“What I Know for Sure”
~ Oprah Winfrey ~

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“Before ye call I shall answer.” 
“This means that “every good and perfect gift” is already man’s, – awaiting his recognition.”
~  Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It ~

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“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
~ 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) ~

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“Whatever the nature of any principle may be – in so far as it is understood by anyone, it may be understood by all who take the time to investigate.”
~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind ~

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When is enough, enough? What is the difference between faith and belief? Are some individuals more deserving than others? Does one have to know the Truth in order to benefit from the Unfailing Principle of Love and Law; or, does Grace fit into the equation? Truth seekers want to know – and, be for sure. Yet, we can only know for sure what we can prove for ourselves. 

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Recently, I watched re-runs from the once-popular TV Game Show, “Deal or No Deal.” The dynamics of the show reminded me of some of the above questions. The whole premise of the game was to receive the largest sum of money possible by ‘the luck of the draw,’ or ultimately, by striking a deal with the banker in order to get the best possible outcome.

The process/or strategy of the various contestants was interesting to observe. Some, I noticed, were defiant, insisting the case they chose contained the big prize, although the only reasoning that went into the selection was pure sentiment or superstition. This approach is used by those who “wish” and “hope” their dreams come true. With nothing to lose, they take a “chance” on life.

There are participants who have a preconceived notion (mental equivalent) of the amount of money that would be sufficient for their well-being. Yet, when arriving at that mark, they gamble it all, hoping for more. The mental equivalent, or consciousness they brought to the game, can be likened to a container or their capacity to receive. “Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving.” (Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It) 

Some players are influenced by the opinions of their family and friends; i.e., the by-standers.  Others, while accepting support and encouragement, nonetheless, make the final decision for themselves. Ultimately, the power within everyone, guides us to our highest good, when we allow it. 

The player does not have an opponent, his/her fate is between herself and the banker. 

While the TV Game is about money, the principle applies to all “things ” whatsoever are desired.

All of this reminds me of Howard Thurman’s prose where he compares individuals with “A Seed Upon the Wind.” He describes how we are constantly being pushed and pulled by conditions and circumstances. The one who is unaware of their relationship with The Omnipresent Spirit, often believes he is powerless over what happens in his life. On the other hand, the one who is anchored in a Principle-driven life is assured, with unwavering faith, that the Life Force whose Divine Nature is Love, Peace, Harmony, Order, Wisdom, Abundance, and Joy is forever present in all of life experiences. 

Reflecting on our personal relationship with The Divine often reveals the answers we seek.  

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This Weeks Affirmation

“It’s true. I AM exactly all that I know what I AM!”

~ Keith Childers ~

(Revisited Post)

“In the Science of Mind, we do not say everything is all right when it is all wrong. We do not say peace when there is no peace, but rather we try to discover what is wrong and why we do not have peace. We do not say that people are not poor, sick, or unhappy. We ask why these things should be if the Original Cause of all things is Harmonious, Perfect, Radiant, and Happy.”
~ Ernest Holmes, Living the Science of Mind~

“Crying out to Life, beseeching It to be good, has no effect whatsoever upon It; It already is good. Asking It to give you life produces no good results; It has already incarnated Itself in you, as you. But inward awareness unifies the intellect with Life and binds the personal man back to the Universal Presence. This is what is meant by spiritual understanding and realization.”
~ Ernest Holmes, “The Art of Life” ~

Breaking down the barriers of limited thought that untrained murmurings of the mind erect each time it bemoans: ‘ain’t it awful’ and ‘what terrible times we’re living in,’ is a practice, not for the faint of heart.  Rising above the human fact to the spiritual reality is not always easy.  It is, nonetheless, a necessary undertaking in the process of aligning with the Truth that sets us free from the hypnotic spell of error-thought. 

Some would say the discords of the world have always been, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. And, to some degree, this certainly seems to be the case. The Master Teacher, Jesus, told his followers: “In this world you will have trouble.”  “But,” he goes on to say, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”  And, he made it clear that he was not an exception, saying: ‘The things that I do you may do also, even greater things.’ (Wow, no human ego here!) 

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Once we (individuals) consciously tap into and activate the inner power of mind, enabling ourselves to choose the direction of our lives that works best for us, there soon follows an awakened awareness of our union with the collective consciousness that out-pictures as world events. With this revelation, we are called, once again, to activate the power of mind, enabling ourselves to consciously choose thoughts, words, and actions that contribute to a world that works for everyone.

