Contemplation – Day 38

It is never too late to ask yourself, “Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. There is only one way to be born into a new life: to die before death..

I let go of worry.

Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?

I have moved around a lot in my life. I lived in many countries. I have changed jobs and professions numerous times. Out there, my life is a ‘great change’ but have I changed inside?  I am sure I have but God, aren’t I ready to change what made me run the first place!

In my experience, there is always another layer of awareness, – it is like pealing an onion – that brings me to another bit of limitation to release. During the Lenten Season I have been diligently gaining insight of and releasing whatever hindrance showed up … because I am ready!

Read: DAY38,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

“We are enough!”

Unity Maidenhead Saturday workshop, on Zoom
May 20th, 10am – 5pm
Cost: By donation
Led by Rev Kimerie Mapletoft, Nancy Sandoval, Paul Mapletoft,
Beth O’Connell and Ildiko Kudlik

So often our underlying self talk is, I am not enough! Is this something you are aware of for yourself? Often unconscious, it drives our thoughts, feelings and actions, ultimately working against us rather than for us.

What if our underlying self talk can become – I am enough! For in the sight of God, we are. And from this inner experience of ‘enough-ness’ even more of our true Self can come forth, guiding us on our life journey.

Join us as we share Unity ideas and practices that help us know, we are enough.

40 Days – Day 38

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 38

It is never too late to ask yourself, “Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. There is only one way to be born into a new life: to die before death.”

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zrpw4fAIuBc

Today, we are releasing worry and embracing God’s Love for us. 

MOUNDY THURSDAY

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that as we enter the ‘upper room’ in our prayer or meditation, we can release all worry. During Passover, Jesus shared a message of unconditional Love and the disciples sang songs of Gratitude and Deliverance. Christ Consciousness is the upper room. As we lift our consciousness higher we naturally move out of fear and worry into positive expectations of God’s promise.

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No38 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing reaching the upper room into Christ Consciousness  worked for you today. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27

Today we affirm: This Maundy Thursday, I let go of worry.

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

Picture Source Unsplash/ Featured Image: rachel-walker–unsplash

Contemplation – Day 37

God is a meticulous dock maker. So precise is His order that everything on earth happens in its own time — neither a minute late nor a minute early. And for everyone without exception, the clock works accurately. For each, there is a time to love and a time to die.

Embracing divine life, I willingly go with the flow.

Oh well … one of those rules that sounds so lovely but so hard to execute. Of course, I want to go with the flow! Of course, I want to submit myself to God’s perfect timing and embrace Divine Order! Of course, I understand from my own journey and ups-and-downs that there is perfection in the making!

STILL, in the human shell, not-knowing God’s timing is nerve-racking. We all want to feel safe, secure and assured; we all want to avoid being faced with the unknown because of our insecurities and lack of confidence; (secretly) we would all want to know how much time we have left; basically we want to know God’s timing beforehand so we can be prepared!

But God does not reveal Its secrets! And we are left with uncertainties and asked to trust that God’s timing is perfect!

Read: DAY37,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

Filter

We see God or the Divine Presence through our own being, our own Mind.

RULE No1

“How we see God is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves; we don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. If God brings to mind mostly fear and blame, it means there is too much fear and blames welled inside us. If we see God as full of Love and compassion, so are we.”*

Listen to the rule:

My mother does not see God. She does not see herself either. All she says: I don’t know. Do you? What to answer? I wish I could show her God’s wonderful garden of colourful existence. But she cannot see much of it. Her mind tells her that the world is a horrible place, she is threatened and there is no one to help her. God is a distant, unlikely figure, an old guy who does not care about her.

I pray every day that she could have a glimpse of the breathtaking palette of wonders surrounding her every day. I also pray for me to be able to accept that what my mum perceives is also God’s world, only a limited version of it. And that’s OK, too. 

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)

 

 

Holy Week

Written by Rev Steven McAfee

This is Passover week in the Jewish world and Easter in the Christian.  When Yeshua (Jesus) was alive, there was no distinction between the two groups because there was no Christianity.  He and his disciples were Jews who celebrated Passover (and all the other Jewish holy days and festivals), and, supposedly, his so-called “Last Supper” was a Passover dinner.   Whether you are Jewish or Christian or neither, this can be a significant time for you. 

As you may know, for Jews, this is a time commemorating the liberation of the Hebrews from over four hundred years of enslavement.  It is also considered a time to look within ourselves and see what is enslaving us today – cultural opinions, social pressures, depression, addiction, attachments, negative habitual reactive patterns, judgments against ourselves, and a seemingly endless array of other things, inwardly or outwardly based.  For Christians, it is a joyful time to celebrate Yeshua’s resurrection and the fulfilling of God’s promises. Because there is so much energy going on all around the world this week emphasizing the importance of freedom, it is a propitious time to be grateful for the freedoms we have and to look at what we may be ready to release, in order to step into even greater freedom within.  And in case you have not noticed, gratitude always opens our hearts and creates a greater receptivity within us.  And isn’t greater receptivity itself a greater freedom than being closed down and constricted? 

