“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 
~ Isaiah 65:17 ~

Letting go is a mental practice that exercises the power of a made-up mind. 

Once we awaken to a new idea that tells us what we have believed to be true about life and our relationship to It has been misleading, we embark upon a journey of letting go. 

Letting go of ideas of lack, limitation, separation, duality, and the such takes courage because there is plenty of false evidence that suggests otherwise.

It is so easy to accept that for which we are accustomed as the only reality there is. We may have become numb to the news we constantly hear, believing it is the norm.  The journey to enlightenment requires commitment and practicing principles that center one’s consciousness of Ultimate Reality; i.e., the Truth that ungirds absolutely everything, regardless of appearances.

The journey is about practicing the Presence of God, consistently, and starting all over again when we miss the mark. Soon our experiences began to match our new concepts about life. Now, this does not mean we are exempt from life lessons that show up. However, we respond, knowing the impermanence of things that are not in alignment with Peace, Harmony, Love, Wisdom, Beauty, and all that is of The Eternal One. This takes unwavering faith in our new practice. 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” 
 ~ Hebrews 11:1~  

A shift in consciousness is so subtle that very often one doesn’t even know when it takes place. While under the ego’s guidance, it may seem as though one’s belief system is the only way that makes sense.  Then all of a sudden things change!

Try affirming at every turn, “I am a spiritual being fully endowed with the spirit of God” and notice that soon you can’t even imagine yourself as timid, limited, or inferior in any way.

Spend time listening to the silence of your inner self and watch how creative ideas are soon yours.

Acknowledge that peace and love are the “good” you ought to have and realize more fulfilling relationships at home, at work, and at play. 

When one begins to include spiritual practices into his/or her daily regime; little by little the time-blinded eyes of race consciousness slowly open and there appears in full view beauty as never seen before; harmony as never realized before; and unspeakable joy as never experienced before. 

The practice may be as profound as Holy Communion with The Divine through silent meditation; or as simple as reading inspirational, life-affirming literature. The range of modalities is vast. The key is a clear intention grounded in the core values you embrace; and consistently practiced.  

 All of us are surrounded by an impersonal law that responds to us by mirroring our thoughts, feelings, and actions.  When spiritual principles are practiced religiously (as a way of life), one reaches a point of no return. The former things fall away and a new way of being emerges.

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This Weeks Affirmation

I am ALWAYS open to receive the wisdom of knowing.

Keith Childers

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
~ Proverbs 4:7 ~

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
~ John 8:32 ~ 

“Repeating an affirmation is leading the mind to that state of consciousness where it accepts that which it wishes to believe.”
~ The Science of Mind, page 575.6 ~

“… Latch on to the affirmative”
~ “Accentuate the Positive” by Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer, Lyricists~

The Apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. When properly understood, affirmations are a form of prayer. They are powerful tools of enlightenment that are followed by accepting the ever-prevailing Truth in all things. In other words, to attain successful living, our speech needs to be on the affirmative side of life, all the time.

Nonetheless, affirmations are simply words. Their value depends on a conscious realization of the far-reaching implication they imply. The disengaged user, repeating the words by rote, exercises a blind faith, as if some magic power is ignited by doing so. Now, of course blind faith is better than no faith at all. Eventually, one may hear the words being said  and realize we each have the creative gift of prophecy. 

However, the one who understands there is a Spiritual Law operating in the universe that out-pictures in our world of effects, pierces the veil that suggest otherwise.  Effective prayer is always based on faith and acceptance of the inevitability of Spiritual Truth.

This does not to imply that the facts of life are not real experiences, putting our heads in the sand, ignoring our environment, so to speak. It does imply that we are saved from the belief in hopelessness, fear, anxiety, and stress that out-picture as trauma.  

We no longer have a need to beg, plead, and bargain a God outside ourselves. Instead, we claim and accept the inherent good that is our very nature. We can say with confidence, Peace of mind is mine, right here and right now. Having made such a statement, we may now step into that reality by allowing the feeling of Peace to prevail in everything we think, say, and do.

