Dear Friends,

As I was sending out Christmas and Hanukkah cards to friends, I noticed PEACE was at the heart of all the messages. I received an email back from one of my Jewish friends who said, “I am praying for the miracle of PEACE in this week of recalling miraculous triumph.”

PEACE seems illusive to us in this world with wars, hatred, bigotry and intolerance heading the front covers of our newspapers, TV and other media. And yet, I believe that is just the wound that is being called to HEAL. Below the wound is peace, love, joy, harmony, wholeness in body, mind and spirit. We may be tossed like waves during a storm at sea, yet underneath is the calm presence of peace in the depth of the ocean.

I am here to remind you the depth of you is PEACE, harmony, love, and compassion, because that depth is GOD within you. God has given you the Gift of Peace so you can BE PEACE in your world. We know how wonderful it feels to be around people who are calm in the middle of an argument or strife. We feel good around those who carry a presence of goodness, peacefulness and compassion. They are expressing the Gift of Peace which is their true nature. We all have Peace as our true nature. GOD Is our true nature and all the qualities and virtues of GOD are ready to manifest in all situations.

Jesus the Christ was called the Prince of Peace. At Christmas, New Thought people celebrate the birth of Christ Consciousness within themselves. Christians believe Jesus was God walking the earth. And Yes, he was, and we are also God walking the earth. Jesus was the LIGHT bringing new thoughts and ideas to the people.

“I AM THE LIGHT. What I do you can do also,” he said.

He was opening the hearts and minds of the people to know their God Selves. The Light and Peace within him, is also in US.

Let us walk this earth as the LIGHT and the countenance of PEACE. We can radiate this energy wherever we go. As we do, others will feel the blessings of our consciousness. We can literally step into a room and the vibrations will change.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is “Oh Holy Night.” The third verse says:

“Truly He taught us to love one another;                                                                           His law is love and His Gospel is Peace                                                                       Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother                                                             And in His name, all oppression shall cease”

“What I do you can do also.” Time to believe and affirm this is true!

Truly He taught ME to love one another.                                                                         My Law is Love and My Gospel is Peace.                                                                    Chains shall I break, for everyone is my brother and sister                                    And in my Christ Consciousness, all oppressions shall cease.

Peacefully, Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

Like many of you, we are preparing for Christmas. We just had a beautiful “present” delivered. Our sweet new granddaughter Bailey arrived November 30th. Our excitement for her and our taking care of Peyton while mom, dad and sister are in the hospital was beautiful. It really reminded me how Spirit is in each one of us when we come into this earth dimension. That same Spirit was in Jesus the Christ as we celebrate his coming this month. Spirit, God, the Mighty I AM, however you wish to call our Source and Creator lives and reigns in everyone and all things. I believe this is so important to remember as we prepare for the holidays, which are really HOLY Days.

I tend to pursue these days boldly and actively, shopping for the “right” gifts for family and friends. I love the lights, I love the decorations. I can easily get caught up in the hustle bustle of the season. Then I read this message in an ANTN newsletter from a friend, Rev. Michele Whittington. She said ” What if we all slowed down a bit this December? What if we cut back on all the things we think we should do and only do those things that our hearts call us to do? What if we focused on what really matters, not what our programming (or the media) has told us matters?” Pondering her words, I realize that LOVE matters, family matters, good friends matter, people on the street matter, patients in hospitals matter and more….

The ‘Daily Word’ had a story about a minister, Rev. Bonte Colbert who was alone for Christmas during the COVID shutdown in 2020. She was feeling a bit sorry for herself, since she could not fly to be with family. Bonte then remembered years ago she was driving with her daughter to look at Christmas lights in neighborhoods. Her daughter said she wanted to go somewhere else and directed Rev. Bonte to a quiet, dark, parking lot outside a hospital. She said, “Mom, people need prayers tonight, let’s pray for them.” And they did. Bonte remembered that evening years ago, and decided to stop feeling sorry for herself. She drove to the nearest hospital and just prayed for the “well being, peace, joy and love” for all the people there. In fact that became a new tradition for her every year.

