Archives: April 2010
Fri Apr 30, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Michael Bernard Beckwith D.D.
Dear Hearts,
There are two diverse philosophies on life. One philosophy is the belief and expectation that as we proceed with our daily activities we expect others to serve us. In living our lives that way we are choosing to keep the “spotlight” focused on ourselves.
The other philosophy is one in which we proceed with our daily activities… with the belief and expectation of being of service. In living our lives this way, we take the spotlight off of ourselves, placing it on others.
Recently, a woman shared a story about going to her grown children’s homes and expecting her family to wait on her…after all she was the guest. One day, in an inspirational moment, she got the direct impression that her job was not to be served…instead she was to be of service (even though she was the proverbial “guest”). From that day forward, her philosophy of life changed from what others could do for her…to what she could do for others.
Today, we have a choice on the philosophy of life we choose. If we take the high road with a philosophy of service to others than we are taking the road that all the great saints and avatars tread. We then get to extend ourselves beyond our own self-centeredness and we become a blessing to others and a blessing to Life Itself. And it is for this reason that we were born.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Wed Apr 28, 2010
In our book section, you can order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
1 Peter 4:10
Dear Hearts,
Each of us has come into this world with our own unique and special abilities. First of all, we must realize that as the Bible says, "we are beautifully and wonderfully made" and to think anything else about ourselves is to deny what is real and true.
Second of all, let’s know that as Judge Thomas Troward said, "we are all Divine Distribution Centers" and we're not in this world to keep our gifts to ourselves. We're here to share and to give.
However, sometimes we have a difficult time recognizing our special abilities or gifts. If that's the case, then today we can begin by recognizing one special gift that we have. Maybe its our smile, our voice, or our ability to communicate lovingly with others, etc. Whatever that special ability is, today let's focus on that quality and how we can share that quality with others.
No two people are ever alike nor do they express alike, so our talents or special abilities are unique to us. If we are not willing to recognize that we have talents and that we are here to share those talents, they lie dormant and our piece of the Divine Puzzle of Life is never put in place.
During this holiday season, let's remember that we are God's blessings to this world - now it’s our duty, and hopefully our delight, to go forth and deliver the gifts and abilities that are uniquely ours; thereby blessing all those that inhabit the world in which we live.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Tue Apr 27, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Dr. Ernest Holmes
Dear Hearts,
Many of us were raised in faiths that taught us that God was "out there" somewhere...usually in the sky. The danger in having an external God, is that we then tend to visualize a God looking down upon us, perhaps with ledger and pen in hand judging everything we say or do. The result of having an external, overseeing God is that we become very fear based, afraid that our least little mistake will be judged and we will ultimately be punished. When we live a life based in fear, our growth and unfoldment is severely hampered.
However, the great saints and avatars have always taught that God is within. When we embody this fact, we come from a different perspective entirely. Instead of living lives based in fear, we live faith based lives realizing that we are not judged at all but loved beyond anything we can humanly imagine. We realize that we are here so that the glory of God and the qualities of God, i.e., love, peace, compassion, joy, creativity, beauty, wisdom, clarity, etc., can shine so brightly through the lens of our daily lives that all who see us catch a glimpse of the glory of God within. For this purpose, we were born.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Mon Apr 26, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Dr. Ernest Holmes
Dear Hearts,
As we go through this day, instead of thinking what we're opposed to...or against, what if we focus our thoughts on what we're for...what we support? It's easy to move into the mind set of "against" because we live in a general atmosphere of negativity. So, it's up to us to change .... "to be", as Ghandi challenged us, "the change we wish to see". What if we committed our entire day to simply focusing on what we really stand for and not "against".
Emerson said, "Stand guard the portals of your mind". Today, when we find our thoughts wandering to negativity, i.e., what we're against, what we don't like or what we don't want to see in our lives, let's gently bring our attention back to the positive side of life. What is it we're for? What do we like, what do we want to see and what is it we support?
As St. Paul said so long ago, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.on what is beautiful, what is true, think on these things. When we do, then we get to watch the difference it makes in our attitudes, relationships, health and in the quality of our lives in general.
