Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. It faced a blank wall.The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'
Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.'
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
God Is My Portion
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.--Psalm 73:26
I am conscious that the Life and the Intelligence within me is some part of the Universal Spirit of God. Therefore, I know that my mind is one with the Infinite Mind of God. Being one with this Infinite Mind, I am continuously guided and directed, and all my actions are controlled by this Spirit within me.
I know exactly what to do in every situation. Every idea necessary to successful living is brought to my attention. the doorway to ever increasing opportunity for self-expression is ever open before me. I am continuously meeting new and larger experiences. Every day brings some greater good. Every day brings more blessings and greater self-expression. I prosper in everything I do. An abundance of good is mine today.
There is that within me that understands this Truth, that completely accepts It, that remembers freedom, expresses freedom, and anticipates freedom. There is that within me that is completely conscious of its unity with Good(God), of its oneness with all the Power there is, all the Presence of Truth and Love there is, and all the Life there is.
Upon this Power, Presence, and Life I depend with complete certainty. I have absolute inner assurance that Divine Intelligence benefits me in everything I do.
This eternal moment guides me into the fullness of God's Presence and I completely and selflessly embrace It. I feel your Warmth, Goodness, Love, Happiness, Peace, Joy and Abundance in this moment. I ask that these Good and Perfect things be made manifest in my expressed life as it is in your Life. As I have asked, I have received these Good and Perfect things. It is done.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Right Action
A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.--Ezekiel 36:26
Remaining constantly open to the Love of God within ourselves can produce great results. Though the essence of Love may be elusive, It pervades everything, renewing our soul and uplifting our emotions. We can all live happily, harmoniously, and successfully with one another when each of us practices a conscious acceptance and recognition of the presence of God's Love within ourselves and within everyone. We can overcome the troubles and difficulties that we have allowed to enter our lives when we remember that Love is the creating and sustaining Presence of God within us all.
As I eliminate anger and resentment in my life, the Divine Nature of God fills my soul overflowing freely through every part of me and makes my path only right action. I dismiss all tendency to be angry, fearful, or resentful. In exchange I am filled with faith, love, and trust.
Remaining constantly open to the Love of God within ourselves can produce great results. Though the essence of Love may be elusive, It pervades everything, renewing our soul and uplifting our emotions. We can all live happily, harmoniously, and successfully with one another when each of us practices a conscious acceptance and recognition of the presence of God's Love within ourselves and within everyone. We can overcome the troubles and difficulties that we have allowed to enter our lives when we remember that Love is the creating and sustaining Presence of God within us all.
As I eliminate anger and resentment in my life, the Divine Nature of God fills my soul overflowing freely through every part of me and makes my path only right action. I dismiss all tendency to be angry, fearful, or resentful. In exchange I am filled with faith, love, and trust.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Be In Joy Now
Today's blog is from Rhonda Byrne, Creator of The Secret. Her message may be a little too metaphysical for some of you, leaving you uncomfortable by her lack of reference to the traditional names of God, but if you read it without prejudice and an open mind you will find a lot of truth in what she is saying. It is the bad times when we usually seek God for help and comfort and our efforts are usually reactionary to our needs at the time. Byrne is saying that if we live and believe in God's presence of joy in the now, every day, we will become more non-resistant and less reactionary to the challenges that bring negativity, fear and doubt into our lives.
Be in Joy now and everything will change
by Rhonda Byrne
In the moment that I discovered The Secret I realized that I had been living my entire life backwards. If things were good in my life, I was happy. If things were difficult in my life and everything was going wrong, I was stressed and miserable. In my ignorance, I had been misusing the law of attraction all of my life. But all of that changed when I had the knowledge of The Secret.
To live in accordance with The Secret and the most powerful law in the Universe, we must be in Joy first - and then everything will change. To live our lives by emotionally reacting to what is happening outside of us is misusing the law! As we react with negative emotion to any difficulties, we attract more negativity into our lives. We cannot defy the law of attraction, which operates on the most microscopic levels of vibration, and with absolute exactitude.
You must be in Joy first. And then your life will change into Joy.
Difficult times are the greatest opportunities in disguise. When we face difficult times we have to put in determined work to get ourselves into Joy. But let me tell you, when you can get yourself into Joy despite what is happening around you, your life must change - it's the law!
In addition, as you become Joy in difficult times you are becoming the master of your emotions, the master of your life, and the master of the law of attraction. Difficult times are your greatest opportunity to practice yourself into Joy.
Of course if your life is going along swimmingly then it is very easy to be in Joy. During those times your Joy is most likely a reaction to the good times. But the magnificence and the power that you really have within you will be seen when you can be in Joy during difficult times. It is then that you will see the true power that you have within you, because as you hold to Joy, you will shift all the energies of the Universe, and your life and your world will change.
The cause of everything is within you, and the effect is what you experience in your life. You have the power within you to change everything by putting yourself in Joy. You can change everything so easily by becoming Joy first! And nothing can change until you get yourself in Joy, because that is the law of attraction. Like attracts like! The energy of Joy attracts energy of Joy!
Do whatever it takes to find your Joy, and then keep yourself in it no matter what. Keep ramping up your level of Joy every day. There is no limit to the levels of Joy you can reach. You will see change to the degree of Joy that you can attain and maintain. The higher the Joy you can create within you, the more spectacular the change, and the higher the Joy, the faster the change. Once you get yourself in Joy it is easy to maintain it, because your emanation of Joy attracts more Joy. The law of attraction will continually send you more feelings of Joy.
You cannot criticize or blame or complain when you are in Joy. You cannot be afraid when you are in Joy. You cannot speak negatively when you are in Joy. You cannot harm another when you are in Joy. Negativity cannot reach you when you are in Joy.
When you are in Joy you are compassionate. When you are in Joy you are considerate and caring. When you are in Joy you love others. When you are in Joy you appreciate everything. When you are in Joy you are in love with the world, and the Universe is in love with you.
Be in Joy. Seek it with all of your heart, and you will find it.
May the Joy be with you.
Be in Joy now and everything will change
by Rhonda Byrne
In the moment that I discovered The Secret I realized that I had been living my entire life backwards. If things were good in my life, I was happy. If things were difficult in my life and everything was going wrong, I was stressed and miserable. In my ignorance, I had been misusing the law of attraction all of my life. But all of that changed when I had the knowledge of The Secret.
To live in accordance with The Secret and the most powerful law in the Universe, we must be in Joy first - and then everything will change. To live our lives by emotionally reacting to what is happening outside of us is misusing the law! As we react with negative emotion to any difficulties, we attract more negativity into our lives. We cannot defy the law of attraction, which operates on the most microscopic levels of vibration, and with absolute exactitude.
You must be in Joy first. And then your life will change into Joy.
Difficult times are the greatest opportunities in disguise. When we face difficult times we have to put in determined work to get ourselves into Joy. But let me tell you, when you can get yourself into Joy despite what is happening around you, your life must change - it's the law!
In addition, as you become Joy in difficult times you are becoming the master of your emotions, the master of your life, and the master of the law of attraction. Difficult times are your greatest opportunity to practice yourself into Joy.
