Blog Archives

Give Without Strings Attached

10/31/2015

Life is about give and take, but when we look at the concept of love, it doesn’t always play out that way. Sometimes we give because we love even though we know there is no chance of receiving equal “compensation.” Sometimes one spouse is delegated to the role of caregiver with the realization that things will probably never change. Giving without hope of return is perhaps the highest form of love.

Be Love

10/30/2015

Selfishness and self-care are not the same. It’s not selfish to know yourself, care for yourself, and to love yourself. We must respect ourselves and treat ourselves the way we want others to treat us. This then becomes the standard we set for loving others as we love ourselves.

October 29th, 2015

10/29/2015

Companionship is a wonderful thing, and we often find it in a relationship such as a marriage. But, companionship isn’t meant to complete another person, but to join two people who are already whole into a relationship that creates something stronger than the union of its individual parts. If one of those parts is incomplete of itself, it weakens the union. We are not meant to complete one another, but to help one another recognize that their completeness is within themselves.

Feel What You Feel

10/28/2015

Sometimes we might feel as if our emotions are inappropriate. They are not. Our emotions are what they are, and to feel as if we are wrong for feeling what we are feeling is a mistake. That doesn’t mean it is appropriate to act on every emotion we experience throughout the day. That could drive us mad, perhaps not literally, but certainly figuratively. When an emotion comes our way that we think is inappropriate, we can stand back, examine it, and then decide what to do with it.

Contentment

10/27/2015

There are two ways of having enough. One is to acquire more and more, while the other way is to desire less. Perhaps there is a middle road that tells us it’s all right to acquire more as long as we aren’t attached to those things and as long as we are doing no harm. Another way to look at things is to love every little thing you have including things that cannot be bought or sold. Contentment is often a compromise, and it is often elusive.

Weekly Newsletter: Love is Not a Place

10/27/2015

Love is not a destination but an experience. Love is a feeling, but also a commitment. Love is not passive but active. In this present moment, and in every moment to come, choose love, for love is a choice, and not something that simply happens to us. We feel love from others, but until we also give love, it is not complete. If we want to love as The Divine loves, then love should be given to all in equal proportion. And, don’t forget, love is given to ourselves as well as to others.
A good healthy dose of love for self, partner, neighbor, and enemies is the only remedy our world needs. Give love without strings attached. Give it freely to all who ask and to those who don’t. Give it to those who seem to refuse it. Love, like water, can transform the landscape from a barren desert to a plush oasis. On this day, and on every day, remember that love is not a destination, but a state of mind, a state of being, a state of heart, and a state of our souls. The more we give, the greater is our capacity to receive more and to give more. Be in a state of love—always and for all time.

A Higher Court

10/26/2015

We don’t always need religious doctrine to tell us right from wrong. A sense of what is right is embedded in our hearts, and although we may choose to ignore it, ultimately we know the truth. Courts try to dictate and regulate morality, but in certain situations the courts have been wrong, and if we had listened to our hearts, we would have known it. The world is discovering that some religious beliefs are wrong, and when we come to that realization, we must act accordingly.

Freedom from the Past

10/25/2015

If we look over the past with regrets, disappointments, guilt, or shame, we are enslaving ourselves to the past. We can break free from this self-imposed prison through loving forgiveness. And if we are able to find the gem of good hidden within what seemed like disastrous events, we can change the way we understand the past and move forward. If we can reach the point where we love our past with all of its failures and successes, we will find the past no longer has power over us.

Stop

10/24/2015

I often feel as if I am searching for The Divine, but I also like to think that while I am searching for The Divine, The Divine is waiting to be found. Better yet, perhaps The Divine is searching for me and will find me when I sit still long enough to be found. At other times I think it’s all an illusion and I was never lost to begin with. We are surrounded by Love and our path home is and always has been an inner journey that leads us back to our true self.

Make Peace

10/23/2015

Wanting to hurt those who hurt us is a natural response. In fact, when someone is able to rise above their inclinations and refuses to return like for like, it often amazes us and leaves us feeling as if there is hope for humanity. Being able to overcome our inclinations isn’t a matter of suppression, because suppressed emotions will eventually come out, but it is, instead, finding a way to forgive and have compassion for those who offended us. We allow ourselves to feel the hurt, but instead of acting on our natural responses we choose to release the pain and love the way we would want to be loved and forgiven if we were in their situation.

Why are We Here?

10/22/2015

I often wonder why we were placed on this earth. I come up with different reasons which often change, but one thing I feel certain about is why we are not here. We are not here to fight, create wars, destroy our planet, to treat one another as less or more than we are, and we are not here to judge, condemn, or hate. Our reasons for being here must have something to do with love, equality, acceptance, tolerance, and peace.

Morality of the Heart

10/21/2015

When did we become dependent upon religion to teach us morality? Did we not know, somewhere within our hearts, what was right and wrong before religion came along to teach us? And what about the fact that not all religions agree upon what is moral, and that their values of right and wrong have shifted throughout the centuries. For my part, I don’t think I can rely solely upon a man-made institution to dictate morality in my life because each situation is different, and although we can have general guidelines that might work 99.99 percent of the time, there is always that one that comes along that breaks the rules, and if we’re not listening to our hearts, we might get it wrong.

Correct Thoughts

10/20/2015

One of the most empowering concepts is that we have at least some control over our thoughts, and that by changing our thoughts we can change our lives. In fact, we probably have more control over our thoughts than we give ourselves credit for. One way to gain more control over our thoughts is to reprogram our brains through repetition. One simple but powerful example is for those who feel unloved to repeat over and over, “I am loved.” We can add additional phrases such as, “I am worthy of love,” or “I am loved because I am divinely created,” but the simple expression of “I am loved” is sufficient to transform our lives.

Weekly Newsletter: Clutter Free

10/20/2015

When we get rid of the clutter in our lives, it’s generally a good thing. There are times when we throw something out, something we may have been holding onto for years, “just in case we need it,” only to discover shortly after it is gone that if we’d only kept it a little longer we could have used it. But, for the most part, our lives are often filled with so much clutter that we find it difficult to enjoy life, and in extreme circumstances, the clutter paralyzes to the point we can no longer function.
Clutter in our spiritual lives often defeats us from enjoying the present moments. Sometimes this clutter comes in the form of rules, guidelines, procedures, programs, and traditions. Sometimes the clutter comes in the form of responsibilities—jobs and families—and there may be little we can do to change things.
I looked for an antonym of clutter but didn’t find just one specific word. Instead I found “near antonyms” such as calm, hush, peace, quiet, stillness, and order. A lack of clutter in the physical world doesn’t guarantee these positive qualities will result, but it certainly allows for them to happen more easily. In the spiritual realm, a lack of clutter doesn’t necessarily bring these qualities either, but it certainly provides an atmosphere more conducive to finding the peace we seek. If we take time once in a while to pray without asking, we may also want to pray without the clutter of religious rules and restrictions. Relax. Throw out anything that doesn’t support your communion with The Divine, and rest in the Divine Presence.

The Heart Knows

10/19/2015

If we listen solely to other people's opinions to tell us what is right and wrong, we will be confused. People's opinions vary depending on what they believe, what is going on in their lives, and what they have experienced. No matter what we say or do, someone will be ready to criticize us. Using common sense and trusting our hearts to guide us is usually the safest way to proceed.

In Peace

10/18/2015

What does it mean to walk in peace? Part of the answer lies in defenselessness. When we see the interconnectedness of all things, we realize that we are a part of a greater whole, and that our contribution to the bigger picture will not be diminished, destroyed, or denied. We do not have to defend who we are or what we are, because we are all a part of something greater.

Real Change

10/17/2015

Changing the world is a noble ambition, but the only person we can really change is ourselves. But, that is enough. As we change, others will respond to our change. If we are moving toward love, forgiveness, kindness, and peace, others will follow or blaze a path of their own.

Unlock the Present

10/16/2015

Holding onto a negative perspective of past events can eat away at our ability to have peace in the present moment, and it can also harm our future peace. Forgiveness is the key that can unlock the door of past hurts. Also, if we try to interpret past events in a less harsh light it can also help to release the past so that we may live more fully in the present.

Listen to the Heart

10/15/2015

Listening to our hearts is a practice we might want to pursue every day. We have wisdom and insights that don’t always come from the material world or the relationships we have with family and friends. There are insights and spiritual wisdom that has been placed within our hearts if we will take the time to be still and listen. Our lives will work smoother, and we will find more peace throughout the day.

Content with our Faults

10/14/2015

Perfection is overrated unless you find perfection in your imperfection. When we can see our imperfections and still believe that we are as The Divine created us, then we begin to see the Master plan includes parts of a whole that don’t always appear complete by themselves. It is the joining of our parts, our lives, and our hearts that begins to make the big picture make sense.

You Make Me Feel So Good

10/13/2015

How do we make people feel? Do we bring happiness, or are we gloomy people who bring a cloud of depression with us? Our words and actions are important, but sometimes the most important thing is how we make people feel. Let’s leave everyone we encounter feeling better for having been around us.

Weekly Newsletter: Pray without Asking

10/13/2015

  If we believe The Divine knows our thoughts, our needs, and our desires, do we really need to petition The Divine for these things? A good divine Parent would provide us those things without our having to ask. And, if that Creator withholds anything that we might ask for, wouldn’t it be reasonable to conclude that The Divine is only looking out for us?
      So, how do we pray without asking? One way is to express our gratitude for the provisions that are ours. Another is to step aside and allow The Divine to do what The Divine does best. An extension of that thought is to acknowledge our unknowing and to make ourselves open and vulnerable to our highest and best.
      Life is often lived in reverse. During the present moment we seldom understand what is going on, but given the grace of time, we examine the past and discover our path led us exactly where we needed to go. If we pray without asking, what does that look like in practice? Often the initial attempt is feeble—and short. We struggle to formulate a prayer that is void of requests.
      Instead of asking, we might try prayers of openness and thanks. “Open my eyes to the miracles in store for me today. Help me to align with Divine will in my life.” Even these prayers are petitions, but they are headed in the right direction. The goal is to set aside ego, pride, and the need to control our world and to open to the possibilities when we step aside and allow The Divine to love us.

Forget Pain

10/12/2015

To “forgive and forget” is nearly impossible to literally do. We can forgive and forget in the sense that it doesn’t matter anymore, but forgetting in the literal sense of never remembering the incident ever again for as long as we live isn’t realistic. The key is to let the pain go by finding ways to forgive and release. This comes closer to what happens when spiritual healing through forgiveness happens, and that is a miracle.

Be the Person You want to Be

10/11/2015

If we are not prepared for life, life will defeat us. Who we are in daily living is who we will be when disturbances come to test us. The tests will show us not only who we are, but who we want to be. Even if we feel defeated, we can rise up and make the changes necessary to be ready for the nest encounter.

Look for Miracles

10/10/2015

Miracles happen all around us, and I’m not writing about turning water into wine or feeding 5000 people with a handful of fish and loaves. Miracles abound and they do more good than the physical manifestations that seem to contradict the laws of nature. People are spiritually healed, lives are reclaimed, enemies lay down their weapons, and forgiveness—which is the greatest miracle—runs wild.