“Love is the self-givingness of the Spirit through the desire of Life to express Itself in terms of creation. Emerson tells us that Love is a synonym for God. We are also told in the New Testament that “He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.” Love is free from condemnation, even as it is free from fear. Love is a cosmic force whose sweep is irresistible.”
~The Science of Mind, by Ernest Holmes~

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“Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water.”
~The Forty Rules of Love, Shams of Tabriz~

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“Perfect Love casts out all fear.”
~1John: 4:18~IS

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Too often we look to the world for the love and happiness we desire to experience. Herein lies the problem. In his book, Spiritual Economics, Eric Butterworth says, “The world owes you nothing, the universe owes you everything,” implying the gift of creation is within our power… After all, our nature, being unified with God’s nature, is to give to the world the love and happiness that is already ours.

The idea that each and every living being is an individualization of the One Presence, God, is a radical concept that has been taught by the enlightened ones throughout all time. They have used the tools of language, art, and storytelling, for which we have recited many times. Yet, until one has a personal experience of the divinity that lies at the center of our being, the infinite possibilities stretched before us lie dormant in a sea of potential.

The process of awakening to your true identity takes commitment to a spiritual practice and a willingness to move through the appearances you may encounter along the way.  This requires practicing the right use of judgment. For example, while you may be in agreement with the often-heard phrases, “There’s not a spot where God is not” and “God is Love.”; it is not always easy to see and to proclaim love for those who are showing up in the world in opposition to that which is the highest good for the collective community.

When practicing the presence of our Love-Self, we are challenged to remember that every human aberration, whether ours or another’s, that shows up as envy, boastfulness, dishonoring others, self-seeking, easily angered, or keeping record of wrongs; is born out of ignorance of one’s true nature. They are actually misplaced spiritual aspirations trying to break through.

Understanding this doesn’t mean we must become a best friend, lover, or an associate with those who initiate a negative atmosphere. It does mean, however, that through a regular practice of unifying with the God of Love within, we begin to recognize this is the truth of everyone whether they realize it or not. Within your heart you may begin to sing, “I love myself so much – so I can love you so much – so you can love you so much –so you can start loving me.”

It is written that Love is patient and kind; that It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Imagine a world that works for everyone, saturated in Omnipresent Love.

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This Weeks Affirmation

“I am a source of inspiration for others”.

https://passionplanner.com/blogs/content/self-love-affirmations

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“Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?
~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet ~

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” 
~ Socrates ~

Who am I? What is mine to do? What is my purpose? How do I make a difference in the world?   These are common questions that arise for the spiritually inspired who have taken an assessment of their personal beliefs, values, and worldview.

Based on the premise, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” (Matthew 7:7), I imagine Divine Wisdom’s response, saying in effect: ‘You are pure spirit, an individualization of the One Spirit which is the Sole Creator of all life. Everything that you do is the creative nature of the Creator expressing through you, as you.  

The purpose-driven life of the one aligned with spiritual principles is a conduit through which Unconditional Love, Peace, Harmony, Wisdom, Wholeness, Abundance, Beauty, and Joy are unleashed, creating a positive force for good in the world.’

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When one is in alignment with the nature of the One Source, God, there is a natural tendency to ‘give’ to the world. They are service-oriented people, serving humanity with their time, talents, skills, and abilities, regardless of the avenue used, be it academic, corporate, political, or the arts. The choice is always ours, and the ever-present creative energy flows the same through all. What matters is the motive (or driving force) for doing what is being offered.  It is from a consciousness of unity and a sincere intention for the highest good of everyone to be realized, that a world that works for everyone begins to emerge. 

The blind spot for the one who has never questioned their existence and inadvertently seeks to ‘get’ something from the world, may be as simple as the attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and actions, inherited from the error-thought and worldview of the unenlightened.   

Rev. Michael B. Beckwith teaches: “Disagree with any thought-form that says, “My good is coming from someone else. My answer is coming from someone else.”  “All good comes directly from the Source of all Creation.”  

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From outer appearances, there may be no evidence based on one’s occupation that distinguishes the enlightened from the unenlightened. As the Zen Proverb teaches: “Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” However, those who, in the recesses of their being, are awake enough to practice their spiritual identity, their personal mission, and goals are a beneficial presence in the world. 

Those who are aware of their own unenlightened parts, engage in a daily practice of Love, Forgiveness, Peace, and Compassion for all. They are forever growing into their greater-yet-to-be, whose consciousness is making a difference in the world.

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This Weeks Affirmation

“I AM a conduit expressing the attributes of the Divine. . .  creating a positive force for Good in our world.”

Mary Jane LaBonte

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“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ~ Matthew 7:2 (NIV) ~ 

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There is a universal law of choice that governs the life of the planet and all Its habitants. This law, or principle, is the creative life force of every individual. It is set in motion by the issues of the heart and mind; i.e., embodied thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.  The inevitable results that follow are evidence of conscious or unconscious choices made within the secret place of one’s very own being. There are no exceptions.

The Science of Mind refers to this universal spiritual law as The Law of Reciprocity. It is also known as karma; cause and effect; action and reaction; or simply, what goes around comes around. From this perspective, we may realize it is our very own “free will” that creates our experiences, both positive and negative.

Spiritual laws do not belong to just one group of people, one religion, one sect, or one culture. These laws, being universal, apply to all. All major religions of the world teach the law of reciprocity in their own unique way. 

