Ultimate Truth

"When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change."

When we first embark on the path of Spiritual Living we are greeted with this truth:

If you knew who walked beside you, on this path you have chosen, you would never be afraid again.

Then as our awareness and understanding grows over time through application and demonstration of spiritual principles this transforms to:

When you know who walks beside you, on this path you have chosen, your fears fall from you.

Finally as we take our place as children of the light, understanding our true place, that we are spiritual beings experiencing the human condition, eternal, not limited humans seeking enlightenment, the ultimate truth resonates:

I now know who walks beside me on my chosen path and I no longer fear.

 

Love And Itchy Teeth

When we express love we express our true essence, God. Think of how you feel when you express love or when love is expressed to you. In those moments we are in communion with God, in conscious contact. …God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). A bedrock truth of living is a sufficient expression of love will erase any problem or difficulty. “Where there is fear there cannot be love. The best way to rid yourself of fear is to realize divine Love” for “Divine love never fails…” Are not all of our problems fears based? Are we not driven by the fear that we will either not receive something we think we need or lose something we have? Isn’t worry just a five letter word for fear?

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).

Our Principles

Everyone lives by a set of principles, few however take the time to consider the principles they practice in their lives, yet we demonstrate what we believe everyday by our actions. If we were to inventory our principles, what would be on the list? Do you spend your time rehashing past events? Telling the same stories of hurt, missed opportunities, lost love and perceived injustice? Quick to correct anyone in earshot if they happen to be in “error” as we see it? Do we hold strong opinions on issues, ready to engage in verbal combat at the drop of an allusion, yet we never bother to read or reflect on opposing views? Do we criticize and/or critique everyone and everything that crosses our path?

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.

Consistent Action, Day By Day

     What do you believe, really? A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). Is there a bookshelf full of spiritual books near you? Remember how uplifting they were when first read? Your Erroneous Zones, The Sermon on the Mount, The Purpose Driven Life, Joshua, Make Your Life Worthwhile, Never Alone, Just Like Jesus, The Secret, The Power of Intention, A Course In Miracles are just a few within my arms reach. All interesting and uplifting in their own right, providing valuable information, I found however that they are all variations on the same theme. Living on the Spiritual Basis.

     Today mine eye is single and my vision has never been better. Many roads lead to Jerusalem, but we must pick one and stay on it, investing time and study in the path. A casual reading or passing assent avails us what all spiritual half measures deliver, nothing. To grow in awareness and understanding requires consistent constructive action on our part, complacency or cockiness leading only to tears. We do not allow the tides of popularity to sway us, we have set our feet strongly on our chosen path, profiting in knowledge, learning from all, clear in what we believe and the path of enlightenment we have chosen to follow, remembering, this is the road less traveled, there will be times when we seemingly are walking alone but in truth, He is always by our side. 

Piercing Ourself With Sorrow

       Who has not heard, or some variation of, the quote: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10). Well, at least the first part anyway. Consider how many “successful” people throughout history have attempted to translate wealth into a position of power, to impress their will on others because of the false belief that financial success equals spiritual/life success. The supposed entitlement that wealth conveys unfortunately builds a barrier to enlightenment that often becomes insurmountable. To be clear: money is not the problem, the love of it is.

      If our definition of success is based solely on possessions and wealth, we will have “gained the world but lost ourselves”, remember, he who dies with the most toys still dies and as much as we may wish to, we can’t take it with us. Many have tried and all have failed, we find them, disinter them and then parade them and their cherished possessions about, kind of creepy if we really stop and think about it, this grave robbing. Clearly it didn’t work out so well for them, did it? Additionally we all know or know of a family torn apart over an inheritance, money trumping love and family.

      Living on the Spiritual Basis we learn to use money as the tool it truly is, to live well, enjoy life and praise God through our actions, demonstrating the path in every arena. God wants all His children to be happy, joyous and free and if we have been blessed with substantial resources, we seek ways to help others, preferably anonymously. For in this way we steer clear of the trap of love of money and avoid piercing ourselves through with many sorrows.

Becoming A Target

   “When you raise your head above the crowd, you place a target on your back.”  Ever toss out a casual comment concerning a sports team or politician and find you have struck a nerve? When it happens we usually try to find a simple and quick exit since we had no intention of initiating a serious discussion or debate, especially with someone so emotionally attached and easily offended. Then there are those occasions when we watch the verbal battle lines being drawn, combatants square off and the war of words is joined. Most observers will remain quiet, silently rooting on their surrogate, choosing not to openly fly their flag (unless you pay attention to the little head nods). Why? Isn’t it because few enjoy being at the center of the storm, choosing the path of “silent assent” instead? Even believing possibly that others are better equipped to make “the” case than they are? And besides, what if we make a fool of ourselves? Then what will people think. It certainly won’t help if we look FOOLISH! Fear is the most powerful impediment to growth.

      Secular discussions are one thing but the real devil jumps up when it comes to spiritual matters, politics a close second, for nothing engenders more passion than when we speak of God. By Living on the Spiritual Basis we cultivate peace, joy and harmony in our lives becoming beacons to others. We avoid gratuitous debate or attempt to answer the unasked questions, we let our life be the demonstration and when approached we answer clearly and directly about what we are doing and how we live. We avoid drifting into the “soft” sale in an attempt to avoid conflict with the questioner, remember, they approached us. We present our beliefs with tact and confidence, as one of God’s children we stand and rejoice in the opportunity to be of service and if persecuted/attacked we do not shrink. We remain calm, stand tall and when the conversation ends, typically by letting them talk themselves out, we wish them well telling them we understand their position and perhaps they will consider ours. We withdraw, thanking God for knowing Him better; praying for continued enlightenment of all, and though we don’t look for trouble, we rejoice in the target on our back for there is no clearer indicator that we are on the right path.

SERENITY

 “We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.” 

Serenity: calm and untroubled: without worry, stress, or disturbance.

Consider a world where this is operative. A thing worth fighting for, no? Fighting for serenity, now there is a fight worth picking, the only fight that truly matters and we fight it by ceasing to fight everything and everyone. It begins with each of us, the path and process clear, requiring the ultimate sacrifice, the surrendering of self, our sacred cows and belief that altering outside conditions, while leaving the inner untouched, is anything less than madness. We choose, just for today, to Live on the Spiritual Basis, practicing the principles to the best of our current ability and understanding in this moment, for when we begin to comprehend serenity we become the true peacemakers, achieving not only peace of soul for ourselves, but ultimately for all.

Peacemakers And Pigs Wearing Red Suspenders

        “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9). In contemplation some years ago I began thinking on the “enlightened” teachers of the East and elsewhere. Initially the thought was of how I would love to grow in consciousness, to attain the level of awareness they seemingly have attained. Then, out of the stillness a question formed, “why”? It’s amazing how a three letter word can raise the proverbial metaphysical devil. Why is a curious little word. In metaphysics, why is typically the booby prize. When a new student asks why this or that happened or why they need to follow directions they are usually looking for the “easier softer way”, a loophole to slip through avoiding the heavy lifting consciousness raising requires. My usual response is “because pigs don’t wear red suspenders, now you now why, now quit stalling and get to work.” Talking about building a house has never raised a single roof, deciding to go on a diet has never resulted in the loss of a single pound, it is only when we take action that change happens.

       So in contemplation I began to consider the enlightened ones and the condition of the world in general. What has really changed in the last 2,000 years? Technology, general health and hygiene, transportation, better and more efficient ways of killing one another have all improved, but what of the state of our consciousness? Consider: Buddha, Jesus and other enlightened teacher’s message has been with us; in some cases thousands of years, yet we still act and think in much the same way we did during the time they lived, except now with cell phones, smart bombs and plasma TV‘s. How many have come to sit at the feet of a master in the last 2000 years? How has it changed the world? The argument can be made that without their and their student’s meditations and prayers the world would be much worse off than it is today, but I find that sentiment at best lacking.

       So, who are the real peacemakers? Look in the mirror. The enlightened teachers have much to offer, but it is the raising of our consciousness by daily Living on the Spiritual Basis that transforms and improves the world. Through our raised consciousness the world approaches, one day at a time, one person at a time, the tipping point when it will metaphysically slaps it’s self on the forehead and say: “what were we thinking!” assuming our true place as children of God so, Let there be peace, and let it begin with me.

