With the International Day of Peace coming up, I want to reflect on the idea of PEACE and how to attain and maintain it.

Last month Steve and I attended the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. This was our 4th Parliament and after the three PWR before, we looked forward to all the activities, seeing friends & meeting new people. In Chicago we were responsible for, and excited to set up, a room dedicated solely to presenting the New Thought (NT) philosophy and materials from all the denominations. We were also going to have an Interfaith Dialogue everyday. Steve and I arrived Saturday, to work all day Sunday, so everything would be ready for visitors on Monday. From the Hyatt Hotel to the McCormick Center was a long 20-minute walk! We were grateful the walk was enclosed in buildings and a bridge especially when it rained for several days.

PEACE is TAKING QUIET ACTION and doing what needs to be done.

On Sunday, the Hyatt assistant, who was to help us with our large shipped box, was not there when we arrived at the Hyatt’s Parcel Office. Luckily we were able to rent a cart from there. Once we got to the NT room the door from the hall to the room was locked. So I went to the registration desk to ask for the keys. Once inside the room we noticed the tables we ordered were not in the room. We saw extra tables outside the door so we brought them in ourselves. We could have either whined and complained, or just go about our business to take care of what was needed to be done. We did call management to let them know about the situation.We then got a call from the Hyatt letting us know ONE of the flower arrangements had arrived. (There was supposed to be two). Another trip back and forth. Later the second flower arrangement arrived and another trip back and forth.Meanwhile we went to the registration desk only to find out the computers were down so no early registration until the next day.

PEACE is a CHOICE

Monday Morning we went to finish setting up the room & learned the computers were still down. We had to stand in line with the other 7,000 attendees to register one person at a time. While waiting in line during registration we had a choice, we could either be irritated and complain or we could look at this as an opportunity to meet other people from around the world. We met people from India, Canada and Utah. I even gave one of our Interfaith stoles to a lovely gentleman from India. He loved all the symbols of faith on the stole and we had a wonderful and spiritual conversation.

PEACE OF MIND AND HIGH CONSCIOUSNESS CREATES A UNIVERSAL FLOW OF GOODNESS

What we are looking for is seeking us without impediments or restrictions.                     In New Thought, “We attract what we think about and focus on.”We were among 7,000 HIGH CONSCIOUS people attending the Parliament. Being in that Bubble of Oneness, we experienced demonstrations all the time. When we said, “I wonder if so and so is here?” the person showed up. Several of our friends (Rev. Jean Sweet, Sande Hart, Rev. Ahmondra McClendon) thought “I wonder if the Alberts are here” and then we showed up. The exhibition booths we were looking for, we found. Even though workshop rooms were being changed constantly, we eventually found the room we were looking for. We felt God’s guiding hand was there in and amongst everyone.We got lost several times and when we did, there was always a Parliament volunteer near by to steer us in the right direction.People and Things just came to us.

PEACE is RECONNECTING

The best part for us was meeting new people and reconnecting with friends we hadn’t seen in years. Soul to Soul encounters.

PEACE is FORGIVING

Peace cannot happen until there is a consciousness of FORGIVENESS .We had to forgive the Parliament organizers, the McCormick Center planners, and the computers for breaking down.In general for PEACE to happen, we all need to weed out the areas of unforgiveness in our lives. Forgive the family member, friend, co-worker/or anyone who you feel “just doesn’t get it .”We cannot harbor hate and love at the same time. Forgiveness creates a loving heart where PEACE can abide.

This Parliament was not as smooth and well run as we expected, however we were able to maintain our peace of mind, happiness of heart and love for ALL human diversity!

Peacefully,

Abigail and Steve

The Science of Mind magazine’s Daily Guides are written this month by                    Rev. Dr. David Ault, minister and musician. He said, “We may strive for dreams that do not serve our present heart… Ask yourself, ‘Am I pursuing something based on an old version of me?” What a wonderful question! We all have evolved in some way. Just by getting older we have more life experiences and stories to tell. However we know some people are stuck in their lives from years ago and we hear the same stories over and over again. We are meant to create new stories, new goals, new purposes because nothing stays the same, everything grows and changes. Perfect example is the caterpillar to butterfly.

The quote above is one to ponder everyday. “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Nothing changes unless we change our minds about things, issues,
people, old patterns, old ways of thinking and doing things. Do you remember the story of a mother cooking a ham? She always cut it in half. One day her son or daughter asked, why do you always cut the ham in half? The mother said, ‘My mother did it this way and my grandmother…” Was it really necessary to cut it in half? If her pot was small that was a good decision. If it was large and could hold the hold ham, was it a
good decision? Is it time for this mother to renew her mind and ways of cooking?

We can look at our lives and see if our old patterns and ways of doing things are really helping us now. What does an old version of you look like? Does it
serve you now? My old version was a person who always let others come first and held back my opinion and thoughts. That did not serve me for long. My life
changed with a divorce, a new faith tradition that upheld the strength and power of women and I found a new purpose in ministry and met people who were uplifting.
I knew as I was shedding my old caterpillar version of me, I was about to fly on my own and be my own person, like the butterfly.

Where are you today? Are you living the life you want to live? Are you tethered in mind to a past that no longer serves you or you it?
Where would you like to be. What would you like to do? As Steve says in his book, “IGNORE the NO.” Nothing is Impossible with God and God is all there is!

Being ME and Loving It
Abigail and Steve

September 5, 2023

Dear Friends,

I was reading Joan Borysenko’s interview in the Sept./Oct. Unity Magazine. She was asked by Katy Koontz, “Are there (other) tools that help us come back to our
Higher Selves?” Her answer was simple and profound. Joan quoted
Rick Hanson Ph.D. author of Resilient…
“Every day beautiful things happen. The sun rises. A stranger smiles at you. A bud flowers. Your pet loves on you. If you stop and mindfully take in the good with
all your senses – the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations – and savor that for 15 seconds or so, your brain makes new neural networks that counter the negativity
bias.” Joan suggests “Look for those little moments of good each day, and before bed, choose one to rerun in all its glory, savoring it with all your senses.”

Those ideas are beautiful spiritual practices that we can do anywhere and anytime. I love thinking my brain is creating new neural networks when I spend time
in the morning hearing the the birds sing and watching the sun come up. I see beautiful cloud formations and birds flying together in a V formation to some
predestined place. As much as I love my morning spiritual practices, I can take this practice with me all day long. I can pay attention to a helpful clerk at a
store, a mom hugging her child, or watching a driver be kind and let another driver into the line. There is so much good we can see all the time. It just takes
being mindful and LOOKING for the GOOD.

In New Thought we know what we focus on manifests.
What do you want in your life?
Focus on it!

The GOOD, GOD is ALWAYS HERE and EVERYWHERE! Interesting the word GOOD has the same letters as GOD. GOOD is GOD stretched out…
Let us pay attention to all the GOOD in our lives. It is GOD stretching out our good. The more GOOD we see the more GOOD we get! Live life with joy
and enthusiasm. Enjoy all the ‘small’ moments where GOOD is blossoming. Watch the flowers grow and begin to bloom. Every part of the bloom from the
seed to the small stem peeking up through the earth is God’s Good. Our life is like that small bud. Every little delight has a way of blossoming into
something glorious. Let us keep our minds and heart on all the Good God has to offer us and always give Thanks!

Seeing Good,                                                                                                             Abigail and Steve