When we know, who walks beside us, on this path we have chosen, our fears fall from us.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Rooting Out Sacred Cows
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Self Righteous?
To sum up: to be righteous means our conduct is right, that we are maintaining an open mind, are willing to learn and will honestly share our heartfelt beliefs if it will serve any good purpose while avoiding with love those who are only interested in argument and fault finding.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
There Be Dragons
Being merciful toward others is of course laudable, but what of the mercy we fail to show to ourselves? Do you mentally (or worse, out loud) chastise yourself when a mistake is made or when some negative or objectionable thought floats through your mind? We all make mistakes and curious thoughts float up in everyones consciousness, so we must put away the mental cat of nine tails and demonstrate mercy in our own house, our consciousness. God, Our Father, wants all His children to be: happy, joyous and free. So we stop berating ourselves and thank God for knowing Him better. We can then learn from mistakes and address those curious negative thoughts that seem to appear from nowhere by turning to Him in prayer, asking if there is anything to be learned (sometimes there is, but not always, often a cloudy day is just a cloudy day) and move on. Under no pretense do we engage in a mental hunt for the cause of the discordant thought, attempting to root out the whys of it in our psyche. To do so only opens us to the deadly trap of morbid reflection and in the lexicon of the ancient cartographers: there be dragons. If there is something to be known or learned, God will make it abundantly clear, so ask Him; but don’t go looking for dragons, they bite.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Outlining And Feldercarbs
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Meek as Moses?
It is difficult for me to think of Moses and not picture in my minds eye
Charlton Heston standing with arms raised, staff in hand, robes flowing,
hair and beard blowing in the wind exhorting the Red Sea to part. Not
exactly a definition of "meek." When I picture meek I see Barney
Fife, not Moses. Yet Moses is the epitome of Meek. Meek in spiritual
teaching means we have abandoned our old ways of thinking and living, we
have placed our feet solidly on the path of enlightenment, embracing
Living on the Spiritual Basis. In this light we pray that we stay the
course, one day at a time, so we truly become “as Meek as Moses.”
Labels:
A Course in Miracles,
AA,
Alanon,
Bible,
In but not of,
metaphysics,
NOTW,
Power of Intention,
Road Less Traveled,
Sober Living By The Sea,
Source,
Spiritual Living,
The Secret,
Zen
Saturday, January 26, 2013
A Conundrum
Friday, January 25, 2013
Mourning Becomes Destructive
Death provides a clear ending point, but what of the sneaky things we mourn? Lamenting lost or missed opportunities, those “if I only would have” moments when we fantasize what our lives would have been like if we had acted or chosen differently. “If I was only (fill in the blank) years younger“, “If I didn’t have kids”or "If I were single" this wistful thinking doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t love our children or spouse or truly wish they were gone, but it is morbid reflection. “What if” moments, we all have them, so when they come, let them pass with little notice, like a small wave lapping our feet at the waters edge. Do not under any circumstance comment out loud or engage in conversation regarding them, for if we do, what began as a seemingly benign chat will devolve into morbid reflection, pulling us out of the moment and into a destructive contemplation of the past. Profit from your experiences, use them as teaching instruments for you and more importantly others, but do not dwell negatively on them for any reason. “We do not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it” for one of life’s great truths is that “Pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self.”
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Sorrowful Possessions
Once we close our mind to any fresh thinking or concept, in any area of life, we throw out another anchor, for nothing slows, even stops our spiritual growth quicker than a closed mind. To hold that any group or people are either favored by God or despised, plants another anchor. To place anyone or anything on a pedestal, a sacred cow, another anchor. To strive for acceptance or refuse to recognize the inherent dignity of anyone, regardless of their station, another anchor, there are many more.
We are spiritual beings, the power that is within us, moves us is beyond measure; it is no less than the creative life force that animates the mayfly and powers the stars. As great as this power is, we can set enough anchors to slow our growth to the point of it being imperceptible. We must begin cutting away the anchors slowing our progress, for if we don’t, our fate will be the same as the Rich Young Man, who failed to demonstrate and …went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22).
Labels:
A Course in Miracles,
AA,
Alanon,
Bible,
Emmet Fox,
enlightenment,
metaphysics,
Power of Intention,
Road Less Traveled,
Sober Living By The Sea,
Spiritual Living,
The Secret,
Zen
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Set Aside or Lay Aside Prayer
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Surrendering To Win
In truth, the world will take care of it’s self, it always has. Man has been trying to bend it to his will forever with little success. So to be free we focus on the only thing that can truly change the world for the better, our spiritual life, our connection to the miraculous.We accomplish this through regular prayer and meditation, we don’t struggle, we pray "with a feather" and approach meditation with joy and excitement. If we find this a problem, we pray on it! A good beginning meditation is contemplating patience, tolerance, kindliness and love in our life and towards the whole planet. If we are concerned about praying in the right way we ask to be shown, in prayer, how to pray correctly, we Keep It Simple. We read every day for a few minutes any book that raises our consciousness and we stop theorizing about truth and practice it, remembering to be as gentle with ourselves as we are with a newborn, surrendering those battle plans, for we have ceased fighting everyone and everything, we have to.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Good For What A.I.L.s You
Nonsense: n. 1. That which is without good sense; meaningless or ridiculous language. 2. Things of no importance.