The spiritual Law of Reciprocity is simply your beliefs, attitudes, and actions returning to you in the same way they are doled out by you. It is like there is a sign attached to your words that say, “Return to Sender.”  This law teaches us that we can only know for another what we know for ourselves. We are One! 

In our awakened state of unity, let us choose to let go of petty judgments, gossip, and all manner of false beliefs that suggest separation. 

The enlightened one who has evolved from a limited sense of self to an expanded sense of Self practices the principle: 
 “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”
and, in so doing, the Law of Reciprocity loves you back. 

The following quote by Evan Hodkins tells of the benefits of choosing Love, Harmony, Peace, and Joy as a way of life. He says, “The economy of blessing is speckled with boomerangs, sprinkled with collateral benefits, and slathered with mutuality, Blessings are apt to rebound and tend to reverberate down the corridors of time. Blessing is but another word for boundlessness.” 

Let us use our power of the word for blessings! 

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I AM always right where I AM.”

Keith Childers

“Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.”
~ The Higher Pantheism, by Alfred Lord Tennyson ~

“To assume that man can know a God outside himself is to assume that man can know something of which he cannot be conscious. This does not mean that man is God; it means that the only God that man knows is within, and the only life man has is from within.”
~ The Science of Mind, by Ernest Holmes ~

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”
~ The Old Testament, Psalms 139:6 ~

“Man is in God and God is man, just as a drop of water is in the ocean, while the ocean is the drop of water.” (SOM 331.2)  I GET IT!  While I am not all of God any more than the drop of water is all of the ocean; yet, all that I am is God.  ~ Likewise, rays of light originating from the sun, contain all of the sun’s elements. These simple analogies of unity inspire me as well as the story of Moses telling his people “I AM has sent me”; or, Jesus’ proclaiming “The Father and I are one.”  In this heightened state of awareness, I realize, “The highest God and the innermost God is one God;” and, “All that the Father has, is mine.”

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Although my ever-expanding idea of God keeps evolving, nonetheless, the illusions of separation and division running rampant in the world become a distraction.  In the words of Howard Thurman, “I had forgotten how easy it is to forget.”

Engaging in spiritual practices, consistently, is an effective way to harness the energy of the senses. They help me remember my oneness with the Divine.  

Also, reflecting on certain questions helps to anchor consciousness. For example,

• “What do you know for sure?” (O. Winfrey)

 In moments of high illumination, I reply, I know for sure that ‘I AM!’ I know this Self-fulfilling proclamation is the Power of God within me and becomes the thing proclaimed. I am then challenged with the logical follow-up question:

• “Since you know who you are, what are you going to do about it?  (Rev. D. Alexander).

This provocative question is a call to action and challenges my faith.

• “To be, or not to be?” (Wm. Shakespeare)

I am faced with the decision of accepting the fullness of who I Am.

Yes, it is an awesome thing to realize our oneness with God; however, faith without action has no effective change in the world.  Howard Thurman says, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

We each have what it takes to create a world that works for everyone.  Imagine if we each unleashed the Divine Presence within us, utilizing our particular and unique talents.  

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I am alive and aware that my works reveal my ever-expanding consciousness.”

~ Angela “Chris” Beam ~

“The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.”
~ What we Believe, Ernest Holmes ~

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  “All manifestation of Life is from an invisible to a visible plane, through a silent, effortless process of spiritual realization.”
~ The Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes p330.5 ~

There is a Great Mystery that is the essence that permeates absolutely everything, without exception. This All-Encompassing Presence is the One-And-Only-Power behind all manifestation, the seen and the unseen, as well as the animate and the inanimate. 

Whether it is called The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit by Christians; Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva as Judge by Hindus; or, Spirit, Mind, and Body by New Thought; the One Presence is described according to the different aspects of Its mode of being; i.e., Its nature.

While various religions around the world have named this First Cause/Life Principle by many names to describe Its changeless nature; it behooves aspirants of practical spirituality to name what they perceive to be true about this Universal Invisible Energy, and their personal relationship to It. After all, it is your perception of Ultimate Reality that determines your belief system – which in turn determines your life experience. “It is done unto you as you believe.”

It seems as though no matter how much good we manifest in our individual lives, there is still a longing within us. It seems as though until the peace and harmony that is meant to be on earth is realized all around us, as our neighbor as well as the stranger we encounter, the inherent nature that lies at the center of our being, is not fully awake. This Sleeping Genius is aroused by recognizing It, unifying with It, and with unwavering faith in Its unchanging nature of Love, Peace, Beauty, Harmony, Wisdom, and Joy, begin to unleash It in everything we think, say, and do.

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Yes, there is a Universal Consciousness that binds all of humanity together as One. This Consciousness is infinite. It is through a deliberate intention to expand in this unlimited field of creative energy, that the veil of division and separation begins to be lifted and the evolution of the collective consciousness takes place on the planet.

Just as the manifest universe of trees, flowers, stars, oceans, planets, galaxies, sunsets, and
moonlight is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God; likewise, the conditions of humanity are the logical outcome of the collective consciousness of humanity.

Carl Jung says, “Man is the microcosm of the macrocosm; the God on earth is built on the pattern of the God in nature.” The Sacred texts of Genesis 1:27 says, “God created man in his own image;” and in Psalm 82.6 it is written, “You are gods.”  The embodiment of these revelations empowers each One to be in alignment with one’s true nature.

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This Week’s Affirmation

I release the need to conform and fully embrace the unique being I am.

~Keith Childers~