Happy New Year!!

In a few days the New Year will be upon us.  Folks will be doing some soul searching and making resolutions. It is a good time to let things go, to release what no longer serves OUR Highest and Best.  Sometimes we need to let go of habits, emotions, thought-forms and people.  We need to release so we can accept "new" into our lives. A friend said today that "you can't add to a full cup."  He is so right; we must release or pour out what is not supporting our spiritual path. 

In Charles Fillmore's The Twelve Powers he states "there must be a renunciation or letting go of old thoughts before the new can find place in the consciousness." The letting go can be very difficult for many, but you must
release before you can receive.  Sometimes we feel like we take two steps forward and one step back.  Do not feel alone when this happens; you are never alone.  God is "very near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (Deuteronomy 31:14).  Have faith that all things happen in Divine Order and God is with you.

So sit down and make a list of things you wish to release.  Write denials and affirmations for you to repeat every day.  Pray for release of the old and be open and receptive for the new.  2011 is a New Beginning, full of wonder and excitement. 

Wishing everyone a Joyous, Abundant, and Blessed New Year. 

Namaste

God is EveryWhere

As I drove to church this morning, I noticed the beauty of God around me.  The leaves were lovely shades of red, yellow and orange mingled together.  I looked ahead and saw purple and white clouds against a light blue sky.  As I took in all this beauty, I felt the presence of God within me and around me.  I remembered what Eric Butterworth said in his book Spiritual Economics "the whole of God is present at every point in space at the same time. God is always present, totally present - as a Presence." I felt peaceful and loved as those words ran through my mind.  What a statement!  God is everywhere present all the time!

During this Thanksgiving, see God all around you and within you.  Know that God is blessing ALL.


Affirm: God is my constant companion.

Namaste

The Nature of God

In Unity we have a statement "There is one presence and one power in this world and in our lives, God the Good, omnipotent".  That pretty much says it all, doesn't it?  God is everywhere present, all-powerful, and good.  I would add that God is love, wisdom, and intelligence.  You may have noticed that I stated God "is", not God "has" these qualities. God is not a person having intelligence, love, or power; God is the total of all these attributes, whether manifested or unmanifested.  In Acts 17:24 - 25 it states that "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else".

H. Emilie Cady says in her book "Lessons in Truth" that He (God) lives within every created thing as the life, the ever-renewing, recreating, upbuilding cause of it.  He never is and never can be for a moment separated from His creations".  Each rock, plant, animal and human is the visible expression of God.  We express God's love when we love another; we express God's wisdom and intelligence when we educate others (or ourselves); we express God's power when we manifest ideas.

We are connected to God every moment of our existence.  In Eric Butterworth's book "Spiritual Economics" he states that "The whole of God is present at every point in space at the same time.  God doesn't come and go.  God doesn't capriciously move substance from God's supply 'up there' to fill your need 'down here'.  God is always present, totally present - as a Presence".  Does it give you comfort that God is always present in our lives wherever we are?  I am comforted knowing that when I'm happy and joyous, God is with me; when I'm experiencing trials and tribulations, God is with me.  I am never alone.

Always remember, as we go through our daily lives, God is with us.  In Zephaniah 3:17 it says "The Lord your God is with you, he is might to save".  God is with us no matter where we are or what kind of day we are having.  We are NEVER alone!

Namaste

PORT - An Opportunity to Serve Others

PORT (People Offering Resources Together) is a yearly program in Newport News, VA that helps the homeless.  Area churches, organizations and volunteers join together to help others in their community.  During the 2009 - 2010 season PORT served 597 guests. 

Intake workers completed assessments on all and were able to find solutions for some. Of the adults entering the shelter 36% left with a source of income.  The income most frequently reported was SSDI, followed by employment, SSI, VA benefits, unployment, TANF, retirement benefits and child support. At the close of PORT 85 guests, 14% were known to have secured housing.

Guests received health referrals, HIV counseling & testing, H1N1 flu shots and seasonal flu shots were available to guests on 3 occasions, and CSB staff members were available to help guests with mental health issues.

At least 4 times weekly, guests were provided with the opportunity to choose warm clothing from donations provided by the host church or LINK (Living Interfaith Network).  During the intake process, each guest was given hygiene articles and items were replaced as needed. 

All in all the community came together again to help others.

When we service others, we allow the flow of God to continue.  Emilie Cady states in Lessons in Truth
"Stagnation is death.  Unless you use for the service of others what God has already given to you, you will find it a long, weary road to spiritual understanding." 

When we give to others, we give to ourselves.  We are seeking to establish ourselves in a relationship with the divine flow.  As we allow the flow, we draw closer to God.

Eric Butterworth states in his book Spiritual Economics "Your life is God's gift to you and what you do with it is your gift to God". 


Let us All discover the wonder of Giving!!

Namaste

Wounded Warrior Program

This Sunday the 18th is the 2nd anniversary of my father's death.  He was a good man and father, and the one thing he was most proud of was his service in the Army during WWII.  He was a surveyor and spent time in England and Germany.  To honor his military service his casket was draped with the American Flag and he is buried in the veteran's cemetery in Suffolk, VA.

Why do I mention this?  Well, it's two fold; the anniversary is near and last week I met with some wonderful people in Hampton, VA that are with the Wounded Warrior Program.  These people help veterans, service members and their families with case management, outpatient treatment, rehabilitative services, family support and linkage to benefits services, housing, employment and educational programs in the Region 5 area.  Region 5 covers a large area; as far east as the Eastern shore, west to Williamsburg, north to the Northern Neck area and south in the Southampton area.

This program was established by the Commonwealth of Virginia and is operated by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services because of the growing need to improve and expand services to our nation's veterans and service members.  The regional director and resource specialists are in Hampton to help our area veterans and their families.  I urge you to share this information with your community, American Legion posts, churches and family members.  Their website is www.vawoundedwarrior5.org and phone number is 757-788-0032.  Let's honor and help those who allow us to be free.  My dad would have approved.

Namaste

Keep A True Lent

     Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore is a wonderful book and a Unity classic.  This book is full of Unity principles and daily Lenten lessons.

     Lent is a church institution and begins on Ash Wednesday, which is 46 days before Easter.  Most denominations celebrate the Lenten season by giving up or abstaining from worldly things, such as food or drink. In Unity the Lenten season, or any season for that matter, is used as a time to fast from unworthy thoughts and negativity, and feast on the good and true.

     Through daily prayer and meditations we commune with God, the Divine Mind and unchangeable Truth.  We mingle and merge our minds with God-Mind, resulting in spiritual growth.  We fast from "error thinking and meditate on Spiritual Truth until we incorporate it into the consciousness of oneness with the Father."

     Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.  Mr. Fillmore writes "The resurrection is the raising up of the whole man - spirit, soul, and body - into the Christ consciousness of life and wholeness."  Each day as we rise to the consciousness of the indwelling life, making union with the God-Mind, the resurrection of Jesus takes place inside us.  Thoughts of limitation and conformity to material law are left in the "tomb of materiality."

     Celebrate this Lenten season as a life changing experience.  Affirm:
"In unity with Christ I realize that I am resurrrected into the life, light and power of God."

Namaste

Stages of Grief/Mourning Part 2

     Last month I listed the stages of grief/mourning. This time I thought I would briefly explain each for a better understanding:

1. Shock and Denial - Whether the loss is sudden or expected, a person is rarely prepared for the event.  Shock provides emotional protection from being overwhelmed all at once.  It may last for hours, days or months.  Denial is a "kissin' cousin" to shock.  In order to avoid the pain, we deny the loss.  Most folks don't like change, so denial is a good way to avoid these changes.  Unfortunately, the longer you deny the loss, the longer you avoid facing grief.
2. Guilt and Pain - Guilt is a genuine phase of grieving/mourning.  Often people go down the "what if" list hoping that if they had changed one thing, the loss would have never occurred.  Pain creeps in after the shock wears off.  Sometimes the pain is agonizing and almost unbearable.  It is important to experience the pain fully and not avoid it through drugs and alcohol.
3. Anger and Bargaining - Anger may surface because of feelings of powerlessness and frustration.  We may feel anger toward the person or event because they caused us to be in this situation.  You may feel angry with God because of the ill-timed loss.  You may, also, be angry at yourself.  Bargaining can occur before or after the loss.  Before the loss you may bargain with God to keep your loved one alive or your house and you'll do whatever; such as, stop smoking, drinking, etc.  Bargaining after the loss is a defense mechanism and momentarily comforts some people as they ease into the truth of the situation.
4. Depression, Reflection, Loneliness - During this time we may close ourselves off from social interactions and may place ourselves in isolation.  Feelings of sadness and mild depression may be a part of our lives.  We recognize that the change is permanent and reflect on the things we used to do.  Loneliness settles in and we may have feelings of emptiness and despair.
5. The Upward Turn - You are adjusting to your new life without your loved one or job in your life.  You feel calmer and the depression seems to be lifting somewhat.  Your physical symptoms, i.e. loss of appetite, insomnia, aches and pains, are not as severe.  
6. Reconstruction & Working Through - As your mind becomes clearer, you become more efficient.  You are capable of solving problems, whether they are practical or financial.  You are reconstructing yourself and your life.
7. Acceptance and Hope - When we come to this, we acknowledge the situation for what it is.  We accept the loss and the reality of the situation.  We start looking forward and plan things for the future.  We anticipate some good things to come and even find joy again in our lives.

     Please remember that these stages are not sequential; you may experience some in any order.  The important thing is to embrace each phase and work through them.  Give yourself permission to mourn, so you may live and love again.

Namaste

  

Stages of Grief/Mourning

     In keeping with the grief/mourning theme from last month's blog, I thought I'd list the stages of grief/mourning.  Dr. Alan Wolfelt calls them "dimensions", which means "an extension in a given direction."  I agree with his terminology, but for the sake of familiarity, I'll stick with "stages."

     With most lists each step is orderly; a natural progression from one step to the other.  With grief/mourning there is no order, except I do feel that we all initially experience Shock and Denial to some degree when a loss occurs in our lives.  Therefore, as you read this list, please do not feel you move to each stage in order.  People may experience some or all of the stages in no particular order because each has their own personal history.  The 7 stages are:

1. Shock and Denial
2. Guilt and Pain
3. Anger and Bargaining
4. Depression, Reflection, Loneliness
5. The Upward Turn
6. Reconstruction & Working Through
7. Acceptance and Hope    

      Again, let me reiterate, please construe the stages loosely.  You may experience some or all of the stages in no particular order and, possibly, some stages twice.  As they say in Pirates of the Caribbean, "they're just guidelines."  There is no absolute end point or timetable for this process.  The degree to which we are affected varies individually and depends on how deeply we feel the loss.  Dr. Wolfelt states "To lesson your hurt, you must embrace it.  As strange as it may seem, you must make it your friend."  Give yourself permission to mourn.  As you process your grief, you will continue to change and grow on a personal level.

      In future blogs, I will be explaining each of the stages so they can be better understood.  Listing them was just the beginning!

      In Stephen Levin's book Who Dies? he says "Krishna left a road map, Buddha left a road map, Jesus left a road map, Rand McNally left a road map.  But still you have to travel the road yourself."  I encourage you to embrace the pain, travel the road, so you can live and love again.

Namaste