Detached from Outcome

Oh how often we are attached to the outcome of our actions. What I mean by this is that we tell ourselves that when we take an action, do something for someone, try our hardest at a project that it must turn out the way we think it should or someone has got to notice and give us thanks. When we are so attached to the outcome and things do not happen like we think they should - this is where most of our anger, frustration, sadness, dissapointment, and "low self-esteem" come from. A much better way to live our lives is to be detached from outcome. This is so hard for us to do! We want so much to be noticed for what we do and even if we act like we do not want to be noticed, we secretly do. We think to ourselves "it would be nice for someone to say something," or "does anyone really notice what I do?" This is attach to the outcome of the actions we take and the circumstances around us. Jesus told us about this and gave us instructions regarding detaching from the outcome of things.

"Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. "When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. Mark 6:1-4

I love the words "quietly and unobtrusively" in this passage. How often do we really help out that way? Today I do not want you think of other "actors" you have seen be so attached to the outcome of what they do, but rather think about how much you are attached to the outcome of what you do. Notice when you are wanting someone to notice what you have done at work, at home, or at church. Allow yourself to let go of that expectation and just be happy that you have been able to serve. Allow God to notice because this is the way that we truly become servants to others and to God. It just does not matter what happens when we take actions to help others, perform our jobs, or give to others at home or church. What does matter is our attitude and the reason that we take these actions. Do we take them because we love what we do and that is all that matters? Do we take them with the specific notion in mind that someone must notice? I know that if we are truly detached from the outcome of what we do, we will recieve everything we have ever wanted! It is the nature of God's kingdom:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Namaste'

God Grape

Are we producing anything? Jesus asked everyone this question in the Book of John. It mattered because it lets us know if we are matched up, aligned, at one with God.

"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me."
"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples."

John 15:4-8

I love that Jesus lets us know that we need to produce fruit, specifically here - grapes. We can always tell what kind of fruit we are producing by what comes out of us. If I squeeze a grape what do I get? Do I get orange juice? Of course not, I get grape juice because that is whats inside a grape. A grape comes from the vine. An orange comes from the orange tree and plums come from its kind of tree. So the fruit that we produce will let us know where we are connected. If anger, bitterness, hatred, worry, and frustration come out of us are we connected to the loving, creative, caring, beautiful, and abundant source - God? I would say that we are not. God is all the things I just listed there - caring, loving, abundant, compassionate, abundant, creative, expansive - and if we are connected to God then our fruit should be the same. We should produce fruit that is just like what we have come from, just like the grape from the vine.

So what is it that you are producing? Is it like God or is it something opposite? Practice is the key. Notice when you are angry and change your thoughts to loving. Notice when you get frustrated and change your thoughts to allowing. Become a grape. A "God grape" so that when you are squeezed by life the sweetest, tastiest, most desirable juice comes out. People are looking for this kind of fruit in life.

Namaste'

Equipment

What equipment do you need daily to do your job? What equipment do you need daily to be a parent, a husband, a wife, or whatever role you have each day? It could be many things from tools, to writing utensils, to cookware, and probably anything else you can think of. However, to have a relationship with God, to bring community to others, and a knowledge of God to others what do we need as far as equipment? Do we need a fancy stage with all the knowledge that our pastor had on Sunday morning? Do we need a power point with wonderful music and a comfortable place for people to sit? Do we need a study guide to follow with coffee and doughnuts to make people feel comfortable? I know this is the way we do it most times in our need to be comfortable, but do we really need all this equipment to let people know and understand God?

Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions:
"Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.
"And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave.
"If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way."
Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.

Mark 6:7-13

Jesus tells his disciples that they do not need extra equipment for this, they are the equipment. Do we realize that we are the equipment? People are desperately looking to make connection with something real and authentic, sometimes equipment just gets in the way. If we are the equipment are we well maintained and ready to be used? The inner change we have made in our lives will determine how effective we will be as equipment for God's use. If do not practice kindness and love towards ourselves how could we ever give that away to others? If people cannot see that then how can they ever understand who God is? Realize that you are the only equipment God needs. Open your spirit up to change and to the inner life of peace Jesus has called us to. Maintain your equipment daily. Make sure it is full of the life of God and the mind of Christ. This is not so you can show yourself holy or perfect, but so you can show God as loving and kind. Be honest with failures, avoid judgment, and give kindness to all you meet. Walk in humbleness.

Namaste'

Wonder

Live your life with a sense of wonder. When is the last time that you were able to do just that - live with wonder! Wonder is the emotion aroused by something awe-inspiring, astounding, or marvelous. Do you know that you live in a world, with a Creator that gives that emotion each and everyday? That is available to you each and every moment!

