The Prayer Chest

When I went to bed last night and started to quiet my mind for sleep, I realized how sad I was feeling over a situation one of my loved ones, and her family, is facing.  It had been bothering me all day, but more on the edges of my awareness because my son has been home from college this week, and I’ve been happily involved in spending time with him.

Last night, I had a chance to think about how serious her situation is.  Most gratefully, there is always a tool in times of need, one that will redirect my attention to the truth that the light of God exists in all things.

I read a book some time ago with a Unity study group called “The Prayer Chest: A Novel About Receiving All of Life’s Riches” by August Gold and Joel Fotinos.  It’s a short book and an easy read, told as a story.  I enjoyed it on a number of levels.  First of all, the story provides some wonderful insights on when and why we perceive that our prayers are being answered, or not.  I plan to write about those insights in a later post.

Another very helpful thing in this story is the central idea of a prayer chest, which the main character finds in his attic.  It's a simple wooden box, filled with his ancestors’ prayers.  He and his children are changed as they begin to use the prayer chest through their hardships.  The important thing about the prayer chest is that once the prayer is written down and slipped into the box, it’s never taken out again.  Once it’s in there, it’s in God’s hands.

My husband made a wooden prayer box for me this past Christmas, which now contains quite a few of my prayers.  It's very simple and beautiful, maybe the size of half of a shoebox with a slot on top for inserting slips of paper.  I haven’t felt the need to use it in some time, but last night I realized that I, and the family in question, could be helped by it.

I turned on the light, got up, wrote out my prayer and put it in the chest, and got back into bed.  A few minutes later I realized that I had something to add, so I got up and added another slip of paper to the chest.  Then got back into bed and went to sleep.

This morning when I woke, I knew that the burden had been lifted.  I felt clearer and lighter, but more importantly I knew that the situation with my loved ones would resolve in a way that benefits all.  The prayer chest is a physical place where we can store our concerns, then let them go, knowing that God will find them.  It provides a way to turn our concerns over to the God within everything, creating space for the light of divine intelligence to shine onto the situation.

I asked, through my written prayer placed in my prayer chest, and was answered, as I always am when I ask in the many different ways that are available to me, knowing they will be done. 

I'm thankful that my husband made the prayer chest for me; I really enjoy having it.  I don’t always use it because I pray in many different ways.  But the prayer chest is a very gentle, physical reminder that we can always ask, and we will always be answered.  

May you find many ways to know the God of your heart, and may this tool be a blessing. . . 

Love

I read a quote whose author I don't remember that said our reason for being here is to grow in love.  I remembered the quote, at least in paraphrase, because it was so simple.  There has been so much written over eons on the subject of loving - wonderful, insightful, inspirational things, some of which have provided me with raw material to mull over and see what feels true to me.

That we are here to grow in love has felt true to me for a good long time, but that truth came to me in a deeper way today.  I hadn't talked with the God of my heart about the "Why am I here?" question in quite awhile, and was feeling like I wanted a clear sense of it, in present time.  I have done many of the things I've intended to do, and was feeling the need to consider a next step.  It's pretty easy for me to get caught up in "OK, what next," which is not a bad thing entirely, because it allows me to focus on things that are important to me.  Sometimes, though, I think the tendency sort of clouds the big picture.

I asked God why I chose to be me, now, in my current situation, with my unique perspective and particular life experience.  And God answered in my heart, with eloquence and grace, as always:

"You wanted to learn about love, in the biggest sense of the word.  For loving yourself unconditionally, you sought a difficult childhood.  For knowing a mother's deep and profound love, you have your children.  You have created a healthy and joyful marriage.  You are learning about love by loving people at those times when they are less-than-lovable, and when they are at their best.  And in your life you strive to see the love of God expressing in all things.  Can you see how completely you are living your life's purpose?"

As I always am when I talk with the God of my heart, I was struck.  The meaning of life became simple all over again, and for that I am filled with even more gratitude (if that is possible) for being here in the middle of the countless, amazing miracles that are part of my very ordinary life.

I would love to some day remember this truth in every moment.  That probably won't happen.  But as I've said, I write to remember.  Writing at times is like taking a photograph of a breathtakingly beautiful scene I've witnessed and then having it to hold and go back to.  When I look at one of those photographs I am brought right back to the truth of the beauty that we are part of.  In writing I also feel as if I hold the beauty and grace of this life in my hands.

