Category Archives: Blog starting 2022

Happy Twelve Step-versary

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Thirty-two years ago marked the most important day of my life: I attended my first Twelve Step meeting. Happy Twelve Step-versary to me! I had no clue how my life would be transformed, the extent to which it would be. Nor had I a clue as to all the wonderful people I would encounter on that path. I was a devout atheist, who for the prior five years had heard about the Twelve Step program, and had had no intention to willingly go and interact with a group of people who were going to use the ‘G’ word, i.e., God, when they spoke. That is the attitude I held despite my life-long struggle with overeating and binging; my hopelessness and despair; my aloneness because people didn’t understand me; and, a hole within me that food did not fill. After doing some inner work on myself and severing myself from some unhealthy relationships, I found myself willing to dip my toe in the water when a second person, whose experience and advice I trusted, suggested the Program as a means to help with my eating disorder. That Saturday, March 10, 1990, I went to my first Twelve Step meeting in the … Continue reading →

Sending Love

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Once again some morning readings had my mind wandering to the violence and upheaval going on in the world today. “Let us so live that we may retire at night in peace, knowing that no harm can come to the soul; that we may rise in the morning renewed in body and in mind, with a brighter outlook, a happier expectation and a clearer joy, looking upon all with love, condemning none and blessing even those who seek to injure us.” – “The Science of Mind,” by Ernest Holmes, page 435 While I appreciate knowing that my soul cannot be harmed, the human body can be. Hence, I’m not sure how much solace such a thought would bring the people in Ukraine these days. And, I’m not sure those fleeing and those fighting are getting rest of any sort and thus not feeling renewed in body and in mind. Hopefully the moral support they are receiving is helping them to keep a bright outlook and expect a happier future. And, despite what is going on, it’s possible they are blessing Putin and their invaders, knowing that in the end we are all one in Spirit. Keeping the higher ground is … Continue reading →

Helping God Out

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I’ve taken note that I often receive guidance, creative ideas in the middle of the night when I’m not quite sleeping, yet not really awake. This also can occur once I’ve finished my morning chant and head into some silent meditation time. I try to remember what’s been imparted, but am not always successful, although I do ask Spirit to help me to remember. And, sometimes the stuff actually makes sense in the 3-D world! This morning I received an idea about asking for help from people. That in and of itself was interesting since I don’t ask for help very often. The idea was that whenever I ask someone for help, I’m actually asking the Divine for help. And, ya know, that’s an idea that makes sense to me! The Divine does not have a corporeal body so expresses Itself through people who obviously do have a physical body. We are each the hands of God, the feet, the eyes, etc. That thought brought to mind a poem attributed to St. Teresa of Ávila. In reading it, you might want to substitute “Christ” with Spirit, God, Oneness, etc. Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on … Continue reading →

Law of Giving and Receiving

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I got a kick out of Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe’s words in today’s “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life.” They were discussing the Law of Circulation and how giving a hug immediately gets returned as receiving a hug, immediate payback! What we most want to get is precisely that which we need to give. Deepak Chopra talks about the Law of Giving and Receiving: “The universe operates through dynamic exchange . . . giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.” I need to remember that when I am giving, I am receiving, and energy is moving. It is then when life feels especially rich and I feel so alive. And, I know, Spirit is in the midst of all.  

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Make a Contribution

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A few weeks ago, I volunteered to use my many years of experience and expertise in creating and publishing electronic newsletters to train the person newly responsible for the e-newsletters at my spiritual center. Since I work full-time, we made arrangements to have the first session today following the Sunday service. Having these plans, I found one of today’s morning readings timely: I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. – Hellen Keller “This is what gives our life real importance: to know that with God’s guidance, we can make a contribution that is necessary and unique.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” March 6 *As We Understand God Well, Spirit had other plans. While this person was present at the Sunday service, she left before it had concluded, without a word to anyone. We don’t know if perhaps she wasn’t feeling well, or something else came up; no one had her personal phone number in order to contact her. I trust she is well and am sending light and love to her; I’ll check in tomorrow at … Continue reading →

