Rev Charli Tupper

I woke up this morning fully aware that in a little over a week I will be speaking at the International New Thought Alliance (INTA)  Conference in Scottsdale, and I have not started working on my talk. I chose the title, 3 Sisters; Purpose, Passion, and Prayer,  several months ago when I was first asked to speak.  This is not usually how I prepare for my talks, so now I am sitting with it and listening for what these three words mean to me today.  So, over the course of the next few weeks, we will explore them together.

For so many years I thought purpose was what we think our life means.  What is the reason that I am alive at this time, living in this place, in relationship with these people.  I think it is so much more than that.  Purpose is about who and what we are, and how our awareness of this makes a difference in the world.  It’s not so much “my purpose” as it is “the purpose”.  The purpose is different for different people, but the bottom line is to recognize and live from the awareness that we are ONE: one with our self, one with others, and one with God.

One with our self means that we know our True self and integrate all aspects of our self into one.  This means that we do not disown parts of our self because we don’t like it. The shadow that shows up and misbehaves is not the enemy, but a part of our self looking for compassion and redirection.  How might our happiness meter change if we treated our self with compassion and gently redirected those thoughts that are not in alignment with our True purpose.

One with others is more broad.  When we think of being one with others, it is easy to include those who are close to us, and are behaving the way we would like them to behave.  We are called to know our oneness with the stranger and the enemy.  We are called to know our oneness with the earth and the animals.  We are called to know our oneness with those who are on the other side of the veil.  Those who support us: angels, guides, those who have made their transition from this world to the next,  and invisible support that is always working to bring us happiness.

One with God is living from the awakened awareness that we are one with ALL THAT IS, the question begs to be asked.  What does ALL leave out?  It is only through recognizing my oneness with God that I can recognize my oneness with others and myself.  The work then, is to practice recognizing our oneness with ALL THAT IS.

This practice takes place whenever we remember and connect with our True purpose, which is to know God.  This is not only accomplished by going into the Silence, but by every conversation and experience we encounter.  These experiences are deigned to awaken us to a deeper understanding of who we are at this time, and where we want to go.  Each person who comes into our lives has a gift for us and we for them.  Purpose then becomes the giving and receiving of the gifts, which ignites our passion and inspires our prayers.