THE BEST SERMON

     Some years ago a television program aired chronicling the Dalai Lama. Part of the broadcast consisted of a number of “famous” people relating the effect he had had on their lives. One interviewee was a well-known hard partying member of a famous rock band. He spoke of how the Dalai Lama had greeted him by name, making him feel truly welcome and though he had only a few minute meet and greet scheduled, the Dalai Lama singled him out and spent hours chatting with him. Much moved, eyes glistened with tears, he spoke of how life changing the meeting had been, how he had been touched at a deep spiritual level, profoundly altered. His segment ended somewhat curiously with his recounting how he had been clean and sober for some months at the time of the meeting but shortly afterward was strung out on Heroin again. What happened? “Knowledge that you do not actually use is only intellectual knowledge and is barren, and even fades out in time through lack of use.” “Faith without works is dead” and “To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.” All the spiritual knowledge in the world is of little use if we fail to demonstrate it in our lives. The longest eighteen inches in the world lies between the head and heart. What is in the mind is potential, what we demonstrate is reality. This man had every advantage life can provide, money, fame, connections, even learning at the feet of a world-renowned spiritual teacher, yet he failed to demonstrate. “It is far better to have a thimbleful of spiritual knowledge and use it than to have a whole mountain of correct spiritual doctrine most of which you have never made work.”

 So, just for today, practice patience, tolerance, kindness and love to the best of your current ability, for as a wise man said to me many years ago, don’t sing me a sermon, show me one.

WE CANNOT HAVE BOTH

We cannot have love and practice hatred.

We cannot have tranquility and be harried.

We cannot have serenity and embrace anger.

We cannot have true joy and harbor resentment.

We cannot have peace of heart and a closed mind.

We cannot have peace of mind and engage in gossip.

We cannot have spiritual growth and believe in limitation.

We cannot have spiritual abundance and a hoarding mentality.

We cannot have integrity and engage in character assassination.

WHO IS YOUR HABERDASHER?

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

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

    How often have we already had the right hat (demonstration) in our possession, but were unable to recognize it for we had outlined a different solution. Never fear in prayer, pray deeply and if you are unsure of what hat to wear, let God be your haberdasher and though you may desire a fedora, balmoral or capuchon, don’t dismiss the baseball cap that keeps showing up.

JUST FOR TODAY

      Consistent effort and practice is required if we wish to demonstrate spiritually. Mere mental assent has little lasting effect unless coupled with intelligent effort.  “Faith without works is dead.” True Change only happens when we put into action what we have learned, moving knowledge, mind, into purpose, heart. So the question stands: Are you following a consistent set of spiritual principles, practicing them religiously? And if not, why not, what could possibly be of more importance?

AN UNFORGIVABLE SIN

   “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation” Herbert Spencer. When we close ourselves off from new information or simply refuse to consider contrary points of view out of hand, we close ourselves off from the inspiration of the spirit, embracing the bondage of self. To be clear, no sin is unforgivable in God’s eye. Being close-minded is our unforgivable sin, we close and lock the door, God has no doors to lock. The good news is as soon as we become even the slightest bit willing, the door unlocks opening us to new insights and understanding of others and ourselves.

Having an open mind does not necessarily lead to agreement or the changing of a point of view or belief, just the willingness to listen and examine honestly.

   Additionally being close-minded leads inexorably to condemnation, which is a cancer on our spirituality. We naturally form opinions and beliefs employing knowledge, experience and accrued wisdom; however when our beliefs and opinions become inviolate, unassailable sacred cows, we suffer. Being unmovable on the sports teams we root for, movie types we will or will not see or the decision not try certain foods may limit our life experiences but in closing our mind to spiritual concepts we risk shutting ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit, to slowly wither away mesmerized by the cadence of hoofs, surrounded by like closed minds, warmed by the fires of seething resentment and condemnation. “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all-inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.”

Bacon Avocado Cheeseburgers and God

    We look in the mirror or step on the scale and the evidence is undeniable, so we decide to take action. We embark on a diet and/or an exercise program with conviction and high hopes. What happens? When the hoped for changes don’t materialize in a week or two our determination begins to waver and we begin to drift back into old familiar habits. It is rather optimistic to expect long established habits of eating and marginal exercise would melt away in days but we do just the same. Diet book publishers and Gyms make their living off New Years resolutions. Hopeful individuals sign up for that special yearly or lifetime rate, they drag themselves to the gym for a few weeks until the “reasons” for not going begin to surface. They promise themselves for the next few weeks that tomorrow/next week they will go back, until finally the only reminder is the recurring automatic monthly dues withdrawal.

    Entire industries are based on providing NEW, FRESH and above all QUICK and EASY answers to life’s vexing questions. Whether it is addiction, debt, problem children, obesity, lack of exercise, misaligned spine or….there is no end to the get fixed quick schemes out there. Who wouldn’t want to lose weight while eating all they want with no exercise or exercise 20 minutes a day 3 times a week and in 90 days have the butt and abs of a Greek God or hang upside down for a few minutes and solve their back problems or buy a book and set of tapes for only 3 payments of $39.99 that will magically make an unruly teenager behave etc. All come of course with money back guarantees, make sure you keep all original packaging, shipping and handling not included.

