We are thrilled to have Rev. Robin Reiter join us from Boynton Beach, FL. Rev. Robin is the founder of Sacred Abundance Ministries and co-host of “Rebels With a Cause” on Unity Online Radio. She travels all over the country speaking, teaching, and leading events that deeply heal, inspire and transform people.  She is a captivating storyteller, passionate speaker, phenomenal teacher and visionary leader.  Robin’s mission, through Sacred Abundance, is to help all people realize Heaven on Earth. You won’t want to miss it!

Part of being a spiritual being in this human experience is learning how to handle the criticisms that are thrown at us, both personally and about our beloved Unity … not to mention the “pot shots” we hurl at ourselves! In this Truth talk, Revs. Bil & Cher help us understand the spiritual meaning of these “pot shots” and share practical ways to handle them so we emerge stronger, more confident in our faith, and living from a higher consciousness. This message will change your life and your relationships!

We hear people say it all the time: “It’s all happening as it’s supposed to happen.” Other variations include “This was meant to be.” “God has a reason for this.” “It was meant to be.” All we can do is take a deep breath and say, “Really?”

Let’s explore this belief from a deeper, spiritual perspective, because we strongly assert that this is one of those things you know that just ain’t so!

What This Phrase Assumes: 

According to this assumption, whatever is happening is part of a predetermined plan and will. Even if we do not like what is happening, it is our job to deal with it because there is some bigger reason or plan that we do not understand or know.

Get Over It!

There IS no external force or plan being imposed upon us by a micro-managing Cosmic Deity. We are the masters of our lives and have dominion over all of our thoughts, intentions, choices, and actions. Please read that last sentence again so it soaks in. Again please! One more time.

See, you were supposed to re-read it. No you weren’t. You chose to re-read it—three times—at our insistence.

We’re messing with you!

Truth Triage: 

There is a kernel of Truth here. The speck of Truth is that there is a Divine Will and Plan. However, it is nonspecific for any of our lives and circumstances. The God-Will and the God-Plan are for each of us to express the maximum amount of Goodness, the maximum amount of Godness, and the maximum amount of Christ Consciousness we are at our present level of awareness. All of us have an inner urge to express more and more good. more of our Divinity. It’s in our spiritual DNA! Each of us, through our choices and free will, determines how we outpicture Goodness, “Godness,” Christ Consciousness. Things happen in our world … the real Truth is that we can choose … always … to use it for good. In fact, even as we are in the midst of a devastating experience, we can begin asking the question, “How can I choose to use this for good?” Once we adopt that awareness, we can call upon our Spiritual Principles to guide us through whatever the world of appearance throws our way.

Replacement Phrase: 

Try replacing the phrase “It is all happening as it is supposed to happen” with a greater Truth that reinforces your Divine power of choice: Whatever Happens, I Choose To Use For Good.

Physicists announced they’ve found evidence of the ‘God particle.’ The ‘God particle’ is believed to give all matter in the universe size and shape. The phrase ‘God particle’ was coined by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman in the 1950’s, as a non-technical way of explaining how mass in the subatomic universe works. The ‘God particle’ was found in the $10 billion Large Hadron 17 mile long proton-smashing Collider on the Swiss-French border.

Until now the ‘God particle,’ or Higgs Boson, was a theoretical particle. But not any longer! “We have now found the missing cornerstone of particle physics,” Rolf Heuer, director of the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced last Wednesday.

What does this have to do with our spirituality? Plenty! Matter and Spirit are a duet just like our human self and Christ Self are a duet. Matter is Spirit expressing as matter. We are Spirit expressing as us. I’m putting my quantum spirituality and metaphysician hats on when I say I believe the ‘God particle’ quantum physicists believe they’ve found is really the ‘Christ Particle.’

Why? I believe it is most appropriately called the  ‘Christ Particle’ because the Christ is God in physicality: God expressing as the Christ. It is the ‘Christ Particle that gives “all matter in the universe size and shape.”

One of the most mystical books in the New Testament, the Gospel of John, alludes to the ‘Christ Particle.’ It says in Chapter 1, verse 1:

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² The Word was with God in the beginning. ³ Through the Word all things were made; without the Word nothing was made that has been made.

In other words, the One Presence, God, expresses Itself through Its Christ aspect, the Word. And without this physical expression, the ‘Christ Particle’ (the Word), the universe would not have shape and size.

Just as this God Presence expresses Itself as the Christ, the Christ expresses Itself as us. We are part of the Eternal Duet … as we walk the spiritual path on practical feet.

We hear Jesus as the Christ talk about mustard seeds — but what on earth do mustard seeds have to do with making our lives work now, in the 21st Century? Actually, from a metaphysical perspective, the message is very relevant and practical. Here’s a spiritual look at Jesus’ teachings from Luke 13:18-19.

v. 18:  Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?

This verse is really asking the question: How can we grasp the essence of our Divine nature. What are we familiar with that would be a good metaphor?

v. 19:  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched on its branches.

This verse uses the mustard seed as the comparison point. What it is saying is that our awareness of our Christ (or Divine) nature is like a highly spiritualized Lilliputian thought (mustard seed) which develops (expands) into an awesome spiritual epicenter (tree) composed of lofty insights (birds) and consciousness-expanding concepts (nests) that fill mental estuaries with unlimited possibilities of expression.