So, what will you stop holding onto this week that is creating distance in your life – distance between you and God within you, or distance between you and someone you love in the world? In the mystical teachings of ancient Judaism they talked of many “realms” or “heavenly palaces” between this world and the “heavens” where God dwelt. But the highest realm, the realm where souls could literally stand in the presence of the living God, Lord of all creation, was called “Atzilut.”  It literally means “nearness.” What we naturally want to do when we love someone is to draw close to them. In other words, to experience “nearness.” What prevents us from having the intimate relationship with God (or others) that we long for is the distance we create within us – through our fears, our bitterness, our anger, our shame, our false beliefs, our attitudes, and, perhaps most of all, our unwillingness to yield to love: all the many ways we deny the truth of who we are and how much we are truly loved. 

 

Isn’t it time?  Time to release all the holding back, all the sadness, all the need to protect ourselves from the very thing we want most.  One day, we will tire of living life at a distance and will step forward into the awaiting divine embrace, inwardly into the arms of God, outwardly into the arms of those who love us. Will that day be today?  Only you can answer. 

40 Days – Day 37

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 37

God is a meticulous dock maker. So precise is His order that everything on earth happens in its own time — neither a minute late nor a minute early. And for everyone without exception, the clock works accurately. For each, there is a time to love and a time to die.”

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wyu80rh4ckc

Today, we are releasing Struggle and embracing God’s Love for us. 

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that the wisest choice is to willingly go with the flow because life flows. When we dig in our heels and claim the rightness of our own agenda, we struggle. We are reminded that fighting what we don’t want only gives it more energy.  There is no need to control, as we release our grip, we start flowing with the Divine. 

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No37 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing releasing struggle worked for you today. 

A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back. Proverbs 29:11

Today we affirm: Embracing divine life, I willingly go with the flow.

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

Picture Source Unsplash/ Featured Image: rachel-walker–unsplash

Contemplation – Day 36

This World is erected upon the principle of reciprocity. Neither a drop of kindness nor a speck of evil will remain unreciprocated. For not the plots, deceptions, or tricks of other people. If somebody is setting a trap, remember, so is God. He is the biggest plotter. Not even a leaf stirs outside God’s Knowledge. Simply and wholeheartedly believe in that. Whatever God does, He does it beautifully.

I am stress-free in the Silence.

When I was a child, I felt unfairly treated. Now, I understand that God had a plan. I may not ever know exactly why certain things happened in my life as they did but what I know for sure is that I would not be the person I am today if it had not been to those experiences. The more I know myself, the more I see God’s plan. I can only know myself in the silence.

… when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Read: DAY36,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

40 Days – Day 36

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 36

This World is erected upon the principle of reciprocity. Neither a drop of kindness nor a speck of evil will remain unreciprocated. For not the plots, deceptions, or tricks of other people. If somebody is setting a trap, remember, so is God. He is the biggest plotter. Not even a leaf stirs outside God’s Knowledge. Simply and wholeheartedly believe in that. Whatever God does, He does it beautifully.”

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8CpQyvv9Zj0

Today, we are releasing Stress and embracing God’s Love for us. 

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that releasing stress is possible in the beautiful moment of silence and calm. As we breathe and pray, we reset, recharge and can let go of our worries.

when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No36 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing releasing stress worked for you today. 

And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? Luke 12:25

Today we affirm: I am stress-free in the Silence.

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

Picture Source Unsplash/ Featured Image: rachel-walker–unsplash

Contemplation – Day 35

In this World, it is not similarities or regularities that take us a step forward, but blunt opposites. And all the opposites in the universe are present within each and every one of us. Therefore the believer needs to meet the unbeliever residing within. And the nonbeliever should get to know the silent faithful in him. Until the day one reaches the stage of Insane-I Kamil, the perfect human being, faith is a gradual process and one that necessitates its seeming opposite: disbelief.

I live vibrantly from my joyful spirit.

Oh, how true!  I have been searching for my ‘faith’ for decades. At the beginning of my journey I strongly believed that I needed to connect with likeminded people who will love me and embrace me for who I am. But I kept on finding myself with people who looked at me as weirdo. I wondered why God hated me so much to suffer a company that did not understand or appreciated me.

Some time along the dusty road of self-discovery, I met the ‘disbeliever’ inside of me who neither liked me or appreciated me. I realized that I was surrounded with such people because God wanted me to meet the ‘disliker’ within.

We see God and our world through ourselves. We are our own filter in a way. As is outside so is within. It is a work in progress. I can see the light of the ‘believer’ now!

Read: DAY35,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)