    When someone begins searching for answers spiritually they naturally gravitate to whatever is new and available at the moment. There is no end to the authors offering new and improved paths to enlightenment. How many spiritual tomes do you own or have paged through? From where I sit as I write this I count three shelves worth and I know I have more stacked elsewhere. The one constant I have gleaned from all of them is there are no shortcuts to enlightenment. The truth being a lifetime of self-based thinking is not going to disappear overnight, it requires real, consistent effort if we wish to progress spiritually. To Live on the Spiritual Basis and embrace a new way of living and thinking is a life long endeavor. The good news is we only need to tackle it one day at a time. By consistent right action, prayer, meditation and service in time we break old habits of thought and action, replacing them with a reliance on God’s love and direction. This is not an overnight matter, it should continue for our lifetime. 

    Exercise and healthy eating habits improve the quality of this life but no matter how long or consistently we exercise, regardless of how or what we eat, this flesh will fail. Living on the Spiritual Basis today pays forward dividends into eternity for: We are not finite human beings in search of spirituality. We are eternal spiritual beings experiencing the human condition, miraculously. Oh, and I firmly believe bacon avocado cheeseburgers and chili cheese fries are godly inspired, just sayin.

 

A “Pure Heart” and “Clean Hands”

    A “pure heart” means we hold unwavering to the belief in an all-embracing, Omnipotent God. “Our Father which art in Heaven.” This concept flies in the face of what many interpret a “pure heart” to mean, yet doesn’t it make perfect sense? Our heart becomes “pure” because we believe, have become convinced of the truth of the necessity to turn our will and lives over to the care of God. With this level of understanding, a “pure heart” truly becomes attainable.

    To have “clean hands” spiritually does not mean that we have never erred or made mistakes but that we have been cleansed in spirit by our continuing reliance on a power greater than ourselves, demonstrating this reliance by and in our actions. What happens to clean hands? They invariably become soiled again. None of us pass through this life perfectly but with raised consciousness we turn to Him who has all knowledge and power, admitting our fault, our hands cleansed again.

    Limitation thinking regularly bombards us from all sides, from the nightly news to seemingly casual conversations that drift into the negative; fear and limitation thinking creeps into our consciousness on cat’s paws, silent as fog rolling in. When we become aware of our heart becoming heavy, our hands soiled, we turn to God in prayer to restore our pure heart and cleanse our hands as the very gates of Divine love and intelligence open to greet us. Though we cannot think our way into right living, we can pray our way into the perfection of Spirit the Great Carpenter said was the birthright of all God’s children.

DO NOT!

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

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

Hurry? To where? “We trudge the road of happy destiny.” We have already arrived. The road is eternal, traveled one-step, one prayer, one meditation and one day at a time. Remember, in the end, the final destination for this flesh is the same for all. To borrow from Babba Ram Das: “Be here now, now be here.”
Worry? Having turned our will and lives over to the care of God when we chose the Spiritual Basis of Living as our path, what is there to worry about? That’s His job now.

Condemn? Remember the teaching on judgment? “Judge righteously and the whole world improves, condemn and all suffer for we are connected in Spirit, all children of the Divine Presence.” When we condemn we open ourselves to morbid reflection, never a pretty sight.

Resentment? It’s deadly. Nothing shuts us off from the sunlight of the Spirit quicker than harboring resentments. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned to pray for those who have seemingly wronged us (real and imagined) asking to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love. In so doing, we are set free. There is no resentment that enough prayer, meditation and service will not completely wipe out.
Living on the Spiritual Basis we have ceased fighting everything and everyone, including ourselves, for we have tapped into the miraculous. See, straightforward.

FAST FOOD GOD

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

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

    God can and does act immediately when warranted, however it requires time, patience and labor for the true crop, the lasting crop of raised spiritual consciousness to grow. We till in the fields of our consciousness, our implements prayer and meditation, our seed love and guidance from a Power Greater Than Ourselves, our consciousness watered and fed with consistency, willingness, service and an open heart. The promise is that if we steadfastly, in the face of fear and contrary thought, work to clear our fields of the negative and poisonous, sow and tend the crop we truly desire, we will reap in great measure, the storehouse of our consciousness overflowing with poise, peace and true purpose.

Multitasking and God

     When we pray and meditate we are visiting with God. What could possibly be more important in our lives than the time we spend with Our Father? Yet many pray by rote, failing to infuse their prayers with feeling, attempting to meditate while unfocused, is it any surprise then when they fail to demonstrate? Remember reaping and sowing? What would happen to the farmer if he approached his fields in this manner? Tilling the ground with disinterest, the rows uneven and of inconsistent depth, planting seeds while thinking about other things, his mind wandering, letting them fall where they may, then watering and tending his crop with little regard for the seeds welfare or working to insure a successful harvest, merely going through the motions because he is “supposed” to, it’s what a farmer does. Would anyone be surprised when the crop fails?
  
    Unfortunately many pray and meditate in this manner and then are perplexed when they fail to demonstrate. Instead of focusing on the spiritual work before them, they rush through, fit it in, pray while thinking about everything but God, even going as far as to “meditate” while driving, yes I have had students attempt to sell me the idea that they can meditate while driving! Multitasking and God do not mix, ever.

