Give to receive

For it is in giving that we receive.

~ Saint Francis of Assisi

The gift of giving

Two brothers worked together on the family farm. One was married and had a large family. The other was single.

At the day's end, the brothers shared everything equally, produce and profit.

Then one day the single brother said to himself, "It's not right that we should share equally the produce and the profit. I'm alone and my needs are simple."

So each night he took a sack of grain from his bin and crept across the field between their houses, dumping it into his brother's bin.

Meanwhile, the married brother said to himself, "Its not right that we should share the produce and the profit equally. After all, I'm married and I have my wife and my children to look after me in years to come. My brother has no one, and no one to take care of his future."

So each nite, he took a sack of grain and dumped it into his single brother's bin.

Both men were puzzled for years because their supply of grain never dwindled.

Then one dark nite the two brothers bumped into each other. Slowly it dawned on them what was happening. They dropped their sacks and embraced one another.

Judge Rightly Not Selfishly

If only I could throw away
the urge to trace my patterns
in your heart I could really see you.
~ Unknown

Have you ever super-imposed your own belief system into the hearts of another and judged them accordingly?

For instance, I brought home a yummy chocolate mousse pie with caramel topping from a local bakery as a treat one weekend. I cut a piece that night, took it into the living room to eat, and my wife said she'd like a couple of bites. I objected! I told her I'd be happy to cut her a piece so she'd have her own.

She said, "No, I want only a couple of bites." But I didn't believe her.

In the moment, I couldn't imagine anyone sitting down and eating only 2 little bites of a chocolate mousse pie, when they rarely had access to such treats. This was a rare indulgence for our home.
But honestly, she only wanted a couple of little bites.

Judge rightly not selfishly

If only I could throw away

the urge to trace my patterns

in your heart I could really see you.

~ Unknown

Have you ever super-imposed your own belief system into the hearts of another and judged them accordingly?

For instance, I brought home a yummy chocolate mousse pie with caramel topping from a local bakery as a treat one weekend. I cut a piece that night, took it into the living room to eat, and my wife said she'd like a couple of bites. I objected! I told her I'd be happy to cut her a piece so she'd have her own.

She said, "No, I want only a couple of bites." But I didn't believe her.

In the moment, I couldn't imagine anyone sitting down and eating only 2 little bites of a chocolate mousse pie, when they rarely had access to such treats. This was a rare indulgence for our home.

But honestly, she only wanted a couple of little bites.

Afterward, I thought, "I superimposed what I would do into her thinking and judged her accordingly." I couldn't imagine eating only 2 little bites myself, so I couldn't imagine her doing the same.

A valuable lesson learned...

Have you ever done the same to another? Have you ever assumed they would act a certain way because you would act that way, and not because they necessarily would?

The more I think about it, the more I see it.

For instance, a selfish person fears others being selfish. One with a big ego, becomes competitive, figuring others are the same. A person who lies, doesn't trust others.

Hmmm...very interesting to consider...

How many of our judgments upon others expose our own nature and inclinations?

Paul wrote, "You are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."

Please God before person

Have you ever been rejected or betrayed by someone you thought was a friend?

It’s happened to me more than once. And it’s given me great agony in the past, because I didn’t understand why another person that I treated kindly and generously would turn on me and treat me cruelly.

One day, I finally found peace about being rejected when I realized, "It's okay to not be liked by everyone." Whew! It took me a while to understand this truth because I'd always tried to be friends with about everyone and expected they'd be friends back. But alas, this is not how many relationships turn out....

Jesus certainly wasn’t liked by many. He tried his very best to love everyone and be kind and generous to them. But many of the people he gave his life for turned against him and even reviled him. They didn’t get it. They didn’t understand his love and the significance of it. Their ignorance and blind hate deprived them of the spiritual benefit that could have been theirs. They made up their minds that they were not friends of Jesus, didn’t want to be, and they made their contempt known.

If such treatment befell Jesus, the most loving person to walk the globe, then we should not be bothered or concerned if we encounter similar treatment. Rejection is not an attitude to look forward to facing, or take pride in experiencing, but it does come with the territory, one might say, of living true to ideals. Not everyone is going to understand another person’s ideals and want to embrace them.