So the big question is answered, yet again.  Tonight I'll be comfortable being just where I am, in the peace where love is enough.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Prayer

My husband was dedicated today as a chaplain at our Unity church.  It got me thinking about the many different ways that we pray.  For years I was uncomfortable with the idea of prayer, because whatever special connection people I knew who prayed had with God, I didn't seem to have it.  It seemed to me at the time that prayer was all about someone asking God for something, and then having it materialize.  But the people I saw never seemed to be getting anywhere in the things they prayed for.  When they didn't get what they had asked of God, they explained it as "God's will," and left me wondering why people prayed in the first place.  I wasn't sure what talent or skill a person needed to have God not only hear them, but also answer.  Whatever it was, I knew I didn't have it.  It didn't seem like the people around me had it either.

As I've moved along on my own path, I've come to see prayer much differently.  I see now that because God lives in all things, she expresses not only through me but as me.  There is no separation between the God who hears my prayers and, well, me.   And so it is for us all.

Prayer for me now is ever-closer communication with the God within.  When I pray to the God outside of myself, I am praying to myself as well, to that all-knowing, ever-perfect and light-filled part of me that is God.  God and I are co-creators in this game called life, so I am in constant connection with divine order, perfect intelligence, and love that knows no bounds.  All that I choose to be, I am.  Prayer is saying hello to that.

I have always resonated with the way it is described in Neale Walsch's Conversations With God:  "The correct prayer is therefore never a prayer of supplication but a prayer of gratitude.  When you thank God in advance for that which you choose to experience in your reality, you, in effect, acknowledge that it is there . . .  Thankfulness is thus the most powerful statement to God; an affirmation that even before you ask, I have answered.  Therefore never supplicate.  Appreciate."

I recognize now that it is not about a God outside of me who answers prayers, sometimes.  We are part of a much more flawless reality.  There was a quote in the service at Unity today whose author I don't remember, but it went something like, "When God sees me in prayer, he sees me through the same eyes that I see him with."  The kingdom of heaven is within.

My husband has learned to pray with people, helping create a space where the truth of their own heaven within can come to light.  I still get down on my knees, sometimes, when I most need the comfort of feeling held by a power greater than myself, although I recognize that I exist as that power, too.  We can pray out loud, or in our heads.  A favorite form of prayer for me is writing letters to God, which I've described in previous posts.  I love writing, and for me the act of grounding my thoughts on paper, and then waiting for my hand to know what to write in response, is very clear and direct.

Prayer can be out loud, or silent.  It is not only speaking to God, but listening also.  Sometimes that's all I do, just sit and listen.  In truth, every thought we have is a prayer.

May you be grateful for prayers answered, and may this tool be a blessing. . .

Seeing Ourselves in Others

I believe that many problems between people could be averted in remembering that others mirror back to us those qualities that we ourselves possess.  We are not able to recognize a favorable attribute in another if it is something that we do not already own ourselves.  This can be a very empowering realization - acknowledging that those people who seem to manifest great things with ease are part of the same creative consciousness that we all embody.

Anything that we admire in another lives in us as well, whether it be the ability to create happiness, peace, joy, healthy relationships, a good job or a shiny new car!  Not only the people we encounter every day, but Jesus, the Buddha, the Dalai Lama, and all of the greatest teachers of the world share with us the very same intelligence that brought our collective existence into being. 

That we possess the same attributes we witness in others also helps us locate the parts of ourselves that are still in darkness.  I remember a teacher at the Aesclepion Healing Institute saying that the people we have the most difficulty with are our biggest teachers.  That was really helpful information at the time, because it caused me to begin searching in my own life to see if it was true.  And I found that it was. 

It’s difficult to accept, in the middle of being very upset with someone else, that they are here to help me learn something valuable about myself that I may have been avoiding.    But if I choose to be completely honest with myself, I realize that what I resist in others is usually something I am resisting acknowledging in myself.  

It might be that we have been needing to practice compassion or forgiveness, or to be less reactive.  Maybe we exhibit the same behavior but haven’t been aware of it.  Or it might be that we’ve been involved in a relationship that we’ve needed to walk away from, but out of fear have stayed longer than is healthy.  