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

I Peter 1:5-9

Do not live oblivious that your old life has been forgotten! This should be awe inspiring everyday! Each day can be full of your movement with God with many rewards that cause a sense of wonder to follow you to bed every night. It can be a rampage of appreciation! It is a wonder that everything fits together so that each area of our lives develops the other areas of our lives. A sense of wonder will lead to kindness, love, passionate patience, and spiritual understanding! Do not doubt that God is there, right there right now! Let the wonder of God's spirit fall on you. Let the spirit of the Creator tell you that what you would like to keep holding onto - that old way of thinking that you are a failure and that everything is being held against you - is remembered no more by God! As a matter of fact it, not only is it no longer remembered, but the Creator says that you are its child and worthy to be taken care of! What wonder grace brings when it is fully realized!

Allow yourself to fully know that you are loved! Allow yourself to know that you can live in kindness and love! Allow yourself to forgive yourself and others! Allow yourself to live in the with the patience that says I need nothing in this moment! Allow God to be kind to you so that you may be kind to yourself and all those around you! Remember that your old life has been forgotten and forget it yourself to live present in the day you are in - full of wonder!

Namaste'

What Are You Wearing?

What kind of garments are in your closet? I know that mine is full of jeans, t-shirts, polo shirts, and khakis. I really do not worry too much about what I am going to wear everyday to cover my body, but maybe I should. I usually allow someone to buy me close for my birthday or Christmas and I wear them if I like them. I rarely ever buy myself something new.
Most of you are thinking at this point, "this isn't too spiritual." However, I found this passage in the scripture that encourages us to think about the wardrobe that we are wearing spiritually, internally, and how it should effect our relationship with others around us.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12-14

So what are you wearing? How often do we really put on things like compassion, humility, kindness, discipline, and love. All these things to me are a quiet strength. How I think about so often what I am putting on when it come to my spiritual life, me real life. Never be without love, it is the all purpose garment! If we put these things on our life becomes one of service each and every day. This is putting on Christ and having the mind of God. This is the wardrobe of God! So let me encourage you that in each of your actions today, think about what you have put on - it helps show others God. It is the image of God in us, are we wearing things that will let this image shine through or are we wearing other things like anger, bitterness, and resentment that kill the light of God within us? Give way to others in your thoughts and actions, this will bring compassion and an even temper. Love will shine.

Namaste'

Carefree

How many of us live carefree? I think that it is not many of us. We think that we are doing something in life and that all of life's problems lay squarely on our back. We think that we must always be doing something to make life move forward. In reality, God's reality, we are not doing anything - we are all being done. God is the one in control. God is the one making life happen, caring for us, loving us, and being most careful with us. How easily we forget this and want to make our life move faster and quicker, thinking that we must arrive somewhere fast. The reality is that there really is no where to arrive there is no destination. We are here to enjoy life moment by moment.

So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

I Peter 5:6-7

God will make things happen for us at the right time - notice it does not say on our time, but the right time. Do we accept that the right time is when God determines? There is no way to make it come quicker, make it go by faster, or speed up the process. This would be like attempting to make the tomato plant you planted yesterday have a piece of fruit today. There is no way to speed up this process, you must just do the daily task that are required everyday to allow the plant to produce fruit when it is the right time. Our life is the same. We must do our daily task everyday to make life move forward, but there is nothing to do to make it move faster. Read the following nursery rhyme and think about it:

Row Row Row Your Boat

Gently down the stream,

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

Here are the questions to think about for you. Whose boat does it say to row? How do we row our boats? Which way do we row our boats? How does this make us feel?

The boat to me represent our life. We need to row our own boat, not someone elses, and we do not let anyone else row ours. The daily decisions of our life, the rowing, is our responsibility. We do not need to let others tell us how to do it, or do it for others. We need to row at a gentle carefree pace, not is a hurry, not at a frantic pace missing life. Finally, we need to row down the stream, not against the current. We need to go with the flow and allow God to be most careful with us. When we row against the current, we have to work much harder, life is not carefree and merry. Row your life gently with the current of God's spirit. Allow God to care for you because the plans God has will bring a peace and joy that is beyond understanding, because we will begin to realize that the "stresses" of this world and our life are just a dream.

Namaste'

Vibrational Match

Vibration means the act of vibrating, the condition of being vibrated. In physics it is a rapid linear motion of a particle or of an elastic solid about an equilibrium position. Wow, what in the heck does this mean? Simply, sounds are vibrations. We hear things because the waves vibrate our ear drum. That little bone in our ear called the anvil and the hammer actually get hit by the vibrations in the air and hit the eardrum, the brain processes the information and we "hear" something. All of it starts from a vibration. Some things vibrate slow and some vibrate fast. Everything has an energy that is said to vibrate at some level. It is why use the word vibrate as a slang when we say things like "that place or person gives off a certian vib." What we are saying is that it gives off a certain energy.
I am saying all this for us to begin to think about what things are we a vibrational or energy match to? Do we match God as the vibration that the Creator gives off, or are we vibrating much lower in our energy? To be connected to God we must vibrate at God's "frequency." How do we do that you are asking now. Well there is a verse that I think speaks directly to this:

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Philippians 4:8-9

You see God makes things work together at this vibrational level, the level of filling our minds and thoughts (which are also energy vibrations) with good things. This verse even tells us that we will be worked into God's most excellent harmonies (singing and music are vibrations) if we can make this a practice in our life. This is not only about how we think, but what other energies are we allow ourselves to be in the presence of? Do you really feel good after watching the news or read about all the tradegy in the papers? Do you feel better thinking about how you won't make it and sit around and worry about all the ways that this will happen? Do you feel better hanging out with that negative, worriesome, angry person? Make changes in this today. Turn off the t.v., read something inspirational. Encourage that negative person and then let them go on their way. Connect to the highest vibrational level you can - God. Be a vibrational match to God and God's mind. Read Philippians chapter two, it tells you what God's mind is full of!

