A PRAYER TO START THE WEEK

   I know that there is a Power greater than I am. I know that there is a Love that casts out all fear. I know that there is a faith that overcomes all obstructions. I now enter into this Love. I now use this faith and know a great peace of mind, a deep sense of belonging, a complete realization that God is right where I am. I believe that the Spirit within me, which is God, makes perfect and peaceful the way before me. I enter into conscious union with everything that lives. I commune with the Spirit in all people and in all things. I feel an intimate relationship to the Presence and the Power that control everything. I put my whole trust in God. I know that the Spirit gently leads me, wisely counsels me. I know that the Love that envelops everything flows through me to everyone and with it there goes a confidence, a sense of joy and of peace, as well as a buoyant enthusiasm and zest for life. There comes back to me today everything that makes life worthwhile, everything that flows from the inner realm of fathomless Peace—the indwelling Presence of God.

TOUCHING THE DIVINE

    Some religions have taught us that God is outside of his creation. They teach that the Spirit is far from us, kind of like it is on the outside looking in. But this cannot be true; would a mother give birth to a child, and then leave it in the hospital ward for its entire life, only viewing it remotely through some mirrored window? The very thought seems a bit ludicrous. We love because first cause is love. We want those we love near, because first cause is near to us. When you see the leaves gently swaying in the wind, the flowers dancing in a field or a breathtaking sunset streaked with a multitude of colors, you're seeing an expression of the Divine. When you are happy, feel love or experience the magic of a special moment; you are feeling the Divine. Now think how close the Spirit is when you utter a prayer.

EXPERIENCING THE SPIRITUAL

    So many people want to experience the supernatural and the paranormal. They seek out mediums, haunted houses and the like; but these are not the only ways to experience something spiritual. If you really want to tune in to something beautiful, sit outside or near a window in your home. Just close your eyes, and expand your consciousness by means of visualization beyond yourself. Feel yourself being one with the trees, the grass, the rocks, the sky, the room that you are in and all things in your surroundings. Next, feel yourself merging with the very cosmos itself. Then allow your consciousness to be projected into the other dimensions and into the presence of angels, God, goddess and all benign spirits. Just be, and let them surround you with their presents. You need not say any prayers or have any forced mental activity during this session. Simply be one with everything, and in the presence of the All. You may notice what is taking place in the back of your mind at that time is quite unusual and wonderful; almost as if someone is downloading information into your mind or speaking to you. Once you do this meditation a few times, you'll begin to sense the spiritual frequencies and even glimpse the spiritual energies in your every day waking conscious state. Some people have had very visual and personal experiences using this technique. Some have even had spiritual visitations. Of course, if this kind of thing is a bit creepy for you, you can always ask spirit to communicate with you in more subtle ways. The good spirits are not out to frighten you or do anything against your will. They will respect your boundaries and work with you as an equal partner. This is perhaps one of the best ways I have found to tap into the unseen world around us, and commune with Spirit.

CONSIDER YOUR SOUL

    What does any person think they will gain by following after the ways of war, greed, hatred and evil? The corrupt rich man will say that he did all that he did in life, to leave behind a legacy and provide for his family. The liar will say that they told untruths because the hearer of his words were not able to handle the truth; or he got some kind of emotional charge out of manipulating others. But what about the souls of these individuals? Most of them do not even consider a life beyond the grave, or they think it is just a myth. But what if they are wrong? And millions of millions of near-death experiences recorded over the centuries do tell us that they are wrong. So what happens to the soul after death when one lives a spurious lifestyle? Do they come back to the earth and suffer through countless lifetimes until they finally get it right? Do they go to some lower spiritual realm that is dark and gloomy until they sort themselves out? The theories are many; and mostly all of the worlds religions tell us that the righteous go to a place of peace, but the unrighteous do not reap the same reward. All of the near death experience accounts tell us that there is a life review once we step across the threshold from this life to the next. Let us all strive to make that review a good one, and to go to the place of peace and rest after our labor here is through.

