a few minutes. Take 2 or 3 deep breaths slowly exhaling. With eyes closed, consider what patience, tolerance, kindliness and love mean to you. Your mind will begin to visualize images, do not fight them or try to control them. In your minds dialogue stay focused on the task at hand. When your mind wanders gently bring it back. When it wanders again end your session and thank God for knowing Him better. What could be easier? Limit your sessions to 10 to 15 minutes. This is sufficient to start the day and we can all find this amount of time if we are willing. Of course if you have the time and are moved to longer sessions, then do.

THE PATH OF LOVE

Day 5 of the diet: …God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). Today, attempt to greet everyone, and view everything through the prism of love. This begins by greeting all with a smile. You will not do this perfectly, no one but a saint could, the purpose is to be aware of love, experience the truly limitless capacity we have for it, to both give and receive. Observe how those whom you meet respond when you greet them with love and how your thoughts are altered when a situation or a bit of news is viewed through the prism of love. Remember, do not tell anyone you are on a diet. The path of love is the straight gate and the shortest way to the great Goal, to live on the Spiritual Basis one day at a time for eternity.

DEALING WITH THE NEGATIVE

Day 4 of the 7 day mental diet: Consider the analogy: “A man is sitting by an open fire when a red hot cinder flies out and falls on his sleeve. If he blows that cinder off at once, without a moment’s delay to think about it, no harm is done. However, if he allows it to rest for even a single moment, under any pretense, the mischief is done, and it will be a troublesome task to repair that sleeve. So it is with negative thought.” Simply stated we have no control over the thoughts that float through our minds or are given us by others but we choose how to address those thoughts. Living on the Spiritual Basis the path is clear: When we turn immediately to God in prayer as soon as we become aware of the negative thought, regardless of its source, we remain unharmed, our sleeves hole free. We avoid the trap of morbid reflection by trying to figure out or understand why a particular thought crossed our mind; we just take the necessary action to address it. In time, this will become second nature.

By this this point in the diet you are probably experiencing some difficulties, it may seem that everything is seemingly going sideways, you have more trouble now than when you started the diet. Outstanding! You have shaken your world at its bedrock and when the shaking stops, a new and much stronger foundation will be in place. Stay the course and under no circumstance discuss what you are doing with anyone. Onwards through the fog.

WATCH AND WORK

Day 3: Having fun yet? The diet maybe simple, but it certainly is not easy. Continue to be vigilant, watching for morbid reflection, negative or destructive thinking. When you find your thoughts drifting into any of these areas stop immediately and supplant them with a positive thought and action if possible. As you are beginning to discover, this is a strenuous effort and few would be able to do this for more than seven days so take heart. The dividends you will receive are worth the effort. Consider every other diet you have ever been on, how cool would it be to drop that holiday weight in a week? Keep in focus the reason for this diet: to be aware and to learn to plant only positive, constructive, optimistic and kind thoughts in the garden of our thoughts; watered with the love and guidance of God. Shhhh…remember don’t tell anyone you are on a diet. Follow this advice as well if you are considering starting the other kind of diet or exercise program and your odds of success will increase exponentially.

TRAINING YOUR THOUGHTS

Day 2 of Diet: If you are still considering whether to attempt this diet, take a moment in quiet contemplation and ask yourself why? What is there to be afraid of? This contemplation alone is worth the price of admission, but always be gentle with yourself, avoiding morbid reflection at all costs.

If you began the diet yesterday, today choose the subjects you will entertain in your consciousness. Measure the emotional tone, being aware at all times of what you are thinking and how it is affecting you. Now for some good news, no one does this perfectly. When you become aware that your thoughts have wandered, and they will, ask yourself quietly why you drifted into that thought and how it affected you emotionally. Often these will just be random thoughts triggered by a scent, a word or phrase or any of the multitudes of sensory inputs we experience daily, so do not give into paralysis by analysis. Remember, often a cloudy day is just a cloudy day, nothing more. If you find that perhaps there is more to it and you cannot take a moment now, briefly note the thought and when you have the time, reflect on it in gentle contemplation. There is a rule here that must be obeyed. The rule is we are never to struggle or engage in negative appraisal of these random thoughts. We simply observe what floats through our mind as dispassionately as we can; this is not an exercise in judging, only in observing and noting affects.

Bill and Lois' Christmas Message, 1944

TO ALL MEMBERS:

Greetings On Our 10th Christmas 1944

Yes, it's in the air! The spirit of Christmas once more warms this poor
distraught world. Over the whole globe millions are looking forward to that
one day when strife can be forgotten, when it will be remembered that all
human beings, even the least are loved by God, when men will hope for the
coming of the Prince of Peace as they never hoped before.

But there is another world which is not poor. Neither is it distraught. It
is the world of Alcoholics Anonymous, where thousands dwell happily and
secure. Secure because each of us, in his own way, knows a greater power who
is love, who is just, and who can be trusted.

Nor can men and women of AA ever forget that only through suffering did they
find enough humility to enter the portals of that New World.

How privileged we are to understand so well the divine paradox

. that strength rises from weakness,

. that humiliation goes before resurrection;

. that pain is not only the price but the very touchstone of
spiritual rebirth.

Knowing it's full worth and purpose, we can no longer fear adversity, we
have found prosperity where there was poverty, peace and joy have sprung out
of the very midst of chaos.

Great indeed, our blessings!

And so -- Merry Christmas to you all -- from the Trustees, from Bobbie and
from Lois and me.

Bill Wilson

Tip of the hat to AJ.

BLESSING AND CURSING

“Bless a thing and it will bless you. Curse it and it will curse you.” Regardless of circumstances in your life, bless all and remember the reason for the day. If there is anyone or anything in your life that is difficult, stop in this moment and say a blessing. And mean it. By doing this the difficulty will lessen, its power evaporates. You are free. See Christ in all you meet today, saluting the Christ within them and within you. You are free. His birth brings the good tidings, His death and resurrection the promise of life eternal. Rejoice and celebrate Christmas in prayer by having a personal merry Christ Mass. Noel.

VITAL FAITH

Possibly the hardest spiritual direction of all is “to be still.” We have done all the indicated work regarding a difficulty or trouble that has come into our lives. The prayers have been said. Forgiveness asked for and freely given. Meditations on receiving strength and direction accomplished. Now what? “Be still, and know that I am God” and “Wait on the Lord: be of courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say, on the Lord.” What an order. As someone new to the path said to me years ago in all seriousness: “I need patience and I need it right now.” As my laughter died down the thought crossed my mind, me too.

THE LOST COROT*

Our consciousness is unsullied at birth; we are pure in spirit, our Divine connection immaculate. As we age and mature, our consciousness becomes layered with false beliefs in limitation, sin, sickness and inharmony, covering our original perfection. Just as the lucky flea market shopper who stumbles across a treasure under layers of paint, we discover the Higher Truth; we peel back the layers, scraping away bit by bit the false paths of fear, limitation, selfishness and unrighteous judgment. Often it feels as if this is a task beyond mortal man, and in fact, it is. Only a power greater than ourselves, God, provides not only the direction and guidance but also the needed strength to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. The good news is we only need to accomplish what can be done in a day. The story is told of the mason working on an intricate tile floor in a cathedral. A visitor marveled at the work that had been done but was overwhelmed by the immensity of the area still left to be tiled. When they asked the mason how he could do it, he replied, “I know about how much I can do in a day, so I mark out that much and don’t concern myself with the rest.” We employ prayer and meditation in the same way, addressing what is before us today, leaving tomorrow to take care of itself. Besides, what else do have to do that is more important?


*Camille Corot (1796-1875) was probably the painter the most copied during the 19th century not only by imitators but also by talented artists..
It is still possible to rediscover lost works by Corot nowadays but most newly discovered works on the market are fakes. In fact, since the death of Alfred Robaut, an artist who produced the catalogue raisonné of Corot's paintings and drawings there have been some 10,000 recorded fakes in the world.

YOUR OWN VALUATION

Living on the Spiritual Basis requires rigorous honesty. Ever tell a “fish” story? You know the voice, the one that adds a few inches to or the number of fish caught. It can kick in when we are talking about anything really, job, investments, kids, grand-kids, accomplishments from our “glory” days, etc. Usually the embellishment is small in nature and if we stretch logic, (kinda like stepping on a fish to make it legal) we can sell it to ourselves but we know in our heart of hearts that we are being a little less than truthful. We couch it in “it is no big deal, everybody does it” so we let it pass. As a wise man once said: “The first liar never stands a chance.” The most troubling part is that it is a truly pointless exercise. Whom am I trying to impress? Someone that popped into my life and will just as quickly leave? God? He knows the truth. Myself? I know the truth as well. On the cosmic scale these are small offenses and forgiven as soon as we ask, but troubling nonetheless. Though not really a big deal in the over all scheme of enlightenment, they still make us cringe when one sneaks out due to inattention. So just for today, be diligent and if one does sneak out stop and clear it up immediately. After having taken this action a few times, our attention sharpens remarkably.

