Consciousness Rising

This past Saturday I had lunch with a friend of many years.  We have been through a lot together and it was good having time to talk and catch up on family and personal life events.  Naturally, our talk turned to current events including the recent elections and the senseless acts of violence. It seems that our culture is immersed in anger and violence. What is happening?  Has it always been like this?

After thinking about this and after talking with my friend, I have come to some conclusions.  I don't really believe events have changed that much from centuries ago.  The Bible talks about Christians being fed to the lions.  The Crusades killed thousands of people.  The Indians and early settlers of this country scalped and killed.  I could go on and on but I think you get my point. There has been a culture of violence almost from the beginning of time.  The difference in this 21st Century is we have the technology to know about an event in Iran immediately.  A couple of hundred years ago, that was not the case.  There are also just a few more people inhabiting our earth.

Now, I feel we are more concerned with the violence and anger and hatred that we encounter on a daily basis.  People are evolving and saying "No More!"  No longer do we accept as normal, murders, beheadings, rapes, abuse and other forms of violence.

Technology is felt by many to be a hindrance to a healthy lifestyle but in truth it is bringing this world together.  As I have mentioned before, we must focus on Love and Peace.  Technology can help us do this.  I truly believe if we saturate the air waves with our messages of Divine Good, things will change.  Maybe not overnight but it has started.  We are birthing a new consciousness of Love. It can be painful but in the words of Louis Armstrong:

What A Wonderful World

Songwriters: GEORGE DAVID WEISS, GEORGE DOUGLAS, BOB THIELE

I see trees of green........ red roses too 
I see em bloom..... for me and for you 
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world. 

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white 
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights 
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world. 

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky 
Are also on the faces.....of people ..going by 
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin.. how do you do 
They're really sayin......i love you. 

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow 
They'll learn much more.....than I'll never know 
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world 

Today, my wish for you is that you find wonder in your world.

Namaste

Monday Monday

Monday, the first day of the work week for most people.  It is for me and usually I wake up ready to go; however, most days the temperature isn't below 20 degrees outside with my door frozen shut and then the latch frozen so the door won't stay closed once I have it open. Needless to say, this wasn't a Monday where I was ready to go anywhere but back to bed.  Although I tried to hide my displeasure as I began my day, inside I was frustrated and wishing I lived in a warmer climate.  As I "mature," cold weather is more and more of a challenge.  Don't know what I would do if I lived in Minnesota or Alaska or my daughter's home country Russia.  

As I began my day at my work, the words to the Mama and Papa's song "Monday Monday" came to me: 

Monday Monday, can't trust that day,

Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way

Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be...

Most of the lyrics are much more positive than those above.  What really caught my attention was "you gave me no warning of what was to be."  What was to be for the rest of the day?  My beliefs say it is up to me to decide that.  

So, I decided to forget about the cold....after all the sun was making a valiant effort to shine.  So I decided to smile and be cheerful, and to just get over it.  Unless I choose to move to a warmer climate, there are going to be cold days in St. Louis. 

How often do we choose to be unhappy and blame it on the weather or other people or the stage of the moon or some other insignificant happening in our life?  Of course, there are challenges we come upon that can have a significant effect on our happiness.  The loss of a loved one, a serious illness, a divorce  can leave us less than deliriously happy.  But....

We still can choose how we deal with these events.  Being unhappy is not going to bring a loved one back nor is it going to heal a serious illness or miserable marriage.  If anything, it might just chase away those people who are in your life to support and love you. 

It is imperative that we choose to see whatever good we can at any given moment.  It may be challenging to do this.  I tell myself over and over that feeling miserable isn't doing me or anyone else any good. It truly is a waste of time.  

So, my words of wisdom are to look for whatever Good you can.  No matter how small, if you look you  will find it. 

Affirmation

This week I am choosing to see the Good in everything.  

My life is blessed and I am a blessing to everyone.  

And so it is.

Namaste

Fun Stuff

It has been a few days since my last entry.  In my everyday busyness, I find it challenging to stay put long enough to write anything meaningful.  This morning I was in the same position, nothing was coming through or to me.  Illuminating, enlightening, spiritual stuff just wasn't appearing on my computer screen.  As I looked out my window at a gray, cold and icey day, the thought did come to my awareness to just share some fun sites and photos as well as some of that "spiritual stuff" I so enjoy. Most of these come from shares on my Facebook page.  I apologize in advance if you've seen them already but they brought a smile to my face and an occasional "ah ha." Paying forward seemed the right thing to do. So here goes.