    The greatest sermon we will ever give is the one we give by our actions. What could possibly be more important in our lives than the time we spend with Our Father? The world is a cacophony of noise and competing voices vying for our attention, the still quiet voice within waits patiently for us and stands ready to deliver if we will but eschew the world and address the miraculous within with our undivided attention. Few are situated were they have the gift of time to spend many minutes or perhaps even hours in prayer and meditation, yet we all have time to do the things we “want” to do. Make your time with the Divine “want” time, not “duty” or “supposed to” time.

   When we approach God wholeheartedly, just as the farmer who plants and tends his fields with interest and care, we will reap as we have sown, a magnificent crop indeed.

FALSE WITNESS

     The “false witness” in our consciousness afflicts everyone from time to time. When this voice chimes in it never brings good or positive news, instead it strives to fill us with fear and doubt. You know the voice; it’s the one that consistently points to the negative, the down side; we are too old or too young, it’s too hard or there’s no time/it will take too long, we are not good enough or smart/educated enough, we don’t deserve it or what will they think? Somebody probably already thought of it or tried it and failed and anyway success is really all about luck or connections, so why try. In short it opens the mental pitfalls of morbid reflection to sabotage us, to turn us from trust to despair, from the light to darkness, the demoralizing darkness of the bondage of self.

   Emmet Fox wrote, “Verily, doubt and fear are the cruelest things that can come into the life of man.” To be clear: The shadows are always there, seeking purchase in our consciousness, beckoning us with their cruel lies. By living on the new basis, The Spiritual Basis, we choose to reject the shadows of fear and doubt, instead embracing God’s light and love.

   The false witness is a persistent tireless foe, so when we become aware of the cold shadow of fear and doubt settling down, we gently turn to prayer, affirming God’s salvation, meditating on the Truth of Being, placing ourselves squarely in the sunlight of the Spirit. By stepping out in faith, praising the one true Source in this manner we banish the cold shadows of morbid reflection creeping into our consciousness, one psychic assault at a time.

FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND DOUBT

    The term “reborn” has been employed poorly if not down right incorrectly so often that its true spiritual meaning has become obscured. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now see that all external happenings are but passing shadows of no permanent importance. We have come to hold in our heart of hearts that to dwell in the Presence of Divine light and knowledge as the only true escape from our “enemies” (negative thinking/morbid reflection) and “foes” (fear and doubt of every stripe). When our consciousness rises to this level, we carry the message of His love and guidance into all our affairs, responding to all seeming trouble with “my heart shall not fear, thy will be done” and we are free, We are reborn in Spirit. With this spiritual key in hand, understanding who our true foes and enemies are, now would be an appropriate time to visit the 27th Psalm, just a suggestion.

FREEDOM IN CHOICE

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

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

WHEN TITHING, WHAT IS THE TRUE SOURCE OF SUPPLY?

     Looked at a dollar bill lately? Go get one, I’ll wait…now, look on the reverse, it states: “In God We Trust.” The question is, do we? When we tithe out of fear or from a grudging sense of obligation, we miss the point of the tithe. We are better off building on our understanding of Spiritual Truth than to give in this way. The core lesson of tithing is to affirm through demonstration that we not only intellectually grasp the concept of true source, but also hold it in our heart. When tithing thank God for knowing Him better, certain in the knowledge that we are all connected in Spirit, always reaping as we sow, so plant with joy.

TO WHOM DO YOU TITHE?

    One of the ways we demonstrate our spiritual fitness is by how much we give, freely, not only in riches but most importantly of ourselves. Consider for a moment the disheveled fellow with the cardboard sign seeking money for “food.” True, he may in fact not use the money for food as we would define it, but does that mean his need is any less real? A dollar, wrapped in silent prayer, saluting the Divine within, provides more relief, opens more pathways of heart, than can be experienced with human eyes.

   We reap as we sow; by giving with joy, never out of grudging obligation or with strings attached for that defeats divine purpose; serenity and peace with intention are the harvest. In hard economic times perhaps monetary tithing is not possible, but everyone has something to give. If you have little money, ask in prayer to be shown how to best be of service, tithing the gift of your time and/or expertise to those who need your gift. We are greater and more valuable than our fear driven carnal mind allows or accepts, remember, you are a child of the Divine, connected in truth to Our Father.

   Whether our pocket book is thin or not, a genuine smile accompanied with eye contact and a kind word to those suffering, acknowledging them, is a tithe that multiplies itself in ever widening circles, helping to release them, and ourselves, from the bondage of self, a simple confirmation of our relationship with the Miraculous.

RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT

 
Judging is a concept greatly misunderstood. We not only should judge the behavior of others but Living on the Spiritual Basis makes it a requirement. The difficulty arises when we confuse righteous judgment with condemnation. We condemn the act, not the actor.

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

   Righteous judgment is seeing the individual and their actions in the light of the Spiritual Awakening we have experienced, realizing for them, through prayer and meditation, the Presence of Divine Knowledge and Guidance in their lives. To be crystal clear: Righteous judgment comes from the heart and is always given with the hope and desire the transgressor will embrace the path of enlightenment but does not mean they are excused from or immune to the consequences of their actions. We all reap as we sow and unfortunately some will never seek enlightenment. However we are mistaken and place ourselves in danger if we pass negative judgment that condemns them or wishes harm to anyone. Hate does not cease with hate. Anger is never assuaged with more anger. Condemnation never builds character or leads to freedom.

