Pure Love

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Pure Love

Here are a couple more poems that Spirit sent through David Schuck. To bask in another one, you can read “Divine Love” posted last month. [All poems used with permission.]

Pure Love
By David Schuck

We are perfection in the making, pure love from above.

A mirror image, a reflection, a shadow of what we truly will become.

As we live and grow we learn to cast away the shackles of discontent and strife.

Look inward and upward for your strength.

Let the powers that be, give you strength.

Let them do their magic upon you.

Again look inward and upward for your strength.

 

The Light of Pure Love
By David Schuck

Basking in the light of love, seeing and feeling pure love from above.

There is no feeling quite so grand than the pure light of love.

The peace so rare, so inviting, nothing can compare to the pure light of love from above.

Your entire being, spirit and soul is permeated by the light of love.

Your whole body shines in the light, no darkness can be seen.

Being bathed in pure love, being showered by the light, these moments so rare, these moments so pure.

Tuesday is Chooseday

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I found a website that was filled with quotes about Tuesday. So many of them were about work. Not only that, they were not very positive, and comparisons were made as to how close Tuesday is to the weekend and freedom (or not). What a sorry commentary about individuals’ ideas about work, but I understand. However, some quotes did produce a chuckle for me.

“Tuesday is Monday’s ugly sister.” – Unknown

“Tuesday is the day I actually start the week; Monday I just deal with the depression of the weekend ending.” – Unknown

“There isn’t a Monday that would not cede its place to Tuesday.” – Anton Chekhov

“Tuesday is a good day; you survived Monday. And tomorrow is Wednesday, half-way through your work week!” – Kate Summers

And from the website Unique Teaching Resources, comes the image below about how the calendar looks after Tuesday!

Tuesday is Chooseday

I’m glad to share that I did find some uplifting, inspirational quotes, particularly the one below:

“It’s TUESDAY! And since it’s CHOOSEDAY: choose to smile, choose to be happy, choose to love, choose to bless, choose to be a blessing, choose to be humble, choose to be patient, choose to be kind… And, above all, choose God to guide your life. HAPPY TUESDAY!” – Unknown

Tuesday is Chooseday— how clever!

Obviously, any day is CHOOSEDAY, but it’s easier to associate the day Tuesday with it due to the correspondence of sound between the words. Similarly, it’s easier to associate Thursdays with the word “thankful,” as I recently wrote about in my blog, Thankful Thursday. And again, any day of the week I can be thankful and express gratitude, not just on Thankful Thursday.

So this writing exercise and playing with words serves as a reminder that any day—in fact, any minute—I always have a choice in my perspective and circumstances. I certainly prefer to choose uplifting thoughts and actions, like choosing to smile, choosing to be patient, etc., Above all, I so desire to choose God and have Spirit active in my life. I strive to remember the Great Mystery throughout the day, to guide me in my thoughts, decisions, and behaviors. Not just on Tuesday. Tuesday is Chooseday, but every day is the day to walk with Spirit.

The Power in the Universe

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“There is something that waits on our recognition to spring into being, bringing with it all the Power in the Universe.”
— “Creative Mind and Success,” by Ernest Holmes, page 31

I have read this quote several times today and it gives me pause about what I’ve done with my life, my beingness.

I think I understand what is being imparted, I have a lot of awareness, and intellectually I recognize this amazing Power. And while the thought in the quote exhilarates me, it also makes me feel sad and disappointed.

Switch on the Power of the UniverseWith so many decades behind me in this lifetime, I feel like I am still waiting for a switch to be turned on. But I don’t know what it will take. When it does turn on, I’ll be this passionate person who takes the Power in the Universe, the power in her, and finally makes the most of her innate talents, life experiences, and character and soul attributes. Then I will make a meaningful contribution to the beings of this world, I will finally have accomplished whatever it was I was meant to in this lifetime on Planet Earth. I will be in bliss and feel one with my Creator.

Until then? How does one wake up this sleeping giant of power? My intellect is surely not sufficient to do so. I call on the Divine to stop waiting and switch on that recognition so that I can use the Power to heal and uplift this world. I am ready to make the most of the gifts I’ve been blessed with and share them in order to realize heaven on earth now for others and myself.

O, Great Power, please awaken in me the power of the kingdom so that I can accomplish all that is mine to do and be in the state of joy, bliss, and oneness with You. Thank You, thank You!

The Up Side – Part 1

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The Up SideIt’s Sunday, and after a busy day of catching up on personal administrative work (more to go), I’m going to take it easy and have today’s blog write itself! Well, that means, I’m going to share some quotes that I think are uplifting and meaningful. I read them in a feature of “Guideposts Magazine” (Feb/Mar 2022) called “The Up Side.”

