Fuggedah bout it! Forgiveness       There are a million reasons to be angry these days. Just open the newspaper and you will find all the ammunition you need to label yourself the victim. Every day we end up paying more than we think we should for the things we need because of those big companies making big profits. We are always inconvenienced by some stupid rule or regulation that was designed to cause us grief. Someone, somewhere during day will cut us off in traffic, jump ahead of us in line, close a door in our face, or take the last good batch of grapes on the produce counter. Enough to push you over the edge, doncha’ think? Then there is always the more personal betrayal by a friend or family member, deceitful boss or coworker, and maybe even the thug that stole your wallet! Man! How’s a guy supposed live around here?   Forgiveness is one of the major components of Christianity. But have we ever stopped to wonder… why? Most of us probably think,” because that is what Jesus taught”, or, “because it’s the right thing to do!” Still some may figure it is compassion for the target of our wrath.   Well, I don’t think it is any of the above! Forgiveness is freedom. Forgiveness is about allowing ourselves to live without giving away peace of mind to strangers that do not know you gave it to them. Forgiveness is happiness itself. Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek. Jesus also taught us to; “Judge not lest ye be judged” which is where the divine truth of forgiveness is born.   God created human kind in order to experience the unlimited diversity of “being” that results from countless choices between relative conditions. We, (and ultimately God) appreciated calm, in contrast of chaos. We enjoy being respected, contrary to being disrespected, and so on. All things that occur, give meaning to the contrasting condition, and therefore are all components of our journey toward inner peace. When we judge actions or conditions as “BAD” and determine that they were unjustly directed toward us, we end up in a state of resentment that prevents any measure of peace from existing in our hearts. Ninety nine percent of the time, the target of our despair has no idea about, or at least is unaffected by, our state of mind. We become victims of our own judgment. This is what is meant by; “Judge not lest ye be judged” That lesson does not warn us to refrain from action as others will take similar action in return. It means we are literally “spitting into the wind”, and it will land right in our own face.   If we can find our way to place where we can understand that all that “is”, simply is, and accept it as a component of our journey toward Grace, we can refuse to allow prevailing conditions to rob us of the present moment joy. If we forget about the actions and situations that we initially “Judge” as unacceptable, and just notice them, then (Fuggedah Bout It) we will find that there is much less anger and resentment in our hearts. POSITIVELY SPEAKING, “fuggedah bout it” is great advice.         Are you here?          Keeping a positive attitude, (attitude of gratitude), accepting the events of our lives as they unfold, “as is”, without judgment, and seeking the opportunity to be of service in all situations, is certainly the recipe for experiencing joy in our lives. Furthermore, joy is the springboard to success in all endeavors. Following the path our creative intentions lead us to, in the absence of joy, is like driving down the highway, with a destination in mind, a proper map, (or GPS device), but driving with flat tires. You can have a positive attitude all you want, recite mantras and affirmations until you’re hoarse, but acting without the feeling of joy in our hearts, is only make believe! We can’t fool our spirit. We know when we are pretending, but there is nothing wrong with that. We have all heard the old adage; “fake it till you make it”, or “ Bring the body, and the mind will follow”! These are exercises to help us move from a joyless space to one of real joy. The feeling of joy is the only feeling that brings success, health, and well being.             God created us to feel and spread joy. Peace of mind, contentment, acceptance, and love, are all components of, and interchangeable aspects of, joy, which is God-realization. “God is in heaven, all is right with the world”! “ Be still, and know that I am God”! So what ruined it? We did, of course. The human mind can screw up anything. We think, all the time, constantly. Our thoughts create our reality, and what we believe to be real effects how we feel. We literally think ourselves to grief, subsequently thinking ourselves to death.             So how can we change this? One good idea is a very simple practice. “BE HERE NOW”! Two of the biggest thieves of joy are worry and regret. Worry is the feeling of agony, and turmoil over events that have not occurred yet. Regret is agony, and turmoil over events that have already occurred, and have passed. These feeling of grief are the result of spending time with our minds focused on future, or past, and subsequently destroying the present. We all know that worry will not change the outcome of an event, and regret will not make the past any different than it was. So why bother? All that we ever really have is NOW. Ruining the present ruins everything, as the present is all there is. The present is a gift from God that is why it is called present. Now is the pre-sent moment in which all reality exists.             