Love Trumps Fear

Well, it’s official.  Donald Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States of America on Friday, January 20^th.  The Electoral College cast their ballots yesterday, and it comes as no surprise that they upheld the decision that they made on November 8^th to elect Mr. Trump to the highest leadership post in the nation.

As I look back to that fateful Tuesday in November, I can vividly recall the sinking feeling I experienced as the numbers began rolling in.  My uneasiness gave way to a wave of intense panic when it became clear to me that my least favorite candidate in the history of candidates actually had a chance of taking the White House from my favorite President in my lifetime of Presidents. And finally a feeling of deep sadness washed over me as the inevitability of Mr. Trump’s win began to sink in and thoughts of the hatred and bigotry that have been stirred up by this contentious election rattled around in my brain.  

When I woke up on November 9^th, I was confused and afraid.  Despite my best efforts to see a silver lining, I still went through a period of heightened fear and anxiety, compounded by a sense of profound grief.  I thank my lucky stars for the foundation of spiritual teachings I have gradually absorbed over the course of this lifetime because with the help of those spiritual principles it didn't taken me too long to come back (mostly) to my Center.

Let’s face it – I can’t believe that God is everywhere present and all-knowing and all-loving and still be terrified of the results of this election.  I can’t believe that all is in Divine Order while maintaining that Donald Trump’s presidency is a mistake. I can’t believe that we are all growing constantly and endlessly toward the Light and at the same time believe that any President somehow has the power to cast us all into darkness.  I can’t believe that the Christ is present and active everywhere and in everything and look at Donald Trump as anything less than a child of God.  It isn’t possible for me to truly live the spiritual principles I have been learning and at the same time be completely undone by the results of this election.

On January 20^th, Donald Trump is going to be President of the United States of America.  That is a fact.  And on January 20^th, I will continue to practice the spiritual principles that I believe make the world a better place.  I will continue to practice being loving and kind and present.  I will continue to focus on the good – in my family, in my community, in the world.  I will continue to find ways to be of service to others.  I will continue to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence in my life.  I will continue to hold a vision for a world where everybody has the same opportunity to reach his/her divine potential.  I will continue to use my voice to speak out for what I believe is true and just.  

No matter who is in the Oval Office, no matter who is in the House or the Senate or in the Executive Cabinet, Love is at the helm.  Love is the highest law.  And we are Love’s hands and feet.  We make the difference – in the way we carry ourselves, in the way we speak and act toward one another, in the way we live our divine purpose in the world. And as we continue to be the Love we wish to see expressed in the world, we will continue to experience Love abundantly in our lives. 

God bless America.  

~REBECCA

A Light Bulb Moment

I've been picking my nails lately. This is a signal to me that I'm anxious about something. When I finally paid attention in early September, I set aside some time to just sit and think and write.

My resulting list (remember I'm a list maker) included:

• Hot humid summer. Will it ever end? I have no get up and go. I'm always hot and sweaty. I'm miserable.
• Sore right foot. Will it ever get better? What can I do about it? Will I ever get to hike again? I'm in pain and I'm miserable.
• Going to physical therapy doesn't seem to be helping. But ... I have discovered I've lost flexibility in my joints. My ankle is weak. What should I do about that? 
• I know I need aerobic activity for my fitness. (See my foot problem.)
• Is there enough money for my future? I'm afraid there isn't. I'm scared.

My list ended with: I'm paralyzed with fear. I need to Golden Key all of this!

I had lunch with a friend later in September, a couple weeks after writing this list. I was telling her a little bit about it and she said that it sounded to her like I was fearing the future and that I needed to find some way to stay in the present.

That was like a light bulb going on in my head.

And since the middle of September I have been thinking about the present and how I am going to meet each day. Then on October 15, I turned my daily calendar "Simplicity. Inspiration for a simple life." The picture was a placid river with tall golden grass in the background and two rowboats in the foreground. The message was a quote by Buddha:

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

I have a loner part of my personality. I love being alone and quiet. I like spending time in my sitting room at home writing, playing a game on my phone, reading or even just sitting quietly. When I get upset, the most important thing for me is regain my peace. I look around for it and then remember it's in me; it's been in me all along.

