The Little Me

I’ve spent a good chunk of my life - like most other human beings born on this planet - living from the place of the separated, limited, little Me. Thinking that Me and the world of form would save me, placed me in prison. Suffering resides there.

All prisons come from thought forms. But I can choose freedom, I can choose to focus on The Presence. When I do, I renounce my separated, limited, little Me, I renounce suffering. With Spirit, I live through Its power and love.

When I’m awake, the world of form flows from grace, not from me trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Yet, by then, ironically, the world of form no longer holds great importance to me anyway.

What is always most important is focusing on God, The Source. There are no prisons in God’s kingdom, only in my egoic mind.

Today I renounce the separated, limited, little Me. Today I choose freedom as I wake up more fully to the grace, the love, the power of The Presence.

Taken Care of By Source

“The one factor that has been unknown by most humans, that is understood by the beasts, is that Well-being truly does abound, and that you are blessed beings who live in an atmosphere of grace, and that unless you are doing something to pinch off the Well-being, it will be yours.”
- Abraham, Excerpted from the Saturday, 08.18.01 #465 San Francisco, CA workshop

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field... will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
"Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?'... For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
- Excerpted from Matthew 6:25-33

Dear God-
Grant me a truly knowing heart that You are The Source of my being and help me to seek first Your kingdom. May I rejoice in Your Well-Being, like the animals roaming this earth and like the lilies of the field blowing carefree in the breeze.

Returning to Source

It is a relief for me to learn that meditation is not a practice - it is an intention. As a practice, I get frustrated because my mind seems difficult to quiet. But meditation as an intention is a declaration to return to God, and that is really what I strive to make my life about.

Meditation is the intention to get back to Source, the one thing that never changes and never left us. It is formless and permanent; all that is form is temporary. All true spiritual teachings call us to return our attention to Source. “Return unto to Me, and I will return unto thee.”

My egoic mind can go about chattering away as I sit in the silence, and Spirit doesn’t care one iota. Eventually, the chatter dissipates and I am the formless with The Creator. I am in an abiding state of awakening, my primary purpose for being on the planet.

Slowing Down

“God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.”

I heard the above statement years ago in the rooms of recovery, and it comes to mind today as I nurse a head cold.

I’ve been pushing, pushing, pushing work projects and not taking sufficient time for me. Apparently God thought it was time for me to relax - getting ill will do it!

It feels wonderful to slow down - to sleep later, to spend more than 10 minutes reading at night, to eat breakfast with Rog. It doesn’t mean I’ve not worked at all these past few days, but I surely have taken the focus off of work and placed it more on my well-being. It feels equally wonderful to ease up on financial concerns, ‘getting it’ that God is my Source. I can’t fully be of service to God if my head is in a fog, my ears are clogged up, and my physical body is crying out for attention.

Next week I’ve already built in a bit of fun time with friends visiting from out-of-town. I’ve gotten the message and have the willingness to follow Spirit’s guidance to slow down. Thank You, Spirit!

God and Your Vehicle

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? - Corrie Ten Boom

It’s interesting that this quote popped up this week (although I just read it now). On Friday morning, Rog spied a flat tire on his truck that was gratefully sitting in our driveway. And, I learned yesterday that my dear friend Samara, who for business reasons has temporarily traded her life in peaceful Kauai for the city of Miami, had an angry driver slash three tires on her vehicle.

So this quote piqued my interest; I think it is good food for thought...

Do I connect with Spirit for help with my vehicle - my life - just as rarely as when my automobile needs a spare tire? Or, do I let God guide me as I regularly walk through this life and this crazy world?

Prayer is always available to connect us with our Source. It is talking to The Presence, it’s a feeling, it’s an attitude, it’s a thankfulness.

I’m grateful my car rarely requires the spare tire to be used and I’m grateful for letting go and letting God steer my life.

Divine Dance Connection

Last night I went Sufi dancing - and what a divine experience it was!

This was not the whirling dervish variety developed by Rumi in the 13th century; it’s more like a moving meditation with singing.

