This approx. 4-minute meditation was presented with The Error of Charity – Metaphysical Talk. The background instrument is a hang drum.
May you be blessed in both your giving and receiving!
Category Archives: Spiritual practices
The Error of Charity – Metaphysical Talk
This is my talk and the associated reading and affirmation from Sunday, February 17, 2013. It’s a follow-up to and expansion of the post on The Rewards of Error.
I’m a big fan of audio, but a Youtube video is also available.
If you have questions, thoughts of any kind – whether you agree or disagree, comments or feedback, please feel free to share! Traditional religions deal with this subject of charity in different, sometimes opposing ways, and New Thought metaphysics is still different from that. This may not be what you’re used to hearing, but is worth considering.
An excerpt from Prosperity
by Charles Fillmore
Chapter 10 Right Giving, The Key to Abundant Receiving
Do not give with any idea that you are bestowing charity. The idea of charity has infested the race consciousness for thousands of years and is responsible for the great army of human dependents. Do all you can to annul this mental error. There is no such thing as charity as popularly understood. Everything belongs to God and all His children are equally entitled to it. The fact that one has a surplus and gives some of it to another does not make the one a benefactor and the other a dependent. The one with the surplus is simply a steward of God and is merely discharging the work of his stewardship. When one asks for divine wisdom and understanding about giving it becomes a joy both to the giver and the recipient.
Original Affirmation
I give because giving is a natural process. I share what God has entrusted to me. I do not share out of feelings of charity, obligation or lack, but to fulfill the law of love. I know that as I give, I also receive. Whether in-kind or something different, God’s giving, through me, never returns void. It is always expanding, always flowing, always freeing. For each blessing I give and receive, I am thankful. Amen!
The Instrument – Poetry and Prayers of Unity Week 6
Because the world needs cheering,
A wind harp I will be,
That vibrates with the beauty
Of God’s own melody.
No inharmonious thinking
Must ever mar the chords.
My task is just the tuning:
The music is the Lord’s.
–Dorothy A. Stickell
From Music of the Soul (pdf)
What is a wind harp? Before moving on it’s important to know something about this intriguing instrument. In this video the wind harp makes the sound of singing – a little like a crystal singing bowl, but playing more than one note.
As you can see, the wind itself plays this instrument. Others can be mounted in windows, so they play when the wind blows by. But no human contact is needed to play this harp, and it’s truly a beautiful instrument.
Now, think about each of us being a wind harp. What is our task in life? According to the poem, we vibrate with the beauty of God’s melody. We tune ourselves to positive vibrations, thus creating harmony in our thoughts, words and actions. This tuning is our only job.
What? Tuning is our job? Yes, tuning our vibration, our frequency, our thoughts, feelings and beliefs. But tuning to what? To the Spirit of God – of good – within us. It’s always there, but we’re not required to tune to it. We have free will. We’re welcome to choose inharmonious thinking! But once we realize how negative thoughts manifest in our lives, why would we knowingly choose them?
Our purpose is to tune ourselves to the highest vibration we can feel at any moment. Some times will be higher than others, and that’s ok. Our only task is to have the best tuning we can.
Do your best and the Lord’s music will play through you.
What is the Lord’s music? It doesn’t belong to some being outside us somewhere. In metaphysics the Lord is the Presence, Power, Peace and Beauty within. It’s the Spirit and the highest consciousness that creates us, and that we tap into to create ourselves. This “lord” is not something looking down on us. It/He is within us.
The Lord’s music is really our true music. This is such a simple and profound poem, that I’m going to leave it at that!
In this final session of Poetry and Prayers of Unity, we also discussed 2 of my poems. I’m going to give them their own posts, to link their readings and recordings. Stay tuned for those! They continue the theme of each person being an instrument tuned to positive vibrations.
As always, if you have any comments, questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me!
The Rewards of Error
Why is it that when something is “wrong,” we get more attention?
Think about it. On a large scale, we have causes we support. But these causes are generally based on what we see as wrong:
* Disabilities awareness
* Breast cancer awareness
* Low-income housing
* Debt reduction
Now, I’m not saying these things are bad. That would put me in error consciousness too! I’m simply questioning our motivations. Why do we have breast cancer awareness? Because we don’t want breast cancer. Why low-income housing? Because we accept that some people lack income, and we don’t want that.
But, as I always say, focusing on what you don’t want, brings you more of what you don’t want!
So, instead of breast cancer awareness or fighting the disease (dis-ease), choose something positive. If we don’t want breast cancer, what do we want? Healthy women! So now we have healthy women awareness.
My point is, we seem to live in a paradigm that provides only when something is wrong. If you have a disability, for instance, there are agencies that pay for certain things, provide equipment, etc. But what if you’re perfectly healthy, or becoming aware of the perfect health that’s your true divine right? Who is rewarding you with things that make life easier?
This really brings home why many people hold onto their physical ailments. For example, if I weren’t blind, I wouldn’t have ___… That’s called secondary gain. You don’t really want to be blind, but you stay that way, because maybe consciously – and definitely unconsciously – you get good stuff. You think, you only get those things because you’re blind. If you let go of the blindness, you would not have other material things.
Really? Is that true? Think about it and come to your own conclusion!
I use blindness and breast cancer just as examples. It works the same way with income. The scenario goes:
I don’t have money. So, I get on a special housing list. Sure, I have to wait a long time, might have unpleasant neighbors, etc. But I get this special housing, because I don’t have lots of money.
If I did have lots of money, there goes my housing. There goes my free health insurance. There goes ___… There goes the neighborhood!
What can we do about this? Again, I always say this because it’s true: Your only business, is your own consciousness! So start there. The next time you support a cause, ask yourself why. Bring yourself to a place where you feel good, through laughter, inspirational reading, music, walking, meditation or anything that works for you. Then, ask yourself if you can still, in that good consciousness, support that particular cause.
You have a choice! If the answer within you is no, you can still support it if you choose. Or, you can choose something in alignment with your inner being.
As encouragement and appreciation for right-thinking, good consciousness, expanding awareness, and spiritual awakening, I’m starting a new scarf distribution program! Stay tuned for details – and if you feel like it’s the most natural thing in the world, please join me!
Prayer for Divine Guidance – Poetry and Prayers of Unity Week 5
Divine Guidance – Positive Prayer Poem
We started this last week, and I wanted to keep it to one post for easy access.
In writing this poem, I used the 5-step Spiritual Mind Treatment guidelines. The steps are:
1. Recognition: Tell the Truth about who/what God is.
2. Unification: Identify and unify yourself and your mind with God, knowing you, too, are that which God is.
3. Realization: Because of what God is and who/what you truly are, make real (realize) the declaration of what you want in your life. Declare this as if it’s already done, because in Mind, it is.
4. Gratitude: Give thanks, because it is already done.
5. Release: Because you’ve already asked, believed and received, you let it go.
These steps seem simple, and they are. But we can stay with each one as long as it takes to truly feel it is so.
Some people in our live class said these steps are limiting. What if people think they’re not doing it right? What if I miss one? etc. I acknowledge this can happen. However, I also believe we need to start somewhere, anywhere! So, if you’re coming from a tradition of begging, pleading prayer, or no prayer at all, or something else… it’s helpful to have a guideline for Spiritual Mind Treatment or affirmative prayer. This is that guideline, and it is just that. Use it if it works for you.
As I said, I used it in this poem, and sometimes do pray with the steps in my heart. I don’t say in mind, because they’ve become such a part of me, in a good way, that I no longer consciously think about them.
When you pray metaphysically, as long as it is heart-felt, mindful (mind-full!), and affirmative/positive, you’re on the right track! Does the prayer feel good? Yes? Then it’s fine!
If prayer feels bad, like a chore, or doesn’t end feeling better than it started, you might try this guideline. Stay with each step, or write down your prayer, until your thoughts and feelings are lifted higher.
Keep in mind that the steps don’t need to be in order. You’ll notice that some release comes before thanks in the poem below. If that feels good, it’s right.
With that, here’s Prayer for Divine Guidance with step numbers like this (1) for your reference.
Prayer for Divine Guidance
(1) You, the knower of all things,
Source and substance, guiding star,
(2) I unite my mind with you;
I am wisdom as you are.
Quietly I listen now,
Hearing in me perfect truth.
I receive the word I seek,
Thinking now at one with you.
(3) When to speak and what to say,
All of this I clearly see.
Where to go along my way,
Everything is here in me.
(5) Lovingly I now release
All confusion, fear and doubt.
(3) They are gone and I’m at peace,
Knowing what to carry out.
(4) Thank you, bless-ed voice of all,
Loving, knowing, guiding light,
Flowing like a waterfall,
Never ending, day or night.
(5) I have asked and I receive
That which I have sought to know.
I release this into law,
Where it manifests and flows.
Amen.
As always, if you have any comments, questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me!
Mom’s Handwoven 3-day Meta Hat
I’ve been doing a lot of weaving lately. And not just on the loom, but we’ll keep it to loom-weaving for now!
Two recent projects reminded me of Universal Truth – even when it doesn’t appear true, there is good/God in everything.
I wanted to weave a hat for my mom. Simple, right? So I searched the ‘net for patterns, found some but didn’t like some things about them, so I modified one of the patterns until I felt good about it.
I warped. I wove. Then I realized:
1. Hat fabric will not go around head.
2. Who wants knots pressing into their head?
3. How the … heck? … am I going to make a hat from this … darn? … cloth now?
Fortunately I didn’t stay in that frame of mind long! Because if I had, I would have felt angry and defeated, the cloth would have been labeled “a lost cause,” Mom would have no hat, and more likely than not, I would have given up on hat weaving forever. 😮
Through what I can only call divine intervention, I created the hat pictured here from a flat piece of cloth with un-hatlike fringes on each end. And to create the extra length so an adult’s head actually fits the hat? I added soft crocheted lace. It joined the ends, covered up the fringes, and made an embellishment – which isn’t something I often take the time to do.
My plain, useful hat went from a plain, useful idea, to a “mess,” to a warm and beautiful Winter accessory. In 3 days!
Mom came to visit yesterday, and I was thrilled to find her wearing the hat! She pronounced it warm, and the lace – which she thought would make her head cold – didn’t. So I got some pics after all. I think when I gave it to her a week ago, I was glad to be done with it!
This one is the hat, with the Meta Stripe Scarf I wove afterward. Mom left yesterday wearing both, and I freely admit I was proud. 🙂
I bet Mom’s proud too – proud that she was the one who took me to that weaving demo when I was 5 or so. That weaving demo continues to touch our lives in wonderful ways!
Child of Light Prayer – Poetry and Prayers of Unity Week 4
Martha Smock’s Child of Light Prayer first appeared in Daily Word in 1975.
The Blessing
First, let’s consider the power of a blessing. To give someone a blessing like “Child of Light, I bless you,” is a meaningful, thoughtful, kind and expansive intention. Words alone may not have the same impact; however, when we say them while feeling their truth, blessings are the greatest expressions of the presence of Spirit within us.
Spirit is within us always, and when we bless someone, we bring that truth into our awareness, and the awareness of the ones we bless.
Giving up Attachment to Others
“I think of you,
I pray for you,
Not in terms of what I think you need or what I think you should do or be or express”
This is an affirmation that we’ve given up our attachment to outcome, behavior, words and actions on someone else’s part. We’re acknowledging (and ideally really meaning) that we have no business directing someone else’s path.
Take our children, for instance, or kids in general. Often, we think we control them. Therefore, we try hard to do that. We direct their physical behavior, expressions of emotions, their actions toward us and others, because somehow we think we can control them. What a laugh!
When they’re small we want them to be quiet, listen, learn what we show them, repeat things, grow properly, etc. As they grow we want them to do their share around the house, get good grades, choose “good friends” – the ones we think they should have, do certain school activities and do well by our and others’ standards… What a lot of pressure we put on our kids! And on ourselves, by using so much energy to direct people who, kids or not, have the same Spirit within as everyone else.
DO I dare say this? We try to direct others, who don’t need directing!
Maybe it’s different if they ASK us. But until they do, our only “job” is to know and affirm the Truth for them.
That Truth is not that they get good grades and choose their friends “wisely” (again, the ones we think are good for them, not by following their own wisdom – because they’re kids for goodness sake! What kind of wisdom could they possibly have! I hope you get the sarcasm here… :o) .
The absolute Truth, that never changes, is in these lines and those that follow:
Lifting our Thoughts
“I lift up my thought about you.
I catch a new vision of you.
I see you guided and directed
By an inward spirit that leads you unerringly into the path that is right for you.”
Note the word “unerringly”. With this we’re acknowledging that Spirit makes no mistakes! One affirmation by Dr. Paul Leon Masters says, “Every seeming negative experience is a signal to my mind to react positively and spiritually.”
So, Spirit does not make mistakes. No experience is bad, wrong, a lost opportunity, or anything negative at all. That goes for experiences in our own lives, as well as others’.
We know, and the more we feel the more we know, that Spirit guides our children and all those we pray for. So the best we can do, is affirm the Truth. Sitting around bemoaning their seeming difficulties is adding negative energy. And that is not our intention in prayer. That is why this prayer is a good tool to show us the right frame of mind for prayer, for all Children of Light – that is, anyone and everyone!
Where does Spirit lead them? Into the path that is right… for us? No! Into the path that is right for them!
We each have our own individual path. It’s true we are all connected, no doubt about it. And we still each have free will, to choose and follow our own paths. So this is a great affirmation, or blessing, to hold in your thoughts for yourself and everyone else. Because what we affirm for “one,” is true for all.
Thoughts Held in Mind Produce After Their Kind (Like Attracts Like)
So, if we don’t create things in someone else’s life – which we don’t… And we only create in our own lives, which we do… What can we affirm for others, while not infringing on their free will? The prayer continues:
“I see you strong and whole;
I see you blessed and prospered;
I see you courageous and confident;
I see you capable and successful.”
Big Finish!
I see you free from limitation or bondage of any kind.
I see you as the spiritually perfect being you truly are.
Child of Light, I bless you!”
Ending with the same blessing we started with, but with an expanded awareness for ourselves and each Child of Light we hold in Mind.
May it be so each time we pray. And as we let it be so, so it is!
Comments? Questions? Feedback? please feel free to contact me!
Got it! The Glow of Truth
“The light is shining through you!”
Someone just emailed me this, and as I read it, I felt the warm glow of Truth. It doesn’t need outside validation because it’s always there. It may feel buried, but beneath all the stuff we pile over it, the glow remains, never diminishing, always shining, staying strong through all the drama we sometimes create for ourselves.
I know the glow is always present, for it is God’s presence, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. To receive a written affirmation like this is a manifestation of God’s glory, of God’s glow that always exists.
The affirmation did not cause the glow. The glow of Truth (notice that spells GOT?) caused the affirmation!
Again, the affirmation/praise didn’t cause the Truth — the Truth brought about the effect of the affirmation.
This cannot be overstated, and in truth, is often understated. We need to already know, believe and feel the glimmer of something, before it manifests. Things don’t come out of nowhere. “Accidents” don’t just happen in the physical. Things manifest, because somewhere in our minds, even if subconsciously, without any conscious thought awareness on our part, we thought a thought, had a feeling, or held a belief. Maybe it wasn’t about that particular thing, i.e. experiencing an accident or illness doesn’t mean we had the specific belief that we would experience that. It means, we had the subconscious, overall vibration that attracted that experience.
So, every time we receive an outward sign of Truth, it means we have the overall vibration of Truth. Which is really cool! Because when we work with that, we can build upon it. Like this:
I feel the vibration of Truth, fully.
I receive the affirmation of Truth.
I get excited, thinking this is awesome, because it feels good, sounds good… It’s Truth all over the place and I know it.
So it causes more feelings of positiveness and Truth.
Which enhances my vibration of Truth…
Which attracts more Truth…
And more Truth…
And more Truth.
This is how Life is ordained (that is, divinely ordered or constructed) to be lived: in Truth. Truth in Mind, Body (the physical), and Spirit.
And so it is!
P.s. Before you use the words, “Got it!” decide whether what you “got” is affirmative. If it is, know that you “got” the glow of truth. If not, the Truth is still there! You just don’t need the negativity, so you don’t got it!
Prayer of Faith – Poetry and Prayers of Unity Week 3
Find this poem and a companion reading and talk here.
Please refer to the poem to contemplate the following, and make your own connection of faith within you.
1. Right before the talk linked above, I play a recording of Unity co-founder Myrtle Fillmore reading this prayer. It must have been made in the 1920’s or early ’30’s. On a record of course… So, this prayer must have been important to Myrtle, because as far as I know, we don’t have many recordings from her. I wonder how much it meant to her, and why…
2. The poem is called Prayer *of* Faith, not Prayer for Faith. So, before saying this prayer cold-turkey, I recommend meditating to the point where you’re in a peaceful state of mind and entertaining the possibility of having faith.
Otherwise, saying this prayer could really stir up angry feelings. Which wouldn’t be bad! Then you could release those – that is, if you could step back, observe the feelings, and choose to let them go. Often that is not the case, and we get caught up in anger. Begin using this prayer when you’re already in a good place, so that when you’re not, you can remember how it felt to pray this when you had a better-feeling thought. Then the prayer, having prior good feelings for you, can bring you back to that state of mind/heart.
3. This is a well-known Unity prayer. However, I’m personally not sure whether the author was a member of Unity, or if Unity “adopted” the prayer. Either way, we discussed in class how these lines appeal to a much wider audience than Unity. Christians in general, and many people of other religious and spiritual paths, accept these lines as Truth and take comfort in them:
God is my help in every need;
God does my every hunger feed;
God walks beside me, guides my way
Through every moment of the day.
4. Now we come to more metaphysical, Unity lines. Here, we affirm our oneness with the all-providing, ever-present God we’ve already brought to mind. We affirm our wisdom, truth, patience, kindness, and love, which we have and are, because God has and is:
I now am wise, I now am true,
Patient, kind, and loving, too;
All things I am, can do, and be,
Through Christ the Truth, that is in me.
Again, Christ appeals to a Christian audience. In traditional Christianity, Christ is a man, and in metaphysics, a state of being/consciousness. Our similarities are interesting, and it’s good to become aware of them.
5. Next are lines that prove my suggestion to meditate first! If you affirm these lines when you’re feeling bad, chances are you’ll get more bad feelings. Your feeling is strongest, not your words. So always, when using prayers or affirmations of any kind, come to a good-feeling place first, through meditation or whatever works for you. Then, affirm, as you feel the affirmation to be true. In this way you maximize the power of feelings and words:
God is my health, I can’t be sick;
God is my strength, unfailing, quick;
God is my all, I know no fear,
Since God and Love and Truth are here
I address this in the talk I linked to above. You may appear sick right now. But know that sickness is not who and what you are. It is not your being, your worth, your life. It is what it is: just an appearance. As I said, affirm this in a peaceful state of mind! Meditation has cumulative results. The more you tip the balance of your life in a positive direction, the more appearances in your life will improve.
For at least 8 years, from the remembered, conscious choice to begin a spiritual practice, until 2 years ago, I would not meditate. I could not. Because I thought it was too hard, complicated, I couldn’t do it, needed tools, and so on…
So for me, now, to recommend meditation to you, is not just a recommendation as something you “should” do! It’s because of my personal results. I now meditate daily, and I feel off/unbalanced if I don’t. I value the inner connections I make during meditation. When we get our ego, or monkey mind, quiet, we make great discoveries, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.
Don’t take my word for it! I always say, no one can create an experience for anyone else. I cannot create a meditative experience or good feeling for you. But I can encourage, affirm, and hold quiet space for you. And that is what I do. The true power in your life comes when you, yourself, meditate or make inner connections of your own.
Prayer is for us. It is not for God/Spirit. It’s a connecting tool, so that we can become consciously aware of our oneness with God. Meditation is the listening tool. Prayer is the talking tool. They are 2 sides of the same coin. The coin itself, is life, or consciousness. Prayer and meditation both, are important aspects of that consciousness. Use them, change them, make them yours! Because the power is in your consciousness, aka your state of being, awareness, or focus.
Comments? Questions? Feedback? please feel free to contact me!
The Weaver’s Prayer
I meditate and pray every day. For me, meditation is listening, and prayer is talking. This affirmative, sometimes funny, and always true prayer is what came through my prayer time today. I have to say, I’m glad I actually wrote this one down, because it can be very amusing!
Oh God, I thank you for yarn! You are the yarn, You are the loom, You are everything! Heck, can I say that to You?, You are the weaver! You are Me! And I am You! And so, knowing this, I consciously adjoin myself with You, at the hip, like a Siamese cat, I mean twin, and declare: I am one with my Creator!
In this oneness, I know I can do all things that are mine to do. I know I can enjoy all things. I know I can hope all things. And I know I can believe all things. That’s what Love does. And since You are Love, that’s what You do. As I am one with You, that’s what I do, too. Love never fails. So, I never fail, because You never fail, and You are in me!
So back to the yarn, thanks for being the yarn. Thanks for being the loom. Thanks for being me, and for giving me these tools that I so enjoy using to create more manifestations of–You guessed it!–You!
God, I wonder what these manifestations create? Does a handwoven have a divine purpose? I know that it does. But I can hear people say no, it’s “just” handwoven. Or “just a scarf” or whatever it appears to be. But isn’t that the key word? Appears? Just because a handwoven object may appear as no more than what we call it, that doesn’t make that all it is.
Handwovens are You. Even though the knitters won out, because the Bible translators say, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb,” You, oh weaving God, could have just as easily, and maybe more easily, woven me together in my mother’s womb! And I bet You did, too!
So about the appearance, I do believe, with Your guidance, that each handwoven thing I have a hand in weaving, has a divine purpose all its own. It is not just my purpose for making the thing, but Your purpose for creating the thing through me. I give thanks for their purposes, for mine, and for Yours! I affirm that I will live out my purpose with Your help, making manifest Your glory. And I will do whatever is my part so that the handwovens I joyously create with You, will be their highest selves and live out their divine purpose.
For this commitment and realization, this day and every day, I give You thanks! And so it is!
Mystical Strings 
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