I've been asking friends about good books to read about staying present. If you have any ideas, let me know.

In the meantime, I know that my peace comes from within me. And all is well.

~ JEAN

Teachable Moments

Recently I received an important reminder from my oldest child.  I was in the middle of a negative rant about the things that were currently “broken” in my life – my broken laptop, my broken car, my broken house.  I was laughing as I spouted on, but I was completely unaware of the impact my words were having on my teenage children, who were riding in the car with me at the time.  At the end of a particularly toxic sentence, my oldest child (17 years old) said, “Mom!  Be impeccable with your word.”  His advice snapped me out of my runaway train of thought.  

“Thank you, Avery,” I said.  “Can you remind me of what that means?”  I knew he would have a wise answer because he is studying The Four Agreements in his Y.O.U. class at Unity.  

“It means you should only use your words for good.”  He went on to say that he has noticed I have been a bit less positive in the last year or so (whoa).  And that was all he had to share.  

I thanked him for giving me such a valuable piece of advice, and the conversation was over, but his words have really stuck with me.  When I find myself slipping into a negative frame of mind and being tempted to allow my mouth to follow suit, I think of Avery.  

I am so thankful that my children are as well-versed in the Unity principles as I am.  Not only because it makes them excellent at at holding me accountable, but especially because their Unity upbringing puts them well on the path to living empowered, fulfilling lives of their own – despite any negativity that life (or their knucklehead mother) might throw their way.  

~Rebecca 

My Lists - Part 2

I love my daily calendar of The Little World of Liz Climo. This comic appeared right after I wrote "My Lists" post.

For the sloth "hang from a tree branch" is the best. And then "relax" completes the picture.

I totally agree that I need to and, in fact, it's okay to include "relax" on my to-do lists for personal well-being. Enjoy!

My Lists

I'm a list person. I have scratch paper all over our house so I can write lists when the ideas come to me. Some of the lists are what I need to do around the house. Some are errands I need to do out and about town. I have shopping lists and study lists. These are "to-do" lists. I get a lot done because of my lists. (And of course I get to cross items off when I've accomplished them.)

Last Wednesday evening I made a list of what I wanted to accomplish at Unity the next day. "renewal member info update" was about adding all the contact information from our membership contact cards onto our Excel spreadsheet so we can create a merge document for each Unity Spiritual Center voting member to approve and update as necessary. (I got that done.)

Another to-do list was about my upcoming trip to Illinois to see my mom and the rest of my Illinois family. "email Wes" was to remind me to ask my brother-in-law Wes if he could pick me up at the airport and to send him my flight information. (Driving from O’Hare Airport to my mom’s house with Wes is always a treat - we get to spend 40 minutes or so one on one catching up.)

I've been putting "write" on my lists for a long time now - months or maybe even years. But I haven't been doing much writing.

Also for quite awhile I have been seeking guidance for what's next for me. I have posted about that a couple times. I've been waiting patiently for the guidance to appear, believing, actually knowing, that it will come at the right time and place.

An answer came to me last Thursday morning: I need to be more specific about what I mean by "write" when I put it on my list. As I thought about that I realized that I’ve read many times about how to accomplish a goal: break it down into manageable pieces. Do one at a time and the next thing you know the project is done. So one of my most recent lists says: "write for 20-30 minutes about the next five letters from my dad." Now that's specific, it commits me to a finite amount of time and will be easy to accomplish.

In other words: I can do that.

~ JEAN

The Wisdom of the Tortoise

My new goal is to be the tortoise . .

Mindful,
slow,
one thing at a time,
breathing,
paying attention,
being present,
not rushing,
it's not a race . . .

I have long been the hare,
hurrying,
to and fro,
frenetic,
harried.
exhausted,
scattered . . . 

It's time to try a different way,
slow,
steady,
wise,
connected,
focused
present . . .