     

A WORLD OF DIVERSE BELIEFS

    If there is such a being as God, would he make it hard for people to know about him? Would he make just one way for all the various people's of the earth to come to him; and if they didn't find that way, would he punish them? When we think of the concept of the Divine, we often think of such words as, all knowing, wise, love, perfect and many more. Could and would a being of infinite wisdom and love stack the deck against humanity by making the way too narrow? And if God is in control of all things, wouldn't he be purposely condemning some people by having them predestined to be born into a culture that has a completely different religious system than the "one" that is supposed to be correct? That Just wouldn't make good sense, or be fair.

    But thank goodness this is not the case. The fact that people are spiritual at all is the proof that something greater than ourselves is out there. Humanity has had ceremonies, rituals and offered up prayers to the Divine since the dawn of time. Whether it was God, Goddess, the sun or moon... people have always believed in Spirit; and those many diverse practices still go on to this day. And we should respect those practices and the people who participate in them. After all, aren't we all striving for the same thing in the end? And aren't most of these practices based on love and doing good to our fellow man and woman? The world is filled with various forms of spiritual beliefs... and we should be grateful that the Divine has stirred the hearts of so many to seek out the infinite!

DEFINING YOURSELF IN A DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP

    We've all been in the position at one point or another where we have depended on other people for our personal happiness. We tell ourselves that if others treat us right, love us more or tend our emotional needs we will be truly happy. But then when they fail us, or refuse to do the things we want them to... we crash emotionally and feel devastated inside. We tell ourselves that we need these other people so badly, that we could never find happiness outside of their influence. But the truth is, we can never be truly happy until we are stable within ourselves and have peace of mind. 

    To do this, we need to ask ourselves; 1. Who am I? 2. What do I really want? 3. What excites me in life and makes me feel joyous? You have to ask yourself these questions and begin to define yourself outside the context of the relationship. You're answers to these questions cannot include the other person or people whatsoever. Finding "YOURSELF" is the most important thing here. The next thing you need to do is find support. This may be through friends or a trusted spiritual teacher; but if another person cannot be found for a support partner, try self counseling with Runes, the Tarot or any other oracle deck that speaks to you. Your connection with Spirit is very important in this situation. 

    Spirit accepts you as you are and will always echo back to you that which is your true nature. Hence, your spiritual path will be your greatest strength. You are not powerless, you are not worthless or trapped. You are not someone else's captive and your life is not contained in a small box. You just need to take back your power by finding out who you really are within. The other people around you are there to compliment your life, not to BE your life. And by that I mean, that they cannot live your life for you, nor is your happiness dependent upon their actions or lack thereof. You need to take your focus off of them and put it on yourself. You are the only one who can define you... and when you do that, you will know how to make yourself happy. Your life is not a pie that you can slice into pieces and place into the hands of others; it is solely yours to live. So begin living it today by finding out who you are and what YOU truly want.

 

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES IN JANUARY?

    Another holiday season has come and gone. For some, it is a relief; but for others, it may seem like a letdown as life begins to return to normal. It's difficult for some people to come down off of those emotional highs, excitement and magical feelings of that most wonderful time of the year... and some even start the countdown until it rolls around on the train or time once again. But we need not let those highs fade away or the magic dissipate just because the decorations are down and all the presents have been unwrapped. Those magical feelings and warm glows in our hearts aren't there because of a time of year or a season; they are there because of what that season represents. And what it represents is a closer connection with the Divine, which inspires us to give, love and wish for true peace in our world. Whether we celebrate Christmas, or Yule or any of the other winter holidays, they make something come alive in us that seems to lie dormant for the rest of the year. But that need not be so; because if we maintain our connection with the Divine and truly aspire to be more kind and loving people... then our warm feelings and memories of that special time of year will be with us the whole year through. Remember, it is not a time or a season; it is a state of mind and heart. And that state can be maintained by walking with Spirit every day of our lives!