“With faith, you can move mountains. With doubt, you create them.”
– Mickey Guyton

“Every human being is born with the capacity for joy, and like the pilot light in your stove, it still burns within you even if you haven’t switched on the burners for a while.”
– Ingrid Fetell Lee

“The laws of physics applied to life: Objects in motion want to stay in motion. Keep moving in a positive direction and momentum will carry you forward.”
– Jenny Serigano

“All I know about time and space is that it never hurts to give someone a little more of each.”
– Robert Brault

Constructive Criticism

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It takes a rare person to want to hear what he doesn’t want to hear. – Dick Cavett

“Accepting criticism is difficult for most of us.

“We not only cheat ourselves out of the serenity that comes when we accept our fallibility, we also miss the opportunity to learn from others when they offer helpful criticism.”

I will not turn from my critics today and will try to evaluate their words objectively.

– “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 3
*As We Understand God

Constructive CriticismI have to say that I’m not one to mind constructive criticism from others. I seek to improve myself, in order to improve my life, and also so that I can be of better service to Spirit and others. I pride myself in being objective and as long as the person dispensing the criticism is coming from a loving space and is accurate in their assessment, I think I’m amenable to hearing their words.

Unlike many others, I also like change. So perhaps I am open and receptive to constructive criticism because it contributes to change. After all, growth is change, and that is what can proceed from constructive criticism.

I’m sure coming to believe in a Power Greater than Myself contributed to me being more receptive to constructive criticism. I know I’m not alone when it is delivered and I can ask Spirit for guidance in how to interpret what has been offered to me and then ask for next steps, if any. It is also an opportunity to feel grateful for the person and their input. And, during those times when criticism may not be delivered lovingly or be accurate, I always have Spirit to lean on to get through emotions that arise. There is always an opportunity to learn and grow, and I am never alone.

Live in Joy

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“Life is not just something to be endured. It is to be lived in joy, in a fullness without limit.”
– “Discover a Richer Life,” by Ernest Holmes, page 58

Ernest Holmes is the founder of the Science of Mind spiritual philosophy, part of the greater New Thought movement. It is not a religion, although he speaks much about God, for that is all there is.

Live in JoyIt is so uplifting to hear a positive conception of Spirit and way of life, and espouses us to live in joy. This is so unlike (in my limited knowledge and experience of) the Judeo-Christian religions.

In those philosophies, fear of God, and judgement of self and others is taught; such a stance diminishes self-esteem and a sense of well-being, preventing one from being their authentic self and promoting a fearful disposition in life and one’s relationships. One can feel imprisoned, restricted, and surely it’s a challenge to be happy and joyous, and to truly thrive. Such a way of being in the world with self, others, and God is not very healthy emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and eventually physically. Why would I want to subscribe to such a belief system?! Well, I never have.

In New Thought philosophy, specifically Science of Mind, God is Good, God is Love, God is Joy, and is a myriad of other aspects. Science of Mind believes that the ultimate goal of life is a complete freedom from all discord of every nature, and that this goal can be attained by all. There are no chosen ones; we are all worthy, we can each make use of this Power and create a wonderful life. We can each live in joy.

I am actively engaged in creating an ever-increasing joyful life. I am grateful there is a philosophy that promotes limitless possibilities and provides tools to help. It is a philosophy of realizing a kingdom of heaven on earth—exactly what Spirit desires for me and you.

There is Justice

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“The Will of God for me is the will of a boundless life, flowing through me. It is the will of joy, of success, of happiness, of peace, of abundance… Nothing rewards or punishes me but the immutable law of cause and effect. There is no good that I cannot experience provided I first embody that good.

“There is justice, knowledge, right guidance.

“God is right where I am.”

– “365 Science of Mind: A Year of Daily Wisdom from Ernest Holmes,” June 2

I found myself getting frustrated and angry at the “injustices” I experienced today…

… Like being charged a $50 service fee by a discount airline ticketing company when the airline changed the departure time by 10 minutes, on an electronic ticket no less. I’m disputing the fee of course, but resent the time, effort, and hassle on my part.

Or, take the company that offered free electronic income tax filing, including extending the due date. I submitted my data, but the thing is the extension was granted only until June 15 instead of October 19. I was told it supposedly couldn’t be changed, and now I find I cannot meet the June deadline, which I was hoping I could.

And, then I couldn’t get a hold of a person at the Internal Revenue Service with all their menus, sub-menus, sub-sub-menus, all leading me to the recording stating “A representative no longer responds to this question.” Three phone calls, three times selecting a different option in the hope of getting to a real live human being, but to no avail.

The list goes on and I know I’m not the only one to experience the incompetence, lack of professionalism, and poor communications of so many organizational entities out there. But it disturbs me how I let these incidents disturb my peace, actually take away my peace.

