In the movie, Scent of a Woman, Al Pacino plays the role of a complicated alcoholic, whose young assistant for a week-end excursion suggests that he does not drink for those few days. His reply was (paraphrased) “sorry my boy, that’s just too much of a stretch for now.”

~ ~ ~ ~

For many years I smoked cigarettes. The more I learned about my True Self, the habit made less and less sense. It became clear to me that dependency on anything outside of myself was a false idea about my nature.  I began affirming the Truth about my inner source of peace and well-being, as I continued to smoke. After all, to simply quit was too much of a stretch. 

One day, who knows how long after I started the practice of spiritual affirmations, the cigarette I tried to smoke was intolerable. I was no longer a smoker. It appeared to be in an instant, “out of the blue,”  or “cold turkey” as they say, because there was no evidence of an outer process. 

~ ~ ~ ~

The idea that there is a power for good in the universe and you can use it, is the foundation stone that may build a whole new world for you and for me. The idea is a good one.  However, when it comes to actually believing, accepting, and activating this power for the purpose of manifesting one’s highest good; the proposition may seem easier said than done. It may be too much of a stretch.

Nonetheless, regardless of the individual’s lack of awareness or her conscious use of this Law of Mind; It is always working with mechanical precision according to the flow of the thought patterns that are established over time.

~ ~ ~ ~

No matter how resigned one may become with what seems like unsurmountable conditions; according to Emma Curtis Hopkins, there is an intuitive knowing within all beings that asserts, “There’s good for me and I ought to have it.”   

I imagine that the people who were targets of slavery in this country, consistently envisioned a life of freedom. I imagine they affirmed their divinity, the image and likeness of God, even as they succumbed to the ignominy visited upon them. 

I imagine all this to be so because of the Infallible Law/or Principle/or Power for good as it relates to the activity of Divine Mind operating throughout all humanity.  This Perfect Law of Cause and Effect supersedes man’s laws that are fallible, subject to change and error.

~ ~ ~ ~

Knowingly or unknowingly, the issues of our hearts always come to fruition. And, just like one day I was no longer a smoker; one day, man’s laws succumbed to the collective consciousness of the people’s affirmation that freedom was their divine inheritance and therefore, inevitable. 

Sometimes, the issue at hand seems like too much of a stretch to overcome in the moment. However, remember, there are spiritual tools such as affirmations, journaling, inspirational readings, spiritual gatherings, meditation, walking the labyrinth, and more that support you in stretching from where you are to where you desire.

Just trust and expect the desired good to follow. Goethe said, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”  

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This Week’s Affirmation

Today I raise my expectations and claim my highest good.
By Judy Hilley

It has been nearly 50 years since I first heard the teachings of the Science of Mind. Yet, I remember the welcoming words the minister spoke that Sunday morning as if it were yesterday. He said, in effect, “It does not matter what religion you embrace; the study of the Science of Mind will support you in becoming a better devotee of that particular faith tradition.”  

He taught us that The Science of Mind acknowledges a golden thread running through all the major religions of the world, although only a relatively few individuals have taken the time to realize this spiritual nature is within themselves; and, how this self-realization may actually set them free of every sense of limitation; be it health, wealth, relationships, or creative self-expression.  

He taught us that it is not enough to know “about” the Love of God and the Law of God working together for specific good; this knowledge must be activated through our thoughts, feelings and emotions.  

The Principles of Mind, I learned, operate no differently than the principles of gravity, electricity and the sound of music. These invisible forces are all governed by spiritual laws and evidenced in the physical realm. Likewise, the mind within man is governed by spiritual laws, and shows up as the people, places and things encountered.

 Ernest Holmes said, “The one who wishes scientifically to work out his problems, must daily take the time to meditate and mentally treat the condition, no matter what the apparent contradictions may be.”  

~ ~ ~ ~

I now realize that the rituals, songs and bible verses that I learned by rote in the religion of my childhood were filled with lessons that taught: there is an Invisible Power for Good in the universe, governed by the Love and Law of God.

The following Bible verses are just a few examples of the ancient wisdom that has evolved into New Thought. 

“I AM the way and the truth and the life.” 
• The Principle of Self is the healing balm.

“Faith without works is dead.” 
• Affirmative action must follow the Word of Truth. 

