You’ve all heard the expression: ‘all that glitters is not gold.’ Gold miners understand that phrase very well because they know there’s such a thing as counterfeit gold, better known as charcoal pyrites, or fool’s gold. This mineral, more often than not, is mistaken for real gold.

When the “gold rush” hit America 200 years ago, thousands of people followed their dream of striking it rich, only to face a harsh climate, expensive “required” items, treacherous mountain passes, con artists, uncontrollable flooding created by the spring thaw, bacteria-laced drinking water in makeshift tent cities, and digging through granite-like permafrost at the rate of about a foot a day. Very few found enough gold to pay for their trips home.

In 1995 the Bre-X company, actually a group of Canadian companies, started a new “gold rush” in America. They claimed that there were veins of the precious metal in the hills of Busang, Indonesia. Money poured into the company as investors dreamed of striking it rich. When the gold proved to be fool’s gold, fortunes were lost. Charcoal pyrites looks like real gold and is easier to find. It glitters just like gold and is usually found in the same region where there are gold deposits. Its discovery brings short-lived joy because it’s, well, fool’s gold – like most lottery tickets you buy.

The phrase ‘all that glitters is notgold’ was introduced in the 12^th Century by French theologian Alain de Lille. His original phrase was, “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold.” A more popular version of the phrase surfaced 300 years later. ‘All that glisters is not gold’ was used by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, which was written in 1596. “Almost all of the gold ever mined is still around,” writes Peter  Bernstein in his book The Power of Gold.“Some of it sits in museums adorning the statues of ancient gods; some rests quietly in shipwrecks at the bottom of the seas.” Yet remarkably, Bernstein estimates, if all the gold ever mined were brought together in one place and formed into one solid cube, it would fit on board a single oil tanker. (That’s hard to believe, but the concentration of gold in one place shows how limited the resource is).

Phrases like: ‘All that glitters is not gold’ – ‘Sounds too good to be true’ – ‘Looks can be deceiving,’ are all phrases that remind us that there is more to life than bling.

Humankind’s attachment to material wealth, status, money, power, and prestige has enslaved millions of people to the lure of outer appearances. Humankind’s tendency toward gold fever – in all of its forms – has left us with lead feet when it comes to choosing spirituality over materiality. In your mind’s eye imagine a scene that took place 2,000 years ago. A Pharisee decked out in his silk garb and jeweled cap, his outer garment embroidered with precious stones and gems is standing next to another man. (Actually, Pharisees and Sadducees wore not one, not two, not three, but eighteen garments in all. The more garments you wore the higher your social status.)

The man standing next to him is wearing a modest himation over his unadorned tunic.( A himation is a rectangular garment that is wrapped around the body to provide protection the wearer from the elements.) The two men are standing there talking. As you look at the pair you can’t help notice the difference in wearing apparel. One looks extremely well off and the other looks like a man of modest means. If you judged by appearances you would say one looks rich and the other looks poor. But looks, as we know, can be deceiving. All that glitters is not gold! What if the man dressed in the simple tunic was Jesus? That might change your opinion as to who was rich and who was poor.

As we have mentioned in other blogs and on our website, spiritual understanding which leads to enlightenment is the gold standard. It is the Philosopher’s Stone. It turns base, materialistic thoughts into golden spiritual insights. It turns ordinary thoughts into divine ideas which are gold nuggets in a consciousness focused on abundance. Spiritual understanding, like gold, can only be obtained by washing away from it all that is not gold.

Revelation 21:21b says: “The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.” People who believe in a literal Heaven believe the streets ‘up there’ are paved in gold. Is their desire to go to Heaven based on spiritual growth or gold fever? Is Heaven a form of gold rush? Forgive us if we offend you, but a literal translation of this verse is nothing more than ‘fool’s gold.’ It’s religious pyrite. It’s a materialistic bashing of a beautiful spiritual truth.