Namaste'

We Are All Cookie Thieves

The Cookie Thief by Valerie Cox
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."
With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother. This guy has some nerve and he's also rude, why he didn't even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

We are all cookie thieves at some point and time in our lives. We all think that something is happening that really is not happening. We all judge by appearances and we never really understand what may be happening in someone's heart. We never really know why people are doing what they are doing. We make assumptions that we know what is happening with people, but sometimes (really most of the time) we just don't. Are we going to be aware that we can stop being cookie thieves by being more and more like God everyday and practice the following words of God:

God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." I Samuel 16:7

Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing."

Luke 23:34

Namaste'

Simple

What is the secret to life? I think it is simplicity. How often we go on our way and seek things after the many things that we think we need to have to make life worth living. However, it is really a simple life to live. We need very little of those supposed "needs." We feel like life is this great mystery to be solved by our trial and error, by our desperate search for something. However, God has really already revealed the secret to us in a very simple manner.

I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret."

Colossian 2:2-4

When we realize the secret to life is found in Christ, we can rest. We can be confident that we have all the riches and treasures that we need because they all are found in Christ. We no longer have to search after any other secret or mystery about how life works. We can stop searching for happiness and allow God to work. We can live in simplicity.

A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough.

I Timothy 6:6-8

We come into this world with nothing - or "no thing" - and we will leave this world with nothing - or "no thing." We are called into a life of wealth that is just being simply ourselves with God. Our job is not accumulation of stuff, but realtionship with God. Look at your life today and see how you could live more simply before God. What are the distractions that you have in your life that keep you from experiencing the richness of simplicity before God? Live without them for a while and minimize distractions. Let yourself just be. You do not have to have the most stuff or win everything. Your role is to just be. That is simple.

Namaste'

Grace

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Matthew 11:28

You do not have to work at being good. Jesus tells us that he will not lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on us. Grace is not forced. God does not come to us and say - You have to be good now! No, God comes to us even when we are at our worst and says "I love you and I always have and I always will." We only have to walk and work with God to learn about life. Enjoy life. Be creative in life. What a wonderful thing this grace of God that loves us with no force and no expectation. If you truly know grace you will know how to respond to this kind of love. You will not take advantage of grace. You will find your place in God's world. I love the following poem because I think it expresses the idea of God's love and our response.

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
from Dream Work by Mary Oliver published by Atlantic Monthly Press© Mary Oliver

Namaste'

Live Creatively

Most of us think that living creatively is all about what we can do for ourselves. We think creative ways, do creative things, and get notice for how creative we are. However, Paul reminded us what living creatively is all about:

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Galatians 6:1-3

Forgiveness is the key to living a creative life. Why would that be? Well as I have given it much thought and it is really hard to live a creative life if we are holding onto anger and resentment. What we are holding onto could have happened to us today, yesterday, or years ago. If we hold onto it our spiritual, emotional, and physical energy is spent on holding onto this resentment. When this happens the creative life that we can find, cannot be found. We all have only so much energy to give out, and if we are going to use it on anger creativity is stopped. We all have to do this, no one is too good for this. Watch how creative your life has become once you "complete" or fulfill Christ law. Why will you find a creative life when you do forgive? It is because this is how we truly live in connection to God - by giving our life away. This spurs on our creativity on and this is how we love what we do and do what we love. Reach outside of yourself today and find creativity.

Namaste'

Pharisee

We all have a Pharisee living within us that we must let go of. The Pharisee is the part of us that would like to hold onto the idea that we can be accepted because of what we do or how good we can become or how many rules we can tell ourselves that we can keep. This out mask that we wear and show to others is much different than our inner lives and the feelings that we actually experience. This is a false personality that must be killed off so that the Imago Dei, the image of God, our creativity can shine through.
This mask must also go because we spend our time and energy defending it. We are not even aware of it and most of our emotional energy holding onto the mask and fighting back people and forces that would like to tear down the mask and take it off, because they know that is not who we really are. We also deny the things within ourselves that would like to take it over and kill it, actions and feelings that would serve us far better than what we are doing right now. This stops the growth and flow of our self spiritually and psychologically.

"You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."

Matthew 12:34-37

Jesus is talking to the Pharisees here. They are presenting themselves as leaders, but inside their heart is not changed. We all have a pharisee in us and we need to look at the words that we think and say. Jesus reminds us that they are powerful, so be careful about them they come from inside - your heart! Stop defending your mask and allow your real self to be exposed so that God can use what God put there. Work on your heart so that people see God.

