Gratitude

The full text as prepared for the Sunday, January 13, 2013 message:

          An attitude of gratitude brings altitude.

Jane and I knew a man named George Emery.  George spoke about spiritual things and this was something he frequently said, “An attitude of gratitude brings altitude.”

          What does that mean?  Altitude is a point above the ground or sea level.  When we are “at altitude” we are able to see a broader picture… we gain a wider perspective of what’s in our field of vision.

The higher our altitude, the more our vision can encompass.

          Gratitude gives us the “altitude” needed to open our hearts and see a broader picture of circumstances, of events, of ourselves, and the people we encounter.

           The more we extend gratitude, the greater our hearts are open. The greater our hearts are open the more Love naturally flows from us.  The more Love that naturally flows from us the more we experience love.  What we give is returned to us a thousand fold or even a hundred thousand fold.

The more love we give in our lives, the more love we know in our lives and love is the emotion we feel when we are joined with God.

Gratitude is one of a number of doors that opens onto the lawns of Heaven and it’s fields of Love.

Just like a fireplace needs fuel to burn (wood, coal, peat, gas, etc) in order to generate heat. Gratitude is one of the kinds of fuel that our heart burns in order to generate love.

This from Psalm 107 (1&9). “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is Good; for his steadfast Love endures forever… For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.”

O give thanks… extend your gratitude and God fills you up… That seems like a pretty good deal!

Let’s look at words Paul wrote to the Romans (1:21) “for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Now let’s restate that from the positive, “for they knew God, they did honor Him as God and give thanks to Him, thus they became useful in their thinking, and their wise hearts were luminous.”

Gratitude is the fuel of an illumined heart.

In the meditation today I said that you have come further on the spiritual path… grown in awareness of the Presence of God to a greater degree than you realize.  And I also said that A bit of wavering remains… that there are, yet, some small objections and a little hesitance.  All of that come from being uncertain about ourselves; from being uncertain about our value as a Child of God.

·        Hold up crisp $100 Dollar bill

·        “If I were giving this away – which I am not – but if I were, if it was yours simply for the asking, who would want it?”

·        “OK, hands down, please.”

·        (Crumple bill) “Now who wants it?”

·        “OK, hands down, please.”

·        (Drop on the ground and grind into the floor w/my shoe) “Now who wants it?”

·        Ask, “Why do you still want it if it’s been crumpled and ground into the dirt?” (Wait for answers)

·        “We have learned a very valuable lesson here today. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth 100 dollars. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We may feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who do love you (including God).

·        The worth of your life comes not in what you do or who you know, but who you are… and you are the dearly beloved child of God – always remember that.

Gratitude is the fuel of that remembrance.  We’ll conclude with this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj2ofrX7jAk 
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Straight Line Connection

  The full text as prepared for the Sunday, December 2, 2012 message:
  The seasons, as they come and go, give us pause to think about the mystery of transformation.

As we move from summer to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring, we see that life is continues to unfold.  In other parts of nature we see this transformation as well.

          Think about the little frog and where it had its beginnings.  It begins as a little egg.  In the fullness of time, that little egg will burst forth and a tadpole will appear.

          Have you ever gone to a pond and watched the little tadpoles.  When I was young I couldn’t fathom that a tadpole that looked like a little fish would grow legs and walk, so to speak.  

          The same mystery of transformation unfolds in the butterfly.  A little butterfly begins as an egg.  Then, out of the egg comes a little wiggly thing that is furry and has lots of legs – we call it a caterpillar.  Then, when it feels an inner push, it will make a chrysalis around itself.  Out of that chrysalis will emerge a winged creature that flies.

          One thing swims and then walks. Another walks and then flies.  Those are astounding transformations!

          What about us?  What about our transformation? Can we transform our relationship with ourselves from human to divine/

  We may call ourselves “just a human being.”  Then the day comes when we want the experience of our life to be different from what it has been. 

We think to ourselves in some form or another, “There must be a better way,” and so begins our search for transformation.

For there to be any real change we eventually come to the understanding – whether we are aware of this particular piece of scripture, or not, that we must change the way we think about the world.

