The Knight in Rusty Armor - A Story of Life Lessons

I’ve always been a bookworm. Ever since I could read the alphabet and make phrases, I would have a book in one hand and licorice in the other. I would read for hours, totally forgetting about people, time and space. Back then it was my escape as child. However, not a mandatory / stressful escape, but a pleasant and completely voluntary one where I would dive in the riches of my fantasy world… a world where there were no limits to my imagination. Those where golden times...

Fast forwarding 30 years later, there are several things that has changed in my life. Except for my mother and father (thank God for that) I hardly can recognize anything from my past. Things have changed drastically, some for the better and… unfortunately, some for the worst. Despite this I know there’s a reason for everything, and I’m overly grateful for the beautiful spiritual journey I’ve departed on since a couple of years.

One great thing I’m learning to do once again is reading. And no, I never stopped reading (if that’s what you think I meant). In fact, there were many academic books, self improvement books and several other similar literature over the years. No, in this case I’m actually referring to back to those days, when all I needed as a child to be happy and content, was a good storybook in one hand and…uhm…well, maybe not licorice this time, but a chocolate frappe in the other.

I now find myself all over again engaged in hours of reading, releasing whatever stress or tension the day may have brought. Good ol’ days in present time…what else could I want? Well, one added element I did not do when I was a young kid, is the fact that now I want to share…    

In this case I just read The Knight in Rusty Armor by Robert Fisher and I must say it’s one of the most meaningful stories I have read for a long, long time. Fisher skillfully uses various elements in the story as metaphors for the challenges we face in life. Moreover, he includes important lessons we should all learn so as to help us find more clarity in this seemingly complicated world.

The story is about a knight who led a busy life fighting battles, slaying dragons and rescuing damsels in distress because he wanted to prove that he was good, kind and loving. He loved his armor so much that he decided to keep it on at all times, so much so that his faithful wife Juliet and young son Christopher forgot how he looked without it.

When he finally reluctantly agreed to take off his armor for fear that his wife and son would leave him, he realized that he couldn’t remove it. He had kept it on for so long that it was stuck on him. The knight subsequently set off on a difficult and punishing quest to remove his armor and in the process, he rediscovered his true self and the meaning of life.

I absolutely love this story because I can relate to it so well. Actually, I have no doubt everyone can relate to it. The rusty armor can be considered a metaphor for the masks that we put on in life. These masks protect us but they also prevent others and especially ourselves from seeing the real us. Most of us have adopted social masks for so long that we believe we are those masks. But this couldn’t be more far from the truth. A sad thing is that we are all born with the greatest potentials, but along the way most of us sell ourselves short.

I highly recommend reading this book, which you can download here totally for free in PDF form. Enjoy reading… and feel free to leave any comment!

Melinda

Why We Are Limited As Human Beings And How Acquiring Spiritual Wealth Will Greatly Enrich Your Life

spiritual wealth is wealth that derives from knowledge. To gain spiritual wealth entails acquiring spiritual knowledge. Facts and information about the spiritual aspect of life are what constitute spiritual knowledge. Such facts and information include: facts about our spiritual nature and the purpose of our life; information about God and the role He plays in human affairs; facts and information on the way our spirituality shapes and orders human life and society; and information on the spiritual principles and processes that regulate our activities and influence the outcome of our pursuits.

We require these facts and information if we are to avoid groping through life guided only by our instincts and emotions. We need these facts and information if we are to perform at our full potential and so get the most out of life.

Let us now examine the many benefits a person will derive from acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Human ability is limited. So is our life span. Consequently, no one has the ability or the time to acquire knowledge and skill in all areas of human endeavour. And so each individual acquires training and then participates in a particular trade or profession. No human being can accomplish all things. If a businessman’s car breaks down, he will need a mechanic to fix it. And in the event that the mechanic falls ill, he will need to see a doctor for treatment. We need others and others need us. The sexes need each other in the domestic enterprise of starting and raising a family. It is an apt description of our situation when we say: “no man is an island”.

Clearly, we are a social species which is why we are constantly interacting with one another. The day begins at home with interaction amongst family members. At the work place we are involved with colleagues, superiors or subordinates. Here also, we have to attend to those who need our products or services and deal with those whose products or services we need. In between the home and work place we have to contend with other road users.

