Unity Spiritual Life Center Blog

We invite you to consider three ideas as they relate to your life:

Everyone has the same life purpose: We are here to fully demonstrate the Christ within.

We have all got the same decision to make: We can choose to accept our Divinity and follow the guidance that comes from our Christ Consciousness — or not.

There is only one story in the Bible: That story is about how we use more won’t power than will power when it comes to “expressing our divinity.”

The following illustration is an example of our on-and-off-again relationship. The story comes from the 8th Chapter of John’s Gospel, verses 2-11:

1. Early in the morning He came again to the temple: (When we are centered in Spirit, we begin every morning connected to our Christ Nature. Jesus stands  for that aspect in us that understands  our Christ potential and is our unfolding pattern of excellence.) All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them: (As we intentionally “practice the Presence,” the more guidance we will receive.)

2. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand before all of them: (Our judgmentalness. which often is really hypocrisy, is represented by the Pharisees. This attitude tries to keep us mired in the letter of the law so we remain in the tight box of dogma and doctrine. Our personality attempts to discredit our receptivity to Truth principles,  represented by the woman, by pointing out our failures.)

3. They said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery: (Guarded by its self-righteousness duplicity, our ego even manufactures ways to make us feel less spiritual, while at the same time hypocritically hiding behind its own shortcomings.)

4. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test Him, so that they might have some charge to bring against Him: (Moses as an adult represents that within us that aligns more with the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law. Our judgmental nature tests our spiritual growth because it wants us to adhere to the status quo.)

5. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the sand. (This symbolizes our Christ Self lowering itself into our sense chakra to cleanse it. We  re-awaken to the realization that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.)

6. When they continued questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to cast  a stone at her.” (We remind ourselves that our old tapes have no power over us.)

7. And once again He bent down and wrote on the ground: (Our ‘I Am’ Consciousness lowers Itself a second time to strengthen us and to lead us into a right relationship with our Christ Nature.)

8. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders: (When the Spirit moves, its incredible vibration dissolves  even the strongest, most encrusted beliefs, assumptions and prejudices,  causing them to lose their impact and disappear.) And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him: (Once we put the noise of our judgmentalness aside we stand firm in our awareness of our true nature).

9. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”:  (When we allow that still, small voice to direct us, we  have power over any and all negativity).

10. She said, “No one, Sir.”: (We can say emphatically, through affirmations and denials, that nothing can separate us from our good). And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”: (Our Christ nature sees only the good in us. Once we become consciously one with our Christ nature, by going to our heart center, we will hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil. All we need to do is practice more will power than won’t power so we do not miss the mark.)

This story is about you and us and everyone on the planet. It reminds us to remember the Truth of who we really are, so we can express and enjoy our innate Divinity, the Godness that is present at our birth.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

We orchestrate our experiences by the power of our thinking. Everything in the manifest realm has its beginning in thought.

The seat in which you are sitting was once a ‘Fig Newton’ in someone’s imagination. The clothes you are wearing were once a spark in someone’s thoughts. This article was once a figment in my imagination.

Everything you can see and touch has its start in thought. This is the Law of Mind Action. You already have a well-grounded understanding for thought power or you wouldn’t have been attracted to this article at all.

The reality of the matter is - we are what we think and we think what we are! Proverbs 23:7 tells us: “For as (we) think in our heart, so are (we).”

The brilliant Theosophist, Dr. Annie Besant, had this to say:

“(We) fix the normal vibration-rate of our minds. Thoughts which do not harmonize with that rate will be flung aside when they touch the mind. If (we) think truth, a lie cannot lodge itself in (our) mind; if we think love, hate cannot disturb us; if we think wisdom, ignorance cannot paralyze us. Here alone is safety and power. The mind must not be allowed to vibrate as it pleases, because that means it will answer to any passing vibration.”

Her last statement warns us to pay attention to what we think. “The mind,” she says, “must not be allowed to vibrate as it pleases, for that means that it will answer to any passing vibration.”

In other words, we’ve got to Feng ShuiShui our thinking.

When we fill our minds with the appropriate thoughts, arranged in the correct order, our choices and actions will be the perfect choices and actions. Our decisions will come from the right place, and the right place is from our Christ Consciousness.

