Dear Friends,

People who have animals very often call them their “fur kids,” or winged children.” Animals are loved deeply and become part of the family. People who love their flowers and plants also feel they are a part of their family. Many love them and talk to them. It has been proven plants and flowers respond to loving words and kindness.

I have a hanging kitchen plant who I call “Rapunzel.’ I believe it is a Pothos variety and believe it or not, I have had this plant since 1990. I have repotted it several times and it always comes back and grows and grows just like Rapunzel’s long braids. I say good morning to her and tell her how lovely she looks. It is the only plant that has survived that long in our house. “Rapunzel” is part of our family.

What if we thought of all the beautiful plants, flowers, trees, bushes as brothers and sisters, as family. In truth they are part of our family, God’s family. We are all made up of the Divine essence and energy. Where else would we come from? If we believe in ONENESS, we believe not only every human is our brother and sister, every animal, rock, mineral, plant, earth, water is our family too. We are all here together living and supporting one another. Mother Earth has done, and it still doing a superb job in providing ALL that we need to live and survive. Unfortunately we as children of the earth need to step up and care for our Mother by being ecologically minded.

“The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he’s merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

-Chief Seattle.

Everyone can recycle, reuse, conserve water and stop using plastic bags. Discover ways to save and support Mother Earth.

“Protecting Mother Earth is not just a choice; it’s a responsibility we all share. By understanding the importance of sustainability and conservation, we can safeguard our planet for generations to come. As we reflect on Earth Day, let’s remember that our planet is a precious gift that sustains all life. By protecting nature, reducing waste, and living sustainably, we ensure a healthier and greener world.”

–United Religions Initiative

Let us make EVERY DAY EARTH DAY!

Spring is here which means the flowers are blooming, plants are growing, and the grass will soon need to be cut. It is the time I love to replant and/or replace flowers and plants outside. I love going to Home Depot and Andersons Nursery to look for new, fresh plants with lots of color. Years ago when I lived in Illinois, I used to have a flower bed just waiting for new seeds every year. I loved trying out different varieties of plants and flowers. I always knew what seed I planted, is exactly what would grow and bloom. Never a doubt.

God’s Law of Mind is always in effect. Whatever you plant you grow, whether it is a flower, a tree, a bush or new grass. One never questions the outcome.

God’s Law of Mind works not only for planting seeds in the ground, it works when we plant thought seeds in our minds.

These grow and manifest according to our beliefs and feelings. Simply put,

“What we think about we bring about.”

As the quote in the picture above says we have a choice to plant good thoughts or weeds in mind. Weeds of course are those negative thoughts about ourselves and/or others. When we think about a person who has “rumbled our ground, rattled our cage” or was completely rude and hurtful, we still have a choice in our response to them.

I watched an incident unfold at Home Depot the other day. A man was in line ahead of me and was insisting and arguing that the clerk “should have known the price was lowered on an item.” On her register it did not come up as a price change. After going back and forth a Home Depot manger stepped in and said, the cash register clerk was not responsible for knowing all the price changes that happen on a daily basis. Once it is in the system it comes up on the register. This change apparently happened a few days ago and now was back to the original price. This man was “fighting” for the sale price which amounted to a dollar off. The clerk gave him the discounted price anyway and instead of being grateful he continued to argue “YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.” Finally the Home Depot manager asked him to leave and stop harassing the clerk.

He finally did. If the manager had not stepped in I would have. After the heated back and forth arguments and the man left, all I could do was sooth the situation by saying how well she handled the customer. I thanked her for doing her job graciously. She was visibly upset and I said a silent prayer for her day to brighten with appreciative customers.

Now, we could all be angry with the gentleman who kept insisting he was in the right, or we could say a prayer for whatever was happening in his life that may have caused such a flareup. Maybe he just got fired from his job or a situation at home was in turmoil. We do not know the experiences of life he is dealing with. I sent this man a silent prayer of love and comfort to help plant seeds of peace in his mind and heart.