Let’s take a look at this verse from a metaphysical perspective:The ‘great street’ of the city is the Serpentine Energy, the Holy Spirit, the Kundalini Fire which flows up our spine when we are awakened. The ‘city’ is our Christ Consciousness. The ‘gold’ is the enlightenment that comes from our elevated spiritual understanding. The ‘transparent glass’ symbolizes the knowledge that there is no separation between us and Spirit. When we awaken the unbelievable power of the Holy Spirit, the Serpentine Fire within us, and unleash Its energies we will have struck gold. One day humankind will see its spiritual awakening as the true ‘gold rush.’

When enough of us search for that kind of gold, there will be heaven on earth. We will glisten and glitter as beings of light. We will stake our claim as spiritual beings who have awakened. We invite you to join us in that gold rush so we can transform the spiritual consciousness of the planet one golden nugget of faith, love, and forgiveness at a time.

Are you ready for a bailout you can truly bank on? We’re going to toss a heavy statement at you. So prepare yourself. Are you ready? It’s going to be a fast ball:

If you don’t apply the Truth principles you know, you are orphaning your spirituality.

(You may want to read that again. And again. One more time … we’ll wait!)

Not applying the Truth principles you know is believing God is the source of your Greater Good, and then not affirming that good or taking steps to materialize that good. It’s a lot like trying to steal second base with your foot still firmly planted on first.

Your prosperity consciousness does not depend on your wealth – but your wealth depends on your prosperity consciousness. And your prosperity consciousness depends on how well you apply the truth principles you know.

That’s the way it works. The wealth we are talking about is the richness of your inner peace, confidence, strength, joy, wisdom, happiness, and common sense. It includes the quality of your relationships, your health, and your financial security.

Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science, wrote, “Prosperity is the result of a mental atmosphere of faith which is induced within us through right thinking.”

Unity minister Eric Butterworth said, “Believe that you are always in the presence of limitless substance which you create through your faith. Keep the high watch of Truth knowing you are both an inlet and an outlet for the flow of God-substance.”

Here is the Universal Truth associated with their statements: When we live at the speed of our Christ Consciousness, and allow that awareness to define our lives, we create a state of receptivity which magnetizes anything we need to help us be the best Christ we can be.

That’s the way it works. As our receptivity and awareness expand, our prosperity expands and increases.

Those who understand true giving know that we can not out-give the Eternal Isness we call God, Absolute Good, the One, Divine Mind. There is no Alpha and Omega in Universal Substance because It just is. It is timeless. The very act of giving confirms our belief in the omnipresence of Substance.

When we truly discover the power of giving, we become incurable givers because there is no limit to the receiving. We invite you to consider earning a Ph.D. in giving. It is one of the most important keys to sustained prosperity.

Sustained giving is a ‘stimulus package’ that works. If you don’t believe it, try it! Giving was one of the key teachings of Jesus. And it is one of our perennial priorities.

We believe people need a true bailout:

• A bailout from the toxic theology which has kept people in spiritual darkness for 2,000 years.
• A bailout from being herded and cattled into complacency.
• A bailout from the belief that because Unity is called to think outside a purely religious box, our ministry is a cult.
• A bailout from the illusion that some anthropomorphic being out there is going to save us.
• A bailout from the current government bailout that wants us to believe Uncle Sam is the Source of our good.

Our ‘out-of-the-box’ message is a transformational message. It is a present tense, common sense message. It is a message that helps you master the art of living.

It is a message which invites you to be brave enough, and wise enough, and grounded in principle enough to stand in your truth and say:

 “I can make a difference.”

“It’s time I made a difference.”

“I want to make the world a better place.”

“I want people to see that there’s more to me than how I look and what kind of car I drive and what kind of house I live in.”

“I want to be part of something that will be remembered for its revolutionary, consciousness-raising impact on the world.”

“I want to be able to say, ‘I truly walked the spiritual path on practical, loving, joyful, compassionate, but revolutionary feet.’”

Join us in becoming a spiritual being who makes the impossible possible – because that kind of revolutionary thinking is the bailout the world needs.

We believe it’s the only kind of bailout that works. It’s the kind of bailout you can bank on!

You are all probably familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son which appears in the 15^thchapter of Luke’s gospel. If not, you may want to take a quick peek at it before reading this spiritual, metaphysical interpretation.

From a literal standpoint, it is an interesting parable of separation and reunion, with a bit of human ego thrown in! On the one hand, we have a younger materially-minded  son who asks for his inheritance early, gets it, squanders it, and is then welcomed back into the fold,  forgiven, and rewarded with more material  things. On the other hand, we have a devoted older son who feels left out, taken for granted, and a bit jealous. We also have a father who has the wherewithal to reward both sons, loves them equally, and would do anything for either of them. If this was all there was to this story, it would be a homecoming filled with questions and mixed blessings.

But there’s more to the story. Much more! Let’s take a closer look. A more spiritual, metaphysical look:

The younger son symbolizes our undeveloped awareness of our true spiritual nature, a nature that tends to let our ego get in the way. Like him, we learn Truth principles, use affirmations and denials, experience Truth principles working in our lives, our good manifests, and then we forget about our connection to Spirit. Sound familiar?

 We use our inheritance (our manifested good) from our Father (the I AM Presence within us) and go to a “far country” (which stands for our material consciousness). Enticed by the lure of plasma TV’s, expensive homes and cars, Wall Street promises, lotteries, alcohol and drugs, and coconut rum ice-cream, we squander our good because we are inconsistent  in our Truth walk. Advertisers tell us we are incomplete unless we buy this or go into debt for that. And we believe them! We allow our material appetites to trump our spiritual common sense.

 Then we awaken to the truth of who we really are (the prodigal comes to himself) and realize our connection to Spirit (in the story the younger son says: “I will rise and go back to my Father”). When we go to our I AM Presence, we find the happiness, peace and prosperity we seek.

 In the story, while the prodigal son is yet far off his Father sees him (that means even though we forget our oneness with our Christ Nature by giving power to outer appearances, God knows us  and welcomes us with awesome abundance once we honor our God-Mind connection).

 The older son, who stayed with the father all along, represents our moralistic and judgmental poverty consciousness.  Like him, we lose sight of our abundance because we block our good with our doubts, fears, lack of faith, impatience, jealousy and any other form of lack consciousness that separates us from enjoying the abundance we can have. All we have to do is ask, believe in our worthiness to receive, and enjoy our abundance. But we go to a “far country” instead of Headquarters!

Whether we go searching for our good (like the younger son) or fail to appreciate it when we’re standing in the middle of it (like the older brother), we end up in the same place if we are inconsistent in our meditation, prayer, faith, forgiveness, and tithing.

These are the metaphysical keys to accelerating our prosperity. The sooner we outgrow our prodigal choices and the sooner we make prosperity-affirming choices a habit, the sooner we’ll enjoy the inheritance that is ours, pressed down and running over … and walk the spiritual path on practical feet.

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The Spiritual Implications of a Cosmic 2×4

Have you ever said, “Wow! I’ve been hit by a Cosmic 2×4!”? This phrase is traditional theology dressed in New Thought clothes. The phrase “cosmic two-by-four” implies there is something or someone outside of us trying to get our attention to teach us an important lesson. The implication is that God, the universe, something “out there” intends to control us for our own good, even if it means harming us or causing us pain. The idea that something wants to get our attention to force us to do what is “right” so it can teach us something is a perspective that abdicates personal choice and responsibility. Further, if we do not “get it” the first time, the whack becomes progressively worse until we finally pay attention.

We would like to say, “Get Over It!”  There is no Cosmic Two-By-Four. Please read that sentence again! One more time. Thank you. There is no Cosmic Two-By-Four—pine, oak, treated lumber, galactic laser beam, or otherwise. Since there is truly only One Power and One Presence in the universe, God the Good, this “wooden” phrase goes against the grain of the oldest and most revered Truth Principles. We do not believe God, the Good, punishes us with two-by-fours, wooden paddles, willow sticks, baseball bats, or any other “wooden explanations.”

The purely human, not cosmic, two-by-four is in our own hands! It is our poor decisions and errant actions that punish us and hurt us, not God. As long as we keep making bad decisions we will keep getting bad results.

A 2×4 moment is an opportunity to experience an “aha;” however, we can keep creating 2×4 moments if we neglect to learn from our experiences. “Aha’s” are the result of a change in perspective, an insight which comes from an intuitive leap in consciousness. Two-by-four moments occur when we suddenly realize that our own stale thought patterns and belief systems are no longer valid. If we keep beating ourselves up with the metaphorical 2×4, perhaps it’s time to pause and reflect on the thoughts, choices, and actions we’ve taken which lead to our self-flagellation. This awareness is an inside-out realization.

One of the self-denigrating assumptions we invite you to compost is the belief in a cosmic 2×4 – that there is something or someone ‘out there’ trying to get your attention to teach you an important lesson. No one has ever been hit by a cosmic 2×4. It doesn’t come from that direction.

Here’s a replacement phrase for you to try: “I’ve created a 2×4 moment!”

About the author:

Article based on an excerpt from the amazing little book, Get Over It!  The Truth About What You Know That Just Ain’t So! by Paul Hasselbeck and Bil Holton. Used with permission.

Cross My Heart and Hope To …

By Revs. Bil & Cher Holton

How many times have you heard someone say, “Cross my heart and hope to die!” It is used to make it real clear that what the person is saying is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! But wow! It is really a terrible affirmation! We prefer to finish that statement in a couple of different ways, to help you with your spiritual growth. This week’s article will explore the first way:

Cross my heart and hope to SEE Truth:

What this means is being able to see beyond the world of appearance, and see the Truth of every situation. Have you ever seen one of those Magic Eye posters, the ones that have a 3-D image hidden in an abstract geometric pattern?  They were very popular about ten years ago. When they first came out, we remember seeing one in the lobby area of a business. Both of us stared and stared, seeing nothing. Then someone walked by and told us to change our focus, and look beyond the picture — look through the picture.

We weren’t quite sure what he meant, but as we tried refocusing, all of a sudden, SNAP! It seemed like everything shifted, and there it was — a 3-D picture as sharp and as vivid as you could imagine.

Not everyone can see these 3-D illusions — it takes some effort to move past the appearance of the geometric pattern. That is exactly what is involved as we look beyond the world of appearance to see the vivid Truth.

• To the world, there is the appearance of health challenges, but we know the Truth of who we are is absolute health flowing through every cell and atom of our being.
• To the world, there is the appearance of lack, but we know the Truth of who we are is abundance and prosperity flowing.
• To the world, there is the appearance of fear, but we know the Truth of who we are is greater than any illusion of fear because we are One with the Source of everything we need — at the  moment of need.

As we cross out error thinking, we begin to stand in the Truth of what we know, and see  beyond that world of appearance…regardless of how much  the world, the media, and other people want to focus on the appearance of things.

As we learn to “Cross our heart and SEE Truth” we cross out error and move one step closer to Enlightenment. This week, practice looking beyond the world of appearance, and seeing Truth:

Whenever you feel any negative emotion or experience a situation that seems painful or overwhelming, take a moment to breathe into it. Be still and claim the Truth of who you are. Go into at least 15 minutes of Silence, moving gently from the voices in your head to the Spirit of Truth in our heart. Then cross your heart and hope to — no, KNOW YOU WILL — see Truth!

Become aware of the difference it makes in how you move through each day.

Our capacity for good is mind-boggling. Our inclination toward error is, well, mind-boggling. The difference between good and error is the difference between a green pea and a mustard seed.

We have arrived at this observation based on what we know about quantum physics and the New Testament. Mainstream scientists today believe the universe began between 13 and 20 billion years ago with a massive explosion. In 1951, astronomer Fred Hoyle coined the term for that immense explosion. He called it the ‘Big Bang.’

Scientists have calculated that just nano-seconds before the Big Bang occurred, our entire universe was compressed into a mass they believe to be about the size of a green pea. (Why a green pea? Could it have been a marble — or a chocolate malt ball?)

Models suggest that the temperature within that pea-sized mass of energy was an unimaginable 18 billion million million million degrees Fahrenheit. I can assure you that it took more than a pea-sized brain to come up with that figure. 18 billion million million million degrees Fahrenheit is many times hotter than the sun. Within a fraction of a second following the big bang, research simulations show that the temperatures may have cooled to a balmy 18 billion degrees, giving birth to our present universe. From a pea-sized lump of super-compressed energy came a physical universe comprised of millions of planets millions of light years apart.

According to Hubble’s Law, all of the galaxies in the universe as we know it are moving away from us. The universe is not earth-centric. That means we are not at the center of the universe just because everything is receding from us. The universe has no “edge.” It is limitless. And we Earthlings are merely a speck of cosmic dust in the scheme of things.

But here’s the thing, the galaxies are not moving away from us through space. They are moving away because space itself is expanding and taking them, and us, with it. Think of a loaf of unbaked raisin bread you’ve set in a warm place to rise. The raisins are like galaxies or clusters of galaxies, and the dough represents space. As the dough rises, the raisins move farther apart, but they’re moving with the dough, not through the dough.

Many researchers believe the universe is moving back to its cosmological origins. As metaphysicians, we are inclined to agree with that assessment.

Other researchers believe that at some point the universe will reach its limit and begin receding again, compressing itself into a pea-sized lump again. As metaphysicians, we are inclined to agree with that assessment too. And here’s why: What if the universe is simply the outgrowth of an error thought? It can continue to expand, to grow, to be limitless. Or it can implode on itself.

What’s this have to do with the title of today’s blog post?” Our answer is: it’s got EVERYTHING to do with it! The decline and fall of error is the difference between a green pea and a mustard seed.

Suppose a green pea represents an error thought. Before we get into trouble with you vegetarians out there, We’re using the green pea analogy because the scientists we mentioned a few moments ago believe our entire universe was compressed into a mass the size of a green pea. Remember!

So, suppose, metaphysically speaking, a green pea represents an error thought. A thought that binds us, and compresses us with the weight of its debilitating negativity.

In metaphysics, that would be a valid analogy because—are you ready for this … from a Spiritual, metaphysical interpretation, God did not directly create the universe.

There we said it. from a Spiritual, metaphysical interpretation, God did not directly create the universe, or create the chair you are sitting in, or the car you drive, or ANYTHING physical.

In Talks on Truth, Charles Fillmore said: “We are by birth a spiritual race, and we would never have known matter or material conditions if we had not strayed from our higher consciousness.”

In Jesus Christ Heals, he says: “Ages of thought upon the reality and solidarity of things have evolved a mental atmosphere that has produced the present material universe.”

What we believe he’s implying is that as spiritual beings we created the universe as a safety net to catch our fall from grace. The Buddhists call this safety net the Net of Indra. The Hopi Indians call it the Spider Grandmother’s Web. In Andy and Larry Wachowski’s blockbuster movie by the same name, it’s called ‘the matrix.’

Somehow it came into the collective mind that we are separate beings from God. That thought is so far removed from the Truth that it imploded upon itself. It shut out the Light, becoming a ‘black hole of error’. The error was so great that it collapsed upon itself, compressing its illusion into the size of a pea.

But Truth prevails. And as great as our primordial error was it only takes a mustard seed of faith to pull ourselves out of the black hole we’ve put ourselves in.

It only takes a mustard seed of faith to realize we are divine beings having a human experience.

It only takes a mustard seed of faith to realize that since we got ourselves into this mess we can get ourselves out of this mess.

It only takes a mustard seed of faith to realize we are the Christ expressing at the point of us.

It only takes a mustard seed of faith to stand in our truth.

When we do, we will see ‘the decline and fall of error’ on our journey from compressed pea to expansive mustard seed.

We have had the delightful privilege of officiating at several beautiful weddings this summer, and each one is unique and special. One of the biggest issues the couple deals with in the wedding planning seems to have nothing to do with the ceremony. It involves who to invite! Have you ever turned down an invitation to attend someone’s wedding? It seems like a simple decision … but it can have an incredible spiritual impact!

In Matthew 22:2-14, that’s exactly what happened.  First, let us share an “updated” version! It all begins begins with, “The kingdom of heaven is like …:

A CEO Facebooked, Tweeted, and e-mailed wedding invitations for his son, then sent his staff to re-invite those he had already contacted online. That seems a little redundant, but that’s what he did. Despite the personally delivered second invitation, the guests refused to come.

So the CEO invited the guests a third time. He instructed the staff to tell the prospective guests that Emeril Agassi was preparing the meal and that it would be wonderful.

He reminded the guests that he had two big screen TVs, Wii games they could play, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, three saunas, four hot tubs, plenty of hor d overs, and enough drinks for everyone.

But the prospective guests still ignored the invitation.

Some of the guests said they were too busy. They had other things to do. Others were so irritated at the invitation that they went postal and killed the CEO’s staff. So the CEO hired the Russian mafia and had all of the guests assassinated who were responsible for killing his staff.

The CEO told his remaining staff to e-mail, Tweet, Skype, and Facebook as many people as they could and invite them to his son’s wedding. It didn’t matter who the people were. He just wanted people in seats at the wedding.

But when the CEO came in to see the guests, he noticed one of the guests was not wearing the proper black tie attire. So he approached the man and asked why he wasn’t properly dressed. The man was both surprised and speechless. Without further ado the CEO had the man handcuffed and thrown out of the banquet hall.

For many are invited, but few are chosen.

 Wow! That would be a wedding to remember! The thing is, this story, like many Bible stories, is not meant to be taken literally. Whenever a Biblical account seems bizarre or convoluted, you can bet your lottery ticket it is a signal to look for its deeper spiritual truth.

Look at how this story begins: “The kingdom of heaven is like…” and then the next 13 verses are filled with rudeness, violence, and murder. That’s not the kind of heaven we envision. How ‘bout you? Look, we’ve all been brought up in conventional religious traditions. We are all refugees from embedded theology. That’s why we’re drawn to this search for deeper Truth. We know there’s more to the Bible than the Bible we grew up with.

Killing your guests because they refused to come to your wedding. Please! And that’s what the kingdom of heaven is like? We don’t think so! In its literal version, this story is selling fear, self-righteous murder, and violence. In its literal version it reads like a breaking news segment on CNN.

Here’s another, more sane view, from a Spiritual perspective. This metaphysical snapshot should clear this story up very nicely :

• The kingdom of heaven represents the process of becoming one with the Christ Presence within us.
• The CEO or king, as the scripture reads, is God, the Eternal One, Divine Mind, the First Cause, or whatever name you use to describe the One Reality that is All That Is.
• The wedding invitation is the call to marry our human self with our Christ Self (the two shall be one – human self and divine self).
• The wedding banquet is the Unlimited, Omnipresent Substance which is readily available to us each-consecutive-moment-of-now.
• The servants(staff) are spiritual thoughts, ideas, and divine inclinations.
• The killing and murder represent our neglect, refusal, disinterest in, and failure to apply truth principles.
• Inviting anyone and everyone symbolizes our willingness and openness to change old habits and belief systems.
• The man improperly dressed represents our attempt to understand spiritual truths with a material consciousness.
• Binding the man’s hands and feet and tossing him into the darkness means that we are unable to do the work we have come here to do as long as we remain in the dark about our true nature.

In a nutshell, this story has this to say to us:

Becoming aware of our innate divinity is like this: The first thing we’ve got to understand is that the allness of God is in the eachness of us. We must realize that we have total and complete access to incredible abundance, unless we choose to deny our innate divinity and neglect to apply truth principles.

When we fail to apply Truth principles, we handcuff our spiritual growth and remain unaware of our incredible Christ potential. We remain in the dark.

But if we accept the divine invitation to be the best Christ we can be, we will be able to have anything we want on the banquet table — things like health, inner strength,        happiness, compassion,  inner peace, unconditional love,  self-confidence,  wisdom, joy, unlimited prosperity.

Every one of these “delicious dishes” can be yours. But you’ve got to show up at the wedding. You’ve got to accept the divine  invitation. You’ve got to enter the banquet hall prepared to accept your good.

In her book Dare to Believe, May Rowland, Director of Silent Unity for over 55 years said: “I remembered from the teachings of Charles Fillmore that Jesus Christ made a rent in the materialistic consciousness and showed us the way back to God, thus shortening the evolutionary period of our spiritual development by millions of years.”

You, too, can rent the veil of materialism and take your place at the banquet table of peace, abundance, and prosperity.

Imagine what a world we could create, imagine what your life could be, if each of us married our human self with our Christ Self, our True Self!

We could live happily ever after. Why not start right now ?

By Rev. Bil Holton, Ph.D.

Most of us have home alarm systems. We set them when we’re at home or away and feel safer for doing so. And if it ever goes off in a real emergency the dispatcher’s voice chimes in asking for the password. Because homeowners are the only ones who know the password, intruders know they only have minutes to leave before the police come.

How many of you have ever set your alarm off by accident? After your initial surprise and irritation with yourself for having set the alarm off, don’t you feel a sense of relief knowing that an end to the noise – is just a password away?

Remember when you were children and you had your first nightmare? Wasn’t it comforting when one of your parents came rushing into your bedroom and said, “It’s okay. I’m here.” The sound of a parent’s voice and a parent’s presence were all you needed to feel safe again.

Remember a time more recently when you were in a panic, or lost, or going through a difficult time.  Remember how it felt when you called a friend. The sound of his or her voice on the other end of the line was all you needed to regain your composure.

We’ve all been in situations like that. The voice I want to talk about in this article is another voice: the world’s greatest alarm system. It is an alarm we WANT to hear! It is the  ‘still small voice’ – which allows us to see things from the Christ perspective. And we hear that voice in three ways:

• when we’re relaxed,
• when we meditate, and
• when we pray.

If our consciousness is Christ–centered, we will hear the ‘still small voice.’ We cannot go astray if we get really good at hearing the voice. When we meditate, or just relax, we receive intuitions. These intuitive flashes are the ‘still small voice’ saying: “Here’s the answer. Do this. Don’t do that. Wait. Don’t wait.

Intuitions are cosmic emails from the Christ Presence within us. They are our Christness talking to us. Because we are the Christ expressing as us, we are already pre-wired to recognize the voice. It’s in our spiritual DNA. We are password protected because we have immediate assess to the greatest security system in the world: the still small voice. And the password is: Peace be still.

You and I are the Christ expressing as us and so we can claim perfect health and wholeness.

We are the Christ expressing as us and so we have the power and the wisdom to handle any situation.

We are the Christ expressing as us and so we have all of the finances we need to do the work we have come here to do.

We are the Christ expressing as us and so the answers to our most pressing questions can come to us with speed, ease, comfort, and joy.

We are the Christ expressing as us and so we can enjoy a life filled with happiness and prosperity.

When we listen to the ‘still small voice,’ an intuitive flash, an aha , a cosmic email, we will always stay in integrity. The ‘still small voice’ comes when we are peaceful, when we are composed, when we are prayerful.

We will master the art of living when we master the art of prayer.

We will master the art of living when we master the art of meditation.

We will master the art of living when we master the art of relaxation.

We will master the art of living when we master the arts of forgiveness, and kindness, and compassion, and service.

The really neat thing about it is we all have the same password. The password is: Peace be still.

Whatever you’ve got facing you this week – a health challenge, more month left than money, an anorexic checking account, unemployment, uncertainty… Listen to your intuition, the ‘still small voice.’ And remember: You are password protected!

Where there is an appearance of disorder in our lives – where it seems like the Principles are not working – this is when we most need to focus on Spiritual Alphabetical Order! So what does that mean? Did you realize there are all kinds of “alphabetical orders,” when you think of it in terms of creating the proper sequence of things? Cooking alphabetical order would be the sequence of how you combine ingredients to create the final dish you are making. For example, you don’t mix the cream cheese icing of a carrot cake in with the cake batter! When I recently indulged in a morning of self care at a Day Spa, I noticed that my technician had a very specific order in which she did things. That would be Pedicure Alphabetical Order. So let’s talk about Spiritual Alphabetical Order.

Spiritual Alphabetical Order, put quite simply, might look like this:

A. Be Prayed Up! (Time in the Silence, at Headquarters)

B. Follow Your Intuitive Guidance (which comes from being prayed up!)

C. Affirm the Truth of Who You Really Are (which you know that you know because you are prayed up.)

When we approach life in this order, the Divine Ideas we recognize will always be grounded in the strength of our awareness of our Oneness, and we will have the guidance of Spirit to direct our out-picturing Online of those ideas. That way, we end up with Divine Order instead of diddlysquat order – and we can affirm with confidence: I AM mastering the art of living as I walk the Spiritual Path on Practical feet.

Part Two (of 3)

In this three-part series, we are exploring ways to help you with your spiritual growth as you become aware of what you saying. The example we’re using is the phrase, “Cross my heart and hope to…” We certainly don’t want to say “die!” Not what we hope for, if we are living life from the Truth of who we are!

Last week, we completed the phrase by saying, “Cross my heart and hope to SEE Truth!” This week, we have our second suggestion:

Cross my heart and hope to SPEAK Truth!

What this means is becoming acutely aware of what you are saying. We recognize the power of the spoken word, so even those of us who are inherently optimistic and positive must become conscious of what we are saying. For example, one of our favorite recommendations is to switch the phrase “I have to…” to “I get to…” It makes such a difference in Consciousness, and in the energy we feel!

This week, let’s look at two ways we use our words that can have a dramatic impact on our Spiritual journey and our human experience: Denials and Affirmations.

Denials are simply our way of crossing out error by refusing to give power to anything not in alignment with Truth. We aren’t saying it doesn’t exist. Goodness knows, if you have a fever and are coughing, your human self is definitely experiencing a health challenge. And if you have too  much month at the end of your money, your human self is experiencing a situation of lack.

But the effect of these experiences is where we can claim Truth! We can deny any power to them by simply stating: “You have no power over me!” When we experience anything out of Truth, simply proclaim, “I refuse to give you any power!”

When someone is speaking angrily or negatively to us, we can claim (to ourselves—not necessarily out loud!) “Your attitude has no power over my attitude.”

Then we want to follow that denial up with a strong affirmation of Truth. For example, we may say,  “I am one with God, and I am filled with radiant health and energy!” Or “I am one with /Divine Substance, and have plenty to share and spare.” Or  “I am filled with joy and a zest for living.”

And remember, we aren’t practicing magic here. Things do not become true because we affirm them — we affirm them because they are Truth!

As we learn to “Cross our heart and SPEAK Truth” we cross out error and move one step closer to Enlightenment. This week, as you continue to see beyond the appearance and SEE Truth, add a new adventure to your experience. Begin paying attention to the words you use, and be sure that you SPEAK Truth. Become aware of the different this makes in what you experience!

Next week, learn the third – and most important – recommendation for completing the phrase, “Cross my heart and hope to…”