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Archive for December, 2012

CLAIM YOUR WINGS

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on December 31, 2012| Leave a Comment »

            To me the butterfly teaches the most important lesson that we human beings ever have to learn. You all know his story. He lived what seemed to him a very long time as a worm—what we call the humble caterpillar. Now the life of a caterpillar could be taken as the very type and symbol of restriction. He lives on a green leaf in the forest, and that is about all he knows.
Then one day the little caterpillar finds certain strange stirrings going on within himself. The old green leaf, for some reason, no longer seems sufficient. He becomes moody and discontented, but—and this is the vital point—it is a divine discontent. He feels the need for a bigger, finer, and more interesting life. His instinct tells him that where there is true desire there must be fulfillment.
And so the wonderful thing happens: the butterfly emerges beautiful, graceful, now endowed with wings, and instead of crawling about on a restricted leaf, he soars above the trees, above the forest itself—free, unrestricted, his own True Self.
…Eye hath not seen, nor heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
We, like the butterfly, were created to be more than that which we manifest by our physical birth. Like the butterfly, we are born as one thing and must undergo a metamorphosis in order to become that which we were created to become. Our rebirth however is spiritual rather than material. Yet, we too emerge from the change as different creatures.
Let each us us use the experiences of 2012 to transform ourselves in 2013. May we each spread our wings in the coming year and become the beautiful creature we were meant to become so that we may we each fly to our greatest heights.
Airborne,
Z gardener

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Claim Your Nourishment

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on December 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

           I had an amusing experience when I first came to America. Passing an attractive-looking restaurant, I went inside, and selecting a table, sat down and waited. Nothing happened. I continued to wait. All around me, people were enjoying their food, and only I was left out. After a while the truth dawned on me—I was in a cafeteria.(This system had not yet made its appearance in England.) I then realized that while there was plenty of food to be obtained, one had to go forward and claim it for oneself, or go without.
The universe is run exactly on the lines of a cafeteria. Unless you claim—mentally—what you want, you may sit and wait forever.
Every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat… (Isaiah 55:1).
That which we focus on, is that which we claim. If we have no focus, we claim nothing. If we focus on our selves, we gain nothing. When we focus on God’s will, we gain all.
Let us claim the waters that quench all thirsts, claim the nourishment that satisfies all needs and claim the garden God created for us.
Staking the claim,
Z gardener

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

Get Back on the Beam
Today most commercial flying is done on a radio beam. A directional beam is produced to guide the pilot to his destination, and as long as he keeps on this beam he knows that he is safe, even if he cannot see around him for fog, or get his bearings in any other way. As soon as he gets off the beam in any direction he is in danger, and he immediately tries to get back on the beam.
Those who believe in the Allness of God, have a spiritual beam upon which to navigate.
You are off the beam the moment you are angry or resentful or jealous or frightened or depressed; and when such a condition arises you should immediately get back on the beam by turning quietly to God in thought, claiming His Presence, claiming that His Love and Intelligence are with you, and that the promises in the Bible are true today. You are back on the beam and you will reach port in safety.
Keep on the beam and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
For this God is our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death.(Psalm 48:14).
But, I want my resentment, jealousy. fear and/or depression. I have earned it…it is my right to be angry, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All of this may be true, however, it is also true that all these things are poison and separate us from God’s beam.
But, I want to do what I want to do, what feels good right now. I have earned it, it is my right to follow my own instincts. Yeah, yeah. yeah. All of this may be true. However, it is also true that this path leads away from God’s beam and leads to our ultimate undoing.
Today, let us lay down our negative yokes we created from our resentments, hurts and pain. Let us lift the positive yoke of forgiveness, healing and peace. Listen to God, get on the beam and live in Eden with joy each day. The garden is waiting.
Beaming,
Z gardener

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No Superstition

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on December 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

  Don’t harbor superstitions of any kind, big or little. People often make a fetish of a number or a date, or a keepsake; or they believe certain things bring “bad luck.” This is denying God. The Bible says,
Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3).
Because thou hast made the Lord…thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee…(Psalm 91:9-10).
Little things are big things. Let us give power only to God in all things big and small.
Heavenly peace,
Stan

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Peace – The Power Within

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

            There exists a mystic Power that is able to transform your life so thoroughly, so radically, so completely, that when the process is completed your own friends would hardly recognize you, and, in fact, you would scarcely be able to recognize yourself.
It can lift you out of an invalid’s bed, and free you to go out into the world to shape your life as you will. It can throw open the prison door and liberate the captive.
This Power can do for you that which is probably the most important thing of all in your present stage: it can find your peace, your true place in life, and put you into it.
This Power is really no less than the primal Power of Being, and to discover that Power is the divine birthright of all men.
…. Seek ye first the kingdom of God… and all these things shall be added…(Matthew 6:33).
…. The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21).
Peace within, Peace without
Stan

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Let Nothing Turn You From The Path

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

Don’t try to straddle the fence. If you wish to accomplish anything, you must be single- minded. It will be going the long way around if you first turn left and then right when you really want to go straight ahead.
Let nothing turn you from the path. The Bible says,
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8).
Joshua was told, “turn neither to the left nor to the right, but be strong and of a good courage” and “ye shall prosper whithersoever thou shall go”.  Just remember, the path twists and turns also. Following the path means being willing to turn and change direction. This is requires being single-minded and obviates being narrow-minded.
To be single-minded we must believe and act as if we believe with all our being. It can’t be intellectual only or spiritual only. We must be all in; heart, mind, body and soul. Then, we will be given everything we need for our best good…if we just follow the path to the garden.
On the path,
Z gardener

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The Temple of Solomon – Ivory, Apes, and Peacocks

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

The Bible states that five things were to be found around the temple – For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks (1 Kings 10:22).
Then comes the ivory. This stands for undue attachment to a particular teacher, a particular textbook, or a particular church or other organization. It is a mistaken loyalty. It is an unselfish error, but a deadly one. Any religious teacher or writer, however eminent, any church or center, however much beloved, is still but a means to an end. The end itself is spiritual growth.
Recognize with gratitude all the help you receive from any source, but remember that your loyalty is due to God, through your own spiritual development. You must feel free at any time to go wherever you get the most help, irrespective of personal considerations.
The ape stands for bodily temptations such as sensuality, addiction to drink, drugs and so forth. These things are so obvious that the victim cannot deceive himself about them, so that at least he knows where he stands. They can, of course, be overcome by systematic prayer.
The peacock stands for vanity. Vanity may take the form of intellectual pride, or of a snobbish attitude, or the desire to stand in with what is fashionable and powerful. It also includes spiritual pride on the part of those who really are in Truth, and this is worse than any of the other forms.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness (1 Timothy 6:11).
It all seems so simple. Follow these instructions and be safe from these threats to our peace, hope and love. But the decision to live this way is very hard; and living in the way of right thinking, faithfulness, patience, etc, is always a challenge. The “world” pushes us toward these weaknesses that were are told by the Bible to flee.
The good news is that any difficulty we endure in living rightly will contribute to our best good. Further, God promises and delivers every thing we need to live his way. So the “yoke is light” compared to the hurt and pain we feel living without God.
Most importantly. The blessings we receive living in harmony with God create a place here and now where; we overcome any sacrifice, pain or hurt we experience in our journey and we live in peace, hope and joy. This is the place called Eden.
Welcome to the garden,
Z gardener

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The Temple of Solomon – Silver

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

SILVER
Next comes the silver. This stands for greed of money or money’s worth, for material objects that can be bought, and even for riches themselves. Or it may be that the offender is not interested in riches themselves but in their ability to give him a position of honor in the eyes of the world. He wants to be considered important and to have adulation or applause. Often he wants to be a“leader,” not because he has a message to give but to be important. He is the victim of egotism. Now this is a base and ignoble sin; an insurmountable barrier across the spiritual path.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).
That which we prioritize, make important and focus upon, is that which we become. If our focus is material wealth, position or power, then we lose the spiritual, true power for joy and peace in our lives. Further, we “pierce ourselves through with many sorrows”. We also create an “insurmountable barrier across our spiritual path”; blocking us from our garden. Today, let us choose the garden, let us choose peace.
Live truth,
Z gardener

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The Temple of Solomon

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

GOLD
We know that the spiritual consciousness which we are all engaged in building is spoken of in the Bible as the Temple of Solomon. The name Solomon means peaceful, and symbolizes wisdom. This is logical, for peace of mind is the foundation of all spiritual building, the hallmark of understanding.
The Bible states that five things were to be found around the temple—For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks (1 Kings 10:22).
This is the Scriptural manner of telling us that there are five principal temptations that may come to the soul that is striving to build the spiritual temple. The particular form that each temptation takes will vary according to the temperament and circumstances of the subject, but in principle will be the same.
First comes the gold, and this stands for desire for personal power over other people, the desire to regulate their lives, to make them toe the line—our line, naturally—and even to make use of them. Many people on the spiritual path have given way to this temptation. They must dominate other people’souls. They tell themselves that it is done for the good of the victims, of course, but it is really a craving for personal power and glorification. It is not an ignoble sin like that connected with the silver, but for that very reason it is far more dangerous, far-reaching, and enduring.
The thing that gold symbolizes when rightly understood is the omnipresence of God; and of course religious tyranny is a denial of this. You should do all you can to help, to enlighten, and to inspire others, as far as your own understanding will permit, but you must never try to dictate their convictions; or to hold to your own opinions. Religious tyranny is poisonous to the victims; but it is absolutely mortal to the tyrant.
Many times our love for someone, commitment to their welfare and our responsibility for them, such as family members, can cause us to fall into this trap. It is precisely because we care so much, that we try to force beliefs and behavior on them. This is normally a good things. Parents teach their children right from wrong, good behavior from bad, etc. However, when we cross over the line by dictating beliefs or philosophies, we have gone too far.
Today, let us live our commitments in love and respect for the fact that no two are alike, and we must respect each person’s personal choices. Let us lift, enlighten and nurture all those we touch. And may we lead by example, not by force so that they feel, taste, touch and feel the omnipresence of God’s love through us.
Teaching, not tyranny,
Z gardener

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Rejoice in Persecution

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

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matthew 5:10-12).
In view of what we know about the teaching of Jesus, that the will of God for us is harmony, peace, and joy, and that these things are to be attained by cultivating right thoughts, or“righteousness,” this is a very startling statement . Jesus tells us again and again that it is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom, and that the way in which we are to receive it is by cultivating serenity, or peace of soul. He says that the peacemakers who do this, praying in “meekness” shall inherit the earth, have their mourning turned into joy, and that, in fact, whatever they shall ask the Father in the manner of this teaching, that will He do.
Yet here we are told that it is blessed to be persecuted as the result of our “righteousness” for by this means we shall triumph; that it is cause for rejoicing and gladness to be reviled and accused; and that the prophets and Illumined Ones suffered these things too.
All this is indeed very startling, and it is perfectly correct. However, persecution only becomes an occasion for rejoicing when we are deeply aware of our real nature, our true immortality, and know that the suffering of our bodies can be transcended and even transmuted by our state of consciousness. Persecution can be for us a blessed condition when we realize that in such moments we are really advancing… be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life (Revelation 2:10) is a promise that may become a reality right here on this earth.
May we all transcend the suffering of our bodies and transmute our suffering into our glory through knowing the truth of being…as within, so without.
Advancing through transcending,
Z gardener

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