How skillful we are at relating to others goes a long way towards determining how happy and successful we are at home and at work. One of the benefits of acquiring spiritual knowledge is that it enables us to develop interpersonal skills.

Things do not always turn out happily or successfully in spite of our best efforts, individually or collectively. There have been instances where doctors have asked patients to go home and await death as nothing more could be done for them – medical science has reached its limit. In spite of impressive advances in modern medicine, sickness is still a major cause of untimely deaths. Technical faults, human error and natural causes have resulted in tragic loss of human lives in accidents involving the different modes of transportation. Our sophisticated early warning devices and protective measures have not always proved adequate in safeguarding us from natural disasters caused by floods, violent storms and earthquake.

Apparently, our limitations as human beings make us unable to cope with every situation or circumstance. On our own, we cannot always ensure our safety, welfare and the success of our pursuits. This is why humans, all through the ages, have instinctively sought to reach out to a power much greater than them to help ensure their well being. And the good thing is this. God created us with limited ability but in His infinite wisdom He has made His unlimited capabilities available to us.

Another benefit of acquiring spiritual knowledge is that it makes us able to access the unlimited powers of God through exercise of faith in Him. The dictum, “knowledge is power” clearly applies here. The spiritually enlightened individual is a spiritually empowered person.

Human beings have conscience which makes them aware of the choice they ought to make between right and wrong. This, in effect, means that some things we say or do are wrong and some things we say or do are right. A natural consequence of this is that human beings need to be discouraged from doing wrong and they also need to be encouraged to do good. Hence, wrongdoing usually attracts unpleasant consequences while the good we do usually brings us reward.

In fact , our criminal justice system conforms to this pattern. Punishment is meted out to wrongdoers to serve as deterrent. On the other hand, society, by way of encouragement, offers all manner of rewards and awards for those who contribute positively to the system. And this includes the wages or salaries we receive for doing even the most mundane jobs. A porter who helps someone carry their baggage will be rewarded with a tip. But if he steals a bag and is caught, the law will punish him.

And this brings us to yet another benefit of acquiring spiritual knowledge. We are moral beings and spiritual enlightenment enables the individual to attain a high moral state. In addition to being able to tell right from wrong, such a person will be very responsive to their conscience. This way, they will be able to avoid wrongdoing and its repercussions. Such a person will always strive to do good since they know that good deeds will, sooner or later, be rewarded.

It is said that “where there is a will, there is a way” and that “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again”. But not everyone is aware of the amazing results determination and perseverance can produce in our efforts to realize our goals and aspirations. Human beings will be spared a lot of worries, doubts and fears if they are aware of the spiritual principle which provides that success will inevitably crown our efforts if we persevere in the pursuit of a goal and if we have faith in God.

Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader, is a man who has made it to the top. His view on what it takes to journey from the bottom to the top is noteworthy. He said: “It does no matter how small you are if you have faith and plan of action”. Awareness of the abovementioned spiritual principle is another important benefit we derive from acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Many people, at one time or another, may have experienced the situation I am about to describe. You have just gone through a bad situation and you are upset. Then someone says or does something annoying and you flare up and respond harshly. What this person has said or done is something you would ordinarily have overlooked but on this occasion you fly off the handle. Why did this happen? Here is the explanation.

The human mind is a creative device such that mental conditions tend to spontaneously manifest as observable phenomena. Any condition, image or vision we hold on to in the mind will, sooner or later, translate into physical reality. This is a natural creative process – the process that produces the awesome power of belief. The power of belief is a spiritual resource we can employ to achieve seemingly impossible feats.

This is what Jesus Christ, the great religious teacher, has to say about the power of belief: “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes”. (The Bible, Mark 9: 23). He did not mention this all-important concept only once. He touched on it again on another occasion. Hear him: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”. (The Bible, Mark 11: 24). Napoleon Hill, world-famous author of the book, Think and Grow Rich, expressed this concept very succinctly in this statement: “Whatever a man can conceive and believe he can achieve”.

And so we come to yet another important benefit a person can derive from acquiring spiritual knowledge. The spiritually enlightened individual is able to consciously employ this spiritual resource that is available to us to effectively deal with the difficulties and challenges we all have to face in life. By using affirmations, such a person will hold on to their dream because they know that an unstoppable creative process will ultimately cause their dream to become reality. Such an individual will also appreciate the need to always keep their mind clean by using positive thoughts to clear the mind of negative thoughts and emotions.