Heart-centered Sufi dancing is a practice, a meditation of Divine Light and Bliss. One moves around the circle from partner to partner, allowing their thoughts to fall away as they experience the Divine in each other. As we connect with our eyes, we do simple, graceful movements while focusing on the positive words of powerful chants and songs.

Our humble, gentle, loving leader, Sydhasa, gave us instructions before each dance and taught us the words to contemporary songs of love, spirit, devotion, and peace. But it is not so much about the dance as it is the Divine connections we made with each other... so much from simply gazing into the eyes. I got to connect with spirits new to my acquaintance and strengthen connections already known.

Here is another form of spiritual practice that I can easily see incorporating into a (somewhat) regular part of my life. While I’d had some exposure to this practice before, last night’s gathering immersed me into it, bringing me joy, peace, and love. And, it was fun!

There are many ways we can connect to Source through other beings. This week God had me experience some ways that were a bit unique for me: socializing with a pooch, helping a child, and meditating with others through Sufi dancing. I am grateful!

The Two "F's"

I have been offered a large work project which will stretch my knowledge a bit. It is a wonderful opportunity in many ways, yet I find myself in fear. One part of my mind knows I can accomplish it - that I have the skill, the talent, and access to learning resources if they are needed. But the other part of my mind is chattering away saying the opposite, being negative.

You know that other part of the mind - the ego, the ‘little me.’ It will always try to shoot me in the left foot, tell me I’m not good enough, and take me out of the Now, down the road to the future.

Fear lies in the future. Faith is here, now. Faith brings my consciousness back to the One Source from which all parts of me flow.

Today I will remember to stay in the Now, to stay in faith. God is with me always, blessing me in every situation. All is for my highest good.

Dear Spirit-
Bless me with staying in the moment and not projecting into the future. Replace any fear I may have with faith and keep me focused on Thee.

Whose Plan?

I’ve been pushing myself to meet deadlines, participate in spiritually-focused events, attend to ADL’s (activities of daily living), and fulfill other commitments. And, I’m beat. It’s not really fun pushing, pushing, pushing. I just can’t do it all... something has to give... I need to let go.

Yes, I’m exhausted physically, and beat emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. I need to let go of controlling finances, time, people... As if I could really control anything or anyone!

So I surrender to that Divine Wisdom that knows all is in perfect order... to the Source that created me happy, joyous, and free - not tied to deadlines and obligations.

In cramming and striving to meet deadlines, I’m cramming The Presence too. It’s difficult to feel peace and joy when my entire being feels contracted and squished. So I pause, breathe, and give my trust to Spirit. I release my concerns to God and I am at peace.

All I have is this moment... Despite my planning and scheduling, when it comes down to it, all I have is Now. I can sketch in the pieces of my life, but I must remain flexible and open to the idea that things don’t unfold in Joyce’s time. I must surrender.

Dear Beloved, Holy Presence-
Thank You, thank You, thank You for the pause and the breath that refresh me to then move on to carry out Your plan.

God Is...

God is...

Love
Joy
Peace
Strength
Power
Breath
Source
Life
Grace
Gratitude
Guide
Friend
Companion
Comfort
Healer
Consciousness
Presence
Serenity
Security

No matter where my journey takes me, I am not alone - God is.

Every Day...

I arise every morning at 5 AM. As we move closer to the summer solstice, each day the sun rises earlier and gradually more light greets me at that time. Every morning is lighter and lighter.

But today it seemed to be much lighter than just yesterday. Still, what matters to me is that every day is longer and brighter than the one before regardless of the interval between them.

With this thought, the words “every day” flashed through my mind and I started humming the tune by Buddy Holly. Here’s an excerpt from Everyday:

Everyday, it's a gettin' closer,
Goin' faster than a roller coaster,
Love like yours will surely come my way, (hey, hey, hey)

Everyday, it's a gettin' faster,
Everyone says go on up and ask her,
Love like yours will surely come my way, (hey, hey, hey)

Everyday seems a little longer,
Every way, love's a little stronger,
Come what may, do you ever long for
True love from me?

