There is nothing – No Thing – ‘out there’ that can separate us from our good or the good we can do. There is nothing – No Thing – that can dampen our love for the Truth except our love for error.

Let’s put the concept of NOTHING – NO THING – in perspective. It is critical for understanding how well-connected we are to Spirit. The powerful concepts of Omnipresence, Omni-potence, Omniscience and Omni-activity have two incredible things in common.

• They all start with the syllable “OM.” Om stands for the Christ as us, the I AM Presence embodied as us. It signifies our indivisible connection with the God of our understanding.
• These three ‘omni’s’ also have the “ni” in common. Ni is short for nihil which signifies nothing. So you see, there is nothing – No Thing – under heaven or earth that can separate you from the all knowing, everywhere present, all powerful, everywhere active nature of God expressing in, through, and as you!

When you come to know that eternal truth, your life will be transformed forever! You will walk more confidently … sleep more peacefully … and live more fully. There is nothing – ‘NO THING’ – that can separate you from the life you want.

Not your past. Not your childhood experiences. Not your bad experiences. Not your most ingrained habits. Not your lost opportunities. Not the old tapes running through your head. Nothing – No Thing – can separate you from your good … except your disbelief in Truth principles and your doubts of your worthiness.

In this moment, re-affirm your worthiness by acknowledging your Oneness. You are God expressing at the point of you … so you have the very nature of the Omnipresence, Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omni-activity of God expressing in, as, and through you. Let your light shine!

There’s new interest these days in the Placebo Effect. Traditional medicine has always recognized the power of Placebos as a healing agent. And the pharmaceutical industry uses placebos as the foundation of its multi-billion dollar drug industry. But the rise of alternative medicine and integrative medicine is changing the way the medical community is practicing medicine. And there’s one thing the medical community has always known about Placebos –  Placebos are real, and powerful, and transformational – and, well, they work!!

We have been told that if a Placebo arrests a disease or illness, it must be that the disease was “all in the mind” to begin with. We are led to believe the disease wasn’t real. We are told there’s no way we can be healed without expensive medical interventions. But there’s one thing to understand about the power of believing. It’s an inside-out process. We know that thoughts underwrite our reality. The power of the universe is localized in our consciousness.

• We believe in the power of affirmative prayer.
• We believe in the power of positive affirmations.
• We believe in the power of visualizing health, wealth, and happiness.
• We believe in affirming the highest and best. We Unitics believe in the power of mind over molecules.

Prayer, faith, positive affirmations, visualization, healing touch, meditation, and denying the power of outer appearances are all powerful Placebos. And they work because they are the out-picturing of our consciousness!

By the way, the word ‘placebo’ can be traced back to the 14^th C when it was used in vesper services. It derives from the Latin translation which was a mistranslation of Psalm 116:9, “Placebo domino in regione vivorum,” which means, “I will please the Lord in the land of the living.”

Metaphysically, ‘please’ means ‘to apply,’ and ‘Lord’ means ‘Mind’ and ‘the land of the living’ means ‘for the sake of the body.’ So, metaphysically interpreted, Psalm 116:9 reads: “I will apply  mind power for the sake of the body.

So, you see, we don’t have to please a God ‘out there.’ We are not separated from God at all. We are God expressing at the point of us. We are the architects of placebo power!

Rudolph, ‘the most famous reindeer of all,’ was born over a hundred years after his eight flying companions. The red-nosed wonder was the creation of Bob May, a copywriter for Montgomery Ward. In August of 1939 May wrote a Christmas story to cheer up his daughter, but when he shared the story at his Christmas party, everyone asked him to use it to bring traffic to store. You know the story. It’s about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. When Christmas Eve turned foggy and Santa was worried that he wouldn’t be able to deliver gifts, the former outcast saved Christmas by leading the sleigh team by the light of his red nose. He was admired and respected by all of the reindeer.

