Listen to Your Inner Voice

This month we have been featuring the creativity of members of our community and what a wide variety we have! Have you been going to our Facebook page to check out the variety of artists that we have? If not, now is a great time to do so. Of course, I remind you that the art that is featured represents only a small sample of the artistic endeavors in our Center. In addition to gifted photographers, painters, jewelers and teachers, we have a host of musicians, singers and song-writers. Our wonderful member Juli Isola has been posting the artwork on our Facebook page. She is an amazing artist herself.

Where does all this creativity come from? Well, it comes through each person as the individualized expression of the Divine that he or she is. Since there is only one Life, one causative impulse, why are these creations so different? I believe that we are individualizing the Creative Process through our unique talents and abilities, perceptions and context.

There may be a creative expression in you that is just waiting to blossom.

You may feel drawn to take up a new form of creative expression or re-visit an old one. What I know is that Spirit in you is timeless and is simply awaiting direction from you as to which direction to go.

In high school I memorized a stanza of Thomas Gray's epic poem, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."

I remember feeling the sadness that not all talent or beauty is discovered.
The stanza is:

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
         The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
         And waste its sweetness on the desert air. "

Now is the time to let your light shine. Listen to the inner voice and express yourself. Live out loud. 

I do not have any artistic expression to share with you but I wanted to share one of my favorite photographs by Juli Isola. Juli let me use this photo for a presentation I was doing on Faith. She captured it in this photograph.

Faith by Juli Isola

Your Responsibility to Thrive

Many of us were raised to believe that having our good would deprive others of their good. We were taught that we live in a world of limited resources. It may be true that the natural world has limited resources, but the creator of that world is unlimited. It seems to me that when we are living a principled life, we also need to remember to live a life that is an example of prosperity. I do not mean waste. I mean prosperity. I mean abundant living in every area of life.

What would prosperity look like in the area of  health? Do you know what you want? Before I started studying these principles, I often could answer what I DID NOT want. I was very clear about it. It was usually a long list of issues, problems and thinly-disguised complaints. I did not want to be sick. I did not want to struggle with debt. I did not want to have a spouse that couldn't be trusted. I did not want problems in my career.

Eventually I learned that the Universe cannot hear the word "not." It was as if I had been commanding the Universe to bring more of the things I did not want. When I look back at the results in my life, I see that there has been a perfect correlation between what I focused on and what came about. The more I focused on not wanting betrayal, mistrust, lack, poverty and deception, the more of it appeared in my life.

Finally, I learned to truly think about what I would love. I learned to focus on what I love as if it were happening right now. My heart was filled with gratitude and joy! Then my life started to look like I was living in paradise. (Of course, we ARE living in paradise now!)

How often do you ask yourself, what would I really love? 

This is the greatest, most powerful question anyone can ask: What would I love in the area of health? of relationships? of creative expression? of time and money freedom?

Once you have asked the question, listen to the answers. Write them all down. Some you might discard because upon reflection you don't really want that, but other things will surprise and delight you. When you have some awareness of what you want, write it as if you have already received it. Write it with energy and conviction.

It might sound something like this: I am so happy and grateful now that I am committed to honoring the health and well-being of my body and mind. I sleep soundly and  deeply; my sleep is restorative. I eat wholesome, nutritious foods in moderate amounts. I love to move my body and getting 10,000 steps a day is just a start. I get great joy from the many ways I am learning to keep my joints flexible and strong. I am so grateful for my toned body and smooth healthy, radiant skin. My real age is 20 plus years less than my biological age. there is a song in my heart and a smile on my face. My spiritual DNA is perfect, whole and complete. I am so happy to be alive now.

I am so happy and grateful now that my life is filled with love. I am so blessed to work with amazing, creative people who work in harmonious support of one another. I am so happy for my friends, old and new, with whom it is a joy to associate. I love hanging out with them. I love sharing fine meals together and I love celebrating them. I am so grateful for my sweet beloved intimate partner, who came into my life exactly at the right time! We love being together, every moment is one of joy!

I am so happy and grateful now that my ministry makes a huge difference in people's lives. I am grateful for the countless cases of physical, mental and emotional healing that have occurred by means of my prayers, my connection with Source. I am so happy and grateful for all the new ways I have been guided to make a difference in this world. I am so grateful for the wonderful beings who support our ministries, and that every ministry is flourishing! I am grateful for the energy of Spirit that moves through me each and every Sunday! I am grateful for the ever-increasing number of students who have sought me out to study with me.

I am so happy and grateful now that all my businesses are booming! What a joy it is to be financially free and able to contribute my financial wealth toward the advancement of Spiritual Living everywhere.

I am so happy and grateful now that my spiritual practices are continuously deepening.

And so it is!

Pure Joy! I am so happy & grateful being kissed by a Shepard!