Living In Spirit

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Ladders, Leaping and Fear

“There is only one way to make spiritual progress…prayer." So the question is not what to do but how to do it. “If your intuitive nature is well developed, you will seldom need to use formal statements at all. This is excellent-for who will trouble to climb a ladder when he is strong enough to leap over the wall?" Emmet Fox. Living on the Spiritual Basis a constant conscious contact with God is the goal. However, few of us always feel the connection. Remember the camel's nose and the tent? Our connection typically dims when we fail to see the camel’s nose (fear) slip under the tent flap (our consciousness) until it is too late. Since a camel has no reverse, once its head is in, it is coming in all the way.

So when you find yourself staring fear in the eye, familiar structured prayers are a life saver. Kinda like that old friend who is always there when you need them. The Lord’s Prayer, the powerful “Be still and know that I am God”, the Serenity prayer are some of the old friends that quickly come to my mind. Another suggestion, that always works, is keep it simple. God already knows what is in our heart and exactly what we need before we need it, so simple heart filled prayers have great power. Remember, God is always present for it is His nature. When we lose sight of Him it is because we closed our eyes, prayer restores our sight and soon we are leaping again.

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

Monday, May 25, 2015

Gym Think

The start of every year brings an influx of people to gyms and health clubs. Having resolved to lose weight and/or get into shape, some for the first time; many repeat offenders, their intention is genuine, but what usually happens? After a few weeks (sometimes a very few) “stuff” begins to interfere. Work ramps up. The kids start or resume an extra curricular activity that involves travel time and scheduling. The spouse who was supportive in the beginning becomes less so, especially if there are any hints dropped about it becoming a family affair. I’m sure you can add to the list. So with no real thought we give ourselves license to miss a session or two. The idea of everyone else eating pizza while we try to choke down one more Lean Cuisine becomes intolerable. Remember when you said, out loud, they tasted good? Soon the only remnants of the gym are the work out clothes piled in the back of the closet and that automatic deduction from the bank account every month.

Because modes of thinking are contagious we allow the same things to happen in our spiritual life. We read a book or hear a speaker which energizes us and we vow to follow a new path. What happens? Gym Think. After a time the old manner and habits of living reassert themselves and we drift back into old familiar ways of thinking. Then a new book or teacher catches our attention and the cycle begins anew.

There is a fundamental difference however between physical and spiritual exercise. The day will come for all, when this physical shell will fail, regardless of how many hours we spend working out and/or eating right. Remember Jim Fixx? But our essential nature, call it soul, cosmic conscious, feldercarb or whatever term appeals to you, is eternal. So decide today to place your feet on the path and let no future vicissitude shake your resolve and when Gym Think creeps in, and it happens to everyone, reject it by turning to God for strength and guidance. Just for today demonstrate prayer and meditation in your life, as if your life depended on it, for in truth it does. Oh, and a twenty minute walk and a good multivitamin can't hurt.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

The Nature Of God, A Day At A Time

The Lord’s Prayer establishes the essential nature of God, that He is in truth our Father in the deepest, most profound respect. One of the promises realized by Living on the Spiritual Basis is “We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.” True peace of soul brings healing, true place and opens us to understanding and learning utterly beyond what would normally be possible. Even if we are weak, fearful, depressed, or believe these tidings could never come true for us, God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Though trembling, our job is to stay in the action of prayer and meditation and to seek the face of our Father, relying on Him who has all knowledge and power. Simple, but not easy. To know that we are safe and protected, possibly as the very foundation of our world is shaking, is a tall order and is only possible with other worldly help and direction, for in truth, Living on the Spiritual Basis we are no longer of this world but we are in it, to grow and serve our Father and our fellows, one day at a time.

When we know, who walks beside us, on this path we have chosen, our fears fall from us.