Everyday, it's a gettin' closer,
Goin' faster than a roller coaster,
Love like yours will surely come my way, (hey, hey, hey)

How true these words from the 1950’s are in today’s world. The days surely are going by faster and faster as time speeds up in this accelerated universe.

And, every day I am a bit more awake from the illusion than I was the prior day. I’m a bit more open, more kind, patient. I am stronger, standing in my power, that which comes from Source.

I’m getting closer and closer to Spirit every day. It seems this song could be about love from God coming my way every day. And that’s so true. God’s love is ever present - every minute, every hour, every day.

Every day - no matter the length of the sun shining - is a day to grow stronger in loving others and getting closer to my Higher Power. Hey, hey! Amen!

Trust

Rog and I were talking over breakfast about trust. He’s participating in a thread on LinkedIn regarding the concept about if it is possible for there to be trust in business. To me it’s an absurd notion to even think of! Still, with the way the world is going today economically, politically, etc., it is clear that there have been grave breaches of trust by people and institutions, including business, and so it is no wonder that this topic is up for discussion.

I cannot imagine any sort of relationship - be it, personal, social, romantic, ‘even’ business - that can survive, let alone flourish and be healthy without a foundation of trust.

I shudder to think what life would be like if I couldn’t make the assumption that the other party was operating from a position of honesty and trustworthiness.

Of course, us spiritual beings having a human experience can fall short of the mark which means that we can make mistakes. But if I know the other person is coming from a place of integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness, I’m most apt to be understanding and accepting.

Nonetheless, I know the ultimate trust is in only one being - God. I place my trust in Source so that regardless of the craziness of the world and people around me, I know that I am taken care of and all is well.

All I Have to Say Is...

... Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, God!

I am so grateful. No, it’s not Gratitude Circle morning - that’s tomorrow - , but I sure am feeling grateful.

My gratitude stems from my soul being so very fed these recent months. So it’s not because everything is going as perfectly as I want them to in the outer world; it’s because I’m taking care of the inner.

It seems that feelings of gratitude beget feelings of gratitude, a wonderful upward spiral of delightful energy and frequency. My life is so rich, perhaps not financially, but in ways far more important and meaningful to me. It is simply a matter of time that that too will flow because of doing the work and feeling and expressing gratitude.

It is also true that when I’m not feeling gratitude so naturally, consciously focusing on what I am grateful for is a way to start getting me to feel that way and lift me up. That’s when I make a mental or written gratitude list, and my heart starts to soar once again.

All comes from Spirit
All comes from Source
My heart sings sweetly
When I stay on course.

Prosperity

Today’s Daily Word is Prosperity: “I prosper as I live a life of purpose.” It reminds me that when my purpose is to serve God, I am supported in all I do.

And, when I focus on serving, connection to Spirit and my fellow travelers abounds. It is so clear that God is my Source for everything and I prosper physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and financially.

I am grateful to be able to rest in this Truth this day. Thank You, God!

In This Very Moment

In the present moment...
... I breathe the breath of life
... I am at peace
... I feel calm
... I feel joy
... lays the field of prosperity
... all is well
... is where Grace flows
... miracles happen
... I feel God’s Presence
... I am one with Source
... I am always grateful
... is eternity.

Plans

From time to time throughout my lifetime - especially when my ego was comparing me to other people - I would regret that I had not consciously planned out my life. You know, like the boy in 3rd grade who just knew he wanted to be a doctor and was preparing for med school at age 8. Or, the young lady in junior high who was already singing in musical theatre.

I received little guidance from my parents about this game called life, and simultaneously there did not seem to be any great specific desires inside me to stir me up.

Sure, I knew that I wanted to go to college despite my parents never asking me what I was going to do with my life after high school. And, I had this great yearning for what I would now call my twin flame. I seemed to have mini-plans but nothing that tied them all together.

