“You are a distinct portion of the essence of God; and contain a part of him in yourself. Why, then, are you ignorant of your noble birth? Why do you not consider from whence you came? Why do you not remember, when you are eating, who you are who eat; and whom you feed? Do you not know that it is the Divine you feed; the Divine you exercise? You carry a God around with you, and know nothing of it.” ~ Epictetus, 55 – 135 ~  

“There’s good for me and I ought to have it.
~ Emma Curtis Hopkins, 1849 – 1925 ~

Many are called to experience Practical Spirituality and learn how to manifest the desires of the heart. Few, by comparison, choose to deepen their awareness of the Divine Principle, God, undergirding the seeming miracles. The resistance may be the word “God.” The word may trigger concepts of religiosity and dogma for which the seeker no longer identifies. 

Ernest Holmes offers a viewpoint of “God,” that may be more relatable.  He defines God as “The First Cause, the Great I Am, the Unborn One, the Absolute or Unconditioned, the One and Only Spirit, or the Creative Energy which is the cause of all visible things. Love, Wisdom, Intelligence, Power, Substance, Mind.  The Truth that is real, the Principle that is dependable.” (The Science of Mind, p.595.6)

Whenever we pause and ask ourselves ‘what do I recognize and believe about God;’ the exercise may very well be the beginning of a form of self-awareness that leads us to a greater and more fulfilling expression of ourselves. Such a practice reveals the secrets of how life gets to be the way it is. After all, it truly is done unto us as we believe.

God, First Cause, The Self-Existent One is the Eternal Spirit, Mind, and Body; Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. It is The One Life, permeating absolutely everything, without exception.   It is the One Infinite Creative Energy Field, imbued with Divine Love, Peace, Harmony, Abundance, Beauty, Light, Wisdom, Power, Joy, and all-natural goodness. Everything in the visible, physical, material world emanates from the One Source, fully imbued with Its creative nature.  God is the Great Creator, alive in all of Its creation.

Spending time in contemplative meditation on the qualities and attributes you, personally affirm is God, may soon catapult you into meditating on the idea of your inseparable relationship with the One; that you, right here, right now, are a divine idea in the infinite mind of God; forever unified and fully imbued with all that God is.

As a result of such practices, a child-like faith begins to emerge and realize (In the words of Hannah More Kohaus):

“God is my help in every need;
God does my every hunger feed;
God walks beside me, guides my way
Through every moment of this day.
I now am wise, I now am true,
Patient and kind, and loving, too;
All things I am, can do, and be,
Through Christ the Truth, that is in me.
God is my health, I can’t be sick;
God is my strength, unfailing, quick;
God is my all, I know no fear,
Since God and Love and Truth are here.”

And, so it is!

This Week’s Affirmation

“I know the truth of my being, and it’s all Good!”

~ Angela “Chris” Beam ~

“We have gone through many abstract processes of reasoning and have found out what the Law is and how It works. Now, we can forget all about the Law and know there is nothing but the Word –the Law will be working automatically. We must forget everything else and let our word be spoken with a deep inner realization of love, beauty, peace, poise, power, and of the great Presence of Life at the point of our own consciousness. “
~ The Science of Mind, by Ernest Holmes ~

There are times, like all of us, when I get a very clear intuitive hit; i.e., an inner knowing and clear guidance. Nonetheless, too often I am inclined to stop and analyze the revelation. There seems to be a need to arrive at human conclusions regarding how and why things happen the way they do; and, how to manifest the desires of the heart. This process of reasoning satisfies the ego-driven intellect, temporarily. I notice if I go down that road too far, I experience vacillating emotions; i.e., low self-esteem if I miss the mark; or, “self”-centeredness when I am in the zone.

On the other hand, when I trust that everything is in divine order, I sense and feel that the Highest God and the Innermost God of my imagination are one and the same God; Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. At such times, I know there is no life outside or separate from The One. I am It and It is I. In these mystical moments, I am assured that I am unified with a Presence and Power that receives the “direct impression of my thought and acts upon it.”

