Spiritual Conspiracy

"I affirm that every action I take, every situation I experience, every word I speak and every thought I have is a reflection of my faith that the Universe is conspiring for my good!" Rev. Brian Akers

What a magnificent affirmation! This is the affirmation for Sunday, May 22, 2016. I love it. It calls me to action. It calls me to ensure that my life reflects it in everything, that the words and the music go together, are in alignment with each other. It is an affirmation of truth.

Sometimes it is difficult to see that conspiracy. Today was one of those days. I decided to TAKE my application for naturalization up to Santa Ana rather than put it in the mail. Even though my first idea was to simply go to the post office here. That would have been the fastest and most direct route. But instead, I drove up to Santa Ana with my GPS constantly telling me to take the next exit. (I had instructed the GPS at an earlier time to give me a route without any freeways.) It was simply obeying the latest command it had from me.

That program is just like our subconscious mind that only knows how to obey the command. It doesn't evaluate it. It doesn't and can't change it. Our conscious mind is the only power that can decide. When we decide we can see that the Universe is conspiring for us.

The other aspect which is also part of the  demonstration was when I got to the Civic Center Plaza, driving right by the Federal Building, I did not notice the number on the building. Of course, it was the building I was looking for. However, not seeing the number prompted me to take  a stroll around the Civic Center and beyond. I walked for about 20 minutes,the length of time of my intended morning walk. Although I had dress shoes on and not walking shoes, the Universe was conspiring to help me achieve my daily goal.

The point is that no matter what we are experiencing, our experiences are always a reflection of our consciousness, not our wishes or hopes. Knowing that the Infinite Presence of Life lies within you, what can you choose today to think, to speak and to know?

One of the many vocalists whom we lost too early was John Denver. One of my favorite Denver songs is "It's About Time." In 2012 a Christian church together a video for Earth Day in 2012 featuring his song and some very moving images. I am sad to say I can't share it with you but you can see it by searching "Earth Day Video-John Denver-It's About Time."

When we are in harmony with Divine Mind, we begin to create beauty, joy and prosperity for all beings.

"It's about time, and it's about changes and it's about time."

The Power of Decision

In his  thought-provoking book, The Power of Decision, author Raymond Charles Barker writes:

"The individuals ability to act unintelligently in a universe of Intelligence is amazing. Unintelligence functioning in human consciousness produces wrong decisions, people limit themselves with sickness, financial strain, family quarrels, and frustration, all of which are unnecessary. The power to make right decisions are yours...a healthy mind will cease making erroneous decisions......The infinite Mind could not act unintelligently...Cause is never indecisive, never disturbed, and never defeated"

Since we are made in the image and likeness of this Cause, our minds were created as an instrument of Divine Mind. 

The unintelligent factors are worry, fear, hate, and resentment. We could include all negatives. God is undisturbed by our wrong decisions.

Because God does not take anything personally, a new, right thought will start a new train of causation.

Some people were brought up to believe that they needed to worry in order to be a good parent!

The opposite is really true. Worrying is wrong thinking and will actually magnetize what is feared into manifestation.

Wouldn't it be  better to think hopeful thoughts? positive thoughts? helpful thoughts?

Some people will say that just isn't realistic. But what is Reality? If reality is a Universal Mind that creates out of any impress made upon it, then positive thoughts are working in alignment with Reality. 

It may feel awkward. If may feel impractical to be affirming your intelligence when you seem to have evidence to the contrary.

I like Louise Hay's advice, 

"Say to yourself 300-400 times  a day, 'I approve of myself.'" 

When you establish a firm belief in your own self-acceptance, the possibilities are endless.

What I have recently noticed about myself is that it is very easy to choose anger instead of love. I found myself talking to a trusted friend about un-chosen changes in my life. I started feeling angry. How absurd! I am the creator of all my experiences -- whether planned or unplanned. From this moment on, I am deciding to think intelligently, lovingly and wisely. I approve of myself and give you room to approve of yourself too.

Replacing Old Patterns

“There are only patterns, patterns on top of patterns, patterns that affect other patterns. Patterns hidden by patterns. Patterns within patterns. If you watch close, history does nothing but repeat itself. What we call chaos is just patterns we haven't recognized. What we call random is just patterns we can't decipher. What we can't understand we call nonsense. What we can't read we call gibberish. There is no free will. There are no variables.” ― Chuck Palahniuk, Survivor

When I read the above quote, I had a disturbing, yet eye opening realization about the adverse consciousness that plagues the minds of some, the idea that we have no choice in the way we live our lives or have any effect on the outcome of anything we do. I think Chuck was inferring that we are stuck in a continuous cycle of chaos, random occurrences and predictability, if that makes any sense at all. Maybe “Survivor” was tougher on him than it should have been. Well, I’m here to tell you what I think, if you even care to listen. Well, if you’re reading this, you’re probably at least a little open to what I have to say, yes?

