ONE UNIVERSE

Can You Hear Me Now?

2011-11-27T21:31:00.003-06:00

You are probably familiar with the phone commercial on TV which shows a techie testing the phone reception as he stops and says, "Can you hear me now?" Then he takes a few more steps, stops again, and repeats his question, "Can you hear me now?"

In the TV commercial, it's all about clarity of reception and dropped calls. Spiritually, it's about unanswered prayer. The Bible is full of unanswered prayers. The Koran is full of unanswered prayers. The Torah is full of unanswered prayers. The Bagavad Gita is full of … well, you get the picture.

You may even have your share of unanswered prayers. If so, you're not alone. As a matter of fact you're in good company:

Moses prays to enter the Promised Land, but his request is refused, and he dies on Mt. Nebo. Job says, "I cry to Thee, and You do not answer me!" (Job 30:20). King David laments, "…God does not hear me!" (Psalm 66:18)

You may even have asked out of frustration, hurt, or anger, "God, can you hear me now? Are you listening?" Many a grieving parent or widow/widower has asked, "God where are you?"

On Sept. 11th 2001 three hundred million Americans asked, "How could you let this happen God? Where were you? Where are you now?"

Unanswered prayers have one thing in common. James, the brother of Jesus reports Jesus as saying, "You ask, and receive not because … you ask amiss!" (James 4:3)

What does he mean by 'amiss' ? What causes our prayers to go unanswered? Here's the answer! Are you ready? Jesus the Christ said, … are you sure you're ready? … He said, "If we do not forgive others, our prayers will not be answered." (Matt.6:15)

He didn't say – If we fail to forgive others, it will be difficult to get our prayers answered, or that it may take a little longer to get them answered, or that our prayers will be answered anyway because were nice people.

He said if we don't forgive others, our own prayers will not be answered. Seems pretty harsh doesn't it? He's giving us absolutely no wiggle room.

Unity's founder, Charles Fillmore says, "The mind must let go of every unforgiving thought."

Seems pretty clear doesn't it? We pray amiss if we don't forgive. And until we forgive, our prayers will not be answered.

Look into your own heart and forgive anyone and everyone who has ever upset you, disappointed you, wronged you, or harmed you in any way. That may be a tall order for some of you. You may have been significantly wronged, or harmed, or upset by someone. You may feel forgiveness is out of the question.

But if you want your prayers answered, you've got to learn to forgive.

From a metaphysical perspective, forgiveness is a necessary condition for answered prayer. Metaphysically, forgiveness means giving up the false for the true. It means living from our Christ Consciousness instead of our human consciousness.

We cannot walk the spiritual path on unforgiving feet. When we tighten our connection to Spirit by letting to of an unforgiving spirit, we won't have to ask, "Can you hear me now?"

When we eliminate the static of unforgiveness, the reception will be crystal clear.

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

It's My Ego, Amigo!

2011-10-31T08:06:00.004-05:00

I've been pondering an incident in my own life...my ego was shocked and bruised by what was happening. I couldn't imagine how this could happen to a nice person like me...and then I realized I was taking it personally.

I wonder how much of our pain and trouble is caused because we misinterpret what people say and do to us?

Our ego-centric nature is what causes us to think the worst and to take everything personally. It's not in our nature to think...”I wonder what's going on for him right now? What pain inside caused her to do or say that?”

When we take the actions of other people personally, this is our ego speaking, telling us that we are the center of the universe, that everything that happens in our lives revolves around us. Our ego is the veil separating us from the true, spiritual reality.

Today, I am believing that the more I tame my ego-centric thinking, & the more I don't take it personally, the more connected to Spirit I will be.

Hmmm, I feel better already!

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

Bend, don't break

2011-08-13T21:15:00.002-05:00

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists. -~Japanese Proverb

Many times we see change as a threat. We become pessimistic towards the idea of newness, or we allow ourselves to remain within comfort zones because of our pride...or to avoid the risk of failure.

Resisting change means resisting growth. Those who succeed are those who take chances, and that means not only accepting change, but embracing it as a gift.

Embrace change...turn your vision into reality.

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

Tug Of War

2011-08-04T21:55:00.002-05:00

Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes
it's letting go.

- Sylvia Robinson
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the midst of dreading another disagreement...another tug-of-
war with a loved one, I had a thought. It takes two sides to play
ideological tug-of-war. What if I simply let go of my end of the
rope?

The game of tug-of-war involves two sides pulling on a rope as hard
as they can, with each side trying to topple the other. To win, you
can either pull the rope hard enough to drag your opponent over to
your side—or you can let go of the rope at the peak of the contest,
when both sides are straining as hard as they can in opposite
directions. Then your opponent goes flying, because your resistance
was what was holding him up.

So, as long as I held fast to my end of the tug-of-war rope...or as
long as I resisted, full of righteous indignation...the other side
would keep pulling just as hard in the opposite direction. My
struggle doesn't weaken my opponent's position—it supports it. The
secret is to be non-resistant...to affirm that there is only One
Power and One Presence in my life, God, who is Good, who is
Omnipotence. It isn't giving up...it is giving way to Spirit.

Yesterday I let go of my end of the rope two times.

Donna

Why Did You Have A Heart Attack?

2011-08-02T21:14:00.002-05:00

Best-selling novelist Michael Crichton tells a story about his medical school years in his book Travels. He and his intern pals were bored, because nearly the whole surgical floor was filled with heart attack patients. Although a heart attack is pretty dramatic for the patient, apparently it’s not the most exciting challenge for doctors-in-training. Hoping to liven up patient rounds, he decided he’d ask a different question from the usual checklist of symptoms. He asked instead, “Why did you have a heart attack?”

The responses shook him to his core and changed his entire view of medicine. First, every patient had an immediate answer. It was as if they had been asking themselves that question and waiting for a doctor smart enough to ask it. Second, every single patient reported a psychological or emotional reason. Nobody said it was too much bacon and too little exercise. They gave answers such as the following: “I lost my job and my pension.” “I want a divorce, and I feel guilty.” “My daughter wants to marry someone of a different race.”

The astounded Crichton took his findings to the chief of medicine, who responded with a story of his own. He once was hospitalized with a slipped disc precisely when he had to reject a paper written by a close colleague. He understood that the slipped disc had postponed facing an unpleasant circumstance, and he saw a clear cause and effect.

Although you can’t be precisely sure of the content of your mindset, you can be sure it’s affecting your life experiences. Through this experience, Crichton began to understand what every Truth student understands: your mindset and emotions create your reality. In every area of your life, your skills, contacts, education, and intelligence, all get trumped by your mindset and emotions. That’s why we focus first on the right mindset. We know that if we don’t get that right, the rest is wasted energy.

Here’s a question that might give you some interesting insights.

Ask yourself a version of “Why did I have a heart attack?” Ask, “What is my greatest desire right now, and what mindset, beliefs, and thoughts are keeping me from it?” See what comes up. If you’re honest with yourself, your answer can lead you to inner changes that can create positive outer results.

Let Your Light Shine!

2011-07-11T06:25:00.002-05:00

Matthew 7: 7-11 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

I am told that alligators bred in a fenced area for many generations won't go beyond the fenced perimeter, even after the fence is removed.

I’ve also heard that elephants tied to a stake when they are babies don’t have the strength to break the rope to become free. It is impossible to do and so when they are older, bigger, and stronger…they no longer try to break free. They still believe it is impossible and that’s why you will see a large elephant tied to a small stake with a weak rope.

We are not all that different, believing we can't do . . . whatever. (Fill in the blank.) We become certain that a mistake we’ve made, the influence of a person or a group of people, or certain limitations will determine our destiny.

God is in the business of bending time, creating new possibility from disaster, and you and I have inherited that business. Release yourself. Go beyond the perimeter…pull the stake out of the ground and set yourself free!

Are you feeling stuck or limited today? Ask, search, & knock with confidence and the door will be opened. We must try, try again.

Thomas Edison tried 1500 different types of wire to use on the light bulb. If Edison thought like us, we would never have light. So in a sense, unless we begin to think like Edison, we’ll stay in the dark!

I'm holding the high watch!

Donna

Abundance Paradigm

2011-06-23T14:38:00.001-05:00

An abundance paradigm is a model that is composed of all our ideas, beliefs, concepts and assumptions about abundance. Paradigms change slowly and bit by bit…but when the fundamentals about the paradigm begin to change, it becomes a paradigm shift.

We are now in a paradigm shift about abundance. There is a new paradigm emerging concerning money, abundance and our power to manifest the things we want in our lives.

The old paradigm about money and abundance and our power around it says the material world is fixed and finite and exists separately from our perception of it. It says everything is limited in supply and subject to shortage. In other words, there is a limited amount of money and abundance in the world and it could run out at any moment.

A sociologist named Thomas Kuhn has identified 3 phases in the birth and acceptance of a new paradigm.

Phase 1: Total resistance of the ideas and also ridicule of the people proposing the new paradigm.

