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.