In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month and sign up for the class on this book.

“Grow or Go!”
John Rogers

Dear Hearts,

John Rogers quote is certainly a challenge to all of us. Sometimes, we get to a certain point in our lives and we become stagnant and complacent. Our thought process might be, “Why rock the boat”?

However, life isn’t about complacency. If we’re twenty yet complacent in our lives, we’ve grown old. If we’re 100 and still learning and growing, we’ve remained young.

What is it we want from our lives? Do we want to live our lives in such a way that each day is “ho-hum”…just another day to get through? Or do we want to live our lives in such a way that each day becomes a growth opportunity…an adventure? Do we want success in our jobs? Do we want success in our relationships? Do we desire greater and deeper spiritual endeavors? Then we must do whatever is necessary to grow that success.

We are here to keep on keepin’ on no matter what! We’re here to reflect the glory of God through our daily living and we can’t do that if we’re stagnant. We live in a Universe whose essence is growth (just look at nature). So when we become stagnant in our lives, we are out of harmony with a Universe that is daily offering us an invitation to grow or go.

Grow or go…today which will it be?

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month.

“You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out, but you gotta suit up for them all.”
- J. Askenberg

Dear Hearts,

There are those that play the game of Life and those that sit quietly on the sidelines and watch others as they play life's game. We sit on the sidelines for a variety of reasons, we fear making a mistake and looking foolish, we fear being rejected, we fear not being good enough, etc., etc.

Each one of us is here to give our unique gifts. We are here to suit up every day to play life’s game by giving our unique and special gifts. However, if instead we opt to sit on the sidelines and simply watch the game ~ then our part never gets played, our gifts aren't given and life suffers a loss.

In Bejing, the Olympics are taking place. We may be certain that each and every player that has shown show up for this Summer's Olympics will give the very best they've got.

So, today, let us play our own Summer Olympics. Let's suit up and play to the best of our ability. We'll win some points and we'll loose some, however, in the long run that really has little importance. What is important is that we have shown up to play, to give our gifts and to shine our light. For that reason, we are born.

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month.

"He heals the broken hearted..."
23rd Psalm

Dear Hearts,

How does God heal our broken hearts? Is there some God outside of ourselves that waves a magic wand and all of a sudden we feel comforted and joyful again? Or does God work through people, like you and me?

I'm certain that we've all had times when we thought we couldn't go on because our hearts were so heavy and we felt burdened down. Then out of the blue, someone shows up or calls who says just what we need to hear and we're able to catch a new insight or a new perception and our healing process begins. We pray for God's help -- and it shows up differently perhaps than we expected -- but it always shows up.

Today, we have the opportunity to shine for God by keeping our hearts opened to all. We get to listen beyond the spoken word and if we sense pain or discomfort in another, we get to open our hearts and speak with such love that the individual hears, through our words, exactly what they need for comfort and sustenance. Indeed, "He heals the broken hearted" and does that through the words, compassion and love that people, just like you and me, offer to each other.

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month.

"God’s purpose is not limited by your past."
Rick Warren

Dear Hearts,

Do we let past events dictate our lives? There are so many excuses we can give ourselves for not reaching our full potential. "I don't have a *college degree", "I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks", "I am limited by my finances", "I married the wrong person", ad infinitum.

As we look at the lives of the great saints and avatars, each one overcame enormous difficulty. Two thousand years ago there was a carpenter who had little formal education, from a town few heard of, is to this day revered as the world's greatest teacher and foremost authority on love.

A poor nun, again with very little education and no money, walked the most dangerous streets of India and cared for the critically ill and dying. She won the Nobel Peace Prize and has become a world symbol for compassion. A small brown man, who at one time had a fierce temper and a huge inferiority complex, became the liberator of India from English rule and a world symbol for non-violence. How did they do it? They changed their thinking about their past and knew their past did not need to dictate their future. Their future was theirs alone to decide

Let's remember that God doesn't know our past or our perceived limitations. God only knows our perfection and our unlimited possibilities. We are always at choice of staying in our old thought patterns of why we can't, or move into new thought patterns of why we can. Today, which will we choose?

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".

"TWISM"
Shaquille O'Neal

Dear Hearts,

Author Maureen Orth wrote an article for Vanity Fair recalling an interview she had with Shaquille O’Neal. On Shaq’s giant belt buckle were the initials, TWISM. When she asked about the meaning of the letters, he replied "This World Is Mine."

Perhaps we might think "Of course the world is his, he's a famous, wealthy basketball player." However, the flip side of the coin is, Shaq has consciously chosen this very positive, very assertive attitude. He could have chosen to focus on the enormous pressure he's constantly under to perform in every game, or he could focus on the fact that fame is fleeting and in a few years his basketball days will be over, or he could focus on the injuries and surgeries he’s endured and the pain he lives with. He has chosen to focus on the positive.

Today, we have the choice to also affirm, “this world is mine." Not from an egoic sense but in the sense that we get to choose how we view everything that happens to us in this life. We can name it all good, all creative, all a learning experience, all an opportunity to be more loving, all an opportunity to live life to the fullest, all an opportunity to know God better through our vast and myriad experiences. Let's try it -- today let's affirm "This world is mine" Then let's ask ourselves..."Now how am I going to create it?"