So what does this mean to us? If we want to experience spiritual enrichment and growth, here are three things we can do:

BE FOCUSED: Turn your focus onto Truth. For example, if you find yourself distracted by the “weeds” of negative thinking, once you notice it just stop. Say to yourself, “I give this negativity no  power! I am one with God, and all is well.” Become aware of what seeds are lying within you, seeds of talent, gifts to share with the world. Even if they seem small and insignificant to you, focus on them and they will bloom.

BE ACTION ORIENTED: Start small, but start doing something. Take baby steps. You’ll find that your Truth walk takes on a life of its own once you connect yourself with Spirit.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF! If Jesus were telling parable today, he might say, “Chill! Don’t beat yourself up when it feels like the weeds are winning!” Love yourself into a place where only thoughts of good, of joy, of peace, of harmony can live and thrive and make a home.

As you allow your “mustard seed” sized thoughts of the Divine grow, you will find yourself walking the spiritual path on practical feet!

This is the time of year when so many folks hit the links (the golf course, for those who may not know the lingo) in search of that elusive hole in one! But at Unity Spiritual Life Center, we know something that is even better than the golfing pinnacle of success. Our highest achievement is to hit that “Whole” in One: connecting with the Divinity so there is no separation between your human self and your Divine Self. We’ll show you how to do it, and give you the practical actions you can take right away to experience an inner thrill of Wholeness, a sense of peace and satisfaction, a new level of prosperity, and abundant joy! Don’t miss this powerful Truth Talk by Revs. Bil and Cher.

There is power in the words you say … even more than you may realize! We have been given the Power of Dominion, and through our spoken word we can create. So … how is that working for you? Do you like what you are creating? This Sunday, discover the techniques to transform your experience through the spoken word, so you can live a life that is spiritually enriching, abundantly prosperous, and vitally alive! It feels like magic — but it’s not! It is simply understanding and using our Spiritual Principles to their fullest!

Join Rev. Bil and Rev. Cher for a powerful message based on the story of the walk on the road to Emmaus, where the risen Jesus appears to two travelers. Discover the metaphysical meaning of this story, and how you can experience an Emmaus Moment in your life. You will leave with practical ways to transform your spirituality and experience deeper relationships. To prepare, you might want to read the Biblical account, found in Luke 24:13-35.

There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree. You can climb it, or you can sit on an acorn! Both are perfectly viable, but one is definitely faster. The other takes the patience of Job! Likewise, there are two ways to move through the Lenten season: Fasting or Feasting! Both are legitimate expressions of spiritual growth, and from a spiritual perspective, we recommend doing both. We just put a little different twist on it.

Let’s start by clarifying exactly what Ash Wednesday is.

Ash Wednesday signifies the first day of Lent, and it occurs on a different date each year, depending on when Easter falls — which is also different each year. Just wait – it gets more confusing! The date of Easter is determined by the date of the Pascal Full Moon. This full moon does not correspond to any astronomical event, but is a historical artifact determined from tables. Once the date of Easter is set, Ash Wednesday falls forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter.

Why is it called Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned, and mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized. This paste is used by the priest who presides at the service to make the sign of the cross, first upon his own forehead and then on each of those present who kneel before him at the altar rail. As he does so, he recites the words: “Remember (O man) that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19).  Ashes are viewed throughout Christian history as a symbol of humility and sacrifice for those who wear them.

This is the traditional view, which focuses on sinfulness, sorrow, unworthiness, and repentance.

The Spiritual Perspective

From a spiritual perspective, it is all a little different! Ash Wednesday represents our resolve to deny the power of outer appearance which creates the belief in separation from our True Nature. Throughout the Lenten season, we choose to “FAST” from self-defeating thoughts, choices, attitudes, and beliefs, and FEAST on our affirmation of our oneness with God.

We prefer to substitute sacred oil in place of ashes. By placing a sign of the heart on our forehead with oil, we acknowledge our commitment to cross out error and become one with the Truth of us. We also believe we are living the scriptural teaching of Jesus, when He advised His followers (in Matthew 6:16-18):

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The Metaphysical Interpretation

When our intention is to fast from error thoughts, we will lose face if our abstention is only a façade.  The point is not about whining and demonstrating how difficult it is for you to perform your fast. Rather, a true fast means consecrating the whole body, mind, and soul from a consciousness of love so that our inner cleansing aligns our total beingness with the pattern of perfection that is within us.

From a spiritual perspective, Lent goes beyond Easter. Lent is a spiritual retreat forward, a time of preparation, cleansing, and completion as we fast from error thoughts and feast on our relationship with the Christ within. True Lent is a lifetime of fasting from anything and everything that we allow to separate us from our Christ Nature. So fast from fear and doubt. Fast from worry and thinking you don’t measure up.

You are put here to enjoy life. Use this Lenten season to discover the Kingdom, the power, the rightness within you. You can do it because it’s in your spiritual DNA.

About the Authors: Combine a flair for the dramatic, a deep understanding of metaphysics combined with the teachings of Jesus, and a zest for ministry, and you have defined Revs. Bil & Cher Holton, the dynamic duo who serve as co-ministers for Unity Spiritual Life Center, Durham, NC. This exciting couple bring their love for Truth Principles to everything they do, and work together to create a center that lives its vision and mission in everything it does.They are prolific authors, and share their metaphysical and spiritual principles through their website: http://www.TheMetaphysicalWebsite.com

Check out our special Ash Wednesday Fasting/Feasting Meditation.

This week, Rev. Cher will explore the Unity perspective of Lent, and share the metaphysical interpretation of Fasting and Feasting. She will also offer a few powerful practical adventures you can use to experience dramatic change in your life, opening new channels of spiritual enrichment, peace, and prosperity.