On Sunday I shared a talk by Rev. Sally Robbins at the WOW conference.  It was great fun.  Some of the things we can learn from Tigger are that we have tops made out of rubber, bottoms made out of springs, and we are each one of a kind. 

Remember playing with silly putty?  One of things many of us did was push the silly putty against the Sunday comics and come away with an image.  When we wanted to change it, we just massaged the putty and put it against another image.  

Our tops are made out of rubber; we can reset the imprint as many times as we want to.  This is putting our choices into the Law (Spirit) which always says yes. 

If our lives are reflecting an image we are ready to release, our rubber tops give us the opportunity to choose again. 

In our Shortcut to a Miracle class we are refining our ability to choose new ways of living in expectation.  Sally told the story of a brand new Practitioner who bought (the perfect house) and sold a house (for more than they were asking.) all in the span of four hours.  Most of us do not have that ease of realizing a new choice that quickly.   But we could have that expectation. 

Our bottoms are made out of springs.  We have the ability to transcend - jump over - obstacles, false beliefs, and limiting expectations.  Knowing this and 'oiling' our springs helps us move to a place where this is the norm in our lives.

Did you know that when the original Star Trek series was being created, they had a limited budget for special effects?  The producers let the writers know that creating the special effects of the Star ship Enterprise landing on a planet was too expensive.   So, the writers had to figure out how to get around that and the transporter was created.  For some of us that was our favorite part of the show.  "Beam me up, Scottie."  And it all came about because the writers had to use their springs to transcend an 'obstacle.'

"Tina Fey never ceases to amaze me and I am Tina Fey." ( quote by Tina Fey)

Tigger says: "Sometimes someone amazing shows up.  Here I am!"

Each of us is unique and we have our own unique gifts to give.  The world needs us!  So, keep that rubber top pliable, and those bottoms made out of springs oiled, and let the uniqueness that is you shine forth!

Blessings and Light,

Rev. Carolyn

This will be a new column we are starting from Vicky.  Let us know if you enjoy and want more of these.

Merry Christmas to ALL

First, on Sunday I got a few questions about the SynchroDestiny telebridge book study on Tuesday nights. The group is ongoing, but we have suspended meeting until the first Tuesday in January, which is January 7 at 8:00pm Eastern Time.

Also, along this same line, the Saturday Morning telebridge Discussion Group will also continue in 2014, and our next meeting is now Saturday, January 4 at 11:00 am Eastern Time.

To join either of these calls the number is the same: Dial 1 712 432 3100, then access code 809778.

Deepak Chopra calls Synchronicity "the Infinite Organizing Principle of the Universe." I mean he is talking about organization of Omnipotent Intelligence and down to subatomic detail. According to Deepak, learning the dance of synchronicity in Life opens literally limitless potential to orchestrate being a part of ongoing miraculous developments as a daily occurrence. My personal practice of this has born it out to be true, which is why I am on fire to share it with as many people as possible.

With "Principle" being a key component of Deepak's definition of synchronicity, it is no surprise that the practice of consciously working with synchronicities to cultivate miraculous demonstrations encompasses Science of Mind to a "T." In praying about this writing this morning, it came to me to research specifically what Ernest had to say about synchronicity in the SOM textbook. The word is used only one place in the text, in his sample treatment for Obstetrics. Personally, this alone was synchronistic for me, since I have a deep belief that one key to balance and harmony experienced in all things can be founded in how they come into creation. Ernest says that Creation is an infinitely synchronized process that is to be trusted.  What we first tend to notice as little coincidences are Spirit's invitation to us to dance.

So, how does storytelling figure into this? On Sunday, Rev. Carolyn led us into a delightful spontaneous opportunity to share personal Christmas stories. It was so rich to hear favorite memories, painted by those who had lived them like they were yesterday. Storytelling weaves our memories into rich texts for knowing and sharing who we are with the world. In this same way, storytelling about synchronicities weaves the pieces together and gives them energy through speaking the words with the emotions moments of perfect timing inspire. This combination of Attention with Intention is the Universal Recipe for Divine Demonstrations.

May simple joys throughout your Holidays make believing in what is Possible for You easier than ever!

Overflowing Blessings!
Vicky

I was thinking about why this time of year is so full of stories that are deeply heart-felt.  Part of it is that, it seems, the whole world is involved in creating a special time of the year full of expectations and "shoulds".   We should be happy.  We should be surrounded by family.  We should feel loved and be kind and send forth peace.  Christmas means these people should be together, eating this food, with these decorations, singing these songs, and saying these things, etc. etc. etc.   {Please don't expect me to have any thing other than an angel on the top of my tree.}

All of that is wonderful.  Or, it's not.

