“Spirituality means having found the diamond mine inside yourself. Religion is intended to lead you there.”
~ Anthony DeMello ~

The discovery that we are spiritual beings having a human experience is continually and spontaneously being made. This good news is too good to keep to one’s self. It seems the discoverer is compelled to share their awareness and its benefits. They talk about physical, mental, and emotional healing; success; fulfilling relationships; and supply. This one becomes a teacher, pointing the way.

Spiritual teachers often use examples of this life sublime as it relates to science, religion, and philosophy. They show how individual life is a testimony to the Truth of Being. The teacher encourages you to practice prayer and meditation; rituals; ceremonies; and other methods that ignite this awareness of truth within you. The teacher points the way.

The illumined consciousness of such a one is inspirational, motivational, and is like an irresistible, creative force. Their words become “a doorway to the infinite” within you. Sometimes it feels as though the teacher is a savior; this is not so; even though their words catapult you into the realm of unlimited possibilities. 

“Truth has nothing to do with words. Truth can be likened to the bright moon in the sky. Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger. The finger can point to the moon’s location. However, the finger is not the moon. To look at the moon, it is necessary to gaze beyond the finger, right?”     
~ Sixth Patriach Hui Neng ~

In other words, it is your very own consciousness of Truth that sets you free from every sense of limitation. The Apostle Paul said, “Christ in you is your hope of glory.” The teacher simply points the way.

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Once the commitment is made to follow a path of harmony, peace, love, joy, and a world that works for everyone; the journey of enlightenment begins. Self-discipline is the motivation to:

• Refrain from judgments about people, places and things based on limited information or limited exposure.

• Abandon the belief in the shifting sands of circumstances. 

• Keep an open mind and remain teachable. 

• Let more of the Infinite Mind and Love of God be revealed through you. 

• Remain anchored in the awareness that God is the One and Only Presence operating in the universe. 

• Realize that any perception less than beauty, harmony, wisdom, abundance, and all-good is a blurred vision; a position in consciousness that blocks the view of Reality. 

• Choose a new position in the Infinite Mind of God that provides a clear point of view.

• Cultivate a consciousness of the Ineffable, Changeless Nature of Spirit.

Life is an upward spiral, always becoming more of Itself. Humanity points the way of that becoming. Let it be on earth as it is in the celestial realms of consciousness as we each take that step through the doorway to the infinite. 

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This Week’s Affirmation

“Today I align with Truth and see clearly the way of Good.”
By Judy Hilley

Originally posted 5/18/2021.

In the early 1940’s when I was a young child, my family, along with families throughout the country, used to gather around the radio and listen to the evening news. There was a lot of turmoil going on in the world at the time, e.g., Depression and World War II. 

I remember hearing a beloved news commentator of that era, Gabriel Heatter. He had a very distinctive voice and a way of touching the heart. His nightly broadcast began with the words, “There is good news tonight,” giving a bright and inspiring account of the happenings of the day. Or, in contrast, on more somber occasions he told us, “There is bad news tonight.” He reported what the world looked like to him on any given day. 

America listened with great anticipation as he reported the state of the world. He was trusted. His broadcasting was always from the heart. It was as if his voice was echoing our voice; or was our voice echoing his?

~ ~ ~ ~

There’s no denying that it is a challenge to remain 100% awake and fully conscious all of the time. However, when I am half-awake and not conscious of my own thoughts, feelings, and values at the moment, I may become susceptible to another’s viewpoint or mood. I may become easily distracted and pulled into the vibration of another’s perception of life. 

The way I Listen applies to everyone I encounter in this thing called life. When I am “open at the top,” I may learn something new and beneficial. However, as a spiritually motivated person, my responsibility is to remain anchored in my conviction of Truth, lest I am pulled off center, letting the on-going drama of people, places, and things dull my mind into believing that I am caught in an unescapable vortex of fear, hatred, and despair.

I have discovered that the information I receive, when properly assimilated, may support me in making crucial decisions while I assert my values as a citizen of the world. The various viewpoints I hear about the experiences of the world inform me of the best use of my personal talents, skills, and abilities as I move forward participating fully in the evolution of humanity.

