Law of Unintended Consequences

What we dwell on defines the course of our thinking and our lives. When we dwell on thoughts of “my bad luck”, “I’ll never find a good job”, “the kids won’t…” “My (insert your favorite recurring pain or condition)”, “I hate…” or dwell on any thought concerning something we really don’t want in our lives, we open our consciousness and invite in exactly what we are trying to avoid! This is the Law of Unintended Consequences demonstrated. Being a law, the converse is true as well, when we dwell on thoughts of peace, kindness, love, and serenity, we attract these qualities into our lives.

Dwelling on hate and its cousin resentment is 100 per cent effective in shutting us off from the sunlight of the Spirit, their only purpose to produce more hate and resentment. Remember the analogy of one bad apple? Apples used to be placed in a barrel filled with liquid to preserve them through the winter. If a single apple in the barrel began to rot, the rest of the apples became tainted, inedible. Hate and resentment have the same effect on our consciousness, tainting every thing. Though we need to watch consistently for all negativity and limitation thinking, hate and resentment are particularly destructive.

To be clear: jobs are lost and found, money comes and goes, our children will act up (probably not as bad as we did at their age), our health issues will increase as we age (and one of them will be the last one) what matters is how we address these thoughts when they surface in our consciousness, do we dwell on the low or seek the high? Do we seek God’s will or wallow in the negative? By choosing love, kindness, patience and tolerance as our course this law will open the door of undreamed of possibilities, often from completely unexpected sources, a fountainhead of miracles revealed. The choice is always ours.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

 

Bacon Avocado Cheeseburgers

We have decided to make a change in our life. Perhaps it is quitting smoking. We throw away our cigarettes (or smoke them up) and announce we are now a non-smoker. What changed? If I just polished off a bacon avocado cheeseburger and then announce myself a vegetarian, am I? If we have a room full of exercise equipment or paid up gym membership does it mean we are physically fit? The principle is demonstration versus intention. Our intentions may be noble, but nothing happens until we take action and follow through. The question is: what course of action should we follow to be successful.

Change is a process; the new man is not born in a day. Wayne Dyer writes in The Power Of Intention: When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. Embracing this spiritual truth we learn to think from the end. Consider: While still smoking, we see ourselves free of cigarettes, not as someone “trying” to quit. You have either quit or you haven’t, trying is destined to fail for who wants to “try” hard things like quitting smoking when there are easy things like smoking. If we are persistent, soon the smoke free “new man” (or woman) you have built in your consciousness will emerge and you will be free of cigarettes. We did not quit smoking; we simply outgrew it. Think of it this way: when children we did not know that the last time we played hide and seek or made mud pies or built a fort was the last time, it just was. We could have made more pies or forts or organized a round of hide and seek, but we didn’t and we didn’t think about it, it just happened naturally, part of the natural change that is "growing up", without thought on our part.

If getting fit is the desire, do not start by making “deals” with yourself or picking a time or date to start. Instead, before the first sit-up or minute on the elliptical, start by seeing yourself exercising in your minds eye, visualize yourself exercising everyday; picture your body as it will look after exercise, do this every day, throughout the day. Soon the urge to exercise will become overwhelming, as long as you refrain from negative out picturing (if 50 we will never look 20 again) and defeatist thinking (how hard it will be, pain, etc).

Train yourself to think from the end. Like any new activity, at first it will feel clumsy and unfamiliar. If you persist, it will become second nature, like riding a bike. Intention is the vision; you must provide the conditions within your consciousness for the ultimate success of your demonstration.

Oh, bacon avocado cheeseburgers? Don’t be silly; they are the food of the Gods.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

30 Days To Freedom

The world provides a myriad of answers and solutions for the problems and challenges in our lives.  Watch TV, listen to the radio or click on any of the daily spam messages in your in-box and an “answer” can be found for what is troubling you, usually all that is required is a credit card or bank routing number. This secular basis of living provides unlimited answers to life’s questions, the real question is how effective are they? If freedom is just a click or phone call away, why is the world still bedeviled?  Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have a new set of tools for addressing the conditions troubling us: We treat them spiritually. Just what does that mean and how do we do it? Glad you asked:

First: Do not package your concerns. General prayers are better than none, but provide only general answers and solutions. Be specific. Take the time to write down and separate out the things that are troubling you. What do you want removed from your life and what do you want to come into your life. Be specific.

Second: Now that you have your list, address each item separately. Consider your concern in the light of your spiritual knowledge. Claim the Great Creative Life Force, as you understand it, will address this concern, in its own time, in its own way in the perfect form for you. Avoid visualizing how you think things should progress for this is outlining and is counter productive, visualize only the power working in your life, providing, healing, creating, doing for you what you cannot do for yourself.

Third: When finished close with a simple prayer thanking God, as you understand Him, for knowing Him better. Do not allow yourself to become tense or demanding in these sessions, for this only retards progress. Do not speak about your specific prayers with anyone, for this is between you and the universe so keep it private. Do however remain open and accountable to your spiritual guides and teachers, relating the action you are taking, just keeping the wording of the prayers private. Do not look impatiently for signs of progress. Faith is trust; trust is faith, Trust in the Miraculous, for miracles are our birthright.

Follow these directions for 30 days. If you are persistent and consistent in your demonstration some remarkable changes will be taking place in your life. Few, if any will be in the manner or following the script we would have written, but they will be exactly what we need, at precisely the moment needed, arriving typically without fanfare. We will intuitively know what to do and how to do it with the needed strength, if we remain willing.

After 30 days feel free to share the method and what happened to you in a general way with any you think ready to step out in faith, but it is imperative that you keep the specifics of your list and prayer private, encased in the secret place of your heart where no one but you and the Creator have access.



