Keeping the Silence

I’ve fallen into the trap of telling people. I tell them the truth. I tell them the principles of this or that. I tell them how to do something they want to learn.

There’s nothing wrong with telling. Some people communicate concepts well using words. And some people learn well by hearing them. But most of all, people learn in the silence. They learn from living examples. So many times we talk, talk, talk, talk. When what we should do is walk, walk, walk, walk.

The key is not to ask others to do something we haven’t done ourselves. But to live the truth of what we’ve been given. Talk when needed, but the rest of the time, keep silent. Not out of lack, piety, limitation, inadequacy, or fear of speaking. But out of knowing, intuition, faith that our example is the Light.

People learn subconsciously. The mind is a sponge, even for those sad people who think they can’t learn anymore. Still, they are taking in information all the time. Why else do you think advertising works? It gets into the subconscious mind, takes root, and expresses as learning, buying, doing, being.

So, get into people’s minds. We can do this with words. But more than that, we do this by our actions. How do we look at people, physically? What expression is on our faces? How do we act around them? Is our body saying, “I have to go, hurry it up!” Do we turn away when people smile at us? Are we the first to offer a smile to someone we haven’t yet met? It’s about kindness, empathy, living in harmony with our fellow spiritual beings having a human experience.

Verbal communication is a God-given ability! And so is silent encouragement. What is the attitude we hold in our own subconscious mind? How does that affect our everyday mind that carries out daily tasks? How does it express itself in our actions?

Are we pure in heart, in the deepest levels of our minds? Because if not, people will know this, on some level of their own being. We are only responsible for ourselves, our own minds, hearts, bodies, and souls. But in being so responsible, we radiate something. We don’t live in a bubble. Every thought we think, every belief we subconsciously hold, every memory we shrink from, expresses itself. It is a part of our overall vibration. And when we speak, all that takes form, as words. And when we do not speak, all of that is contained in our silence.

So we first keep our own peaceful, loving, enfolding silence, a companionable silence flowing between God-mind and what we see as our personal existence. As we hold this gentle silence, we communicate with, to, and on behalf of others. Because whether we like to admit it or not, we are all one, one Life, one Mind, one Love, that contemplates itself.

Is our contemplation pure, or tainted by suppression of beliefs, thoughts, words and actions? Is it fear-based, or loving? Only we can really know that for ourselves, and this knowing takes place within the depths of the mind. In reality the mind is our only organ of sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, and the much more subtle senses of intuition, feeling, emotion and psychic vibration.

By keeping our own silence, we unconsciously give others permission to let go and find comfort in their silence. This is how the world changes, in the quiet, little by little, through a process that goes unnoticed much of the time. But it’s the most important process that was ever created, it is the creation process itself.

In the beginning there was silence. And out of the silence, God spoke. May we learn to speak from this universal silence of peace and oneness, and may our world gently shift as a result.

And so it is!

Related

Keeping Your Own Council

Born Again

In Metaphysics we emphasize baptism from within. St. Paul wrote, “Let the mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” This Christ-conscious Mind baptizes the conscious, human mind.

As with communion, this baptism can and should take place anywhere, at any moment. Many Metaphysical/mystical traditions forgo specific (water) baptism and communion ceremonies for this reason. Still others offer them, particularly in a church or spiritual center.

Keep in mind as the Easter season approaches, that baptism and communion ceremonies are symbolic only. The ceremony itself does not confer anything. It is the inner work , the Spirit rather than the letter of the law, that is celebrated. You don’t need a ceremony or clergy member for this. Having a ceremony is not wrong – Jesus allowed John to baptize him in water (Matthew 3:13-17).

The following, Aquarian Gospel 64:1-10, also recounts this situation:

Jesus’ witnesses about John
“The news reached Galilee, and Jesus with the multitude went down to where the harbinger was preaching at the ford. When Jesus saw the harbinger he said, Behold the man of God! Behold the greatest of the seers! Behold, Elijah has returned! Behold the messenger whom God has sent to open up the way! The kingdom is at hand”

John witnesses about Jesus
“When John saw Jesus standing with the throng he said, Behold the king who cometh in the name of God!”

Baptism
“And Jesus said to John, I would be washed in water as a symbol of the cleansing of the soul. And John replied, you do not need to wash, for you are pure in thought, and word, and deed. And if you need to wash I am not worthy to perform the rite. And Jesus said, I come to be a pattern for the sons of men, and what I bid them do, that I must do; and all men must be washed, symbolic of the cleansing of the soul. This washing we establish as a rite–baptism rite we call it now, and so it shall be called. Your work, prophetic harbinger, is to prepare the way, and to reveal the hidden things. The multitudes are ready for the words of life, and I come to be made known by you to all the world, as prophet of the Triune God, and as the chosen one to manifest the Christ to men”

Jesus did teach water baptism. However, the water baptism alone will not make you more spiritual or aware, without your own inner connection to God – “the cleansing of the soul.”

please enjoy this baptism song. It’s self-explanatory, but those new to this mystical view may find the above ideas helpful.

Born Again – Lyrics

Instruments:
Eventide – Mainland Mahogany Concert Ukulele
Concert Viola

Refrain:
In the Light of Christ,
You are baptized in that River
Of healing, loving Truth.
You are born again
From within by the Water
Of God who lives in you.

1. No, it’s not the Jordan.
Bless-ed even so!
This River is within you,
Closer than you know!
Refrain:

2. You’re the Father’s Child,
Equal to the Son.
Meet and love and trust Him,
Knowing you are One.
Refrain:

3. Bathe in living Water
Every single day.
Find Its Source within you;
Meditate and pray.
Refrain:

Download Mp3

Right click this link and choose “Save target as…” or similar to download.
Born Again Mp3

Related

Miracle

Timing Is Everything

Sometimes we want things badly. At the time we think we can’t live without them. Our days are filled with thoughts of, “If I had this, I would (feel, be, have) so much more.” And sometimes our nights are peppered with fulfilling dreams that, unfortunately it seems, we awaken from, only to realize they were just dreams.

The key to happiness and contentment is to let these things go! That’s right, let the thoughts flow through you, but don’t hold onto them. Enjoy the dreams, whether at night or daydreams in the mind, and let them pass through your imagination unhindered by feelings of want and lack attached to them. Because it is in the letting go, that we realize what we truly have.

Desire is real and natural. God puts desires in our hearts. However, God is infinite, and the personal, human mind is not. It cannot understand God’s thoughts, God’s timing, or God’s purpose for putting a desire in our hearts. So, it asks, “If God put this desire here, why is it still unfulfilled?”

In truth, the desire, if it is God-given and not something the personal ego has decided it needs, is already being fulfilled through you. But how do you know if it is God-given? Meditation is the way to clear the mind, turn over the personal ego (limited human mind), and become aware of which desires are God’s Will in your life. If you make contact with the God-Presence within during meditation, then still desire something, it could be God’s Will for you.

Yet, we don’t make things happen by ourselves. God does, and in His own time, no less! Our time on earth is measured in days, weeks, months, years, decades – and we feel we need to force things into these periods or time slots.

The personal ego measures life in this linear time. God’s time is infinite, eternity, one moment, ever present! Contemplate this in meditation, and see how the personal ego cannot grasp Infinity even when it tries!

Those things you want? You already have them! Maybe they are not manifest, i.e. formed in your physical experience yet. But in the Mind of God, they are expressed perfectly. And in perfect timing, His Will unfolds into form.

Sometimes we have glimpses of God’s Will and desires for us. The closer we are to God’s Presence within, the more aware we become. Before our desires manifest, we may have to pass through situations, circumstances, and relationships. This is an evolutionary process – the evolution of consciousness, of awareness, and of our minds and souls in this lifetime. It is a means to get us ready for our desires, making us aware of skills, tools, and simply equipping us, in consciousness, to fulfill God’s purpose. And the more we turn over the personal ego and its will to God’s Presence and Will, the more we experience oneness with God-within.

It’s important to use our time on earth wisely. This includes not letting clocks and time-keeping devices dictate how we feel and experience life! The biggest thing we can do to help ourselves, is contact and stay in touch with God’s eternal Presence and Mind. In this eternal moment, peace and clarity fill our awareness. The result is that we do spend our time more wisely as we know and channel the Presence of God into our lives.

On a personal note, I’ve seen this at work. If you’ve checked out
Sunday Songtime,
you’ve heard the guitar. I received a guitar for my 16th birthday, learned 3 chords and wrote
Music Tells the Story,
and just couldn’t go any further. I knew what to do. I knew the notes, I knew the chords, I’d played other instruments with no trouble at all. But the guitar was beyond me, and I didn’t even know why.

I’ll spare you the years of anger, frustration, sadness, and feelings of failure! Several years later I picked up a ukulele, I told people, “Because I can’t play guitar!” It became one of my favorite instruments and still is. As I enjoyed the uke, the resentment and failure lessened. I had fun; I let the uke show me what I really could play and compose. And I felt good about the experiences.

Fast forward! Fourteen years later (count ’em, 14!) here I am playing guitar! Do I play as proficiently as I play ukulele? No, but I don’t expect to. DO I enjoy it? Yes, because I know that joy is an expression of Love, and that Love is God.

It doesn’t matter how long this took. But my guitar is named Tempo as a reminder that while timing may be everything, true time is God’s and is one eternal moment! When we let go and let God, we can experience eternity and the Kingdom of Heaven, now.

Because in eternity there is no separation.

How Affirmations Work

Affirmations are important to spiritual practice. But it’s not because they have magical power. It’s because they give the conscious mind something to focus on, and the subconscious mind something to integrate.

Affirmations are positive, present-tense statements of universal Truth. They recognize the ultimate spiritual reality underlying all things. Affirmations don’t deny that circumstances are what they are. However, they focus on the Truth that “this” is not all there is in Life. I.e. there’s more to life than what we perceive with the physical senses.

By choosing affirmations we lift our minds to something better than what’s worrying us. Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” Affirmations raise the conscious mind above problem thoughts. At the same time, they give the subconscious mind a positive truth to integrate.

It’s amazing how many untruths lurk in the subconscious! Affirmations are one tool to establish new patterns and beliefs and restore a positive mental attitude.

Sometimes affirmations alone aren’t enough. So, affirmations are often paired with denials. The denial takes power from the negative. The affirmation gives power to universal Truth.

Keep in mind that “giving power” is relative. The reality is that the Truth never lost its power. We just stopped recognizing that power in our conscious awareness. Reclaiming the power of Truth means realizing it for ourselves, and not that Truth has ever been lost.

Below are some examples of affirmations and denials.

This financial situation is not permanent. I know that the universe is ever expanding, evolving and changing. I accept this positive change in my life now.

Fear has no power over me. I am a child of the Ultimate (Spirit or God), and good is my divine birthright. I accept this good now, on all levels of my mind and being. Thank you!

Affirmations can be long or short, simple or more complex. What matters most is whether they work for you. Do they light that divine spark within you? If they don’t, they’re just not right for you. But if they speak to your heart and soul, while keeping your mind occupied, you’ve found something that will serve you well.

If these affirmations don’t work for you, and even if they do, I would encourage you to write your own. Create a quiet time and place, and go within to discover the affirmations that will remind you of the Truth when life feels overwhelming. Meditation is beyond the scope of this article, but daily meditation is important to keep in touch with the Truth of your being. Because this Truth is the source and substance of all affirmations.

What your Voice Reveals

“I can hear it in your voice.”

Someone who knows you well has probably told you this. And you may have been happy, but you probably felt vulnerable, exposed, and uncomfortable.

Our voices reveal a lot about us! Our thoughts, opinions, beliefs, self-image, feelings, emotions, and more flow through our voices. Not everyone consciously discerns them, just as many people don’t consciously project them. Nevertheless, there they are! The voice expresses our overall vibration and harmony, or dis-harmony as the case may be. By noticing what the voice has to say, through its quality, tone, rhythm, pitch, how we use it, etc., we can direct our awareness inward to restore and maintain wholeness.

The physical voice alone has no power or creative force. But there is an essence, cosmic consciousness, God, or Spirit, a natural intelligence that creates and sustains the voice. Through contact with this Higher Self, we move into the voice God has for us!

I offer these posts for contemplation and meditation. Your own truth and voice will come into your awareness if you open to it!

As St. Paul writes: My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, … Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.
–1 Corinthians 2:4,13, World English Bible (WEB)

May the Spirit also speak to, and through you!

Harp and Drum
Tune In!
I am a Godsong
Instrument of Peace
The Voice of God
Mindsong
Throat Full of Song
I Invoke
Prayer to the Subconscious/Namaste

My Writing Process

I found these questions on author Abbie Johnson Taylor’s blog. I wasn’t part of the tour, but wanted to answer the questions.

1. What am I working on?

Dissertation for my first doctorate (Msc.D, Doctor of Metaphysical Science). This “counts” not only because it’s a big undertaking that requires determination, commitment, and trust, but also because the subject is music. I’m writing songs as well, some to accompany the dissertation, and others for an album called “The Shoes we Think God Wears.”

Plus the usual, i.e. poetry, prayer/treatment, and the occasional story or article!

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I don’t know. Comparison has never gotten me good results, because I’ve always judged myself short! So, I don’t do that anymore. Others’ work is their own and contains their spirit and unique resonance. My work contains mine.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I write what I reach for. In other words, when I seek comfort, love, peace, even escape, I look for God through prayer, poetry, and most of all, music. I write to bring my own awareness back to God dwelling within. It’s a form of meditation for me. The genres are just those I find most comfortable, and I know that’s no coincidence!

4. How does my writing process work?

The whole process is God-inspired and directed. For something like the dissertation, I use an outline. But even that is written through me. I receive the gift of writing the points, the aspects, the truth that comes through me. I’ve tried other, more traditional processes of writing, revising, and editing. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it is that God leads better than the intellect alone ever could!

I have a proof-reading process. However, the ideas and concepts always stay the same; only the presentation and some grammar may change from the first stream of consciousness draft to the final version. It’s not my process, and believe me, it’s better that way! It’s God’s process!

For more, see
What is Self-expression?

Top 5 Benefits of Praying for Others

Society seems to become ever more individualized, independent, and self/ego-centered. The general population behaves as, “Every man for himself,” and, “What’s in it for me?”

Noticing this, it’s easy to feel discouraged. You may also be wondering why you should pray for others, and indeed, how you can possibly pray for others when your own situation seems so hopeless. Yet there is hope, and contrary to your personal opinion, your prayers will make that clear to you.

Still, why pray for others? Isn’t praying for ourselves enough? Yes, in a limited sense of “enough,” but where has that sense gotten you so far? It’s time to open the flood gates again, and this time to Truth.

Here’s what praying for others really does.

1. Shift your focus.

You’ve heard the phrase, “Snap out of it!” That’s what prayer does. It changes what you’re focusing, concentrating, and dwelling on in your mind. It takes the mental chatter from the broken record about your situation, to new territory. As a bonus, it also frees up your energy! You’ll be amazed how much thought time you have now, and you’ll spend it more wisely after the shift in concentration.

2. Feel compassion.

Negativity, worry, loneliness, fear, inadequacy… These are feelings you probably know well. In broadening your focus, you let yourself feel something else. Compassion. This doesn’t mean you get caught in someone else’s negative feedback loop and take on their situation and feelings. Instead, feeling compassion means recognizing an empty place and filling it with gentle, positive energy.

3. Experience detachment.

You are not in other people’s situations. We are all one in Spirit, and this is why prayer works. However, we all experience things differently. By praying for others, you can find out what it’s like to be presented with a situation, and to respond.

This is very important. A response is not a reaction. It comes from a higher part of you, an observer, the Spirit within you. It isn’t the usual knee-jerk reaction, “That’s terrible!” or trying to analyze how you can fix the situation.

You cannot use willpower or any personal asset you think you have, to accomplish this. Detachment is an inside job and will be done through you, lovingly and with the compassion of Spirit. Far from being uncaring, detachment is one of the best things you can offer anyone.

4. Lift up your head.

The Psalmist wrote, “I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” The hills are a state of mind, a way of being, within. This higher consciousness is called Christ Mind, Higher Awareness, Buddha Mind, etc. It’s not the status quo of human consciousness and mental activity, but a spiritual renewal of the mind.

From here, you’re a vessel of positive energy, Light, and the Peace of God that radiates through you to others.

5. Be the butterfly!

Butterflies seem so tiny compared to people! Yet we think we make no positive difference? This is entirely false! Not only do we make a difference, but we cannot know how far it reaches. (See The Butterfly Effect and You!)

This effect begins in your own consciousness. If you haven’t yet realized the power of Universal (God) Mind, see above or nearly any other post here! You are a psychophysical unit – big words to say that what happens in your mind affects your body, and vice versa.

But we’re talking about others here, right? Yes, but as we are one Spirit, “your body” is the entire outer world! No matter whose you call it, your own prayers and positive mental activity affect your own and others’ health, finances, relationships, and circumstances.

We don’t change others’ situations, or take credit for them. However, by being an open channel of God Mind, we co-create a way for their consciousness to lift as well.

As humans, we do often emulate others. So, you never know when you might be an example for someone! Allow God Mind to guide you, and give it credit for every shift in focus that answers prayer.

And in case you’re still wondering what’s in it for you? Read that last part again… I’ll wait!

Got it?

What you do for others, you do for yourself. Cultivating higher awareness, compassion, and detachment serves you as much as anyone. That is God at work! So thank God we can experience His Miracle Mind!

Prayer Treatment

Want some spiritual support and to see how this prayer thing works? Visit Metaphysical Treatment Services.

The Voice of God

I’ve often wondered why it seems some people talk, or should I say ramble on and on and on…, just to hear the sound of their own voices. And as is always the case, the truth is simple: People love to hear their own voices, because they are the Voice of God!

A bold statement, perhaps. But ultimately true.

IF God is the only Power and Presence in the Universe,
IF God lives within each creation,
and IF, whether we’re conscious of it or not, God speaks through each of us,

then every voice is the Voice of God!

You can’t control what others do with their God-given voices. But your real, eternal purpose is clear: Use your voice as a vehicle of God’s Presence, a tool, a helper to expand yours and others’ awareness of Truth.

And because you are speaking from the God-Presence within you, you know that when you strip away personal opinions, judgements, likes and dislikes, each voice you hear, including the one you’re blessed with, is the Voice of God made manifest.

There are many shapes, forms, incarnations and sounds, but one Presence within all of them! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, World English Bible, WEB)

In order for the Word to be made flesh (John 1:14), there must be creation. There must appear to be separation, differences, various voices, and opposing sounds and forces. But these are limited perceptions.

Realizing our Higher, Christ Mind, we affirm: “…we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.” (1 Corinthians 2:13)

For this realization we give thanks, and freely speak from our Christ Mind. As Children of God, we let it be so.

And so it is!

Songwriting is hard!

Not true! But it got your attention, didn’t it?

Songwriting is as easy as eating ice cream. And no brain freeze! It doesn’t get much better than that! 😀

It’s learning someone else’s song that’s hard for me. And I don’t mean intellectually, or technically, or mentally. I mean, dare I say it, psychically and spiritually. To me, it’s like being in a box.

Why do I feel this way? Because if I write a song, it comes from within me. I don’t look outside myself for anything.

That doesn’t mean God doesn’t provide inspiration through other things. Be it nature, scripture, musical notes I heard somewhere, something someone said in passing, a timeless quote, or a feeling–yes, these inspiring things are part of many songs.

However, the song is its own. Really, it’s God’s, and it has its own purpose for being. I truly believe that, and I am blessed to be the vehicle, the vessel, that carries the song to others.

Intellectually, it’s my song. If anyone holds its copyright, I do. But I don’t think of it that way. It’s God’s song, and I get to share it. Thank You God!

But what about learning others’ songs? I love the music others share! In their own way, with their own kind of song, they’re doing the same thing I’m doing. But in order to learn their songs, I have to look way outside myself. I have to learn and emulate someone else.

Looking with-out is what metaphysicians go beyond. So for me, learning others’ songs is a form of ego gratification. And the ego always, always boxes us in!

I like others’ songs. But the reasons I want to learn them are much different from the reasons I write. If I learned songs, it would be:

* To display technical playing or vocal abilities

* To learn a technique to use in my own music

* To give people something familiar to listen to, thus making a connection with them that’s based on past experience

* Because I “couldn’t write one, so I just picked one”

These are not “bad” or “wrong” reasons! But they do come from the personal mind or ego. My human mind, which is finite and limited in its scope, came up with these reasons.

God-Mind’s reasons for me to share music, are something like these:

* To fulfill my soul’s purpose

* To impart universal truth

* To make a spiritual connection first

* To express uniqueness and individuality–because You are One with Me (God-Mind) and I wish to express through You

* To manifest and realize (bring into form and make part of my life/reality) more of God in the world

Can this be done using other people’s songs? Absolutely! Many musicians do it all the time. That’s why there are so many successful cover and tribute artists.

Can this be done by me using other people’s songs? No way! And it has nothing to do with the songs or songwriters! It’s because my purpose is to manifest God uniquely through me, not through anyone else or their creations.

You manifest God through you. John Lennon manifested God through him. And I manifest God through… You guessed it–me!

If any one of us did not exist, God would be a little less manifest. A little less visible. A little less expansive. Because unmanifest Spirit, is not “the Word made flesh.” It’s just “the Word.” It can do more! And the “more” it wants to do, the “more” God wants to do, is to be visible through each of us.

I choose to live and compose by these God-inspired reasons. I still listen to and appreciate others’ music! The world would be much less brilliant without all kinds of people making all kinds of music! However, I choose to play and share what God brings through me.

Other people’s music can enlighten in many ways. One way is to have more people learn and play it. And another is to serve as a light to another composer. If someone’s music does that for me, I’m grateful for that music, the composer, and above all to God, for orchestrating the whole thing! Because “I of myself do nothing. It is the Father within me that doeth these good works.” –Jesus Christ

We all, as songwriters and writers of our lives on Earth, are here to spread a Word. And may that Word be true, God-centered, and full of the Love that created it!

The Balloon – A Parable

Once, a little girl found a balloon. She wanted to keep it, but it was full of air and wanted to float here and there, leaving her behind. After chasing it for a while, she realized that if she wanted to hold onto it, she would have to attach it to herself somehow. So, she tied one end of a string around the end of the balloon, and the other end to her wrist.

From then on, she did everything with that balloon. She ate with it. She went to school with it. She played with it. She slept with it. And once she even came very close to popping it.

But it was her balloon. She’d claimed it, and so it stayed with her through all her activities.

But soon the balloon began to deflate. It had been in the house, in the car, in the cold, in the heat, in restaurants, at sporting events, piano lessons, gymnastics… She’d carried it around all this time. It had become such a part of the little girl, that she hardly knew it was there anymore.

She noticed when it started to deflate, not because the balloon was smaller, but because it got in the way. It used to carry itself through doorways, just by floating like such balloons do. But now she had to pull it through doors and make sure it didn’t get stuck. Sometimes it did get stuck, and she had to stop, go back, and untangle it from the door, and sometimes from other people.

The balloon was getting to be really annoying. But how could she let it go? It was her friend, her companion, her playmate, her partner in all things. What would she do when it was gone?

One day the balloon got caught in a revolving door. That had never happened before, and it would never happen again. The string became hopelessly tangled in the doorway, and finally someone had to cut the string from her wrist.

The little girl wasn’t hurt. But the balloon she had loved for so long, that had become such a part of her life and who she thought she was, could not be saved. There was no air left in the balloon by this time anyway, but the loss was still a painful one.

Immediately, the little girl wanted another balloon. But then she realized she felt free without a string and the weight of a balloon following her around wherever she went!

Freedom was hers, at last! And yet it always had been; she just had a different idea of what freedom meant.

Freedom was not in the balloon that floated without purpose or aim. Freedom was within her, and she could choose to share it, make new friends, and still keep the Spirit that made her embrace the balloon in the first place. She was free with the balloon, until she expanded and discovered new freedom. Then, it was time for the balloon to go. It was no less loved. But it had served its time with her and done her good.

That little girl, like so many, will always remember the balloon she lost. But she will think of its gifts and smile, because it showed her what she already had: a free Spirit that, if she let it, could carry her life to heights beyond her imagination.