“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors. Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.

 Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” 

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

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“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

~ Epictetus ~

Years ago, when I first discovered the life-transforming principles of the Science of Mind, I believed I would reach a point in my life when I was challenge-free. I now realize how naive that kind of thinking is. It’s like saying, once the mathematician has discovered the secret of numbers, there are no more problems to solve.

Of course, if that were the case I would not be using a computer in this very moment to convey my thoughts.  Nor would I bear witness to people traveling to outer space from my living room chair. Nor would I be privy to the myriad of inventions of technology beyond my understanding. The truth is, the principle of all sciences is an avenue to discover something that is otherwise hidden from our five senses.

As humans, we are always reaching for more, which means transcending and overcoming the lesser. The Principle Itself is the map, not the territory. It is the finger pointing to the moon, not the moon.

The tradition of setting goals at the beginning of each year is an example of how one may work with these life-giving principles. Instead of a defeatist attitude before starting by saying. “what’s the use these resolutions will be broken after a few weeks or at the most after a few months anyway” (which is self-fulfilling within itself); I now move forward, willing to grow into my greater-yet-to-be.

My high resolve is to live a healthy, wealthy, loving, and peaceful life in 2022 and beyond ~ and support others, who desire the same, in doing the same. WOW, I SAID IT! Now, keeping fresh before me this high resolve is the challenge. After all, there is so much evidence to the opposite that I see all around me.

When testing these principles in the laboratory of the one mind, it is consistently proven that how one reacts to what is going on all around, has a powerful effect. Our reaction to people, places and things, is the fuel that jump-starts a chain re-action. The idea that is most prominent in the mind has a tendency to create more of the same. Soon we may find ourselves caught in a vicious cycle of repetitive events; including the “bad news” we dread. 

The principle that supports me growing into spiritual maturity is: “There is One Cosmic Reality Principle and Presence in the Universe—God.  All creation originates in this One Source.  God is. God is all there is.” (Core Concept One, SOM)

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I continue to grow into my Spiritual Maturity by knowing that there is One Cosmic Reality Principle and Presence in the Universe which is God.”

Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP

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ANNOUNCEMENT
StillPoint ~ a doorway to the infinite 

www.stillpointcsl.org

Invites you to 

THE GATHERING
~ a quarterly forum of practical spirituality ~ 

Saturday, January 8, 2022
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

Via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/949595702?pwd=NEFGMkRDOExZWXBmSTkvWWsrNElQdz09
Meeting ID: 949 595 702
Passcode: 190469

The Theme: Bridging the Gap Between Information and Transformation

ALL ARE WELCOME!
Invite someone to meet you here.

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“The word Unity, we might explain here, signifies the union of parts, a result of many drawn together into one perfect harmonious whole…Oneness…One Life, of which we are a part; One Intelligence we use; One Substance, which is brought into manifold manifestation; One Principle, as Jesus taught: That they may all be one, even as Thou, Father, art in me and I in Thee, and they also in us.”
~ The Science of Mind, 641.1 ~

~ ~ ~ ~

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
~ Mark 12:31 (NIV) ~

~ ~ ~ ~

“The principle of Umoja (unity) speaks to our need to develop and sustain a sense of oneness, righteous and rightful togetherness in the small and large circles and significant relations of our lives, from family and friendship to community and the cosmos. It urges us to practice a principled and peaceful togetherness rooted in mutual respect; justice; care and concern; security of person; and equitably shared goods. And it calls on us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed, suffering and struggling peoples of the world in the cooperative achievement of these goods.” 
~ The Brooklyn Reader ~

~ ~ ~ ~

“We envision a world where each and every person has enough food, a home and a sense of belonging; a world of peace and harmony, enfranchisement and justice. “
~ Centers for Spiritual Living ~

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Once the holiday parties are over and the decorations are stored away, there is a tendency to slip back into life as usual, without considering the far-reaching implication of the holy days just celebrated. 

Yes, while one may acknowledge that each of us is the image and likeness of God, having all the attributes of the Spirit within us; it is, nonetheless, quite another thing to put this awareness into practice. 

Kwanzaa, that began the day after Christmas by embracing the principle of unity, prepares us to enter the new year grounded in the consciousness of Oneness and Love that the Season of Light has ignited. It is a time to pause and reflect. It empowers us to take the action in our lives that expresses our inherent divinity. 

While Kwanzaa is anchored in African heritage, unity, and culture; it is universal in its nature. The African diaspora, separating people who share a common tradition, may be likened to that feeling of separation from the One Source, when, like the prodigal son, one has forgotten his divine inheritance.

The daily rituals of Kwanzaa represent the return to self-awareness, the recognition of the inherent qualities that are ever-present and equally distributed. These ethics or principles to live by; i.e. unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith, ultimately yield a world that works for everyone.

The first principle, Unity, is the premise upon which the remaining six principles stand; and the foundation on which the cosmos exists.  

It is a time to re-imagine the common unity that makes up the universal community. “We are One, We Are One…in the Spirit, we are one. Let your Love flow, so the world will know…We Are One!”  

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This Week’s Affirmation

Just like everyone, I am worthy of everything. 

Keith Childers

The brilliant performance of Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, plus the live TV production of the musical “Annie,” along with the inspirational Medal of Honor Ceremony presented by the President, set the tone for a lovely holiday season; all in the comfort of my own home. Yes, all this, and a couple of Hallmark movies, put me in a really good mood.

In the midst of this enjoyment, there is, nonetheless, news being broadcast that may have a tendency to distort the idea of health, unity, and supply.  When the darkness of doubt and fear creep into consciousness; it is the daylight of hope, faith, and expectancy that provides room for something new and beautiful to be birthed.  

~ ~ ~ ~

When night falls, I look outside my window and see bright lights emanating from houses on both sides of the street. With keen insight, I see that time and time again, the Light of God breaks through darkness and brings Joy to The World. I begin to realize that Light is Ever-Present, even when obscured by the overcast of human experience.

~ ~ ~ ~

The word Light may take on different meanings here. In one sense it means the Pure Energy all around us that simply awaits the direction from our Higher Wisdom Self.   From another perspective, it means Intelligence and Understanding. From the standpoint of what mystics have seen, it is “Substance, a fine, white brilliant Stuff, forever falling into everything; a Substance indestructible and eternal.” (Ernest Holmes)

~ ~ ~ ~

The spiritual revelation of Light has come to all people, all cultures, and throughout all time. It transcends religions. It is the One Universal Consciousness operating through all. The following are just a few examples of how the awareness of Light is celebrated during this holiday season:

• Wiccans celebrate the perpetual Light of nature moving through the seasons. Solstice, they say, is “The winter-born king, symbolized by the rebirth of the sun. 
• Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day, in commemoration of Buddha’s vow to sit under the Bodhi tree until he reached spiritual enlightenment; the Light within us all.  
• Jews celebrate Hanukkah, or the festival of light. It is in remembrance of the miracle of Lightthat happened on that historical night when there was just enough oil in the lamp for one night; yet it provided enough light for eight; sufficient time to gain victory over impending darkness. 
• Christians celebrate Christmas, the birth of the Christ, The Light of the world, the son of God within us, symbolized by the baby Jesus. 

Light is the gift of the spirit. It is Love. It is Grace. It is Beauty. It is Joy.

With every celebration this season; with every gift received or given; with every song sung; with every act or word of kindness witnessed; with every prayer prayed; let there be Light as we affirm that the power of our unified consciousness is sufficient to give birth to Peace on Earth and Good Will towards all. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

and

~ May your days be Merry and Bright! ~ 

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I live and have my being in eternal Light and allow It to be a beacon through me to the world.”

By Angela “Chris” Beam

“There is one mind common to all individual men. Every man is an inlet to the same and to all of the same. He that is once admitted to the right of reason is made a freeman of the whole estate. What Plato has thought, he may think; what a saint has felt, he may feel; what at any time has befallen any man, he can understand. Who hath access to this universal mind is a party to all that is or can be done, for this is the only and sovereign agent.”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~ 

“Attraction and repulsion are mental qualities, and may be consciously utilized for definite purposes. Man, automatically and according to Law, attracts to himself a correspondence of his mental attitudes. Inner mental attitudes may be induced through right thinking and correct knowing.” ~  Ernest Holmes ~

“We see a world in which each and every person lives in alignment with his/her highest spiritual principle, emphasizing unity with God and connection with each other; a world in which individually and collectively we are called to a higher state of consciousness and action.”
~ Centers for Spiritual Living ~

Familiar terms like intuition, instinct, clairvoyance, and extra-sensory-perception describe the subtle effects of the phenomenon of planetary oneness. In the meantime, and in tandem with this sensation, The Law of Attraction, an invisible force operating in the universe, is forever drawing to us the thoughts and actions taking place all around us.

All this activity of the one mind is our spiritual nature ~ the very essence of who we are.

~ ~ ~ ~

Our inseparable Oneness is far-reaching. For example, those who comprise our circle of influence are not limited to the people whose names we know or to the ones with whom we associate. The circle includes the known or unknown; the seen or unseen with whom we resonate. The circle extends beyond our geographic awareness. 

There are subjective agreements we make with 
words and images presented below our conscious awareness.
We are inherently attracted to each other. 

~ ~ ~ ~

The story of The Hundredth Monkey by Ken Keyes tells how the behavior of a small group of monkeys influenced the behavior of many primates of their island, though never having interacted with them. Soon, monkeys on neighboring islands began to adopt the same behavior. 

Psychologists tell us that parents inadvertently influence their young when they speak and act cordially to one another while secretly abusing each other with word and deed. Many children grow up and continue the unseen behavior of their parents.

Both accounts illustrate the great synergy that exists between beings. They demonstrate how, unspoken words and unseen behavior, have a tendency to impress the consciousness and influence the activity of the most susceptible; be it positive or negative. The most susceptible are our circle of influence.

~ ~ ~ ~

Through the spiritual practice of meditation, we become consciously attuned to subjective impressions and began attracting only that which resonates with our highest values. Soon, our mental attitude of Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards All, begins to touch the hearts of the masses ~ creating a world that works for everyone. 

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This Week’s Affirmation

“Today I consciously affirm only the Good and become a Beneficial Presence to the world.”

By Judy Hilley

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/6130779853
Zoom ID: 613-077-9853
Springfield Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse of Vermont
And Co-Sponsor
The Empowerment Center of Cheverly, MD
PRESENT
(The Third of Eight) 

HOWARD THURMAN SERIES

THIS WEEK FEATURING
Robbin G. Ruffner, RScP Emeritus
Co-Founder ~ Co-Director
StillPoint Spiritual Center
Snellville, GA

ALL ARE WELCOME!

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“Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
~ Isaiah 42:9 ~ (KJV)

“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
 ~ Revelations 21:5 ~ (ESV)

The mystical teachings of the Holy Bible, as well as all sacred texts of the world, are sometimes obscure simply because of the unfamiliar language in which they are written. Of course, there have always been a precious few, the mystics of the time, who gleaned the deeper and esoteric meaning found in the various scriptures. 

The Metaphysical Movement of New Thought, presents ancient wisdom in a language that may be understood by anyone who is a sincere seeker of Truth.   One of the most liberating revelations, taught in the Science of Mind is, “Principle is not bound by precedent.” 

Principles are invisible laws of nature that cannot be broken. Their indestructible nature assures reliability, dependability, and permanence. While this is the core of all sciences, when it comes to The Life Principle undergirding our very existence, it is the blessed assurance that, with God, all things are possible. The Life Principle is one of forgiveness, inasmuch as, once understood and applied, the mistakes of yesterday no longer have an independent power to punish or to repeat themselves. 

With an understanding that there is a power for good in the universe and we can use it, superstition of all kinds is no longer an excuse for limitation. False notions return to the native nothingness from which they came. The native-nothingness is the field of pure potentiality that has no opinions, but rather conforms to the beliefs that the thinker thinks.

The moment you and I catch the idea that we are truly spiritual beings right here and right now, fully imbued with the creative nature of God, we may speak a word of Truth and it becomes the reality of our lives immediately. Careful here. Our creative nature is not making something happen by our word, but rather, it is unleashing that which is already happening. The word we speak is an affirmation of our divine life right now, and ignites the Principle of Truth. 

In the self-same moment that we know the Truth, the former things (errors: mis-steps, mistakes, ignorance) fall away, for there is no longer a belief that sustains them. They are nothing. The picture of our lives begins to change.

The story of the prodigal son is a perfect example of the Law in action. It tells of the instantaneous response received by the one who aligns herself with the Peace, Love, Harmony, Wisdom, Joy, Abundance, and Wholeness that is our true birthright. The shadows of lack, limitation, fear, disease, poverty, bigotry, and various kinds of mental prisons, melt under this Light of Grace.

None of this implies that, as enlightened beings, we no longer experience problems that must be worked out, any more than one proficient in the knowledge of mathematics will never mis-calculate. However, it does imply that, just as the mathematician applies his Principle of Numbers to his challenge, we apply the Principle of Spiritual Truth to ours.

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This Week’s Affirmation

“My mind is set free.”

www.thecoffeybreak.com