Of course if your life is going along swimmingly then it is very easy to be in Joy. During those times your Joy is most likely a reaction to the good times. But the magnificence and the power that you really have within you will be seen when you can be in Joy during difficult times. It is then that you will see the true power that you have within you, because as you hold to Joy, you will shift all the energies of the Universe, and your life and your world will change.
The cause of everything is within you, and the effect is what you experience in your life. You have the power within you to change everything by putting yourself in Joy. You can change everything so easily by becoming Joy first! And nothing can change until you get yourself in Joy, because that is the law of attraction. Like attracts like! The energy of Joy attracts energy of Joy!
Do whatever it takes to find your Joy, and then keep yourself in it no matter what. Keep ramping up your level of Joy every day. There is no limit to the levels of Joy you can reach. You will see change to the degree of Joy that you can attain and maintain. The higher the Joy you can create within you, the more spectacular the change, and the higher the Joy, the faster the change. Once you get yourself in Joy it is easy to maintain it, because your emanation of Joy attracts more Joy. The law of attraction will continually send you more feelings of Joy.
You cannot criticize or blame or complain when you are in Joy. You cannot be afraid when you are in Joy. You cannot speak negatively when you are in Joy. You cannot harm another when you are in Joy. Negativity cannot reach you when you are in Joy.
When you are in Joy you are compassionate. When you are in Joy you are considerate and caring. When you are in Joy you love others. When you are in Joy you appreciate everything. When you are in Joy you are in love with the world, and the Universe is in love with you.
Be in Joy. Seek it with all of your heart, and you will find it.
May the Joy be with you.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Perfect Work
And they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.--Isaiah 65:21
Pefect work and perfect supply are mine! As I accept this truth, it is done. I refuse to look upon effects that have been brought about by my own limited thinking. I turn my mind to the Infinite, all Loving and All-Powerful. I let go of fear and open my hands to receive that which is mine.
Infinite Creativeness flows through every person. There is no reality of lack or limitation within me. I have talents and capabilities that now become clearly known to me. I am guided by the Spirit to recognize my inner wealth. Divine Wisdom knows exactly what I can do and shows me how, when, and where to do it. The right ideas occur to me, and the right people and circumstances come into my life.
Each opportunity is better than the last, for God in me forever moves me forward and onward. I move forward joyously now, accepting that which is my perfect environment, employment, and supply. I am prosperous in all things as I allow the Divine Nature of God to flow through me and to take form in my world.
Pefect work and perfect supply are mine! As I accept this truth, it is done. I refuse to look upon effects that have been brought about by my own limited thinking. I turn my mind to the Infinite, all Loving and All-Powerful. I let go of fear and open my hands to receive that which is mine.
Infinite Creativeness flows through every person. There is no reality of lack or limitation within me. I have talents and capabilities that now become clearly known to me. I am guided by the Spirit to recognize my inner wealth. Divine Wisdom knows exactly what I can do and shows me how, when, and where to do it. The right ideas occur to me, and the right people and circumstances come into my life.
Each opportunity is better than the last, for God in me forever moves me forward and onward. I move forward joyously now, accepting that which is my perfect environment, employment, and supply. I am prosperous in all things as I allow the Divine Nature of God to flow through me and to take form in my world.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Inheritance
The Kingdom of God is at hand. I inherit everything that belongs to this kingdom. The riches and the power and the glory of this kingdom are mine now. I do not rob anyone by entering into the fullness of the kingdom of power, of joy, and of abundance. I recognize that everyone inherits the same kingdom. There is no law of human heredity imposed upon me. Evil has no history. Limitation has no past. That which is opposed to good has no future. The eternal now is filled with perfection. I always have been and always will remain a complete, perfect, and whole expression of the Eternal Mind of God.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Miracle Of Life
Day 1: fertilization: God's Creative Spirit is made manifest and expressed in human form, Universal Intelligence is already at work, all human chromosomes are present; a unique human life begins.
Day 6: embryo begins implantation in the uterus.
Week 14: At this age, the heart pumps several quarts of blood through the body every day.
Week 15: The baby has an adult's taste buds.
Month 4: Bone Marrow is now beginning to form. The heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood a day. By the end of month 4 the baby will be 8-10 inches in length and will weigh up to half a pound.
Week 17: The baby can have dream (REM) sleep.
Week 19: Babies can routinely be saved at 21 to 22 weeks after fertilization, and sometimes they can be saved even younger.
Week 20: The earliest stage at which Partial birth abortions are performed. At 20 weeks the baby recognizes its' mothers voice. Except for the danger from human predators the baby has no fear, thoughts of lack, limitation or need and feels protected in the mother's womb.
Months 5 and 6: The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into its developing lungs. The baby will grasp at the umbilical cord when it feels it. Most mothers feel an increase in movement, kicking, and hiccups from the baby. Oil and sweat glands are now functioning. The baby is now twelve inches long or more, and weighs up to one and a half pounds.
Months 7 through 9: Eyeteeth are present. The baby opens and closes his eyes. The baby is using four of the five senses (vision, hearing, taste, and touch.) He knows the difference between waking and sleeping, and can relate to the moods of the mother. The baby's skin begins to thicken, and a layer of fat is produced and stored beneath the skin. Antibodies are built up, and the baby's heart begins to pump 300 gallons of blood per day. Approximately one week before the birth the baby stops growing, and "drops" usually head down into the pelvic cavity.
Day 6: embryo begins implantation in the uterus.
Day 22: heart begins to beat with the child's own blood, often a different type than the mothers'.
Week 3: By the end of third week the child's backbone spinal column and nervous system are forming. The liver, kidneys and intestines begin to take shape.
Week 4: By the end of week four the child is ten thousand times larger than the fertilized egg.
Week 5: Eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop.
Week 6: Brain waves are detectable; mouth and lips are present; fingernails are forming.
Week 7: Eyelids, and toes form, nose distinct. The baby is kicking and swimming.
Week 8: Every organ is in place, bones begin to replace cartilage, and fingerprints begin to form. By the 8th week the baby can begin to hear.
Weeks 9 and 10: Teeth begin to form, fingernails develop. The baby can turn his head, and frown. The baby can hiccup.
Weeks 10 and 11: The baby can "breathe" amniotic fluid and urinate. Week 11 the baby can grasp objects placed in its hand; all organ systems are functioning. The baby has a skeletal structure, nerves, and circulation.
Week 12: The baby has all of the parts necessary to experience pain, including nerves, spinal cord, and thalamus. Vocal cords are complete. The baby can suck its thumb.
Week 3: By the end of third week the child's backbone spinal column and nervous system are forming. The liver, kidneys and intestines begin to take shape.
Week 4: By the end of week four the child is ten thousand times larger than the fertilized egg.
Week 5: Eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop.
Week 6: Brain waves are detectable; mouth and lips are present; fingernails are forming.
Week 7: Eyelids, and toes form, nose distinct. The baby is kicking and swimming.
Week 8: Every organ is in place, bones begin to replace cartilage, and fingerprints begin to form. By the 8th week the baby can begin to hear.
Weeks 9 and 10: Teeth begin to form, fingernails develop. The baby can turn his head, and frown. The baby can hiccup.
