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Archive for September, 2012

Making Your Own Fortune

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

You think, and your thoughts materialize as experience, and thus it is, all unknown to yourself as a rule, that you are actually weaving the pattern of your own destiny, here and now, by the way in which you allow yourself to think, day by day and all day long.
Your fate is largely in your own hands. Nobody but yourself can keep you down. Neither parents, nor wives, nor husbands, nor employers, nor neighbors; nor poverty, nor ignorance, nor any power whatever can keep you out of your own when once you have learned how to think.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
Only we can separate ourselves from the love of God. And only we can control what we think. If we are to live in the Eden God created for us, we must think, feel and act in communion with God. Prayer and following God’s will are the two pillars upon which this communion stands.
Praying and obeying,
Z gardener

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Bear Hugs Kettle

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

There is an anecdote of the Far West that carries a wonderful lesson. It appears that a party of hunters, being called away from their camp, left the campfire unattended, with a kettle of water boiling on it.
Presently an old bear crept out of the woods, and, seeing the kettle with its lid dancing about on top, promptly seized it. The boiling water scalded him badly; but instead of dropping the kettle instantly, he proceeded to hug it tightly—this being a bear’s idea of defense. Of course, the tighter he hugged it the more it burned him; and the more it burned him the tighter he hugged it; and so on in a vicious circle to the undoing of the bear.
This illustrates perfectly the way in which many people hug their difficulties to their bosoms by constantly rehearsing them to themselves and others.
Whenever you catch yourself thinking about your grievances, say to yourself sternly: “Bear hugs kettle,” and think about God instead. You will be surprised how quickly some long-standing wounds will heal.
Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord… (Psalm 25:15).
How hard is it to let go of our difficulties? On our own, it is nearly impossible. However, with God’s help we can let go of them and let God handle it. That does not mean the problems will all evaporate. It does mean that we can rise above them with grace, joy and gladness in our hearts. We can turn our difficulties into blessings with God’s help.
So, let us release the boiling kettle of grievances we clutch, and hug God ever so close. Then our arms will be around the solution instead of the problem.
Hugging Heaven,
Z gardener

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Change From Within

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Man is a mental being, and to know this is the first step on the road to freedom and prosperity, for as long as you believe yourself to be primarily physical, a superior kind of animal, you will remain in bondage—in bondage, that is to say, to your own habits of thought, for there is no other bondage.
Since you are a mental being, you will see how foolish it is for you to endeavor to improve your conditions by altering your environment while leaving your mind unchanged. To attempt this is to foredoom yourself to disappointment. Mind is cause, and experience is effect. If you do not like the experience or effect that you are getting, the obvious remedy is to alter the cause and then the effect will naturally alter too.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. (Matthew 23:26).
The happy corollary to this truth is that when we change within, everything in our reality yields to that change. Think we can’t change the world? Well, we can by changing our minds. It may not have a direct impact on people in China, but it will most certainly impact our universe. And that changed universe could very well affect the entire world. Simply look at the impacts individual humans like Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Gandhi and Albert Einstein caused by what was within them. Control the mind and control our reality. Change the mind; change the world.
Mind tending,
Z gardener

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Quarantine Your Troubles

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

When you are praying or “treating” about a particular thing, you should handle it, mentally, very carefully indeed. The ideal way is not to think about it at all except when you are actually praying about it. Moreover, to talk to other people about it is exceedingly likely to invite failure.
When a new problem presents itself to you, decline to consider it except in the light of Truth. I call this “putting a subject in quarantine.” Even an old long-standing problem can be “put in quarantine” today, if you mean business and will resolutely break the habit of constantly thinking over that problem.
Whenever you think about any subject, you are treating it with your thought – either for good or evil.
The lip of truth shall be established forever… (Proverbs 12:19)
Paul’s letter to the Phillipians says it well. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are  honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,  whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good  report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think  on these things.
We are what we think. If we limit our thinking about negative things to prayer about them; we will not only rise above them, we will resolve them with God’s help.
Thinking truthfully,
Z gardener

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With All Sails Set

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

            God intended us to have dominion over our lives, to be the captains of our souls.
Of course, in the ship of life, you cannot make port unless all sails are set. You must pursue the spiritual life wholeheartedly. You cannot expect to reach port if you are faithful in your prayers and meditations for a time, and then for a time you forget God.
You are the captain of your soul when you can say with Jesus,
I and my Father are one (John 10:30).
…the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (John 14:10).
The best way to have dominion over our lives is to turn them over to God and follow his will. If we set our heading according to God’s will, and if we stay that course, our ships will arrive safely at their true home port. That port will be a life filled with joy and gladness and our ships will come through every storm.
On God’s course,
Z gardener

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Thine the Glory

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever (Matthew 6:13).
This is a wonderful gnomic saying summing up the essential truth of the Omnipresence and the Allness of God.
We know that God is the only power, and so, when we work, it is really God working by means of us. Just as the pianist produces his music by means of, or through his fingers, so may mankind be thought of as the fingers of God. His is the Power. If, when you have anything to do, you hold the thought, “Divine Intelligence is working through me now,” you will perform the most difficult tasks.
The wondrous change that comes over us as we gradually realize what the Omnipresence of God really means, transfigures every phase of our lives, turning sorrow into joy, age into youth, and dullness into light and life. This is the glory!
When we understand that God works through us; that any power we have comes from God, then we are positioned to live in the Eden God created for us. This is when we can overcome all obstacles, turn bad into good and know true peace with God’s help and infinite power.
In glory,
Z gardener

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Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13).

Many earnest people feel that God could not lead anyone into temptation in any circumstances, and that Jesus could not have said what he is represented to have said, and so some other phrasing is sought more in accordance with the general tone of his teaching. All this, however, is unnecessary.
The facts are these—the more you pray, the more sensitive you become, and the more powerful are your prayers. But you also become susceptible to forms of temptation that simply do not beset those at an earlier stage. Subtle and powerful temptations await; temptations to work for self-glory, for personal distinction; temptation to personal preferences other than perfect impartiality. Beyond all other temptations the deadly sin of spiritual pride. Many who have surmounted all other testings have lapsed into self-righteousness that has fallen like a curtain of steel between them and God.
Some old writers were so vividly sensible of these dangers that they spoke of the soul as being challenged by various tests as its traversed the upward road. The traveler was halted at various turnpike bars, and tested by some ordeal to determine whether he were ready to advance any further. If he succeeded in passing the test he was allowed to continue upon his way with the blessing of the challenger.
Now, some less experienced souls, eager for rapid advancement, have rashly desired to be subjected immediately to all kinds of tests, and have even looked about, seeking for difficulties to overcome. Forgetting our Lord’s injunction Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God(Matthew 4:7), they have virtually challenged him to give them difficulties. And so Jesus has inserted this clause, in which we pray that we may not have to meet anything that is too much for us at the present level of our understanding.
It becomes really clear when said this way. Lead us; not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Being led,
Z gardener

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How To Forgive

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee…(Psalm 55:22).
The technique of forgiveness is not very difficult when you understand how. The only thing that is essential is willingness to forgive. Provided you desire to forgive the offender, the greatest part of the work is already done.
The method of forgiving is this: Get by yourself and become quiet. Repeat any prayer that appeals to you, or read a chapter of the Bible. Then quietly say, “I fully and freely forgive X (mentioning the name of the offender); I loose him and let him go. I cast the burden aside. He is free now, and I am free too. The truth of Christ has set us both free. I thank God.”
On no account repeat this act of forgiveness, because to do it a second time would be tacitly to repudiate your own work. Afterward, whenever the memory of the offender or the offense happens to come into your mind, bless the delinquent briefly and dismiss the thought. Do this, however many times the thought may come back. You will find that all bitterness and resentment have disappeared, and you are both free with the perfect freedom of the children of God. Your forgiveness is complete.
The willingness to forgive is the keystone to forgiveness. It is our choice whether we will be freed from resentment or shackled to it. And, when negative thoughts arise about those we have have forgiven, simply pronounce a blessings on them and go to the next subject. It does require the desire to forgive and discipline to bless those who have caused pain. But the result is that we are able to overcome wrongs against us not by force and revenge, but by forgiveness and reconciliation. It is a win/win/win.
Winning through forgiveness,
Z gardener

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Freedom In Forgiveness

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you(Matthew 6:14).
Setting others free means setting yourself free, because resentment is really a form of attachment. It is a cosmic truth that it takes two to make a prisoner; a prisoner and a jailer. There is no such thing as being a prisoner on one’s own account. Moreover, the jailer is as much a prisoner as his charge. When you hold resentment against anyone, you are bound to that person by a mental chain. You are tied by a cosmic tie to the thing that you hate. The one person perhaps in the whole world whom you most dislike is the very one to whom you are attaching yourself by a hook that is stronger than steel. Is this what you wish? Is this the condition in which you desire to go on living?
Remember, you belong to the thing with which you are linked in thought, and at some time or other, if that tie endures, the objects of your resentment will be drawn again into your life, perhaps to work further havoc. No one can afford such a thing; and so you must cut all such ties by a clear act of forgiveness. You must loose him and let him go. By forgiveness you set yourself free; you save your soul. And because the law of love works alike for one and all, you help to save his soul too.
Yes, we are still talking about forgiveness. Because few things are more important, this emphasis is needed. May we all have ears to hear and eyes to see this truth. May we be blessed by our hearing, seeing and then by our forgiving all.
Asking and giving forgiveness,
Z gardener

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Demonstrating Forgiveness

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise (Luke 6:31).
The forgiveness of others is the vestibule of Heaven. You have to get rid of all resentment and condemnation of others, and, not least, of self-condemnation and remorse. You have to forgive yourself, but you cannot forgive yourself sincerely until you have forgiven others first.
Of course, nothing in all the world is easier than to forgive people who have not hurt us very much. But what the Law of Being requires of us is that we forgive the very things that are so hard to forgive that at first it seems impossible to do it at all. But the Lord’s Prayer makes our own escape from guilt and limitation dependent upon just this very thing.
If your prayers are not being answered, search your consciousness and see if there is not some old circumstance about which you are still resentful. Search and see if you are not really holding a grudge against some individual, or some group. If so, then you have an act of forgiveness to perform, and when this is done, you will probably make your demonstration. If you cannot forgive at present, you will have to wait for your demonstration until you can, and you will have to postpone finishing your recital of the Lord’s Prayer too.
This truth challenges us perhaps more than any in our faith. Our culture, self-centeredness and pride stand as constant obstacles to forgiveness of others. Our guilt, lack of self respect and self-recrimination join to cripple our ability to forgive ourselves. Yet the truth remains that we must forgive ourselves and others if we are to live fully in communion with God. Our live on earth and throughout eternity depend upon it.
So, let us commit to forgiveness, and live in the peace, joy and gladness that God offers us each day.
Forgiving daily,
Z gardener

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