“I bind to myself today God’s Power to guide me, God’s Might to uphold me, God’s Wisdom to teach me.” – From St. Patrick’s Breastplate
St. Patrick may have lived centuries ago but the above words – so important to him that he had them engraved on his breastplate – are ones that resonate with me today, here in the 21st century.
God is eternal and so is The Great Mystery’s power, might, and wisdom.
May I too use God’s Power to guide me, His Strength to keep me moving forward especially in the midst of challenges, and His Wisdom to help me live rightly and fully.
“Today, before I get started on my to-do list, I think I’ll call my friend ____, just to say hello. I know it will be time well spent.
Lord, remind me that when I get too busy to spend a moment with a friend, I’m busier than You want me to be.” – Gina Bridgeman, Daily Guideposts, March 11, 2010
One of my dearest friends sent an email yesterday to review a monthly transaction we’ve been involved in. Underneath the words and even her signature of “Love, ____”, I sensed a coolness (it was confirmed by Rog without even my mentioning it). It stung and surprised me.
I started conjuring up stories about why she might feel cool towards me, of which any or all could be accurate. I replied in a loving way, but have still felt ‘off’ about it – it is so unlike her.
My unsettledness about it was still with me this morning as I thought about how we’ve not had a lengthy, quality conversation in months. With being in different time zones, her having young children to care for, my increased work load and other responsibilities, it’s been difficult to set a telephone date to connect.
So how synchronistic that this morning I got to read a devotional from several days ago that I feel had God’s hand in it. Relationships are the most important thing, starting first with the one with Spirit. When I find myself too busy to nurture that one or the ones of those dear to me, it is time to take serious inventory.
No matter what my friend is feeling and what the story might be, nonetheless it is true that I have not nurtured our friendship much in recent months.
Thank You, Spirit, for reminding me of what is important in life and to slow down. I will keep those dear to me in prayer, bless them, and endeavor more greatly to connect with them directly despite obstacles. It will be time well spent.
“The only way to become permanently prosperous and successful is through the quickening, awakening, and bringing into righteous use all the indwelling resources of Spirit. When we develop our soul and express its talents and capabilities in loving service to God and mankind, all of our temporal needs will be supplied in bountiful measure. We have access to the realm of rich ideas; we enrich our consciousness by incorporating these rich ideas into it. A rich consciousness always demonstrates manifest prosperity.” – The Story of Unity, James Dillet Freeman, page 235.
Like other issues in life, manifestation on the physical plane is the last place in which results show up. First, I go to Source. Flowing from there, I see effects and changes to my mental state, then my emotional state, and finally the physical world. The outer world comes to reflect my inner world. The outer world is the result, not the source. God is First Cause. If I want to change my outer world, I must change my inner world – the kingdom within.
Illness is a good example of this. Louise Hay relates health conditions to states of mind. Constipation is the refusing to release old ideas, being stuck in the past. An earache is about not wanting to hear related to anger and too much turmoil. Foot problems are related to fear of the future and of not stepping forward in life. Harboring hard thoughts and beliefs of bitterness, condemnation, and pride can result in gallstones. The state of mind precedes the state of physical health. That’s why taking a pill, which may provide some relief to the condition, is only a band-aid for a symptom; it does not address cause.
Just like illness is the out picturing of thoughts and consciousness, my financial condition is as well. Now that I’ve gotten myself back on track – in ‘fit spiritual condition’ – and in ever-expanding consciousness, I expect to see manifestation on the physical plane reflecting the richness of my inner life. I hold great expectancy of God opening channels from which money flows with ease and grace, and in perfect ways. The more that flows, the more I give, the more I am of service to God. Once again I am brought back to Source.
I thought I had set my alarm clock last night… But —-!, it didn’t go off this morning. I’m 45” behind schedule now. B-r-e-a-t-h-e.
But —-!, I’ve got so much to do especially this day. B-r-e-a-t-h-e.
Let’s first say good morning to God. And, let’s thank God for this extra sleep time you really needed. “Thank You, Spirit, for this extra sleep time.” Ahhh.
But —-!, I’ve got so much to do. Well, then, what a perfect opportunity especially today to turn it all over to Spirit. Yes!
Dear Spirit – Please run my day today. I’ve much to accomplish, want to enjoy it along the way, I know I must be in fit spiritual condition, and I certainly desire to be of service to you. Show me the way.
Today I turn my will and my life over to the care of the God of my understanding. I envision a day that flows with ease and grace, one in which I accomplish what needs to be done. Spirit provides help and guidance along the way. I am never alone.
Thank You, Spirit, for the extra sleep this morning, for the perfect use of my time, and for the unfolding of a perfect day according to Your Grace. Thanks for helping me turn lemons into lemonade. Above all, thanks for waking me up.
My life is rich. It didn’t take much to get it that way. I just needed to come back to me and to recommit to my #1 relationship – you know, the one with Spirit.
Now my heart is full. I’m enrolled in a spiritual psychology class, which being experiential allows me to get to know these other souls traveling on this particular path, and they me. I’m singing in a choir in which all members are walking a conscious spiritual path and actively engaged in the awakening process. I participate in a weekly circle of gratitude, where we each share from the heart and to the heart. I’m giving service to an organization that nourishes my soul.
My life is rich again because I am back in a heartfelt spiritual community. God’s presence is evident and It nourishes me.
And as I attend meetings, workshops, and events, getting to know the loving people God is putting on my path, I feel like I did when my life was rich as a single woman. In those days, I was extremely busy in my service work and spent more time alone with God than I have in recent years.
Things changed, and I moved from being single to being married – yes, after 49+ years on the planet this go around, I met my life partner 5+ years ago. I’ve had to learn to balance the three most important relationships in my life and it’s only recently that I kind of ‘got it.’
My life is rich with these relationships flourishing: Me and me, me and God, me and my husband. And, being part of a spiritual community brings these all together to make a most joyful, loving, meaningful life.
I recently wrote (blog of 03.11.10) “We are each individuals and the work we do to awaken to God’s grace is truly an inside job. Only I can do it for me, and having a loving partner along the way is icing on the cake. But I must remember that God is the cake and has to get baked first.”
On this day of my gratitude circle, I am grateful for this rich life which now includes the icing on the cake – my beloved Rog.
“God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.” – Isaak Dinesen
I’ve no need to look far down the road because Now is the only time there is. The Presence is my focus and fills my vision. I am at peace; all is well.
“We must not allow any consideration whatever, any institution, or organization, or any book, or any man or woman, to come between us and our direct seeking for God.” – The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox, Page 136.
In this time of accelerated awakening and change, yet another soul I know is stepping out to take care of herself. Being in a committed relationship, she found herself cooperating to live a life together with her honey. But her cooperation moved into compromise, a compromise too great and not in alignment with her true being. The divine spark within was dying from lack of spiritual nourishment, her connection to Source faltering.
When one reaches that point, the spiritual being having a human experience cannot continue without some significant change. And when in a committed relationship, the change required can be quite drastic.
I know what my friend is going through and the choice she had to make, for I went through it myself very recently. For now, she is relocating back to her home town without her husband for that is where her spirit is nourished in so many ways and her connection with God is strong. Without doing so, she’s not the person her partner knows anyway, and if the situation continued in the same vein, he’d be left without her anyway.
Like my friend, I’m relatively a newlywed (five years for me, three for her). Unlike her, I did not have to physically relocate to get back on track in my seeking of God; in fact, my husband and I recently relocated to a place that fosters this. But what I had to do was come back to me. I had to finally make the decision to put my relationship with God truly first (not just pay lip service as I had been doing), and the relationship with my husband, second.
In so doing, my spirit is joyful and my relationship with God is thriving. And, you know what? My husband got back the true person he’d married. A blessing to us both!
We are each individuals and the work we do to awaken to God’s grace is truly an inside job. Only I can do it for me, and having a loving partner along the way is icing on the cake. But I must remember that God is the cake and has to get baked first.
Today I celebrate the most important day of my life.
It was on Saturday, March 10, 1990, at 10:15am, on the upper side of Manhattan (NYC) that I first walked into the rooms of a 12 Step program. It is there where I found Home, my family of choice, and commenced my conscious spiritual journey. It was the beginning of transforming my entire way of living via changing my world view.
This day 20 years ago was the start of my coming to believe in a God of my understanding. And, having been a ‘devout’ atheist, that was no small feat! After all, I’d known about The Program for five years but had declined attending a meeting because I knew the word “God” was going to be uttered.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into and how much my life was going to change by finally taking that fateful step of going to my first meeting – I actually landed up attending three that very first day!. But I had reached bottom, knew that something was ‘wrong’ with me, and also knew that psychotherapy, while helpful with other issues, was not sufficient to address this issue of my eating disorder.
I am grateful to the 12 Step program in more ways and for more things than I could ever recount. My life and relationships would not be what they are today if I had not adopted the 12 Step way of life and had a personality shift of huge proportion. Over the years of practicing the principles and relying on a Power greater than myself, my life has become rich in a myriad of ways and my journey of awakening has become more adventurous.
Today I celebrate: having conscious contact with the Great Mystery who I know is my Source; the love of other spirits having a human experience; knowing peace and serenity are mine any time I choose despite what’s going on in the outer world; knowing my life has a purpose and being of service – the list goes on, and on, and on.
It’s an extra special day of grace and blessing! Thanks be to Spirit, and to all of you friends of Bill W. whose paths have crossed mine, where together we are living in the solution. God bless.
Nothing comes to mind about what to blog about this morning despite reading several pieces of spiritual literature. Have I nothing to say to God this morning? That is surely something to place in my blog.
Dear God –
Thank You for this day. As the early morning coffee brews and I move into my special time with Rog, I think of You and Your Grace. I thank You for Your many blessings.
As I go about this busy, exciting day of adventures, may I keep You in my mind and my heart. May I pause and take a deep breath whenever I want to get an extra stronger dose of Your Presence.
And, please help everyone to appreciate that all in this life is a blessing because all in life emanates from You, and You are indeed the greatest blessing of all.
“True power springs from the understanding that I am co-creating at all times with Spirit; that at any moment, I can step into the all-ness of being. When I am in touch with my true spirit, I am bursting with energy and enthusiasm. I know that the One Power is within me and I can draw on that power at any time. In truth, I AM that power.” – Excerpted from Today’s Daily Word, March 8, 2010
I AM bursting with energy and enthusiasm. I appreciate the confirmation that it is due to me being in touch with my true spirit.
Since the beginning of this year, I have felt re-activated and re-energized. My personal and spiritual growth has taken off steeply (and rather quickly) and I’ve been feeling more and more empowered. And, that feeling springs from more deeply understanding that God is always with me and we are co-creating at all times.
Of myself I am nothing; with Spirit I have true power. I have been, and continue to be, touched by Grace. Thank You, thank You, thank You!