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

 

INCREASED SENSITIVITY

     As we progress on the path of awakening, Living on the Spiritual Basis, we naturally become more sensitive to the world and our fellows. Negative thinking and reflection can only gain purchase if we fail to affirm daily God’s love and guidance in our life by means of consistent prayer, meditation and service. Ask God what you can do each day for the man or woman who still suffers remembering always that we are the instrument of God’s will and like any instrument nothing happens until the master begins to play. Be the best instrument possible, but even if terribly flawed, wracked with guilt and fear, if we allow ourselves to be placed in His hands the sound will be miraculous, moving Heaven itself.

FLAT SEXY ABS AND BUNS OF STEEL!

      Rarely does a week pass that a new self help book/seminar that will solve all your problems, diet to end all diets, miracle food/supplement, piece of revolutionary exercise equipment that will provide the perfect body, IN ONLY 20 MINUTES A DAY 3 TIMES A WEEK! appears. Admit it; just like me, you have been tempted. Will drinking some berry juice really change my life? Perhaps a three-day seminar addressing all of life’s questions is the answer? Who wouldn’t want a flat sexy tummy or buns of steel, IN ONLY 20 MINUTES! Like the man said, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Salesmen and marketing executives peddle fool’s gold to separate us from our money. Unlike banking on that unrealistic shortcut to six-pack abs, Living on the Spiritual Basis is the shortest road to the peace and sense of true freedom that we all crave deep down. “Simple but not easy, a price has to be paid.” That price is the surrender of self and our focus on selfish things. When we shift our focus to the sense of the Presence of God within, where true gold is found, we begin to experience the Truth of Being, our place in the fabric of the miraculous. Perhaps I am too cynical and ultimate awakening or abs of steel are just a credit card and a phone call away, operators are standing by, but as the old prospector remarked to the greenhorn about fool’s gold: “When you think you have found gold you probably have not; but when you do find it, you will know it for certain.”

FAILURE AND DINOSAUR’S EGGS

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

    So, what is our course? Think from the end; envision the project complete in your minds eye, and then thank God for your fertile imagination quietly asking in meditation for guidance and direction. Consider your “dinosaur egg” in this light and the answers will come. Now it is up to us to follow through with the next indicated action, for following through on direction received from a Power Greater Than Ourselves is a challenge in its self. Willingness is the key. Now if you will excuse me, I have some eggs to check.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT

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

POKING TIGERS

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

SPIRITUAL FACE LIFT

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

STINKING THINKING AND CAMELS

     If a camel sticks its nose under your tent flap you must strike its nose immediately since a camel has no reverse. If it gets its head in, it is coming in all the way and quite frankly, camels stink. Such is also the case with our consciousness as negative thinking and morbid reflection (stinking thinking if you will) try to wheedle their way in. Though Living on the Spiritual Basis raises our consciousness, we must stay vigilant for those metaphorical camel noses, but no one catches every one. They will sneak in from time to time disguised as something else since morbid reflection and negative thinking wear a variety of masks. What truly matters is what we do when they reveal themselves. So when you discover a camel in your tent consider the following: “When trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s omnipotence.” We do this by directed prayer and meditation, bathing the trouble in Divine Light and Presence, turning the camel out quickly and peacefully.

Shhhh…Just between you, me and the fence post I still don’t have the cheerfully part down pat yet, but by Living on the Spiritual Basis we do become well practiced in camel eviction procedures.

COSMIC LAWS

       Most understand secular law, break one and get caught; there is a price to pay. Whether it is traffic, criminal, business, tax etc a secular price will be exacted if we transgress and get “caught.” There is a higher set of laws however that unlike secular law that only results in a penalty if caught are always imposed. They are Cosmic Laws. And unlike man’s laws they are enforced impersonally, rich or poor, personal beliefs, status or skin color of no regard. Additionally unlike secular law they cannot be appealed to or superseded by judicial fiat. Think Law of Gravity. No one in his or her right mind would step off a ledge and expect to float to the ground. Yet many do exactly that with the Law of Limitation! And unlike gravity we place it on ourselves! Every time we think “I’m too old/young to…” “I’ll never be any good or successful at…” “I love doing ____ but I could never make a living at it” “What would my friends/spouse/children/family think if I…” “I know God loves me and wants me to prosper, but…” we invoke the Law of Limitation.

    The good news is unlike gravity, since we invoke the law ourselves; we can repeal it as well. How? By stepping out in faith. Our heart is constantly speaking to us, that still quiet voice the voice of God Himself. Divine Life wants each and every one of us to be Happy, Joyous and Free, so when we resist giving in to self-centered fear by trusting the Miraculous, demonstrating faith, we avoid invoking the Law of Limitation.

TRUE SOURCE and ABUNDANCE

    Living in California one of the joys of life is driving down Pacific Coast Highway watching pelicans dive for dinner and dolphins surf for enjoyment. Often when I look out over the Pacific I am struck by its abundance and diversity, its scale and depth beyond my limited comprehension.