With love and blessings
Rev. Barbara
Sun Apr 25, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Tom Cruise
Dear Hearts,
In a recent article, Tom Cruise talked about his dyslexia, his abusive alcoholic father, his small stature which made him ripe for the school bullies and the fact that he went to 15 different schools in 12 years.
However, in an awakening moment Cruise said that he realized he didn’t have to hold on to what had happened in his life or to any label that was place on him. He came to the awareness that he could recreate himself by recreating his thinking about himself.
So it is with us. No matter what our childhood was or what labels were placed upon us or what we have formerly believed about ourselves, we can change all that by choosing to think positive and uplifting thoughts about ourselves.
If we have thought that we’re “less than” others, we might choose to rethink that and begin to realize that God has no favorites. We’re all equal in God’s eyes so why not change our thinking to the truth that no one is less than anyone else?
We often become prisoners by continuing to dwell in our old “stinking thinking”. How can we reach our potential if we don’t believe we’re good enough to reach that potential? If we don’t think we’re good enough, we can rest assured that no one else will either.
Today, we’re invited to begin the process of recreating ourselves one thought at a time until we arrive at the truth. And that truth is that we’re good enough, we’re smart enough and we’re genuinely deserving of all life’s wonderful gifts.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Fri Apr 23, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Hugh Downs
Dear Hearts,
What does it take to make us happy? Often we think when our ideal circumstances are in place we’ll be happy. So our lives literally become a waiting game. It’s as though we postpone being happy because we’re too busy waiting for the right situations to occur in our lives.
However, happiness isn’t about circumstantial living. Happiness is about our attitudes and how we perceive our lives. We’ve all known people in seemingly dire circumstances that are very happy. Conversely, we’ve all known people who seem to have everything…yet are very unhappy. This proves that happiness really has nothing to do with circumstances. Happiness is about choice.
If someone gave us a check for $1,440.00 we’d be very happy. Yet, we are given something so much greater. We are given the gift of today…that holds 1,440 priceless, irreplaceable moments that we’ll never have again.
Today, if we find ourselves unhappy, or feeling the holiday "blues", we can simply change our attitude and make a choice to be happy. We have a loving and gracious God who is always with us, who will never leave or forsake us and with Whom all things are possible. We’re meant to be happy…not tomorrow when we think everything might be better, but today…right now!
We can waste this day…wishing it away, waiting for circumstances to change so we can be happy and finally enjoy our life…or we can make a choice to be happy in the midst of our current circumstances.
Let’s choose to be happy for today is Life’s gift to us.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Carl Jung
Dear Hearts,
In the Gospel of Luke, we read the words spoken by Mother Mary, “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” So it is for us. We, too, are called to magnify God through our daily living.
How do we do that? Author Sara Ban Breathnach puts it this way, “You begin by offering an open heart and a willingness to serve.” That seems such a simple statement, yet it’s so profound. We open our hearts and offer our willingness to serve. Then we leave the details on how that is to unfold to the Universe.
It’s a great leap of faith to offer ourselves in this manner, yet it is an affirmation to the Universe that we’re ready and willing to expand our lives and fulfill our unique purpose. There are no mistakes in God’s perfectly orchestrated Universe. When we are willing and our hearts are open, we will be placed at the right place and the right time.
Let’s never loose site of the fact that we’re here to make a difference. The whole reason for our existence is to do God’s work. We're here to magnify God’s loving presence in this world. When we actually offer our willingness and our open hearts, the Universe will lead us, direct us and guide us to individuals, places and situations beyond our wildest dreams. Our lives will become larger and richer and filled with more love than we ever imagined possible.
Today…let’s affirm our willingness to serve. Let’s be willing to open our hearts and then let’ s watch as the miracles in our lives begin to occur.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Thu Apr 22, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
John 3:3
Dear Hearts,
This biblical verse is offering us the most magnificent invitation. It’s inviting us to die to our old ways of thinking, meaning all fear based thoughts. It offers us an invitation to die to any ways of behavior that don't serve our higher purpose. If we are willing to die to our old ways of being, then Jesus said we will enter into the kingdom of heaven. And where is the kingdom of heaven? Jesus was very clear on this. He stated, ” the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”
Can we imagine a day with only loving thoughts and behavior? Can we imagine a day where we continually took the highest thought available to us about any given situation? Can we imagine a day where we stay in the present moment, not sad or depressed about yesterday or anxious about tomorrow, just being fully present now?