• TheBakingPan.com ~ A wonderful site for recipes, tips for succesful cakes, pies, cookies, etc. Most of my Christmas cookie recipes came from here this year.  I also followed a recipe for a pound cake last night...exactly as they indicated.  Yummy!

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

• http://www.dogblessyou.org/ ~ If you love dogs, this is the site for you. "Join us in celebrating the ways in which dogs uplift the human spirit. Dog Bless You funds the training of therapy, service and guide dogs." Mainly photos similar to this one:

Jade and her service dog Pistol

• Whole Lotta Dogs, a Facebook page ~ Here you can post photos of your pawed family member.  I must remember to post Lucky Joseph's photo here soon.  Here's Oliver:

Oliver

• http://www.petcentric.com/ ~ Not wanting to ignore my cat family, this site has some neat information on cats as well as photos like this: 

One tired cat

• http://www.k9comfort.org/ ~ These are some of the dogs (and their handlers) that assisted in New Town.  Nothing more needs to be said. 

At New Town School

At Kevin's Community Center
New Town

• http://www.dennismerrittjones.com/ ~ Dennis is an author, keynote speaker and columnist. His ministerial degree is in Religious Science.

Dennis Merritt Jones

• https://www.facebook.com/Ernest.Holmes ~ The Facebook page of the founder of the movement known as Religious Science (Science of Mind).  This teaching changed my life and continues to be of immense importance to me. 

Ernest Holmes

• http://www.joelosteen.com/ ~ A message of hope and love that speaks to all faiths seeking the positive in Christianity.  My personal opinion is that Joel is familiar with the Science of Mind. 

Joel Osteen

and last but not least, my newest discovery on Facebook:

• https://www.facebook.com/namastedharmacafe ~ Daily meditations, a blog, and a store.  I absolutely love this page and the site.  I ordered a travel mug from the Namaste Cafe's Online Store, http://www.cafepress.com/namastecafe.  Love it. 

*Plitvice Lakes, Croatia* So beautifully peaceful.
Enjoy a wonderful start to your week, Namaste Café family ♥ Namaste

These are some of my favorite websites and Facebook pages. I hope you enjoy them.  I'd love to have you share some of your favorite sites with me.

Today, look to the Good.  Deny that which appears to invalidate all the Good there is.  

Namaste!

Beauty

Recently it has come to my awareness the seeming importance of beauty that exists today.  The beutiful people are enticing.  Infomercials tell us how we can remove hair easily and effortlessly from our faces and our bodies.  Weight reduction and exercise programs are everywhere we turn.  I could go on and on.  

To counter this, we hear statements that indicate beauty is only skin deep or it is what is inside a person that counts.  So, where do you stand in this eternal discussion on beauty?  For that matter, where do I stand?

As with many people I find myself saying: "Isn't that beautiful." Isn't she beautiful." "Wow, what a handsome guy." Sad but true.  And I consider myself so spiritually evolved.  Guess there is still work to do. 

A few days ago, I came across an article on Lizzie Velasquez:

"When she was in high school, Lizzie Velasquez was dubbed "The World's Ugliest Woman" in an 8-second-long YouTube video. Born with a medical condition so rare that just two other people in the world are thought to have it, Velasquez has no adipose tissue and cannot create muscle, store energy, or gain weight. She has zero percent body fat and weighs just 60 pounds. In the comments on YouTube, viewers called her "it" and "monster" and encouraged her to kill herself. Instead, Velasquez set four goals: To become a motivational speaker, to publish a book, to graduate college, and to build a family and a career for herself.

Now 23 years old, she's been a motivational speaker for seven years and has given more than 200 workshops on embracing uniqueness, dealing with bullies, and overcoming obstacles. She's a senior majoring in Communications at Texas State University in San Marcos, where she lives with her best friend. Her first book, "Lizzie Beautiful," came out in 2010 winning the hearts of many around the world and her second, "Be Beautiful, Be You," was published earlier September and In 2013 she's hoping to write her third book.

"The stares are what I'm really dealing with in public right now," she told Dr. Drew Pinsky in an interview on CNN's Headline News. But I think I'm getting to the point where… instead of sitting by and watching people judge me, I'm starting to want to go up to these people and introduce myself or give them my card and say, 'Hi, I'm Lizzie. Maybe you should stop staring and start learning'." Velasquez was born in San Antonio, Texas; she was four weeks premature and weighed just 2 pounds, 10 ounces. "They told us they had no idea how she could have survived," her mother, Rita, 45, told the Daily Mail. "We had to buy doll's clothes from the toy store because baby clothes were too big." Doctors warned Rita and her husband, Lupe, that their oldest child would never be able to walk or talk, let alone live a normal life." 