Finally, the main crux of today’s lesson is that we demonstrate what we believe. In truth, I think we all value ourselves as something less than divine, the expression of a loving God, which in truth and fact we are. So, just for today, thank God for knowing Him better and take a few minutes in meditation to focus on your true nature, your real true nature: that you are loved beyond measure, that nothing but the direct action of God can truly touch you and that God brings only good to your life, that you are a divine being, eternal, connected to and an extension of all creation. Amen.

STOP LIMITING GOD

“When you pray you are turning to the power of God and surely you will admit that God is omnipotent, and therefore nothing can be too difficult, or too late, or too soon for Him.” “Infinite Wisdom knows a beautiful and joyous solution to any dilemma. Do not limit the power of God for good in your life.” God is never limited, only OUR perception is limited. God is the true and only source, His abundance greater than all the water in all the oceans. Standing at the shore of spiritual abundance, how big is the vessel you brought to fill with his abundance? A thimble? A cup? A bucket? A tanker truck with an infinite sized tank? The size of our vessel is determined by the limit we choose. Remember, He wants us to partake fully of His abundance since we are His children and in truth His abundance is our abundance; all limitation false, constructed by us out of fear. So discard that thimble today and fire up the tanker truck.

LIFE IS LIKE THAT

Today’s teaching revolves around the 4th step of the 12-step process of spiritual awakening first delineated in the book Alcoholics Anonymous over 70 years ago. The 4th step of the 12-step process concerns the personal inventory. In this step, we get down to the causes and conditions of the things that have been driving us or in today’s recovery medicine vernacular: triggers. “We are driven by a hundred forms of fear…” pg 62 Alcoholics Anonymous. The purpose behind this step is to finally and forever show that behind every circumstance and condition, every hard feeling and resentment are two constants. First that we bear some responsibility in everything that has transpired in our life, when choice was involved, and second that every bad choice or decision was based in some way on fear, the fear that we would either not receive something we believed we deserved or needed or that we would lose something we had. Relationships: I will never find the right one/what if they leave; Money: I will never have enough/what if I lose what I have; Health: I will never feel good/what if I get sick, etc, etc. Once we identify what has been holding us back and apply spiritual principles to those conditions/symptoms we begin to experience true freedom. “…we learn that by beating the symptoms spiritually (not, of course, covering up symptoms, but beating them) the fear or false suggestion that caused the symptom disappears too, and the patient is free.” Simple but not easy. A price has to be paid, and that price is the surrendering of self.

THE DEVIL’S LAST STAND

“It is not when things are going well that we make our progress. It is not even when things are going wrong and yet we feel sure that we can handle them with prayer, that we advance. It is when, smitten by the temptation to discouragement or even despair, we yet stand for what we know is the Truth.” Forgive my language but an expletive is required. A wise man said to me years ago “there will be days when in pain, seemingly at wits end when you are going to look around and say WHAT THE F%&# GOD!” We have been working diligently, doing all that is indicated and yet life has gone sideways. Prayers seem to be falling on deaf ears and meditating has lost its savor. We begin to embrace negative analysis and wallow in morbid reflection. Everything is turning from light to dark. We begin to ask, “What’s the point?” We placed our trust in God and He has seemingly abandoned us at the worst possible moment. These times are always fed by a loss of perspective. We forget that we are eternal, that this is just one day in a very long existence, that we are living in eternity now. Dwelling on the false belief that this time nothing will change, that the dark will only become darker and we are adrift, alone and unloved. Perhaps even so far as to entertain doubts about even the existence of God and all the destructive thinking that this path leads to.

When that moment grips us, we redouble our efforts. How? By the simple recitation of possibly the most powerful prayer in the Bible: Be still and know that I am God. And wait. What an order. The times when the only action is non-action and allowing God to work are the hardest. When we find ourselves in the devil’s last ditch, having a WTFG moment we should rejoice in our good fortune. (It would be less than honest of me to say that I have the “rejoice” part down as of yet.) Today when I feel discouragement and despair creeping into my consciousness I do stop, sometimes quickly sometimes slowly, and repeat the prayer. And wait. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14) and Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him (Job 13:15). Simple, but not easy.

LOSING INTEREST IN OUTER THINGS?

Living on the Spiritual Basis our points of reference, the things that used to interest us alters. Typically, this happens with little or no thought on our part. As children, we never sat down one day and decided it was time to stop playing Tonka toys, dolls, army or dress up. The last time we played hide and seek as children just happened. We didn’t plan it or think it through, we just didn’t play again. If we take a moment in contemplation, many things can be found that we just stopped doing, without any thought or consideration on our part. Call it growing up or maturing, the same thing happens spiritually, with an important difference: everyone ages and leaves behind their childhood; spiritual growth requires effort on our part. Once we have chosen to place our feet on the path of enlightenment, consistency in action is necessary. If we are consistent things like gossip, character assassination, selfish and self-centeredness melt away for we are translating from the secular to the spiritual in thought and deed. This has happened without a conscious plan on our part but by demonstrating a higher consciousness by our actions. Just as our interest turned from hide and seek in course so does our interest in the spiritually retarding.

“Until you find your true place in life, however, you will never be really happy, no matter how much money or distinction you may acquire; and until you are happy, you will be neither healthy nor free.”

Our true place, all of ours, is to stand in the light of God’s love, guidance, tolerance and peace. By treating all we meet along the path of our lives in the manner we wish to be treated in, the world changes. When we salute the innate spark of the Divine in all, regardless of how disagreeable we may find them, the world improves. Love cannot grow in hate. Peace cannot be found in a raised hand. Meeting of minds never comes from a bullhorn. Condescension never gives rise to understanding. The path has been clear for two thousand years, has not enough time, enough failed demonstrations of personal and collective selfishness shown the futility of business as usual? Pray for humanity to put aside its toys and childish ways and embrace our true place, as children of peace, kindness and joy united in Spirit, no one beyond the pale, no one left behind.

-AND BELIEVE IT

“Half measures avail us nothing.” Recently the world changed, well recent in a generational sense. It happened over the last 60 years. Once upon a time we taught our children to strive to be the best, to excel, to play hard, keep score and that bumps and scrapes and bruises and winning and losing were all part of growing up and life. When they ran home with a bloody knee or elbow, they received a spray of Bactine, a band-aid, and a pat on the butt and were sent back out to play. If Johnny who lived down the street bloodied their nose, Dad would give them a pep talk and a boxing lesson. If they screwed up at school a swat from “old hickory” or some such named paddle was delivered, picking up trash or some other supposed demeaning task given to punctuate their malfeasance, parents notified only if they were repeat offenders. God was prevalent everywhere, from the pledge of allegiance recited at the start of every school day to singing Christmas carols and making manger scenes in every grade school class room.

Today a bloody knee, elbow, or nose could lead to a trip to the plastic surgeon and an immediate call to an attorney to assign blame and seek compensation for emotional tumult and future therapy needs, fighting requiring a police report. Have you been to a playground lately? No swings, no bars to do “death drops” from, no jungle gyms or teeter-totters, grass and dirt replaced with specially formulated cushioning sand and rubber mats. No one fails in school anymore, it being more important to “try” than succeed. Even scores for sporting contests have been discontinued in some locals because it is more important to participate than to have winners and losers, God forbid. Oops, sorry, using the G word or saying “Merry Christmas” may upset or offend someone so that is frowned on and do not even suggest singing any of the great Christmas songs like Silent Night, too religious dontcha know.

If you agree with way the world is turning in regards to personal responsibility, wrapping children in “cotton” in a attempt to shield them from life’s inevitable ups, downs, bruises, cuts, failures and successes, the removing of God and Spiritual Guidance from being mentioned in any public way, than please, have a wonderful day and stop reading. No Really. Stop.

God is either everything or else He is nothing-period. There is no middle ground. When we believe in nothing then we will believe in anything, all that matters is feelings. Actions have no consequence, so long as I feel good about myself. Living on the Spiritual Basis provides a foundation built on unshakable rock, faith and belief in a Power Greater than Ourselves. Think of God. Review some of the things that you know to be true about Him-His perfect goodness, infinite intelligence, all presence, limitless power, unbound love, and so forth. Claim that God who is all those things, is with you-and believe it. God is either everything or else He is nothing-choose wisely. Oh, and Merry Christmas.

MAKE IT WORK

A few years ago, a show aired chronicling the Dalai Lama. Part of the broadcast consisted of a number of “famous” people relating the effect the Dalai Lama had had on their lives. One interviewee was a well-known hard partying lead singer of a famous rock band. He related how the Dalai Lama had greeted him by name, making him feel truly welcome and though he had only a few minute meet and greet scheduled, the Dalai Lama spent hours chatting with him. Much moved, eyes glistened with tears, he spoke of how life changing the meeting had been, how he had been touched at a deep spiritual level, profoundly altered. His segment ended somewhat curiously with his recounting on how he had been clean and sober for some months at the time of meeting the Dalai Lama, but shortly afterward he was strung out on Heroin again, the look in his eyes now one of bafflement. What happened? “Knowledge that you do not actually use is only intellectual knowledge and is barren, and even fades out in time through lack of use.” For “Faith without works is dead” and “To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action” since “Self knowledge avails us nothing” Alcoholics Anonymous. All the spiritual knowledge in the world is of little use if we fail to demonstrate it in our life. The longest eighteen inches in the world lies between the head and heart. What is in the mind is potential, what we demonstrate is reality. Though this singer had every advantage life can provide, money, fame, connections, even learning at the feet of a world-renowned spiritual teacher, he failed to demonstrate what he craved most, sobriety. “It is far better to have a thimbleful of spiritual knowledge and use it than to have a whole mountain of correct spiritual doctrine most of which you have never made work.” Just for today, practice patience, tolerance, kindness and love to the best of your current ability, for the best sermons are delivered with our hands and feet.

