HOW TO DE-STING OUR NEMESIS

The key to living a complete and fulfilled life lies in the realization that there is a mystical, transcendental Presence within us that has already provided our infinite supply unto eternity, that contains within itself our companionship unto eternity, and that has within Itself the power of fulfillment. -- Joel Goldsmith, "A Parenthesis In Eternity," p. 269

I've watched some people lose almost everything and everyone in order to hang on to what a friend called their 'triumphant unhappiness.' - Anonymous 

I have those two quotes tacked to my bulletin board where they have been for at least twenty years...I seldom read them. Then, when the time comes, when my seeing-life-sideways is upon me, almost cosmically my eyes are drawn to them. I reread, remember and know peace.

I know peace because I have learned the name and the cause of my "triumphant unhappiness." It is fear, my nemesis, and I know how to de-sting it. I kiss it on the lips, call its name "Blessed," and remember: The key to living a complete and fulfilled life lies in the realization that there is a mystical, transcendental Presence within us that has already provided our infinite supply unto eternity, that contains within itself our companionship unto eternity, and that has within Itself the power of fulfillment. Thank you, Joel Goldsmith.

Thank you.

THE HIGHER POWER CHOOSES US

As I walked through our lobby this morning, I saw that it is decorated for Christmas...and then I noticed the menorah. That's a first, I thought...and my thought was not smiling. Which caused me pause. I really had to think on that...why am I a tish peeved at a menorah amongst the Christmas decorations? 

I am half pleased and half embarrassed to admit I realized it was jealousy not bigotry that perturbed me. Christmas is for Christmas decorations and a menorah is not a Christmas decoration. Then I realized that for all I know this season is also the time of a Jewish holiday. Oh. Okay, then.

That line of thought led me to consider what I've observed but never put into words. For whatever reason, many of us seem to be borderline petrified of the word "Jesus." If the word is even said, some shrink in distaste, others shrug dismissively. However, the word "Buddha" is accepted, welcomed even, and the Buddha is quoted often.

We must needs beware: The day will come (and is probably closer than we think) when someone will walk in and simply say, "Allahu Akbar" and too many of us will go up in our own smoke.

We claim "live and let live" in defense of our own beliefs, but refuse to budge for another's...and why? To protect our shutdown mind?

Still more spiritual growth is all about living from a raised consciousness. Not to put too fine a point on it, but living from a raised consciousness is living for others. Which cannot be done from the reasoning mind...or, can only be done through a power greater than our own self, by whatever name that chooses us.

Mazel Tov. Allahu Akbar. Thank you, Christ Jesus.

Thank you.

THANK YOU IS THE COSMIC LINK

Life is comprised of "Uh-ohs" and "Oh wows!" (Not to mention, "Ho-hums.")

It's the uh-ohs in life that turn out to be our pearls...they are what teach us to view down as up. When what we're perceiving looks less than wonderful and has a hurt about it that causes us pause, we come to inside-know, this, too, is of God. 

Our problem in getting through these storms with our God-belief intact is that we tend to hold to our belief in our own idea of what God needs to do in order for our perceived problem to be fixed. 

When we hold to our idea of what fixing our problem means, self-convinced our want must be "God's will," our worst fear often comes true, i.e., we don't get our want. So we give up believing in God.

To believe as we breathe in a loving God who can and will intervene in our life on our behalf is to, first, stay focused on Now which is perfect Now; second, accept whatever is appearing as God's will for us; third, do our best with what we are given...and our best is a heartfelt "thank you." Good or not so good, our thank you will suffice.

Ah, and there's our gift: Our thank you is the cosmic link to that which goes before us to make the crooked places straight. 

Thank you.

MORE WILL BE REVEALED

Just as a fire is covered by smoke and a mirror is obscured by dust, just as the embryo rests deep within the womb, wisdom is hidden by selfish desire.  -- Sri Krishna (Bhagavad Gita)

I wonder if "selfish desire" isn't all our  wants. A want by its very nature is for self even if its object seems to be for another.

We start out wanting our way***we find we are not happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other peoples' wills***this again does not give us full happiness, and we begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's will. -- Anonymous

The meat on the bone is that period of time when we are sincerely trying to give over to others...and, who's kidding whom, rarely feeling all that good about the results. So we try harder...does the definition of insanity come to mind?