©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Destructive Daydreams

Everyone daydreams, of what do you dream? Thoughts are causative, the thoughts we entertain will find out picturing in our lives. Now, I know what you are thinking: cool, I will think about having robust health, a boatload of money, healthy happy relationships or stopping smoking and poof, problem solved. Unfortunately wistfully dreaming about something without a basis for generating the change in conditions is actually destructive, counter productive. Consider: many who want to stop smoking don’t dream of being smoke free, but focus on how hard it will be to quit. If lacking financial abundance they don’t dream of following their heart’s desire, money and abundance coming by virtue of doing what they love, but on the reasons for not following their heart (too old, too young, need schooling, what will people think, etc). If experiencing poor health they do not see themselves as healthy, free of the restrictions ill health places on them, but instead focus on the limitation, dwelling on their “ailments” various symptoms and never missing an opportunity to talk about it.When thinking of others, they daydream about past negative encounters, imagining all the things they should have said and done, dwelling on how they will do better next time, even fantasizing to the point of rehearsing whole future conversations in their minds eye. And God forbid they stop and consider their side of the street.

So if you wish to be miserable, here lies the recipe: Dwell on getting even with those who have hurt you (real or imagined), for dreaming of revenge slams the door of serenity, installing resentment as your best friend. Focus on every medical condition you hear about and wonder if perhaps you have some of the symptoms. Never waste an opportunity to join any discussion dealing with conspiracy theories, for later when alone this will provide great negative daydreaming fodder. Watch and read everything you can dealing with end of world scenarios and daydream on how you will cope or die as a result. Spend your time dreaming about what is missing in your life and how it will never happen. Above all, dream darkly; as soon as the slightest ray of sunshine tries to enter your thoughts snuff it out, for the world is a hard, sharp place.

To be free, understand, we choose the course of our lives by the thoughts we entertain, reaping what we have sown in our consciousness. We choose the dreams we dwell on, so will we stand in the light, free from the bondage of self or dream darkly, wrapped in anger, limitation, fear, pain and resentment? Our God given free will leaves the choice in our hands; choose wisely.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Yeah but...is there cake?

Having been a spiritual mentor for many years there is no more painful word to hear from a student then but. It matters little whether the student has been on the path 10 weeks; 10 months or 10 years this word is a nearly impenetrable barrier to progress.

Typically the new student asks a question and then listens impatiently, waiting for their chance to interject, then when the opportunity presents its self they begin saying yeah, but…

The student who has been on the path for a time, faced with something uncomfortable attempts to make their case for avoidance of the required action with yeah but you don’t understand…

Finally, those who have traveled the path for a significant period are attacked by but obliquely, in their quiet moments. Having persevered and done much work spiritually, they “believe” but doubt has crept in. They are attempting to come to terms with some seeming inconsistency and are looking for answers or some action to engage in for specific direct relief. One of the most difficult spiritual lessons to take to heart is when to stop. When you have consulted with those whose spiritual counsel you value, have taken all the secular steps indicated, have prayed and meditated on the difficulty, the next indicated action is to be still.

Consider cake making. You have mixed all the right ingredients, in the correct proportions, placed the batter in the baking pan and the pan has been placed in the heated oven where the magic of cake happens. While it bakes we leave the oven closed for opening the door repeatedly to see how things are progressing upsets the balance. The cake batter has its job, the oven its task and neither requires our assistance. Let God do His work, you have put together the ingredients for healing and placed them in His hands; give Him time to cook. Tasty cake and faith require patience, neither have buts in them. If truth is true, there are no buts. 


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

 

Lucy Van Pelt is not God

Do you believe God wants you to succeed?  Or do you harbor some lingering belief that God is a trickster waiting to punish or harm you, to pull the rug out from under you to make a point? If we are children of Divine Mind, extensions in Spirit of the miraculous, than God is not Lucy van Pelt holding a football. Unlike Lucy, God always holds the football steady and wants us, encourages us to kick it as hard as we can, to succeed in every area of life and living. Fear however often holds us back to the point of approaching the ball with trepidation or worse walking off the field without even attempting a kick, fear triumphant. Though perhaps trembling, run as hard as you can, trusting in God and kick the ball with all your might for God is not like Lucy, though she may think so, now Linus…


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

The Great Spark

When considering our relationship with God, one of the simplest and best-known metaphors defining this relationship is man is the spark of a great fire. If you touch a piece of kindling to a roaring blaze, it sparks to life. This spark has the same composition of the original blaze and can be used to start a new fire if sufficient fuel is present. Unlike the blaze though, a spark is easily extinguished if mishandled and will in fact soon burn out if more fuel is not added.

Living on the Spiritual Basis provides our kindling, daily prayer, meditation and service the fuel that sustains our fire. The good news is that if we have failed for any reason to keep our spiritual fire lit, the Great Fire, being eternal and inextinguishable is always available to relight our fire. The only requirement is we must provide the kindling.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Late Night Musings

What is beyond God’s purview? Money? Healing? Peace of mind? Love? Serenity? Anything? There are many avenues of delivery but there is only one source, God. This truth has been related in a myriad of ways by Spiritual and religious teachers, but what if we set aside for a moment any religious or spiritual conceptions we may hold concerning “God”. In the last few decades science, particularly physics and quantum mechanics, has uncovered some interesting things. For instance, at the most basic levels of existence, the sub-atomic, particles with names like quarks and leptons demonstrate “intelligence” in the way they react. Now these particles, and others with even more interesting names, comprise all matter, from quasars to the mayfly, grains of sand to super massive black holes, you and me. What if embodied in these particles, the observed “intelligence” was the mind of God? If that is the case, then God is not only everywhere but He is everything. That everything and everyone are extensions of Divine Mind, the Universal Creative Life Force. Sounds kinda spiritual. Just a thought, can’t prove it but it does keep me up at night, in a good way.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Active Electronic Inactivity