Weeks 10 and 11: The baby can "breathe" amniotic fluid and urinate. Week 11 the baby can grasp objects placed in its hand; all organ systems are functioning. The baby has a skeletal structure, nerves, and circulation.
Week 12: The baby has all of the parts necessary to experience pain, including nerves, spinal cord, and thalamus. Vocal cords are complete. The baby can suck its thumb.
Week 14: At this age, the heart pumps several quarts of blood through the body every day.
Week 15: The baby has an adult's taste buds.
Month 4: Bone Marrow is now beginning to form. The heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood a day. By the end of month 4 the baby will be 8-10 inches in length and will weigh up to half a pound.
Week 17: The baby can have dream (REM) sleep.
Week 19: Babies can routinely be saved at 21 to 22 weeks after fertilization, and sometimes they can be saved even younger.
Week 20: The earliest stage at which Partial birth abortions are performed. At 20 weeks the baby recognizes its' mothers voice. Except for the danger from human predators the baby has no fear, thoughts of lack, limitation or need and feels protected in the mother's womb.
Months 5 and 6: The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into its developing lungs. The baby will grasp at the umbilical cord when it feels it. Most mothers feel an increase in movement, kicking, and hiccups from the baby. Oil and sweat glands are now functioning. The baby is now twelve inches long or more, and weighs up to one and a half pounds.
Months 7 through 9: Eyeteeth are present. The baby opens and closes his eyes. The baby is using four of the five senses (vision, hearing, taste, and touch.) He knows the difference between waking and sleeping, and can relate to the moods of the mother. The baby's skin begins to thicken, and a layer of fat is produced and stored beneath the skin. Antibodies are built up, and the baby's heart begins to pump 300 gallons of blood per day. Approximately one week before the birth the baby stops growing, and "drops" usually head down into the pelvic cavity.
Monday, March 16, 2009
What Is My Future?
We are not at home in this universe. We are afraid of it--afraid to live. If the time ever comes to you and to me when we see God in everything and in everybody, we will never be alone or feel lonely ever again. Every experience will more vividly reveal God's warmth, color, beauty and responsiveness in the Reality in which we live. The entire nature of God is given to us. It is a gift already received but we have to accept this Truth.
We are on the verge of a vast possibility. Do you feel it? The individual or nation without a vision must perish until the vision is reborn. What is my vision in the midst of confusion, doubt, and uncertainty? People have lossed confidence in the economy, in government, in the stock market. We will either fall before the confusion and be destroyed, or something transcendent within us is going to rise and look to a certain future, to an eternal Reality, to a God-Principle--to an Infinite Presence, responding to us according to our belief, our faith, our acceptance of what can be.
There is no individual good. Good belongs to everyone. Good fulfills itself only as it multiplys itself; therefore, there is no good that belongs to just you and to me alone, no final peace to us only as individuals. The watchword is not exclusion but inclusion, and the more good we release, the more good we experience. This is the Law(of God)(Law of Attraction).
I am part of one trememdous Whole whose nature is God. It is this Divine Nature, this union, that I consciously walk and talk with the Infinite, until it becomes dynamic and real to me. I am thankful for every opportunity to let God's Life be expressed through me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
We are on the verge of a vast possibility. Do you feel it? The individual or nation without a vision must perish until the vision is reborn. What is my vision in the midst of confusion, doubt, and uncertainty? People have lossed confidence in the economy, in government, in the stock market. We will either fall before the confusion and be destroyed, or something transcendent within us is going to rise and look to a certain future, to an eternal Reality, to a God-Principle--to an Infinite Presence, responding to us according to our belief, our faith, our acceptance of what can be.
There is no individual good. Good belongs to everyone. Good fulfills itself only as it multiplys itself; therefore, there is no good that belongs to just you and to me alone, no final peace to us only as individuals. The watchword is not exclusion but inclusion, and the more good we release, the more good we experience. This is the Law(of God)(Law of Attraction).
I am part of one trememdous Whole whose nature is God. It is this Divine Nature, this union, that I consciously walk and talk with the Infinite, until it becomes dynamic and real to me. I am thankful for every opportunity to let God's Life be expressed through me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Mind Of Discord
It is a terrible burden to dislike people and to be critical. All it does is cover up a perpetual pain in our own heart. It is a whistling in the dark to keep up our own courage. How much easier it is to love people, to learn to forgive rather than to hold grudges. We should not go to bed at night until we have cleared our mind of every animosity. Love is the greatest healing agent on Earth for our bodys as well as for our affairs.
To be a friend is the greatest privilege I can experience. Therefore, I extend loving friendship to all I meet. I identify myself with the givingness and grace of God's own nature, knowing that I am following the pathway to the greatest Truth in life.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.--John 14:27
To be a friend is the greatest privilege I can experience. Therefore, I extend loving friendship to all I meet. I identify myself with the givingness and grace of God's own nature, knowing that I am following the pathway to the greatest Truth in life.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.--John 14:27
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Invisible Source
Let us take a very simple lesson from nature. Perhaps from where you are sitting right now you can see a tree in full bloom. If so, remember that the tree's roots, from which it draws its life, are entirely invisible. Unless the tree drew on this invisible source, it would never flourish. We have roots in the Mind of God. Our personality, our individuality, everything we are and do that the world sees is really a result, in effect, of our continually drawing on the Infinite invisible source that always sustains us.
We must come to believe that the Creative Spirit in back of all things also flows through us. If we think of ourselves as rooted in God and expect Divine Power to flow through us, our every thought and action will be animated by the same life and power and beauty that clothe the lily of the field.
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matt. 6:28-29)
God has imparted our life to us, placing no limitation or condition that would restrict us, other than this: Our life must be lived constructively, in unity and love and sympathy with everything around us, if we expect to live it to the fullest. I believe that every person is born to be creative and live to the fullest and to be happy and glad and prosperous and whole.
It is the Father's pleasure to give me the Kingdom of Heaven(God withholds nothing). I accept it with joy and thanksgiving, knowing that I am called to be a creative center of Life. All that I wish for myself, I wish for others as well. Sensing the presence of Love guiding and protecting me, I go forth to spread this Love to all those I meet.
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
We must come to believe that the Creative Spirit in back of all things also flows through us. If we think of ourselves as rooted in God and expect Divine Power to flow through us, our every thought and action will be animated by the same life and power and beauty that clothe the lily of the field.
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matt. 6:28-29)
God has imparted our life to us, placing no limitation or condition that would restrict us, other than this: Our life must be lived constructively, in unity and love and sympathy with everything around us, if we expect to live it to the fullest. I believe that every person is born to be creative and live to the fullest and to be happy and glad and prosperous and whole.
It is the Father's pleasure to give me the Kingdom of Heaven(God withholds nothing). I accept it with joy and thanksgiving, knowing that I am called to be a creative center of Life. All that I wish for myself, I wish for others as well. Sensing the presence of Love guiding and protecting me, I go forth to spread this Love to all those I meet.
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Omnipresence
The Universe is a spiritual system of complete consciousness, entire wholeness, the sum total of which is present everywhere. We are both scientifically and inspirationally, spiritually and philosophically in accord with the great intuitions, the spiritual revelations of all ages, that have always announced that God is over all, in all, through all, and is all. There is not God and something else. There is only God, and God is in everything, constituting the only Reality to anything that is, proclaiming Itself as all things; therefore, god knows things only as Itself.
