Is God Too Busy For "Little" Things?

Sometime ago during a genial conversation on spiritual principles a participant tossed out the comment  “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 additionally Emmet Fox stated “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 lives. 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.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved


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Taking A Trip, Not Taking A Trip To Morbid Reflectionville

When we travel down the road of indignation, self-righteousness, fear, hateful and/or angry words and thoughts we invariably find ourselves embracing morbid reflection, 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 reflectionville, 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 and 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 the truth of change and growth is 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.” So trust in God, but cut the cards.
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Wrong Hat

We have all done it and regretted it afterwards. We are either drawn into or feel the need to volunteer our  opinion in someone else's situation. It may be a simple neighbor dispute, child rearing issues, a family squabble or a work place issue. The worst possible case is a crisis of romance. What generally happens? The party we were attempting to “help” uses our support to bolster their position, putting us at odds with the other party for in their mind we have now taken a "side". If it is in the relationship arena if they reconcile that well intended shoulder comes back to haunt us, 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, being supportive but 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 provides serenity and will help us avoid those hard looks and cold shoulders in the break room, over the holiday dinner table or backyard fence.
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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.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

 

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Wheel Of Time

A necessary part of true 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 through a spiritual lens 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 this flesh we travel in is finite, its time on the wheel clearly marked by creation and dissolution, but the spark of the Divine, the "I AM" which is each of us, does not merely travel on the wheel, but is immanent, an actual part of the wheel. When we employ 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 often begins with the smallest of pebbles; never underestimate your importance to and in  the Universe, for you are a child of the Miraculous, God’s love incarnate.

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Today “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 rationalize it with  too tired, we had a hard day or it’s Friday and we deserve a break, etc. 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. Most of us have or have had a piece of exercise equipment/workout DVD/book that was "the answer" that is either now gathering dust or has moved on via a garage sale or charitable donation. Yet when an ad announces some new wonder exercise device/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 behaviors 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 some years ago, but 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 our life” is daunting, but we can do anything for twenty-four hours and when we rely on Divine Life for direction and strength we cannot fail, but we 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 we desire to lose weight, get into shape, stop smoking or change any area of our life, we must stop trying and let go. So, just for today ask in prayer to be shown the right path and to receive the strength and willingness to follow it. We can slack off or smoke tomorrow, but just for today we 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.

By staying in the moment, keeping our head where our hands are, ours eyes on God we cannot fail, today. 
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Playing The Violin Perfectly, 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, but 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; but living, being human is a work in progress and to believe we can do this mistake 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. We keep our eyes on God and capitalize those seeming missteps in our spiritual evolution as opportunities to demonstrate His omnipotence and when we err, and we all will, thank Him for knowing Him better and then take whatever action is indicated 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.
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God, Viagra© and Hot Dogs

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 health issue is solved, never mind all those pesky side effects. 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 an 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.

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Inspiration And Respiration

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 to do, whatever that talent or ability might be for in so doing we are manifesting God's will at the most basic and profound level. 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.

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Hard Selling God

Some time ago I had a conversation (berating more accurately) with an “adamant” my way or the highway Christian. You have probably met one, within the first few minutes of conversation they ask if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and if you don’t answer to their satisfaction the sales pitch begins. They state matter-of-factually that if you don’t buy their brand you are doomed for all eternity and it is their job to save you.

In truth, there are thousands of churches based on the Christ teaching and many (if not most) state matter-of-factually that they are the only true path. Fortunately for all there are some things that God is not, and limited or exclusive is on that list.

We have all fallen 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 recommend or continue a relationship with this person? You may have even bought what they were selling just to get away from them.

Having turned my will and life over to the care of God many years ago, I have never seen the spiritual “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, leaving the hard sell to used car salesmen.
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Imperfect Speech

Often we fail to measure the words we use or take the time to consider their ultimate impact. We have all experienced the sick feeling when words have slipped past our lips that we 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 we feel we should have said, extending the discomfort of our inaction.

Words carry impact, reverberating with life far beyond the moment of their utterance. Fierce resentments have been born from seemingly casual remarks, birthed from what we perceived was innocuous. Fortunately the converse is true as well, our words spreading out to provide 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, but realizing we all fall far short of perfection in speech.
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Borrowing God

As a younger man 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 suffer for all eternity, 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 life progressed, the one thing I did right was keep an open mind, continuing 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 where I had to face the proposition of God not from some 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 and I was convinced.