Set aside some time each week to be disconnected from the world. Turn off the phones (all of them), put the computer in hibernate and turn off the monitor, no TV’s, radios, mp3 players, iPods or any other sound producing device left on. Turn around or cover any clock that may catch your eye. Now read a book, a real one, no electronic readers, play a game (nothing electronic), write (with pen and paper) or just sit quietly experiencing the peace of the moment. Depending on your circumstances, small children, roommates, uncooperative spouses etc you may only be able to do this for a short period, but make the effort. It is an exercise in active electronic inactivity, disconnected from the electronic world, a demonstration in willingness to walk the road less traveled, a simple affirmation in action of our true connection to the miraculous.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Last House On The Block

When facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge in life, finding our back against the wall, all secular answers and escape routes seemingly tried or closed off, beset on all sides by fear and perceived negative outcome, we become willing. From this nadir of spirit, a spark of faith bursts into life. In truth it was always there, buried beneath conventional thinking and secular belief. When faced with the insurmountable, having exhausted the conventional, we are left only with what was once unthinkable and we begin to pray. Perhaps we have not prayed in years or ever prayed in a religious sense. Perhaps we believed ourselves to be agnostic or a conversational atheist effectively leaving the question of God simmering on a back burner, only to find life has turned up the heat and the pot is bubbling over.
    
Though perhaps surrounded by people mouthing spiritual platitudes, we feel alone, lost, trapped, the walls closing in, no apparent way out. So we begin to pray. We make sure we are alone, unseen. We may even feel guilty, a hypocrite for all those times we disparaged those “holy rollers”, for having felt superior to those weak willed church goers, having gleefully engaged in schadenfreude when a religious figure fell from favor. Having found ourselves at the court of last resort, bereft of any more “good” ideas or plans, we finally turn to prayer.

From this moment of trepidation, one book closes and a new one opens. We quickly find that the universe does not make too hard terms for those who earnestly seek. That God will make himself known to us, if we ask. The Great Carpenter taught that upon this mustard seeds worth of belief, a deeply rooted strong spiritual life can be grown. Our job to remain open minded, honest and willing to learn.

Having stepped on to this path, does it mean our prayers are answered in the manner we outline? Doubtful. All prayers are answered in the positive, but our vision is limited while God’s is not. Spiritual hindsight has shown that many of the things I prayed for, had they been delivered as I ordered them, would have caused more trouble and problems down the road. Prayer will never cause pain or unintended consequences, so it is not that the universe says no, but it will not say yes to anything that may cause harm, intended or not.

 There are many questions about life and living that are beyond our ability to comprehend. So pray softly, form and style of little importance, speaking from the heart of paramount importance. God will Deliver, if asked, for our birthright is to be Happy, Joyous and Free.

©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

I Have A Right To Be Angry!

Justified anger and righteous indignation are spiritual poison. When we are angry, outraged, indignant, upset or offended, who pays the price? We do. Sure, we may vent at the source of our displeasure, but our face becomes red, our heart beats faster, our blood pressure rises, our serenity is lost, our peace of mind replaced with turmoil. Even if we get the chance to give them “a piece of our mind” what was actually accomplished? Then there are those occasions when the object of our ire is beyond our reach, speeding away down the road, on the other side of the TV screen or radio speaker or try as we might we just cannot get through the maze of voice mailboxes to get to a real person and ranting e-mails are wholly unsatisfying. There are few laws that are truly immutable, here is one: we reap as we sow.

Immutable: adj

Unchanging or unchangeable: not changing or not able to be changed (Encarta)

We cannot get angry enough to instill peace, in ourselves or anyone else. No one has ever been moved for long in a positive way when anger is the sole motivation. No world leader or politician has ever changed their mind because we yelled at the TV.

Does this mean we should go through life with a Mona Lisa type smile cemented on our face, never taking a stand or pointing out mistakes, having no opinion on anything, floating along on some form of spiritual (or actual) Xanax? Of course not, Living on the Spiritual Basis is not about disconnecting from life, floating above it all, but connecting in new and profound ways, for we are living on a new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God.

There will always be something or someone to be upset at or offended by, but our peace, our serenity must never be the victim. When we allow the world to get the better of us, we suffer the pain we are attempting to inflict on others. We drink the poison of resentment and discontent, we become upset and irritable, we close ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit and not only do we suffer, but those closest to us do as well. The next time the thought “I have a right to be angry” crosses your mind ask yourself: Who gave you this right? Bottoms up.
 
©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

K.I.R.K.I.S. (Keep It Real Keep It Simple)

We are constantly building up or tearing down our mental structure by the things we ingest: books, magazines, newspapers, social media and conversations of all stripes. Then there is the almost unconscious ingestion via television: sports, news, talk shows, sitcoms, dramas, movies, history and learning, “reality” shows (I always wonder whose “reality” those programs are based on) and of course, infomercials and commercials.

All input affects, colors our thinking and world view. We choose the type of structure, materials and practices that compose and build our consciousness, usually without much thought or discernment on our part. Consider: would we knowingly use defective building materials or stand for shoddy workmanship in our home? Haphazard repairs done to our vehicle or place our life in the hands of a cut-rate doctor? Our consciousness or soul if you prefer, is more precious than any home or vehicle repair or even bodily health, for the structure we dwell in, the car we drive, even our body is a temporary construct, while our consciousness is eternal.

So, beginning today, take a moment and consider your mental diet, but do not rush off willy-nilly making changes or taking vows, we have all done this in the past when “deciding” to lose weight, eat better or begin an exercise regimen and though our motives were sound, we placed unrealistic expectations on ourselves virtually guaranteeing failure. As our awareness grows, we quietly and gently in prayer and meditation ask to be shown what changes and action should be taken, asking God for guidance and the needed power to carry them out. Keep It Real Keep It Simple.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Peace of Spirit

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future” Fulton Oursler. When in the grip of fear, it convinces us a ravenous beast is waiting around the next corner to attack and rend us asunder, our peace of spirit sacrificed. So we tremble and attempt to hide, all the while depression slowly squeezes the life out of us, freezing us in inaction. Fear is a liar, but it is an implacable foe, an adversary beyond our ability to defeat alone. The adversary never sleeps, is always vigilant, patience personified; cunning, baffling and powerful and though we may rally and occasionally win a battle, the outcome of the war is never in doubt when we rely solely upon our limited resources when battling fear.

