In an instant, life can change.  In an instant, our world can be turned upside down.  In an instant.

If you’ve ever had a car wreck, a sudden death of a loved one, or a unexpected “diagnosis”, you know the feeling of not only how fragile our “all-together” lives can be, but you also know how in an instant, everything can change.  Our priorities, our way of life, our routines …  all re-evaluated.  In an instant.

As scary as those “events” are in life, they also serve as an incredible “re-evaluation” time.  They tend to propel us into very fundamental questions about how we are living life, perhaps summed up in the question, “Am I spending my precious time doing and being what is most important to me?”.

I had one of those moments this past week, and am happy to announce that all is well .. Just a scare.  But it left me wondering.  Rather than waiting for those “cosmic 2×4’s” of life, perhaps I might just start checking in on that all important question daily.  “Am I spending my precious time doing and being what is most important to me?” Maybe then I won’t need the “events” to rattle my cage and keep me on track.

Enjoy today.  Enjoy the magnificent hours of Spirit expressing Itself as you!

You are Precious.  You are Awesome.

Rev. Kristin

There is a wonderful little book by this title, “Right Listening”, written by Mark Brady.  It’s been on my shelf for some time now, like so may other “little books”.   Pulled it down and read it this morning . Something in it was calling me, so I listened, and took action.

There is a lot of good stuff in that book.  But what is staying with me this morning is not the content of the book, but the fact that I actually listened to my myself, and followed through with that momentary thought I had, the one that said, “I’d like to read that book now.” 

Many of us know the steps to cultivating and practicing good listening skills with others.  We’ve learned to create space for non-distraction so that we give our full attention to another, to talking less ourselves, to cultivate a “beginner’s ear” and not assume we know what the speaker will be saying.  We know to audit our own reactions so that we can stay present with another, not going off on our own inner journey, leaving behind the other person.  And, we’ve perhaps even learned to be comfortable with silence.

I read the reminders of those skills today.  But the biggest reminder was how important it is that I practice these skills with myself.  Truth is, sometimes I think I know me and what I’m feeling and thinking, and so I don’t really listen to myself.  I’ve been living with me for over 50 years, after all, and have heard just about all of my stories, fears, and beliefs.  So, sometimes, I don’t create space to really listen to myself. 

Perhaps today is a good day to practice “Right Listening” with ourselves.   Maybe today is a good day to honor those inner requests that we make of ourselvces.   You never know what we might learn from ourselves, or where listening might take us.

You are Precious.  You are Awesome.  You are worth it!

Rev. Kristin

Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science said, “Science of Mind is a science of right relationship to God, humankind, and to the Universe”.  As I read those words I think of a journey, the road we travel in discovering what “right relationship” is in our lives.   Certainly many of us have asked the question, “is this the one?” when searching for our soul mate or life’s companion.  Many of us have asked “is this the Truth” when seeking to understand the Reality of God.  I’d even suggest that when we are asking questions like “what is my purpose and my passion” that we are seeking our right relationship in the universe.  Most of our lives we are learning to perfect our relationships in one form or another.  

It is said that when our relationship with God is “right”, then all else falls into place.  Certainly there is some wisdom in these words.  When we understand and feel our relationship with God, we recognize that it is one and the same with the people in our lives and in the world.  We begin to know that there is only One Life, and that that One Life is us … and them.   Indeed anything that we think, observe or feel has to live within us as to begin with, else we would not recognize it.  Our relationships with others then becomes wonderful feedback to let us know how we are doing in our relationship with God and with ourselves.

I often tease with friends as they are looking for people to date, asking them,  “would you date yourself?”.   Some may think that I joke when I say this,  but I assure you I am serious!   So often we are trying to find our own wholeness by joining our perceived brokenness with another perceived strength so that we might be complete.   None of us would do this consciously, but inside we are seeking to restore something that we perceive is missing in us through our alliance with another.  

When we are trying to find our own wholeness in our relationships with others, we are doomed to fail.  We are seeking outside of ourselves that which can only be found within.  Conversely, when we know our own wholeness, when we are clear on our relationship with self, we will attract others into our lives and relate to them in a way that simply magnifies and expresses our Divine Truth.

Our world is in search of right relationships with each other.  Ultimately, that begins with right relationship with self and with Spirit.   When we cultivate that relationship then every time we open our hearts to someone – anyone – we feel our connectedness to the Beloved.  Ernest Holmes advised us in this truth when he said, “You are to hold conscious communion with this Spirit in humanity.  In a handclasp you can feel its’ warmth and color.”

You are Precious. You are Awesome.

Rev. Kristin

“How’d I leave ’em”?  No.. I not talking about a country song lyric 🙂 

I’ve gotten so much better over the years at being clear on what I want from my interactions so that I feel complete and satisfied when we part company.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a “business” conversation, personal, or a casual interaction.  I get that if I’m clear on what I want then I’m guided to say, do, or request what I need to fulfill that desire. 

But lately I’ve been wondering how I’m leaving you.

I know that you have the same personal responsibility that I do to ask for what you want … to allow yourself to be guided  to say, do, or request what you need to fulfill that desire.  But the truth is that part of my desire, is to be a beneficial presence in your life.  So in order to fulfill that desire, I’m called to ask, “how’d I leave you?”

So I think I’ll start now.  What do you want?  How can I be of benefit to you.  Is there something in particular you’d like from me in our time together?  Are you feeling heard?  Are you feeling cared about? Are you uplifted, rejuvenated, empowered.  Are you reminded that you are precious?

Come to think of it, those last few things are what I want to give.  So I guess I’m back to  — I’d really like to know what YOU want.  And if I have it to give, if it is a part of my Divine Gifts this life time, it’s yours.

How about you?  What do you want?  What do you want to give?  Leave some comments below, and let’s talk.

You are Precious.  You are Awesome.

Rev. Kristin

We all have our “normals”.  I’ve learned through Science of Mind and Spirit that to change anything, we first have to create a new normal for ourselves.  Ernest Holmes calls this a new mental equivalent.  The way it goes is this: Whatever is normal for us is ours.  Meaning that the universe will always bring forth in our world of effects the mirror image of whatever we have come to accept about life, about the way things are, about who we are –  our ideas of “normal”. 

If we want to create a new lasting experience in our outer life, then we have to first create a new normal inside of our selves.  The law of attraction says that we attract the people, places, and conditions to maintain our current sense of normal. So it follows, we start with a new idea of normal!

So how do we do that? In our personal live we do that by putting more attention on what we want, than what we don’t want.  We do that by using our imagination to create powerful images of life with the conditions and experiences we want.  We do that thru the practices of gratitude. We do that by reminding ourselves of the limitless nature of Spirit .. And our absolute oneness with this power.

In this time of “Spring Housecleaning”, is it time to clean out some old “normals”?  What are some of the new “normals” you’d like in your life, in your work, in your world?

You are Precious.  You are Awesome.

Rev. Kristin