Though we are all connected in Spirit, each of us walks our own path, daily choosing pain or peace. Our path of awakening following the decisions and choices each 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 and that He will guide us through the process of enlightenment, as long as we remain open minded and willing. Forgiveness in Spirit our birth right.

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 price:  pray regularly, meditate daily and treat all in the manner you wish to be treated in. Please no pushing; there is plenty of Him to go around.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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THE SKY IS FALLING! (Again)

I began to follow politics in 1968 and came of age politically during the election of 1972. Since then 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. Today, Living on the Spiritual Basis places secular issues and concerns in their proper perspective; politicians come and go, those in power today will not be forever and regardless of how we may feel about them, history demonstrates 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 of the 1930's as war clouds were gathering over Europe and Asia, the American heartland was gripped in the greatest ecological disaster in this country’s history as dust storms destroyed crops and displaced millions from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

The over riding truth is simply this: God has always been and will always be; our job to keep an even mind and proper perspective, expending our time and resources as we choose, remembering however there will always be someone reminding us the sky is falling, again.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Paralysis From 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.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Chuckleheads And DTYTS

A while back a stranger commented on line that I needed medical help, based solely on my picture viewed on their mobile device. Pretty insightful.

So I immediately headed to the ER for help. The staff was waiting for me; since the government now reads all posts, I was rushed into a state of the art diagnostic suite where I was subjected to a battery of tests of which I just received the results, in a tweet.

The prognosis: first, I am terminal. They determined I am going to die, they don’t know when or of what, but it is a certainty. Bummer. However there was good news, my levels of DTYTS are all exceedingly high for a man my age. (You know, DTYTS: Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously).

So, a prescription was forwarded by e-mail and I just filled it at Walmart. The directions read: Laugh at yourself everyday, for you are the funniest person you know. Every time you walk into a room and forget why you are there, laugh. When the coffee cup, eyeglass, car keys gremlins move them from the last place you are certain you left them, laugh. When you find yourself opening the glass doors in the frozen food aisle to “see” what is on the shelves, laugh. When you find yourself waiting for the light to change at a stop sign, laugh. And most importantly laugh when some know nothing self-important chucklehead chooses to point out your shortcomings and character defects uninvited. And then say a silent prayer for them.

© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

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Smiler and Smiley

 Did you smile at someone 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.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved


 

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The Presence And The Gift

When we find ourselves drifting out of the present moment, by either dwelling on the past or projecting into the future we must be wary, for a spiritually deadly trap, morbid reflection lurks here. When thinking about the past what usually surfaces; the overwhelming number of times when things went well, when we did the right thing or those times when we were less than our best or were treated badly? When considering the future do we ponder 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 and secular, the finite, our vision is lengthened and broadened as we have begun to comprehend the infinite.

Fear is a powerful adversary, forever trying to steer us from the light and morbid reflection one of its favorite tools. When used constructively our past is an asset, becoming a resource to teach those who seek answers from us, of what life was like before and after choosing to Live on the Spiritual Basis. Our future is a promise, chapters unwritten, our lives the paper, the ink our faith, the pen in our hand guided by a Power Greater Than Ourselves. God does not dictate the script, for of all creation we alone have free will in Spirit, 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. 
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Living The Consecrated Life

When we turn our will and life over to the care of God, we chose the consecrated life. Our job now is to see the Presence of God everywhere, in everything and everyone and to express our understanding of spiritual principles to the best of our current ability, for we are forever growing and learning, and to practice those principles in every aspect of our life. Simple but not easy, a price has to be paid and that price is the surrender of self. It is a simple equation; the more time we spend thinking about ourselves, the less comfortable we become, opening the door to restlessness, irritability and discontentment. Conversely, the more time we spend focusing on the Presence of God, practicing the principles we have come to know and believe the more comfortable, at peace we become. Living a consecrated life is the true path of serenity.

The Wolves Of Morbid Reflection

Conditions in our life are the result of the crops (thoughts) we tend in our consciousness. If we nurture thoughts of pain, lack, unhappiness, negativity of any stripe, then we will grow more. Being a spiritual law happily the converse is true as well; if we plant peace, joy, love and belief in abundance then these will be our harvest.

If we desire happiness we cannot walk around with a long face complaining, thinking and speaking negatively. When we engage in morbid reflection our thoughts work to convince us that sickness, trouble and failure are unavoidable. To be clear: We do not control the thoughts that float up into our consciousness; thought control is not about banning a thought which is impossible, but taking right action when we become aware. Negative thinking is cunning, a wolf masquerading as a lamb, so just as the shepherd tending their flock; as soon as we become aware of the wolf, spiritually corrosive negative reflection and thinking, we take action.

