Summertime.. and the Living is

Last Wednesday night, Rev. Karyn Allen spoke on the topic "The Summer Soulstice." She purposely misspelled solstice beginning with "soul." Her message was about the soul of summer being the activities of freedom and joy that she loved.

For many of us as children, those lazy, hazy crazy days of summer were the times of our lives. They represented freedom, long days of unsupervised play, being with our friends without much restriction, relaxed diets, bike rides, and water activities. Rev. Karyn grew up in Dana Point so she had a perfect southern California summer. She could and did walk to the beach, spent hours at it, perfected her tan, ate tons of deep-fried zucchini, and checked out the cute surfers. 

Although I grew up thousands of miles away, many of her memories struck a chord in me too. As a child and a teenager, up until I got  a summer job, summer days were filled with joy. Our family shared a cabin with extended family at a small lake in southern Saskatchewan. The days seemed endless. Of course it was officially daylight until after 9:00 pm, and until July 14 there was no true night, because it was twilight right up to dawn. Of course there would be swimming, boating, canoeing until it was deep twilight. Then we would often light a bonfire on the beach in front of our cabin and enjoy a singalong and a marshmallow roast. How great we sounded as our voices carried across the still waters of the lake!

My favorite memories include being on top of our one-story cabin, attempting to perfect a tan, with my cousins and friends and with a dangerous mixture of baby oil and iodine! We thought we were so smart. Of course, tans made one look healthy and cute. Little did we know that we were courting aging skin and skin cancer in the future. My best friend was redheaded Lois Cole. Lois often vacationed with our family. The summer I remember most vividly was one in which she got severe burns. Every part of her back and shoulders were blistered. She was in great pain. My mom and my aunt sewed a towel jacket that they stuffed with used cold tea bags. It did relieve the pain. As far as I know, she never that got that burned again.

I loved to swim, dive and water ski. Even as  a child I was very buoyant and had no fear of the water. Skiing was exhilarating for a couple of reasons. One of them was named David, the boy who was teaching me to ski. Also for the rush of being able to stand up on the skis for the first time and to enjoy a ride around the lake.

As kids, we collected beer bottles to sell for spending money. (Our older cousin showed us all the good spots.) Then we would take the bottles to the local store and buy candy with our spoils. I always got licorice. Although now I prefer black licorice, then I loved the red vines.

For many years, even the smell of red licorice would bring scores of summer memories: the smells and sounds of the lake and the damp earth back of our cabin, motor boats, friendship, laughter, romance and joy! And the sound of a certain boy's voice teasing, "Devil or angel?" as he passed by on his motorboat. The soul of summer is evident in those happy care-free days.

What are your favorite memories of summer?

Waskesiu Lake  in Saskatchewan

Prosperity Plus for You and Me

I love great prosperity classes. Whether I am the facilitator, teacher or student these classes inspire me. My life changes and improves. I am more aware of what I am grateful for. I am more aware of the current abundance in my life.

One of the best prosperity teachers I know is Mary Manin Morrissey. She is clear, compelling and authentic. She has proven these principles in her life and shares her experiences and struggles. Mary is  a gifted story-teller. Within her stories are gems of transformation.

I will be facilitating Mary's course, Prosperity Plus II: Harnessing Your Invisible Power beginning June 20 for 10 weeks. There is still room in this class and I highly recommend it.

Mary uses Chinese bamboo for the symbol of this course. Chinese bamboo is an interesting plant. After planting the bamboo seed, if you take really good care of it the first year, carefully watering and fertilizing it, it grows one inch. It continues to grow one inch per year for four years. Then in the fifth year, if you take good care of it, it grows an amazing eighty feet in just six weeks. What exactly has it been doing for the first four years? It has been developing a strong and powerful root system, ready to support its massive growth.

In the student guidebook, Mary writes, "Our dreams are sometimes like Chinese bamboo. We may nurture them for what feels like a long time with very little signs on the outside that anything is happening. And then,continue to nurture our dream with patience and persistence,  declining to be discouraged, it is as if overnight, everything comes together and we find ourselves living the very life of which we dreamed."

The course is an experiment in more expansive living, giving each student the opportunity to experience new levels of abundance in every area of your life.

The first thing we get clear about is what would we really love. You will be invited to think about what would you love in terms of your health, your relationships, your vocation and your time and money freedom.

There is room in the class and materials available. Call the Center today to reserve your spot. Our number is 949-240-6463.