The world is often not a friendly place. There are millions of points of view, and many of these different perspectives are a long way from living, expressing and returning love. When we encounter this type of thought, we must not fall to a low level and return hate for hate, but keep on loving even when it is not returned in kind.

So, if another doesn’t want to warm up to you and be a friend, even though you wouldn’t mind if they were your friend, don’t let it get to you. Don’t let it bother you. Let the dismay go and keep on loving them anyway without expecting anything in return.

Love is a non-conditional activity. It doesn’t think about what it’s going to get. It just gives.

Those ready to receive, open up thought and arms to love shared and they may even become good friends! And for those who withhold their approval or react negatively toward our friendliness for whatever reason, we can keep on loving anyway. It’s not so important to please others, as to please God. And we please God by living God-like.

Not using God's name in vain

Here's an interesting short video narrated by Barry Huff on the Third Commandment. Nice graphics too...

The Third Commandment

Giving and getting love

The one thing we can never get enough of is love.

And the one thing we never give enough of is love.

~ Henry Miller

The value of blogging

I chuckled when I read this article forwarded to me by a friend, titled, "Pope to priests: Go forth and blog." Churches around the world are learning the value of getting online and communicating with the millions searching for spirituality through the Web.

We're in a new age of communication. People don't get in their cars and drive to the library, the bookstore, or even the local church, like they used to for researching new ideas. They sit down at their computer and research online.

God and Haiti

Here's a link to an article I wrote for tmcyouth.com

Where was God when the earthquake hit?

Is your heart right?

“To put the world in order, we must first put the
nation in order; to put the nation in order,
we must put the family in order; to put the
family in order, we must cultivate our personal life;
and to cultivate our personal life,
we must first set our hearts right.

~ Confucius

When to speak when to be silent

A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.

Are you thinking young or old?

I don't know who said it, but I like it...

"Youth" is looking forward, "old" is looking back.

A little change can make a big difference

Have you ever made a little adjustment in your attitude that resulted in a major change in your life?

I just took a short tennis lesson on how to improve my second serve. I’d been hitting the ball into the net and double faulting too often. In fact, I was feeling a bit hopeless about my second serve wondering if I’d ever get it right!

Well, two minutes into my lesson, my coach had me adjust my grip on the racket slightly. I served again. Boom! The ball went over the net correctly, and with spin too. Wow! I proclaimed. A long sought after success!

I was ebullient with my newfound freedom. And I couldn’t help but notice that such a little change made such a huge difference.

I looked for the spiritual lesson.

Sometimes we agonize over troubles that go on and on without relief. They go on so long that we might even give into despair and discouragement about relief. But a simple and slight little adjustment is often all it takes to make a complete turnaround.

That’s what happened to my second serve. I already had most of the basic moves down correctly, but my grip was not quite right for what I was able to follow through with on my swing. A little adjustment in how I held the racket made all the other moves work and the ball started going over the net correctly!

Likewise, in life, you could very well be “making most all the right moves,” but in need of one slight adjustment that enables all those right moves to bear fruit.

Have you ever noticed in the past that a little more patience, gentleness or kindness immensely improved a human relationship? Maybe a bit more understanding, willingness to listen and consider another’s point of view was the difference between out-and-out conflict and a fruitful conversation.

Sometimes just a little adjustment in attitude, perspective or inclination can make everything else work together for a good outcome. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. This rule applies to resolving relationship issues, finding financial solutions, and curing the body of disease. Just a little change in perspective can be the difference between repeatedly struggling and getting into the flow.

So, look for those little adjustments that can make a big difference! A little may turn out to be a lot.

Have a great day.

Reform the world through love

Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Don't internalize MAM

Do you realize that as a spiritual thinker and offspring of the divine Mind, you are not obligated to think an evil thought toward anyone?

Yep, that’s right. You are never required to hate, resent, get angry, or be jealous or envious of your neighbor—ever! You can love them with ease. It’s the natural and normal thing to do as a child of God.