Our course is clear, remembering that prayer is always the answer we place our trust in God and stay out of the results business. God does not punish with one hand and love with the other; He is always working in the positive for His children, His promises, our spiritual inheritance at hand as long as we stand vigilant over the crops we tend in our consciousness, our wolves at bay.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Pickax or Feather?

Since childhood we have been told that hard work equals success. Certainly we should always do our best, yet I think we can all point to someone, perhaps you have seen them in your mirror, whom have worked long and very hard yet have little materially to show for it. I will leave the secular discussion for another day, spiritually hard work and struggling to succeed in prayer in meditation are in fact impediments to growth. Successful prayer and meditation, which leads to successful demonstration, is quiet and gentle. To quote Emmet Fox, “Pray with a feather- not a pickax.” Though we may be filled with fear and trepidation, we should always pray in the manner we would like to be treated in, gently with kindness, patience, tolerance and love.
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Being Real

“Cheap optimism is never spiritual.” Never be satisfied or resign yourself to live with anything less than the full expression of God’s love in your life. When we practice the Presence of God everywhere in our lives, remarkable things happen, regardless of the secular condition of the world. Never settle for any condition in your life that expresses lack or limitation. Divine Life wants all to be happy, joyous and free, so be honest about your circumstances, the change comes when we wholeheartedly, without reservation believe that God not only will, but wants to provide for our needs, His love immanent.
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In Whose Hands Are Your Fears?

Do you pray expecting to receive or with trepidation? When we pray with doubt, believing secretly in our heart of hearts that God is too busy, we are insignificant or since our hands are not perfectly clean our prayers will not be answered, then we are praying with two minds, wanting our prayer answered but not believing it will be. Is it then any surprise we fail to demonstrate?

No one among us is perfect, yet none of us are insignificant to God, remember, time is a human construct that has no bearing on God, He is never too busy for His children. We live in a state of grace, His love unconditional, we place conditions on His love and availability out of fear. Please do not misunderstand; fear is a powerful, relentless, pitiless foe. Consider: We are bombarded in a never-ending cacophony of doom and gloom. Economic disaster looms, sickness and disease ever lurking, wars and rumors of war abound, global climactic failure imminent, the end is nigh unless we act or even if we do! Is it really any wonder that fear is so hard to displace?

Understand, this planet has been hit many times in its history with all manner of space debris, altering our home drastically, that 99% of the species that once lived have gone extinct; volcanoes have and will again erupt and explode. There will be earthquakes, economies have and will go up and down and we all die of something. Is worrying about these things going to change anything, improve our lives? No, our course is to take whatever precautions are warranted, act and live responsibly and leave the results to God.  Remember the short form of the Serenity Prayer? God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Keep in mind we live in eternity NOW, this flesh, even the stars finite, our consciousness, our soul, eternal.  Passing conditions are just that, passing. It is vital that we turn our consciousness, gently through prayer and meditation, away from the negative and to God’s love and guidance. In so doing, not only does our life improve, but the whole world as well, volcanoes, recessions/depressions, war, comet/asteroid strikes, extinctions, pandemics and global climatic changes placed in their proper perspective.

So we place all our fears, great and small in His hands and pray expecting God to act, for nothing so moves the universe as a heartfelt prayer.

© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

 

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When---

When there is nowhere left to turn, turn around, for God is always there.

When in the grip of fear, pray lightly, with a feathers touch.

When facing calamity, meet it with serenity, the serenity found only in His presence.

When in doubt, stop and ask for the right thought or action, in prayer of course.

When the solution feels out of reach, reach out in prayer and meditation.

When feeling put upon, put your hand out to those in need.

And

When all else fails, place the failure in His hands and watch a miracle unfold.

© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Does God Play Favorites?

Though an agnostic with an “attitude” into my 30's, in truth I had always been a seeker, often looking in the wrong places however. One of the questions that always troubled me was the idea that God would suspend the laws He created to assist one but not another, that some form of pecking order or secret hierarchy existed.

What I now know to be true is“God is a God of love and rules by principle.” Because of His nature He cannot break divine law. “He cannot bring disease, or suffering, or lack.” Yet the world is seemingly buried in sickness, pain and shortage. How can this be? We are either all equally loved or none are since no one of us has a choice in birth or initial circumstances. God is and must be consistent. If not, then we would not live in a universe but a chaos. Would any loving Father throw one child to the wolves so another may prosper?