Dirty Fingernails

           It is a curious thing, the first person to offer money advice, often unsolicited, is someone who has never had any. Relationship advice, typically someone who has never been in a real one or had a successful one is the first to step up. On a different level we all know the house painter, who does very nice work, but whose house always seems to be in need of paint. The obese/smoker doctor, the mechanic whose wife’s car is always in need of some kind of repair are almost cliché. One group is quick to comment on areas they have either no real experience or success in, the other, though quite knowledgeable and possibly accomplished have failed to practice what they know so well in their own lives.

        Spiritually we must seek out those who have demonstrated that which we desire in our lives: peace, serenity, respect, life success, etc and ask them the questions on our heart, becoming willing to follow direction. To have a spiritual awakening we must be honest with ourselves about everything in our lives, open-minded to learn and experience new ways of thinking and be willing to change. For in truth we all reap as we have sown.

         When Living on the Spiritual Basis one of the hardest tasks in life is to not answer the unasked question. To illustrate: I had been working spiritually with a young man for some years and though he sought answers and asked the right questions, he was blocked from writing the answers on his heart. On the surface his life appeared well put together, successful provider, caring family man, giving attentive friend, of service to his community, friends, even strangers. His laugh quick and genuine, handshake firm, but he had a secret that in the end cost him nearly everything. I knew of his secret for many years, had I broached the subject with him, unbidden, we would have had a conversation that at first blush would have appeared positive but in reality would have marked the end of our relationship. How do I know? Bitter experience. So I waited. Answering only the questions asked, regularly biting back words, being circumspect to the best of my ability, praying regularly for him and his loved ones and asking in meditation for direction, hopeful for the day when he would step from ship to shore. It took him ten years and the fulfillment of the lesson: the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self is pain. I’m grateful it only took ten, for most unfortunately never disembark. What this man discovered is that he had the answers he needed all along, having asked most of the right questions along the way, all that was required was a commitment to follow through and truly do the work, thus transforming theory (mind) into belief (heart).  It has been said “when the heart speaks the heart listens” for knowing we should be on time means little if we are always late. Do as this man finally did, take the things you “know” and put them to work in your life and you will soon discover a little metaphysical dirt under the fingernails is a good thing.     

A Simpler Level

If struggling with a conception of God, begin by setting aside any prejudice, animosity or preconceived notions concerning God and religion, and begin again at a simpler level: that God is loving, intelligent and available. Loving: all are connected in spirit, no one favored over another, for if in fact God played favorites we would not live in a universe but a chaos. Intelligent: the creator of the universe is the epitome of intelligence. Available: if our prayers have no purchase, God unavailable to His creation, His children, we would be little more than animals and though all creatures great and small are noble, we alone posses the intuition to question. The Lion and Gazelle both graceful and a wonder in their own right never question their place in creation, only Man questions.

Additionally we must stay open minded and teachable. The surest way to shut oneself off from the sunlight of the spirit is to believe that there is nothing left to learn or because of fear we chose not to freely give of what we have learned, denying God, no crowing roosters required.

Finally, honesty. Be honest with the world but of much greater importance is being honest with ourselves. When troubled or confused we ask for guidance in prayer and meditation, not allowing secrets to be the hidden driver behind our fears. We unburden ourselves of our secrets, and if we don’t know how, again we seek guidance in prayer and the answers will come if we are willing. By doing these simple, but not easy things we will begin to see God everywhere we turn, for Happy Destiny is not a destination, it is all around us now.

Pure Of Heart

The concept of a pure heart can be troubling, unless we possess the spiritual key. Once a heart has been touched by loss, sin, suffering of any kind, is it possible for that heart to ever truly be pure again? Some misguided souls would have us believe that, fortunately for “His” children, which in truth is all of us, this belief is false. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned that everything and everyone is connected. Every choice, decision and action having significance, from the seemingly mundane to the monumental, affecting not only ourselves but the entire world in the same manner as the pebble dropped in to the pond.

When a pebble is dropped into a still pond the surface ripples emanate out in all directions, traveling in all directions at once, rebounding to eventually touch every shore. But what of the unseen ripples? As the pebble slips from sight, it’s journey continuing to the bed of the pond, it sends out unseen waves touching every aspect and every creature in and of the pond.