If everything works out as it 'should', then great; but for most of us that doesn't happen totally.  Learning to deal with the variations that happen, moves us from being in a reactive mode to things vs. being a creator of our lives.   It is the stories we tell ourselves around all of this that are important. 

On Sunday, we told stories.  Most were funny and warm and heart-inspiring.  And some (perhaps unsaid) were sad and nostalgic and brought a tear.

The spiritual truth in all of this is that we are our memories.  This is what makes us individuals.  

On a Sunday morning after all of us gather for a service, we each leave with a different memory of the past hour even though we all had the same 'experience'.   We interpret based on our past memories ( because what we have experienced is the filter through which all new experiences pass.).  The really cool thing is that we can rewrite our memories.

Oh yes we can!

a burning bowl ritual.  On January 5, we will have a meditative service and honor the different religions and expressions of Truth in the world.  One part of the service will be a world peace meditation.

I look forward to sharing this journey into the New Year with as many of you as possible in person, and with all of you in Spirit.  I anticipate with great joy creating memories with my LCSL family.

Much love and great glee! 

Rev.  Carolyn

P. S.  Thank you for supporting Tracy and I in creating a memory of playing cello and piano together to create a moment of sharing.  Playing for others is exciting, scary, terrifying and fun all at once.

I will be driving to Norcross, GA when this comes out.  I am going to a Minister'/Practitioner conference that is being held for two days before the four day general conference- The Circle of Love Gathering- begins on Tuesday . This conference or a version of it has been happening for a number of years in Georgia.   For a while, it was called the Eastern Conference.   I am hoping that it will be a wonderful substitute or alternative to the Asilomar Conference.  I'm sure I will have lots to say about it when I get back on Sunday October 20. 

While I am out on Sunday the 13th, James Stone will be doing the talk.  He gave me a couple of hints as to what he will be sharing; I think folks will really be able to relate and as always enjoy his humor.  I personally love the concept of "Spiritual narcolepsy."    It is a very visual idea for something, I think we all experience.   If you can't be with us, remember that you can listen to our Sunday talks on our website.

I want to throw in another plug for your gratitude quotes and affirmations.  In the month of November we will explore different ways to express gratitude and share the experience of keeping a gratitude journal.   

Have a great week and I will see some of you on October 20. 

Shalom = Peace, wholeness and well-being, for you and yours.
   

Much love,

Rev.  Carolyn

Our visioning meeting on Saturday was really great.  Dinah Smiley does a great job of pulling together information from a business/marketing point of view. Then we had great sharing in our visioning process.  My grateful thanks to all who attended and to those who couldn't be here personally, but supported us with positive energy and prayers.  We have a new volunteer to help us with getting our word out on the social media sites (this is the way marketing is done nowadays and an area that many of us just don't know how to use).  So we are very excited!

We love, love, love all of our volunteers.  They are how we grow and express as the vibrant community we are.

I am looking forward to our Member Sunday.  I fall into thinking that everyone knows what I know and that is simply not true.  So, on Sunday, I will share everything I know... OK, maybe not everything, but lots of stuff about our Center, what we offer and what we believe.  Hope to see us scramble to add more chairs to accommodate the crowd.  Trust me, it will be fun!

It seemed a natural thing to follow our discussions on "What We Talk About When We Talk About God" with "What does God Want."   These two books came across my desk at the same time.  In the second, Neale Donald Walsh tells us that God doesn't want anything.  Want indicates need and the Infinite, which is the All in All, has no needs.

Desires are different.  They are based on preferences, but not need and Neale lists three that he thinks the Infinite does have: 
1.  To know and experience Itself, in all Its glory.  Science of Mind and many other traditions teach " In the beginning, God...".  God contemplated, and out of this contemplation all that we see came about  for the Infinite to express Itself in a huge variety of ways.  Since there was only God substance in the beginning all we see, feel, comprehend, know, explore, etc., is God Substance.   Our existence allows the Infinite to experience the finite. 
2.  That we shall know and experience Who We Really Are, through the Power to create and experience ourselves in any way we choose.   This is what in another book God is quoting as saying, "Life - isn't it delicious?"  It certainly offers a huge variety of experiences.
3.  For the whole life process to be an experience of constant joy, continuous creation and never-ending expression and total fulfillment in each moment of now.  For this is the natural state the Infinite exists in. 