In the perfect and divine order in which we exist, everyone is our teacher - those we might not see as worthy of that honor, and also those who seem so far beyond us that we could never hope to be where they are.  There is no need to hold on to judgment, or envy, because all that we see in others we already possess.  Instead, we are provided with the opportunity to choose what we want to do with the information.

I am always grateful for the teachers who come into my life in countless different ways.  Some I have welcomed, and some have presented lessons that left me kicking and screaming.  But all continue to help me choose how to be the best and highest me.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Peace

We all want peace, between nations, between strangers, and in our close relationships.  We want peace within ourselves especially.  It often seems that if only circumstances outside of us were different, our lives would finally be different, and we could get some peace.  If my family members were all doing well, if the economy weren't such a mess, if there were different politicians running the country, if my kids were grown and out of the house, if my boss (or my spouse) weren't such a lunk-head, if drivers weren't so rude (the list is endless), then I might find a tranquil moment in my life.

But the world we experience is an ongoing reflection of what is taking place within us.  The amount of peace that we are able to find is directly proportional to the nature of our thoughts and beliefs.  Awareness of this truth really can set us free.

If I accept that all I see in the world is mirroring my beliefs, then I can challenge my thoughts and change  my experience.  I exercise my power in designing my reality when I choose to live in peace.  Every less-than-peaceful person or situation I encounter is a perfect teacher, once I get past the resisting and fussing over how the world is not behaving according to my expectations, for me to choose how I want to show up.  At some point, hopefully more sooner than later, I remember to stop and ask myself, have I done or am I doing something similar?  And I try to work on that.  Our interactions with others provide a mirror in which to see the still-learning places in ourselves that we would not necessarily see otherwise.

It is said, as within, so without.  I'm learning that it's never about the other person.   It's always about me, and what I have yet to remember about choosing my best and highest expression of the God within.  I try to be grateful for the events in my life that seem to rob me of my peace, because they provide such perfect opportunities for me to remember that I can at any moment choose the peace that is the truth of me.  I may have been waiting many years, or many lifetimes, to come to just this moment, where I can stand in opposition to another's choices or expression, and then choose instead to forgive us both.  Even when we are expressing less than our highest, we are all heroes.  Our armor may at times get dented and rusty, but it never stops reflecting the light.

Peace stems from the decisions that I make every day about how I label my experiences in the world.  As those decisions nurture peace in my heart, they promote peace in the world as well.  Let there be peace in my heart.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Being Impeccable With Your Word

Because our words have such tremendous creative power in our lives, it is important to be very conscious about the words that we use.  Just as we need to guard our thoughts, it is even more essential in living the life that we intend to use words that embody the energy we wish to manifest in our lives.  Our words are even more powerful than our thoughts in creating how our moments will unfold.

The words we choose, like our thoughts, are mostly unconscious.  We react to something and speak before we've decided if the words are a true representation of who we want to be.  I know I do.  It's very easy for me to forget to be deliberate about the words I speak.

In his book The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz devotes an entire chapter to being impeccable with your word.  It is one of the four agreements.  In it, he says that "Through the word you express your creative power.  It is through the word that you manifest everything."

Literally every word we speak promotes either truth, or fear.  Our statements act to enlighten ourselves and our world, or help hold them in darkness.  Even small, seemingly innocuous statements, like gossip or judging anothers' behavior, have far-reaching effects because they plant seeds of negativity.  Whether from truth or from fear, the opinions, ideas and concepts that we plant grow quickly in the mind's fertile soil.  Ruiz makes the point that our minds become fertile for the type of words that we use.  When we use words to promote positive thoughts, those are the kind that latch on and grow in our minds.  Such is the nature of the spiritual law of attraction, which is always at work.

I found it interesting that impeccable means "without sin."  Ruiz states that "a sin is anything that you do which goes against yourself."  Ultimately, all that we sow in our thoughts and words comes back to us, as the energetic code of that communication forms the reality of our experience.

According to the book, "When you become impeccable with your word, your mind is no longer fertile ground for words that come from (negativity).  Instead, it is fertile for the words that come from love. . .  How much you love yourself and how you feel about yourself are directly proportionate to the quality and integrity of your word.  When you are impeccable with your word, you feel good; you feel happy and at peace."

I am grateful for the reminder!