Correct thinking comes from Divine thinking. Emmet Fox tells us: “Negative thoughts and feelings are like a spark that falls on your coat sleeve. Brush it off and it will do no damage. Let it linger and it will burn a hole.”

Charles Fillmore said in his provocative book, Atom-Smashing Power of Mind: “The most important issue before (us) today is the development of (our) spiritual (mindset) and through it unity with God The taproot of all our confusion is our failure to use our mind intelligently. The gods determining our faith are our own minds working on our brain cells and on the world. This will eventually be found to be true, and the discovery of the law of Mind Action will be the greatest revelation of all time.”

If he were writing today, he might say, “We’ve got to Feng Shui our thinking!”

Inquire of yourself what you desire out of life:

Do you want to be joyful?  Healthy?  Feng Shui your thinking!

Do you want to enjoy abundant prosperity?  Feng Shui your thinking!

Would you like to have financial security and be incredibly giving? Feng Shui your thinking!

Can you imagine yourself contributing significantly to your favorite ministry? Feng Shui your thinking!

Can you envision yourself in the perfect work for you and expressing your incredible gifts?  Feng Shui your thinking!

Have you found the perfect relationship? Someone who is the perfect life partner for you?  Feng Shui your thinking!

If you haven’t experienced those things already then - Feng Shui your thinking!

Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, shared, “The most important issue before (us) today is the development of (our) spiritual (mindset) and through it unity with God The taproot of all our confusion is our failure to use our mind intelligently. The gods determining our faith are our own minds working on our brain cells and on the world. This will eventually be found to be true, and the discovery of the law of Mind Action will be the greatest revelation of all time.”

So, Feng Shui your thinking. And create the life you deserve to have.

There is a great story that demonstrates the advice Jesus gave His followers when He sent them out to tell people the good news - the news that the Kingdom of God is within. It is about a struggle between the Wind and the Sun, about who was the strongest. The Wind thought he was stronger because of his destructive might in tornadoes, hurricanes, sand storms, and thunder storms. He pointed out his ability to transform a simple cigarette or lightning strike into a raging forest fire which could level hundreds of thousands of acres of woods.

There was not a day that went by without the Wind bragging of his power. The Sun grew tired of the Wind’s arrogance and planned to settle the matter once and for all. He challenged the Wind to a contest.

"Look, you old wind bag," bragged the Sun, "I’m going to prove you are not as powerful or influential as you think you are."

"Oh, you are, are you? Just how do you plan to do that?" taunted the Wind.

"See that elderly Truth Student down there taking a walk?"

The Wind whirled himself around to get a better look. The Wind smiled his joy and sent a taunting gust of wind to throw the Truth Student off balance.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes, I observe him. Kinda wimpy isn’t he? Surely you can find a better subject than that pathetic old Truth Seeker!"

The Sun’s voice did not change as he leveled his dare. "I dare you to blow the Student’s jacket off his back."

"Ha! You’re making this much too easy. In a short while," he boasted, "I will rule Heaven and Earth."

He began to blow, gently at first, to disorient the Truth Seeker. To his amazement, the man clung to his jacket. The Wind blew harder, sending the man ricocheting to and fro across the street - but the elderly Truth student grasped his jacket even tighter! The harder the Wind blew, the more the man resisted.

The Truth Student’s tenacity angered the Wind, so he sent huge gusts of wind, which pushed the gentleman into parked cars and against the sides of buildings. But the man would not release his jacket. One more fierce gust of wind blew the man’s hat off and knocked him to the ground, but the man clung to his jacket even harder.

Finally, the Wind gave up and challenged the Sun to succeed where he had failed.

The Sun smiled and sent radiant rays of warmth upon the Truth Student. The man stood up and brushed off his jacket and trousers, grateful for the change in the weather. In a short while, he began to perspire. Beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead and neck.

The sun sent even more radiant light and warmth upon the Truth Seeker who first unzipped his jacket and finally removed it.

The Sun’s "soft sell" approach was much more persuasive, wouldn’t you say? The Wind’s agenda was to blow the coat off the man against his will. The Wind had mixed up loving invitation with harsh influence.

The Sun, on the other hand, understood the essence of tactful influence and that the greatest kind of persuasion is showing warmth, kindness, and understanding through letting its light shine - instead of intimidation, power, judgmentalness, or humiliation.

