May 28, 2024

Dear Friends,

The other day while I was walking, I saw two ladies looking up in a tree.There, perched, was a HUGE hawk. I did not know they could be so big. He was singing to another hawk near by in another tree and then to a hawk in the distance. We all felt they were really communing with each other. When I got home, I wondered if this was a meaningful sign for me.

I read in the book, Medicine Cards, hawks teach us to be observant of our surroundings, to notice and be aware of life signals, messages and opportunities. He calls for us to heighten our awareness to receive a message.and to see things from a higher perspective, a broader view.

Physically as a small child we see the ground as being very close. As we grow our view of the ground broadens and we notice other things around us such as bushes, trees, and people walking in the distance. Mentally we can be so focused on the details of what we are working on, we forget there may be bigger and better ways of completing a project. Spiritually we can be so focused on the creed or ritual, we lose sight of the Truth that GOD is LOVE and in all creation.

As parents we want what is best for our children because of our life experiences. A child will only see the ball rolling across the street. A parent will see the car that is moving down the street close to the child putting him or her in danger. We immediately stop the child, who may then have a temper tantrum.

GOD in our life is like our parent. We ask, we affirm, we pray and when we don’t get exactly what we want we are mad, or unhappy or frustrated. There is ALWAYS something bigger, greater, better and or safer for you when you stop and listen to your God Intuition and view your request from a higher perspective. Allow the HIGHER GOD SELF within you to bring forth what you need most for your highest and best.

All parts together create a whole. Here is a story I received from my friend                      Judy Belknap.

“A pastor asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace for the morning breakfast. “Lord, I hate buttermilk”, the farmer began. The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wonder where this was going. The farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard.” Now the pastor was growing concerned. Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, “And Lord, you know I don’t much care for raw white flour”. The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw that he wasn’t the only one to feel uncomfortable. Then the farmer added, “But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don’t like, when life gets hard, when we don’t understand what you’re saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. It will probably be even better than biscuits. Amen.”

“Within that prayer there is great wisdom for all when it comes to complicated situations like we are experiencing in the world today.. Stay strong, my friends, because our LORD is mixing several things that we don’t really care for, but something even better is going to come when GOD is done with it.   AMEN!”                                                   Grace Lutheran, 130 Spit Brook Road,Nashua, NH 03062

When we begin to SEE Things from a Higher Perspective, Hawk Medicine, we TRUST GOD has the Highest and Best ready and available for all of us. Stop being stuck on the details and OPEN to the Divine Flow within you to create MAGNIFICENCE, not minuscule!

Seeing From a Hawk’s View,

Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

I had the privilege to “make memories” with our granddaughter this past week.

Her day care was closed for a Spring Break and her parents still had to work. Our daughter worked from home and her partner had to go into work. Obviously they needed help with their 3 1/2 year old and 5 month old baby. Our baby Bailey was in day care Mon, Tues Wed and Glenn stayed home on Thursday to help care for the little one.

The other grandma, Sue, and I put our heads together and came up with a plan! Throughout the week we took turns caring for Peyton and taking her to various places, the Safari Park, the Library for Story time, Michaels store to pick out a basket for “treasurers”, 2 toddler gym classes, the park, Baskin Robbins for ice cream and time at each of our homes. My daughter Tammy said she had the “best week of her life!”

One of the times Peyton was with both Steve and me, we set out Art supplies, markers, paper, a small white board with its special markers. We weren’t sure if she would be more interested in the art or jumping on the trampoline, riding her the red tricycle or playing hide and seek etc. This time she was really interested in art and drawing circles. So Steve and I took turns drawing circles with her, then we added eyes to the circle. She added eyes to her circle. As the time went on, we were really in teaching moments. She became fascinated with drawing faces. She kept saying. ” Let’s do it again!” Needless to say we eventually drew legs, feet, hair, ears, nose, mouth. I watched her “learn” and was amazed at her perseverance! We then asked her to tell us a “story” about her drawings which added a new creative element! This is a child who not too long ago had the attention span of a gnat. I say that lovingly. We spent 3 hours “coloring faces and bodies” that day.

Our sweet Peyton taught us Perseverance when learning something new! How often do we give up when we are learning something new just because we can’t quite “get it” at first? Many people stop short of new learnings, and ways to do things as well as accomplishing goals. It took “Thomas Edison 1,000 attempts before he invented the light bulb.”(Google)

Today, persevere and be persistent with a new idea, a new direction, a new thought and keep at it until it becomes second nature to you. Skills, abilities and timing also play a role in learning something new. No matter how good or great you become at the learned activity, do your best and enjoy the process.

Keep saying, “Let’s do it again!”

Persevering with Peyton,

Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

This past week I felt blessed by celebrating Mothers Day with my beautiful family. I also feel deep gratitude for the many friends in my life! Last week Steve and I drove up to Newport Beach to spend the day with a “teacher buddy” of mine and her husband. We had so much fun not only reminiscing, but talking about so many subjects we all were interested in!

I also had lunch with two Interfaith girl friends and I am planning to spend time with some other teacher friends later this summer. I just have an enormous sense of gratitude for all the friends in my life now. Some live close by and others live far away. I am grateful for the pictures and zoom calls with friends far across the country. Family and friends are sacred, we cannot do without them!

I love the quote above by Eleanor Roosevelt. Friends do leave footprints on

our hearts. What if we viewed everyone as a friend or a potential friend. I love the idea that everyone I meet is potentially “my friend.” I believe everyone we know or have known has come into our lives for a reason and/or a season.

Each person is here to help us move forward in our spiritual growth and to learn how to give and be Divine Love.

I consider our labyrinth walkers my friends, even though some I had just met. We shared the “walk,” we shared our “experiences,” we “trusted” each other for a moment in time. We all felt the power of the day, the power of the walk spreading love, peace and joy around the world! Do we know the people on the other side of the world in different time zones walking? Maybe not, however in our ONENESS we really are friends, we really are ONE family walking together.

In essence all my friends, are my family. All those I do not know are my potential friends and my family. Interesting concept to think we have family members we do not even know. So this week wherever you are or whatever you are doing SEE each person as a friend and family member in life.

Your perspective of that person in the elevator, inline at the post office or supermarket will shift from seeing them as “invisible” to being a member of God’s human family, your brother, your sister, your friend.

Smile and say Hi.

We love you friends,

Abigail and Steve

May 7, 2024

Dear Friends,

This Sunday is Mother’s Day and we look forward to spending time with our daughter, her partner, our granddaughters and the other grandparents. We love our family, our heart. Spending time with everyone is a blessing and we beam with joy when we are all together!

I am so grateful, and I know Steve is too, for our mothers. Steve had a wonderful mom and a very supportive Albert family. I had a wonderful mom who adopted me and I am and will always be grateful. Without her and my dad, I would not be here today doing what I do and loving it. This is not to say life was cheery all the time. My mother had her challenges with alcohol and we suffered at times because of it. However there is no doubt in my mind, she loved me fiercely and was devoted to me.

On May 12 we honor and bless our birth mothers, our adoptive mothers, our grandmothers, our mother’s in law, our aunts, and all those who loved and cared for us with heart and soul. Let us be grateful for their presence, love, support and sacrifices they made for us. For the mothers no longer in this earth dimension, we continue to love you and we know you love us because souls are eternal.

For the “mothers to be,” congratulations on a journey of profound delight, wonder, patience, courage, commitment and compassion.

The Divine Feminine is within all people and comes forth beautifully as mothers, fathers as mothers, grandparents as mothers and all caregivers who love and support children and families.

REMEMBER Mothers are Phenomenal Women!

With Loving Gratitude to Mothers and the Divine Feminine in ALL,

Abigail and Steve

There are times in our lives when we just need to “Let Go and Fully Rely on God.” In some of my past newsletters I have mentioned difficulties with a family member. No matter how hard I try to restore and reconcile our relationship, he ignores all attempts of communication. One morning I drove up to his office, however he was not there. He found out I drove up and sent a very nasty note about not EVER coming up again. I believe this was the message I had to “hear.” “Of myself I can do nothing. It is the GOD within me that does the work.” I FINALLY Got It! Time to Surrender to God within. My trying to “fix” a relationship is like adding fuel to the flame.

In the Science of Mind magazine Rev. Christian Sorensen writes, “The time you might spend worrying about an undesirable issue, you might instead try spending time on the contemplation of the Divine. When you make Spirit and the blessings in your life bigger, your difficulties become smaller. MAGNIFY and SANCTIFY your good!”

So today I am committed to ‘Magnify and Sanctify my Good’ and my God. I have a beautiful family, grandchildren, friends, co-workers. So I release any need to fix anyone or anything. Total surrender has led me into the best times of my life! Total surrender led me to my first Religious Science (New Thought) church. Total surrender led me to a conference where I met Steve.

There are many more times where magnifying and thinking about the Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omniactive, Omniloving God has brought the Highest Good into my life. Why stop now!?

If any one has a cute frog statue or hears the bull frogs at night croaking.

Let it remind you to Fully Rely On God!

Magnifying, Sanctifying and Fully Relying on God,

Abigail and Steve

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