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

Five Ways to Experience More Giving in Your Life

Part of changing our consciousness of prosperity and abundance is to change our view of ourselves as being givers. Another word for God or Spirit is Givingness. So giving/sharing is our very nature. Here are just five little suggestions of seeing ourselves as givers and experiencing more giving in our lives. 1. The next time someone says something that we take exception to, give them the blessing of being who they are. 2. At the store when they have that little dish for leaving extra change, leave some. 3. The guy standing on the side of the road with a sign, give him a dollar. Here you also get to practice non-judgment. Your job is to give not to judge how it will be spent or the worthiness of the recipient. I still remember the sign from one guy who said, "I just want a hamburger." I gave him $5 and he gave me a great laugh and a fun memory. 4. Imagine a bright light of love emanating from your heart into the world. You are a blessing. 5. Send a $5 check to someone you don't know or, I like this one a lot, tip 30% to a waiter or waitress who you feel some connection with. There are so many blessings to giving, increasing your consciousness of always enough and more is just one of them.

Four ways to invite more Nibbling Experiences

The idea behind this week's blog is that while we have meals of awareness of Spirit in our lives; Sunday mornings, meditation, classes, reading, prayer work, etc., there are opportunities to also have nibbles of Spirit throughout our days. "Little moments of awareness and blessing" is my working definition of nibbling/snacking on Spirit. So, I offer four ideas of how to invite more of these experiences into your life - 1. When they happen allow yourself to truly experience them. Sounds like one of those 'duh' statements. Often, we rush through our lives and when something happens we think, "Oh I will think about that later, right now I gotta move on." Very often we never get back to it. Example, you walk out in your yard on your way to your car and one of your plants is now blooming (OK, maybe it is in your neighbor's yard.). It is beautiful and what a nice surprise on a Monday morning. Stop, take twenty seconds to really see the bloom, feel the sense of beauty and joy, feel the connection to the All that is, let gratitude and awe fill you. You have just had a nibble of Spirit. 2. Let the memory fill you with the original feeling. Later on the same Monday, you are sitting in a room having a meeting. The image of that bloom and your moment with it comes into your mind. Let it fill you. You won't loose your place in the meeting. Let the awe, the gratitude, the smile, the connection be just as real as it was earlier in the day. You have just been nourished with a snack of Spirit. 3. Have moments planned in your day to remember your spiritual nature and connection to the Whole. One of the easiest and one that has been around a long time, is taking a moment before you eat anything to be aware. You don't have to close your eyes, or say something profound, just take a moment and be aware. Aware of gratitude for the joy and sensation of eating. Pardon the pun, but eating is just a delicious experience. So awareness of the joy of eating, gratitude for having the supply of what your body needs to flourish, etc. 4. Set your intention. Making a decision that you will invite and experience more moments of blessing and awareness of Spirit in your life invites them in. Emerson tells us the end creates the means. We set an intention and Spirit says, "OK I will get right on that." Have a great day of knowing and experiencing your oneness with the All that Is. Rev. Carolyn

Giving Thanks

I was raised in a family that saw more lack in the world than abundance.  Giving was not something we did freely.  We were a poor family and if we gave away our supply there may not be any more.  It has taken me many years to retrain my mind to know what is true for me.  I am One with an Unlimited supply I am One with Spirit.  Spirit is all there is.  As I open myself up to give of my thoughts (positive energy), my talent (smiles, hospitality, encouraging talks, etc.), my time (volunteering at the Center, neighborhood projects,  people in need), and my treasure (the energy of money) to where I am spiritually fed I put myself into the flow of Spirit. 

In all things give thanks – even if it looks like something we do not prefer.  Maybe it is a job interview that we learn we did not get the job – give thanks.  It may sound like crazy talk, but do you really want to be in a job that is not the right fit for you?  Trusting Spirit, trusting the process and being confident that Spirit is leading me to abundant good and more good has served me well.  

As I heard last week – the only power I have is where I put my attention.  I choose to put my attention on the positive.   I lived enough years with my family focused on lack, I consciously choose to focus on the positive now.  Am I able to stay positive every day in every situation?  No, but I certainly can catch myself sooner now when I start down that path of lack.

At our movie night this past weekend we heard Louise Hay say – Every thought we think creates our future.  I look forward to wonderful future full of life, love, happiness and friends.  Who is ready to join me?

Rick McCollum, RScP  7/30/2012

Sick, not-sick, thriving

Victor Frakl, in my experience, is most famous for his quote, "The only thing that can never be taken from you is your ability to choose your response." I was reminded recently that part of his work was around the idea that most of us live on a short swing between sick and not sick. If we have pain or illness, our focus is on fixing that. If we are feeling pretty good with little or no pain and no pressing illness, then we consider ourselves not-sick or as well as can be expected. His premise is that we miss what we actually are built to experience - thriving. Thriving is defined as to grow or develop well or vigorously. It is active, ever expanding, full of energy, constantly creative, always being more. Look at that sentence again. Could it be used to describe the Universe, the Power that is, Spirit, etc? We understand that we as individuals are the microcosm of the macrocosm. If the above words can describe the All that Is, are they not also words to describe our 'isness.' Thriving. Say the word out-loud. How does it feel? "Say that with a smile Pilgrim." Feel it in your mouth, your face, your mind, your body. To thrive, how can we invite that more fully into our expectations and lives. Emerson tells us "Knowing the end creates the means." Knowing we are meant to thrive creates the means to do just that. Rev. Carolyn