Namaste'

Yoke

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:29-30

Jesus says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. What the heck is God talking about here? How many of us experience life as easy and light? I think that Jesus is asking us here to first take on his yoke? Exactly what is that yoke? In Jewish tradition it is said that you would take on the yoke of a certain teacher if you sat under his teachings. So, for instance, if we were using this word today it could be said the yoke you have taken on is the yoke of your pastor or whatever person you get your spiritual teaching from.
So the question you have to ask yourself first is - have you really taken on the yoke of Christ? Have you really learned from him and apply his teachings to your life? When you do life can become easy and light. It may not seem this way in the beginning because God actually calls us into a life that requires us to work on our inner self. Remember Jesus saying this:

"Listen, and take this to heart. It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up." Matthew 15:10

We must change our heart. The heart is that inner dark place that most people refuse to look at, spend time running from, and actually use their religion to deny that this place actually exist. This is the place that Jesus asks us to look at and change. This is hard work, but once it is begun and understood life can become easy and light. This dark place in us begins to actually inform us about ourselves and the world around us. It helps us make better choices in the now we experience. It helps us accept God’s grace. It helps us understand the teaching of God and the ways and reasons behind his sayings, like all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose. We become conscious and live in the world alive, creative, and as an individual knowing the purpose and dream and God place in us since we were created. This is an easy and light life. To live out of my sense of purpose and give my life away doing not only what God has called me to do – but what I love to do! Read the verse at the beginning of this blog in the Message version in light of what you have read:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Namaste’

Filled

What is filling your life? What is inside you that is creating feelings of worry, anger, frustration or feelings of peace, hope, and love? Imagine a container inside of you - what is it holding? What is it filled with?

Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!

Romans 15:13

Imagine this container with a lit candle inside. This lit candle respresents the Holy spirit within you. Imagine that no matter what goes before you - worries, concerns, fears, circumstances - this candle flame is never allowed to go out. This flame of the Holy Spirit respresents peace, hope, and life giving energy. So when a circumstance comes to you that you would normally allow to be the breeze that blows out the candle flame, it does not go out. You allow it to remain lit and burning, allowing it to give you life, energy, peace and hope in the mist of the circumstance that you face. This does not mean that you walk around with some facade of happiness, but rather a real inner peace and joy that cannot be taken away by what is going around you. This is when you will brim over with hope despite the circumstances. This flame is the Holy Spirit inside you that is never allowed to leave, to go out. This flame represents the energy that you need to face things and never give up. This flame represents your unwavering faith and confidence in God. Be filled with God's energy today - peace and hope.

Namaste'

Kindness

How hard it is for us to show kindness at times. We are taught for so long in our lives to "stand up for your rights" and "don't let anyone run over you." We see it as a weakness to be kind to someone if we feel they have wronged us. We feel this need to be "right" and to "prove our point." I believe that kindness actually takes more strength, and is a higher calling to a spiritually connected life.

So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God.

I Peter 2:1-3

Clean house we are told. Get rid of any malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. Wow, is all I can say to that. We all know what malice, envy and hurtful talk is, but what about pretense? Pretense can be defined as the act of pretending; a false appearance or action intended to deceive. To even "act" kind is not kindness. God's kindness is pure, it is like the milk that a baby drink from its mother's breast. It is said that a mother's milk helps babies to have a better immune system and gives the the antibodies they need to fight disease as they grow. God's kindness to us, this pure kindness, should have the same impact on us helping us to grow up mature and whole in God. What is mature and whole? If Jesus is the ideal, was not Jesus' kindness pure? Did he not act without envy, malice, pretense, or hurtful talk? You see we call ourselves Christ followers, but find it so difficult to be kind to those whom we think have harmed us. Even those that do not even know they harmed us, like the person who was driving in front of us this morning in a manner that we did not like. To give way to people we have been taught is weakness. To allow forgiveness to overtake us is a weakness. It is so hard to see that picking kindness over being right is actually a strength that far outweighs and is more productive than any demands we place on others or the world. If I demand my rights when I feel like a waiter has not given me proper service, do I get better service or somone being even more passive aggressive and angry. How do people see us when we become demanding? If I am kind to that same waiter what do I get in return? Kindness back is the response. The best service I may have ever received!

Practice kindness and clean house. See if you do not feel better and the circumstances of your life begin to change. Life becomes more postive, people help you more, and God seems to be there for you at every turn. Spiritual maturity is a strength that will profit you for more than standing up for your ego.

Namaste'

Individuality

There is a cost to discipleship that few of think about as a cost - individuality. We must be able to find our own individual spirit that God has created within us in order to find the gifts we have been given and be creative with them. We must be able to to be find characteristics about ourselves that distingushed from others around us in order to be an individual. Read the following verses in light of this idea.

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:25-26

So I would ask the question if we have "hated" those around us enough to not take on their traits, but live with our own traits. For instance, have I "hated" my father enough to not take on his trait of worry and anxiety or do I still love my father more and continue to hang on to worry. Many of us today would say to ourselves one of these two things:

1) I want to be just like _______________

2) I swore I would never be like _________

Either one probably leads us to not hating and being more like our families. In the first we are trying to be just like them and thereby we are not looking for our own unique, individual giftedness that God has given us. In the second, we are say that we will never be like them, but this means we never look at how we are exactly like them. If we do not look at it we cannot change it. We end up becoming exactly like them. We lose the creative spirit that God has given to us to use! We cannot be a disciple of Christ and attempt to be like someone else or not look at how we need to change. We also need to lose our own life. Being an individual really means finding life in God, in what God has purposed for you, and living that out. This may be something that you would never want to do, or something you could not see yourself doing. However, God has given you that creative ability that is to be used. This is that part of you that cries out daily, "you were made for more than this." This is your intuition, God's spirit inside of you telling you that your dreams are place there by the Creator - follow them.

But to follow them we must become a disciple of Christ, find our individuality, break from the tribe, and "hate" all others around us. The ego must be put to death. We must not be so concern about what others think and let that define us, but rather what God has inspired us to accomplish and do that. Break from your internal or external limits that say you have to do what your family or someone else says. Be a radical follower of Christ, a rugged individual who listen to the voice of spirit so much that all others feel "hated."

Namaste'

Edge God Out

Ego is a word that I use quite often in my field. However, I also want it to be a word that people begin to understand in a different way. I like to think of ego and the idea that we carry around about ourselves. We all have a hard time not identifying ourselves by some form of ego. We like to tell ourselves we are our possesions, our reputation, and by what we do. However, if we call ourselves Christ followers, we really need to define ourselves in Christ.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. Galatians 2:19

We need to live a life that we realize is not ours, but God's. We no longer identify ourselves with rules and things to impress God or others. This is why Christ died so that we would not have to a relationship with God through rule keeping. Most of us think that if we keep enough rules, get enough stuff, and have enough people like us, we can feel good about ourselves. We quickly find out that this does not lead to a happy and fulfilled life. It leads to a life that is busy, unfullfilled, worrisome because we Edged God Out of life. We forget that God has already told us what we are worth - everything! We are not here to be peer pleasing and we are not here to have others fulfill our desire so we can feel good. We are here to live a life that is God's. We are here to give our life away in return to God for his gift. It is in living without an ego that we, when we lose our self, that we truly find our life! I think I remember someone saying this one time. So this week notice when your ego wants to take over. Notice it when your spouse asks for something and you want to say to yourself, "how dare they!" This is your ego. Notice it when someone cuts you off in traffic and you want to tell them how they offended you. This is your ego. Notice it when you feel like your rights were violated and you want to react in anger. This is your ego. Notice it when you someone does not notice you like you want or think they should. This is your ego. Anytime you are looking for opportunities to be offended that is your ego. Ego kills off the spirit of God within you. Let go of ego and let God show love to you and through you!

Namaste'

Everything is Spiritual

All actions, what we were, what we watch, how we communicate, it is all spiritual. The seats we sit in, the commercials we see, the news we watch, everything is spiritual. The clothes we wear, the things we think, the things we eat, and what we listen to, it is all spiritual. Everything communicates something about how we are interacting with the Creator. Everything communicates something about how our Creator is communicating or wants to communicate to us about our spiritual connection to God. When we are spiritually alive we can see this. When we are connected to our spirit, the spirit of God within us, the image of God that we were created with; we can see everything that God is doing.

The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16

Psychology calls this insight and awareness. Some cultures call this a Satori or instant awakening. Some eastern religions call it enlightenment. Jesus calls it life. Real life is lived when we realize that everything is spiritual, that God is speaking to us through everything thing that happens, the things we see, the medium the communicates it, and the way that we think. For instance, churches create enviroments to communicate something to you when you walk in. It could be "we want to make you comfortable so you know that God is comfortable," or "we take music seriously and we want you to know God is in music." What people wear or do not wear tells you many things about them. Television commercials communicate spiritual ideas. They communicate what is important in the culture and tells us how people are living out their spirituality, what is really important to people. God's spirit is everywhere speaking to us in every way imaginable. Listen to those messages today. Slow down and recognize that God is speaking.

Namaste'

Gratitude

I am sure you have heard it often - "The attitude of gratitude." It is a saying that is often used in the 12-Step recovery moment. The reason it is used so much is becasue people in recovery know that if their focus on what is wrong with life resentments develop easily, and in the work of staying clean and sober resentments will kill. So people in recovery often say this saying to themselves and each other as a reminder to be thankful for all they have, even when things seem bad because it may actually be teaching them something they need to know to remain clean.