There were a few differences between the original story and the popular Christmas song. In the original Rudolph story written by May, Rudolph was not singled out by Santa from the rest of the herd because of his shiny red nose. Also, Rudolph did not stay with the other reindeer at the North Pole. He lived in an ordinary reindeer household with loving reindeer parents. Rudolph was discovered quite by accident. When Santa was in the middle of making his rounds, he stopped by Rudolph’s parent’s house and noticed a glow emanating from Rudolph’s room. It was then that Santa asked Rudolph to lead his sleigh team.

The eight named reindeer of Santa Claus first appeared in American literature in 1823. They were featured in the famous poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. Prior to Moore’s rendition legend had Santa’s sleigh pulled by only one anonymous reindeer.

Montgomery Ward sold 21/2 million copies of the Rudolph story in 1939. It was reissued in 1946 and sold over 31/2 million copies. In 1949 Johnny Marks, May’s brother-in-law, wrote a song called ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’ Originally, Rudolph was sung by cowboy Gene Autry. His song has sold more than 12 million copies, second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”

Let’s look at the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story from a metaphysical perspective. Some of you may be thinking – a metaphysical perspective? Come on, it’s just a children’s Christmas story for Heaven’s sake. Isn’t a metaphysical treatment much ado about nothing?

We have found that simple stories like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, or Frosty the Snowman, or Cinderella, or the Little Train That Could  can have profound meanings. Stories like these capture the human imagination. They resonate with ‘something’ deep within us. That’s what makes them so powerful and well-loved all over the world. On a subconscious level and on a superconscious level they connect with our Spirit. So, here is our  metaphysical interp of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:

The 8 reindeer in addition to Rudolph each have characteristics that make the nocturnal flight possible:

• Dasher: represents energy
• Dancer: represents stability
• Prancer (Dancer’s twin): represents strength
• Vixen: represents life
• Comet: represents speed and endurance
• Cupid: represents love
• Donner: represents thunder and power
• Blitzen: represents lightning and enthusiasm

These reindeer represent qualities within us: energy, stability, strength, love, and so on. They have similar qualities as Jesus’ disciples and the spiritual powers they represent with the 12 spiritual powers in Unity.

The Rudolph of us is that part of us that doesn’t fully comprehend that we have a spark of divinity within us, that we are divine beings having a human experience.

Santa is the Jesus of us which encourages us to let our light shine, to use our unique gifts to bring peace and healing to the world.

The room where Santa finds Rudolph represents our ‘going into the Silence’. It is there that our inner light, the truth of us, shines. It is there that we become one with the Christ of us.

The sleigh stands for our positive, giving state of consciousness which is our vehicle for unlimited prosperity and abundance.

Santa gave Rudolph a choice. He invited Rudolph to lead his sleigh. Rudolph could have refused, and we would have had quite a different story. The song might have been – Rudolph the Red-Faced Reindeer –because he would have missed the opportunity of a lifetime.

Rudolph could have kept his light hidden under a bushel. Instead he listened to that Still Small Voice that says: “Will you guide my sleigh tonight?” “Will you let your light shine?” That’s the message we want to share with you … Let your light shine!

Share your gifts with the world. Answer the call to express your Divinity.

So, what if Jesus the Christ and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer could really sit down and talk. What advice do you think Rudolph would hear? This is important, because whatever Jesus said to Rudolph would be the same message our Christ Consciousness would say to the Rudolph within each of us. See how the message resonates with you.

1.  First of all, we believe Jesus would say something like this: “You know, Rudolph, sometimes we don’t even recognize our greatest, most valuable gifts. Sometimes, they even look like real problems, embarrassments. But if we hold the faith, believe me, those problems will transform into the greatest gifts that the world needs.” So look deep within yourself, and acknowledge the issues that create the biggest problems for you. It may be a physical characteristic, an emotional issue, a quirky style preference, something that is yours to own, and you can’t understand why you got “stuck” with it. Begin to visualize that thing being a great gift, with a powerful purpose to the world. Embrace it, love it, and just see how your attitude about it transforms.
2. Secondly, Jesus might say, “And here’s a real keeper for you, Rudolph. Quite often in this world, your special gifts may be misunderstood. That happened with me, you know! The more I developed my Christ consciousness — the more I became one with God — the more I was misunderstood by those who chose not to “get it.” And it got me into a lot of trouble – actually led to my death. But it was worth it. So don’t worry, buddy, if people make fun of your nose, and judge you based on appearance, because you are a little different from others. Make it okay, and be kind to them. Love them, and see the Christ light in them. They really don’t know what they are doing.” So we invite you to realize that others may misunderstand you as you being using your gifts. As you strengthen your Spirituality, and become one with the Godness of who you really are, you may run into people who want to judge you, or make fun of who you are. Make it okay, and behold the Christ nature within them.
3. Finally, Jesus would sum it all up by saying, “Here’s the deal, Rudolph! Regardless of what anyone tells you, no matter what … let your light shine!”

And this is the message we want to drive home. Each of you has a unique and amazing gift to give the world. You may not realize it’s great. You may not even know exactly what it is. But just know that you are constantly being guided by your Christ within, and as you go into the sacred Silence, you will be led to actions. Your only job is to let your shine … sparkle … the very best way you can.

As we continue through this Holy Advent season, become aware of your Rudolph nature. You have a light that is meant to shine! And recognize that you are unique and beautiful. There is so much emphasis on giving gifts during this season. In the midst of it all, realize that the greatest gift you can give is the gift of yourself … because it truly is one of a kind. The uniqueness of you is more memorable and more precious than any material gift you could ever purchase. You are a light that can shine through the fog of confusion that encircles this world, and bring the warmth and joy of God’s love to everyone whose life you touch. So — Let Your Light Shine!

It always amuses us when we hear people say, “You’re an old Scrooge!” to someone who is being real negative about the holiday spirit. People who use that phrase are just proving they don’t know the whole story! In reality, if you read the entire story, to call someone a Scrooge would mean he/she is a person who truly embraces the ultimate meaning of Christmas! That’s what Scrooge did, after his ghostly visits!

So, from a spiritual perspective, let’s do a little imagining: what would Jesus say to old Ebenezer, if the two of them could have a conversation?

You know, we think He’d focus on the change Ebenezer made,  rather than bring up his poor choices of the past. The discussion might say something like this:

“Way to go, Ebenezer! You finally got it! You remembered the Truth of who you really are! You are letting your light shine! I am so proud of you, because I know it was tough to make the change. But you did it! If only people could release the ghosts of their past, present, and future, they would be amazed at the joy that would surge through their very being, and they would astound themselves at what they could accomplish! Thank you, Ebenezer, for letting your light shine!”

So what is Jesus saying to that “Ebenezer Scrooge” quality within each of us? Just as Ebenezer Scrooge had to come face to face with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, so must we make a decision to acknowledge the ghosts we are allowing to hold us back from all we are meant to be. We invite you to take a few moments to reflect on any ghosts you would like to release as you prepare to end this year, and move into a new one. Here are a few ideas to consider:

Ghosts of the Past: Like Marley’s chains, ghosts of our past can tie us down, imprison us, and keep us from moving ahead. For example: blaming others in our past for problems we are experiencing now, like the way our parents raised us; nursing a hurt by a friend or family member; regretting a missed opportunity; feeling anger about a job unfairly lost; experiencing regrets for things left undone or unsaid (or maybe for things that were done or said); holding grudges tightly in our consciousness and our heart. The list could go on and on. What is it you keep reliving from your past? Every time you relive it, it imprints the negative emotions and impact on your very soul. These are ghosts of the past. Let them go!

Ghosts of the Present: These are the things affecting us right now: Negative beliefs about ourselves ~ like “I’m not good enough;” “I can’t do that;” “I’m too …” syndrome (too old, too young, too poor, too dumb, too tired, too out of shape); resentment about health-related issues that hold us back; relationship issues we are dealing with now; lack consciousness ~ the lack of confidence in our ability; the lack of faith in the principles we KNOW work. When we give power to these error thoughts, we hold ourselves back from the splendor of what we can experience! These are all ghosts of the presents! Let them go!

