Category Archives: Nature

The Sound of Creation

Posted on by

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
–Genesis 1:3 (World English Bible, WEB)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
–John 1:1 (WEB)

Maybe it was spoken.
Maybe it was sung.
Sound began the process,
The Sound of God the One.

God made all creation
First there came the Light
From the Sound it echoed
And made the darkness bright.

God said, let’s make humans,
Put them on the Earth,
In a Word He gave us
Our Spirit, Life and birth.

That’s why we love music,
Sung and spoken Word.
Heart and soul, it moves us,
The voice of God is heard.

Sheep – Spiritual Poem

Posted on by

The world sees sheep
As conformists
Flocks of dependents
Stupid, ignorant, unable to think for themselves.

Sheep need permission to breathe
Guidance every step of the way
Shelter from the world
Ingrained fear, “Don’t do that, or else…”

Sheep are followers
Of everyone else
And this is bad.

You don’t want to be a sheep!

The Spirit sees sheep
As unique
Flocks of a web, One Spirit
Intelligent, creative, making Right Thought reality.

Sheep have permission to breathe abundantly
True guidance lighting their path
Shelter from what would drag them down
Choice, “Do that if you will, and pay the consequences.”

Sheep are followers
Of a larger, brighter, knowing shepherd
And this is beautiful.

Do you want to be a sheep?

Yum!

Posted on by

Take a bite of Life,
And be surprised!
Be very surprised
Because it’s Good!

It’s not the drama it was.
It’s not the rush it could be.
It’s not the drudgery it’s been for so long.
Life is Good!

And why?
Well, who cares?
Good Life doesn’t beg for
Analysis,
Intellectualizing,
Questioning,
And its biggest, fastest, quietest killer,
Waiting for the other shoe to drop!

Good Life is just that:
Good!

Take a bite of fruit,
And be glad!
Be exceedingly glad
Because it’s Good!

Everything it needs
Is already there:
Seeds,
Pulp,
Juice,
Color,
Skin,
Texture,
Veins,
Stem…
Seeds!

Everything Life needs,
Your Life,
My Life,
All Life,
Is already there
Within Itself!

Life is Good!
So for Goodness sake,
Take a bite!
And say,
“Yum!”

“Thank You!
Thank You very much!”

Spirit Manifest

Posted on by

The substance that creates the wind,
The earth, the sky, the sea,
Is manifest in everything,
Including you and me.

It is the One, the Great I Am,
The Spirit of all things.
It knows the highest good and asks;
The Law then pays It heed.

Our thoughts, attracting like in kind,
Create the world we know.
By way of the subconscious mind,
They manifest below.

The wisdom has been passed along:
We are what we believe.
What Spirit asks, the Law provides.
Our thinking is the key.

There is no wish, no fear, no hope.
Be clear and be direct!
Intend to serve the highest good,
For this is what you’ll get.

Creation is continuous,
Transcending time and space.
For Spirit, which creates all things,
Can never be erased.

The world that we experience,
Evolving in its form,
Is changed by Spirit’s conscious Thought
That’s neither dead nor born.

The all-in-all, the Universe,
The is, was and shall be,
Eternal Word of Thought and Law
Resides in you and me.

With Gratitude, with Clarity,
Just ask for what you seek.
Then trust that it will manifest,
For You’re the “powers that be!”
–And so it is!

The Miracle of Life

Posted on by

It sounds simple, and it is. But because of its simplicity, most of us take the miracle of life for granted.

We are sustained by something, no matter what we choose to call it–God, Spirit, Lifeforce, Energy, Cosmic Consciousness, Universal Life, Chi, Ki, Prana, or any other name. It’s not the name that’s important; it’s the concept and the underlying force. We are sustained; therefore, we have breath. That’s miracle enough! But the true miracle of life and living, is that of ebb and flow.

With every breath we take, life is either ebbing–with the exhale–or flowing–with the inhale.

Each step we take is a rhythmic balancing act. If something in our bodies didn’t work properly, we could not take another step. To keep walking, balance must be maintained, and to start walking from a state of rest, balance must be restored.

We sleep, and we wake. Unfortunately again, we truly underestimate the power of sleeping and waking! We waste our waking hours with thoughts of “What if,” “If only,” “What’s next?” and “Not now.” And we miss the opportunities Life offers us–the chance to release old patterns, beliefs, thoughts and situations, and allow new ones to flow to and through us.

And we all know we don’t use our sleep wisely! We skimp on rest, drink caffeine-laced beverages and energy drinks to stay awake, because we don’t have time to sleep. Time is irrelevant. It, too, ebbs and flows. Some days it seems time is on our side. That’s when we’re in the flow, working with Life and its gifts. Other days we have no idea where time is going and where it’s taking us. That is ebb, and it’s perfectly natural.

What is not natural, is how we respond to ebbing time. Rather than giving thanks that time is shifting in our favor, we lament not having more time. And we know that what we resist, persists. So, learn to live with time’s flow, as well as its ebb, and to be grateful for both.

We are not linear beings. We are cyclical, spiraling, evolving beings. We have Life to thank for that! As we put aside society’s notions of productivity, good work, right and wrong, we realize that the ebb and flow of the universe is mirrored in our own hearts, minds, and bodies.

And that is why we need sleep! Sleep is a time to rest and rejuvenate the mind, as well as the body. It’s a time to assimilate, work out, and release parts of our lives. That is why we dream; it’s a tool to help us work with Universal ebb and flow: Working with it, not against it.

Sleep is also a time to reconnect with that Presence of Life within us. Before falling asleep, we can simply affirm a restful night, dedicating it to God or Spirit. And we can respect ourselves enough to truly rest, without escaping first into books and technologies. Sleep is a blessing, and we can shift and learn to embrace it as one.

We take time to be with other people. But just as important is the time we take for ourselves. This includes hobbies, interests, and creative activities. But more than that, it includes meditation, going within, quieting the personal ego mind, and contemplating and experiencing the Power and Presence of Life.

Next time you breathe–and hopefully you won’t wait long!–let yourself experience the ebb and flow of your breath. Yogis, mystics and meditators speak of this often. But only when we experience it for ourselves, can we truly appreciate the ebb and flow that is the miracle of Life.

What Time is It?

Posted on by

The following is from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, King James Version (KJV). For a musical version try this Video–Turn Turn Turn by The Byrds

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

“What time is it right now in my life?” I’ve been asking myself this question in prayer and meditation, so I can know and follow divine guidance. This text is comforting to me, and its rhythm and poetry speak to my heart, and keep my mind occupied. 🙂

Taken literally, this text doesn’t make much metaphysical sense. A time to kill? Inevitably we kill things sometime, but is that an image we want to hold for long? Generally, no. SO I take this symbolically. I believe the different stages in this text are all saying the same thing:

There is a time to actively participate in all things, and there is a time to rest and go within. There is a time to create, and a time to release. There’s a time to hold on, and a time to let go.

These times are rarely well-defined. We can’t say, “Ok. In Winter we don’t work at all. We just take it easy and rest by the fire. In Summer we work all day every day, no breaks, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just work work work!” Because then, what do we do in Spring and Fall?

No, these times can be much more subtle. They are above all, inner times, or inner seasons. They can and do overlap, but I feel they are a dominant state. The concept of “time” in this text is a guideline. You probably work in Winter, both on a mental and spiritual level as well as physically. But our dominant state, at least for those of us who live in cold climates, is more rest than outside work.

The author of Ecclesiastes is sharing the Truth that life works best for us when we flow with its seasons. We need to learn how to work with our inner seasons and landscapes, rather than resisting them.

The references to gathering stones, war and peace, etc, are cultural references of the time the text was written, as well as metaphors for the building up and taking down, the letting in and letting go that we experience as the evolution and change that take place in our lives.

Verses 9-15 read:

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

There are beautiful images and great affirmations here! And the question is put bluntly enough: “What’s in it for us?” What’s the point of working or laboring? And what, do tell, is our God-given task?

The affirmation that put the whole thing into perspective for me is:

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

So, we labor not only to receive God’s gift of joy to us, but also to participate in that gift. We, too, are the gift. We are a gift of and from God our Creator and Father; the same Father who makes everything, including us, beautiful in its time. And that gift is given to us, as merriment and a good life, as well as through us. We can only receive what we allow God to give through us.

But, God has not only made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

What does this mean for us? It means the world is within us! We already have everything we could ever need, imagine or co-create with God. We just do not, because we cannot, see that whole world at once. We cannot, in our own mind, know God’s work from beginning to end, why things happen, or how they will play out. It is not ours to know. In fact, if we knew, our ego would explode–it is not equipped to handle all that! God knows this and keeps silent, rolling out the tapestry of our lives to us just a little at a time. What a blessing!

We need to trust God, because in our limited mental and intellectual understanding, we will never know God’s work from beginning to end. The thought “Give God what is God’s” comes to mind. We need to allow God to take care of us. He will do it anyway–but if we really allow it, we experience much more good, and less struggle.

The text ends with the greatness and eternal nature of God:

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should *fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; **and God requireth that which is past.

*this is not dread or ego-centered fear as we know it, but awe and wonder

**God sees the big, eternal picture, and everything in every time, existed for His glory. Everything was required, from the eternal perspective.

I encourage you to read this text or another on seasons that resonates with you. Ask yourself that question: “What time is it right now in my life?” You will receive guidance. And by following it, you will live in the flow of God-Life within and around you.

And as we let it be so, so it is!

Your Father Knows – Metaphysical Song

Posted on by

As I have for all but 2 times I’ve lead a Sunday service, I shared a new song with Do not Worry: Why and How? I hesitate to say I write these songs, though the ideas, words, music and form come through me. I know it is really God who writes them, and I’m thankful for that!

This song is very special to me. As a child I was intrigued by the New Testament verses about lilies being more glorious than Solomon in all his splendor, and the birds being fed. I imagined it as auto-feed – the birds need food, and they just magically receive it from God? Wow! And the lilies just stand there and grow to be so beautiful!

Now, I’m still intrigued, and I’ve been blessed to experience the peace of that state of oneness. We’re not separate beings that need to feed ourselves and clothe ourselves, because we’re all alone and no one will do it for us. When I thought about this before, the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves” came to mind. So that blows the whole “Your Father takes care of you” thing out of the water, doesn’t it?

Actually, no! “God helps those who help themselves” means God helps those who are one with His Presence. God helps those who help their own state of consciousness. And when we are one in mind with God-Mind, we know that truly, we don’t need help. And we know that no one outside us, will take care of us, no matter what appearances seem to say. Instead, we have a deeper knowing that our Father – the God-Power within each of us – is the Source of all care.

This song is special because it was a tool for me to experience these truths. And the experience of writing it was amazing!

I was camping, spending time in beautiful weather, in an area with lots of birds and trees. I took my ukulele and sat quietly, letting things flow around me and thoughts flow through my mind. Whenever I played a loud chord, the birds stopped singing. When it was quiet, they sang again. And when I played the notes in the song, they kept singing. This was truly a blessing and a gift, and again I feel thankful to the Infinite God-within, that helps us experience such beauty.

So, as you take in this song, take in the birds, their peace, their song and the beauty of how God cares for them. Christ said, “Are you not of more value than they?”

Matthew 6:26,28-29,32-33 NKJV

See passage.

Your Father Knows – Lyrics

Instrument: Lady – tenor Flea ukulele

1. See the birds! They neither sow nor reap.
Yet they’re fed. Are you not loved as these?
For your Father knows and supplies all their needs.

Chorus:
Lay down the struggles and burdens you bear;
Pick up the peace that is yours in God’s care.

2. See the lilies! They neither toil nor spin.
Yet they’re clothed better than Solomon,
For your Father is pleased to provide all for them.
Chorus:

3. When you seek the Kingdom of God within,
You shall have all that you need to live.
For your Father knows and is ready to give.
Chorus: (twice)

Pick up the peace that is yours in God’s care.

Do not Worry – Metaphysical Service

Posted on by

Sunday service/celebration reflecting on why and how we can live in peace, free of worry, stress and struggle. Audio includes invocation, treatment for health, scripture (within talk), message, meditation, and affirmation. Approximately 30 minutes in length.

Remember to check out the companion song!

See also Daily Word for Sunday, June 9, 2013 – not included here.

Invocation

I call forth God’s presence, from the center of my mind. I release all negativity from the past week, and open myself to God-thoughts, inspired action, and peace of mind and heart. I allow God to work through me, and flow through me to others. I give thanks that at any time, I can bring my focus back to God’s presence, within me always. As I let it be so, so it is!

Excerpt from Teach us to Pray

by Charles Fillmore

Talk to the Father as if He were an entity present within you. He is visible to your soul, and when you have attained the particular inner confidence called faith, you will realize His presence as clearly as you realize visible things. When you have stilled the outer senses and have become quiet, you are in the mental realm where thoughts are obedient to the word. Error thoughts must be told to go, and true thoughts must be called to take their proper place.

. . .

Six-day Prayer Treatments

Fear, anxiety, worry, dread, and suspense–these thoughts cause the mind to become tense, thus shutting out the great helper, the Spirit of truth. Say silently:

I am now free from fear, anxiety, worry, dread, and suspense. I have faith in Thy Holy Spirit, and I trust Thee to protect me, to provide for me, and to bring all my affairs into divine order.

Matthew 6:25-34 (NKJV)

Affirmation

Treatment for Peace

I know that God knows I have needs. In this moment I choose to release all worry to the God within me. I allow peace and security to take its place. Whenever I feel worry, I turn within to experience peace. I let God supply my needs, guide my life, and lift my mind to the highest and best, for me and for everyone. For this I give thanks. I let it be so. And so it is!

The Butterfly Effect and You!

Posted on by

Something awesome will happen through you today!

Try this. Go around looking for it, “Where is it? Where is it?” And you will find it, whatever it is. Remember too, that things do not happen to you – they happen through you, by the grace and power of God within you.

So look for the “miracle,” knowing as you do, that you are part of it. A drop of water on the sand is still part of the ocean. A grain of sand is a valued part of the beach. Each leaf, flower and fruit is just as important as the tree itself.

And you are a valued asset to your family, friends, community, the outer manifest Universe, and above all – the God-Mind that is the Source and Substance of all things!

Everything you say, do, think, feel, and believe contributes to the “rest of the world”. You’ve heard of the Butterfly Effect? Where a butterfly’s wings affect life on the other side of the world… Amazing, isn’t it?

But that’s not only true for our butterfly friends! It applies just as much to every person in existence now. Because we have the ability to think and to allow our thoughts and feelings to affect us, we also choose how they affect us. Our response, in turn, affects everything around us.

Will something good happen through you today? Yes, if you allow it! Choose positivity over negativity, not just in your thoughts, words and actions, but on a deeper level, for that is where it matters most and promotes lasting change.

This is not work! It’s pure joy and peace, found in contacting the God-Presence within you. Conjure up for yourself a feeling of oneness. Unconditional love, acceptance, and oneness with all things. Maybe start with the butterfly and feel yourself at one with it. This unity is the God-Presence. Then, meditate on – relax with, contemplate, be still with – this feeling, and when you’ve finished, take it back with you into your daily activities. It will color your thoughts and activities with a brightness and unity that can be yours any time, and all the time.

Enjoy this day and this eternal moment – because eternity is yours, right now!

Affirmative Prayer Class Week 4

Posted on by

This is week 4/6 of Affirmative Prayer: What is it and why Should I Care? (Click to review previous weeks.)

To download this post in .doc format, right click this link and choose “Save target as…” or similar: Download Affirmative Prayer Week 4 Notes

Follow along as we cover section VI. of the class outline. Explanations begin with * .

VI. Right Attitude for Affirmative Prayer

* What is the attitude, or mental atmosphere, that makes metaphysical prayer treatment effective?

A. Positive – State prayer with positive words and feelings

* When we pray in words, we use positive ones. Affirmations, present-tense statements that declare the prayer in a positive manner. That’s why it’s called affirmative prayer.

But, before we can say and mean positive words, we must feel them to be true for us. Consciously or not, the feeling always comes first. It may be a subtle feeling, but it still comes before physical manifestation in words.

When we consciously allow the feeling to create the words we use in prayer, our prayers become much more authentic, aligned with our Higher Self, and effective.

Often when we speak in daily life, we say what we’re expected to say, what we “should” say, and the kicker – we say what we really believe is true about ourselves.

For instance, you grab a second piece of cake and say, “I know I shouldn’t eat this.” And yet you eat it. So, the question is not, why am I eating this cake? It is, why did I say I shouldn’t eat this cake? Well, probably because others’ personal ego opinion of you is that you shouldn’t; you know that and respond accordingly. But deep down, do you believe that, too? The answer is often, yes, you believe you shouldn’t have the cake. That belief is what makes you say you shouldn’t have it.

Now you understand why adopting a positive attitude from the inside out, rather than through empty or habitual words, is the most authentic, effective, and real way to pray.

Feel first. Then speak, in prayer and in life. Feel the Truth, and speak from it.

B. Acknowledgment – God can, will or has – it’s already yours in the Mind of God

* God is infinite. Universal Consciousness is Life itself. You can’t ask for anything that isn’t already yours!

Think about that. The Universe is within you. That’s why the Bible says, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” That Kingdom is the entire Universe. So, in this Universal God-Mind, what you’re asking for, already belongs to you, right now.

You may not see it yet; but as we said, believing is seeing and not the other way around. Ultimately, in a spiritual, universal sense, you own and have unlimited access to everything you desire!

“Reality” is no more real when you see it, than it was as a picture in your mind. That is, nothing is more real than anything else; the sports car you visualize is no more real when you drive it, than it was in your visualization.

However, if it does not seem real in your mind first, it will never be a physical manifestation. That’s what makes fear so powerful – the fact that it seems so real. How much more quickly could our prayers be made manifest if we let goodness seem that real to us?

C. Realized – feel that what you want is real and true for you now, adding details to strengthen mental picture and belief

* Taking this further, this reality is Ultimate, not just a mental picture or visualization. We can actually live in that reality now; and we must in order for it to manifest.

I often create what I call a feeling picture for myself. How do I feel in that reality? How do I feel within myself? Happy? Peaceful? Free? Financially prosperous? Creative? Blessed? And what do those things mean to me – i.e. how does that feel? My feeling experience won’t be the same as yours; you will have the joy of creating your own.

If I want to live on a farm, how does that feel? What do I do? What do I smell? What activities are my responsibility now that I live there? I see, hear and touch the animals. I bake bread, and make that a real experience to me. That’s helpful because I’ve baked bread before.

But what I’m doing, and what you’re doing with any visualization or meditation you choose, is bringing your personal conscious awareness into that reality. You’re moving, so to speak. You’re moving from one “house” (reality) to a new environment. The more real that new environment seems to you, the less you’ll struggle to get there.

Focus less on the visualization of specifics, because that could be limiting. Go more for the sense of well-being in this new place, situation, relationship, state of health, etc. The picture will fill in itself; the God-Mind will never short-change anyone – as long as you allow yourself to receive its best.

The key is to live that feeling now; not to wait for the manifestation. Not to say, “I’ll be happy when ___.” Be happy now and the ___ will fill in, usually better than you imagined!

D. Thankful – your prayer is already so and is becoming physical reality

* Even as you ask, your prayer is taking psychic form. Really think about that, not intellectually, but feel it to be true. Is that powerful or what?

Now, before getting specific about your desire, give thanks! Because as we’ve said, in Spirit it’s already done.

Before you form a prayer into words, already the Universe is moving to fulfill your desire. We cannot, and do not live in a vacuum. God gave you a desire. If, when you meditate or pray, you release personal attachment (This is how it must look…), then that desire will be fulfilled. The more positiveness you feel around it, the faster it will appear.

Yet long before that, like a seed in the ground, it exists in full. You don’t plant an acorn and return to the store to get a pear seed, because didn’t you know an oak tree can’t grow from an acorn, it needs a pear seed too? You don’t see the full-grown, majestic oak in that acorn. You don’t see a fully grown adult human in a baby. But it exists, and in time, we see it fully formed.

We don’t even think about those things. So if we let our prayers be fertilized with thanks, that they already are fully answered, that is allowing the Power of God to work in our lives.

Be thanks-giving before you see “something to be thankful for.” Be thanks. Make it your attitude, and you’ll have an overabundance of things to be thankful for!

E. Faithful, allowing it to be so – “seal” with “And so it is”

* Be faith-filled. Know within yourself that God is working for and through you. Cultivate a sense of thanks and faith. Give thanks from the faith that your prayer is heard, and what the Universe hears, it must answer!

Repeated prayers are not wrong. They are continual positive treatment of consciousness. So if you choose to repeat a prayer, do it with the faith that it is already so – you’re just repeating it for the benefit and focus of your personal mind.

This is why in metaphysics we say, “And so it is!” sealing our prayer with faith and letting it go, as it already is so.

5-finger Activity

1. Trace your hand on a piece of paper and cut it out.

2. Writing one on each finger, make yourself a reminder of the right attitude for affirmative prayer:

* Positive

* Acknowledge

* Realized (or real now)

* Thanks

* Seal of faith

P*A*R*T*S.

3. Decorate the hand as you see fit. 🙂 Carry it with you or hang it on your refrigerator or computer monitor where it will be a positive reminder.

As always, if you have any comments, questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me!