Listening

To listen at the level of the Soul is a spiritual practice that scares many of us. Soul listening brings to us revelations that we don't want to hear, so we turn away.

Last week cruising the Western Caribbean I listened and took in the advice of Master teachers such as Yogi Amrit Desai (founder of Kripalu Yoga) and Michio Kushi (who brought Macrobiotics to the West). But the most inspiring people were those who sat on a recovery panel and shared their stories of returning to health through following the practices of a Macrobiotic or a Vegan diet.

Macrobiotics focuses on the vibrational energy of food, and it helps people reclaim the visceral energy connection between ourselves and the magical qualities that are innate in our food.

One woman on the panel shared her story of recovery with a friend whose daughter had been diagnosed. She created a basket full of information regarding the Macrobiotic diet but the friend refused to accept the basket and denied his daughter the opportunity to choose for herself.

What is it in us that stops us from listening or hearing?

I am reminded of Jesus who as he came near the city of Jerusalem wept over it, saying "if you had only recognized the things that make for peace..."

Cultural conditioning gets in the way of us slowing down and seeing eating as a spiritual practice. If we take this challenge and listen as we eat, we will feel the energy and wisdom of our bodies as they show us what foods balance our body/mind so we can live in harmony and peace as spiritual human beings.

Listen & Be Well,
Rev Janice

Let your Light Shine

"You are the Light of the World...let your light shine)
Many religious and spiritual traditions, self help, psychological and spiritual books, including the Bible, A Course in Miracles and many others all say words to the effect that we become lost when we identify with the roles in our life, for we lose our soul, which causes much suffering.

One way we know that we've forgotten our true Soul nature is when we take things literally or personally and our emotions surge causing in us a diminished or elevated sense of self or me which needs protecting or defending.

A friend shared with me that while at work, a gentleman came in and handed her a card which read something to the effect: "Repent and be saved." My friend said there would have been a time when this would have caused feelings of guilt or resentment to surface, but since she has been on the spiritual path and practicing the four agreements, one of them being, "Don't take anything personally," she noticed she became aware that she was able to take a breath and say to him, "Thank you,"

This is a beautiful story of regaining awareness, for awareness creates in us a spaciousness that ushers in a sense of dynamic serenity and freedom, allowing the beingness to rise up in human being;

Before the light of awareness dawns, we are strictly being human.

Let your Light Shine

"Be Impeccable with your word"

"Be Impeccable with your word."

One morning in Mrs. Thomas' third grade class, she asked the children to state what they wanted to be when they grew up. As they went around the room, each child responded to the question with answers such as: "I want to be a policeman, a fireman, an astronaut, a chef... until they came to Melissa who said, "I want to be possible." Mrs. Thomas asked Melissa to say again what she wished to be, and again she replied: "Possible, I want to be possible. My mother is always telling me 'I am impossible,' so when I grow up, I want to be Possible."

When we practice being impeccable with our word this spiritual practice plants seeds of encouragement, kindness, compassion, forgiveness and love.

Just what we all need to live in a world that is Possible.

"Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth... God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

I had some meetings to attend yesterday up in Vero. I had arrived early and did some window shopping. I stepped into a kitchen shop, which was filled with unique pots, pans, aprons, dishes, grinders and a multitude of gadgets. I was not looking for anything, when my eye came upon a lemon colored lemon container that one can use to place cut lemons in, so as to keep them fresher longer. Now, I am a lemon user. I use lemon in many recipes, so this was a find, and it was only $4.50.

Spiritual author Paulo Coehlo says in order to see miracles, magic and mystery in life, upon awakening, before the mind steps in, take a moment and breath in, "I accept all the good the universe gives," and breath out, "I send peace, love and harmony into the universe." He says to do this ten times, as it will clear the mind of any unwelcome negative occupants lurking about.

This exercise prepares us to worship God in Spirit and Truth by allowing us to appreciate the beauty of life that is right in the midst of all the clanging pots and pans, the apron ties of the past, the grinding justifications that make us weary. With a clear mind and open heart, we are in harmony with life and God is revealed, turning every experience, every encounter, everything we see and find into a treasure that supports our spiritual growth.

Who knew that such joy and salvation can come in the form of a cute little lemon holder.
Yum,

Rev Janice

When I was a little girl, I spent many summer weeks at my nana and pop's home in Grimsby, England. Their home was a small townhouse type nestled in a circular grove. It had a small patch of land in back that flourished with roses and a wide variety of plants and flowers that my grandparents would nurture. If a plant's petals looked ill, my nana would snip off the tops and sing a love song to the elemental fairies calling them to come and nourish the root, inviting it to bloom. And it did.