Can we imagine a day where we truly see (not just look) but see God's magnificent Universe that is all about us? Can we imagine a day, where we are absolutely certain that there is a loving Presence indwelling us and surrounding us, and when we turn to this loving Presence, tjat Presence will lead, direct and guide us in all of our ways? Can we imagine a day of peace, because we have an absolute knowing that everything will work out for our highest good?
That truly would be a day in heaven. Can we meet there today?
Love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Wed Apr 21, 2010
In our book section, you can order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"...Oprah's Book of the Month.
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
Tue Apr 20, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Joel S. Goldsmith
Dear Hearts,
There is an all-knowing voice within each of us often referred to as the “Still Small Voice”. The only way we can get in touch with that Voice is by becoming “still” ourselves.
Yet stillness can be very challenging for us. Often we can’t stop talking long enough to ever get in touch with the Power of the Stillness within us. It’s as if we’re afraid to be still…afraid of the silence. Yet, the silence within is what holds the key to our spiritual growth and unfoldment.
All great saints and avatars took time in the silence. Buddha was silent for years until he finally became enlightened. Moses, Jesus, the Dali Lama and countless others have shown us the importance of pulling ourselves out of the mainstream of chatter and simply being still.
The Psalms tell us, “Be still and know that I am God.” It’s only in the stillness that we get in touch with that still small voice that contains all the wisdom and the truth of our being. The silence is so powerful that many mystics refer to it as “The Thunder of Silence”.
Let’s take a few minutes today and be still, not only quieting our outer voice but let’s aim to quiet our mind chatter as well. Let’s take time to silently be present in each moment. Let’s take time to silently utter a prayer of gratitude. Let’s be still long enough to remember that within us there is a Power and Presence that knows all things and can do all things…simply waiting for us to be still long to recognize it.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Mon Apr 19, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Rev. Barbara White-Steinberg
Dear Hearts,
As we visit this website, Expectgood.com, do we really give thought to the words…Expect Good? Often we get up in the morning…and expecting good is the furthest thing from our mind. Our goal seems simply to “survive”, trying to get through the day without the proverbial “other shoe” dropping.
However, there’s another way to live. What if we get up in the morning and immediately began to think about the infinite good in this Universe…and that good can be ours if we believe in it, expect it and claim it. When we live our lives expecting good to be our experience, even when something seemingly goes wrong in our day, we will be able to find the good in it. When we "expect good" we are invoking the Law of Attraction" to work for us and bring to us exactly what we expect.
Carl Jung once said that the course of our life is determined by a core belief, “Is this Universe a friendly place?” Many of us were brought up with the idea that the Universe was not friendly and that we’re here to simply survive…thus survival becomes our experience.
However, there is a better, richer more productive way to live our life…and it is living our life believing that there is good waiting for us. But we have to claim it and we claim it by expecting it!
Today, let’s think about it…are we really expecting good? And if not, perhaps this is the day to look around at this abundant and magnificent Universe and know there is so much good within and around us…and as we expect it, we shall receive it.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Sun Apr 18, 2010
In our book section, you can order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Iyanla Vanzant
Dear Hearts,
In all of the busyness, noise and seeming fog of confusion in our lives, it’s sometimes challenging for us to know exactly where our place is. If we believe what the world tells us… our place is one of always striving, competing, wanting more and never being satisfied.
However, if we believe what all the great spiritual traditions tell us, then we know that our place is far away from the world of effects. Our place is not on the outside…our place is within.
All great spiritual traditions teach that God is within. If God is within us then that’s the place we’re invited to reside. It’s living from the inside out...for it’s within, never without that that we find the answers to whatever it is that we’re seeking. It’s within that we find love, peace, harmony, joy, abundance, etc. Our true and right place is never searching without…but looking within.
How do we get to that place? We get there through a daily spiritual practice, taking time each morning to center ourselves in that which is Real and True. We do this through affirmative reading, prayer and meditation.