There is an Intelligence in everything, from the smallest atom to whatever we think of as big, and that Intelligence must of necessity respond to us intelligently. Then, automatically, we will have to assume that God can only respond to us at the level of our belief in, knowledge of, feeling about, acceptance and embodiment of, and identification with God. In other words, God is all there is, but to each of us individually, the God that is all there is must be the God believed in.
As a side note, I have been struggling with how I should view the decision by President Obama to reverse the earlier executive decisions restricting the use of embryonic stem cells in Federally funded research. The concept of killing one human being to possibly save the life of another human being is very disturbing to me yet this decision was met by cheers and standing ovation by many, who I am sure, is focusing on the desired result and not the means and therefore they feel justified. There is always cause and effect in the Law(of God)that will be made manifest in our lives resulting from our actions and decisions, good or bad.
I make this comment to make this point: In this life we should always make decisions that do not go against the true nature of God. Since there is but One Life present everywhere, I must be in that Life and of it, and It must flow through me. It must be what I am; therefore, I accept this Omnipresence as something real, definite, immediate. At the very center of my own being I embrace the Divine Presence of God's Spirit. At the center of my own consciousness I recognize a transcendent Principle forever animating, sustaining, vitalizing, re-creating, guiding, directing, inspiring. There is within me that which knows what to do and impels me to act in accord with its Perfect Law and Order and its complete Peace. This I accept, and even as I affirm it I know that this Omnipresence is alive and awake and aware within me and directing me in right thinking regarding stem cell research or any other modern day moral issue society faces.
And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.--Genesis 28:15
Thursday, March 5, 2009
My To Do List
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk today. And while I walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes today. Talk to God about what is going on in my life. Ask questions.
3. When I wake up this morning I will state the following:
It is a Good and Perfect day and I am so thankful. I ask you Lord, that only love, joy, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity be made manifest and demonstrated in my life this day. I accept and receive these Good and Perfect things with a grateful heart.
4. I will eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water, less alcohol. Notice I didn't say no alcohol, just less. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts and other similar foods.
6. Try to make at least three people smile today.
7. Don't waste precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts, criticism of others or things I cannot control. Instead I will invest my energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. State throughout the day, "Life is good!"
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. I will not take myself too seriously. No one else does.
12. I will not believe that I am so important that I have to win every argument. I will agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with my past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Do not compare my life to others. I have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of my happiness except me.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of me is none of my business.
19. GOD heals everything - but I must ask.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Be more nonresistent
21. I will tell my family and friends every chance I get how much I love them.
22. Envy is a waste of time. I already have all I need.
23. Each night before I go to bed I will state following: I am thankful!
24. I am too blessed to be stressed.
25. When I am feeling down, SMILE!
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes today. Talk to God about what is going on in my life. Ask questions.
3. When I wake up this morning I will state the following:
It is a Good and Perfect day and I am so thankful. I ask you Lord, that only love, joy, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity be made manifest and demonstrated in my life this day. I accept and receive these Good and Perfect things with a grateful heart.
4. I will eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water, less alcohol. Notice I didn't say no alcohol, just less. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts and other similar foods.
6. Try to make at least three people smile today.
7. Don't waste precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts, criticism of others or things I cannot control. Instead I will invest my energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. State throughout the day, "Life is good!"
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. I will not take myself too seriously. No one else does.
12. I will not believe that I am so important that I have to win every argument. I will agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with my past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Do not compare my life to others. I have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of my happiness except me.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of me is none of my business.
19. GOD heals everything - but I must ask.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Be more nonresistent
21. I will tell my family and friends every chance I get how much I love them.
22. Envy is a waste of time. I already have all I need.
23. Each night before I go to bed I will state following: I am thankful!
24. I am too blessed to be stressed.
25. When I am feeling down, SMILE!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Power of the Word
The universe seems beyond our comprehension. The slightest fact in nature is a miracle we cannot perform, even though we try. All we can do is recognize that there is a way to work with these spiritual laws of the universe. We may rely upon It, for It will not fail us. We must come not only to believe and accept, but also to know that we are one with this living Spirit of God, and that God is all there is. Even Jesus admitted to his followers that he could do nothing outside or separate from God(the Father).
Our word, being placed in the Presence and the Power and the Activity of God's Spirit(Life), activates the Law of Mind(God), which cannot fail to operate(God withholds nothing). We must believe that there is something permanent about the word we have spoken when spoken into the Mind of God. When we plant a seed in the ground and walk away from it, nature takes it up, and the law of its own being evolves it, grows it, and It's life is made manifest. So let us believe the same thing about our word--something takes it up, something evolves it, acts on it, and it will manifest.
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void." --Isaiah 55:11
Affirmation: I affirm this day that it is the word of Truth establishing harmony as my experience. With utmost simplicity I accept and believe in the answer to my own prayer because it is a prayer of acceptance. I receive according to my faith and belief in the power given to my spoken words by the Law(of God). There is an Intelligence, a Divine Presence operating in and through my life, guiding, directing, governing, bringing me good. This affirmation of acceptance endlessly repeats itself in my experience and in the experience of others, for whatever I identify my word with is lifted up in consciousness and made manifest.
Our word, being placed in the Presence and the Power and the Activity of God's Spirit(Life), activates the Law of Mind(God), which cannot fail to operate(God withholds nothing). We must believe that there is something permanent about the word we have spoken when spoken into the Mind of God. When we plant a seed in the ground and walk away from it, nature takes it up, and the law of its own being evolves it, grows it, and It's life is made manifest. So let us believe the same thing about our word--something takes it up, something evolves it, acts on it, and it will manifest.
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void." --Isaiah 55:11
Affirmation: I affirm this day that it is the word of Truth establishing harmony as my experience. With utmost simplicity I accept and believe in the answer to my own prayer because it is a prayer of acceptance. I receive according to my faith and belief in the power given to my spoken words by the Law(of God). There is an Intelligence, a Divine Presence operating in and through my life, guiding, directing, governing, bringing me good. This affirmation of acceptance endlessly repeats itself in my experience and in the experience of others, for whatever I identify my word with is lifted up in consciousness and made manifest.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Nonresistance
Gandhi built his whole philosophy of life around the theory of nonviolence. An ancient Chinese sage said that all things are possible to the person who can perfectly practice inaction. And the Bible exclaims: "Be still, and know that I am God." Surely some great truth must be contained in these simple thoughts. There is a spiritual consciousness that, through the power of nonresistance, can change a condition that appears solid. By way of illustration let us think of an iceberg. When the sun's rays daily fall on it, it will dissolve that which was an obstruction becomes liquid. Such is the power of nonviolence.
There is something flowing in, around, and through all things that nothing can resist. This is the something that the great and the wise have known about and have used, but too often our way is the way of resistance. We try to change the outer without changing the inner first.
The T.V. show, The Dog Whisperer demonstrates how a dog communicates through the energy it senses. Instead of beating the dog into submission, the Dog Whisperer gets the dog to act in the manner desired simply by directing the pet owner's energy and thoughts to the dog establishing the right relationship. In other words, working from the inside out to achieve the desired result.
Affirmation: Today I practice nonresistance. Disregarding everything that seems to contradict the Reality in which I believe, I affirm that God is moving and operating in my life. Turning resolutely from everything that denies the good I wish to experience, I affirm that Good. There is no situation or condition that resists this transcendent thought; for I proclaim the ominipotence of God, the guidance of the One Mind that knows all things, and the Perfect Peace that is beyond every confusion.
There is something flowing in, around, and through all things that nothing can resist. This is the something that the great and the wise have known about and have used, but too often our way is the way of resistance. We try to change the outer without changing the inner first.
The T.V. show, The Dog Whisperer demonstrates how a dog communicates through the energy it senses. Instead of beating the dog into submission, the Dog Whisperer gets the dog to act in the manner desired simply by directing the pet owner's energy and thoughts to the dog establishing the right relationship. In other words, working from the inside out to achieve the desired result.
Affirmation: Today I practice nonresistance. Disregarding everything that seems to contradict the Reality in which I believe, I affirm that God is moving and operating in my life. Turning resolutely from everything that denies the good I wish to experience, I affirm that Good. There is no situation or condition that resists this transcendent thought; for I proclaim the ominipotence of God, the guidance of the One Mind that knows all things, and the Perfect Peace that is beyond every confusion.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Pray If You Believe
1. Recognition - Consciously acknowledge, in your own words, the All-ness and Wholeness of God. Try to sense God's deep abiding Presence and feel the warmth.
I embrace your Presence in me. I know that you are closer to me in this moment than my own breath. For you are my breath and my Life. I recognize you in everything that I am or will ever be. I feel your warmth, your goodness, your love, your joy, your happiness and your perfect peace being made manifest in my life in this moment. I am completely immersed and covered by your Spirit.
2. Unity - Be confident in your knowledge of the Truth about yourself: that you are one with God....that you are not all God is, but all that you are is God.
There is One God, One Spirit, and One Mind. There is nothing else! This Truth saves me, sets me free! I know that I exist only in the Spirit and Life of God and this same Spirit and Life is in me. There is unity throughout all creation and nothing exist outside the Life of God.
3. Realization - Form the conscious thought and feeling about the good you desire and ask, realizing that it has been received. The more complete the realization, your perception of Spiritual Truth, the more clear and complete will be the manifestation of your prayers.
I now realize that you are the source and at the center of everything. All Good and Perfect things come from you. I ask this day, in this moment, that only Good and Perfect things of your Life be made manifest and demonstrated in my life. I receive from you love, joy, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, creativity, laughter, music, wisdom, understanding, and great passion for living and loving my life. As I have asked, all these Good and Perfect things are now realized, accepted and received. It is done!
4. Thanksgiving - express your gratitude for knowing the manifestation of your prayers have been received and accept it's demonstration.
I have received these gifts with a grateful heart and I am thankful, knowing that what I have asked for has already been made manifest.
5. Release - Clearly, and completely, release your words to the power and action of the Law(God withholds nothing to you). Know with great confidence that as you have spoken, it is now done. Release is very important!
As I have spoken these words into the Mind of God, my words are given power unto the Law where as everything I have asked for and more has been given. My faith is in you and there is no other power that sustains me and provides for my every need and desire. amen
Monday, February 23, 2009
Life Responds To You
There is a Law of Life that operates through your affirmation. Nothing can hinder Its working but yourself. There is no more of It on the desert floor than there is on the busiest street corner, and It will not respond any more quickly because we go up into the temple, the church or a synagogue. It is everywhere; therefore, It is where you are, and, most of all, It responds where you recognize It.
Your recognition makes possible Its response through you. This is the secret of faith. Do you believe in what you believe? Faith is the supreme affirmation. It is the unconditioned affirmation. It is the affirmation that makes all things possible to the one who believes in the Power of God. Know that nothing can hinder you but yourself. If you believe you can, you can. You cannot fail if you start with the proposition that the Life of God in you is all there is. It is the creation and substance of every form. As the invisible, It is the cause. As the visible, It is the effect.
Right now I move from fear to faith. I let go of all doubt, distrust, worry, and fear. I change the direction of my life by focusing my thoughts on God, the Life within me, everyone, and everything. I have supreme faith in the Power of God to still the troubled waters and make the crooked places straight.
Affirmation: Today I am so thankful to be awakened to the Presence of God in me. I ask you this day and every day that only good and perfect things be made manifest in my life. Love, joy, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity, goodness, kindness, confidence, success, money, wisdom, understanding, passion, generosity, opportunities to learn and grow, creativity, focus, humor, music and laughter are made manifest in my life and I receive with a grateful heart! Fear, self, doubt, lack or limitation is an illusion and is removed from any of my conscious thoughts this day. My Reality today is made good and perfect as it is in the Life and Mind of God.
Your recognition makes possible Its response through you. This is the secret of faith. Do you believe in what you believe? Faith is the supreme affirmation. It is the unconditioned affirmation. It is the affirmation that makes all things possible to the one who believes in the Power of God. Know that nothing can hinder you but yourself. If you believe you can, you can. You cannot fail if you start with the proposition that the Life of God in you is all there is. It is the creation and substance of every form. As the invisible, It is the cause. As the visible, It is the effect.
Right now I move from fear to faith. I let go of all doubt, distrust, worry, and fear. I change the direction of my life by focusing my thoughts on God, the Life within me, everyone, and everything. I have supreme faith in the Power of God to still the troubled waters and make the crooked places straight.
Affirmation: Today I am so thankful to be awakened to the Presence of God in me. I ask you this day and every day that only good and perfect things be made manifest in my life. Love, joy, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity, goodness, kindness, confidence, success, money, wisdom, understanding, passion, generosity, opportunities to learn and grow, creativity, focus, humor, music and laughter are made manifest in my life and I receive with a grateful heart! Fear, self, doubt, lack or limitation is an illusion and is removed from any of my conscious thoughts this day. My Reality today is made good and perfect as it is in the Life and Mind of God.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Condemnation
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.--Matthew 6:12
When Jesus spoke these words and also told us that we should not judge lest we be judged, he was stating the action of the law of cause and effect. If we wish a complete clearance from any sense of condemnation about ourselves, we must first be certain that we have released all condemnation of others from our own mind and heart. When we do this we see others in a new light and, begin looking beyond, reaching past all judgement and criticism which allows us to establish a relationship between the Spirit of God that is within them and the same Spirit that is within us, for God is One in all people.
Knowing that God must be at the center of everything, and realizing that God's Love is the great motivating power of life, today I know I am meeting this God, this Life, in everyone and seeing the manifestation of Love in everything. This day, if there is any condemnation or animosity or critical attitude in me, I gladly loose it. I loose it and let it go as I turn to that silent Presence within me that gives all and withholds nothing.
Giving and receiving, loving and being loved, I rejoice with all creation that One Presence fulfills and sustains everything. I now enter into the harmony of eternal perfect peace, into the joy of knowing that I am now in the heart and kingdom of God, from which no person is excluded. My yesterdays are gone forever, my tomorrows stretch forth into an endless future of pure perfect joy.