Regret opens the door to morbid reflection. When we reflect morbidly lament and depression become our traveling companions, forgiveness in grace replaced with self-centered fear driven negative introspection. The adversary never sees the future brightly with hope, but always dark and hopeless, stealing the moments of peace and serenity that are ours by birthright. 

 

Living on the Spiritual Basis we rely on the Creative Life Force at the heart of everything for our strength. In so doing we face fear with faith, which enables us to meet seeming calamity with serenity, in action, in purpose, grace realized, the thieves barred entry into our consciousness and we are free, our natural peace of spirit realized. 

©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

What Would You Wish For?

If you had three wishes, what would they be? Riches? A perfect body unaffected by any food consumed or sedentary lifestyle? Your children healthy and prospering? Mosquitoes extinct? Probably we have all dreamed of what we would ask if Aladdin’s lamp came into our possession. How about the ability to fly? To make all politicians and car salesmen tell the truth? Now that would be something unheard of. Along with flying, there are a whole myriad of superpowers that would be pretty cool. Strength, telepathy, breathing in water, invisibility, etc, all make for an interesting thought experiment. I have pondered on this and today if I could have a super power it would be the power to instill common sense. I would walk through crowds brushing against people, striking them down with common sense, and just like the popular end of the world virus scenarios once infected every person  they touched in turn would become infected as well (insert diabolical laughter here). Soon the entire world would be infected and there would be nothing that could be done to stop it, common sense would rule!! (More diabolical laughter).

Diabolical laughter aside, if common sense was, well common, consider how the world would be transformed. No one would talk or text, apply makeup, read the newspaper, shave, consume a three course meal or any of the other thousand things some folks do while piloting a roadway missile.  Politicians and leaders would actually be concerned about those they serve, working for something other than their legacy, their bank account or a cushy lobbyist job upon leaving office. I may be naive, but I believe that common sense would resolve conflicts in a twinkling, all parties working toward the welfare of all involved. Terrorists, once infected, would slap their foreheads saying, “What was I thinking?” and then do something constructive with their lives. Admit it, wouldn’t you love to be watching TV when some self obsessed personality or politician became infected on air? Professional athletes salaries would become commensurate to the reality that they play games for a living, while front-line teachers pay would reflect the importance of the role they play. Reality TV and infomercials would cease to exist over night. No pollution or litter, for no one with a lick of common sense would poison his or her environment or throw trash on the ground. Kinda gives one pause to wonder doesn’t it.

I know, Common Sense Man does not have the same panache as Captain America, Wolverine, Batman, Daredevil, Hulk, Thor, Superman or Ironman but in the real world, clear thinking is of much greater value than retractable Admantium claws or going through life saying HULK SMASH! My other two wishes? Common sense dictates I keep some things to myself. Excelsior!


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Right Here, Right Now

Ever wonder where the phrase One Day At A Time popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous came from?  Emmet Fox is the most likely originator: "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 woman who lives one day at a time. You'll be surprised how rapidly conditions will change for the better when you approach this ideal." Dr. Fox said this a few years before Bill Wilson sobered up and many, including Bill, of the early rummies studied Dr. Fox's teachings. 

When we marry one thing at a time with one day at a time, we have a simple yet powerful guide for living, Living on the Spiritual Basis. The only time we can be present for God, the only time we can stand in the presence of God, the only time God can be present in our lives, is in the present moment. He was there yesterday and I trust He will be there tomorrow, such is faith, but our work is done right here, right now. Keep your head where your hands are, your eyes fixed on God; your heart in His care and nothing can ever truly harm you.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Eloquence of Action

Many believe that change and growth can come through discourse alone. That sounding off and speaking out actually accomplishes anything. Today, just as yesterday and the day before ad infinitum, impassioned speeches will be made from the bedraggled fellow in Hyde Park speaker’s corner to the United Nations. Chances are none of them will be remembered next week, or even tomorrow for that matter in most cases. There has always been, and will always be vibrant speakers. Eloquent and moving in the moment, their words perhaps even bridging time, to touch future generations. However, did their words alone result in or engender action? Consider: If Churchill had not demonstrated resolve along with his eloquence, would Britain have persevered against seemingly insurmountable odds? When FDR spoke on Dec. 8th 1941, he called for action. What would the world look like today if he had failed to follow through? John Kennedy did not suggest that maybe we should go to the moon; he said we would in the next ten years and put into motion the foundation to accomplish it. Mother Teresa did not merely speak about love and service, but demonstrated it by living and prospering in conditions that few of us can truly comprehend.

These individuals were dynamic. Yes, they spoke well, but what made them dynamic was making their words real, turning eloquence into action. Even if you and I never reach the levels of power or renown of these dynamic individuals, being dynamic is part and parcel of Living on the Spiritual Basis. Faith without works is dead, sweet words and promises mean nothing, actually becoming destructive, if the appropriate action does not follow. None of us walks the way we talk all of the time, but it is a goal worth shooting for. Strive to be dynamic; one day at a time, a speech demonstrated with ones hands and feet always carries more weight, and lasting permanent value, than words alone.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

God Is The Architect

The natural tidal flows of our spiritual unfolding can be disconcerting if we allow it. Typically it happens when our life is going well, we feel connected, in Source, not a cloud on the horizon and then seemingly out of nowhere a sense of being disconnected, out of sorts, edgy, stuck, clouds of discontent seemingly obscuring our vision. Consider: Most buildings rest on a concrete foundation. It would be a foolish builder indeed who attempts to build on wet cement. They wait for the concrete to “cure”, to become strong enough to support the construction to come. Just as a builder cannot begin construction on the next floor until the underlying construction is sufficiently sound, the same holds for our spiritual growth. Our consciousness is a mufti-story construct and just as in the modern skyscraper, it is built one floor at a time. If we succumb to the adversary fear and morbid reflection becomes dominate the underpinnings of our new and expanding consciousness will be weakened before they have had sufficient time to “cure”, to be fully digested and integrated. The result could lead to a complete collapse of our peace and serenity, a crisis of faith realized. Remember this truth, often a cloudy day is just a cloudy day, but the sun is always shining behind the clouds.