We find this beautiful place within us when we’re willing to call upon a Power greater than ourselves to lead, guide and direct our path so that we may be a loving and compassionate presence.
When we live from the inside out…our lives start flowing smoothly, our decisions become easier and more confident. Our entire lives change for the better because we have aligned ourselves with the only Real Power there is and in that Power all things become possible for us.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Fri Apr 16, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
~ Lauren Bacall
Dear Hearts,
One of the most beautiful things about children is their vivid imagination. Imagining that they are kings/queens/pirates/explorers/inventors.
However, as we grow older our imagination begins to fade. We get locked into the daily drone of life and we begin to think within a certain boundary. Our imagination is put aside because we have to live “real” life.
There is always so much more to life than we know. However, we have to begin to imagine what could be to catch a glimpse of the possibilities that can be .
Today, as we look at ourselves, our surroundings and our daily activities, let’s ask ourselves, “What are the highest possibilities for my life? How could my life be more loving, more creative, more joyful, more abundant, filled with more beauty?” Then let’s allow our imaginations to soar…and see what comes up for us. Then write those creative ideas down and let’s begin, one step at a time to implement these ideas in our day to day living.
Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important that knowledge.”
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Thu Apr 15, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Mark Victor Hansen
Dear Hearts,
Do we often feel that we aren't receiving what we ask for? After all, most of us pray at least a few minutes each day. During those few moments, we ask to be successful and prosperous, we ask to be healthy and filled with energy and vitality, we ask for the "good life". So where is this "good life"?
Let's remember that's it's not those few minutes spent in daily prayer that determine our life. It's our moment by moment thoughts that create the quality of our life. Our thoughts are so powerful that they literally become the physical weave and fabric of our daily existence.
Let's remember that Life is so generous that it always says "yes" to us. Always. Life gives us exactly what our predominant thought pattern asks for -- nothing more, nothing less. This process never fails.
Today, we will process over 100,000 thoughts. What will our thoughts be asking for? We can absolutely be certain that what we ask for, we will receive. Let's remember, if our thoughts are not asking for the kind of life we want, then it's time to change our thoughts, remembering that we can change our thinking and we can change our lives.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Wed Apr 14, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
-Plato
Dear Hearts,
A client of mine was recounting to me that she had hit a wall of depression and negativity in her life. One day when driving to her office, she felt so much negativity looming over her that in desperation she made a decision for the rest of her short drive to work she would only think of things she had to be grateful for in her life. At that particular moment, she could only think of a few things so she simply looked at the scenery around her and became grateful for the sky, the trees and rain. By the time she arrived at her office, her whole mood had changed and lightened. She recounted that she felt twenty years younger.
St. Paul said, "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely...if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy think on these things." Today, let's think on these things and allow gratitude to fill our hearts and minds for all that we have ~ and we all have so much if we just take the time to remember! Gratitude is spiritual practice at its best. It is a life transforing practice, a practice that leads us into the realm of greatness .
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Tue Apr 13, 2010
In our book section, you can now order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Dr. Ernest Holmes
Dear Hearts,
Throughout our days, we are oftenbombarded with “troublesome” news. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep our perspective.
Yet, it’s always about our choice. If we put our attention on the “trouble” of the day, we do ourselves a great disservice. Focusing on “trouble” literally pulls our energy level down, robs us of our vitality, short changes our creativity, smothers our joy, etc.
The good news is, we can choose not to focus our attention on “troubling news” or to get involved in the drama of “trouble”. Our job is to pray about the "trouble" and do what’s required of us (if anything) to alleviate it....and then refocus our attention on what is good about life.
Today, we are invited to join the company of all the great saints and avatars that have gone before us. Today, we are invited to Practice the Presence of God. How do we do that? St. Paul said it so succinctly, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy…think on these things.”*
When we find our attention being drawn into the negative side of life…no matter what the situation… let’s move our thinking to higher ground by focusing on the good and praiseworthy. To focus on God by focusing on God qualities is spiritual practice at it’s best. But it’s up to us…where will we place our attention, today?
