Dear Friends,

How can I love myself?  How can I NOT love myself?

Remember the song, “What the World Needs Now, is Love, Sweet Love..…”sung by Dionne Warwick

YES, what this world needs now is LOVE sweet love. Love for ourselves and Love for others, even those we do not know or even like. We are always wanting “PEACE,” and that will come only when we love ourselves enough so injuring another person whether in thought, word or deed (military included) is inconceivable.

I have been on zoom webinars where the topic is PEACE and everyone says we must develop Peace within ourselves first, and YES that is true. How can we do that if we are putting ourselves down, not feeling worthy, holding grudges or not forgiving ourselves due to past mistakes. When we are critical of ourselves we cannot offer peace or love to another person. Criticism just gets in the way, makes us ineffective, and delays real love and peace for ourselves and others.

Every day we must make a choice to either love, honor and respect ourselves or to judge ourselves for every little thing we do. God is and gives unconditional LOVE to us which means there are no conditions, no ‘quid pro quo.’ Sometimes in our human mind that is hard to believe because we ask ourselves: What about this, what about that and we mentally bring up all our mistakes and reasons to not love ourselves or others.

“No mistakes or missteps can change the nature of God’s love. It is always flowing.” (Rev. Michelle Medrano)

How can we not love ourselves when each breath we take is a breath from the All Loving Creator of Who We Are: God.

LOVE FOOD for Thought

• “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
• -Oscar Wilde.
• “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness”
• -Robert Morley
• “Self-love is an ocean and your heart is a vessel. Make it full, and any excess shall spill over into the lives of the people you love. But you must fill it first.”
• -Beau Taplin

(Quotes from the August Science of Mind magazine.)

Dear Friends,

Interfaith Awareness Week was exceptional this year.

I encourage you to join us next year and hop on to as many zoom presentations as you can. It is the only GLOBAL Conference that is FREE.

This year elevated our hearts and minds in the areas of love, compassion and service. I want to share the presentation categories and the words of wisdom spoken by our presenters. This is just a capsule of the week. It was so indepth and so needed in this world of pain and suffering. We remembered who we are and what we came to do in service to the ONE GOD, our Creator.

A HEARTFELT THANK YOU to Rev. Steve who spent a year coordinating this entire week!!!

Thank you to the Global Peace Tribe who helped publicize the event.

IAW Categories

Opening – Rev. Steve Albert

Endorsement by Congressman Scott Peters

Interfaith for Children

• ‘Spiritual Playdates – Interfaith Kids’ Wonderful resources for children by Edwina Cowell.
• ‘Spiritual Diversity in Education’ How to work with youth with Deborah Robin Mech
• ‘The World is Our Playground’ – Dr. Jamel Kaur Singh, wrote books for children on culture, compassion and understanding

Learn about the Faiths

• Sacred Scriptures: More than just Words – Dr. Brian Carwana, gave a fabulous overview of the worlds religions with amazing photos and pictures.
• Wicca by Devra Gregory, Wiccan Priestess
• Catholicism and Unicity of Jesus -Father Brad Easterbrooks
• New Thought – Rev. Bill Marciony and Rev. Robert Brzezinski
• Zoroastrian – Maneck Bhujwata
• Eckankar – Alan Putner, Zenia McLauglin, and Brian Seifert
• Baha’i – Common Endeavor; Building American’s future – Verna Sundquist
• Indigenous and Interfaith Wisdom of Peace -Becky Suzik
• The Living God – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Shawn Record

Services

• Interfaith Prayer Service for Healing – Interfaith Circle , Toronto, Canada
• Jewish Shabbat Service – Rabbi Alan Bachman 

People Helping People

• UBUNTU – I Am Because We Are – Bringing Resources and Education to families and communities in Africa -Deborah Robin Mech and Antoinette Rootsdawtah
• Bridging Communication Gap through Collective Agriculture to Promote Interfaith Harmony (Muslims and Christians)– Usman Inuwa, Nigeria (program was short due to internet down)