So many of us do not know that we live in the midst of a Presence and Power that willingly rushes in to support us. Some call this the Spirit of Pachamama , Gaia, Mother Earth and that all we need do is tap into the stream and allow it to flood our being with love.

One of my favorite spiritual authors, Paulo Coehlo writes: "Miracles occur all around us, signs from God show us the way, angels plead to be heard, but we pay little attention to them because we have been taught that we must follow certain formulas and rules if we want to find God. We do not recognize that God is wherever we allow Him/Her to enter."

Miracles are about shifting our perception, perspective from the intellect and into our heart, and this takes Faith.

Our co-founder, Charles Fillmore said: "Faith is the perceiving power of the mind linked with the ability to shape substance."
Faith is having the wisdom to See with the eyes my nana had as she would snip off the decaying petals and sing in the elementals so health and beauty could blossom.

I invite you to enter into your inner garden and as you look about, if error thoughts surface, thoughts of lack, doubt, dismay, snip them off and sing into yourself a song of love.
You will bloom.
In love
Rev Janice

 

©2012 Unity of Fort Pierce | 3414 Sunrise Blvd, Fort Pierce, FL www.unityoffortpierce.com

The tax collectors came to Peter and asked: "Does your teacher pay the Temple tax?" Peter answered, "Yes he does." And when he came home Jesus asked him what he thought. Then Jesus instructed him, saying: "So we do not give offense, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up and when you open its mouth you will find a coin; take that and give it to them." (Matthew 17:24)

Some explain this story by saying there are certain kinds of fish, Musht, that are six inches long and they swim near the bottom of the sea and sometimes swallow coins; others explain that some fish swim with their babies in their mouths so when you catch one you are actually catching two, kind of like a Publix buy one get one so we can give that one to the food bank.

But Jesus asks Peter what he thinks, so here is a tipoff this story is about consciousness. We live and move and have our being in God and in God we walk in the world of matter. Yes, we know all things pass, yet in the meantime we walk amidst cultural systems, organizations, institutions, schools, hospitals, roads, law enforcement - but wait I'm wandering too far afield...

In Consciousness lies a sea of unlimited ideas (fish). If my intention is to be creative, perhaps a writer or a musician, then I must take up the discipline of focusing and giving my heartfelt attention on writing or practicing every day, bringing this image into physical reality.

To live in the yin and yang of life is to live balanced in giving and receiving. To be guided by God is to accept life as it is; even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient, even when it is raining.

The process is to listen, hear, and be willing to move (give and receive). We always stand at the seacoast yet some get tangled in the nets (beliefs) called unfairness; wanting things to be different.

To live from God consciousness is to give of our time, talent and treasure to our spiritual center, to self-care, to family, friends, strangers, society, willingly. To accept the world as it is, is to SEE through appearances and notice where am I in this process of Life, which is giving and receiving? Am I enjoying all the cycles of God, the growth, the sun, the rain, the wind? Am I grateful for the roads, the parks, the beaches, or am I rationalizing, struggling, and dismissing its relevance to me.

So, we are at the sea, let us cast our hooks knowing all of life is a two for one illusion as we shift from thinking we must humanly survive and enter into the Christ consciousness of Oneness, where we spiritually thrive.

"Gone Fishing"
Rev Janice

"State of Grace"

Dr Rachael Remen tells a story of how she became close with a six year old little boy who was the son of a friend of hers. The boy's father was an artist she knew from college and his mother a stay at home mom, who brought beauty into their home but they had little money.
The boy had two Hot Wheels cars that he would race around every window ledge in the home. Rachael said she had wanted to buy the boy the whole set of Hot Wheels but could not think of a way to do this without embarrassing her friend.
Then one of the major gas companies began a Hot Wheels giveaway. A Hot Wheels car with every fill-up. She made a list and asked everyone in her clinic to fill up at this type of gas station for the next month in order to collect each model. A month later she handed a box filled with the complete set of Hot Wheels to the boy. Hot Wheels' Volkswagens, Porsches and fire engines filled every window ledge but he no longer played with them. Puzzled, she asked him why. He looked at her and said:

"I don't know how to love this many cars."

Jesus, our way shower said:
"For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away."
I don't think Jesus was referring to toy cars or toy boats or any kind of toys, for that matter; He was referring to Consciousness - as we deepen our awareness of spirit through applying spiritual principles and practices to our lives, we become attuned to Spirit and our perceptions become more refined. Having a direct experience with life allows us to experience the pulsating, invisible realm of Spirit that lies beneath all appearances.

This Sunday is Mother's Day. Join us as we honor the many ways in which the feminine qualities of caring, nurturing and love express themselves in all life.