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Mon Apr 12, 2010
In our book section, you can now order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Dr. Ernest Holmes
Dear Hearts,
There are times in all of our lives when we have a deep hearts desire for something and we pray long and hard for whatever that something is. If it doesn’t happen right away, we become discouraged and wonder what happened to our prayers.
However, maybe we’re not ready for that prayer to manifest yet. If it did manifest prematurely in our lives, we wouldn’t have the consciousness to make a success of it or know how to handle it.
Let’s remember that this is a Universe of perfect Order. We never see the sun rise in the evening or the moon in the morning and the seasons never appear out of order. So it is with us. There is an order to the unfoldment of our lives.
If we have a heart’s desire and it hasn’t manifested for us yet, let’s not be discouraged. Let’s continue to do our footwork, continue praying for what it is we want and then turn it over to God. Every prayer that is ever uttered is heard. We can rely on that and we can trust that the Universe’s absolute perfect timing will bring to us our heart’s desire. Then, when that time comes, we will be ready to receive.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Sat Apr 10, 2010
In our book section, you can now order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
~ Sufi Saying
Dear Hearts,
We have one primary focus during our time on earth and that’s to open our heart space. Those who have had near death experiences recount that as they made their way into the light only one question was asked of them, “How well did you love?”
One of the ways we can gauge the expanse of our hearts is how we speak of others. Are we fast to criticize and judge? Do we indulge in gossip about others; do we tolerate or even enjoy gossip about others?
Or have our hearts expanded to the place where we grasp the fact that each person is doing the best they can at any given time. Do we understand that our job is never to judge another; our job is to love another with no “ifs” “ands” or “buts”, to accept others warts and all.
Love never gossips or speak ill of another. Love looks beyond the human behavior and sees a soul in all of its splendor and glory doing the best it can on any given occasion.
St. Augustine said, “God loves all of us as if there’s only one of us.” Can we do the same through our words, our thoughts and our actions?
Today, I celebrate the day of the heart and do my best to stay on the loving side of life. Thank you, God and so it is!
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
*"All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles
Fri Apr 09, 2010
In our book section, you can now order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Joel 2:31
Dear Hearts,
As we review our lives, it may seem to us that we’ve wasted many of our years and we experience a feeling of great loss and sadness. However, the good news is that as we begin our spiritual path and begin to put God first in our lives…something wonderful begins to happen. The years that we felt were wasted are restored.
Will we be placed into a time machine and taken back through those years we seem to have lost?? No…but opportunities will be restored to us. Opportunities to love, to bring peace, to have compassion, to forgive, to open our minds to truth and wisdom, to see with clarity, to be joyful, to spread beauty, these kinds of opportunities that we missed in the past will be given back to us. Then we get to go forward healing those years through the actions we take today.
Let’s remember that in God nothing is ever wasted. So when we partner with God...any time we feel may have been wasted we’ll be returned to us… the faces and the situations may be different, but the opportunity to sew seeds of good will be apparent.
When we put God first in our lives, our lives begin to change dramatically. Our relationships heal and are renewed, our prosperity increases, we feel young vital, healthy and alive. And all the years we feel were wasted will be given back to us...and this time, we get to do it right.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Thu Apr 08, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Thomas Jefferson
Dear Hearts,
This is the day we can choose to make history, not live it. We can create this day differently, more lovingly, more creatively. Or...we can live this day as a repeat of others, so it is nothing more than one more photocopy of yesterday, or the day before, or the year before. If we know we are free to create this day minus our past mistakes and past history, how will we choose to create it?
We are here, individually and collectively, to give our gifts and by so doing make this world a better place. Today, is a new day and doesn't have to be burdened by yesterday's mistakes or memories. Let's go forward now and embrace this day as if it is the first day of a whole new life.
Affirmation:
"Today is the beginning of a new, wonderful life and if it's going to be, it's up to me. I accept this for me and mine. Thank you God...and so it is!
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Wed Apr 07, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Emily Dickenson
Dear Hearts,
By the grace of God, we have begun a new week and the question is what will we do with this week? Will we find ourselves being pushed along by worry, doubt and fear? Or will we find ourselves being pulled by a vision of possibilities? We don’t have to travel to some exotic place, find a new job or a new romance to dwell in possibilities. The possibilities exist within the life we lead right now.
Each of us has the opportunity to make this week a celebration of Life, therefore a celebration of God for God is Life. We might ask ourselves, ”What would our relationships look like if we thought about what’s possible for them, rather than what’s not possible”? Instead of simply thinking about our careers as the means to an end for financial survival, what if we looked at our careers in terms of possibilities; in terms of a chance to create and utilize our God given abilities?
How would our families look if we thought about them from what is really possible for a family to be and to do, rather than staying stuck in, “this is the way it’s always been”? What would we see if we were to look at ourselves from possibility thinking of what we can do rather than what we can’t do..or seeing ourselves as we can be rather than as we were. What if we saw ourselves as God’s possibilities… knowing that we have been made in God’s image and likeness and ordained to give our best to life?
Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, your right”. Let’s believe this week we can do many things by allowing possibility thinking to guide us along our way.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Tue Apr 06, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah Winfrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
~ Mark Twain
Dear Hearts,
Perhaps there are times when we’ve had a fleeting thought that the "world" owes us a living. The truth of the matter is the “world” as we know it, owes us nothing. It is we who owe the world.
Sometimes we confuse the “world” that is filled with people, places and things with God’s Universe that is comprised of love, beauty, compassion, wisdom, creativity, joy, infinite possibilities, etc.
While the "world" owes us nothing…God’s Universe owes us everything! However, in order for us to participate in the Universe’s bounty, we’re required to give our gifts and do our best to make this "world" a better place.
When we live our lives giving our gifts and doing our best on a daily basis, something magnificent and holy happens to us. The entire Universe begins to conspire together for our good because we’re fulfilling our purpose on this earth.
When we go forth doing our best and giving our gifts to the "world", then as Thoreau said, “We begin to live with the license of a higher order of being”. As scriptures tell us…all things begin to work together for our good. When we're givers to the "world", the Universe becomes a giver to us in more ways than we could ever humanly imagine.
Today, let’s give our gifts, let’s do our part to make this "world" a better place…and then we get to watch how magnificently the Universe works and conspires for our highest good.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Mon Apr 05, 2010
In our book section, you can order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
Dear Hearts,
It is very important for us to have rules in our lives. However, for true success in our lives, it is also important that we have flexibility in our rules.
Often, it is “my way or the highway” or “this is the way it is and this is the way it’s going to be.” But that kind of thinking allows for a very rigid way of living and doesn’t embrace the humanness of life. The more mature we become we realize that there certainly is black and white…but there are also many beautiful shades of gray.
When situations arise in our lives, does our thought process immediately jump to labeling right/wrong, good/bad? However, in order to be compassionate and to live life fully, it’s important to expand our thinking process beyond “either/or”.
As we look at the life of Jesus the Christ, we see him betrayed by his closest friends. Many of us might have jumped to a right/wrong thinking process and eliminated those individuals from our lives. However, Jesus was able to see beyond “either/or” thinking and in his wisdom embraced the humanness of his friends, loving them in spite of their faults.
There are things in life that definitely fall under the category of “right/wrong”, but there are also many things in our life that fall into the gray area, allowing for human error.
None of us are perfect on the human level…and it’s the ability to embrace the in-between that’s so important.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Sun Apr 04, 2010
In our book section, you can order Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Joel Olsteen
Dear Hearts,
Haven’t we all had things happen to us that we just don’t understand? We try to live a good life and then out of the blue, something happens and it feels as though we’ve been blind sighted! We sometimes wonder, “What did I do to deserve this”?
The answer is we haven’t done anything to deserve it. Let’s remember that God’s Universe is perfect, however we live in an imperfect world where seemingly bad things do happen to good people. We could ruin our lives by continually asking, “Why did this happen...to me?" We may never know the “why” of what’s happened to us.
Staying stuck trying to understand “why” is a dead end. Our challenge is to move on because it’s in moving on that we heal. It’s in moving on that we grow and have new life and new meaning in our lives.
Life is going to go on with or without us. Things will happen to us that we don’t understand…but that is just the human realm. Our job is to rise up above the human realm and carry on with living…no matter what.
