“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.”

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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.

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This Weeks Affirmation

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

~ Angela “Chris” Beam ~

“Love is nature’s way of giving a reason to be living.”
~ Lyrics, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. ~

“Perfect Love casts out all fear.”
~ The Holy Bible ~

“Love is a cosmic force whose sweep is irresistible.”
~ Ernest Holmes ~

“I want to be more loving in my heart.”
~ Howard Thurman ~

The month of February is filled with reminders that Love is a many splendored thing.

LOVE IS EQUALITY
The Season for Nonviolence, honoring Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., continues throughout February.  These men chose to practice nonviolence as a way to defeat injustice, not people. They chose Love instead of hate.

LOVE IS UNITY
Black History Month is an opportunity to recognize the brilliance, creativity, and contributions people of color have made for the benefit of all. This annual practice dispels the myth of separation and embraces the idea of unity, oneness, and Perfect Love.

LOVE IS INTIMACY
Valentine’s Day reminds us of the deep connection between two souls who recognize the other as their Beloved and offer gifts of beauty and joy.

LOVE IS INSPIRATION
Presidents Day became a tradition to honor the patriotic and inspiring spirit of those whose vision of a united nation is anchored in Love.

The common denominator found in each of the above events is Love with a capital “L,” denoting Absolute, or God-Love, for which there are no opposites.  God-Love is more than sentimentality. It is not about condoning inappropriate behavior. It is not even necessary to say the words. It is, however, a deep understanding in your heart, the difference between the deed and the doer.  It is an inner knowing about your own spiritual nature and that of everyone else’s, without exception.

~ ~ ~ ~

Actually, Love is the only presence and power there is in the universe. However, as a result of downward gazing into the illusions of division, separation, duality and the like that out-picture as hatred, bigotry, and war – it sure seems otherwise.   And, overriding these experiences that take place in the human realm by affirming the Truth of Being, is not always an easy task, as it requires consistent practice. The Master Teacher, Jesus acknowledged, saying: “In this world you will have trouble. … But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

When Agape Love enters the human experience, it is reason to celebrate. After all, every time we let it be on earth as it is in the higher realms of God-Consciousness, there is a sense of well-being all around; our reason to be living is fulfilled; and, there is a rising up in the collective consciousness of humanity.

The practice of letting God be God in our lives causes a new way of being in the world.

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This Week’s Affirmation

“With every thought, a wave of love takes flight.“

~ Keith Childers ~

“Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”
~ Song lyrics, author unknown ~

 “The one thing you can count on is change!” This familiar phrase is no doubt relatable to you, just as it is to me.  Yes, everything that our five senses reveal to us, is in flux. Movement, that ultimately brings about change, is imminent. However, sometimes the flowing in and out of energy is so subtle that its effect is not noticeable. It’s much like rowing your boat slowly down a river on a lazy day and failing to notice the gradual changes that are taking place over the landscape.

There is an unconscious tendency to become accustomed to people, places, and things appearing a certain way as if they are permanently fixed in a certain mode of being.   Yet, atoms are always dancing, vibrating, and pulsating with thought patterns that cause ever-so-slight and gradual changes.

Though we don’t always “see” the change coming, we often “feel” the movement within us. Unable to define the particular outcome of these internal messages, our emotions, coupled with imagination begin to predict all kinds of scenarios.  In one scenario you may engage in “possibility thinking,” and you are pulled into a vision of great expectations. On the other hand, a worst-case scenario has a tendency to invoke fear, anxiety, worry, and stress.  These debilitating by-products of duality-thinking create delusional illusions that have no real substance or basis. Remember, energy flows where attention goes.

When the change becomes evident in the external world, we may encounter a moment when suddenly the whole picture of that which we are accustomed changes. When the unexpected change expresses greater good in our lives, we may call it a miracle. On the other hand, when the sudden change out pictures as the falling apart of that which was stabilized, we may call it devastation. It is all perspective and perception.

Often, what is considered obstacles along the way are simply the terrain we must cross in order to arrive at the desired destination.  Those who are consciously traveling a path of enlightenment, soon realize the old ways of being in the world must fall apart in order for a higher viewpoint to be actualized.

                                                                                                 ~ ~ ~ ~

It is here that our spiritual knowledge and power come into play. Spiritual knowledge rises above the five senses into the realm of the metaphysical; i.e., that which is beyond and transcends the physical realm. The Truth is, there is only One Life Force that undergirds and governs all life, all of the time.  The nature of this One is Changeless. It is always the same, today, yesterday, and forever. Its changeless nature is Peace, Harmony, Love, and Joy. Any other suggestion is false evidence appearing real, causing a sense of separation from the Absolute. This Divine Principle receives the direct impression of our thought and acts upon it.