In the last 200 years, more and more people are proposing a new paradigm about money, abundance and our power around it; Emerson, the Fillmores, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Ernest Holmes, to name a few. Many people have ridiculed them. Many people have shown resistance to believe them.

Phase 2: Kuhn says Phase 2 is slow and grudging acceptance of the new ideas but people attempt to explain it using the language of the old paradigm because they are desperate to make it fit the old paradigm.

When I was in a Yoga class at college in 1967, it was viewed by radical or evangelical Christians as a dangerous, evil “Eastern religion” that could send any of its practitioners to Hell. In the 80’s Christian exercise class leaders were using the asanas (poses) in their routines but not calling it Yoga…simply a new exercise. Apparently, Yoga by another name is not evil or threatening!

Phase 3: Total acceptance of the new paradigm because it is now self evident that it is true.

We are SO VERY CLOSE to that phase 3. The old world paradigm is based on the scientific worldview of Newton and the new paradigm is founded upon quantum physics. Even those of us who aren’t intimately acquainted with physics can see that it IS our CSN that brings the material world into existence.

This means that the universe is a system of total abundance and there is no shortage of anything. We simply manifest it when needed through our CSN.

So…be careful what you ask for…you might get it! Because we ASK by our thoughts, our words, and our beliefs. If you believe (and think and say) that life is hard, there is lots of sorrow, and you only get what you work long and hard for…for you, life will be hard, filled with sorrow and you will work long and hard for whatever you get in life.

The good news is…Prosperity is as simple as A, B, C!!

Ask for what you REALLY want. Happiness, joy, abundance, love…all good things.

Believe it is already here for you and be grateful. Believe that you deserve all good things.

Claim your prosperity and share it. Be ready to step up when your prosperity shows up…and share it with others.

Abundance is the natural condition of the Universe. There is no shortage of anything. We are amazing creators, manifesting what we desire, knowing we deserve to have our desires fulfilled.

It really IS all about you. You have SOUL responsibility for your life.

Who? Me? Addicted?

2011-05-30T17:53:00.003-05:00

And as I contemplated my friend's habits, I started reviewing my own. Ouch! That didn't feel good. Yes, I have a few habits I'd like to change but, for heaven's sake, I wouldn't say I'm addicted. I mean, I would never consider stealing to pay for my habits. I don’t lock myself in the bathroom and shove a needle up my arm or snort things through my nose. My addictions don’t cause car accidents or impair my ability to make decisions. So my addictions certainly aren't dangerous or serious...OR is it just that my addictions are socially acceptable?

I could be dangerous if you try to take my computer or my cell phone away from me! And talk about serious...what about shopping for stress relief? I especially enjoy shopping on QVC or HSN. They make it so easy. I see it, I love it, I order it. The very act of ordering relieves my stress, and I forget almost immediately that I've ordered something. Then there is the "surprise" when the items come to my home. I love getting "surprises" delivered to my door.

Exercise, internet blogging/gaming, eating, caffeine, shopping, cell phones...all socially acceptable addictions...and I've overdone most of them at one time, as most people have. So perhaps we don't bankrupt the family by shopping, or cripple ourself with exercise, or hide to use the internet...but maybe we are all more addicted than we know.

And maybe some of the sadness I feel for my friend, I'm also feeling for myself.

Matthew 7:3-5
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

I'm holding the high watch...even with a beam in my eye!
Rev. Donna

Know Thyself

2011-05-23T21:09:00.006-05:00

"Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have." -Doris Mortman

Making peace with who you are means knowing who you are. It means respecting yourself and respecting others...being kind, loving, and ethical...in other words, being moral. In Buddhist teaching, morality does not mean a forced or puritanical abiding by rules.

In my own definition, morality means living with intentions that reflect love and compassion for ourselves as well as caring for others. As the philosopher George Santayana said, "Morality is the desire to lessen suffering in the world." Living in a way that doesn't perpetuate hurting ourselves or hurting another is considered to be an expression both of great power and great compassion.

The Buddha said that if we truly loved ourselves we would never harm another, because if we harm another it is in some way diminishing who we are. There is no way to lash out at someone physically or verbally, to belittle their achievements, to exploit them in some way, to consider them unworthy of hearing the truth, and emerge undamaged ourselves. We are capable of so much more, and we dishonor that potential when we don't live with integrity.

How about trying a Buddhist practice of morality? It does involve loving ourselves and others...but isn't peace worth it?

Rev. Donna

monday morning ministerial musings...

2011-05-16T14:14:00.003-05:00

Drinking coffee on the porch and thinking about...
Intellectual Knowledge and Spiritual Understanding

Intellectual knowledge comes from outside yourself...from books, lectures, and the opinions of speakers. Actually, it is information rather than knowledge. What we refer to as intellectual knowledge is just suggestions and opinions you have accepted from others.

Spiritual understanding comes from within. It can only happen with frequent periods of silence, inner stillness, meditation or whatever term you use for the act of getting quiet, going within, and listening, waiting, desiring, yearning for understanding.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" The answer, "Some say John the Baptist, other say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." That answer came from intellectual informantion.

Then Jesus said, "But who do YOU say that I am?" And Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This wasn't information from a book or a teacher...this was spiritual understanding from Peter's illumined mind.

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven."

Intellectual knowledge...a book, a lecture, a radio program can be helpful but it only tells you ABOUT a power, a potential...ABOUT God. Spiritual understanding allows you to KNOW God. Knowing "about" is intellectual knowledge, but spiritual understanding is KNOWING.

Day by day, hour by hour...work at being aware of an invisible Power and Presence. Act from the guidance of the Light with you, instead of reacting the way the outer condition or person tells you to do.

I'm holding the high watch...

Rev. Donna

Stages of Spiritual Development

2011-05-03T23:01:00.003-05:00

Four Stages of Spiritual Development

Why Me/Mortal – victim, blame consciousness. Me! Me! Me!

We are all born as mortals. Many of us are born TO mortals and are told “this is all there is.”

By Me/Metaphysician – vital phase of growth but not the end; learning to be a co-creator; taking responsibility for self; getting/manifesting is important here.

This is the phase were we to all the classes, read all the books and attend all the workshops.

Through Me/Mystic – focus is more on knowing God than manifesting anything in particular; dwelling in the Presence; surrender; setting the ego aside so that God can express through

We begin to “get it” and understand the mystery a bit. We are eager to know more of God.

As Me/Master – connection with God so strong that manifestation happens instantly; Christ consciousness; Jesus our beautiful role model.

We don’t know much about this phase but we do know this is where we are all headed.

Where are YOU on the scale? Is it time for the next step? What do you need to let go of or grab hold of?

What are you waiting for?

I’m holding the high watch! Rev. Donna

A Practice of Sitting in Silence

2011-04-18T13:48:00.002-05:00

Begin by affirming “There is only One Presence and One Power in my life and in the Universe, God, who is Good, who is Omniscience.” I remember then that I am part of that ONE POWER, and all for whom I pray are part of it too….and then I realize…if we are all part of God, we are all perfect, powerful, whole and healthy and it (whatever the prayer request is) is already done. All truly IS well. If I am quiet, I’ll be led to seeing this. And so I sit in the silence.

(Read or speak before sitting in the Silence...)

Affirmations from Ernest Holmes:

There is a Power behind my every thought, word, and everything I am doing.

There is a POWER upholding and sustaining me in everything I do, going before me to prepare my way.

I rest in this POWER in calm and serene confidence, with perfect trust and faith.

It is constructive, activated by love and directed by Divine Intelligence, and I use it in the simplest things in my life.

Today, I accept that all the POWER that is—belongs to me and those for whom I pray, and I recognize and use it in joy and gladness, I am sustained and upheld in peace and wholeness by this POWER, and so it is.

Another day, another sand dollar...

2011-04-11T20:45:00.003-05:00

Stuff that makes me happy...

*the ocean surf rolling in, the sound, the smell...soothing, relaxing.

*walking in the sand, warm, soft, meditative.

*smelling sea air, breathing deeply, head opening up...awake, aware, alive, alert.

*sitting in the sun, resting, reading, writing, contemplation.

*people I love, hugging, smiling, words of love, family...warms and expands my heart.

*wisteria blooming on my arbor, heavenly smell, beautiful to look at...soaking it up.

*water fountain in my yard...reminds me of the ocean.

*early morning walks in my neighborhood, stretching, pondering, remembering.

*coffee on the back deck with my husband in the mornings, drinking, talking, laughing.

*writing, creating, going with the flow...brain rapid and time passes.

God is good all the time, isn't She?

Gathas

2011-04-11T20:33:00.003-05:00

Gathas are short verses to recite to help us be mindful during daily activities. By making us more aware of each action, they are an exercise in mindfulness and poetry. They are similar to affirmations. Here are a few for your day...

Waking Up

Waking up this morning, I smile.

Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.

