All is Well and All is Good

“Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.” - Unknown

... And blessed is my morning meditation practice to dissipate the fears that creep into my mind in the middle of the night!

Today I listened to the self-hypnosis CD Peace of Mind (Barrie Konicov) and it enabled me to let go of agitation. And, when I let go of worry, God can more easily get my attention - and I can get His help. The good ‘ol “Let go and let God.”

Today I live a faith-filled day. I know God is in charge, Divine Order IS and it does prevail: all is well. Ahhh.

“Today I claim my Truth. The presence and power of God work in, through and as my life, blessing others and blessing me. I recognize the interconnectedness of all human beings and trust that every situation and person has the potential to contribute to my life in a positive way. I create order in my life and seek only the good, assured that as I seek, so I shall find.” - Excerpt from Daily Word, July 1, 2010

Beloved

Excerpt from Today’s Daily Word, which affirms “I am beloved of God” -

“There may be one special person in my life whom I dearly love. It could be a parent, a child, a sibling, a spouse, a friend. I feel a special connection with this person that calls to me from deep within.

“In much the same way, I am beloved of God. I am the... daughter of the Creator. The love of God is shown to me in many ways...

"I open my heart to find and feel the fullness of Spirit and my connection with God wherever I am. What a joy it is to know that there is no limit to God's love for me, this day and every day!”

The special person in my life is my husband, Rog. He is my life partner, best friend, lover, business partner, teacher, etc. We have a special connection and I am 100% totally myself with him. He is a tremendous blessing in my life.

I dearly love and appreciate Rog but sometimes I get lost in the busyness of the world of form and don’t always convey the depth of my feelings for my beloved. So, this being the morning of the Gratitude Circle at Unity of Sedona, I am especially reminded of this man and holy relationship. I am so grateful.

I give special thanks for my beloved Rog, for being a beloved of the Creator, and for the Creator being The Beloved to me. I give thanks for all beings - we are One and we are all the Beloved.

Perfection

Today’s Daily Word is ‘healing” and the affirmation is “I bless my mind and body with thoughts of perfect health.”

As I embarked on my quiet time of meditation, I silently repeated the affirmation like a chant...

I bless my mind and body with thoughts of perfect health.
At some point I realized I was chanting I bless my mind and body with thoughts of perfect peace.

Ah - I like that.

So what about...

I bless my mind and body with thoughts of perfect love.
I bless my mind and body with thoughts of perfect joy.
I bless my mind and body with thoughts of perfect grace.
I bless my mind and body with thoughts of perfect faith.

The list could go on and on and on.

Perfect health, perfect peace, perfect love, perfect joy, perfect grace, perfect faith: blessing my mind and body with such uplifting, affirming thoughts certainly promotes healing.

What a fun gift this affirmation exercise was, and I’m sure I will carry its wonderful energy with me throughout the day. As I affirm these states of perfection, I affirm my oneness with God.

God is perfect and so is my true state.

Let It Be

Yesterday I attended a talk given by Timothy Buzzard of Unity of Sedona. If I got it right, the crux of his message was that no one is in a position to judge. Any person or situation can provide profound usefulness in the midst of seeming discomfort and even horror, so why judge it?

If I believe there is a Divine Intelligence at work, then everything, everything, everything - and everyone - is here for a reason. I may not know what it is, but I can rest assured that there is purpose behind it all.

From that viewpoint, I endeavor to see the blessing in everything and everyone. I surrender into Spirit’s wisdom and love, and I just let things and people be. I do not judge lest I be judge - and there is simply no point in judging, it is moot.

In my earlier days of awakening, I never fully appreciated some of John Lennon’s songs, the lyrics as well as the music. It is only in recent years that I’ve realized the depth of and enjoyed the powerful spiritual meaning behind his “Imagine.” And yesterday, I came to see the same when Timothy played a gospel version of “Let It Be.”

With God in charge, I can simply let things be.

“Let It Be” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.

And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

Pray for... Laughter

A recent posting on the Our Prayer website stated: “In the moment of sincere laughter, our heart is open as we experience true joy and gratitude for life.”

That’s the spiritual side, but there is also physical healing in humor. We know that laughter can improve heart rate, ease muscle tension and strengthen the immune system.

What a blessing laughter is. So why not pray for it?

A Prayer for Laughter

Dear Lord,
The day can be challenging.
Often our problems overwhelm our joys.
Today help me to see the moments that lighten my heart.
Help me to laugh more and fret less.
May the radiance and joy of your love shine in me.
Amen.

- OurPrayer.org

Nothing?

Nothing comes to mind about what to blog about this morning despite reading several pieces of spiritual literature. Have I nothing to say to God this morning? That is surely something to place in my blog.

Dear God -

Thank You for this day. As the early morning coffee brews and I move into my special time with Rog, I think of You and Your Grace. I thank You for Your many blessings.

As I go about this busy, exciting day of adventures, may I keep You in my mind and my heart. May I pause and take a deep breath whenever I want to get an extra stronger dose of Your Presence.

And, please help everyone to appreciate that all in this life is a blessing because all in life emanates from You, and You are indeed the greatest blessing of all.

Love, Joyce

God's World

In God’s economy, nothing is wasted. – Bill W.

This is one of my favorite sayings. Remembering it has lifted me from despair for it filled me with hope knowing that there is a purpose to everything.

And, in a different vein, this saying has come to mind, for instance, when I’d gone astray in a new locale or on a project. Later on the knowledge picked up from that ‘accidental’ experience helped handily in a current situation – and brought a smile to my face as I thought of God’s hand in the situation, making sure that nothing was wasted.

Nothing is wasted in God’s economy for everything has meaning and purpose. For me, this is another way of stating that everything is a blessing.

And so it truly is in God’s world.

Just Do What You Do

Neglect not the gift that is in thee... - I Timothy 4:14

“What is God asking you to give today? It may be large or small, but one thing is certain: It’s something only you can give.” – By Roberta Messner (From today’s Daily Guideposts)

Well, I easily and naturally give hugs. And, I’m quick to help someone with computer-related issues. I consider myself a good listener and empathetic. But, what is it that is uniquely me, that no one else can give? My singing voice, my wit, my wisdom?

Perhaps it’s sharing my experience, strength, and hope. I’ve led an interesting and unique life considering my roots and the fact that I’m a woman. I’ve developed a philosophy of life that has served me and my fellows well.

So maybe it’s simply telling my story of how I came to believe in a Power greater than myself that could relieve me of the insanity of my life, not just in the area of my eating disorder, but in other unhealthy relationships as well. I know that I love sharing about what my life used to be like, what happened, and what it’s been like since I developed a relationship with the God of my understanding. And, I know it has been a service and a blessing to many of those who’ve heard it.

I’ve said that if I accomplished nothing else in this lifetime, shedding the atheist persona and coming to believe in Spirit and acting in accordance with that belief has been plenty.

So along with hugging, listening, and being empathic, I guess just doing what I do means being one of God’s poster children demonstrating how Spirit works in one’s life. It’s an example of healing and waking up to all that each of us truly is.

Empowering Gratitude

We empower ourselves every time we accept responsibility for choosing the thoughts and feelings we act on. - In God’s Care, February 4, 2010

Thinking about what I am grateful for is a wonderful (and quick) way for me to align with Spirit and thereby empower myself.

So here’s what I’m grateful for this very morning:

- Spending quiet time with God, my Higher Self, guides, angels, and all the other beings interested in my upliftment
- Early morning ’kawfee’ time with Rog in our rustic candlelit living room
- The divine spark within that is growing stronger every day
- My robust health physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
- My front crown remaining secure and staying on!
- My newfound friend, client, and personal healer
- Interesting clients and creative work
- Money flowing in more steadily
- Unity of Sedona people and events
- An array of friends who are waking up alongside me

And, most of all, my gratitude list must always include knowing and feeling I am never alone, for God is always with me.

Thank You, Spirit, for all You have blessed me with. I look forward to the future blessings You have in store for me.

Primary Purpose

Just sit there right now. Don’t do a thing. Just rest. For your separation from God is the hardest work in this world. – Hafiz

This waking up business can be pretty tricky and challenging. The idea of unity with Source and of course with other people is great, but it’s often not simple or easy to think or behave in accordance with it. Waking up is my primary purpose and I cannot do it alone - obviously.

What a wonderful assurance this is: "Let there be light." What a blessing it is to know that the light of God is within me, day and night, in good times and in challenging times. One with God, I face each day with confidence. – Daily Word, 01.31.10

Messages Out There

I was once again reminded through my readings this morning that God is always with me in every fiber of my being, in every situation. That idea, with the notion that I create my world, gave rise to an epiphany.

Especially during the past year I have gotten into fear about our financial situation, imagining that we would fall into a life like the homeless people who graced the sidewalks of New York where I lived for the first 41 years of my life. I figured that any person could land up homeless and penniless, and I was no exception. I could let my imagination run wild and get into a mighty tizzy. But I missed some key thoughts, some distinctions that set me aside from those folks...

Like, I have the awareness of the power I have to create my own world, and with God, I really do create my life. Like, positive thinking is uplifting and makes a huge difference in my life. Like, I have people in my life that offered us a place to stay. And, from another standpoint, if I am seeing homeless people in the outside world it is a projection of something going on within me. There is no out there out there. I need to address the message and heal.

“If man understood that "what I create has nothing to do with what anybody else is creating" then he wouldn't be so afraid of what others are doing.” - Abraham (Excerpted from the 11.14.98 El Paso, TX workshop #335)

I once again realized that I need not be in fear (false evidence appearing real) because #1, a loving God is always with me, and #2, looking at other people’s lives and comparing mine to theirs does not serve me well. We are each on our own path, making our choices, learning the lessons we came into this current lifetime to learn.

It only serves me well to look at the ‘outside’ world as a learning tool on my journey of waking up. Each person, place, and situation is an opportunity to increase my consciousness one minute at a time. Everything is a blessing and all is well.

Off Hold

Today’s Daily Thought in the Guideposts Devotional to pray about is “Lord, give me the courage to pursue that which I have put on hold. Now.”

I have been feeling for years, and saying almost daily, “I don’t have enough time.” It has dulled my joy, weighed me down at all levels, and been a self-fulfilling prophecy. In discussing this expression with Rog the other day, we got that the words were actually not accurate – imagine all these years repeating such an incorrect (as well as debilitating) statement! It would be correct to say that I don’t get done what I would like to each day including taking care of my self and my soul. And, it would be far healthier to say “I would like to do and be more.”

So what has kept me from being more, doing more with the 24 hours in my day? What makes me feel that there is always one more thing to do? And, that I must be doing, doing, doing?

Ego. Fear. Keep a person busy and they don’t have time to be as conscious as they could be. Keep them immersed in the minutiae of everyday living, and they keep themselves from knowing who they really are, knowing their dreams, pursuing their life purpose, connecting with and serving God fully. Being.

It takes courage to be. I’ve taken my self and my soul – my life – off hold and am paying attention to them with great care now. Knowing God is with me gives me the courage to deal with whatever may surface as I move into more and more consciousness. For with awakening, the shadow side comes up, and with it some pain. But blessing it, with Spirit it dissipates, and I am free to be the fuller me. To be a human being not a human doing.

Looking to God

“We may still fear the outcome of a situation because we’re not certain God wants the same things for us that we want. But by recalling our past, when God’s direction has brought us where we need to be, we can rest our mind and turn our life over again.” – In God’s Care, December 29

‘Tis true... When I get into fear about something in the present - well, no (not the present, for all is well in the Now) – the future, I simply have to go back to the past and see how God took care of me. This past year has been quite an adventure, and quite a demonstration of God blessing me and showering me with grace. When I look at my life these days - my physical surroundings, my relationships, my community - there is no doubt that God has had quite a hand in the unfolding of it all. I am grateful.

So, what insanity makes me think that God would drop me now? That God would not continue blessing me and taking care of me?

The ego is a cunning, devious entity and it surely took hold over me big time last week. And with all the fear it generated, it still did not keep Spirit from gracing me and taking care of me.

May I keep a steadfast gaze on Thee, my Source, and may Thy will be my will. I turn my will and my life over to the care of God over (and over and over...) again. And so it is.

Serving God

“Always let your prayer take the form of thanksgiving, on the assumption that God is giving you great and wonderful things.” - Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

My prayers are not to be about what I want, but about realizing that God is Source and that all that I receive from Spirit is a blessing and worthy of thanks. And so I start my prayers off acknowledging Source and Its greatness, then expressing gratitude. When I am in fit condition, I am ready to be of service to Spirit.

After all, isn’t that what life is truly about - being the hands and voice of God so that I can help others?

Forgiving Me

I don’t think my plate has ever been as full as it is now as we continue transitioning from life in Gilbert to life in Sedona. And because of that, certain tasks have gone by the wayside or not been addressed in a timely manner or not been done as perfectly as I (and perhaps others) think they should have been.

It’s time for forgiving – me, moi, Joyce. I’m doing the best I can in each 24-hour period given to me and it must be enough. In fact, it’s better than enough.

I don’t think Spirit has me here to act like a machine. I am here to learn, to grow, to help others, to serve, to be happy. I want to find the joy in this day, and I want to be in the Now to feel the Presence.

The other day at a blessing gathering I got the hit that forgiveness is about surrender. I surrender to God the ideas I hold about myself and others, how things should be, and let go. I let God handle my actions and my thoughts. I surrender my heart to God as I forgive myself and others.

Today I am filled with peace as I choose to forgive myself and surrender my life to Spirit. Thank You, Spirit!

The Way Things Are

The way we think everything should and will happen just may not be according to God’s will of good for us. – Anonymous

There is no doubt that there have been numerous instances in my life in which I thought things should have happened in a certain way in order to be in my best interest. But more was revealed, and the way the situation unfolded turned out to be a blessing and clearly for my spiritual upliftment.

These days I’m really not clear why the unfoldment of my new life is happening the way it is, and I just want to get on with it! But I am grateful for the reminders that come my way via a person, a reading, etc. showing me that there is a Divine Plan, God is in charge, and all is unfolding perfectly.

I pray to keep surrendering to Spirit’s Plan and relax in the peace, love and joy of it.

Happy Birthday, Rog!

Let God love you through others and let God love others through you. – D. M. Street
“Every person in our life is an invitation to know God better. ...emissaries of God who have been sent to teach us about love.” – In God’s Care, October 24

Rog stepped into my life five years ago this past July, and he has been loving me and I have been loving him just about since that first match.com email.

Through his love I have had a glimmer of what God’s unconditional love is like. I’ve healed a bit from my family of origin hurts by observing Rog with his children, seeing the kind of father he is. He’s a great role model and teacher for me in many areas, and his character, spirit, and love are a wonderful blessing to me.

I’m grateful to Rog’s parents for bringing his spirit into this world, for his mom going through childbirth, and for the Great Mystery once again getting these two twin flames together in this lifetime.

Thank you, Rog, for all of your love, all that you are, and all the best that you bring out in me. Thank you for this wonderful sacred union, and for being my safe harbor where I am regularly reborn in safety and in peace.

Thank You, Spirit, for blessing me – and many others – with this loving, faith-filled man with whom I am honored to be his best friend, wife, and intimate fellow adventurer in this game called Life.

The Question Was Popped

Half-asleep at 4:45 AM five years ago, Roger asked me to marry him – boy, did that wake me up!

We’d been talking about whether to opt for formal, legal recognition of our life partnership or just live together. Whether we had the State of Arizona behind us or not, we were committed to one another. Since I’d never been married before, I thought it would be an interesting experience to have.

Although Rog had said he liked being married and wanted to remarry, he was still a bit hesitant. But Spirit worked on him, and when Rog heard Spirit emphatically tell him to ask me to marry him – repeatedly – Rog heeded The Voice and did so. It was the same Voice that had told Rog months before to set up his profile on match.com, where we soon met; the rest is history.

I will always be grateful that Rog obeyed The Voice. I thank Spirit that He was clearly a part of it all, we had His blessing, and He continues to guide us on the adventurous and love-filled life we have together.

Happy 5th Engage-a-versary to my beloved husband, Rog!

Autumn 2009

It was brought to my attention the other evening that it was the fall equinox. Normally, I pay attention when a new season begins but for some reason this year, autumn didn’t register in my consciousness until my friend mentioned it.

Actually, it turns out that officially the autumnal equinox was yesterday, 09/22 at 5:18 PM (EDT). The equinox is one of two times a year when the Sun crosses the equator, and the day and night are of approximately equal length.

I’ve been thinking about why this time around I was not mindful of the change in seasons, and what does this new season mean to me this year.

“Fall” is about down, about ending. One thing that’s ending is summer – here in Gilbert, that’s a blessing! We don’t usually think of “down” as a blessing – but we could. Perhaps it’s because it’s still pretty hot here and I never expected us to still be living in Gilbert when the fall came, that I lost track of the seasons.

“Autumn” we borrowed from the Latin autumnus ‘the harvest time of plenty.’ We’re excited that the heat is ending - there’s a lot ending these days. Transformation is in the air. And with it, a bountiful harvest.

While fall is usually about moving towards hibernating in winter, we feel a great and wonderful expectancy, in a way as if it were spring, the season for rebirth. There is a New World coming, one filled with more and more community and true meaning in life. One where our life is not focused on and attempting to glean meaning from accumulating money and material things. Rather, we’re quickly moving into the space where our life is focused on love, peace, and joy in our relationships with humans, plants, and animals. This ex-atheist sees it as a time of walking even more and more with Spirit.

A song by Nina Simone comes to mind. Although I was first introduced to it back in the early 70’s, it feels like it was written for these times.

New World Coming by Nina Simone (excerpt)

There's a new world coming
And it's just around the bend
There's a new world coming
This one's coming to an end

There's a new voice calling
You can hear it if you try
And it's growing stronger
With each day that passes by

There's a brand new morning
Rising clear and sweet and free
There's a new day dawning
That belongs to you and me

Yes a new world's coming
The one we've had visions of
Coming in peace, coming in joy
Coming in love.

These are exciting times - Happy Autumn!

Big Change Day

For the past several days I have felt that something big - in a positive way - was going to occur Wednesday. Well today is that day...

I had no idea of the date until I received an email last night which included article excerpts referring to “9-9-9”. Ah, yes: 09/09/09 – of course!

The email stated that “... the significance of the 9-9-9 is about the recoding and amplification of crystalline energy of both Earth and the human form.” And, it also said that “... this is not just a numerological curiosity in the Gregorian calendar, but that the date plays a profound objective role in the cosmic plan as we may understand this from the Mayan calendar directly leading up to the birth of a new world through the Ninth level, 9.9.9. ... we thus have reasons to expect an unprecedented period of change in a very short period of time. ” [You can read more at: http://www.earth-keeper.com/EKnews_7-11-09.htm and http://www.calleman.com/content/articles/999_and_the_mayan_calendar.htm]

I sensed it would be a big day, but I had no idea!

As we go through losing our home within the next week or so; figuring out what to place in storage, sell, donate, or keep near us; packing; trying to accumulate money and other resources to keep us going; and, finding a unique living situation that is rent-free and in a different part of the state, there is no doubt that Rog and my lives are about to change big time.

While I still don’t know that is going to happen today in my world, I’m grateful for being in a positive frame of mind, and for the signs and messages Spirit is sending my way...

Like the aforementioned information, reminding me that these are indeed exciting times and we’re not alone. Or, a quote found in one of my daily meditations books: “I am doing more and more for the last time and less and less for the first time.” – Andy Capp. Then there’s: "Who you are is beyond what you can imagine. Surrender all of the ideas of who you think you are, and allow us to show you directly the vastness of your being." – The Voice for Love.

Also, some new paying business has flowed in since last night; Spirit has been introducing us to a plethora of wonderful, kind people; and, friends of ours, he a gourmet chef, invited us for dinner tonight at their home – I’m enthusiastic about being with these spiritual people on what is inevitably feeling like a day of celebration. Oh yes, we’ve got a lottery ticket for tonight’s big drawing.

Yep, it’s been a full day already, with more in store. I know that God has a Plan –even if I don’t know what it is. I simply want to keep remembering that God is my Source, The Source, of everything in my life and that everything is a blessing.

So, come on, Big Change, let’s see what you’ve got for us! With God, all is well.

Thank You, God!