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

In our book section, you can order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".

“Whatever job we do, we can make it a work of the heart.”
Award-winning journalist Judith Valente

Dear Hearts,

So often we feel in order to be holy we must be in church or temple. Yet, the truth of the matter is, when we do each and every task placed before us with loving care and attention and come from the heart with every person that crosses our path, we enter into a holy realm.

There was a 15th century monk by the name of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence’s job was to buy food from the market and cook for the other monks. Soon, others in the monastery noticed the joy with which Brother Lawrence lived his life and the great love he seemed to express. When asked about it, Brother Lawrence explained that whatever project he was doing he gave it his full attention, did it with love and dedicated it to God.

Today, each one of us can do as Brother Lawrence. If we’re at work, driving our car, playing with the children, interacting with loved ones or friends, etc. we can be fully attentive, we can do it from the heart and most importantly we can do it for the love of God. Then we will find ourselves living a most holy day.

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

*Straight from the Heart by Bryan Williams

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month.

"Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.”
-Eckhart Tolle

Dear Hearts,

There is a world of difference between pleasure and joy. Pleasure often depends upon a circumstance or an acquisition outside of our self. However, when the circumstance changes, the acquisition wears out, the job ends, the loved one walks out the door or dies or someone’s behavior changes, our pleasure diminishes and sometimes disappears completely. We then start the cycle over again ...looking for pleasure somewhere “out there”.
Joy on the other hand has no price tag, will never wear out, never change with circumstance, and never leave us. We are born filled with joy only we forget and become hypnotized by the media message that we need some acquisition outside of ourselves to experience joyful living. We have the opportunity to access joy by being aware of joyful things such as a bird singing, the laughter of a child, the wind blowing in our hair, the pounding of the waves, feeling the warmth of the sun, having a simple dinner with friends.
When we are living in joy, we are living a spiritual life for joy is a quality of God and can never be taken from us. Perhaps we can ask ourselves “what can I do today to access the joy within me?” The joy is there, it’s simply waiting to be re-awakened. Take time to celebrate how magnificent God is and all the gifts that have been given us so freely, live in the present moment and you will find joy.

Today, I am surrounded by the love of God. I make a conscious choice to remember that joy is not somewhere “out there” but joy is within. I will celebrate and “in-joy” each moment, each person and each activity of this glorious day. Today is God’s day and I rejoice in it.

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".

"We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them."
- Charles C. West

Dear Hearts,

It's always frightening when the structures of our life begin to shake. So often we panic, turning to some anthropomorphic God "out there" beseeching that God to please stop the shaking as we like things the way they are.

If our structures are beginning to shake, perhaps it's because the God within each of us wants a bigger arena to shine in. It may be the Universe giving us a message that it's time to change -- to grow, to become more, to give our gifts in a different way than was have previously ever imagined.

Shaking structures are a good thing -- because they are often telling us that the world we are presently inhabiting is simply too small -- that its time to move out and live a bigger life.

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month and sign up for the class on this book,

“Leave ‘em longing and not longing to leave.”
Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Dear Hearts,

Haven’t we all been around individuals and can’t wait to get away from them and as quickly as possible? The reason being, we just don’t feel good being in their presence. Yet, there are others, in whose company we seem to thrive. When we’re with these individuals, they bring out the best in us and we look forward to being with them again.

As we look at our lives, do we choose to act in such a way that others really want to be with us? Do we go out of our way to be gracious and kind? Do we encourage others and give them a pat on the back for what they’re doing well in their lives (and we can always find something to applaud!)? Do we really see the other person through the eyes of acceptance and pure love…no matter what they might tell us? Are we good listeners, giving others our full and undivided attention? Do we mentally bless others as they depart from us?

If we do these things, then we become a beacon that others are attracted to and want to spend time with. When we look at other through the eyes of love and treat them as precious and sacred, we become a healing presence in their lives; thus fulfilling our purpose on earth…to be a loving presence.

Today, let’s make the decision to..."leave ‘em longing and not longing to leave".

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

In our book section, you can now order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month.

“I can do everything through God who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13

Dear Hearts,

Often our life journeys take us down some pretty rugged paths. We have all had times where we wonder how we can possibly make it through our current situation.

However, there is something within each of us that is far greater than any problem that will ever confront us. Within each of us the Power of God resides. This is the Power that created the Universe and that keeps this Universe in perfect order. This Power can do all things! Nothing is impossible to this Power. When we call forth this Power through our prayers, affirmations and meditation, we will be given the strength to move through our challenge…no matter how severe or traumatic it might seem to us.

Often we get very entrenched in our human dilemma and have moved into a deep downhill spiral before we ever think of asking God for help. However, when we ask for help we’ve invited a whole different energy into our lives.

We have a God that is so much greater than whatever challenge faces us. So today, let’s know together that as St. Paul said, we can indeed do all things when we have made a conscious connection to God. From that point forward, all things are possible for us.

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara