Honoring Mother Earth

This coming Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day!

National Geographic WILD wants you and me to see what a wonderful world we live in.

Maybe if we have more appreciation for our Mother Earth we will take better care of her.
We, as a species, have not been doing a very good job so far.

Did you know that plastics were invented in 1907? It seems that they have been around forever.

So here we are celebrating 100 years of the Science of Mind and 101 years of living with plastics.

When I was a kid, plastics bags were regularly re-used. My mom and grandmother could see how useful they were for storing food and taking lunches to school. We would wash and dry them, then turn the bags inside out and with a clothes pin hang them on the line. Later when I was a young, newly-married woman I took for granted all the time-saving conveniences. I was a typical consumer. When the lids no longer fit my plastic containers, I would throw them in the trash. (That was before we learned about recycling.) I believed that there would always be enough room in the dump and besides which we regularly burned our household trash. Throwing a "good" plastic bag was unthinkable unless it was unusable.

Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.

However, plastics is a huge issue. The story of three plastic bottles below:

After watching a few videos about plastics, I am committed to start refusing when I am offered any kind of plastic from bags and bottles to cups and clothing. I may need to recycle my tennis shoes. I already take reusable bags with me when I am shopping.

I also intend to watch the National Geographic Special on Sunday night so I can be reminded of the beautiful world in which we live.

I intend to be better at the commandment to honor my mother.

Where in the World is She?

I am preparing to fly to Costa Rica for my nephew's wedding. I am very excited and feel blessed and honored to officiate. This is the third nephew who has asked me to be part of the wedding party. Each one has been different. I love weddings. I love to be part of them. I believe the vows a couple makes to one another are sacred and one can always feel God's presence wherever there is Love.

My first experience, only a year into ministry, was my oldest nephew. I was asked to play piano for the wedding. (I guess that my ministerial consciousness had not fully blossomed.) I took my responsibilities very seriously. I have never practiced so much for anything! I think my rehearsal time was approximately 120 hours for a seven-minute gig plus prelude and postlude. 

The second wedding was a few years later and I was asked to participate jointly with the local minister. Both of those weddings had taken place in Saskatoon, Canada. 

This time, I was asked to officiate and I am thrilled. it has been such fun to envision my nephew and his fiance repeating their promises to each other in such an exquisite setting.When I talked to them about marriage, they both declared to be each other's best friend. I think this is a great place to start! their wedding invitation includes this quote from A.A. Milne's , Winnie the Pooh:

"'Well be friends forever, won't we, Pooh?'  asked Piglet"
"'Even longer,' Pooh answered." 

 Longer than forever is exactly the right length of time to commit to love one another; it is exactly how long we are all loved by the Divine Presence.

This will be my first trip to Costa Rica. I hear it is beautiful.The wedding will take place at the Dreams Las Mareas Resort. The pictures of the resort are spectacular! This is the first destination wedding in which I have participated. (I think that is ironic, since we LIVE in a destination spot!)

I am really going to take a vacation. So although I might peak at email or texts, I do not plan to be available. That does not mean I don't love you. I do!

I will see you all on the 10th of April.

Until then, please bless the happy couple Ryan John Mitchell Clark and his fiance, Anra Lee. They will be getting married on the beach overlooking the ocean at 4:00 PM on April 5, 2016.

Anra Lee and Ryan Clark

So Much to Be Grateful For

I love this video. The images are stunning by photographer Louis Schwrtzberg and the old man is Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk. He talks about how each day, each moment is a gift to us. I do not know who the little girl is but her very human actions of having an irresistible urge make the video even more heart-warming and authentic. I hope you like it as much as I do. 

This year take a moment to really look at the beauty around you. Look into the eyes of your friends and family. See and appreciate their unique beauty. Look at your environment. Feel the blessings that are yours. Whether you live in Southern California or any other place, notice the great beauty that surrounds you. Either by choice or chance you ended up living where you are. Give thanks for that. Give thanks for your health and for life itself. If you are blessed to be enjoying Thanksgiving with friends or family, be thankful for those precious beloved beings. Give thanks for your  mind with which you perceive beauty or ugliness. Give thanks for your ability to choose. Everything you are grateful for increases. Be grateful for the food you eat and for all the people who brought it to your table.

I am so grateful for my life. I am grateful for the work I have been privileged to do ministering to a wonderful community in San Clemente. I am grateful for consciousness that surrounds me with ministers and practitioners who truly practice the principles of a grateful life. I am grateful for the abundance of talented musicians whose gifts uplift and bless me. I am grateful for my experiences -- all of them, for without any one of them I would be a different person. I am grateful for my call to ministry, for that Spirit of God that guides and comforts me.

I am grateful for you. May this Thanksgiving be an experience of joy, gratitude and transformation for you.