That spiritual knowledge is performance-enhancing and life-improving cannot be denied. But then the question arises: “Why is the quality of life of religious people not noticeably different from that of non religious people and the populace of religious nations are not better off than those of secular nations? ”

The answer to this question lies in the fact that the quality of spiritual knowledge available to us thus far is poor. In the established religious teachings, a lot of the facts provided are not backed by proof and many of the beliefs propagated cannot stand up to rational examination. Unverifiable conjectures about existence beyond this life are professed as truths. In fact , fiction, misconception and superstition are being presented as spiritual realities. Obviously, knowledge that is so flawed cannot lead to any great benefits.

But here is cheering news. Quality spiritual knowledge is now available under the name, spiritual Science. This is spiritual knowledge that has been obtained using the scientific methods of observation, experimentation and logical deduction. In scope and depth, spiritual Science provides sufficient spiritual knowledge that will enable humans attain full spiritual enlightenment.

The opportunity to gain spiritual wealth and greatly enrich our lives has never been so good for the human race. We owe it to ourselves to get more out of life by acquiring this knowledge-based wealth.

5 Essentials to Building a Spiritual Home

Good morning to all. Here's a great article about spiritual parenting by Pat Brill. Enjoy!

Copyright 2006 Pat Brill

Building a spiritual home is a top consideration for most parents today. No matter what your religious orientation is, or even if you have one, you want to raise children with a strong sense of morals and a feeling of hope and being connected to something larger than themselves.

There are many things that go into building a spiritual home, but these five aspects are essential to building and sustaining a spiritual home.

1 . Compassion. To raise children with compassion, you want to set an example of being compassionate. Volunteering in your community is one way you can show your compassion—and take the kids with you. It’s a wonderful way for them to learn about people who are less fortunate than they are and also help them be open to the diversity in the world.

2 . Empathy. While compassion is a feeling for people, empathy allows you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and imagine how they feel, what their lives are really like. The ability to empathize is vital to ensuring that we will be able to understand others. And with the wide range of people our children will encounter during their lives, being able to empathize with them will help them act and react with understanding, rather than frustration and anger in many cases.

3. Discipline. To achieve anything, we humans need to have some discipline. We need it to enable us to get up each day and take care of our responsibilities. Discipline is necessary for setting goals and reaching them. It is also true that on occasions, disciplining our children and giving them the opportunity to reflect on their behavior is necessary. It helps them recognize what they’ve done wrong and discover what they need to do to correct it—and to see what not to do next time around.

4. Gratitude. The ability to be grateful for the wonderful things in our lives is an essential part of a spiritual life and home. We need to set an example for our children by taking time to talk about how thankful we are to have our families, health, homes and all the good things we’re fortunate to have. We need to temper our tendency to complain by spending time reflecting on and talking about the good stuff too. Being able to see the good and be grateful for it is vital to maintaining a healthy attitude when things get rocky and obstacles mount up. Teaching your children to be grateful is something that will be of great comfort and strengthen them throughout their lives.

5. Golden Rule. The foundation of any spiritual home can easily be traced to this simple rule: treat everyone as you would like to be treated. It has been the bedrock of spiritual practices and major religions, practically since the beginning of time, and is a crucial part of any spiritual home. Live by this rule yourself, teach it to your children and expect them to live by it themselves, and your family will have the spiritual foundation it needs to become a strong spiritual home.

Today I'm sharing a wonderful story I came across. It put's your life in perspective. Read one...

***

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry.. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories..

He often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket... Hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. 'My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know.'

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.

'My husband passed away eight days ago,' I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. 'Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together.'

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A Quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile I had ever seen! I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes.. 'These are for you,' she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. 'When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for.' She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone.

Oh, you haven't forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes.. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

Every day be thankful for what you have and who you are.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings. Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible. Thank you, Lord , that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising. Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, and my children are so loud.

Thank you, Lord, for my family.. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced..

Thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest.

Thank you, Lord, for life.

Pass this on to the friends you know. It might help a bit to make this world a better place to live, right?

Intelligence vs. Intellect

Spirit has many descriptive names in New Thought. Divine Mind, First Cause, God, Universal Intelligence. Universal Intelligence is the everywhere-present all-knowingness of Spirit. Universal Intelligence knows all things and everything because it knows only itself, which is everything.