We are in the process of learning that the meat on the bone is our coming to comprehend the difference between a self-determined objective (no matter how pretty we think it) and the perfect objective which is of God (no matter how un-pretty we think it).

I'm coming to accept that "making allowances for other peoples' wills" is best served not by inserting my agreeing words or works into the other's life, but by holding that person nonjudgmentally in my mind and heart until I can hold them nonjudgmentally in my mind and heart without effort.

That is as near as I have come to feeling an assurance that I have given over to God. And that's close enough to perfect for me...for now. 

Thank you.

GO FORWARD WITH AN OPEN MIND

Do not fear change. Run toward it. Run forward with open arms...or an open mind more like.

I have been feeling very melancholy of late. There are at least ten people who recently have left or are soon leaving my life...through moves to other states or illness or death...and the one, of course, in high dungeon quoting Jesus in the original Aramaic. (The God of my understanding and I still think that is funny, take it up with him.)

Then, this morning I'm reading "God Calling," and there on November 26 are my notes I had written in 1975 and again in 1985,  referencing major changes in and to my life. In 1985 it was that my job was being moved to Connecticut, my apartment was being sold, my car was about to go wheels up and various friends were moving on. Same day in 1987 I noted, "All those 'outers' have been wiped clean."

There it is...life itself written in one sentence in the margin of a book. Whatever is going on in our life, stay with it, run toward it, learn from it...all those "outers" will be wiped clean.

Thank you.

BE PRESENT TO THE PRESENCE

I had a flutter-by revelation this morning: I do believe that I accept that our Father is within, yet when I pray the Our Father I have never considered that I am seeking within. It is a toughie to think right now that that for which I pray, i.e., our daily bread, forgiveness, being led not into temptation is Now being done unto me through the Father within me.

If this be truth, then mine is to know it and to show it. How?

There it is...why we need spiritual teachers. Just a day or so ago this question was answered in a writing by Fr. Richard Rohr:  The great wisdom teachers know that one major change is needed: how we do the moment. *** “Only one thing is necessary,” Jesus says. "If you are present, you will be able to know what you need to know."

Interestingly, this is not new. It may well be the same-old-same-old, but it's the s-o-s-o spelled out...not just words we hope are true, but what to do to prove their truth. Learn, then practice unto doing: Stay in the Now by responding with peace, love and joy especially at 2:00 AM when we awake remembering a perceived unkindness.

Repeat, repeatedly.

Thank you.

FLOW WITH DIVINE ENERGY

We have to find a way to more deeply experience our experiences. *** Whether we realize it or not, the divine energy of God is flowing through each one of us. When we draw upon this Source consciously, our life starts filling with what some call coincidences or synchronicities which we can never explain. -- Fr Richard Rohr, "Daily Meditation," November 24, 2017

We are always in a state of flux...that is the nature of life itself. Back in my day, we called it flowing with the go. Today, I believe the unfortunates are those of us who refuse to go within our flow.

There are several events happening in my life right now...or, to be more exact, unknown endings going on in my mind right now.

I have been blessed with no particular preference for my own result. No feeling of need for this ending or that ending. I feel like the idea borned itself that my input is unnecessary since the perfect ending is already in the mix...I have no itch nor wish to know or to cause my results. So far.

My perfect ending may come looking to my reasoning mind's eye like a bed of lilies of the valley (wonderful) or it may come looking like a pig sty (not so much). The lesson I am learning is to accept either (and anything in between) as exactly what I need for my still more spiritual growth.

I am grateful that I have learned whatever happens is my Father's gift to me...all I must needs do is be willing to see down as up.

Thank you.

OR, JUST GET OVER YOUR SELF

We must go beyond reason to love. -- "The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment," Thaddeus Golas

That quote is a favorite of mine. It gives me permission...permission I need if I am ever going to take nothing personally...to stop before I start mentally justifying my desire to respond in kind.

To "go beyond reason" is to learn the art of subtraction. Quoting the mystic, Meister Eckhart, God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction. The art of subtraction, then, is to release my want to justify my self, to win, to get over on, etc.

Interestingly, the idea just flashed re going beyond reason to love...love is what is beyond reason...love is not reasonable...to stay in the reasoning mind is to miss the miracle of love. (Enough. I think my reasoning mind just kicked in.)

Actually, it can probably all be boiled down to, just don't be as nasty as you want to be... thank you, Henry Mitchell.

Thank you.