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

How often are we thankful and practice this "attitude of gratitude." We have the chance to wake up everyday and say to ourselves "Good God morning," or "Good morning God." Which is the way that you greet your life? Are we thankful for every circumstance in our life? Cheerfulness if a great gauge of our spiritual connection. So is thankfulness. As this verse states this is the way that we should live and the way that belong, or maintain, our connection to our Lord. Everyday we have the choice to be thankful that we can give to those around us, or resentful that they do not notice what we do. I would challange you to see that when you help someone and they do not say thanks or notice, that you can be thankful for the opportunity to give to them rather than upset that your efforts were not seen. This is the attitude of gratitude in action in your life. This is the mind of Christ that I talk so much about in Philippians 2. This is the art of sacrifice and unselfishness. It all flows from being grateful that we have the chance to be like Christ, in a real way to people around us. We lose our life to find our life. This is so opposite of the world that we live in. The world where people demand their rights, stand up for themselves, and get angry when someone does not care for them like they think they should.

Be grateful today. Give thanks in all things today. Be thankful for the person who cuts in line or cuts in front of you in the traffic. When these things happen they may be saving you from a disaster. Be thankful that you have the opportunity to give to others without them noticing. It teaches us how to be joyful, cheerful, and unselfish.

Namaste'

Attraction

How do we attract others to a life in God? How do people really get to know that the way of Jesus is the way? Jesus told us himself how people would be attracted to him.

And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me." John 12:32

Here Jesus is telling us about his death on the cross that is to come. However, how does Jesus attract people to himself today? I think in much the same way. The act of dying on a cross was a act of humility, love, and forgiveness. Jesus placed himself as a servant and knew that in giving his life away people would come to him. We must do the same. We must lift Jesus up daily. I do not think it is by telling people how wrong they are, immoral they are, or how they are not following the right rules. Rather it is by sacrficing our selves, giving our lives away, being humble in our interactions with others, practicing kindness and love, and forgiving those around us. When we can do this we are lifting Jesus up and never ever have to evoke the name. People begin to get attracted to this kind of humility and love. People want to know how that can happen and what drives someone to practice something s powerful. I know that people I work with are attracted to forgiveness and acceptance, they are starved for it at times. Giving it to them is attractive and helpful. They want to know how they can do this for themselves and others. It becomes the most perfect time to tell them about God, Jesus, and how to live a life that can be one of peace and joy.

So how about it? Is Jesus being lifted up in your life? Is there a practice of kindness, forgiveness, and love to all those around you? Do people around you only sense your anger, criticism, and bitterness? If that is the case an inner journey needs to be taken so that Christ can be lifted up. Let Christ change your heart, allow God to search out, make you aware of, and change those places that need to be full of love instead of bitterness. This is the only way that Christ will be attractive to a world that desperately needs God's peace and love.

Namaste'

Concerns

Do you have some concerns today? I would be willing to bet that you do. What do you do with them? Most of us worry in some way. We think that we are actually in control of all the the circumstances in our lives. When we do this we actually disconnect ourselves from God and let our ego (edge God out) take over, with all of its wants and desires. Disconnected for me means that we forget that we are completely taken care of by our Creator. Our Creator would not set us on this earth and then just let us try to make it ourselves. Our Creator reminds us of this:

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Matthew 6:30-33

We are so afraid that we will miss out on something, that we actually miss out on something. We get so concerned about the cares of this life and how much we need to have or acumulate that we miss our life in God. We work so hard on searching for our purpose that we miss our purpose. Our only job in this life is to live a God realized life. If we do that and steep ourselves in God reality and allow God to have the initiative, and let God give the provisions - our purpose will actually chase after us.

There is a story of a young cat who went to cat happiness school. After he finished he was walking in an alley chasing his tail. An older and wiser alley cat saw him and asked him what he was doing. He told him that he had just finished happiness school and was taught that happiness was located in his tail and if he could just catch it he would find happiness. The older wiser cat said that he had never been to school, but he knew that happiness was located in his tail. However he found that if he just did the things he needed to do everyday and trusted that happiness followed him wherever he went. The implications are obvious in this silly story. We need to just trust God and ourselves, steep ourselves in God and live like God - with as much kindness, caring, love, beauty, receptivity, forgiveness - as we can. When we do this, when this becomes our focus, our purpose and happiness will chase after us. So today do not worry about your concern. Focus on living in peace and kindness with all. Be connected to God and watch what happens as your purpose reveals itself and chases you, rather than you chasing it.

Namaste'

Passion

What is your passion? What gives you boundless enthusiasm? What is the object of such enthusiasm for you? Is there anything? Is God your passion? If there is any relationship that you could have passion about God would be the one.

Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." Matthew 22:37-40

When God becomes the passion of your life all things begin to fall into place. When God becomes our passion, the thing that we have boundless enthusiasm for, we begin to have our lives molded in the shape of God. We love, we have compassion, we are kind, we look for the beauty in things, and we live out the image of God within us. Let this be the pursuit of you life, the object of boundless enthusiam for you. You will find that your life begins to make sense, that things that you once thought impossible will become possible. You begin to look for the positive things in life and focus less and less on things to worry about. Be passionate about God. Let God be the boundless enthusiasm that you pursue in your life.