Because we are individualized centers of Spirit, we have that Intelligence too. Our Intelligence is our connection to Divine Mind. We are consciously and subconsciously connected to Universal Consciousness and Subconsciousness. When we think, we are connecting with Universal Consciousness. When we use our intuition, for example , we are connecting with Universal Subconsciousness. We have a "knowing" inside of us we need to take heed of. When we have decisions that need to be made, we can connect with Universal Intelligence and know that our decisions will be correct. When we do a spiritual Mind Treatment, we are consciously connecting with Spirit, that all-knowingness of the Universe that can guide us in whatever conditions we need to address. The Intelligence that keeps the planets in alignment, that keeps the Earth rotating, that keeps the Sun shining is at our disposal.

Then there is the Intellect. Intellect is our human reasoning, limited to our five senses and our interpretation of our surroundings. We need our intellect. It performs a very important job. It allows us to observe what is happening in our lives and deduce the Cause -- which is what we are habitually thinking and feeling. Once we know the cause, we are at liberty to change our thinking (the cause) to something better for us.

The sticky part comes when we only use our intellect and not our Intelligence (which is what the human race has been doing in its evolution up until now). When we only use our intellect, we get the "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude toward life. It becomes a tether that keeps us from soaring to our highest spiritual Growth. It keeps us limited to living a life of perception only. Reacting instead of acting.

When has the "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude ever created something or made something happen? Did the first carpenter who made the first chair say, "I'll believe there is such a thing as a chair when I see one"? Did Thomas Edison say "I'll believe there is such a thing as the electric lightbulb, when I see it"? Nothing would ever have been invented with an attitude like that. I will go as far as to say every inventor, every artist has tapped into the Creative Mind of Spirit at those moments. We can all tap into Creative Mind. Universal Intelligence knows all potentiality.

We are at a very exciting time in our evolution. We are moving beyond our Human Intellect. We are connecting with our spiritual Intelligence as we come to believe there is more to Life than just what we experience with our senses.

Continue your Growth, trust in your Divine Nature, be open to the guidance of Spirit.

Sound Heals!

Music Medicine Soothes the Soul and the Body

Researchers throughout the world are reporting intriguing new ways about how sound vibration heals the body, mind, spirit and the environment. The words people choose to speak and the music people listen to have profound power to decrease pain, draw people out of emotional and mental isolation and even clear polluted water. And scientists are discovering that certain deep space sounds are amazingly similar to the sounds of dolphins, Tibetan bowls and human choirs.

Why Is this Important to You?

Because you can use music, song, vibration and words to dramatically affect your own health and the well-being of other people. The impact, potential and mystery of the healing power of sound is demonstrated in the following heart-warming true stories.

Wake Up and Dance, Little Suzy

Do you remember the movie "Awakenings? " Based on a true story, the film features the work of neurologist Dr . Oliver Sacks with Parkinson's disease patients. Many of these patients whose bodies had been immobile for decades from the effects of Parkinson's began groovin' to the sounds of music. Patients who had not left their wheelchairs for years, got up and began dancing to certain types of music.
After the success of these patients, Sacks, teamed up with the music director from the Institute for Physical and Neurologic Function and has been using music as therapy with miraculous results. According to the music director, patients who can't walk "bound out of their chairs and start dancing as long as the music is present. For people who have motor problems, music acts as a catalyst. "

Potent Prayer Power

When a Buddhist priest prayed for an hour over the polluted water in a lake behind a dam in Japan, the crystalline structure of the water changed from malformed and distorted to one of immense beauty and power. The lake was transformed into a healthy source of pure water. A distinctly visible aura appeared around the water crystals in photographs.

