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 I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I do know, that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, He will NOT ask, how many good things have you done in your life?, rather he will ask, how much LOVE did you put into what you did? - Mother Teresa I worship God as Truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacrifice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded my very life, I hope I may be prepared to give it. - Gandhi
Creating A Meaningful Practice
Have you ever asked yourself, "If God had a face, what would it look like?"
Blessed are those who yearn to open to divine love, who are not afraid to grow in spirit. Blessed are those who come to learn in fellowship and to celebrate in community. Blessed are those who seek communion with the many faces of the divine. Great Spirit help me to know you and experience your presence in my everyday life, even in the most ordinary moments. Blessed be.
- Set aside time each day to pray or meditate.
- Actively engage in meaningful study & worship.
- Make time to be alone with nature or spend time giving of yourself to others.
(go ahead and stick your feet in the water)
- Decide on one gift you can give yourself on a regular basis that would encourage inspiration & spiritual growth. Remember, the small things are often the biggest things: Taking a warm bath, reading a book or walking around the block for some excercise.
- Consider what is the one thing that truly brings you Joy? What comes to mind? How can that be expressed?
- Surround yourself with people who are positive and encourage loving attitudes. If your workplace is filled with stress, how can you make a quiet contribution to alleviate or transform that negative energy?
- With practice, learn to forgive easily, especially yourself.
- Give yourself permission to make mistakes and with humility and a thankful heart, learn from those mistakes.
- Is there an area within yourself you wish to change...for instance, take anger. Be proactive instead of reactive by taking 3 deep breaths before taking action or spewing hurtful words. Journal your thoughts so you can articulate yourself in a healthier and more gentle manner. (Anger is my personal lesson.)
- Be kind and gentle with yourself first. It makes it easier to extend that loving-kindness to others when you do.
- Begin a gratitude list and add to it regularly. Notice the little things. Keep this list in a place where you'll be able to see it often and regularly add to it.
- Be generous with your smile to friends, family and strangers. Dare to be outgoing and more friendly to others - spread joy around those you come into contact with.
 - Create a special spot or area in your home or garden to find refuge and safety in. Give this space sacred energy to unearth renewal of spirit. Dedicate it to the Divine Nature Within.
Great Divine Spirit, help me to open up to you, to draw from your deep, unending reservoir of love. Help me to manifest your spirit by becoming the creator of my own life. May it be so.
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Great spiritual traditions in every age offer many vehicles for awakening. These include body disciplines, prayer, meditations, selfless service, ceremonial and devotional practices, and even certain forms of modern therapy. All of these are used as a means to ripen us, to bring us face to face with our life, and to help us to see in a new way by developing a stillness of mind and a strength of heart. Undertaking any of these practices requires a deep commitment to stopping the war, to stopping running away from life. Each practice brings us into the present with a clearer, more receptive, more honest state of consciousness, but we must choose. Jack Kornfield
A path with heart: A guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life.
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We forget all too easily that one of the big lessons of the incarnation is that God is found in the ordinary. You wish to see God? Look at the face of the man next to you. You want to hear Him? Listen to the cry of a baby, the loud laughter at a party, the wind rustling in the trees. You want to feel Him? Stretch your hand out and hold someone. Or touch the chair you are sitting on or this book that you are reading. Or just quieting yourself, become aware of the sensations in your body, sense His almighty power at work in you and feel how near He is to you. Emmanuel. God with us.
De Mello Sadhana: A way to God – Christian exercises in Eastern form.
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Rhonda Sue's Personal Tenet's
- I believe there is a benevolent Divine Spirit who is real and intentional. I understand this Magnificent Energy may show up for each individual with a different name and face.
- I believe that as Divine Children of the Universe, it is God’s intention that all sentient beings experience Joy – and to experience Joy, we must beJoy.
- I believe there are many paths one can explore to experience Divine Spirit. I celebrate each avenue with deep respect. I support and uplift each individual’s view or experience of “God”.
- I believe there is a natural order to things and that this Universal Law was created by the Omnipotent - “To everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under the heavens…”
- I believe in the Golden Rule – “Do unto others….”
- I understand that I must fully love myself before I can fully love others.
- I believe I am part of a greater good or “god”. I understand that my part is deliberate and significant and that I am part of the whole. I believe in “Oneness”.
- I know that God loves me perfectly as I am.
- I believe Divine Spirit can only come from Love and not Fear. I believe that all experiences are either love-based or fear-based. I believe there is a loving solution to every challenge.
- I believe we all have the power to create. I have a moral obligation to create from a higher consciousness or awareness and do so with reverence.
- I believe the walk I walk is my sermon to the world. I am responsible for carefully choosing each step I take.
- I believe that playing “small” in the world does not serve God, but rather, playing BIG is what enables me to illuminate space all around with the true Essence of God.
- I believe that having an Attitude of Gratitude truly makes my life joyful.
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