Ghosts of Future: These are the fears and worries about what might happen. You may know that familiar quote: “Most of the things I worry about never happened.” And yet, we waste so much energy worrying about these things. Jesus told us, “Give no thought for tomorrow, what you will eat, or drink, or what clothing you will wear. … for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  (Matt. 6:31-34)

What are the worries, fears, or erroneous beliefs about the future that are playing havoc with your present, keeping you from enjoying this moment today? They are ghosts of the future. Let them go!

It is so important to release, clear out, and make room for our greater good … for our life abundant. Here’s a vivid example: Breathe in all the air you can. Now hold that breath, and breathe in more air. Having trouble? Even though there is plenty of air all around you, you can’t take in any more until you exhale! That’s a perfect metaphor for our Spiritual journey. So – what in your life are you ready to release — forever — as you move toward your spiritual evolvement? You can have a transformation every bit as powerful as Ebenezer Scrooge experienced, when you recognize the ghosts of your past, present, and future … and let them go! That’s how you walk the spiritual path on practical feet!

You hear about taking retreats for your spiritual enrichment and personal self care all the time. But what about taking a :Retreat Forward?” “Retreat forward” into your greatness. We’re not kidding!  We’re encouraging you to retreat forward into the person you are meant to be.

This  may sound a little like an oxymoron — “Retreating Forward.” How can we retreat forward you might ask? But think about it. What is means is to take a retreat from your busyness, from all the worries and activities of daily life, so you are able to catapult forward toward your greatness. It means making time to create that daily practice of Silence — retreating into the sacred domain of the Divine — so you can emerge at a whole new level of awareness, launching yourself forward toward a life lived from the Truth of who you really are!

You have the power to dramatically change your life;

• To turn your life completely around if necessary;
• To be the kind of person you’re meant to be
• To engineer a future that is happy, healthy, and fulfilling;

Each and every one of us has the wherewithal to achieve incredible, phenomenal, stupendous, and lasting success in whatever we do.

Sounds good doesn’t it? It’s probably something you’d expect a Unity minister to say. It’s certainly something you’ve heard motivational speakers promote thousands of times. What’s amazing is, it’s true! It’s always been true. The thing is, we’ve forgotten how powerful we are because we’ve forgotten who we are.

In Genesis 1:26 and 28 scripture says God says, “Let us give humans dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the cattle and wild animals, and over every creeping thing upon the earth. 28. And God blessed humans and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and have dominion over all that moves on the face of the earth.”

Here’s a Spiritual perspective of that passage:

• the earth always represents our physical body or the consciousness of our physicality.
• fish represent ideas;
• birds stand for our higher thoughts;
• cattle  equates to compliant, herd consciousness (camels weren’t mentioned because they hadn’t gotten over the evolutionary hump yet — sorry, we couldn’t help it!);
• wild animals are our untamed or undisciplined instincts;
• creeping things symbolize our limited or destructive perspectives

So, we have complete dominion over our ideas, higher thoughts, compliant attitudes, undisciplined instincts, and even our destructive inclinations. We have control over the earth – our physical body — the consciousness of our physicality! Take a moment to absorb the power of this awareness!

In Daniel  4:3 we are promised that our dominion is to “endure from generation to generation.” Romans 6:14 affirms that our error thoughts will have no dominion over us.

To “Retreat  Forward” means going into the Silence – which means connecting with our Christ Nature – which means becoming one with the Truth of us – which means claiming our power through prayer and meditation, affirmations and visualizations. It means we’ve got star dust in our DNA.

If we don’t retreat forward it’s difficult to have dominion because we’re coming from  coma consciousness instead of Christ Consciousness. Coma consciousness is the worship of outer appearances. It’s giving dominion to material things. It’s denying our divinity or taking it for granted. It’s looking for hamburger when we have steak at home (the hamburger being worldly appetites, the steak being Spirit).

And dessert! What about dessert? How many of you eat dessert with every meal? How many of you eat a couple of desserts? How many of you have ever eaten dessert first? How many of you have used dessert as your meal? My favorite desserts are home made cherry pie and corn bread in milk. And all of the above apply! Here’s a dessert story for you:

 After a three year battle with cancer an 84 year old woman was told she had stage four cancer. This courageous woman called her minister and told him she wasn’t giving up, she was just giving out. She was a faithful truth student and was ready for her next assignment. She explained how she wanted to make her transition.

She told him what songs she wanted sung, what scriptures she wanted read, and what pictures she wanted displayed of her family, accomplishments, and interests.

Then she said a very strange thing, “Pastor, I want to be buried with a fork in my hand.”

“What?” he countered. “A fork?”

“Yes,” she chorused. “Let me explain. Whenever I went to potluck dinners at church I always kept my fork when they bused the tables because I knew that the best was yet to come. The best I’m talking about is dessert, things like apple pie, chocolate cake, and ice-cream. So, when my relatives and friends see me lying in state with a fork in my hand I want you to tell them I’m doing that because the best is yet to come.”

We believe that when you:

• Choose goodwill over ill will, the best is yet to come.
• Forgive others and even yourself, no matter what they’ve done or you’ve done, the best is yet to come.
• Do not confuse your self-worth with your net worth, the best is yet to come.
• Are willing to give up a lackluster career, an unfulfilling relationship, or possessive wealth, the best is yet to come.
• Do the right thing, the best is yet to come.
• Move from won’t power to will power, the best is yet to come.
• Retreat forward into your greatness, the best is yet to come.

So, keep the faith and keep your forks because when you truly embrace your Divinity, when you behold the Christ in others – and yourself, when you thoughtfully and enthusiastically retreat into your greatness, the best is yet to come. Retreat Forward as you walk the spiritual path on practical feet!

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.

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.

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 ?

In II Kings 4:1-7, there is an amazing story of prosperity that is timeless in its metaphysical message. In today’s troubled economy, the implications are staggering!

In case you may have forgotten this story, let us share it quickly:

Verse 1: The wife of a man from the guild of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that he was devoted to God. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

Verse 2: Elisha replied to her, “What help can I be? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “I have nothing except a little oil.”

Verse 3: Elisha said, “Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from everyone. Don’t ask for just a few.

Verse 4: Then come back home and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into every container you have, and as each is filled, set it to one side.”

Verse 5: The widow left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. Her boys brought the jars to her and she continued pouring in the oil.

Verse 6: When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Another jug, please.”

But he replied, “We’ve used all the containers.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

Verse 7: The widow went and told Elisha, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and take care of your debts. You and your sons can live on the money that remains”

From a metaphysical standpoint, we know that everything from this story stands for something that is going on inside us. So let’s look at the major elements:

Elisha: Stands for our Spiritual “I-Am”

The Widow: indicates a belief in separation from God – a belief in an external God who withholds our good. A widow represents one who has lost sight of God as support. The unity between mind and intuition has been cut off, and lack and burden result.

Empty vessels: mean expanded consciousness to include new faith and vision; an openness to Divine ideas.

Bringing vessels into the house and shutting the door: Represents focus and meditation – going to “Headquarters” and deliberately intensifying awareness to Truth.

Oil: Stands for Divine Substance

So what does this mean for us? The truth revealed in this story is the intensifying power of Spirit. When Elisha asked the widow what she had, he was essentially asking, “Where is your consciousness?” Obviously, her consciousness was on lack. When our attention is on “only-ness,” we are putting our thought energy on our lack.

The Key Principle to remember and apply: No matter what you have, DO NOT IDENTIFY IT WITH THE WORD “ONLY!”

When we expand our spiritual awareness, and focus our attention on our unending flow of substance rather than our lack, we generate an energy/idea flow that magnetically attracts even more abundance from True Source.