What Affirmative Prayer Is and Is Not

Every Sunday Dr. Heather states, "The most powerful spiritual practice we know is Spiritual Mind Treatment or Affirmative Prayer." And, she invites the congregation to see a practitioner, either one in service on Sunday, or by contacting any of our enlightened practitioners. But what really is affirmative prayer? What can we expect from our time with a practitioner in communion with this mental science?

Here is a brief overview of what treatment is not and what it is taken from the Science of Mind 102 class 1 study guide.

And, if after reading this you are ready for your own prayer, visit our website prayer pages to read a prayer or request one personalized for you.

What Affirmative Payer Is and Is Not

Treatment is not...Manipulating or coercing people or events to bring about some personally desired change.

Treatment is...Consciously clearing away the grime of false beliefs from a condition to reveal the Truth that was always there.

Treatment is not...Attempting to "reach" God. God is already here, always, within and around me.

Treatment is...Being still and knowing that God is here, letting the Presence be so clearly felt that I can realize and declare the Spiritual Truth of any situation.

Treatment is not...Putting my own will power into changing a condition; trying to overcome God's "reluctance" to correct the apparent "wrong."

Treatment is...Allowing God's Power to flow through me into manifestation of the Truth, without hindrance from my false beliefs.

Treatment is not...Disallowing other forms of healing, such as medicine, surgery, psychiatry, diet, etc.

Treatment is...Accepting that every new discovery in medical fields is as much a revelation of Universal Wisdom as a new interpretation of life.

Treatment is not...Attempting to exert spiritual control of the material universe, as though they were separate entities.

Treatment is...Understanding that mind in essence and mind in form are one and the same; hence, there is no difference in essence between my thought and what it becomes.

Treatment is not...Thinking that the one treating is doing the healing, can be called a "healer."

Treatment is...Realizing that the words I speak in treatment are only channels for the flow of Spirit that is tapped by the consciousness back of my words.

Treatment is not...Denying that a person is sick. Illness and suffering do exist in human experience.

Treatment is...Realizing that since a human being is the Substance of Life, there is a perfect Spiritual idea within every individual, no matter what they are experiencing, and this Truth can be realized and declared.

Treatment is not...Persuading God to "change His mind" or suspend the Universal Laws on my behalf.

Treatment is...Allowing myself to realize and declare the Spiritual Truth about myself and the condition being treated.

Excerpt from SOM-102 Class Study Guide Class 1 page 3

Sixteen Weeks to Transformation

I love the Science of Mind. It has changed my life for the better for over 35 years.

I love teaching the Science of Mind.  In 1994, as a fairly new minister, I was asked to join our organization's Board of Education. I was excited to sit in meetings with some very knowledgeable

colleagues, including Dr. David Walker, Dr. Arleen Bump, Dr. Jackie Belzano, and Dr. Sandy Jacob. Then I was further honored to be part of a small curriculum creation committee, consisting of Dr. David Walker, Dr. Kennedy Shultz and Rev. Chris Michaels. Both Dr. Walker and Dr. Shultz had served as president of our organization. I had become  a minister in 1992. To say that I was a little intimidated would be an understatement. The three men were friends and loved to snipe at each other but they were always respectful of me. We did some great work together. For many years, our organization offered the curriculum we wrote as the first year of studies. After a long hiatus of 6 years, I am going to offer it again this year, beginning April 3, 2018. We used to offer these courses as 8-week stand-alone courses, but in order to have equivalency with our new 10 to 12 week foundation curricula we needed to offer the first two courses, so this course will be 16 weeks. I am inviting you to consider it; you will be so grateful you did.

The first part of the course is "The Spiritual Path" and introduces the metaphysical student to the basics of spiritual study including affirmation, meditation, and prayer. In addition to the basics, there are some great activities and processes which anyone can incorporate into their daily practices. During that eight weeks, the students will learn spiritual mind treatment/affirmative prayer.

The next part of the course continues to emphasize prayer and is titled "The Nature of Effective Prayer." This is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. When we change the consciousness of a thing, we change the entire experience of it. For example, before studying Science of Mind I would often take a victim mind-set when it came to illnesses. Like many people I had two or three colds a year. I was subject to the race consciousness of a "flu" season. Since then, I have come to understand that nothing happens to me, everything happens through me, by means of me. This is a powerful idea.

If everything comes through me, I must allow or invite the idea of  "flu" into my life. As I mentioned  a couple of blogs ago, rarely is the thing we are experiencing a result of thinking about the illness. In other words, I didn't get a cold because I thought about "colds;" but rather, when we feel stressed and overextended, we can let a 'flu" or "cold" into our lives.

• We will learn to pay attention to our thoughts, and make intelligent, self-supporting changes to our thoughts and feelings.
• We will learn to write and use powerful affirmations which will start the creative process by planting a new idea.
• And we will learn to meditate. By getting still and being comfortable with silence, we will more ably hear the voice for God within ourselves.

People's lives will be transformed. People who are senior students, those who have taken foundation courses many times before, will heighten their awareness of self. And those people who take the class as their very first step down the spiritual path will awaken to their own inner magnificence. People make life-long friendships in Science of Mind classes. You will learn to pray for other people as well as yourself. There is so much good for you... and you ought to have it!

I would love to see YOU at class. Tuesdays, beginning April 3rd at 6:30 pm. For credit: $240 or love offering.

What Good Emerges From Awakened Awareness

Calm at Sunset

I have  a new app on my phone called Calm. It has a short sweet meditation for the morning and  a bedtime story for the evening. I was doubtful about listening to a story to help go to sleep but it seems to work for me. ( I admit I was skeptical. My usual experience of watching or listening to a story would be one of being more fully engaged -- definitely not getting ready to drift off to dreamland.) However, it worked for me. The stories have been mostly descriptions and the readers' voices have been calming. This morning I discovered another part to the app called a Masterclass. It is taught by Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist from the University of Massachusetts and Director of the Center for Mindfulness. (I think he created this app.) Listening to the Masterclass on Breaking Habits was an  informative start to my day.  Although Dr. Brewer was not talking about anything brand new to me, he used intriguing language and examples that caused me to pay close attention.

The principles he was teaching were basic meditation techniques, but because I was hearing it from a different angle, I heard different possibilities. 

Some of the ideas that inspired me include : being curious, observing what you are thinking and feeling, stepping out of fear-based behaviors, noticing body sensations, and becoming disenchanted with the unhealthy behaviors.

In the past few days I have been preparing to teach a class based on Louise Hay's book You Can Heal Your Life.  Louise uses similar techniques to help people heal their bodies, relationships, prosperity and careers. She instructs her readers to be kind to themselves and to ask questions about where their unhealthy beliefs have come from. She also instructs the readers to examine their beliefs and let go of those that are no longer useful

Do you have something that you have been praying for that has not yet appeared?  Most people have. And most of us have many strategies, usually unconscious to us, to keep us from changing our minds. It could be an unhealthy habit. Sometimes we think that change is difficult  and uncomfortable, so we don't really try.

My guess is that we would discover goldmines of possibilities if we would be loving  and kind toward ourselves and curious about our thoughts, habits and feelings.

Dr. Brewer is an addiction specialist. He says that using mindfulness techniques to quit smoking is statistically more effective than any other method. The other benefit is that by becoming more aware, clients have actually lost weight in process of quitting.

I am very curious about that. As many of my readers know, my encounter with God, 35 years ago, caused me to release any need for nicotine. 

Of course, God is always present, whether or not we acknowledge the Presence. The Law of God is always at work. It is done unto us as we believe.

But it made me wonder if we used curiosity and being present to everything that is, in our study of the Science of Mind, would we have more rapid,deeper, more meaningful demonstrations? I intend to find out.  Anyone who enrolls in You Can Heal Your life will be encouraged to do their work gently, consistently and with great curiosity. 

Awareness is the first step to meaningful meditation. Affirmation and prayer emerging from our awakened awareness is potent. Our good is at hand now. 

If you would like to enroll in the class, please call the Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley. or sign up on the kiosk. The class is being offered on a love offering basis. We have not made arrangements for the class to be taken online.

What is Accountability for Us?

A Prayer Wall at our Center: We Go to God First

What is a culture of accountability? Do we have this culture at our Center?  My questions led to more questions.

Roger Connors in his book Fix It: Getting Accountability Right  writes: "Accountability is a personal choice to rise above one's circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving Key Results: See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It."

So key results in our Center would always start with God-- seeking guidance from the highest power through prayer and visioning. It is also about taking action. If you take ownership of your organization, and you see something that needs to be done, you do it. Currently there are many examples of this accountability right in our Center. For instance, we have several people who have been researching buildings for us. Whenever we have meals together, we have people stay to help clean up.

This month we have scheduled a series of visioning sessions. Visioning is a process in which one listens for direction from God, Divine Mind, Mother/Father God. We are doing these sessions so that each member and friend of our Center can contribute to the overall vision of our future. Everyone's participation adds to the practice of cultural accountability by taking part in the fulfillment and flourishing of our Center.

I will not be leading the visioning this Sunday because I have another Center commitment, but I know that the right and perfect people will attend. Lee Van Slyke will be leading it. I will be leading it again the following week. Visioning is important work for us to do for our community.

I wasn't exactly certain what culture meant in this context either. The dictionary didn't help, but Centers for Spiritual Living, founding documents, our Organization Design Model did help. I love this document and am so proud that our Center not only embraced these ideas but many of us were part of the creation process of these documents.  In Section 4, under the heading Our Organizational Culture you will find these wonderful words:

"We are a healthy, effective organization honoring and respecting each other and all of creation.

We  are known for the love that we share throughout our community and the world. 

We stand together in a shared commitment and devotion to our spiritual principles, practices and values. 

We are all in this Life together and we include everyone in our vision of a peaceful, loving world. 

We embrace the evolution and revelation of higher consciousness. 

We are prayerful and principled in our decision-making and actions. 

We practice the spiritual tools put forward by our founder, Dr. Ernest Holmes, in The Science of Mind, and by other spiritual leaders and mystics who teach and apply truth principles  for our individual lives."

Today, out of the blue, we received a note from one our our members who was writing to thank us for being who we are. This person addressed the note to her Family of Love. She said that when she walked in she felt love, acceptance and home. She went on to say that when she started attending her thinking was self-destructive but she didn't know how to stop it. She went on to say that now she knows that she is Love, Light, and Life and she is perfect, whole and complete, priceless freedom. She signed the note with gratitude for all of us.

I believe we have a demonstration that we have a culture of accountability.

I Live in a Friendly, Spacious Universe

We have a problem with our neighbor.

I never thought I would say these words.

We teach oneness. From an awareness of oneness, we learn to respect opinions that differ from  our own. We learn to appreciate other points of view.

Yet we have a problem with our neighbor. My problem with our neighbor is that their employees are hogging all the parking places. We have been focusing on the problem for some time now and it has grown. Rarely do I find a parking space in our parking lot. Many of our tenants are fed up and simply double park or park on the street. Neither of these solutions is legal. There are many rumblings. 

At one time we thought we had a solution. One of our Board of Trustees negotiated with the Regional Vice President of the company to make a deal that at least 17 spots would be kept for us. When this man left the company  in August, the situation has grown larger. Our administrative staff has been asking their employees nicely to move their cars. they have also been putting a copy of a note that the former VP wrote to their employees. Many of the employees are civil but some are rude.

When we bought this building there was only one small firm in our neighboring building. Parking was no issue at all.  We have a shared use agreement which means that anyone can park anywhere. 

Another part of the issue is that according to code, you need 4 parking spaces per 1000 square feet of building . Our building is 19,500 square feet. We should have 76 spaces. Their building is 44,510 square feet which means that they should have 178 spaces. Here is the rub. The parking lot only has between 188 and 250 parking spaces and 13 of those are for handicap parking. When we bought the building we thought the shared use would be a benefit because our largest crowds are on Sunday when most other businesses are closed.

If we know anything about Principle we would know that the problem would have to increase. So what is the solution?

We could mark some spaces. I found a perfect sign for me!

Of course that doesn't address the whole issue.What can we envision? What would be a win-win for all?

I can envision a management team that really want to be good neighbors. I can envision a plan in which we treat each other with respect. I can envision a plan in which this company sees how neighborly the other is being. I can envision an agreement of limiting the parking so there is open space for clients. I can envision the company moving and  a smaller company taking their space. I envision a world that works for all.

I can envision a friendly universe . In fact I know that I live in  friendly universe which always supports me. I also know that divine mind does not distinguish between negative energy and positive energy so it has only been saying "yes" my beloved to our daily prayer of "There is no parking." 

I am ready for a different experience... so I am ready to change my thinking. I am no longer the problem and i do not have a problem with the neighbors. I practice right thinking and the Universe responds with solutions.

Here is a way to solve the problem for me!

After Prayer, What?

I  have learned  to pray from an awareness of the Presence of God within.

I have learned to pray for the Absolute quality of God that my desire symbolizes. For instance if I am feeling tight and cramped, I am probably experiencing some constriction of resources. Money may be tight. These things may be factual at the human level, the level of form. It is an effect of a false belief. However I know that the Cause of everything is Divine Mind. I simply need to get my thinking in alignment with the Spiritual Truth.The Truth is that I live in an abundant universe which is the source of my supply. I pray specifically for what I do want and if needed I deny everything that contradicts the Truth.

Then what do I do? After the prayer I have a responsibility to "act as if" my good is already at hand. That does not mean going in debt, buying expensive things, to feel prosperous. It means to do what I can to live prosperously.

I love Rev. Edwene Gaines story of buying olives stuffed with almonds when she first started practicing prosperity principles. It cost less than five dollars, but it made Edwene feel rich! 

What can you do to feel rich?  or healthy?  or loved?  or creative?

There is an attitude with which you can do anything. That attitude is one of confident expectation. Remember the story about the optimist and pessimist twins: A mother was worried about her boys -- one was happy and confident about everything; the other was gloomy and always expected the worst. A psychiatrist suggested that she do something on their birthday to help them have balance in their lives.  He said to give the little pessimist the gifts that any boy his age would love and to give the optimist  a huge box filled with manure.

On the twins' birthday, the pessimist was given a room full of the latest toys, all wrapped delightfully. He ripped the wrapping off the presents, dejectedly convinced that his brother was getting something much better! 

Meanwhile his brother was gleefully digging through the manure saying, "I know there must be a  pony in here somewhere!"

To ensure that you don't miss the results of your prayer stay optimistic and positive, even if the results do not seem to match your prayer intention. remember there is a pony in there somewhere and with that attitude the desire you envisioned is eventually certain to be yours. Listen to the Voice for God within and keep praying.

Why Do We End Our Prayers with "And So It Is"

In the book, The Universe is Calling, Eric Butterworth has a chapter titled, 'The Great Amen.' It is a fascinating chapter about the original meaning of the word "Amen." What does it really mean? Butterworth begins by quoting Shakespeare's Macbeth.

"Macbeth is wallowing in guilt and remorse and says: "I could not say 'Amen' when they did say 'God bless us.' But wherefore could I not pronounce 'Amen.' I had the most need of blessing, and 'Amen' stuck in my throat.'"  