No one amongst us can live in another's skin; walk the steps on their path of enlightenment. Though we all travel together, are connected in Spirit, our path is as unique as our fingerprints. Our lessons of enlightenment take many forms, remember the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self, is pain.

God does not, cannot play favorites. God wants each of us to be happy, joyous and free, He demonstrates His love through us, for us but He will not intercede if it stunts or hampers our spiritual awakening. The flesh is finite, our Spirit eternal. Seeing the world with a new pair of glasses it becomes abundantly clear that God can do anything but only within divine law and principle and that is a good thing.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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The Tears Of Saint Peter

We lay  “claim” to things everyday, usually without a thought. Whenever we start a statement with “My”, we claim ownership. Having thought on this over the years, I think I am finally getting it. Although I may have a headache or a flair up of arthritis, do I really want to “own” them? No. I want them to go away. Nevertheless, when I refer to them as “My” I assert ownership. Today instead of commenting on or talking about the negative things in “My” life I take whatever secular action is indicated, aspirin, heating pad, ice pack etc followed by a short prayer thanking God for knowing Him better. Today I claim all the gifts and blessings that God has not only for me but for you as well, that all I desire in “My” life comes to you as well. Years ago I came upon this piece on blessings:

A man found himself standing at the gates leading to heaven. He was upset and relieved at the same time. Upset that he passed but relieved that he was standing at heaven’s gate. Saint Peter greeted him and motioned for him to come forward. As he walked through the gates, he was struck speechless by the beauty and peace that greeted him. Saint Peter ushered him around showing him the wonders of heaven. Finally, they came upon a rather plain building, its plainness a stark contrast against the beauty of all the others. Turning to Saint Peter he asked, “What is that building?” Saint Peter replied, “All of Heaven is open to you but I strongly suggest that you leave that structure alone.” The man nodded, for who would question a Saint? Well of course, he could not get that one building out of his mind and after a time asked, “You said all of Heaven is open to me so if I wished to visit any building I can?” With a look of resignation, Saint Peter nodded for he knew what building the man was thinking of. As they walked, Saint Peter waited for the statement that always followed. Soon the man turned to him and said, “I would like to go back to the plain building.” With sadness and a pass of his hand Saint Peter deposited them on the doorstep of the building. “I would urge you again not to go in.” The man nodded but he would not be swayed. As the doors opened, the man was greeted with the sight of row upon row of shelves on which rested exquisite boxes each inscribed with a name. He turned to Saint Peter and asked if there was a box with his name on it. Saint Peter replied yes but again suggested they leave the building. Undeterred the man ran down the aisles until he found the box with his name on it. As he took it down from the shelf, there were tears in Saint Peter’s eyes, undeterred he removed the lid. As he looked in the box his heart fell for the box contained all the blessings that God had gifted him that had been left unclaimed. He then knew and they wept together.
 
 Claim all of God’s blessings for you today and if you don‘t know what they are, ask and He will show you.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

 

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The Ink in the Pen

You are actively engaged in daily prayer, meditation and service, have given your will and life over to the care of a Power Greater Than Yourself, but some area or areas of your life are not improving and new troubles seem to keep appearing, why?

We know that God is all-powerful, all knowledge and intelligence, the one true source of all abundance, immanent, yet our pleadings are seemingly falling on deaf ears, why?

Through demonstration and adherence to spiritual principles our consciousness has risen, we have experienced the joy of standing in the light, seen the light begin to shine in the lives of others, yet we are struggling, why?

Time is a curious thing. Einstein demonstrated that it is flexible, affected by both gravity and speed, relative to the observer’s point of reference. God is unaffected by our relationship with time, its affect on us. The passing of the seasons, the marking of birthdays are human constructs, our time line of remembrance, not God’s.

When in emotional or physical pain or struggling with some difficulty, we desire relief, answers now. The universe does not answer to our time line. Faith requires the willingness to trust the miraculous is working, unseen, to address the issues of our lives. I am reminded again of the hen and her eggs. The miracle of creation is happening inside the eggs, the hen’s job to have faith and care for the eggs, trusting in the unseen to do the work, in its good time.

