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Archive for September, 2010

Increasing Your Dividends

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (Matthew 25:29).

This great text has been a stumbling block to many. It looks like injustice. It sounds like cruelty. Yet Jesus said it, and we know that he was always right.

The explanation is logical when you have the key to life. Your experience is the expression (pressing out) of your state of mind or consciousness, at any time. When your consciousness is high, everything goes well. When your consciousness is low or limited, everything goes wrong.

When trouble comes the usual thing is to meet it with fear, anger, disappointment, self-pity, or brutal will power. This naturally lowers the consciousness a good deal more, and things get still worse. From him that hath not (much) harmony, shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Harmony and joy naturally raise your consciousness and your faith in God still higher, and so things improve further. Unto everyone that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance. This is a simple statement of natural law. Let us thank God that this wonderful law exists.

Let us this day, meet both trouble and treasure with joy, hope, anticipation and thankfulness. Let us think, speak and live in certainty and peace and in the comfort that God will reward these actions with greater understanding, blessings and miracles.

The more we elevate our feelings, desires, thoughts and awareness; the more sure we can be that goodness will flow from us and to us.

Then our garden will be a place of gratitude, beauty and harmony. God’s law is that good attracts and radiates greater good.

Absorbing and radiating good,
Z gardener

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The Law of Limitation

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

A Young doctor and his wife were entertaining an elderly aunt. After-dinner coffee was served, whereupon the visitor said excitedly, “John, you know I cannot drink coffee! The nicotine in it keeps me awake all night.”

The nephew said, “ I assure you, my dear aunt, there is no nicotine in this coffee.” The aunt replied, “There is always nicotine in coffee, and it keeps me awake the whole night.” The host then said, “My dear aunt, I assure you upon my word of honor as a doctor, that there is no nicotine in this coffee.”

The old lady, who had the highest regard both for her nephew’s professional qualifications and for his personal integrity, was satisfied; and thereupon drank three large cups of coffee, enjoyed them immensely and slept like a top all night.

Naturally, there can be no nicotine in coffee; the old lady meant caffeine. Of course, one does not approve of the deception employed – deception is never legitimate – but the story illustrates perfectly the power of good and bad suggestion. The old lady first made a law of limitation for herself, and then repealed it without any trouble. Why not start today and repeal some of the many such laws you are sure to have made for yourself.

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).

Sometime we create false realities for ourselves that imprison and blind us to the true beauty and happiness God has planned for us. We establish priorities, make plans based on those priorities and then may feel like failures when those plans and priorities do not materialize or don’t turn out as planned.

This is when our faith must come into play. For if we truly believe in God’s promise, then we must hold firm to the conviction that whatever happens to us is for our best good. Perhaps that which we planned and prioritized started out good for us, but then needed to change or go away altogether in order for God’s plan to unfold. And if that change does not occur, then we would miss that to which God is directing us.

Often it is very challenging to let go of that which we planned and far from what we desire. Yet, if we are to receive the full measure of God’s grace, we must accept it. Even when those challenges seem insurmountable, unfair or cruel, they will yield God’s grace if met with with unwavering faith.

When we continue to believe and follow God’s will regardless of these challenges, then the truth of our circumstances will reveal themselves. Then, we will be blessed beyond measure and beyond our ability to do so by following our plans. Perhaps that plan had become a burden and a prison. Perhaps our priorities were separating us from our true obligations, joys and blessings.

One thing is certain. When we persevere in our faith, God will reveal to us a more beautiful and perfect garden than we could have ever planted ourselves. Then, whatever has been lost will be replaced and renewed many times over.

Persevering in faith,
Z gardener

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Divine Abundance

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

When you go down to the seashore, you find what is practically an unlimited supply of sea water at your disposal. There are billions upon billions of gallons there, but the amount that you can carry away will depend upon the vessel with which you have provided yourself. If you take a ten-gallon can, you can get ten gallons, but if you take only a pint pot you can take away only a pint, and if you have nothing bigger than a thimble, you would not be able to take away more than a thimbleful.