God created us to love, not hate.

Some people get so accustomed to thinking angry thoughts they think it’s normal. But it’s not. It’s not normal to hate. It’s evil, wrong, unspiritual, and very mortal to entertain spite and anger. It’s debilitating, demoralizing, and unhealthy. It leads to sickness, suffering, pain and a whole lot of unpleasantness. It’s no fun.

Life is so much better when fortressed and permeated by Love!

One practice I find helpful in defending myself from unwanted hate is to never internalize MAM.

MAM is an acronym for “malicious animal magnetism.” MAM is the evil of the carnal mind bent on killing the goodness and purity of God’s man. It wants to destroy, stop and prevent good from happening in our lives. It has no power, but seems to have power to the degree that we indulge it and allow it to use our thinking. So, it’s vitally important that we daily defend ourselves from its influence and not allow its evil thoughts to become our evil thoughts.

For instance, if a mental suggestion comes knocking, “I do not like that person,” and it continues to grow into anger and resentment toward that person, we’re internalizing MAM. We’re allowing the evil inclinations of the carnal mind to take over our mind and cause us to act contrary to our God-created inclination to love. Or if any hint of jealousy or envy start to germinate in thought and we do not check them immediately, MAM is at work pulling us down to a low place. We’re internalizing its evil selfishness rather than warding it off and keeping our thinking pure and enlightened.

It takes diligence, alertness and attentiveness to fend off the assaults of MAM. But it’s worth the effort. We are not helpless. Through understanding God’s omnipresent Love and our birthright to express it, we can say NO to any suggestion of MAM, refuse it mental entry and keep on loving, forgiving and leading a compassionate, kind, spiritually progressive life.

So, stay on guard today. Keep a high standard for your state of mind. Don’t internalize any evil suggestion from outside. Kill the unwanted intruder at the door and keep your mental home filled with truth and love. It’s a much happier way to live.

“Evil thoughts and aims reach no farther and do no more harm than one's belief permits. Evil thoughts, lusts, and malicious purposes cannot go forth, like wandering pollen, from one human mind to another, finding unsuspected lodgment, if virtue and truth build a strong defence.” Mary Baker Eddy

The benefits of helping the poor

While praying for the safety and recovery of the Haiti people and sending money for their relief from the recent devastating earthquake, I’ve pondered the question, “Why do I need to pray for their well being and help their cause? What does it matter?”

I thought of Jesus’ admonitions to help the poor, and also studied Mary Baker Eddy’s thought-provoking statement, “If we turn away from the poor, we are not ready to receive the reward of Him who blesses the poor.”

What is “…the reward of Him who blesses the poor?” I've asked.

“The poor” is a relative term. Defined strictly by material standards, it refers to a lack of money, things, and worldly possessions.

I’ve known many people classified as poor over the years, especially in the farming industry where much of the labor force lives hand to mouth. But I've also witnessed firsthand how these same people live immensely rich lives. They can be very rich in faith and trust. They also can have very tight families which are rich in love.

I’ve seen millionaires who have far less faith and trust in God’s ability to provide than a homeless man wandering the streets. A homeless man can lose all his worldly possessions and not think much about it. He knows life goes on, and he’ll find what he needs. A billionaire can lose several billion dollars, have a billion left over, but feel so devastated by his perceived loss of wealth, that he commits suicide. So, who is the rich man? Who is truly the blessed? Is it the vast stock holder who frets and worries and agonizes over his worldly possessions day after day, or the homeless stranger who enjoys each moment and rarely worries about tomorrow?

For those who have material wealth, there is great gain in appreciating, valuing and honoring the faith, trust and patience the less materially fortunate possess. This faith and trust is some of the blessings God has bestowed upon them that gives them the ability to keep on going, not give up and retain hope that things will get better.

When we have a heart for these people, we make room in our lives to gain more of the same faith, trust and patience they already possess. The money sent their way is more than made up for by the example of endurance, patience and faith they send back for us to learn from and implement in our own lives. This is a "reward" worth having and it is the product of selfless giving.

How a dad works with his blind son

Sometimes life dishes out extraordinary challenges for individuals to deal with that defy logic and threaten to hobble hope and one’s future. And every so often a spectacular story emerges of how a person in the midst of trial deals courageously and unselfishly with those challenges, and turns them into awe-inspiring positive experiences. The story of Patrick Henry Hughes and his dad is one of those stories.

Here’s the link to a short video clip that could very well humble any belief inside you that says, “I have it tough.” And also well up within gratitude for what you do have.

Patrick Henry Hughes

Prayer for Haiti

Amidst the mass humantarian disaster Haiti currently faces because of the horrible earthquake that rocked the country two days ago, it is well to remember that our prayers make a difference.

If one is not physically in the country and does not have any personal contact with a resident of that area, the catastrophe can feel remote, distant, and not relevant to one's experience. But it is. All of us have a duty and responsibility to reach out with love, care, compassion and aid to our neighbor in need. And with the breakdown in time and space modern communication technology has facilitated, everyone in the world is one of our neighbors today.

Money is needed to repair broken cities and feed hungry people. Hundreds of channels have opened to send that type of help.

Prayer is also needed, and makes a difference.

Each citizen of that region is as close as our thoughts. We can help them by seeing them wrapped in the arms of divine Love, supported, sustained and comforted by the infinite resources of God. When we pray to take their fear away and help them think clearly, their collective consciousness does lose its fear, calms, quiets and hears the divine wisdom that is necessary to rebuild quickly, find shelter, be fed and restore harmony.

There is no time or space in this world that can limit God's care. There is one Mind, and we are all included in it's all-encompassing love. The help the Haitians need is as close as their thoughts too.

There is a need to understand this reality better so all of humanity feels its healing influence. Now is a good time to jump in and increase humanity's collective understanding of this truth so our neighbors in Haiti can bounce back from this calamity and end up in a better place than ever before.

Your prayer does make a difference. Have no doubt!

Sufficiency

Here's a link to a thoughtful blog posting titled, "The Surprising Truth of Sufficiency." The author, Lynne Twist, doesn't give credit to a divine source, but still offers some liberating views that help dissolve the belief that we always need more and can't find enough at hand.

No need to compare

Are you ever tempted to compare yourself to others?

Do you ever think, “They have a better job than I have, she is much smarter than me, he has his life so under control, everything goes right for my friends but not for me…and on and on…?”

Comparisons are generally not healthy. They can lead to great frustration, feeling of failure and even depression.

Human comparisons can be such a burden because they’re done on a material basis. They size up outward factors like fame, fortune, status, education, prestige, acquisitions, and position. They reason out from a material premise that the substance of being is a summation of material qualities, conditions, situations and circumstances. And it’s demoralizing because we can always find others that seem to be way ahead of where we are.

There is a spiritual solution, and it rests in understanding our true selfhood as children of God, not children of the world. None of us can be sized up correctly from an outward material point of view. The material senses cannot take in the glorious substance of Spirit which constitutes our true being.

We are spiritual. Our individuality is spiritual. As children of God we are wonderful, delightful, intelligent, beautiful, whole, complete, and perfect in every detail. We cannot be improved or moved to a better position, nor do we lack.

Each of us is as precious, important and valuable as anyone else, with no exceptions.

In the long run scheme of things, you are just as significant and contributory to the goodness of the universe as a Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Baker Eddy, or any other great thinker, doer and actor on the human scene.

We all seem to be at different stages of unfoldment and development of our spiritual potential from a human point of view, but again, the human is not the full picture. The divine is the correct picture! In the divine, we are totally complete right now!

So drop any temptation to compare yourself to other humans. Don’t be tempted to think they have it better than you do, are ahead of you, or behind you.

Jesus Christ looked at everyone from a spiritual point of view. He did not draw final conclusions based upon evidence of the material senses. He looked beyond the lacking picture of mortal mind to the divine Mind reality, and there he found the perfect creation of God.

We can do the same. We must look beyond the human, temporal and lacking to the divine, eternal and full. In that picture, comparisons disappear. They are not helpful or needed for any reason.