Affirmative prayer provides an avenue through which possibility thinking is ignited. Affirmative prayer can be likened to fertilizer. It conditions the mind to receive divine ideas and guidance that leads us into right action. It reveals to us that which is ours to do that assists in the unfoldment of the good we seek. Our faith-filled affirmations can be likened to the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.   

Yes, the power is within each one of us to direct the Law of Mind in the direction of our desired good.  

Affirmative prayer is an announcement of Truth. Truth is always in the present moment . . . regardless of present circumstances. No wonder the Master Teacher, Jesus, taught, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” Therefore, our statements of Truth are always in the present tense. Let us pray, aware that Love, Peace, Harmony, Wisdom, Joy, Beauty and Omnipresent Good is an eternal Reality here and now.

And, so it is!

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I am a channel of God’s loving-kindness.”

The Upper Room Books Website

“Not only must we have complete faith in Spirit and Its ability to know and to do, but we must have complete confidence in our approach to It. We must not be lukewarm in our conviction.
 We must know that we know.”
~Ernest Holmes, “The Science of Mind,” page 159~

“There is a power for good in the Universe, and it is moving in and through me this day to bring peace, harmony and good to all. The Divine is everywhere present, especially and including in all spaces of war, conflict, and violence. We bless all who are impacted by conflict of any kind. We lift up peace in the midst of war. We pray for healing and comfort where it is needed right now. In gratitude, we declare this truth collectively. And so, it is.” 
~ CSL Spiritually Motivated Social Engagement Committee (SMSE) ~

“Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let There Be Peace on Earth
The peace that was meant to be.”
~ Jill Jackson Miller, Lyricist ~

No matter how cloudy the sky is, or how much rain is falling, or how dark the overcast, we never lose confidence that the sun, with its radiant light, is intact. That which we know for sure is revealed to us through our minds. What is known and accepted in our mind, follows in form. From this perspective, we begin to realize the healing we are seeking is actually the revealing of that which is ultimate truth, right here, right now …everywhere.

 The Infinite One that we seek is the same today, yesterday, and forever. It is the Great Constant that undergirds all life. This one is Omnipotence (all-powerful), Omniscience (all-knowing), and Omnipresence (exist everywhere). 

 It is only when humanity sees itself as separate beings, struggling to survive, and protecting itself from the so-called “other,” that emotional dis-ease and turmoil are unleashed, creating distorted images of division, hatred, bigotry, and fear that play out on the screen of life, affecting all individuals to some degree.  

Prayer supports us in remembering that that which is within us is greater than that which is in the world. The enlightened ones turn to the Infinite and Omnipotent One and once more realize that, like the sun hidden behind the clouds, It nonetheless exists in its perfection. “We stay in constant prayer without ceasing to remember what we know, rekindle our sometimes-dwindling faith, and continue to seek the light amid the dark abyss.”(SMSE)

Once we are deeply anchored in our convictions, through prayer, it is time to join the many others who have begun the process of healing by consciously expressing loving-kindness to those who look different than us. One begins to offer sacred service by extending oneself in tangible ways that support those who are suffering as a result of the mis-use of the Law of Oneness. 

The above quotes serve as powerful tools that are supportive in the healing process. 

1. Clarify, within yourself, your relationship with God/and humanity.
2. Declare and affirm, through the Law of Prayer, your soul’s sincere desire. 
3. Act in alignment with your word of peace in everything you think, say, and do. 

In other words, let each one of us practice being the thing we desire to see in the world; i.e., peace on earth and goodwill towards all people. And, so it is!

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This Week’s Affirmation

“Today I see Peace, Love, and Harmony surrounding our planet and know it is healing the world.”

By Judy Hilley

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

“Just do it.”
~ Niki Slogan ~

I enjoy watching game shows and other competitions where contestants vie for the winning position. While I may traditionally play favoritism to my hometown team, I recently found myself cheering for the person whose turn it was at the time.

I noticed this inner response several months ago when I was watching a championship basketball game and became more interested in the skill, strength, wit, speed, and strategy that each player displayed vs. the particular player or team. I saw the power of God moving uniquely through each individual. Now, of course, some players missed their baskets while others effortlessly executed three-pointers with ease and grace.  And, there were masters of the game like Steph Curry and LeBron James and others who, like mystics, allow the Spirit to flow unimpeded. Regardless, it takes the involvement of all the participants to claim “a good game.”

The point is, when we bear witness to the inherent potential of life fully engaged, there is no ‘them and us,’ but a common goal to express life more abundantly. We can then say, “Life is good.”

Another thing I noticed is my unconditional support for the contestants of my favorite TV game shows. In other words, my focus is in anticipation of these perfect strangers winning. There is always something new that I learned from them; as well as the times when I shout answers to the TV that I know and they do not. 

The point is, each scenario is a metaphor for life; i.e., we are united, interdependent beings, each contributing to the whole through giving and receiving. The Apostle Paul tells us, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”

We are all winners. We are beings of Light, having our existence in a field of infinite possibilities while fully endowed with the nature of God; i.e., Love, Peace, Harmony, Wisdom, Abundance, and Joy.  This awareness, when applied in a practical way, is sufficient for the creation of a world that works for everyone. 

We need not stand on the sidelines of life, believing someone else can do it better; or, that we are not qualified to participate.   The fact that we are on the planet right now means we are already a partaker in the game of life. As we each let our Light shine according to our unique individualization of The Divine, we become a beneficial presence in the world, doing what is ours to do. 

There is a Presence, Intelligence, and Powerful Energy within every one of us. There is a Cosmic Law that responds by corresponding with the vision we present It. If there is a dream in your heart that brings no harm to you or to anyone else, then just do it! You have what it takes to win! 

And, so it is!

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This Weeks Affirmation

“God in me expresses fully as me for my highest good – and I allow it to be so!”

Angela “Chris” Beam

Recently, I glimpsed the ever-expanding continuum of life divine, expressing as ancestors, relatives, and descendants, simultaneously. For example, it all started when an elderly gentleman was introduced to me as the grandson of an uncle of mine. I had heard about this uncle all my life but had never met him. In an instant, I realized that this perfect stranger and I shared the same ancestors, current relatives, and all the descendants of this bloodline forever and ever. After all, this individual’s great-grandmother was my father’s mother.  Immediately, I felt a true kinship with this person whose name I do not recall. 

Coincidentally, later that week, my niece shared her DNA results with our family. We were fascinated that a trace of our bloodline was found in countries we had never visited. Some opined that certain personality traits, physical features, or other inherited tendencies were now confirmed with this information.  For others, it meant nothing. It was like, “So What?” After all, one avenue only opened up another, in an exhaustless search for clues of personal identity in the total scheme of things.

The great discovery when honoring ancestors, interacting with relatives, and at the same time bearing witness to our own descendants here and now; we began to perceive a connecting link that unifies all of humanity as one universal family.    

~ ~ ~ ~

Yes, trying to make sense of our human experience, often catapults us into a spiritual experience. For example, I love the mystical aspect of Life; i.e., considering from whence we (humanity) came, who we are, and our greater-yet-to-be. I notice that whenever I move beyond the current events of the world, and think about pure existence, I am in awe. In such a moment of transcendence, I experience the highest form of prayer; I am consciously unified with The Presence in whom I am never separated. 

From this perspective, attention turns to the First Cause of all existence.  In that moment we come face to face with God, the Father-Mother essence within us all. This “Divine Nature Awareness” is the enlightenment that reveals our kinship with all beings. Our true inheritance of Unity, Peace, Love, Harmony, Beauty, and Joy, and goodwill toward all people are the gifts of The Spirit. 

In this state of consciousness, we begin to “Envision a world in which we live and grow as One Family that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life; a world where this kinship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience.” 

The greeting, Namaste,’ that we bestow upon all we encounter, is a declaration of our true and eternal relationship with one another; i.e., “the presence of God within me, recognizes the presence of God within you, we are forever One.”

Together, through a shared consciousness of Oneness, we may create a world that works for everyone. 

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This Weeks Affirmation

I always recognize myself in ALL of my experiences.

Keith Childers