EVERYTHING SHOWS ITSELF TO BE A DISGUISE

....everything shows itself  *** to be a disguise: weakness is really strength, wisdom is really foolishness, death is really life, matter is really spirit, religion is often slavery, and sin itself is actually the trapdoor into salvation. -- from Fr Richard Rohr's "Daily Meditation" of December 14, 2013

That is what I call "mirror image," and what I've come to suspect is God's view of our material world. And it sprouted wings in my world this morning.

I was on the short-end of the love stick yesterday...snubbed royally in fact. That's never a fun feeling so, of course, I'm right thankful it rarely happens. But my heart felt bruised and my head was all packed, ready to move on down the line.

I spent the day reminding me of "thank you" and "love and laugh" and continuing to feel bruised and to hear "split already." Even as I awoke and arose this morning, I was feeling the drag.

Then, just as I was walking out with Ruckus, I got my blinding flash...in God's view, this is his gift for me to use to do, not just to talk that all things work together for my good. To do is to realize the mirror image of the snub...i.e., to know it as a gift to me.

I talk about taking nothing personally, and I've become fairly good about it if I do say so myself. But here was an ego-buster and right in my face. Which this morning I realized was exactly what I needed in order to continue learning to take nothing personally. The snub said nothing at all about me...and I'd best not get into what I want it to say about them for that's just a sneakier way to take it personally.

From the moment of that realization, I've been mentally singing my thank you and grinning like I love me. God is so good to me.

Thank you.

ENOUGH WITH THE CHATTER...DO!

Life really is about doing the word of God.

We can read it till our face falls off...read and understand, then quote, preach and teach. If we are not actually loving our enemy, or giving half of our last dollar for the benefit of another, then all that knowledge represents is our own self pounding ego's toy drum.

I do not doubt that refusal to accept our self just as we are...and love us anyway...is our greatest (and gravest) block to feeling the love of God.

Affirmations, as such, give me the willies. Just repeating "I am a beloved child of God" seems to me to be trying to make something true that already is true. We  need to go forward showing it. I mean, we cannot show that we are a beloved child of God while we're spitting in another's eye, now can we?

When we get caught up in sitting in judgment of how honest, good and pure our efforts are, or are not, that is the measure of our growth...and, who's kidding whom, it ain't spiritual.

Our lesson to learn is that however we do...are doing...the word of God is close enough to perfect for God.  But not us???

Thank you.

ON LEARNING THE ART OF COOPERATION

According to me, the singular fear in the life of us humans is the fear of feeling unconditional love for and accepting unconditional love from another. It's a very well-hidden fear because, from our eyebrows up, we all want to feel that love...for and from anybody including our goldfish and canaries.

The problem, however, is two-fold: First, that word unconditional both giving and receiving represents a huge responsibility, mentally. As in, just how much am I going to need to give to get? Second, which precludes the first but we're unaware of it, is that humans are incapable of unconditional love. Only God can love unconditionally and that's because God is love.

I'm wondering if the sole purpose of still more spiritual growth isn't for us to learn how to accept (not only with an open heart but with an uncritical mind) any and all who enter our earthly space, including our own self. To accept all equally, meaning our warts, worms, and incandescent wonders...and with love and laughter.

I wonder that because that is pretty much all that spiritual literature comes right down to. Or, to paraphrase...love the God of your own understanding with all your heart, soul, body and brains and love your friends and your enemies as yourself.

Simpler still: Cooperate and graduate.

Thank you.

ALL IS WELL

I was weeping for my little boy and for my mentor recently...weeping almost uncontrollably...after which I had a pounding headache.

I was taken up short by a thought reminding me of what is written about emotional hangovers. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they come from giving in to a boatload of negative emotions...and that we cannot afford.

I was a tish stupefied by my reminder, my first thought being, "Yes, but...." Negative emotions spent for love, in sympathy, with no selfish attaching? They cannot be unaffordable, they are for someone else, not for me!

But aren't they? Neither my mentor nor my little guy was with me...my mentor was thirty miles away and Ruckus was sound asleep on the sofa.

I realized by the ache of my pounding head that "weeping almost uncontrollably" was for me. The physical condition of each of my loved ones was simply my ticket to ride., i.e., my projecting inwardly my favorite fear, "left alone." Then reveling in it.

Appropriate grief tears in the appropriate timeframe are just that...appropriate. But weeping uncontrollably (and two weeks after receiving the less-than-wonderful news) is my ego Lucy on parade with me applauding as she marches.