In this Holy time for those celebrating Christmas, take time to appreciate what you have, who you are as a God being, & how you serve as an emissary of God.

Take time to pray for those not as happy, healthy or fortunate as yourself.The world needs your words of love and blessings, Send them out daily.

Slowing Down and Praying for All,

Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

Gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness, are not just words, they are heartfelt responses, feelings and actions that bring forth “creative power and overflowing goodness” in your life, and in the universe. (Creative Thought Magazine)As Eckhart Tolle says, “If the only prayer you ever say is ‘Thank you,’ that will be enough.                                     I love that idea and I intentionally use it every day.

One of my favorite New Thought singers is Karen Drucker who wrote this song, ”    Thank You For This Day Spirit.”                                                                                  Thank you, I want to say thank you.                                                                              “Cause I’m so grateful, so grateful.                                                                                Thank you for this day Spirit, Thank you for this day.                                                     This healing, this healing, This healing day.                                                               Thank you for this day Spirit, Thank you for this day.                                                    This beautiful, this beautiful, This beautiful day.                                               Thank you for my friends Spirit, Thank you for my friends.                                         My wonderful, my wonderful, My wonderful friends.                                                   I’m so grateful I want to just say “Thank you now, Thank you now, Thank you now,” Each and ev’ry day I’m gon’na say, I’m gonna say it. Say it Thank you, Thank you…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt_kdPrFRsA

The words Thank You when said before a need or desire, manifests & creates the energy flow to make it happen. The beautiful Jesus the Christ always began his healings with “Thank you God for…” It implies faith and trust in the Highest Power of the universe. As Ernest Holmes says, “There is a power in the universe and you can use it!” That POWER is God within, flowing through, and around you.

Thank you, when said as challenges arise, creates a flow of new ideas which turn “obstacles into opportunities, and are experiences for spiritual growth. (CTM)

Being grateful for those people who are sandpaper to your soul, is also an opportunity to look within yourself and see why people are irritating. Could it be there is that within you that is JUST LIKE THEM? We are all reflections of each another. Be grateful for this opportunity to see deep within yourself.

Henry David Thoreau said,                                                                                                   “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.”

This week and in the weeks to come try this “powerful practice.” “Every morning and every evening, and whenever anything happens to you simply say, “Thank you God for everything, I have no complaints whatsoever!” (Rev. Sally Robins)

May you all have a BLESSED and BEAUTIFUL THANKSGIVING.

Dear Friends,

We are about to host and attend a beautiful Interfaith Thanksgiving Service tonight. I was thinking about all the meetings we had, the ideas and visioning we shared in order to create a heartfelt and inspirational service. Every moment was God filled, God directed, God planned and God executed. If every moment is filled with God, then every moment is SACRED. In fact EVERY MOMENT every day of our lives is sacred. In New Thought we often say, “There is no spot where God is not.” We are in the Divine Flow all the time and the Divine Flow is in us all the time. It is up to us to take a moment and see the SACRED everywhere, in everyone, in every activity.

I was on my way to make copies of music inserts for the Thanksgiving program and I mindfully said to myself. “The Mighty I AM is in me and is in the person at the FedEx office ready to help me. We are ONE.” The Sacred was in the FedEx building and YES the sacred was in Ruthie who helped me make the copies. In fact there was no one else in the building. I had her help all to myself. The whole place felt quiet, peaceful and sacred as I waited for the copies to be completed.

Rev. Petra Weldes says, “The sacred is in the ordinary routines of life.”

Find the sacred moment in doing dishes, the laundry, shopping for food, driving yourself or someone else to an appointment.

Find the sacred in the people you work with.

Find the sacred in the people who irritate you. They are Divine too.