Environmental

• Caring for the Earth – Islamic Perspective – Imam Taha Hassane
• Interfaith Creation Care – Yusef Miller
• How Organic Farmers are Changing the World – Temple of Understanding

Organizations

• POINT – Celebrations for Inspiration -Rev. Cheri Metier and committee
• NAIN – North American Interfaith Network – Vasu Bandhu
• Parliament of the World Religions – Four Essential features for Interfaith Leadership today
• Interfaith Community Services – Mary Ferro
• AZ Faith Network – Vasu Bandhu, Holy Burton
• URI -United Religions Initiative – Youth and Global Opportunities

Education

• The Soul of Interfaith – Rev. Dr. Steve Albert
• Leading from the Soul -Spiritual Education, All Paths Divinity School -Rev. Debra VanZyl

Values

• Forgiveness, the Key to Interfaith Collaboration – Interfaith Alliance Hawaii, Roger Epstein
• Forgiveness and Ancestral Healing – Interfaith Alliance Hawaii, Roger Epstein
• Compassion and Loving Kindness- Steven Kramer

Interfaith via Media

• Interfaith Reboot: Stories, Screens and Sacred Dialogue -Jacquelyn Fuller

Interfaith Social and International Justice

• Interfaithfully – Rabbi David Rosen; Q & A by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• Correlation Between Interfaith and Immigration work – South Bend Indiana, Rev. John Pinter

Future Thinking for Interfaith

• Building Heaven on Earth: the Art and Architecture of Twin Visions- Heidi Hardin
• How to Create a World that Works for Everyone – Yolanda Nava
• Restoring Balance and a New Paradigm. Women, the Divine Feminine, will bring in our new reality – Sande Hart

Music

• It’s a BuddhaFul Day in Thailand – Karl Anthony
• ‘Meet Me There’, an Interfaith Musical – Ruth Broyde Sharone
• Creating One Human Family Under God through Music – UPF Universal Peace Foundation – Ray McCready

Fabulous conclusion for the week!

IAW Words of Wisdom from all traditions

Breathe in Peace, Breath out worry

Send good words over the phone and social media.

Soul is pure spirit.

We are units of pure love.

Earth is sacred and a place of worship.

Tell stories of love, compassion to kids.

Dignity – Every voice is heard and every story told.

Do something for others without expectation.

Never bring into the world in the name of religion.

Different religions -different Rays of Truth.

The Divine Spark in each of us.

Every person is made in the image and likeness of God.

There are Seeds of God in everyone.

Do good for other people. Ask where we can be the most effective.

I AM because We Are.

Become a pencil of God.

All souls are linked together.

Collaborate and lead by Consensus.

We are made in God’s image.

God is more than any religion.

Follow: Good thoughts, Good words, Good deeds.

Cultivate: Friendship, honesty, righteousness, charity, kindness, compassion, mindfulness, love, dignity, justice, forgiveness

Ho-oponopono – Forgiveness is for you not the other person. Let go of the past so it doesn’t affect your presence.

Not forgiving is like taking poison and expect the other to die. (Jerry Jampolsky)

Gratefulness opens the heart and forgiveness becomes the way.

Men and Women are equal in the eyes of God.

Spirit and form cannot be separated.

Our stories are our bridges.

Consort with followers in a Spirit of Friendship and Understanding.

Humans have free will. Disasters are not God’s will.

God does not change conditions until people change within themselves.

Unity in Diversity.

Do no harm.

Global Ethics is a Culture of: Non-violence, Economic order, Tolerance and Truthfulness, Equal rights and partnership between men and women, Sustainability and Care for the Earth.

Inclusion of all people – Know your neighbor.

Energy is everywhere at the same time.

All are energetically connected – When we Hurt another, we hurt ourselves.

Find JOY and stop blaming someone. Stop being a victim. Take responsibility.

THOUGHTS ARE THINGS.