There is JusticeBut then I remembered the reading from this morning which included the phrases “…the immutable law of cause and effect,” “There is justice…,” and “God is right where I am.”

I cannot control people, situations, companies, etc. However, with the law of cause and effect, as the saying goes, ”what goes around, comes around.” Hence, there is justice, and it will prevail with a balancing of the ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’.

And most importantly, God is in the midst of it all—I don’t go through anything alone but always with Spirit. So why give up my peace? The Universe has this handled. I may not see it in my time, but just knowing that all will be balanced and turn into good, is calming. If I am to experience my own good, then I must embody it. Losing my peace does not promote that.

So, I’m leaving it to the Spirit of the Universe to handle things so that I can experience the joy, success, happiness, peace, and abundance that is the Will of God.

Thank You, Spirit!

Another Birthday

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Another Birthday

“My obsession was all-powerful.
Summoning all my resources, I could not dislodge it.
Then three simple words did the trick: ”Came to believe.”

– Anonymous

“We were prisoners of our obsessions. No more. Three words, “came to believe,” were the key that unlocked the gates of our personal prison.”

– “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 1
*As We Understand God

Today is three weeks from my belly button birthday. This year it is particularly special because (1) I’m taking vacation for my first ‘real’ travel in four years, and (2) I’m flying to Colorado to spend time and celebrate it with my dearest friends who relocated from Sedona shortly after I had moved back north to Prescott.

But I have another birthday that is equally as important: the day more than 30 years ago I finally had the willingness to walk into a 12 Step meeting to address my eating disorder and addiction. When I heard the words “came to believe,” I started my road to recovery and sanity. That was the beginning of my coming to believe in a power greater than myself that could restore me to sanity and put me on a path to walk with Spirit and have a richer, more meaningful life.

I’d been a devout atheist for about half my life by then, so I didn’t quite know how I was going to work a program where they mentioned God. But I’d reached the point of being willing, and the rest is history. As I worked the 12 Step program and gave service to the Fellowship, my whole attitude upon life, people, and the world changed. Oh, and of course, this thing some people called “God.” I found the evidence I had been looking for; it was just different than I’d expected.

My life changed so dramatically, for the good, that I always count March 10, 1990 as my rebirth, another birthday in this lifetime. After my physical birth, it is the most important day of my life: the birth of my coming to believe in Spirit.

So Much Has Been Given Me

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One of this morning’s readings was focused on gratitude. It included the following quote:

Helen Keller“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart. So much has been given me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.” – Helen Keller

Helen Keller was an American author and educator who was blind and deaf. Her education and training represent an extraordinary accomplishment in the education of persons with these disabilities.

Now, I’d heard the first statement, but I’d never heard the second one, “So much has been given me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.”

It is quite humbling for me to hear those words from a person who had such a challenging life after becoming blind and deaf at 19 months of age due to an illness (possibly scarlet fever) and was left with only the sense of touch as a means to communicate with others. With the tremendous help and dedication of her remarkable teacher Anne Sullivan, she graduated from Radcliffe College, the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She led a rich life, and wrote several books, co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union, and was responsible for many advances in public services to the handicapped. And although deaf and blind, she learned how to talk!

Learning more about this fascinating woman and her life has been inspiring. Helen was an ardent Swedenborgian, a Christian denomination influenced by the writings of Swedish Lutheran Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). Here again she was not in the mainstream. In her book “My Religion” she explains how her spirit found itself, searched for adequate interpretation of life, and found faith and hope and serenity.

So much has been given me too. However, if I ever find myself lacking gratitude, I will think of Helen Keller. I will remind myself of her remarkable life and achievements—including finding faith, hope, and serenity in the midst of her difficult circumstances.

The Sunlight of the Spirit

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Sunlight of the Spirit

“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace.” – Galatians 5:22

“God’s Love always embraces us, God’s Wisdom is always within us, and God’s Joy is ours to share.

“I dwell in the house of Love. My dwelling place is filled with peace and eternal calm. Love attends me in my home of the Soul, and Joy awaits upon me in the “Secret Place of the Most High.

“…the sunlight of the Spirit shines through the clouds of depression.”

– “365 Science of Mind: A Year of Daily Wisdom from Ernest Holmes,” May 30

The aforementioned makes me feel that I am not alone… and another reading this morning “confirmed” that 😊.

“We are not alone—even if we find ourselves temporarily without human companionship.”

– “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” May 30
*As We Understand God

If at any time I feel alone, I can pray, meditate, read spiritual literature, reach out to friend, or help someone in need. I can also sing, which is food for my soul and my connection to Spirit. Soon the Divine Presence’s Love, Joy, and Peace will be upon me like the sunlight of the Spirit shines through the clouds.