YOU CANNOT HAVE BOTH

You cannot have peace of mind and engage in gossip.

You cannot have tranquility and be harried.

You cannot have love and practice hatred.

You cannot have spiritual growth and believe in any limitation.

You cannot have spiritual abundance and a hoarding mentality.

You cannot have a good reputation and engage in character assassination.

You cannot have joy and harbor resentment.

IS THAT YOUR HAT?

Often well-intentioned folks will admonish knowingly “be careful what you pray for, you may get it.” The comment is generally followed with knowing nods and nervous laughter from those within earshot. Let’s step back and think this through. The first question that must be asked is; what do we believe? If we believe that God would answer any prayer with something harmful, what does that say of God? To believe that God punishes us for any reason when we go to Him in prayer is to reject the true nature of God, all knowing, all-powerful and all loving. As the carpenter taught, you cannot get sweet and bitter water from the same well. Additionally some have stated that all prayers are answered just sometimes the answer is no. This also denies the true nature of God, for God is always in the affirmative, never in the negative.

We have all said prayers that seemingly were not answered. The reason for this is simple: “We often pray for things for which we are not really prepared; but if we pray scientifically this will not matter, since Creative intelligence will send us the thing that we really need” Emmet Fox. So clearly a loving, all powerful, all knowing God provides what we need, the perfect hat, but our outlining of what we perceive we need or what the answer should look like, a different hat, that causes us difficulty. Consider the parable of the lost man: A man is lost in the arctic. He prays to God for rescue. As if on queue, a trapper appears and offers to lead the man out. He replies, “Thanks, but I have prayed and God will rescue me” the trapper, shaking his head continues on his way. Some time passes and a man on a snowmobile arrives and offers the man a ride out. Again he replies “Thanks, but I have prayed and God will rescue me” stunned, he drives away. As night begins to fall a helicopter appears and the pilot calls down over his loudspeaker “A hunter and snowmobile rider reported you were stranded out here” begging the man to get on board, for when night falls he will freeze to death. The man remains steadfast in his belief, the helicopter pilot reluctantly turns his craft and disappears in the distance, his heart sick for he knows the man‘s fate is sealed. The sun sets and in short order the man finds himself standing before God. Incredulous he asks God “Where were you? I prayed and you never came.” God, in a quiet voice with a tear in his eye responded “Of course I came. I sent a trapper, a snowmobile and a helicopter to rescue you.”

Often we already have the right hat (demonstration) in our possession, unable to recognize it for we have outlined a different solution, a hat we are ill-prepared to wear. Perhaps an inventory of hats is in order? Just a suggestion.

PRACTICE MAKES REAL

Consistent effort and practice is required if we wish to demonstrate spiritually. Mere mental assent has little lasting affect unless it is coupled with effort. “Faith without works is dead.” Thinking about exercise or dieting accomplishes little without taking the required action. Change happens when we put into action what we have learned. Are you following a consistent set of spiritual directions that you practice religiously?
The 12-step process for living that was penned in the late 1930’s employs basic spiritual principles, thousands of years old and found in virtually every denomination, laid out in simple straightforward terms. Although the 12 steps have been associated, rightfully so, with recovery from alcoholism, the steps are a blueprint for living that will work in anyone’s life. When reimagined for all, they provide a clear-cut set of directions for establishing and maintaining a conscious contact with God. To what lengths are you willing to go to have a spiritual awakening?


1. Came to believe that we are powerless over life, that life is ultimately unmanageable, that we require help and guidance.

2. Came to believe that reliance on a Power Greater than Ourselves could and would bring sense and peace to our lives.

3. Made the decision to turn our will and our life over to the care of a Power Greater than Ourselves, as you understand it. That power shall be called *God.

4. Made a fearless and searching moral inventory of our life, leaving nothing out.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another person who is unaffected by the items in our inventory, the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Seeing the ultimate futility and spiritually fatal nature of our defects of character, we become ready to have God remove them.

7. Humbly asked God to remove our defects of character, root and branch.

8. From our inventory we make a list of all we have harmed and become willing to make amends to all.

9. We make direct amends to all, except if in making those amends we cause more harm. Consult with a spiritual adviser before making any amends.

10. Take daily inventory of our life, sweeping the path daily of new mistakes.

11. Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as you understand Him, praying for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a Spiritual awakening as the result of this course of action, carry this message to all, gently demonstrating the principles we now embrace in every area of our life.

*God as you understand Him. For the steps to work God must meet a simple foundational criterion from which we can build. God must be: Available, Intelligent and Loving. Available: God must be available or what point is there to prayer? Intelligent: The creative force at the heart of everything? How could God be anything but the epitome of intelligence. Loving: If God is unloving, then what is the point to life? To begin you do not have to accept these things at face value, but we must be willing to believe that just maybe they are possible. We became willing to be willing to believe. From this bedrock, a wonderful spiritual experience can begin that will not only transform our lives, but all whose lives we touch. “Let there be Peace, and let it begin with me.” One day at a time. Copyright 2009

THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation” Herbert Spencer. Once we have decided that we have all the answers when it comes to God and spiritual matters, we close ourselves off from the inspiration of the spirit, embracing the bondage of self. To be clear, no sin is unforgivable in God’s eye. Being close-minded is our unforgivable sin, we close and lock the door, God doesn‘t do it. The door flies back open as soon as we open our mind. Having an open mind does not necessarily lead to agreement or the changing of a point of view or belief, just the willingness to examine honestly. Additionally being close-minded leads to the path of condemnation, which is soul poison. Forming opinions and beliefs using knowledge, experience and accrued wisdom is natural; however, sacred cows can be deadly. Being unmovable on the sports teams we root for, movie types we will or will not see or the decision not try certain types of food may limit our life experiences but in closing our mind to spiritual concepts we run the risk of shutting ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit, to slowly wither away mesmerized by the cadence of hoofs, warmed by the fires of resentment and condemnation. “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all-inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.”

GIVE IT TIME

We look in the mirror and the evidence is undeniable, so we decide something needs to be done. We embark on a diet and/or an exercise program, with conviction and determination. What happens? When the hoped for changes don’t start happening in a week or two our determination begins to waver and we begin to drift back into the old familiar habits. It is rather silly to expect long established habits of eating and marginal exercise would melt away in days but we do just the same. Gyms make their living off New Years resolutions. We sign up for that special yearly or lifetime rate, typically go for a few weeks and then promise ourselves the rest of the year that tomorrow/next week we will go back. People who really do go the gym religiously, clearly losers with no life, hate January because they have to wade through newbie’s to worship at their various alters of beeping torture machines. Then there is that expensive coat rack/exercise equipment in the corner mocking us or taking up space in storage which we will not part with because one day…….

Entire industries are based on providing NEW, FRESH and above all QUICK and EASY answers to life’s vexing questions. Whether it is addiction, debt, problem children, obesity, lack of exercise, misaligned spine or….there is no end to the get fixed quick schemes out there. They are successful and give rise to new products regularly because who wouldn’t want to lose weight while eating all they want with no exercise or exercise 20 minutes a day 3 times a week and in 90 days have the butt and abs of a Greek God or buy a book and set of tapes for only 3 payments of $39.99 that will magically make your teenagers behave. All come with a money back guarantee, make sure you keep all original packaging, shipping and handling not included.

Spiritually we do the same thing. When we begin searching for answers, we naturally gravitate to whatever is new. How many self-help books do you own or have paged through? I have a couple shelves worth, some of them quite valuable, spiritually. You know which ones? The ones that begin by stating right up front there are no shortcuts. The truth being a lifetime of self-based thinking is not going to disappear overnight and will require real, consistent effort on our part if we wish to progress. To Live on the Spiritual Basis and embrace a new way of living and thinking is a life long endeavor. The good news is we only need to tackle it one day at a time. By consistent right action, prayer, meditation and service in time we break old habits of thought and action, replacing them with a reliance on God’s love and direction. This is not an overnight matter, it should continue for our lifetime. Exercise and healthy eating habits improve the quality of this life but no matter how long or consistently we exercise, regardless of how or what we eat, this flesh will fail. Living on the Spiritual Basis today pays forward dividends into eternity. One day at a time.

We are not human beings in search of spirituality, the miraculous. We are spiritual beings experiencing the human condition, miraculously. Moreover, I firmly believe bacon avocado cheeseburgers are godly inspired.