I

The Freedom of a Private Thought

The inherent nature of man is ever seeking to express itself in terms of freedom, because freedom is the birthright of every living soul. ~ Ernest Holmes 

A free society should not have private laws. Most of all we need a space to think a private thought, today that space has moved to the internet, with email, texts and blogs like this one. It is only in this space of freedom that we can come to know the Creator in our own private way. Please join me in contacting congress and asking them to support the freedom of thought, and the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Click here for more on todays action plan https://thedaywefightback.org/

https://thedaywefightback.org

The Gifts of Imperfection

What is real self worth? I am thinking about real self worth and how sometimes we don't feel very good about ourselves. Usually when I don't feel good about myself it is because I have judged myself harshly for making a mistake. Our Prosperity Plus Class is small and we all know each other since we have been together for seven weeks. This week I spent the whole evening calling one of the women students by the wrong name! We even had a lovely conversation about her family during our break. At the end of the class, when we said goodnight, both her boyfriend and another student corrected me. I felt really bad about myself. That evening and for the next few days the inner critic was berating me harshly. It was nonstop. What kind of teacher was I? What kind of person was I? The message I was giving myself was I am not enough. This is a spiritual lie. I made a mistake. People make mistakes dozens of times a day, especially if they are living in creativity and spontaneity.

Brene Brown says we are hard-wired to experience love and connection. I agree. It is the Spiritual Truth. The essence that we are is Love. Love seeks love and nothing else.

Yet when we seek to perform, perfect and please, we will do the opposite of connect. We will keep our distance. It is hard for a minister to give up trying to please everyone because the nature of our jobs is to provide spiritual resources to everyone who seeks them. However, trying to please everyone is a self-defeating, impossible task. My colleagues and I need to be true to ourselves so we can model for our members and friends the true grace and love that flows when we realize that we cannot please everyone, and begin to make choices that please ourselves.

One of my close friends says when there is a situation that might be uncomfortable, she puts on her mental and emotional armor and off she goes. I imagine, with head held high and heart and mind well-protected, like a knight from King Arthur's court. It has been a strategy that she has used successfully in the corporate environment. Another one of my friends says he has no armor. It is REALLY TRUE. His heart is open and he is vulnerable at all times. Often he is the first to weep in times of grief but also in times of joy and celebration. With him, I always feel comfortable telling the whole truth.

When I truly accept my imperfection or mistakes, go a step further and share that with someone, then I begin to feel joy and freedom, instead of feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

One of the ways you can check to see if you are choosing perfectionism, pleasing and performing over authenticity, check how often you say "yes" to something when you would rather have said "no." Too often we say "yes" when we mean "no" and we say "no" to things that would really make our hearts sing with a resounding "yes."

Here is something we can practice together. When you are asked to do something, take your time and ask yourself do I really want to do this? Or am I going to say "yes" out of a sense of obligation? Brown says: "Choose discomfort over resentment."

The gifts of imperfection are many and include more joy, more freedom, vibrant health, felling vitally alive and connection to the ones you love.

And So It Is! 

Are You Living in Freedom or the Prison of Your Mind?

As I sat last night watching fireworks from a balmy Southern California beach, Katy Perry's song, "Firework" was running through my head (lyrics below courtesy of: AZLyrics.com

What ran through  my head as we celebrated our freedom as a country is that, although we do have freedom to live the way we would like, most Americans do not live in freedom.

They are tied to jobs they dislike, they suffer from depression, anxiety, stress, they are unhealthy, overweight, in financial ruin; they truly live in a prison in their own minds.

As hard as this might be to hear, especially if you suffer from one of the challenges above, it is very easy to use blame or excuses to push away the fact that everything in our lives is created by us.

The freedom comes when we recognize that we have the freedom to change each circumstance with our thoughts and with affirmative prayer.

It's as simple as holding a vision for that very area of your life you'd like to change.  Feel what it would be like to let it go and accept something grander and more fulfilling.  Pray affirmatively expressing gratitude for already having it and watch it unfold in your life.

We have the freedom to re-create our lives, or any part of it, at any time.  

So, as I sat last night, I found one area of my life I have to change.  Today I prayed on it and then wrote this blog post knowing that in some way, that part of my life will start to change...today.  Today, let's celebrate our freedom.

Our freedom within to choose.  Our free will that allows us to express our greatest gifts.  Our freedom to "show 'em what you're worth!"

Katy Perry's "Firework" Lyrics:

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?
Scream but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colours burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

You don't have to feel like a wasted space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colours burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through-ough-ough

'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colours burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Happy Freedom Day!

Happy 4th of July! May it be a day of connection, appreciation, and celebration!

