“God is closer than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.”
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson ~

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“I am the way and the truth and the life.”
~ John 14:6 ~

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“Through spiritual discernment, we see that we have within us a power which is greater than anything we shall ever contact; a power that can overcome every obstacle in our experience and set us safe, satisfied, and at peace, healed and prosperous in a new light and a new life.”
~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind p.146.2 ~

Oral history is not always factual, but often an allegory or metaphor, inasmuch as the storyteller may add a little “color” to enhance the story being told. Or, they may add a bit of “yeast” to expand the main point being conveyed. This innocent hyperbole has a tendency to keep the interest of the listener alive.

It was in the mid-1970s that I first heard about the origin of “What We Believe”, also called “The Declaration of Principles,” that is recited in Religious Science communities. I was deeply impressed when hearing the story of Ernest Holmes’ spontaneity, wisdom, and clear articulation as he spoke about what his heart and soul embraced. He expressed with conviction, what he believed to be the Truth about God, the Universe, humanity, and the unlimited possibilities stretched before us all.

The story goes that a reporter, interviewing Holmes, asked him about the fundamental beliefs of the spiritual philosophy he was teaching. It is said that Holmes paused and reflected on the inquiry before speaking. After a few minutes, he reached for a nearby brown paper bag and tore it open. With pencil in hand, he began writing. The following is the first of thirteen principles or beliefs he shared that day.

“I believe in God, the living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute, and self-existent Cause.”
Imagine for a moment, that this all-powerful God that Holmes describes is the Presence that is the very essence of our being; i.e., the Self that is the “I” that “I AM” indwelling humanity, and is the life force of every individual.

“This One manifests Itself in and through all creation, but is not absorbed by Its creation.”
Imagine “this One” that Holmes speaks about is an infinite and creative mind in whom we live, move, and have our being. This field of pure energy out pictures in the physical world, all that It accepts as truth. Imagine this Power is never exhausted, always creating out of Itself, and is never limited by what has gone before.

“The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.”
Imagine that everything you experience in the world is the sum total of the collective thoughts and beliefs humanity has embodied about itself; and, the subsequent choices humanity has made.

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While the story of the brown paper bag is charming and got my attention right away; it is the changeless principle of Oneness, when understood and practiced that is the life-changing fact. It is through meditation and practicing the presence of God that we come to a realization that it is our very own all-powerful inner voice, whose pronouns are “me” and “I” that is the ceaseless, creative activity of Spirit; i.e., the very Source that gives birth to the people, places, and things all around.

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This Weeks Affirmation
“My thoughts, words, and actions contribute to a peaceful world.”

https://www.unity.org/article/monthly-affirmations-unity

(Revisited)
I fretted, became frustrated, exhausted, and finally, just plain spent. You see, even the most skilled IT Technician could not retrieve that Word Document I so desperately needed. It was lost forever. 

In the midst of feeling stuck in a cycle of self-blame and ridicule for not doing my part to save the precious text, I heard a still small voice within me say, “The same intelligence that flowed through you, creating that document, is still available.” Unconsciously I was being re-aligned with the Truth, the promise of freedom, the ability to begin again. The decision to accept the gift of letting go of the mistake and moving on, equated to self-forgiveness.

You would think I would immediately follow this divine guidance. It was my choice. Nonetheless, I continued to struggle, punishing myself a little longer. It was as if an opposing thought said, ‘Self-forgiveness is for more serious issues, like the one shared by a woman I know, who had been physically imprisoned for her mistakes.’ 

Limiting self-talk keeps us locked into what is already the past.

The woman, like me, heard the still small voice within her that promised a new beginning. Determined to create a new story of her life, she adhered to the divine guidance of this Inner Knower. While today she passionately disavows the behavior that once identified her; she nonetheless acknowledges her journey of awakening and moves forward.

Now awake, and supporting others as aLife Coach, she is a conduit for healing.  

The principle of forgiveness does not favor one condition over another. It simply dissolves the emotional energy of condemnation, shame, or blame. The Self/giving-ness of Divine Love energizes the entire being with the wisdom to move forward, to begin again.  In many ways our self-forgiveness and ability to move forward support fellow travelers, like the woman I mentioned. 

There is no “big” or “small” in the Infinite Mind of the Divine. Even the slightest condemnation of one’s self, and that of another, blocks the free-flowing energy of Spirit, causing emotional imprisonment and limits self-expression. 

The Self-giving-ness of the Divine One is Grace. It is the ever-flowing presence of healing Love.

John Newton, the converted slave trader of the 1700s wrote: “How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed.”

I GOT IT!!!

Thank goodness for the practice of meditation and prayer. My realization was swift. The next day my creative juices were flowing again. The replacement document that I created was better than the first. And I saved it.

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This Weeks Affirmation

“I am capable of moving beyond my mistakes”.
www.prolificliving.com/forgive-yourself-affirmations/

Repost

“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 a 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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This Weeks Affirmation

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

“You are either attracting or repelling according to your mental attitudes” ~ Ernest Holmes ~

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Seeing life symbolically means looking for the deeper meaning in any event.” ~ Caroline Myss ~

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“And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true.” ~ Revelations 21:5 ~

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My ongoing project of decluttering my house of the items that no longer serve me continues.

