Can you look evil or tragedy in the eye and announce your faith, a faith that says Peace, Love and Harmony are the only Reality; that any so-called evil is “false evidence appearing real?” Can you do this without any resistance to the experience itself, knowing that “what you resist persists?”  In other words, have you cultivated a consciousness that distinguishes the relative from the absolute; secondary causations from First Cause?  

I responded to this self-talk, not with an answer, but with a question. I asked myself, does this mean I should take on a passive attitude and not speak up about what is apparently evil – that which brings harm and suffering to myself or others in the world? My mind was immediately flooded with thoughts. I reminded myself:  the principle I am dealing with is, ‘where attention goes – energy flows.’ 

Therefore, when words and actions expressed are not congruent with the nature of Being and go in the opposite direction of Truth; there is a cross-current of energy, frustrating the Perfect Law that is always conspiring to bring about goodness. It is from this awareness that Ernest Holmes taught the effectiveness of being “for something and against nothing;” i.e., proactive rather than reactive. 

I am reminded that I have the power within me to reverse negative experience by speaking the word of Truth; i.e., my description of Reality, in spite of appearances. My consciousness of Truth is the affirmative prayer that ignites the Infallible Law of Mind.  My divine ideas expressed restore harmony. The next step of course is action, as it has been said, “faith without works is dead.”

Martin Luther King Jr., when seeing great injustices taking place in our country, knew that something was out of alignment with the Truth of Being. I imagine he first prayed, looking for the answer as to what to do; and this one man, seemingly against an army of enemies, took action.  

My inner dialogue continued and I recalled another great American Theologian, Dr. Howard Thurman. While his quest was the same as King’s, he was inspired to lift the spiritual consciousness of humanity through his ministry. His consciousness became a great influence.  Then there was Siddhārtha Gautama, who, upon seeing the poverty of his land for the first time, renounced his life as a prince – left the palace and chose the life of a beggar and became the Buddha. 

Each man acknowledged the symptom of discord and then moved forward with some action according to his particular uniqueness anchored in spiritual awareness.  

In the words of Bryan Stevenson, “Somebody has to stand when other people are sitting. Somebody has to speak when other people are quiet.” The Apostle Paul said, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.” (1 Corinthians 12:4).  

I have now come to understand, while actions may vary, God-inspired ideas yield peace. I envision living in a world that is safe, where nonviolence is the norm. I adhere to the words of Gandhi, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” I affirm the healing power of Love in the world, be it in family dynamics; in the workplace; in relationships; in finances, or in health. I embrace Goethe’s words, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” 

---

This Week’s Affirmation

Right here and now I am Perfect Peace. 
I have the power to change my world to one that works for everyone!

By Judy Hilley

~ ~ ~

In Loving Memory
Reverend Wendy Williams

In the early 1940’s when I was a young child, my family along with families throughout the country used to gather around the radio and listen to the evening news. There was a lot of turmoil going on in the world at the time. The Great Depression of our country was followed by World War II. 

A famous and beloved news commentator of that era, Gabriel Heatter, had a very distinctive voice and a way of touching the heart.  His nightly broadcast began with the words, “There is good news tonight,” giving a bright and inspiring account of the happenings of the day; or, in contrast, on more somber occasions, he told us, “There is bad news tonight.” He reported what the world looked like to him on any given day. 

America listened with great anticipation as he reported the state of the world as he saw it. He was trusted.  His broadcasting was always from the heart…it was like his voice was echoing our voice; or was our voice echoing his?

There’s no denying that it is a challenge to remain 100% awake and fully conscious all of the time. However, when I am half-awake and not conscious of my own thoughts, feelings and values in the moment, I may become susceptible to another’s viewpoint or mood, especially of those whom I admire and trust; and I may become easily distracted and pulled into the vibration of another’s perception of life. 

~ ~ ~

How I listen, applies to everyone I encounter in this thing called life. When I am “open at the top,” I may learn something new and beneficial. However, as a spiritually motivated person, my responsibility is to remain anchored in my conviction of Truth, lest I am pulled off center, letting the on-going drama of people, places, and things dull my mind into believing that I am caught in an unescapable vortex of fear, hatred and despair.

I have discovered that the information I receive, when properly assimilated, may support me in making crucial decisions when asserting my values as a citizen of the world.  The various viewpoints I hear about the experiences of the world, inform me of the best use of my personal talents, skills and abilities as I move forward participating fully in the evolution of humanity.  

My committed spiritual practice reminds me that I am a spiritual being right here and right now, fully endowed with all that God is. I am reminded that I have the power to let there be light, where there seems to be darkness. I pray.

I pray until the Light of God-consciousness breaks forth in all Its magnificence illuminating my mind with Changeless Truth. I pray until I come to a full realization that anything appearing unlike the nature of the Divine is the result of false beliefs and erroneous concepts about Reality. I pray until I see that every human aberration is a spiritual aspiration trying to break through, come forth and reveal itself.  I pray until I am free and have the courage to do what is mine to do.

---

This Weeks Affirmation

“I am a spiritual being.  I receive and listen to Divine guidance.”

By Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP

Alice, my classmate of the 70’s, said she did not give to the poor, that she only gave to the prosperous. At first hearing this, we, her fellow classmates, were taken aback at what seemed selfish and self-promoting. She went on to explain that she was speaking about the realm of ideas. In other words, she did not give energy to the idea of “poor,” knowing that her energy would eventually harden into facts. She explained that she gave her energy to ideas of “prosperity,” aware that her energy would eventually harden into facts. It was an “aha” moment for all of us. We realized it was her way of saying, “where attention goes, energy flows.”

Alice had reconciled within her mind that if God, the Omnipotent Good, is all there is; then the idea of poor is a false idea…. a false belief that keeps repeating itself, until it is replaced with the truth. Therefore, she decided not to perpetuate the idea of “the poor,” by giving it her attention.

Now this does not mean that Alice did not give to charitable organizations. In fact, she was very generous in this regard. However, her giving was with a consciousness of prosperity. She let her idea of an abundant and lavish universe be her motivation. Her consciousness of Truth, followed by action proved her point; i.e., there is sufficiency right here and right now for every person to have enough food, a comfortable home and a sense of belonging. 

Giving, in the context it is being used here, is “affirming what is already so” or “bestowing a blessing.” Of course one cannot give what he/she does not “have” an awareness.

The enlightened ones of the ages agree with Alice. The mystic poet Kahlil Gibran said, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

William Shakespeare understood the power of right thinking when he said, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” In other words, it is the way we think, or our perception of reality that ignites the Law of Mind action, which in turn, mirrors our beliefs into the world of people, places, and things. 

Jesus said: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27) His exalted consciousness gave to humanity what already belongs to humanity. His self-giving was a consciousness of the Peace at the center of all beings.

When I ponder, ‘what is mine to do;’ I ask myself what does my consciousness have to give, and what action am I willing to take to prove the reality of my gift. 

 The Psalmist said, “Be Still and Know that I AM God.” (Psalm 46:12) I have come to understand that what I have; I Am. My spiritual practice is to keep my attention and energy on that within me that I would like to see in the world.  My self-giving-ness of the divine ideas within me, coupled with my corresponding action are sure to harden into the facts of life.

---

This Week’s Affirmation

“I am a magnificent being with an abundance of power and love to give.”

  http://bmindful.com/affirmations/giving

I notice whenever I am faced with the hardened facts of materiality, old thought patterns may cause me to perceive circumstances from a 3-dimensional point of view only; failing to include the 4^th dimensional me which is Pure Consciousness, One with God. It is in this state of limitation, the false beliefs of the mental realm SEEM all-powerful.

I am self-challenged to reconcile the apparent xenophobia, misogyny, and racism running rampant, with the ever-present All-ness of God, which is Love. 

I must constantly remind myself that when I say the word “God,” I am not referring to a Being outside of myself, lest I slip into a victim mindset, believing there is a power doing something TO ME¹. A sure sign of this descent in consciousness is when I hear myself say something like: “Why does this always happen to me?” 

I use the word “God” interchangeably with words like: Spirit, Love-Intelligence, First Cause, and Divine Presence, to name a few.  This supports me in staying awake. 

An equally important reason that I remind myself that I am not referring to God as a Being ~ somewhere out there ~ is the possible misconception that when I use the Law of Mind in Action for the specific good I desire to see and say: “I control my thoughts and my life.” that I am doing something TO IT ², like changing God’s mind; although it sure feels like it at times. 

It is through affirmative self-talk that I catch glimpses of Reality and begin to say, “It is not I, but God who does the work.”  I begin to feel and sense the Presence doing something THROUGH ME³.

When I consider, what is mine to do, my spiritual practice of affirmative prayer supports me in the clarity I seek. My every prayer affirms that God, the Divine Presence, is the only power there is. This conviction deepens my faith in Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Omniscience. To the degree that I remind myself of my oneness with Spirit; it is to that degree that I realize God AS ME ⁴. My self-talk affirms, “I AM.”

So, in my process of reconciling the appearance of hatred and fear in the world, while fully aware that God is all there is; I consider the Love, Law, and Action of Spirit. 

The attributes of the 4th-dimensional aspect of my being are greater than that which is in the world. However, I do not ignore the hardened facts of ignorance that are prevalent. Jesus did not; Buddha did not; Confucius did not; Martin Luther King Jr. did not; Malala Yousafzai did not; Nelson Mandala did not. 

The enlightened mystics of the ages acknowledge they are in the world, though not of it. They unleash their awakened state of Pure Consciousness. What they give is who they are. Their Self-giving-ness, lifts the collective consciousness to a higher vibration of Self-Realization.  

I give what I am. I unleash the energy of Divine Love each time I let my words ignite the Immutable Law of Cause and Effect by affirming Light where there seems to be darkness; affirming Peace where there seems to be pain; affirming Joy where there seems to be sorrow.  I practice lowly listening to the still small voice within me and become exceedingly aware of the Action that is mine to do.

 I believe when error thoughts are healed among the masses; like herd-immunity, the seeming lesser issues will spontaneously fade away. The unenlightened ego that believes it is the dominant factor, will lose its power, and the new and enlightened consciousness of Divine Self surfaces, knowing Itself as all.

---

This Week’s Affirmation

Self-Talk is my body hearing everything that my mind says!

By Keith Childers

When I began to “catch” the idea that the nature of God is one of Abundance forever expanding, it occurred to me that an unlimited supply of everything is available moment by moment, right here and right now. After all, The Source of all life is Self-Giving, the very essence of Divine Love.  

I remember the first time I tested the Principle of Infinite Supply. It was Christmastime and I was financially depleted. I saw no possible way to provide my young family with all that I wanted us to experience during the season. 

Although I was a novice when it came to Spiritual Mind Treatment (Affirmative Prayer); nonetheless, I began to reason that I was indeed worthy of my desired good right here and right now.  I began to envision God as Omnipresent Love, a Provider of all things, and never limited by time and space. 

Soon. I began to feel the shift in consciousness. I began to imagine the celebration of Christmas in our home. While I was still basking in the idea, my doorbell rang. My blessing was delivered exactly as I imagined, right down to the minutest detail. 

I learned much from that first “conscious demonstration” of Divine Principle. I became a better steward of my finances as I practiced specific laws of prosperity, always keeping the channels wide open for the giving and receiving of infinite supply.

Several years later, while walking home after doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, I began doing a check-list in my mind to see if I missed anything.  It seemed I had not. In fact, I actually had money left over. I remember saying to myself, “oh my, I now have more than I need.” 

In that self-same moment I felt a tug at my purse that was hanging from my shoulder. By the time I turned around, my old idea of living on the edge was fulfilled. The thief was nearly out of sight, running with my nice leather purse swinging in the air. Yes, ideas of lack and limitation rob us of the infinite supply of the here and now good that is ever present. The following adage became crystal clear to me: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them” (Matthew 25:29). 

I now know that the Spiritual Law of Mind, like all laws of nature is neutral, impartial, and never a respecter of person. The fruits (or evidence) of The Law always show up in perfect proportion to my  faith; or what I believe I deserve. The Law of Mind is the Invisible Cause behind all that is seen or experienced. It is immediate in its action.

I now realize that the Law of Mind is propelled by the Love of God desiring self-expression through me. Robert Browning said, “All’s love, yet all’s law.”  Ernest Holmes taught, “Love points the way, and the Law makes the way possible.” Jesus said, “I Am the way, the Truth and the Light.” These concepts of both New Thought and Ancient Wisdom empower me. They cause me to acknowledge my unique relationship with The Divine. 

Currently, there is much talk about a new normal. I now know it is to the degree that I let go of the former beliefs in limitation, and to the degree that I provide a space in consciousness through which the Self-Giving-ness of Divine Love may be realized, that:  health, wealth, love, peace and harmony become a normal way of life, right here and right now ~ for all people of the planet.

---

This Week’s Affirmation

Love is the essence of who I am.  My desired good cannot help but come to fruition in my experience as I believe.

By Angela “Chris” Beam