The scripture I am referring to is Romans 12:2, “Do not be transformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is the good and acceptable and perfect.”

Whether we are consciously aware that we must change the way we see the world, or all we know is that there must be a better way and we begin to change our current ways, we kind of go though several layers of thought:

(1) We say, “I’m not just a human being.  I’m a being with the Creators potential.”  We begin to see the child of God seed unfolding.

(2) Then the day comes when we think of ourselves as more than just a weak person with potential – we think of ourselves as a child of God, just as Jesus said we were.

Getting to the point where we are able to integrate the human and the divine our hardest task will be to dissolve the critical, crippling, self-negativity that may be trapping us; keeping us bound to the idea that we were only human.

Don Colbert, M.D. author of Deadly Emotions: Understand the Mind-Body-Spirit Connection That Can Heal or Destroy You, writes "I've worked with countless people who have discovered that once they made a sincere effort to tackle their dysfunctional thought patterns, they had fewer bouts of depression, anxiety, anger, grief, shame, jealousy, and all other toxic emotions. It isn't difficult to replace lies with God's truth. It just takes intentional and consistent effort.” And a few sentences later he references a way out, “Jesus promised, "If you abide in my Word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32)."”

What are some of the lies we tell ourselves?

1.     I’m a loser

2.     Someone else ought to take care of me

3.     I need to protect myself

4.     I know I’m right

5.     I’ll never get what I want

6.     I’ll start tomorrow

7.     I will be happy when/if…

8.     It’s all their fault

9.     I’ll try

10.                        Making a mistake will ruin my life

When we see the world “backwards” we think that what our five physical senses pick up influences our thoughts.  Eventually you’ll come to see that is backwards… because by changing your thoughts patterns you change your experience of what’s “out there.” 

These five physical senses are like gates through which thought flows. You might say that there are five “gates” of thought.  They would be the five senses with the eyes and ears being the most dominant gates.

What flows out through the gates from the mind is exactly what flows back in through the gate to our awareness.  We have to guard these gates carefully 24/7/365 (or in the case of 2012, 366), and it is vital to remember that what is coming in through those gates is a product of our thinking… is a mirror of what flowed out from the mind.  That’s mind is the birthplace of all experience.

John 8:31-32 counsels us, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

But what if you’re stuck in one or more of those ten ways we lie to ourselves (or any way other than those 10)… and you think that God; that applying the truth, could never straighten out my life?  If you think you can’t change, watch this.

I would like three volunteers to help me demonstrate a point.

Here I have several strands of wire.  The wire can be bent into just about any shape.  Imagine if you will that this piece of wire is your conscious awareness of God.  You are at one end and God is at the other.  Your connection together is straight and uncomplicated; clear; no kinks, no nasty twists or turns.  Your connection is straight and direct.

In this metaphor, you are responsible for keeping the lines of connection straight, clear and open.  God is constantly communicating to you and it’s up to you to keep the path unimpeded… which you can do if you don’t place any barriers in the way… any kinks, twists turns, etc. (guilt, fear, shame, projection, unwillingness to listen, etc.)

I’m going to ask my assistants to twist and shape the wire to symbolize what they think a life outside of the awareness of the power and presence of God might look like.

Let’s remember John, “…know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

(At this point in the service I asked the volunteers to put their twisted wires into a pan of heated water and the wires immediately straightened out.  I used a wire called Nitnol which is an alloy comprised of nickel and titanium. One of its properties is that it returns to its original shape once its heated – in this case by being placed in a Pyrex dish of heated water placed on an overhead projector so everyone could first see the twisted wires and then see them “magically” become straight.)

When we bathe ourselves in truth, when we bathe ourselves in thinking with God, when we bathe ourselves in extending love through those gates of which we are in charge, when we bathe ourselves thinking that which we know (trust) to be, as Paul put it, the, “good acceptable and perfect,” the awareness of our connection with God in our life will have as Dr. Colbert wrote, “fewer bouts of depression, anxiety, anger, grief, shame, jealousy, and all other toxic emotions. It isn't difficult to replace lies with God's truth. It just takes intentional and consistent effort” and passion.
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"But-Head"

The full text as prepared for the Sunday, November 18, 2012 message:

Please don’t take this the wrong way.  I have to ask, “How big is your “but?””