I vow to live each one in mindfulness

and to look at all being with eyes of compassion.

Washing Your Hands

Water flows over these hands;

may I use them skillfully

to preserve our precious planet.

Brushing Your Teeth

Brushing my teeth and rinsing my mouth,

I vow to speak purely and lovingly.

When my mouth is fragrant with right speech,

A flower blooms in the garden of my heart.

Before Picking Up the Telephone

Words can travel across thousands of miles.

May my words create mutual understanding and love.

May they be as beautiful as gems,

as lovely as flowers.

Car

Before starting the car,

I know where I am going.

The car and I are one.

If the car goes fast, I go fast.

Food

This food is the gift of the whole universe—the earth, the sky and much hard work.

May we live in a way that makes us worthy to receive it.

May we transform our own unskilled states of mind and learn to eat with moderation.

May we take only foods that nourish us and prevent illness.

We accept this food so that we may realize the path of understanding and love.

Mindfully, Rev. Donna

Fall and Winter...again!

2010-11-06T17:42:00.003-05:00

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…Ecclesiastes 3:1

Fall is a favorite season of mine, as it is for most people…the sight of colorful vistas. The smell of burning campfires and roasting marshmallows. The sound of dropping acorns. Hayrides. Pumpkin Farms. For me there is just something about the ‘process’ for fall that moves my spirit…picking apples, covering fountains and other plants, taking down the bird bath, and bringing plants inside.

Every year I look forward to the bursts of beautiful color even though I know it will be followed by empty branches, cold weather, and shorter days. And even though I am sad to tell summer weather good-bye, I know it is time to embrace the new seasons in front of me, fall and winter.

I used to think “wouldn’t it be nice if the beautiful colored leaves could stay on the trees?" Then I realized that if they did stay on the trees, there would be no room for the new green leaves in the Spring. Much of life is like that too. I think of all the people and things in my life that have “fallen” and how I wish they could have stayed. I realize that what is true for the fallen leaves is also true for the fallen people and things in my life.

But life moves forward…always making room for the new. Could it be that Spirit knows our longing to resist change and keep things just the same? Could it also be that Spirit knows how very much we will also appreciate the new growth and fresh opportunities?

This fall season I look once again to trimming back in my spiritual life. Cutting out what is dead in my spiritual life so I can rest and regroup in my winter time and prepare for new growth in my springtime.

So as I watch leaves drop one by one I realize Spirit is only making room for the gifts that will prepare us the future. Nature mirrors our own lives with new growth, full bloom, trimming back, and rest. There is much of me that feels I am in fall, and ready to rest a bit in my winter haven so I will be ready for new growth and full bloom once again.

Spring always comes.

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

A Little Story About Fishing

2010-05-31T22:00:00.003-05:00

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
And the moral of this story is: ……… Know where you’re going in life… you may already be there.

This simple, little story has an excellent moral. How many of us are mindlessly going through the same routine day after day without a clear picture of where we want to be in life? Maybe we are already there!
Albert Einstein said “Too many people buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have trying to impress people they don’t like”
Take a step back and re-evaluate your life. Where do you want to go? What are you doing to get there? What needs to change in your life? Change your mind, change your life.
I'm holding the high watch! Rev. Donna

2010-05-16T22:04:00.002-05:00

Spiritual Clutter

How many of us have a home filled with clothes that no longer fit, piles of magazines that are never read, and gifts from relatives we never use?

Can an overabundance of material goods be a drag on a person’s spiritual development? More and more, de-cluttering and downsizing are being viewed in a spiritual context, as ways to remove distractions to inner growth.

People "are beginning to see that their possessions become a weight and a barrier to their spiritual life and to their happiness," said the Rev. Elizabeth Braxton, pastor of Burke Presbyterian Church. They are realizing, she added, that "the more we have, the more we have to take responsibility" for it and "the less time we have for . . . the breathing space of God."

Feng shui, the ancient Chinese system for creating a harmonious environment, has become another spiritual voice warning against a surplus of material goods. The first rule of feng shui is no clutter because clutter creates stagnation and makes you feel depressed.

So here is the big question…is there a parallel between clutter in our homes and offices…and the clutter in our spiritual lives? Could our emotional and spiritual health be in danger by the clutter of our “stuff?” Could eliminating the mess in our homes and offices eliminate the blocks to our spiritual growth?

I’m going to clear off a chair in my home office, move a stack of books on the floor, and sit and ponder. Hmmmm….

Have You Lost That Loving Feeling?

2010-02-20T12:31:00.004-06:00

In our relationships we often stay in adversarial positions with others because each of us is defending our interpretation of a situation. We each believe that OUR beliefs, memory, and feelings about the situation are correct and so we keep repeating and repeating our "truth" to the other person, expecting them finally to admit we are right, while they hold the same expectation about us! As long as both sides maintain this attitude, there is no peace or resolution.

What harm could it do to ask a few questions in the quiet of our own minds? Let's begin with this...was there a time in your life when you began creating a protective armor around yourself, picking up certain demeanors to avoid harsh words, guilt, fear? Usually those demeanors cause you to disconnect from a reality that is unpleasant. Those demeanors may have been life-saving in the past but now are creating the wrong sort of disconnections with those you care about.

Staying locked in a position increases chaos. It stands to reason that being flexible in our beliefs and attitudes will decrease chaos. Flexibility is not uncertainty. It is not weakness. Flexibility in our beliefs and attitudes leads to inner transformation.

So today ask yourself these questions: What am I being called to release? What am I being called to embrace? What must I cultivate in me to bring the feeling of love, not strife, to the surface? What must I do to remember my unity with all people and to bring authenticity and loving connection to each encounter?

We attract to us what we first become so let's consistently send out only loving vibrations. And let's start right now!

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

New Tradition for New Year's Eve

2009-12-28T19:48:00.004-06:00

I read somewhere that it is a Welsh tradition on New Year's Eve, at the first stroke of midnight, to open the back door to release the old year before opening the front door to greet the new. That little tidbit sparked an idea in me.

Why don't we put aside the tradition of a kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve and begin a tradition of opening our back doors to release the old year? We are people who love ritual and symbolism and this idea has both...and you can get that kiss a little later!

We can release our worries and welcome our blessings. We can release our fears and welcome love. We can release our anger and resentments and welcome new thoughts of peace and harmony. It means letting go...letting go of negative emotions, letting go of destructive attitudes, letting go of stirring up drama and trauma, and, in the infamous words of Nancy Reagan (or Nike!) just do it!!

This coming Thursday evening (12/31/09) open your back door and release all your worries, fears, angers, resentments. Literally see them blown away with the wind. When they are gone from sight, welcome new blessings, love, peace and harmony into your life. 2010 is the year you win!

2009-10-27T07:41:00.002-05:00

Squirrels spend their entire lives up a tree, jumping from limb to limb. They are very agile and very comfortable in that precarious place. Most of us are not comfortable being up a tree and we are certainly not comfortable in going out on a limb. But as the old saying goes: “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where all the best fruit is.”

Life is about experience and learning from those experiences...and learning to trust...to have faith. True faith means believing in things that are invisible, but not non-existent.

Learning to trust God seems to require learning to stop relying on your human self so much. It means having a constant conversation with God. It means taking time to listen to God. It means giving up worry, fear, and drama. It means no longer blaming God for our wounds. It means we stop asking, “why?” and begin to think about “why not?”

Romans 8:28, "And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans". (Hmmm, that sounds like Divine Order to me!)

I’m holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

"If I had a hammer..."

2009-10-06T09:53:00.003-05:00

Let's talk about consciousness (soul) and how we expand our consciousness.

Consider a hammer. It's designed to hit nails. That's what it was created to do. Now imagine that the hammer never gets used. It just sits in the toolbox. The hammer doesn't care.

But now imagine that same hammer with a soul, a consciousness. Days and days go by with him remaining in the toolbox. He feels funny inside, but he's not sure exactly why. Something is missing, but he doesn't know what it is.

Then one day someone pulls him out of the toolbox and uses him to break some branches for the fireplace. The hammer is exhilarated. Being held, being wielded, hitting the branches--the hammer loves it. At the end of the day, though, he is still unfulfilled. Hitting the branches was fun, but it wasn't enough. Something is still missing.

In the days that follow, he's used often. He reshapes a hubcap, blasts through some sheet rock, knocks a table leg back into place. Still, he's left unfulfilled. So he longs for more action. He wants to be used as much as possible to knock things around, to break things, to blast things, to dent things. He figures that he just hasn't had enough of these events to satisfy him. More of the same, he believes, is the solution to his lack of fulfillment.Then one day someone uses him on a nail. Suddenly, the lights come on in his hammer soul. He now understands what he was truly designed for. He was meant to hit nails. All the other things he hit pale in comparison. Now he knows what his hammer soul was searching for all along.