The State of Presence

What are the moments that take your breath away? When the light falls on leaves in a certain way, I am acutely aware of the beauty of nature. When I hear music that stirs my soul, I see beauty; when I hear the poetry of David Whyte or Mary Oliver, something awakens.

"Beyond the beauty of the external forms, there is more here; something that cannot be named, something ineffable, some deep, inner, holy essence. Whenever and wherever there is beauty, this inner essence shines through somehow. It only reveals itself to you when you are present. Could it be that this nameless essence and your presence are one and the same? Would it be there without your presence? Go deeply into it. Find out yourself." 

Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, pp 96-97

I first traveled to Southern California in May of 1993.  A stunning tree, unknown to me as a Canadian, was flowering everywhere. I had never before seen a tree that was entirely flowers -- the beautiful Jacaranda. I was high on life, beginning the next part of my life as a senior minister. There was beauty everywhere.

The second part of the quote is very important. The beauty to which we are responding is the Presence of the Divine in us.  This is vastly important. By being still, by letting the chatter stop, we touch the Thing Itself, the beloved within.

This Thing is magnificent! It is breath-taking! Take a moment today and appreciate the wonder that YOU are.  Don't think about it. Just let the sacred self within bedazzle you.

Poet John Keats wrote Ode to a Grecian Urn in the  early 1800's and said:

'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

We Don't Cry Because We're Sad

"The moment we cry in a film is not when things are sad but when they turn out to be more beautiful than we expected them to be." - Alain de Button

The Sky Does Not Rain From Sadness 

A Place Called Home

I have lived in many places from the tiny rural villages I was raised in, to cosmopolitan cities. Each one has a special place in  my heart.

When I knew I was being called to southern California, I was living in Calgary, Alberta. Calgary is a great city, close to the mountains. I has a view of the mountains (on a clear day) from the window of a junior high school classroom. I first came to California in May of 1993. The weather in San Diego was welcoming and warm. Everywhere there were palm trees. (Some of you know that I saw palm trees in my long term vision back in 1985.)
But the most surprising tree was the jacaranda trees. I had never seen a tree bloom in color before.

Last May I took some pictures of jacaranda trees.

Laguna Niguel Jacaranda

There are so many exquisite plants and trees here. I trust that we all remember to be open to their beauty. 

The trees are phenomenal but it is really the people I remember.

The cute surfer in Hawaii, sitting under a tall palm tree on the beach in Waikiki,who I returned to see many times. 

The wonderful men and women in my first center in beautiful Bonita, who helped me establish myself as a teacher and speaker.

The wonderful men and women here in San Clemente who continuously call me to my greatness, who share their hopes and dreams with me, and who remind me to rise to my higher self.

What surrounds you? What vegetation reminds you that you are home?

Beauty Is My Religion What is Yours?

Beauty Is My Religion

I love being a minister. The reason that I love it so much is because I get to teach Spiritual Truth. I have always been in constant awe of anyone that has connected the dots between their humanity and their own personal Divinity. Yes I did say Divinity.

We have all heard the expression “We are Divine Beings having a Human Experience” right. Well the real truth is that we are in Human Form Now and there is no escaping that reality as long as we are alive on this planet. Until I can prove to you that we all return to our Divine nature in the end, you may have to wait another 30-40 years for the evidence.

As human beings it is essential that that we have Spiritual Tools to help us navigate our way around this place called earth. In all honesty, having Spiritual Tools is not a requirement of humanity. You can certainly live your life without them. But, I promise you if you have them and use them, your life will be so much easier. LIFE IS ALWAYS BETTER WITH SPIRITUAL TOOLS. All the great Religions have provided us with some sort of road map as to how to do this.

Some examples of these tools are Meditation to quiet the “Monkey Mind” that tells us everything that is wrong with us and not what is right with us or our world. Some individuals chant to raise their vibrational connection to God. We practice Forgiveness to heal ourselves from hurts that was caused by others. Practicing Gratitude reminds us all of what we have and not what we want. Children teach us about patience and what looking into a mirror feels like. To me these tools are as essential as breathing is to our existence.

I have added a new tool to my Spiritual Tool Belt and I call it Beauty. ‘Why’ you may ask. Its very simple. The Science of Mind Teaches us that our words and thoughts have power. If that is the case then I must be in charge of my life. Right? Whatever I think about I bring about.Right? So If I am really in charge of my life then I would want every thought that I have and BELIEVE IN to be of my choosing. I want to control what I let into my consciousness, what books I read, what movies I watch, what people I hang out with, who I love, how often I love and how I give back to my world. You can see where I am going with this.