To believe that “God” can be anything relegates god to being nothing in reality. “God is either everything or else He is nothing.” What is our choice to be? If you are struggling with the concept of a Power greater than yourself, you can start at a simpler level. To truly set ones feet on the path to living on the Spiritual Basis God must be at least this: Available, Intelligent and Loving and nothing less. Available: to live on the Spiritual Basis requires daily visits with God in prayer and meditation. How is this possible if He is far away, distant? Intelligent: He is the Creator. What more do we need to know? Loving: Here I would ask you to set aside any belief you may have of a vengeful or score keeper God. One of the keys to living on the Spiritual Basis is that “the realm of Heaven is roomy, all inclusive. Never exclusive or forbidding.” That God never brings trouble or sickness to our lives, that He loves us a thousand times more than we love our own children and like you, I love my children a lot. Additionally God doesn’t keep a tally sheet of our lives, We do, everything we have ever done or said is written on our heart, in our hand, our lives an open book to Him who has all knowledge and power; yet since He loves us unconditionally we are forgiven as soon as we ask. If we could only forgive ourselves so readily think how much trouble we could avoid. So, if you are struggling, start at a simpler level and God will heal what AILs you.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
No Middle Ground
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Love And Itchy Teeth
The Great Carpenter taught that we cannot serve two masters, so where we place our focus, regardless and sometimes in spite of current circumstances, is the key. Are we focusing on the fear (the world) or on the spiritual (God)? “To realize God as Love is the remedy for fear.” Though word plays typically make my teeth itch, this one has some value: FEAR-False Evidence Appearing Real. God is either everything or else He is nothing, no middle ground, the thoughts we entertain habitually will be expressed in our lives and the choice is always ours. What will we choose to express today, fear or faith? Remember “Where there is fear there cannot be love” that “There is no condition that enough Love will not heal.” By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another (John 13:35).
Friday, January 18, 2013
Spooky Physics And God
So, if everything is composed of this intelligent matter, remember science tells us so, is this matrix of all creation the mind of God? Gives one pause to wonder, does it not? It has been said that He is closer than hands and feet, that we should look within, not without for our spiritual connection. Looks like "they" had it right all along. Spooky. Gotta love science.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Electric Alamode
When considering God many think of Him in this way because it is logical. Believing that God is so large He can break off pieces of Himself without concern of ever becoming an empty tin. If this were true however regardless of how small the piece removed, the whole, like our apple pie, is still diminished. But, in truth, God is never diminished, cannot by His nature be diminished. He is as complete and whole today as a year, a thousand, ten thousand years ago. So, if we are not only connected to God but His spark resides within each of us, what is God’s nature?
God is like silence. Cut silence in half and you have more silence. Cut it again, more silence. No matter how many times you try to portion it you only have more, the whole never diminished or changed. The Indwelling Presence is not a “portion” of God, but God himself and proof of our true divine self hood. Now add to this the concept of an electric circuit. The electricity (God) is present throughout the circuit (us) though invisible to us. We only “see” the action of the electricity when we flip the switch and the bulb (our Divine Mind) illuminates.
Our physical life is like our pie; each day a little more gone until only the tin remains, no deposit required. Our true self, our soul, the I AM is like silence, never diminished, never proportioned always whole and eternal. We are not human beings in search of the miraculous, a spiritual awakening, we are spiritual beings experiencing the human condition. God, like electricity flows through us, always there, the bill always paid in full, just waiting for us to flip the switch and embrace enlightenment.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Enjoying The Ride With Kwai Chang Caine
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Our Principles
No one but you will see your inventory, so be honest. Some of the principles outlined above include but are certainly not limited to: contempt prior to investigation, morbid reflection, biased judgment, closed mindedness, grandiosity and emotional overcompensation. Of course the list can be added to, but I think you get the picture. Conversely Living on the Spiritual Basis suggests these living principles: patience, tolerance, kindness, love, serenity, benefit of the doubt, open-mindedness, ready acceptance and living in the here and now among others.
It is not a matter of controlling ones thoughts, for trying to control our thoughts is like herding cats, not possible. What we are charged with is how we respond when a negative or discordant thought or action enters our awareness. When we find ourselves practicing negative or destructive principles we immediately turn to God and shine the truth of our divine heritage and His love upon them, thus placing them in their correct light. Remember, our actions and words are always an indicator of our thoughts.