It is said that the mystics of all time know their relationship with The Universe without ever knowing how they know what they know.  They simply know! They live their lives in a consciousness of unyielding confidence in the changeless nature of The One.

Each one of us may live our life in wholly, holy communion, guided moment by moment by infinite wisdom. Establishing and maintaining a daily practice such as meditation, spiritual mind treatment, affirmations, life visioning, journaling, or other such habits support us in the realization that everything truly is in divine order.

When this state of consciousness is attained, we are aligned with the heart and soul of the universe. We then know that the essence of the thing we desire is already a reality in the infinite mind of God.  What we know, really know to be true, automatically manifests in, through, and as the very thing we desire and accept as ours. It is Law. There is no opposition to pure knowing. (“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”)

 I love affirming “everything is in divine order.” It reminds me that there are no mis-takes in the infinite mind of God. I am reminded that I am a spiritual being, living in a spiritual universe with other spiritual beings, and we are governed by spiritual laws. These concepts have a tendency to put me at ease when faced with physical, mental, or emotional challenges that otherwise cause uncertainty and doubt… be they my personal experience or that of another. This attitude assures me of The Presence that walks with me, talks with me, and tells me I am It… and It is I.

This Week’s Affirmation

“I am smart and intelligent always trusting my mind to know and to apply the best information moving me forward.”

~ Keith Childers ~

“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
~ William Ernest Henley ~ 

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
~ Julian of Norwich ~

Learning to use The Law of Mind in Action to manifest the desires of the heart is a progressive way of living and leads us to the next juncture of personal growth. For example, the tangible form or experience we encounter as a result of that which we have affirmed and accepted in our minds denotes our core values.  It may take several seasons of observing repeated patterns before realizing that this is so. If we are not pleased with what we keep bumping into, we may activate the Law again with a different mindset that yields different results.      

Truth be told until we are living in alignment with the fundamental nature of all life, which is the changeless good of Harmony, Peace, Love, Joy, Beauty, Wisdom, etc., we are never completely satisfied.  However, an embodiment of these qualities guides us to make right choices regarding the people, places, and things we add to the world.

The spiritual practice of Spiritual Mind Treatment supports us in this endeavor.

Yes, as each one of us is lifted up in consciousness, humanity evolves into its greater-yet-to-be. In other words, as we individually expand into an awareness of the unlimited potential we have as spiritual beings, and act upon this awareness, we begin to establish new paradigms. The mindset of the majority becomes an influential energy that is the dawning of a new day on earth.  

We have come a long way in human history when we consider the influences the mystics of the ages have made to the collective consciousness. Also, when we look at the rapid advancement of technology and science, it is amazing how quickly we have outgrown the yesterdays, and have conformed to the todays of our time. For many inhabitants of the planet, there was never a time without the internet or a moon landing.

On the other hand, it certainly appears that we have a long way to go when the human experience of division, war, hatred, fear, and violent destruction is all around. It appears as though the wheels of evolution are turning slowly when there is still so much to be healed in the mind of humanity. However, Jesus, so wisely predicted that the “poor” will always be with us; i.e. those poor or lacking in the awareness of our spiritual nature through which all things are possible.

To the degree that we are consciously in sync with the spiritual nature that permeates everything, it is to that degree that we spontaneously slip into higher and higher vibrations of life and living. Everyone who participates in “a world where personal responsibility joins with social conscience in every area of the political, corporate, academic, and social sector, providing sustainable structures to further the emerging global consciousness “, is a beneficial presence that catapults us upward from glory-to-glory ad infinitum; i.e., a blessing in the here and now and for all the generations to come.

This Week’s Affirmation

“I consciously choose to be a beneficial presence in this world now.”

~ Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP ~

“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.”
~ The Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Niebuhr ~

As long as we see challenges as “it is what it is”, with a defeatist attitude – as if there’s nothing that can be done about the situation at hand, there is a mental equivalent established, or a picture in our mind’s eye that, when unchecked becomes the very essence of our experience.  Emma Curtis Hopkins, a 19th-century mystic, said it this way: “That thou seest, that thou beest.”

Let’s stop affirming our ‘yeah, that’s right,’ and, ‘ain’t it awful,’ so quickly. Let’s stop buying into ideas and concepts without considering the far-reaching implications of our agreements. There’s a difference between having compassion for another as they move through challenges and related feelings, and quite another when out of sympathy, to claim mutual ownership of those emotions.  

The Power for Good, which is the inherent nature of every living being, is activated by the agreements, feelings, and acceptance we have embraced about the people, places, and things we encounter in our day-to-day lives. When we react negatively to the ever-changing nature of life, be it in the realm of health, wealth, relationships, creativity, or whatever has shifted from the norm, the intensity of our feelings may, inadvertently, perpetuate that which, otherwise, has the potential to be healed.

On the other hand, when we have the presence of mind to respond to the Changeless Nature of Spirit, that is ever present, with the keen awareness of the underlying principles of Love, Peace, Harmony, Wholeness, Abundance, Beauty, and Joy, there is a mental equivalent established, or a picture in our mind’s eye that the Power for Good, responds by corresponding with the image we have embodied.

This does not imply that we deny the sense of pain, disappointment, loss, etc. that is part of the human experience. Jesus, the great mystic acknowledged, “In this world you will have trouble. … But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Yes, there may be a process of moving through troublesome times; however, there is never a need for settling for troublesome times.

Just as the proverbial ‘spilt milk’ will never go back into the glass; nonetheless, it is not a hopeless, helpless situation. After all, we can always clean up the floor, pour more milk into the glass, and begin again.  After all, the Power for Good, God, helps those who help themselves.

We show deep compassion for another and ourselves when we affirm the absolute truth regardless of what is showing up in the world.  The Truth is what it is, all the time. It does not change from person to person, nor does it depend upon circumstances. Staying in this consciousness requires daily practice. In so doing it is revealed what is ours to do that contributes to a world that works for everyone.

This Weeks Affirmation

“Today I affirm that I  overcome any challenge in the physical world by keeping my mind on the Good.”

~ Judy Hilley~ 

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. “
~ 1 Corinthians 2:9 ~

“… always remain open at the top for new insights. And, from that point, spiritual awareness can expand indefinitely.”
~ Ernest Holmes ~

From time to time, I am reminded of the parable of The Blind Men and An Elephant. It always puts into perspective for me, the vastness of Spirit.

If you are unfamiliar with the story or need a refresher, the following should suffice:

“The Blind Men and An Elephant is a story of a group of blind men who have never come across an elephant before and who learn and imagine what the elephant is like by touching it. Each blind man feels a different part of the animal’s body, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then describe the animal based on their limited experience and their descriptions of the elephant are different from each other. In some versions, they come to suspect that the other person is dishonest and they come to blows. The moral of the parable is that humans have a tendency to claim absolute truth based on their limited, subjective experience as they ignore other people’s limited, subjective experiences which may be equally true.” (Wikipedia)

Prayer Practitioners often begin their prayer treatment with the words, “This is What I know!”  They go on to declare, claim, describe, and affirm the Truth they know to be so. This is an effective practice, inasmuch as Ernest Holmes states. “With even the most rudimentary understanding of Mind, any person can use thought to solve day-to-day problems.”

~~~~

The point is, whatever you know about God is sufficient. So, simply start right where you are in consciousness. With conviction declare what you know is so. Then, practice that principle as a way of life.  In so doing, not only is the good you seek revealed in your life; you also slip into a greater awareness of The Presence expressing in, through, and as you.

Let us continue to move from glory to glory, anchored in an unwavering faith in the goodness that awaits us beyond what we presently see.

This Weeks Affirmation

“My perspective changes daily as I turn to Spirit.”

~ Angela “Chris” Beam ~