Everything that we are aware of, all life occurs in this instant. Events that have not occurred are only thoughts, as such; past events are memories, which are only thoughts. The only true reality is what we are encountering NOW. When we spend the now, with our minds in the future or the past, we have missed what is happening NOW. Missing NOW is letting life pass us by. When we worry about upcoming events we are not appreciating the sunset that is before us, or the good health we are experiencing. When we are suffering the events of the past, the life giving rain, and the company of loved ones does not have the impact it should. Living life in the past, or future, is preventing us from benefiting from what God has “ pre-sent us. We are leaving the “ present” we received unopened on the table, as we allow the never ending moment of now to elude us. Joy can only be found NOW. Joy is in the present, right here, right NOW. This is all that exists. The past and future are merely musings of the mind. All life occurs in the NOW. Focus on what is happening this moment. Plan by taking action NOW. Focus only on the action being performed this moment, not on what the future results may bring. Living in the moment, being aware of all our blessings, all of our “ presents” in this moment will prevent the future, and the past from robbing us of our “pre-sent joy”. Positively Speaking, Joy is right here, right now! BE HERE NOW!

Judgment Free!   I am pretty sure what people want most is to be happy. No, change that, I’m POSITIVE what most people want is to be happy. No, let me try again; Positively Speaking, what everyone wants most in this world is to be happy. The problem is; we don’t know why we’re not! For the longest time, I had things “bass- akward”! I was always looking for “things”, and “circumstances”, to bring me my happiness: “As soon as I meet the right women, I’ll be happy”! Then,” as soon as we buy the right house”, I’ll be happy! And, “If only I could lose 20 pounds”, I’ll be happy. But acquiring the things, and achieving the circumstances, only yielded the need for more things and greater circumstances to bring me to the much elusive state of happiness I was searching for. Than I learned something quiet startling! Being happy is a choice! I can choose at any time to be happy. If I become grateful for the things I now take for granted, and change the way I look at life, I can be happy without any conditions being met. This next part is a killer: Once I decide that I am happy, all the things I thought I needed, will show up anyway. But, there’s a catch. There’s always a catch! The secret lies in how I look at life! There are a number of shifts in perception I will need to incorporate into my attitude toward this experience I call life. The one I want to look at first is called JUDGMENT. There are many philosophers, and poets, prophets, and spiritual leaders that have taught us much about judgment. In Christian Scripture, the Teacher from Nazareth tells us: “Judge not, lest ye be judged”! Sounds like good advice. But why? So what if we judge, and are judged. Well, what I read into that quote is that by putting judgment on a thing, person, action, condition, way of life, or circumstance, we create a label that is now part of our perception of life. All negative labels create situations that will cause us to be uncomfortable, and rob us of our happiness. These labels establish conditions that we find ourselves in, like having the label stuck all over our bodies, we can’t get away from them. By deciding a thing is “bad”, or “wrong”, or even just “unacceptable”, we now have a condition that will cause us pain. We end up all caught up in this bad thing, that we determined was bad, and now our own determination is coming back to haunt us.The key word here was deciding! Should I decide that previously held notions of bad, wrong, undesirable, or uncomfortable, were nothing more than actions different than actions I would take, shrug them off, and go about my business, then there is no need for me to decide to be bothered by them. The truth of the matter is that within every ac-tion, (act of creation), humans can experience, lies an opportunity to find love, peace, and compassion hidden somewhere within it. Look at Hurricane Katrina! That was a tragedy of epic proportions. Many, many people were killed, injured, lost, and displaced. But, instead of looking at the tragedy as good, or bad, we could have just looked at as part of life, and focused on all the opportunity we had to reach out to those in need. For every story of grief and pain, there were two stories of courage and compassion. For every situation of loss, there were 10 demonstrations of unselfish giving. The old adage of the glass being half empty, or half full is not just an inspiring little quote, it is one of life’s secrets to happiness. There is a nation wide fitness center that claims to have a “Judgment Free Zone”. I think it is an advertising ploy to allow us to feel comfortable utilizing their establishment in spite of the fact that we may not already be “buff”. After all, if we were “buff” we wouldn’t really need them. Ploy or not, they may have started something! That is where I want to be, right in the middle of a “Judgment Free Zone”. Wouldn’t it be great if we all created one of those! Let’s give it a try. The zone of my influence, that is the area I come in contact with, will be a “Judgment Free Zone”. I am going to try for a few weeks, and see if that can help me decide to be happy. Won’t you join me? All you need do, is suspend your opinion of right, wrong, good, bad, acceptable , and unacceptable, realize that anything you encounter that does not seem to be aligned with your idea of spreading joy, as simply “ another way”, than look for an opportunity to bring joy to it. I think that will bring about some changes. No, wait, I know that will make things better. Hold on now, I AM POSITIVE  that you will find more happiness this way. We may not change the world with this, but I am POSITIVE, it won’t hurt anything. POSITIVLEY SPEAKING, it’s worth a try.

