Once upon a time in a land far away there was a young girl named Isabel. Isabel was born into a very poor family.  Her parents did the best they could, but circumstances of life kept them stuck.  From an early age, Isabel’s greatest desire was to serve God in this world.  If she could please God, everything would be okay.  She went to church – the right one – and obeyed all the rules. As Isabel got older, she read scripture, and tried and tried with all her might to be good.  She read things that told her if she did the right things, nothing bad would ever happen.  God would protect her.  But bad things did happen. They happened in her life, in the life of those she loved, and in the lives of people she didn’t even know who lived on the other side of the world.  Isabel’s heart was broken and the burden made her very tired. The more she tried, the more alone she felt.  The more alone she felt the more she felt like a failure.  Then the depression set in.   What is the use of all this work if there is only pain?  Where is God in all of this?  What did I do wrong?

One night, while in a deep sleep, a beautiful woman came to Isabel in a dream.  The woman was dressed in the most exquisite blue robe, her eyes were the color of the earth and radiated a compassion Isabel had never experienced.  In her left hand she held three stars, and in her right was a ruby red apple.  The woman smiled at Isabel, and offered her the apple.  Isabel was surprised by this gesture.  Old fairy tales of older women offering young women poisonous apples ran through her mind.  The old woman laughed because she could see what Isabel was thinking.  Her laugh was like water running down a stream; bubbly and light, filled with gaiety.  There was no judgement.

Isabel, she said, the apple has always been thought of as the forbidden fruit that caused all of humanities troubles.  It is the fruit that opened Adam and Eves eyes to the polarities of this life.  As we accept life as life is, our eyes are opened and we have the potential to see a new.  What was once thought of as a curse is actually a blessing.  This is true with much of life.  My daughter, I see that you are hungry and yet not satisfied.  Tonight I come to open your eyes to the three gifts of life and light:

Isabel takes the apple from the woman and bites into it, her seeing begins to shift; her heart opens, her mind becomes clear and Isabel begins to see her life with a new clarity.   The woman invites Isabel to have a seat next to her, and this is what she says.

The three gifts I bring this night are the gifts of Presence, Love, and Wisdom.

The first gift is Presence. We are always in the Presence and the Presence is always in us.  This Presence is the good you desire in your life.  As you take in this truth, your eyes are opened and you see the Presence of God at work in every situation, relationship, and circumstance.  This does not mean that every situation and circumstance of this life will be easy; rather that, your inner eyes will be opened to know that God is in this present moment.  God is absolute good; therefore, everything and everyone has within it at its core the seed of good.  When our eyes interpret something as less than what we would desire it to be, or find difficulty seeing the Presence, it is an opportunity for us to stop and refocus.  As we do this, we may be called into action.  Not action from the standpoint of fighting against what we don’t like, but of drawing forth the seed of good that is already there.

The second gift is Unconditional Love: From a human perspective, what you call love is an emotion that flows through your consciousness and therefore is based on your perceptions of what you like or don’t like, what you find acceptable and what you don’t find acceptable.  Unconditional love is the Presence active in and through you.  As your inner eyes are opened to the everywhere Presence of Good, you open yourself to the everywhere Presence of Love.  One of your biggest blocks that makes you feel as if love is being withheld from you is your belief that you must earn God’s love.  That would be like saying you need to earn air in order to breathe.  All you need to do is accept the love of God that is everywhere present.  One way to do this is by acknowledging no matter the circumstance: God is present here as unconditional love, and that love is being revealed through you in ways that are unmistakable.

The third gift is Wisdom:  This ever present Presence, God, is within us; therefore, we have the power of divine wisdom ALL OF THE TIME.  No matter what the question or circumstance if we stop and be still wisdom will speak within our heart and mind.  This wisdom is the uniting force of the Universe.  Wisdom empowers us to create good wherever we are.  Isabel, this gift of wisdom does not mean that you will not face challenges.  It means you never face challenges alone and without a course of action that will awaken you to deeper truths of who you are.  You are loved beyond measure.  I behold the Christ Consciousness in you.

Isabel was deeply touched, tears of joy and peace flowed down her face for the first time in a very long time.  She looked up at the woman and asked, How do I follow these truths?  What books can I read?  What groups can I attend?  What television shows do I watch?  What teachers do I follow?

You have spent many hours searching for the right answers.  The right way to be and the best actions to take.  Let go, your search is over.  You have found yourself.  You are the Presence, Love, and Wisdom of God in expression.

The woman smiled a big smile and said, stop and listen, your heart and mind will show you the way.  Remember your wisdom lies within.  As you open to this, you will be drawn to those who will support you on this path. And above all remember it’s not about being supported as much as it is about supporting others to know they too have these three gifts within them.  This is how you will strengthen these gifts within you.  Use them in service to your world.  All that you need to know will be revealed to you, as you need it.  Trust in the goodness of God and yourself.

With that, the woman was gone, and Isabel woke up.

Over the course of the past couple of years, I have been undergoing a transformation process that has led me down roads I never would have dreamed of going.  I have heard people talk about past lives, referring to times in their life that were so different from how they were experiencing life now.  I understand that now.

When I was going to ministerial school, it was a requirement to write a credo. Mine was,  there is One presence, One power active as the universe and as my life, love.  I do hold this belief close to my heart, and… I have come to realize that my actions demonstrated another belief: avoid conflict at all cost.  Some who know me, may not think that was the belief, because my behavior was sometimes irritable and irrational.  That is what happens when we live out of alignment with who we really are.  The conflict within expresses outside of us. We begin to resist life and the way the people in our life are expressing.  It may show up as anger, depression, or defensiveness.  What I know for sure is it causes a great deal of unnecessary pain for everyone.  The question that arises from within is: where in my life am I saying one thing and acting in a different way?  What are the values that I hold dear, but out of unconscious thoughtlessness or habit act in another way.? This is not a bash on myself.  It is an awareness that I can only express from the level of  consciousness that I am believe to be possible.  It is for this reason, I believe this to be one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves.

Becoming aware is the first step to any change. One of the most powerful ways to become aware is through asking questions.  When we ask questions such as, where in in my life am I demonstrating the core values I say I believe, or what are the driving values in my life, can empower us to make choices for ourselves that bring good not only into our personal lives, but into the world.

Having recently engaged these questions, has led me to reacquaint myself with my credo, and re-vision my purpose and mission.  I know, as an expression of God, I am whole, harmonious, creative, wise, and compassionate.  I am open and receptive to the inspiration that guides me in demonstrating these qualities in my life.  I once heard a minister say, “I can hardly wait to see how God is going to show up here.”  He wasn’t implying that God was absent and would magically appear and wave his magic wand to make everything okay.  It was a deeper reminder that God is every where every when present.  Remembering this truth empowers me to live from my wholeness and to express in new and dynamic ways.  I can hardly wait to see how living fully from the awareness that there is only one presence and power active in the universe and as my life, transforms this life.

What are the questions that are arising within your soul?  What change might they bring as you engage with them and discover new truths about the power and creativity within you?  It is one thing to just ask the question, and another to actually take the time to sit down and listen for an answer.  I believe the answer to our questions is always being transmitted within our hearts.  It is the answer that actually calls the question into mind.  If we did not already have access to the answer, there could be no question.  We don’t need to look outside of ourselves to know the answer and to access the wisdom to live from these higher truths.   Each of us has within us the power and creativity to live our lives in ways that awaken us to a grace-filled life.

Grace-filled Blessings,

Rev. Charli

The question arises in my mind: What has happened in your life lately that makes you smile or laugh out loud?  Do we take ourselves and this human experience too seriously?  I know there are times when I have and do.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe we are in the midst of a great consciousness shift that requires us to take seriously our thoughts and actions — our thoughts and our actions.

We have been talking about what it looks like to live life on purpose.  Even saying, I’m living life on purpose, sounds very serious.  It can sound as if we are saying, there is a purpose for your life and you better get to it.  I don’t think that is exactly what living on purpose is.  For me, knowing my purpose is a way to live life from a freer more alive consciousness.

Being an introvert, I tend to project a more serious side more often than I would like to admit.  I have thought about this , because this serious side can be interpreted as snobby, judgmental, or uncaring.  I have spent many years judging myself as wrong for being this way, and trying every technique in the book to change it.  This judgment feels like a burden or as if I have a weight around my neck. It creates a spiral that is even more serious.  Recently I discovered a new thought about a way to live lighter, freer, and more joy-filled.  What do I appreciate about myself?

What is it that you appreciate about yourself?  When was the last time you sat down and contemplated that question?   Really allow the answers to come up without judgment of their value on the imaginary scale of your ego.  Make the list as long as you can make it. List the smallest things to the largest things.  Leave nothing out, and remember no judgment.