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Hearing God

Early this morning I had a conversation with God in our room at the Howard Johnson's.  I was really glad for that conversation, because I've had some important things to discuss.  I've been busy for the past few days, traveling to Georgia to be with family for our grandson's third birthday, and so this morning was the first opportunity I've had to be still and listen.

I sat down and quieted my mind, asked my question of God, and then focused my attention on that space that is everything, where it feels like I can hear the hum of our collective being.  In that place, I wait to hear God's voice from the air, from the glow of the streetlight, or the paint on the wall of the motel room.  God's answers come to me from all of those places, and everywhere, all at once.

I sat and waited, and God's voice did not come.  I continued to quiet my mind, and listened, but the familiar dialog didn't start.  What came instead was a strong sense that God was busy, and not available just then.  For a moment I felt quite disheartened, until I realized that that was not possible.  God is everywhere present, and in every moment of my life. 

I recognized that it was I, not God, who was too busy.  My mind had been too busy.  I am never separated from the voice of God, but it felt like that was true, for a time this morning.  I remembered that my experience of God is reflected in how I am experiencing myself.  And with that remembering, my dialog with God resumed; my questions were asked, and answered, and I was reconnected with my truth.

I have found that hearing God's voice is a matter of shifting my attention, from the details at hand, to a softer focus on being, where everything just is and the details are not important.  The God whose voice I seek speaks to me from all that is, from outside of me but also from within.  Because my experience out in the world reflects what is taking place in the universe within me, when I find peace in my thoughts, there is no end to the peace that I find in the world of my making. 

This morning I remembered myself as God, choosing again to hear herself.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Cultivating Humor

My husband told me last night that he'd love for me to do a stand-up comedy routine, just for him.  Just picturing it made him chuckle.  It made me chuckle, too.  I can see us in our living room, him sitting at a make-shift round table with a glass of wine, and me standing with a wrench or some other pretend microphone, saying "Did you hear the one about. . ."  We've done sillier things.  We tend to laugh alot.

I'm a true believer in humor for healing all types of ills.  In the stress management class that I teach at work,  one of the things that I discuss with people is the idea of actively cultivating humor.  I enjoy watching people who have come into the class very burdened by the demands in their lives light up at the thought that maybe something as simple and uplifting as laughter could help ease those burdens.  Research has proven that laughter lowers blood pressure and stress hormones, and increases immune function and the release of endorphins.  It really is good medicine.

Humor unites people, because laughter is the universal language.  Sharing a private joke or a moment of happiness with another creates a bond of good-feeling and lifts the heart.  I remember when my son was about 18 months old, he would pick up his play telephone, hold it up to his ear, and laugh and laugh.  I realized early on that he was imitating what he thought a person did on a telephone.  I looked like that, talking on the phone with my sister.  I am pleased to say we still do that.

Many times, when my husband or I, or both of us, have had a tough day at work, we decide to do something funny.  We've gone to the park to swing and slide, which is very humorous, especially to the kids watching us.  We've batted the wiffle ball at the park in heavy wind.  We've worn big wax gummy lips to the dinner table.  We've eaten cake with my son, not using utensils, and then taken pictures.  Not too long ago, while paying bills, my husband donned his slippers that look like rainbow trout, and I wore a bow tie.  Recounting these times, and remembering so many more, makes me smile.  Humor is even great years later, with the remembering.

There is no limit to the ways we can create humor for ourselves.  Rent a funny movie or choose to read a silly book.   I have a couple of sites bookmarked on my computer at work that I can go to for a quick joke in the middle of a hectic day.  Make a mental note of something that really tickled your funny bone, and then remember it when you need to smile.  Most importantly, choose to find amusement in the little things as you go through your day.  To quote that very articulate author, Dr. Seuss, "From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere."

Celebrate your sense of funny.  Each of us has our own brand of humor and our own way of expressing it.  Mine is more quiet, which makes the whole stand-up idea all the more comical.  I'll let you know when my routine is finished.

Humor, and laughter, bring us into step with our highest joy, and open us to fully celebrate being alive.  Here's to laughing loud and often!

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Loving the Body

I realized in beginning to write about validating the amazing miracle of our bodies, that one post wouldn't be nearly enough!  I'll begin with some thoughts today, and add more at a later time.