The construction of our spiritual awakening is a never-ending process, a structure of infinite wonder. In those inevitable times of seeming no growth, perceived lack of progress or discontent, take heart. Stay consistent in action and soon the current level of work will become fixed, the lessons learned in truth, written on our hearts, ready to be built on anew. Be consistent in that which has brought you to this point but do not rush for rushing spiritually leads only to setbacks at best and collapse at worst.Work steadily and consistently, work hard but do not make hard work of it, allow the process to happen naturally and never forget the chief architect and building inspector are one in the same.

©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Relax, Take It Easy

Living on the Spiritual Basis we stand vigilant and are never afraid of questioning or to re-examine long held beliefs or positions. The truth will set you free is true whether we have been on the path a few months or most of our lives. When we first embark, in truth, on the path of Living on the Spiritual Basis we are confronted with large easily recognizable defects and shortcomings. As time flows by the impediments to spiritual growth become smaller, less pronounced, often obscured by a layer of misunderstanding or complacency masquerading as truth which requires greater, deeper vision to see. The natural response is to work harder, dig deeper and faster to ferret these things out. The problem is our spiritual vision is not sufficiently refined to easily recognize them; so contrary action is called for.

So we relax, we take it easy. Hard work in this area only makes the work harder. Continue to pray and meditate daily, asking to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindness and love. In natural course, the hidden shoals will become visible and can be addressed spiritually. To be clear: we do not work on them; Divine Consciousness makes them visible and when we are ready, removes them. Our part is to remain willing, willing to go to any lengths to be spiritually aware, humble in service.

By embracing this way of spiritual living you will find the wind at your back most of the time, but if for some reason you discover you are facing the wrong way, relax and trust in Divine Mind to alter your direction back, lesson learned, to the true path.



©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Thinking From The End

Walking the way we talk. When we espouse one thing but act in a contrary manner not only does it make us look untrustworthy but also opens the door to all manner of spiritual disease and a seeming disconnect from reality. Wishing to be happy but seeding unhappiness, wanting to be loved but unwilling to demonstrate love, demanding respect while being disrespectful, holding truth and fairness as essential while speaking falsely and treating others unfairly are all examples of spiritual disease. Demonstration in conflict with intention. These are gross examples, easily identifiable and addressed if the individual wishes to change in truth and if they do not, we see them for what they are and turn in prayer to assist them.

Then there are the more subtle forms; condescension and self-aggrandizement couched in seemingly well-intended asides, comments and actions. One of which, which I found particularly painful since I had used it often was “But for the grace of God go I.” The phrase always made me a little uneasy, though for years I could not suss out why. When the truth finally hit I became physically ill and spiritually unsettled. Consider the full import of the phrase: it implies there are those beyond God’s grace! And fortunately I'm not one of them!  Really? That some are “chosen” in some way, greater in God‘s sight than another? How could that be possible? I wrestled with this for a time, looking for a loophole to crawl through, but they all ended in the same place, base condescension and the spiritually corrosive “holier than thou” sensibility.

Wayne Dyer has suggested we “think from the end.” He had yet to put the concept in print when I applied it to the above, but that is the essence of it.

©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Those Damn Gremlins Again

Chances are you would not be reading this unless you have an affinity for spiritual writing and teachers. How many “spiritual” books are on your bookshelf, by how many different authors? Perhaps Chopra, Fox, Dyer, Gibran, maybe Schuler, Wilkerson, Grizone and Warren are a few of them? Then there are the heavy hitters, The Bible, Vedas, Torah, Bhagavad-Gita, Koran or the Book of Mormon. Let me apologize for leaving out any preferred authors or personal heavy hitters. Now this is going to be hard for some of you, so take a deep breath, perhaps get a glass of water before reading on. OK, ready: Reading spiritual books does nothing for our spiritual condition, any more than reading about diets results in weight loss. Sure, we know more about weight loss, perhaps more about nutrition, have read testimony from those who lost weight and have become inspired to take action. Now, in truth, we may be informed and inspired but nothing happens until we take action. Knowing when to stop seeking and start doing can be a difficult and often fearful transition.

When I wore a younger man’s clothes and was far more impressed with myself I would look at my bookshelves loaded down with spiritual tomes with self-important satisfaction. Believing knowledge equaled demonstration, I had convinced myself that I not just talked the talk, but walked the walk. I could not have been more wrong. When the truth finally hit, it was devastating. I had a head full of knowledge but had put precious little of the “great truths” I would expound on into action, and what I had put into action was inconsistent and haphazard at best. I was the antithesis of spiritual truth, talking the talk but not walking the walk.

Today I “keep it simple.” Instead of looking for a new book or author, I regularly re-read a small group of books. It seems that having read these books and then put them down for a time, “gremlins” sneak in and alter the text since the last reading! Some of these books I have read for decades, all of them numerous times and those darn gremlins never fail to do their work. Instead of looking for a new book or author, pick up a book that deeply touched you, it is right there on the shelf, and read it with the new pair of “glasses” your living experience has provided you, and say hello to the gremlins.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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The Truth Of Limitation

Teachers of spiritual principles and living agree on this point: freedom comes when limitation is overcome. On the surface the differences in approach from one teaching to another can often seem dramatic if not downright contradictory, but in essence they are all tools to address the same thing, our perceived loss/missing connection to the Eternal Divine Mind, the Source of everything. To be clear: We are not/cannot be disconnected from Source, for we are comprised of Source. Flesh is ephemeral, but our spirit, soul if you prefer, is eternal, has always been, will always be, was never born and will never die. We choose to believe in a gulf or lack of connection out of fear and the seeming unfairness of life. Our ability to comprehend the totality of existence with our limited understanding of the miraculous leads us down the paths of denial and often into spiritual make believe. It is seemingly easier to hold that we are living at the whim of creation or conversely chaos, therefore taking no responsibility for our lives, than to live in purpose, coming to grips with the truth that we are where we are because of every choice and decision we have ever made. Fear modulating between what if there is no God to God will punish me for I have chosen and/or acted poorly.

In truth: "If you knew who walked beside you everyday, on this path you have chosen, you would never be afraid again." Living to His Glory is really living to ours for we are children of God, and just as every child is connected to their parent by blood, we are connected to Our Father in Spirit. 

Redouble your efforts today to free yourself from self-imposed fetters on your spiritual life, strip away the self-conscious fear of standing in the light, the fear of exposure, of what others will think, and step out in faith. Living any other way is existence restricted, fear rather than faith dominate, living in the light desired but giving in to the carnal always beckoning shadows of limitation. We overcome limitation by standing, though often trembling, in the light, proclaiming our love and steadfast belief in Our Father.

 

©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

 

The Art Of Meditation: Focused Meditation

Focused Meditation: Here we have a specific problem, difficulty or question we are seeking to understand. As before find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted and perform the cleansing breaths previously outlined. If asked, do not explain the specifics of the meditation to anyone, for in so doing you invite failure. Our time in meditation is the time we are in concert with Source, it is our time, not the other mans. In your mind’s eye, visualize the issue at hand. See it in all its aspects, all those involved, the places and possible outcomes without consciously outlining a solution. After you have thoroughly explored, without words, the issue, silently ask for the correct course of action to become evident. End the session thanking the Universe (God) that you now know it (Him) better, take a cleansing breath and go about your day. Again, avoid telling anyone what you are doing.

Purpose:  In focused meditation we invite Universal Mind to address our difficulty, without outlining the solution. In short order you will intuitively know what to do, amazingly the answers will just come. In this way we begin to rely on the infinite, all knowledgeable Source instead of our finite selves and our fear-tinged solutions.

Over the last few days some simple methods of meditation have been outlined, there are many others. In closing hold this truth evident: the purpose of meditation is not to become better at meditation, that will happen naturally in time, the purpose is simply to meditate. Be consistent, don't struggle and in short order this quiet time with the miraculous will become as natural as breathing.



©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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The Art Of Meditation: Chanting Meditation

Chanting Meditation: Begin with cleansing breaths. You probably want to find an undisturbed quiet spot that is additionally out of the earshot of others. You will not be shouting, though you can if you like, but you will be speaking aloud. The chant can be anything really, however it is suggested that it have some spiritual significance for you. Keep it short and simple: God is great or There is only one God or Divine love drives me or be still and know that I am God you get the idea. Close your eyes and begin chanting until the transition. What is the transition? It is the moment we touch the [art of our mind that typically only surfaces in dreams. The first time you experience this transition it will frighten you. This is natural, for the transition is dipping down into the subconscious where we touch the infinite.

Purpose: By staying focused on the chanting, the conscious mind loses its grip and the sub-conscious floats to the surface. We transition into a waking dream. With consistent effort and practice you will find yourself actually leaving the conscious realm entirely and walking the hidden world of the sub-conscious. Your body will continue to chant but you will lose awareness of it as you travel the astral planes (yep, there are more than one). If you walk this path, make sure your body is left in a safe place for in a deep meditation, though connected to your body you will not feel it in any real sense.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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The Art Of Meditation: Reflective Meditation

Meditation is a topic that seems to cause much unnecessary grief and consternation. Many hold to the false notion that meditation is "quieting" the mind. Well, the mind will not be quieted! Our mind is like the shark that must always move forward, in motion, in order to live. Consider, right now your mind is regulating all of the various systems and organs in your body, making thousands of silent decisions about hormone levels, blood pressure, heart beat, breathing, digestion etc. All of this taking place without any conscious thought on our part. Therefore, to be clear, this side of the veil the mind is never quiet. So meditation reorders our thoughts, allows our mind to naturally find true focus and in focus lies peace.

When a new student first begins meditating, typically they have a picture in their minds eye based of some actor’s portrayal. Even documentaries usually get it wrong since those doing the reporting usually have little or no personal experience with meditation. So, let us begin at a simpler level. First, lay aside your conceptions of what meditation is or is not. Meditation is a tool and there is more than one tool in the bag.

Reflective Meditation: Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for 15 minutes or so. Avoid if at all possible telling anyone what you are about. Pick up any spiritual tome that appeals to you and read a few lines, never more than two paragraphs. Then take three cleansing breaths: breathe in gently and deeply through the nose and then gently exhale through the mouth. Now, with eyes closed, reflect on what you just read in your minds eye. Consider each word along with the over all import of the passage. Do this for 15 minutes or so. When done perform another cleansing breath, thank Source (God) for time spent and go about your day. If in the course of the meditation your mind begins to wander, gently bring the focus back to what was read. If it wanders again, take a cleansing breath, thank Source (God) for time spent and go about your day. Note: Do not struggle or condemn yourself in any way if you are unable to go 15 minutes in the beginning. No marathon runner started out running marathons. Do not set a timer, wear a watch or have a clock in your field of vision. In time, this will not matter but when first starting out it is a distraction. Your body has a wonderful clock in it; allow it to do its job. Do be consistent. Spiritual exercise is the same as physical; we only reap the benefits if we are consistent.

The purpose: to give the conscious mind a break from the cacophony of thoughts and the information deluge we are subjected to daily. In time, a short time, you will begin to look forward to these quiet times (not quiet mind). You will begin to feel renewed and refreshed after these short sessions, your mind and thoughts more ordered, less mental energy expended needlessly.



©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Does God Ever Say No?

When we first experience the gifts from Living on the Spiritual Basis, it is natural to want more. In short order we begin to reach beyond our understanding, seeking in prayer to accomplish things that are contrary to the path. Naturally, the answer to these requests is silence. God never says no, for no does not exist in the vocabulary of the Divine. Many confuse God’s inaction with his passing judgment in the negative, which is not possible. To be clear: the Universe will not grant a request that is not wholly positive to all concerned. The real trouble begins when we, in our limited vision and understanding, try to read the tealeaves, to understand the infinite with our finite vision. The questions that naturally abound here are legion. How could a “loving” God allow: suffering innocents, financial troubles, debilitating illness, and on and on. In the midst of pain and/or loss it is difficult to keep hold of true perspective: that we are in fact eternal beings, this flesh a mere conveyance of our consciousness, that we have always existed and always will, this day a single day in eternity, Our Father, Divine Mind, not limited in vision and understanding as we are.

On a personal note: I am as limited as you, my vision restricted by this flesh like yours. A sick, suffering child or loved one, pain and grief rained down on innocents often seemingly for no reason, leaves me as heart sick as you. But we cannot get sad enough to help the suffering. We cannot get sick enough to help the dying. We cannot get poor enough to help those who lack. We cannot meet hate with hate and expect peace. What we can, and must do is pray to the best of our current ability and understanding and trust (demonstrated faith) that on the day of our translation from this flesh all mysteries will be revealed.

The path is simple, but not easy. Each day Practice the Presence of God in all your affairs. Pray to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindness and love, daily. Pray as well for those suffering, asking in meditation what you can do each day to be of service to and for them, leaving the ultimate outcome to God. In this simple way the universe responds, God’s will realized, true healing manifest. If we can do this, even while trembling, keep an even mind though the Adversary Fear claws at us, we touch the heart of faith, walk in grace and are renewed.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Peace, Poise And Serenity Personified

There is probably no greater hindrance to continued spiritual growth and experience than the fear of exposure. Having been consistent and faithful in your spiritual work and demonstration, having confronted that which was blocking you off from the Sunlight of the Spirit; you have stood up and owned your shortcomings and defects of character, asking God to remove them. Having apologized to those harmed and, with God’s help, steadfastly begun to amend your behavior you are growing in understanding and usefulness. Prayer and meditation coupled with ongoing personal daily inventory have placed you in the unique position of carrying the Good News to those who suffer and seek. Service work has become a way of life; you have reaped the promise of a conscious contact with the miraculous. Friends, family even casual acquaintances have begun to see the change in you, the light shining around you. Then a remarkable thing happens, when asked about the new way of living you retreat into self. Instead of shouting the good news, you act like the embarrassed child looking down at their shuffling feet mumbling quietly “It’s nothing.”
   
Having persevered with the soul searing process of uncovering and then addressing the causes and conditions that blocked you from a personal relationship with Source, having arrived at the final step, you balk. Fear has seeped in and it becomes seemingly “easier” to backtrack, to dissemble, to rehash or even redo work already completed than to stand in the light, exposed. Why? Because  when you raise your head above the crowd, you make yourself a target for others. Take heart, every pilgrim of the path has experienced this.  Fear is an implacable foe, it never rests and is always seeking avenues to attack and control us. Break through this final barrier and stand as a child of God, unafraid of the inevitable slings and arrows cast your way. When struck, and you will be, thank God for knowing Him better and pray for those casting the aspersions “for they know not what they do.” In this way, you break free of the final fetters of the adversary fear and place yourself finally and completely in God’s hands, ready to serve in any manner He would have you, Peace, poise and Serenity personified.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Sacred Cow Zombies

Having life in the spiritual sense is different from just being alive. Even zombies have a form of life, limited as it may be. We have all met spiritual “zombies” as we have moved through life. They are easily identified by their clenched jaw when disagreed with, the blank stare when forced to hear an opposing point of view and the years of built up crusty contempt and condescension around their mouths. Perhaps we have looked in the mirror and seen a zombie looking back. This state is arrived at when someone closes their mind to new information, refuse out of stubbornness (actually fear) to recognize a different point of view or even entertain the possibility that they may be mistaken, having closed their minds to new experience they embrace the twin sacred cows of arrogance and contempt.

“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 examination.” William Poole

 

The good news is once we open our heart and mind to fresh winds our spiritual life returns. To be clear: Having an open mind and willingness does not necessarily mean we are wrong or need to change our thinking or position, just that the door remains open. Our course is simple, but not always easy. We stay young at heart by a willingness to investigate everything that interests us. When we remain open minded and willing to learn, we open ourselves to the sunlight of the Spirit. In this light we find our true connection with the eternal, know true peace and will truly“experience life when you feel yourself to be free and useful and joyous, unconscious of either fear or doubt.” 

©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Repentance And Morbid Reflection

The word repentance has a definite religious feel to it. Perhaps I have watched too many old movies but I can’t help but see in my minds eye a preacher screaming at someone or their congregation to REPENT or else. Living on the Spiritual Basis what does it mean to repent? First a definition:

Repent:
1. be sorry: to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it
2. religion change ways: to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits (Encarta)

OK, to feel sorry about something done or said and to change our ways, how simple (to feel sorry), but not easy to do (truly change). Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God requires action. A simple acceptance of past mistakes with a mumbled “sorry” won’t fit the bill at all. Living on the Spiritual Basis requires work on our part. One of the traps those new to the spiritual basis of living fall into is to rehash old hurts and mistakes which only serves to reinvigorate them, fill them with new life. To be clear: We do not shut the door on the past or wish to deny it, but we do not under any pretense engage in morbid reflection. To do so takes us out of the moment (in service) and we drift into remorse and negative self-reflection (bondage of self). Our past is a great tool, often the best, for helping those new to the process to progress but we can be of little use if we are wallowing in self-pity or pointless remorse. On our own we are powerless to effect any real lasting change at our core, by relying on a Power Greater Than Ourselves real change is effected, the past put in proper perspective and its power over us removed and we are Free.