THE “WE” CONCEPT

Attending recovery meetings exposes one to a variety of half-truths, some innocuous, others potentially deadly. They all share the common trait of arriving with the best of intentions, but rarely thought through. The “we concept” is one of the deadliest. The “we” in recovery do attend gatherings, participate in sober activities (dances, retreats, conventions, golf, surfing, skiing, chili cook offs ad infinitum) and rely on the help of others to learn how they survive and learn from the inevitable highs and lows of living sober. Where we turns deadly is when the individual places their reliance on meetings, people and sober activities as the basis of their recovery and not on a power greater than themselves. To be crystal clear: Once an individual has crossed the line into addiction, their long-term recovery is based on the work they PERSONALLY do. No person, group or activity will stand as a sentinel to spiritual and physical sobriety and growth, only as guides and examples of what is possible IF the individual is willing to do the work required.

The individual writes their inventory, we don’t. The individual turns their will and life over to the care and direction of a Power Greater than themselves, we may have but the individual must do this for themselves. We may have asked God to remove our defects of character, but if the sufferer fails to their chances of long-term sobriety are slim. We may go with you to do some of your amends, but you have to do them. We may pray together, but only you know if you are praying from the heart or only out of a sense of perceived obligation. We may meditate together, but meditation is a singular activity even when done in a room full of people.

We can’t make you take the necessary action in the long run, when its too cold or hot outside, the “game” is on, too tired, hungry or any of the thousand reasons (excuses) that surface to prevent you from getting up off your ass and be of service, not only to others but most importantly for yourself. We will not be there when you decide to listen to the voice of regression and pain, forgetting that your foe, addiction, is cunning, baffling, and powerful and will tell any lie to pull you from the path of recovery, unless you open up to us. We can’t make you willing, for willingness comes from within.

Those committed to helping others to find their way in recovery will be there to help in anyway they can, if you mean business. The choice is always ours, we cannot make it for anyone, but those on the firing line will go to any lengths with you, together for victory, for we are all connected in Spirit.

THE EVERLASTING GATES

Consider the spiritual meaning of the concept of I AM. The I AM concept teaches that man is the image and likeness of God, that we manifest the actual Presence of God. As such, we have dominion over all conditions, but have allowed false belief in limitation to convince us of a need to be self-reliant, Godless, to pull ourselves up “by the secular bootstraps.” The true purpose of all prayer is to embrace the innate Presence of God within and demonstrate the unlimited power of God to help and heal not only in our own lives but also, and possibly more importantly, in others. In this way, others rise in consciousness, passing it on in turn in ever widening circles, raising the group consciousness one person at a time.

A “pure heart” spiritually means to hold unwavering to the belief in an all-embracing, Omnipotent God. “Our Father which art in heaven.” This concept flies in the face of what many interpret “pure heart” to mean, yet makes perfect sense. Our heart becomes “pure” because we believe, have become convinced of the truth in the necessity to turn our will and lives over to the care of God. With this level of understanding, a “pure heart” truly becomes attainable.

To have “clean hands” spiritually does not mean that we have never erred, made mistakes but that we have been cleansed in spirit by our continuing reliance on a power greater than ourselves, demonstrating that reliance by our actions.

Limitation thinking bombards us from all sides. From the nightly world news to casual conversations, fear and limitation a steady drumbeat. Remaining vigilant, turning to the Presence of God in prayer as limitation and morbid reflection attempt to creep into our consciousness we manifest the I Am, a pure heart and clean hands as the very gates of Divine love and intelligence open to greet us.

DON’TS

Don’t Hurry.
Don’t Worry.
Don’t Condemn.
Don’t Resent.

Pretty straightforward, what more is there to know? Ok, maybe a little.

Hurry? To where? “We trudge the road of happy destiny.” We have already arrived. The road is eternal and traveled one step, one prayer, one meditation, and one day at a time.

Worry? Having turned our will and lives over to the care of God when we chose the Spiritual Basis of Living as our path, what is there to worry about? That’s His job now.

Condemn? Remember the teaching on judgment? “Judge righteously and the whole world improves, condemn and we all suffer for we are connected in Spirit, all children of the Divine Presence.”

Resentment? It’s deadly. Nothing shuts us off from the sunlight of the Spirit quicker than harboring resentments. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we know to pray for those who have seemingly wronged us (real and imagined) and ask that we be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love. In so doing, we are set free. There is no problem in our lives that enough prayer, meditation and service will not completely wipe out.

So don’t think about it, get to work on your own consciousness as outlined above. See, straightforward.

IS IT A LIE?

The foundational principle of reaping and sowing is at the heart of Living on the Spiritual Basis, unfortunately, many pay it nodding acceptance and then fail to demonstrate. The planting of a crop does not begin with the sowing of seeds. Soil preparation, purchase of supplies, scheduling labor etc along with a myriad of smaller details are required before planting ever begins. Additionally, after the seeds are planted vigilance and nurturing are necessary to assure a successful harvest. In short, labor and patience is required from start to finish.

The curious concept of a “fast food” God is at the heart of the dilemma. Many, albeit most, wish to simply stop at the speaker/microphone, place their order (prayer), pull up to the window and receive their boon (demonstration) for a few pieces of silver, having done little or no spiritual work. Having allowed the fields of their consciousness to lay fallow, where wild resentment, fear and morbid reflection thrive unchecked; they wonder why they fail to demonstrate, why the meal has no savor.

God can and does act instantaneously when warranted, but consider the demonstration of the spoiled child. Its every whim is met, yet it is never satisfied, demanding more and more to have it “their way.” Having no concept of what is truly required to meet every request, they are only interested in themselves, their desires, harmony and peace an illusion lasting only until a new request surfaces. The spoiled child is restless, irritable and discontent, and will never know serenity.

It requires time, patience and labor for the true crop of spiritual consciousness to come in. The implements employed are prayer and meditation, the seed love and guidance from God, the fields watered and fed with consistency, willingness, service and an open heart. The promise is that if we steadfastly, in the face of fear, clear our fields of the negative and poisonous, plant and tend the crop we truly desire, we will reap in great measure, the storehouse of our consciousness overflowing with poise, peace and true purpose.

WAITING ON THE LORD

When we recite prayers by rote, without infusing them with feeling, the results are negligible. All prayers and meditations are visits with God. If you are not interested in a prayer, only saying it because you are “supposed” to, God responds in equal measure. Remember reaping and sowing? What would happen to the farmer if he approached his fields in this manner? Tilling the ground with disinterest, the rows uneven and of inconsistent depth, planting his seeds while thinking about other things, letting them fall where they may. Watering and tending the crop with little regard for the seeds welfare or working to insure a successful harvest. What happens? When he goes to harvest his crop, the demonstration of his labor, it is poor. He laments that he did “everything” a farmer does to raise a crop but his is a failure. It must be “God’s will.” Many when they pray do exactly the same thing. Instead of focusing on the spiritual work before them, they rush through, fit it in, do their daily meditation while driving (not possible by the way, it is like the farmer careening through his field throwing seeds out the window of the family car) demonstrating by their actions the level of their true reliance on a power greater than themselves.

The greatest sermon we will ever give is the one we give with our actions. Waiting on the Lord does not mean that if hungry we close ourselves up in a closet and pray for a hotdog. The true path is to ask in prayer to be relieved of the bondage of self, of how we may be of service to God and our fellows, God already knows what we need. We wash our face and hands and step out into the world in faith, EXPECTING to receive. The expectation comes from having prayed with interest, focus and commitment. In reaffirming our reliance on God, some days minute by minute when fear and doubt dogs us, we Wait on the Lord. We have taken the indicated action, have turned our focus from the false belief to the truth, now just as the farmer who plants and tends his fields with interest and care, we will reap as we have sown, a magnificent crop indeed.

PRAISE AND AFFIRMATION

We all are afflicted with the “false witness” voice in our consciousness. When it chimes in it never brings good or positive news, it strives to fill us with fear and doubt. You know the voice; it’s the one that points to the negative, the down side. All the reasons why something won’t work so why try, that we never have any luck and since success is all about luck, what’s the point in trying. Somebody probably already thought of it anyway, so why bother, I’m too old, I’m too young, it’s too hard, there’s no time, I’m not good enough, I don’t deserve it, ad infinitum ad nauseum. In short, to sabotage us, to turn us from the light to darkness, the darkness of the bondage of self.

Emmet Fox writes, “Verily, doubt and fear are the cruelest things that can come into the life of man.” The shadows are always there, beckoning us with their cruel lies. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we step from the shadows of fear and doubt, embracing God’s salvation.

The false witness is persistent. So when we start to feel the cold shadow of fear and doubt settling down, we gently turn in prayer affirming God’s salvation, placing ourselves in the sunlight of the Spirit, our demonstration in faith praise of the one true Source, banishing the shadows, one day at a time.

ABIDING IN HIS PRESENCE

The term “reborn” has been employed poorly if not down right incorrectly so often that its true meaning and correct application has been lost. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have embraced the truth that all external happenings are “passing shadows of no permanent importance.” We know in our heart of hearts that to dwell in the Presence of Divine light and knowledge is the only true escape from our “enemies” (negative thinking/morbid reflection) and foes (fear and doubt of every kind). When our conscious is right, we carry the message of His love and guidance to all who care to listen, following the one true path. In so doing we answer all seeming trouble with “my heart shall not fear, thy will be done” and we are free. We are reborn. Not to be pushy, but now would be a good time to dust off that copy of the Good Book and visit the 27Th Psalm, just a suggestion.

