Ceremony of Welcome
A welcoming ritual for a new family member creates a lovely energetic bond for all involved. Just as our inner landscape is constantly shifting and changing in response to the world around us, the dynamics of the families we belong to evolve over time. When we welcome an individual into our family—whether that individual is human or animal—a transformation takes place, a shift in the energy of your family unit. The birth or adoption of a child, the introduction of a spouse or stepparent, or the choice to bring a pet into your home can mark a new direction in the life of the family as a whole. A simple welcoming ritual can serve as the platform upon which every member of the household, old and new, gathers together to joyfully mark this new phase of family life. Encouraging every member of the family to take part in the ritual, will foster a sense of unity and help members come together. Grow into the new family paradigm as a group.
The transition from one family dynamic to another isn't always straightforward. The needs and desires of new members of a household may not always correspond with those of other members of the household. It is precisely because the introduction of a new family member can interrupt the flow of energy upon which the family previously thrived that it is so important to respect the change and honor the induction of the new addition. When welcoming an adult into your family, a sand ceremony can reinforce each member's individuality and symbolically integrate the newest family member into the whole. During the ceremony, parents, children, and extended relations are given sand of a different color or texture and, one by one, pour it into a thoughtfully chosen container. The rainbow of sand can then be displayed as a reminder of family unanimity. To honor the introduction of a child, parents can hold a ritual during which they formally introduce their child to the other members of the family and invite each to speak a blessing over the child. Welcoming a pet can be as simple as coming together in the presence of your new friend and articulating your intention as a family to provide it with a loving and secure atmosphere in which it can flourish.
As each family is different, you may feel more comfortable using a ritual or ceremony of your own design to welcome the new member of your household. However you choose to honor your new family member, know that your decision to acknowledge the manner in which your household has grown will make the transition a beautiful and memorable event in your family history.
Klahowya
Two Bears
Monday, September 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Beneath
Often there are times when we are confronted by a situation that allows our emotions to take control because of some remark or insensitive situation we were not prepared for. A Solution???
Ever experience a situation where you’ve found yourself lashing out at someone without meaning to. Then later berating yourself for losing control and feeling guilty for treating the others badly. While it is natural that our emotions and moods will get the better of us, we can learn to control them and avoid difficult situations. Often, when we lash out, it is because we are having a difficult time controlling the emotions that come up inside of us. We may feel afraid, or frustrated, maybe stressed out, or angry. Having these feelings boiling up inside of us can be very uncomfortable. It is natural to want to release them. When we release our feelings by directing them outward and toward someone else, they inevitably impact the person to whom we are directing our discomfort. They not only get the brunt of negative emotion, they can actually experience this energy as a physical force hitting their bodies.
Practice Makes Perfect
When you find yourself in a situation where you are about to lash out at a person, try to center yourself by breathing slowly and deeply. A few slow inhales and exhales can help ease the intensity of your feelings before they escape you. Later, when you find yourself in a more reflective state, recall the feelings in your body just before and during your outburst. Note where you feel sensations coming up in your body, then ask yourself, are they connected to any core issue or experience from your life. If nothing comes to mind, then revisit the situation again, exaggerating the details of what happened by indulging in outlandish “what if” fantasies. Exaggerating the event after the fact can help expose the unconscious reactions behind your heated response. Understanding the motivation behind your reactions can help you avoid lashing out again when a similar situation comes up. In learning to navigate around your emotions, you are giving yourself the tools to feel better the next time your emotions start to boil. In doing so, you will be taking care of yourself by alleviating your own uncomfortable feelings while respecting and protecting those around you.
Ever experience a situation where you’ve found yourself lashing out at someone without meaning to. Then later berating yourself for losing control and feeling guilty for treating the others badly. While it is natural that our emotions and moods will get the better of us, we can learn to control them and avoid difficult situations. Often, when we lash out, it is because we are having a difficult time controlling the emotions that come up inside of us. We may feel afraid, or frustrated, maybe stressed out, or angry. Having these feelings boiling up inside of us can be very uncomfortable. It is natural to want to release them. When we release our feelings by directing them outward and toward someone else, they inevitably impact the person to whom we are directing our discomfort. They not only get the brunt of negative emotion, they can actually experience this energy as a physical force hitting their bodies.
Practice Makes Perfect
When you find yourself in a situation where you are about to lash out at a person, try to center yourself by breathing slowly and deeply. A few slow inhales and exhales can help ease the intensity of your feelings before they escape you. Later, when you find yourself in a more reflective state, recall the feelings in your body just before and during your outburst. Note where you feel sensations coming up in your body, then ask yourself, are they connected to any core issue or experience from your life. If nothing comes to mind, then revisit the situation again, exaggerating the details of what happened by indulging in outlandish “what if” fantasies. Exaggerating the event after the fact can help expose the unconscious reactions behind your heated response. Understanding the motivation behind your reactions can help you avoid lashing out again when a similar situation comes up. In learning to navigate around your emotions, you are giving yourself the tools to feel better the next time your emotions start to boil. In doing so, you will be taking care of yourself by alleviating your own uncomfortable feelings while respecting and protecting those around you.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Loss Becomes an Adventure
When we lose anything that we cherish, the sense of emptiness we have can be overwhelming. A space that was filled, is now a empty and the feelings of pain, loss, and separation can sometimes be difficult to bear. While it is always important to honor what we’ve lost, sometimes a loss can also represent a chance for a new beginning. When we are ready, the void left by a relationship, a job, or a dream can be viewed as open invitation, to be filled with new experiences, new knowledge, new job opportunities, new dreams, new people, and new ways for grow.
There are many ways to weave threads of loss into a blessings. If you’ve lost a job or ended a relationship, your first thoughts may be to fill the emptiness with a similar job or the same kind of relationship. It would benefit you to try not to rush into anything just to fill up the emptiness. The loss of a job can free you up to explore new opportunities, especially if you’ve outgrown the old one. Likewise, the loss of a relationship can give you a chance to rediscover your own interests, explore new passions, and meet different people.
When seeking what is good in what seems like a bad situation, may make you feel uncomfortable. Try to remember that you are not making light of what you’ve lost or replacing it cold-heartedly. You are surrendering to the fact that sometimes we need to let go and allow what is new to enter into the open spaces created by our losses. To do so, you are honoring the old and welcoming the new into the open space, an open mind, and an open heart. Life becomes a renewed.
There are many ways to weave threads of loss into a blessings. If you’ve lost a job or ended a relationship, your first thoughts may be to fill the emptiness with a similar job or the same kind of relationship. It would benefit you to try not to rush into anything just to fill up the emptiness. The loss of a job can free you up to explore new opportunities, especially if you’ve outgrown the old one. Likewise, the loss of a relationship can give you a chance to rediscover your own interests, explore new passions, and meet different people.
When seeking what is good in what seems like a bad situation, may make you feel uncomfortable. Try to remember that you are not making light of what you’ve lost or replacing it cold-heartedly. You are surrendering to the fact that sometimes we need to let go and allow what is new to enter into the open spaces created by our losses. To do so, you are honoring the old and welcoming the new into the open space, an open mind, and an open heart. Life becomes a renewed.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A Blue Rose
As Metis, we have a responsibility to be aware of those who are in need of our love and kindness. Here is a story to emphasize the point.
Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old.. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."
It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why?, because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!"
Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old.. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."
It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why?, because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!"
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Awakening our Spiritual Path
Living a Spiritual Life
Remembering who we really are is the first step in awakening to our spiritual path.
Throughout the journey from birth to death, many people choose to question life, strive for improvement, seek out knowledge, and search for the divine. Simply put, this is the essence of spirituality. One’s spiritual practice can take on many forms, because embracing the spiritual is a very personal pursuit. While many people do relate their spirituality to a God or Goddess, this quest for the divine, or oneness with the universe, always springs from within. It doesn’t matter where you find your spiritual path. We are all fundamentally spiritual beings and the essence of that lies in knowing one’s true self and finding a peace that comes from within rather than the outside world. It is in remembering this that we awaken to our personal path.
The spiritual path springs forth from a daily routine that reaffirms our personal connection with a purpose or a way of life. Practicing compassion, gratitude, appreciation, forgiveness, generosity, meditation, and taking care of one’s wellbeing can all be a part of one’s spiritual life. If you are new to exploring your personal spirituality, remember that this is a process. You may want to spend a few moments each day giving yourself a spiritual gift. Try a new form of meditation, visit a sanctuary, or explore a specific deity.
Accepting the importance of spirituality can be a healthy decision, because a spiritual practice tends to include habits that promote healthy living. Take the time to carefully determine the action, thought, and ritual that most speaks to your soul. Remember that your most profound spiritual experiences may also come from the simple intricacies that make up your life. See the interconnectedness of all things. As you explore your “inner work,” you will be walking your spiritual path and feeling your oneness with the universe.
To walk the Way of the Metis is to recognize the effort we must put forth helping our People. We must realize how much effort we all must put into the sustaining the fight for our recognition as an independent, unique people. We have an example just north of us in Canada.
Remembering who we really are is the first step in awakening to our spiritual path.
Throughout the journey from birth to death, many people choose to question life, strive for improvement, seek out knowledge, and search for the divine. Simply put, this is the essence of spirituality. One’s spiritual practice can take on many forms, because embracing the spiritual is a very personal pursuit. While many people do relate their spirituality to a God or Goddess, this quest for the divine, or oneness with the universe, always springs from within. It doesn’t matter where you find your spiritual path. We are all fundamentally spiritual beings and the essence of that lies in knowing one’s true self and finding a peace that comes from within rather than the outside world. It is in remembering this that we awaken to our personal path.
The spiritual path springs forth from a daily routine that reaffirms our personal connection with a purpose or a way of life. Practicing compassion, gratitude, appreciation, forgiveness, generosity, meditation, and taking care of one’s wellbeing can all be a part of one’s spiritual life. If you are new to exploring your personal spirituality, remember that this is a process. You may want to spend a few moments each day giving yourself a spiritual gift. Try a new form of meditation, visit a sanctuary, or explore a specific deity.
Accepting the importance of spirituality can be a healthy decision, because a spiritual practice tends to include habits that promote healthy living. Take the time to carefully determine the action, thought, and ritual that most speaks to your soul. Remember that your most profound spiritual experiences may also come from the simple intricacies that make up your life. See the interconnectedness of all things. As you explore your “inner work,” you will be walking your spiritual path and feeling your oneness with the universe.
To walk the Way of the Metis is to recognize the effort we must put forth helping our People. We must realize how much effort we all must put into the sustaining the fight for our recognition as an independent, unique people. We have an example just north of us in Canada.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
11 questions
Creator commands people everywhere to change & to start by consciously thinking about what they are doing & why they are doing it. That command has led me to these 11 questions.
QUESTION 1: Can you put your spiritual beliefs into words?
It’s easy to profess faith in God, especially here in church. But what kind of God do you believe in during the secret times? How would you explain your idea of God to a person of another faith? Can you put your profession of faith into words? Do you have a creed you can believe in & live? What spiritual principles do you live by, work by & stand by? Then there are questions regarding your belief about life after death. Do you believe in heaven? Do you believe you will be reunited with those you love, after death? What do you believe about the person & mission of Jesus Christ? What do you believe about His birth & His miracles? His death? His resurrection? It has been proved that a vital religion must be articulate & it is a well-known fact that faith to some individuals is so precious that they are reluctant to talk about it. But for your own personal test, I ask you to think about what you believe & why you believe a particular way.
QUESTION 2: Do you live as though what you believe is true? It is one thing to profess a faith & quite another to practice it. Ask yourself, “How much of my faith is just a mere verbalization of words & terms out of which a lot of meaning has gone.” Unity teaches tithing. Tithing is a test of belief. Either you believe in the spiritual laws that Jesus taught or you don't. William James once said, “The average religious believer has a religion made for him by others, communicated to him by tradition & retained by imitation & habit.”
STORY: A man told a story about when he was a boy on his grandfathers’ farm. His grandfather had a herd of rams in a gated area. He called the boy over & he said, “I want you to watch what’s going to happen now. This is a life lesson. He called the first ram over. The first ram jumped over the gate. Then the grandfather said to the boy, “Watch this.” He opened the gate so it was no longer in the way of the rams, but every ram followed the first ram jumped over the gate that was not there. He said, “Son, throughout your whole life, I want you to think about what you are doing and why.”
High school principal, Max Keller, challenges his students to take initiative in opening new doors to opportunities. He says,” You’ll never get anywhere if you stand around waiting for someone to hand you the remote control.”
QUESTION 3: Does your faith meet your need? (in good times & in times of crisis) It is easy to be helpful & optimistic when we’re riding the crest. The faith that matters is the kind that sees a person through the bad breaks & guides the person through the valleys. When you rate your faith, ask yourself whether or not it is a stabilizer in times of triumph & tragedy. Just as steel is tempered by plunging it into cold water while it is red-hot, when we emerge from a dark night of the soul experience, we are immeasurably strengthened & I have found it also prepares us to help others. As someone once said” What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
QUESTION 4: Do you set aside special times for spiritual development? While faith can’t be put into a box & religion shouldn’t be restricted to certain areas or special hours, people of great faith have always set aside stated times for meditation, prayer, & spiritual exercise. A priest was once asked for the secret of success of Bishop Fulton Sheen. He said, “His strength & influence are generated in silence.” Martin Luther had this famous saying, “If I have 6 hours of work to do, I spend 2 of the hours in prayer 1st.”
In South Africa, on a cliff overlooking Echo Cave stands a grove of 150 year old fig trees that have survived a duel challenge: growing in rock with no apparent source of water. There is no rain here for 6 months of the year & the trees need 6 gallons of water a day just to survive. They get it by sending their roots down through solid rock. Tree roots are genetically programs to know that water lies beneath them & the roots secretes a kind of lubricant to soften the roots path. Fig trees rely mainly on a single taproot to find water. As it grows it explores the rock for cracks & weak spots. It takes a fig tree 70 years to go 150ft & in this location is the deepest known taproot in the world growing to 400ft. As soon as it finds water it stops growing & starts pumping water back up into the tree. Jesus climbed the mountain, prayed & then he came back down & used that spiritual energy to feed & uplift. We can’t remake our lives the way we remodel our homes. We can’t call in an expert to draw up plans & then hire someone else to do the work for us. Nor can we move out while this process is going on & then come back to a finished product. We may get suggestions & advice but we must do the job ourselves. The same instinct that is in the root of the fig tree is in us but as ‘conscious & reflective’ beings with free Will we must choose to set aside times for digging our roots deep into God, whom Jesus called the Source of Living Water. Like the fig tree, once we have our root anchored in that Living Water it will pump continuously into our lives. Most people today are knee deep in water & dying of thirst.
QUESTION 5: Is your home life better because of your spiritual path? Someone once said, “When a person gets religion even his dog & cat ought to see the improvement.” Religious profession should build a happier life. You can rate your faith by asking yourself: “Does my attitude in my home contribute to an atmosphere of affection, mutual respect, & cheerfulness?
QUESTION 6: Does your faith give you a sense of companionship, even in times of solitude? A common criticism leveled at Americans is that as a group we are afraid to be alone. We are told we don’t want to know ourselves or analyze ourselves. We are accused of looking for continual means of escape. This, we are reminded, accounts for our frenzy for cars, entertainment, radio, TV, especially reality T.V. and our insatiable desire for travel. How about spending time in the silence in solitude? True faith provides a feeling of spiritual consciousness. That is to say, our religion should give us a sense of oneness with the universe & our Creator. How do you rate in this respect? A person is never when he or she is with God & God is everywhere present.
QUESTION 7: Does your faith give you a new outlook on your job & a new approach to your work? There is an old saying, “Work is worship.” Of what use is religion in the workday world if it doesn’t provide a usable philosophy for you when you are on the job? You can get an appraisal of the vitality of your faith by the way in which you find your place in the work world. How do you fit yourself in that place? How do you devote yourself to it?
This brings to mind a story about a simple-hearted, hardworking nun. She was observed, many years ago, while on a retreat. As the many guests finished eating & piled up the dishes to be washed, the lone nun stood quietly with her arms elbow-deep in sudsy water & listened to a troubled woman pour out her woes. The Nun listened intently while methodically washing plate after plate. I marveled at her patience & acceptance of such an unending, thankless chore. I asked her, “How do you do it, day after day, washing all those dishes alone & still having the patience to listen?” She looked at me & smiled. She said, “I just imagine that I am dipping my hands in the pool of Bethesda.” By focusing her attention on stirring up God’s healing waters, she did her daily chores with serenity & a listening heart & offered care & comfort to everyone she encountered.
QUESTION 8: Does your faith give you a sense of security in meeting life?
STORY: A well-known story about the early career of John Wesley who co-founded with his brother Charles the Methodist movement, which encouraged people to experience Jesus Christ personally, tells of his fear during a storm at sea. He was on board a ship & was terrified with fright. As he shook, he heard a group of Christians singing. They were praising God. Wesley asked them, “How in the world, in a storm like this where we might all perish in the next instant, can you sing? They said to him,” If your faith can’t serve you during a storm, what is the good of it?” To estimate whether your faith is just a fair-weather faith, ask yourself, “How do I react to storms whipped up by worry, fear, finances, relationship problems, health challenges & unexpected emergencies? Does my faith give me a sense of security in meeting life? Does it help me to look inward rather than outward for my Source of security & abundance?
QUESTION 9: Has your faith ever inspired you to do a good deed? One of the most rewarding acts is to give without a thought of getting, to help without wanting help in returnA clerk in a supermarket tells this story. She glanced down at the long line waiting at the cash register she was operating at the supermarket. She said, “Dear God, help me to be more like you.” She prayed & thought about the message at church & how she was told in every instance to ask herself, “How would Jesus handle this particular problem?” She scanned a loaf of bread. She said, “That will be $1.09.” There was a small boy in front of her & he dumped a fistful of change onto the counter. As he did this, she heard the others in line say, “I thought this was an express line! I always get in the wrong line? Wouldn’t you know there would be some kid who would ruin my day?” She heard another person say, “It will take her all day to count that kid’s money.” She counted every one of the pennies & he was short 28 cents. She gave him an uneasy look & his cheeks turned pink. Then she asked herself, “What would Jesus do?” Quickly, she picked up the receipt & scribbled on it, “I owe this register 28 cents.” She slipped it into the register along with the boy’s coins. She pressed a paid sticker on the bread & handed it to him. His eyes brightened & he said, “Thank you, ma’am.”The disgruntled complaints of the waiting customers no longer made her nervous because they noticed what she had done & it had changed their day, also. She said, “My heart felt light. It didn’t just last that minute; it lasted the whole day. I had a faith I took with me to work & I had been successful in emulating Jesus on one small occasion.”
The finger of God never leaves identical fingerprints and You are the finger of God in every situation.
QUESTION 10: Does your faith command your deepest loyalties? In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous short story, “The Face of the Mountain,” a young boy stares at a face carved in granite & regularly asks tourists in town if they know the identity of the face on the mountain. No one does. Into manhood, midlife, & old age, he continues to gaze on the face at every opportunity, until one day, a tourist passing through exclaims to the once-young boy who is now a weather-beaten old man, “You are the face on the mountain!”
Meister Eckhart put it this way, “The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which He sees me.” It means our highest loyalty should be our recognition of our oneness with God. St. Francis de Sales said, “Remain either in God or close to God without trying to do anything & without asking anything of God unless God urges it.” With which eye do we see ourselves? Which closeness do we wish to stay near? It is all very well to say that we want God to command our highest loyalties no matter where they lead, but how do we react when they do not lead us where we think we ought to go?
QUESTION 11: Is your world different because of your faith?
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are what God has made us." How many cares one leaves behind when one decides not to be something, but to be someone. The bottom line is: “If our spiritualism does not change our world, it very likely has not changed us very much”.
*Do not mistake “God” to be the only supreme power name.
*Church can be a room [or an alter in a room] set aside for meditation and prayer.
*Meditation can be in any form and associated with spirituality [or not].
QUESTION 1: Can you put your spiritual beliefs into words?
It’s easy to profess faith in God, especially here in church. But what kind of God do you believe in during the secret times? How would you explain your idea of God to a person of another faith? Can you put your profession of faith into words? Do you have a creed you can believe in & live? What spiritual principles do you live by, work by & stand by? Then there are questions regarding your belief about life after death. Do you believe in heaven? Do you believe you will be reunited with those you love, after death? What do you believe about the person & mission of Jesus Christ? What do you believe about His birth & His miracles? His death? His resurrection? It has been proved that a vital religion must be articulate & it is a well-known fact that faith to some individuals is so precious that they are reluctant to talk about it. But for your own personal test, I ask you to think about what you believe & why you believe a particular way.