These wonderful vehicles that our souls have created to have their human experience are worthy beyond measure.  Our society is so body conscious, but in a way that actually harms the relationship that the soul has with the body.  We are taught to focus on the body as a way to conform to the norm, and to judge our value based on its size and shape.  We all know that the incredible expectation for our bodies to fit within a narrow range of appearance is unrealistic and unhealthy, but most of us are driven to conform to that expectation nevertheless.  It's amazing how powerful that influence is on us.

When we are trying to fit a mold, communication between spirit and body is diminished.  Spirit becomes much less able to hear the messages that the body is sending out, and the body becomes unable to hear the soul's validation of its creation.  I believe that learning to listen to the body is a lifelong process, and not something that we always do easily.  We need to be present to hear our body's gentle messages.  With our thoughts in the past or in the future, we will not be aware of our bodies at all.  When our minds are very busy, we usually take our bodies for granted.

There are many downsides to taking the body for granted.  One very big disadvantage is that when we are not present and choosing to sense and feel what is happening in the body, we miss so much of the delicious experience of living.  Some of those feelings are wonderful beyond words, and some are very difficult, but they all create the depth and texture of our experience.

We are not present when we are caught up in thought.  I really believe that thinking is overrated!  We think too much.  We could accomplish just as much, probably more, if we consciously chose to review data, make decisions, and then put thinking aside and experience!  There are for me no moments in my life more exquisite than the ones spent squarely in the present, using my senses, feeling my emotions, aware of my body's being.

We are also much better able to care for ourselves when we pay attention to our body's needs.  In our performance-driven world, it becomes easy to focus on completing tasks and completely ignore our bodies' gentle urgings.  If we do that for too long, our bodies may need a more forceful way to communicate, which sometimes happens though illness.  Our bodies always let us know what they need, we have only to listen.

If we take the time to allow the gentle communion between body and spirit to take place, we find truth.  In hearing the soul's infinite regard, the body knows its own sacred nature and is healed.  Without that space, our bodies are disconnected from the truth and we feel invalidated.

Creating a space for body and spirit to connect can happen in many different ways.  It can be something we choose to do quickly, or a practice that we dedicated more time to.  A really simple way to find connection with the body is to breathe, consciously and into the body.  Breathing grounds our awareness into the body.  Another thing I will practice is to consciously pull all of my energy into my body, so that none of my awareness is spilling out, and I am aware of the physical space that I occupy.  (I will write more about being in the body in another blog.)  Another thing I have done, when I notice that I am caught up in some judgment of my body, is to just quiet my mind for a moment and ask my spirit it's opinion.  This is a great tool!  There is no media-driven demand for thinness strong enough to budge my spirit's infinite love of my body, just as it is, in all of its perfect ability to walk me though the days of my life, as a light-filled expression of God.

When you find yourself having a hard time appreciating your body, remember that that opinion does not originate with you, and then let your body listen to the eloquent wisdom of your soul.  Love is there.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Guarding Your Mind

Unity is a big source of inspiration for me, as I'm sure you've noticed reading my posts.  Reverend Ken mentioned today that  "you need to guard your mind," and it jumped out at me as an important spiritual tool.  As I took it, guarding my mind means being the sentry at the gate, protecting my mind from any thoughts that diminish me, or others, or the world.  It is choosing to be that ever-vigilant, benevolent guardian that always serves the truth.

I am very aware of wanting to be the crafter of my own thoughts, and thereby bring my own dreams to light.  But it is so very easy to get caught up in speaking or thinking in ways that I don't even really want any part of.  I catch myself doing it all the time.  It's an interesting place, that moment when I recognize that I am holding something as true that I certainly don't want to perpetuate into the future.  But habit, or the old need to please others by not disagreeing with them, or some other form of unconscious, fear-based response kicks in and there I am again on auto-pilot.

I like the idea of being my own benevolent protector guarding my experience and serving truth.  To do that, I realize that I need to be more committed to being watchful of the words and thoughts that I don't want to give life to, and deny them, regardless of who might not agree, or understand.

As probably happens in many workplaces, among my coworkers the conversation lately turns fairly often to the economy, job losses, cities needing to eliminate emergency personnel, programs in public education being cut, the world going to hell in a handbasket.  I have many times joined in with the tsk-tsking, and nodded my head in agreement.  Surely, it is sad.  It is scary.  But that is not the reality I wish to seal our future with.  I am no longer in agreement to acquiescing, not even to a nod of the head.