The “but” I’m talking about is your, “Yeah, I know, but…” followed by a reason why some good idea (aka application of spiritual principle) won’t work for them.  “But… thinking” is what keeps us stuck in our experience.

I hear, “yeah, but…” a lot as the reason why people aren’t willing to choose a different path of thinking that will lead them away from the experiences that come with their entrenched habits.

“But thinking” is a choice that keeps us stuck.  Is being a “but-head” working for you? :o)

Sometimes I hear from people that it’s too late for me to change… too late to attain any spiritual growth.

If you think it’s too late to attain any real spiritual growth, listen up, this talk today is for you.

Here is a quote attributed to Tolly Burkan, who popularized fire-walking in the 1970’s: “A stone may have been lying at the bottom of a riverbed for 10 million years, but if you pluck it out and set it in the sun, in five minutes it will is dry.”

“If you take a dry stone from the bank and swish it in the water for a few seconds and sit it down to dry again; in a few moments you will not be able to tell the difference between the two stones.  The one that was wet for millions of years is just as dry now as the stone that was only wet for seconds.”

The point?  Your future does not reflect your past because no matter how long you have been telling your story and living in the bondage of your status-quo, once you set an intention to make a shift into a new level of living… the quality of your life can change forever.

A life that has been newly found has exactly the same dynamic energy as someone who has been living that life for decades. You don’t have to catch up to someone that has been living that life longer than you because the moment you start expressing your new-found life, you bring new life to everyone and everything you encounter.

In what are familiar biblical terms, I am talking about letting your light shine!  When the light is on, the light is on!

We are here to find freedom.  Freedom is having a sense of complete well-being regardless of our circumstances or conditions and we find freedom by choosing to live by proven spiritual principles, (aka a God-centered life, Christ consciousness) in any given moment. 

Spiritual freedom is a choice.

(Read“The Gift,” pg. 122 of “a 2nd helping of chicken soup for the soul” by John Catenacci)

[The Gift can be read here: http://books.google.com/books?ei=h1-qUL25LIHlyAH56YHIAQ&sqi=2&id=LrljpJRjq10C&dq=the+gift+by+john+Catenacci&ots=oVmzroiEgK&q=the+gift#v=snippet&q=the%20gift&f=false ]

It was accepted that Grandpa wouldn’t come, that the past would become the very real present.  But… Love broke through. 

John says in the story that the family was intimidated by Grandpa’s icy stare.  What habits/fears are you intimidated by and afraid to face?  What’s your “but-thinking?”

We want to push away our feelings – I hear this all the time – “I don’t want this, I’m tired of this, I want to get rid of this feeling.”  Then I might suggest a spiritual approach and that’s when it comes out, “Yeah, I know, but…” Have you ever heard yourself say this?

I once heard a man say, “The healing is in the feeling.”

I believe we have to feel our feelings in order to heal them.

What we resist persists… looms larger.

Feel your feelings and act from spirit no matter how loudly your feelings invite you not to.

Freedom is a choice.  Make a commitment to choose spirit over fear.

A woman tells a story about the day her son came into her office to tell her he was going to make a parachute jump the next day, what he was going to do and how he was going to do it the next day when he made that jump.  She said she could also hear the fear in his voice.  “Yet,” she said, “it was about feeling the fear and doing it anyway.”

In Genesis it says that we are made in the image and after the likeness of God.

In 1John it says God is Love.

If these two statements are accurate, and I believe they are, than we are Love… Divine Love and we know that Divine Love heals and harmonizes… no buts about it.

The next time the pressure is on and you want a change, don’t fall back into old patterns of pushing away the pressure…don’t be a “but-head…” feel the pressure and choose to express Spirit. :o)

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Spiritual People

The full text as prepared for the Sunday, November 11, 2012 message:

 Here’s a question I’d like you to ask you.  You can answer silently. “Who are you?”

Here’s another question which you can also answer silently, “What’s your profession?”

Whether you were stumped by these two questions or had a ready answer, I have answers for you.  “Who are you?” You are a spiritual person.  “What is your profession?”  Regardless of how you answered, may I be so bold as to give you the answer?  Your profession, regardless of what position or title you hold… your number one profession is… spiritual person.

So what is a spiritual person?  What does it mean?

There are three common characteristics of a spiritual person.  The first one is:  Every spiritual person is a risk taker.

Are you a risk taker?  Do you step out and follow God, even when it's not in the normal flow of the people around you?

Do you dare to dream your dreams, no matter what?  The truth is, there are no statues or monuments built to those people who said, "Oh well, this looks good enough."  The statues and monuments are built to those who dared to take the risk, who dared to step out and say, "This is a better way.  This is a higher vision.  This is the path I will follow."  In this life, stretch forth and dare to live your dreams.  Dust them off, for God has placed those dreams in your hearts for a reason.

The second quality of a spiritual people is they are visionaries.  They live for what is forthcoming.  They see the good, the perfect pattern of God, and they are willing to do whatever needs to be done now to let that pattern emerge.  It's almost as if they stepped back in time with the full knowledge of the future, and are willing to share that knowledge with us so that today can be a better, more joyous place.  Visionaries do not look at tradition or how it has been or how it's supposed to be.  Instead they look to the future and what is forthcoming, and pull us right along with them – like a magnet.

The third quality of a spiritual people is that they are outrageous.  Have you ever thought about that?  Spiritual people might not fit the norm.  Most of us here today are not normal.  We have found our spirituality because we were looking for something
that didn't fit the normal flow, something that we could use every day of our lives to live in an unusual, fulfilling, incredible space where we are aware of God's presence every moment in our lives. When we become willing to be outrageous enough to see God's
design for our lives, we become willing to do what it will take to fulfill that design.

Now, Jesus was like this.  I'll prove it to you.  He was a risk taker.  He dared to challenge the scribes and the Pharisees and say to them, "Woe unto you for teaching the letter of the law that killeth and not the spirit of the law that giveth life."  And He also sought to communicate with them by saying, "I did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill the law," to bring
in that higher law of love.

He was also a visionary.  He looked around at a time when people had very little, when they were struggling to find their daily bread, and said to them, "The kingdom of heaven is within you, and it is God's good pleasure to give you the fullness of that kingdom."

And truly, ask anyone around Him, He was outrageous.  He did healings on the Sabbath.  He ate with publicans and sinners.  He forgave an adulteress and, even worse, tax collectors.  He touched lepers and cleansed the temple of the money changers.
He had the audacity to stand before the tomb of his friend Lazarus and say, "Come forth," knowing absolutely that his friend would arise. He was crucified, dead, and buried, and He was outrageous to rise up.  Then He goes an outrageous step further and says to us, BTW "These things that I have done, ye can do also, and even greater things."  Definitely, He was not your average person.  This day, He stands before us, in our lives saying, "Take the risk.  Open yourself to the goodness of God.  Celebrate and radiate that power of God in and through you now."

What must it be like to be know the power of God radiating through you… and to live in the happiness of knowing it?  

Here's a story that might help make a point:

During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, his troops were battling in the middle of yet another small town in that endless wintry land, when he was accidentally separated from his men. A group of Russian Cossacks spotted him and began chasing him through the twisting streets. He ran for his life and ducked into a little furrier's shop on a side alley. As he entered the shop, gasping for breath, he saw the furrier and cried piteously, "Save me, save me!

Where can I hide?" The furrier said, "Quick, under this big pile of furs in the corner," and he covered Napoleon up with many furs. No sooner had he finished than the Russian Cossacks burst in the door, shouting "Where is he? We saw him come in." Despite the furrier's protests, they tore his shop apart trying to find him. They poked into the pile of furs with their swords but didn't find him. Soon, they gave up and left.

After some time, Napoleon crept out from under the furs, unharmed, just as the emperor's personal guards came in the door. The furrier turned to Napoleon and said timidly, "Excuse me for asking this question of such a great man, but what was it like to be under those furs, knowing that the next moment would surely be your last?"