So we answer the question of why by trusting in faith, trusting in the unseen. Remembering that this day is a single day in a very long existence, the spark of the Divine within eternal, having never been born, will never die, not limited by flesh, having always been and will always be, we strive to live beyond the present by being present in the moment for Our Father and our fellows. The past is written, the future the ink in the pen, becoming reality as it moves across the pages of our lives. So be present for the story of your life, standing firm in faith and in His good "time", why evaporates.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

Beyond The Clouds

Everyday somewhere a plane departs in the rain. The aircraft pulls away from the gate and takes its place in line for lift off. Soon the engines spool up, the brakes released the craft quickly gains speed, the passengers pushed back in their seats by the acceleration. The nose lifts and the cabin window is obscured in driving rain, then everything turns white as the plane enters the clouds. A few seconds pass and it happens, bright sunshine bursts into the cabin, momentarily blinding in its intensity. The rain, darkness and shadows replaced with brilliance. In truth the sunshine was always there, it was merely obscured for a time.

When we find ourselves in the midst of difficulty, though we may be standing in the shadow of difficulty, the sunshine of God’s love never ceases, the clouds merely an illusion created by fear. By raising our consciousness through prayer and meditation we demonstrate over fear, for in truth, regardless of conditions on the ground the sun is always shining behind the clouds.

 

© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved 

 

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Maintaining A Proper Perspective

“We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous and free. We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid then the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence” (Alcoholics Anonymous pg 133).

 The only power that can hold us back, regardless of the challenge, is giving in to self-centered fear. Living on the Spiritual Basis does not mean that life’s challenges no longer exist or are any less painful in the moment, but instead of allowing ourselves to drift into sorrow and morbid reflection, we turn to Him who has all knowledge and power for strength and direction, demonstrating over fear. Circumstances in our lives are not spiritual impediments, just different paths of enlightenment. The truth will set you free: We are not this flesh. We are eternal spirit, existing in this form for only a moment, children of the Most High. Living on the Spiritual Basis affirms our connection to the infinite, puts all things in their proper place and perspective, triumphant over fear.

© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Wishy Washy Or Spiritual Living?

We cannot have our indignation or “justified” anger and live on the spiritual basis. If we wish to comprehend serenity and know peace, we must choose our basis for living, carnal or spiritual. There are many things in life where we can be lukewarm, wishy washy, kinda in and kinda out, take it or leave it. This is not one of them; it requires a wholehearted commitment on our part.

Living on the Spiritual Basis requires:

1) Turning our will and life over to the care and direction of a Power Greater Than Ourselves, as we understand it.

2) Study and work to develop a clear understanding of what this Power is and isn‘t, but at its minimum this power, God, must be loving, intelligent and available. Begin to clear away the debris from living on the carnal basis; learning to value the welfare of others and the power of selfless service, of course, this is a lifetime endeavor.

 3) Give all power to our new friend God, in every sense, for every area of our existence is under His purview, nothing hidden, all secrets revealed.

4) Turn to God in prayer, holding fast to the belief that prayer can accomplish anything.

5) Destroy, with prayer, any negative thoughts as they surface, refusing to allow them purchase in your consciousness. Remembering that no one does this perfectly, so we do not berate ourselves if a wolf in sheep’s clothing creeps in, we just address it in prayer upon becoming aware.

6) Understanding “reaping and sowing.” That not only do our actions have consequence, habitual negative thinking does as well, what we focus on, we bring into our lives.

7) Practice the Presence of God, to the best of your current ability, in everything, in everyone, at all times, but especially with those you disagree with or dislike. To be clear: Seeing God in everyone and everything does not mean that we cannot or should not hold strong opinions or points of view, but instead of engaging in negative prattle and thinking, we seek the higher ground that Living on the Spiritual Basis provides. For in truth, “there is a little bit of bad in the best of us and a little bit of good in the worst”, such is being human.

8) We book end our days in meditation, starting each day asking to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindness and love, that our motives throughout the day be devoid of selfishness and self-seeking. Ending our day with constructive meditation on the day’s events, refusing to allow morbid reflection to infect this time in spirit.

In time, with practice, this way of life will become second nature, its benefits becoming readily evident.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

Donald Sterling Is Reaping As He Has Sown

Occasionally a lesson in spiritual principles comes along that is glaring. Donald Sterling is a successful man as the world judges. Money, property, all the things that being a billionaire entails. But what of his true self, the inner man, his “soul” if you prefer. His wealth provided him with the veneer of a caring, giving individual, contributing financially to causes and political campaigns that furthered the image he wished to project. He wanted to enjoy a certain reputation that in his heart he knew he didn’t deserve.

He joined a very select club, that of a professional sports franchise owner. Though the Clippers throughout their history have been a poor reflection of their cross-town rivals the Lakers, he still owned a franchise in a major market, a market that included the false glamour of Hollywood. For over 30 years he was given a pass, though many knew his true nature. Money has that kind of power. All this time though he was planting a crop that eventually would be harvested.