So it is with divine abundance. The only limit is the limit of our capacity to receive.

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing (Psalm 145:16).

This raises the obvious question of “What kind of vessel are we”? Do we really believe that infinite abundance is available to us? Do we truly feel that we deserve infinite supply? Do we feel that unlimited blessings will be good for us?

Our thoughts beliefs and feelings are what constitute our vessels. They are what shape and mold our capacity to receive God’s blessings. Our actions determine how we fetch and use our blessings and God’s infinite grace.

The Bible affirms God’s desire that we live abundantly in joy and gladness each day. When we claim God’s blessings, accept our right to them and grow our capacity to receive them, then they will flow abundantly into our lives. This does happen because we are perfect. It happens when we follow God’s will, believe God’s promises and act accordingly.

Growing the vessel,
Z gardener

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Never Look Back

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Never look back. Always go right ahead. Even if you are quaking, go right ahead. Jesus said the man who puts his hand to the plow and then turns back, is not worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. He also said: Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32).

No matter how unattractive or how dangerous the road ahead may be, it is better than the road back. The road ahead may be veiled from sight – but you must teach yourself to regard the unknown as friendly. Remember that God is always on the road ahead.

…cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee (Psalm 143:8).

Of course, the statement above assumes right actions. Those activities which are good, God-centered and positive. That does not mean we should never look back when engaged in bad behavior. In fact, the quicker we turn back from such thoughts, words and deeds, the better.

On the other hand, when our course is plotted according to God’s will in our lives, we should not second guess it and should not quit moving forward. And be sure of this, God’s course will pass through every manner of obstacle and challenge as it is traveled. The Adversary does not want us to travel the path of freedom from sin and guilt. So. when the evil one whispers in your ear that, “This path is too hard, turn back, there is an easier way”, say to him “Get thee behind me Satan, for I live and travel by every word of the living God”. Then move ahead.

For ahead lies the paradise God created for us here and forever in Heaven. It is there for every single child of God who perseveres, trusts God and never quits.

On course,
Z gardener

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Why Worry?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on September 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Nothing is really worth worrying about. Nothing is really worth getting angry or hurt or bitter about. Positively nothing is worth losing your peace of mind over.

These important truths follow logically upon the following fact: you are going to live forever – somewhere. This means that there is plenty of time to get things right again if they have gone wrong. No matter what mistake you may have made, enough prayer will overtake it and cancel it. If those you love seem to be acting foolishly, you can help them with prayer to be wiser, and, meanwhile, if they suffer, it means that kindly nature is teaching them a lesson that they need to learn.

But suppose something awful should happen? Well, what then? Suppose you lost everything and landed in the poorhouse. What then? Think what a wonderful demonstration you could make there, and you would probably learn several valuable lessons there, and, anyway, it would be quite interesting. Suppose the whole universe blew up. What then? When the dust settles, God will still be in business and you will be alive somewhere, ready to carry on.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).

Worry is the mental equivalent of rust. It slowly erodes our faith, peace and health. It accomplishes nothing positive and in fact, prevents us from focusing on the good. Anger and hate are the mental equivalent of acid. They eat away at our lives while burning and scarring our thoughts and emotions.

Peace is the emotional equivalent of a soothing balm. It soothes and protects us from life’s hurts. Love is the mental equivalent of vitamins. It fortifies us, heals us and gives us strength. Like good nutrition, rest and exercise, positive faith, expressed in our lives make us whole, healthy and fit.

Let us this day seek peace and love to express joy, wholeness and satisfaction. Then our gardens will flourish and we will be able to overcome all hurt, fear, worry and anger.

Planting peace,
Z gardener

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Divinity Within

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 7, 2010| 2 Comments »

Perhaps the second best prayer ever written is the Scotsman’s Prayer – “Lord give us a good conceit of ourselves.” You cannot have too much respect for yourself. You cannot have too much confidence in yourself. You cannot claim too much for yourself. But remember that you must realize these things as being the expression of God in you and not independent qualities of your own. You must also accept them as being true for every other human being.

Nothing but failure can come of self-depreciation. Of course, it is true that stupid people can get the malady called “swelled head” – and this ends in a fall – but the realization of one’s divine selfhood never gives swelled head. It gives wisdom, balance, poise, and steady progress. Think, talk, live your divine, glorious selfhood, and it will demonstrate itself in your life.

I have said, Ye are Gods; and all of you are children of the most High (Psalm 82:6).

Yes, brother and sisters, you heard that right. You are a God! Within each of us is the spark or seed of the divine. And just as our children have the seed or spark we planted in them, so do we all have God’s spark within us.

We are all capable of divinity in our thoughts, words and deeds. Yet, we are as infants in our spiritual lives and must grow, mature and learn in order to become fully divine. As spiritual children, we must follow God’s will to manifest our divinity.

So, as we grow in spiritual knowledge and understanding, we attain access to our divinity. And each day that our spiritual lives mature, we become more Christ-like. Just as a gardener learns the soils, seasons and sustenance needed in order to create a beautiful garden, so we must learn the ways of God, that our gardens will flourish and wing,

Still plowing,
Z gardener

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No Office Hours

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

God has no office hours. There is never a time when God is unavailable. Day or night, summer or winter, God is always present; always ready to heal, to comfort, to inspire. It is not possible that you could turn to God in prayer without receiving help.

The one thing required of you is that you shall turn to Him wholeheartedly, and that you shall expect Him to act. The greater the emergency, the easier will it be to demonstrate. The most powerful of all prayers is simply “Be still, and know that I am God.”

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose hearts is perfect toward him. (2 Chronicles 16:9).

No matter how alone we feel or how impossible our predicament seems, it is within God’s power to meet our needs. The difficulty arises when we can’t turn to God with our whole heart. In those circumstances we must ask for God’s help to turn our hearts to him. God is there to heal our hearts whether they are filled with fear, hurt, disappointment or even anger at God. What is required of us is that we “turn” to God. Because while God is always available, we hold the key that opens the door to God. That key is our heart.

When we recognize that we can not overcome a problem alone, then we must seek God. That can be as simple as looking up and saying “Father”. It is that act, that moment in time in which God flows into our situation and assumes control. Then God will be present to us and will act for our best good. And if our hearts are truly turned to God, our eyes will be opened, our souls nourished and our burden will become our blessings. We will be returned to our gardens and be comforted by the power and grace of God.

With all my heart,
Z gardener

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Beware the Dog!

Posted in Good Morning on September 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears (Proverbs 26:17).

If, when those around you are talking negatively about something or someone, you chip in with your negative contribution, you are taking a strange dog by the ears – so look out! If you get emotionally entangled in what is not your affair, through indignation, self-righteousness, hatred, or otherwise, you have seized the dog again – and he will bite. And even to think negatively concerning such matters in the secret chamber of your own heart, will bring you proportionate and natural punishment.

It is always right to think rightly about any person or situation, and if you do this many opportunities will come to you to help people practically, without any breach of law, and without coming near the dangerous dog.

Just think how much better all our lives would be if we only added positive contributions to strife-filled situations. Then we would be reducing strife and increasing harmony. When folks are talking bad about someone in a situation not concerning us, we could remain silent rather than joining in. This would keep us away from “the dog”.

Or even better, we could raise our voice for tolerance, forgiveness or understanding. Such actions would then create the possibility for the conversation to take a better direction. If the parties reject that counsel, we may not get invited to participate in such conversations in the future. That would be okay also, because we still would not be grabbing someone else’s dangerous dog by the ears.

Petting the dog,
Z gardener

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