The Sun applied the same secret Jesus practiced when He warned His disciples not to force Truth principles on others. He recommended a soft metaphysical approach. The message is in three of the four Gospels, so it is a valuable teaching. It appears in Matt. 10:7;10-14; Mark 6: 7-11; and Luke 9: 1-5.

The literal translation is fairly straightforward. Share the Truth with those who are ready to hear it. If you meet with resistance or disinterest, don’t force things. Shake the dust off your sandals and non-judgmentally move forward on your Truth journey.

Metaphysically, this story is rich in timeless wisdom. I’ll explain the key words and concepts first and then offer a metaphysical interpretation:

Jesus: that within us which recognizes and conscientiously works to fulfill our Christ Potential

Kingdom of Heaven: Christ Consciousness

Twelve disciples: the twelve higher consciousness powers within us

Town or village: a group of accepted attitudes, a belief system, a particular point of view, socially accepted behaviors

House: individual human consciousness

Shake the dust off your feet: denying the power of the superficiality of materialism or the unhealthy lure of outer appearances to cloud our spiritual understanding

Metaphysically, there are three valuable lessons with a spiritual meaning:

1.As we apply our growing awareness of Truth principles (the 12 powers, each standing for one of the 12 disciples, which are quickened by our (I Am-ness) to our current beliefs and habitual ways of thinking, we will experience some internal resistance. It is natural to experience some inner fighting whenever we are expanding our spiritual awareness.

2.Some of our beliefs will be easy to change. Others may take a while. Be patient with yourself as you refocus your thinking to the new, greater spiritual Truth.

3.When we encounter resistant thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs, we need to deny the power of materialistic inclinations to cloud our understanding (shake the dust from our feet) and continue to walk the spiritual path on practical feet.

Dr’s. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course.

A well-dressed young man saw a breath-takingly gorgeous woman walk past Chicos in the mall. He was so smitten that he followed her as she made her way toward the center of the mall.

The lady observed his reflection in the store windows as she passed them and finally turned and demanded: “Why are you following me?”

He responded innocently, “Because you are the most gorgeous woman I have ever observed, and I’ve fallen madly in love with you at first sight.”

The woman smiled and answered,” I believe you need to look behind you at my younger sister who is ten times more attractive than I.”

The excited suitor turned around quickly and noticed what he considered to be an average looking girl walking toward him.

“She’s no where near as attractive as you,” he lamented. “You tricked me!”

“No, you tricked me,” she countered. “If you were so madly in love with me, why did you turn around?”

“I…Ah…Well…Ah…”

His answer was a case of a ‘Definitely Maybe’! He claimed he definitely thought the young woman was the greatest thing since sliced bread — but next he thought maybe there’s better sliced bread.

What is amazing is, people do that all of the time. ‘Definitely Maybe’ people live their lives through a chronic ‘yes — no’ perspective. They short-change themselves because they ‘under mind’ who they are. They are decisively indecisive.

• Sure I can. Maybe not!
• I absolutely want that. Okay, maybe I don’t.
• I will never do that again. Or maybe….

“We are unable to serve two masters,” Jesus shares in Matt. 6:24, “for either we will despise the one, and love the other; or else follow one and hate the other. We cannot serve God and physical substance.”

What Jesus is saying is: ‘definitely maybe’ doesn’t work. You cannot steal second base with your foot on first. You cannot squeeze orange juice out of a peach. You cannot put the toothpaste you have squeezed out back into the tube. And you cannot walk the spiritual path on materialistic feet.

A ‘definitely maybe’ mind set typically ends up sending mixed messages. The following story is an example. A televangelist stopped a couple of girl scouts at the street corner and asked for directions to the post office.

“Down this street three blocks. You’ll pass girl scouts selling cookies, so buy some, then turn to your right,” the oldest youngster replied.

“You appear to be a smart young lady,” said the televangelist. “Have you ever watched my nationally televised show?”

“Nope”

“Well, if you will watch Channel 22 tomorrow morning with your folks, I’ll tell you how to get to Heaven.”

“Aw, I doubt it mister. You don’t even know how to get to the post office.”

What sort of mixed messages would we send if we affirm, on the one hand, that there is only One Presence, One Power, and One Intelligence in the Universe and then at the first sign of trouble give power to outer situations?

What if we say we are one with the Inexhaustible Source of our abundant supply — and then worry constantly about money?

We have the power to be persistent about our truth walks. We also possess the power to give away that power. Some folks like sliced bread. Others like an uncut loaf of bread. Some individuals choose slices of Truth. Others want the whole Truth — unbiased, uninterpreted, and non-dogmatic — so they can render their own interpretations. The important thing is to be able to stand for something instead of falling for anything.

Do you remember that old song from years ago: "School days, school days, wonderful golden rule days. Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic' …?"

The good old Three R's. We'd like to share a different set of three R's - three R's that can transform your "definitely maybes" into "Definitely Definitelys."

Recognize:

Before we can transform anything, we have to recognize what needs to be changed. And our "definitely maybes" wear lots of disguises that make them difficult to recognize. We have to really listen to ourselves in order to hear it.

"Yeah, buts" are strong negative affirmations. (I am filled with glorious heath and energy … yeah, but why do I feel so bad? OR yeah, but I've just been given a horrible diagnosis. I magnetize money, and have plenty to share and spare … yeah, but I don't really know where the money is going to come from to buy groceries this week! I am one with God and all is well … yeah, but I sure don't think God is doing His part!)

When, then games are procrastination devices. (I believe that what we give comes back to us multiplied - and when I win the lottery or get that big contract or promotion, then I'll start really tithing! I believe that God is the source of all good, and when I buy that new home, then I'll be really happy!)

Mismatching words and actions occurs when we say one thing, but our actions don't live up to or model what we say. (In dance, when we count steps - triple step, triple step, rock step - but our feet are doing all kinds of weird steps that have nothing to do with our words!

Refute:

Deny any power of other people's attitudes to affect you. (I refuse to allow our attitude to have any affect on my attitude). Deny any power of appearance of lack, or illness, or fear to affect you. (There is no lack in my world. OR This perceived illness has no power over me.)

The denials we are talking about do not mean the same thing as the psychological term "in denial." According to Webster, to deny means to declare to be not true; to declare as utterly false. Denials are our ability to put our error thoughts in their proper place. Denials are a way of talking back, refusing to give power to something 'outside' of us that seems controlling or restrictive.

Reprogram :

A denial without an affirmation is a very dangerous thing! So we must fill the vacuum created by denials with powerful affirmations what we know to be truth. In the Gospel of Luke 11:24-26, Jesus tells the parable of the man who was cleansed of an evil spirit. However, the spirit returned, finding the "house" swept clean, and so it moved back in, with seven of its buddies, more wicked than he. This reminds us of how important it is to reaffirm our beliefs and reprogram our thinking, by following up denials with powerful affirmations!

According to Emilie Cady, in Lessons in Truth, "to affirm anything is to assert positively that it is so, even in the face of all contrary evidence… Deny the appearance of evil; affirm good. Deny weakness; affirm strength. Deny any undesirable condition, and affirm the good you desire."

The key is to affirm with power - with faith! When you use a Definitely Maybe approach, you are simply wishing. When you affirm from the strength of your Christ consciousness, you are speaking with a voice of faith and strength!

Our granddaughter graduated from Daisies - the pre-Brownies group. As a graduation gift, the leaders gave each girl a little book filled with pictures capturing the events they had participated in. We were struck by one of the pictures. The girls were lying on the ground, in front of a fire truck. The words above the photo were "Stop, Drop, Roll." Our granddaughter explained that it was a phrase the firefighters used to tell us how to handle ourselves if we ever get caught in fire.

It really connected with us and so we applied it to the 3 R's: STOP - Recognize the maybe's that dilute your spiritual growth and happiness; DROP - Release error thinking and behaviors by denying their power; and ROLL - Reaffirm the transformative power of the beliefs, the Truths, of spiritual principles! Put the 3 R's into practice so you take the Maybe out of Definitely.

One of the toughest jobs we've ever done as corporate teambuilding consultants was to help a very large health care organization "come clean." The person who hired us was the senior executive Vice-President of Customer Care.  We had worked with her before when she was an exec with another Fortune 100 company.  When she left there she took us with her.