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“I am in control of my life and how it unfolds.”

https://www.happierhuman.com/affirmations-change/

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. “
~ Napoleon Hill ~  

Remember the sitcom, Golden Girls and how Sophia would occasionally go down memory lane and say to her friends, “Picture this?” She would go into great detail describing the time, place, and incident that she remembered, to the end that you, the onlooker, begin to see what she saw.

This reminds me of how the Law of Mind works. For example, whenever we create a perfect picture in our minds about a person, place, or thing, be it the past, present, or future, there is that within us that begins to feel, sense, and realize the picture as a real experience. Children, unknowingly, do this all the time, using the faculty of their imagination and thereby creating worlds of fun and delight.

Yes, through the creative power of our minds, we each, knowingly or unknowingly, are experiencing the pictures we have imagined. It’s no wonder a wise one told us, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Of course, Ernest Holmes said the same thing in essence, declaring, “Change your thinking, change your life.” Yes, we have a great power at hand to manifest the greatest good we can imagine.

For example: If you are experiencing health challenges today, Picture This!

 Every cell, nerve, tissue, organ, fiber, bone, and muscle of every organ of your physical and mental realms is operating in complete harmony.  This dance of life is powered by Pure Spirit that makes all things out of Itself, and remains whole, complete, and perfect forevermore.  There is perfect circulation, assimilation, and elimination taking place. Perfect mobility and vitality express as the activity of your divine nature.   

 If you are experiencing relationship issues, Picture This!

Every relationship you encounter is rooted in the essence of Unity.  There is a feeling of safety and support from all those in your inner circle. You always know what to say and how to say what needs to be communicated through you with clarity, understanding, and compassion. You always listen from that space in your heart that is the nature of every living being. You give to others that which you desire to receive from them.

If you are experiencing financial problems, Picture This!

There is unlimited supply right now. The source of that which you seek is the One Source that supplies the entire universe, and that includes you. There is always sufficiency. Divine Wisdom is the guidance that supports you to make intelligent decisions about distributing that for which you are steward. It is the nature of It to give of Itself.  One of the symbols, or the energy-in-form of the Self-givingness of Abundance is money.  There are many forms.

If you are experiencing uncertainty about your purpose, Picture This!

You are a creative being, fully endowed with all that is your highest idea of God; Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. Your purpose, being the image and likeness of God, is to emulate Its nature.  Your purpose is to unleash Love, Peace, Harmony, Joy, Beauty, and Wisdom in everything you think, say, and do. You’ve got what it takes!

And, so it is!

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I believe in the person I dream of becoming.”

~ Unknown ~

(Revisited)

“Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”  
~ Wolfgang von Goethe ~

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. 
~ Matthew 18:3 ~

There has always been the “high-minded” among us; i.e., certain individuals who aspire for things that are beyond their present circumstances. These ordinary people, while trusting in life, never compare themselves to anyone else. They simply believe they deserve the best in all things. Somehow these optimists move through challenges with an attitude that transcends many of the seeming limitations they face. 

The unillumined would say these people are “lucky” or believe they received some Providential favor. However, the illumined recognize the immutable mental law of Cause and Effect and the spiritual law that “It is done unto you as you believe.”    They realize the inevitability that these ordinary people would, of course, experience the likeness of their expectations.

“Don’t underestimate the power of a mind that is made up.” ~ Miya Yamanouchi ~ 

The good news is, the laws of nature are never respecters of person but work the same for everyone. The outcome simply depends upon one’s mental position, because the law itself is automatic. It is forever in the mode of responding by corresponding with the impressions it receives.  In other words, it works the same for the one who knows nothing about The Law, the same as it does for the one who knows all about It. 

~ ~ ~ ~

Actually, we are all spiritual beings having this human experience, with mindsets operating at various frequencies at different times. What I have noticed about myself and others is, it usually depends on what is going on with us at any given time. While operating at the optimum of high-mindedness there is an expectancy of peace, harmony, love, beauty, wisdom, and joy to prevail in all circumstances.

There may be other times when mediocracy is the mindset that vibrates with a frequency like the man without God that Howard Thurman describes as, “. . . a victim of the currents of life that carry him where they will with a bland unmindful Ness of purposes and ends which belong to him as a living, thinking, feeling creature.”  

And, there’s a low vibration operating when one’s habitual mindset is focused on “ain’t it awful,” and this downward gaze is reflected as one’s circumstances.

Good News Flash! “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” (Napoleon Hill). We each have the power to change our thinking and therefore change our lives. However, you cannot fool Mother Nature by just saying new words. We must begin to actually sense, feel, believe, think, and act differently. 

We must become like a little child who imagines and daydreams about their world. In so doing, we raise the vibration of our thought patterns and position ourselves in that kingdom of harmony within us by engaging in regular spiritual practices.

 Daily meditation, life visioning, and spiritual mind treatment (affirmative prayer) are wonderful companions that support us while we walk the path of high-mindedness. 

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This Weeks Affirmation

“Today I reach for the stars with my thoughts and know only good will come.”

~ Judy Hilley~