  Voted Most Inspirational Story of 2012! 

I would love to say that I could handle this situation as well as this young woman has but I really don't know if I could.  I've seen a few of her interviews and she is the real deal.  An inspiration to all.  

As I thought about Lizzie, I also remembered a woman with whom I worked in a lifetime many years ago. Her name was Digna.  She was a registered nurse from the Philippines.  I met her for the first time when I interviewed for a job in an OB/GYN office.  I remember coming home and telling my former husband that the nurse was really nice but I had never seen someone so ugly.  As I say this I am ashamed and my statement brings tears to my eyes. 

Digna was probably one of the most special women to ever touch my life.  Her caring and concern could not be matched.  Her humor was beyond belief.  You see, Digna was experiencing all the horrible effects of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud's disease.  She was on a tremendous amount of medication that altered her appearance.  After just a few weeks, Digna became one of the most beautiful people I ever met.  She left this earth experience in January of 1985 but I still think of her often.  And.....I miss her. She was always there to hear about the latest drama in my life, always there to lend an ear, always there to rescue me when needed. I do not recall ever hearing her complain.  I hope in my heart of hearts that I was there for her also.  

What all this means for me is to open myself to true beauty.  What do I see when I look beyond the outer appearance? Hopefully, I will be more open to seeing the Divine that is expressing in an infinte number of packages. 

Affirmation:

Today, I choose to see the beauty in everyone I meet.

Namaste

You're Sick? Why? Must be Stinking-Thinking.

This question and statement are ones I hear quite frequently from my New Thought friends when I turn up with a cold or virus or some other type of dis-ease.  I can guarantee you that hearing that question and statement makes my blood boil.  Followers of various New Thought philosophies including Religious Science, Unity, Divine Science and Christian Science believe that our thoughts can and do create dis-ease conditions.  I agree but I also do not need to hear this between sneezes. When and if you walk on water (not frozen) then you can make these remarks to me.

I must admit that many times those who are new to New Thought are the first to make these remarks.  For those of us who are "old timers" we know this to be true but we also know that we are still human and can dig deeper than "what were we thinking to bring this about."  

One belief I have is that our bodies need rest and if we do not care for them appropriately, they will  make us take care of them.  Almost every time I have encountered a cold or virus, it has been after I have worked long hours, slept little and pretty much abused my body with a poor diet, etc.  Sniffles turn into a fever with coughs and aches and pains.  Yes, I did it to myself.  But how nice it would be to have someone say, "How can I help? Would you like some homemade soup?"

Long-held beliefs can create dis-ease.  Louise Hay, in her book "Heal Your Body," lists many illnesses and dis-eases and the thoughts behind them.  It is very interesting to research this and see what your personal beliefs could have been that helped to create this.  Past health challenges that I have experienced are directly related to my past thoughts.  In retrospect, I see this; however, during the challenge I did not and was not thrilled to hear people "blame" me.  

Still, I wonder if we sometimes encounter dis-ease in our lives for something more. What is this dis-ease teaching us?  How can we use it for our Good? What effect does it have on our life and our connection with our family and friends?  There are people who I have known who have had catastrophic disease touch them. Yet, they remained positive, loving, and blessed to be alive. 

When you encounter someone who is facing a health challenge, please be mindful of what they are experiencing. Ask how you can assist on the physical plane first. If you are of the mindset that their thoughts have created this condition, then gently bring this into your conversations.  If you are the one kicking yourself for your "stinking thinking," stop it now!  We are all on a journey to Nirvana. Kicking yourself doesn't get you there any quicker.  

A link to Louise Hay books:  http://www.louisehay.com/

Wow! This really works!

Yesterday, my daughter posted on her Facebook page that she decided her day was going to be good and wonder of wonders it was!  I'm not exactly sure why this surprised her.  She does still live with me and for the last few years this is how my day begins.   I wake up and immediately affirm a good day is on its way.  Of course, I forget that children (no matter how old ) sometimes have selective hearing especially when it becomes the daily message.  

