God’s Basket

EGGS in Gods Basket
Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket,
then  counting your blessings before they hatch.
-Ramona C. Carroll
I came across the quote above while reading Chicken Soup for the Soul, Dreams and Premonitions.   I read it  shortly after talking with  a minister friend who has changed her way of VISIONING for herself.  She is only asking for her Highest and Best and What is Hers To Do. She has let go of Visioning for  church growth and church finances and relying entirely on  God for all her blessings, whatever they may be and whatever role or job she plays.
I am in agreement with her.  When we ask, accept and declare our Highest Good, our Highest Service and surrender to  the Master Mind of the Universe, (who knows how to keep this Universe going…!), we let go and let God take over.  I have had the BEST ideas, guidance, direction and demonstrations when I have just “given up” my way and say, “I’m done God, it is up to you!”
In 1990 I was DONE with church. I gave it up at a stop sign on my way home from a mainstream church. Church, or so I thought, was not a fit for me.  Once I let go and stopped trying to “find” the perfect church by hopping from one to another every Sunday, God was able to swoop in and guide me to my highest and best! The next week I received an invitation to a workshop from a church I had never heard of, a Religious Science church.  I attended and found my “HOME.”  Well the rest is history. Never in a million years did I think I would be a minister, and a minister in a faith tradition I had never heard of in 1990.
So GIVE IT A TRY!  Put ALL your eggs (wants, desires, visions) in God’s basket.  Be done with “trying” and be open to God’s Highest and Best for you in your life. Allow the NEW you to crack wide open and BE who God intended you to be!
baby-egg-crack1

We Are Connected

Connection by Oprah

Dear Friends,
I believe it is so important to FIND THE CONNECTION
with everyone you meet. It changes the feeling of being an “acquaintance” to being a new friend.
Discover what you have in common with that person.
Most of the time it is easy with people of your same faith tradition, culture or nationality.  The real discovery comes when you realize you have a lot in common with people of other faith traditions and nationalities. At this time our Muslim brothers and sisters are fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. They pray 5X a day and surrender all activities and daily plans to Allah ( ‘God’ in the Arabic language).  In New Thought we continually share how important it is to “Let Go and Let God” guide us and lead the way.  Our Visioning  practices say,  “What is God’s  highest IDEAL/IDEA for me, for this event, meeting, plan etc.
Not my idea, but God’s idea.
Muslims say, ‘Inshallah’  meaning “God Willing.” Our trust and faith in God’s Way and Will for our life is shared by our Muslim friends.
Do you meditate?  Meditation is common among our Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh friends.
Are you into Contemplative prayer?  This is common among our Catholic and Protestant friends.
Whenever you feel a dis-connect with a person, faith group, culture or nationality, find the CONNECTION, find the commonality.  You will have more friends, fun and bring more peace to yourself as well as humanity.
If you would like to view a video where young adults shared what nationality they thought they were and what nationalities they did not like, the link is below.  Each one took a DNA test and were blown away.  The Englishman who did not like Germans, had German DNA. The young lady who did not like Turkish people found out she was Turkish and found a distant cousin in the room.  This video really  reinforces the fact and KNOWING, we are all connected down to the roots of our being!

(copy paste on your browser).
KNOW YOU ARE CONNECTED in some way with EVERYONE ON THIS PLANET.  Send LOVE out to everyone today!  They are your friends and family.

For Everyone

An Open Letter to Everyone

Hi Everyone.
When I look at the name of our network, the word “WORLD” stands out calling me to do or say something about what we are all going through, and I have no idea what else I can do other than PRAY.  I sit here each day and receive dozens of newsletters and posts from Interfaith Groups from throughout the world who are each going through the same thing I am.  They are informing all their people to: “isolate themselves and practice healthy habits,” “hang tough” and to know that “some good will come out of all of this.”
Perhaps one thing which we can all take from these stressful and uncertain times is that WE ARE ALL GOING THROUGH IT TOGETHER.  No one faith, culture, race, sex, religion, etc. is exempt from this coronavirus.  As frustrated as you might feel, and I know that I do, this experience may be the element which unites the world to learn better that we need to take care of each other.
I have been telling everyone who I speak with, to remain calm and BELIEVE that upon defeating coronavirus, as we did the Spanish Flu, Black Plague, Polio, Mumps, Measles, Influenza, Smallpox, Tuberculosis, etc., we will emerge stronger and more grateful that we can get up each morning and interact with people in a peaceful way.  DEEP BREATH and affirm with me, this too shall pass.
Blessings,
Steve
Rev. Dr. Stephen Albert
World Interfaith Network
858-487-8196
[email protected]
https://world-interfaith.com

***

We VISION a World where people honor and respect one another, where integrity and honesty is the norm.
We VISION a World where people are inclusive, supportive and see the Divine in each other.


community helping hands
The All Faith Center is deeply committed to opening the hearts and minds of all people with a deeper understanding of all faith traditions, cultures, nationalities and personalities.
When knowledge is shared, awareness and understanding become greater, myths and misconceptions are dissipated, and barriers of fear melt away.
We are then ready for the 3 C’s: Connection, Collaboration and Cooperation!”
We do this by offering transformative Labyrinth Walks, Classes, Workshops,  Interfaith Events and ways to serve God and each other.,

You are a Winner!

Placing one foot in front of the other, I’ve climbed to higher lengths. Reaching beyond my own limitations, to show my inner strength. No obstacle too hard, for this warrior to overcome. I’m just a man on a mission, to prove my disability hasn’t won.
I choose not to place DIS”, in my ability.”
– Robert M. Hensel

boundaries

Dear Friends,
One of my favorite shows ended last week. It is “Dancing with the Stars.”
If you are not a follower, it is a show where professionals team up with “stars”
from TV, movies, sports, news and other media, to teach them HOW to dance various dance styles.  The audience listens to the judges’ opinions and scores for each dancer, then VOTES for their  favorite star. There is a wide range of star  ability and yet EVERYONE improves as the weeks go by.

This past season was one that will stand out in my mind forever.   For the first time a top male model by the name of Nyle won. The amazing fact is, he is DEAF and communicates only through sign language and an interpreter! The judges were never easy on him because of his challenge. Nyle maintained his peace, personality and ease through out the season. He listened, worked hard and learned from his pro, Peta.  How she was able to teach him the steps and the timing without him being able to hear the music is beyond me. The coveted Mir-ball trophy was much deserved by both of them!

What does that say about a deaf person wining a dance contest?  It says, as one judge put it,
“The only boundaries in our life, are in our mind.”
Challenges are not in our life to stop us, or defeat us, they are there to help us go BEYOND any limits we may have placed on ourselves. My mother used to tell me,  “Can’t never did.” What areas of “I can’t” are you dealing with in your life? What abilities are you neglecting and what challenges are you facing?
STOP placing limitations on yourself.
STOP setting boundaries on yourself.
GOD in you. is your ability, your answer to challenges, your inspiration, your know-how, your potential just waiting to explode, emerge and be shown.
GO for your abilities.  SEE  challenges as your way to expand in mind, heart and consciousness.
YOU are a WINNER!                                                   ***

Pray, Breathe, Walk

Breath In Joy and Strength
Breathe Out Wisdom and Peace
– Angeles Moreno

We are looking forward to this coming Saturday’s,
LABYRINTH WALK
May 28th 2016
from 2-4pm.
Interfaith Prayers for Peace

People and Symbols
If you have a favorite prayer, bring it with you.

Meditative Breathing

Breate yoga woman
Walking the Labyrinth

Labyrinth Walking feet

We will be practicing the Ujjayi yoga breathing technique.  Doug Keller says, “The breath is,… the way to peace. Breathing, as most of us already know, is the key to being at ease (i.e. not stressed out) in a situation. The point of a practice of breathing, however, is not just to use the breath to calm down when you’re upset. The goal is to make being at ease your accustomed state of being — through practice.”
http://www.sahej.com/yoga-and-the-breath.html
Let us bring to our lives a sense of  ease.  When  we are not at ease we experience disease in many ways.   Peace, health, wholeness, life itself depends on the Breath.  God has given us the Breath of Life  to maintain and sustain us every moment of everyday.  As we sink into a peaceful, breath conscious meditation, our peaceful, easy energy supports us and vibrates out  into the world.

PEACEFUL YOU, PEACEFUL WORLD!
JOIN US SATURDAY!
Please RSVP  [email protected]
858-487-8885
Thank you
***

Smiling Repose

JUGGLING too much

Dear Friends,
Have you ever felt like you were juggling just too many balls in the air?  I came to that conclusion today when I emailed a friend asking a question I had asked her before and never got an answer, or so I thought.  When she emailed back she said “I did mention to you……”  Deep in my memory banks  I knew she had told me her answer.  It is as if it went in one ear and out the other and I moved on too quickly to the next thing to take care of on my list of “to do’s”.
Times like these remind me to  just stop for a moment and breathe in  the air, love, breath of God.  I needed to just Pray for the answer, the solution, the next step.  My ego does not have to think it is in charge of all the details. I need to allow the Divine Spirit within me to flow in all my activities, responsibilities with grace and ease. Already I feel better.
Making lists are good. Releasing them and allowing God to be in charge of the when, how to, and where is better!
As Emerson says,
“The Infinite lies stretched in smiling repose.”
I will meet my God-Self there!

 

Make a Turn, Pull a Weed

weeds or flowers

Dear Friends,
At our Labyrinth Walk last Saturday one of our attendees mentioned how aware she was of the twists and turns on the labyrinth path. It reminded her of how her  personal life had taken different turns and how her decisions made her go either left or right. Many of these “turns” were “Defining Moments” in her life.
I understood what this lovely lady was saying because every defining moment for me meant I had to make a change, go in a different direction, move left or right and yet always forward. Today as I pondered this idea and walked the labyrinth,  I also noticed several little weeds happily springing up in spite of the hard decomposed granite.  These weeds, for me, symbolized  the areas I still need to work on, ideas to eliminate from consciousness, actions to stop, emotions to heal.
Today, think back on your life journey.  Where were your defining moments?  Are  you coming up on one now? Will you need to go in a different direction? What areas of your life feel like weeds?  Are you ready to uproot what does not belong to you or no longer serves you?
Twists, turns and weeds of life are our teachers. ALL is meant to bless us.              Enjoy your Walk!
***

We Are One

Chief Seattle Web of life

 

Dear Friends,

As the quote from Chief Seattle says above, we are all ONE, and we are all connected in the web of life. What one part of the web feels, we all feel. The feeling vibrates out and moves every part of the web.

“When we recognize that we are all connected, we begin to understand that our life touches more people than we can ever know….What kind of a difference are we making?

What we do to one, we do to all.

What we do FOR one, we do for all.”

(Dennis Merritt Jones -May Science of Mind Magazine)

As we walk the Labyrinth on Saturday we will mindfully think, feel and affirm our oneness with each other while walking with those around the world.The more we raise our energy vibration/consciousness to that of oneness, peace, contentment, camaraderie, compassion, joy, love, friendship, safety & security we know it ripples out to the consciousness of the world in the one web of life and comes back to us as well!

Come join us Saturday and be a part of something GREATER than yourself!

Saturday, May 7th

12:45pm – Group Prayer around Labyrinth

1:00 – Walk as ONE

For more information go to “Events” click AFC

 

Contentment Consciousness

KITE FlyingYou will find truth more quickly through delight than gravity.
Let out a little more string on your kite.
Alan Cohen
(April Science of Mind Magazine)

How many times have you asked God, “What am I to do today?  What is my purpose?  How can I serve better, do more, contribute higher etc.?”  I know I am always asking how to serve and do more.  When I read a passage from the Science of Mind magazine Daily Guides, I resonated with the April 25th, 2016 “Energy of Fun.”  written by Rev. Jane Beach.  She wrote,
” If you spend the day blissed-out with your nose in a good book your pet curled up beside you, you contribute peace, joy and serenity to the universe. Remember, you don’t have to be doing something “constructive” to contribute – the vibration of your contented energy is a blessing. Giving yourself permission to just BE is a gift you give to the world.”
Does that ring a bell,  & create an Aha moment for you?
We can do just as much to raise the consciousness of the world by being contented, quiet, slowed down and doing something fun, and easy.  That is a powerful energy to emanate.  Our pets, our mechanical gadgets, the day’s flow and even the weather will respond to it. Whenever you have that feeling of needing to do more, STOP and just BE. Take time to play, find joy, read, dance, sing  and do whatever makes you happy.  The world will  appreciate  your contribution of contented energy!
Blessings and Bliss

We Are Never Alone

Walk never alone

Dear Friends,
I love the early morning fragrance of mother earth, hearing the birds singing and seeing the beautiful trees swaying in the breeze.  Today I decided to walk the beautiful path on the golf course near my house.  It seemed early enough before the workers groomed the grass and golfers were out.   I was in  a bit of bliss when I noticed not too far ahead of me, a coyote.  I stopped and watched.  He was looking around and watched as well.   One coyote is usually not a threat to a human, just small animals. When two coyotes are spotted one needs to be cautious. When a pack is roaming, best to stay clear.
Not knowing how many were ahead I said a silent, “OK God, now what shall I do?”
My eyes were immediately directed to the ground where in front of me was a walking stick, just the right size for me.
I then heard a thunderous noise, looked up and saw the coyote  take off faster than a speeding bullet.  The noise was a worker starting up his truck to cut and groom the grass on the golf course.  I began walking and saying a sweet thank you  to God.  I then noticed several more walkers and a jogger.  How did that happen?  I was solely alone and then completely in company.
I have always had the feeling I was fully and completely cared for, even during the rough times in life.  Even today on my simple walk, I was divinely guided and protected.
I NEVER WALK ALONE. God is always with me.  I know that so completely for myself, I know this Truth for YOU too!
Before I called, God Answered!  Before I even asked, “OK God, now what do I do,” the walking stick was waiting for me, the worker was already in place near by ready to start his tractor, and the walkers and joggers were coming up to be in my view exactly when I needed to see them!

I love God, my Companion and Caretaker Always!
Remember YOU are always cared for day in and day out!
ALWAYS!
***