Autistic Man "Flew the Coop"

A music therapy instructor from Yale University tells a breakthrough story about Jerry, a 26-year-old man who wouldn't speak, whose mental age was between 2 and 8 and who threw extremely self-destructive tantrums. Jerry was so transformed by music therapy that he was able to free himself from his "autistic mold" and create a way to support himself in the world. What'd he do? Pairing up with a graphic designer, Jerry launches a profitable greeting card company. Jerry writes many of the messages and helps design the cards. Aptly, they name the company "Flew the Coop. "

Trippy Space Sounds

What do the sounds of dolphins, human choirs and Tibetan bowls have in common? The sounds they make are uncannily similar to tones found in outer space. While examining the recordings of spacecrafts Voyager I and II at the California Institute for Human Science, scientists discover that sounds produced by the rings of Uranus are virtually identical to those produced by Tibetan bowls. Sounds emitted by the planet Jupiter strongly compare to the high- pitched cries of dolphins. And sounds from the smallest moon of Uranus resemble vocal choirs.
Researchers believe that this similarity is no coincidence. The cosmic vibrations of dolphins, bowls and choirs are currently being used to stimulate alignment and healing at the cellular level.
"Tibetan bowls" are used spiritually to assist people to relax plus the bowl's vibration gently helps "break up" old patterns of behavior that are no longer useful or healthy.

Rockabye Baby

Hospitals report that newborns who are sung or spoken to on a regular basis go home 3-5 days earlier and weigh more than babies who aren't exposed to specific periods of adult speech or song. 50% of women who listen to music during childbirth don't need anesthesia.

A New Symphony

We are only hearing the first few bars in the symphony of healing that awaits humanity as we open to the dynamic harmonious effects of sound.

GREAT NEWS! Labyrinthos has teamed up with Mind Power MP3. Now you can get a FREE Sound Transformation Starter Kit. Start working on your (spiritual) health by getting yours today! Simply click on the banner on the right.  

How To Tune Into Your Spiritual Side

The idea of a life coaches asking you to get in touch with your spiritual side is almost a cliché. Words like spirituality, peace and harmony are said so many times they begin to lose their meaning. This is such a tragedy when we consider the rich history of spiritual philosophy across the ages. First, let us consider what exactly we mean by spirituality.

Despite its monastic origins, spirituality is not just a religious idea. We can define anybody who is getting in touch with their spiritual side to be anyone who believes in gaining knowledge, growing and developing within. The spiritual person is keenly self aware to the point of exactitude. The spiritual individual is able to examine their strengths and weaknesses with honesty and without anxiety. If you are spiritual you accept yourself as unique, capable, flawed, and yet incomplete. Because the perfect person does not exist, spiritual people are not anxious about their imperfections; they are comfortable in their own skin.

We associate spirituality as a state of harmony with the world. People who are spiritual tend to see themselves as part of the bigger picture. They are happy in the presence of others; they are happy being with themselves. spirituality can mean different things to people of different faiths. But the essence of spirituality remains the same for all people of the world - a sense of contentment with their position in the world.

Life coaching can enable you to access your spirituality. When you are feeling spiritual, you can handle pretty much anything. Someone with a keen spiritual side is able to draw strength from any situation or event. You should think of spirituality as the treasure chest of all that is good and vibrant about you. It is, therefore , imperative to be spiritual if you desire any level of personal success. People who are spiritual take a philosophical attitude to things such as change, for they understand that change is essential for growth and development.

The spiritual individual is keenly optimistic and yet realistic. Being spiritual involves getting the balance right between their hopes and desires and skill sets and abilities. As a spiritual individual, you will not become disheartened with negative self appraisal; instead you will see it as an opportunity to improve.

Therefore , develop optimism - optimists are self-disciplined and persistent in what they want to achieve in their life. Optimists plan and take action to move forward. They constantly learn about how to get better at their skills. Their self-confidence helps them to look for solutions and leads them to success in their goals. If you are pessimistic it is time you shed your pessimistic attitude and develop optimism in its place. There is no place in the world of success for negative attitudes. Think about what you can do rather than what you cannot.

So , how can you tell how spiritual you are as an individual. The following exercise will help you to assess this. Another strategy which can help is to write down the worst possible result on one side of a piece of paper, and the best possible result on the other. The worst result of losing a job, for instance, might be, 'I'll be unemployed for the rest of my life. ' The best might be, 'My next job will make me a millionaire. ' It's common to focus on the worst possibility, but the best possibility may be equally likely.

End by writing down in the middle of the paper the real likely future: 'I'll look for another job. It may take a while, but in the end I'll find something I'm happy with, or a business perhaps' Now leave the paper alone and come back to it after 30 mins. With a fresh pair of eyes, look at what you have written and assess how dramatic, realistic, pessimistic and/or optimistic it is.

You see the number one, key word to defining spirituality is - balance. As the above exercise probably demonstrated, maintaining balance is harder than it sounds. Cool, calm, rational decision making needs optimism as a counterweight. Becoming more spiritual is a long process, without an end. Meditation is one of the best ways to fuel your spiritual side, and there are lots of free guides out there, available on the internet. Once you have emptied your mind you can fill it up with what ever you want.

How To Develop A Stronger Spiritual Life

Over the years, one of the questions I have been asked most is “how do I develop a stronger spiritual life”? Most people tell me they spend a great deal of time praying but don’t seem to get any answers, guidance or direction. In my experience I have found one sure-fire method of developing a stronger spiritual life and I will share it in this article.

Most people have been taught that reading, studying, prayer and worship are the keys to stronger spiritual development. Those things definitely have their place and should be done no matter what your chosen spiritual practice is.

However , reading, studying, prayer and worship will only take you so far. The key to spiritual development and growth is meditation. Prayer is us speaking to the universal powers, and is a one sided conversation. Meditation should follow prayer giving the universal powers the opportunity to speak to us and answer.

When speaking of meditation I am not referring to the practice in which the meditation itself is the goal. That type of meditation is great for stress management but won’t do much for spiritual growth. I speak of meditation with intention and purpose.

The most effective way I have found to begin this practice is to get close to nature. Find a place out in nature that you can get to easily, is quiet and where you can remain undisturbed. Your home altar will work also, but out in nature is best. Go to your place every morning, sit and pray, then meditate with the intention and purpose of receiving the answers you seek. Then do the same every evening. Even 10 or 15 minutes twice daily will cause your spiritual life to grow exponentially.

Find a method of meditation that works for you. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) works well for some while Transcendental Meditation works well for others. There are many methods you can learn. As you continue your practice it will slowly become easier for you to achieve the inner silence that is meditation. It is in the silence that answers come and growth begins.

When you are able to achieve the silence easily you will then find you can enter that silence at will, no matter where you are. This is when your meditation becomes dynamic, as meditation should be. The only requirement for meditation is that you are comfortable and relaxed. I am comfortable and relaxed while taking a walk and therefore can enter the silence. Many times when I am creating or fixing something I take the time to ask how to do it, go to the silence, and get a very clear picture of how to complete the project.

As you continue this practice you will develop greater awareness of all that is around you. Your intuition will become stronger and you will have a greatly expanded “sense of knowing”. You will begin to understand the spiritual communications that seldom come in language but rather in pictures, dreams, emotions, symbols and waking visions. It is then that you will realize you were receiving answers all along but simply did not know how to listen.

Following this practice with dedication and commitment will open the door to unlimited spiritual growth and development as well as open two way communication with the spirit world. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to learn. Be persistent in your practice and the rewards will be greater than you can imagine.

Learning to Trust Again

God has made full provision for healing the pain of past so you can trust again.

“ He heals the brokenhearted and bindeth up their wounds. ” Psalms 147: 3

Have you ever trusted someone to love you that did not know how to love? Or have you ever loved someone that did not know how to receive your love? In both cases you will experience rejection. This type of rejection is very painful especially when it comes from someone whom you really trust. The pain from being hurt by someone you trust is much greater than being hurt by a casual friend. It takes years to build trust, but it only takes a moment of rejection to tear down trust. This is because when you trust someone, you open your heart up to them. When they reject you, the natural tendency is to close your heart to them in order to avoid being hurt again. The pain that comes from rejection creates a big wound that must be healed in order to be able to trust that person again.

Jesus made complete provision for our physical and emotional healing. But many people are stuck, “locked in time” desperately needing to be set free from the pain of the past. One way many people try to get rid of pain is to just forget what happened and forget about the person who hurt them. You can tear that person out of your address book and for a while you will be able to forget what happened but if healing did not occur the pain is still there. The pain that lingers from the past keeps you tied to the past. Isaiah, the prophet, said in Isaiah 1: 4-6 that those people who have not been healed will go backwards. Like taking one step forward and then two steps backward, you aren’t getting anywhere.

Another way many people deal with pain is to run from it or pretend it really isn’t there. Pain is like a shadow you look around and it is still there no matter how fast you run. That is why so many people are walking around with the shadow of the past still on them. Pain must be faced and dealt with in order for it to be put away. Instead of running from pain, stop, turn around and face it. Pain must be faced to be healed. You may be one who has received some healing, but the pain still remains. Jeremiah 6: 14 also says that when a person has only been healed slightly, they say peace, peace, but when there is no peace. The amount of peace you are having can be a good indicator of how much healing you have received. Once you are healed and the pain is gone you will be ale to hold your heart open again and trust. healing produces trust in you. If the person that hurt you has proven over and over to not be trustworthy, suggest they also receive healing. healing produces trustworthiness in them. Then wait on the Lord to give you peace.

The following steps can be taken to work through healing. These steps will need to be repeated out loud or written down several times during the healing process. You will experience the peace of the Lord as you go through this process. Now is the time for healing!

1. Step one for healing is to face it.

Who hurt you?

Who left you?

Who did not receive you?

Who refused to love you?

2. Step two for healing is to face what you lost.

Did you loose a good friend?

Did you loose a husband?

Did you loose a wife?

Fill in the blank, I lost .

3. Step three for healing is to accept that the thing you lost is gone.

Make a list and write down all that you have lost.

I accept the fact that is gone.

4. Step four for healing is to acknowledge to the Lord that you have been hurt and angry.

Lord, I have been angry at for .

I ask you to forgive me, and cleanse my heart of this anger.

5. Step five for healing is to release what you have lost.

Lord, I ask for your help to be set free from this pain. Lord by myself I can not accept the losses. I ask for your help to accept what I have lost. I accept the reality that is gone; and I release (person or thing).

6. Step six for healing is to forgive the person.

Lord, I choose to forgive for hurting me. They owe me nothing.

7. Step seven for healing.

My hope is in You, Lord. I know You are the one that gives life. Not the person or the things I have lost.

8. Step eight for healing is to choose life.

Lord, I choose Life; help me to continue looking forward towards the life you have given me.

Healing Quest: Marianne Williamson on Forgiveness

Healing The Abandonment Wounds

Every individual I’ve worked with has had some abandonment wound to heal, and most relationship problems stem from abandonment wounds.
It is not possible to grow up in our society without some abandonment wounds. The following are some of the ways it can occur:

• Being torn away from mother at birth and put into a nursery.
• Being left to cry in a crib or playpen.
• Being given up for adoption or being left in foster care.
• Being physically and/or sexually abused.
• Being emotionally abused - ignored, yelled at, shamed.
• Being pushed aside at the birth of a new sibling.
• Having a parent or caregiver who is emotionally unavailable.
• Being unseen or misunderstood by parents or other caregivers.
• Being lied to.
• Being unprotected by a parent or caregiver.
• Being left alone in a hospital during an illness.
• Losing a beloved parent or grandparent at a very young age.
• Divorce.
• Being teased or left out with siblings or peers.
• Being ridiculed by a teacher.
• Being forgotten - not being picked up from school or other places.
• Being left at a young age to care for oneself, a parent, or other siblings.

When we are deeply wounded at a young age, we cannot handle the pain, so we find ways to dissociate from the intense feelings. Then, later in life, especially when we fall in love, these old wounds can get activated. Our beloved gets angry, withdraws, gives attention to someone else, says mean things, doesn't tell the truth, doesn't stand up for us, comes home late, wanders away in a crowded public place, misunderstands us, and so on - and suddenly the pain that has been pushed aside all these years comes roaring to the surface. We think that we are reacting to the present situation, but what is really happening is that the old, unhealed abandonment wound has been touched off. We might find ourselves suddenly enraged or falling apart with intense tears. Our reaction seems too big for the situation, yet we cannot seem to stop the inner pain. We might start to shake violently as the old terror finally erupts.

We want our beloved to take the pain away by stopping his or her behavior. If only he or she would not do the thing that activates these feelings, we would be fine. Yet until we actually heal these old, deep wounds, we will not be fine. We will always be vulnerable to having these wounds activated.
Healing the abandonment wounds does not happen overnight, yet it does not have to take years either. Step one is to tune into your feelings with a willingness to take responsibility for your pain. Once you are aware that deep pain has been activated, seek the help of someone who can hold you and nurture you while you go into the abandonment pain. If no one is available, hold a doll, bear or pillow, and bring in love to the hurting part of you. Open to your concept of God or Spirit and allow this source of love and strength to nurture you.
It is often not advisable to seek the help of the person who activated the wound because:
1) he or she may still be stuck in their own wounded place, the place that touched off your wound;
2) you might become dependent upon your beloved taking care of you and taking the pain away instead of actually healing the pain.

Once you are with a safe, nurturing person, or even on the phone with a safe person, hold a doll or bear or even a pillow very tightly and breath into the pain. Open to learning and allow the Inner Child who is in pain to give you information about the original pain that is still stuck in the body. The body holds the memories that you repressed at the time, and now the body is releasing these memories. Many images may come up as you open to learning with your Inner Child. Be sure you have your spiritual guidance with you, holding you, surrounding you with love and comfort as you open to learning about this deep pain. In order to truly understand your present reaction, you need to understand what happened to you when you were little. Keep breathing deeply and allowing your Inner Child to inform you, even if you are crying. Tell the person helping you what your Child is telling you about what happened to you when you were little. It may take awhile, but gradually you will calm down. At that point, tune into what false beliefs you may have embraced as a child that are affecting you now, and what else your Child needs right now to feel loved and safe.

Being there for your wounded child this way will gradually heal the abandonment wounds. Ignoring your feelings, trying to make them go away, or trying to get someone else to take them away will only serve to re-wound you. It is only when you no longer abandon yourself that the old wounds begin to heal. Eventually, another's behavior that previously triggered your intense reaction will no longer do so. You may feel sad or lonely when a loved one gets angry or withdraws in some way, but as long as you continue to show up for yourself, the intense pain will not be there.

If the pain seems stuck in the body no matter what you do, then you need to seek out a practitioner who knows how to release old pain out of the body through acupressure or other bodywork.
Once these old wounds are healing, you will feel a new sense of personal power. Others’ behavior can no longer trigger you into these intensely painful feelings. However , a word of caution: we may think it is healed, only to discover another level when we move into a more intimate relationship, or more intimacy with a present partner. The closer the relationship, the deeper the wounds get activated. That is why the primary relationship is the most powerful arena for healing there is, and Inner Bonding - the process outlined here - is a most powerful tool!

Depression from a Spiritual Perspective

This article about the intense subject of depression anticipates two ways of reaction. The question is: Will it be – in your case - shock or relief?

When you read about depression, you will encounter many passages like the following:

“These brain chemicals—in varying amounts—are responsible for our emotional state. Depression happens, when these chemical messages aren’t delivered correctly between brain cells, disrupting communication. ”

What could be probably wrong with that statement?

It is based on the unquestioned belief that human beings are machines. Although this assumption is widespread, it is simply not a fact. Machines are built, operated and cared for by conscious human beings. In an analogous way our body and mind exist because of our existence as conscious beings.

It is not matter, which builds consciousness, but it is consciousness, which forms matter. That is actually our observation everywhere.

The matter of depression must be totally reevaluated from this new perspective. It is not a fact that brain chemicals are responsible for our emotional state, but vice versa. Our emotional state leads to the production of certain chemicals in our brain and body.

Of course there is an interlink between the two planes. Emotional states can definitely be influenced by certain chemical substances. But there is some substantial loss of information, as the “positive” state induced by chemicals cannot be compared with a natural positive state derived from the firm foundation in the conviction that life is wonderful.

Here we have arrived at a crucial point.

Depression is not caused by chemicals in the brain, but rather causes chemicals in the brain. Depression is a state of mind, wherein the affected human being has lost his/her connection to the original quality of life, which is bliss, knowledge and eternity.

Neither will medication help to overcome depression, nor superficial psychological treatment. The only way to help the depression sufferer is by unalloyed love, which is rare in this world. This sort of love will not further push him into the state of a helpless and powerless victim, but will empower him to take his fate into his own hands.

In this way the person suffering with depression will be given the chance to see live from a new perspective. He will learn to love himself despite of any shortcomings, because – by feeling appreciated and loved – he will come to love his real spiritual personality, which is always beyond the polarity of material despair and happiness. When he finds shelter in the ultimate quality of pure consciousness, which is unconditional love, he will feel the natural bliss of life.

Consequently this article ends with a request to doctors and psychologists: Become unconditional lovers! All other cures are temporary, like shifting a hurting heavy weight from one shoulder to the other. If you want to solve the root problem, you have to solve it first and foremost in yourself.

Because of you ♥