Analyze

We need to stop separating ourselves from things. We need not to analyze things so much. To analyze something is to to examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. We need not do this when it comes to God. We all like to analyze what is happening - where does God fit in this, why is this happening to me, how could this happen, what is the meaning of this - on and on we go with this kind of analyzing of things and God. When we analyze things we have to separate them, pull them apart, and study each part. As a matter of fact, most things that we analyze that are living things have to die to be examined in this way. Jesus reminds us that we are not separate, but 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."

John 15: 4-8

To analyze why, what, where, when, how and attempt to find all the reasons why separates us from God. Separate from God we cannot do anything. We pull apart what God is trying to do, we have to make our story work we way we think it should. We begin to examine, pull apart things and the life we have is dead. Or as Jesus says here "anyone who separates from me is deadwood." Find your home in God today, in God's word, in your everyday life and do not analyze it, just be. Live in each moment and do not analyze the why of the moment, just enjoy the beauty of the moment. Resist the impulse to analyze and separate yourself from God to make sure that your story is going the way you think it should. Stay home and allow. Stay connected, trust, believe.

Namaste'

Story

We all get attached to our personal history in some way. We define ourselves by saying things like "I am from.....," "I am an adult child of an alcoholic.......," "I was abused.....," "I have always been unable to make friends......." and on we go. We use these things to define who we are. We may never say them out loud to anyone, but we say them to ourselves and these things are allowed to define what we think we can and cannot do. We limit what is possible for us to accomplish because we hold so dearly to these stories about ourselves. We need to let go of our personal histories and our stories.

"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?

Matthew 23:23-24

We so often keep such an account of our lives, telling a story that we have to make end in a certain way, that we forget the absolute basic of life. We are so concerned about making our story work that we forget about compassion for others, love, fairness, caring, listening, because we are so wrapped up in the telling of our story that we are not willing to join anyone elses. We leave God out of the story, thinking that we are the ones who are writing the story, the ones in control of the story. The reality is that there is no story, only this moment that you are in. There is no need to keep a detailed record of you life in your head and in your thoughts, for when you do you miss the moment you are in and life will be wrong from start to finish. So today give up your story and your personal history. Do not let those things define you and dictate to you what is possible for your life. You are a child of God that is limitless, boundless, and creative. You are only held back by the story, the image that you create in your mind and in your thoughts. Freedom from your story allows you the freedom to do, try, and accomplish anything you want. You do not need to wait on something to happen to find yourself. You do not need to wait on someone else to do something to find yourself. You already are yourself. Live!

Namaste'

View

From what perspective do you view your world? From what individual and personal perception, judgment, or interpretation do you think about the world around you? How you do will define what actions you take, what the events in you life mean to you, and what you think others people's behaviors and comments mean. According to our intereptation of these things, our reactions will be different. If we think people are talking about us, do not like us, and the events of our lives are a sign that God does not care, we will react to the world in a way that will be self defeating and negative. We may be full of frustration, anger, and depression. However, if we see that people are doing the best they can, most everything that others say or do is not personal, and God is at work in every moment of our lives, we can be full of peace, hope, and confidence.

It's important to look at things from God's point of view. I would rather not see you inflating or deflating reputations based on mere hearsay.

1 Corinthians 4:6

What is God's point of view? We are loved. We are spiritual beings. We are the image of God. We are cared for more than the grass and the animals and they get what they need daily. We are important to God. We are not our physical bodies or the things we have or what we can accumilate. We are children of God. We can have fun and trust. We can have the mind of Christ. We are made to live in the moments we have. We are made to connect with God.

Have a different point of view today. Look at things through the eyes of God. Remember whose you are and live like a child that does not worry or fear, but has fun and enjoys each moment they live in. Stop making assumptions about other people's behavior and understand that people are trying to do their best. Realize that you are a spiritual being having a human experience and not a human being trying to have a spiritual experience. Let go and let God.

Namaste'

Help

Where does our help come from? Well no one can say it better than Jesus did.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Matthew 6:34

Right now, it is all we have. Oh, how I trade the moments of right now to worry about the next moment and the next moment. Then I never really enjoy right now. We all live that way. We worry about what has happened in our past, or we worry about what may happen in the future, all the while the current moment is passing us by. I find that when I stay in the moment I am in and soak up everything about it, I find that those things that come later I may have worried about - get taken care of. How hard this is, especially when I am unable to shut of the chatter of the mind that worries about these things and defines myself by them. Meditation and prayer need take more of a role in life. We can never be satisfied by living for a future or worry about our past. The past cannot change and the next moment is not here yet. And what happens when we reach the moment that we realize our dreams? What moment is there to live for then? Live today in the moment that is the real help.

Namaste'

Learning

Just sitting here tonight and thinking tonight about my day. I was thinking about how I was worried today, stressed, and poured that on to others around me. I was wrong, angry, frustrated and lost my sight on God. My attention was not focused on my spiritual being, but on my physical being. I forgot who I am and who I belong to. Ego took hold and through me around like a rag doll. I am a man in need of God. I am a man in need of forgiveness. I am a man much like all of us.

I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Romans 7:14-25

We are all pulled by the influence of sin and our ego. The only way I know to go about defeating this is through God and by being a person who can recognize when it is at work and admit to myself and others. I am pulled, but I will practice more and more on how to let go of ego. I know that the more I have practice the less and less the ego takes me over like it did today. I see these happenings as opportunities to learn more about myself, my God, and others. I am will show my understanding that I have hurt some I love by allowing God to tell me what God needs from me and then respond. I will practice not reacting but responding to the love of God. I will enjoy my moments and remember that there is nothing real but the moment that I am in. I pray for us to allow the same.

Namaste'

Transformation

Transformation means a marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better. Somehow we all think that we transform by our effort to read, study, or perform better. In the kingdom of God transformation does not really come by some hard effort on our part. It comes by placing our attention on God in our everyday life and allowing God to work.

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

Romans 12:1-3

Notice that we need to "fix our attention on God." This means that we need to be able to recognize what God wants and respond. This attention is not working hard on something that we want and hope that God then responds, it is completely the opposite! We do not bring anything "good' to God, as Paul writes here. "God brings it all to you." We must understand ourselves by who and what God is and what God does for us, not by what we do or who we are. This allows us to relax and become aware of, and focus our attention on, the fact that God is working it all out. Our attention does not need to be placed on our physcial body and our physcial surroundings, but on the infinite, unseen part of us that is really who we are. We are spiritual beings that have a physical body for a moment, not physical presence that happens to have a spirit. We we focus on this - our spirit - we are placing our attention on God and allowing God to work. We no longer are focused on striving and trying to make our physcial life the way we want it. We become focused on God and allowing God to work and bring us, make us, what God wants. This is the "way that we understand ourselves." Change your focus today and place your attention on God. Take your attention off the worries of your physical world and place it on your spirit and God. Stop tyring and striving thinking that God will respond to your hard work. Allow God to show you who you are and respond to that. This is how we transform and we change in appearence and character for the better.

Namaste'

Bread

What are you eating? Really, what are you eating to make you grow spiritually? Jesus tells us that we should eat him.

"I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."
At this, the Jews started fighting among themselves: "How can this man serve up his flesh for a meal?"
But Jesus didn't give an inch. "Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always."

John 6:47-58

So are you eating Jesus? Are you taking on the way of Jesus? Are you living life as Jesus did with self examination, forgiveness and compassion for others, kindness, creativity, resourcefulness, love, caring, and unselfishness? Practice this today. Allow someone in front of you in the next line you are in. Be kind to the server when you go to lunch or dinner next time. Listen to someone when they are talking and just mirror their feelings, let them know you understand. Place others before yourself today and see if you can "eat Jesus." See if your life and view of life does not change when you do this. Notice the joy and contentment that comes over you when you allow life to move at this pace. Eat the bread of Jesus and be satisfied.

Namaste'

Sacrifice

Do we have any idea of what this word means anymore? One definiton states that sacrifice is "forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim." We think we do. I was watching a television preacher last night for just a moment and all he was talking about was the sacrifice of your money right now so that you could take part in the upcoming "great wealth transfer." What?? We think that sacrifice is about giving up something so that we can gain some kind of material wealth or status. Sacrifice is exactly as defined above, but the greater that we are gaining is not a material thing, it is a relationship with our Creator and a finding of our purpose in life.