When in doubt, plant words of good, uplifting, encouraging, gentle and loving thoughts in mind. For those thoughts go out as energy and vibration to all and will come back to you 100 fold.

Wouldn’t you want a gentle encouraging word in times of strife?

Planting Good Thoughts,

Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

God’s Grace is Gentle.

In my morning reading, I found several writings based on Gentleness and Grace. These are such beautiful virtues to embody and share with others. Have you ever met someone who is huge/tall in body and yet gentle in spirit? Sometimes we call them “Gentle Giants.” I love the idea of being a gentle giant. One does not have to be tall or large in stature to be a giant of gentleness. Who have you met or known over the years who has treated you with extra kindness, compassion and caring. That person is a gentle giant. Giant in heart, mind, soul and body.

God is that Giant of Grace and Gentleness, and God lives and moves and has ITS being within us, as us. Therefore we are the giants, grace and gentleness of God. It is our true Self. We can choose to display Gentleness and Grace everyday of our lives. Every action and thought is a choice we make. We can get angry with ourselves and others or we can gently listen and speak words of graceful kindness.

I am presently teaching a class on “Beliefs, Comparisons and Customs of the World Religions,” through Emerson Theological Institute. I have one student and we are beginning to zoom our class. We met twice to get to know one another and to go over the syllabus to be sure everything was understood. Last week was our first class with a paper due that day. My student is a gentleman in his 50’s who immigrated to the U.S. 25 years ago so English is his second language. After talking with him and getting to know him, his background and faith I was impressed with his cheerful disposition and excitement about taking this class. I read his paper before our class and it was excellent. I was impressed his writing in English was so good, however there was a problem. As good as his writing was, he had not included “cites” where he got his material. Most of it was from Steve’s Interfaith Manual (IM) and our Interfaith Workbook(IW.) These are the text books, however I know he must have looked at other references, which I encourage. I also found two sentences taken directly from the Interfaith Workbook, without quotes or cite. In a normal college class, it might be considered plagiarizing.

I thought, how do I handle this situation? I reflected on God’s Gentle Grace. When I talked with him I immediately told him his paper was excellent! I was impressed with how well he wrote in English. I could tell he was happy with the complement. I asked if he got all his information from the IM and IW. He said no because he went on line to find out more information. I told him I love it when students go above and beyond what reading is expected of them. I applauded him for his initiative. Then I said, “For the future, would you please give the cites in your paper, so I know where you got your information. If it came only from the IW or IM you can just put that down. I said, “I also noticed a couple sentences taken directly from the IW.” He said he couldn’t write it better than that. I laughed and he laughed too. I said “Thank you, I appreciate that,” and it is important to put quotes around any sentence that is not yours.

I said, “I am glad this came up, because I will also include this information in the syllabus to remind students to always cite their references. I told him he helped me. I told him I would send him an email with examples on how to cite references. And them we went on to discus other relevant ideas pertaining to the first class.

I believe I handled the situation with Grace and Gentleness. I really wanted my student to enjoy the class as well as write papers correctly. I kept watching his reactions and I felt he was able to receive my comments without feeling demeaned. To me this was a teachable moment. Before the class I had said a quiet prayer knowing all was in Divine order and kindness. And it was!

I will continue to strive to speak gentle words with grace in my comments and interactions as I teach. Today, remember, ALL situations are teachable and can be handled with GOD’S GRACE AND GENTLENESS.

“Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.” -Leo Buscaglia

Gently Teaching, Abigail

“There is a wave of new expression coming in with our children. They are coming into the world with different vibrational patterns. There is something calling our attention. These children use aspects of their awareness and brains not typically accessed prior to their arrival. They demonstrate a wide and varying array of gifts, which range from deep intuitive and empathetic awareness to swift and incredible mathematical exactness. and profound compassion. Since God makes no mistakes, are these children of light demonstrating what is possible for us all?”                                                Rev. Dr. Christian Sorensen, ‘Science of Mind’, April issue

Dear Friends,

Today has been declared World Autism Awareness Day by the United Nations. So many of our children and adults have been diagnosed with this way of living in the human world.

“There is often nothing about how people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) look that sets them apart from other people, but they may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.” (grantagift.com)

Many of you may have watched the TV show, “The Good Doctor.” The young doctor had to overcome many autistic behaviors in order to be the top notch surgeon and precise diagnostician he plays on the show. Communication and dealing with his and other people’s feelings is a challenge for him. The wonderful thing is, the other doctors have accepted him and his behavior. Challenges are worked out with patience and dialogue. It is a credit to the show to bring to light the challenges people with Autism face in their daily life.

Everyone who has any kind of “different ability” face challenges we can not even fathom. It is up to us to be the person who takes the time to assist, help and support those who are living and seeing the world in a different way.

We all have different abilities. The mentally disabled man who packs my groceries, does it with ease and expertise. The person who is in a wheelchair has learned how to be extremely self sufficient, getting into and out of cars, into stores, on buses, trains. I am awed by their persistence and courage to live in a world that has not fully made life easy for them. People who have hearing and sight challenges have developed other abilities while still operating in a hearing and seeing world.

After all is said and done, I believe ALL people on earth are GOD Beings, Individualizations of the Divine. Each Soul has chosen his or her earth body and life experiences. Who ever you meet, who ever you know, and who ever you do not know, is and always has been the Fullness and Expression of the Divine.

Grateful for Who I Am and Who You Are,                                                                    Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

“Fr. Richard Carton, associate, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, was speaking to a group of second graders about the resurrection when one student asked, ‘What did Jesus say right after He came out of the grave?’ It was a question of great theological importance, but Fr. Carton had to explain, in words suitable to his young audience, that the Gospels do not tell us just what He said. The hand of one little girl shot up.“I know what he said Father,’ she insisted. ‘And what was that?’ asked Fr. Carton. “TAH-DAH!” the girl exclaimed. ”                                               (Holy Humor- Any Fisher, Denville, New Jersey)

EASTER is about rising and transcendence. We rise up when we transcend our fears, prejudices, and histories to be instruments for Divine creative expression. We “rise in faith, believing,” means we inhabit and create from a field of pure potentiality that exceeds and celebrates our precious, unique and beloved humanness.

On the third day after the crucifixion, the three Marys came to anoint Jesus’ body with oil and found him gone.(Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, wife of Clopas, & Mary Magdalene)When the tomb was rolled back, I can imagine how excited they were. Jesus prophesy came true. He rose on the third day!                                                   Matthew 28:5-6 “The angel said to the women, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here… But go, tell His disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”  

Jesus met with all the disciples except Thomas. When the disciples told Thomas Jesus had appeared to them, Thomas was filled with doubt. The following week when ALL 12 were in the Upper Room, Jesus appeared again.  Thomas put his hands on the wounds of Jesus and was no longer a “Doubting Thomas.” FINALLY humanity’s greatest fear about DEATH, was answered. There is no death, LIFE is Eternal!

When challenges show up, and you start to doubt the power of God within, remember to name and claim God as your Omnipresent Source, Substance, and Truth. In Truth, you are an unlimited channel for ALL possibilities. Your recognition, surrender and trust opens you up to Life’s vitality, energy and creative solutions.

Shift your understanding of what a tomb represents: not a dank, dark, airless space, but a place of deep rest, revitalization, and even renewal. SUBSTITUTE WOMB FOR TOMB…, and your entire perception will change. All creative ideas and possibilities must gestate before they are birthed and produced in form.

Rising Up is a gift we give ourselves, and the universe. Just as Jesus, the “Great Example” was no longer tomb-bound, neither are we. We live beyond our stones and barriers by choosing to reveal and release our hidden splendor (God Self). There is a “higher place” in consciousness where we can envision and create lives of deep meaning, love, and a world that works for all. We set aside barriers of fear or doubt, and live life joyfully, and creatively!

In conclusion, the Easter story is our story. It is ABOUT OUR RISE in CONSCIOUSNESS and a great demonstration of Jesus’s teachings.

TAH DAH!   Abigail and Steve

“Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.” -Florence Scovel Shinn

Dear Friends,

I have a challenge with a family member and decided to drive up to Santa Ana from Poway to talk with him, and perhaps re-store and re-establish a relationship. Needless to say I was anxious about the meeting especially since it would be a surprise for him.

The day I decided to travel was rainy, foggy and cold. In my morning prayers and meditation I asked for Divine guidance and safety. I envisioned a ring of protection around me, and everyone on the road. I know wherever I go God is and all is well. Even with my affirmative prayers, I still had this funny anxious feeling inside. There was even a brief passing thought of, “I might have a flat tire on the freeway.” Needless to say I brushed off the thought as fear talking and barreled through my morning getting ready. I thought the rain was making me feel uneasy.

Once ready, I left and got on one of the freeways up to Santa Ana. On a good day it would take at least a 1 1/2 hours and that day with the increment weather I thought it would take at least 2-3 hours. The freeway was packed with cars going north and south. The rain was pouring and I already noticed cars pulled to the side of the road. I also felt a jerk or tug from my car. I didn’t know what that was and continued on. I seemed to be surrounded by big trucks and I had to move safely away from them. Once I felt the road was more open, I had an opportunity to get off the freeway. For some reason I just could NOT go any farther. Something within me just said “Get off and go home.” I had a feeling of relief and my anxiety diminished once off the freeway. I thought, “Well, I am not driving up to Santa Ana today.”

As I got close to home, my dashboard light started to flash a warning sign telling me my tires were very low. I immediately went to a gas station where a kind man filled them up. YES, all were low. As I left the gas station, I realized my intuition had been kicking in ALL morning and I had dismissed it.

Perhaps I would have had a flat tire on the 78 or 5 freeway. I will never know and I am eternally grateful for the answer to my morning prayers. I am always safe and secure in the loving arms of God!

Lesson. Do not try to bull doze your way through a situation when all your intuitive feelings are flashing NO. My feelings of wanting so badly to reconcile with this person, over ruled my normal intuitive listening. I am so grateful the rest of the day was easy and effortless, when it could have taken a turn for the worst.

I will pay more attention to the still small voice of God the next time I decide to drive up to Santa Ana to see this person. Even though I really want our relationship restored, I must always let go and let God determine the How, When and Way.

“We do not need to be specific in the details as to the how and the way, but we must be definite and concrete in our mental acceptance of the results we expect to experience.”  Ernest Holmes “The Magic of the Mind.”

I continue to thank God all day for the Love, Protection and Divine Direction in my life. Thank you God!

Grateful for God’s Guidance

Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

Our Christian brothers and sisters are in the middle of LENT.

“Lent is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.” Wikipedia

Many Christians choose to “give up” something they eat or do during these 40 days. I read recently Pope Francis may have said. “Eat whatever you want for Lent,” begins the purported quote from Francis. “The sacrifice is not in the stomach, but in the heart. They refrain from eating meat, but don’t talk to their siblings or relatives, don’t visit their parents or bother to attend to them. Francis supposedly goes on to say it is less important to follow dietary restrictions than to seek a “deeper relationship with God through better treatment of others.”   USA Today Fact Check said this quote may not be what he said. Whether it is true or not, it is valid in my mind. Instead of Fasting from chocolate or wine, let us FASY from cruel and hurtful words to others.

When we go food shopping, Steve and I like to talk with grocery store employees. This one clerk always has a smile on his face and ready to make the customers happy. His outer appearance is unusual, however once you begin talking with him, you find out he is a delightful person with a family and children.

A store clerk description says, they are to “Receive customers and assist them with the selection of merchandise. Greet, interact and monitor customers to assist the store in loss prevention. Display and organize products in a store for the customers to locate easily.” This is exactly what this gentleman does.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

This clerk told us one time he tried to help a lady reach an item from a top shelf and she said, “I didn’t know they hired midgets at this store. No you can’t help me.” She seemed offended when he said, “I am not a midget, however I will get a taller person to help you.” The store clerk is my height and I am 5’4.

Another time he asked if he could help a lady reach something and she said, “Get out of my personal space.” I do not know what faith tradition these two ladies are, however, what came out of their mouths was unkind and hurtful. No one deserves that treatment when trying to help customers and be a good employee.

If you are honoring LENT, honor one another as well and see each person as a God Being. My mother used to say, “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all!”

“It’s not confined to one gender but is an essential aspect of the human experience. Divine femininity is about nurturing, understanding, empathy, and connection.
It represents a side of ourselves that fosters emotional intelligence, intuition, and compassion.”
https://www.centreofexcellence.com/what-is-the-divine-feminine/

I love being with my two granddaughters, one almost 3 1/2 years and the other 3 months. I whisper gently in their ears how beautiful,
smart, capable, intelligent, courageous, loving and compassionate they are. Every child needs to hear these words and more. During our Honoring the Women Month
we need to be sure every female; baby, child, youth, young adult, age 30 through 100+ years hear this truth about themselves. Women, in the mind and heart of
God have always been uplifted, loved and revered. Our brothers are beginning to realize how immensely important the Divine Feminine is. I believe we are the
WAY to change the world and create the peace we want.
Women do not start wars. Women start circles of companionship. compassion, cooperation, courage, and collective camaraderie.

We need to nurture LOVE and JOY in our girls.
We need to nurture independence, excellence, self-sufficiency and an ability to Be and Do all that is in their hearts.
We need to encourage them to do what they love and pursue their Divine calling here on earth.
We need to encourage our girls to swing high, push boundaries and create a path that no one has taken before.
We need to honor our elder women for their wisdom and intelligence

“I honor and celebrate the Divine Feminine as it expresses in the world. I celebrate the girls and women in my life and throughout the world.
I admire their grace and resilience and feel grateful for their courage, strength, and caring energy.”
(Daily Word, March)

February 27, 2024

Since we are still in the month of LOVE, I want to share a spiritual practice that is doable and works! Years ago I had a friend who called and asked me to come over. She had a situation she needed to talk about, so I went. When I got there she said, “Before you knocked on the door, I saw a flash of light, and I knew it was you.” I was surprised at first, and then realized it was God going before me as I stepped through the door.

Today my practice is saying, ” I AM LOVE entering….” a house, a store, a car wherever I am to step across a threshold. It is a spoken reminder, I AM all of God entering. Some people say we are sparks of God which infer there is only a tiny part of God within us. That is not so. GOD is ALL OF US.  When you use the words I AM you are speaking as God, for God is the Mighty  I AM in, through and as all people, places and things. ‘I AM…..’ sets the tone to “establish a quality, feeling and attitude” (Webster) Wherever I go the tone I want to establish is LOVE.

Last week Steve and I were invited to some people’s home. They had a guest who we knew and he wanted to say hi before he left to travel home. This guest was a person from our past and I was not looking forward to seeing him. I told Steve as we got into our car to make the drive, let us pray, “I AM, WE ARE LOVE entering the house. I AM, WE ARE LOVE in the house. I AM WE ARE LOVE leaving the house.” Needless to say our whole stay was pleasant and even had some laughs in spite of this guest taking us down “memory lane.” As we left, hugs went around to and from everyone. We were surprised and yet, I realized we had already established LOVE as the only action and reaction in the house.

Wherever you are, wherever you go, remind yourself, you are GOD – LOVE in this human form. All God, All human. Speak your word of power to create good, happiness, joy and LOVE before you step through the door. The person opening the door may see you as a flash of Divine Light.

We are LOVE entering…,

Abigail and Steve