LIGHT AND SALVATION

“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” When FDR said this in his first inaugural address, the country was in the grip of the great depression, great clouds of dust howled over the central plains of America, displacing millions. What FDR knew is that fear is paralyzing. Whether you agree with the political course FDR set this country on is immaterial, the critical point is that as a leader he understood the power of fear. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we confront fear where it lives, in our consciousness. Fear brings darkness to our thoughts, an actual feeling of constriction in the chest, as if life is being squeezed from us, the sense of impending doom overpowering. Fear is a liar. To be crystal clear: everyone dies of something; the flesh we inhabit will one day fail. Money comes and money goes. Jobs end and begin. We may fall out of love or someone we love may fall out of love with us. Accidents happen. The choice is ours as to how we handle the inevitable lows in life. Do we cower in fear, paralyzed in inaction or step out in faith, demonstrating reliance on a power greater than ourselves?

Freedom comes when we turn in all things to Him who has all knowledge and power, who brings the light banishing the darkness of fear, providing the keys to the kingdom, replacing the dread surrounding our heart with the surety of salvation, enabling us to meet perceived calamity with poise and serenity, putting the truth to fears lie. How is this accomplished? By choosing consistent prayer, meditation and service work in the face of the stultifying fear. The greatest gift we have is free will, out of all creation we are the only ones who choose to create. Whether it be a new recipe, a scientific theorem, a piece of music or book we make the choice. We choose which spiritual path to walk, darkness or light, bondage in self or salvation. The choice is always ours.

CONSIDERING THE SOURCE OF SUPPLY

Remember what it says on the dollar bill in your pocket? “In God We Trust.” Do you? When we give from a sense of fear, we miss the point of the giving. We are better off building on our understanding of the Spiritual Basis than to act out of fear. The core lesson of tithing is to affirm through demonstration that we not only grasp the concept but also believe in our heart of hearts that God is the only source. The particular channel that our supply flows through is immaterial. Just as with a free flowing river, its constantly cutting new channels but the source (God) of the flow remains unchanged as does the final destination, the sea (us).

“God is either everything or else He is nothing. What is our choice to be?” Give from a sense of joy, whether the tithe is money (easy) or time (hard) thank God for knowing Him better, certain in the knowledge that we always reap as we sow.

THE MAGIC OF TITHING

One of the most straightforward ways of demonstrating our spiritual fitness is by how much we give, in riches and of ourselves. That disheveled fellow with the cardboard sign asking for money for “food” may not use the money for food as we would define it, but that does not mean his need is any less real. That dollar you give may provide more relief than you can ever know.

We reap as we sow; by living in fear of lack as a reason not to tithe we simply instill more lack in our lives. By giving with joy, never out of obligation for that defeats the purpose, what we sow returns to us ten fold. In these economic times, perhaps tithing 10% of your income would cause difficulty in your home, but we all have something to give. If you have little money, ask in prayer to be shown how you can best be of service, tithing the gift of your time and/or expertise.

A shared smile and eye contact with those suffering, acknowledging them, is a tithe that multiplies itself in ever widening circles, helping to release them, and us, from the bondage of self.

SLOW TO JUDGE

Judging is a topic greatly misunderstood. Many use the Christ teaching of “Judge not lest you be judged” as some kind of free pass from any behavior of theirs being scrutinized or commented on. This is only a half-truth however. We not only should comment on the behavior of others but Living on the Spiritual Basis makes it a requirement. The difficulty arises when we confuse righteous judgment with condemnation. The following definition of condemnation is illustrative:

To pronounce something or somebody as bad: to state that something or somebody is in some way wrong or unacceptable. (Encarta)

To do this places us in a position to be harmed, for we place ourselves in a morally elevated position, better than, which of course is false. No one is above or below any other in the sight of God. Though our paths may be very different, our challenges and lessons in life diverse, no one is beyond grace or forgiveness in Spirit if they truly mean business and desire change. This does not mean crimes and transgressions committed against our fellows are forgotten or ignored, for a price must be paid, but we are willing to pay any price for salvation and freedom from the bondage of self.

Righteous judgment is seeing the individual and their actions in the light of the Spiritual Awakening we have experienced, realizing for them, through prayer and meditation, the Presence of Divine Knowledge and Guidance in their lives. To be crystal clear: Righteous judgment comes from the heart and is always given with the hope and desire for the transgressor to find the path of enlightenment but does not mean they are excused from or immune to the consequences of their actions. They will reap as they sow and will only truly grow in the light once they become willing to do the necessary spiritual work. We are mistaken and place ourselves in danger when we pass judgment that condemns or wishes harm to any one. Hate does not cease with hate. Anger is never assuaged with more anger. Condemnation never builds character or leads to freedom.

Judge righteously and the whole world improves, condemn and we all suffer for we are connected in Spirit, all children of the Divine Presence.

PASSIVE BEFORE GOD

As we progress on the path of awakening, Living on the Spiritual Basis, we naturally become more sensitive to the world and our fellows. Negative thinking and reflection can only gain purchase if we fail to daily affirm God’s love and guidance in our life through consistent prayer and meditation. Ask God what you can do each day for the man who still suffers remembering always that we are the instrument of God’s will and not the tunesmith.

FOOL’S GOLD

Spiritual fool’s gold. Rarely does a week go by that a new self help book/seminar that will solve all our problems, diet to end all diets, miracle food/supplement, piece of revolutionary exercise equipment that will provide the perfect body, IN ONLY 20 MINUTES! appears. Admit it; just like me, you have been tempted. Will drinking some berry juice really change my life? Perhaps a three-day seminar addressing all of life’s questions is the answer? Who wouldn’t want a flat sexy tummy or buns of steel, IN ONLY 20 MINUTES! Like the man said, if it sounds too good to be true it is. Unlike hoping for an unrealistic shortcut to six-pack abs, Living on the Spiritual Basis is the shortest road to the peace and sense of freedom that we all crave deep down. “Simple but not easy, a price has to be paid.” That price is the surrender of self and our focus on selfish things. We then shift our focus to the sense of the Presence of God within, where true gold is found, we will know the truth. As the old timer said to the newcomer: “When you think you have found gold you probably have not; but when you do find it, you will know it for certain.”

HAVE YOU A DINOSAUR’S EGG?

We all do. It may be sitting in the garage, on a shelf in the workshop, possibly in a folder in this very computer or a box in the closet with all those creative projects we had so much energy to do when first envisioned but have been gathering dust longer than we care to admit. The dinosaur egg in the museum was a potential dinosaur that for what ever reason failed. We can wonder about the potential dinosaur it represented, but in truth, it represents failure. No one completes every project envisioned; the question we need to answer in our heart of hearts is whether we follow through on anything to its logical conclusion. Dreaming doesn’t require getting our hands dirty, scrapping a knuckle or clean up and we never have to worry about what anyone thinks of our project. After a while they even stop asking about the project car under all the Christmas decorations, garage sale items and other debris too valuable to throw away, that box in the back of the closet, the workshop that has become a storage shed or the book hidden in a word folder.

Think from the end. Thank God for having a fertile imagination but learn to be realistic. How? By tapping into Divine Intelligence. Consider your “dinosaur egg” in this light by quietly asking in meditation for guidance and direction. Ask specifically about the project (s) and the answer will come. Now it is up to us to follow through with the indicated action, which could be anything from becoming energized and committed to completion or scheduling that garage sale. Willingness is the key. Now if you will excuse me, I have some eggs to check.

HOW MUCH CONVICTION?

Walking the way we talk. “I would love to listen to your words but your actions speak so loudly I cannot hear you.” The concept of a track record is lost on most folks. The people around us judge us by our actions; our intentions though perhaps noble are meaningless if not followed up by the indicated action. How many times did it take for your child to tell you that they would clean their room or some other chore beneath their status, which they then immediately blew off, before you wised up to their true intention? Not many I would guess. Many times, I have had someone come to me for advice, agree that it was the correct action to take and then proceed to launch in exactly the wrong direction. I often wonder why they bother. The fact that they ask means they wish to follow a different path but in their heart they have already decided on what they are going to do, the consequences be damned. I would ask my son why he agreed to clean up his room, then blow it off, knowing full well that a reckoning would come when he didn’t. The best he could come up with was “I planned on doing it.” When asked when that was exactly a blank look followed with “I don’t know.” The joy comes in knowing that one day my son will be on the other side of that exchange. It cannot be said enough; if you wish to be respected, be respectful, if you want love in your life, be loving, honesty comes from being honest and so on. The aspects of living we desire in our lives will only materialize once we begin treating those about us in the manner we wish to be treated in, we teach by example and true leaders lead from the front.

