Thank You, God!

My prayer today is: Thank You, God! Thank You, God! Thank You, God! I guess it’s an affirmation as well.

I’m grateful that I feel I made some progress in my daily practice of sitting in the Silence, of quieting the mind. I actually was able to focus mainly on my breath for a great portion of the ½ hour. And by focusing on the breath, one can only be in the present moment, in the Now. That is where Consciousness resides, that is where The Presence can be felt. When I did find myself back in the chatter of the little Me, I was inspired to chant Thank You, God! Thank You, God! Thank You, God! and get back to the breath, to the Now.

I’m grateful that I finally got back to my morning stretches. Ever since we moved to Sedona 7+ months ago, those had gone by the wayside. My morning schedule wasn’t so open any more, the floors are Saltillo tile (beautiful - and hard), and I don’t have my own private space where I can stretch to soothing music; challenges no doubt, but not roadblocks if I am willing and open to change. I finally became willing enough.

So this morning I am b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g deeply and I am feeling more conscious and more healthy in body, mind, and spirit. It feels great!

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

My Role

“It is not your role to make others happy; it is your role to keep yourself in balance. When you pay attention to how you feel and practice self-empowering thoughts that align with who-you-really-are, you will offer an example of thriving that will be of tremendous value to those who have the benefit of observing you.

“You cannot get poor enough to help poor people thrive or sick enough to help sick people get well. You only ever uplift from your position of strength and clarity and alignment.” - Abraham, Excerpted from the book "Money and the Law of Attraction: Learning to Attract Health, Wealth and Happiness"

This reminds me of the story about the proper protocol for using oxygen masks on an airplane in the case of a decrease in cabin pressure. It is imperative that adults put their oxygen mask on first, then place masks on the children, otherwise the adults won’t be able to help and the children may be harmed anyway.

I need to take care of myself first otherwise I have little hope that I can be of service to others; I must be in fit spiritual condition.

There is always choice as to how I walk in this life. Situations are neutral; the stories I tell about them and people are of my own making. I cannot make anyone else do or be something else. It is my role to keep myself in balance and in alignment with Spirit. From there I can be an uplifting force for others.

Attitude

“What we say about a situation determines how we think about it and finally what we do about it. Attitude largely determines activity; so watch your attitude and make it one of faith. By practicing positive attitudes, you will experience a renewed trust in God and find creative solutions to your problems.” - Our Prayer.org

I’ve been paying greater and greater attention to the impact of the separated, limited, little Me on my joy, my life. Its thinking can easily push me into fear, not feeling capable enough, contracted.

And yesterday I started paying greater attention to the unlimited Me. It’s the Me that is formless - my spirit, my true essence. So when I caught my attitude starting to drift towards negativity, I paused, said hello to God, and consciously moved back into the energy field of Spirit. With a shift in attitude, my actions shifted as well, and I proceeded on with the day in a more positive manner.

We all know what the shift of attitude towards God, trust, and faith feels like: power, joy, love, mercy, grace, and peace. The little Me cannot bring me to that place. Only the whole Me, the Oneness, God.

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.

Inspired By Others

I took the entire day off to play with friends visiting from Tucson, a luxury for me. And, it also threw my schedule off. So here it is close to 10 o’clock in the evening, and I’m working on finding a topic to blog about.

When I’m not initially inspired as to what to write about, I have the practice of reading the various daily, weekly, and monthly spiritual messages I subscribe to via email. And since I don’t keep up with them sufficiently, there is always a backlog to read. I always enjoy reading them and find myself feeling closer to God when doing so.

So after a rich day of friendship and a meeting for volunteer work, I find myself a bit spent and not knowing what to blog about. But there’s my cadre of emails sitting in my Inbox with plenty of inspiration and words of wisdom contained therein.

Today’s Daily Word is Comfort: “I am comforted by the love and presence of God.” And, the Daily Guideposts story is about the author’s awareness being raised and thereby stops being indifferent to people and starts praying for them. Another reminds me “...that he does not believe who does not live according to his belief.” Abraham says “Look for good things about where you are, and in your state of appreciation, you lift all self-imposed limitations (and all limitations are self-imposed) and you free yourself for the receiving of wonderful things.”