In 1776 the Declaration of Independence...
 "...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...."
         

In 2013 the Declaration of Inner-dependence...
"This is what I know is true: that there is only One. One life, one power, one source. Everything and everyone is an expression of this one that I call God.

Today as we celebrate our countries independence I am reminded of the freedom that I often take for granted. The freedom to say yes to my heart, my joy, my love. The freedom that I have to attend the spiritual center that I do without a thought or worry  about safety. The freedom to choose to be inner-dependent for me is remembering and trusting my inner voice. I am remind myself that as an inner-dependent person I allow the outside conditions of my life  to be the feedback of my inner thoughts, attitudes and beliefs. I turn to the truth that I know: that I Am Love, I Am Peace, I Am living in harmony with life and cooperating with the divine inner whisper that says yes, it is all good and all God.

Today as the family and friends of our nation gather together in celebration I am reminded of one of the best lessons that I was ever given and that is: "we come together to share what we have in common".

So today as we come together with family and friends in celebration of our freedom I am deeply moved by the power and presence of Love. For me it is this love that we come together to share.

I AM FREEDOM!

Declaration of Independence.

Upon graduation of Practitioner training at Agape International Spiritual Center in 1999, I received a bookmark with a declaration.  Each graduate received one intentionally for them.  I AM FREEDOM!  Right there all in capital letters, as if shouting at me, was in my hand.  This made perfect sense to me as I knew my journey was all about Freedom.

Many years later, after not visiting Agape for some time, I made my way back to the center to attend Sunday service.  In passing, Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith asked, “Are you Free yet?”  My response, “I’m working on it.”  Of course I was in awe, but not surprised, that he asked me the question.  Of the hundreds of people he encounters every Sunday, did he really know the quality that I was working on?

Since then, more demonstrations of connection, when my mind is completely free and clear, came to fruition.  With every example of Spirit working, I became more and more convinced of the power of Mind.  This being said, the attachment to the human self and the old beliefs still clamored for attention.  Silencing these thoughts is a journey of interesting perspective.  Looking outside myself, I found the ability to witness my life as if in a third person view.  Watching my life unfold through the removal of self allows Freedom to have way with less effort.

Immersing myself in total surrender through prayer is where I find the greatest sense of Freedom.  Allowing Spirit to move through me creates a physical shift in my body.  This in turn is followed by a mental shift.  In this practice the road to Freedom is within grasp.  Being bound by thoughts of unworthiness, regret, and unforgiveness, can create feelings of captivity.  To open up my mind to Freedom is to understand the boundless Self.  Thoughts create reality; reality is the out picturing of belief.  The spoken word of I AM FREEDOM resonates in my body to produce a powerful wave of release.

I declare my independence from thoughts that do not serve me.

I AM FREEDOM and live in the attitude of gratitude.

I breathe easy with a light heart, knowing the words that I speak are boundless expressions of Spirit.

Freedom feels good and I celebrate this day and every day the united states of being.

 

Happiness is the Gift of Letting Go

"In the space of letting go, she let it all be."

She Let Go
Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of fear.
She let go of judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her.
She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.
Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice.
She didn’t read a book on how to let go.
She just let go.
She let go of all the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn’t promise to let go.
She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.
She made no public announcement.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.
She just let go.
She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.
She didn’t utter one word.
She just let go.
No one was around when it happened.
There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her.
No one noticed a thing.
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t bad.
It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be.
A small smile came over her face.
A light breeze blew through her.
And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.
Here’s to giving ourselves the gift of letting go…
There’s only one guru ~ you.

~ Dr. Ernest Holmes

Get Out And Vote!!!

"The destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits--not animals." ~ Winston Churchill

Isolation Is Not Freedom

Stick figures participating in the "Releasing Prayer." More tools for transformation.

In this month of July Freedom has been the theme. Last week we heard from Reverend Heather on the topic "Partaking of Your Perfection." So when Dr. Heather shared this tidbit in her Sunday address I immediately tweeted it out as it resonated with me.

"When we try to be perfect we put up shields, perfection is different from perfectionism."

I thought of how in my desire to shield myself from criticism I have often chose to isolate myself. This form of "shielding" has taken many forms but none have given me the freedom I desired.

Because what I am learning is that Freedom is in forgiveness and we need to practice it every day.

Forgiving yourself being the most important forgiveness of all.

Cause I'm free to do what I want any old time ...

Let Freedom Ring!

They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong. There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right. Winston Churchill said that "the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits-not animals." And he said, "There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty." - Ronald Wilson Reagan

Let Freedom Ring!