We cannot demonstrate beyond where we are. A first year medical student would never be asked to perform heart surgery or the private to lead the army into battle. So always be gentle with yourself and place your reliance on God, turning to Him in scientific prayer for inspiration and guidance in all things, the only requirement for continued growth is to stay willing and open-minded.
Monday, January 14, 2013
It works, it really does. Try it.
"Faith without works is dead". Fervent belief is fine as far as it goes, but nothing happens until action is engaged in. Until we demonstrate a consistent course of action nothing of consequence transpires in our consciousness to bring us to the desired safe harbor. We paddle in one direction for a time, then something catches our attention and off we go in another. Is it any wonder we never reach safety, the peace of mind, the serenity we so desperately desire? Look to your book shelf, how many books are on it that when first read seemed to have the “answer”, yet there they sit, gathering dust. To be fair, they probably are fine works written by wonderful teachers, yet for one reason or another they did not carry the weight to elicit continual study or most importantly implementation.
Practical work in our own consciousness requires dedication and consistent effort. “Scientific prayer is the Golden Key to harmony and happiness.” What is scientific prayer? When faced with a difficulty of any kind, we turn in prayer affirming everything we know to be true about God, but under no circumstance do we pray about the problem or difficulty! Instead we turn, in prayer, to focus our whole consciousness on God and our relationship with Him, for God is omnipotent, He already knows everything about our life, our problems, desires, hopes and fears and exactly what is needed. Our job is to get out of the way and trust in Him who has all knowledge and power, to stop focusing on the negative (the difficulty) and place our focus singularly on God (the solution). “Simple, but not easy.”
“It works, it really does. Try it.”
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Long Way Round
Saturday, January 12, 2013
What Is In Our Cup?
Friday, January 11, 2013
Rehearsing, Rehashing And Outlining
Difficult problems seem to have a life of their own. Hard as we try,
we
treat them spiritually and the next thing we know they are back in the
forefront of our consciousness, dominating our thoughts. Typically these
thoughts creep in silently, we only become aware of them after they
have gained purchase in our consciousness. One of the most insidious
ways this happens is through outlining. The world teaches that we should
think things through, weigh pros and cons, talk it out, but just as
“the grouch and the brainstorm are the dubious luxury of normal men” so
is outlining. This generally starts out innocently enough, just weighing
those pros and cons, talking it out etc but in short order we begin
outlining how a situation or trouble should work out, in essence
telling the universe how to solve our problems, on our terms of course.
If you don't think you do this, then you have never "rehearsed" or
"rehashed" a conversation."If they say this than I will say that and
then I will have them" or "I should have said this when they said that
and that would have shut them up." Oh, this holds true as well for those
one sided conversations with radio and TV personalities who tick us
off.
This type of outlining builds up our expectations and feeds our resentments for “the level of my serenity is directly proportional to my expectations.” Living on the Spiritual Basis our expectations and resentments are placed in God’s hands and on His shoulders, so when we find ourselves outlining we stop as soon as we become aware and thank God for knowing Him better. To quiet the mind we repeat some simple set prayers like “Be still and know that I am God”, “There is no power greater than God” or simply “God is with me.” When I ran the world I outlined constantly, for it needed my help. Living on the new basis, I leave the running of the world, and my life, in His hands for He does a much better job of it than I ever did, for today I have ceased fighting everyone and everything and know in my heart of hearts that “God is with me.”
This type of outlining builds up our expectations and feeds our resentments for “the level of my serenity is directly proportional to my expectations.” Living on the Spiritual Basis our expectations and resentments are placed in God’s hands and on His shoulders, so when we find ourselves outlining we stop as soon as we become aware and thank God for knowing Him better. To quiet the mind we repeat some simple set prayers like “Be still and know that I am God”, “There is no power greater than God” or simply “God is with me.” When I ran the world I outlined constantly, for it needed my help. Living on the new basis, I leave the running of the world, and my life, in His hands for He does a much better job of it than I ever did, for today I have ceased fighting everyone and everything and know in my heart of hearts that “God is with me.”
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Teakettles, Oranges and Discordant Thinking
If a negative thought is persistent engage in some distracting activity such as a phone call to a friend inquiring about them (do not speak of the negative thought), an engrossing book, exercise, etc. If possible find a way to be of service. Nothing relieves us of the bondage of self, and all negative thinking binds us in self, as being of service to someone else. The key is to substitute positive thinking and action for the negative thoughts. Simple but not easy, when we begin this way of living it will feel clunky and somewhat uncomfortable, but just like learning to ride a bike, as long as we are diligent and consistent, in time it will become second nature.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
What Does Our Face Say?