IS THE UNIVERSE TRYING TO TEACH YOU SOMETHING THROUGH NEGATIVE CIRCUMSTANCES?

    Many people believe that the universe is trying to teach them something when negative circumstances keep piling up in their lives. There are spiritual teachers who subscribe to this theory and put it out in mass through seminars and the written word. But is there any truth to this particular philosophy? The truth is, sometimes we as human beings, can be quite stubborn and not see the consequences of our actions right in front of us. We insist upon our own way and believe that we have it all figured out with our limited perceptions and ways of thinking. In such cases, the universe may allow us to trip over our own feet and take a few knocks and bruises in order to get us back on the right track. And yes, sometimes a very negative and impossible person will show up on our life's path to help us mature and grow as spiritual beings. But this doesn't mean that every time you encounter a challenging person or circumstance, that the universe is making it happen to you. 

    Sadly, there are just some people in our world who do not live according to the universal laws of love and peace. Respect for others is a dying character trait in our modern world. Some people are just making the wrong choices for themselves and may be taking a few bumps in their journey through life. Maybe you were put in their path to show them how to be more decent, honest or caring. Or maybe they have just blundered into your life and are trying to pull you down with their nonsense. Either way, you do not have to attach yourself to such individuals. And you do not have to feel that the universe is punishing you or trying to make your life hard. Sometimes, in this flawed material world that we live in, things just happen. We run across negative people, friends betray, lovers are unfaithful or illness strikes. I believe much of this can be avoided by protecting ourselves spiritually with prayer, meditation and other practices. But still in all, sometimes things just happen. This is a temporary world filled with temporary things that will get old and pass away. Most people make decisions based on what everyone else is thinking or doing, and that is not always a good or positive thing. 

    You cannot control what other people do. But you can control your own life and keep yourself shielded from this kind of disruptive energy as much as possible. But do not think that the universe is using you as a doormat when challenging or negative circumstances come into your life. This is just not the case, and the universe does not work that way. It is not out to get you, or to make your life a living hell so it can force you to grow in some way that may be unknown to you. The universe is a very peaceful and loving place, it is a place of perfect balance and order. And given the chance, it will bring that order into your existence and restore peace to your daily living. So when the going gets tough, as it sometimes does for all of us, don't make yourself feel worse by thinking that the universe is against you as well... it is not, it cannot be. But it will support you and help you to find the light one way or another.

DON'T PLAY THE GAME

   If you are finding yourself in a challenging relationship at the start of this new year, it is time to start paving the road to more peace of mind. Most often in challenging relationships, there is one person who cares too much and another who doesn't care on the same high-level. The person who cares less, is generally the one who tries to control the relationship. They may go through mood swings, periods of insulting or using cruel words. They may throw tantrums when they do not get their way and a host of other problematic attitudes. They may be snuggly and loving one minute, and vicious or unpredictable the next. They do this in order to maintain some kind of control within the relationship. These kinds of people often blur the lines between love and possession of another human being. The greatest thing that you can do for yourself in this kind of relationship, is to not play the part that you were expected to play. When the person is vicious, don't be vicious back. When they are cruel and distant, don't beg them for their affections. Take your power back, begin to respect yourself more. 

    You are an expression of the Divine Spirit in material form, you have every right to be respected and loved in a way that is worthy of you. You don't have to get down in the trenches and fight or grovel for someone's love and approval. Once you stop playing the game, and acting out the role that you're expected to play in their show... you will begin to see very noticeable changes. The person will either begin to seek you out, and want more of your attention; or the relationship will just fade away making room for a new romantic interest that will treat you in the way that you desire to be treated. You are not someone's puppet or punching bag, nor are you a game piece that they can move on the board of life at their whim and will. You are a powerful and worthy individual, and you have the power to take your life back and restore order in your universe. Don't play someone else's game, create your own rules and live by them.