It was the mid to late 1970’s. There I was sitting on the shores of the Long Island Sound, having just completed a weekend retreat with Tara Singh. ¹   I was sure I would come away with that one nugget that would tell me exactly what to do to stay in alignment with Truth.  Instead, most of the days were spent in the silence where the only guidance the enlightened teacher offered was to tell us to move beyond words and concepts. 

I remember feeling somewhat disappointed. I expected a clear-cut path to follow. I had imagined that all the participants would somehow bond as one regardless of our diverse backgrounds; unify in our common interest; join hands; and leave singing the proverbial Kumbaya! Instead we were left suspended, for long periods of time, in an unfamiliar territory – in the depths of our own self. 

Although I didn’t realize it at once, this retreat was actually a turning point in my life inasmuch as it offered a profound gift of spiritual enlightenment and self-realization; a gift that keeps on giving.

Here it is many years later, and somehow, when I bear witness to the out-picturing of world consciousness, I sense and feel the same energy rising up that I felt way back then. For example, I have a desire for a clear, conscious path that actualizes the unity of all people regardless of apparent diverse backgrounds, various cultures, and different opinions. My desire is for this retreat of shelter in place to move our nation forward toward one common goal; i.e., a good and equitable life for all, even when there is disagreement as to how to arrive at the goal. 

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” ~ Matthew 5:8

I remember to slip into the silence of my own being. Here, free of words and concepts, I am refreshed, renewed and aligned with the Presence and Power of God. My heart is purified. It is in this state of consciousness that I am empowered with the nature of the Divine, I see as God sees.  

“All’s Love, yet All’s Law.”  ~ Robert Browning ~

I realize: 

God is Love. The Love of God fulfills Itself, through Its own Law, by becoming every form imaginable.

I am the vehicle who does the imagining.

The Law creates that which I accept. It is done as I believe.

I make conscious choices.

This Immutable Law of God, of Good, is a law of Cause and Effect.

I do not fear outcomes. 

I Got It!

The choices I make, based on my beliefs, values, and intentions, are powerful whether I am choosing a healthy body, right relationships, or casting a ballot for POTUS. For this I am so grateful.

~ ~ ~

“When the Lord ² is your confidence you will never find yourself at all deceived by the ways and speech of men and women, though they be very brilliant, if they speak outside of the Principle that demonstrates healing and goodness and life.” ~ Emma Curtis Hopkins ~ ³

During this moment in time when the collective consciousness of humanity is pulled between concepts of right and wrong; good and bad; them and us, and various pairs of opposites; I realize I am not an isolated being. I, too, am part of it all. I, too, contribute to the human consensus.

I begin to question if what I am thinking, saying and doing are in alignment with what I say I value. After all, Ancient Wisdom teaches, “Where your treasure is, there is also your heart.” ¹

I notice that I have strong opinions, thoughts and emotions. I am aware that these passions are the driving forces in the invisible realm that create my world of effects. I challenge myself to be “for something and against nothing.”²

I begin to reflect on what it is that I truly treasure; i.e., what are my true values?

For sure I value practical spirituality. It is my principal treasure, inasmuch as it is all-encompassing when it comes to living life fully. The keyword is “practical.” For example, practical spirituality shows up as health, wealth, and love. They are by-products, or the out-picturing of the Wholeness and Perfection of The Eternal One.

In order to experience this natural goodness, I realize that I must provide an opening/or willingness through which the nature of God may express through me and as me.

So, I ask myself:

• Do my eating and exercise habits; my TV and social media choices; the books I read and the company I keep reflect my idea of health for the body and the mind?

• Do I invest in what I desire to see increase? Do I spend my energy, talents and skills in life-giving projects?  Do I circulate the good that is mine so others may prosper in their worthwhile endeavors? Do I demonstrate my idea of wealth?

• Do I embrace my concept of love by practicing The Golden Rule ³ at every turn, without exception and without the temptation to give as good as I get?

In other words, are my actions congruent with my ideas about the Wholeness and Perfection of the Divine?

My conclusion is: I must be the change I desire to see in the world and then notice the following results:

1. It stops me from judging others;
   
2. It replaces complaining about others with reflection on self;
   
3. It stirs me into taking action within the only thing in the world over which I have any control: myself. ⁴

Mahatma Gandhi, a mystic of the 20^th century said: “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

The decision to change is indeed a defining moment

---

This Weeks Affirmation

I draw upon my Source within and know I am a pure vessel for Wholeness and Perfection to flow through me into my experience.
by Angela “Chris” Beam

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 the woman 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, she is a conduit for healing.  She tells her clients,” You don’t have to experience what I have; I’ve already done all that for you.”  When her clients tell her of their troubling experiences; she says, “Thanks for doing that for me, now I do not have to experience the consequences you have encountered.”