If today, we don’t know how to move on, let’s remember that there is a Power and Presence for Good in this Universe that does know how. When we call upon that Power and Presence, a way will be shown to us…a way will open for us so that we may once again join life and move on. It's in moving on with our lives, whether or not we understand what has happened in our lives, that our lives reflect and magnify the glory of God.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Sat Apr 03, 2010
In our book section, you can order Oprah's favoriet book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Meister Eckhart
Dear Hearts,
That's quite a concept… that it would be enough to say only one prayer "thank you." If we look over our lives and find that gratitude has been missing, then there's no better day than to move back into a space of simply being thankful.
Perhaps, we’ve been in a cycle of life where things haven't gone the way we think they should and we honestly think, "What have I got to be grateful for?" Well, if that's where we are today, then let's start giving thanks for the obvious, we’re breathing, if we're reading this Dear Hearts, we’re able to see, to think…. we’re alive, and while we’re alive there’s hope. That in itself is so much to be thankful for.
When we can get ourselves back into a state of gratitude, it opens the floodgates for blessings and gifts. Principle tells us that we live in a reciprocal Universe, so when we complain, we’re given more situations to complain about. But when we enter into that blessed state of gratitude, even if we have to search long and hard for one thing to be grateful for –a shift occurs in our lives and we receive more to be grateful for.
Today, instead of complaining about the weather, the condition of the world, our hair, job, traffic, kids, health, etc., let's stop the negativity and let's turn it around and be thankful for the weather, our hair, job, traffic, kids, our health, etc. Jesus, the Master Teacher, said it so profoundly, "It is done unto you as you believe." If we believe we have little to be grateful for….we’ll simply get more of the same. If we believe we have much to be grateful for and give thanks for it, then what we have will be blessed and multiplied.
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Fri Apr 02, 2010
In our book section, you can purchase Oprah Windrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Hal Urban
Dear Hearts,
Hal Urban was a teacher for over 30 years. During those years he began each class with the same question, “What are we celebrating today”? What a great question to ask ourselves each and every day…”What am I celebrating today”?
It’s easy to get lost in, and place our full attention on, life’s sorrows and hurdles. However, when we choose to focus on the difficulties in our lives we invite more difficulties to appear. For what we give our attention to expands and grows.
No matter what our condition is today or where we are in our lives, we can find a reason to celebrate, a reason to give thanks, a reason to smile. Sometimes we’ve been lost in the mire of negativity for so long it’s hard to bring our focus back to the positive. But it can be done.
There’s so much in life to be celebrated…whether it’s the beauty and order of nature or the magnificent workings of our own body or the celebration of a Higher Power that always hears our call.
We’ll find that when we focus on what there’s to celebrate in our lives, that focus renews and energizes us. We’re then able to put our life’s difficulties into perspective.
Life is a gift and each breath we take is a cause for celebration. So let’s each ask ourselves the question right now, “What am I celebrating today?”
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara
Thu Apr 01, 2010
In our book section, you can purchase Oprah Windrey's favorite book ~ Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth".
Lao Tzu
Dear Hearts,
All of us have dreams. However, sometimes our dreams loom so large that it feels to us as though we could never get from “here to there”. Then the great killer of all dreams, discouragement enters into the picture and we get overwhelmed and abandon our precious dreams altogether.
When actors are interviewed about their seeming overnight success, they will quickly remind the interviewer that it took many years to become “an overnight success”. Asked how they achieved their success? They did it one audition at a time.
Well, the same is true for us. It’s taking one small step at a time. We live in a microwave society where we expect everything to get done instantly. Fulfilling our dreams takes time. Our job is not to get discouraged but to keep on keeping on, one step, one day at a time.
The dreams of our heart are not some idea we have made up. The dreams of our heart have been part of us since the day we were born. Our purpose is to make a difference on this earth and by fulfilling our dreams we fulfill our purpose.
Our dreams are vital to our life…our dreams are what we are born to do. When we are living our dreams, we radiate the light of God. By fulfilling our dreams, we are fulfilling our legacy and fulfilling our part of the intricate fabric and weave of this magnificent Universe.
Today, what is one small thing we might do to move us in the direction of our dreams?
With love and blessings,
Rev. Barbara