“Stand for what’s right. Make your life beautiful. Make your life meaningful.” –Maxime Lagacé
The Friday Affirmation
“Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world.” — Brene Brown
Toll Gates on the Road to Enlightenment
Have you noticed how expensive it can be to follow a spiritual path? In New Thought circles we tend to charge for everything including educational literature, meditation training, healing sessions, special events such as workshops, guest speakers and concerts, spiritual counseling and in some cases even prayer.
Even if you attend a more “traditional” church one of your responsibilities will be to help pay the bills which may include a mortgage on the building and salaries. It is even becoming more and more common for members to be required to pay for things like church dinners that are no longer “covered dish” or “potluck” and educational materials. Some churches even charge for children to attend Vacation Church School, excluding those whose families cannot afford to pay. And many churches of all types and varieties now have bookstores where you can buy not only books but a variety of merchandise ranging from t-shirts to prayer cards.
We have erected toll gates on the path to spiritual enlightenment, charging for access to God. What is sad about all of this is that some spiritual seekers are so desperate to find meaning in their lives they gladly pay.
But don’t worry, access to the Creator by whatever name you use is still free to all. Don’t let the toll gates stop you. You don’t have to pay to go down the road to enlightenment. Don’t worry about not saying the “right words” or doing things in the “right way.” Just open your heart to Divine love and light and trust that you will be led down the right path. And as you have freely received pass the love and light of God around.
Today I end with the words of Jesus as he sent his disciples out to minister.
7 “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:7-8 New International Version
Using our Gifts
Each of us came into this world with unique gifts and abilities to shine the light of God and serve the greater good. But we don’t always see these as gifts do we?
I know that for me, one of my gifts has seemed more like a curse. I have chosen not to develop or use it, having seen it abused and used to manipulate people by members of my family. But I can tell you that trying to ignore or just plain refusing to develop or use a gift of God does not make it go away.
For many years I have received what I call “psychic distress calls” from people who are lost, in trouble, sick or even dying. Most of the time I have no idea who or where these are coming from and there is usually nothing I could have done anyway. Sometimes I wake up the next morning to learn that someone has died or turn on the news to learn of a disaster somewhere in the world.
When we moved to a commmunity where most of us are over 60 years of age it took on a whole new level of intensity. When I learned trying to just ignore it did not work and it was affecting my own health I learned to do energy clearing and surround myself with the white light of protection. Now when I get a distress call I pray, “I release and let go of that which is not mine or no longer serves me. I give the person this is coming from into the loving care of the Creator of the Universe.”
I continued to refuse to allow myself to be used by Spirit out of fear of abusing the gift, until one day I had terrible pain in my head and stomach. I knew it was not mine and when I released it the pain was gone, but only for a few minutes. It kept coming back over and over until it finally stopped.
In the middle of the night Callie cat woke me up. She had not been well for some time and I could tell she was very sick. I picked her up, wrapped her in a blanket and held, rocked and spoke gently to her until she died in my arms. Bob looked at me and said, “I guess we know where the distress call was coming from.”
Callie’s death was a wakeup call to me to stop trying to deny my gift. It is time to trust that Spirit will teach me to use it to help and not to abuse or control others.
I am finally learning that gifts from the Universe are not returnable. If we refuse to develop them they will pursue us until we give up and let the Universe have it’s way.
How have you learned (or are still learning) to use your gifts to shine the light of God and serve the higher good?
The Friday Affirmation
“I am God Expressing in, through and as me.”
Beginning a New Year
I do not make New Year’s resolutions, because they don’t work for me. Neither has setting an intention with a word for the year. This year however I have been looking at what has and hasn’t been working for me.
Instead of making a goal or resolution to lose weight I am looking at where my healthy lifestyle went off track during the pandemic. Then I will begin getting back to what works, making adjustments where needed to better fit the times we now live in.
This year I will also continue focusing on clearing what is no longer needed or working for me as well as what comes from other people. I release and I let go… Living in a senior community where there is sickness and death this is so important, and I still have a way to go.
Finally, this year I am getting back to living as an artist. I’m beginning by reorganizing my studio, so my art supplies are easier to find. For me that also means learning to live with being different which is ongoing.
The beginning of a new year is a good time to stop, take and deep breath and look at what has and has not been working in our lives. Where I think we get off track is setting goals which may not be realistic or are at least inflexible. Then we beat ourselves up for not meeting them. This year think about continuing what works, releasing what does not work or making small adjustments or changes you can live with.
How do you start a New Year? Please leave your comments below.
This is a Day of New Beginnings
This is one of my favorite hymns in the Methodist Hymnal. I think it has an important message. This is a Day of New Beginnings. We can say this each and everyday of our lives. Each day we have the opportunity of put the past behind us, let go of what no longer serves us and move on. So today, and every day let us affirm this is a day of new beginnings.
Guard Your Thoughts
“Guard your thoughts carefully. The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life.” –Brian Tracy
This is a life lesson I seem to have to keep taking remedial courses in. The universe has shown me over and over that if I think garbage thoughts I will end up in the middle of a big garbage dump. If I think uplifting thoughts I will climb to the top of a hill with a nice view. Yet, I seem to have to keep climbing out of the garbage.
Here we are at the beginning of another year. I spent way to much of last year allowing myself to be dragged down by the thoughts, words and behavior of others.
So I begin the new year affirming these words. Please join me.
I guard my thoughts carefully. The quality of my thinking determines the quality of my life.
Feel free to share your journey toward guarding your thoughts in the comments below.
I Release and I Let Go
The end of the year is a good time to look at what is and is not serving us in our lives on this earth. And it is a great time to let go of that which no longer serves us.
I Release and I Let Go was written by Rickie Byers Beckwith. Please join together with Michael Gott in singing these powerful words as we reach the end of 2021.
The Work of Christmas
“When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.”
― Howard Thurman
When Christmas is over do we take down the lights, stop singing the carols, take down the nativity scene and put Christmas away for another year? If we do, I think we miss the point. We miss our calling to bring the light of the Christ presence into the world. The holiday many be over, but now the real work begins.
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