In her new role she was mandated to resurrect a customer care department that was hemorrhaging.  After conducting the usual internal audits and  interviews, systems assessments, 360 feedback, and customer surveys, we identified key pathologies, conducted aggressive team development sessions, stirred up the proverbial hornets nest; and, when all was said and done, made several recommendations, including what amounted to a 25% reduction in force.  Our client acted on our recommendations and cleaned house.

You can imagine the upheaval, the surprise and disbelief that ran through her division.  But it was necessary, because of the old beliefs and ideologies that ran head-on into the new vision.  Not everyone embraced it! It was tough, but six months later, her Customer Care  Division won a national award for service excellence.

We witnessed a similar housecleaning at Unity Village Spiritual Education and Enrichment Center.  Students attended from all over the world and from all walks of life.  Most were from a combination of Christian and New Thought backgrounds and many were in some kind of life transition.

The 'coming clean' we're referring to usually came during days 4 or 5.  After almost a week of mind boggling class discussions, homework, team projects, and peer discussions about Truth principles, the Bible, and metaphysics, a few of the students (probably 30%) suffered meltdowns.

The Unity term for this meltdown is chemicalization.  When we receive life-changing information that blows our mind, our old programming resists the new information and we experience an internal upheaval. 

Our definition for this chemicalization experience is 'spiritual Alka Seltzer.' Alka Seltzer is a great metaphor for that stirring up of things to burn off the old ideas and create that relief of a higher spiritual awareness: chemicalization.

That's what we believe is happening in Matt. 21:12-14.  Jesus has just made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  Read Matt.21:12-14 to see what happens.

Here is the metaphysical meaning.  You may want to fasten your seatbelts:

We believe this event describes a chemicalization experience! A spiritual Alka Seltzer moment.  It happens inside our heads.  It is a consciousness shift, a spiritual deepening.  When we are in that state of receptivity we are ready for spiritual growth, ready for the Indwelling Christ to speak to us.

Growth usually comes when our Christ potential (our Jesus quality) creates dissonance in our old belief system (represented by the money changers) and turns our old beliefs upside down (the tables).   When this happens, we experience chemicalization - Spiritual Alka Seltzer.

As we grow on our spiritual journeys, we are bound to run into moments when our old beliefs run head-on into our new-found understanding … and we may experience some form of chemicalization.

Go back in your memory bank to some difficult experience you have moved through in your life.   Not something you are struggling with now, but something from your past.   Pick something specific.   Recall (without the emotional baggage) the struggle and difficulty of living through the situation.  Consider how you grew - personally, professionally, and spiritually from the experience.

Once we drop in a few Spiritual Alka Seltzers we feel the sizzle of enthusiasm, the plop, plop of expectancy, and the fizz of the faith-lift we receive as our lives are  transformed forever!

The search for the Holy Grail is like so many other things. We come to realize that what we are searching for is right here all the time. We don't need to go somewhere else to discover it. We are carrying it within. So the real question is: how can we "RECOVER" it? How can we begin our own quest for our own innate grailness … our interior Christ nature. The recognition of our Christ self is the secret to the unfoldment of our divinity?

3 Quick Suggestions:

1. Be on the lookout for surprises! Many people live in a rut of daily routines. They lose sight of the surprise of living One of our favorite questions to ask congregants is "What will it take to make you say "WOW?"

Exercise: Make an "O" with your mouth. Now, make "W's" with three fingers on each hand, and hold them next to each corner of your mouth. WOW! Be on the lookout for the wow's in your life!

• In 1963, baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry remarked, "They'll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run." On July 20, 1969, a few hours after Neil Arm-strong set foot on the moon, Gaylord Perry hit his first, and only, home run.
• Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.
• The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

2. Be on the lookout for serendipity. Carl Jung called it synchronicity: the coming together of inner and outer events in a way that cannot be explained by cause and effect and that is meaningful to the observer. It is that happenstance, that "accident" that turns out to be fortuitous. It could be called "a moment of grace."

Scotchguard was created by a 3M scientist. Scotchguard is a substance that helps prevent dirt from staining fabric. The 3M scientist was trying to make a synthetic rubber to be used in airplane fuel lines. By "accident" some of the new substance spilled on her assistant's canvas shoe, and they couldn't get it off. As the tennis shoe grew older, it got dingy–everywhere except where the substance had spilled. Three years later, after some trial and error, they invented Scotchgard. Serendipity occurs more often when you expect the unexpected to happen … the more you experience it, the more you experience it!

3. Be on the lookout for Spiritual Sensations … moments when you feel the presence of God … when you know that you know that you know you are plugged in and connected. It could be when you are meditating; in church; out in nature; playing with a child; etc.

Just for kicks, we googled the word "Spirituality" and in 14 hundreths of a second, it brought up 101 million hits! It's a hot topic, and people are definitely on a quest to discover it. Go on your own personal inner journey … your own quest. Affirm your true identity: Your I- amness with God. Search for the divinity within you. All the answers are within when you become aware of your own divinity.

So, be on the lookout for surprises … for serendipity … and for spiritual sensations … and you will discover what has been within you from the moment you were born: the divine spark of God … your grailness … your Christ nature which is the truth of you.

We have the key to unlock the DaVinci Code! Let's raise our chalices together, and toast the joining of the two halves of our consciousness. Let's toast our shared divinity … honor our grailness … celebrate our spirituality! Let's claim our oneness with God, and discover what a transforming difference it will make in our lives!

Over the last six seasons hundreds of thousands of young people have tried to become the 'next American Idol.' They have come from all walks of life, from all 50 states, and from all levels of singing ability - or no singing ability - if you know what I mean.

But they all have the same dream - stardom! And the same nemesis - Simon Cowell. Regardless of what you think of the show, the contestants, or the judges, it is entertainment Hollywood style.

Randy Jackson prides himself in being the chief dog. Paula Abdul is both maternal and compassionate. And Simon Cowell invariably offends everyone, including his fellow judges, with his caustic feedback.

Each week the contestants are judged by Randy, Paula, and Simon, and millions of people who text or call in their votes. The contestants are pushed through a media gauntlet filled with sarcasm and praise, and occasionally helpful feedback from the judges.
American Idol is great entertainment, but it is also an apt metaphor for a great truth walk. Each week the contestants are judged on three key performance factors: they've got to pick the right song, use good vocals, and be themselves so they can demonstrate their uniqueness.

Those same three factors define our truth walk. The quality of our truth walk depends on how well we do all three. And how well we do all three determines whether our truth walk is on track or on idle - IDLE.

Walking the spiritual path on practical feet requires what could be termed spiritual orthopedics. If we want to step confidently and lively toward the kind of life we want to live, we must make sure our thoughts and actions are congruent with the truth principles we have learned.

It doesn't matter if we're stepping on bare feet or shoed feet, big feet, small feet, white feet or brown feet or red feet or yellow feet, tired feet or energetic feet. Each step is a tithe toward our spiritual growth. Or toward our stagnation if we stand idlely by, because we neglect to put truth principles into action.

We strive every day to:

• pick the right song - seeing everything from our Christ perspective
• use good vocals - using powerful affirmations and positive words, and
• be ourselves so that each of our me's is the best me we can be

Have you heard people say, "I'm trying to be more spiritual, but life keeps getting in the way?"

Dan Millman has an interesting perspective on that which is, as Simon Cowell would say, "Spot on!" Millman says in his book, No Ordinary Moments: "Someone once said to me, 'I'd love to live like a peaceful warrior and do more spiritual practices, but with a family to support, and a fulltime job, I just don't have the time.'"

He didn't realize, says Millman, that his family and job - his relation-ship with his wife, the responsibilities of children, and the pressures of his profession - were his spiritual practice."

The truth is, our truth walks are never on idle. We may think we're going nowhere spiritually, but everything we do has spiritual implications.

In his delightful book, Buddha is as Buddha Does, Lama Surya Das, who has been called the American Lama, has this to say:

"The Dalai Lama taught me that the spiritual jewel that brings us all we need and seek is the unselfish heart and compassionate mind. These are what Buddhists call indispensable highest intentions, which come from the good heart, our best self, our innermost Buddha-being." Sound familiar?

We can use those same terms to define our innermost Christ Self. And we can express our innermost Christ Self best when we:

• pick the right song using our Christ perspective
• use the right vocals by affirming our oneness with Spirit, and
• be our true selves, our divine selves, in this earthly performance we call human beingness

Going from idle - IDLE - to I do - DO - is a command performance.