Whose life is it anyway?   How did I get here? Who asked for this lousy job? Why am I so overweight? I can’t remember the last time I was really happy. What on earth happened?  How come I never win anything? Why is it nothing ever seems to work out? I had such dreams when I was young! Has anyone ever heard those words? Haven’t we all uttered them, (or something close), at one time or another? Some people will say we are where we are due to “fate”. Yet other folks will claim “It’s all in Gods’ plan, or Gods will”. Then there are some that just say, “Such is life”. The big question is; Are we victims of life or authors? Are we tossed around like rag dolls by the current of life, or are we steering the ship? I would say that the “Gods will”, aspect of things is that we find joy, peace, and love in our short time here. I believe God wants us to use our creative power, fueled by desire, to choose between the unlimited diversity of conditions that this relative world of opposites presents us, to orchestrate lives of bliss. The “Plan”, or “Will”, being that we experience the result of our choices as feelings, and further choose based on how those feelings impact our sense of connection to our divine self. This is what would determine how our lives unfold. We create our lives by choosing. Every choice we make in each second of our life, changes the direction of where we are going. The spiritual gurus of the day claim we attract to ourselves that which we think about most. Choosing is not only a deliberate act of undeniable certainty, but also the result of where we focus our attention. If we are always thinking, complaining, and worrying about things we do not want, we are unintentionally causing them to show up in our lives. This is why a positive attitude and cheerful personality is so important to creating the lives we want. The nay-sayers will ask: Did victims of 911 ask to be killed in the towers? How could anyone choose to have a fatal illness, or be involved in an accident or violent crime? The biggest of all bullets for this philosophy is: what about children, and babies? Surely they do not have the intent to end their own lives when they are not yet aware? These are the tough questions that never seem to have a “cut and dry” answer. The closest I have ever heard to an answer for these is as follows: Our souls are eternal, and therefore have been around forever. Before a soul makes the decision to come into this temporary physical form, it had an agenda. We are here to impact others in a specific way. It was the souls plan that life would be short lived, so it could be cause for the lives of others to have a specific experience. I know, this one strains credibility!  This also corroborates the “its all part of Gods’ plan” theory. Now that I got past the tough one, the rest is cake! Success or failure, joy or misery, fat or thin, healthy or sickly, empowering relationships, or destructive abusive ones, abundance or poverty. These are all the consequences of choices we made at some point in our lives. Sometimes we aren’t aware that we have chosen badly. As I mentioned before; “that which we think about most, becomes real” we (REAL-IZE) what we focus on. Constant thought, worry, complaints, criticisms, and frustrations, are all focused thought, which our creative power interprets as desire, or choice. After all, if we pay so much attention to a thing, it stands to reason that this is what we want. We have the power to choose anything, any time. Our reaction to life is a choice. I could call one person a bad name and they could laugh at me, while someone else may get upset, and find cause to have a miserable day. The laughing person or the crying one were not victims of me, but living the result of how they chose to interpret me. My previous musings discussed judging, sowing and reaping, and faith. All of these are components of our spiritual condition that are part of the creative process. They are all interwoven like an intricate tapestry, that when deliberately patterned, are capable of presenting great beauty. Should we haphazardly ignore these creative steps, and allow life to toss us around like a rag doll, reacting negatively to judgments we’ve made, we will find ourselves asking the questions that opened this article. But truth be known, “We chose it that way”. POSITIVELY SPEAKING: We are where we are because we chose to be here. We can be wherever we want as long as we choose to be. No Judging! Find the joy and opportunity for love in every circumstance that comes our way, and put out only positive energy. Being aware of our feelings and taking steps to feel good is the recipe for good choices.

“It’s in there!”           Not so many years ago, (probably 20) there was a very popular TV commercial for Spaghetti sauce by Prego, where they kept repeating “It’s in there!” The point was to continually reinforce to the doubter that everything necessary for a perfect tasting sauce was indeed inherent in this product. Humanity was saved once again by a marketing genius. No longer would we spend countless hours at the supermarket searching and searching for the perfect sauce. Never again need we create that awful mess in the kitchen that follows the hours of toil creating sauce from “scratch”. Prego put it all “In there”.           In recent years I’ve come to realize that the product of my life-long quest will never be found in the places I spent years looking. The product I am discussing has many names. Some call it grace, others peace, while it is also known as serenity, contentment, wholeness, fulfillment, and love. The simplest term that resonates with everyone is “happiness”. We are all searching for happiness. There isn’t a living breathing entity that does not desire happiness, (providing it can feel emotion).           When we buy a new car, it’s not for the speed, or the look, or the economy, but for the happiness we think we will experience from those features. New clothes are not for fit, the look or the feel, but for the happiness we will derive from wearing them. When we buy a house, choose a mate, pick a house of worship, the components, features and benefits are all directed toward brining us to the ever elusive place in our minds we call “happy”.           For much of my life “happy” was like the proverbial, “carrot-on-a-stick”. It was always just out of reach. I thought becoming an adult and breaking free of the bondage of parents would get me there. Then I figured finding a mate and settling down would be the ticket. After that I expected that the right job would be the key, then I knew once I became a dad, or joined a church, etc, etc, etc, ad-infinitum! One could get discouraged, and be prompted to exclaim, “Where’s the beef?” (Any one get the impression I am a product of television?)           Well it seems that I have been looking in the wrong place. It also seems that the more I want something, the further from my reach it appears to be. I have been hoping that the wonderful “OZ” would help me find my way if I met his requirements, and brought him the wicked witches broom, (TV again). Well, I’ve gotten the broom and still no reward. I have figured out that the guy up on the screen is only me behind the curtain, and I have had the power to go home all along in my shoes, if I only click my heels and repeat “there’s no place like home”.           Coming to the realization that the Spirit of God lives within my being, and understanding all that is, is for a purpose, has shown me that accepting every component of life as it unfolds, “IS” happiness. I kept looking for outside conditions to bring me to happiness. I kept chasing, and running from the wicked witch. Truth be told that which I seek, I already have and had no need to look so hard. When you look out the window you don’t see what’s in the house, and that is where home is.           We are all diverse expressions of Divine Spirit. We are God expressing God in a countless variety of forms. Accepting this allows us to realize happiness (no matter what the outside conditions are). The contradiction I have lived with is that looking within and finding happiness brings about the outer conditions that reflect it. I always tried to put the cart before the horse, living life backward. The truth I have found is that everything I need to be blissfully happy is inside. “It’s In There” life is an inside job! God lives in our hearts and minds. Happiness is a realization found through an acceptance of life unconditionally. The search is over and I have found that my prize was in my pocket all along. POSITIVELY SPEAKING, IT’S IN THERE!