But, hey! What a wonderful passel of lessons I was gifted with: (1) the value of staying in the Now; (2) knowing God at my back, always; (3) knowing that Lucy, too, will ever be there for me...let her and laugh; and (4) the best, knowing that God laughs with us...all is well.

Thank you.

FOR AN ACTUAL FACT, GOD LOVES US

It does not take courage to meet our bully...it takes a turned-over sense of self. When we are living a turned-over to God life, we can meet a bully, a beast or a toad in the road without fear and/or trepidation. Just not one hundred percent of the time.

There's the thing. Those of us just walking around seeking still more spiritual growth don't (yet?) have that certain-sure ability, and that may well be how we build our faith.

We succeed the first time which is our proof that God really does have our back. Then the next time, and there is always a next time for that is life, we are assured that this is doable by our own God-guarded self. Ah, but that does not preclude our feeling fear...and we do it anyway. There. That's the building of our faith, fear-block by no-fear-block by fear-block by no-fear, etc.

We're allowed to fear, to doubt, to stumble, to trip over our own tongue...those are some of God's gifts to us. We fear and go forward hoping. We doubt and go forward seeking. We stumble and curse...and go forward grinning. For we are knowing, underneath are the everlasting arms.

Thank you.

SURRENDER IS IN NOT KNOWING

I had an experience recently that was flat-out ugly and utterly unexpected. An acquaintance let loose an uncontrolled and personal stream of vitriol...I was not physically harmed, but the viciousness was right off-putting to put it delicately.

It looked and felt like an oncoming...runaway...train, and it was clear that I could not derail this. I had but one thought, "God, this one's on you." Then I made listening noises and silently repeated my "thank you." I felt no fear, and I knew it was neither necessary nor desirable to defend myself for nothing being said wore any of my truth.

When I got home, I promptly did what I do...I searched and found the gold in the situation. First, I did shoot a prayer for the speaker's well-being, then I just let my mind flow free. I realized the gift was in the Now. God had stayed me in the divinity of Now. I'm convinced there is no other way I would or could have responded as I did...with a "God bless," as I walked away with no ego-victory need to respond in kind.

I do believe that being focused on God Now, elicits our unthinking response...our un-thought-out spiritual response. More importantly, reliance on our unaided will alone cannot stay our focus on God Now; we must surrender our will.

It is in surrender that the love of God flows out and heals...and "I don't know" is surrender.

Thank you.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

Many times I’ve watched, for instance, as a person with Down syndrome stands with a gold medal around her neck, arms raised high to a cheering crowd. I can’t look at that child, at that human being, without slipping out of dualistic thinking. Those moments are a kind of sacrament of unitive consciousness. They are 'both-and' moments where shadow and light coexist in the same experience. -- Tim Shriver, Chair of Special Olympics, from Fr. Richard Rohr's "Daily Meditation," November 16, 2017

I do wonder, is it possible for me, for you, for Joe and Jo Doaks to experience just what Shriver is talking about only for us to experience it in the meeting of our adversary. To know, to realize, to experience "a kind of sacrament of unitive consciousness...both-and moments where shadow and light coexist in the same experience."

I suspect that is what needs to happen within us if we are ever to spiritually "agree with our adversary quickly." 

We know the right words, but doing them, other than by rote, ah, there's the high road we seek. Our lips can agree through sheer self-will, but if our thoughts are on the attack then, who's kidding whom, our ego is on parade, high-stepping, flaunting its power...in control.

It is the "slipping out of dualistic thinking" that is the Way...there is no peace of mind and attack mind in unitive consciousness. And self-will cannot get us there. God can and will if sought. And daily. 

Thank you.

TO LIVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OTHER

In spiritual growth, there is a different...a better...way of hearing ...we hear from the 4th dimension where peace, love and joy flow freely...on the material plane our ego-victory thinking does our hearing for us. -- My morning blinding flash of the obvious.

What needs to change, I'm coming to believe, is my hearing. According to me, we hear that which we want to hear the way we want to hear it...then react to our interpretation of what we chose to hear. If we hear pretty, we respond in kind; if we hear not-so-pretty, we react in kind.

With still more spiritual growth as our singular life goal, we find a new way of hearing. It is not ours to work for, to attempt to "get." No. It is the free gift we receive from living not for our gain, but for the well-being of the other...which is my definition of still more spiritual growth. Knowing and showing that God has our back frees us up to think, then act, for the other's good.