I'm tapping in to my inner tortoise. . .



~REBECCA

Everything I Need

I'm still grappling with the idea that a human need is not an avenue through which God can work - that God does not fulfill needs.  I first read it in Jim Rosemergy's book The Gathering:

"This gut-wrenching fact is obvious.  Whatever God is doing, God is always doing it.  Spirit does not rest from Its creation.  There is no vacation or furlough for God.  If God could end the wars that plague the earth, it would be done.  If the Almighty could end the pandemics, they would be no more.  The hard truth is this: God does not fulfill needs."

I have read this many times since, in many different forms, and it seems to go against everything I came to believe when I first began attending Unity seventeen years ago.  Doesn't God answer prayer?  Won't God take care of my needs? Isn't it true that if I just think positive thoughts, all good things will come to me?  Isn't this what Unity teaches?  Even though my experience says otherwise, I want to continue to believe that God will handle my affairs for me.  After all, this relieves me of the heavy burden of having to take responsibility for my own life.

If it's true that God doesn't fulfill needs, then how will my needs get met?  This is the urgent question that lingers in the back of my mind day in and day out, especially when I am in the midst of a challenge or crisis.  I can hear the little child within me asking, in a panic,  "What if I don't know what to do?  If I can't count on God to take care of things, then who can I count on?  Am I all alone in the world?"

I don't believe that I am flying solo through this lifetime.  I still have faith in an all-loving, all-knowing, ever-present God.   And I believe, as Unity teaches, that this God resides in me and that all of God's qualities are also present within me.  My needs serve a purpose, and that purpose is to turn me toward God.  When I release my needs and turn toward God - when I cultivate an awareness of that all-loving, all-knowing Presence - I learn that I have everything I require to maneuver through even the stickiest of life's situations.  Like a loving parent, God is with me and supporting me at all times.  But it is up to me to live my own life and to handle my own affairs.

I have come, kicking and screaming, to the conclusion that my greatest ally is my mind.  By developing a state of mindfulness and by continuously seeking a greater awareness of God's presence, I can maintain a connection to the Source of my own deepest wisdom and authentic power and I can access the very qualities I need to navigate the ups and downs of this human life.


~REBECCA 

Back to School

It's almost back-to-school time.  I can feel myself getting excited, just as I did every year at this time of year when I was in school.  When August comes and the evenings start getting cooler and the cicadas can be heard singing their song in the trees, I am catapulted back to my youth when back-to-school time meant another year of new adventures in learning.  I couldn't wait to purchase my new school supplies and organize my notebooks.  I couldn't wait to get a new outfit for the first day of school and to find out who my teacher would be and what other children would be in my class.  I can't think of another time, other than Christmas of course, that brought me such joy as a child.  And even as an adult, when I am no longer a student in that back-to-school world, this time of year has me giddy with anticipation.  I am excited for my children (more excited than they are) as they embark on their new school year full of learning adventures.

Even though I am not enrolled in a formal school program right now, I still like to take advantage of organized learning opportunities that help me grow both spiritually and intellectually.  Right now I am participating in the Financial Peace University (FPU) course at Unity. This 9-week course, complete with video lectures, workbook exercises, and homework assignments (all things I love about school!) is designed to give participants some solid, down-to-earth information about managing their money.  I am enjoying the structured learning atmosphere, but more importantly I am gaining some valuable life skills about budgeting, saving and investing that are already beginning to improve my financial health significantly.  I have always said that this is the lifetime in which I am going to finally learn to master money.  Financial Peace University is just what I have been searching for.

Someday soon I would like to get back into a formal education program.  I have been thinking about pursuing a master's degree in Public Administration, which would enhance my work in the nonprofit world I care so deeply about.  For now, I'm content to live vicariously through my children during this magical time of year.  Who knows, maybe I'll make a tradition of buying myself some new office supplies and getting a new outfit at the beginning of September, just for old time's sake.  I hope that I will always feel connected to the joy and excitement of back-to-school time.