I Will See It When I Believe It! “Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.” That was a quote from “Miracle on 34th St”. What do you believe in? Do you have a dream? Will it come true? Do you believe it can?             In the book of John, Jesus tells His followers in regard to the miracles He had shown them that; “These things and greater so shall you do!” Jesus taught us, “Ask and you shall receive”. We were told that a loving Father wants the very best for His children, that if the birds, and animals were fed and cared for, wouldn’t God provide much better for us? In Mark 11: Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.             So it seems as though we can be, do, or have anything, as long as we believe we can. Most skeptics, when speaking of “Miracles”, or hard to believe conditions manifesting themselves, will tell you” I’ll believe it when I see it!” But the truth of the matter is that it is our believing that creates what we see. The inspirational lecturer, Wayne Dyer, coined the phrase that I titled this article with. This is the opposite of the popular skeptics cry. (I will see it when I believe it!)             This is why faith is the cornerstone of all life. Our lives unfold according to what we believe. Many people think that it is the opposite. The popular belief is that life happens to us, and we go with the flow, hoping that what is occurring is “Gods’ Will”. But life is actually the result of what we believe in our heart. In Genesis, when the writer claims we were made in the image, and likeness of God, I read that to mean we are creator spirits along with the Great Spirit that created us. God said “Let there be light” and so it was. We say I want a family, and a job, and a home, and so it is. Gods’ world is created by the individual and collective thoughts, desires, dreams, and beliefs of each one of Gods’ creations. Desire, want, and curiosity, are all the building blocks of creation. Without them, the world we know would not be.             God experiences physical life with all its’ emotion, joy, pain, and love, through our lives. We were created to bring joy to our creator. We are the conduit through which God experiences all that God could be. The only creative limits we have are the ones we have put on ourselves through our limited faith. Society has told us through out the ages that we are limited. Jesus quoted scripture to the Pharisees in John 11: saying “Haven’t I told you, ye are gods?”             The only thing stopping any one of us from being, doing, or having everything that would bring us joy, is our own belief in them being or not being possible. Likewise, all the uncomfortable situations that we believe life has thrown at us are also a product of the attention we have given them. Life is a reflection of what we think, and believe.             Desire is the starting point of success. Desire is the root of all creation. Faith is the power to accomplish that which we intend to create.             “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, either way, you are right” Albert Einstein.             Positively Speaking, it is good to want! Wanting = creation, = the expansion of Gods’ universe. UNI-VERSE (One song) such is life! You’ll see it when you believe it!

BEGIN AGAIN             Advent is approaching. The word means beginning. The Christian celebration of the birth of Our Savior signifies a new beginning for our lives. The celebration invites us to start anew each year, even though Jesus was only born once, 2007 years ago, the ‘New Beginning” began then.           Prior to the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Judean community, and other religions of the day, worshiped a deity that was feared. The gods of the past were mostly vengeful rulers that levied demands, commandments, and punishment. You didn’t want to anger God, lest you were prepared to suffer His wrath.           Jesus preached the “Good News” that the “Eternal Spirit” of our origin was loving, caring, and nurturing. The Messiah taught us that the relationship between God and all creation was that of Father and child. We were given “The Word” that all mankind shared in the Sonship, of (Our Father). No longer were we instructed to sacrifice, and suffer unto deity, but to rely, and trust Gods’ unconditional love. Jesus instructed us not to judge, but to accept, not to hold fast to this life, but to live for eternal peace and grace. The message from the Nazarene Preacher was of love, hope, trust, peace, and togetherness. Jesus did not come to this earth to be praised, and worshipped, yet we created religions that do just that. Jesus taught that with the faith of a mustard seed, we could be all that He was, yet we deify him, and erect statues, and cathedrals in His name. Jesus taught that we were all equal unto Our Father, and shared heirs to His Kingdom. Still religions segregate, and decide who may worship, receive sacraments, marry, and a host of other conditions. Jesus taught us of “The prodigal Son” illustrating the equality of all Gods creations, and we were told that faith and love would create our world.           God does not exercise His wrath. We have created our own conditions. God created the individual awareness’s we call “Humanity”, and Humanity created the world we live in. Physically, all matter is energy in motion. Energy is manipulated by thought. Thought precedes form. The world we live in is a product of individual and collective thought. When we change the way we think about things, the things we think about will change. The only difference between a very good pleasant day, and a miserable dark crappy day, is the way we think about it. Think about it! We can change the world, if we change the way we think about the world. Even “The Little Engine That Could” chugged along claiming “I think I can. I think I can, I think I can!           This Advent season, why don’t we take heed to “The Word” that this Prince of Peace, whose birth we are about to celebrate, ultimately gave us. New Years Day follows right behind Christmas. (No coincidence there). New Years is when we vow to change! Let’s all “Begin Again” and start looking, and thinking about life from all the POSITIVE, possibilities, instead of lamenting over all that brings us grief. If we change the way we look at life, the life we look at will change. Let’s give Jesus’ way a try!  Positively Speaking, Advent is a time for change! Merry Christmas!