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Mark 8:34-37

We so quickly like to run from our perceived suffering. Jesus is asking us to embrace it. Think about it - it is after every down time in your life that something good happens. But to embrace these times in our lives, we need to lose ourselves. We need to not think about, or worry about what we would like our lives to look like, we need to allow Christ total control. Christ already knows and never leaves us. This means that we understand that finding our true self is about finding God and letting our ego go. We save ourselves by losing ourselves. We do not look at how to better our lives through gaining riches, things, or standing. We better our lives by looking to help others, give to others, and look to others interest. What good does it do to gain all the wealth of the world and lose the real you that is a part of God, the image of God, and was made to serve as God does? Instead of getting ready for the "great wealth transfer" let us all serve each other without giving any thought to "what is in it for me." We will find ourselves there.

Namaste'

Dreams

Do you feel free to pursue your dreams? Do you feel like something is holding you back? What makes your dreams seem so unattainable? How often do we really apply God's word that has been given to us? I know that many of us know the scripture, but do we really know what the words mean in our day to day life. It is very difficult to know how to apply the scripture when we are caught up in the present world of worry, things, and other people's opinions. We really cannot understand or follow through on our dreams if our mind is focused on the chatter of our mind and its worries.

"The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.
"The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."

Matthew 13:22-23

Jesus has just finishing giving the parable about the sower and the seeds cast on different kinds of grounds. The disciples did not understand, and Jesus explains it to them in the above passage. So do your dreams get choked out by the illusion of getting more and more to satisfy ego? What if you were a person who heard the good news and it let you know who you really were, and there was nothing you needed to gain to make your dreams come true? We all have been given a dream by our Creator and the worries of this life, our ego, our fears, choke that dream out. We think that we need something more to make our dreams come true. We need to remember that they are not our dreams, they are our Creators placed in us and our Creator will make them come to pass. We only need to allow the good news to penetrate our souls, our minds, our hearts, and apply the this news to our lives. Dreams will come to pass when we know the good news.

Namaste'

Vision

Vision means the faculty of sight; eyesight: something that is or has been seen, and unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight. I will be using all these definitions to talk about vision today. If we can practice restful awareness (or prayer - see one of the last few post) we can get to a place of vision. That is that we can see things, we can see something and we will be able to have discerment or perception. As it says in Proverbs 29:18, Where there is no vision the people perish. It is a life filled with sadness, frustration, and hopelessness that has no vision, no dream about the purpose of their life. However, if we can practice restful awareness and begin to focus our mind on God our vision becomes clear and life comes into focus.

So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

Philippians 3:15-16

We cannot have vision unless we start to have our mind focused on God, not the things of this world or our worries about them. When we worry about this world and the things of this world, our focus is on the chatter of our left brain. This is the part of us that tells us who we are by being focused on other people's opinions, our job title, or the things we have. We worry about this and our ego becomes the controling decision maker. Life becomes frustrating and hopeless because these things will never let us know who we really are. Life seems like something we have to react to and be afraid of. However, if we can practice restful awareness, be more focused on the current moment we are in, realize that there is nothing to be fearful of, and that we are perfectly safe in the hand of God - vision will be clear. We will see God, know God, and understand that we are way more than all those things, we are God's children and connect to God with spirit. We live more in our right brain. We live in each moment, fully alive, with no fear. I think that this is what Jesus meant when he said -

"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."

Or as most of know it:

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

Namaste'

Apply

When I say that I want you to apply your whole self to your relationships I mean your whole self. This includes your physical body, your emotions, your thoughts, and your spirituality – your soul. This is a new and completely different way to think about your relationships and your world. Many times we come to a seminar or we read a book and we are looking for just a few quick answers that will make everything feel good again. We hope that if we can just get someone else to follow through and be the way we want them, or if circumstances could be the way we like them, we can feel better. Yes, I said that we hope we can get the other person to follow through, or circumstances to change because we really do not want to have to look at ourselves or do something different to feel and be better.
I believe that the world of psychology has been leaving out the world of the spiritual for far too long when it comes to educating us about how to live life. The spiritual world, the way of Jesus, has many things to say about how we are to treat each other and how relationships operate best. I also believe that the world of spirituality, the world of Christianity has also been leaving out the world of psychology and science, because it to has many things to say about how relationships work and operate best. The funny thing to me is that God created both of these worlds and they are not mutually exclusive worlds or things. They are from the Creator. We are created in the image of this creator and it includes all parts of ourselves - our emotions, our thinking, our soul, our spirit, our minds - everything. We need to include them all, think about them all, and talk about them all if we are to be whole people and whole in our relationships.
For example how does Jesus ask us to treat others? Jesus said

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Luke 10:27

First Jesus includes the whole person into loving God. Second we are to love others as much as we love ourselves. How does science, or psychology say we should treat others? If you have seen Maslow's hierarchy of needs is says that we should be at the highest level, lacking prejudice, accepting the facts, and being moral. Just below the top, we must feel good about ourselves, be confident and be respectful of others and gain others respect. Sounds like Jesus built this pyramid of needs. We must first love ourselves, have esteem for ourselves, before we can ever give away love to others. It is like I tell people all the time, you cannot give away what you do not have. We must apply the truth of our spiritual life, which is also the truth of science and psychology, if we are to change ourselves and then our world.

Look at yourself today. Love yourself. Then you will be able to love your neighbor.

Namaste'

Restful Awareness

As human beings we all live in a world that has fallen. This is not a perfect place and we are very active at finding things to be scared about. Think about it, as soon as Adam and Eve ate the fruit they became scared. They covered themselves up because they were scared to be naked and they hid from God (or thought they were). We still do this today. We all spend time scanning our world for dangerous and scary things. There is a place in our brain called the amygdala. This part of the brain controls:
Arousal
Controls Autonomic Responses Associated with Fear
Emotional Responses
Hormonal Secretion
Why is this so important? This is important because this is the most basic of brain functions - the flight or fight response. It is the first thing that happens to us when things are going bad in a relationship or in our life. We decide that it is fearful and we decide to withdraw or attack. It is so easy to act this way when we are seperated from God. We have an automatic response in us to react in fear when we percieve things as scary. God has given us a way to not let fear be our automatic response and make peace and joy our response.

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

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

We need to pray all the time. I like the words restful awareness. Prayer is restful awareness. Allowing our brain to have the flight or fight response is not awareness, it is reaction. This takes practice, a daily time of shutting left hemisphere of the brain off, and allowing silence to take control. In the silence we can be aware of our responses, see the reality that we are secure in God, and know God's love. This is something that was lost at the fall. Christ came so connection could be made again and we could know God's love directly. It has been said that the only voice of God is silence. This kind of silence can make us more restful, more peaceful, less reactive to the fear response, and more aware that we are safe in the hands of God with nothing to fear - no matter what the circumstances of life would like to tell us. Here is a link to an article about the benefits of prayer and meditation - http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030424-000003.html

Yes, we have to connect ourselves back to God. We have to train our brains, through prayer, silence, meditation on God's word to not fear. This is the process of what some would call sanctification, becoming holy. This is the process of accepting God's love and taking on the mind of Christ. This is the benefit of prayer and restful awareness - we connect to the reality of God directly in our lives. Jesus told us that "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21)" David wrote "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. (Psalm 119:97).

So today practice some restful awareness. Pray, meditate, find a place of silence. Yes pray to God and give your request, but also allow silence to be your friend and quiet your mind. God comes to the quiet mind.

Namaste'

Grow

We are all made to grow. I know that at times you think that you may not be growing in your spiritual life, but you are, it is all that you can do. Too many times we go about our lives thinking that we must do something to be growing. Really sometimes all we need to do is wait. This is so hard for us. Jesus told us this.

Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!

Mark 4:26

This happened to my family recently. We really do not know how it happened, but this summer a plant start growing at the end of the driveway be the house. It had these big leaves and bright flowers. We knew that we did not plant it, but there it was. At some point we noticed this thing that looked like a small watermelon. We thought that we might have thrown some seeds there at some point and we were amazed to see that they grew. However, there was once more surprise. It is now turning colors and is orange. It is a pumpkin! How in the world a pumpkin is growing at the end of our driveway we will never know. The only reasonable answer is the verse above. We threw some seeds there at some time and forgot about them. They grew with no help from us!

This is how we all are. We have a need to grow or we die! The kingdom of God is alive and well inside of you. Do not work so hard at times to make it grow, allow it to grow. Do the things you need to do every day, but allow God to control the outcome and the growth. Growth is natural. Make the conditions right in your life, and then just let it happen. Do not worry that is should happen a certain way, just let it be. This is the kingdom of God. It is thrown into your heart and will grow because it has to.

Namaste'

Resourcefulness

There is a difference between resources and resourcefulness. Most of us think that we cannot accomplish the things we would like to due to lack of resources. There was not enough money, time, talent, technology, management, contacts, experience, etc. However, we can be resourceful and make things happen. Being resourceful is being creative, determined, loving, caring, curious, passionate, or having resolve. I will give you an example. My son was resourceful the other day at the pool. He had no water toys to play in the pool we have not really bought anything, we had not even thought about it. My son became determined to swim after something, play with something, so he made a game. He became was determined, resourceful, and creative. He kept asking us to bring the sunblock bottle into the pool and we kept telling him no. He kept asking. Finally, he just walked over to the place we had our things got the bottle and took it into the pool. He began to throw it like a ball, it would float and he would chase after it. Soon he made a game out of it, throwing it and having me chase after it with him and the first one to get it was the winner.
How creative and resourceful that was! "Well I do not have a toy so I will make one." Instead of getting upset and quitting because there was nothing to play with - because of a lack of resources - my son become resourceful and made something happen.

"Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior."

Luke 16:8

You want to really live? Quit telling yourself and everyone that there is a lack of resources and you can't do something because of it. Jesus tells a story of a owner who praises a crooked manager because he problemed solved through resourcefulness! We need to do more than get by on the "good behavior." My son did not listen to me tell him not to bring the bottle in the pool. I am glad that this time he did not listen, because we had fun! Be resourceful today. Look for the possibilities in situations, in people, in everyting that you encounter. You can be playful enough, creative enough, passionate enough, determined enough, loving enough to solve anything that comes your way. Let things once seen as problems stimulate you to "creative survival!"

Namaste'

Doing

So you have made a decision to focus on something, you decided what it means, now what decisions are you going to make about action. Are you going to give up or move forward? You see what meaning you decide your focus has will lead you to have a feeling about it. This feeling will motivate your actions. So to continue with the story about the family given food for thanksgiving, the person that focused on the fact that they had to be given food attached the meaning that they were worthless, they felt worthless and the action that followed was they left their family. It was the father who left his family after that thanksgiving day and was never seen again. The son who decided to focus on the fact that he had food, attached the meaning that people care, felt happy and thankful. This motivated him to feed others at the holidays and he currently feeds people in many different nations through many different foundations that he has set up. Powerful! These three decisions have the power to determine your destiny. You make them each and everyday without being aware. I am asking that you be more aware of how and when you are making them. Again read about Paul:

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Paul felt happy, glad, "good cheer." What decisions did Paul make? He decided to move forward and allow Christ to take over. There was no longer the fear, the guilt, the anger, - there were no negative emotions - that would lead to actions that stop us from moving forward and cause us to give up. Your "surprises" are opportunities for God to take over. They are chances for you to leave the left side chatter of your brain (see post on awakenings) and enter into the beautiful uncertainity of allowing God to live your life. In that uncertainty there is a peace so grand it cannot be expressed. However, most of us want so much to control our lives that we live in our left side chatter so much we must worry about every moment, thinking that we somehow are in control of all of this. We are not the author of our lives. We do make decisions. However, those are not decisions of control, but of how we will view our lives. There are decisions that let ourselves and everyone else know what our world view is. There is a God in control or there is not. Either there is a mean angry God in control that is out to punish me, so surprises become problems, that have meanings of my worthlessness, that lead to negative feelings, that leads to actions that make me stop and give up. Or there is a loving, caring God that is out to have a relationship with me, placed me here for a purpose, and is bringing that purpose to be. Surprise become opportunities, that have meanings about how worthwhile I am, that lead me to feelings of joy and peace that spur me to grow and action.

So you know have three decisions that you can use to shape your life. What will you choose to do with them?

Namaste'

Meaning

The things that we decide to focus on, what meaning do we give them? What "inner significance" do you give to the things that you focus on when a surprise happens in your life? This is the second decision that you will make to determine your destiny. When something happens and you place your focus on something do you think is this the end or the beginning, am I being punished or rewarded? The meaning you give to it will determine how you feel and how you act. Let's take the example from yesterday. Two people in the same house experience the same event of someone giving them food for Thanksgiving. One focuses on having to be given food, one focuses on the fact that they got food. This leads the first to give it the meaning that they are worthless because some had to give them something. The second gives it the meaning that people care about me and each other. This leads each to a feeling and making a decision about how to act that will determine the outcome of their lives, but again, more on that tommorrow. Let's look at Paul again.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Look at this in the light of the inner significance that Paul gave what he focused on. He could see that God cared about him. He also had the chance to let this mean that God was punishing him. Paul could have choosed this if he would have focused on this being a handicap. "If God is handicaping me, God must be punishing me." Instead, Paul is saying "God is giving me a gift and God cares about me." Oh, how he must feel to be confident that he is loved by God!

So what meaning do you give the things you focus on? Are you being punished? It it the beginning of something great or the end of something great? Are you being loved or hated? What you choose to focus on and the meaning that you give it will determine how you will feel. Feelings will drive your decisions, your actions, in life. Today be more aware of what you focus on and notice the meaning that you give it. Notice how you feel about that situation then. See if you have any other choices about this event that you can make. What would it mean to you and how would you feel then? This is the second decision you make that shape where you are going in life, you destiny.

Namaste'

Focus

What is your focus? What do you give your close or narrow attention and concentration to? When something happens in your life - a situation that is a surprise to you, a person saying something you did not expect, having to deal with something that you wish would not have happened - what do you place your attention and focus on when these things happen? This is the first decision that will shape your future and your destiny.
For example a heard a story about a family that had no food for thanksgiving and someone brought them food. One member of the family focused on the fact that they did not have food and someone had to give it to them. Another member of the family focused on the fact that they had food. Seems really simple, but it led them it to come up with different meanings about themselves and therefore different decisions about what to do. (I will talk more about this in the morning.) This was the first decision that shaped the direction in which their lives would head. Paul was faced with the same decision about focus.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Paul had to make a decision to focus on appreciating the gift that he was given, rather than focusing on the handicap that he was given. It was a decision of where to place my attention, where to place my focus. When we focus on something we have to give it meaning. When something is given a meaning we have a feeling about it and we take action. Paul focused on the gift, and focusing on this as a gift gave it meaning. The meaning meant he felt joyful about it, he could take it "with good cheer."

This was a surprise for Paul. We all say that we like surprises, but really on the good kind. All the other surprises in life that we do not like - the car breaking down, the loss of a job, a change of plans - we call these things problems. When they are called problems, or handicap in Paul's case, we focus on the negative aspect of them. Really they are not problems, but opportunities to learn, to grow, to understand, and to be made stronger by our Creator. What will you focus on this day when a surprise or handicap shows up? What you choose will determine the next decision that will shape you and your destiny, what meaning will you give it?

Namaste'

Awakening

How do you connect to God and let go of all of the "stress" that goes with the life that we experience? We must shut down the inner chatter of our mind and let go of our ego. Ego is that part of ourselves that is connected to the language of who we are, the job we have, and how we and others describe ourselves. We have a hard time surrendering to God and allow God to live in us and through us. We need to connect to the consciousness of God.

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.

Galatians 2:19

If you dare, watch this video clip in the light of the above verse - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

Do not get caught up in the use of the word Nirvana, or that she does not use the word God or Jesus. Look at in in the light of Jesus being the God of the universe. Understand that you can connect through stillness and quietness of mind. "Be still and know that I am God.""Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty." Connect to Jesus today, find God and shut down the inner voice of your mind and turn up the volume on God's mind. Read Philippians 2 and understand the mind of Christ. Awaken today remove the veil from your eyes (read the last post) and find God. This is why I always end with this word.

Namaste'

Independence

Since it is Independence Day in the United States today, it seems appropriate to write about freedom and liberty. True independence and freedom can come only as we begin to recognize the spirit of God that is around us at all times. True independence and freedom can only come as we recognize that we are truly spiritual beings and all the things around us are going to pass away and turn to dust once again. True independence and freedom comes only as we live full in each moment realizing that is all we have. True independence and freedom comes only as we connect our spirit with God's spirit and become one with our Creator. True freedom comes when we are free from the worries of others opinions, having to accumulate stuff, and we are no longer trying to write the story of our lives the way we think it should go. Independence comes when our ego is but to death.

Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (The Message)

Our ego is the veil that keeps God hidden. We think that if we can get others to like us, just get that thing or this thing to happen, if we can just have that, if enough people could know us, we would be happy and free. This kind of thinking is a human condition that came because of the fall. We all believe that this is the life that will lead to freedom, but it does not. When we can let go of ego and self - that old constricting legislation - and just accept that God loves us we are free. There is nothing else to prove and nothing else to do, but live in the moment you are in. Everyday that you can do this you feel more free, the face of God shines and you shine more. We are more and more beautiful as God we lift the veil of ego and allow God to shine in and on us. Begin today to have real freedom. Live in each moment. Allow God to care for you. Stop living in the next moment telling yourself "if only........." You are constricting yourself.

Namaste'

Call and Trust

I call to God;

God will help me.

At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh

deep sighs—he hears, he rescues.

My life is well and whole, secure

in the middle of danger

Even while thousands

are lined up against me.

God hears it all, and from his judge's bench

puts them in their place.

But, set in their ways, they won't change;

they pay him no mind.

And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends;

his life betrayed his word.

All my life I've been charmed by his speech,

never dreaming he'd turn on me.

His words, which were music to my ears,

turned to daggers in my heart.

Pile your troubles on God's shoulders—

he'll carry your load, he'll help you out.

He'll never let good people

topple into ruin.

But you, God, will throw the others

into a muddy bog,

Cut the lifespan of assassins

and traitors in half.
And I trust in you.

Psalms 55:16-23

The challange today is to call on God, then just sit back and trust. There is nothing else to do. All those things that are going on in your life that seem to be meant to make you suffer, God has it. Your life is well, and secure, and whole even in the middle of this perceived "danger." You have no control over others or the situations that you find yourself in. You have all the control over how you will look at and think about those same situations. Trust that God hears and sees it all, there is no reason for worry or anxiety. You are in the perfect plan of a perfect Creator. The troubling situations that you face now are as they should be. As I sit here and write this someone just called and confirmed this. They just told me that they were thinking "why am I in this situation and how did I allow myself to get here? This has changed for me and I understand that this happened so I could learn more about myself, change my life, and think differently." God is awesome! Giving me a call about exactly what I am writing about at this time to give evidence of the way that we can trust. There are no accidents, it is all perfect and as if should be. Call on God, connect in your thoughts, your prayers, your actions and be more and more like Christ. As you do this just trust that God is the one keeping you safe and making your life well, whole, and secure in the midst of "danger."

Namaste'

Possible

What do you dream of doing? What are the things you would do if you did not have to worry about money and you could just go and do anything that you wanted? I would tell you that the answer you have is the dream, the vision that God has placed inside of you and if you do this you will find a life of peace and joy. However, most of us say to ourselves "that would never happen!" To this I say why not? I am sure that if you think this is something that you have to do yourself, you can only look at the impossibility of following your dreams. Have you ever really considered that these dreams are not yours to fulfill but God's?

Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Matthew 19:26

I take God at this word "all things." There are so many times in our lives that we look at why things cannot be done. When we do this we are only looking at and looking for the negative reasons why something will not happen. There are also many postive reason why something would happen, we just are not looking for those so we think those reasons are not there. I saw a client many many years ago that kept telling me how they could not find another job. Over and over they would walk in and give me all the negative reasons for impossibility of finding a better job. I would go through each of these reasons and debunk them, but they still continued to look at the negative. Finally one day, at the advice of a supervisor, I said to them - "Yep you are right you are just stuck in the low paying job, I do not think anyone can help you." Within two week they had found another job! Once this person started placing their own attention on the possibilities it was easy!

To be connected to God, truly connected, is to look for all the possible things. To be connected is to walk around your life today and find all the reasons why things are going to work out. It is to look for God under every situation, every "rock" and around every corner. It is to know that God is right there in every moment working things out to get you to fulfill that dream you have. It is possible. So today as you read this you may be thinking, "well that may work for you but I have never been able to do that." I would say to you that you are right you are just stuck and it is impossible.

Namaste'