~REBECCA

I insist ... on Peace, Childlike Wonder and Trust

I woke up Wednesday out of sorts with everyone and everything – from the mosquito bite on my elbow to my sore right foot. Then I read about Inner Peace (DW 7/27/2016). “Peace, be still” says Jesus to the wind (Mark 4:39). I say “Peace, be still” to the extreme heat and humidity of this summer.

And so I do what I can do. I insist on keeping my Childlike Wonder (DW 7/25/2016) at our alpacas – mom, baby and aunt – and the chickens with their sweet murmuring in their roost for the night and the bleating goats rubbing against my leg wanting pets and treats as they go into their safe enclosure for the night and my dogs who give me their unconditional love and trust day in and day out.

A juvenile red tail hawk is practicing hunting and soaring over our alpaca field. A ruby-throat hummingbird is stopping by our feeder for nectar. The wildflowers are blooming in the pots on our deck – we have zinnias, marigolds and daisies. Tiny spotted fawns are cavorting in our woods accompanied by their moms and aunts. I am picking several tomatoes each day from our deck garden.

The nature all around me feeds me like nothing else.

Today I read about Trust (DW 7/29/2016):

Trust and joy are linked within me, resulting in answered prayer. What can I do right now, in the midst of whatever is facing me, to raise my spirits? I engage my cheerful nature with a sense of optimism about a positive result. I begin by trusting that all things are working together for my good – in my life and in the lives of all those I care about.

I also insist on remaining optimistic no matter what is happening. I trust that the doctors and nurses have gotten Stanley on the road to recovery, that the transplanted liver is doing its work, that he gets to be on “normal” kid formula and that he gets to go home soon.

I trust that my mom, soon to be 91, is staying safe in the extreme heat in the Chicago area.

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid. Psalm 56:4

Peace. All is well.

~ JEAN

What's next for me?

Several recent Daily Word meditations (in italic) have been speaking to my question:

One of my stepson's alpacas had
a baby on Saturday.
This adorable baby is about
1 hour old.

Friday, July 1: Serendipity: Looking back I now see serendipitous events. Serendipity is defined as “finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.” These things might include how I found my friends, job, church or the town in which I live.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. – John 1:16

When I married my husband almost 14 years ago, I moved from my home in Illinois to his home in New Jersey – in particular, to Union Township onto an almost 100-acre farm. Who knew I’d actually live in a park with animals? Well, it feels like one anyway. Plus I found the Friends of the Hunterdon County Library when looking for a place to volunteer and Unity Spiritual Center when looking for a place to grow spiritually.

Saturday, July 2: Stepping Stones: No matter what my goals and dreams may be, I trust God to guide me in the right direction. Challenges in my life serve as stepping stones toward my good.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:6

As Rebecca and I brainstormed about the subject of our blog, stepping stones on our spiritual paths seemed to be the right idea. So this Stepping Stones Journal came into being. This Daily Word meditation fits our purpose for this blog so well.

Monday, July 4: Freedom: Just as my past has led me to this place and time, every good thought and heartfelt prayer is leading me to a life without boundaries. God is right here with me, loving me, comforting me and guiding me to what is best for me now and tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 5: Divine Order: When I need to make a clear decision, I turn my mind from outer distractions and affirm with confidence: divine order. This affirmation of truth serves as a reminder that God is in charge….through affirmative prayer, my way is made clear.

Sunday, July 10: Faith: I have faith in God’s perfect plan for me.

There have been quite a few meditations recently that remind me to listen, not to judge or limit my thinking of what is possible for me, to make each day count and enjoy the unfolding of my life day by day.

 Sunflowers galore!
Can't have a better view
outside my bedroom window.

Friday, July 8: Rest: Singers take advantage of rests written into the music to catch their breath. Travelers use rest areas along their journey to take a break. A simple Thank You, God reminds me of the source of my strength and peace. I find the strength to continue because I have taken time to rest.

Tuesday, July 12: Nonresistance: I focus on the idea of nonresistance – an acceptance of what is minus labels or condemnation. Through the practice of nonresistance, I learn to receive gifts in every experience.

I no longer beat myself up when I sit down to read, play a game or watch a TV show. My to-do list will be waiting for me when I’m ready. Talk about freedom – I am free to be content with myself. I don’t compare myself to anyone else and their levels of activity. I am content with what is. My guidance system is alive and well and I say a simple “Thank You God” regularly.

Thursday, July 14: Success: My accomplishments may not equate to someone else’s idea of success. My success begins with faith – in God and in myself. I have faith that I am being divinely guided toward the right path….Each achievement is part of God’s plan for my life…

Monday, July 18: Divine Awareness: If I am struggling with a difficult situation or decision, I let go. Doing so, I shift from striving to believing, knowing that answers will come. I give thanks in advance. I wait. I listen. I receive.

Wednesday, July 20: Guidance: Just as a map or GPS guides me to a physical destination, I have an internal guidance system that directs me to my right and perfect path…. I trust that I am on the right path. As I follow the guidance from divine wisdom, I fully express my highest and best self.

And again today, this meditation reminds me to trust and be content that I am on the right path. It’s funny/weird that I need to be okay with dealing with today and possibly tomorrow and let the future unfold as it will. But that’s what I am doing – be it the health of little Stanley or my job or my writing.

All is well.

~ JEAN

Insight Timer

A year or so ago, I discovered a free app called Insight Timer to help me with my meditation practice, and I wanted to share some information about that app here for anyone who might be interested.   Insight Timer is available for both Android and I-Phone smart phones.  It can be downloaded through Google Play (for Android) or I-Tunes (for I-Phone).  My favorite feature of this app is the meditation timer, which allows me to specify the length of my daily meditation in minutes and provides interval bell sounds of my choice to keep me on track for the duration of each session.  I also recently started using the guided meditation feature which consists of a library of over 1,800 guided meditations on topics like gratitude, forgiveness, letting go, self-compassion, and stress relief.  

Insight Timer connects users with a worldwide community of meditators.  It offers a number of different discussion groups, provides a message forum for sharing with like-minded individuals, and displays a map showing all of the people (symbolized by dots) using the app all over the world at any given time.   There is a journal feature for recording thoughts and insights gained during and after meditation.  There is also a feature which keeps detailed stats and milestones for tracking growth and progress of one's meditation practice..

The overarching goal of the folks at Insight Timer is to help the world reach 10,000 years’ worth of collective meditation - with the idea that meditation can be instrumental in promoting world peace.  The app is offered for free.  If you would like help with downloading this app onto your smart phone, contact me at the Unity office and I will be happy to assist you.

~REBECCA

Best Laid Plans

I had it all figured out.  I have three children who will be ready to go off to college in the blink of an eye, and six months ago, in a flash of brilliance, I realized that if I could land a job at Rutgers University I would be able to send all three of them through school AND earn my master’s degree at no cost.  Genius!  So I started sending my resume to Rutgers for every office admin position that popped up on their employment website.  My thought was that I could work full-time at the university, put in 10-12 hours a week at Unity, and start taking graduate courses in the fall – no problem, right? But thirty resumes and five months later I hadn’t received a single reply from Rutgers.  I even applied for a job at Raritan Valley Community College but was informed several weeks after my interview that they had hired another candidate. 

I have recently decided that if I want something it’s up to me to go after it.  I understand all about prosperity consciousness, but as far as I'm concerned, God is a BE-er, not a DO-er.  I have to do the DOing, while God does the BEing.  I can have what I want, and God is behind me 100 percent.  But taking action to make it happen is up to me.  So I said to myself, “I am in no real hurry – I can wait – I’ll just keep sending resumes to Rutgers, and eventually something will stick.” 

Then one day, a thought came to me out of nowhere.  “Maybe this isn’t going to look like you thought it was going to look . . . maybe instead of a 35-hour/10-hour split, this is going to be more like a 20-hour/20-hour split.”  I interpreted this to mean that maybe rather than looking for a full-time job and reducing my hours at Unity to 10, what I might actually be looking for was another part-time job and to reduce my hours at Unity to 20.  At the time I knew that this was a significant mental shift.  In fact it felt like the idea, as mundane as it seemed, had come from somewhere other than me.  Now the field of possibilities had expanded, and I began to consider new part-time positions.  

Not long after that, I saw an ad on monster.com for a part-time office admin position at a local synagogue.  “What?” you say?  “A synagogue?  How did we go from Rutgers to a synagogue?”  Well, quite honestly, I have no earthly idea.  But for some reason I felt compelled to apply for the job, and within a day of submitting my resume, I had received a call from the Rabbi.

After my interview at the synagogue, I just knew I had gotten the job.  And for some reason, beyond every reasonable explanation, I felt compelled to accept it.  “Okay, so apparently this is the direction we’re going?” I said to God.  And God said, “Yes.”  So now I work 20 hours a week at Unity and 20 hours a week at a synagogue.

The older I get, the more tempted I am to think that I am squarely in control of my life.  That God doesn’t really play as big a role in the events of my life as my starry-eyed younger self used to think.  But there is no question in my mind that something larger than myself has led me to this new job at the synagogue.  And there is also no question that the purpose of my working at the synagogue is to enhance my work at Unity.  So apparently this is the direction we’re going now.  Not only can I live with it, but this strange turn of events has somehow renewed my faith.  For the first time in a long time, I'm excited to see what Spirit has in store for me. 

~REBECCA

Creature Comforts

I don’t consider myself a pet person.  I don’t particularly enjoy cuddling with furry creatures, and most of the time I feel like I barely have the wherewithal to sufficiently care for myself and the other humans in my charge, let alone members of various other species.   But I do have two cats, and every once in a while, one of them teaches me a valuable lesson.  Like yesterday, for instance - by some miracle, I found myself at home alone, as all three of my children and my husband had accepted last-minute social invitations and were out of the house for a couple hours.  In my normal Type-A fashion, I took this to be the perfect opportunity to complete every ounce of the housework I hadn’t gotten to earlier in the day.  So I set about doing chores, but I quickly became tired – it had been a long, long day - and eventually I decided, reluctantly, to sit down and rest with a cup of tea and an episode of one of my favorite television programs.  I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the first time I had sat down to rest all week.  

No sooner had I settled on the sofa and laid a blanket over my legs than Macy, the older of my two cats, came crawling up onto the sofa and plopped herself down on my lap. Macy is a gorgeous, striped brown and black Bengal cat with beautiful green eyes and a whole host of neuroses – one of which is that she doesn’t like to be touched.  Usually any time we reach out to stroke Macy’s fur, she recoils and slinks quickly away.  She spends most of her time hiding in our basement or in the darkness of our linen closet.  So for her to feel comfortable enough to approach me, first, and then to sit on my lap is significant.  After a few minutes of allowing her to get settled, I slowly reached out to pet Macy’s head.  At first she winced, but then she allowed me to stroke her head and then she allowed me to scratch behind her ears and to pet her back.  She closed her eyes, and I could tell from her stillness and from the weight of her body on my legs that she was finally relaxed - and so was I.  

I felt like Macy was giving me a gift in that moment.  I had finally allowed myself to be still and the result was a beautiful, peaceful exchange of energy that left me feeling spiritually nourished and completely at ease.  I wondered to myself, what other blessings would come to me if I would just allow myself to be still?  

~REBECCA

Putting it into Practice

I just finished volunteering on the Friends of the Hunterdon County Library Used Book Sale - Their 20th, my 14th. It was a terrific opportunity to use my spiritual principles. I read the Daily Word every morning before I went to volunteer and they were great. Yet when I started to journal about my experiences, when things got tense, somehow many of my principles went out the window. I realized that I had been triangulating (talking to one person about another), complaining and criticizing.

It wasn't all bad. I like to encourage other volunteers and tried to be upbeat and positive - especially when we were still wondering if we would get all the books sorted - there were many thousands of books donated to the sale.

Nevertheless, I have something to work on. The best thing for me to do when I notice I've let down on my principles is figure out how I can do better next time or, in this case, next year. I carry a box - Jean's box, each day to the volunteer site. I keep pens, scratch paper, a box cutter, phone numbers I might need, a painter apron, a calculator and a bunch of other things in that box. It's my traveling supply center. I decided that I need to put something in that box - taped to the top perhaps - that will remind me, from the first day, to use my spiritual principles.

I haven't decided yet what that will be - a photocopy of the five Unity Principles perhaps, a copy of the Four Agreements perhaps. I haven't decided yet. But ... I will put something there now when I'm thinking about it so that when I open my supply center box next April, the first thing I see will be that reminder of how I want to show up each and every day.

I love our Unity principles and especially the fifth or action principle: Through thoughts, words and actions we live the Truth we know. And that is what I intend to do out in the world.

~ JEAN

Inner Peace

Yesterday's Daily Word was Inner Peace. How timely!

Yesterday afternoon I called my mom who lives in Illinois to chat. The first thing she told me was that she had some excitement in her life that morning: she discovered that some of her jewelry was missing - the "good" stuff. A diamond ring from one of my grandmothers, a couple pairs of earrings she had bought in memory of my dad after he passed, among other things.

So her morning was spent talking to the building and grounds manager of the Retirement Community where she lives in a town house. She also had police to her place to make a report.

We talked about how someone got in and who it might be. All of that conversation was purely speculation since there was no evidence of a break-in - the police looked for fingerprints and didn't find any. We didn't spend much time on that. I've learned from Byron Katie (do you really know that's true?) that speculation is fruitless and accusing anyone is unfair.

My concern was if the locks needed to be changed? Does the community management have a good policy on protecting the resident's keys from being taken and duplicated? It's a bit frustrating to live so far away when something like this happens.

Toward the end of our conversation, however, I told her about the day's Daily Word and we ended up laughing about the timeliness of that word. Here are some excerpts from the meditation:

Being at peace means I have the resources to handle whatever arises in my life. 

I am peaceful and free.

I'm happy to report that, as I write, she is fine this morning and having coffee with my sister. All of us are in good (God's) hands. I choose peace and I am so grateful for the resources I have learned from Unity teachings.

~ JEAN

Blown Away

Yesterday I almost couldn't swallow - my throat was closed. Why? From fear.

The latest thing for baby Stanley is that his parents had to take him back to the hospital for a feeding tube because he still isn't gaining weight. My mind began having fearful conversations about whether our family's latest baby will ever get better. I know that thinking like this is counterproductive.

So what counteracts fear? Love, of course. But my fear had blown away my ability to think clearly. I turned to my great co-worker Rebecca yesterday, Do you have any words for me about this? She thought for a bit and then said two words to me: Golden Key.

Yes! I love Emmet Fox's Golden Key ... and I find it so helpful for my peace of mind. So I stopped dwelling on the situation of Stanley's health and began to concentrate on God (Love). And any time my mind went back to fear, I re-concentrated on God. I can now swallow again.

My fear did give me one insight: I figured out that I want to visit Stanley and his parents (my nephew and niece-in-law), who live in Brooklyn, sooner rather than later. I want to hold him in my arms and kiss his sweet face and be strong for him and his parents, to see him whole and complete exactly as he is. I think I can go next week on Wednesday ...

By the way, I want to refer everyone here to Unity's new website www.unityspiritualcenter.org. There is a great article about how Unity folks pray.

Thank you for your prayers for Stanley. (P.S. I wish for everyone a great friend who can help you re-group when your ability to think clearly has blown away.)

~ JEAN

Healing

Today's Daily Word is Healing. The affirmation is:

Divine life renews every cell of my body.

And one line from the meditation says: I envision divine life renewing every cell of every person.

In particular I see my grand-nephew as complete and whole - divine life is renewing every cell of his little not-yet-two-months-old body.

Our family is celebrating Stanley's coming through successful surgery on his little body plus, after that, having two successful surgeries to remove cataracts from each of his eyes. This photo brings joy to my heart. It is my sister with her first grandchild and he looks as joyful at her as she is looking at him. Thank you, God.

~ JEAN

Divinely Focused

Tuesday, March 22's Daily Word couldn't have been more appropriate. At 7:30 a.m. that day, my grandnephew, Stanley Joseph, who is barely two months old, was being operated on because he has a disorder called biliary atresia.

This condition needs to be found and corrected before the baby is three months old or it might irreparably damage his liver. I don't fully understand the disorder; I just know that if I don't pay attention, I could fall into fear and panic. Instead I turn within - knowing my only resource is God and my spiritual practices.

The first thing I did when I found out last week that Stanley had a problem was to email my niece-in-law our Prayer for Protection. Fear and panic - yes, that was very possible for me and for my whole family. We all had to wait for the test results over the weekend - ugh! The condition was confirmed on Monday and surgery scheduled for Tuesday morning.

This is a perfect situation to Golden Key. Which brings me to the Daily Word for Tuesday which was "Divinely Focused." Part of the meditation reads:

In my daily prayers, I always give thanks to God for blessing and healing and guiding my loved ones. I envision each and every one enfolded in Gods' loving embrace, knowing and affirming for them that they are perfect expressions of God's light and life. As I affirm and pray, I remain divinely focused, allowing God's love to move in me and through me to bless others. 

I let go of outside distractions and center my thoughts on God... I am calm and at peace and open to God's loving presence. In this presence I know the peace that surpasses all understanding.

I found this so helpful that morning. It is not unusual that the Daily Word is exactly what I need and want to hear that day.

~ JEAN

Post-vacation Blues

I always have post-vacation blues. I wish I didn't but I do. I wait them out and they go away while I'm doing my regular "re-entry" stuff. The charms of my regular life re-surface and I'm back to feeling content with my regular life activities.

This vacation to Florida is no exception, though I'm feeling the blues a bit stronger right now.

I'm delighted to be back with my doggies - walking them every morning and afternoon is a great pleasure - I missed them a lot. While I was walking my dogs this morning, my internal voice was harsh, hateful, nasty and negative. I came back into the house upset and went right to my journal. "What's going on?" I wrote. "I don't want to do this or that anymore. I don't like this person or that one any more. I want to run away from this situation, and that one. What am I going to do?"

I'm so grateful that spirit often comes to me through my pen. And it did this time too. Here's what I wrote:

"I know what I don't want. But I don't know what I do want. That is my challenge; until I know, I will take it one moment at a time, one day at a time. I will Golden Key this situation." And so I am turning my mood over to God and doing my regular stuff. Those internal conversations continue but I pay less attention to them because I know God's in charge and I am fine.

I'm so grateful for all the spiritual principles I've learned. I don't have to experience the blues and have no resources for handling them. All is well.

P.S. Spring is coming; the crocus are blooming in my yard.

~ JEAN

Joy & Gratitude - Inseparable

The Advent Season this last winter 2015-16 was especially rich in messages for me.

Here’s one:

Joy and gratitude are inseparable. Seems like an easy concept, an easy message to get. Here’s part of the meditation from the Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 20, 2015) from the booklet Unity produces:

When I’m going through a hard time, I remember that joy awaits me on the other side. Joy is the essence of Spirit energy in me. It may be subdued at times, but it is always there….As I open my heart to God (within), joy bursts out, and gratitude flows in.

I know this to be true because I felt such sadness missing my dad this last holiday season – and yet I decorated one of my favorite Christmas trees ever this year – in a blue, silver, gold and white theme. And I spent several evenings just sitting quietly in our darkened living room petting one of my dogs and thinking of my dad – sadness there but also joy and gratitude that I had as many years as I did with him.

P.S. I chose this image because I'm grateful I get to go to Florida for a couple weeks, to spend some time with my sisters and a good friend, all of whom live a plane ride away from New Jersey. A walk on the beach every day? Sounds good to me.

~ JEAN