When you are passionate about God, your purpose in life will come after you. You purpose will find you, you will not have to go seek it. Purpose will chase after you. Let it. Respect yourself by having boundless enthusiasm for God. You are created in God's image and if you do not respect yourself, you are not only disrepecting the most beautiful creation of God, but the Creator itself. If you disrepect yourself how can you connect and let purpose chase you? Have passion, have it to find God. Respect yourself and all life with love and service then watch the words of Jesus come true in your life.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Namaste'

Submission

What a difficult time that we have with this word. Submission means the act of submitting to the power of another or the state of being submissive or compliant; meekness. However this is exactly how we are asked to live our lives if we are Christ followers. This does not mean a life of codependency, allowing people to have their way with us and never having limits or boundaries for people who would hurt us. No, this is a way of life that submits to the belief and conviction that God is in control. It submits to the belief that even the most horrid of circumstances in our lives are being used to teach us something about how to live. Life gives exams and if we do not pass those exams it will give them again. For example, people get married again and again only to find themsevles in the same situation. They did not understand the exam the first time. People have problems with other relationships and jobs over and over, probably because they did not pass the exam the first time. Our crosses to bear are there to teach us something. If I learn from them I "pass" the exam and learn how to not get myself in that situation again.
However most of us attempt to "run our own lives." We actually think we can control everything that is going on in our lives, so we try. When we do we complain about the life exams we are given by God. We fail to act in submission and allow things to be perfect as God designed. Rather we complain, shake our fist at God, and say to ourselves this can't be right I must do something. This does not take away the emotions and the pain that makes some of our crosses hard to carry. Sometimes we must drag them or sometimes we collapse under the weight of them.
However, will we find submission and know that God is working all things for our good? Will we be able to have the mind of Christ and allow God to have God's way. Will we trust that even though it appears that we do not have what we think we need right now, maybe we do not need it right now or at all, or it will come only when we truly need it? This is submission - to allow God to have God's way and trust that it is as it should be.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

Namaste'

Grasp

We have grown up with being taught things like "grap all you can," and "get the most out of life, you have only one." I do not disagree with these sayings, but maybe there is another way to go about living them out.

If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms. Luke 17:33

So are you trying hard to grasp and cling to life on your terms. Jesus reminds us that we will lose it if we try and do that. Imagine for a moment that you place your hand in a pool of water. How would you keep water in your hand? If you cup your hand you can fill your hand up with water and have as much as you like. However, as soon as you attempt to grab the water what happens? The water no longer stays in your hand, you lose it. This is how our life works. If we would like to grasp and cling to our life, our life comes to ruin. In actually attempting to hold onto the things in our life we actually lose them.

Think about it for a moment. What happens between a parent and a teenager when a parent attempts to grasp or hold onto to them very tight by making extreme rules and constantly staying on them because the parent is worried? The parent "loses" their child. The teen attempts to get as far as they can from the parent, they distance themselves. Think about it in a marriage. When one of the partners is attempting to make sure they are loved and desperately "hold" and "grab" the other partner through questions and constant worry, does that partner come closer or move further away? We can give example after example of how attempting to grasp and hold things on our terms actually causes the loss of them. Think about it at work. You so deperately want to grab for that promotion that your anxiety becomes a hinderance. You begin to make mistakes because you are worried about making them. Your boss picks someone else. So today try to just cup your hand around the things that are important to you. Allow them to move freely. Allow God to move them freely. Life on God's terms is one of peace. Avoid extremes in your life. Avoid being prideful and thinking that you always have it right. Avoid being extravagant and trying to grab all you can, there is no way to hold it all and keep it. Allow yourself to "let go and let God."

Namaste'

Prayer

Our life should be a prayer to God. Our prayers to God should be less and less about us and what we can get, and more and more about what we can give and how we can be light and love to the world. The following prayers are examples of this life principle.

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;and 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. Amen

Saint Francis of Assisi

"Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing."

Jesus Luke 23:34

We must learn how to give our lives away in the service of others. Our prayers should be about the ways that we can give peace, love, hope, light, joy, and forgiveness to those around us. These two prayers are wonderful examples of how to let go of the need to be "right" and instead show kindness. I challenge you to write them down, print them off and place them somewhere that you will see them and pray them daily. Let them become the focus of your thoughts. Look for the ways that you can forgive, show peace, show love, give joy, give hope and give your life away to others. Watch how your life changes when your focus becomes that of giving. See how much you recieve out of giving yourself away. What is the worst that can happen if you try for a week? The only thing that can happen is that someone will be made happier because of your kindness. Remember that people are always trying to do their best, even when it does not live up to an expectation that we may have. Forgive them as we wish to be forgiven because sometime we all do not know what we are doing.