So while I may not always feel inspired to blog, my commitment to blog daily always gives me an extra boost of connection with Spirit. Today it took the form of taking a break from my own writing (sort of) to read about others’ journey with God and His Ways. And that is always inspiring.

Good night.

The Path of Waking Up

I’ve been nursing a head cold for several days now, God’s way of getting me to slow down. My ears are stuffed up, my eyes watery, my short term memory... well, short - VERY short! So one could accurately say that communication between me and others might not be that clear.

Still, Rog has been patient when I ask him to repeat himself so I can make sure I’ve heard him correctly. I’ve misheard several phrases and we’ve been able to laugh at my perception of what he said. Perception for any human being is difficult on any given day, but in this physical body currently, it’s even more so. We’re accepting the circumstances and one another, doing our best to make ourselves clear speakers and clear receivers. We’re laughing and saying “I love you” when a message gets lost in my mind’s translation.

But what about when we’re all in pretty good physical condition - then what’s the reason behind miscommunication? Do I hear any votes for the ego, for not being in fit spiritual condition? One is either in their ego mind or their God mind - there’s no middle ground.

I have to be in fit spiritual condition to accurately perceive when someone makes accusations towards me that have no basis in reality - well, certainly not mine - that something else is going on with that person. It’s not about me. It’s not personal even if it appears that way. When someone chooses to cling to their position, their ego is at work, keeping them closed to other options and possibilities. And, their heart has been clamped shut. Not a fun place to be for anyone.

I certainly don’t want to live that way and I am grateful to be waking up. It’s not always easy, with relationships and possessions going by the wayside through necessity. Waking up means honestly looking at my inner thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors with a microscope so that I can know and be who I truly am. From there, I walk in this world coming from the place of Spirit. Acceptance, love, compassion, and kindness prevail.

Waking up can be challenging, but sticking with the illusion would mean being an open and willing partner to ego, to unnecessary pain and suffering. Freedom is at stake.

On this new earth we may find ourselves not making the journey with the long-time companions we thought would be accompanying us. But we will all get Home and be reunited with those we needed to let go of along the way of getting there. We are One and that can never change.

Dear Spirit -
Thank You for Your mercy and compassion as we each do what we can to wake up to You and to who we really are. May I demonstrate mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and unconditional love to all on my path, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And, may each do the same with me!

Morning Prayer

Dear Spirit of the Most High-
As the month of June speeds ahead, we give thanks for You. We stretch ourselves to feel Your Presence in all that we do and all whom we meet.

Grant us peace as we go out to do your bidding this day. May we be Your emissaries of light and love, as we awaken and demonstrate to others the joy and peace of leaving pain and suffering behind in the illusion of the old world and step into the new earth.

Thank You, God!

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!

The Place

Rog is working with a young woman on a business plan for her dream business. After her getting stuck trying to go about drafting it in the conventional way, Rog suggested she come from the place of Spirit.

Isn’t that the solution all the time? To remember and be Spirit in all situations, all conundrums? And, isn’t that who we truly are? We can come straight from the heart. We can relax and be at peace. Creativity flows, questions resolve.

Dear God-
Help me to remember I am Spirit and to carry the qualities of You into all circumstances, all relationships, all the time.

Adventure

These days, after our good morning kiss, Rog often asks me, “Are you up for another adventure today?!” I always respond in the affirmative.

Life with Rog is an adventure. And, I say it’s that way mostly because with Rog comes God. Spirit is always with us and we are ever expectant of Its Joy, Love, and Peace.

Because we stay open and because we know that with God all things are possible, we never know what the day will bring. We seek God’s guidance, listen clearly for the Great Mystery’s messages, and then go into action as appropriate. We never know what new experiences, new people, or new ideas will manifest. Life is rich.

With Rog and God, my life cannot but be an adventure, one that I welcome each day with the good morning kiss of my beloveds.

Prison and God

My obsession was all-powerful. Summoning all my resources, I could not dislodge it. Then three simple words did the trick: “Came to believe.” - Anonymous
We were prisoners of our obsessions. No more. Three words, “came to believe,” were the key that unlocked the gates of our personal prison.
When we rely on this power, wonderful and unexplainable things happen. Once this power unlocks the prison gates, anything is possible.
- In God’s Care, June 1

There are many ways we can be imprisoned.