I suspect that this takes a lifetime to learn unto doing as we breathe, but it's a lifetime well-lived.

Thank you.

IT'S ALL JUST ANOTHER ANSWERED PRAYER

Until I am doing that which I am learning, I am as a court jester which makes mock of all that I am learning. I don't know if that is literally true, but I do believe that there is no spiritual growth in talk, just talk. Mainly because the prettier the sound, the more we build on the sound of it, we strain to make the pretty words prettier, to sound deeper, to impress more (the impressed often being only our own self).

The paradox being, of course, that shared talk is essential...I choose to believe that if my thoughts are not expressed to another's ears, I'm still living in fantasy.

It may be that we talk in order to learn how to listen. To truly listen to the other side of what I'm saying and believing is an art that I am in the slow process of learning. The trick is to listen to another who is coming from the same state of consciousness as our own. Who's kidding whom...there's little growth that will come from talking virginity to a prostitute.

I'm guessing that's why (and I'll paraphrase here) Jesus advised us when we come into a town that does not welcome us, to shake the dust off our feet and move on. There will always be people and topics that do not fit us...move on before we buy in.

Resistance just keeps us nailed to our cross of self-will, and self-will is the toughest to kiss on the lips and release in order to move on. To move on without toting the other's baggage in our mind...ah, there's the hard lesson alearning,

Maybe that's why God gave us free will...which is ego's playground, according to me. When we can and will turn from our want to win in any form, and welcome God's perfect will in any form, we will know peace. In other words, when nothing but God will crack our resistance, that's answered prayer.

Thank you.

MY NEMESIS, MY FRIEND

[The following is a reprint of my blog of July 1, 2016.]

We must needs come to believe unto knowing unto living the truth that hides within us...that our worst fear is our best friend. We hate yet hold to this truth as we realize that nothing else could or would, can or will, goose us to God more consistently...or imperatively.

That is the pain and the peace of God's perfect will.

Thank you.

NOT BY WORDS, BY ACTIONS

I recently was with a lady who found it necessary to proclaim that she reads Jesus's words in the original Aramaic.

Our teacher asked her when she planned to start doing those words.

That is the question we all must answer...and not by words.

Thank you.

TAKE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PERSONALLY

Christianity is not about avoiding punishment or gaining reward. It is about loving God and loving what God loves. -- Fr Richard Rohr, "Daily Meditation," November 11, 2017

I read that this morning and flashed on my version: Life is not about avoiding punishment or gaining reward. It is about loving our Father within and loving what he loves.

If that be true, it seems to me that our entire life's work boils down to ego-deflation in depth. Which, I'm convinced, is as simple and as difficult as taking nothing personally...and I am saying, absolutely nothing. Not the dump of a misguided other, nor the praise of a misguided other.

With a thank you, accept all that comes our way by letting it pass on by.

There it is. That's one of those that my head just loves, but my feet will not willingly march in that direction...it's as if my toes are tacked to the floor.

There's the gift that seeking still more spiritual growth gives: I know, even with toes, feet, body stationary, that I am going in the right direction because I do love that...I do know it to be true...and I may not get there till a thousand lifetimes pass away, but holding to that truth, I'll be going in the right direction all the way.

God loves me so much.

Thank you.

THE GOLDEN GOOSE IS OUR ANGEL

Remember that life's difficulties and troubles are not intended to arrest your progress, but to increase your speed. -- "God Calling," November 10.

If only we would remember that one sentence, we'd never again pray to have our difficulties lifted. It is the Oh-No's of our personal life that send us to God. Trouble is, we usually go to God with the self-determined "fix" we want, rather than "Thy will be done" that we need.

I've come to believe, too, that the word "personal" is the tripwire for our wants. To depersonalize our very thinking is the essence of spiritual growth...the definition of ego-deflation in depth, according to me.

Long ago I was advised to make a habit of studying my own reactions whenever I am feeling irked, hurt, offended and/or  disrespected. I've found those feelings are nearly always my reactive response to my feeling of a personal attack. That realization led to the gift of saying "thank you" first thing as opposed to reacting in kind, meaning personally attacking the other in thought or deed.

I'm convinced that "thank you" is what opens my mind and my heart simultaneously which allows me to see from the other person's perspective...or to seek to understand their view and stop doubling down on my own hurt, anger, etc.

The rest of the gift of thank you is to know this difficulty, this trouble...specifically, the person delivering the difficulty...is my angel. S/He represents the golden goose that turns me to God who can and will increase my speed toward peace of mind no matter life's difficulties and troubles.

 God can and will intervene in our life in our behalf.

Thank you.

THAT MOMENT GIVEN TO GOD

Knowing the Word of God is imperative. Almost the minute we know it, though, it becomes secondary. Until we are doing the Word of God, all the while feeling scared, uncertain, quaky and shaky, our knowing is virtually locked in a box in our reasoning mind. Where we pull it out often to quote, lecture and assure others of the rightness of it.

We can be sure that arguing, fighting, or, for that matter, remaining silent out of fear, are not tools of the Lord's...of our reasoning mind, but not God's will. The quandary, of course, is that we live in the material world. There will be times when we must stand up, speak up, for or against.

Our still more spiritual growth is in the self-discipline we have been working toward that allows us that half-second of silence that invites the Lord's way and will to flow for the benefit of all concerned.

There will be times when we just don't quite get the Word...those are the times we will come to know as sacred. Having come away from our own self thus far, we have no choice but to speak...very likely regretting in the next instant the words we spoke. In our quiet time later we often realize either how exactly right our words were or how useful they will prove to be...not from our clever thinking, but by God's perfect intervention.

We learn that when we speak without that moment given to God, even when the outcome looks right, we feel wrong. We realize that we have relied yet again on self-will, and, pretty as it may look, it is the wrong path heading us in the wrong direction.

It is in that moment given to God that God is the breath we breathe. We may not even know it...ah, but there's the gift: We show it.

Thank you.

WELCOME AND ENTERTAIN...EVERYTHING

Morning's blinding flash of the obvious:  To seek to have  no fear of financial insecurity is akin to praying for patience...we will be given financial insecurity to walk through to God which is just another  way to build our inner faith in God, to give over to his perfect will.

Guest House

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

~Rumi

There it is. Our daily instructions for living happy, joyous and free. (Thanks to Mac for forwarding to me.)

Thank you.

LET. IT. BE.

I feel like I'm a walking-around tsunami. Things, events, happenings, diagnoses, tantrums, loved ones leaving, unloved ones staying. They're everywhere, they're everywhere! I have no idea where I first heard that, but it sure fits right now.

They are all appearing as less-than to me and my reasoning mind, and I give thanks from my toenails up that my reasoning mind does know that God has my back, all I need do is let all these less-thans float right on by me.

We all go through these times..."these times" are life itself. It is how we deal with life, our life just as it is right this very minute, that determines how at peace we are going to feel on the other side of these times.

Feeling stress is not "doing it wrong." No...it is having appropriate feelings for the situation at hand. The great gettin' up morning in our head is when we realize that we have a choice, and we choose not to act on our stressed feelings...this is the exact minute when we say, "Thank you," and mean it.

No need to define it for God, he's already fixed it. We just need to consciously know we're turning our head around, changing our mind, getting out of the driver's seat, letting go and letting God...all of those and any more we can think of to Let. It. Be.

We are going in the right direction, especially and specifically when things look bleak, and we say our thank you prayer without quibbling about it. Wow! That feels good just seeing it in black and white. Yes!

God just loves us. Hey...that's very likely why we have bleak times, to realize God's love for us.

Thank you.

WITHOUT CEASING

[The following is a reprint of my blog of April 8, 2015.]

I offered my ego to God to tame, to do with as he willed...the answer came back that the ego is mine to tame, to do with as I will...that’s the “free will” we are given before conception, at birth, throughout our life.

Our heart and soul we can give to God, but our ego is ours TO DISCIPLINE...that’s why we must needs seek still more spiritual growth daily, twice, thrice daily...”without ceasing.”

Thank you.

THANK YOU THAT I SEEK

Thank you for my everything just the way it appears to be through my eyes right this minute.

Thank you for my everything just the way it is through Your eyes Now, ever Now.

I seek to joy in the melding of mine, my will, into Yours. I seek to be enfolded into...enwrapped by...Your will and Your way.

I seek to ever seek by grace and gratitude.

Thank you.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OTHER...AH, PEACE

The thing is it is utterly useless just knowing that we have all the patience, love and kindness that we will ever need within us right this very minute if we do not use it on a daily basis. No. Not daily but as needed. Which is several, or many...who's kidding whom, innumerable...times a day.

