A p p r e c i a t i o n

I appreciate myself.

I appreciate my time, my energy, and my uniqueness.

I attract and surround myself with people who appreciate me.

I acknowledge and appreciate everyone I encounter.

I attract situations in which I feel appreciated.

These affirmations were inspired by the teachings of Orin as written by Sanaya Roman.

I am here for a purpose – a concrete, unique, and joyful purpose.

I watch attentively as this purpose continues to unfold before me.

I have the clarity, wisdom, and courage to follow my higher purpose.

I surround myself with those who support my higher purpose.

I acknowledge that everyone I encounter also has a special and unique purpose.

This affirmation was inspired by the teachings of Orin, as written by Sanaya Roman.

I’ve taken to reciting the following each day before beginning my morning meditation, as I light a candle on my altar. I’ve found it quite moving and profound, in spite of its simplicity:

May I be like this candle – a gentle and unwavering light in the world, radiating warmth and illuminating truth.

And So It Is.

Each moment, a new beginning – unhindered by the past and in command of the future.

Each breath, a new chance to create the life I desire – to remember that I am loved and to allow myself to love.

Each day, a new perspective – the fog over the valley of yesterday gone, yet still shrouding the path that leads to tomorrow.

Many people speak of unconditional love but rarely live it. Instead, when they see a condition that causes them to feel negative emotions, they demand a change in the condition; but in doing so, they set themselves on a long and uncomfortable path of attempting to control others in order to feel good.

When controlling others is necessary in order for you to feel good, you must confine yourself to a very small world over which you can gain control, and then you must give more time and energy than you possess to this impossible effort.

–The Teachings of Abraham in the book The Astonishing Power of Emotions by Esther and Jerry Hicks

Neo-Conservatives/Christ-Cons may not be the only who “attempt to control others in order to feel good,” but they’ve certainly been the most visible. They’ve been losing the Culture Wars for decades by refusing to recognize the truth in the statements above. Until they replace their dogged determination to control with completely unconditional love, they will continue to experience anger, sorrow, and fear as they watch the world progress beyond their subjective views of morality.

Women will never lose the right to choose. State legislatures will continue to recognize equal rights for lesbians and gays. The world will never work exactly how the Neo-Cons think it should (thank God). When they accept these things and recognize that the doctrine they follow is just as fallible as they are, maybe then they’ll emerge from their “very small worlds” and turn their focus to living their own lives.

Please join us at A Novel Paradigm beginning Wednesday April 22nd for the discussion of Esther and Jerry Hicks’ The Astonishing Power of Emotions.

Click here for a synopsis.

Are your batteries running low? Finding yourself knee-deep in the muck of present day? Please join us for the reading and discussion of books that inspire and empower at A Novel Paradigm! 

There’s still time to cast your vote or share your suggestions for our next title, which will be announced April 13th. We’ll begin reading and discussion the following Monday, April 20th.

Hope to see you there!

Clever Secret Muslim Obama Throws White House Seder To Throw Birthers Off Scent of Truth

Both the Christian and secular media worlds are ablaze as Jon Meacham’s article The End of Christian America makes its rounds.

From the blogosphere this morning:

Well, I thought of the wrath God must feel for those arrogant blasphemers who reject His law and I also thought about how righteous His judgement will be.

–Shotgun Smith on his response to “some woman in Australia who thought that the death of Christianity was undoubtedly a good thing.”

Easy there, turbo. I’m guessing you didn’t read the entire article, as I suspect many of your Christian brethren won’t. To say the article is about the “death of Christianity” is incorrect and a bit pessimistic.

From page 36: “Let’s be clear: while the percentage of Christians may be shrinking, rumors of the death of Christianity are greatly exaggerated.”

The article actually discusses the decline of Christianity in our country and theorizes that this has occurred due to the lack of distinction between church and state.

While arguing that the influence of either too much secularism or too much religion creates imbalance in the political system, Meacham reminds the reader that “As crucial as religion has been and is to the life of the nation, America’s unifying force has never been a specific faith, but a commitment to freedom – not least freedom of conscience.” In simpler terms, our Founding Fathers neither envisioned nor intended to create America as a strictly Christian Nation, but rather as one in which each citizen had freedom and liberty.

I infer from this that the author sees a correlation between Christianity’s decline and how religious conservatives have long used politics to force their morals and values on the public. It’s easy to see why secular society, resenting attempts by Christian political leaders to forcibly remove Constitutional liberties (a woman’s right to choose, the right of same-sex couples to wed, the need for stem cell research funding, etc.) would want to distance itself from Christianity.

I also speculate that though they may never realize it, the Christ-Con’s sole saving grace is their failure to accomplish their over-arching aim: to rebuild the bulwark of 1950’s Christian America. Had they succeeded in stamping out all beliefs and practices that don’t coincide with their own, it wouldn’t be long before another group rose to power and did the same to them. And schadenfreude aside, that would be a bad for us all.

Oppression of anyone is oppression of everyone.
–Stevie Wonder

The wise have long attested to the power of laughter to strengthen the spirit and dissolve negativity.

Have a look at these, then have a good laugh.

And the Christ-Cons wonder why:

Video source: YouTube via Blueollie