“Many are called, but few are chosen.” 
• The daily practice of Truth Principles is the commitment of the truly dedicated. 

“Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” 
• The Perfect Law of life is infallible. It always responds to the true feelings of the heart. There’s no need to know “how” things will work out, but the confidence things always work out.

These same concepts are found in all the sacred books of the world; The Quran, Vedas, Upanishads, Talmud, and Bhagavad Gita, to name a few. The seeming differences may be based on language and culture. Otherwise, the Truth known in one place, is known everywhere.

Imagine with me, humanity shedding the biases that enable a mindset of separation and otherness. Imagine with me, that a world that works for everyone is the new normal.

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This Week’s Affirmation

“All is well in my world.”
~ Louise Hay ~

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Phineas Quimby, a 19^th century metaphysician who is known as the ‘Father of New Thought,’ wrote: 

“The mind is matter in solution and matter is mind in form.”

The solution that Quimby speaks about is the Creative Medium out of which all life evolves.  It is the field of infinite possibilities that Chopra declares. It is the primordial stuff that Holmes references. It is the waters that Moses speaks about in the Book of Genesis. Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it this way “There is one mind common to all individual men. ~  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.”

In the study of the Science of Mind, we come to understand that Mind is the Originating Substance out of which everything that is, becomes.  It is pure consciousness, activated by the individual embodiment of feelings, emotions and thoughts that are expressed through words; which in turn give birth to the people, places and things that make up the world, individually and collectively. Here again, we are taught that the things that are visible to our physical eyes have a counterpart that is invisible.  

In many ways the Principle of Being seem so elementary that I say to myself, ‘of course thoughts are things.’  Then there are other times the implication seems so abstract that it is a challenge to wrap my mind around it (no pun intended). Over and over and over again, I must teach myself about the power within me that is mine to use.  I remind myself that the Law of Mind Action is always exact and perfect in what it out-pictures. Therefore, as tempting as it may be to try to fix a person, place or thing, the effort is futile. 

For example, one would never consider destroying a mirror because of the hair-do reflected in it, but would simply change the hair-do and look again. Therefore, by the same token, when there are unpleasant conditions and circumstances that you may be experiencing, know that the solution is ready and waiting to out-picture as the exact image your “word” represents. Say to yourself, “All I need do is announce the good I desire to experience and the power of my word is sure to bring it about.” Ernest Holmes puts it by simply saying, “Change your thinking – change your life.” After all, Divine Mind responds to the slightest impression of the feelings, emotions, and thoughts It receives.  

The key for successful living is to align one’s self with the natural state of being which is pure consciousness. Pure Consciousness is the Mind of God that is always Love, Peace and Harmony. The embodiment of these words is the solution to every problem. 

In the June 1946 edition of the Science of Mind Magazine, Holmes wrote: “The great law of life is thinking and becoming; and when we think from the lofty heights of the Spirit, we will become great, and not until then.  ~ So, all our thought is to be created in the realization of the One becoming the many, without struggle, without fear; stripped of all that denies the truth.”

I remind myself that when I come to a realization that I live, move, and have my being in the solution, I no longer focus on problems. I focus only on answers.  

WOW! I love knowing that I AM a spiritual being, living in a spiritual universe, and governed by spiritual laws.

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I know that my consciousness is the embodiment of my feelings and emotions which activates the mental “Law of Cause and Effect.”
By Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP

Me and a friend were talking about the spirituality of gardening. The conversation began with us both acknowledging that the vegetables she is now growing were comfort foods in our youth.  She showed me pictures of the growth process. 

In this nostalgic mood, I remember my mother having a vegetable garden in the back yard. And, I remember the front yard being filled to overflowing with petunias of every color. I also recall a class project in grade school that taught the basic relationship between the seed, the soil, and the plant. Therefore, when I first heard this analogy used in The Science of Mind to describe how thoughts become things, it was easy to accept the concept.  Through practice, trial and error, and experience, it is more apparent than ever before the far-reaching implication of the creative process.  

I begin to imagine planet earth swirling through space, carrying within itself an energy field capable of feeding all of its inhabitants throughout all time. ‘Just think’, I tell myself, ‘beneath the surface of the ground there is a vibrating, pulsating mystery, that yields everything needed to sustain and maintain a healthy body.’ Mother Earth is never exhausted or depleted of its nature to create that which nourishes. She always leaves behind a seed within every plant, guaranteeing a future gift of the same kind. Its givenness is endless, not only providing food for our bodies, It provides beauty for our soul’s delight. 

While I found comfort in the tasty food that my mother cooked to perfection with a lot of love; this miracle of unlimited supply may be overlooked or taken for granted when I do not plant the seeds and observe the growth process for myself. Or, when I am not consciously aware of God’s goodness ever available. My limited vision of Truth may see no further than the farmer’s delivery to the super market where I may select a fresh, frozen or canned version of my “daily bread.” Sometimes the store is “sold out.”

But wait, there’s more!

~ ~ ~ ~

The great teacher, Jesus, came along and told us: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” (John 4:32 NIV) I believe what he is sharing here is his discovery that not only are our bodies provided everything it needs to live successfully on the planet; our minds, likewise, are provided all that brings about satisfaction and fulfillment ~ all that brings great comfort. 

I imagine an energy field that surrounds all the inhabitants of the earth. I imagine this Light moving in, below, above and through every living being. I imagine this Life Force as a vibrating, pulsating mystery, that yields everything needed to sustain and maintain a healthy mind.   I imagine the “food” Jesus references is a perfect metaphor for the abundant and inexhaustible supply of Peace, Harmony, Love, Wisdom, Joy, Order, Beauty, and Wholeness that are ever-present. These qualities may be likened to seeds that may be planted in our thoughts about the things we desire in life; i.e., health, relationships, careers, finances and more. 

I believe this food for thought that is the very essence of Life Itself is the Great Comforter. It may be easy to ignore this phenomenon, this miracle, this divine connection that provides for every living being when I limit my vision of Truth to the opinions of others, experiencing that which is the result of the seeds another has planted.  I must plant my own garden, realizing that I reap what I sow. It is Law.

How comforting to know that I need not ever “sell out” my true nature in order to survive.

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This Week’s Affirmation

How grateful am I for all the abundance in my life right now and for all my abundance I have yet to discover!

By Keith Childers

“Ask and you shall receive; knock and the door shall be opened.”
Matthew 7:7

“Man has the ability to choose what he will do with his life, and is unified with a Law which automatically produces his choice.”
~ Ernest Holmes ~

“While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.”
~  Stephen R. Covey ~ 

When it comes to Spiritual Freedom and our nature to choose – all stops are pulled. We have the “go” sign to choose whatever we please. However, if we are haunted by the words, “be careful what you ask for, you might just get it,” the knowledge of our own creative power and the awareness of the law of cause and effect, may cause us to stop right in our tracks and lock us into fear. 

 Let us use our God-given gift of wisdom, wisely. Making choices, when anchored in spiritual consciousness, is a wonderful way to practice conscious living, free of fear and superstition. Some effective rules of thumb are:

Consider the motives of the choices and decisions you make, rather than making impulsive ones that you may soon regret. In other words, “just because you ‘can’ doesn’t mean you ‘should’.”

Consider the consequences of the choices you make by asking yourself if your decision has the propensity to bring harm to yourself or someone else. If it does, don’t take that risk.   When you determine, within yourself, that your choices are really and truly for your highest good; you may then be assured it is the highest good for all concerned.  After all, in the Spirit, we are one. 

Exercise this kind of critical thinking; then trust the Law to comply with your choices in accordance with the same spirit and intention in which they are made. In other words, when you comply with the Law, the Law complies with you.

Finally, remember, making a choice does not mean you must live with it forever. You are always free to make a new one. 

  Be conscious! Be aware!

It is essential that choices that are no longer relevant are replaced with new ones or new ways of thinking. Otherwise, just like old habits die hard, the former choices or ways of thinking continue to operate with mechanical precision as hidden beliefs, long after they are forgotten. They have a tendency to show up as people, places and things.  Therefore, think, say and do only that which you are willing to experience. 

The laws of life do not belong to just one people, one religion, one sect, or one culture. The laws of life are universal in nature and are therefore inescapable. All people are subject to them regardless of their particular beliefs. 

God is the Love within us that chooses good in our lives. God is the Law within us that brings the good about.

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This Week’s Affirmation

All my experiences are a reflection of my freedom of choice.  I make spiritually conscious choices now and let the Law do its good and perfect work.
By Angela “Chris” Beam