That is not a blinding flash of the obvious...that is common sense.

Furthermore, that is common sense that cannot be done by the unaided self alone. Or, according to me, by the unaided-by-God self alone. Getting all the psychological aid there is or speaking affirmations till our face falls off...and all things in between...may well get our self-determined result, but it won't find us lasting peace of mind...which, to me today, is the kingdom of Heaven.

We get peace of mind by using for the benefit of the other our inner source of patience, love and kindness. We can only do that by knowing and showing that God is our supply of patience, love and kindness which effectively, and with a period behind it, takes out our concern for getting ours. Ah, now that is peace of mind.

Thank you.

SEEK YE FIRST...ACCEPTANCE

Picking up on my yesterday's off-the-top-of-my-head thought, that peace is the kingdom of Heaven, I wonder if it can be that peace of mind really is the kingdom of Heaven.

I suspect that describing the kingdom of Heaven is akin to describing God...impossible...but it's good for a ramble around in my head: 

Say that peace of mind is the kingdom of heaven, it seems that acceptance, then, would be the Way.

Seek first acceptance of any and all and every person, thing, situation, event...is it then, through that acceptance, that all things will be added unto us? Through our nonresistance to, or our acceptance of, all things, we will never not have peace of mind. Which for sure equates to God in my world.

Hmmm...would that then be God consciousness? A mind at peace...or, love, actually? There it is. God is love.

What a comforting ramble.

Thank you.

SO DO IT ALREADY

I can and do believe that becoming willing to love our nemesis is God's personal plan and gift for us, but until we actually DO "loving your enemy," i.e., the Sermon, not write about, talk about, but DO, we will not have peace...and that is the kingdom of Heaven.

Comes now another blinding flash of the obvious: Not by will, but by grace, be it done unto me.

What that says to me is actually doing the Sermon with gritted teeth and certitude in my rightness is just another self-determined objective...just another item on my 2-Do checklist. And, as a matter of fact, it can be done...but there is no spiritual growth there, no God or lasting good for that matter.

According to me, God's personal plan and gift for us is to turn daily to his love so It may walk us  through the Sermon with no other objective but to show forth the impersonal love of acceptance. All of which is harder for this natural person than actually doing the Sermon with gritted teeth and certitude in my rightness. The fact that it is doable and on my timetable does not make it right, it makes it the double-edged checklist...looking good, doing not so much.

To my ego-victory thinking, saying, "Yea, Yea," to an adversary with whom I am in mental disagreement is close enough to perfect. No. It is the mental disagreement that we must take to  God to be resolved within us. Until it is "peaced," it is growing a  resentment, and that resentment will haunt us, do our thinking for us, and cause us to doubt the power of spiritual growth...or, who's kidding whom, the existence of God.

Really, this just boils down to the same-old-same-old: Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and all these things will be added unto you. There's my cheap shot of gratitude...my best thinking is speaking Biblically approved jargon. (Now, do it.)

Thank you.

LOVE AND LOVE ONLY

Morning blinding flash of the obvious: There is a reason why changing our mind is the hardest thing life will ever ask of us...the reason is because our ego always legislates for itself, a.k.a., me, and love legislates for the other. Which leaves the reasoning mind between the proverbial rock and a hard place...because it always legislates for me, too, but it knows better.

More and more I am knowing  that impersonal love is gut-bucket acceptance of everything that comes into our consciousness. In the silence, I see me giving over...unresisting...joyous...giving with both hands and my heart singing.

And then...my ego Lucy comes along, whispering words of personal love, I am right, s/he is wrong, it's not fair, why me? How long, oh Lord?

That's when I am knowing that which I am knowing is from my eyebrows up.

It is purely through grace that I am content that at least I've got it from my eyebrows up. Now the continuing discipline is to keep an attitude of gratitude and never cease seeking to bring it down to and through my heart, returning it to my Soul in order to set forth again.

I'll likely not get there till three days after I'm dead, or even in fourteen more lifetimes, but it makes no never mind to me when it happens...that it will happen is the promise I cling to, and it will happen if, as and when I follow the commandment to love and love only.

There it is...that's exactly how my nemesis du jour is my angel...becoming willing to love my nemesis is God's personal plan and gift for me...and you.

That's close enough to perfect for me.

Thank you.