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People like Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Joan-of-Arc, and Siddhartha Gautama, to name a few, have made significant contributions to the ever-evolving-consciousness of the world. Yet, most of the light bearers of humanity are people just like you and just like me whose names may never be recorded as such.  Yes, this creative power is within every one of us. Let’s become the change we desire to see in the world.

The first order of action is the realization of God’s Omnipresence; i.e., the Peace of God is the potential where war seems to be; the Oneness of Spirit is the potential where separation and exclusion seem to be; the Wholeness of The Divine as health is the potential right where disease seems to be; and, Perfect Love casts out all fear. Remember, enlightened thoughts supersede old unenlightened ones and cause new things to appear. 

Next, with this God-consciousness deeply anchored in our being, ours is to activate the God-potential through thoughts, words, and actions. Let us go forth, now, making a difference in the world. Let’s deepen our faith, knowing we are divinely guided to do what is ours to do, thereby, actualizing the vision of a world that works for everyone. 

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This Weeks Affirmation

“I now consciously choose thoughts, words, and actions that contribute to a world that works for everyone.”

~ Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP ~

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“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
~ Philippians 4:8, New International Version ~

When first hearing about the universal principles that undergird the ever-changing expressions of life all around us; the point being made is sometimes lost in the translation. In other words, the message may sound a bit “airy-fairy,” as if it suggests that one can influence God by using certain words and gain special favor.  This cannot be further from the Truth. God, the Presence and Power permeating the universe is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  

On the other hand, as we change our point of view about outer circumstances, and align ourselves with the nature of God, the whole picture changes.   It is the one who consistently affirms the changeless nature of God that their own beliefs are influenced, causing seeming miracles by this renewing of the mind. The Master Teacher, Jesus, taught: it is done unto us as we believe. The Science of Mind teaches: change your thinking, change your life. 

It is through observation, the seeker of Truth comes to realize that God, the Changeless Reality is the All-Pervading-Presence of Love, Peace, Harmony, Abundance, Beauty, Oneness, Order, Wisdom, Intelligence, Wholeness, and Joy. This Universal Essence is Omnipotent (All Powerful), Omniscient, (All Knowing), and Omnipresent (Everywhere). It is at the very core of every being regardless of appearance.   It is from this perspective, the enlightened ones exclaim, “With God, all things are possible.” The conscious journey now begins and it is through imagination that one begins creating and accepting a life of fulfillment.  

We each have full reigns over our Imagination. The activity of creating images in the secret place of our minds sometimes feels like child’s-play. And, to some degree, it is. However, do not dismiss your ideas as too good to be true.’  Remember, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom;” i.e., Principle, properly applied, responds to all alike. Analogies such as, “We must become like little children in order to enter heaven” (the realm of fulfillment.) and “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see (realize/experience) God” tell us, that through imagination, we gain clarity about our true desires. We become receptive to the infinite possibilities stretched before us. 

We each live move and have our being in Infinite Potential. Holmes puts it this way: “We believe that the Universal Spirit, which is God, operates through a Universal Mind, which is the Law of God; and that we are surrounded by this Creative Mind which receives the direct impress of our thought and acts upon it.”  

The images we create in the Creative Medium of Mind can be likened to vibrational waves, an invisible frequency that ignites the Energy of Infinite Potential and evolves into its tangible likeness. 

“Life Visioning,” authored by Rev. Michael Beckwith, is a wonderful spiritual practice that supports you in this endeavor. 

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This Weeks Affirmation

“I take total responsibility for the amazing potential that lies within me.”

https://affirmyourlife.blogspot.com

“By chemicalization I mean the process which mortal mind and body undergo in the change of belief from a material to a spiritual basis.”
~ Mary Baker Eddy, Founder, Christian Science ~

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

 

It takes courage and unwavering faith to affirm the Truth while bearing witness to everything familiar crumbling right in front of your eyes. How tempting it may be, in such times, to hold fast to ideas of lack, limitation, fear, and dis-ease because they seem normal, though undesirable. Be careful not to yield to temptation in such instances, for yielding is giving in to error-thought. Remember, it really is true: that which is within you is greater than that which is in the world.

The subject of Spirit, Mind, and Body continues to be a hot topic. It has infiltrated the fields of academia, religion, science, philosophy, psychology, and even the media. The subject has been categorized as Mystical, Metaphysical, New Age, New Thought, Practical Spirituality, Self-Help, etc.

Each branch of knowledge places attention on one or more aspects of this trinity and how it impacts the human experience. Individually, we may resonate with one aspect more than another. It depends upon the particular juncture of life we find ourselves at any given time. Nonetheless, even when our attention is focused in only one direction, we may assume that the totality of ourselves is operating on all three realms simultaneously.

The novice on the spiritual path may begin their journey of awakening to the true nature of being by acquainting one’s self with Spirit. Ernest Holmes describes this First Cause as “The Active and the only Self-Conscious Principle.”

Still others may begin by studying Holmes’ concept of Mind. He states, “Our mind, that point in God-consciousness which we call our mind, is as much of Truth as we will allow to flow through and bless us.”

Most of us, no doubt, look at “the outward form” first; i.e., The Body. In addition to our physical body of flesh, there is the body of our affairs; i.e., health, wealth, relationships, creative expression, etc., etc., etc., Everything that we perceive through our five senses is a manifestation of our idea about the people, places, and things encountered.

For the most part, the ideas that create the experiences we are living with, are not conscious ones. Nonetheless, they keep operating in our lives until there is a conscious idea, a new thought, if you will, that is in alignment with the Spiritual Nature that resides at the center of each and every one of us.

Regardless of the starting point, the objective is to bring our thoughts and beliefs (Mind) and our actions and physical/material experiences (Body)into alignment with the Indwelling Spirit; the nature of which is pure consciousness, one that spontaneously yields Peace, Love, Harmony, Joy, Wisdom, Grace, and all things Divine. It is the Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent One.

Through the spiritual practice of meditation, we each have the power to Practice the Presence of Divine Life. When our individual lives are lifted up in consciousness, all lives everywhere are lifted up; thus, creating a world that works for everyone.

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This Weeks Affirmation

 “Peace, Love, and Harmony flow through my every thought, word, and action, dissolving all negativity into the nothingness from which it came.”

Angela “Chris” Beam

“Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals.
You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hopes, as old as your despair.“
~ Ernest Holmes, Living The Science of Mind, p177 ~

The above quote reminds me of the many changes one moves through over the years; i.e., the various phases of the “living process.” There are certainly mental, emotional, and physical changes that one experiences, as well as one’s viewpoint about spirituality. For example, one may come to realize that there is an ever-present Presence that guides us through it all. This Indwelling Spirit is the same yesterday, today, and is the promise for tomorrow. It is the still small voice of Spirit that whispers to the inclined ear, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 NIV)

From this perspective, I see the journey of life forever unfolding into its greater-yet-to-be. For example, the infant, while completely dependent upon its guardians, gains a confidence that its newly developed muscles are strong enough to crawl. Soon, the inquisitive toddler is reaching for objects that were formerly beyond its reach. The adolescent tests its independence; i.e., the ability to choose and make decisions about the course of its personal life. The adult is a teacher, a caregiver, who lives and shares the knowledge that each phase has imparted.  “No person is a finished thing, regardless of how paralyzed their image might be. Each one of us is in a state of perennial formation. Inside each journey a secret harvesting is at work.” (John O’Donohue) 

Moving through these processes is not free of challenges. What is called “growing pains” are present at every turn. Also, another important point is, what we learn at each phase in life is applicable to all phases of life, having nothing to do with the number of years lived on the planet. In fact, these life processes repeat themselves over and over. We are forever moving through infancy to adulthood at every new juncture on the path. Our work is to apply our knowledge to whatever experience we are encountering at any particular time.

So often we describe ourselves and others as young, old, middle-aged, aging, elderly, etc. While that may be a way in which to assess the body with its biological nature which is always in flux, it overlooks the unchanging inherent nature that is always with us. Our faith in the Indwelling Spirit is never limited by age. It is never too late, nor too soon to express the soul’s sincere desire. It is confidence that empowers us to become that which we desire to see in the world. ~ As we unleash the vision that is forever reaching for objects that denote peace, harmony, love, and joy in our lives, the Ageless Spirit is ignited, through which, all things are possible. ~ It is through the practice and power of prayer and meditation that we come to realize our ability to choose the qualities of Spirit that enhance our lives. ~ It is while embracing the Truth of Being as our very own Self, that we become a beneficial presence on earth, one who lives and shares the Light of Wisdom with all. And, so it is!

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This Weeks Affirmation

I am FOREVER ageless and evergreen.

Keith Childers