LEAN BACK ON LIFE

In the second act of my life, I made my living swinging a hammer. The man who sponsored me to become a contractor taught, “When the workday is over stop working.” Seems pretty simple if not down right painfully obvious advice now. Kinda like never poke a tiger in the eye with your finger. In time, however I began to understand what he was really talking about. Working in construction there is always some little task that needs doing. I learned, through painful experience, that once I stopped working for the day and removed my tool belt and bags not to put them back on. On more than one occasion, unfortunately, I spied a crooked nail, loose board or some other small task that could have easily waited until the next day, choosing to address it before going home. Right after the hammer slipped and smacked into my shin, hit the nail on the wall and heard the unmistakable sound of water rushing from a pierced pipe or miss the nail on the wall but hit the one on my thumb I would then remember, belatedly what he had said. Additionally I became aware that most days long after I had left the job site I was still there in my mind, needlessly rehashing the days events or worrying about things that where God’s business, not mine . Emmet Fox refers to this as “taking the train” mentally. Living on the Spiritual Basis leads to effective mental activity and relaxation. As Dr Fox teaches, “don’t take the train mentally-let the engine (God) take it.” So “when the workday is over stop working” oh, and never poke a tiger in the eye with your finger.

LOOK WHERE YOU GO

What we concentrate on comes into our lives. When we concentrate on fear, loss, resentment, worry, envy or any of the whole host of negative thinking that morbid reflection engenders our physical appearance alters. Worry lines on the face, bags under the eyes from lack of or restless sleep, twisted visage from a sour stomach, tight jaw from focusing in our minds eye on the seeming unfairness of the world, well you get the picture. When you look in the mirror what do you see? Anything less than the radiance that emanates from a soul at peace demonstrates that we have strayed from the Spiritual Basis. Take heart, the good news is when we see it in our face or feel it in our heart we have a clear set of directions on what to do next. Gently turn to God in prayer and thank Him for knowing Him better. Ask to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love in all areas of life but especially in the area that is causing you difficulty. Ask to be shown what action (patience and waiting are probably the hardest) should be taken and finish with a statement of willingness to be of service in any capacity that He would have you be. Close with “Thy will be done.” This is only a suggestion, change or alter the prayer as it best fits you. The key is in the recognition and speed in which we turn to God and choose to trust in infinite wisdom and love instead of our finite selves. As you embrace this way of living, you will become more aware of the pain in the faces of those around you. When you become aware of the pain in others , quietly pray for them as you would for yourself. In so doing, not only does their life improve but the whole world profits and you get a spiritual face lift.

INCREASING YOUR DIVIDENDS

Reaping and sowing. Whatever we meet the conditions in our lives with will multiply. When we meet seeming trouble with fear, anger, resentment or any other negative thought or emotion it plants itself in our consciousness and unless addressed by immediately turning to God’s love and direction it’s roots will sink deeper becoming more troublesome by the minute. The analogy of the camel’s nose (trouble) under the tent flap (our consciousness) also makes the point nicely. If a camel sticks its nose under your tent flap you must strike it immediately because a camel has no reverse. If he gets his head in, he is coming in all the way. Such is also the case with negative thinking and morbid reflection when they wheedle their way into our consciousness. Living on the Spiritual Basis raises our consciousness and naturally brings with it harmony and joy, keeping us vigilant to the camel nose. None of us catches every camel. They sneak in from time to time disguised as something else. So when you discover a camel in your tent follow the direction found in the book Alcoholics Anonymous: If trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s omnipotence. Shhhh…Just between you and me I am still not real great on the cheerfully part, the good news when a camel does sneak in I am well versed on camel eviction procedures thanks to Living on the Spiritual Basis, one day at a time.

THE LAW OF LIMITATION

Most of us have an understanding of secular law. Whether it be traffic, criminal, business, tax etc we have some basic knowledge or at the very least know they exist. There is another slate of laws however, that affects each of us every day yet most live their lives in ignorance of their significance. They are Cosmic Laws. Unlike man’s law, they are equally enforced on all, rich or poor, beliefs, status or skin color of no regard and they cannot be appealed. Think Law of Gravity. No one would rationally think that because they are rich, important or talented the Law of Gravity does not apply to them. The Law of Limitation is one of these Cosmic Laws; the curious part is we place it on ourselves! Every time we think “I’m too old/young” “I’ll never be any good/successful at that” “I love doing ____ but I could never make a living at it” “What would my friends/spouse/children/family think if I pursued my heart’s desire” “I know God loves me and wants me to prosper, but…” we invoke the Law of Limitation. Our heart is constantly speaking to us, that still quiet voice the voice of God himself. Honestly inventory your life, identify where you have invoked the Law of Limitation, and ask God to help you transcend it. Divine Life wants each and every one of us to be Happy, Joyous and Free; the only hindrance is my giving in to self-centered fear, invoking the Law of Limitation.

DIVINE ABUNDANCE

Living in California is always interesting. One of the joys in life is driving down PCH watching pelicans dive for dinner and dolphins surf for enjoyment. Often when I look out over the Pacific, seemingly stretching out infinitely, its vastness washes over me, its true scale and depth beyond the comprehension of my limited vision. Yet divine abundance dwarfs all the seas on this planet, but so many see it as limited, needing protection and conservation when nothing could be further from the truth. The only limits to our inheritance, God’s abundance, are the arbitrary limits we impose out of false belief and fear. We set the limit of our capacity to receive. When we embrace the Spiritual Basis of Living our capacity increases in direct proportion to the trust and reliance we place in God and reject the false belief (fear) the secular world teaches that we live in a finite world of dwindling supply. There is only one source of everything, God, and He promises limitless supply and endless abundance.

NEVER LOOK BACK

Alcoholics Anonymous popularized the saying “One Day at a Time” most however, in and out of AA are unaware that the origin was from Emmet Fox, to wit:

“Live in today, and do not allow yourself to live in the past under any pretense. Living in the past means thinking about the past, rehearsing past events, especially if you do this with feeling…Train yourself to be a man or women who lives one day at a time. You’ll be surprised how rapidly conditions will change for the better when you approach this ideal.”

One of the truths of Living on the Spiritual Basis is the only time we can be present for God, the only time we can stand in the presence of God, the only time that we can demonstrate God’s love and guidance in our lives, is in the present moment. We may have a long history of Him demonstrating in our life, but our “forgetter” discounts it. Fear would have us believe that even though God was there in the past He won’t be there tomorrow.

NEVER LOOK BACK. Looking back generally begins innocently but invariably leads to morbid reflection. Think on how easy it is to dredge up memories of those times when we acted something less than spiritually or when we were hurt in some way. Yet it takes effort to bring to the forefront of memory those times when we acted in the Spirit or life went our way. When the Great Carpenter taught “let the dead bury the dead” he admonished us to leave the past in the past. We are forgiven as soon as we ask, the matter settled, yet so often we drag a past transgression into the present to cast it’s ashes about because even though God has forgiven us, we have not forgiven ourselves. Only by living in today and keeping our eyes fixed on the road ahead, regardless of how frightening it may seem, refusing to look back, can we demonstrate God’s love and power in our life, demonstrating acceptance of God‘s forgiveness, turning away from fear.

WHY WORRY?

Remember Alfred E. Newman of Mad magazine fame? His gap toothed grin graced the cover usually with the caption “What, me worry?” Often I wished I could be as oblivious as my childhood friend Alfred. Unfortunately, though I have been on the path a long time I am still subject to worry occasionally. Like you I read and watch the news and think about those suffering, wondering what is down the road. My children are all adults but I still worry for them. When one of the cats strolls outside I worry about them (don’t start, I have I tried to keep them in but they are all strays who adopted us and when they want to go out THEY WANT TO GO OUT). I worry that somehow I have strayed down the wrong path and won’t find my way back. I have learned over the years the extent of my worry can be viewed as a yardstick of my spiritual condition. Today when worry creeps into my mind I turn to God as close to immediately as I can. When the World worries me I remember “The Captain is on the Bridge”. My children, gifts from God, are as close to Him as we all are, so when I fear for them I ask God to do for them what they cannot do for themselves and to give me the strength to do what He would have me do in their lives, and not meddle. I don’t care what anyone says, letting your children make their own mistakes so they can grow just as we had to requires a lot of prayer. Cats? Well if you have cats you understand, if you are a dog person you aren’t supposed to get it and that’s not a bad thing. It’s not that you care any less for your dog but cats just assume you understand about their divinity. When I worry that I have stumbled and lost my way I remember His footprints:

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

So I guess Alfred had it right all along.

DIVINITY WITHIN

Warning: If you are easily offended or have a barn full of sacred cows, please do not continue reading. You have been warned: feelings of nausea, dizziness, hoof and mouth disease and incontinence may follow.

A wise man said, “When I criticize you I am criticizing God’s handiwork.” Does this mean we should avoid criticism? Well, yes and no. Care for some syrup with that waffle? When we shoot from the lip (or keyboard if you prefer) before thinking it through we place ourselves in a precarious position spiritually. The spiritual concept at play here is contempt prior to investigation. With today’s immediacy of contact through e-mails, blogs, comment boxes and social networking sites people are quick to share their thoughts. Thoughts generally based in emotion, how they feel about something or someone, with little regard for investigation. Pick any topic: politics, celebrities, health, religion, Hollywood, the climate, you name it and someone has and will opine bereft of any actual knowledge or investigation. Movie reviews by people who haven’t bothered to see the flick but “know” it must be a hit/dog because of who made it or is in it. Broken glass political supporters, you know them; they support/vote Democrat/Republican parties regardless of any facts or truths, willing to crawl through broken glass to do so. Then there are those so convinced, one way or the other, on climate change that all rational discussion is impossible, in fact, if you do not agree with them, you must be a tool.