As we discussed last week, God is for us and we have been created to be choosers/creators.  Out of every moment we stand in the ability to choose.  We can be and respond as we did yesterday, or we can choose again.

For many of us this teaching is a new choice, a letting-go of past thinking and training and a stepping-into a place of blessing, creativity and joy.

Isn't...life...delicious?
 
Shalom - Peace, wholeness and well-being, for you and yours.    

Much love,

Rev.  Carolyn

On Sunday we talked about how God is for us and ahead of us.  The concept that The All-in-All is not about judging or finding fault, but is actually actively for us is one that will change our lives.

Having been raised in a faith that emphasized that I was being watched and when I did something 'bad' there would be punishment maybe even banishment to hell, the idea that God was actually for me, supporting me, sourcing me to fulfill my desires, blew my mind.   The knowing that Spirit is always with me and that I can't not end up with and live in Oneness with the Divine has changed my core beliefs and my life.   It took me a while to accept it, but since I have, life has been that great adventure others talk about instead of the fear laden movement to a possible really unhappy ending.

Rob Bell shared a definition of blessing I had not heard before but like a lot. Blessing actually means, "God is for you."  God is for me, oh yes!

Spirit is also ahead of me.  That next great idea that takes me further on the journey to living my highest and best is Spirit calling me forward.  Rob shared several stories from the Bible to show that Yahweh was meeting the people where they were at the moment and calling them forward. 

One was a scripture that others quote as being barbaric.  It talks about the spoils of war, especially women.  The scripture is telling how they must be treated as people and taken into the household after they have had a time of mourning to have the status of wife.  At the time, a woman taken as part of the spoils of war was slave/property with no standing, no rights and no hope.  This was calling for the humane treatment of all people.  In other words, this was a call to see the Oneness, the value, the proper treatment in and for all.

We as individuals and as communities and nations are ever being given new ideas of how to live our lives with more awareness and expression of the Oneness of All.   Spirit is ahead of us calling us to More.   We know that we must first be the change we want to see.   So, what new idea is percolating within you?  What must you release, embrace, become for the full expression of your highest and best?

The above questions are taken from the Visioning process.  We will be doing that and talking about the Louisville Center for Spiritual Living on Saturday from 9 AM to Noon here in Jeffersonville, come join us. 

Shalom - Peace, wholeness and well-being, for you and yours.
  

Much love,

Rev.  Carolyn 

Thank you!  The Board on the behalf of the Center sent a fruit and cheese basket to let me and my family know of your love and support.  Bob and I were in Angleton, Texas, to be with my son, Jim, and handle the service celebrating the life of my daughter-in-law, Kelly, last week.   She made her transition in early August after several months of dealing with the effects of liver disease.  Your continued prayers for Jim and all of us are deeply appreciated.   Loss is not easy even when we know her life continues in growth, expansion and love.  We will miss her.

On Sunday, our topic was Spirit with us.  Of course, that was the perfect subject for me at this time.  Knowing that I am never alone no matter how it looks or feels brings me great comfort.  I got to and I encouraged others to think of a moment or many moments when we felt the Presence, the moments when our hearts are open and we feel connection and rightness.  It is hard to explain what those moments are and how they feel. 

I love how Spirit unfolds in my life.  That morning I was practicing with the LCSL music ensemble and had one of those moments.  All of a sudden my heart filled with love for those in the room, for ky's music, for my ability to join in, for the words and melody of the new song we were learning and the tears flowed.  And I thought, how do you explain moments like these.  As best I can knowing that words fail me.  And even more important, how do I stay in the feeling for as long as I can and revisit it often?  By just breathing and being.

On September 28, we will have our annual meeting at which we vision for LCSL and talk about where we are and where we are choosing to go.  We will meet here in my home from 9 - 12 and encourage everyone who can to come and join us and give us their input.  We will talk about things that our minds tell us and we will vision/listen to hear what Spirit is revealing through our hearts. 

Visioning is a form of meditation designed to help us listen in a focused way.   We talked about it and experienced a taste of it on Sunday during our meditation time and will do so again next Sunday.  There will be pencils and paper for folks to write down what they are feeling and thinking.  We know that many will not be able to join us on Saturday and we want to capture as much input as possible from everyone.   I encourage you to spend some quiet time listening to the answer(s) you receive to the question, "What is the highest and best expression of LCSL?"  What you get may be words, or colors, or images, or feelings, or whatever.  Don't edit, just share with us.

Again, thank you for allowing me to serve as your minister.

Much love,

Rev.  Carolyn