Having reached an advanced age, he had grown comfortable in his illusion. Surrounded by people who depended on his largesse to meet their financial needs, his insulation from reality was secured. Even though there had been incidents were the true man and his heart were glimpsed, a small fine and more money thrown at causes and candidates, who we now know he secretly despised, these incidents soon faded away and were forgotten. The false man triumphant even lauded and rewarded for his “caring.”

After leaving his wife for a woman less than half his age, she became the catalyst that began the harvest. Now, his “team” is legitimate, on the verge of truly joining the elites of pro basketball and he is barred from being part of it. Shunned and vilified by the very group that he spent nearly half of his life trying to impress and be a part of. The candidates and causes who just a few weeks ago would gladly take his calls and money now attack and denigrate him.

Donald Sterling will die a materially wealthy man. But what of the man who said and believes the horrendous things that we now know he holds in his heart, the secret place of his soul that truly defines him? My hope and prayer for him is that he takes the rest of his days reflecting quietly, coming to terms with the spiritual cancer eating away at him, realizing that his checkbook will never cure the inner man.

The optimist in me hopes this will happen, the realist knows that it is much easier to write a check than do soul surgery. So he will apologize and write more checks. Those who eagerly take his money will salute him and shake his hand, business as usual. But Donald Sterling will never be an “owner” again, never again part of the “club” that defined him most of his adult life, the carnal world he prized above all else, his spiritual self ignored, just another lost soul who gained the world but has never known that which truly matters.

So the lesson is simple, to be free in truth, guard the crops you plant in the secret garden of your consciousness, for the crop eventually will be harvested for all to see.

 © Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Prayer Is Always The Answer

I have not always prayed. Sure, there were those furtive pleas of “please let me pass this (math, English, history, etc) test”, “please stop the room from spinning” (if you have never said this prayer, I hope you never have too), “please, don’t let her be pregnant, I promise to use protection from now on”, you know, the get me out of this and I promise to be good/change prayers.

Prayer changed for me when I found myself facing a self-imposed crisis that I could no longer evade or postpone. With no place and no one left to turn to I was driven to my knees and said my first, of what has since become many, honest prayers: “God help me.”

Did a light shine down or angels pick me up and carry me away in that moment? Perfect enlightenment and the solution to all my difficulties presented on a silver platter? No, but the soul crushing weight I was under did lessen enough so I could breathe.

Many years have passed since that first honest prayer, and though far from perfect in prayer, I have watched prayer work miracles of healing in my life and countless others. Today I live in the absolute certainty of the Power of Prayer, when speaking to those unconvinced of prayers efficacy I offer: “If I could only show you the world through my eyes and experience, you too would be convinced, by demonstration, that Prayer Is Always The Answer.”© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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“Guilty with an Explanation Your Honor”

It is suggested that we “pray with a feather” for prayer should never be hard work; it is our time to speak with Our Father. When praying we should not concern ourselves with choosing the perfect word, phrasing or long explanations. The longer the explanation or “set up” the more obvious that we are trying to "sell" something. Now in truth, who are we trying to sell, God or ourselves? “Guilty with an explanation your Honor.” God already knows our heart and mind, for He is closer than breath. Remember, His love is unconditional, grace freely given regardless of our transgressions, impossible to earn. Though there may and probably will be secular consequences for our past deeds, we are forgiven in spirit as soon as we earnestly ask, our task then is to demonstrate forgiveness in action. So we pray simply, honestly, quietly from the heart, and we will receive openly and in great measure, for that is the promise.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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A Hundred Forms Of Fear And Max Planck

Everything is connected. The belief that a problem or difficulty exists in one place and must be brought to God’s attention is false. God is either everything or else He is nothing. Nothing exists in the physical world or our consciousness that God is not aware of, for He exists everywhere, in everything at all times. 