One of my spiritual teachers began his spiritual awakening 30+ years ago while incarcerated. He’d run away from home when he was 13, then landed up in reform schools, jails, and the state penitentiary. This last stop was for a crime he’d not committed, but his hope of ever being released was dismal. Then he had a spiritual experience while lying in his bunk one day. It changed his attitude toward his defense lawyer and from there, miracles started happening. He was set free and his life has been about waking up and service ever since.

With all this teacher went through, he is fond of saying that he prefers his prison to have bars.

Yep, it certainly is easier when I can concretely see how I limit myself. When I was in the throes of my eating addiction, I finally was able to see that it was a symptom of something deeper. When I became open to asking for help, it was the beginning of the process of my release from prison.

When this devout atheist heard that she could choose her own conception of God, then “came to believe,” the key was turned and my prison door unlocked. Since then, relying on a Power greater than myself, I’ve been stepping out more and more from the prison of the ego, something I cannot always see as clearly has the bars of a prison cell, but surely quite as dismal.

Cultivating a close relationship with Spirit, my life has been filled with miracle upon miracle, and my soul has rejoiced. Coming to believe was the answer to my prison release and the beginning of my waking up to The Presence and this new earth.

Remembrance

Today’s Daily Word acknowledges Memorial Day, a U.S. holiday. But, interestingly, it goes beyond remembering the men and women who gave their lives in our nation’s service. Here it is in its entirety:

Monday, May 31, 2010
Remember
I lovingly remember others.

Remembering those who have given their lives in service, I reflect upon their sacrifice. I learn from the lessons they taught and from their accomplishments. I also remember the people who have made a meaningful contribution in my life. Because of them I have learned to live more fully.

Just as I build upon the acts and achievements of those who have gone before me, others may build upon my life's example. As I remember others today, others may remember me in the future.

Today I take a few moments to appreciate those who taught me by example, to honor those who showed me the way. Their love and their willingness have changed my life for the better, and I am grateful.

When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God. - Philemon 1:4

It’s interesting that during this morning’s quiet time I listened to a meditative, subliminal CD about forgiveness and peace of mind. Several people from the past came into my consciousness. They were folks who I’d been close to for many years but am no longer in touch with. While we’ve chosen to not be in one another’s lives these days, I remember them with love for making my life richer. They helped me become who I am today. I have much gratitude for them - their love, their patience, their wisdom.

There are so many others I remember and for whom I am grateful: School teachers, relatives, employers, co-workers, those who came before me in the 12 Step program, other spiritual mentors, and of course, friends and my beloved life partner and husband, Roger Wyer. All have blessed me with their presence in my life - even if sometimes I hadn’t a clue!

Thank You, Spirit, for all those I’ve met on this journey called Life. Bless them, bless them, bless them.

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.

Doors and Windows

Today’s Daily Word is about the light of God, affirms “The light of God shines through me,” and begins with...

“We have all heard the expression, "God never closes a door without opening a window." Yet at times I may not see any windows open to me. If I'm seeing only lack and limitation, I look beyond appearances to the Truth. I am the conduit, the passageway, through which possibilities appear. I am actually the window that I seek, and the light of God shines through me.”

Yes, there have surely been times in which I felt doors closing but couldn’t see windows opening. Those were times I really needed to let go, trust, and pray for a different perspective.

However, these days God has graced us with an abundance of doors so much so that I find myself considering which to walk through and which to possibly close myself - with Spirit’s guidance of course.

I know that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle AND I still need to take care of myself. That means being well rested, having time for my ‘formal’ spiritual practice, etc.

During these past couple of weeks, I’ve gotten three new clients. And, volunteer work for an organization has impressed the leadership that they’ve invited us to work with them professionally and for money. I’m regularly spending a bit of time with the pooches at the Humane Society of Sedona. There always seems to be one website project that I’m doing pro bono at any given time. Social invitations from the new friendships forming are on the increase, while longer term friendships beckon for more attention. We are surrounded by the offerings of spiritual-focused seminars and events like Sufi dancing. The community we so yearned for is being woven into a glorious web.

With time flying increasingly at lightning speed, I’m not sure how much more I can put on my plate, how much I can stretch me. So much of this is fun, the people are delightful, and The Presence is evident - a part of me wants to do it all.

I’m certainly not complaining - I am soooo very grateful for this rich life. Still, I need to be discerning where I put my energy, for if I don’t take care of moi, I will not be of much use to anyone else, including Spirit.

So here’s my prayer...

Dear Holy, Beloved Presence-
Thank You, thank You, thank You for the many, many blessings you have graced me with. Thank You for the wonderful people and opportunities you have placed in my life to enable me to wake up, love, and be of service. I welcome Your doors and windows and seek Your guidance and power to carry out Your Will. Show me The Way.

God in the Arts

In today’s Daily Guideposts, writer June Attaway shares her experience about going to the theatre with her fourteen year old daughter. They went to see Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder, a play Julia hadn’t read in decades (I don’t think I’ve read it at all). It’s about an aging architect who feels threatened that his young assistant will surpass him.

Julia doesn’t realize until the end of the second act that the real master builder is God. However, her teenage daughter, upon hearing the title of the play, from the get-go had thought it was only going to be about God!

Reading this reminded me of how often I thought the lyrics to a song were about one thing, but then realized God was the subject or God was speaking to the listener.

Take, for instance, “You’ve Got a Friend,” written by Carole King and performed by James Taylor. Here’s an excerpt:

When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.

I used to think this was about a close relationship between friends. But after I’d “come to believe,” it was suggested to me to think of it as being sung from God’s perspective. I tried it - and I loved it!

Here’s another set of lyrics excerpted from “Follow Me” by John Denver:

Follow me where I go, what I do, and who I know
Make it part of you to be a part of me
Follow me up and down, all the way and all around
Take my hand and say you’ll follow me.

Sounds like Spirit talking to me...

I love hearing God speak to me and since I have such a love of music and singing, I easily embrace and so enjoy hearing God’s messages through the musical word.

Literature, theatre, art, dance, music... God uses artisans as emissaries to spread His Word and to convey to us that we are not alone. How creative, how clever, how enjoyable. Thank You, Spirit!

We're in This Together

Whether I am being paid $15/hour or $50/hour, or I am “volunteering” my time, my desire is always to be in a helping mode. I can’t say that I always behave in that manner.

I found myself yesterday thinking in terms of money and disturbance when called ‘off hours’ to help a client of a client. Gratefully, my conscience quickly got me to want to help this person even though it “wasn’t my job.” After this decision was made, it turned out the person was able to solve the problem herself. Ya think my decision influenced the Universe?... Perhaps.

Wouldn’t it be nice if each of us knew, really knew, that there’d always be help available? And, when we gave assistance, we’d get ‘paid’ with knowing we’d receive help too whenever we needed it? ...that we were never alone? Of course, Spirit is always with us to guide and help, but often we need a real, live human being to carry out the work.

The current money economy is such a separator of people, to one another, to themselves, to God. Well, that’s changing and I’m so glad. A new earth is coming where people live from the heart, in community, bartering and helping one another in all aspects of life.

My prayer is to continue opening my heart in service to others. We are all part of The One, giving and receiving. What I give returns to me, returns to us. Let I not build barriers to healing the separation, but be part of the solution to our return to Oneness.

True Love

As I wake up, I’m learning more about love, true love.

True love, unconditional love, is not about limitation, judgment, or comparison.

True love accepts beings as they are and offers compassion and mercy. It extends itself out. It is awareness. It is present.

It is Presence.

Thank You, Spirit, for the dissolution of the old earth that obscures love, and for the new earth arising in which waking up reveals our true love for all.

The Director

“When you talk about what you want and why you want it, there's usually less resistance within you than when you talk about what you want and how you're going to get it. When you pose questions you don't have answers for, like how, where, when, who, it sets up a contradictory vibration that slows everything down.” - Abraham, Excerpted from the Saturday, 01.29.05, San Antonio, TX #448 workshop

In this vast universe of myriad possibilities, I cannot possibly figure out the ‘how’ of anything. In God’s kingdom, all things are possible.

So, I leave the ‘how’ up to Spirit, who has a Divine Plan and is running the show. I open myself up to God’s Will and Grace to receive what God wants, and let God handle the ‘how’ too.

“Help us to understand that You, Who knows the end from the beginning, are always in charge.” - Isabel Wolseley

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!