   Yet Divine abundance dwarfs all oceans combined in its size and scope. The only limits to our inheritance, God’s abundance, are the arbitrary limits we impose out of false belief and fear. We set the limit of our capacity to receive. We choose the size of vessel that holds His abundance in our lives, be it a thimble or Felix’s bottomless bag. When we embrace the Spiritual Basis of Living our capacity increases in direct proportion to the trust and reliance we place in God and reject the false belief (fear) the secular world imposes that we live in a finite world of dwindling supply, limited abundance. There is only one source of everything, God, and His promise is that of limitless supply and endless abundance, not only in the Spiritual realm but the physical as well.

LIVING IN THE PAST

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

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

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

What, me worry?

    Remember Alfred E. Newman of Mad magazine fame? His gap toothed grin graced the cover with the caption “What, me worry?” Alfred may be oblivious, but like most I hear the news and think about those suffering and wonder what more can I do beyond prayer and a little cash? My children are all adults but I still worry about them. When one of the cats strolls outside I worry about them (don’t start, I have I tried to keep them in but they are all strays who adopted us and when they want to go out THEY WANT TO GO OUT). In low moments I worry that somehow I have strayed down the wrong path and won’t find my way back.

   Today when worry creeps into my thoughts I turn to God as close to immediately as I can. When the World worries me I remember, “The Captain is on the Bridge.” My children, gifts from God, so when I fear for them I ask God to do for them what they cannot do for themselves and to give me the strength to do what He would have me do in their lives, and not meddle. I don’t care what anyone says, letting your children make their own mistakes so they can grow just as we had to requires a lot of prayer. Cats? Well if you have cats you understand and if you are a dog person you aren’t supposed to get it and that’s not a bad thing. It’s not that you care any less for your dog but cats just assume you understand about their divinity and when I begin to worry that I have stumbled and lost my way I am reminded of His promise:

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”
The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.” 

So I guess Alfred had it right all along. Nuff said.

BROKEN GLASS

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

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

  So hold strong opinions and positions, but do so with an open mind, staying curious, listening to opposing or contrary positions or views, and really listen. Not the “being as patient as we can be until they stop talking so we can then straighten them out” kind of listening. You will be astounded how much your stock will rise in the eyes of others when you demonstrate a quiet willingness to hear them out and more astounded yet by how those same individuals will be moved by your words because of your demonstration!

   Will we ever truly change another’s position or opinion? Perhaps, but it matters little, what matters is recognizing the Divine in all, whether we agree with them or not. This is the Road Less Traveled, the only road worth traveling for it leads to ultimate spiritual freedom and awakening. 

GOD AND LITTLE THINGS

    Sometime ago during a genial conversation on spiritual principles the comment was made “I don’t trouble God with the little things, he’s much too busy.” This was said in all earnestness but little understanding of what Living on the Spiritual Basis entails. There are no “small” things to God. Everything interests God. Everything. Nothing in our lives is beneath His concern or healing. Tennyson wrote, “He is closer than hands and feet, closer than breath” which is most close indeed and Fox “God is always present; always ready to heal, to comfort, to inspire.” No barriers or arbitrary lines in the sand exist dealing with God’s level of involvement or commitment in our life. He is within, right here, right now, seeking expression in every area of our lives, from the maximal to the minimal, big deals and little deals, if we are willing to step out in faith and trust. Arguably the most powerful prayer in the Bible is “Be still, and know that I am God” the knowing within, available 24/7. So we don’t concern ourselves with trying to sort out what is appropriate for God’s attention, instead we place everything in His hands, trusting in the infinite rather than the finite for solution and resolution.

TAKING A TRIP, NOT TAKING A TRIP

    When we travel down the road of negativity we invariably arrive at morbid reflection. Morbid reflection then opens the door to indignation, self-righteousness, fear, hateful and/or angry words and thoughts, invariably leaving us holding a cup of spiritual distress for we always reap as we sow. Few situations in life are ever strictly black and white. When we condemn others we attempt, but fail, to overwrite the truth that there is a little bit of good in the worst of us and a little bit of bad in the best, no one is without sin, none of us live life error free. Remember “Living life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning to play the instrument as we go along” naked, so cut them and yourself a little slack.

    So when you find yourself in morbid reflection-ville, and we all do from time to time, gently turn around in prayer and head back out of town by recognizing the Presence of God where the disharmony, negativity resides; asking in meditation to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love, saluting the Divine Spark that resides within every one of our Father’s children.

   It would be easy to end here, but an additional point needs to be made. We can and in truth must salute the Divine within all, but this does not mean we must continue to associate with or place ourselves in a position to be harmed by someone who wishes us ill. Our heartfelt hope and desire is that all will grow spiritually, embracing the path of peace and comprehending serenity, unfortunately not everyone will and for them as for us to change and grow, the desire must come from within. So release them with love and remember the old Scottish (James Kelly) proverb: “He that deceives me once; shame fall him; if he deceives me twice, shame fall me.” 

BUSYBODY

     We have all done it and regretted it afterwards. We are either drawn into or feel the need to volunteer our help or opinion in someone else’s situation. It may be a simple neighbor dispute, child rearing issues, a family squabble or the worst possible case, a crisis of romance. What generally happens? The party we were attempting to “help” uses our support to bolster their position and now we are accused of “taking” sides, placing ourselves in one camp while unintentionally alienating the other. That shoulder provided to a friend or loved one smarting over a relationship breakup comes back to haunt us when they reconcile, our words of  “comfort” often putting us on the outs with both parties!