I spoke to my dad a few days ago, and he was worrying about my husband's job (he's a public school administrator), and talking about how bad things are getting, people wanting to carry guns, and other things that the fear-promoting media is so adept at focusing on.

I am happy to say I didn't buy into the fear of the moment.  I told him that we trust the outcome and that the best will happen.  I told him that we are choosing not to participate in the recession, and that we will continue to look for the gift in all of it, because this life is nothing if not an amazing, enriching and wonderful gift.  At the end of the conversation my dad, who is an avid follower of the television news, said he was going to do something else with his time, and we both affirmed the perfection and divine order that we are part of, each in our own way.

That conversation could have gone a very different way, had I not been guarding my mind, and very consciously choosing the truth I wish to serve.  It would have been easy to just agree.  But in making a conscious decision to choose the reality I see and speak of that, his perspective was lifted, and mine, and the planet's.

I am grateful yet again for another tool in remembering the unlimited potential we have in creating the world we choose to see.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Getting Unstuck

Sometimes my old, habitual thought patterns hit me like a ton of bricks and take my breath away.  I intend to let them go; I even believe I have moved past them, only to have them jump out of the shadows when I least expect it.  I'm not talking about the small stuff.  I'm talking about those really huge fears that our intellect tells us can't possibly be true, but in that deeper, unconscious part of us where a seed of doubt has been planted, roots struggle to take hold.  It is that place of "but what if" all that I know in my heart is true about existence really isn't?  My knowing, and spiritual practice, usually keep this voice in perspective, but then some event suddenly triggers old, fearful thinking, and I am lost in it. 

The Berkeley Psychic Institute calls these "core pictures," the ideas we've accepted from outside of us that take us farthest from our truth, and seem the hardest to gain seniority over.  I know that these stuck places are what make us human, and provide moments of immeasurable grace when we re-claim the truth.  But when I'm in the middle of it, I'm just stuck.  And it makes me wonder, what do we do when we're in the middle of a big fat lie, but it really feels like the truth?  In that moment, what can we do to remember?

When I am stuck in a core picture, my first instinct is to fight it.  In an effort to not be uncomfortable, I try to convince myself that I am not stuck, and I end up making excuses, or competing, or trying to control the outcome.  Admitting to myself that I am stuck, in pain or in fear, is the most important part of getting unstuck.  It is a way to see the light in the darkness.  Once I acknowledge that I am lost, healing pours to me from countless sources, an unexpected hug, remembering to use a certain tool, or to slow down and be in tune with that my body needs in the moment. 

It is important in those moments to stop in order to let my answer come to me.  That means acknowledging that I am hurting and afraid, and that is not always easy to do.  But trying to override it doesn't help; what we try to avoid tends to pursue us with greater vigor.  As God said, through Neale Walsh in Conversations With God, "You can't hear my truth until you stop trying to tell me yours."

What I can do now, in my grace-filled moment of remembering, is be grateful that every time I have stopped and faced the monster that was chasing me, I have not been overcome, but held in love, restored to peace, and graced yet again with knowing a truth so sweet that I can't understand how I could ever have doubted it.

I know that I will find myself again in doubt, on my perfect path of forgetting and remembering.   And I give thanks in advance for the gift of getting stuck in darkness, and then finding my way to the light.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Conversations With God

God speaks to my husband through song lyrics, but he has to work a bit for it.  It has become an almost daily occurrence.  He doesn't remember song lyrics, but he remembers the tunes of songs.  I, on the other hand, remember lyrics.  Not so much the tune, which is most likely why I don't sing, at least in public.  Well, only in the car, or around people who I know will love me anyway. . .

This morning, my husband came in to the bedroom, asking me what this song was that had come in to his head during his meditation.  He was humming a tune and trying to throw in a few words.  It's become a funny exercise in the morning, listening to him humming and trying to get the song.  We usually figure it out, and he is always delighted when I tell him the lyrics.  They always have some type of encouraging message for him.  He remembers them through the day, and has started recording them in his journal.

