Your presence within opens our desire to live our lives to the fullest. When we cling to old ways, some of us have difficulty accepting our true self and living expansively. Help us to give up that which we clutch close to our chest, to let go, and be accepting of changes that are necessary to live openly and freely.

Observing the world through eyes of Love, although at first requires a conscious effort, is a skill worth striving for because we as well as those around us are the resulting beneficiaries.

I am so afraid to open my clenched fists! Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to? Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?

But rather than function from a place of fear that causes stress which diminishes our health, let’s focus on all the abundance we have now.

I’m singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. God makes me like a deer, which does not stumble. I feel like I’m king of the mountain!

Thinking clearly allows us to see all sides of situations even the ones that oppose our choices. When I am criticized or treated unfairly, my go to is my Higher Power, God.

In his book “Dynamics of Faith” the philosopher/theologian Paul Tillich states that “Where there is daring and courage there is the possibility of failure. And in every act of faith this possibility is present. The risk must be taken.”

With a lack of play in our lives we are arguably more stressed and carry more anxiety than any previous generation. Accompanying the higher levels of anxiety, we also experience higher levels of aggression.

Henri Nouwen wisely noted: “Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our lives are in danger.” Jesus and Nouwen were not referring to loneliness. They were urging a temporary departure from others in order to have essential space for a healthy inner life.

There is compassion to grow into, and ever more powerful insights to realize and to incorporate into life. Being thankful in all things helps us to awaken and to see what might be fruitful and useful for our own personal and spiritual growth.

In the state of surrender, you see very clearly what needs to be done, and you take action, doing one thing at a time and focusing on one thing at a time. Learn from nature: See how everything gets accomplished and how the miracle of life unfolds without dissatisfaction or unhappiness. That's why Jesus said: "Look at the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin."

Please help us to make the right choices, to get our priorities right, to know when to do, when to be, and when to bring our inner child to the fore to get the balance between sleeping, eating, playing, and working and to always make sure that You are in the middle.

When a silence is broken in the interest of confronting injustices, what we are hearing is prophecy. Prophetic voices are those which read the signs of the times in the light of the justice and love of Creator and speak out against all which distorts or diminishes the image of the Spirit in human beings.

In ‘The Apology’ written by the philosopher Plato, Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living” and “We must examine and understand the universe that dwells within our own soul.”

If we are bored, then we are missing out in living life to the fullest. We have a flexible Spirit within that needs change and change brings new life to enable growth.

In knowing our self, we need to be aware that we may be restricting our thinking to the point of overlooking possibilities that can expand our life experiences. “It is always done this way” or “this is who I am” are attitudes that leave us unable to fully embrace our spirit.

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.

There is within you a lamb and a lion. Spiritual maturity is the ability to let lamb and lion lie down together.

You know our every thought and all that is sincerely heartfelt. Being in this Powell River United community of the Spirit means everything to us and we are grateful to have the love and support of each other.

The Lie said to the Truth, “Let’s take a bath together, the well water is very nice.” So they got naked and bathed. Suddenly, the Lie leapt out of the water and fled, wearing the clothes of the Truth. The Truth, furious, climbed out of the well to get her clothes back…