Originally 'Amen' which has come to mean, "So be it," meant "This is the Truth."

Think about how powerful that statement is. When we pray, we have unified with a power greater than we know ourselves to be, we have spoken a word of Freedom, Truth, Beauty or Love and then with gratitude we release the prayer with love into Divine Law by confidently saying, "And this is the Truth!"

There have certainly been times in my life when I could not with integrity and certainty say that my words were the Truth. That is why I love our method of prayer so much. Ernest Holmes teaches us to speak the Truth and then, if there are any words which we do not believe, to step by step, deny and repudiate the spiritual necessity for whatever problem we are encountering or entertaining. If it can not be the Truth for God, it cannot be the spiritual Truth for me or you or Macbeth. We may need to quit wallowing in guilt and remorse. We would be better off if we let all those negative feelings go. Do you really need them?

It does not sound like we are hoping that this prayer is effective. We KNOW the prayer is effective. When we know the prayer is effective we let go and let God do Its work in us.

I am writing this blog while on a retreat with my Self Realization Fellowship friends. There are a couple of thousand of us. Meditating with this many people is a powerful experience. Yet often so still and quiet that I feel alone with Source.

Just like we think the SRF folks think, that the ultimate God is within us. They believe that the path to enlightenment is through conscious connection with God. We achieve that union through stillness and meditation.

They have a different view of prayer. They believe in it for certain. Their prayers always end in "Amen."knowing the original meaning of "Amen" is very helpful. We are praying for peace on earth. Amen. We are praying for individuals to have a personal connection with God. Amen to that. We are praying for kindness, respect and compassion in relationships. Amen to that. We are praying to persevere on our path despite any periods of feeling disconnected.

I believe the intention of these prayers could be heard in any temple, church, synagogue, temple, center or ashram. There are more points of similarity than of difference.

The Value of Classes

I love teaching the Science of Mind!

I love it because I am privileged to witness people waking up to their spiritual magnificence!

I love it because I have an opportunity to examine my own consciousness to see if I am right-thinking!

I love it because it  because I get to know the students and they get to know me and each other.

Have you ever wondered why people take the same class a number of times? If you have taken a class more than once, you will know why. We are not the same people we were when we first started taking classes. We have changed, learned and grown more spiritually mature so we are now learning at a higher level of consciousness, with deeper, clearer understanding.

The Greek philosopher Heroclitus said,

 "You can't stand in the same river twice." 

His meaning was that the river, and the universe are forever changing so the river has changed and we have changed. Our experience might be similar but it will not be identical. 

Dr. Jay Scott Neale, one of my colleagues who studied with Ernest Holmes Brother Fenwicke, would tell how Fenwicke would study the text book every morning. When Dr, Jay asked him why he did it, Fenwicke replied, "I am certain my brother comes in at night when I am not looking and writes new things."

Students who take a class for a second or third time feel the same way. The ideas that first bedazzled them now feel common, but something else always pops up. Something to learn, embrace and be.

When you are in a class, you are reading, meditating and praying everyday. And when you are consistent with your practices, then your life changes because you have changed your thinking not just at a surface level but deeply changed it.

Wherever you are, whatever has been your path up until now, I highly encourage you to take a Science of Mind Class. You will be so happy you made that decision!

In class last Tuesday night, Kathy Storey, RScP, sent a birthday banana, complete with candle! She sent it because she knows I am trying to eat less flour, so instead of a cake, she sent a banana! It made the entire class smile! 

Birthday Banana

Better than Magic

"There is no hocus-pocus in a mental treatment. It is always definite, conscious, concrete and explicit."    Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

If you are like me, you appreciate a good magic show. A few months ago, some friends and I went to the Magic Castle. It was indeed a magical night of seemingly impossible tricks... a dollar bill appearing where it could not have been, a magician, knowing exactly which card you picked, etc. We were all filled with wonder.  Yet all of us knew that these were tricks.  It seemed to be magical, but really was sleight of hand.