Worried about the swine flu “epidemic”? Did you know that over 60,000 people die every year in the U.S. of the flu? That is in the neighborhood of 5,000 every month. The best government statistics recently updated the deaths from swine flu since its outbreak a year or so ago at 4,000. Bet you haven’t heard it presented in that way before, not enough Chicken Little value. To be clear, every passing affected the family it touched dramatically and I pray for peace and healing in all those families, the point being the purposeful lack of perspective provided by those we trust to tell us the truth. Please, take all the necessary precautions to avoid getting sick, but the sky really isn’t falling.

Might as well keep rolling on health issues. The House of Representatives recently passed health care bill is over 1900 pages long and not one member, by their own admission read it before passing it. Hear that sound, that is sacred cows revving up. Does the health care system in this country need an overhauling? Yes. Is it too much to ask that our elected representatives actually take the time to read and understand what they are presenting to the American people and then give us, the people they are supposed to represent a chance to participate in the process? If your sacred cow just mooed no, than you really need to read the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence again (maybe for the first time?) for this country is founded on the principles of a representative republic and if you don’t know what that means, shame on you. Ah, ah, ah, you were warned at the beginning.

Sacred cows and religion go hand in hand. Living on the Spiritual Basis anything that limits God’s love or ability to touch us regardless of circumstance or personal shortcomings is clearly not the path. God is many things, but limitation and lack of His availability are not among them. See the Power of the Presence in everything and everyone, including yourself. If there is any area in your life that you have closed the door on make the decision today to throw the door open and reexamine the contents in a new light, the light of Divine knowledge and power.

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man (or woman) in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”

Moo.

NO OFFICE HOURS

Sometime ago during a discussion on spiritual principles a participant chimed in with “I don’t trouble God with the small things, he’s much too busy.” This was said in all earnestness but zero understanding of what Living on the Spiritual Basis entails. There are no “small” things to God. Everything interests God. Everything. Nothing in our lives is beneath His concern. As Tennyson wrote, “He is closer than hands and feet, closer than breath” and Fox “God is always present; always ready to heal, to comfort, to inspire.” Whatever barriers or arbitrary lines in the sand you have created to God’s level of involvement or commitment in your life abandon them now. God is not without seeking a way in; He is within seeking expression in every area of our lives, if we are willing to step out in faith and trust. Arguably the most powerful prayer in the Bible is “Be still, and know that I am God” the knowing within, available 24/7. Are you?

BEWARE THE DOG!

If we go down the road of negativity in conversation or thought, we will find ourselves in the grip of morbid reflection. Morbid reflection leads to indignation, self-righteousness, fear, hateful and/or angry words and thoughts, placing ourselves in danger for we always reap what we sow. Few situations in life are ever strictly black or white. When thinking or dealing with others remember there is a little bit of good in the worst of us and a little bit of bad in the best. No one is without sin. None of us live life error free. Remember “Living life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning to play the instrument as we go along” naked. If confronted by an angry dog we remove ourselves from its presence, we do not tarry and try to reason with it. The key hear is to limit the damage once we become aware that we have drifted off the path. We do this by gently turning in prayer to recognize the Presence of God where the disharmony is and ask in meditation to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love, and then seek counsel from your spiritual adviser to see if any further action is indicated.

Now that you have placed your feet on the path in earnest and are living on the Spiritual Basis the occasions of morbid reflection and negative conversations will have lessened but the discomfort felt when we drift from the path will be more intense. Resist the urge to “beat yourself up” for today we are seeking spiritual progress, not perfection. Be gentle with yourself and thank God for the opportunity to know Him better and demonstrate His omnipotence where the trouble seems to be.

ON MINDING ONE’S BUSINESS

Consider today’s teaching carefully. Typically, after we have started living on the Spiritual Basis it becomes easy to avoid the obvious negative mental entanglements that come our way. However, I do not think we ever become immune from “stealth” attacks. These fly in under the radar concealed in a conversation with a friend or loved one. Since they have a special place in our heart, we want to agree with them, to help, to be on their side, a good friend and are slower to steer the conversation towards God because of the relationship for as the Bible teaches it is hard to be a prophet in your own town.

As soon as we become aware that we have drifted from the path, perhaps agreeing with something we know is unbalanced spiritually or perhaps even engaging in a little character assassination to demonstrate our support, gently in silent prayer we center ourselves, pray for all the players involved and ask God to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindness and love. Our tone will immediately change and so will the conversation. Let’s be clear here, our hope is always to add to, to improve a situation but the other person may not appreciate the change and even accuse you of siding against them, such is the price of awareness.

If the conversation has ended and you become aware later that you were more “busybody” than spiritual sounding board, clearly pray for all but additionally check with your spiritual adviser and see if you owe an apology. There are few hard and fast rules in life but here is one: We can never save our own skin at the expense of another either by commission or omission.

A DEPENDABLE RECIPE

When most think of a recipe, they associate it with cooking. However virtually everything we use today has a “recipe.” Plastics are very different in their compositions; concrete mix and mortar have many specific recipes for different applications. Look around you, the desk you are sitting at may be mass-produced but if there are different colors or compositions, these all require different recipes. The paper used in envelopes is a different recipe than printer paper or fine stationary. No chef, builder or manufacturer would leave out an ingredient or add something destructive and expect the final product to embody all the qualities or flavor they were striving for, yet is that not exactly what so many do spiritually? Remember reaping and sowing? Spiritually they tried to make mortar without sand, a cake without flour and then are surprised when their arch falls, their cake inedible.

To restate the classic teaching: If you wish to be loved, be loving. If you desire respect, be respectful. If you wish to be known as an honorable person, treat all with honor. We can wish for these things with all our might but until we are willing to follow directions and include all the ingredients in the proper amounts our results will remain unsatisfactory. Love and anger do not mix, sarcasm, mockery and disdain are not found in the same bowl with respect, and honor and gossip are never found together.

Without the realization of the Presence, consistent prayer, meditation and service the cake will be unsavory, the archway unstable and the whole world suffers because we have been shown the light but choose to stand in the shadows out of fear or just plain laziness. What recipe are you using for spiritual success?

THE USE OF INTELLIGENCE

“The world needs more intelligence. There is plenty of will, but because people will not use enough intelligence, mankind everywhere is in difficulties. Your intelligence is the light of God in your soul.” A necessary part of intelligence is the study of history. Students of history see today’s events and put them in their proper perspective. Everything that is happening today has happened before; and will happen again if nothing changes. The wheel of time is constantly turning, but as with all wheels, what goes around comes around. Good times turn bad, bad times turn good. Wars start, wars end. Trouble comes, trouble goes. When we view our lives and the world with spiritual intelligence our perspective and understanding of truth alters, for nothing lasts forever, except God. When we exert our intelligence to practice the Presence of God in every facet of our lives, focusing on how we can help others, not only does our life improve but all humanity. The wheel of time will only follow a different path when we finally as a race put into practice the words on the back of every dollar bill: “In God We Trust.”

LET GOD

“Let go and let God.” This sentiment along with “Easy does it” “Live and let live” “Think, Think, Think” and “One day at a time” grace the walls of AA clubs and meetings worldwide. The book Alcoholics Anonymous states, “Alcohol is but a symptom of a deeper underlying problem, the bottle only a symbol.” In truth, every living problem is but a symptom of a deeper underlying problem: our choice in distancing ourselves from the source. The solution is abandoning ourselves utterly to God‘s love and direction. We do not work on ourselves; we honestly identify our shortcomings/defects of character and ask God to remove them. This is made possible when we take a fearless and honest moral inventory of our lives and share it with a trusted spiritual advisor. In this way we get down to causes and conditions, allowing the truth to surface through the layers of a lifetimes worth of resentment and fear, we are reborn. When we “Let God” work in this way we surrender, we don’t work on ourselves.

When we become afraid, nervous, and anxious or excited we ask God for guidance in prayer and meditation. We don’t work on ourselves. See a trend here? “Let go and let God.” By getting out of the way and “letting” God He will provide the direction and strength required to solve any difficulty, raise us out of misery. Our job in this life is to be the best instrument of God’s will that we can be. A Stradivarius is just an old piece of wood with strings until a master draws a bow across it. Prepare yourself to be the best instrument you can be by realizing the Presence of God in everything and everyone and “let” God draw his bow across your strings, for is He not the author of the tune?

WITHOUT REHEARSAL

“Living life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning to play the instrument as we go along” naked. We would never rationally believe that we should be able to play a musical instrument perfectly the first time we tried or bowl a perfect game the first time we stepped on the lanes. Yet in our spiritual life, we often expect perfection and then become disillusioned when our expectations are not met. The level of our serenity is directly proportional to our expectations of perfection. To be clear: We should expect great, marvelous things to arise in our lives when we Live on the Spiritual Basis, but we must remember that our lives are works in progress. We seek “spiritual progress, not perfection.”

We only see a great artist’s final product, not their preliminary attempts. How many versions of Beethoven’s masterpieces did he discard before the final versions we know today were presented to the world? How many canvases did Rembrandt paint over? How many failures did Thomas Edison learn from on the way to his great discoveries? The perfection in their lives, and ours, is in being willing, willing to go on in the face of fear and doubt, trusting the inner voice.