I was reminded of this great truth. “Thoughts Are Things,” reading the Science of Mind magazine and watching a POINT video on ‘The Wondrous Web of We, Exploring Life’s Connections,” which was the theme for our past Harmony Breakfast. We live in a world like a spider web. We are all connected even if we see each other separately, or live on different sides of the globe. Our energy, our feelings, our words, our thoughts go out and ping the Web of Life and is felt by ALL.

In prayer we say, I know this Truth for my self and for others. The Truth being GOD is our Source of ALL GOOD, which includes our health, well being, prosperity, opportunities, friends, loving relationships, creative ideas and more. When I know it for myself, I know it for All.

Ernest Holmes said, “Change your Thoughts, Change your LIFE”

Ellen Castro (August SoM) said “A change in thinking can energize and transform our lives from the inside out. If we change our thought, we can change our experience. We have the power of mind to choose self-empowerment. Every thought has power. Every thought counts.”

Become aware of your thoughts and notice the type of day you are having. For me, one day I was rushing and crabby and wanted everyone to hurry up. My insistence and poor attitude caused me to be upset with every red light and every slow car on the road. The days I leave the house with a smile on my face and joy in my heart, I know God is guiding me on my day’s journey. I have many greenlights, considerate drivers and all is well. We do create our experiences with our attitudes and thoughts.

“Take time to observe your thoughts.

• Does this thought make me feel confident or crushed?
• Does it make me feel priceless or worthless?
• Does it make me feel limitless or limited?
• Does it make me feel happy or sad?
• Does it make me feel energized or drained?”

(Ellen Castro)

Thoughts are Things. BE the Thought you wish to see in your life!

August 5, 2025

Dear Friends,

Interfaith Awareness Week is coming up, beginning this SUNDAY, August 10th. Rev. Steve is the CEO of WIN (World Interfaith Network) and the Organizer of this Amazing GLOBAL ENENT. Come join us and watch these wonderful presenters share their gifts and services to the world! Read below.

Interfaith is the IDEAL of our world and how we get along and interact with each other. Those of us in the Interfaith Movement believe All Faiths are Valid and Worthy. No faith is better or worse than another faith.

• We believe God put us here to learn from one another, pray in the way that works for us individually.
• We honor the similarities and the differences of each faith tradition.
• We love and respect each other.
• We work with each other.
• We help and support each other.
• We stand up for each other.
• We play, eat and enjoy each other’s company.
• We recognize GOD within each other and ALL people.

As our Hindu friends greet each other with NAMASTE, We too can greet each other by saying the translation. “The GOD in me sees the GOD in You.”

We are all ONE. Once we recognize our ONEness we see ourselves in each other. If we hurt another person, we actually hurt ourselves.  In reality, there is NO ‘other’!

Join us for an uplifting, inspirational week of presentations, panels, music and services. All presentations are on ZOOM so you can view them in the comfort of your home.

ALL ZOOM LINKS will be on the WIN website:

Go to https://world-interfaith.com

Click the button “Interfaith Awareness Week.”

For questions please contact Rev. Steve at

[email protected]

“No matter what challenges, problems or seeming disasters befall me, God’s presence and power is with and within me as I navigate life’s inevitable rough spots. Every step of the way, I affirm my faith in the indwelling Christ.” ( July Daily Word)

One of the daily messages in the Science of Mind magazine asks,

“Where Do You Put Your Focus?”

“It is the nature of the universe to give us what we are able to take. It cannot give us more.” – Ernest Holmes

“The taking is by our thoughts. We create our future today, not from our past.

“If you want to know what your life will be like in six months, examine what you put out into the universe today. Where we place our focus determines the people, places and conditions we manifest.” -Rev. Dr. Ron Fox

We live in a world that often produces fear as a motive to DO something.  Fear often blocks the good God has for us. In our Spiritual Mind Treatment, we:

• Acknowledge God as Divine Wisdom, Intelligence, All Knowing, All Active and All Loving as Creator and Source of our world and us.
• Acknowledge who we are as God in form. God lives and reigns within us now and forever. Ernest Holmes says we are “Divinity in Human form.”
• Affirm and Declare what we want and FOCUS on that alone.
• Express gratitude for the answer, the solution to our prayer, knowing it is always done in God’s Law of Mind.
• Add “This or something better,” because in our limited human vision we only see part and parcel of the answer.
• We release and LET GO and LET GOD bring forth the highest and best answer to our prayer. Emmet Fox said to “Golden Key” the problem by letting it go and think about God.

We also allow God be responsible for the HOW it will manifest or demonstrate. Trying to “figure it out” is getting in the way of God creating a perfect solution. Ernest Holmes says we have to get ourselves out of the way and let the HOW be up to God.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT. Let God do the rest.

What SPARKS your heart? Too often we let our daily lives become “just routine,” doing what we think needs to be done, when and where. How often do we say to ourselves, “I LOVE what I am doing. I feel JOY in what I am doing and I want to bring LOVE and JOY to those I meet today.” When we set our intention first thing in the morning the whole day responds to us and we feel a SPARK in our heart.

This past week I have felt SPARKS in my heart. I read in the local paper, there was a school supply drive at one of the local churches. They needed backpacks and lunch boxes for homeless youth in elementary and high school. I immediately thought, “I CAN DO THAT.” I went to Target and bought several backpacks and lunch boxes, letting my intuition guide me for color and size. I kept thinking, a little or girl or boy would love this color or love this type of lunch box. It was such fun in the selection process. It brought me joy and I know there is some young person who will love his or her new backpack and lunch box. I don’t even need to know who, because GOD as the Great Connector does.

I also got a SPARK in my heart with the possibility of helping out in a Sunday School a few Sundays in 2026. I am a teacher at heart and am curious to see how this will play out. I visited and observed one Sunday to be sure I am feeling a joyful spark in my heart for this commitment. I did commit to helping the 5th Sunday of the month in 2026.

Steve feels a SPARK in his heart every Tuesday when he volunteers at the Rehab Hospital in Escondido, and helps both the patients and the therapists. They all love him for his compassionate and loving heart. He has been through so many medical procedures himself, so he can relate to the patients and bring them JOY and HOPE in their lives. Recently he was (we were) invited to an anniversary Open House at the Rehab Center and was greatly surprised when the CEO gave him a beautiful Plaque to honor him and all he does at the Rehab Center. So many people expressed gratitude for his service. His service is his SPARK.

Feeling JOY, Feeling LOVE is GOD in action through YOU. There is a reason why you feel this way. God communicates in many ways, and feeling JOY and LOVE and a SPARK in your heart is one of Spirits many ways of guiding you to do and be what is yours to do.

Can you feel it?

Dear Friends,

“July’s Affirmation”                                                                                                          “We have within us, a power that is greater                                                                        than anything we shall ever contact in the outer world.                                                      A power that can overcome every obstacle in our life                                                    and set us safe, satisfied and at peace, healed and prosperous,                                     in a new light and in a new life.”                                                                                 Ernest Holmes.

One Heart, One Mind Center for Spiritual Living shares this affirmation weekly during the month of July. I love saying it every morning because it applies to every activity, decision, obstacle through the day and in the future.

When we KNOW the Power of God is always present within us and only a thought and breath away, what is there to fear or worry about? God, the Mighty I AM already KNOWS what you need, when you need it and is always willing to provide it and/or something better! “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” spoken by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Letting go of fear is the first step to opening your heart and mind to greater good, greater prosperity, greater opportunities.

Ernest Holmes has another quote I love, “Humanity is Divinity made Visible!” YOU are the Divine. You are God in form. You as God already have the answers to the questions your mind proposes. The Mighty I AM within YOU already knows your soul’s plan and purpose and what you need for your highest good and Spiritual growth.

Speak it, Affirm it, Know it, BE it. You are God’s Joy, Love and Unique Expression. No one else is YOU. No one else has your soul plan or purpose.

You are an individuation of God, perfect and glorious! Trust in your inner guidance for answers to your prayers.

Dear Friends,

“Let GOD be GOD in You!” (Kevin Anderson, Spirituality and Health”)

Kevin captured this phrase from the beloved Mister Eckhart. How often do we say, “Oh God, take this away, or please help me, or I don’t want to go through this…” We all go through challenges in health, life, relationships, work and more. Steve and I are not exceptions. This year 2025 has brought many challenges and apparently we are not done yet.

Recently we found out our home insurance cancelled us because we live in a high fire risk area. I called our insurance and they will not continue, under any circumstances after a certain date. So now what!? Who do I go to? What company do I call? I needed to go back to my faith in God, knowing there is the right company who will continue to insure us. I needed to surrender and let God be God in me. Needless to say, God is God in ALL people and God speaks through all people, because God does hear our prayers.

In the morning I light votive candles and say a short mantra. “There is only one Life, that Life is the Life of God, that Life is perfect and that Life is my Life NOW. I surrender my day unto you Oh Lord.” I then light the candles and especially the ones sitting in beautiful sculpted hands. So I surrendered.

Later that day, I was having my hair cut with my hair stylist and sharing this concern of mine. She immediately said, ” I cut and style a whole family and they are delightful! “In fact they own an insurance company and I am sure they can help you. As I was sitting in the chair she called her client and explained the situation. Her client said to have ME call her and she will help get insurance for our home. Amazing and wonderful. God shows up EVERYWHERE in places you least expect. That is how God works,      through people!

I did call this lovely insurance agent who is now working on my behalf as well as giving me another home insurance agent to contact. Now I have TWO working on helping us get the insurance we need.

Remember, if we let fear get in our way, it is like a block. Kevin said, “When I move this water faucet handle, water comes out instantly and when I move it back the flow stops. We don’t have to pray to the water, beg to help us or believe in it. It is always there, waiting for flow as soon as it is unblocked.”

Just turn the handle on!

FAITH is FLOW!

Dear Friends,

We had a wonderful Labyrinth Walk last Saturday.

Our theme was “What you are Seeking is also Seeking You.”This verse was first spoken by Jalal al-Din Mohammed Rumi a 13th-century poet and theologian. He was born to a Muslim family in Central Asia, and later became associated with Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam.

As a kid did you ever play HIDE and SEEK? When we hid we really wanted someone to FIND us. We did not want to be left out or forgotten. There was excitement and JOY in both the finder and the hider.

Our granddaughter loves to play hide and seek. Lately she loves to hide one of our small bouncy balls. When either Steve or I begin to look for them, she gets so excited, she sometimes takes our hand to lead us into the right area. When we get close, she actually points in the direction it is, and keeps pointing until we “find” it! haha She really wants us to FIND the ball and does everything she can to help us on our seeking journey.

When we are seeking something; a new purpose, a new job, a new relationship, a new idea, we are really seeking God. GOD is always seeking us as well by pointing out the way, giving us hints, ideas, thoughts and opportunities to find “IT.” GOD KNOWS what we want and most importantly God knows what we need.

Labyrinth Story

After a health challenge with my back and legs, I finally felt good, and ready to continue to serve in whatever way I could. I knew I still was joyfully serving POINT Interfaith Team. However I wondered what else? My morning meditations were asking God, what is mine to do next? After my morning prayer and meditation I got busy doing what my intuition told me to do and what to put on my to do list. That day it was to sweep the labyrinth and clean the chairs, tables and couches in our back yard area, and so I did.

The next day I asked the question again, “What is mine to do?” That evening Steve and I were watching an old favorite TV show, “Touched by an Angel” and it was centered around a labyrinth. It was, as always, an inspirational TV show.

Next morning I asked, “What is mine to do?” I picked up one of my spiritual reading materials and there was a story/article about the benefits of walking a labyrinth. BINGO! I got it!

I am to create a Labyrinth Walk at our home! I believe God gave me the perfect theme “What you are Seeking is also Seeking You.” I was seeking the next idea of serving God and God was seeking me with hints, thoughts and ideas along the way. I finally trusted, surrendered and then listened to my intuition.

And that is how last Saturday’s Labyrinth Walk came to be!