You and I are created in God's image for relationship with him. Being in that relationship is the only thing that will ultimately satisfy our souls. Until we come to know God, we are just like the hammer...we've had many wonderful experiences, but we haven't hit a nail. We've been used for some noble purposes, but not the one we were ultimately designed for, not the one through which we will find the most fulfillment. A relationship with Spirit is the only thing that will quench our soul's longing. The Bible says, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Until we come to know God, we are hungry and thirsty in life. We try to "eat" and "drink" all kinds of things to satisfy our hunger and thirst, but yet the hunger and thirst remain.

We are like the hammer. We don't realize what will end the emptiness, the lack of fulfillment, in our lives. Usually when we keep God out, we try to find fulfillment in something other than God, but we can never get enough of that thing. We keep "eating" or "drinking" more and more, erroneously thinking that 'more' is the answer to the problem, yet we are never ultimately satisfied.

Our greatest desire is to know God, to have a relationship with God. Why? Because that's how we've been designed. Have you hit a nail yet?

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

Spiritual Maturity

2009-08-26T15:09:00.002-05:00

We all admire people we believe are spiritually mature and we want to know how to reach that same spiritual maturity for ourselves. We first must recognize that spiritual maturity is not a destination we reach, but rather a lifelong journey!

There is no guru who can lead us there. There is no list of 5 easy steps to forever transform your life. It is an ongoing process that involves becoming intimate with your fears and enjoying the contradictions and ironies in life. It is about letting go of some things (ouch!) and grabbing hold of some things you never dreamed of!

Authentic spirituality is about exploration, not escape. It is about being open to the many ways the sacred speaks to us. It involves introspection rather than distractions of the world. It involves serving more than being served. It is a journey of discovery, decision, and dedication. And once you start the journey, you can only go forward. Going back just doesn't work.

Let's start that journey together now!

I'll hold the high watch!

Rev. Donna

Joshua Days

2009-07-19T22:46:00.001-05:00

In the Old Testament (Joshua 10:13) at the height of a great battle Joshua asks God to stop the sun and the moon to give them more daylight to vanquish their enemies. God "stopped the sun." The battle was won.

I figure we can all use some extra time to slow down, to relax, to simply BE, so I’ve devised a way to “stop the sun” in a manner of speaking. I block off time on my BlackBerry calendar...half days or one hour mini-vacations in the middle of a busy day and sometimes a whole day or two on my days off. These are my Joshua Days...

When someone asks if I’m free on one of those dates, I can honestly say, “no, I have that date taken already.” I do...it’s for me! It is my time to recoup, to write, to read, to take a mini-vacation, or maybe just to sit and stare. My Joshua Days keep me sane and stress-free.

Try it! Deliberately mark time off on your calendar and then do NOT cancel that time for another appointment. Yes, they really can get along without you! Honor yourself. Take care of your own mental health. You’ll be stronger and smarter and more at ease when you get back to whatever it is you do. Go on, try it!

Life's Basic Requirements

2009-06-24T08:08:00.003-05:00

Air, water, food, shelter, clothing, company...these are your basic requirements. Air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, shelter from the elements, clothing to keep you decent, and company (can be real or imaginary). When you are feeling that you don't have enough "stuff," go through this checklist. If you can check off every item, you're ok!

Unless you're facing a firing squad (if so, why are you reading this now?!), the only thing keeping you from realizing your "ok-ness" is your attitude. You're in charge of your attitude, so change it!

If you feel you really need a "pity party," give yourself 3 "poor babies" real loud, accompanied by deep sighs...then get over yourself. Get up and get going! The party's over!!

Run, dance, hop, skip, whistle...start something new.

2009-06-06T06:04:00.003-05:00

Ram Dass said it in 1971 and Eckhart Tolle repeated it in 2001...be here now. This NOW moment is where life happens.

There was once an old fox. Every day he looked through the holes of a fence. To him the inside of the fence was heaven. All sorts of lush things were growing in the garden. The fox tried to squeeze through the holes in the fence, but he couldn't do it. So the fox decided he would starve himself so he could get through. He went one, two, three, four, five weeks without eating. Pretty soon the fox is the same size as the hole in the fence. He was as skinny as a rail. He breathes in and passes through theboards on the fence. He smiles because he's in heaven. He eats his fill.

He stays there for weeks and has a wonderful time in the garden . . . but he is getting fat. He wants his freedom, but he can't get out of the fence because he's too fat. He decides to starve himself until he can have his freedom. So he goes through the anguish of loosing all of his excess pounds. Pretty soon, when he's half-starved, he slips out to freedom. The only problem is he's so hungry that within a day or so he starts looking in the fence and says, "My, I'd like to be on the other side . . ."

So many times it is like that in our lives. We think if only we could be somewhere else our lives would be good. The truth is, right here is where your life is happening. Right here is the now, present moment time. Right here is the spiritual opportunity. You will never have more opportunity than you have with you right now. Right now "rehearse" what you'd like to see happening in your life. Right now imagine it, feel it, and then take action.

It's not going to happen automatically at retirement—unless it isrehearsed now.

It's not going to automatically happen when you've completed school—unless it is rehearsed now.

It's not going to happen at some future time that only exists hopefullywithin our imagination—unless it is rehearsed now.

The only life you have—happens right now.

2009-05-23T05:53:00.002-05:00

“...go where there is no path, and make a trail.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I know that it is in the letting go, the allowing, the focus on the now moment that I can experience real peace, true contentment, joy, and happiness. It’s not about following a path, but about letting go of the path.

It's a long journey to realize there's no path.

Summer Spirituality

2009-04-24T20:33:00.003-05:00

Of all the seasons, summer is the most nurturing to my spirit. I love summer because it has a naturalness and a recklessness that invites us to “get barefoot” and to “reduce the barriers” between us and all the other life forms. We open windows and doors, sit and sleep outside, peel off layers of clothing, swim in cool waters, eat corn and watermelon, and feel the sun and rain directly on our faces. Summer welcomes us to re-connect with life in all its holiness and simplicity.

When I think of the warm weather and its effect on my spirituality, I always think of the ocean. I have no obvious connection to the ocean. I am not descended from a family of seafarers. In fact, I’m not even that great of a swimmer. But I always look forward to getting to a beach and staring at the ocean for long periods of time, without talking. I can think deep thoughts or none at all. The warmth of the sun, the sound of the surf and the smell of the saltwater allow me to know that all is well in my world. (You know my saying..."saltwater cures everything...whether it is tears, sweat, or the ocean...saltwater cures everything!)

If spring is metaphorically the time of re-birth, then summer must be the time of re-adolescence...that innocent, pure, and carefree time of life when everything is possible. Summer IS a spiritual experience. Enjoy it!

I’m holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

Easter Thoughts

2009-04-08T06:13:00.003-05:00

A little girl is washing dishes with her grandmother. The girl is washing a bowl that has been in the family for many, many years. It slips from her hands and breaks on the floor. The grandmother, without batting an eye, gets the broom and dust pan and sweeps the broken shards into the trash. She smiles to her trembling grandchild and says, “The bowl was already broken.”

Contemplating this Zen coan led me to thoughts of life, death, immortality...even risk-taking and failure...topics that seem appropriate during the Easter season.

When I was a young person the fear of death was not something I gave much thought to. Youth seems to carry with it a sense of immortality and with that, a belief that we can do anything. As we grow older the fears of death and failure become more real and both seem much nearer. The risks we took when we were younger now seem crazy. Would I do some of those things today that held no terror for me in my youth? Beyond the fact that I probably couldn’t do most of them today, the answer is no!

Our attachment to the future causes us to suffer in the present. When we are consumed with the fear of death, whether it is our death, the death of a loved one, or the death of any of our “stuff”, our focus is almost entirely on the future. As a result of all this future attachment, our lives are filled with a great deal of anxiety and a lack of joy. We can’t fully live in the now moment. We need to develop the Zen attitude that the bowl is already broken in order to fully live today and not focus on tomorrow.

Someone once said, “Life is a terminal disease because no one gets out alive!” Actually, we all get out alive. We don’t experience death, only transformation. The soul we are did not begin nor does it end when we give up this spacesuit we slipped into upon entering the human experience. This was always meant to be just a visit--we were never intended to be permanent residents here.

Rather than obsessing about your eventual demise, or the demise of your loved ones or your “stuff”, spend some energy on this holy instant. You don’t have to wait for death to have a spiritual experience -- you are a spiritual experience! Put your attention on the NOW. Let tomorrow take care of itself.

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

Giving and Receiving

2009-03-27T20:49:00.003-05:00

A beautiful illustration of giving and receiving can be found in the two Seas which are in Palestine. Both seas are fed by the River Jordan. One is fresh and well stocked with fish. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it, and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing waters. Homes are built near it, children play and the area prospers.

To the south lays the other sea; it has no fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children's laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its waters, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink the water.

What is the difference? The same water from the river Jordan flows into both seas. It is not the soil or the countryside surrounding the area both are in the same region.

