Four Power Spaces

As we talked about on Sunday, there are four Power Spaces that each of us does call upon and each of us can call upon more. We used Thomas Edison as an example of one life and some ways that he called upon and expressed these spaces. 1. Exploration - openness and commitment to exploring new possibilities. Thomas Edison asked the question, "Why?" all of his life. He was the kind of child that can drive adults to distraction when they realize how little they truly know about the things around them. He wanted to know why and how everything worked. He was forever experimenting and taking things apart and putting them back together so that they were better/more efficient than when he started. He has been called the most influential man of his century. He changed how we all lived, from phonographs to electricity in our homes. He once said, "Discontent is the first necessity of progress." Where are you discontent or are you so comfortable that in Tom's words, 'nothing is happening.' 2. Meaning - Knowing that there is value and purpose in your existence. A part of Tom's was that he wanted everything he did to serve others. He looked for what the world needed and then proceeded to invent it. When you think of the gift you would like to give the world, what is it? Not how you can do it, but what is it that makes your heart sing when you think about giving it? 3. Resource - "I know this world is ruled by infinite intelligence. Everything that surrounds us - everything that exists - proves that there are infinite laws behind it. There can be no denying this fact. It is mathematical in its precision." At the Centers for Spiritual Living we are dedicated to learning more about these 'infinite laws' and how to best express them in our lives. The basic Law we understand is that it is only One. What this means is that all the Infinite resources are ours for the accepting. 4. Identity - Who are you? The expression of the Whole. Our lives are a wonderful journey of awakening to the Truth of our being. The expression of the unique unfoldment of Spirit/Law that we are. These are very quick ideas around these profound ideas. I invite you to allow them to swim around in the edges of your mind and see where they lead. Joy in the journey, Rev. Carolyn

Two Stories of Life Supporting Creativity

The following two stories are examples of people living their creativity to create lives of their choosing. We are made to be creative. When we block that creativity, we diminish how we express and our enjoyment of life. There is a story about the young Stephen Spielberg and how he moved an obstacle in his life to being a life giving support. As a young man in Middle School he had a bully that liked to pick on him. He tried avoiding him and then one day he went up to him and said he was doing a home movie, did this kid want to be one of the actors? The bully responded with more bullying, but in a few days, he showed up at Stephen's and said tell me more. The bully became the hero in a movie about bullies in Nazi Germany. And, he became a life long friend to Stephen. Stephen had been creative in thinking of a new way of dealing with a situation that most of us would never have thought of. There was a Park Warden who was in charge of making sure that anyone who fished in a certain lake had a permit to do so. One day he saw a man with two buckets of fish. He asked to see his permit. The man with the buckets of fish said, "I don't need a permit, these are my pet fish." "Your what?" "My pet fish. I bring them out in the morning so they so out to play in the lake. Then they come back, jump in the bucket and I take them home." The Warden said, "that is impossible!" The man with the buckets of fish responded insisting that they were indeed his pet fish. So, the Warden finally said, "Show me." The man dumped the fish in the lake and then stood quietly. "Well, call the fish back!" "What fish?" Not only was the guy a fast thinker, creative in his response, but also now free to go. No evidence was available. How can you think a new thought this day? Rev. Carolyn

Five Supporting Steps to Power

In discussing Power vs. Force we explore five supporting steps to power or affirmative prayer. Power, is another name for Spirit. Power expressed clearly in our lives is the expression of the One. Force is when we work to manipulate or make something happen. This is true whether we are talking about ourselves, another person, a situation, etc. The five steps turn our attention to the One Power. The steps align us with who we truly are and Spirit. 1. Contemplate the One Life – Let in the Light. Every time we turn our attention to the Presence that is greater than we are, we are letting more Light and Presence in and as and through us. We are aligning ourselves with what cannot change, instead of focusing on what is in constant flux. 2. Stop fixating on problems and needs – Discipline. This is really tough. When something is right in front of us, even when we know it is only temporary and not truth, it is hard for us to take our attention off of it. I have learned that when I get a scratch in my throat, I can tell myself the story of, "Oh no, here comes a sinus infection or cold or whatever and start planning what medicine I am going to take." or "I know that I am the perfect health of Spirit and my sinuses are healthy now." When I finally got that seeing it is a problem, created the problem, I was able to change the story. Sinus events just don't happen to me. 3. Give into God – allow the infiltration of Love. Open yourself to all the things that remind you of Truth. Like a dry sponge soaks up moisture, soak up Spirit. 4. Affirm God’s Good for you. Your Divine Birthright. Study, read, contemplate the Truth that you are the creation of the One. One of my favorite affirmations is found in our brochure. It comes from the book by Ernest Holmes "Living the Science of Mind." - It goes something like this. - Good and more Good is mine. It flows to me, through me, surrounds me, supports me. Good and more Good is mine. Not going to be. Not if I do the 'right' things. Good and more Good is mine. 5. Celebrate and release. Trust that not by might but by the Spirit it is done. Smile a lot. Laugh a lot. And open to more reasons/opportunities to smile and laugh. Good and more good is yours. May you see it, feel it, and enjoy it! Rev. Carolyn