Consider: Nobel Prize winner Max Planck in a 1944 speech on the nature of matter stated in part, “All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.” By the turn of this century quantum physics had verified that which Max Plank could only postulate. Since this is the bedrock of all creation, is this “matrix of all matter” the mind of God since it comprises everything we see, touch and feel? Beats me but it does make for a wonderful meditation. What I do know through practical application is once we employ the presence of Divine healing where our difficulties truly lie (our consciousness); improvement follows. God was never absent or unaware; our perception was skewed by fear. In truth we do not/cannot seek a Power Greater Than Ourselves without; we must seek within, for it has always been there, veiled by a hundred forms of fear.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved


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How To Treat With Prayer

A treatment is a prayer directed at a definite subject, something that is a pressing problem. Unlike general prayers that are a visit with God, a treatment is a surgical operation on the soul. A difficulty has arisen in our life; the reasons for its arrival are a distraction, like spending time wondering who sold the nail we stepped on when a tetanus shot is the action required. Treatment prayers focus on solution, not causality while general prayers typically are “checking” in with God, affirmations of our love, trust and faith. The essential difference is fear. Treatment in indicated when perhaps you or someone you care about has become ill, possibly it is financial difficulties or some relationship either personal or professional has begun to or has turned sour.

A simple form of employing prayer as treatment:

1) Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Begin with a general prayer (something significant and powerful for you).

2) Now take a few cleansing breaths and picture the difficulty in your minds eye. Next visualize the problem passing from your hands to God’s. If the difficulty is hard to visualize, then visualize the individual (including yourself) free of the difficulty, surrounded by God’s creative love and healing.

3) End the treatment with a closing prayer affirming God’s love, guidance, limitless power and knowledge. Thank him for the healing you believe will come and then:

4) Leave it be. Do not try to visualize how God will work or how the outcome will come to pass. This is outlining and always leads to trouble. Do not repeat the treatment out of fear. If something happens or changes in regards to the difficulty and it feels appropriate, treat again, but do not begin from fear. If fearful, first address the fear in prayer. This can be as simply as repeating the prayer Be Still And Know That I Am God. Once the fear induced anxiety has subsided, you can then treat the issue again. Remember:

Fear is not the difficulty being treated. Fear is what makes the difficulty seem overwhelming. Fear is the self-centered belief that God will not act, that somehow, someway we have traveled beyond the pale, so far from God that our prayers are not heard or worse rejected or ignored. Nonsense. No one, no matter what has transpired in his or her lives is separated from God. We build the walls; create the false sense of separation, not God.

When we allow fear domination, we operate on our soul with a rusty scalpel and a shaking hand. God can and will solve all difficulties, if, though perhaps trembling, we stand firm in faith.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Praying For Ourselves

Some hold that it is selfish and a waste of time to pray for ones self, but how could it be? “Praying for ourselves is the reverse of selfishness-it is truly glorifying God” Emmet Fox.

There is tremendous danger when we attempt to sort our prayers. When we attempt to gauge with our limited vision what is appropriate to pray about we embark on a fool’s errand. God does not need or want us to play prayer gatekeeper. Our job is to come to Him in prayer with anything on our mind or is troubling us. Additionally we do not waste time trying to construct the wording of our prayers to avoid perceived selfishness. Simply we speak from the heart, for when the heart speaks the heart listens. God knows our heart and the issues that flow from it, for He is closer than hands and feet, closer than breath. And that is most close indeed. A simple heart filled prayer delivered trembling can move mountains. “You must pray for yourself constantly. How could it be otherwise?”
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Chickens and Bumper Stickers

The hen lays her eggs and then keeps them warm and safe until they hatch. What would happen if half way through the process she decided to crack open the eggs to see how things were progressing? Chickens are not the sharpest tools in the shed, yet they understand their role in creation. The hen demonstrates faith in the process, knows if she does her job, the miracle of creation will follow, all by instinct alone (I may be wrong, but I do not think chickens spend a lot of time considering the mysteries of the universe). Living on the Spiritual Basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, when faced with trouble or difficulty we lay our concerns in His hands, take whatever secular action is required and trust in His promise for just as the wonder of creation that takes place inside the shell unseen, He works in us.

Years ago I spied a bumper sticker that summed it up nicely “Thanks, but I got this, I really don’t need your help. God.” Place your problems in His hands and let Him work. We can learn much from the hen and occasionally from bumper stickers.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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“We answer to a higher authority”

Now that we have been on the path of spiritual living for a time, what is our course when faced with a serious problem or difficulty? Should we redouble our efforts, work harder?  Isn’t that usually one of the first thoughts to cross our mind in these times? That we will need to work hard on this, that it is going to require extra time and effort, spiritual toil to get to the other side? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.

Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, we do not ignore secular answers or remedies, but we do immediately employ spiritual principles as soon as we become aware of the situation. As an old commercial intoned, “We answer to a higher authority” (everyone does actually, some just don‘t realize it, yet). Remembering change is the natural course of living, we quietly and resolutely turn to God when faced with trouble and place the trouble in His hands. Having taken whatever action the secular world requires, having prayed and meditated in due course we stop, become quiet for the footwork is done, the results left to God. When we feel the “do something” urge begin to creep back into our consciousness we turn to God in prayer and ask if there is anything further that needs to be done, that He would have us do, for we are willing. If there is, we will have an intuitive thought, the action made clear.

Our problems and difficulties require trust for resolution, not spiritual hard work. Living on the Spiritual Basis we trust infinite Creation rather than our finite self. “God can and will solve this problem”, remember there are no small or large difficulties, spiritually size is non-existent; when in pain and discomfort, the ultimate solution is always found through our reliance on a Power Greater Than Ourselves. Save the hard work for the garden.

What is More Important?

Do you have to “find” time to pray and meditate? Really? What can possibly be more important than your time with the Miraculous? Now if you are praying and meditating regularly, are you doing it out of a sense of duty? Kinda like the dishes or the laundry? Secretly feeling relieved when done so you can get on with what you really want to do?

Praying and meditating out of duty is better than no prayer or meditation, but misses the true nature of why we do it. Understand this truth: Prayer and meditation is not for God, it is for us, for God is prayer and meditation incarnate. When we pray by rote, reciting them as a parrot, we reap as the parrot reaps, though fed and cared for; we remain caged, caged in the bondage of self, a cage constructed by our own hand.

If our prayers have become stale, our meditations tedious, take a break from what you have been doing. Simplify your prayers to the point of asking only to be shown His will this day. A prayer of “Father, guide my hands, my heart and my mind today, so that I may best serve you and my fellows, Amen” said earnestly carries more weight than a dozen memorized prayers recited impatiently.

Concerning meditation, open any spiritual book that appeals to you and read a line or two, never more than a paragraph. Take a few cleansing breathes and then quietly consider what was just read. When your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to the reading. When your mind starts to wander again, end the session and thank God for the time spent. There is possibly no more powerful prayer than “Thank you God”, said form the heart. Keep it simple.

In time, your prayers will change as your consciousness rises and you will begin to look forward to your quiet meditative moments. Always remember: Do not struggle. This is not work, a chore, something to “get done” so you can do something seemingly more important, for there is nothing more important.

So learn to pray with the lightness of a feather and meditate with joy, remembering you are not merely in the Presence of the Infinite, you are connected in Spirit, an integral part of all creation.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Fate?

Fate, as a conscious power, is a convenient catch all for those confused or unwilling to do the work necessary to clear away the wreckage of living that accumulates when we chose to live the unexamined life. When we understand the law of reaping and sowing, fate is placed in its proper perspective.

To be clear: Many things are attributed to fate that are in reality merely aspects of living and life. Someone always wins the lottery, eventually. Road accidents happen because a variety of conditions came together. Thousands of cars crash every day all around the world, not fate, just a result of a lot of cars on the road and bad decisions behind the wheel. Everyone misses opportunities, drops the toast, zigged when they should have zagged. When facing life’s inevitable questions, challenges and seeming random occurrences, what defines us is the direction our thinking takes when faced with them, do we turn within or without?

If you still believe fate is immanent, take a moment to investigate. Get a pen and a piece of paper. Say a quiet prayer to be shown God’s will for you and write down any aspect of your life or an incident you have attributed to fate. When finished read it through and ask for an intuitive thought. Employ some cleansing breaths, close your eyes and relax. Do not struggle or be insistent. Quietly review what you know about the Great Creative Life-Force. Do not tell anyone (the only exception being if you have a close spiritual adviser) what you are about. Many in our lives, though well intentioned, will not understand and will in fact retard the demonstration. Usually an insight comes in the first session, but if not do this as part of your meditation period for a week. If nothing seems to have surfaced after a week, put it aside. In time you will have an “aha” moment, so do not struggle or be in a hurry. Perspective is paramount regarding time, remember, the true YOU, the I AM, is eternal, let God work within you and the mysteries of fate will be revealed, in His time.© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Heart’s Desire, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Road Less Traveled, NOTW, Law Of Attraction, Chopra, Alanon, Healing Path

Another Unbreakable Law

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

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

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

The Zen Of Bacon Avocado Cheeseburgers

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

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

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

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

Oh, bacon avocado cheeseburgers? Don’t be silly; they are the food of the Gods.
© Vincent Jones Living In Spirit

Demonstrating Over Trouble

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Heart’s Desire, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Road Less Traveled, NOTW, Law Of Attraction, Chopra, Alanon, Healing Path