I GOT IT!!!

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. It is another way of creating a world that works for everyone.

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 1700’s wrote: “How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed.”

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.

---

This Weeks Affirmation

Today I release the past and know perfect peace through the Grace of God.
by Judy Hilley 

It is clear to me that a reaction of fear, morbidity, and ain’t it awful in response to the facts about the global experience of Covid19 does not serve my intention to move through this “time” with ease and grace. 

I am also clear that my peaceful attitude does not exempt me from experiencing deep sadness for the sudden and sobering loss that has taken place on the planet. The pandemic impacts all of us at various degrees as we stand together at the threshold of uncertainty in the midst of suffering and grief. 

I like being informed by the medical experts’ findings and recommendations. The reports of their scientific studies support me in the decisions I make as I straddle the fence of being in this world but not of it.  In other words, I take seriously what is going on and at the same time I heed Ernest Holmes’ words: “to desert the Truth in the hour of need is to prove that we do not know the Truth.” 

Seeming contradictions cause me to reflect on my beliefs about life and the substantiality of my faith. 

So, I ponder, …is there some deep lesson the virus is trying to teach us, or:

• Is it all chance like “a seed upon the wind; a helpless, hopeless entity, tossed and turned by the ever-changing events of the world with no purpose or volition of its own?”¹
  
• Is it “the logical and necessary outcome” of an impersonal law of nature, a law that responds to the consciousness of humanity? ²
  
• Is it “chemicalization;” a term to describe “the upheaval produced when immortal Truth is destroying erroneous mortal belief…., forcing impurities to pass away?” ³
  

These inquiries into Truth illumine my consciousness.
My human nature concludes: ‘I just don’t know…I have no answers.’
My spiritual nature whispers: 
I AM.

Embracing the mystical I AM, I find myself being lifted even higher into the cloud of unknowing – no longer dividing myself in parts, i.e., my human nature and my spiritual nature; but rather, identifying with something that is so vast that it is beyond words and concepts.

I AM …is high mysticism.
It is the perfect rose that takes a statuesque stance in Robbin’s garden with no evidence of its origin.

I AM is the exquisite beauty of the cardinal that perches itself on a limb near my patio and watches me with great interest as I go about my chores.

I AM is the announcement that affirms: There is only One Life – that Life is God.

I AM is Perfect Peace. 

I believe in God, the Living Spirit Almighty;
One Indestructible, Absolute, and Self Existent Cause. ⁴

So, I ponder, … What is mine to do? 

---

---

This Weeks Affirmation

God magnifies Itself in a most magnificent way through my existence.
by Robbin G. Ruffner, RScP Emeritus

“We envision 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.” ¹ 

~ ~ ~

‘We’re all in this together” is a common phrase that began with the outbreak of Covid-19. It describes the unique relationship and the universal affect and effect we experience while interacting with one another. The subsequent outbreak of the chronic disorder of racism reinforces the significance of the saying.

While the gardener does not physically see the interaction that takes place between the seed she plants and the soil in which it is placed; nonetheless, in due season not only does the gardener see the evidence in full bloom, everyone does. The flower, fruit, or vegetable yield its color, its fragrance, its taste and its texture to all alike. Yes, we are all in this together.  We each have the power to plant seeds that produce the highest good for everyone. 

Likewise, there is a similar activity that takes place in the mental realm of humanity. For example, our beliefs, feelings, and emotions unconsciously fall into the energy of the one creative mind, like seeds being planted in soil. In due season these vibratory sensations are evidenced in the physical realm where they are experienced. Everyone who resonates with the mindset, are subject to them. We are all in this together. Our state of consciousness has the power to comfort and heal when we let it.  

Every choice we make, consciously or subconsciously, affects everyone, to some degree.

The Master Teacher, Jesus, understood the interconnectivity of humanity. He provided a simple lesson to support us in our quest for well- being in our lives. It is a lesson of good will toward all. He taught: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, …” ²  This mandate suggests the necessity of mindfulness. It suggests making conscious choices. Yes, we each have the power to choose the physical seeds we plant AS WELL AS the mental beliefs, feelings, and emotions we embrace. 

From this perspective of interdependence, we may say yes, we are our brother’s keeper. From the high mysticism of Oneness, we may affirm I AM my brother.

As we step into the greater-yet-to be that awaits us, and when our masks of separation are finally removed, the emerging consciousness affirms a resounding yes!  as citizens of the planet, we’re all in this together.

---

This Weeks Affirmation

I know that the positive thoughts I think everyday produce the highest good for everyone.
By Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP