my soul ponders

Charles Holt Sings "I Am"—Seattle Unity Church—11-20-2011

2013-02-05T20:03:00.001-05:00

aint it a shame

2012-10-04T15:38:00.001-04:00

I entitled this aint it a shame as a way to start making excuses about why I had not written anything for a long time. Just the activity of writing that sentence reminded me of how we so quickly move into an "excuse" posture when dealing with many things in our lives. Even if we believe we have valid reasons for not doing something we will create some grand reason why it was impossible for us to accomplish what we had planned. There are a few lessons we should take from this scenario.
1. We need to reclaim our lives. Live more in the flow of our own timing and
believe when the time is right we will do what needs to be done. We are taught, and/or socialized to believe we should be doing something every minute. We no longer appreciate quiet moments, moments for prayer and meditation, moments spent just looking out the window. We speak of time lost. There is a saying in New Thought Christianity that "Nothing is lost in Spirit". If we lodge ourselves in only what we see and the ideas of our time, we start thinking we need to compete with a clock. Our time on earth is not to be a competition. We have all the time we should have. Enjoy every moment. There is something to be learned and gained from your coming here. Your coming was not a mistake. Your biggest accomplishment should be your comfortable relationship with God. There is no one to race.
2. Stop giving others such power over our lives. We give our power away by promising people things we shouldn't and then feeling badly when we were unable to keep that promise. And how often have people encouraged our guilt.
These days not only do families know how to make you feel guilty but others in our circle often do the same. Slow down and realize that you are an unique expression of God that must first respond to the spirit in you and then to others.

Now that I do not have to give an excuse for being away from writing so long, I think I'll go and meditate (lol). Take time to have fun and enjoy life. Its not about
the deadlines. And do not worry, you will finish what needs to be finished all in good time.

Peace

We can learn to use FEAR as Information only!

2012-05-28T16:39:00.000-04:00

In my community we enjoy saying fear is false evidence appearing real. That is somewhat true, but what we often miss is that fear is needed information in our pursuit of our purposes and plans. Even if we have created a multitude of reasons for not moving ahead with a particular plan, our fear can show us what we believe stands in our way. It is at the point of identifying what is standing in the way that we have learned from our fear. Our job is not just to cut fear from our lives, but to use it more successfully as a tool to create what we need to create.
This week I have been learning from several of my friends what it means to learn from our fears and what we need to have in place to overcome our anxieties. If you are reading this and believe you see yourself in one of my examples, don't worry it is probably only because so many of us have the same issues we believe everything is about us or it may be that I learned from you this week, and must thank you for being the lesson in my life this week.

My first friend, wants to have life the way she dreams it, but she is afraid none of her family will understand and they will ostracize her desire to be different and live differently than they do. We all desire to be a part of a family, group, community, church, or organization etc. Fear of separation looms large in all of us. How can she be true to herself and not lose her community?

Another of my friends is a pastor and needs more finances to do what the church believes it needs to do. What does he need to do to move from fear to enough finances? Should the church's agenda change to fit the finances they have or is there another answer to his fear of failure? No one wants to fail. We see this failure as loss of ego, where we are humiliated and shamed by our inability to fulfill our role in a competent way. What does he need?

Another friend is concerned that she can't care for her children in the way she should? Her fear is two-fold, being a terrible parent and failure as a working person. Should we fear our circumstances? Is there something to be learned in looking at where we are, are we to appreciate where we are before we can go forward into the purpose and mission God has created for each of us? Her fear is loss of autonomy, as a non-working adult needing help from social services and fearing loss of ego.

None of the above situations are simple. We so often want to fix everything for everyone. This is not my intention here. One of the hardest lessons from fear I have received is knowing who I am as a child of God. For you non-believers, you may begin your scorn of me now. There is something in knowing who you are and what power you have because you are that person. This will not mean you will always remember and not fear, but when you do fear anything, remember you have the power of God, the anointing of the Holy Spirit and nothing can separate you from the love of God. That love covers you and gives you everything you need in each situation. You need to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
Thoughts you need to compel your fear to instruct you will come and all you desire will be completed. Trust God and use fear.

Peace

Is your worship really yours?

2012-04-19T13:01:00.000-04:00

This continues our last conversation on tribalism.
We choose places and groups with which to worship, but how often have we really looked at why we have chosen this place. Do our friends attend this church? Is it the most prestigious church in the neighborhood? Is the music just so fabulous? Is the leader handsome or beautiful or pleasant to watch. I have heard persons remark on the quality of the food served after church. What is it that sends you off on an early Sunday morning to sit with these people? Is this really your way of worshiping. Are these worship practices feeding your spirit, or have you just decided what difference does it all make? IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! Whatever you do to feed your spirit changes you. It's not really about the church, it's more about , as John Wesley said, "How fares your soul? If what you choose does not really feed you, it is time to get serious about your spiritual needs. Some people go places for years and don't grow, allowing their souls to become stagnant and diseased. We do not all have the same diets and we should not all be seeking the same worship experience. What do you need? Find what feeds you and changes you - that is your authentic worship. There is the most important word for all of us - "authentic". Stop judging what others do and find what works for you. Preachers feed well those that choose your place and don't worry what is happening at some other church. Jesus said where two or three are gathered , he would be in their midst. Find what feeds you, it may be a loud place or a quiet place, it may be 1hour or 3 hours, they may teach scripture verse by verse or issue by issue. One thing is clear, there should be great love there, and you should feel valued and respected plus fed well. Your spiritual life is important, treat it like it is.

Peace

What's Your Tribe?

2012-04-09T12:04:00.000-04:00

In the April 9th, 2012 issue of Newsweek magazine, there is an article by E.O. Wilson, on Tribalism. This article outlines humans need to affiliate with like persons and see all non-members as "other". Without knowing much history we can see there is a logic to what Dr. Wilson says about our need to relate in specific ways. I don't want to bore you with the biological and social implications of this article. Most of you who read this blog are looking at spiritual concerns. Don't stop reading. This is a serious concern for all of us. The article says we have evidenced throughout history a need to align ourselves with like persons and label all those outside of our group as "other". We, then give ourselves permission to take from the "other" (without asking) or persecute the other for not agreeing with us, or destroy the "other" or judge the other less than ourselves. We often speak of how awful it is when someone is shot or hurt by one gang encroaching on another gang's territory. We don't seem to see the same behavior in ourselves, when we speak of persons with a different belief system than our own or cultural expression than ours. We are always on the lookout for the "other" in our experience. I can hear some of you saying as you read this I am never guilty of this. Each time we determine that someone else's religion is not as good as ours we act just like the gang members. We now have churches that represent gangs in our lives. We consider one better than another. One preacher better than another. Christians better than Muslims, Jews better than B'hai, Mormons better than Jehovah Witness or Methodist better than all of those listed. For those who claim to follow Jesus, pay attention to who you are making the "other". The story Jesus tells of the Good Samaritan in

John 10:29-37, answering the question of "who is my neighbor?" should give all Christians pause to think differently about our response to "others" in our lives.

The example of what is happening in our political life should scare all of us back into a saner way of living out our beliefs. For one group to want to interpret for all of us what it means to be Christian and to interpret the Bible for us, should awaken in us a move to teach, worship and live out our beliefs in a less tribal way. If Dr. Wilson is right and somehow it is inscribed on our DNA, we must live more consciously aware of even our conversations about "others" in our lives.

We are not simply our basest instincts, but have been gifted with a spark of divinity which when accessed can lead us into more fruitful living. What's your tribe? Is it your church, your religion or are you living consciously aware of the worth and value of others. As a Christian I am compelled to choose the consciously aware life.

Going Home (A Story)

2012-02-21T10:40:00.000-05:00

There was an old lady who felt her life on earth should end. She believed that she was ready to go. She reminisced about all her work on earth. She said , "I know I will be able to go home. I have been in the kitchen of that church every weekend. I taught Sunday School for 50 years. I led the missionaries even longer than that. There was not a program that happened that I did not attend. I always raised the most money every Women's Day. I am sure they will be happy to see me come home." She called for angels to come and take her home to God.

When her call reached heaven, God sent Gabriel to respond to her request. Gabriel came to her early one morning and gently woke her. She was startled that she was awakened. She asked him why he awakened her; didn't this trip usually take place during sleep? Gabriel responded, "I can't take you." "Why?" she was now a little worried. Gabriel responded, "The Father wants to get to know you a little better. You seldom prayed, and there was no obvious joy in your life. We don't have many records of you saying thank you. Yes, you slaved in your church kitchen, but life is built on relationships and the first relationship you should have built with God. Because you neglected that relationship the rest of the relationships you could have had and did have suffered. Even you being a missionary did not stem from the love of God in your heart being expressed and sent out over the world. Love without love of God is merely a shadow of what could be. For God is love. But because God loves you, you are being given some more time to find love, peace and joy. I am sure when it is really your time you won't have to call; your love will draw you to God."

TRUST SPIRIT

2012-01-16T23:37:00.000-05:00

I have been reading conversations from churches in prominent denominations. I have witnessed the frustration and disappointment of those who lead and those who follow leaders of churches in major denominations. The consensus is that we are living in strange times. There seems to be a different experience of "church", one that is unfamiliar to most "baby boomers". Many are asking why are there so many problems with our leaders and diminishing numbers in the pews? This is often answered by saying that this is a sign of the times.

In some ways this is true. Often when change comes, we don't understand or see the changing process clearly. It is usually the work of some historian who looks back and identifies when and how the change occurred. This I believe is an evolutionary shift. Spirit is working. Then what is our job during this period? It is our responsibility to trust Spirit. We quickly forget that those of us who claim God as our Source cannot at the same time believe that everything is being destroyed. We who are empowered by the Holy Spirit should see what others cannot. Is God creating or destroying? Do you trust that whatever God is doing will produce good for God's people. If we knew or understood all that happens around us, we would be as God. But our greatest responsibility is living the best that we can everyday. If we are members of a congregation that is struggling, what have we offered that can be a balm for the healing of that group. How have we ushered in the healing that needs to occur. How do we bring peace into the situation. It is not our job to judge, punish, or kill those who have harmed the church, it is our responsibility to make it better , and if you don't believe you can, go where you believe you can make a difference. Each day we are called to be the best that God intends for our lives. Be the BEST!. Stop complaining, stop procrastinating, know that you are a powerful ONE. Do what God has given you to do. Trust Spirit...All things work together for good...

Peace

Do you have an unopened gift?

2011-12-30T20:26:00.001-05:00

You are now cleaning up all signs of Christmas. The tree is coming down. The lights on the front of the house have been removed. You're gathering all the gifts and boxes that were left under the tree all week. You notice there is one unopened box, way in the back of the tree. You pay attention to this package, which seems to be the most beautiful package you have ever seen. The paper is colorful. Red and yellow stripes. The ribbon that makes the bow is white and glowing. There is almost an aura around the package. You wonder to yourself, "how could I have missed this beautiful gift? Maybe I should open this gift in the privacy of my bedroom?" You quickly move to your room, you tear off the paper, you see the card...it reads, "with all my love, God". You push back the tissue paper. In the box is a strange , unusual machine, with the words " creative power". In small letters at the bottom, read the words "First given on ___________".
The date embossed on the line in gold are the dates of your birth. (God gave you this gift when you were born and every year since then you have ignored the gift. Having been made in the image and likeness of God you have spiritual power to create the life you desire, all as a gift from God. (Matthew 7:11).
As the clock ticks off the moments of this year, 2011, be grateful and move into the next year with great intention and all the power God has given for you to create a life that honors God's gifts and blesses you and your world. It is time for you to believe that you are empowered by the Spirit of God to create.

Peace!

Multiplying Joy and Gratitude

2011-11-20T23:21:00.001-05:00

Life is so much simpler than we want it to be. I have written in the past about our love of drama. We get energized thinking about our problems. When we live from moment to moment, in gratitude and joy we find more and more joy and plenty of things for which we can be grateful. I challenge each of you this week of Thanksgiving, to see and feel only joy and gratitude. If some other attitude tries to get your attention, speak to it, with your most declarative voice (out loud) and let it know it is not welcome in your space. You have the power over your life. You will not give that power to anyone else. If your partner makes you angry, it is still your choice how to react. You don't have to react to every sound your children make or the complaining of a customer or client. This is Your life. This is a play written by you and the only important questions have to do with what you are going to do with this life and how joyful and gratitude filled you are going to make it.

Some of you have already started complaining about the dinner and how tired you are going to be, and all the relatives you really don't want to see. You have two choices, be grateful you have relatives that want to see you, or tell them you are going away this year. Either way you make the choice for you. And if your choice is to stay and eat with Uncle Trevor and Aunt Beulah, then whisper a prayer for all of you and expect the best Thanksgiving ever.

I wish everyone a great day on Thursday, but my prayer for you is that everyday be a day of Thanksgiving.

Peace!

my soul ponders: Church a reflection of culture or culture a reflection of Church?

2011-11-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

my soul ponders: Church a reflection of culture or culture a reflection of Church?

Church a reflection of culture or culture a reflection of Church?

2011-11-14T14:28:00.001-05:00

I wrote the title as a question for which I have no answer. I have concern. The community of believers who describe themselves as sisters and brothers in Christ, acting like persons who have either misunderstood the teachings of the Christ or at least baffled by his life, confuse the world. Is it really because we succumb to the needs of the institution rather than staying true to the movement Jesus began? Some believe the church has to win. Some believe the church wins when it is strong and unchanging. The present church does not respond to the needs of people. It continues to teach and "be" the same institution of the 3rd and 4th century, the 12th and 13th century. Oppression, wars, suppression of thought are all a part of its history. This is all forgivable when speaking of it as a past act but what have we learned? How should we have evolved? We teach that spiritual life is a continuing growth experience. If that is so, why aren't we seeing that with the church? Does the church get a pass, because it is an institution? Why can we preach that people should be different, and not expect the church to grow and change? Is there something in the organization, culture, or belief systems that keep it from growing or changing?
I have no answers for any of these questions, but I do believe we are responsible for seeing that these questions are asked. As we seek to improve the institution let us consider how much better it might work if we work harder at being our best selves. Imagine and work for the new YOU and the new "body" of Christ.

Happiness is a Choice

2011-08-10T16:44:00.003-04:00

A dear friend of mine wrote a very significant saying on her facebook page. She reminded us that happiness is a choice. I think that statement should be printed on billboards and internet blogs all over the world. There is a lot of frustration in the world. Wars, conflicts, riots, and economic loss seem to abound. People are concerned that only pain and suffering are available for them. A sense of loss is growing everywhere. We must remind the world that our joy is not created by something outside ourselves. Our joy does not come from what we have or what is created outside of us. Our joy is created through what we know God does and "is". When we look at the distractions that life offers, we tend to believe what we see. If we are connected to our Source (God) we know that much of what we see is "not" the real deal. How we feel and how we respond to life is a choice we make everyday. Because our thoughts are many and come through so fast, we believe that we don't participate in how we feel. This is not true. With each choice/thought we make a decision. This is great/This was awful. They meant to hurt me/no matter why it happened I don't give that kind of power to anyone. Each moment is a choice - Choose Joy. Choose happiness. The more you expect joy, the more joy you will receive. The more joy you share, the more comes back to you. One of the great things about joy and happiness is what it does for your health. Did you know that laughter lowers blood pressure. Smiling releases stress and anxiety. Raucous, belly-shaking laughter releases toxins.

Joy is one of the best ways to stay healthy.

The next time you realize that life is about choices - choose joy. What do you get from feeling bad, sad and down on life? Please remember that happiness is always a conscious choice not an automatic response.

Peace

The promises of God are true - you just have to choose.

The Moment of Peace.com

2011-06-06T10:45:00.004-04:00

Imagine one million people stopping on June 18, 2011 at 8:00pm for an hour of mindful silence for peace. Just the thought of that much energy amassing from all over the planet and directing itself to "Peace", is amazing.

This is an important reminder, in traditional language it is about touching and agreeing and what happens when we do, in New Thought it is the amassing of energy for change, no matter how you read this it is a good thing.

Please join us on Saturday, June 18, 2011 for one hour of mindful meditation for PEACE.

Peace!

Go to:http://www.themomentofpeace.com for more information

You can change your feelings

2011-05-19T14:55:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, we get to this time of day and realize that it was an okay day, but there was no exhilaration or strong passion in this day and we could use a jolt of joy.This is the time of day some people reach for energy drinks or an extra strong coffee. May I suggest another way to change your energy level. This change will come from the inside and work better than anything you can find on the outside.

Take five minutes in a quiet place. (the bathroom? ). Quiet your mind, open the door to your gratitude list. Count your blessings. Be amazed by how blessed you are, have been, and how you look forward to more of God's goodness. Sit for one moment in that joy. Stand and walk out into the great joy of how good God is. You have been saved so many times in the past, you have never felt the real consequences of anything you have done or not done. Rejoice, it is all good. Wear that gratitude like a new designer suit.

It's good! Real good!

Peace

REAL SOUL FOOD

2011-05-04T12:05:00.000-04:00

REAL SOUL FOOD

How are you NEW?

2011-04-25T23:21:00.004-04:00

It took all of my willpower not to write before Easter. As a minister and former pastor so many ideas came, to use as thoughts to write about this high Holy Day. Now that you have had the experience of the day, attended worship, visited with family, met new friends, read something really inspiring, my only question is "How are you NEW?

Ressurection is about rising from the old, shaking off the old, rising and entering into the new. How are you NEW? If you have not considered your newness you have not yet experienced Easter. The real blessing of Easter is the opportunity to consider how we can become new spiritual beings, which of course impacts our behaviors and therefore produces newness in our lives. This newness is seen in more love, more relationships that are good, more good to rejoice about, more of God's long list of good. So how are you finding and experiencing the new good in your life. During the past days I got to see some of my cracks and crevices that I am more than happy to release as my old ways. My favorite change is in my expectation. On Easter I was speaking with someone who started their sentence with the words, "something is going on with me" then they paused, in the seconds of the pause I expected they were going to say something not good was happening with them and started to respond out of that kind of concern - WRONG - WRONG
they were about to say something different was happening and it's outcome was good. I could say that I have heard many more stories from people who had bad things happening, but that would just be an excuse. I no longer will expect anything but good from others. I have already moved to expecting good for myself in my business and dealings, but now I must assign that to my interactions with others. We often get what we expect. Watch what you EXPECT, you may be getting just what you expect.

Now, again I ask, How are You NEW?

Peace

April Fools Blessings

2011-04-01T11:59:00.005-04:00

Tricks, jokes, funny pranks, good clean fun, hearty laughs, laughter that makes you cry, are all things that keep us laughing and feeling good. It is so important to be able to laugh. Doctors say a good laugh not only releases tensions, but causes our organs to become healthier from the increased oxygen from the laugh to our cells.

We need to laugh more. Why is it that some religious people are always so serious? Is it a part of that Drama we like so much? Somehow we have created an idea in this culture that serious things are more important than anything that looks like frivolity. Notice the word frivolity related to the word frivolous. It is not frivolous to laugh. Some of our Puritan history serves no good purpose. In this life as we contemplate God's good, remember to smile, laugh out loud, feel the good that comes from laughing. It is only when you feel good that you can practice and participate in God's good to you and others.

Be Blessed on this day of fun!

Peace

LIVING IN GRATITUDE

2011-03-11T13:53:00.003-05:00

I do a lot of reading. I like books and I now love my kindle. But with all the reading that I do I just realized that I often put things I read to the test. It is often not enough that the writer has sound reasoning or describes things really well. No matter what they have seen I want to prove for myself. I am not suggesting that this is the behavior one should have. But I share this because I have just had some new experiences that I have read about for years, but have recently seen come to fruition.

Often on shows like Oprah, in books by Wayne Dyer, we hear about living in gratitude and the joy it can bring and the changes that occur when you are really grateful. For the past several months I have been intentionally focused on how grateful I am, not just for things (even though I include things) but for people, situations, health, relationships, everyday happenings, etc. The results of my focused gratitude is an enlarged experience of all things for which I am grateful. Improved relationships, better health, less tension, new ideas to help create more of what I want. All these things because of less criticizing, less attitude about what was happening, and my determination not to bring complaints into any situation I was experiencing.

I write this encouraging you to try this path for yourself. Take one 24 hour period and watch how often you are critical or complain about something. LESS COMPLAINING = LESS REASON TO COMPLAIN. Now isn't that amazing! When we move to a position of purposeful gratefulness, life changes. The more we live in gratitude the more we experience things differently. Try it!

Peace!

Love is more than a good feeling!

2011-02-08T23:32:00.004-05:00

I was in a store recently and a young man was looking for the perfect card to go with the gift he had for his girlfriend. I asked him why was he giving her something. He responded that he knew if he did not she would leave him for someone who would give her even better gifts. And besides its Valentines Day. These kind of conversations are often what we think of when we think of Love. Love is more than our good feelings about someone. It is more than finding someone who makes our heart beat faster. It is more than someone who fits the physical description we have dreamed about since our teens. Love is a desire to see the very best for someone and of someone. Love is trust, respect, behavior that always considers the other person and more. We have watched so many movies that have convinced us that love is a funny feeling in our hearts, (is that like heartburn?) How often have you heard of abusers saying right after the abuse, how much they love the person. Television and movies have distorted our understanding of real love.

If you want to find real love, give real love. Examine your definition of love. Examine your desire. Look to see what your love behaviors are. Realize that in any relationship the only person you can change is you. There is love available for each of us. Grow in your love and more will come to you.

The young man decided to search for a card that more aptly gave words to his true feelings.

Peace

SIMPLE

2011-01-14T19:47:00.004-05:00

We have been taught that things, especially involving people are complex. That's why negotiators became popular in the late 90's. There are now licensed mediators and attorneys who do nothing but mediate controversy daily. A part of the reason for this growth is the expectation that because we now live in a selfish time, that no one wishes to care about others' wishes. The other is that you have the right to be just as selfish and self-serving as the other person, and get whatever you desire the outcome to be.

This thinking is not sound, we are socialized to believe there are no more kind, sensitive, sharing persons in the world. That is not true. Everyone is not out to get you. Your belief that there are

people like that will guarantee that you will meet most of them.

Believe me, living through your spiritual sense instead of what the world tells us, provides for a more simple and gracious living. Believe what your spirit says, not the radio commentators, or political pundits. God is good. Life is good.. Look and expect good. Hear Spirit! It's just that simple.

Why create drama?

2010-12-01T12:51:00.002-05:00

I was wondering today, if we got attached to drama in our lives when there was little or no entertainment, and somehow it became a part of our DNA. Thereby rendering each successive generation a gene that they could not through any means have erased. (smile) I know that didn't happen, but the way I see persons trying to thrive on drama amazes me. Even persons who identify it and rail often against it, will produce some form of it when things get too quiet. Is it because we believe that life should not be that good. Maybe we think we just don't deserve all the peace we talk about. Whatever the reason, we jump into the fray at the least provocation.

It's time to give it up. Real joy comes from an ability to delight in all that's good. When we create drama, we can't create its' opposite at the same time. Spiritual work is a daily discipline. It does not include time to major in petty stories about people we hardly know and really aren't concerned about. Create your life without someone else's drama! If you find out why we really do this, drop me a comment, I would surely like to know.

Peace and Joy!

Inspired by the great Ruby Dee on BET

2010-11-08T13:21:00.002-05:00

Last night I watched BET's "Black Girls Rock". Every black girl watching should have felt special at the end of the show. There was such diversity of women and their accomplishments, and even teenagers who were entrepreneurs. They did a good job helping girls know what is possible. There were not only actors and entertainers, but there was the first black woman Major General in the Air Force.

My favorite was someone I have grown up with and watched and known all of my life...Ruby Dee. I almost can't write her name without writing Ossie Davis, as they were hardly ever apart in life. This couple lived and taught what possibilities could be made. They marched in Selma, they were the emcee'sfor the March on Washington (which I attended)they spoke on behalf of black folk everywhere. Last night, though Ossie has now transitioned, Ruby was there, proud, articulate, her mind alert, still showing what you can do if you choose wisely and include giving as a part of the plan. They lived for human rights and social justice, they gave their time and talent to many programs and institutions in the black community and other communities as well.

They created their lives with pride, dignity, and patience. If you are still breathing, no matter what age, you can do the same. We all have the opportunity to live and give and help as they did. Use your gift of creation! Make a difference today!

Peace

Another thought about making choices

2010-10-19T12:03:00.004-04:00

I appreciate the response to the blog about making choices. I gave it some more thought and decided our first impulse is to do what we think will accomplish what we want in the shortest time. If only we had waited a moment and searched ourselves for our real desire. At the moment I thought I wanted ice cream, did I really want ice cream or did I want to be in a really loving relationship that would fulfill my desire to be held and appreciated. Was the ice cream a quick fix to a deeper problem? I think our desires get stirred in with our need to be gratiated at that very moment in time. No one to hold me now, the ice cream will suffice.

Have you waited and searched your desires when you make a decision to do or get something?
When was the last time you took a moment to really pay attention to your desire?

Peace

Why do we continue to make the same choices?

2010-10-14T16:33:00.005-04:00

This is really an issue I ponder. I don't have a lot to say about this. I am really pondering this issue. I would love for you to talk to me about this.

We know what things we should not choose. We will choose the same thing, the same characteristic, the same behavior or whatever we know is not good for us. Why?

Whether it is a food or a partner or a behavior, we will go right back to it knowing we should make another choice. Is it that we don't believe we should have more? Is it that we believe that we can't have better? Is it that we don't want to move to some other place in consciousness? Excluding the idea that there is a devil, what are we doing?

Maybe there is such a thing as spiritual disciplines. Underlining the word discipline, that requires us to keep our minds on higher things, with some regularity. We can even testify to seeing, and feeling more clear about everything, when we work on our minds and spirit regularly. But even knowing this is the outcome , we will run and dig ourselves into the worse holes just so we can do what we first think is what we want, rather than what we need or would want the outcome to be. How do we reach for the best the first time? How do we expect only the best and even more than that how do we desire only the best?

Please leave a comment!

Peace and Blessings!

Parents Read for the sake of your child!

2010-09-14T14:07:00.005-04:00

I heard a great conversation a few days ago. Several viewpoints from persons representing different places in their lives. One was a parent who has always actively participated in providing an education that played to the strengths of her children. Another participant, another parent, frustrated with the response of the public school system's inability to serve her child. There were two children who had both been homeschooled. One is now considered a child prodigy, having skipped middle school and high school, and presently a college student;
the other presently in high school enjoying learning at his own rate.

The parent of the college student made a statement about how labeling children was causing a problem. The other parent quickly agreed. But quietly the child prodigy spoke the real truth. He said, why should I care if am labeled ADHD if I can perform certain functions twice as fast as anyone else. Our focus should be on what happens after the label is given. The label tells us something we need to know about how our children learn. We seem to walk away angry believing that the label is wrong. With increased information about the brain and instruments that can look at how the brain works; the label simply tells a "real educator" the process that best works for that brain. When do we question those who have the responsibility of educating our children? The problems in public education have to do with the absence of teachers who know that all children do not learn the same way,systems that have unacceptable expectations of teachers (too many students in one room) and no idea how societal structures and changes in patterns of learning and living have changed teaching (pedagogy).

Those of you who are in New Thought know that we believe we create our lives. Value or non-value stem from what we say is or is not valuable. It seems that when we come to questions of education we leave behind our spiritual understanding. If our source is God and we co-create with God, why do we believe what others express about labels. Understand that you assign meaning as a co-creator. You accept only the information and then you create what is possible and what can be . ADHD is not bad, it is information about learning styles.
Some of the most genius persons are ADHD. Why do you believe that this label may be bad? Every child brings something special into this world. It is often lost because we want to measure every person in the same way, expecting every person to produce and add value to the world in the same way. We are all valuable, we all have great possibilities. Those who have had more experiences in certain areas may outpace those who have not. The child prodigy was taught math at the age of 2. Most students did not encounter addition until 1st grade. There are many
things that influence our learning and learning styles. If you are really serious look for what works with your child, not what works with your neighbor's child. In New Thought we learn that we are responsible for our lives. We are not victims. No one is doing something to us. We make the difference. The homeschooled high school student asked why do people blame others for what happens to them. He noted that even though he may not always do his best he understands clearly that in the final analysis he is responsible for his life. Listen, our children know more than you think. Less talk and more listening may help you glean what they need.

Love and Peace