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!

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.

This Sunday, join Bil & Cher as they present a different perspective on Beatitudes 6 & 7, which can be found in Matthew 5:8-9. You will learn the power of the Hidden Picture Game of Life, and a lesson from the game of Monopoly! Both will make a lasting impact on you as you deal with the situations life brings your way! Get ready for an amazing and dynamic morning, filled with metaphysical interpretation and practical tips to implement immediately!

On this first Sunday of Advent (and last Sunday focusing on Zeal) discover the Unity perspective of Zeal through the metaphysical interpretation of Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2: 1, 11), and three tips to ensure you are using your Divine Power of Zeal at the highest, most elevated level of Consciousness. (This is especially helpful as we move into the holiday season!)

along with practical tips to help you boost the estimated value of your choices and decisions so you can master the art of living!

If you want a head start, take a peek at the story, in three versions: Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; and Luke 18:18-25.