The Resolution Revolution   Resolution: Firmness of will, belief, and action; determination. Firm pledge or solemn commitment. It’s that time of year again! The holidays have passed; we sit back and reflect upon the year gone by. What should I have done differently? What didn’t I do that I should have? Or even worse, what did I do that I’ll never do again?? I don’t know how this pastime got started, but the timing is perfect. As the summer draws to a close, I am too, too busy with yard work to look at my list of “ woulda’, shoulda’, coulda’ves. Than as we draw near Thanksgiving, there’s no point dieting or working out now! Only a fool would try to get control of vices between Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We are all spending too much, eating too much, and yes…partying too much. The week between Christmas, and New Years, is left to cleaning, more eating, laying on the couch scratching, and preparing for, “The Big Change”. I always get last licks in this week, because come January 1, it’s all over! This year though, I looked up the word. There are a lot of tough words in that definition. If I had known New Years Resolutions were that serious I would never have attempted one. From what I see, most new years resolutions last at best two weeks. The two week ones were the ones I was always in awe of, as mine usually make it 3-4 days. Maybe I expect too much of myself. It seems every year as far back as I can recall, my resolutions have been the same. I’ll bet that is true for most folk. That is sad when you think of it. How many of us are living lives we do not want, acting in ways we do not like, and letting our dreams and expectations pass us by? Why is that? What is it about temptation that is so tempting? Why are we always tempted by things we do not want? Wouldn’t it be nice if it was tough to resist doing the things we know we should? At the start of every New Year, we all sit down and realize that we aren’t who we think we are, and vow to give it one more shot! Well by golly, this year is going to be different! (I think I’ve said that every year also).But really, it doesn’t have to be this way. We are our own worst enemy. We do this to ourselves. When I think about it, nothing in my life has come at me by surprise. I do not believe life happens. I really believe we create our own situation. (As a man thinketh, so shall he be). Life is a reflection of how we react to the situations we are presented with. The occurrences around us are not to blame for any of our conditions. We choose how we will react to them. This is what creates the life we live; it is “Our Choices” that define us. A ball player will get pitched 2 kinds of pitches; a ball, or a strike! If he lets the ball go by, he walks! If he swings properly at the strike; a good hit comes from it. You see, whether the outcome was good or bad was not determined by the type of pitch, but how he reacted to the pitch. We are in the batters box every day. All kinds of pitches come at us. They are not the reason for the conditions of our lives. The choices we make about how to react, they are the creators of our reality. Our choices are our own. Our thoughts begin with us. The thoughts we think create the results of life, which in turn, becomes who, and what we are. This year, I am not going to make resolutions to fight the war on temptation. This time, I think, I will think better thoughts, create better results, and take responsibility for the outcomes of my choices. For now I will choose to drive my own bus! I am going to attempt to follow these simple, POSITIVE, 5 steps/ beliefs: 1.There is only One Presence and One Power, God the Good, omnipotence 2. If God is everywhere, God is also within everyone 3. My thoughts create my reality 4. Pray affirmatively giving thanks for what I desire 5. Practice the four principles (above) to the best of my ability each and every day. Positively Speaking; I am optimistic about the new year!

Is the Maytag appliance repairman really obsolete? APPLIANCE: Act of applying, thing applied, article of equipment used to facilitate application. The above definition comes from (Webster’s New Dictionary). Now seeing how I love analogies, (I almost always use them), allow me to meander a bit.   Electricity is raw undefined power. All on it’s own it could be destructive or creative. Electricity does not judge right or wrong, it just exists. When “applied” in a destructive manner, it is horrific! When applied in a creative manner, it is a “God-send”. Electricity is invisible until it manifests something. Electricity is everywhere. Electricity has always been, and will always be. We do not see it or feel it, until it is “applied” through an “appliance”. This lifeless hunk of machinery becomes the conduit, the defining factor, in how this ominous power is to be transformed into our reality. A toaster allows electricity to process food; good result. A stereo or TV set allows electricity to create entertainment; another good result. An electric chair takes lives, an incubator saves them. A power saw used improperly could seriously injure someone, used properly it could build a home. Without the electric “power” these “appliances” are useless. When they connect with the “power” they become leading edge creative tools. The electricity is neither good nor bad, and without the “appliances” the electricity is nothing more than creative (or destructive) potential, waiting for a conduit to introduce intent.   I bet you know where I’m going with this! God is like electricity. God is raw awesome unbridled power. God is not seen until something is manifest in form. God always was, and always will be. God is everywhere. God sends potential, ( electricity) ( Holy Spirit) to flow through all the “Spirit Appliances” in order to have intent introduced to facilitate the creative process, and produce form. This is how God, experiences the awesome power of God’s own potential; through God’s “appliances”. Having the Holy Spirit in our hearts is useless without the proper application. Each and every one of us, being imbued with free will, determines how the raw, awesome, unlimited potential of “Spirit” will be applied in our lives.   Each and every one of us is an “Appliance” for the determination of how God will manifest through us. We all have the response-ability (ability to respond) to the creative urges we feel, in order to apply this loving, caring energy in such a manner that it becomes service to its Creator, or Source. A lamp uses electricity in service. A bolt of lightning is without direction, and could end up being very destructive. When electricity is left without intent, it could be devastating. When we do not intentionally “apply” our talent and ability toward the common good of all God’s experience, we can misdirect that power, and destroy rater than create.  You can quote “ME” on this;  “Energy, power, strength and ability, without application, is useless! Energy, power, strength, and ability, ignored, are a disaster in the making! Energy, power, strength and ability, misdirected for ego-self purpose, is destructive!”  “Intent alone is but a noble daydream, application is the key”. There are two Rodgers quotes for you!  If we as “appliances” are not producing the result we expect from our imagined intent, we need to call in the “Maytag Repairman” There has been speculation lately that he is obsolete. Well I think not. His name is (Seek, knock, ask) and we know how to get in touch with him. POSITIVELY SPEAKING; We should have opted for the extended warranty

“I’VE CHANGED MY MIND!”               I once heard somewhere that it was a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. This year’s Presidential primary is riddled with promises of “change”.  I often find change down the side of the couch, and I feel lucky! So it seems change is good. Seasons change, the weather is always changing, and my waistline changes. Life is filled with change. I would almost say “life is change. Nothing stays the same. The face of the landscape, the size of my bank account, the number of hairs on my head; CHANGING!. Always CHANGING!             So, seeing as how change is unavoidable, we should harness its awesome power, and put it to work for ourselves. If you’ve ever read one of these little articles, you are well aware of the fact that I am a firm believer in the idea that we create the conditions of our lives from the inside out. I believe that our lives are a reflection of our beliefs, and our attitude. In short, life begins in the mind, and unfolds in form. First there is thought, (desire), then there is intent, (faith) which leads to action, (creation), which is ultimately results in manifestation, (form, or life). I’ve heard it said, “Change the way you think about a thing, and the thing you think about changes”.             Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Lets all change our minds! After all, it was our minds that created war and hatred. God didn’t start those little situations. The mind of man is where bigotry, jealousy, greed, and fear were born.  All of these conditions are the product of our minds erroneous belief in our separation from God.  Jesus taught us that the Kingdom of God was here, now, and always, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Perhaps we didn’t hear it right. Our minds wouldn’t allow us to believe it was so simple. We had to complicate life with our crazy little minds.             Well, there’s this little gift that mankind has used as our primary tool for creating. It’s called “free will”. We can think whatever we want, when ever we want, forever. The cool part about it is that if we change our mind, and decide to view the world, as kind, loving, abundant, and graceful, that is what we will experience, and attract to ourselves. If enough of us “change our minds” POSITVELY, we will witness, a rebirth of humanity. It’s as easy as viewing the glass as half full as opposed to half empty. We don’t even have to do anything, just change our minds as to how we will view the world, relationally, and the relationships we encounter will improve. Each and every one of us has the awesome power of change wired into our system. A touch of the button, (just like using the TV remote), is all it takes to create a new reality.             Next time I change the channel on the TV, or decide to change my hairstyle, I think I’ll change my mind as well. Either way, I have a choice I decide. I might also decide that life is beautiful, and adversity is the catalyst for desire fueling the  creation of my world. I just might  find myself welcoming change. When unexpected changes occur, they become opportunities to view life differently. Positively speaking, all change, (even small change, or change back from my dollar) is good!