The moment that I invite Beauty into my life I have chosen to make a space for it in my world. I have no choice now but to see the world through new eyes. It cannot be any other way. The Universe must respond to my intentions ( Can you see the Law of Attraction taking place here?) Since I have made a space for Beauty to enter my awareness, it must rush in to fill the void that was created when I eliminated anything that was not Beauty.

By Inviting in Beauty, my life begins to slow down. I begin to see details , connections, patterns, shapes, colors, appreciations and my connection to the Universe like never before. I am now the creator of my life. I get to choose HOW I WANT LIFE TO BE and no longer accept It as it is. Once I have experienced the beauty of our planet through my new experiences I can never go back to a life is less than that.


I challenge you to invite Beauty into your life for just one week…... I challenge you to let Spiritual Truth teach you to see your world with new eyes…… I challenge you to comment about it on this blog…… Let others know what new beautiful things have shown up in your life because you have declared it so…..

And So it Is!

Rev Arpad is an ordained Minister with the Center For Spiritual Living. He is a gifted Photographer, Speaker and Spiritual Teacher. He may be contacted at Arpad Petrass

ONCE UPON A LIFETIME

To my spiritual family...

There is no closing door that can refuse Life nothing that can staunch Its movement.

It has forever been a river whose origin is Divine and it flows inexorably back to that Ocean.

Once upon a lifetime I believed I could hold each moment as an exquisite jewel, that the Universe was no longer expanding, and I expounded as a child, without vision or clarity.

I swam against the tides and waves and currents until, exhausted, my battered soul washed up on the shore of this blessed place and here I saw the face of Peace.

Even then did I still clutch at the smoke and sand that was my warped remembering.

I held in my hand the priceless pearl with only the merest glimmering of recognition.

Something pulled my consciousness and pushed me to pursue the connection between thought and that which is thought of; in that process I discovered Love.

This was, and continues to be an unfoldment that has no real beginning, and it is the thread of an infinite tapestry that has no borders.

As it unfurls, my world grows ever greater.

Every corner turned is an adventure for me now.

I sail through storms and float in waking dreams knowing that all uncertainty is spoken for by the Mind and Power that has gifted me with life.

Now do I see that wall, once formidable and tall is an ever-opening portal to the real Thing, and every answer I seek, when found, begs another question, forever and ever.

My realization is that explanations explain nothing and that the voyage to knowledge and wisdom is endless, that the impermanence of human life makes it all the sweeter.

And the only thing of true import in this temporality is Love Itself.

And here I have found that Love in forms and ideas, in people, and in the inspired doing that is music.

It is the compassion and caring that carries all lovers through.

It is the force of creation that makes all things new.

This is my home; this the well from which I draw that which quenches me.

This is my family; you are the ones who lift me from my darkness.

And these are they who gently hold my love, that I will not fly away.

God is here, and all of you are His face and Her grace.

-Written by Rick Dale, Singer/Songwriter/Poet

"Exuberance is beauty." ~ William Blake

My week has been filled with youthful exuberance; visiting a brand new Icelandic horse and spending time with my beautiful granddaughter!  What a blessing and a beautiful reminder of the vitality of life.

I invite you to see the beauty this week in the lavish vigor that is all around you.

PRACTICE MAKES THE MASTER

PRACTICE MAKES THE MASTER

On Wednesday night, Rick Dale and I had the blessed opportunity to share an inspiration talk entitled, Practice Makes The Master.  This title came from a quote I heard from author and Toltec teacher, Don Miguel Ruiz, which states, “Practice makes the master. It's not about learning; it's about taking action and practicing your art (your art, meaning everything you create in your life).  As an artist, if you practice love and you keep practicing and practicing, the moment comes when everything you do is an expression of your love.  How will you know when you have mastered love?  When the story you tell yourself is an ongoing romance.”

I LOVE that...when the story you tell yourself is an ongoing romance!

So, we decided to share some simple daily practices which could be instrumental for just about anyone to experience an ongoing romance with life.  

• Practice Love--Share your love through Love Lingual:  quality time, touch, words of affirmation, receiving gifts, or service to others.
• Practice Silence--Get quiet, even if it's just for just a few minutes during the day to allow Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Peace to move through you.
• Practice Gratitude--Ponder someone for whom you are truly grateful and write them a note to let them know how much they mean to you.
• Practice Balance--Balance your life between work, rest and play.  Take the time to rest, even if it means missing out on something else.  Your body and mind with thank you.
• Practice Saying "No!"--Say, "No" to what is not working in your life and say, "Yes!" to a greater idea that does serve you.
• Practice Joy/Fun--Even if you're not feeling the joy, go out and find some fun to be had, even if you have to go to a playground and swing.  It can change your whole physiology and your attitude.

These are just a few basic ideas that can help you experience an ongoing romance with life and so easy to implement.  As Rick stated at the end, "Court life; light some candles; take Life out on a date; treat It with LOVE!"