When we first study and apply the Science of Mind, our results might feel miraculous! However, it is really the orderly working of the immaculate law of Mind. If we are not careful, we could miss the connection.

When we pray (treat) from an awareness of the good we seek as  already being present,our good immediately becomes manifest in our world. One recent example in  my life is I was praying for financial increase fro myself personally. The very next week I received a beautiful gift of a tithe from a Center in Southern California. It came out of the blue. There wasn't even a letter with it, but I could guess what the tithe represented to them. But my truth is that it was the result of definite, conscious, concrete and explicit prayer! I knew what I wanted and I received it.

James Allen wrote, We think in secret and it comes to pass.
Environment is but a looking glass."

One of the ways we can increase our receptivity to our good is to acknowledge what brought it to us. I acknowledged my prayer partner and the gift giver. I am deeply grateful for all the gifts that the Divine Presence has given me. I am grateful that It is always guiding me. I am grateful that it is not capricious but is dependable and steadfast. It is better than magic.

We call the results of prayer our demonstration. It is a demonstration of the Principle of Mind. It is normal and natural just like plugging a lamp into an electrical socket. But it always feels amazing to me! It feels amazing that the one power is at my fingertips at all times. It is amazes me and it humbles me. But why wouldn't it? We are made in the image and likeness of the Divine Presence and Its Immaculate Law. There is no hocus-pocus about it.

The Magic Castle

Magician Practising His Craft

How the Boston Bombings Helped Me Understand God

We are one with all.  Allow me to shine my light into the darkness.

I am a student in Dr. Heather's "The Essential Ernest" class, which takes a deep dive into the principles of Science of Mind.

In the two years I have been in classes, I can honestly say, that I have experienced a very natural understanding and implementation of the principles in my life.

I have come to understand that everything that happens in the world is absolutely perfect.  The only challenge I have had in this principle is when an act of hatred maims and kills innocent people.  How could they have created that in their lives?

These questions have come up in previous classes, yet I have not completely understood or embodied the answers that have been given...

...until last night.

I wrote Dr. Heather's statement down exactly as she spoke it because it hit me so profoundly that I cried...

"We can use what is going on in the world as a treatment (prayer) request from the Universe as something that needs spiritual work."

She went on to explain that when these horrific experiences occur, "we pray (and affirm) for a world that is so aware of it's oneness that we create a peaceful, loving world that doesn't practice violence on itself."

PROFOUND!

Here's my take on why...

God cannot work through minds that are riddled in fear, anger, resentment, etc.  It cannot create peace through a mind that doesn't know peace.

God can only work through those who know and embody love, peace, joy, abundance...all the qualities that IT is. 

When something tragic occurs in our world, those of us who know that Reality is the Truth of God, we are equipped to recognize that the tragedy is NOT the Truth of God, and pray to affirm the Truth, which is peace, harmony and collaboration.

That perceived reality (the tragedy itself) was created out of fear, anger and resentment...NONE of those are God qualities, therefore, those who know and embody the qualities CAN create a different reality.

We do that by affirmatively praying and giving thanks for a world that works for everyone.  A world that is full of peace, joy, love, etc.

So, in class last night, I fully got that the Boston bombing was a message from God, to me (and everyone else who knows the Truth of God), to pray.

The Universe needs our help to heal our emotions, our cities, our country, and our world. We've been called into service by a tragedy.  Allow us to give of ourselves and be a channel of this great Divine Intelligence and let's pray.

Can Prayer be Taught?

Today I received a telephone call that made my heart sing. Someone very dear to me called me to ask me how to pray. She explained that she knows that she needs to take classes to really learn it, but her friend and sponsor, prays to Jesus and she doesn't feel this fits her beliefs.