In retrospect, she may not be aware of my doing this.  My "walking the talk" isn't always apparent particularly with the inner work I do.  Before my feet even hit the floor, I affirm a good day for me.  I state that good is all there is and that this day is unfolding with ease and grace.  I must admit I don't settle myself into the recliner in my home to do this.  Usually most of my affirmation time is spent driving to work.  I bless the people I work with, everyone I encounter during the day, and state emphatically that whatever happens during the course of the day is guided by the Divine Presence always available to me.  Does this mean everyone I encounter will be pleasant?  Probably not.  Does this mean I will be in a state of deep contentment all day?  No.  It does mean that in every experience I will bounce back to the Truth of who I am and the Truth of everyone and every experience.  This is a difficult statement to embody but I truly believe at a very deep level that everyone is doing the best they can.  Yes, even in those situations that are absolutely horrific. And, no, I don't always believe this.  Sometimes I just have to be where I am and say this is NOT RIGHT!  IT IS HORRIBLE! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON WITH PEOPLE!  And, then, I move into my center and know, God is there now, has always been and will always be there.  Dwelling on the horrific does not make it go away. Staying centered in Divine Truth might just make a difference.  In my opinion, the world has yet to try that in a major way.

For those of you who are interested in "experimenting" with my approach to a good day, here are some of the affirmations that I use to begin the day and during my day:

• This is the day the Lord hath made, and I am eternally grateful. 
• Today only Good is my experience.
• I bless everyone I encounter and know that they are Divine Expressions of the One God.
• I love you, I bless you, I forgive you and I release you. 
• I bless and know that every Good is unfolding in unexpected ways today and always for you and for me.
• The following prayer is the Unity prayer of protection. I have used this to surround those I love with protection no matter where they reside.                                                                                                     

The Light of God surrounds you;

the Love of God enfolds you; 

the Power of God protects you; 

the Presence of God watches over you; 

Wherever you are, God is; 

And all is well.  

And so it is.

The following quote is from Ernest Holmes (2007-12-27) The Art of Life (Kindle Locations 331). Tarcher. Kindle Edition.

"You do not have to beseech Life to be good or to bring good into your life. Life is like the sun. It shines on everything. Get out of the shadows! Crawl out of the basement! Open the windows of your mind!! Open the doors of your soul! Lift up your thought and let Life be to you whatever you wish It to be! Learn to resurrect yourself! Let us see just how this is done."

Today, choose to be blessed.  Choose to see life as something magical and mystical.  

And so it is!

Namaste.

A New Year ~ Make it a Happy One!

The first day of 2013 is here.  As I sit here looking out at the snow covered ground, watching a mockingbird flit about,    I think about what kind of year this will be.  It is cold outside, somewhat cloudy but my little mockingbird is not falling into the trap that this is anything but good.  Proud and happy, it flies about probably questioning the origin of the snowman sharing its front yard this morning.  It lives for today and rejoices in it.  

Actually, this new year will be whatever we choose to make it.  As I mentioned yesterday, we can dwell on the negative events that occur as part of our every day life or we can rise above them.  The challenge can very well be the "rising above" part.  For those of us who are working, healthy, and loved, it is relatively simple to rise above the pitfalls that come into our experience.  For those of us who have been unemployed for a year or more, who are dealing with life-threatening or chronic health conditions, who are facing divorce or the death of a loved one, it isn't so simple.  

So what does one do to stay focused on the positive?  First of all, much of the negative that comes into our experience is all about change.  Things change.  Change is about the only constant in life.  And change can be scary.  It is how we deal with it that makes all the difference. 

Years ago, I met a woman, a very spiritually evolved lady, who was dealing with a life-threatening dis-ease.  I knew of her from her writings and was somewhat surprised to learn of her challenge.  In fact, I was somewhat disappointed that a spiritually-evolved person would "allow" something like this to befall her.  I discovered though that through this challenge, she grew and became more of who she was meant to be.  The experience was part of her evolution.  

A minister once said "Lo, though we walk through the shadow of death, we don't have to build a condo there." So true.  I've walked through the shadow of death on a few occasions.  I've stayed in the condo a little too long on some occasions.  Pity parties were part of my social scene too many times.  Now, I may visit that "condo" but the rent is too high a price to pay to stay for long. 

Embrace the change.  How can it serve you or how can it better our world?  

There are tools available to assist in rising above the negative.  Stay open because the tools may be right in front of you.  One tool that may seem very simplistic and even somewhat ridiculous to many of you is something a friend posted on Facebook this morning.  I have copied it for you and intend to do this in 2013.

My question to you, if you plan on joining me with a collection of good things for 2013, is:

How big is your jar?

My New Year's Wish for you is a magical, mystical year filled with every conceivable Good.

Happy New Year!