    “Do not wear another man’s hat” was salient advice given early in the last century. Simply, we do not engage in gossip, seemingly well-intended little character assassinations or take sides when family, romance or the heart is involved. When we do we don the “other man’s hat” and pay accordingly. Our course is simple but not easy, in prayer we invoke love for all involved, leaving their judgment to a Power Greater than Ourselves, seeking only to be of service without being negative, keeping our opinions close to the vest, between ourselves and God. This will take time and practice to become a working part of the mind but it is the path that leads to serenity and we avoid those hard looks and cold shoulders over the holiday dinner table or backyard fence.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

    Recipes are typically associated with cooking. However virtually everything in life has a “recipe.” Plastics are very different in their compositions; concrete and mortar have many specific “recipes” for different applications. The paper used in envelopes is a different recipe than printer paper or fine stationary. No cook, builder or manufacturer would leave out an ingredient or add something destructive and expect the final product to embody the qualities or flavor they were striving for, yet is that not exactly what many do spiritually? Remember reaping and sowing?

    To restate the classic teaching: If we wish to be loved, first we must demonstrate love. If we desire respect, first we must be respectful. If we wish to be known as honorable, we must treat all with honor, regardless of station or how disagreeable they may be. 

   Living on the new basis, the Spiritual Basis, love and anger do not mix, sarcasm, mockery and disdain are not found in the same bowl with respect, and honor and gossip are never found together.

   So, just for today, bless and say a prayer for that inconsiderate driver crossing your path, return a smile when greeted with a grimace. Refuse to engage in gossip, regardless of how juicy it may be. Give a dollar and a smile to someone needy, without comment, except God bless. In short treat everyone in the same manner you wish to be treated in, saluting the Divine in all, regardless of station, economic status or whether you like or agree with them. Employ this recipe and you cannot fail to succeed spiritually.

WHEEL OF TIME

     A necessary part of intelligence is the study of history. Studying history enables us to observe today’s events and relate to them in their proper perspective and provides the opportunity to choose a different path. Everything that is happening today has happened before; and will happen again if nothing changes. The wheel of time is constantly turning; good times turn bad, bad times good. Wars start, wars end, trouble comes, and trouble goes.

    When we view our lives and the world with spiritual glasses our perspective and understanding of truth alters, for now we see that no situation, whether good or ill lasts forever. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now understand that the flesh we travel in is finite, its time on the wheel clearly marked by creation and dissolution, but the spark of the Divine, which is each of us, does not merely travel on the wheel, but is immanent, part of the wheel. When we exert our intelligence to practice the Presence of God in every facet of our lives not only does our life improve but all humanity. The wheel will only follow a different path when we finally and forever truly put into practice the words on the back of every American dollar bill: “In God We Trust” “so let it begin with me.”

   An avalanche can begin with the smallest of pebbles; never underestimate your importance to the Universe, for you are a child of the Miraculous, God’s love incarnate.

“There is no try”

Try to lose weight. Try to get in shape. Try to quit smoking. Trying to get organized. Trying to be on time. Trying isn’t it. We have all done it. We look in the mirror and decide that’s it, we are going to make some changes. Things go well for a time, then we begin to backslide. We sell ourselves because we are too tired, we had a hard day or it’s Friday and we deserve a break. Kinda like the alcoholic rewarding themselves with a drink because they had been sober for a week or two. That kind of thinking is crazy in light of what happens next for the alcoholic, yet to some lesser degree we have all done it. Consider: Individuals who struggle with their weight are experts on dieting, they have “tried” many and well intended but unthinking friends and family regularly point out what they should do or try next. Most of us have or have had a piece of exercise equipment/workout DVD/book that is either gathering dust or moved on via a garage sale. Yet when that TV ad starts blaring about the new wonder exercise equipment/DVD/workout regimen promising impossible results from just 20 minutes 3 times a week we perk up.

To be clear: every diet works, working out and exercise will provide positive changes and giving up smoking or addictive drinking are no brainers, so why do we fail? In my youth I was a smoker. I “quit” many times and started back up just as many. Why, because I was trying to quit. It was not until I stopped trying that I finally put them down decades ago. I am not an ex-smoker; I am a smoker who just doesn’t smoke today. The concept of doing anything “for the rest of my life” is daunting, but I can do anything for twenty-four hours and when I rely on Divine Life for direction and strength I cannot fail, but I must ask.

When we try we are working from without to change the within, when we let go and let God the change comes from within. So if you desire to lose weight, get into shape, stop smoking or change any area of your life, stop trying and let go. Just for today, ask in prayer to be shown the right path and to receive the strength and willingness to follow it. You can slack off or smoke tomorrow, but just for today you are going to Let Go And Let God. For in Truth: The only time we can be present for God, the only time He can be present in our lives, is in this moment. Our lives a series of moments connected in purpose.

So stay in the moment, keep your head where your hands are, yours eyes on God and you cannot fail. 