To be pure in heart is to know the pebbles path, aware of our true relationship with “Our Father." This new awareness, this filter for the issues of our heart, when intelligently used blesses us and all our brothers and sisters, for we now “see God” in everything and everyone, our true connection in Spirit revealed, saluting our innate spirituality, regardless of station or circumstances. Our pebble, our consciousness falling through an eternal, infinite pool, touching all and being touched by all, the pool nothing less than God's love and knowledge, purity personified. Our raised awareness cleansing us, renewing us as we travel through eternity hand in hand with our Father.

Cloudy Days

To show mercy to those in pain, whether physical or emotional, is of course a quality to be cultivated. But how merciful are our thoughts? It is the secret place the Great Teacher is really speaking too with the lesson: Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 7:1-5). To help but hold contempt in our heart for anyone, demonstrates having missed the point entirely. Having embraced Living on the Spiritual Basis does not mean we ignore the contemptible acts of others, but we must not confuse the act with the actor. In truth we recognize them, praying for the individuals consciousness to be raised and in meditation seek to improve conditions. Their acts will be addressed by the proper appointed secular authority if applicable and spiritually we are all ultimately responsible for our own demonstration, reaping what we have sown. A more seductive form of contempt is when we decide that anyone is beyond the pale, incapable of growth or spiritual understanding for any reason. The most spiritually handicapped individual’s life will improve when we shine the sunlight of the spirit, to the best of our ability at the time, on them. Sometimes the change in condition will be obvious, often however it will not be and that is none of our business anyway. What matters is our demonstration, for by our action we have raised not only our consciousness and the consciousness of those around us, but the entire world.

 Being merciful toward others is laudable, but what of the mercy we fail to show 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 everyone’s consciousness, so we must put away the mental cat of nine tails and demonstrate mercy in our own house (consciousness). God, Our Father, wants all His children to be: happy, joyous and free. So we stop berating ourselves and thank God that by knowing Him better we can learn from our mistakes and when those curious negative thoughts seem to appear from nowhere we can turn to Him in prayer, ask 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 hunt for the cause of the thought, attempting to root out it’s location in the psyche. To do so only opens us to the deadly trap of morbid reflection and in the ancient cartographer’s lexicon, 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.

Misconstrued

Righteous. This word has been married with “self” so often that if someone is  righteous it has a seemingly negative connotation, which could not be further from the truth. Since placing our feet on the path, wholeheartedly committed to Living on the Spiritual Basis; to become a righteous person means we are not only living by right conduct but embracing right thinking. Right thinking, now there is a loaded term. Right thinking; spiritually, means keeping an open mind, remaining teachable, refusing to accept negative thoughts or conditions as God‘s will, to truly practice patience, tolerance, kindliness and love in every area of life. Now, do not misunderstand, righteous does not mean we become servile or scraping, on the contrary. Our lives, the true demonstration of the path, will naturally attract inquiry from those seeking a better way of living but we do steer clear of argument and debate with those just seeking confrontation, avoiding the trap of being labeled: self-righteous. We stand firmly for our beliefs and will witness to them whenever or wherever it will serve any good.

         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 whenever it will serve any good purpose.

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 the secular definition of meek. Yet Moses is the epitome of Meek. To be meek spiritually means we have abandoned our old ways of thinking and living and have placed our feet solidly on the path of enlightenment, embracing Living on the Spiritual Basis. In this light we pray we stay the course, one day at a time, so in time we truly become “as meek as Moses.”

Feldercarb!

The meek shall inherit the earth. To be meek, spiritually, is to be so raised in consciousness that we are open to God, demonstrating faith without reservation, convinced that His will for us is always joyous and positive, having ceased “outlining” how we think God should act in our lives. We have, in truth, completely placed our will and our lives in His hands, withholding nothing. Unfortunately there really isn’t a word that accurately reflects this. Meek comes close, but I can’t help seeing a mouse in my minds eye as a representation of meek or Barney Fife as the human analog. Perhaps we should change meek to feldercarb. Blessed are the feldercarb: for they shall inherit the earth. Or not, well, sleep on it. FELDERCARBS OF THE WORLD UNITE! Sorry.