Now create affirmations around these qualities, focusing on the ones you want to expand and experience more of.    Here is a link to a guided meditation intended to instill these qualities in your heart and mind in an expanded demonstration.  meditation

Each of us is created uniquely in the image and after the likeness of God.  These qualities, skills, attributes that make up who we are, collectively make-up our gifts to this world and humanity.  It is our God essence shining forth.  As we center ourselves in an awareness of these qualities, the invitation we experience is a life that is lighter, freer, and more joy-filled regardless of the circumstances around us.

Join me on a journey of lightness, of centered awareness, and freedom to be our unique individualized self.

 

 

The question arises in my mind: What has happened in your life lately that makes you smile or laugh out loud?  Do we take ourselves and this human experience too seriously?  I know there are times when I have and do.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe we are in the midst of a great consciousness shift that requires us to take seriously our thoughts and actions — our thoughts and our actions.

We have been talking about what it looks like to live life on purpose.  Even saying, I’m living life on purpose, sounds very serious.  It can sound as if we are saying, there is a purpose for your life and you better get to it.  I don’t think that is exactly what living on purpose is.  For me, knowing my purpose is a way to live life from a freer more alive consciousness.

Being an introvert, I tend to put my more serious side forward more often than I would like to admit.  I have thought about this , because this serious side can be interpreted as snobby, judgmental, or uncaring.  I have spent many years judging myself as wrong for being this way, and trying every technique in the book to change it.  This judgment feels like a burden or as if I have a weight around my neck. It creates a spiral that is even more serious.  Recently I discovered a new thought about a way to live lighter, freer, and more joy-filled.

Teilhard de Chardin said, we do not become completely ‘reflective’…. except by being reflected in each other.

Paul in the 1 Corinthians 12 goes to great lengths to explain that there is one body with many different parts.  That no aspect of the body is less than any other, and that we are created differently in order to create a greater whole.

It is our diversity that makes us one.  It is by being in community that we reflect back to each other that which completes us?  When I have an argument with my husband, instead of making him wrong and the bane of my existence; I have an opportunity to see what he is reflecting to me that completes some aspect of myself.  When we see polar opposites not as either/or, good/bad, right/wrong, but as both/and we can embrace our differences to create a greater experience of wholeness and joy.

When we are truly living on purpose —  being led by the indwelling Spirit —  everyone and everything benefits.  There is no separation, and there is a lightness that expresses through us.  It is time for us to see our diversity as a gift that completes the picture of humanity.  It is time for us to embrace our differences knowing that as we do so we will be in lightened.  It is this lightness that brings healing to our hearts and minds.

My invitation to you is to ask yourself who the people are in your life that you want to see as wrong?  Then ask, what part of the whole is being expressed through this person?   Just as the picture shows, where one decreases, the other increases and it is through these perfect fits we create a world that is a living expression of the Christ.

Grace-filled Blessings,

Rev. Charli

Living our purpose is about fully engaging life at the level of consciousness that reflects and manifests who we are.  It is one thing to have an idea of who we are and another to fully step into the power of expressing that on all levels of being.   As our purpose becomes clearer and begins to unfold, we catch glimpses of  it coming into manifestation in our life.  During these moments we may experience great joy or a deep sense of peace, and we say yes to Spirit through our energy of fun.  And then… we begin to recognize those areas in our life that are not in alignment with our purpose.

These revelations can sometimes be painful, and we may at first think that all this work was for naught.  From my perspective, we can look at these revelations in at least two different ways. We can lower our vibration by thinking thoughts of accusation and shame toward ourselves and others, or we can honestly assess the circumstances with a willingness to see with new eyes.  In order to fully engage in true transformation we must be willing to honestly look at what thoughts and beliefs we are holding on to that are not in alignment with who we are.  This is the part of transformation that we so often want to skip over.  If I just change my thinking to positive, this negative will go away.  It appears to be a bit more complex than that in my life.

Spiritual principle tells us we are a part of the  natural flow of giving and receiving in the universe. Therefore, we must be willing to give in order to open space for new ideas, feelings, behaviors to take root within us.   We often think of giving in terms of the physical. The aspect of giving I would like to speak to is forgiving. 

Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”  Jesus said much the same thing when he taught us to love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us.  (Matt 5:46)  When we raise our vibration to the level of affirming the One everywhere every-when presence and power of God, we open ourselves to see whatever is happening with new eyes — eyes of compassion and understanding.   This is true For-giveness. 

There is a paradox within this principle.  When we give from an open heart without expectation of return, we open ourselves to receive even more than we gave away. If we give with expectation of return, we draw to ourselves only what we expect.  Metaphysics tells us that there is always a greater good underneath appearance.

True forgiveness is about letting go and creating space within ourselves to express more fully our divine purpose.  It is only through expressing our divine purpose that we experience the fullness of who we are: Christ Consciousness.  Expressing that Truth is our purpose; our gift to the world.

 

When I speak of discerning your purpose, I am not speaking of what we do with our lives as much as the energy through which our lives come into form.  My understanding is there is only one of us, and that one is here to express the fullness of God in physical form.  In order to do this, we must be willing to release our ideas of separation: separation from God and each other.

Love at this level is when we stop berating and thinking harshly toward ourselves and others.  This love is a gift.  It is not something we can earn, or make.  It is innate within us and as we release that which is unlike it, this love becomes manifest through us.Jesus taught that we are to love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

It’s a paradox that as we love ourselves we open to love other greater, when love other we open to love ourselves deeper, and this love that flows through us is the Divine.  Divine Love is the energy that takes us deep and wide, and of which there is no end.  Love at this level is more than being in love or being in a state of acceptance of what is happening.  Love at this level is an energy that expresses through us regardless of the circumstances.  This is the compassion and kindness the Dalai refers to when he says my religion is kindness.

There it is.  The work we are called to do: release that which is unlike love that comes up into our minds.  This may seem like an impossible task when we are talking about circumstances or events that we believe have harmed us, or someone we care deeply for.  In all spiritual traditions, however, there is a call for forgiveness, for healing, and for love.  This forgiveness and love does not condone someone’s behavior that is harmful to others.  This forgiveness and love does not put its head in the sand and pretend something didn’t affect us deeply.  This is a love that has a voice and takes action.  This voice and action come in the form of standing for what I believe, not against someone else.

It is much about intention.  When we set an intention it is more than just a good idea. Intention can be measured in the sense of whether or not we followed through.  Intentions are powerful spiritual tools, because when we don’t follow through, it is apparent.  We may feel uneasy in our belly’s or our critical mind will kick in and tell us where we fell short, or our focus turns toward someone else and what they are doing that we don’t like.  This is a time to be gentle and bring ourselves back on track with our intention, and take action.  This action may be doing a spiritual practice of loving-kindness or Metta meditation.  This action may be engaging in a process that allows you to forgive.  This practice always brings us back to the remembrance that we are all one.  This practice brings us back into the understanding that I am responsible for my thoughts and actions, and as I align my thoughts and actions with Divine Love, my purpose of expressing the fullness of God awakens a little more within each of us.

I’ve never thought of myself as a dancer. I can remember as a child trying to learn to dance. My sister was graceful and had rhythm. Me, I didn’t think I did. There are many ways that I judged myself harshly as a child that I am coming to understand as not completely true. This has been a habit that I am not fond of. It is a habit that limits my awareness of the power within me to dance with/in Spirit.
Every one of us is born with the perfect abilities and gifts to dance to the cosmic music that sings within our souls. This music is the life energy that flows through each of us individually, and as a humanity collectively. It is the music that awakens our hearts to those precious aha moments and our ability to let go of what is not serving us as we move to the music.
When I think of learning to dance, I know part of my problem was I always wanted to lead. You know, be in control. One of us would be trying to do one dance, and another trying to do something else. As I tried to force my partner to move the way I thought I wanted, we would trip, pull, fall, or just feel silly.
Learning to dance requires communicating with your partner and being in touch with the music. From a spiritual standpoint, learning the dance of our life requires communion with Spirit which aligns us with our self and all of life. Dancing requires listening. We must listen to the rhythm of the music. Listen so deeply we feel the tempo of this cosmic music within our soul. We allow the ornament of the piece to move our lives faster and slower; swaying left and right, back and forth. Moving with the cosmic music of our soul in this way allows us to experience all the energies of life. And, of course, there is also the moment when this music piece comes to an end. Can we hear the cadence and move within it?
Learning to move with/in the music of the soul is another way of learning to discern our purpose in life. Our purpose is more than what we want or do. It is more than the goals that we set that will help us achieve certain experiences. Our purpose is simple and yet profound. Why does it feel as if it is a secret buried deep within us that is not easily accessed? I believe this is because we have spent so much of our energy trying to dance someone else’s dance. We haven’t asked ourselves; what would bring me joy to express?
From early on in life we have been taught to listen to the voice of other. What do our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, grandparents, society, race, culture all think is appropriate for us to do. As a little girl, wanting to be a minister was out of the question. Women aren’t ministers! That was the cultural thought that held me back for years. There were other limiting beliefs that kept me from believing that I could listen to my own soul and dance my dance.
Through the practice of mediation; of quieting the mind and allowing ourselves to just be in the moment, we give spirit permission to reveal to us who we really are. We open ourselves to the music that is so powerful, it has no audible sound, and yet it changes everything. It is the vibrations from this music that every thought that is not in alignment with our truth is released. It is through this vibration that we release others expectations and live in a true state of freedom. This sounds like I am making it easy and yet I believe it is the greatest work we can do. It is through this art of listening and dancing that we discover and live from our purpose.

Each of us comes into this world with a purpose.  Our small mind might try to think of some grand purpose that will change the world.  And, some of us do.  When I think of purpose; however, I think of the everyday expression of what we are: Love.

Love is the innate power that has the capacity to change not only our lives, but race consciousness.  Love has the capacity to awaken us to a deeper and wider understanding of what we have come here to be and do, and to make a true difference  in the world.

The love I speak of is not love as the world would define love.  It is not sensual love that is based on the arousing of our senses and creating a desirable feeling within us.  It is not conditional love that is based on how I feel in the moment about what someone is or is not doing, and whether or not it meets my expectations.  Love is the ever present Presence expressing in, through, and as each and every one of us.

Love is impersonal.  This thought used to upset me.  My experience of the Divine has a great deal of personal meaning for me.  By saying love is impersonal, what I am saying is God, loves without conditions.  This love simply flows drawing to itself that which responds to its love bringing harmony to everything and everyone.   In truth, we are microcosms of the macro-cosmic Love.

It’s one thing to know intellectually that we are love, and it is something completely different to express that love unconditionally every moment of every day.  When we recognize that we may fall a bit short, we can experience the feeling of shame.   Since God is love, and love is non conditional; love never shames.  Love forgives and restores to balance that which we are ready to have transformed.

True love is the power that awakens within us deeper understandings of who we are and our connection with everyone and everything.  Love is the divine energy that brings life to our creations.  As the great harmonizing power of the universe, love brings into balance that which is out of balance, and it does it in ways that are meaningful for those involved.  Meaning, Love shows up precisely  as we need it to and exactly as we call it into form.

Love is more than God getting us out of a difficulty or challenge.  Love is more than creating the perfect experience of life.  Love is more than creating a world that works for all.  Love is the unbound energy that awakens us to our oneness with God, ourselves and our neighbors, which in turn results in creating the perfect experience of life for ourselves, our neighbors,  and the world at large.  Love is the way we make a lasting difference in the world.

What are the ways in which we can consciously engage the activity of love in our lives?  Find ways to express it.  Pray for others to experience love.  Imagine yourself sharing your love with them.  Feel that love within you grow.  Another way to express the love within us is to affirm the power of love at work in situations that our intellect judges as wrong.  It can be as simple as holding an affirmation that is higher than your current experience.  One that stretches your faith, hope, and love.

This week we are given permission to demonstrate our love for others by celebrating Valentine’s Day.  May you experience the unconditional love of God moving through you and making a difference in the world.

I was looking at and updating my website and saw this sentence: Rev. Charli is an ordained UNITY minister whose passion is to inspire, enlighten, and empower individuals and groups as together we consciously awaken to the Divinity within.  The word consciously stood out to me: Consciously awaken to the Divinity within.  Spirit works in wondrous ways!  Being conscious of and participating with Spirit as we awaken to deeper truths of who we are and who we have come here to be can be a spectacular journey.  The question arises, does Spirit require my conscious participation 100% of the time for me to awaken?

I was recently listening to a Richard Rohr recording where he talked about the teaching of the dark night of the soul.  To paraphrase, he said that it has been taught that the dark night is a feeling of being separated from God.  Another understanding of the dark night is that God works in the dark within us in ways that we are unaware.  I appreciate this understanding of the dark night of the soul.  I believe there is a power at work within us that is beyond the conscious mind.  We commune Spirit in spirit with a wisdom that our conscious minds are unable to fathom.

There have been so many times in my life where the shifts and changes that have occurred were so drastic that if I had known of them in advance, I would have sabotaged it.  The human reaction and ego, which I believe is designed to keep us safe, will convince me to stay in the status quo.  Change is scary is the ego’s mantra.

I have been having a recurring dream where I am in a desert that is nothing but sand dunes as far as I can see in all directions.  Every day, I set out and venture out on the sand dunes looking for a way home.  After I go so far, I turn around and return to my base camp, or status quo.  On the 18th day, I go in a different direction and keep going until I am out of the desert.  I find myself at a friend’s ministry where she is conducting a service.  Her husband welcomes me.

I looked up the symbolism for some of the elements of the dream:

• desert: symbolic of all the obstacles and hardships that stand between people and their dreams.  Sand represents creativity and artistic abilities of an individual.
• 18: Hebrew word for Life.
• Angel #18: time to act on your dreams and ambitions. Trust that the things that have been causing you pain, hardship, and disenchantment will no longer be present in your life.

I have, at times, gotten stuck in either or thinking.  We are either making conscious choices that take us in the direction of our waking fully to the Truth of who we are, or there is a power that is working within us that directs and guides us.  I would see these as two opposite ways of being.  At this time, I would say to both of those understandings, YES.  Yes, I am consciously doing the work that is mine to do, having a meditation practice, engaging in contemplation, and study.  Yes, Spirit is actively working in my life, through my life, and as my life in ways that I have agreed to that I may not be conscious of.   It is this activity of Spirit that takes me away from doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome.  It is this activity that opens my eyes to see a new direction to take that I could not see before.  It is this activity that opens my ears to hear the still small voice speak within my heart nudging me to love more deeply, give more freely, be true to my divine purpose. It is this activity that lines me up with those grace-filled moments where life flows.  And, it is up to me to consciously choose to follow that guidance, to make the choices to live life from the inside out.

Each of us chose to incarnate in these bodies, at this time, with these people, in this place for a reason.  It is the perfect alignment for us to step fully into expressing in new and deeper ways who we have come here to be.  It is the perfect time for us to share the gifts we are here to express. It is the perfect time for us to step out of the status quo and take a chance on living life more fully.

Later this month, I am teaching at Unity of Mesa for their SEE in the field program.  I will be teaching a class on discerning your purpose.  It is my intention to post segments of the class here in my blog.  If you are wondering who you have come here to be, or what the next steps are for your life, I welcome you to join me on this journey.

 

I remember the first time I heard that all new beginnings start with an ending.  There is something we are saying goodbye to when we begin something new.  As we come to the end of one year, with all that it brought our way– the joys, the challenges, the ups and the downs– it is vital that we acknowledge what has transpired for us without getting caught in judgment.  Judgement shows up in a variety of ways.  It shows up as blaming someone else for something we perceive is not going the way we would like it to.  It shows up as regret for perceived missed opportunities.  It shows up as disappointment that we did not achieve more.  If we listen closely, we may hear judgment as projections of who we think we should be in the future.  It is this judgment that I want to address today.

A common practice for the new year is to make a resolution.  I’m going to lose that ten pounds.  I’m going to exercise more.  I’m going to take more time for myself.  I’m going to meditate more consistently.  Each of these comes from a judgment that if we were to do that, we would then be good, lovable, and closer to God.  The truth is, non of these will make you any more lovable or closer to God. You already are lovable by your very nature. Each of us is on the path that we are intended to be on, and are in just the perfect space for what our souls wish to create at this time.  When you let go of trying to be more spiritual, more loving, kinder, more organized, more creative, you make room for your authentic god-self to show up in the world.  This will feel awkward at first, and the ego will try to engage you in a way that pulls you back into thinking less of yourself.  This is when you are invited to lovingly let go again.

I remember when I was first learning to meditate.  I was taught that as my mind wandered, just gently bring my focus back to my breath, or sacred word.  The key here is gently.  Not giving it a lot of attention or creating a story around why my mind wandered or how to prevent my mind from wandering.  Just gently bring it back in awareness.  This is how we are called to live life.  How much energy would we have if we let go of judging ourselves from some artificial scale that is only in our own mind?

As you bring this year to a close, listen within your heart to what naturally wants to express through you.  Allow yourself to be fully present for a few moments with this feeling.  In your mind, give yourself permission to release all that you believe that is not in alignment with this expression.  Breathe into it, feel it, and when you notice that your mind has wandered gently bring your focus back to this feeling.

God is every where every when present expressing as faith, hope, and love throughout all creation.  May this New Year be one of a conscious awareness of this Power-Presence active in, through, and as your life.