We cannot, do not control the thoughts that enter our consciousness. We do control what path to follow when we become aware. When a negative or fearful thought floats up from our subconscious how we respond to it determines our future. So we train ourselves when confronted by these discordant thoughts to turn immediately to thoughts of God: His Love, His Power and His Guidance. In so doing the Law of Subconscious Activity works for us, not against.
Practical demonstrations always carry more weight than mere words. Begin by observing the faces of the people in your life. What do you see in the countenance of those who engage in gossip, hurtful or negative words and action? Compare them with those who are consistently kind, supportive and positive. The truth of this lesson will be as plain as the look on your face.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
A Law Of Thought And Camels
It would be a poor law indeed if it did not work in the reverse as well. When we dwell on the positive, on the Presence of God, on the truth of our relationship with the Divine, that all fear and negativity is false, God the giver of every good gift will then be out pictured in our lives.
Remember the lesson of the camels nose and the tent? Camels lack a reverse gear so if a camel gets its head under a tent flap they are coming all the way in. However if we smack their nose as soon as it appears they will withdraw, and no one wants a camel in their tent, they are bad mannered and rather smelly.
Our troubles are just like the camels nose. As soon as we become aware of trouble or difficulty we smack it on the nose with prayer and meditation and its ability to drive us to despair, fear and morbid reflection will be short circuited. What you think upon grows. What will you think upon today? Beware camels.
Monday, January 7, 2013
DAY 7 OF THE 7 DAY DIET
The diet has put you in touch with the Primal Power of
Being. This power is what changes us. It is the motive force behind everything.
It is no less than our connection, at the most basic and profound level, to the
creative life force that permeates everything and everyone. That
power is God.
“Speak to Him, thou, for He hears, and Spirit with Spirit can
meet--
Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and
feet.” Tennyson
Labels:
A Course in Miracles,
AA,
Alanon,
Bible,
Emmet Fox,
enlightenment,
Illumination,
In but not of,
NOTW,
Power of Intention,
Road Less Traveled,
Sober Living By The Sea,
Spiritual Living,
The Secret,
Zen
Sunday, January 6, 2013
DAY 6 OF THE 7 DAY DIET
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 through the nose. With eyes closed, consider what patience, tolerance, kindliness and love mean to you. Your mind will begin to visualize, do not fight it or try to control it. 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.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
DAY 5 OF THE 7 DAY DIET
…God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in
God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). Day 5: 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. 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. Oh, and you are keeping this to yourself for
the next couple of days, right?
Friday, January 4, 2013
DAY 4 OF THE 7 DAY MENTAL DIET
Consider: “A man is sitting by a camp fire when a red hot cinder flies up and lands on his sleeve. If he blows the cinder off at once, without a moment’s delay to consider 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 the sleeve. So it is with negative thought.” Simply stated we have no control over the thoughts that surface in our consciousness or are foisted on us by others but we do choose how we will address those thoughts. Living on the Spiritual Basis the path is clear: When we turn immediately to a Power Greater Than Ourselves in prayer as soon as we become aware of the negative, regardless of its source, we remain unharmed, our spiritual sleeves hole free. Additionally we do not try to figure out or understand why a particular thought crossed our mind, the trap of morbid reflection; we simply take the necessary action to address it. In time, this will become second nature.
By this point in the diet you are probably experiencing some difficulties, it may feel like everything is seemingly going sideways, you have more trouble now, more spiritual discontent 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 until you are done with the diet. Onwards through the fog.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
DAY 3 OF THE 7 DAY DIET
Day 3: Having
fun yet? The diet may be simple, but it certainly is not easy. Continue being
vigilant, watching for morbid reflection, those negative or destructive
thoughts that seem to be always lurking. When you find your thoughts drifting in this manner
immediately supplant the negative and destructive thoughts with positive. As you are beginning to discover, this is a
strenuous effort and few would be able to do this for much more than seven days
so take heart, the dividends you will receive are worth the effort. Keep in
focus the reason for this diet: to be aware of our thinking in a new light and to learn to plant
positive, constructive, optimistic and kind thoughts in the garden of our
consciousness; watered with the love and guidance of the Creative Power of the Universe.
Shhhh…remember don’t tell anyone you are on a diet. Follow this advice as well
if you are considering starting a weight loss plan, an exercise program or
quitting smoking and your odds of success will increase exponentially.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
DAY 2 OF SEVEN DAY MENTAL DIET
Day 2 of the 7 Day 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, remember to 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 effecting 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 effected 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 effects.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A Seven Day Diet For The New Year
Day One: Be aware of the thoughts you entertain and the “food” you feed your mind. Be conscious in the moment. Keep notes if it helps, no extra points for spelling or correct punctuation. DO NOT tell anyone that you are on a diet, to do so guarantees failure. If the idea of doing this makes you cringe, then don’t. You are not ready. Just file it away and when ready, this wonderful tool of freedom will be available.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)