The Meek, Inherit?

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) well now, on the surface this seems to make little sense. We all know or have have known “meek” individuals and blessed isn‘t the first thing that comes to mind. So, once again we face a spiritual conundrum. The statement is either true or it isn’t, and if it isn’t, what else is false and how in the world are we supposed to figure it out. In much the same way as “poor in spirit” is misunderstood, so is the term meek spiritually. Meek, before God, means simply to be humble and compliant to the path of spiritual enlightenment, nothing more. When the Rich Young Man (who had great possessions) sought out the rabbi Jesus, Jesus did not berate or condemn him. He merely pointed out that he would have to leave his “possessions” (preconceived ideas and beliefs) behind if he were to follow the teacher. Upon placing our feet on the path of enlightenment we have to “cease fighting everything and everyone” and strive to be “meek as Moses” to be successful. Simple but not easy, a price has to be paid and that price is the surrendering of self. Now we have the key: Spiritually to be meek is to be wholly committed to Living on the Spiritual Basis and through our actions demonstrating the love, power and guidance of God, blessings in demonstration, our inheritance realized.

Mourning Becomes Destructive

Mourning to excess is destructive. Many have stopped living themselves when a loved one has passed, literally hoping for their own end so they can “join” with them on the “other side.” When we have committed ourselves to living on the Spiritual Basis, death and all suffering come into true focus. Nothing truly dies. The flesh will fail for this is the nature of flesh, but the spark of the Divine; the ineffable power at the heart of everything that stands outside of time and our synthetic understanding of the universe, was never born and can never die. Mourn those who have passed beyond our limited sight by celebrating their life, this lesson learned, comforted in the knowledge of their translation from flesh back to true self, unbound and unencumbered by physical limitations.

 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” (this doesn’t mean we don’t love our children or in any way wish they were gone). “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, however 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 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.”

Anchored By Our Possessions

Have you inventoried your “great possessions”? We all have them and until we identify them and understand their roots they can become invisible anchors, slowing our progress. Does this mean we have to strip away and discard all we own (physically and mentally) to grow spiritually? No, but we must discard our attachments. There is nothing spiritually hindering in possessions, unless we define ourselves by these possessions. We are not the house we live in or derive any real status (positive or negative) from its physical location. We are not the car we drive, wristwatch we wear or any other material possession for these things are all passing, mere ornaments of living, gifts to enjoy but of little spiritual value, destructive if they lull us into a false sense of  perceived entitlement.

As hindering as these may be, our mental possessions plant the deepest and heaviest anchors. Once we close our mind to any new 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 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)

The Poor In Spirit, Blessed?

 There is probably no more misunderstood passage in the Sermon on the Mount than “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). We all have known or know those who are “poor spirited” and blessed usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, when really considering this passage for the first time it is difficult not to think of those times when we have felt poor spirited; somewhat perplexing to the notion that if this is “blessed”, what is heaven really like? The “poor in spirit” Jesus refers too has nothing to do with being poor spirited. Being poor in spirit means we have let go of our preconceptions and self will. There is a prayer known as the set-aside or lay-aside prayer that speaks to this state of consciousness. There are a number of variations, this is one of the simplest forms: Dear God, please help me to set aside everything I think I know about you and this world, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. Please help me to see your Truth, Amen. Surrendering to win, setting aside our preconceived ideas and sacred cows. If we can achieve this raised state of consciousness,  remaining open minded and willing to learn, to change and honestly address our defects as well as our assets of character in their proper light, we would truly be “poor in spirit” and the kingdom of heaven ours. 
  

Blessed

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew 5:1-12 KJV)

Blessed. All are equal in God’s eyes, what determines our demonstration is practicing the within, without. To believe in the word but fail to live by the word leads to suffering. When I fail to stand for what’s in my heart, the truth as I understand it, I am always reminded later by spiritual discomfort. It typically happens when I am afraid I am going to offend someone or I don’t want to come across as some kind of “Holy Roller.” This discomfort is always self inflicted, God doesn’t do it. So, just for today, by His love and guidance, I will stand for the truth. And those times when I have feet of clay, His love, guidance and unconditional forgiveness will set my feet back on the path, removing my pain, for we are all truly blessed.