How to serve man! As a youth I loved scary TV. My favorite shows were; Creature Feature, The Outer Limits, Night Gallery, and One Step Beyond. As I sit here recalling many episodes, it seems there was an underlying spiritual component to many of those stories. The one I am thinking of now is not one of those. A race of Aliens landed in the country. They seem to have come in peace to assist the Human race by sharing technology and wisdom. They were performing spontaneous healing, facilitating miraculous growth in plant life, and cleaning our atmosphere. It seemed as though they were just what we needed. The real lucky humans got to go on their ship and be taken to their planet ( supposedly to live lives of bliss). All the alien leaders kept referring to a book, that when translated from alien to English, was titled, “ How to serve man”. The populous was convinced this was an altruistic race of beings whose sole purpose was to be helpful. Then, the“ Kicker”. It was a cookbook!           In the book of Mark, chapter 10, James & John ask Jesus about sitting at his side when he takes his throne. They obviously took this “ King of the Jews” title too seriously. The Messiah set them straight by telling them, “ The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served”! In Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, the twelfth chapter, the writer explains the diversity of gifts bestowed upon humanity, and the need for them to be used for the betterment of the greater good. He follows with using the analogy of parts of the body all having a necessary function, none more or less vital than the other. This is the dichotomy of service! “You have to give it away to keep it”. “By giving we receive.” Contradictory statements, packed with wisdom. The famous “ Prayer of St. Frances” wraps up with a host of them; “ By forgetting one finds, by forgiving one is forgiven, dying we awaken to eternal life!”           With this formula in mind, I tell you by serving, you will be served! Many people view the unselfish acts of kindness we call “ volunteering, or charity”, as a deed that will earn brownie points with “The Man” upstairs. So many folks believe it is our Christian duty to help the poor and destitute, give of our time to worthy causes, and be kind to those less fortunate than us, and we will be rewarded at judgment day. Likewise, the activities that we spend most of our time on, our “skilled performances” are for the sole purpose of reaping financial reward so we may enjoy the necessities, and sometimes luxuries that life has to offer us and our loved ones. Lastly, any activity that brings us joy, anything we consider fun, is done solely for self-satisfaction.           Well, the aforementioned scriptures paint a totally different picture. What I see within those texts is that each of us has different talents, skills, gifts, etc, that we are to use to support the whole body of God! By each one of us bringing our special something to the table, the entire world thrives. The things we find enjoyable, are the very things we should be using to make our contribution. The way the foot works to stabilize, and mobilize the body, and in return, the entire body functions well, and thrives, therefore creating a healthy stable strong environment wherein the foot will live many happy years. Likewise, all body parts function as they were intended, and the entire body realizes the joy, as do the individual parts. I do not think that we were intended to toil all day at tasks that we loathe, competing with each other for the biggest piece of the pie. However, it seems that this is what society has degraded to. We work feverishly, worrying that it is not enough, to get the things we are afraid that there is too little of, so we can enjoy doing the things we were created to do in the first place! Crazy, huh?           All of “Humanity”, the entire “Universe”, ( one song), the vastness of the “HOLY SPIRIT” are all one thing. God is all things. This is why “The Good Shepherd” insisted, n Matthew 25: 35-40 “When I was hungry you fed me, thirsty you gave me to drink, naked you clothed me, and as a stranger you invited me in. For I tell you this; what so ever you do to the least of my brothers, this you do unto me!” All life is one life. All spirits are one spirit. All physical, material matter, is one connected  substance,(energy) there is only One.           Positively Speaking; as you serve one another, you serve yourself! (What goes around, comes around). Check it out! The aliens got fed pretty well didn’t they?

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