God communicates to us in many different ways.  Neale Walsh in Conversations with God has transcribed his own conversations with God on the subject of communication, and many other topics.  In the book, God says that he talks to everyone, all the time.  The question is not to whom he talks, but who listens.  This is great stuff!  He says that the most common form of communication is through feeling.  Feeling is the language of the soul.  I so much agree.  Through our feelings the body hears our spirit.

God also communicates through thought, often through images and pictures.  Experience is the next level of communication.  Finally, when feelings, thoughts and experience fail, God says in Walsh's book that he uses words.  Words are the least effective means of communication, because they are often misunderstood. They are noises that stand for feelings, thoughts and experience.

I have read Conversations With God more than once, and love the message.  Remembering that we can so easily hear God's voice is an immeasurably wonderful gift.

So how do we know if what we are feeling, thinking, experiencing or hearing is from God?  In the book, God makes the distinction clear:  "Mine is always your highest thought, your clearest word, your grandest feeling.  Anything less is from a different source.  The highest thought is always that thought which contains joy.  That clearest words are those words which contain truth.  The grandest feeling is that of love."

To remember this always: that in the midst of the worst life can dish out, I can trust my joyous thoughts; that is where the truth lies.  That I can always speak the truth as I know it, and it will serve the highest good.  And that I should always express my love openly, even when, especially when, it seems the most difficult to do.

To hear, we must first become silent.  We need to quiet, as best we can, our reactions, and wait for that which brings awareness of truth, joy and love.  Lately, as I ask a question of God, and I wait and listen, it feels almost as if I am listening to the air around me.  But I know it is much more than that.  I am listening for my answer in the quiet space that contains my immediate surroundings but also all that was ever created.  In the space between my thoughts, I listen for the voice of joy.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

I See the Christ in You

Christ consciousness is the awareness of that most basic truth, one that Jesus lived and taught, that we are limitless creators, bringing into being all that we imagine. Christ consciousness, living in each of us, reminds us of our infinite power expressing through our finite human form.

Although we are limitless beings, we are on a path of remembering. In forgetting the truth, we are provided with the holy opportunity of remembering, and then owning our birthright as God in expression. We live in forgetfulness, remember, and then forget again.

Reverend Ken, our Unity minister, talks of something he does to help him in his dealings with people - that is to say, "I see the Christ in you." This doesn't need to be said out loud; other people do not even need to know you are acknowledging it about them. When someone you encounter is most stuck, when they act in a way much less than loving, saying to yourself that you see the Christ in them breaks the cycle of fear by affirming truth. They, and we, are free. The pull of fear and judgment is released as threads of truth are woven through our ongoing creation for all to experience.

We can choose to see the Christ in anyone at any time. It is a wonderful way to acknowledge the divine truth of all those we share this planet with, regardless of circumstances.

I sat on a warn Friday evening last summer in a park with hundreds of other people, listening to a concert. There were families picnicking and couples dancing. All different types of people were gathered together in a small grassy corner of the world. I chose in that moment to shift my awareness to acknowledge Christ consciousness within each of them, all at once. I was filled with awe and joy as I saw God's eternal spirit expressing in so many unique and perfect ways.

We lift up the vibration of all of humanity when we see the truth of each other, unlimited creators, all-together expressing the light of God.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Compassion

Compassion is an immensely powerful spiritual tool. I believe we could change the world with more attention on choosing compassion. Developing an understanding of what compassion really means has been a very personal journey for me. I remember a teacher at the Aesclepion Healing Institute telling me that I have more than my share of compassion. It's been one of my life's most valuable learning experiences, because in the family I grew up in, being sensitive and compassionate was seen as weakness, and was not validated. I always felt very wrong and out of place. It provided me with a very challenging but ultimately perfect opportunity to look deep within myself and choose exactly who I want to be.

As the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, wrote: "If you think that compassion is passive, weak, or cowardly, then you don't know what real compassion or understanding is. If you think that compassionate people do not resist and challenge injustice, you are wrong. They are warriors, heroes, and heroines who have gained many victories. When you act with compassion, with nonviolence. . . you have to be very strong. You no longer act out of anger, you do not punish or blame. Compassion grows constantly inside of you, and you can succeed in your fight against injustice. Mahatma Gandhi was just one person. He did not have any bombs, any guns, or any political party. He acted simply on the. . . strength of compassion. . ."