Namaste'

New

I will continue on the theme of inner change today. When we come to have an encounter with the eternal and everlasting God, Jesus, this is just the beginning of change. We need to do more than just have that one experience of decision to believe. We need to change our old personality into a new one. We must change our inner person so that we can live a concious and creative life.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17

Our lives will not be "preserved" in Christ unless we take our decision and place it into a new life. To make a decision to become a Christ follower and try to live the life that we have always lived, with no work on changing the inner person, is like trying to place new wine into old wineskins. To take our new life, our "new birth," and attempt to keep the same inner life will lead to our spiritual downfall. We "burst" with the pressure of trying to keep rules that we do not understand or own for ourselves. We are attempting to just follow the crowd and we live in the unconscious obedience that we talked about yesterday. How many people do we see walk away from their life of faith because of the hypocrisy within their own life? You see people blame the hyprocrisy of people in the church for the reason they leave or do not live a life of faith. However, they are really saying that the life of faith is a life they find too much pressure in because they have refused to take the inner journey that is required to find their life in God. They really do not want to let go of their ego. When we do not take the journey to really become a disciple - one who embraces the teachings of Jesus - and do not want to embrace, really know, the teachings of Jesus the Christian path and way of life becomes one of anxiety and not joy.

Find the joy in taking an inner journey to really be born again. Be a follower of Jesus that truly embraces his teachings. Do not live in unconscious obedience, but be conscious of become new in every way in your life. Be new everyday. Place your life in a new skin.

Namaste'

Unconscious Obedience

Our life is not one that is to be lived with unconscious obedience. What the heck does this mean you may be asking yourself? When we are called to join the kingdom of God this does not mean that we are following a list of rules that leads to an ethic obedience. Our life is not to follow some moral requirement that lead to the identification with the collective body of people, or church. Our life is to be lived from consciousness, from awareness. This involves the changing of our inner person. It requires the wrestling with pain and frustration at times. People who are ready to live at this kind of consciousness are ready for the kingdom of God. People who want to find a moral way to behave so that they can be pleasing to God and others are not ready for the kingdom or salvation. Read the following verse in light of this:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

But the Message version is even more telling in light of the above:

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."

Matthew 7:13-14

Entrance into God’s kingdom means the destruction of the old personality, the ability to let go of something that we all hold onto so dearly – our self – our ego. This can be a violent fight at times. Jesus comments on this in Luke 16:16 - "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it." This is also what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 10:39:

"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me."

What makes it so important to God that we lose ourselves and have this struggle? I think that because without it we will never find the creativity that God has placed in us from the moment we were created. We never find our creativity- our life. This requires a person to recognize their own need, even despair. When we do we are ready for the kingdom and to allow God to work. Those who feel that they are self-sufficient, those whose life are one-sided only - thinking of self; will remain caught up in their ego and miss the kingdom of God. They cannot see that the kingdom of God is right here and right now. They miss the creativity that is placed in them to be used right now for salt and light to those that need their talent – whatever that may be.
Be aware of your need for God. Be aware of the inner journey that needs to be taken. Be aware of your need, even your despair. “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Do not live in unconscious obedience never owning the reality of the kingdom of Jesus that calls us to have life and have it more abundantly.
Namaste’

Different

We all have to live different than the rest of the crowd around us. This requires us to let go of habits that have been with us for all of our lives. This can cause us great anxiety because we find safety in going with the crowd and following the habits that are expected of us. However, Jesus looks at us and loves us. He wants us to take an inner journey that will require us to be different than the crowd of others.

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Mark 10:17-22

Notice that Jesus looked at the man and loved him. He loved him so much that he asked him to look at the path he was following and if he really desired a different path then he had to do something different. This man had to let go of no longer following the crowd that knew the commandments with no inner reality of them. God looks at us and God loves us. God wants us to not just blindly follow the herd of others. William Wordsworth said that “habit rules the unreflecting herd." Jesus is asking this man, asking us, to reflect on our lives and not let habit rule us. An inner journey requires us to reflect and break away from the crowd and become an individual. To become a whole person using all the gifts that God put in us when we were created. This can create much anxiety, but it can also create much freedom and peace.

Look at, reflect on, your habits today. Are the habits you have leading to your individuality or helping you get along with the herd? Jesus may be challenging you to give up some of these habits because he looks at you and loves you. Will you walk away sad because you are unwilling to reflect and would rather keep the perceived secruity that can be found in the crowd? Will you reflect and change those habits and find the freedom that is in Christ and the joy of living the life that you were designed for?

Namaste'

Wholeness

It is essential that we work towards being whole and complete people. When we are not whole and complete people the things of this world - worry, money, things, anger, ego, pride, etc. - can over take us and make our life more difficult than it needs to be. You see evil's intention is to destroy wholeness. Jesus told us that the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) So evil is antiwholeness and opposed to God's kingdom which is all about life. As long as we have inner conflict about our lives, we are not whole, evil is given the oppoutunity to overtake us. We do not have life. However, when we are whole and working towards that wholeness, evil cannot be given the chance to overtake us.

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7

Here we see what happens when wholeness is complete. We become settled down and we see everything coming together for good. Even if the outside world become adverse and hard, we can follow our inner values, our wholeness, and find blessing despite circumstances. This to me is the meaning of the Beatitudes found in scripture. Read them here again in the light of being a whole person, full of life, having faced the inner struggles of life and allowed God to displace each of those worries.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:3-12

Namaste'