Love and Oneness

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In the second week of Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, a couple of of today’s morning readings were once again about us being one and loving the different infinite expressions of Spirit manifested in individual people. The following quote is from the March 5, 2022 Daily Guide in “Science of Mind Magazine.” The author, Rev. Steph St. Amand, began with writing about the question we are asked as youngsters: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Actor? Journalist? Zoologist? Rock star? The pressure of striving and achieving can be great and veer us off the path we were truly meant to follow. Here’s what she’d say now: “…when I grow up, I want to be happy. Living an authentic life… “The lofty, sacred purpose before each of us is to be present for the moment before us and shine a light on the illusion that we are separate from one another or separate from Sprit. Affirmation: “I listen to the God-voice inside me, cheering me on to my highest expression. I fulfill my noble purpose through loving acts and joyful thinking.” Ernest Holmes wrote about human relations in the March 5 entry in “365 Science of Mind: … Continue reading →

Nearer, My God

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“The life force that made me is right here. It is closer to me than anything else because it is me. I couldn’t get any closer to the Infinite than I already am. Becoming more aware of this, however, is something I can do.” – “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life,” by Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe, March 4 Yes, Spirit is within me, as close as my breath. But how easily I can forget It, but I do! My daily spiritual practices help me to stay close to Spirit—well, of course, we’re close, we’re One! Close in my awareness, that is. My morning practice includes: chanting leading into silent meditation; Naam yoga; prayer at my breakfast meal and sending, love, light, and healing out to individuals and the world at large; contemplating several readings from various authors (like the quote above); and, journaling, closing with “Gratefully, Joyce.” During the course of the day, I strive to be kind, patient; compassionate; and, helpful to my work colleagues and anyone else I cross paths with, as those qualities are, of course, of God. Living/being those attributes strengthens my awareness of Spirit. Knowing I’ll be writing my spiritual blog, I keep … Continue reading →

I Am Filled with Peace

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I identify with abundance, health. and happiness. I associate myself with the vast All. I identify myself with everything necessary to make my life complete. There is no depression, no fear, no sense of lack, insecurity, or unworthiness. I believe that God is All-in-All, over all, in everything that I shall ever meet. I am filled with peace and confidence. – “This Thing Called You,” by Ernest Holmes, page 50 Despite the outer circumstances and affairs going on in Eastern Europe which impact the entire world, I am filled with peace and confidence that all is well at some level. I continue sending the light out to the far reaches of the planet and the deeper inner reaches of each soul. Namasté. Now more than ever may the divinity, the wholeness in me and you respect and honor the divinity and wholeness in all.

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The Spiritual Principle of Love

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I’ve really been immersed in Science of Mind philosophy on a daily basis, especially so with participating in a five-week course in its spiritual principles, which ended this evening. I will miss it. In brief, the spiritual principles of Science of Mind are: 1. Oneness 2. Love 3. Creation 4. Threefold Nature 5. Creative Process 6. Spiritual Laws 7. Spiritual Beings 8. Freedom 9. Heaven 10. Eternal Life Throughout the course I chose to focus on the spiritual principle of Love, “…the self-givingness of Universal Spirit through Its desire to express itself in terms of creation. Love is the impulse and Law is the way of creation.” (from “Spiritual Principles and Practices,” by Centers for Spiritual Living™, Student Workbook, page 39). My final project centered on my goal and affirmation “I am in a sacred, loving life partnership” and I created a vision board of what it looks like being in that partnership, feeling it in the present moment. It was fun creating the board, but more importantly it brought forth the energy to create what is my heart’s desire. “We have within us, a power that is greater than anything we shall ever contact in the outer, a power … Continue reading →

Came to Believe

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“Came to believe”: The three most beautiful words in our language. – Anonymous “Came to believe” had become a magical phrase for many of us. It is indeed beautiful. What did we come to believe? That a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. And it has happened in so many lives that it is a tenet of our program. The lost have come home; we’ve been restored.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” March 1 *As We Understand God I too “came to believe” thanks to the 12 Step philosophy. And it was more than just coming to believe that a power greater than myself could restore me to sanity regarding my eating disorder, although that was huge for sure. In addition to being restored to my right mind, I came to believe in Spirit, no small feat for a long-time, analytical, logical, devout atheist. I came to believe that I wasn’t alone in the world, in life, that I had this loving Divine Presence in my life, along with people who could actually understand me and truly care about me. I came to believe that it was okay to ask for help, … Continue reading →