When I entered the 12 Step program twenty years ago I heard many slogans to assist me from ‘picking up’ and to live life on life’s terms. One of these was “Failing to plan is planning to fail;” I have to say I was never quite comfortable with that one. Perhaps I felt it a bit contra to other ideas like God has a plan for me and more will be revealed, etc. And, then there’s the joke “How do you make God laugh? Tell Him you plans!”

On my journey I’ve embraced the notion that I’m a powerful being and co-create my life, and I’ve embraced I’m powerless and God is in charge. Well, which is it?

These days I once again am back to the idea that God has a plan for me and there’s really not much I can do about it. I do not find that aversive because the God of my understanding is total Love, Goodness, Grace, Joy, etc., so Its plan for me can only have such qualities as well. And, this is actually a relief. I can surrender and rest in Spirit’s most loving and competent hands and know that all is well. And, of course, it’s my choice to have an attitude of gratitude even when I can’t see the blessings in the darkness.

Yes, I am powerful, but only because that power comes through from Source. And, Source indeed has a divine plan for me.

Having learned about living in the Now, as I reflect back on my childhood so many years ago, perhaps I was a bit more ‘together’ than I give myself credit for. Just maybe I didn’t make a conscious plan for my life because I was simply living in the present moment, letting my life unfold according to the plan of an Unseen Power. And, my life was exactly how God planned it.

God in Our Midst

Here it is Saturday morning, another opportunity to reflect on what I am grateful for as I prepare to attend my circle of gratitude.

Last night I attended what for me was a most unusual event: a celebration of Passover and the Last Supper. It was a evening of learning, music, joining together - and, of course, food! I appreciate our hostess opening up her home to us. More importantly, I so appreciate her opening up her rich heart.

E. is an awesome woman. She is a gracious, generous, and appreciative hostess. She has the joy, curiosity, innocence, and wonderment of a child; the education, life experience, and wisdom of an elder; the love, peace, and patience of a saint. Even her singing voice makes me think of an angel. Obviously she has a very close connection to Source; it is an inspiration to witness and makes me feel a part of.

I am grateful for people such as E. who so clearly convey to me that Spirit is not only present, but is within each of us, reaching out to others and showing them that God is in them too and that we are One.

God bless.

Membership

Recently a fellow Mystic Choir member asked me why I was becoming a member of Unity of Sedona. You see, she’d contemplated becoming one but was a bit skittish. As was I.

I’d been a devout atheist for many years, and even after 20 years on a conscious spiritual path, I still had my issues around the word church. I associate church with organized religion, which at least these days I can kindly say that I am able to see how it is helpful for some folks. If I could get over being an atheist, surely I could get over my conception of church. I could no longer allow my mindset to keep me from my greater good.

Unity.org states:
“The five basic ideas that make up the Unity belief system are: 1) God is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power. God is good and present everywhere. 2) We are spiritual beings, created in God's image. The spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good. 3) We create our life experiences through our way of thinking. 4) There is power in affirmative prayer, which we believe increases our connection to God. 5) Knowledge of these spiritual principles is not enough. We must live them.” Sounds pretty painless! Well, actually these are ideas that I very much resonate with and believe in.

Unity is a vehicle for instruction, inspiration, and prayer support for spiritual seekers. It is a place of education. Unity of Sedona specifically is where my spirit gets nourished and soars, whether singing with the choir or opening my heart at a gratitude meeting. It’s a place where I can be of service in a myriad of ways. It’s a place where I feel comfortable spreading my wings trying out new things. It is a place of learning and love where awakening happens.

Why become a member when I already can participate in everything, except having a say with a vote on organizational decisions? Becoming a member, I feel ‘more a part of’, which is important to the little girl inside who always felt different, starting first with her family of origin. Outside of my 12 Step family (which is huge), I have never so felt a part of a group of people (it has not been for lack of searching). Becoming a member means I’m making a commitment to something I believe in and am willing to stand up for it. This is “my place” and I want to care for it; I want to support it. This community is my family and I want to protect it, strengthen it, nurture it. I feel as a member I can give with more of a whole heart.

As my family at Unity of Sedona helps me flourish and wake up, together we all awaken to a world of peace, love, and joy.