©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Righteous Judgment And The Heart Of Pain

Probably no spiritual concept is more misunderstood than judgment. People who normally would never quote from scripture cite Jesus when they feel they are being judged unfairly, typically misquoting Him to the tune that passing any judgment is bad. Nothing could be further from the truth. To be clear: We all pass judgment on all sorts of things everyday. Every decision we make requires a judgment call. Paper or plastic, salad or pizza, fill the gas tank now or chance it, etc. Now, daily living judgment calls are one thing, but what about spiritually? The Carpenter taught that we should not, in fact can not in truth, point out the flaws in others when we are demonstrating the same or worse in our lives. To do so is gross hypocrisy and opens the individual to greater reciprocal judgment; reaping what they have sown. Consider the practicing alcoholic commenting on someones drinking, the neighbor with waist high weeds criticizing another’s yard or the worker bemoaning the hard work of another because it makes them look bad in comparison.

Conversely when we have begun to Live on the Spiritual Basis we place our feet on the road less traveled. Having constructively inventoried our lives and placed our finger on those things which were blocking us from Divine light, we honestly and ruthlessly asked God to remove everything that has kept us from fully demonstrating His love and guidance in our lives. In this way we learn to view ourselves and our fellows with righteous judgment. Will we do this perfectly? Of course not, for the fear that lies at the heart of all our difficulties and shortcomings is a cunning foe and though we make mistakes, we must persevere. In time we will learn to practice the same patience, kindness, love and tolerance that God shows us and take to heart the painful lesson of avoiding answering the unasked questions regarding the behavior of others. As our vision improves spiritually there are few things more painful than watching someone sinking and know there is nothing we can do for them, save silent prayer as long as they remain unwilling, shut off from the truth of being. Change always begins within, uninvited outside pressure and advice though it may be right on target, virtually always falls on deaf ears. Righteous Judgment is being willing to walk through the very gates of hell to carry the good news, to help any and all who suffer, but waiting for them to ask is the Heart Of Pain, for the desire must come from within.



©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Playing With Wicked

In the 60’s and early 70’s wicked was a good thing. A car could be wicked fast, something could look wicked or an activity or action could be wicked (good). Used in this way today would be a faux pas on a par with using groovy in any way except when describing the ridges and valleys in a piece of wood. A hundred years ago had you used wicked in a sentence the response from the listener would have been very different. Drift back a little further and employing wicked in regards to a person could result in their facing an inquisition, possibly even losing their lives in a very horrific manner.

Wicked: adj
1.  very bad: very wrong 
2.  mischievous: liking to tease people playfully or cause them slight trouble, but without upsetting them seriously
 3.  mean: liking to say very unpleasant things to people
 4.  very good: very impressive or very skillful (slang)
      “He plays a wicked game of tennis.”
 5.  dangerous: capable of causing harm to somebody
        “A knife with a wicked blade.”
 6.  distressing: causing discomfort, distress, or disappointment (informal)
         “I’ve got a wicked headache.”
 7.  disgusting: tasting or smelling disgusting and repulsive 
 8. (archaic) bad people: people who do very bad things (Encarta)

Wow, wicked really is a wicked #4 word. Those who have lived life in a wicked #1&3 way are going to approach life very differently from those whose lived #2 wickedly. I’m beginning to feel wicked#6. The good news is regardless of having perhaps having lived a wicked life #1,3,5 or 7, having chosen to live on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, we are now wicked #4. Though we once may have been wicked#8, through God’s love, grace, forgiveness and guidance we leave behind our wicked 1,3,5,6 & 7 ways and grow in understanding and service not only to God but also to our fellows. Wicked (#4 of course). Whew.


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

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Salvation Today

Words have a way of morphing over time. Some words once in common usage have seemingly disappeared or their meaning/application has changed. Salvation is one of these words. Few, save those in the soul saving business today use it. Many people if asked only relate to it in regards to those kettles manned by that army in the curious uniforms outside malls and stores at Christmas.To Wit:

Salvation : n
1.  act of saving from harm: the saving of somebody or something from harm, destruction, difficulty, or failure 
 2.  means of saving somebody or something: somebody or something that protects or delivers somebody or something else from harm, destruction, difficulty, or failure
3.  Christianity: deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ: in the Christian religion, deliverance from sin or the consequences of sin through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross
  4.  Christian Science philosophy of life: in the Christian Science religion, belief in the supremacy of life, truth, and love, and in their destruction of such illusions as sin, illness, and death (Encarta)

Who hasn’t tried to employ the first definition with our children and those we love or the second with even strangers or new acquaintances by simply providing a phone number of a good mechanic or tax preparer or even dropping a quarter in a parking meter about to expire (I know, it is illegal, but I think it puts a smile on an angels face every time we do). Every time you saved a lizard from the cat or stopped and waited for a mother duck and her brood to cross the road you engaged in an act of salvation. See, demonstrating salvation is not that hard. Sounds a lot more impressive when you can announce to the world you provided an act of salvation versus you let some baby ducks and their mom pass. On a more serious note when we embark on the new basis of living, the Spiritual Basis, salvation in demonstration becomes the norm, the very fabric of our existence.

But what of definitions three and four? These are issues left for you and your consciousness, your relationship with God. What is required of those Living on the Spiritual Basis is to remain open minded, even when we do not completely agree with a particular approach to a relationship with God, there is still much for us to learn. At the very least, take the time to place yourself in the others shoes and, whether you agree with them or not, look through their eyes, for never lose sight of the ultimate truth that they are children of the Most High just as you are. “Be quick to see were religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.”

In truth, we have committed many acts of salvation in the course of our lives. And many have been extended to us by others. Regardless of the term we use to describe these acts, they are demonstrations of our higher self, clear indications that we are in fact connected, one to another, in Spirit and love. Rejoice!


©Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA