A Foundation of Joy

You might remember the song that many of us used to sing in Sunday School. “The foolish man built his house upon the sand, and the rains came tumbling down…The rains came down as the floods came up…and the house on the sand went splat.” (I always loved that verse because we yelled the word “splat” and clapped our hands together for effect.) But, “the wise man built his house upon a rock, and the rains came tumbling down…The rains came down and the floods came up…and the house on the rock stood firm.”

Over the last few years we have experienced changes in what we thought were foundations. America almost got out of the automobile business with GM and Chrysler coming close to closing the doors. Bank of America’s stock went down to a couple of dollars a share or even lower. Many people lost jobs that they thought they would retire from, and houses they thought they would be in forever.

Many of us in our spiritual community have experienced the loss of a dear one. Often people leave us before we are ready to let them go. Or a dear one goes through a change in health condition, and we have the face the future knowing that life will never be the same again.

How do we get through this? By calling on our foundation of joy—joy being the continuous awareness of our oneness with Spirit (God, the Universe, our higher power). The “house,” in this case being our physical being, will stand firm in the knowingness that we never walk alone.

We may have no idea how we will get through whatever it is. But as we stay consciously connected with our intuition (the still small voice, our inner wisdom, the presence of Spirit), we will be guided through.

Click below to listen to my talk from Sunday, October 14, titled “A Foundation of Joy.”

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The Need for Gun Control

 I was talking with a friend of mine last night about the shooting in New York City.  During the conversation I started to get on my soapbox about the NRA and the need for gun control.

When the still small voice was able to get a word in edge-wise, I was reminded that the violence we have seen recently is just the effect.  As we know, every effect has a cause.  So what is the cause?

I believe it is fear.  Fear that there isn’t enough.  Fear that someone can take our good away from us.  Fear that other people will look at us and judge us as less than.  And anger about something that has happened, which scared us.

For many people, it is scary out there.  But the “out there” is the belief in lack, struggle, and separation from Spirit (God, the Universe, our Higher Power).  It can also come from an assumption about how life is supposed to be:  that marriages are supposed to last forever; that we are supposed to work for the same employer our entire work life; and if that doesn’t happen, we have failed.

Often we build our foundation on people and possessions.  Yes, it is important to have a wonderful, nurturing place to live.  Yes, it is important to have a job that brings us joy as well as a steady income.  And our relationships with dear ones make a difference in our lives.

But sometimes things happen, that we didn’t expect and couldn’t have imagined.  Often we experience anger, guilt and shame as a result, from our pre-conceived ideas about what is good vs what is bad.  Our egos (which some people say stands for Edging God Out) can lead us into harmful, hurtful thoughts and actions.

So what can we do?  I’m sure you are familiar with the song that states, “let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”  Someone said that a thought thought anywhere is thought everywhere.  Every time we stand in our truth, and respond in love, rather than reacting in fear or judgment, we impact our lives and the lives of everyone.  Every time we give generously of our kindness and compassion, as well as of our money, the world is changed.

What happens when we think about love, kindness and compassion?  We smile, certainly on the inside and often on the outside.

When we “refind our smile,” we give others permission to find theirs.  Won’t you join me?

“Why?”

I’m sure you have heard about the shootings at the movie theatre near Denver, Colorado. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people affected, as well as to their families and friends.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. The human part of us often wants to know why. Why did this happen? Why were so many innocent people killed or wounded? Why was so much pain inflicted on so many?

The Sufi mystic poet Rumi said that “the eye goes blind when it only wants to see why.” Stephanie Dowrick writes that “searching for reasons why something painful has happened takes us far away from the experience itself and what it may eventually teach….Searching for reasons why keeps us looking outwards instead of inwards. It separates heart from head.”

Sometimes, the answer is, “I don’t know.” Yes, we can say that each person has their own relationship with Spirit, and is here only for the time they are supposed to be. Yes, we can say that each person’s experience was somehow exactly as it should have been. That might satisfy the logical part of us, but the feeling part of us, our hearts, often need more.
Stephanie goes on to write that “it is not through looking outwards for reasons why that you find any peace worth having. It is through going inwards to meet the truth of your feelings, the truth of your attitudes. In that place, you make a vital discovery: that where suffering lives so, too, do love and compassion.”

So what can we do? First, we can forgive. I can’t imagine what the family and friends, and the injured people in the hospital, are going through. But ultimately, through the grieving process, forgiveness plays a vital role. We can also recognize the sacredness of life. If you love someone, tell them. Let them know that you are there for them, and be aware if their attitude on life seems to change.

The temptation might be to ask “where was God when this happened?” God (Spirit, the Universe, our Higher Power) was right there in the movie theatre. We know that because where does God reside, but within us? “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me.”

A New Normal

You might have seen the yogurt commercial on television that uses this line as a sales pitch. But it makes perfect sense well beyond our digestive systems.

Consider these words from the New Thought writer Neville Goddard: “The time it takes your assumption to become fact, your desire to be fulfilled, is directly proportionate to the naturalness of your feeling of already being what you want to be—of already having what you desire. The fact that it does not feel natural to you to be what you imagine yourself to be is the secret of your failure. Regardless of your desire, regardless of how faithfully and intelligently you follow the law, if you do not feel natural about what you want to be, you will not be it.”

The medical field refers to a situation that is considered to be ongoing as “chronic.” I suggest that we have what could be called chronic conditions in many areas of our lives: money concerns, month after month and year after year; living in regret or resentment about a past experience; not doing what we really want to do because of what someone told us.

All of these so-called chronic conditions could be called “clutter.” My book for June, Clutter Busting by Brooks Palmer, reminds us that clutter is “anything in your life that no longer serves you.” So in addition to those clothes that you haven’t worn in five years, shoes that hurt your feet when you wore them the first time, and those chipped dishes, clutter is also those limited, limiting beliefs.

Jesus said that “it is done unto us as we believe.” He also said that if we pray, believing (and feeling) as though we have already received, we will receive. So how will it feel when you no longer have that pain? When (not if) you have the money to pay the bills as soon as they arrive, and not have to wait until the first of the month? When you and a friend (or even your minister) decide to fly to New York City for dinner, and you book the tickets in first class with your debit card—not a credit card?

When we imagine what we wish to experience, and have the feeling of “of course” rather than “oh my—what a miracle!” that way of living – without the chronic whatever – becomes our new normal. Feels good, doesn’t it?

You and Your Stuff

Last Sunday’s episode of CBS Sunday Morning included a piece on diamonds. The star was a blue diamond weighing in at 117 carats. After being refaceted, the retail value was estimated to be well over $50 million.

Really? For a shiny rock? Who assigns the value to these things? Actually, it is a team of experts called the Gemological Institute of America.

My book for the month of June is Clutter Busting by Brooks Palmer. The book defines clutter as “things that you hold on to that are no longer useful to you. These things may be worn-out or brand-new, but they are trash because they have lost their value.”

In the kitchen drawer that you will not open when anyone is watching, or the room that you will not allow visitors to see, there are probably treasures you haven’t used or looked at in some time. Did you know that you are paying to keep them? If they are taking up space in your place, a portion of your rent, mortgage payment or property taxes is going to pay for them.

I suggest that we also carry clutter with us in our beliefs and emotions. Old regrets, resentments, and beliefs in lack and struggle, is trash that is costing us our peace.

Sometimes we go through our stuff and decide to keep it because it is valuable. Who assigned the value? You did. That t-shirt from your trip to who-knows-where in 1999, birthday cards from some number of years ago, etc. Equally, the hurtful memory that we keep because a parent or preacher said it, is not bringing us any good. Forgiveness can help us release that clutter.

Click on the link below to listen to my talk on this subject from Sunday.

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Hanging with Delilah

My book for the next five weeks is Prosperity’s Ten Commandments by Georgia Tree West.

You may remember the Second Commandment: You shall not make for yourself an idol; you shall not bow down to them or worship them.

Think about the word worship. It is what we focus on, what we spend time with, what we give our attention to.

Consider the story of Samson and Delilah in the Old Testament. Samson, who had very long hair (which was the source of his strength) was very taken with Delilah. What he didn’t know was that Delilah had been hired by the Philistines to find out all about Samson and why he was so strong. So Samson spent a great deal of time with Delilah, and teased her about the source of his strength. She finally said, paraphrased, “if you really loved me, you’d tell me.” So he did, and the Philistines came in the night and cut his hair.

Who and what do we spend time with? Do we hang out with positive, life affirming people who believe in us and our dreams? Or do we “worship” lack, limitation and struggle?

Click on the link below to listen to my talk entitled “Hanging with Delilah.”

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Happy Earth Day!

As you may know, yesterday (April 22) was the 22nd annual celebration of Earth Day.

I am pretty good about being environmentally aware, at least when it is convenient. We recycle, combine car trips and errands, and run the dishwasher instead of hand-washing. But those two or three plastic water bottles that I throw in the trash don’t make a big difference, do they? Perhaps not, but what about your three and your three and your three multiplied by the number of people in San Diego, the country, the world? I commit to being inconvenience and keeping the environment in mind.

While we are aware of and thankful for the earth, I also suggest we consider its inhabitants: those with fur, feathers and scales, but especially those with two feet.

There is a great need for us to step out of our four walls in San Diego and make a difference. As you know, our Church’s mission is “compassion, healing and joy.” I invite you to join me in this work, taking the first step in compassion.

Consider the San Diego Street Angels. This organization provides food, supplies and referrals to the approximately 6,000 (yes, six thousand) homeless young people in San Diego. There is also the Live and Let Live Alano Club that offers a place for those in recovery to come and attend meetings, events, and just be. They serve over 100,000 people a year. And the Community Christian Service Association provides food, clothing, supplies and referrals to families in our area.

We have life pretty good in San Diego. One of the ideas that really touched me was that while I am trying to decide which of the 20 pairs of white socks I have that I want to wear, the number one requested item from the young people served by the San Diego Street Angels is white socks.

So here is the plan. Beginning in May, on the first Sunday of the month, we will receive a special offering to benefit community service organizations. I ask you to contribute just $10 per month (or more if you wish), above your normal tithes and offerings. If you will not be in Church on that day, or if you don’t attend on Sundays, you can mail a check to the Church, or donate securely via PayPal on our website. The money we collect will be split between two or three service organizations.

On the third Sunday, I will ask you to bring a product to be donated. It might be a package of white socks, or a tube of suntan lotion. We will announce two weeks in advance what our focus will be. You’ll be at Target, WalMart or the grocery during that week anyway, and I know you’ll want to be part of this.

I am moved, excited and humbled by this new direction we are taking. The Sufi mystic poet Rumi reminds us to “look through the eyes of the Beloved. You will see the Beloved everywhere.”

Thank you in advance for your support of this sacred project!