The Last Frontier

“The only way to become permanently prosperous and successful is through the quickening, awakening, and bringing into righteous use all the indwelling resources of Spirit. When we develop our soul and express its talents and capabilities in loving service to God and mankind, all of our temporal needs will be supplied in bountiful measure. We have access to the realm of rich ideas; we enrich our consciousness by incorporating these rich ideas into it. A rich consciousness always demonstrates manifest prosperity.” – The Story of Unity, James Dillet Freeman, page 235.

Like other issues in life, manifestation on the physical plane is the last place in which results show up. First, I go to Source. Flowing from there, I see effects and changes to my mental state, then my emotional state, and finally the physical world. The outer world comes to reflect my inner world. The outer world is the result, not the source. God is First Cause. If I want to change my outer world, I must change my inner world - the kingdom within.

Illness is a good example of this. Louise Hay relates health conditions to states of mind. Constipation is the refusing to release old ideas, being stuck in the past. An earache is about not wanting to hear related to anger and too much turmoil. Foot problems are related to fear of the future and of not stepping forward in life. Harboring hard thoughts and beliefs of bitterness, condemnation, and pride can result in gallstones. The state of mind precedes the state of physical health. That’s why taking a pill, which may provide some relief to the condition, is only a band-aid for a symptom; it does not address cause.

Just like illness is the out picturing of thoughts and consciousness, my financial condition is as well. Now that I’ve gotten myself back on track - in ‘fit spiritual condition’ - and in ever-expanding consciousness, I expect to see manifestation on the physical plane reflecting the richness of my inner life. I hold great expectancy of God opening channels from which money flows with ease and grace, and in perfect ways. The more that flows, the more I give, the more I am of service to God. Once again I am brought back to Source.

It's Between Me & God

“We must not allow any consideration whatever, any institution, or organization, or any book, or any man or woman, to come between us and our direct seeking for God.” - The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox, Page 136.

In this time of accelerated awakening and change, yet another soul I know is stepping out to take care of herself. Being in a committed relationship, she found herself cooperating to live a life together with her honey. But her cooperation moved into compromise, a compromise too great and not in alignment with her true being. The divine spark within was dying from lack of spiritual nourishment, her connection to Source faltering.

When one reaches that point, the spiritual being having a human experience cannot continue without some significant change. And when in a committed relationship, the change required can be quite drastic.

I know what my friend is going through and the choice she had to make, for I went through it myself very recently. For now, she is relocating back to her home town without her husband for that is where her spirit is nourished in so many ways and her connection with God is strong. Without doing so, she’s not the person her partner knows anyway, and if the situation continued in the same vein, he’d be left without her anyway.

Like my friend, I’m relatively a newlywed (five years for me, three for her). Unlike her, I did not have to physically relocate to get back on track in my seeking of God; in fact, my husband and I recently relocated to a place that fosters this. But what I had to do was come back to me. I had to finally make the decision to put my relationship with God truly first (not just pay lip service as I had been doing), and the relationship with my husband, second.

In so doing, my spirit is joyful and my relationship with God is thriving. And, you know what? My husband got back the true person he’d married. A blessing to us both!

We are each individuals and the work we do to awaken to God’s grace is truly an inside job. Only I can do it for me, and having a loving partner along the way is icing on the cake. But I must remember that God is the cake and has to get baked first.

Here’s to Spirit! Here’s to Joy!

In An Instant

“The amount of time it takes you to get from where you are to where you want to be, is only the amount of time it takes you to change the vibration within you. Instant manifestation could be yours if you could instantly change the vibration.” – Abraham, Excerpted from the 08.23.03 San Diego, CA workshop #370

The aforementioned is a reminder to me that it only takes an instant to change my mind and my attitude. It is simply a matter of choice, my choice.

However, it doesn’t always seem so simple. But, I know that with God all things are possible. Again, by choice, I can ask Spirit for help.

I am never alone or without resources. God, my Source, helps me to change when I am willing and ask for help.