Nurturing the Soul

“I love autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed
to have put there just for the beauty of it.”

   – Lee Maynard

 

Happy October!

Fall is such a great time of year. It is a joy to watch the leaves and plants change into colorful works of art before finally falling away. This time of year we tend to shift our attention inward to contemplation and learning. It is a time of nurturing the soul.

October is the signal that the end of the year is near. The busy, hectic holiday season is just a moment away. 

Before the rush of the holidays shows up, I invite you to take some time to do something nurturing for yourself. Maybe a gratitude walk in the park or spend time with a friend over coffee. Perhaps just some quiet time of reflection. 

Whatever you do, know that you are not alone. From Ernest Holmes, “You have a silent partner within you whose energy is inexhaustible and whose intelligence is without limit. Your silent partner is more than a subjective or unconscious reaction to life, it is Life Itself.”

Above all, know that you are loved.

.

The New Normal

“Be still and know… I am in the flow.”  
   – Eric Butterworth

We’ve been waiting and hoping for some normalcy to return to calm the free-floating anxiety, confusion, chaos, and uncertainty of the world. The good news is that the new normal is here. The bad news is that unpredictability is the new normal.

Before Covid, there was a sense of confidence in making plans for the future and an expectation that those plans would come into fruition. In the new normal there is no certainty our plans will happen, just an eery I’m-not-sure-what-will-happen-next feeling. The more we resist the uncertainty, the more stressed we become. We can resist, blame, and complain but it won’t change the circumstances.

Our opportunity is to learn to live in the flow. In his book, In the Flow of Life, Eric Butterworth writes, “God is a circle that is centered in you. All the attributes of the Infinite are in focus as you, flowing forth through you. You are in this flow.” Allow being in the flow to empower you. During this time of change and uncertainty it can be difficult to trust externally. Being in the flow allows you to trust internally. 

Use this affirmation from Butterworth in your daily practice: “I am in the flow of life, and I move easily with the flow. I am radiantly and enthusiastically alive. I am free from tension, stress and strain, and I go forward in the flow of life – unhurried and unworried.”

.

Feeling Groovy?

“Slow down, you move too fast
You gotta make the morning last, just
Kickin’ down the cobble stones
Looking for fun
And feeling groovy”  

   – Simon and Garfunkel 

There is not a lot of groovy-ness to be felt lately. We are emerging from our Covid cocoons into a frantic, short-tempered, anxious world moving at warp speed. Humanity is in a hurry to make up for the isolation of the past year— for all the things we didn’t do, places we didn’t go and people we didn’t see. Are we there yet? Sorry, no we are not.

There is no vaccine to heal the emotional pandemic we are in. We can only pause, take a breath, surrender into the moment. Stop and smell the roses. I mean seriously. Stop now and go smell the roses, the grass, the basil growing in the garden. Go hug a tree. Do something lovely for yourself. 

Take the time to slow down and appreciate this moment. I know there is a Creative Presence and Power that surrounds us in Love. In the midst of anxiousness, I know there is Harmony. At the center of pain, there is Wholeness. In spite of chaos and uncertainty, I know Peace. 

“Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy.” 

This moment is groovy.
The roses smell heavenly.
You are loved. 

A Transmission of Love

Author Lynne McTaggart states: “Faced with some of the greatest upheavals and challenges in the entire history of humanity, we are one of the most important generations that have ever lived. Each of the major choices we make today will affect our children’s children – and indeed the world for all time.”

In today’s world we are all called to be engaged, standing up for justice and speaking out against racism, inequality, and abuse. There is no road map for what Barbara Marx Hubbard calls, “…this new Age of Conscious Evolution.” While the old systems are failing, new ideas and creative strategies are coming forward. The soul is awakened to a conscious expression of creation.

In order to allow the awakened soul to thrive, it is important to stay conscious and do the work to stay clear so our soul can shine. We practice letting go, forgiveness, gratitude and the art of allowing.

James O’Dea created a simple but powerful prayer practice in his book, Soul Awakening Practice.

Soul Awakening

Heart Opening

Light Shining

Love Flowing

Wounds Dissolving

Peace Radiating

The book is an instruction manual of meditations and prayers along with powerful essays and inspirations. The prayer is a call to newness, a transmission of love, a revelation of peace. Author Lynne McTaggart says,  “People who have worked with the simple Soul Awakening Prayer report experiencing a cascading flow of transmission as they move from one line of affirmation to the next.”

It is important as spiritual peacemakers that we collect the tools and resources that nurture us when the days are dark and support us in staying on the path of love.

May Love light your path, harmony soothe your mind, and peace radiate in and through and as you each day.

Blessings,

Rev. Christine Green

Spiritual Purification in Process

Meier Gardens 030It’s so frustrating! Have you ever noticed when you commit to being more loving in your life, your mouth speaks unkind words or your brain thinks angry thoughts? It’s not your imagination. It’s all part of the healing process.

Whenever we declare our highest intention, unwanted emotions show up to be healed. Unless we are aware of this fact, our experience can be discouraging and disappointing. The process is a type of spiritual purification–cleaning out the old feelings so our new intention can shine through.

The first time I declared joy as my purpose, I cried at least once a day for 30 days. I felt so frustrated until I understood the process. I finally let myself grieve and released all the pent-up pain and suffering. The crying eventually stopped and the quiet presence of joy filled my heart.

Whatever divine ideal you claim for yourself: joy, love, peace, or wholeness, is already working its way into your thinking, your speaking and into the cells of your body. Just be patient. It has to do a little spring cleaning first.

The Whisper of God’s Wisdom

Countryside in SpainHow do I know if my inspirations are coming from God from my own thought? A client asked me this great question recently.

There is a point of surrender on our spiritual journey where we know that the essence of who we are is much greater than the flesh body and more immense than our limiting thinking. When we connect with the infinite presence of God we understand there is but one power, one presence, one life. We are not separate from God’s Presence but one with it.

We know that all activity, ideas, opportunities, come from God. One way to deepen this experience is the practice of gratitude. Every time we give thanks for something good, we acknowledge our greater connection with God.

There is no magic to trusting our intuition. It is a continual practice to listen to insights that we have. One of the reason’s why the time we spend in silence is so precious. Intuition comes as a whisper and a quiet presence.

As we develop inner awareness, we are able to discern the difference between the ego wanting attention or the whisper of God’s wisdom. Silence is golden in so many ways!