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Archive for October, 2010

Your Counselor

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on October 29, 2010| Leave a Comment »

  

          The Prophet Isaiah also calls this Child “Counselor.” A counselor is one who gives guidance. If you are worried because you do not know whether to take some important step, to accept a business offer, to sign an important document, to enter upon a partnership, to resign your position, to trust someone, to say something, the Child will be your Counselor.
 
            In the third place the prophet reveals to us who the Child really is. It is no less than God Himself, “The Mighty God.” And truly the mystic Power that transforms, and transmutes, and transfigures, is God Himself, always present with you, and always available.
 
…the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (John 14:10).
Read John 14:10-17.
 
Think about that! We always have within us God’s power to transform, transmute and transfigure!  When we know how  hard it is for an adult to change even five percent of their behavior, this is truly amazing. With God’s power we can renew  and rebuild not only our lives, but everything in our lives as well.
 
On top of that, we also have within us a counselor and advocate who is the Holy Spirit of God to guide and advise us in times of confusion or weakness, joy and gladness. That Holy Spirit is with God and constantly advocating our best good. That spirit, made real by our obedience and actions in the physical world is the force that can turn black to white, low  to high and will transform any obstacle or challenge into a blessing or a miracle.
 
How  much easier it is to feel hope, confidence and peace when we see things through this reality! How  much sweeter the smell of the garden, the warm dappled light, the crisp cool air when we know this truth!
 
With counsel,
 
Z gardener

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A New Birth

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on October 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 

 
The prophet Isaiah speaks of the “Name” of the Child, and if we know something of Bible symbolism, we know that we are now going to learn something fundamental, for in the Bible, the name of anything means the character or nature of that thing. A name is not merely an arbitrary label, but actually a hieroglyph of the soul. We are given no less than five names or qualities of the Child.

 
First Isaiah says that the name of the Child is Wonderful. The word wonderful used here requires careful scrutinization. As employed in the Bible, it implies a miracle – just that, and nothing else. The Bible repeatedly says that miracles can happen, and it gives detailed and circumstantial accounts of many specific cases. Moreover, it says that miracles always will happen if you believe them to be possible, and are willing to recognize the power of God, and to call upon it.
 
As soon as the Child is born in you consciousness, the miracle will come into your life. This does not mean simply that you will become resigned to your present circumstances, or that you will then be enabled to meet the same difficulties with a higher courage or a clearer brain. It means the miracle.
 
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible (Mathew 19:26).
When we accept God, and the miracle of new birth occurs in our spirits, we begin a life-long journey with God and the Holy spirit. This miracle opens the door to our  Edens.  We then spend the rest of our lives learning to cultivate that garden and the spiritual miracle of God’s Holy spirit within us.
 
As we grow  in God’s spirit, we do find new  attributes emerging that help us cope and that give us hope, courage and clarity. These attributes are not created by the miracle of God in our lives, but are empowered by God for us to discover, learn and use.
 
Just a any child is born ignorant and full of potential, so our spiritual lives begin. In both spiritual and physical matters, we must learn the truth, accept it and then apply it to our lives if we are to reap the benefits. The big difference is that on our own, all things are not possible, but with God…
 
Living the miracle,
Z gardener

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Liberation Through The Power Within

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on October 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

But where is this wonderful Power to be contacted? The answer is simple – this Power is to be found within your own consciousness, the last place that most people would look for it. Within your own mentality there lies a source of energy stronger than electricity, more potent than high explosive; unlimited and inexhaustible. You only need to make conscious contact with it to set it working in your affairs. This Indwelling Power, the Inner Light, is spoken of in the Bible as a child. The conscious discovery by you that you have this Power within you, and your determination to make use of it, is the birth of the child.

 
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
 
            This is a marvelous description of what happens when the spiritual idea, the Child, is born to the soul. Walking in darkness, moral or physical, dwelling in the land of the shadow of death – the death of joy, or hope, or even self-respect – describes well the condition of many people before this light shines into their weary, heartbroken lives; and the Prophet rises into a paean of exultant joy as he contemplates the deliverance.
 
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined (Isaiah 9:2).
All of God’s power is available to each one of us every minute of every day. God’s power within us is an ever present help in trouble and in joy. It is more powerful than any force and is capable of overcoming any obstacle. Ton access this power an light, we must believe in it and accept its reality. Then must must put the principles of love to work in our lives.
 
For this power will not be available to those who would abuse it. Unless we eliminate the self and give God control of our thoughts, words and deeds, this power will be kept from us. So, why does bad things happen to those who believe? It is because it must happen in order for us to arrive at our proper place. It is also to show us the power within by forcing us to access it and believe in it.
 
That is when the light truly begins to shine and our spirits soar. That is when the inner child awakens to all the mystery and majesty of God’s power and love. Then we see our gardens, feel God’s power and live in the Eden god gave us.
 
Being the child,
Z gardener

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Your Own Valuation

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on October 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The world will take you at your own valuation. Your body will take you at your own valuation. Your business will take you at your own valuation; for the value that you really put upon yourself is the one that manifests. You may say, “ But that cannot be true, because I know several people who are always boasting and pretending and yet no one ever takes them seriously.”

 
Please note that I said the value you really put upon yourself. People who boast, bluff, and pretend have really a poor opinion of themselves—or why would they pretend? And it is this poor opinion or sense of inferiority that is demonstrated in the failure that such people always make of their lives.
 
The man who really believes that his wares are excellent does not dream of lying about them. The man who is satisfied with what he is has no incentive to pretend to be something he is not. The man who is conscious of substantial achievement has no desire to boast.
 
Nature always takes you at your own valuation. Believe that you are the child of God. Believe that you express Life, Truth, Love. Believe that Wisdom guides you. Believe that you are a special enterprise on the part of God—and what you really believe, that you will demonstrate.
 
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be… (John 3:2).
What do we really believe about ourselves? Not the false fluff of self-esteem, but the true substance of self-respect. And when we get down to what we truly believe, is it true? Does it reflect reality or is it false self-righteousness, self-pity or self-recrimination?
 
Do we truly believe we are the children of God? Do we act as if God loves us enough to sacrifice his Son for us? Do we express life, truth and love? Does God’s wisdom guide us? If the answer to these questions is no, then we need to honestly evaluate why and what it is that we really believe.
 
For it is what we believe that will determine what we are and how we live. If we truly believe God’s word, then our lives will be one of truth, joy, beauty and wisdom regardless of what happens in our physical world. We will shape the reality in which we live instead of its shaping us. Then our gardens will be places of joy in which our true value is demonstrated as children of the most high God.
 
I believe,
Z gardener

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Life Is Like That

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on October 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

  
You form certain beliefs, for one reason or another—and then you have to live with them. When you were growing up, well-meaning people told you many negative things by way of warning, thereby implanting fears; and these fears are with you today, consciously or subconsciously. 
  

You meet your fears dramatized. The things that we fear in our hearts have a way of coming to us in the guise of other people’s acts; of business conditions; of a breakdown in some part of the body.
 
Thank God it is not necessary as a rule to delve into the recesses of the subconscious and dredge for these things. In the spiritual teaching, as given in the Bible, we learn that by beating the symptoms spiritually (not, of course, covering up symptoms, but beating them) the fear or false suggestion that caused the symptom disappears too, and the patient is free.
 
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace… (Job 22:21).
It is true that we out picture our fears and project them into things we experience each day. To cure the cause rather than flee the symptom, we must overcome the fear that is causing the problem. That is where God and our belief in God becomes essential. When we accept God’s promise and word through faith, we can then believe that our protection and best good is assured. It is this belief and the faith that forms its foundation, that cures the fear and relieves the symptoms of that fear.
  
Then, we can project our faith and confidence into the outer things we experience each day instead of our fears. And although the fear may not be immediately cured, with time and discipline and increasing faith, we will come to know that God is ensuring that all things in our lives will be for our best good. That is when fear flees, and joy is what we project onto our world. That is when life can unfold in our gardens with peace, confidence and joyful anticipation of each day and each event whether desired or feared.
 
Projecting joy,
  
Z gardener

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The Devil’s Last Ditch

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on October 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 
When you have driven the devil out of every other corner of you heart, his last refuge is to take shelter in negative analysis. He will say, “You prayed before and nothing happened,” or, “You have been praying so long for that…” Or perhaps he will say, “There is no way that it can come about.” 

 
When this kind of thing comes into your thought, do not be discouraged but rather rejoice, for this means that satan is positively in his very last ditch, and now is the time to clear him out; and if you will be loyal to God it will not be difficult.
  
Now is the time to know the Truth quietly, and to hold to it in spite of false appearances. Now is the time to witness to the faith that is in you. No finer opportunity for a great step forward spiritually can ever come to you than this one. So take advantage of it and rejoice in your good fortune.
  
It is not when things are going well that we make our progress. It is not even when things are going wrong and yet we feel sure that we can handle them with prayer that we advance. It is when, smitten by the temptation to discouragement or even despair, we yet stand for what we know is the Truth, and say with Job,
 
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him (Job 13:15).
The adversary does not want us to be free from his grip. Like the drug dealer who gives his poison to someone to addict them or keep them addicted, satan will do or say anything to keep us shackled to negativity, doubt and despair. This adversary will lie, cheat and steal to keep us from the perfect grace of God.
  
When we have broken free of fear and doubt, and are on the brink of total communion with God; this is when the devil works the hardest and cheats the most. Every attempt will be made to convince us we are bad, that God doesn’t exist and that our peace is false. All lies.
  
And when satan has thrown every dirty trick and deceit at us, even when we are the most discouraged, all we have to do is trust in God’s promise and keep believing in his word. Then God will defeat the adversary, our peace will be assured and the devil will lose for good his grip on our lives. Then we are protected from the adversary and free from his lies, trickery and traps. Then we can live in the garden God gave us in safety, peace and harmony forever:
  
Freed by God,
Z gardener

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Losing Interest In Outer Things

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on October 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

It happens to some students of prayer who are especially zealous, giving much time to study and meditation, and making more than average progress, that a time comes when their ordinary daily work begins to seem dull, tiresome, and really not worthwhile. Such a person may actually have a very important and interesting position, which most people would consider ideal; but now he is no longer content or happy. He would like to throw up business life altogether and devote all his time to his spiritual development.

 
The healing of this problem is first to know that a great many people have to meet it. It is not at all uncommon or peculiar to one person; and those who have it always come through it and find themselves happier than ever before because this particular difficulty only happens to wholehearted and zealous people. Such people usually spend too much time in prayer and meditation, and become waterlogged.
 
Having come through that stage they always find themselves more interested in their business than ever before; they do much better work, and at the same time they progress much faster in their spiritual lives, and have a great deal more power in prayer than they ever had before.
 
I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. (Job 42:2).
Each part of our lives is a part of our spiritual journey. While work or daily duties may seen at times like drudgery, or feel like they are dragging us down spiritually, they are integral parts of applying our spiritual discernment to the physical world in which we live.
 
In these circumstances, we need to change our perception about our work or daily duties; to see those activities as ways to put our faith into action. It is here that truth and love face the real tests. All our spiritual growth and development may be good for us, but the real value, and the real test come from their application in our daily lives.
 
If we are to live in the Eden God created for us, then we must do so in the physical world in which we operate each day. And while our peace, joy and gladness come from God and start within us, our garden, its health and its fruits are manifested in the world outside of us . It is by our actions that our faith is put to work.
 
Practicing inner and outer faith,
 
Z gardener

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And Mean It!

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on October 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Think of God. Review some of the things that you know to be true about Him – His perfect goodness, infinite intelligence, all presence, limitless power, unbounded love, and so forth. Claim that God, who is all those things, is with you – and believe it.

 
Read a few verses of Scripture or any spiritual book that helps you.
 
Say silently that you forgive everyone who may seem to need it; without exception or mental reservation – and mean it.
 
Claim that God is now inspiring you, teaching you, and healing you. Claim that He is giving you the greatest of all gifts – HIMSELF – because having Him you will have everything else too.
 
Give thanks in advance for the peace of mind, the harmony, and the spiritual growth that is yours – and mean it.
 
Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High (Psalm50: 14)
If we truly believe in God’s goodness, infinite intelligence, limitless power, presence and love, then we must accept that God is directing these gifts toward us and must claim them without reservation. We must also forgive without exception or mental reservation. When we do these things, we must also accept that God is using our circumstances to teach and heal us. Armed with this belief, and sincere in our acceptance of these truths, we can be joyful and glad in our gardens each day. Then we will live in harmony with a full measure of harmony and peace of mind.

 

  
Leaning on meaning it,
Stan

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Make It Work

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

 

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom and instruction, and understanding (Proverbs 23:23).

 
All you have of Truth is what you understand of it – and what you understand you always demonstrate. It naturally follows from this that the only way to improve yourself and your conditions is to gain an increase in understanding. And the only way to gain an increase in understanding is to make practical use of the Truth you already know. Knowledge that you do not actually use is only intellectual knowledge and is barren, and even that fades out in time through lack of use.
 
You will never demonstrate or progress on mere theories that you have not put to the test. You will never demonstrate or grow spiritually on what is in a textbook or a lecture until you have begun to put such knowledge into practice. It is far better to have a thimbleful of spiritual knowledge and use it than to have a whole mountain of correct spiritual doctrine most of which you have never made work.
The only benefit one’s personal  faith offers to others, is that which one puts into practice.
 
Practicing,
Stan

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Be Specific!

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on October 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 
Man has dominion over all things when he knows the Law of Being and obeys it. Do not put off your study of the law any longer. Take stock of your life this very day. Write down the things you really wish for. Be specific, not vague. Then write down underneath the conditions that you wish to remove from your life. If you do this candidly, you now have an extremely valuable analysis of your own mentality. In course of time this will tell you a great many things about your self that you do not at present suspect, and as your knowledge of spiritual Truth increases, you will be able to handle the new knowledge about your self in a surprising way.
 
Having forgotten your main points in front of you, work on each one separately with all the spiritual knowledge you possess. Remember, it is not really very important how much of this knowledge you have so long as you make use of all that you do have. Repeat this treatment every day for a month, and by the end of that time it will be very unusual if a change for the better has not manifested itself in your conditions.
 
For those unfamiliar with spiritual treatment, an effective method of working is this: Claim gently but definitely that the great creative Life Force of the universe is bringing each of the needed changes into your life in its own way, in it own time, and in its own from. Do not try to dictate the exact form in which the new conditions shall come about. Do not be tense or vehement. Do not let anyone else know that you are doing this. Do not look impatiently every day for results.
 
Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do (Deuteronomy 29:9).

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Once we accept, believe and act as if God is bringing the needed changes into our lives for our best good, then we can accept all things that happen to us as good. Even the bad things that happen can be seen for what they really are; something we must go through to achieve our God-given destination.
  
When we keep the words of God’s promise in our hearts and act accordingly, we will prosper in all we do. Then, everything in our gardens will be revealed as being for our best good. That is when we can live each day in our gardens with joy and gladness regardless of the circumstances we encounter there.
 
Taking stock,
Z gardener

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