I was overjoyed to be asked but had only 20 minutes before an appointment. So I explained it this way. Affirmative prayer is built in five stages. If you spend enough time really contemplating the first two stages, the prayer will unfold in perfect right order. If you rush through the first stage you will build a prayer that is unbelievable and cannot be answered, just like a poorly reinforced foundation of a building will not hold the building which stands upon it.

The five stages are recognition, unification, declaration, gratitude and release. 

The first stage of recognition is an opportunity to contemplate the Divine, where It is, what It is and what It does.  

The second stage is unification and follows logically from the first stage. Once you realize fully that this mighty moving power is everywhere present, you naturally conclude then not only must it be in you, but also It must be in your creativity, including "the words of your mouth." 

The thirdly you come to declaration. In this stage you declare what you desire as if it is already a fact. 

The fourth stage is gratitude. Again it is logical. How will you feel when what you are seeking is already yours. 

The last stage is to release the prayer to Divine Mind, to let go and let God. 

Let's say you wanted to experience more connection with your family. The God quality that you might build upon is Love. If you are really expressing love then you would feel a greater connection, a willingness to give of yourself and an equal willingness to receive from others.

This is a sample prayer for greater connection.

There is only One LIfe, the Life of the Divine. This One is all-knowing, everywhere present in Its entirety. It is the Creative Process both in the Universal and in the individual. This mighty moving power is the power of Love and knows nothing outside itself. It is a perfect unity always expressing in perfect peace and harmony. The nature of this Mind is Infinite Intelligence. In the stillness of the Wholeness, all form comes into expression. Thought thickens into things.

Right here and now, I remember that I am one with this Power, one with this One. I remember that the creative process within me is the same process as in the Universe. It is naturally responding to Itself as me and through me. I am that which Thou art. I am one with all-power. I am one with Divine Love. I am made in the image of this One.

I declare that Love is my birthright. Love flows through me and connects me with my family and friends. Knowing I am always safe in God's Love, I tell the truth and ask for what I want.  The same Love that is moving through my conversation, moves through my friends and family. In the oneness of life we are inseparably connected. Any belief in separation or disconnection is now eliminated from my consciousness. If I need to make amends or ask for forgiveness, the Divine Presence guides me to do so now. My relationships are naturally filled with peace because the Peace that passes understanding indwells them.

I am so grateful for the love that surrounds me and connects me inextricably with my loved ones. I am so grateful for seeing things rightly, trough God's eyes.

I then place this prayer in the hands of God. I let go. It is complete. And so it is.

When you get the hang of it, it isn't as rigid as I have indicated. These are guidelines. 

If you haven't tried this before. Now is the time. I believe every prayer is answered. I would love to know how you do.

My First Painting, April 5, 2013

Good Morning World!

Good morning world, good morning universe, I'm on my way to a wondrous day! These words came to mind as I awakened from a deep refreshing sleep and brought a smile of appreciation and joy to my face and being.

As I continued with my waking up practice of saying a prayer of thanksgiving for the day I could feel my joy shaping my words and moving me into excitement and anticipation for the day that was ahead of me. Was it a special day? Not really, there were no birthdays to celebrate, no parties to attend, I was not going anywhere or doing anything special. Or so I might think. The day was an ordinary day of working with people I love, appreciate and enjoy being with.  Friends I have not seen in months were there.  Just by coincidence? I think not! Cooperation and kindness abounded amongst all of us and I felt the awesome feeling of knowing I am doing great work, that I am surrounded by people I love and we are sharing this beautiful life. 

All of that just because I started my day with a song and a prayer of thanksgiving? Yes, I believe it was. As it turns out my practice of welcoming my day is not new and I am not unique. Many of my friends and colleagues make this a practice. As important as our nighttime prayers is our morning greeting. So this morning before I get out of bed I am again reminding myself and setting my day in motion: Good morning world, good morning universe, I'm ready now for a wondrous day! I'm ready now for great and glorious things and I'm excited great things are coming my way!

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.