PS.  I have to say that the pinnacle of the evening for me was watching my beloved 16 year old daughter get up in front of everyone and sing the song, "There Is Only Love".  Her raw (untrained) talent shone through and moved us all to tears.  Click on this link to hear the sweetness: 

Do You Have the Power to Stop God?

Have you ever denied your identity? When I watch one of my favorite musicals, Les Miserables, I am always moved by the goodness of the protagonist, Jean Val Jean. He was a man who was cruelly and brutally incarcerated for stealing a loaf of bread. Released from prison after nineteen years of unjust punishment, he was bitter and angry. He was shunned by everyone he met except for a kindly man of God.

 "Bishop Welcome" as he was known by the people in his area, not only treated Jean Val Jean with kindness,giving him food, clothing and a place to sleep. The Bishop told him he was in God's house and was welcome, treating the former prisoner with respect and brotherly love. Val Jean still hardened from his treatment in jail, stole several expensive pieces of silver from the Bishop. When the gendarmes caught him and took him back to the Bishop, the Bishop told them that the pieces were a gift from him and insisted that he take even more.

 This generous action transformed Jean Val Jean. He made a new life for himself. He was a just and fair man who was still being hunted by Inspector Javert for changing his identity. The clip shows Jean Val Jean's inner struggle when another man was mistaken for Val Jean. He comes to the conclusion, that he must do the right thing, even if it means going back to prison. 

One of the greatest pieces of advice ever given, is found is the play Hamlet, when Polonius is talking to his young son.He advises, "To thine own self be true." What great advice especially if we know who we really are. 

Many years ago, when I was starting out on my spiritual path, I attended a spiritual personal development course, called On Course. During the course, the facilitators, Michael and Paulette Sun, helped people realize their inherent goodness, their infinite possibilities, their God nature. Filled with compassion, I was flooded with tears with each person's awakening. 

Then Michael came to me and asked quietly, "You really see the goodness, truth and beauty in all of these people don't you Heather?" I nodded. 

He went on, "You see that each one is a powerful God being filled with God qualities.?"Again I agreed. 

Then he said, "But you don't really feel that you are worthy, lovable and capable, do you?" I agreed again. 

Then he said, "Do you know how arrogant that is?" I was dumfounded! Tender-hearted me, being accused of being arrogant!I looked at him speechlessly. I had no idea what he meant. 

He went on, "You believe that you are the one human being, on the entire planet, who is separate from God! You are strong enough to stop the Creator of the Universe from doing what It does! You stop it from being God in you!" 

 Something in me, heard him with new ears. I got it. My shoulders dropped. I felt filled with Peace. I was transformed. His honesty and perception gave me a gift greater than silver candlesticks; he gave me  a glimpse at my true identity.

Who am I? I am Heather Dawn Clark, made in the image of Truth, Beauty and Good. Who do you think you are?

Namaste

Finding Beauty in Messy Family Life

In our busy family lives, how often do we take a moment to honor the beauty around us.

Last night, snuggled in bed, I flipped through my copy of Simple Abundance and was drawn to the essay from January 18 titled Beauty: Opening Our Eyes to the Beauty That Surrounds Us.

Sarah Ban Breathnach writes:

"Gaze into the faces of those you love, set the table with care, and relish the preparations you make for dinner, delighting in the presentation of your meal. Light candles, pour wine or sparking water into your prettiest goblets and celebrate this new awareness. It is in the details of life that beauty is revealed, sustained and nurtured."

Don't you just breathe a little deeper reading this? Doesn't it sound so lovely and peaceful?

It doesn't say:

"Grab what you can out of the fridge. Throw together something they will eat, regardless of its nutrition. Yell at everyone to come to the table. Fight with preschooler to eat. Remind teens to put their knees down and receive an eye roll in return. Gobble down what's on your plate. Then clean up as fast as possible to get homework finished, dishes done, and kids bathed. And, to maintain your sanity and patience, drink an extra glass of wine."

Hmmm...I see room for improvement. I do have to say, that occasionally we stop before eating and do the blessing Rev. Pattie teaches the kids in the Center's Kids Day Out Program. In case you don't know it, it goes like this:

Hand up.
Hands down.
Breathe (take a long satisfying deep breath)
Breathe again (that felt so good we do it again)
Thank you for our food (said together) 

Every time we do that before our meal, it slows us down just enough and usually invites more conversation.

So for today, I intend to slow down, light some candles, set the table, drink out of my beautiful crystal and pray. And when I can't find the beauty or even the peace, God grant me the ability to see the humor and laugh.

What do you do to honor the beauty in your busy life? How do you slow down? Share it with me. As you can see, I could use inspiration.