The 1st sea - the Sea of Galilee, receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop of water that flows into it, another drop flows out. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse.

The sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. And it is named the Dead Sea.

There are two seas in Palestine. And there are two kinds of people in this world.

Sharing and thriving or hoarding and dying...tough choice!

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

The game of life

2009-03-18T07:39:00.003-05:00

Consider the game of hide and seek and how it is like the game of life. Imagine that you are 5 years old playing hide and seek. You're it! Count 1-2-3...10 and open your eyes. And you see all the kids standing there staring at you. Well, that's no fun!

The process of hiding and finding is what makes the game so much fun. It's the same in life. Searching for love, health, joy, and ultimately spiritual awakening is what makes life fulfilling. If all that was simply given to us, with no struggle or no sweat, there would be no joy in life.

Remember, the joy is in the journey. Play hide and seek!

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

2009-03-03T06:41:00.002-06:00

Hope is the basic ingredient of optimism, a tendency to dwell on the best possibilities. Hope is a positive and potent spiritual practice with the power to pull us through difficult times. It is usually described with light metaphors...a ray, a beam, a glimmer of hope, the break in the clouds, the light at the end of the tunnel. It is often discovered in unexpected places.

Hope can be learned with practice. Certain attitudes support it. One is patience, an ability to tolerate delays, a willingness to let events unfold in their own time. The other is courage, an attitude of confidence even when facing the unknown. A third is persistence, the determination to keep going no matter what happens.

Be a patient, courageous, persistent person. Be hopeful and hope-filled. Your life will be lighter. You will say, "all is well!" and you will really mean it!!

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul.

And sings the tune

Without the words,

and never stops at all.
~Emily Dickinson

US poet (1830 - 1886)

2009-02-19T20:50:00.003-06:00

ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SAY hmmmm...

Suppose someone gave you a pen - a sealed, solid-colored pen. You couldn't see how much ink it had. It might run dry after the first few tentative words or last just long enough to create a masterpiece (or several) that would last forever and make a difference in the scheme of things.

You don't know before you begin.

Under the rules of the game, you really never know. You have to take a chance! Actually, no rule of the game states you must do anything.

Instead of picking up and using the pen, you could leave it on a shelf or in a drawer where it will dry up, unused.

But if you do decide to use it, what would you do with it? How would you play the game?

Would you plan and plan before you ever wrote a word? Would your plans be so extensive that you never even got to the writing? Would you take the pen in hand, plunge right in and just do it, struggling to keep up with the twists and turns of the torrents of words that take you where they take you?

Would you write cautiously and carefully, as if the pen might run dry the

next moment, or would you pretend or believe (or pretend to believe) that the pen will write forever and proceed accordingly?

And of what would you write: Of love? Hate? Fun? Misery? Life? Death? Nothing? Everything?Would you write to please just yourself? Or others? Or yourself by writing for others? Would your strokes be tremblingly timid or brilliantly bold?

Fancy with a flourish or plain? Would you even write? Once you have the pen, no rule says you have to write.

Would you sketch? Scribble? Doodle or draw? Would you stay in or on the lines, or see no lines at all, even if they were there? Or are they?

There's a lot to think about here, isn't there?

Now...
suppose someone gave you a life...

(From 6th Chicken Soup for the Soul)

2009-02-04T06:11:00.003-06:00

I've been considering how we live our lives and do our jobs. Are we showing up, fully and consciously, with a positive outlook or is it just a way to earn our daily bread? Do we eat to work or work to eat? Do we consider our work holy...is it so joyful that it doesn't even seem like work?

Jesus advised, "Once you put your hand to the plow, do not look back." If you've ever seen a farmer plowing a field, you know s/he has to keep her eye on the horizon to keep a straight furrow...s/he can't look back.

What have you put your hand to do? Do you love your job...does it create energy and love in you, or do you dread each day? Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet said, "If you hate what you do, it is better that you leave your work and go and beg alms at the temple from those who love theirs."

This week, take a look at your daily life. If it is not fulfilling and joyous, consider how you might change your outlook and your attitude, which would affect the results...OR perhaps look deeper into your heart's longing...something else may be calling you.

Do you long to make music and settle for collecting cds?
Does your hand itch to paint and you settle for doodles on a pad during telephone conversations?
Do you want to leap and dance and salsa and yet sigh and say, "I'm too old/out of shape/uncoordinated?"

Honor your deepest creative self! This week, put your hand joyously to plow ahead to live the life you desire. You are worth it!

As always, I'll hold the high watch!

Rev. Donna

"...but we've always done it this way!"

2008-12-27T10:56:00.004-06:00

There are very few original thinkers in the world. Most people are secondary thinkers, allowing others to do the thinking for them, and never questioning the why and how of their thought. This is often true in our society, in company structures, and wherever groups of people come together...even churches!

Just ponder on the following story of a study of a group of monkeys and their actions. Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs underneath the suspended banana. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. After a while, another monkey will make an attempt for the banana. Again, spray the other monkeys with cold water. After another period of time, when another monkey makes an attempt for the banana, spray the other monkeys with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs to reach it. To his surprise (and horror) all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.

Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for thebanana. Why not?

Because as far as they know, that's the way it's always been done around here. And that, my friends, is how behaviors become accepted without understanding. Human beings sadly sometimes act in the same ways. Doing a certain thing, a certain way, and defending that action fiercely—all the while, not really knowing why they're doing it.

True God-given creative genius can not come through the mind of the unconscious follower of secondary thought. Choose to live your life being bold, creative and unique. Have the courage to look at life and ask the question WHY we are doing something a certain way. You will see things in a new light!

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

Running...

2008-12-17T22:11:00.003-06:00

Sarcasm, jitters, cigarettes, drugs, candy, tantrums, silent-treatment, yawning, yelling, obsessing, cheating...these are some of the wonderful ways we ruuuuuuuuuuun from our pain.

We must continue to disengage from the delusion of the ego by facing the pain head on...whatever your pain may be. It's the only way to find the reality underneath.

We have to ask...in what way am I hiding from reality? In what wonderful way am I running from my pain? Hmmm.

Rev. Donna

Religion vs. Spirituality

2008-12-01T17:54:00.002-06:00

I have a t-shirt that reads, "Religion is for people afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who've already been there."

Sprituality is not the same as religion. Religion is not spirituality. You do not have to be religious to be spiritual. And being religious does not make you spiritual. Going to church every Sunday and donating a portion of your income does not make you spiritual. It also doesn't make you religious. It makes you a religious-follower.

Spirituality is a self-directed and personal inner path. It is the idea that there exists something outside the experience of our 5 limited senses, and the belief that we can understand and be in relationship with the sacred. Most spiritual paths, while individually different, are also unlimited and inclusive.

Religion is a man made, culture-based doctrine that guides it's people in the practice of spirituality. Because religion is man made and culture-based, it naturally has some of the rules and taboos of that particular culture built into it. Many cultures have chosen to use fear to enforce the man-made rules of that culture, making their religion exclusionary and limited.

In choosing the paths which best express our personal truths and innermost beliefs, we honor ourselves and each other, and most of all, we celebrate Spirit.

Be religious or be spiritual...either way, connect with your Source and celebrate Spirit. Come to Unity of the Hills for unlimited, inclusive spirituality!

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

PS: I have a new t-shirt. On the front it reads, "UNITY" and on the sleeve, "Namaste." I love my new t-shirt!

Give til it hurts...receive til it feels good!

2008-11-24T21:11:00.003-06:00

Our ability to give and receive is directly related to our capacity to create and experience true prosperity, true love, and grow in consciousness.

Many of us have difficulty with giving, receiving, or both. Giving and receiving are opposite energies that are linked together, like inhaling and exhaling. If one aspect of that cycle doesn't function, the entire cycle doesn't function and life force cannot move freely. If you can't inhale, you will soon have nothing to exhale, and before long, your body will be unable to continue living. Giving and receiving isn't always seen as being as vital as inhaling and exhaling because our bodies can live without the giving and receiving cycle, but we won't live as well as we could live with that cycle.

I believe the inability to truly receive is more common than the inability to give. There are a number of reasons why receiving is difficult for so many of us. One factor is cultural conditioning. Giving is generally viewed as honorable and praiseworthy. Receiving, or taking, seems perilously close to selfishness, which has a lot of negative connotations for most of us.

Giving is seen as power and receiving is seen as weakness. When giving, we're "in control" in a way. Our actions are willful and deliberate. When receiving, we must surrender control and open to the feelings that are awakened in us by the giver. We may feel awkward, embarrassed, unworthy or even ashamed. When we stifle our receiving energy, we stop the flow of gratitude and, ultimately, the flow of prosperity and good in our lives.

Life can change for us when we realize that giving and receiving are 2 sides of sharing love. Giving has more meaning when the receiver has the strength to be receptive, because the art of receiving is itself a form of giving.

Live a full, complete life...be both a grateful giver and a grateful receiver.