Find the sacred when you fix something that is broken.

Find the sacred in a leaf, flower, bird, feather when you walk.

I love the song called, “Everything is Holy Now.” It expresses the Divine, the Holy, the Sacred in, through and as ALL things. Every thing is a miracle, small or large. Once we really understand the immensity of this Truth. we can always feel at peace, at home, cared for, supported and loved. Again, there is no spot where God is not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiypaURysz4

Our lives are filled when we find the holy and sacred in the ordinary. We may even find an Extraordinary miracle there too!

In Sacredness,                                                                                                                   Abigail and Steve.

Dear Friends,

I love reading the ‘Science of Mind’ magazine Daily Guides. This month they are written by Rev. Sally Robins, one of my favorite writers. She quoted Ernest Holmes, “Anything you can dream of is not too great for you to undertake, if it hurts no one and brings happiness and good into your life.”

Our dreams are important and meant only for us and we are never too old to have them, follow them and enjoy them. Rev. Sally shared a story of a lady who dreamed of becoming a Rockette and dancing on the stage of the Radio City Music Hall. She visualized herself up on stage having the time of her life!!!

Her dream came true. In 2023 she auditioned with 800 other women. “The difference was, that most of the women were in their teens and twenties. She was 92 years old!” Eighty years ago she couldn’t get to New York, however today she was there encouraging the other girls to continue following their dreams. She did not get selected, and she was thrilled she had the chance to audition. She never let go of that dream! Never too old, never too young.

In the November ‘Daily Word’ there was another story about a lady following her dream of getting her graduate degree overseas. She applied for a scholarship for study in the U.K. She had many supporters, and her professors wrote recommendations on her behalf. She was ready to give up everything she owned, quit her job and move there. She visualized, and affirmed daily. She was so grateful for all the people who supported her in her dream. Unfortunately she did not get accepted. She was distraught and upset with this outcome. After a talk with a friend who shared her harrowing life story, Jennifer realized happiness is not where you live, but how you live. She may not have gone overseas to study at that time, however that does not mean she won’t in the future. Right now she realized how grateful she was for her life, her journey, and all her supportive friends.

Our dreams are important and when we say “this or something better .”Be prepared for the something better! The Divine sees the whole picture of our lives, past, present and future. Trusting in something GREATER and BETTER than our dream a the time, can be a challenge.

Steve and I for years visualized us having an Interfaith building where we could hold meetings, classes and events. That never did happen. However looking back we realized we did not have the capital to invest, and with COVID hitting the world, we would not be able to meet there in person for several years.

It would have been a disaster financially. God had a better plan. We were able to use money to travel to 4 Parliaments of World Religions, North American Interfaith Network conferences, United Religions Initiative conferences and meet people from all over the world! If we were just having a San Diego building we may not have traveled the way we did. Because of ZOOM we have met people all over the globe, held conferences that included people from many countries. The 4 walled building may not have allowed us to expand as we did. Steve even created the World Interfaith Network where interfaith groups all over the world can reach out to each other. God had a better plan.

We are meant to have DREAMS. They are gifts of the heart. In our human form we may only see part of that dream. God sees the dream in its entirety. When we release our will and way, the Divine Flow is able to bring forth our highest and best dream.

Dear Friends,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Time to dress up, have fun, put on a mask and go trick or treating. We look forward to seeing our little granddaughter all dressed up. She was a flamingo her first Halloween, a ladybug for her second, and this year she is Santa Claus!!!: Hysterical 🙂

Children can dress up, pretend they are superheroes, ghosts, goblins, witches,

scary TV characters, princesses, dragons, Santas, and so much more. There are many reasons why kids choose the costumes they wear, and we may never know their reasoning. It is so much fun to have people guess who they really are under their costume. They can be anything they want to be with their masks and costumes on. They just as easily take off the mask when done and become their authentic selves.

As adults, we have learned over the years, in real life, to wear our outer masks well. We can wear a happy face, when we are sad, a mad face when we are fearful, an ego face when we feel ‘less than’ or unworthy. Many adults have not learned to reveal their true feelings, or to be their authentic self.

Young children can wear the mask/costume, have fun for a while, then take it off and be their true selves again. They do this until they learn or are taught to hold feelings inside and not be who they really are. How sad.

We as adults have learned how to filter our feelings and our comments. We don’t want to hurt people, upset our boss, co-workers, friends or family. However, we have a duty to stand up for ourselves and others when necessary. Stuffing our feelings does not help anyone. If you feel you cannot be honest with another person, then be honest with yourself. Take time to journal your true feelings. Ask the Divine within to show you the highest and best way to handle a situation and/ or a person. Bottling frustration, hurt or anger behind a smiling or agreeing mask, just keeps everything stuffed inside until you are ready to burst.

Shawn Gallaway wrote a song, “The Artist. “ Here are some lyrics.

“I used to think emotions would expose too much of me.

Instead of humiliation they set the artist free.

Now the world around me once lifeless and so gray,

Reveals a rainbow in all I do and say.

Give into the artist and the pictures come alive…”

Who is this Artist? The Artist is God within you and me. It is time to allow God to guide us as we paint, create and live our lives day by day. When we give into God’s artistic creativity within, we become our MAGNIFICENT SELVES.

We have nothing to hide and are truly alive.

BE your authentic, creative magnificent self today and forever!

Dear Friends,

State what you want, not what you see!

“What one believes to be true either is true or becomes true within limits to be found experientially and experimentally.”

John Lilly

I was reading the Science of Mind magazine and Ernest Holmes talked about “The Positive Opposite.” He says, “If there is anything you dislike about your work or environment, state clearly in one sentence what it is you want. Regardless of what your problem is, do your best to affirm its opposite…”

I believe I do this all the time. On the road in traffic jams, I state

“The road opens and I easily move forward.” I always state, ‘there is a gas pump open for me when I arrive.’ At times I cannot see one at first so I drive around and keep stating it. Soon at least one car pulls out and I pull up. Stating the opposite is affirming what you want and believing you already have it. If I affirm green lights I generally get them. There are times I hit EVERY red light, which to me is a ‘red flag’ to trust, let go and let God move me forward in safety.

Steve and I celebrated our 21stAnniversary last week so we went to

Old Town San Diego, one of my favorite places to walk around. We walked to a beautiful open air Mexican Restaurant, and I mentally said, ” I want to sit in the shade.” The waitress brought us to a table directly in the sun. I looked at it and asked if there was a shady table. The waitress said no. I looked at Steve and mentally affirmed, “I am sitting in the shade.” I mentally SAW a shady table and stated what I wanted.

We waited a moment or two, not willing to leave. A few seconds later a couple got up from the table next to ours and left. I smiled and immediately sat down at their shady vacant table. I asked the waiter if it was OK, and he said ‘No problem.’ He just had to clean the tabletop.

State what you want, not what you see!

We also went into a lovely GEM store. Steve had every intention of buying me a ring. I was happy looking; however, I wasn’t sure I would find one

there. We walked around the store once and I just shook my head saying to Steve I am not finding anything I like. We walked around the store again and Steve pointed to a case with rings. Steve found the button to rotate the jewelry racks within the glass case. As it turned, I saw a ring. I said STOP. I liked that ring. We asked the clerk to open the case and I tried it on. IT FIT. It was lovely, an amethyst in a silver setting. You may be asking why I did not affirm or state what I wanted. My mind already thought I might not find one. Ambiguity births ambiguity. Uncertainty births uncertainty. If it hadn’t been for Steve stating what he wanted, regardless of not seeing it at first, and not leaving until we looked one more time, I would not have a lovely new ring.

State what you want, not what you see!

If you don’t like an appearance of a situation, state the opposite. Remember you are the Cause, not the Effect. Our thoughts and feelings have an effect on our environment. We emanate vibrations all the time. Our words go into the Law of Mind and are always acted upon.

Rev. Jeffrey Ryan says, “The Word spoken upon the waters of consciousness is the ONE Creative Source of All. I am mindful that my actions and activities affect the entire web of life. My thoughts, words and deeds have impact…”

Stating what I want with joy and appreciation,

Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,

“Go where no one has gone before,” is a famous line from the Star Trek TV shows and movies. This is our time to go where no one has gone before. We are the ones to push the standards and old conformities that no longer serve us. Stef Swink, RScP, in the Science of Mind magazine quoted Rev. Lloyd Strom. He has an essay titled “Evolution vs Initiation.”
He says, ” The path of initiation is a form of accelerated evolution that moves us beyond the slow-motion growth of humanity. Spiriutal initiates consciously cause things to begin at an individual level and are courageous pioneers who blaze a trail of blessings for others to follow.”

Are you ready to “Blaze a Trail of Blessings?”
Are you ready to consciously cause a new way of thinking and being?
It only takes one to start a movement, a pay it forward idea that will help all of humanity to raise its consciousness. When hatred is running amuck and people from a religion are being persecuted, invite their faith community over for a dinner or potluck at your faith community. Show you care. Show your support.
Stand up with them in prayer and candlelight vigils.
The picture here are the Hindu Americans of San Diego supporting Israel in a candle light vigil at the Jewish Community Center in San Diego.
Remember our Muslim brothers and sisters here in the USA who are being persecuted for the horrific actions taken by Hamas in the Middle East. Our Muslims are not responsible and do not condone these acts.

YOU bless others by being you, and by
• saying a kind word,
• uplifting a sad soul,
• giving financially, and being in service,
• loving the neighbor who bothers you,
• being open hearted and welcoming the stranger,
• sticking up for someone being picked on or slandered,
• showing friendship for those who look different than you, have a different religion or culture,
• encouraging someone’s dream no matter how far fetched it seems to you.

Enjoy this lovely video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiyQsHKnCvc           “Blessings Everywhere.”

Love and Blessings to you
Abigail and Steve

“Humanity is Divinity
Made Visible”
Rev. Dr. Ernest Holmes
Founder of Religious Science

Dear Friends,

This is one of my favorite quotes because it says it all! We believe God is in each and everyone of us because God is our Source and Creator.
We were birthed by the Universal Presence, Divinity Itself.
Karen Drucker’s song, “The Face of God” reminds me when I look at you, I am looking at the face of God.

“You are the face of God
I hold you in my heart,
You are a part of me
You are the face of God…

You are the face of love
I hold you in my heart
You are my family
You are the face of God”

God shows up in each of us and looks differently in each of us. It is the multiplicity in the One.

I was reading the October Science of Mind magazine and there is an article written by Rev. Dr. Ernest Holmes.
He said, “Our Duty, Our Obligation, Our Responsibility To God is to Be Like God. We ALL are already the children of God,
not were or going to be, but ARE.” We are divinity in our human body.

Rev. Dr. David Alexander said, “The universe is alive with purpose and so too
is everything in it. The obligation and responsibility of each point of creation is to magnify the nature of itself within the larger system.
A rose is obligated to bloom. The sun is obligated to shine. The trees are obligated to grow and
provide oxygen.”

We are obligated to be like God at work, play, with friends, family and everywhere we go. There is a familiar saying by our Christian brothers and sisters,
“What would Jesus do….?” We can now say, “What would God within us do?” We can exemplify the qualities of God in any situation by Listening and Responding
to others with:
Love
Compassion
Empathy
Non-judgement
Support
and being a Quiet Presence in their midst.

Be God Like in all you do because YOU are GOD here on earth.
You are Divinity made visible.

Being the Face of God,
Abigail and Steve