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!

Conscious Relationships

Relationships...there are many kinds.
It seems that I am not too good at the intimate variety based on my history. I have been married and divorced three times. I haven't had many relationships between, or even dates as a matter of fact.

However, Ernest Holmes reminds us: "Principle is not bound by precedent."

What does that famous quote mean?  It means that the Divine Principle of the Creative Process does not depend upon what has happened in the past. Rather it is forever making all things new, according to our thoughts. That is the rub!

We learn from the Bible that "..you can't put new wine into old wine-skins."

In order to have  anew kind of relationship, I need to be willing to have a beginners mind about relationships. I cannot let my past become my future.

What kind of relationship would I like to have? I would like a compassionate, honest, caring, tender meeting of the minds. When I was in Edmonton recently I visited with an old friend whom I hadn't seen in over 8 years. We both look different but I think we still both have the essential nature that drew us together as friends in the first place. She has a great sense-of-humor and is very friendly to everyone. She fearlessly tells the truth no matter what the circumstances.

She told me of a recent trip to Mexico. She was having dental work done so was there for a couple of weeks. One night she went to her favorite seafood restaurant. There was a noisy man from Alberta, her province. This man sounded like a know-it-all rich oil man. He had ordered  a steak and was complaining loudly that it was tough. My friend told me that she said, "Well, why would you order a steak at a seafood restaurant? I'm having the shrimp and it is delicious!" The man ordered the shrimp and my friend said, "And by the way, you are going to pay for that steak, too. These servers should not have to pay for your lack of intelligence!" He did pay. The servers thanked her.

Now the reason my friend can get away with such "rude" behavior is that she does everything in a playful-like-a-puppy manner.  She has many, many friends. She is planning her retirement thousands of miles away from her current community. When asked if she won't miss her friends, she simply states that she will make new ones.

That kind of confidence goes a long way in creating conscious relationships.

I am blessed to have many caring, forgiving friends, to. I know when we are together, I am heard and seen. Recently we attended  Motown the Musical as part of our Gourmets for God program. This is a picture of some of my friends.

June Dickson, Doris Palardy, Diane Hennessy, Rev. Judee Chapman

Swing Time Cabaret Brings Sweet Memories

Tonight our Center's Choir is presenting their annual choir show, Swing Time Cabaret.

I watched the dress rehearsal last night and it is a great show! I realized that with the exception of a Spanish song, I knew the lyrics to all the songs. Some have been great favorites. The choir planned to surprise me with one some, "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" made famous by the Sons of the Pioneers. The reason I like the song so much is because of the beauty of the three-part harmony!

When I was a kid, there were always sing-alongs, whether travelling by car or around a campfire or a piano. My dad had a good tenor voice and loved to sing. My mom had a strong alto voice.Many of my cousins and sisters and brothers are quite talented too. When we were young adults and were getting married, at family gatherings, after the dance there would be a lot of singing. That is really when my passion for the tumbleweeds began. My cousin's husband, and her two brothers sang beautifully together. They almost always would say yes to my request. Please note we would have been singing some standards but mostly current rock and roll music. Although my prairie roots led me to have direct knowledge of tumbleweeds (they are very prickly), country music wasn't a favorite. I was very fond of my cousins and saw them a few times a year. After university, we saw each other less often, usually at a family gathering -- weddings and funerals. One of the trio of singers is a man named after my Grandfather, Herman, but was only ever called Buddy. Later as an older teen it shifted to Bud.

The entire show is fantastic, everyone needs a lot of love for the countless hours they put into learning their music and choreography. Still the highlight of the show for me was a soul-filled song, sung by Diane King Vann, called "My Buddy." Immediately my cousin's face was before me. We haven't connected in person for much too long. The music made me realize how much I missed seeing him.

Isn't it interesting how music can evoke something deep within us? Sometimes it evokes a memory of the first time you heard it; at others the song itself seems to describe a person or a feeling within you. I believe it is one way the Universal Presence makes Itself known to us. When our hearts open by whatever means, it is Spirit within us, opening to a greater idea of life and ourselves.

Tickets will be available at the door.