Anonymous•A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of corn chips and a some root beers and started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at the pigeons gathered there.
The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him. Her smile was so intriguing that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, enjoying the moment, but they never said a word.
As late afternoon approached, the boy realized how tired he was and got up to leave. But before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?”
I had lunch with God.” But before his surprised mother could respond, he added. “You know what? She’s got the most wonderful smile!”
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of delight on her face and asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?”
She replied, “I ate corn chips in the park with God.” And before her startled son could respond, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have thepotential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally! Have lunch with God!
by Emily Wirtz •I invite you to experiment with a practice that I have found tremendously helpful.
First, in quiet meditation, with intention, direct your attention within to listen for the vibration of AUM (sometimes written “Om”), your direct link with Spirit. Take some deep relaxed breaths, helping to still the mind. Bring your focus to the constant Presence of the Divine that is with you right now.
Later, as you go about your daily activities, mentally chant AUM with all your attention whenever you think of it. For me, this seems to shift my consciousness a little each time, leaving me feeling more clarity, more like everything is okay. Let us know what this practice does for you!
All those who devote themselves to the Self within make it an object of devotion that can never perish. – Upanishads
by Dawn King•So much of our time is spent in our minds, on technology—not fully conscious of our bodies or of being on this Earth. Spring is a great time to wake up to the physical world in which we live. It will help us find the magical subtle worlds that exist in and around us.
We are complex beings. We exist on this Earth, while operating in an “Earth spacesuit”—the amazing physical body in which you or I find ourselves miraculously functioning. How little thought we usually give to it. Yet it deserves our utmost care; our survival here depends on it.
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky,white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle. – Thich Nhat Hanh
Our minds are so much more powerful than we realize. We are masters of our experience here, yet mostly unaware of this. With our thoughts we are building the world before us, and the tone of our interactions within it. Whatever we set our minds to accomplish, they can create, solve, or gain understanding of. Yet, how much effort do we put into these activities?
As many times as possible throughout your day, pause to realize the miracle of the moment. When difficulties arise, know that there’s a blessing in them somehow; nothing happens by chance! Remember to be grateful for the little joys in life, as well as the big ones. Life is ever-changing; what is here today will be different, or may be gone tomorrow.
The Founder of Sunburst, Norman Paulsen has said: “We have the ability within us to understand everything that has ever been created—to literally be one with our Creator, I Am That I Am, while here on this Earth walking in these bodies. We can destroy the worlds that have been created, or we can caretake them and beautify them. We can become the true sons and daughters of God, the caretakers of creation. That is why we have been given the tool of Kriya meditation. Through it we can re-establish our connection, our oneness with the blazing Light of the face of God at the divine center of creation. Yes, now is the time to open ourselves to receive that great Force, that Light, that Life, more abundantly. We are created in the image and likeness of this whole creation, God’s kingdom. It all exists within us. We have but to realize it. And what does it mean when we do? It doesn’t mean we’re special. It simply means we become divine caretakers of the creation. We become heirs, one with I Am That I Am, true sons and daughters caring for the creation with willing hands, accomplishing the divine will wherever we go, as best we can, every day.
by Norman Paulsen • When we become aware of the cosmic forces existing Within and around us, we begin to receive divine imagination, the creative will of God. By using inspired imagination we can visualize and create mental images. Observing them to be rooted in virtue, we can spin them into the field of power—the life force surrounding us. Like seeds, they will take root, causing events to appear in the future.
Divine intervention in our lives creates inspiration. Inspiration excites imagination; imagination seeds the future; the future becomes visible in time. How do we know what images to put forth? By calling on divine intervention to create inspiration; by opening up our limited imagination to the unlimited creative will of God. We have to reach with our consciousness into the future for God’s direction. We can induce the power of God’s presence to descend into us when we work for the benefit of all beings in our projections.
To begin this practice of positive visualization and projection, we have to be patient and receptive. This practice is like an infant child; if nourished, it will grow. Meditation every morning and evening should be pursued. You must water the seeds with God’s presence. Test daily the field of power that is generated by your efforts. Consider that all the forces of creation are rooted in your body temple to assist you.
When it’s possible, come together with other like-minded souls to practice your meditation. The power of being together in a circle of meditation will quicken the evolution of your spiritual advancement. Even without saying a word, you are mixing your energies. You intuitively learn what you have, and what each one present has to offer to the whole group. To participate in a circle of meditation is to receive advancement in spiritual knowledge, and to participate in the projection of positive images rooted in virtue.
Whether you meditate alone or in a group, always remember to ask for positive inspiration, and upon receiving it, place it in the field of power and make it appear. This is faith that whatsoever you plant will grow. Plant it not for yourself, but for the benefit of all beings.
by Fredd Dunham • Brother Lawrence became a monk in the seventeenth century. His whole life was devoted to practicing God’s presence. When he worked in the kitchen he said he loved to cook and clean for his fellow monks. Although at first he disliked the chores, he was happy to be of service. Later he was moved to a shoe repair shop on the premises. He was happy there, but location or occupation seemed to make no difference to him. All he cared about was his connection with God. He viewed work time as equal to time spent in traditional prayer. His goal was to be aware of God every moment.
For Brother Lawrence, this meant denouncing everything that distracted him from the presence of God. His soul knew he should entertain a continuous conversation with his Creator, a conversation of utmost simplicity, free of mystery. He sought, every moment to ask for and discern Divine Will in all doubtful things. Doing well the things asked of him, he offered his labors humbly to God—with prayer before doing them, and thanks for the opportunity to serve after doing them.
In this continuous conversation we, likewise, can be unceasingly engaged in loving God. Brother Lawrence asserts, “We should ask for grace in every moment, in every action. In time of doubt God never fails to enlighten us when we have no other purpose than to please him and ask for his love. People always mistake the means for the end, attaching certain importance to the work they do….” He found that the best way of reaching God was to do ordinary work, performed entirely for love—not for the value man places on it. He thought it a great delusion that time set aside for prayer should be different from other times.
Something that has brought me closest to actively knowing God’s presence is feeling the vortex of Spirit’s energy spinning above me, around me, and entering my body through the crown of the head. I first became aware of this in quiet meditation. But we can talk to God at any point in our day, and may subtly or dramatically feel God’s presence moving through us. That Presence brings with it a feeling of ecstasy.
Once feeling the life force of Spirit, you can expand the vortex to include your environment and ultimately the whole planet. Imagine it nurturing everything. I’ve found, that if something happens in my life causing me a moment of need, I can draw on this vortex and be protected by the Spirit of God. Having Spirit’s love around me gives me the peace of knowing that everything is going to be okay. We each can harmonize with God’s will through our devotion and practice.
Brother Lawrence lived in times much simpler than ours, but he managed to disengage himself from the complications of daily life by focusing on his inner connection with Spirit. We can do much the same in our busy lives. If you can devote even five minutes twice a day in meditation—morning and evening—to connect with Spirit, you will help yourself and others immensely. Brother Lawrence advised us to practice awareness of God all day and night. Through that dedication he was able to live a humble, purposeful and joyous life, and so might we.
•by Dawn King•Spiritual illumination is not something one can “acquire” or “arrive” at. It is a journey that never ceases to surprise, delight, inspire, and refresh the soul. How so?
Each of us finds that life is leading us forward toward illumination, if we follow the many “bread crumbs” dropped by circumstances and events. Sometimes the path before us seems far from being one related to spiritual growth, but we should watch for the signs. When in 2020 my usual work dried up and I was inspired to “be an artist”, it sounded like a fun way to fill in the void, but rather frivolous. After following prompts from friends and new acquaintances which all seemed like coincidences at the time, “being an artist” is serving my spirit surprisingly well today.
Free will is a theme we live with, so we are allowed to make choices. When we make the best choice, delightful results ultimately manifest. When we make a poor choice, it becomes obvious; we feel and experience the uncomfortable results.
We are more powerful than we realize; our thoughts and actions are more consequential than we realize. Since our thoughts and actions today actually set up future scenes and events, a continuing chain of options is set in motion by us each day. Despite appearances to the contrary, there is always a way to correct a poor choice, or yet to make a poor choice. Letting go of stubborn pride, bad habits, and the controlling ego—“I want my way!”—is hard. We have to chip away continuously at this facade which encrusts and inhibits the expression of our beautiful souls. Even spiritual ego must be dissolved.
Yes, we each have a beautiful, perfectly illumined soul which is trying to express itself throughout our life. Many very young children are closer to exhibiting that awareness, that unconditional love of life and all life forms. As we live out our lives, we have the opportunity to expand that soul awareness, or deny it and thus deny ourselves the joy of experiencing the immortal part of ourselves.
It is not our bodies that journey on after life; it is our spirits, our souls. Why not embrace the journey now!
My Easter inspiration: Spiritual illumination was called “Christ consciousness” by Paramahansa Yogananda. We have the opportunity each day to crucify or to resurrect the Christ (Illumination) in us by our thoughts and actions. Within each of us there can be the joy of experiencing: “He is risen! She is risen!”
