by Christine Green | Mar 27, 2025 | Awareness
“People encounter God under shady oak trees, on riverbanks, at the tops of mountains, and in long stretches of barren wilderness. God shows up in whirlwinds, starry skies, burning bushes and perfect strangers.” Barbara Brown Taylor
Growing up my experience of sanctuary was a tall building with a steeple, stained glass windows, large looming statues, and lots of marble everywhere. There were so many rules in the sanctuary, one of them required being still and quiet. Only whispers were allowed unless you were praying or singing. When I was there I recited prayers I had memorized and followed the instructions of the adults. There was no laughing allowed, of course, that rule alone brought out the giggles at the most inopportune moments.
I never felt good enough to be in the sanctuary. I was there to confess my sins and my unworthiness.
Today my experience of sanctuary is sacred space and can be anywhere I feel connection with the Divine. Sacred space can be found in the forest, at the beach, or out to dinner with friends. It can be realized when playing with a puppy, helping a neighbor, or going for a walk in the park. My home is my sacred sanctuary, a place where I feel love, peace, freedom and harmony.
In the midst of chaos and uncertainty in the world, realizing our connection with the Divine can be a challenge. Try this simple exercise to reconnect when feeling out of sorts. Look around your space and see whatever is before you with eyes of gratitude. Take a couple of deep breaths and connect your breath to your heart. Silently say, “I see Love through all I see before me.” Repeat until you feel harmony and peace in your heart. Extend that love out into your neighborhood, community and beyond. Right where you are is sacred space.
Ernest Holmes reminds us of this infinite power. “Deep within each of us there is a place of calm, of peace and security, where trouble and accidents do not occur, where Truth and Love reign supreme and good is the only power. It is to this place that daily we go in the silence of our own minds to commune with the Spirit that is both around us and within us.”
I am grateful to experience the world as my sanctuary. I feel blessed to know God’s unconditional love and grace exist wherever I am.
Where do you find sanctuary — your sacred space?
by Christine Green | Mar 7, 2025 | Awareness, Consciousness
“When you are inclined to wonder how thoughts and words of love can do much good in resolving various problems, remind yourself that loving words and thoughts seem supercharged with the power to produce good.” – Catherine Ponder
Awareness is everything. I noticed how easily I can be distracted — by ever-changing events around the world, illness updates from friends and family, and whatever the media considers ‘breaking news’ to be at the moment. I am continually having to shift my awareness and attention to focus on life’s goodness and grace.
I am grateful for author Catherine Ponder’s words, reminding us we can shift feelings and experiences when we invoke the healing power of love.
Speak this wisdom from Catherine Ponder aloud and repeat frequently throughout the day.
“Divine Love, expressing through me, now draws to me all that is needed to make me happy and my life complete.”
If you find yourself caught up in the conditions and drama of the world:
“I praise Divine Love that there is a strong, wise way out of this dilemma.”
If you are having challenges with a difficult person:
“I fully and freely release and forgive. I loose and let go all ill feeling. Divine Love produces the perfect result now.”
Remember this:
You exist in boundless good.
You are valued and appreciated.
You are loved.
by Christine Green | Jan 30, 2025 | Consciousness, Energy
“If God is in all things, all things may be lifted to that vision of the Divine and are transformed by and through the lifting. When you see with the eyes the Christ, you are attending to the world before you in its Divine potential.” Paul Selig, The Book of Mastery
Take a breath. I know, your heart hurts. Your body may be achy, your mind distracted. You are okay. You are in the midst of the grieving process. We witness so many tragic events in our neighborhoods and around the world each day. We are in a collective state of grief. Take another breath.
When feeling dismay and grief, our tendency can be to hide out and isolate. Give yourself the time for sorrow and tears. Feel the emotions with gentle tenderness. When you are ready, take a step out into the world. Your loving vibration is needed more than ever.
Being engaged can lift us up. Take small steps. Perhaps connect with your church, your bridge group or book group. Call a friend and meet for coffee. Take a class at the gym. Take a walk out in nature. Your energy, your compassion, your quiet whispers of prayers and hope are all needed in the world. Activist, filmmaker and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project, Valarie Kaur, reminds us, “Revolutions do not happen only in grand moments in public view but also in small pockets of people coming together to inhabit a new way of being. We birth the beloved community by becoming the beloved community.”
Be gentle. Practice compassion. Having compassion for ourselves and others opens us to love and be loved. Compassion awakens love in us. Love is the healing power beyond judgment and blame. There is always a choice.
Practice visualizing what you want rather than what you don’t want. Ask each day “What is mine to do to make the world a better place?” Release judgment and anger and send love instead. When we send love we raise the vibration for everyone.
Speak prayers of faith and hope and gratitude. Speak this attunement aloud whenever you are feeling separate, angry, or judgmental. Speak it aloud for yourself when you are feeling fearful.
I am Love through the One I see before me.
I choose to see you, _____, in Love.
I choose to see you in your worth.
I choose to see you in your right to be.
I see you in your perfection.
I see you in your beauty.
I see you in your choices.
I am Love through the One I see before me.
Word I am Word.
You are the light of the world. Thank you for shining your light and love.
by Christine Green | Jan 1, 2025 | Awareness, Love
“True love is made of four elements: loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.” –Thich Nant Hanh
When I married my husband Laurence, I knew he was living with polycythemia vera, a rare type of blood cancer. He was managing his symptoms with meds and regular doctor visits. We were convinced that love was more powerful than the disease and that we would not let his diagnosis interfere with our lives. Until it did…
We knew whatever time we had was precious. We never discussed it, but there was a sense of living in the present moment and not taking anything for granted. We had our share of quarrels and arguments but we resolved them quickly and made a pact to never go to bed angry. We appreciated every day and activity. I am so grateful for every moment we shared together. He may not be here physically, but I am so aware of his loving energy.
Lately I’ve been thinking about how precious life is. Everyday for everyone. Our time here on earth is so brief. What if we truly lived knowing our time is limited? What would life be like if we lived with an intention to love and treated each other with respect and appreciation? What if we let disagreements and differences fall away and found a sense of peace—for ourselves and others?
I lost several beloveds this year: my spiritual teacher and friend, Rev. Dr. Marcia Sutton; my beautiful friend, Georgena Grace: my wonderful Aunt Dorothy who took an interest in everything I did; my lovely friend Charlotte, and several other friends and family members. They left before I could tell them what an impact they had on my life and how much I appreciate them.
I live in an awareness of deep gratitude every day. My intention is to live as love to the best of my ability, and to forgive myself when I mess up. I intend to let others know they make a difference in my life. I choose to see love in everyone I meet.
When I need help remembering, I use this prayer from Paul Selig: “On this day I choose to know my worth in love. On this day I decide to know the worth of all in love, regardless of my previous perceptions of them. On this day I know that all are worthy of love, and my sight, my expression affirms this every moment of my waking day. I know that this is so.”
I am grateful for you! Know that you are loved.
Blessings for a joy-filled, love-filled New Year.
by Christine Green | Dec 19, 2024 | Awareness, Spiritual Journey
“Joy is prayer; joy is strength, joy is love; Joy is a net of love, by which you can catch souls. “. –Mother Theresa
We can get so caught up in the busy holiday season and can feel stressed, anxious, worried and overwhelmed. We can easily lose sight of the magic of the season.
Wouldn’t it be great to live the holiday through the eyes and awareness of a child? Here are some helpful tips.
1. Be Here Now. There is no tomorrow or later. There is only NOW. Try it for yourself. Spend the next 30 minutes being in the moment. It’s not as easy as it looks.
2. The Universe is abundant. There is no lack in a child’s world. They see the unlimited view. They will ask for what they want. If they get a ‘no’ answer, they’ll ask again. And again. And again.
3. Imagination is everything. We adults live inside the box. We see what we expect to see. Using the imagination expands our reality into unlimited possibilities.
4. Rules are meant to be changed. If you don’t like the outcome of your game, then change the rules. Change your mind. Change your thinking. Just change.
5. Love heals everything. A hug, a kiss or a smile can transform tears into laughter, discord into peace, separation into harmony.
We discover the real joy of Christmas when we take time to slow down, be in the moment, give thanks for our blessings, and share a hug or a smile. Perhaps if we take a moment to see Christmas from the eyes of a child, we can be in awe of the miracle of the season.
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without ribbons. It came without tags.”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours, til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!”
— Dr Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
May the Light of the Season guide your journey with Grace, fill your heart with Love and your life with Infinite Joy.
Christmas blessings and Love,
Christine