Indeed, there are patterns and fractals occurring naturally in the world and there are repeated occurrences of historical and other events that have been witnessed and recorded. However, our minds are one of the most powerful things we have, and it has the power to change patterns, to change lives, and to change the world, if we so choose. As long as we continue believing and engaging in old patterns, nothing will change. But if we mindfully choose to replace our old patterns with new life affirming ones, we can have new and better experiences.

Each choice we make affects the lives of not only ourselves but also those around us, and those around them, and so on, and so on… We do have free will (a gift given to us humans from the Universe) and there are infinite variables. It is us who possesses the free will and we are the infinite variables, and that would include you too, Chuck. So, don’t get discouraged. Just remember that a new experience is simply a new thought or a new pattern away.

On Sunday, April 26th at the Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley, four of our ministers will be answering questions from the audience regarding Replacing Old Patterns. So, if you’d like to engage in this conversation, come on down at 10:30am and inquire within. See you then!

submitted by Rev. Karyn Allen

Some People See Squares
Some People See A Wave

Self Appreciation

" There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance;that imitation is suicide;"     Ralph Waldo Emerson

These immortal words in Emerson's essay on Self-Reliance  are just as true today as they were 150 years ago when they were written.

Yet in our current culture we are encouraged to compare ourselves with air-brushed 30-year -old models and to value ourselves by our possessions. Television and print media show us perfect, happy people, perfectly dressed and coiffed,  driving the newest cars. The message is clear that we too can be happy, good-looking and well-dressed if we ...

Nothing could be further from the spiritual truth.

Since the spiritual truth is that we are creative beings, made in the image and nature of Creator, there is absolutely no good reason to imitate or to feel envious! As creative being, our lives are limited only by our imaginations. If we want a certain quality or outcome, we learn to accept it as ours in mind. We learn to treasure the gift of creativity within ourselves.

This is a lesson I have been learning for many years.

When I was a school-age child, I envied my best friend Lois, who always seemed to wear the latest styles in shoes. My parents took our family to a special shoe store, where our feet were carefully measured for the year's sensible shoes. While my friend was wearing penny loafers, I was stuck with saddle shoes. I hated those shoes. they were so old-fashioned! I definitely envied my friend, whose parents let their children buy the shoes in fashion. There were many times that i would have gladly traded my strict stodgy parents for hers. 

During my early-teen years, i was a typically rebellious kid, strong-willed. Some might say stubborn. However, the rebelliousness did not lead me to be an independent thinker. It led me to follow the trends of the day, and to imitate the current Hollywood stars.

Now I can see how blessed I was to have the parents I had, for encouraging me to think for myself and for loving me through all the changes and phases of my life. Ironically, now I think that those saddle shoes were kind of cute.

Saddle Shoes like the ones I had to wear

 

Cute Penny Loafers

You Can't See Them But I likely was Wearing Saddle Shoes

You Have Options With Dr. David Ault

Dr. David Ault

This Sunday the amazing Rev. Dr. David Ault will be speaking at our Center on the topic "You Have Options." I am very excited about it. He is a powerful speaker and a loving presence. When times are tough it is good to remember who you are and that you always have options. Choose to attend this Sunday. You will be glad you did.

I have been a fan of David's for a long time, maybe thirty years. Before David was called to pulpit ministry, he was a sought-after singer. The lyrics of his songs had a way of melting hearts, opening minds and bringing hope. I first heard David when he was a member of the group Alliance, who toured with Louise Hay while she was doing her healing work with AIDS victims. In those days, a diagnosis of HIV positive was a death sentence. There was a great deal of fear and hopelessness not only in the afflicted communities but in our culture in general. I remember having a long conversation with our school nurse when I was working in a high school. Her vision for the future was dire ... the human race was going to extinguish itself through hormones and unprotected sex.Thank goodness that is not the case.

Louise Hay and Alliance brought hope to those men and women who were dying alone, shunned by their family and friends.The musicians were pioneers in visionary music; music that opened our hearts and gave us hope; music that reminded us that we are more than our problems, our bodies, our broken hearts, that we are infinite, beautiful spiritual beings.

Alliance's signature song was Jai Joseph's "I Love Myself the Way I Am." Their harmonies were exquisite and lyrics were words of truth that resonated with our souls.

I love myself the way I am, 
there’s nothing I need to change 
I’ll always be the perfect me 
there’s nothing to rearrange 
I’m beautiful and capable 
of being the best me I can 
And I love myself just the way I am

 These timeless lyrics were some of the first visionary, metaphysical lyrics, sung in many New Thought centers around the world. Now thanks to songwriters like Karen Drucker, Daniel Nahmod, Rickie Byars Beckwith, Allendale and a host of others we have many profoundly meaningful songs to take us deeper into the mystery and majesty that we are. One of my favorites was recorded by David Ault in 2005, entitled "I'm Here To Remind You." It is a moving, powerful heartfelt song. I am attaching the video . Take a little time to view it. You will be happy you did. After all, my job is to remind you of your magnificence!