When Jesus spoke these words and also told us that we should not judge lest we be judged, he was stating the action of the law of cause and effect. If we wish a complete clearance from any sense of condemnation about ourselves, we must first be certain that we have released all condemnation of others from our own mind and heart. When we do this we see others in a new light and, begin looking beyond, reaching past all judgement and criticism which allows us to establish a relationship between the Spirit of God that is within them and the same Spirit that is within us, for God is One in all people.
Knowing that God must be at the center of everything, and realizing that God's Love is the great motivating power of life, today I know I am meeting this God, this Life, in everyone and seeing the manifestation of Love in everything. This day, if there is any condemnation or animosity or critical attitude in me, I gladly loose it. I loose it and let it go as I turn to that silent Presence within me that gives all and withholds nothing.
Giving and receiving, loving and being loved, I rejoice with all creation that One Presence fulfills and sustains everything. I now enter into the harmony of eternal perfect peace, into the joy of knowing that I am now in the heart and kingdom of God, from which no person is excluded. My yesterdays are gone forever, my tomorrows stretch forth into an endless future of pure perfect joy.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Inauguration Day
President Obama Inauguration Day - Washington, D. C.
Panoramic Picture:I found my sister, Sandra!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Do You See Divine Presence
The best way to make friends is to realize that we meet Life in everyone. The Life of God in us meets the Life of God in others. Proclaiming the Divine Presence, believing in It, we shall meet It and see It in everyone. Love will find that perfect way. Our faith in the Divine Presence of God in others will overcome the fear of being misunderstood or hurt. If the mind is calm and serene, there will be less liability toward pain. We should try at all times to be serene and poised. My father was like this even toward the end of his life. He always tried to see the good in every person and I never heard him say a critical word toward any one person.
We decide whether we shall live in fear or in faith. Let us decide to live in faith. Let us learn to practice faith until all fear disappears, until life ceases to be a funeral dirge and becomes a song of joy. To find perfect peace in the midst of confusion, we must realize that at our center exist the pure Spirit of God. It helps me to remember that in the Life of God, where I live and exist, there is no fear, no thought of lack or limitation, doubt or uncertainty. This is my true Reality.
Today, I know that God is within me. I know that the Spirit within me is perfect. I acknowledge and embrace this Presence in me, around me and through me and I am at peace and secure in God's protection. The presence of Love uplifts me and lights my life today. In faith, I ask that only Good and Perfect things be made manifest in my life as they are in the Life of God. Love, joy, perfect peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity, well being, success, confidence, money, generosity, friendship, kindness, passion, creativity, music, laughter and harmony, I receive these Good and Perfect things with a grateful heart in this moment of eternity.
We decide whether we shall live in fear or in faith. Let us decide to live in faith. Let us learn to practice faith until all fear disappears, until life ceases to be a funeral dirge and becomes a song of joy. To find perfect peace in the midst of confusion, we must realize that at our center exist the pure Spirit of God. It helps me to remember that in the Life of God, where I live and exist, there is no fear, no thought of lack or limitation, doubt or uncertainty. This is my true Reality.
Today, I know that God is within me. I know that the Spirit within me is perfect. I acknowledge and embrace this Presence in me, around me and through me and I am at peace and secure in God's protection. The presence of Love uplifts me and lights my life today. In faith, I ask that only Good and Perfect things be made manifest in my life as they are in the Life of God. Love, joy, perfect peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity, well being, success, confidence, money, generosity, friendship, kindness, passion, creativity, music, laughter and harmony, I receive these Good and Perfect things with a grateful heart in this moment of eternity.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Use the Power
The God of love and peace shall be with you.--2 Corinthians 13:11
Have you really tried God?
Since all the other methods have failed, a divine compulsion is laid upon everyone to find the power of God and make use of it. It is not merely a new theory about God that you are looking for; rather, it is the actual power of God that you hope to harness. Unfortunately, this compulsion and mind-set often leads us on a journey in search for truth that ultimately becomes more about us and not so much about God. In Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren establishes in the first chapter of his book that our life is first and foremost about a sovereign God.
Our trouble is that we have not really believed that this Presence exists and operates in human affairs. We have not realized the Divine Presence of God is a living and dynamic reality, the only true reality. What we need is the direct experience of a conscious contact and true sense of oneness with the Divine. Jesus experienced a oneness with God and showed us that it is possible if we would only have faith in the Divine Presence of God.
God is pure Spirit, filling all space. This pure Spirit animates your every act. There is a real you, which lives in a real God, and the two are One. To know this is to understand the great secret of life. to realize this is to understand your relationship with this Divine Presence. To realize that the natural Laws of this Universe which comes from the Mind and Life of God is written in your own mind and is made available to you an awesome power that can meet every need. But you must truly believe and then you will know this secret of life.
Have you really tried God?
Since all the other methods have failed, a divine compulsion is laid upon everyone to find the power of God and make use of it. It is not merely a new theory about God that you are looking for; rather, it is the actual power of God that you hope to harness. Unfortunately, this compulsion and mind-set often leads us on a journey in search for truth that ultimately becomes more about us and not so much about God. In Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren establishes in the first chapter of his book that our life is first and foremost about a sovereign God.
Our trouble is that we have not really believed that this Presence exists and operates in human affairs. We have not realized the Divine Presence of God is a living and dynamic reality, the only true reality. What we need is the direct experience of a conscious contact and true sense of oneness with the Divine. Jesus experienced a oneness with God and showed us that it is possible if we would only have faith in the Divine Presence of God.
God is pure Spirit, filling all space. This pure Spirit animates your every act. There is a real you, which lives in a real God, and the two are One. To know this is to understand the great secret of life. to realize this is to understand your relationship with this Divine Presence. To realize that the natural Laws of this Universe which comes from the Mind and Life of God is written in your own mind and is made available to you an awesome power that can meet every need. But you must truly believe and then you will know this secret of life.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Love Overcomes Hate
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.--Prayer of Saint Francis of Assissi
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.--Prayer of Saint Francis of Assissi
I know that there is but One Power in the universe and that Power is God. This Power manifests in and through all form, all people, all conditions, and also exist at the very center of our being. This Power is Life Itself and It's only nature is Love--All Good. I know that just as light dissipates darkness, just as heat warms the atmosphere, so a consciousness of good overcomes evil. I know that God constitutes the only Power, Presence, and Law, and the knowledge of this Good, which is the knowledge of Love, overcomes all evil, dissipates it, obliterates it, blots it out.
I refuse to think of hate or any negation as a power, and I know that evil has no power other than what we give it. It truly saddens me to see people emotionally scarred and crippled by a false belief in a power of evil which is made manifest from their imagination only but then propagated through superstition, myths and religious dogma. Hate cannot exist where love is recognized. Knowing that God alone is real, I turn to the Truth that Jesus and others have articulated so well before. When I recognize this Eternal Truth, every so-called evil in my experience, those dark places of my imagination are instantly dissolved into light. The disolution of evil is complete; the manifestation of good is perfect.
Today I am guided into an ever-widening unfoldment of my true being and my every thought, feeling, and act is an expression of the God-Nature, which is always Love and always Good and Perfect. This nature is evident in me, through me and exist all around me and you continuously. Knowing this, I overcome hate with love.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
When Do You Know?
'You know you're a redneck when.....
1. You take your dog for a walk and you both pee on the same tree.
2. You can entertain yourself for more than 15 minutes with a fly swatter.
3. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.
4. You burn your yard rather than mow it.
6. The Salvation Army declines your furniture.
7. You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don't want it.
8. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial.
9. You come back from the dump with more than you took.
10. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table.
11. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat.
12. Your grandmother has 'ammo' on her Christmas list..
13. You keep flea and tick soap in the shower.
14. You've been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog.
15. You go to the stock car races and don't need a program.
16. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.
17. You have a rag for a gas cap.
18. Your house doesn't have curtains, but your truck does.
19. You wonder how service stations keep their rest-rooms so clean.
20. You can spit without opening your mouth.
21. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it.
22. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.
23. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say 'Cool Whip' on the side.
24. The biggest city you've ever been to is Wal-Mart.
25. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV.
26. You've used your ironing board as a buffet table.
27. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does $100,000 worth of improvements.
28. You've used a toilet brush to scratch your back.
29. You missed your 5th grade graduation because you were on jury duty.
30. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Creativity of Faith
Faith acts like a law, because it is a law. It is the law of mind in action. When we realize this we no longer feel that we must have faith in ourselves as isolated beings, but, rather, that as human beings we are included in the great Law of Life. Paul said, "We are saved by grace, by faith..." Therefore we are set free by faith, mind in action. Now we can rest in complete confidence that our words, spoken in this faith, are the presence and the power and the activity of the Spirit of God in us. All effort to make things happen or to concentrate the mind is put aside, and with quiet childlike acceptance we make known our requests with thanksgiving. We are One with God. Nothing can separate us from the Source.
Letting our faith be of God's Presence and Power we can each say: All that I am, all that I will ever be, and all that I do this day, is the Divine Presence expressing Itself through me. The thoughts I think and the words I speak are Life and Truth because God speaks them through me. Of myself I give no authority to my prayer, but the child of God in me knows that the authority of the Almighty brings to pass the words that I speak.
I speak the word of health for my body, my feelings, and my thoughts, knowing that the Father within is the Power that brings this wholeness into complete being. I speak this day the word of Divine Guidance, and the Wisdom of the universe wells up as a beacon to lead me into the right path, to make straight and clear my everyday paths. I speak the word of joy, and the Spirit of God within frees me from loneliness and sadness. I speak the word of peace to the world and know that the Peace of God reaches into the hearts and minds of people everywhere
Letting our faith be of God's Presence and Power we can each say: All that I am, all that I will ever be, and all that I do this day, is the Divine Presence expressing Itself through me. The thoughts I think and the words I speak are Life and Truth because God speaks them through me. Of myself I give no authority to my prayer, but the child of God in me knows that the authority of the Almighty brings to pass the words that I speak.
I speak the word of health for my body, my feelings, and my thoughts, knowing that the Father within is the Power that brings this wholeness into complete being. I speak this day the word of Divine Guidance, and the Wisdom of the universe wells up as a beacon to lead me into the right path, to make straight and clear my everyday paths. I speak the word of joy, and the Spirit of God within frees me from loneliness and sadness. I speak the word of peace to the world and know that the Peace of God reaches into the hearts and minds of people everywhere
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Lord is One
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.--Ephesians 4:6
The key thought for me today is the idea that there is an active Presence of the creative Spirit of God in all my affairs. I am not talking about something passive, but something moving in and through everything we do. I affirm that this Divine Presence is everywhere, that It is always active in, around, and through me.
Believing that this Spirit is at the center of everything and at the very center of my own physical being, I recognize this Presence harmoniously acting in every cell, every organ, and every function of my physical body. I know that every activity within is in harmony with this Divine Life. If there is any doubt, think about what happens when this Life leaves the human body, everything stops functioning and what was once our human form soon turns to compost.
One Mind governs everything, and I now affirm and accept that this same Intelligence governs my affairs this day and every day. It is within me and around me at all times, directing, guiding, governing, controlling, and leading me happily to the fulfillment of all good purposes and the pursuit of happiness.
Recognizing all of nature as the handiwork of God, I see the beauty of His activity in everything--in the wind and the wave, in the sunshine and cloud, and in everything that God has created.
I ask this day that only Good and Perfect things be made manifest in my life as it is in the Life of God which is our only true Reality. Jesus said ask, believing, and you shall receive. I ask that only love, joy, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity, kindness, generosity, success, money, confidence, wisdom and understanding, seeing beauty in others, creativity and passion are made manifest this day in my life and I receive these Good and Perfect things with a grateful heart.
Always pray in the affirmative, believing it has been done!
This is the best day of my life, for I am set free!
The key thought for me today is the idea that there is an active Presence of the creative Spirit of God in all my affairs. I am not talking about something passive, but something moving in and through everything we do. I affirm that this Divine Presence is everywhere, that It is always active in, around, and through me.
Believing that this Spirit is at the center of everything and at the very center of my own physical being, I recognize this Presence harmoniously acting in every cell, every organ, and every function of my physical body. I know that every activity within is in harmony with this Divine Life. If there is any doubt, think about what happens when this Life leaves the human body, everything stops functioning and what was once our human form soon turns to compost.
One Mind governs everything, and I now affirm and accept that this same Intelligence governs my affairs this day and every day. It is within me and around me at all times, directing, guiding, governing, controlling, and leading me happily to the fulfillment of all good purposes and the pursuit of happiness.
Recognizing all of nature as the handiwork of God, I see the beauty of His activity in everything--in the wind and the wave, in the sunshine and cloud, and in everything that God has created.
I ask this day that only Good and Perfect things be made manifest in my life as it is in the Life of God which is our only true Reality. Jesus said ask, believing, and you shall receive. I ask that only love, joy, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity, kindness, generosity, success, money, confidence, wisdom and understanding, seeing beauty in others, creativity and passion are made manifest this day in my life and I receive these Good and Perfect things with a grateful heart.
Always pray in the affirmative, believing it has been done!
This is the best day of my life, for I am set free!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Larry the Cable Guy
The wisdom of Larry the cable guy......
1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
14. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
15. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
16. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
17. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
18. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
19. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?
20. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
21. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
22. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
23. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Crazy World!
In Lebanon , men are legally allowed to have sex with animals, but the animals must be female. Having sexual relations with a male animal is punishable by death. (Like THAT makes sense.)
In Bahrain , a male doctor may legally examine a woman's genitals, but is prohibited from looking directly at them during the examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror. (Do they look different reversed?)
Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a corpse. This also applies to undertakers. The sex organs of the deceased must be covered with a brick or piece of wood at all times.
(A brick?)
The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.
(Much worse than "going blind!")
There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel the countryside and deflower young virgins, who pay them for the privilege of having sex for the first time. Reason: under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry.
(Let's just think for a minute; is there Any job anywhere else in the world that even comes close to this?)
In Hong Kong , a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. The husband's illicit lover, on the other hand,may be killed in any manner desired.(Ah! Justice!)
