Divine Love

The March to Freedom is Irreversible

- Nelson Mandela

We are tempted to return to the old and familiar when we are afraid.  When faced with change, growth and evolution, we are sometimes filled with anxiety and fear.  We think if we can return to the old days, everything will be as it was and we will feel secure.

We can never return to the past.  It is gone.  The nature of all life is to evolve.  We either grow or we die.

We need to use all that we have learned from the past.  All that has helped us grow into a better version of ourselves and continue to move forward.

The only true security is in love...unconditional love.  We can learn from the good Samaritan.  A person from a different culture, an outsider, who saved the life of a Jew who had been attacked and left for dead.  Other people passed him by but the good Samaritan, the outcast, tended to his wounds and took care of his long term health needs.

The ancient message is clearly needed today.

Everyone is worthy of love, everyone is our brother and sister.  We are more alike then we are different.  We are all children of God.  We are united with Divinity when we act from love, when we act like human beings.

Divinity is infinite diversity.  Everyone is our brother and sister.  We are all connected.  Divinity does not exclude.  All humanity is included in Divine love.

Still, small voice

I have come to believe that there are moments in our lives when we are humbled and challenged to decide what is essential.  From that moment on we must live from our highest values.  Nothing less than our vulnerability, authenticity, and integrity will suffice.

We must fulfill our souls calling, follow the "still, small voice."  I have come to learn that when we experience moments of great humility we must strive for love, kindness and compassion in all our relationships.  When this is possible, we must forgive and let go with love.

Follow your soul's purpose.  Live a life of meaning.  Trust the "still, small voice."

LifeSkills Conference Reflections

Thank you to the LifeSkills Conference staff and students and all our Masonic sponsors.  From July 23rd through July 28th, 2017 we gathered at the Masonic Conference Center at Patton Campus of the Pennsylvania Masonic Village in Elizabethtown.  We came together in our passion for respect, responsibility, and healthy relationships.  We focused on servant leadership.  We built a community of kindness, compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness.  Each of us is a drop of water in an ocean of loving unity.

After 6 weeks of recovery from a spinal injury, I experienced a healing.  I was humbled by the limitless dedication and commitment of our LifeSkills Conference staff.  I was uplifted by the trust and open heartedness of all our participants.  Differences were recognized, accepted and celebrated.  From this respect for differences arose a unity of consciousness.  We are of a Divine unity.  We are all made of the same stuff.  We are now aware of this greater spirit.  Our fears are lessened.  we know we are supported.  In our moments together we know we were made of love.  We are blessed when we realize what we are made of and what we have risen from.

We are connected

Something eternal has been born in me.

I have no choice but to nurture it until it reaches its full growth and fruition.

The eternal in me feels like humility.  all that I have experienced, I have made available to others through story, so that we all can grow and know we are not alone.

We are connected.

LifeSkills 2017

Be who you really are.  Be authentic, be of service.  Affect in a positive way the lives of those you love and the lives of all you come in contact with.  Assist in ending the suffering of others.

We are all connected.  "I am in you, you are in me, we are all in the Father."

Our basic instinct is love.

Present yourself authentically to the world.  Be true to yourself.  Share your struggles and your progress.

There is a practical way to eliminate violence.  Simply detach from the need to judge and believe in separation.

Dr. Karen Osterman reminds in her research, "The more I know about you, the less likely to ever think of harming you."

We must close the human gap.

We must become known.

Focus on unity- we are more alike than we are different.

Speak your truth with kindness and compassion.

Practice integrity.

Work for the common good.

Practice gratitude.

Practice forgiveness.

Share what you have (gifts, talents, abundance, life).

Balance personal and work life.

Love each other or at least do no harm.

Love the earth or at least do no harm.

Eat healthy.

Be your best self- stop comparison.

Focus on all your blessings.

Express love.

Pray and meditate.

Listen to the "still small voice."

Every act is an act of self definition.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Gandhi

This blog was inspired by the work of Neil Donald Walsch

Love...

The sun sparks

love reaches out it's hand and places it

gently upon your face.

Your fear becomes insignificant 

Heart to heart

each to the other

this is the greatest beauty in the world

Brother, sister, humanity

Joy

Unity

Blessing

- Inspired by Hafiz

Be Yourself

Our life is a gift.  What we make of our life is a gift back to our source.  Where we serve others in love, we lift ourselves and all those we serve.  The ultimate gift is to be kind, forgiving and compassionate in everything we do and say to everyone including ourselves.

"When Akiba was on his deathbed, he bemoaned to his rabbi that he felt he was a failure.  

His rabbi moved closer and asked why, and Akiba confessed that he had not lived a life like Moses.  

The poor man began to cry, admitting that he feared God's judgement.  At this, his rabbi leaned into his ear and whispered gently, "God will not judge Akiba for not being Moses."  

God will judge Akiba for not being Akiba."

- From the Talmud

Our primary task in life is to be ourselves.  The universe is full of abundance and each of us are of God's unique lights.  The infinite, diversity of abundance does not ask us to compare, measure or evaluate.  Infinite love only asks that we be our authentic self.  Each of us is perfect just the way we are.

Sense of Purpose

"The heart has reasons that reason doesn't know"

- Blaise Pascal

One of the great joys in life is finding our sense of purpose.  Satisfaction can be found in doing what you believe is great work.  The greatness of our work is found in doing what we love.  Great work can be found in service to others, service to nature, caring for the young, caring for the elderly, caring for those in need, tending a garden, keeping your home, contributing to our schools, religious affiliations and communities.

Don't settle for less then your greatness.  Live your life on purpose.  As we commit to our sense of purpose, our life gets better and better.

Love ripples

Our spiritual development is the most important endeavor of our lives.  When we grow spiritually everyone around us is uplifted and enhanced.  Love radiates like ripples in a pond.  Everyone around us is positively influenced by kindness, compassion, empathy and love.  Forgiveness and gratitude benefit everyone.  Every action, every word, every thought is recovered in the energy of the universe and returns to the sender.  Every kindness lasts forever.

Forgiveness

"Don't let your history dictate your destiny."

- Bishop T. D. Jakes

Don't let the pain of past mistakes or disagreements spoil your present experience.  When we dig up old resentments, we put ourselves in the role of victim.

All of life is a learning experience.  There is always an opportunity to see the light or the darkness.  Happiness is a choice.  There are always blessings along with our pain.  When we feel uncomfortable, angry or hurt about something in the past we are re-living a memory.  We are choosing to live in the past and re-create hurt and disappointment.  Chose to move forward.  Rejoice in the present.  Follow the still small voice.  Let go and let God.

Love is the only sane and satisfying response to the challenges of life.  Authenticity and vulnerability remove obstacles.  My daily work is gratitude and forgiveness.

When I focus on gratitude, it is impossible to be unhappy.  Forgiveness offers love to the others and offers life and love to ourselves. 

Forgiveness will save our lives.  Gratitude and focus on the good.  Forgiveness and focus on love brings connection, creativity, and joy.  

Unconditional Love

I believe that one of the best ways to learn is to teach someone else.  We teach best what we most need to learn.  I believe being authentic, being real, being vulnerable is my true self, my best version of my self.

We are all an aspect of unconditional love.

We must close the human gap.  We must become known.  We must renounce the belief in separation and reclaim our unity consciousness.

We are unique and different from on another.  We are not separate.  We are hard wired to connect.

"Oneness is not a characteristic of life.  Life is a characteristic of oneness."

- Neale Donald Welsch

Focus on unity

Speak your truth

Practice integrity

Work for the common good

Forgive

Understand

Share your abundance

Share your gifts

Practice balance

Love each other

Love and respect the earth

Eat healthy

Be your best self

Be grateful

Express unconditional love

Pray

Meditate

Listen to the "still, small voice"

Togetherness

"You know the first moment of dawn has arrived when you look into the eyes 

of another human being and see yourself."

- Talmud

This spiritual experience is what human beings were created for.  We are hard wired for connection.  Empathy is our birth right.  We are more alike then we are different.  In the masters courses I teach, I love to explore everything that everyone in the class has in common.  I also love to celebrate our differences.  I find that when we celebrate our differences, we learn from each other.  We get excited and often want to explore something that is unique to someone else.  I believe in unity consciousness.  I will continue to devote my life to helping each of us find our common humanity.

With my glasses, I can see with precision.  I find it is more important to see with kindness.  Integrity tells me I need to continue to strive to make sure my actions are both accurate and kind.

Life has shaped each of us.  Our view of the world is based on our past experiences and core beliefs.  We bring our feelings and emotions to every experience that touches us today.  Every action we take is a statement of who we currently are and how we currently feel.

Self reflection allows us to see how the world has shaped us.  Our emotions fill us with textures and colors that move us to continue to feel and act or shut down and retreat.

The blending of integrity, vulnerability, and courage allows us to see each other from the inside.

Purpose

When we are no longer driven by the need for approval or fear of judgement...when the light of unconditional love in all humanity shines through our eyes...when we are on purpose...we will be aware that, Providence opens all opportunities, even where we did not previously see any possibilities.  The universe listens and fulfills our dreams.

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.  Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be."

- Patangali

Open your heart...

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose."

- George Bernard Shaw

Follow your "still small voice."  Allow yourself to be moved by what you really love.  "Follow your bliss." Joseph Campbell offered this sage advice to all of his students.  Science has now proven that our heart sends measurable signals to the brain, which respond to this message of love.

We must open our hearts to achieve our full potential.

The fullness of life is found in following our hearts desire.  We must follow our passion.  As we stay connected to our heart, we are connected to life.