PLAYING THE VIOLIN, NAKED

  “Living life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning to play the instrument as we go along” naked. No rational person believes they could play a musical instrument perfectly the first time they tried. Yet in our spiritual life we often expect perfection and then become disillusioned when our expectations are not met. The level of our serenity is directly proportional to our expectations of perfection. To be clear: We should expect great, marvelous things to arise in our lives when we Live on the Spiritual Basis, but we must also remember that our lives are works in progress. We seek “spiritual progress, not perfection.”

   For my Christian friends this may seem inconsistent with the Great Carpenters teaching. It is not. The perfection He taught on was the perfection of purpose. Being flawed, we abandon ourselves to Him, seeking guidance and strength in every area of life and living. In this we can achieve perfection, but to think that any of us will stand perfect in every thought, word, deed and action is a recipe for irritability, restlessness and deep discontentment. God is perfect, as is our Divine selfhood, living, being human however is learning how to play as we go along and to believe we can do this error free is a tragic error.

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

    Living on the Spiritual Basis, we trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. Keep your eyes on God and capitalize those seeming missteps in your spiritual evolution as opportunities to demonstrate His omnipotence and when you err, and we all will, thank Him for knowing Him better and take whatever action is required to address the misstep.  If you don’t know what action to take or path to follow, ask in prayer to be shown and the right answer will come. By acting in this way we own the lesson and possible repetition of the misstep is greatly reduced, achieving perfection of purpose in action.

HOTDOGS AND GOD

     The secular world clamors with solutions to all our problems and concerns. Call this number and all your financial difficulties will vanish, take this pill, not the other one, and your problem is solved, there is even a pill to cut down on bathroom trips and it seems that all middle aged men need to take a little something in order to be intimate, if the number and frequency of ads is any indication. Do not misunderstand, all of these things, probably, have their place, it is the order of approach that is at question. When we began living on the Spiritual Basis we altered our approach to life. Today when an issue or problem arises instead of tackling it head on, setting to work on it, seeking solutions and answers on our own or conversely running away or burying our head in the sand, we turn to the Miraculous and seek Divine help and direction first.

    We accomplish this by stepping out in faith, realizing the Presence of God as our first step, and then whatever action indicated will be taken surrounded by Gods love. To Live on the Spiritual Basis means we have turned our will and our lives over to the care of God, it doesn’t mean that we withdraw from life or eschew the secular, since the Universe provides answers and solutions in all manner of ways ordinary and extra ordinary alike. Remember, the power we have tapped into is not limited by human perspective and fear; it routinely performs the seemingly impossible, even miraculous if, though perhaps trembling, we stand open and willing. To borrow from the old Hebrew National hotdog commercial: today “We answer to a higher authority” and that authority wants all His children to be at peace, happy, joyous and free.

INSPIRATIO

    In Latin inspiratio means: to breathe in. From this root many words have bloomed, two of which are inspiration and respiration. Physical respiration is the intake and exhaling of air, spiritual respiration is the intake of guidance and knowledge from the Divine, the exhaling new understanding and purpose, inspiration personified.

    Our only job in this life is to realize our hearts desire, to express that which each of us has been Divinely gifted with, whatever that talent or ability might be. In realizing our heart’s desire we demonstrate over fear and human limitation. By seeking continued guidance through prayer, meditation and service we keep our feet on the one true path, our unique path, living inspired, truly free.

INDIANA JONES

     Don’t quit five minutes before the miracle. Probably one of the most, if not the most vexing spiritual question we face is why some prayers seemingly are not heard or worse if heard not answered. What happens is we travel ninety percent of the way but then lose faith, surrendering to fear and depression, and accept defeat when victory is our birthright. God’s demonstration in our lives is directly proportional to our willingness, our faith; and when we find it lacking, we ask Him for strength to persevere. When we pray expecting to receive, we always do, though often in a manner unexpected.

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

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

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

WHAT ARE WE SELLING?

    I had a conversation (berating more accurately) recently with an “adamant” Christian. You have probably met one, an adamant Christian is someone who within the first few minutes of conversation asks if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and if you don’t answer to their satisfaction they begin hammering their message at you. They state matter-of-factly that if you don’t buy their brand you are doomed for all eternity, but God loves you. In truth, there are thousands of churches based on the Christ teaching and many state matter-of-factly that they are the only true path. Fortunately for all there are some things that God is not and limited or exclusive is on the list.

   We have all had the occasion of falling into the cross hairs of an aggressive salesman. How did you enjoy the experience? Even if you purchased what they were selling, how did you feel? Would you then go out of your way to continue your relationship with this person? You may have even bought what they were selling just to get away from them (Like agreeing with the adamant Christian just so you could escape). When we hammer someone, even with the truth, the result is usually the opposite of what we wished to achieve.

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

POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD

    Often we fail to measure the words we use or consider their ultimate impact. You have probably experienced the sick feeling when words have slipped past your lips that you would give anything to have back; unfortunately we cannot un-ring a bell. Conversely there are the times when we have failed to speak up and then rehearse when alone what should have been said, extending the discomfort of our inaction.


    Words carry impact, reverberating with life far beyond the moment of their utterance. Resents have been born, often birthed with no real intent, from a seemingly casual remark. Fortunately the converse is true as well, our words providing hope and solace far beyond our limited understanding.

    Having chosen to live on a new basis, the Spiritual Basis, we speak from the heart, delivering the truth to the best of our current understanding, with the lightness of a feather. Our goal to always be of service, to stand for truth, to help and never harm, realizing we all will fall far short of perfection is speech.

THE SKY IS FALLING! (Again)

    I came of age politically during the American election of 1972. In the ensuing years one truth has become abundantly clear: regardless of who wins the other side is always incredulous their candidate/issue lost, claiming all manner of reasons why, adding for effect the dire consequences to come from the electorates poor decision. Living on the Spiritual Basis secular issues and concerns are now in their proper perspective, politicians come and go, those in power today will not be forever, regardless how we may feel about them and there really is nothing new under the sun. To wit:

The Captain Is On The Bridge

“The world is not going to the dogs. The human race is not doomed. Civilization is not going to crash. The captain is on the bridge. Humanity is going through a difficult time, but humanity has gone through difficulties many times before in its long history, and has always come through, strengthened and purified.

Do not worry yourself about the universe collapsing. It is not going to collapse, and anyway that question is none of your business. The captain is on the bridge. If the survival of humanity depended upon you or me, it would be a poor lookout for the Great Enterprise, would it not?

The captain is on the bridge. God is still in business. All that you have to do is to realize the Presence of God where trouble seems to be, to do your nearest duty to the very best of your ability; and to keep an even mind until the storm is over.” 

     Emmet Fox wrote the above during the great depression as war clouds were gathering over Europe, America gripped in the greatest ecological disaster in the country’s history as dust storms displaced millions from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, all happening in the 1930’s! God has always been and will always be; our job to keep an even mind and Spiritual perspective, understanding there will always be someone reminding us the sky is falling, again.

BORROWING GOD

     In my early life I wore the coat of the agnostic. Having heard so many say that God was love but if you broke a certain rule you would burn for all eternity but remember God loves you, that the Devil battles with God and actually wins from time to time, never made any sense to me. I had always believed that there was “something”, some power or intelligence, but the idea of a punishing, score keeping, testing God that could lose battles just did not pass muster. As my life progressed, the one thing I did right was keep an open mind and continue to seek and learn. I studied and investigated everything from Catholicism to Islam, Dianetics to the Rosicrucian’s, learning much but never convinced. Finally I found myself in a position when I had to face the proposition of God not from an intellectual hilltop but from the depths of depression and pain. Nothing sharpens the mind, cutting away the superfluous like pain, for in the dark night of the soul esoteric knowledge and philosophical debating points lose all significance. Lost in pain and doubt I reached out and my plea was answered, lacking all ambiguity, I was convinced.

    Though we are all connected in Spirit, each of us walks our own path. Our path of awakening dependent on the decisions based in self each of us make, for pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self. Today I know in my heart of hearts that God desires all His children to be happy, joyous and free, that He will guide us through the process of enlightenment and we are forgiven in spirit as soon as we earnestly ask.

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

PARALYSIS THROUGH ANALYSIS

A centipede was quite happy,
Until a frog in fun
Said, “Pray, which leg comes after which?”
This raised her mind to such a pitch,
She lay distracted in the ditch,
Considering how to run.

    Never argue with anyone about God. Speak quietly about your belief and let it go. No one is ever moved far spiritually by words alone. We convince others when we walk the way we talk and let our actions speak in a way words never can. “There is a place for analysis, but it is apt to be quite fatal in prayer and meditation. Do not dissect the love of God, but feel it. Do not dissect divine intelligence, but realize it. Do not wonder how God can possibly solve this problem, but just watch Him do it in His own way-and He will if you give Him a chance." Emmet Fox. The principle of attraction not promotion is one that we must live by once we have begun to live on the new basis, the Spiritual Basis.

ENDORPHINS

     Who have you smiled at today? In the last few decades a number of studies have shown even a forced smile has positive affects not only the smiler but on the smiley as well. When we smile or receive a smile our stress level drops, endorphins are released and we feel better, our spirits lifted. So, go share a smile with someone who needs one (and who doesn’t) and you will both reap the benefits.

PAST AND FUTURE

      When we pull ourselves out of the moment, by either dwelling on the past or projecting into the future it is easy to drift into morbid reflection, which is spiritually deadly. When thinking about the past, what usually surfaces, the overwhelming number of times when things went well, when we did the right thing or on those times when we were less than our best? When considering the future, is it along the lines of things will be great, seeing ourselves walking hand and hand with the Spirit of the Universe or something darker? Living on the Spiritual Basis our focus has been altered, instead of seeing only the carnal, the finite, our vision is lengthened and broadened and we have begun to comprehend the infinite.

     Fear is a powerful adversary, forever trying to steer us from the light. The past is an asset when used as a tool to teach those who seek answers from us, of what life was like before and after choosing to Live on the Spiritual Basis. The future a promise, chapters unwritten, our lives the paper, the ink our faith, the pen in our hand guided by a Power Greater Than Ourselves. He does not dictate the script, for of all creation we alone have free will, but He will be our partner in the story of our lives if we remain open and willing.

    The only time we can stand in the presence of God, the only time we can be present for God, the only time God can act in our lives is in the present moment. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now have a history of God’s love and direction in our lives, the past an asset, the future a promise, today the gift.