My committed spiritual practice reminds me that I am a spiritual being right here and right now, fully endowed with all that God is. I am reminded that I have the power to let there be light, where there seems to be darkness. I pray.

I Pray about these things until the Light of God-consciousness breaks forth in all Its magnificence illuminating my mind with Changeless Truth. I pray until I come to a full realization that anything appearing unlike the nature of the Divine is the result of false beliefs and erroneous concepts about Reality. I pray until I see that “every human aberration is a spiritual aspiration trying to break through.” 

It is from this consciousness that I Act, doing that which is mine to do.

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This Weeks Affirmation

“I am a spiritual being. I receive and listen to Divine guidance.”

By Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP

Originally posted April 6, 2021

“Liberty and justice for all” is a divine idea – pure essence. It is universal potential and unformed creation. It lives within the “one mind common to all individual men.”¹ When one affirms this idea, movement within the cosmic field of infinite possibilities begins to formulate it into existence.  Depending on the embodiment ² of the affirmation, and coupled with ensuing action, the idea becomes a universal experience.   

I notice whenever I see the slightest evidence of my faith being realized, I have a tendency to retreat to my comfort zone, affirming all is well. To the degree that I withdraw, the motion of creation subsides. I must stay the course.

For example, several years ago a labyrinth was created for my backyard. As I traveled the circling path in meditation, I would sometimes imagine all the people on earth walking with me. Together we would chant:

We Are One! We Are One! ~ In the Spirit, we are One!
Let the love flow, So, the world will know, ~ We are one in Love.³

In time, the structure began to reflect the wear and tear of the seasons of wind, rain, and storm.  Not liking how it looked, I uprooted it and covered all the twists and turns of my daily walk with topsoil.

 Recently, Chris and I were talking about my yard (called, “the sanctuary”) and she said to me, “you know, even though you cannot see the labyrinth, it is still there.”   Those words catapulted me into contemplative meditation. 

 I asked myself, where did you leave off in the process-in-healing; or have you forgotten? When the atmosphere of your soul got scary, what unresolved feelings and emotions were covered up, so everything would look pretty and in place? 

With many feelings and emotions still well-covered I practice the art and science of Spiritual Mind Treatment ⁴ for the purpose of peace on earth and good will towards all people. I affirm ‘there is only One Infinite Life; that Life is Love and that Life of Love is my life right now and is the life of everyone.’ In moments of realization, I KNOW there is no separation; all apparent inequities are the out picturing of ignorance and limitation.   The limerick of my childhood affirms this awakened awareness:

Red, brown, yellow, Black and white;
They are all precious In His sight.⁵

Then I am reminded of Ernest Holmes’ words, “(Treatment) is not a process of saying ‘Peace’ when there is no peace.” ⁶   I THINK I GOT IT!!! In other words, until my word of truth is seen by all, my work is incomplete.

So, I return to the sanctuary of my being. I walk the labyrinth of life, and my path intertwines with all of the so-called “others.” I hear their stories and I tell them mine. Though painful, my unexamined feelings and emotions are now exposed to the Light. We say to one another, “I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.” ⁷

I stay the course. I affirm the truth; I meditate on the truth; I do spiritual mind treatment about truth. And I ask myself, what is mine to do?

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Affirmation

I know that my good is always wherever I am.
By Keith D. Childers

Originally posted on August 25, 2020

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” The entire month of February teaches me the divine dance between these two aspects of my nature.  One aspect is Invisible. It is the Source of my visible self, The Lead. It is The Presence, The Force, The Intelligence, The Living Spirit.  It is that which powers my every thought and action that shows up in the world.  I allow the events of the month to become lessons that support me in becoming a great dancer, that is, the best version of who I am. 

Black History Month

Dr. Martin Luther King taught, “Number one in your life’s blueprint, should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth and your own “somebody-ness.” Don’t allow anybody to make you feel that you’re nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.”   American history includes black women, from Harriet Tubman to VP Kamala Harris, and many in between, lest we forget Cicely Tyson. It includes black men, from Frederick Douglas to President Barack Obama, and many in between, lest we forget Hank Aaron. Their self-esteem transcended systemic racism. What A Lesson!

Valentine’s Day

 Love, is indeed the greatest power in the world. Lovers set aside this day to celebrate the phenomena of unyielding unity, oneness, and self-giving-ness.  Awakened beings know that Love is not limited in its expression.   It is the Namaste’ consciousness. It is the Madonna and Child. It is the Good Samaritan. It is the Patriot.  Love is God loving Itself. Yes, Love is a many splendored thing. I incline my ear and hear the Presence whisper, “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Then, I dance.

Presidents Day

This is a day we pay tribute and give equal recognition to two of America’s most famous statesmen, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I am reminded that it takes courage to step into unchartered territory while fully aware that the foundation you are laying depends on future generations to fulfill the dream. The lesson I glean is, I am that future generation who propel the vision of “a more perfect union.” I do my part in the further evolution of humanity.

Lent

 This tradition, most common with Catholicism, is described as a practice that commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, before beginning his public ministry. I see the value in preparation. In order to be a clear, conscious conduit for my greater expression of being, I give up the lesser for the greater. I abstain from that which no longer serves. I cleanse my consciousness of any sense of lack or limitation.

Season for Nonviolence

The Sanskrit translation of the word nonviolence, is “absence of injury.”  Through this initiative I am reminded that it is my nature to practice loving-kindness as a way of life. I am reminded of the divine kinship I have with every living being. I am reminded to focus my energy on that for which I am “for” versus what I am “against.” I am reminded that I live, move, and have my existence in a spiritual universe, inhabited by spiritual beings, and governed by spiritual laws. My goal is to choose peace and harmony in everything I think, say, and do.

~ ~ ~

Self-Esteem, The Power of Love, Courage, Preparation, and Loving-Kindness support me in being a greater version of myself. These lessons from the month of February become my lodestar, guiding me along life’s way. I let go of my need to control. I let go and let My divine nature, the Indwelling Presence lead the dance.  

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This Weeks Affirmation

Today I court the Divine and allow all of life to dance with me.
By Judy Hilley

“The Highest God and the Innermost God is One.”
~ Ernest Holmes ~

When describing our Ineffable nature, I like referring to It as that point of stillness within our hearts and minds that has never been hurt, harmed, or disappointed. I like affirming that It is the Presence and Principle of God, and that being changeless, is always intact.

Ernest Holmes tells us to keep faith with reason. After all, we are human beings, or for sure having human experiences; and therefore, none are exempt from the slings and arrows of the outrageous fortunes, delivered at the hands of ignorance.

However, just as we may cultivate and develop physical muscles that provide us with the strength to attain feats that were formerly out of our range of possibilities; likewise, through spiritual practices, we may cultivate an awareness of our Greater Self, thus developing a state of mind that provides a Peace that passes human understanding regardless of any apparent circumstance. Spiritual practices support us in aligning ourselves, time and time again, with the Ever-Present Divine that is forever whispering to our inner ear, “Lo, I AM with thee always, even to the ends of the earth.”

The more we cultivate an awareness of this Invisible Presence that walks with us, and talks with us, and calls us Its very own; the more we benefit from Its moment-by-moment Divine Guidance, Protection, and Its Healing Balm of Love.

This Higher Power is our Christ-nature. It is that divine potential that awaits our recognition. The “I AM” that speaks is that part of our identity that is indestructible. It is the Living Spirit Almighty and is the very center and circumference of our existence. When speaking of this One it may seem as if It is outside of ourselves. Actually, this “I” is the Great Mystery of human existence that indwells each one of us. It is the Truth about every one of us.

The great teacher, mystic Jesus was not an exception; rather, he was a living example of our innate divinity. We honor this great Way Shower for proving, through the great works he did, the possibilities stretched before us. Christ, in each one of us, is our hope of glory.

So, it is with unwavering faith that we now move forward, divinely guided by the Inner Presence that reveals what is ours to do in a world that may suggest separation and duality. Remember, “ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4, NIV)

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This Weeks Affirmation

“I AM always present and alive in harmony and right action.”

by Keith Childers

Originally posted 12/20/22