Over the years, I have stored items that I no longer use into closets, drawers, cabinets, attic, basement, garage, or shed. The idea was I may have use for them at a later date.

From time to time, I would assess the situation and do some clearing out. The problem is, I always held on to as much as I discarded; while at the same time, always collecting even more.

This most recent round of decluttering has been the most thorough, although not complete. There are still items hanging in my closet that no longer fit, as well as furniture in the garage that I’ll never use.

The most amazing revelation about this process is the amount of “junk” I had saved. Instead of discarding certain things the moment I realized they were useless to me or anyone else, I simply put them away and told myself I would get rid of them later. Over the years I forgot about these things, forgetting that they were occupying valuable space.

How free I felt the moment I finally let go of the junk I had accumulated.

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As I pondered these things, the whole process of releasing undesirable “things” became a metaphor for how one declutters the ‘mental house’ of thoughts that no longer serve, especially in the context that thoughts are the origin of all things.

Just like the” things” that no longer serve are put out of our visible sight; likewise, the unexamined thoughts of lack, limitation, and separation accumulated through the years become hidden beliefs, i.e., the “junk,” occupying the subconscious realms of our minds.

The art of decluttering the mind of false beliefs is to practice affirming the Truth each time faced with that which no longer serves. A brief statement to yourself, such as I am love; I am peace; I am harmony; I am joy, I am abundance, I am beauty; I am that which I desire to experience, is the chi, also known as qi or the life force energy that flows through all things.

Once the thoughts of truth are believed, realized, and accepted, the worthless thoughts are dissolved into the native nothingness from whence they came. In that same moment, the exhilarating feeling of freedom is experienced. Once more you are self-empowered as you move forward, with a sense of peace, doing that which you are called to do.

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I am able to go beyond what I thought were my limits.”

https://www.fcionline.com/article/30-affirmations-to-power-happiness-and-positive-thinking/

(Revisited)
I and a friend were talking about the spirituality of gardening. The conversation began with us both acknowledging that the vegetables she is now growing in her garden, were comfort foods in our youth.  In this nostalgic mood, I remember my mother having a vegetable garden in the backyard, and the front yard being filled to overflowing with petunias of every color. My friend showed me pictures of the growth process. I learned a lot.

I began to recall a class project from grade school that taught the basic relationship between the seed, the soil, and the plant. Therefore, when I first heard this analogy used in The Science of Mind to describe how thoughts become things, it was easy to accept the concept.  Through practice, trial and error, and experience, it is more apparent than ever before the far-reaching implications of the creative process that is always taking place in life.

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I begin to imagine planet Earth swirling through space, carrying within itself an energy field capable of feeding all of its inhabitants throughout all time. ‘Just think’, I tell myself, ‘Beneath the surface of the ground there is a vibrating, pulsating mystery, that yields everything needed to sustain and maintain a healthy body.’ Mother Earth is never exhausted or depleted of its nature to create that which nourishes; and she always leaves behind a seed within every plant, guaranteeing a future gift of the same kind. Its self-givingness is endless. Not only does it provide food for our bodies (like my mother’s vegetable garden); It provides beauty for our soul’s delight (like my mother’s flower garden). 

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A limited vision of Truth may see no further than the farmer’s delivery to the supermarket where a selection of fresh, frozen, or canned versions of “our daily bread” are available. Sometimes, with a limited view, it may even appear that the store is “sold out”, while the reality is, we are eternally unified with a storehouse of consciousness that is forever expanding.

But wait, there’s more!

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The great teacher, Jesus, came along and told us: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” (John 4:32 NIV) I believe what he is sharing here is his discovery that not only are our bodies provided everything it needs to live successfully on the planet; our minds, when properly nourished, likewise are provided all that brings about satisfaction and fulfillment ~ all that brings great comfort. 

I imagine an energy field that surrounds all the inhabitants of the earth. I imagine this Light moving in, below, above, and through every living being. I imagine this Life Force as a vibrating, pulsating mystery that yields everything needed to sustain and maintain a healthy mind.   I imagine the “food” Jesus references is a perfect metaphor for the abundant and inexhaustible supply of Peace, Harmony, Love, Wisdom, Joy, Order, Beauty, and Wholeness that is ever-present. These qualities may be likened to seeds that may be planted in our minds, creating thoughts about the things we desire in life; i.e., health, fulfilling relationships, successful careers, sufficient finances, and more. I believe this food for thought is the very essence of Life Itself, and is the Great Comforter.

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The awareness of this phenomenon, this miracle, this divine connection that provides for every living being is obscured when you and I limit our vision of Truth based on the opinions of others, or a popular worldview. You and I must plant our own garden, realizing that we reap what we sow. It is Spiritual Law.

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This Week’s Affirmation

How grateful am I for all the abundance in my life right now and for all my abundance I have yet to discover!

By Keith Childers