Living on the Spiritual Basis, we trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. Keep your eyes on God and capitalize those seeming missteps in your spiritual growth as opportunities to demonstrate His omnipotence, for in truth “…it is the final goal that matters.”

RUNNING AWAY FROM LIFE

The secular world clamors daily with solutions to all our problems. Call this number and all your financial difficulties will vanish, take this pill, not the other one, and depression and fear become a thing of the past, there is even a pill to cut down on bathroom trips and it seems that all middle aged men need to take a little something in order to be intimate, if the number and frequency of ads is any indication. Do not misunderstand, all of these things have their place, it is the order of approach that is at question. When we began living on the Spiritual Basis, we stopped “working” on our lives or ourselves. Today when trouble raises its head instead of tackling it head on, going to work on it, trying to find solutions and answers on our own, we turn to God and seek His help and direction first. We accomplish this by realizing the Presence of God as our first step, then whatever action indicated will be taken in the light of Gods love. To Live on the Spiritual Basis means we have turned our will and our lives over to the care of God, it doesn’t mean that we have withdrawn from life or eschew the secular, since Living on the Spiritual Basis is in truth the road less traveled. To quote an old Hebrew National hotdog commercial: “We answer to a higher authority.”

THE TWO SPIRATIONS

Inspiration and perspiration. Perspiration is pretty straight forward, but what of inspiration? The word comes from the Latin inspiratio: to breathe in. Respiration is the intake and exhaling of air, spiritual inspiration is the intake of guidance and knowledge from the Divine, the exhale the demonstration of the new understanding and direction. Our only job in this life is to realize our hearts desire, the thing that God designed each of us for, the work that each of us are uniquely gifted to accomplish. In realizing our heart’s desire, we are demonstrating God’s will, stepping out in faith, demonstrating over fear. Seek inspiration and guidance, through prayer and meditation in realizing this and everything else will fall into place. When we embrace our hearts desire, we are inspired and take no notice of the perspiration, we “Work hard-but do not make hard work of it.”

THE 13TH HOUR

Don’t quit five minutes before the miracle. Probably one of the most, if not the most vexing spiritual question is why some prayers seemingly are not heard or if heard not answered. One of the main causes is we travel ninety percent of the way but then lose faith and accept defeat, surrendering to fear and depression. God does not run a fast food joint where we pray into a speaker/microphone, then stop at the window, and pick up our boon. God’s demonstration in our lives is directly proportional to our willingness, our faith; and if we find it lacking, we ask Him for strength to persevere. When we pray expecting to receive, we always do, though often in a manner unexpected.

Many demonstrations come in the 11th hour. Powerful demonstrations come in the 12th. In the 13th hour, when all seems lost, the race run, despair and failure whispering in our ear can be the moment of greatest triumph if we can only stand firm in faith. God is either everything or else He is nothing. This is either true or it is not. No gray areas, no sliding scale. God is the only source, though there are many avenues, they all lead back to Him who has all knowledge and power. This is either true or it is not. No gray areas, no sliding scale. Please, do not think for a moment that I am intoning in any way that this is simple or easy to do. There are few things in the course of our lives more difficult than keeping an even mind in the midst of seeming certain pain and disaster. One of the main aspects of keeping an even mind is holding to the truth that we demonstrate what we believe by our actions. It does no good whatsoever to speak of God’s love, knowledge and power if we fail to go to any lengths to demonstrate it, for in the spiritual realm half measures avail us nothing.

I am often reminded of the scene from the Indiana Jones movie where he is seeking the Holy Grail. He has reached a seemingly impassable chasm separating him from his goal. He opens up his fathers (wink) book and reads at this point he must step out in faith. Looking down at certain death, he closes his eyes and takes a step. The bridge was always there, he just could not see it. Had his faith failed in his father‘s words, he would have retreated, saying there is no way across and his father, who was dying and needed the grail to save him would have perished.

So the next time you feel faint, ready to give in to fear, to pull back from the edge for you can not see anyway across, see yourself in an Indiana Jones fedora, close your eyes and though trembling step out in faith.

THE SECRET OF SUCCESSFUL SALESMANSHIP

I had a conversation (berating more accurately) recently with an “adamant” Christian. We have all met them, an adamant Christian is someone who within the first few minutes of conversation asks if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and when you don’t answer to their satisfaction they begin hammering the gospel at you. They state matter-of-factly that if you don’t buy their brand you are doomed for all eternity, but God loves you. On those rare occasions when they are willing to converse, I ask them about the other thousands of Christian religions, many of which state matter-of-factly that they are the only true path, why they got it wrong. God is many things, but limited or hard to find is not on the list.

We have all had the occasion of falling into the cross-hairs of an aggressive salesman. How did you enjoy the experience? Even if you purchased what they were selling, how did you feel? Would you then go out of your way to continue your relationship with this person? Of course not. You may have even bought what they were selling just to get away from them (Like agreeing with that adamant Christian just so you could escape).When we hammer someone, even with the truth, the result is usually the opposite of what we wished to achieve.

Having turned my will and life over to the care of God many years ago, I have never seen the “hard sell” approach work in the long run. To be clear: To have a spiritual awakening, the desire must come from within. The best sermons are delivered with our feet and hands. Make yourself and your life a demonstration of the Word. Stand firm in your faith and never shrink from flying your flag of belief but deliver it with a smile, a gentle heart and a feather. Think about how you would want to be approached if the roles were reversed. Remember you are not selling a used car.

POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD

Most of us fail to measure the words we use or consider their ultimate impact. We have all had that sick feeling when words have slipped past our tongue that we would give anything to take back. Conversely there are the times when we have failed to speak up and then rehearse when alone what we should have said, extending the discomfort.

Living on the Spiritual Basis, we understand that our words and actions carry impact, reverberating with a life far beyond their moment of conception. Speak from the heart. Deliver the truth of Being, to the best of your current understanding, with a feather. Listen first then speak for when the heart speaks the heart listens.

BRAINS OR EXCELSIOR

Since excelsior isn’t a word in common usage today a definition is in order. Excelsior: n. A packing material composed of long, fine, wood shavings. So…..if your head is full of excelsior it is full of wood. A blockhead. Interesting word that defines what Lucy has been calling Charlie Brown all these years. I came of age politically and began watching and studying politics when Richard Nixon ran for re-election. In that time I have observed that regardless of who wins the other side is always incredulous their candidate/issue lost, claiming basically that if you didn’t vote their way your head must be filled with, wait for it……Excelsior! Fun word, say it aloud a couple of times. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we keep secular issues and concerns in their proper perspective, politicians come and go, those in power today will not be forever, regardless how we may feel about them and that there really is nothing new under the sun. To wit:

The Captain Is On The Bridge

“The world is not going to the dogs. The human race is not doomed. Civilization is not going to crash. The captain is on the bridge. Humanity is going through a difficult time, but humanity has gone through difficulties many times before in its long history, and has always come through, strengthened and purified.
Do not worry yourself about the universe collapsing. It is not going to collapse, and anyway that question is none of your business. The captain is on the bridge. If the survival of humanity depended upon you or me, it would be a poor lookout for the Great Enterprise, would it not?
The captain is on the bridge. God is still in business. All that you have to do is to realize the Presence of God where trouble seems to be, to do your nearest duty to the very best of your ability; and to keep an even mind until the storm is over.”

Emmet Fox wrote the above during the great depression as war clouds were gathering over Europe, some 70+ years ago! It is as true today as it was then.

EXCELSIOR! Still a cool word.

THE GOOD GOD

For much of my life I wore the coat of an agnostic. Having heard so many preachers teach that God was love but if you broke a certain rule you would burn for all eternity, but remember God loves you, that the Devil battles with God and actually wins from time to time. None of this made any sense to me. I had always believed that there was “something”, some power or intelligence, but the idea of a punishing, score keeping, testing God that could lose battles just did not pass muster. As my life progressed, the one thing I did right was keep an open mind, more or less, and continue to seek and learn. I studied and investigated everything from Catholicism to Islam, Dianetics to the Rosicrucians, learning much but never convinced. As life progressed, I found myself in a position when I had to face the proposition of God not from an intellectual hilltop but from the depths of depression and pain. Nothing sharpens the mind, cutting away the superfluous like pain. In the dark night of the soul esoteric knowledge and philosophical debating points lose all significance. Lost in pain and doubt in the hour of the wolf I reached out and my plea was answered, lacking all ambiguity and I was convinced.

Each walks their own path. Today I know, in my heart of hearts, through demonstration and direct contact through prayer and meditation that God wants all of us to be happy, joyous and free. He never places us in a position to be hurt, never brings pain and conflict into our lives to “teach” us and we are forgiven as soon as we ask. Remember though, that being forgiven does not mean there are not secular consequences for our actions.

If you are struggling with the concept of a punishing score keeping God, please borrow mine. When I make a mistake, a daily occurrence, He will direct me and show me the correct action to take if I but ask. The only price is that I pray regularly, meditate daily, treat all in the manner I wish to be treated in and leave the results to Him who has all knowledge and power. Please no pushing; there is plenty of Him to go around.