Topless saleswomen are legal in LiverpoolEngland - but only in tropical fishstores.(But of course!)
In Cali , Colombia , a woman may only have sex with her husband, and the first time this happens,her mother must be in the room to witness the act.(Makes one shudder at the thought.) (Reminds me when I took my mother-in-law to a restaurant once. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first. "I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please." He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"" Nah, she can order for herself." )
In Santa Cruz , Bolivia , it is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same time.(I presume this was a big enough problem that they had to pass this law?)
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.(Who volunteers for this stuff?)
Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.(Is that why Flipper was always smiling?)
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. (I know some people like that.)
Starfish don't have brains.(I know some people like that, too.)
And, the best for last?
Did you know that turtles can breathe through their butts. (And I thought I had bad Breath in the morning!)
In Bahrain , a male doctor may legally examine a woman's genitals, but is prohibited from looking directly at them during the examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror. (Do they look different reversed?)
Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a corpse. This also applies to undertakers. The sex organs of the deceased must be covered with a brick or piece of wood at all times.
(A brick?)
The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.
(Much worse than "going blind!")
There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel the countryside and deflower young virgins, who pay them for the privilege of having sex for the first time. Reason: under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry.
(Let's just think for a minute; is there Any job anywhere else in the world that even comes close to this?)
In Hong Kong , a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. The husband's illicit lover, on the other hand,may be killed in any manner desired.(Ah! Justice!)
Topless saleswomen are legal in LiverpoolEngland - but only in tropical fishstores.(But of course!)
In Cali , Colombia , a woman may only have sex with her husband, and the first time this happens,her mother must be in the room to witness the act.(Makes one shudder at the thought.) (Reminds me when I took my mother-in-law to a restaurant once. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first. "I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please." He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"" Nah, she can order for herself." )
In Santa Cruz , Bolivia , it is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same time.(I presume this was a big enough problem that they had to pass this law?)
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.(Who volunteers for this stuff?)
Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.(Is that why Flipper was always smiling?)
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. (I know some people like that.)
Starfish don't have brains.(I know some people like that, too.)
And, the best for last?
Did you know that turtles can breathe through their butts. (And I thought I had bad Breath in the morning!)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Cowboy Philosopher
Headstone of Russell J. Larsen
Logan City Cemetery , Logan, Utah
FIVE RULES FOR MEN TO FOLLOW TO A HAPPY LIFE:
1. It's important to have a woman, who helps at home,who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.
2. It's important to have a woman, who can make you laugh.
3. It's important to have a woman, who you can trust and who doesn't lie to you.
4. It's important to have a woman, who is good in bed and who likes to be with you.
5. It's very, very important that these four women do not know each other.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Share and be Blessed
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.
Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he as ked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.
'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.' Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.' 'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'
That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
Tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.
Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he as ked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.
'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.' Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.' 'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'
That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
Tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sons of John Franklin Dunagan
I recently found this picture of the sons of John Franklin and Frances Samanthra Bryant Dunagan. They look like some really tough guys! Top left to right: Alfred Benton Dunagan, Joseph Alexander Dunagan. Bottom left to right: Jeter Andrew Dunagan, John Marion Dunagan.
John Franklin Dunagan is my 2nd great grandfather and married Frances Samantha Bryant on 22 Jan 1854 in Hall County, GA. John Franklin Dunagan fought with Company D, 55th Regiment, GA Volunteer Infantry, Army of Tennessee, C.S.A. He was captured by Union forces in Alabama but later escaped from a POW camp in which he was held.
They had the following children:
Alford Benton Dunagan born Oct 1855, died 7 Sep 1931 in Jackson County, GA.
Jeter Andrew Dunagan born 26 Aug 1856, died 3 May 1923 in Barrow County, GA. He is shown in the photo above as a young man.(bottom left) He became a builder/carpenter. Below is a picture of Jeter Andrew in his later years. He was my great-grandfather and my father, George Jeter Dunagan, was named after him.
Joseph Alexander Dunagan born 8 Apr 1862, died 25 Dec 1949 in Barrow County, GA.
John M. Dunagan born 22 Mar 1869, died 14 Nov 1920 in Hall County, GA.
Eveline Dunagan born ABT 1871, died ?
Amanda Dunagan born 22 Aug 1871, died 6 Dec 1943 in Hall County, GA.
Lucinda “Lady” Dunagan born ABT 1874, died ?
Sarah Jane Dunagan born ABT 1867, died ?
Jeter Andrew Dunagan
Monday, January 5, 2009
Rome News-Tribune
Heart of the Community 01/04/09
Six local unsung heroes, Henrice Berrien, Dr. Craig McDaniel, Pete McDonald, Steven McDowell, Ronnie Wallace and Ralph White have been selected as recipients of the 2009 Heart of the Community Awards of Honor. These six individuals, along with Board of Governors Honorees, David and Susan Harvey, will be honored on February 14, at the 23rd annual "An Affair of the Heart." These awards are sponsored each year by Redmond Regional Medical and produced by the Heart of the Community Board of Governors.
Steven McDowell is the first recipient of the Young Heart of the Community award. The award recognizes community leaders who are 35 years of age or younger. Steven arrived in Rome in 1998 as a Berry College Bonner Scholar student. His community service hours began then when he volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Rome and Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital. His involvement in the Rome/Floyd County community has included:
-- Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce -- Bartow County Chamber of Commerce -- Network Day Service Center -- United Way of Rome 2008--09, Campaign Chair -- Historic Preservation Commission of Rome/Floyd County -- Kiwanis Club-- -- Young Professionals of Rome -- Leadership Rome -- Rome/Floyd County 20/20 Plan, Steering Committee -- Rome Area Council for the Arts
A downtown business owner, Steven is engaged to Lindsey Dunagan of Gainesville and they are the proud parents of three black labs.
Six local unsung heroes, Henrice Berrien, Dr. Craig McDaniel, Pete McDonald, Steven McDowell, Ronnie Wallace and Ralph White have been selected as recipients of the 2009 Heart of the Community Awards of Honor. These six individuals, along with Board of Governors Honorees, David and Susan Harvey, will be honored on February 14, at the 23rd annual "An Affair of the Heart." These awards are sponsored each year by Redmond Regional Medical and produced by the Heart of the Community Board of Governors.Steven McDowell is the first recipient of the Young Heart of the Community award. The award recognizes community leaders who are 35 years of age or younger. Steven arrived in Rome in 1998 as a Berry College Bonner Scholar student. His community service hours began then when he volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Rome and Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital. His involvement in the Rome/Floyd County community has included:
-- Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce -- Bartow County Chamber of Commerce -- Network Day Service Center -- United Way of Rome 2008--09, Campaign Chair -- Historic Preservation Commission of Rome/Floyd County -- Kiwanis Club-- -- Young Professionals of Rome -- Leadership Rome -- Rome/Floyd County 20/20 Plan, Steering Committee -- Rome Area Council for the Arts
A downtown business owner, Steven is engaged to Lindsey Dunagan of Gainesville and they are the proud parents of three black labs.
"Steven ran for public office for City Commissioner twice. Although he didn't win either time, he motivated and encouraged other young people to get involved in their community." -- Jason Litton
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