Napoleon drew himself up to his full height and said to the furrier indignantly, "How could you ask such a question of me, the Emperor Napoleon! Guards, take this impudent man out, blindfold him and execute him. I, myself, will personally give the command to fire!"

The guards grabbed the poor furrier, dragged him outside, stood him up against a wall and blindfolded him.

The furrier could see nothing, but he could hear the movements of the guards as they slowly shuffled into a line and prepared their rifles, and he could hear the soft ruffling sound of his clothing in the cold wind. He could feel the wind tugging gently at his clothes and chilling his cheeks, and the uncontrollable trembling in his legs.

Then he heard Napoleon clear his throat and call out slowly, "Ready. . . aim. . ." In that moment, knowing that even these few sensations were about to be taken from him forever, a feeling that he couldn't describe welled up in him as tears poured down his cheeks.

After a long period of silence, the furrier heard footsteps approaching him and the blindfold were stripped from his eyes. Still partially blinded by the sudden sunlight, he saw his eyes looking deeply and intently into his own - eyes that seemed to see into every dusty corner of his being. Then he said softly, "Now you know.”

Knowing about principles isn’t enough; you have to live them to know them.

If you want to know what the power of God radiating through you is like, you have to “be outrageous” and express it, live it.

If you want to know the soothing peace and contentment of forgiveness, you have to “be outrageous” and express it, live it.

If you want to know the certain joy and relief of not having to decide for yourself by following the guidance of Spirit, you have to “be outrageous,” connect, listen, and express it.

Whatever you want in life, take the risk of the visionary and in outrageous contentment live the life you want to have.

God bless you.

 
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The Kidney Stone

The full text as prepared for the Sunday, October 14, 2012 message:

           

This past Friday I asked Jim what he spoke about last week and he told me the impetus for his talk was this song lyric, “Love, lift us up where we belong.”  “Oh, that’s beautiful,” I told him.

Every talk has an impetus, and for me, today, it’s a kidney stone.

          Sunday night after the picnic, Jane had to take me to the emergency room because of a kidney stone.  If you’ve ever experienced a kidney stone you know how debilitatingly painful it can be.  Now my stone turned out to be about 1.5mm.  Do you have any idea how small that is?  1.5mm is about the thickness of a penny.

          How can such a small thing… have such a large impact?

          A small thing such as a misplaced, thoughtless, or unkind word directed at another can be the catalyst for suffering and pain.  A small thing such as a misplaced, thoughtless, or unkind thought directed at ourselves can be the cause of our suffering and pain.

          A small thing such as faith the size of a mustard seed, we are told, can move mountains.

          Let’s talk about spiritual practice.

          I suggest to you that even a small dedication to spiritual principles will have a large impact on your life.  Now I don’t want you to misunderstand that thought… that even a small dedication to spiritual principles will have an impact on your life.

          I do not mean an on again-off again dedication.  I am not talking about running to God for relief when the pain comes on and then forgetting about God, about spiritual principles, when the pressure is off.  I’m not suggesting that we only have to do a little when we’re uncomfortable.

          What I am suggesting is all we need to carry is a little willingness, a little faith, trust, care, belief… whatever… all the time… and into every little thing as well as every big thing.

          Little things do have an impact.

We are told by the living Christ Presence that faith the size of a mustard seed (or a kidney stone) moves mountains.

          Sometimes “mountains” just seem to come to us and sometimes we build them ourselves.  We build them but not addressing the “little things” (aka annoyances) in our life.

          I believe it’s important to address the little things with faith, trust, care, belief, etc.  When we avoid the little annoyances we’re just tossing them into our own bag of garbage that we continuously haul around. In fact, we haul them around until we have a self-made mountain of them… a mountain to which we are bonded.  Ick!

          How much more enjoyable would life be if we chose not to haul around garbage?  

          How do we avoid all this?... by listening to our inner guidance (Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Voice for Love, God, our Buddha Nature) however we define that.

          Have you ever felt the urge (inner direction) not to say something… or do something… which you ignored, then went ahead and did or said only to know immediately that was the wrong decision?

          Here’s a short video.  The character of Jesus is a symbol of your inner guidance, however you describe it.

          (PLAY VIDEO: OneTimeBlind, The Stool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3qh2dJxUy8)

          I know that it’s difficult to rely on someone, or something else.  We’ve been trained from the time we were young to be independent, to be a bastion of strength, to calculate and analyze, to be in control… to make things happen.  It’s no wonder that the idea of stepping back and letting God lead the way is foreign.

          Little thing do have a big impact.

          There is a light in you, in everyone; the Light of God… and the universe and all that it contains is longing to behold your release of this Light.  All the universe and all it contains is waiting to join with you in the Light of God.  As you step back, the Light in you steps forward and encompasses the world in happy union.

          Step back and let God lead the way.  “Who walks with me?” is a question you can ask yourself a thousand times a day.  God is always present.  Ask, “Who walks with me?” in your responses to the little things.

“Who walks with me today (who sits on the sat of decision, as we saw in the video).  God is always present. Ask, “Who walks with me?” until certainty has ended doubting and established peace.

          Asking, “Who walks with me?” throughout the day is a little thing that has a big impact.

          Today let doubting cease.

You walk with God in perfect holiness. 

You are the Light of the world… and that is no little thing!

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Peace is Personal

The full text as prepared for the Sunday, September 16, 2012 message:

Events this week have reached deeply into the nation psyche of the United States.

How have you/are you reacting to the unrest and violence against the U.S. this past week?  Do you/did you feel hate and anger against the murderers and attackers of U.S. Embassies abroad?  Did you feel sick to your stomach, anxious, or even scared?

A Course in Miracles asks this question, “In honesty, is it not harder for you to say, “I love” than “I hate?”

I want to share three reactions to the attacks.  Here are two to start with:

“I assume Obama, as he killed Bin Laden, is going to kill someone today… he has to.” (Dennis Miller to Bill O’Reilly, September 12, 2012)

He’s (Obama) going to have to track these people down and kill them. (paraphrase of Wolf Blitzer on CNN, September 12, 2012)

Comments from Ken Wapnick, The Obstacles to Peace. (Pgs 190-191)

“In our world, certainly, it is much easier to hate people and feel justified in this hatred, than it is to truly love someone.  This is not the love that specialness holds dear, but the love that does not see another as separate from ourselves; not seeing another person’s interest as separate, or more or less important than our own.”

Resistance, fighting back, seems to be the overwhelming reaction of the human race in every situation.

Personally, I got anxious after watching/hearing the news for several hours and I had to ask myself, “Are these the feelings I want to entertain?  No, I choose Love, because I believe in the power of love to bring peace to my heart.”

 (SLIDE) Matthew  5:37-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect [consistent], therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect [consistent].

There is value in our giving attention to that which we choose to experience. 

We have to bring these spiritual principles into our lives… pay attention to them. “But I get busy…”

(THE VALUE OF ATTENTION from New Life News, Fall/winter 2012) “An experienced forest guide was hired by some people who wanted to explore the woods.  He knew it was first necessary to destroy their false confidence in themselves.  Pointing to a hilltop beyond the woods he directed, “Fix our attention on that hill and climb it in a minimum of time.”

When the puffing hikers reached the hilltop they found their guide waiting for them.  “Do you know why you are so late?” he asked.  You were distracted by the sights along the way.  Had you kept your attention on this hilltop you would not have lost your way.””

Moral: Do not be distracted by superficial attractions, but keep your attention on the spiritual hilltop you want to reach.”

John Wooden was fond of asking: "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" (as quoted in the Denver Post, September 13, 2012)

“Where love is, there God is also. Man's nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been known to yield to the influence of love.” (Gandhi)

“What you want also wants you. If you seek the celestial, the celestial also seeks you. There are no unanswered requests in the universe.” (Vernon Howard)

I trust in the power of love to bring peace to my heart.  In doing so on an ongoing basis there is more peace in the world. 

When you work to bring peace to your heart on an ongoing basis, there is more peace in the world.

Peace is not won through religious or governmental domination.  There will never be a peaceful government in the world until we are governed by peace in our hearts and minds.  Let’s keep our “eyes” focused on the “Hilltop of Peace.” 

Peace is possible because peace is personal.

We can do this… we can do this.

Gospel of Thomas #76, "The Pearl"

(This are the notes I prepared.  My actual talk was somewhat different)

[Drink from a glass of water] Ah . . . the nectar of life. Just think of it. It is something that is readily available to us. As we drink it, it pours into our being and gives our body vitality. God is even more readily available to us and gives us life. God gives us so much to be grateful for, so much to pour into our being and to remind us of what life is and what it is all about.

Halifax, Nova Scotia – Oak Island is the location of purported treasure buried at the bottom of a shaft.  No one has ever been able to access the bottom of the shaft because it was built with “booby traps” that have prevented anyone from reaching the bottom of the pit.

Real treasure is the awareness of God and that is found within.

          Gospel Of Thomas #76: “Jesus said, "God's Divine Rule is like a merchant who had
a supply of merchandise and then found a pearl.  That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself. So also with you, seek the treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys.”

          Psychologists will say that when we wish to make changes in our life we often focus on what is missing in us, of what we lack and how we're lacking. (we’re lacking thinness; companionship; money; things; jobs; this, or that, or the other thing).

          We will never obtain something, if our main focus is the lack of it.

          It has been said that, “The sure way to do something for your future is to do something with your present.”

The experience of the possession of the “Pearl of Great Price” is inner peace.

Jesus also said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you.”

My father taught me kindness, and I have adopted that as the lens through which I interface with the world.  I seek the Kingdom of God through kindness.

I believe, if we choose one aspect of the nature of God (i.e. kindness, caring, compassion, joy, happiness, gratitude, etc.) and live that as our one special spiritual gift to give ourselves, then everything else (the rest of the Kingdom) will come along with it, and thus we know inner peace.

          Spiritual awareness means to focus your mind, your heart, and all your thoughts, consciously, on the idea of your oneness of God.

Spiritual expression means to give your life to the fulfillment of the gift (i.e. kindness, etc.) you are giving yourself.

          What is my way to the pearl of great price?  We must ask ourselves this.

          This parable of the Pearl of Great Price advises us to sell all we have in order to buy (to take possession of… to have the experience of) the Pearl of Great Price. 

First, in mind, we have to sell off (divest ourselves of) ALL our worries, our doubts, fears and our anxieties. We must release it all so we can take possession of that that is holy and perfect.

   THE TRAVELER WHO NEVER STOPPED

“A traveler through the countryside was suddenly accosted by another traveler who told him in a frightened voice, "We have wasted our time in this direction. Behind those clouds is a vast mountain which will block our way."

Surprised at the report, the traveler set out to see whether it was true or not. He saw no mountain, but he did meet another stranger who gave him the gloomy report, "It is hopeless to con­tinue your journey. Just beyond that meadow is a canyon so wide that even the animals are stopped by its edge."

Deciding to see for himself, the traveler went on his way. He saw that there was no canyon at all, but he did run into a third stranger in a military uniform, who sternly commanded, "Stop. You are forbidden to go on. This path leads straight into the camp of an army which will punish your attempts to continue."

Not frightened by the threat, the traveler walked on. There were no soldiers to block his way. So because the wise traveler decided to take no one’s word for anything, but to test everything for him­self, he was able to travel on and on and on. (Secrets For Higher Success by Vernon Howard, page 164-165)

          Determination: To find the pearl, we have to continue on our spiritual path and let not anyone or anything deter us. 

Give all your troubles, thoughts, cares, and concerns to God for God to heal.  Do this as often as they appear for you. 

In a worldly sense the Pearl of Great Price would be of enough value to cover the cost of all and every worldly need.

Spiritually speaking the Pearl of Great Price, God’s divine rule at work in our hearts and minds, covers the cost of living in the world (heals and harmonizes our relationship to the challenges in our life).  It brings us inner peace… and inner peace is our most valuable possession.

Remember that giving and receiving are the same. Give your gift to the world and pour the Life of God (take another drink of water) all over your being.

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