QUESTION 2: Do you live as though what you believe is true? It is one thing to profess a faith & quite another to practice it. Ask yourself, “How much of my faith is just a mere verbalization of words & terms out of which a lot of meaning has gone.” Unity teaches tithing. Tithing is a test of belief. Either you believe in the spiritual laws that Jesus taught or you don't. William James once said, “The average religious believer has a religion made for him by others, communicated to him by tradition & retained by imitation & habit.”
STORY: A man told a story about when he was a boy on his grandfathers’ farm. His grandfather had a herd of rams in a gated area. He called the boy over & he said, “I want you to watch what’s going to happen now. This is a life lesson. He called the first ram over. The first ram jumped over the gate. Then the grandfather said to the boy, “Watch this.” He opened the gate so it was no longer in the way of the rams, but every ram followed the first ram jumped over the gate that was not there. He said, “Son, throughout your whole life, I want you to think about what you are doing and why.”
High school principal, Max Keller, challenges his students to take initiative in opening new doors to opportunities. He says,” You’ll never get anywhere if you stand around waiting for someone to hand you the remote control.”
QUESTION 3: Does your faith meet your need? (in good times & in times of crisis) It is easy to be helpful & optimistic when we’re riding the crest. The faith that matters is the kind that sees a person through the bad breaks & guides the person through the valleys. When you rate your faith, ask yourself whether or not it is a stabilizer in times of triumph & tragedy. Just as steel is tempered by plunging it into cold water while it is red-hot, when we emerge from a dark night of the soul experience, we are immeasurably strengthened & I have found it also prepares us to help others. As someone once said” What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
QUESTION 4: Do you set aside special times for spiritual development? While faith can’t be put into a box & religion shouldn’t be restricted to certain areas or special hours, people of great faith have always set aside stated times for meditation, prayer, & spiritual exercise. A priest was once asked for the secret of success of Bishop Fulton Sheen. He said, “His strength & influence are generated in silence.” Martin Luther had this famous saying, “If I have 6 hours of work to do, I spend 2 of the hours in prayer 1st.”
In South Africa, on a cliff overlooking Echo Cave stands a grove of 150 year old fig trees that have survived a duel challenge: growing in rock with no apparent source of water. There is no rain here for 6 months of the year & the trees need 6 gallons of water a day just to survive. They get it by sending their roots down through solid rock. Tree roots are genetically programs to know that water lies beneath them & the roots secretes a kind of lubricant to soften the roots path. Fig trees rely mainly on a single taproot to find water. As it grows it explores the rock for cracks & weak spots. It takes a fig tree 70 years to go 150ft & in this location is the deepest known taproot in the world growing to 400ft. As soon as it finds water it stops growing & starts pumping water back up into the tree. Jesus climbed the mountain, prayed & then he came back down & used that spiritual energy to feed & uplift. We can’t remake our lives the way we remodel our homes. We can’t call in an expert to draw up plans & then hire someone else to do the work for us. Nor can we move out while this process is going on & then come back to a finished product. We may get suggestions & advice but we must do the job ourselves. The same instinct that is in the root of the fig tree is in us but as ‘conscious & reflective’ beings with free Will we must choose to set aside times for digging our roots deep into God, whom Jesus called the Source of Living Water. Like the fig tree, once we have our root anchored in that Living Water it will pump continuously into our lives. Most people today are knee deep in water & dying of thirst.
QUESTION 5: Is your home life better because of your spiritual path? Someone once said, “When a person gets religion even his dog & cat ought to see the improvement.” Religious profession should build a happier life. You can rate your faith by asking yourself: “Does my attitude in my home contribute to an atmosphere of affection, mutual respect, & cheerfulness?
QUESTION 6: Does your faith give you a sense of companionship, even in times of solitude? A common criticism leveled at Americans is that as a group we are afraid to be alone. We are told we don’t want to know ourselves or analyze ourselves. We are accused of looking for continual means of escape. This, we are reminded, accounts for our frenzy for cars, entertainment, radio, TV, especially reality T.V. and our insatiable desire for travel. How about spending time in the silence in solitude? True faith provides a feeling of spiritual consciousness. That is to say, our religion should give us a sense of oneness with the universe & our Creator. How do you rate in this respect? A person is never when he or she is with God & God is everywhere present.
QUESTION 7: Does your faith give you a new outlook on your job & a new approach to your work? There is an old saying, “Work is worship.” Of what use is religion in the workday world if it doesn’t provide a usable philosophy for you when you are on the job? You can get an appraisal of the vitality of your faith by the way in which you find your place in the work world. How do you fit yourself in that place? How do you devote yourself to it?
This brings to mind a story about a simple-hearted, hardworking nun. She was observed, many years ago, while on a retreat. As the many guests finished eating & piled up the dishes to be washed, the lone nun stood quietly with her arms elbow-deep in sudsy water & listened to a troubled woman pour out her woes. The Nun listened intently while methodically washing plate after plate. I marveled at her patience & acceptance of such an unending, thankless chore. I asked her, “How do you do it, day after day, washing all those dishes alone & still having the patience to listen?” She looked at me & smiled. She said, “I just imagine that I am dipping my hands in the pool of Bethesda.” By focusing her attention on stirring up God’s healing waters, she did her daily chores with serenity & a listening heart & offered care & comfort to everyone she encountered.
QUESTION 8: Does your faith give you a sense of security in meeting life?
STORY: A well-known story about the early career of John Wesley who co-founded with his brother Charles the Methodist movement, which encouraged people to experience Jesus Christ personally, tells of his fear during a storm at sea. He was on board a ship & was terrified with fright. As he shook, he heard a group of Christians singing. They were praising God. Wesley asked them, “How in the world, in a storm like this where we might all perish in the next instant, can you sing? They said to him,” If your faith can’t serve you during a storm, what is the good of it?” To estimate whether your faith is just a fair-weather faith, ask yourself, “How do I react to storms whipped up by worry, fear, finances, relationship problems, health challenges & unexpected emergencies? Does my faith give me a sense of security in meeting life? Does it help me to look inward rather than outward for my Source of security & abundance?
QUESTION 9: Has your faith ever inspired you to do a good deed? One of the most rewarding acts is to give without a thought of getting, to help without wanting help in returnA clerk in a supermarket tells this story. She glanced down at the long line waiting at the cash register she was operating at the supermarket. She said, “Dear God, help me to be more like you.” She prayed & thought about the message at church & how she was told in every instance to ask herself, “How would Jesus handle this particular problem?” She scanned a loaf of bread. She said, “That will be $1.09.” There was a small boy in front of her & he dumped a fistful of change onto the counter. As he did this, she heard the others in line say, “I thought this was an express line! I always get in the wrong line? Wouldn’t you know there would be some kid who would ruin my day?” She heard another person say, “It will take her all day to count that kid’s money.” She counted every one of the pennies & he was short 28 cents. She gave him an uneasy look & his cheeks turned pink. Then she asked herself, “What would Jesus do?” Quickly, she picked up the receipt & scribbled on it, “I owe this register 28 cents.” She slipped it into the register along with the boy’s coins. She pressed a paid sticker on the bread & handed it to him. His eyes brightened & he said, “Thank you, ma’am.”The disgruntled complaints of the waiting customers no longer made her nervous because they noticed what she had done & it had changed their day, also. She said, “My heart felt light. It didn’t just last that minute; it lasted the whole day. I had a faith I took with me to work & I had been successful in emulating Jesus on one small occasion.”
The finger of God never leaves identical fingerprints and You are the finger of God in every situation.
QUESTION 10: Does your faith command your deepest loyalties? In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous short story, “The Face of the Mountain,” a young boy stares at a face carved in granite & regularly asks tourists in town if they know the identity of the face on the mountain. No one does. Into manhood, midlife, & old age, he continues to gaze on the face at every opportunity, until one day, a tourist passing through exclaims to the once-young boy who is now a weather-beaten old man, “You are the face on the mountain!”
Meister Eckhart put it this way, “The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which He sees me.” It means our highest loyalty should be our recognition of our oneness with God. St. Francis de Sales said, “Remain either in God or close to God without trying to do anything & without asking anything of God unless God urges it.” With which eye do we see ourselves? Which closeness do we wish to stay near? It is all very well to say that we want God to command our highest loyalties no matter where they lead, but how do we react when they do not lead us where we think we ought to go?
QUESTION 11: Is your world different because of your faith?
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are what God has made us." How many cares one leaves behind when one decides not to be something, but to be someone. The bottom line is: “If our spiritualism does not change our world, it very likely has not changed us very much”.
*Do not mistake “God” to be the only supreme power name.
*Church can be a room [or an alter in a room] set aside for meditation and prayer.
*Meditation can be in any form and associated with spirituality [or not].
Friday, May 13, 2011
Kundalini
We all possess this widely unknown energy power called Kundalini. It sits at the base of our spine.
Each person is believed to possess a great reservoir of dormant feminine energy. This energy lies tightly coiled at the base of the spine and is often associated with the serpent. Kundalini energy is part of the life force, so there is always a minute amount flowing through your subtle body. Only when properly understood and awakened can it express its full potential, rising through you and energizing your senses. You can awaken your Kundalini through different forms of meditation or yoga, though the process should be undertaken slowly. Hastily opening of the Kundalini center can cause headaches and other physical symptoms. Raised properly, respectfully, Kundalini energy has the potential to spring forth as active kinetic energy that may result in altered states of consciousness.
Once you have tapped into your Kundalini, what you experience will be unique. Some people experience the rising of the Kundalini upward through the chakras as spreading warmth and a feeling of extreme wellbeing. Others find they have more energy and libido and are consistently happier. Awaken your Kundalini and you may find yourself getting sick less often. The results vary from person to person, but the benefits are generally positive. You may be thinking about raising your Kundalini on your own. One way to do this is to draw the Kundalini up through the Shushumna [the passageway that travels through the center of your body toward the head] by visualizing the energy as a serpent traveling upward. But only bring it up a little at a time and use caution. If you experience headaches or a burning sensation, you may be going to fast and should consult a teacher.
Though awakening the Kundalini can be a difficult experience, it can also be a rewarding and exciting one. As the raw energy of the Kundalini is transformed into a potent storehouse of refined energy waiting to be utilized, you will be tapping into a rich source of creativity and awareness.
There are many books on the subject. First search your library and see if you have a book or two that you understand. If so, look in the reference back pages for more deeper information on the subject. The more you know, the better you are prepared to do your Kundalini meditation.
Each person is believed to possess a great reservoir of dormant feminine energy. This energy lies tightly coiled at the base of the spine and is often associated with the serpent. Kundalini energy is part of the life force, so there is always a minute amount flowing through your subtle body. Only when properly understood and awakened can it express its full potential, rising through you and energizing your senses. You can awaken your Kundalini through different forms of meditation or yoga, though the process should be undertaken slowly. Hastily opening of the Kundalini center can cause headaches and other physical symptoms. Raised properly, respectfully, Kundalini energy has the potential to spring forth as active kinetic energy that may result in altered states of consciousness.
Once you have tapped into your Kundalini, what you experience will be unique. Some people experience the rising of the Kundalini upward through the chakras as spreading warmth and a feeling of extreme wellbeing. Others find they have more energy and libido and are consistently happier. Awaken your Kundalini and you may find yourself getting sick less often. The results vary from person to person, but the benefits are generally positive. You may be thinking about raising your Kundalini on your own. One way to do this is to draw the Kundalini up through the Shushumna [the passageway that travels through the center of your body toward the head] by visualizing the energy as a serpent traveling upward. But only bring it up a little at a time and use caution. If you experience headaches or a burning sensation, you may be going to fast and should consult a teacher.
Though awakening the Kundalini can be a difficult experience, it can also be a rewarding and exciting one. As the raw energy of the Kundalini is transformed into a potent storehouse of refined energy waiting to be utilized, you will be tapping into a rich source of creativity and awareness.
There are many books on the subject. First search your library and see if you have a book or two that you understand. If so, look in the reference back pages for more deeper information on the subject. The more you know, the better you are prepared to do your Kundalini meditation.
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