Deciding on compassion toward another allows healing to happen. It allows ruffled feathers to settle, stirred-up emotions to quiet, and understanding and communication to begin. Compassion can right many wrongs. Certainly things happen in life that we are justified in feeling anger or resentment about, and we need to feel those things. We need to look closely at those situations in order to learn and grow. At some point, though, we need to get to that place that acknowledges God expressing as each of us. We are all on a path of remembering. We all have bad days, and we all wear blinders around certain situations. The truth is, everyone is doing the best they can with what they have in any given moment. It does no good for us personally or for our human evolution to hold on to judgement.

I learned awhile back that the thing I dislike most in someone else is the thing I most resist acknowledging in myself; a bitter pill to swallow, indeed. That other person is a perfect book to read, to learn about myself, if I choose to put that energy of judgement to its best use. I think it's well said in John 8:7, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone."

When I am in judgment of others, and I hold on instead of feeling it and then letting it go, I open the door for that energy to grow in my life. Peace and balance become elusive, as I find more to judge in myself as well as in others. Like forgiveness, compassion is not something we do only for the other person, but very much for ourselves as well.

We cannot solve a problem by being in the same energy that created the problem. We have to take a step up. Raising our vibration to one of compassion in a situation allows divine order to design a perfect resolution benefitting everyone.

A friend this morning told me about a quote that she uses from her 12-step program, which I plan to use often. It's simple, and a great way to remember the power of compassion: "Bless them, change me."

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Purpose

I wrote recently about a tool that is very helpful for me - writing letters to God. There is something about the act of writing the question, and then writing the answer, that helps me to keep my mind quiet and hear the answer. I can tell when my ego is trying to answer, because the response feels harder, and somehow rote. When the answer comes forth without effort, I know it comes from my God self.

I do believe that the God within has the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. From that consciousness came every invention, amazing work of art, each act of love. I forget that I am part of that consciousness and have all of the answers that I need at all times. I am grateful for all of the tools that help me remember who I am.

An excerpt from one of my letters to God. . .

Dear God,

I am seeking to renew my sense of purpose in my life. I have time now to focus on what has great meaning for me. I feel like I need to do something, but at the same time like there is nothing I have to do to be complete. I feel ready to stand and create something new, but what? What is my purpose?

Love,

Sherry

Dear Sherry,

There is great fear of needing to get it perfectly that doesn't lead you to your truth. What brings you joy is your purpose. Forget the pull of what you "should" do. What would you love to do? You can live your purpose every day, doing the things that bring you joy, making new friends to have fun with, bringing yourself fully to whatever you do, trying new things. Your purpose is to glorify your life by doing what you love and not feeling bad about it. There's nothing more you "have" to do.

Consider this, your purpose is to be happy.

Love,

God

Thank you, God!

Letters to God

I am acquainted with a woman at Unity who explained at a book study group a few months ago that she used to write letters to God. She told us that she would get her notebook, and write "Dear God," and write her question, and then sign "Love, Jenny". When she finished, she would write "Dear Jenny," and write God's response, and sign "Love, God". The conversation moved on to other topics, and we didn't focus too much on Jenny's letters, but the idea stuck.

I've read Neal Walsh's "Conversations With God" a few times, and felt truth in the message. Some of God's explanations in that book remain part of how I explain existence, to myself. But it never occurred to me that it is something we can all do. I had tried asking questions of God in my head before, and never had a sense of a voice talking back to me. I was intrigued and decided to give it a try.

I had no idea what to expect, but in the interest of research, wrote my question, signed it, and then wrote "Dear Sherry". What came forth was a simple, very certain knowing and I started to write pretty much without thinking and without effort. When I felt any effort I stopped for a moment to listen, and started again when it felt right. I wrote until I felt done, and then stopped to read it back. I was struck. The response was straightforward and eloquent, and I knew it came from outside of me but also from the highest within me.

I've been writing letters to God since, and have at different times felt tremendous awe, a deep sense of connection and order, and wonder. A few times I've laughed out loud.

Right now, it feels surreal writing about it. An hour ago the dog was dragging his butt across the carpet and I was thinking "I need to call the carpet cleaner". Then I sat down and wrote a letter to God (on a completely different subject, by the way) and was instantly connected to All-That-Is.

A spiritual being having a human experience!

This is a great tool!