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

What the world needs now is love, sweet love!

2008-11-17T19:03:00.000-06:00

When Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" he replied, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind' - this is the great and foremost commandment, and there is a second like it, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself'. The whole Law and Prophets hang on these two commands." (Mtt 22:37-40, Mark 12:28-34).

The ancient Greeks had four words for four different sorts of love. At the bottom of the scale of love is epithemia, meaning simple desire or lust. Think of Jimmy Carter's famous campaign confession. Next up is eros, the Greek word for a love of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Further up the scale of love is philia, the affection that one has for one's family and friends. Highest of all on the scale of love, though, is agape. Agape is the apex, the greatest form of love. It is actually agape that Paul means when he says, of faith, hope and love, ". . .the greatest of these is love."

"What the world needs now is love sweet love,
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone."

We need agape love; the love that takes us out of ourselves and our own selfish concerns, challenging us to love not only those who love us, not only those who need us, but even those whom we do not know and may not yet understand, and...most difficult of all...who may not even like us.

The 20th century theologian Daniel Day Williams wrote:
Love does not put everything at rest; it puts everything in motion. Love does not resolve every conflict; it accepts conflict as the arena in which the work of love is to be done. Love does not separate the good people from the bad, bestowing endless bliss on one, and endless torment on the other. Love seeks reconciliation of every life so that it may share all the others.

Those of us in long-term, committed relationships, know that love is change. It is never static. To build a relationship on epithemia only is folly. We can't always manage to be eros or "good, true, and beautiful." We do not always hold each other in philia or brotherly or sisterly affection, either. So what are the odds that we can reach agape? Whatever the odds, we must try. Where there is love, there is transformation...and transformation IS what the world needs now!

I'm holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

Get out of your "woe-boat!"

2008-11-10T08:55:00.002-06:00

Yesterday during church services, we talked about how our thoughts affect our lives. When we spend most of our time reiterating our list of "woes" all we are doing is "woe-ing around in our woe-boat" and generating more woe in our life. We are using our faith backwards!

Eric Butterworth said, "There is no such thing as a lack of faith. We all have plenty of faith, it's just that we have faith in the wrong things. We have faith in what can't be done rather than what can be done. We have faith in lack rather than abundance but there is no lack of faith. Faith is a law."

Have you ever stood in front of your closed refrigerator door, feeling hungry, and wondered why you couldn't feed yourself? Of course not, because you know that all you have to do is open the door. And what happens when you open the door? A light comes on! There's plenty of food waiting for you.

There's plenty of everything waiting for us in the universe. We simply need to open the door and the light of Spirit will lead us to our good. Give up fear and worry about what others will think of us or how scary it is to step out of our comfort zone. Open the door and let in the light...and you will also let in all the abundance and joy you can hold.

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

Quit Exercising Your Lips!

2008-11-02T20:19:00.001-06:00

Beginning this coming Friday evening and continuing through all day Saturday, I'll be part of a silent retreat. I am looking forward to this time of peace and quiet...to walk, to think, to pray, to meditate...to be alone in the midst of a group. But when I tell people my plans, they shudder as if I'd just told them I was becoming a cannibal!

For most people, unconsciously, the greatest place of fear is within the stillness of their own minds, away from all activity and thought…just present to the moment and themselves.

You would think itwould be very simple…to sit quietly in a room without a care, worry or thought. However the ego doesn't want us to find that place. The chatter of the mind is how the ego grabs our attention and focus and keeps us from seeing what is real and true. The ego likes to keep people small, running, and locked in their insecurities and doubts. This is what sustains it…gives it life. If people were to begin to practice the art of stillness for just fifteen minutes a day, the ego would no longer have control...we would control the ego.

In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, one of the main characters is an alien named Ford Prefect. Many things about earthlings puzzle him, such as the fact that they seem to talk all the time—even if only to repeat the obvious. Over the course of several months, he comes up with a number of theories for this behavior, one of which I found particularly insightful: “If human beings don’t keep exercising their lips, he thought, their brains start working.”

Take some time today...quit exercising your lips and let your brain start working! Sit in the silence. Aaah, just breathe.

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

SHINE!

2008-10-26T06:56:00.001-05:00

This week I had one of those "aha" moments. I made a gift for someone, and they absolutely loved it. As they exclaimed over it and admired it, they asked if it had taken me long to make. I shrugged and said, "Not very long" - when in fact I spent many hours working on it. I poured alot of heart and soul into it. Why then, did I diminish it? Why did I feel the need to fib about how much effort I had put into that gift?

You know that song, "This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine?" How many of us are afraid to let our "lights" shine? How many of us hold back a large part of ourselves?

Maybe we are afraid of being braggarts. Nobody likes a boastful, prideful person. From a young age, our parents teach us modesty and humility, which is not a bad thing in itself. But where do we draw the line? There is a very big difference between sharing our gifts with the world, and showing off. Even if we're fearful of ridicule or rejection, we need to realize that by hiding our gifts, we are hiding an essential part of ourselves.

Each of us has a little spark of the Divine within. By denying that part of ourselves, we also deny God within us! We have a responsibility to share ourselves with the world; not in a way that proclaims us to be better than anyone else, but in a way that uplifts and enriches others. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the world, and we owe it to God, the one who gave us these gifts and abilities to begin with. What good is a gift that doesn't get used? Imagine a flower being afraid to bloom, rain being afraid to fall, the sun being afraid to shine. We need to shift our perspective and realize that by hiding our lights, we are not serving anyone. Love, unexpressed, is not love at all.

OK, light a match...hold it up high...and sing..."This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."

Faith versus Giants

2008-10-06T05:39:00.001-05:00

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.”

Two Sundays ago we talked about giants in the Promised Land and how and why that kept the 12 tribes of Israel from obtaining their promised land. Their fear of facing the giants…their lack of faith in God’s promise of protection…kept them wandering in the wilderness for 40 more years. (Numbers 13)

We defined the wilderness as our old consciousness and the promised land as our new consciousness or awareness, and the giants represent our fears. We have to have faith that God will handle the giants as we leave the wilderness and enter our own promised land.

We can all use some advice in facing our giants, can’t we? Well, here are FIVE TIPS TO SLAY GIANTS!

1) Know who God is.
God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present. God tells us to enter the promised land (a new awareness or a new consciousness) and God promises to take care of the giants for us.

2) Know who YOU are.
You are a beloved child of God. In Truth, you are whole and perfect. Connected to your Source, you can do all things.

3) Face the giants with the right weapons.
Put on the whole armor of God…faith and right action and love. Have faith, take right action, and BE love.

4) Go on the attack.
Don’t just stand around and complain. Confront your problems. Hunt them down and annihilate them.

5) Be prepared.
David needed only one stone to slay Goliath but he took 5 just in case Goliath’s brothers came out too. Without God, David was an ordinary boy. With God, David could slay giants. The same is true for us. Connected to our source, we can face our giants. So whatever your giants are, whatever form they take, we might as well face them now because they’ll come again and again. The giants won’t go away until we face them and defeat them.

I’m holding the high watch!

Rev. Donna

Every Moment is Unique

2008-09-25T07:21:00.001-05:00

Do you remember days or do you remember moments in those days?

There is a story from the book SPIRITUAL LITERACY (Touchstone Books)
by authors Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. It is about a Brooklyn cigar
store manager named Oggie Rand. Oggie has an unusual habit...at
precisely eight o'clock each morning, he photographs the front of the
store. Always at exactly the same time and from exactly the same spot.
Every morning. Oggie collects his daily snapshots in photograph albums,
each labeled by date. He calls his project his "life's work."

One day Oggie showed his albums to a friend. He had not told his friend about his unusual hobby. Flipping the pages of the albums, the man noticed in amazement that the pictures were all the same.

Oggie watched him skim through the pictures and finally replied, "You'll never get it if you don't slow down, my friend. The pictures are all of the same spot, but each one is different from every other one. The differences are in the detail. In the way people's clothes change according to season and weather. In the way the light hits the street. Some days the corner is almost empty. Other times it is filled with people, bikes, cars and trucks. It's just one little part of the world, but things take place there, too, just like everywhere else."

This time Oggie's friend looked more carefully at each picture. No two were alike. Every picture was unique, just as every moment is unique. Through a series of photographs, he became conscious of one of life's great truths -- that each minute that passes is special, even sacred.

Author Henry Miller said, "The moment one gives close attention to
anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome,
indescribably magnificent world in itself."

And those are the moments we'll remember; the ones for which we stopped everything else long enough to pay close attention.

The lesson for me is this: to pay close attention to each moment. If I look closely enough, I know I'll see that each moment is unique and sacred. And I suspect it will be these moments...not whole days, weeks, months or years...that I will finally remember.

Perhaps much of the happiness and joy we find in life comes from taking
care of the moments.

I'm holding the high watch...in this moment!
Rev.Donna

Who? Me? Addicted?

2008-09-16T19:06:00.002-05:00

I spent some time recently with a friend that I don't see or hear from very often any more. Addiction takes up most of my friend's life now. There are many reasons for my friend to hide in addiction, beginning with a horrific childhood. But all I know is...I just feel a loss and a sadness from what used to be to 'what is' today.

And as I contemplated my friend's habits, I started reviewing my own. Ouch! That didn't feel good. Yes, I have a few habits I'd like to change but, for heaven's sake, I wouldn't say I'm addicted. I mean, I would never consider stealing to pay for my habits. I don’t lock myself in the bathroom and shove a needle up my arm or snort things through my nose. My addictions don’t cause car accidents or impair my ability to make decisions. So my addictions aren't dangerous or serious...OR is it just that my addictions are socially acceptable?

I could be dangerous if you try to take my computer or my cell phone away from me! And talk about serious...what about shopping for stress relief? I especially enjoy shopping on QVC or HSN. They make it so easy. I see it, I love it, I order it. The very act of ordering relieves my stress, and I forget almost immediately that I've ordered something. Then there is the "surprise" when the items come to my home. I love getting "surprises" in the mail.

Exercise, internet blogging/gaming, eating, caffeine, shopping, cell phones...all socially acceptable addictions...and I've overdone most of them at one time, as most people have. So perhaps we don't bankrupt the family by shopping, or cripple ourself with exercise, or hide to use the internet...but maybe we are all more addicted than we know.

And maybe some of the sadness I feel for my friend, I'm also feeling for myself.

Matthew 7:3-5
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

I'm holding the high watch...even with a beam in my eye!
Rev. Donna

Watch your language...your body is listening!

2008-09-08T19:17:00.004-05:00

Have you heard of Dr. Masaru Emoto and his research into water crystals? Dr. Emoto discovered and documented with photographic evidence that the crystals formed in frozen water vary in appearance depending on the thoughts directed toward them.

The first photo shows water exposed to the words "you make me sick." The second photo shows water exposed to the words "love & gratitude."

Dr. Emoto found that water which had been exposed to loving words show beautiful, complex, and colorful snowflake-like patterns when flash frozen. He also found that water exposed to negative thoughts formed erratic, disjointed shapes with murky colors when they were flash frozen, just like polluted water does.

Notice how the water that received thoughts of love and gratitude formed crystals that were symetrical and clean looking, while the water that received the thought you make me sick is discolored and severely deformed. Perhaps giving thanks for our food is more than an exercise in religious expression!

If you saw the movie, "What the Bleep Do We Know," there was a scene where the movie's principle character, Amanda, missed her train. This gave her time to view photos of Dr. Emoto's frozen water crystals that were on display at the train station.

As Amanda was contemplating the photos, a stranger walked up to her and said, "If our thoughts can do that to water, what can they do to us?" Since our bodies are about 70 percent water, that's an interesting question to ponder.

Our self-talk can affect many areas of our lives, such as our self-worth, attitude, energy level, performance, relationships with others, and . . . our health.

A lot of us have one or more negative, self-critical dialogues that repeat themselves day after day in our minds. We may be so used to it we don't even notice what we say to ourselves. If someone else said to us some of the things we tell ourselves we'd likely be highly offended.

By changing our self-talk from negative to positive we can greatly influence our health, relationships, performance, attitude, and outcomes for the better. When we notice these negative repetitions of the mind we need to replace them with positive affirmations.

When you catch yourself talking negatively to yourself, remember the water crystal experiment . . . your water-filled body might be listening!

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

Enjoy life!

2008-09-01T20:42:00.001-05:00

SPIRITUAL AEROBICS

Last Saturday I talked with a friend I hadn't seen in several weeks. We met at a funeral...a sad occasion. I said to her, "It's good to see you, too bad it is a sad occasion." Her response to me was, "I enjoy seeing you even on a sad day."

Her response made me think...if I waited only for the sunny days to enjoy life, I would miss out on some great rainy days. How often we put off enjoying life until life is going in the way we think will make us happier...
---- when we make more money
---- when we own our own home
---- when we start that new job
---- when the weekend comes, etc.

We need to live each day and enjoy it. I'm not saying that we shouldn't have dreams and goals. What I am saying, though, is that we need to remind ourselves that everyday is meant to be lived. We are exchanging a day of our life for whatever we are doing. Let's make it worth it!

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

Pain is weakness leaving the body!

2008-08-25T15:28:00.000-05:00

Pain is weakness leaving the body.
~U.S.Marine Corps T-shirt

Perhaps the hardest thing to remember in the throes of a crisis is that every bad break can also be a blessing. There are always unexpected benefits in misfortune, IF we meet our crises with a shift in outlook...IF we recognize that Divine Order is always present.

Look back on your difficult times. See them in perspective. Did you make lemonade out of the lemons that were handed to you? We sometimes play our best hands when the chips are down. Perhaps our character works like a muscle: the more we exercise it, the stronger it gets!

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

The Taming of the Ego!

2008-08-19T07:05:00.001-05:00

Just pondering an incident in my own life...and I realized I was taking it personally. My ego was shocked and bruised and I couldn't imagine how this could happen to a nice person like me.

I wonder how much of our pain and trouble is caused because we misinterpret what people say and do to us?

Our ego-centric nature is what causes us to think the worst and to take everything personally. It's not in our nature to think...I wonder what's going on for him right now? What pain inside caused him to do or say that?

When we take the actions of other people personally, this is our ego speaking, telling us that we are the center of the universe, that everything that happens in our lives revolves around us. Our ego is the veil separating us from the true, spiritual reality.

Today, I am believing that the more I tame my ego-centric thinking, the more I don't take it personally, the more connected to Spirit I will be. Hmmm, I feel better already!

I'm holding the high watch!
Donna

Our Daily Practice

2008-08-16T19:58:00.005-05:00

Ironically, when we get busy, the first thing that tends to get cut back is our meditation practice. Most of us know from experience that we function much better when we give ourselves time each day to sit in silence. And the more "things" we have to do, the more we need that solitary, quiet time for the day ahead.

Expanding our morning meditation by just 10 minutes can make a big difference, as can the addition of short meditations into our daily schedule. The truth is, no matter how busy we are, unless we are in the midst of a crisis we always have five or 10 minutes to spare. The key is convincing ourselves that spending that time in meditation is the best choice. We could be getting our dishes done or heading into work earlier instead, so it’s important that we come to value the importance of meditation in the context of all the other things competing for attention in our lives.

We can also add short meditation breaks into our schedule, from five minutes before or after lunch, to a meditation at night before we go to sleep. When we come from a place of centered calm, we are more effective in handling our busy schedules and more able to keep it all in perspective. If more time in meditation means less time feeling anxious, panicky, and overwhelmed, then it’s certainly worth the extra time.

Here's a Buddhist 21 day practice I recently started. It takes ONE MINUTE! Read the practice below. Perhaps a minute or two of centered calm will help your day and your night.

21 DAY DAILY DHARMA PRACTICE

Daily Gassho (gosh ho)

The act of gassho is done by putting the palms of one's hands together in front of the heart and bowing the head. Gassho may be done sitting or standing; with eyes closed or open; and with or without beads.

Harmony Gassho

The verbal recitation accompanying your morning gassho can be the word “harmony.” Other recitations can be introduced later. Your recitation can be spoken with any degree of loudness or simply be said to yourself. The depth or power of the recitation is facilitated through your breath. After a moderately deep (but not overly long) inhalation through your nose, make your recitation as you exhale through your mouth. The sound of the last syllable should be extended until the end of the exhalation. As an approximate guideline, your inhalation can be about 3-5 seconds long, whereas your exhalation should be about 9-15 seconds long. Keep your body and head erect as you inhale. As the last syllable of the recitation is being extended, slowly bow your head, keeping your hands and body still.

At the end of the recitation most people like to stay in the finishing position for a while (perhaps for 1-3 normal breaths, saying the words harmony, understanding, wisdom) so that one doesn't get the feeling of rushing off immediately after the recitation. The underlying sentiment of the Harmony Gassho is that you will try your best to have a spirit of cooperation with others, and always be as calm and patient as possible. The seed of this sentiment will gradually blossom into an understanding that can be called wisdom.

The Gratitude Gassho

Use the same procedure as described for the Harmony Gassho except that your recitation is the word “gratitude.” On your normal breaths say the words gratitude, blessed, wisdom.

The underlying sentiment accompanying the Gratitude Gassho is an awareness of interdependency—that one is supported by nature, by other people, by everything. There is a feeling of “counting one's blessings,“ of “grace,” or of “how grateful I am.” The seed of this sentiment will naturally blossom and be expressed in compassionate ways.

An Important Consideration

The Buddhist way is “purposeless purpose” or “effortless effort.” In the context of this program, this means being as earnest and sincere as possible while doing your daily gasshos—and letting their effects gradually and naturally spread into other times of your day.

Let The Light In

2008-08-06T21:19:00.003-05:00

In order to find the Light, you must first find the darkness.

If are in a room whose windows are curtained off, first you find the curtain!

The Light is always there. It never leaves. When we take down the curtains (low self-esteem, self-hatred, egotism, elitism, judgment, doubt...all our old enemies) we let the love and happiness pour in.

Today, remember the Light never left. It's only covered up. Find, and tear down, the curtains within. Let a little Light in.

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

Peace

2008-07-26T19:07:00.001-05:00

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. Do you know why? "Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

If there were a hurricane where you are right now, things would be spinning, whirling, and flying around. But if you could get to the center of the hurricane there would be absolute quiet and calm. This is a good analogy for life.

When your life is spinning, whirling, and flying around, GET TO YOUR CENTER...and we do that by going within to the presence of God within each of us. We connect with our Source and there is absolute quiet and calm.

When a storm blows through our world, most of us panic and look for cover. It's as if our minds go numb. We may feel lost, isolated, separated from God. So how can we survive life's storms?

Remember to get to the center...that's where the peace, the quiet, and the calm are. That's where Spirit is. Take a deep breath and connect to Spirit. You'll be safe as the storm passes.

I'm holding the high watch!
Rev. Donna

A Spiritual Faith-Lift

2008-07-21T04:14:00.001-05:00

Love yourself--accept yourself--forgive yourself--and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things.
~Leo F. Buscaglia

When we continually beat ourselves up for a mistake we made, we're just feeding our ego. In order to move on in our lives, we have to forgive ourselves.

OK, we said something stupid, we hurt someone's feelings, we disappointed a friend. What good does it do to keep reliving it? The best thing to do is to make what amends you can make, and think about how you can do it different next time.

Most people hold on to their guilt because they have the misconception that our depth of guilt reflects our level of love and remorse. But the truth is...when we hold on to our guilty feelings, we commit the ultimate betrayal: abandoning ourselves.

By letting go of self-hate and stopping the replaying of the event in your mind, our ego has nothing to chew on and we remove the judgment from the action.

Let yourself off the hook today.

I'm holding the high watch!
Donna

Cleaning Day

2008-07-19T16:05:00.003-05:00

This morning I cleaned out my home office. I re-organized and rearranged. I also threw away a lot of "stuff!" Some of that "stuff" had sat in my office for weeks or months because I thought it was very important...and yet today, it had little or no value for me.

Cleaning and straightening this room made me feel lighter in body and mind and spirit. It was a relief...whew, no more piles of paper and books and folders staring at me saying, "do something!"

Well, this made me think of spiritual house-cleaning. Don't we all have some old thoughts and habits that need to be tossed out? Just like my important things that seemed so valuable in the past, but today are only taking up room in our minds. They may be the cause of our confused thinking and they may be blocking our progress.

How about taking out the garbage in our mind and spirits that gets in the way? It is the clutter and accumulated junk that makes our minds, spirits, and our homes crowded and unpleasant places.

Get rid of that garbage! Enlighten up!

I'm holding the high watch!
Donna

What goes around, comes around, doesn't it?

2008-07-09T03:55:00.000-05:00

"Life is a perpetual instruction in cause and effect."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Someone close to you is acting like a real jerk and you want to smack them. But you are a "spiritual" person, so you sit back and say with a nodding head, "What goes around, comes around."

When we wish revenge for someone, or we're smug and content because we know they'll get theirs in the end, we are acting as channels of judgment. And just as a cold cup becomes scalding when you add red-hot coffee, we too take on the energy of the judgment we wish upon others. No matter how perfect we think we are in comparison to that person, trust me, we've get our own negative files we'd rather not have reviewed.

That's why we always want to be on the side of mercy and in the frame of helping the situation, not contributing to the problem.

Today, focus on your ex-husband, your ex-employer, your ex-friend, or anyone you've been waiting for cause and effect to pounce on, and ask for mercy for them. Believe me, you need it.

Donna

Today's Potpourri...

2008-07-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

Affirm: I am increasingly abundant, prosperous and successful. My cup runneth over with riches, wealth and every good gift of a generous God. I am designed to joyfully receive countless untold blessings and bounty through my relaxed willingness to receive. (If you hesitate to make this affirmation, take the opportunity to look closely at what obstacles lie within you - and to remove them.)

Eggplant Lasagna

This eggplant uses no wheat and no pasta noodles of any kind. The eggplant is used in place of the noodles.

1 1b eggplant

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 ribs celery, minced

2 sprigs parsley

6 mushrooms, sliced

Salt to taste

2 cup tomato sauce

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cup cottage cheese

1/3 pkg. grated jack cheese (1-½ cups)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp sweet basil

1 Tbsp oregano

There are 3 basic items that make up this dish (A) the eggplant, (B)the cheese-egg mixture and (C) the vegetables in sauce

Preparing the items

(A) Peel, slice and steam eggplant until tender, set aside

(B) Beat eggs, and combine cheeses and eggs in a bowl, set aside(

C) Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil

Add spices (garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, celery) And tomato sauce. Simmer on low heat for an hour.

Assembling the Lasagna

A: Use 1/3 eggplant cover the bottom of the baking dish

B: Use 1/3 of the cheese mixture and cover evenly

C: Use the vegetables in sauce spread over entire bottom of dish

A: Use 1/3 eggplant cover and layer on top

B: Layer with 1/3 of the cheese mixture

C: Layer with remaining vegetables in sauce,

A: Place a layer of eggplant on top

B: Evenly top with the last 1/3 of the cheese mixture

Bake uncovered in 8 x 8-inch baking dish at 325 F degrees for 1 to 1½ hours.

You are a Divine Child of God with Unlimited Potential.

You are meant to live all that you desire.

You were born worthy, lovable, deserving, and complete.

This is the only vision that I hold for you.

Monday musings...

2008-07-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.
Life is but a dream.
***************************
This little ditty is a wonderful spiritual metaphor...a great metaphysical teaching tool.

"Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream"

Keep on keeping on. Keep moving in the direction of your good. If you don't pay attention to the direction you're traveling, the stream of life may be turbulant. Be gentle, don't struggle as you go. Let God choose the direction...the waters will be still.

"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream."

Be happy...be joyful. Know that happiness and joy are choices we make...not something that happens to us. Choose then to make your daydreams positive and affirmative. Even if you come to the rapids or the rocks, it will be smooth sailing.

Enjoy the ride.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More relationship tips!! Some ideas to keep the communication lines open.

Appreciations: Share five things you appreciate about each other. These can range from the simple "I like your smile" to the sublime "I like it that you were able to be so low key after I forgot to pick you up last night." Appreciations can be a nice surprise to realize just how much our friends/family members/partners notice and appreciate.

Wishes, Hopes, and Dreams: Describe three things you hope for in the long run ("I hope to complete a marathon by the time I'm 40") and in the short run ("This week-end I'd like to spend a half-hour alone with my dad when he visits.") Afriend/family member/partner who understands your dreams is able to help them happen. Remember that hopes change as we go along and it's important to keep each other current.

New Information: We often forget to update our friends/family members/partner about a change in plans or circumstances. We tell people at work and think we've told others. Make the updates a ritual. Information like "The dentist said Bobby won't need braces after all" or "I'll have to be in San Francisco an extra day" is crucial to staying in-synch and feeling connected.

Puzzles: Clear-up big or little mysteries before they become suspicions, false assumptions, or resentments. Most "puzzles" have simple explanations. "You promised you'd water the tomatoes before you left this morning. What happened?" "The water was turned off. Was it back on when you got up?" You have to ask!

Complaints with Request for Change: Get in the habit of saying what you want rather than what you don't want. Describe a specific behavior that bothers you and explain how you'd like it done. Instead of "I get furious when you call and don't leave a message," say, "When you call and get the machine, please don't say 'It's me' and hang up. Say why you're calling, and when you'll call back, or be home, or whatever it was you were calling to tell me." If you forget to say why you were calling. Call back. Even if it's long distance. It's an inexpensive investment in your relationships.

Prayer for Our Church Family

2008-07-01T06:37:00.000-05:00

God's order and harmony are established in each of us and in Unity of the Hills.
God's wisdom guides us in all our relationships and interactions with each other.
Renewed trust, loving communication and forgiving love, now heal any discord or misunderstandings.
We respect the feelings and needs of ourselves and each other as we cooperate in a space of peace and harmony.

And it is so!

Amen and amen and amen!

Make this a beautiful day!
Donna

Remember this...
You are a Divine Child of God with Unlimited Potential.
You are meant to live all that you desire.
You were born worthy, lovable, deserving, and complete.
This is the only vision that I hold for you.

Rainy morning musings...

2008-06-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

The transforming power of Spirit is actively moving through Unity of the Hills. We are centered and focused on the path before us as we move to blessings beyond our highest expectations!

This is the only vision I hold for us!

Rev. Donna

2008-06-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

Have fun and fill up the universe