Why compare? Divine Mind does not compare. God doesn’t compare. Each aspect of creation is loved wholly and dearly just the way it is, including you!

Daily LIft - Eye on ball

Another Daily Lift I recorded last November, but forgot to post here, "Keep your eye on the ball."

Is there something better than consumerism?

Here's an interesting article written by Amitai Etzioni for The New Republic and reprinted in Utne Reader, on the subject of society getting too weighed down in consumerism.

One might not agree with all his conclusions, but he does a good job of describing what he calls the "social disease" of consuming beyond need and the suffering that results.

Here's the link:

"Get Rich Now. The economy will never be the same. It’s time to rethink our definition of “the good life.”

Daily Lift - Donut hole

A two-minute audio clip I recorded recently for the Daily Lift, "Keep your eye on the donut."

Funny story

A story that came through my email. It will get your day started with a chuckle...

The Bagpiper

As a bagpiper, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man who had no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a cemetery in the remote countryside and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man, did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew who were eating lunch but the hearse was nowhere in sight.

I apologized to the workers for my tardiness and stepped to the side of the open grave where I saw the vault lid already in place.

I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long but this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I played out my heart and soul.

As I played the workers began to weep. I played and I played like I'd never played before, from "Going Home" and "The Lord is My Shepherd" to "Flowers of the Forest." I closed the lengthy session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, "Sweet Jeezuz, Mary' n Joseph, I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

The crumbling of matter

Some interesting quotes about the nature of matter...


"As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter."


"We have no right to assume that any physical laws exist, or if they have existed up to now, that they will continue to exist in a similar manner in the future."


~ Max Planck, 1858-1947, the inventor of quantum theory.


In Christian Science, matter disappears entirely. Step by step, humanity and the physical sciences will come to this realization. It's already happening...


And another Planck quote, unrelated to the above topic, but that I could easily relate to as a seeker of Truth...

"New scientific ideas never spring from a communal body, however organized, but rather from the head of an individually inspired researcher who struggles with his problems in lonely thought and unites all his thought on one single point which is his whole world for the moment."

~ Max Planck

Science and Health is easy to understand

Occasionally, I’ve heard someone tell me that the book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, is difficult to understand.

I’ve puzzled over the years how to respond to this type of observation because when I read the book, no matter how many times, I learn so much about spiritual reality. It is one book, aside from the Bible, that I never tire of reading and studying.

No doubt, many of the words Eddy uses require a dictionary and explanation to understand. Phrases like “mortal mind” and "animal magnetism" are not conventional. And then there are her frequent references to matter and Spirit. What does that mean? Many ask.

But interestingly, I’ve noticed that some people with what an academic might call a “low reading ability,” love Science and Health and do understand its message.

And I’ve noticed that people with high reading ability may not get the message at all, and be even turned off by it.

So I’ve decided that reading ability has nothing to do with comprehending Science and Health. It’s something more.

And I think I know what it is.

Understanding Science and Health happens to the degree that the reader accepts Spirit as the ultimate reality.

Science and Health is all about spiritual life, spiritual reality, and God as Spirit. Eddy’s main message throughout the book is, “Life in and of Spirit!” Everything she writes grows out of a deep and profound understanding into the nature of all things, that the universe is spiritual, made by Spirit, and reflective of Spirit. Matter and its conditions—sin, disease, death—are not the realities they appear to be. As one understands Spirit better, sin, disease and death lessen until they totally disappear. Heaven! And there is no sense of matter anymore.

When I read Science and Health from this point of view, it makes sense.

I’m still wrestling with many passages that I do not understand very well, but from experience, I’ve learned that as I persevere and the light grows brighter, eventually I figure out those tough passages and see how they intelligently connect with every other statement in the book.

If one reads the book from the point of view that matter and evil are real, Eddy’s statements may appear preposterous and unreasonable. They do not make sense tot he materialist. It’s like a person who reads and understands English trying to read Chinese with no knowledge of the language. It’s all jumble! Not understanding Chinese doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with the Chinese language. Far from it. But it requires humility and desire to buckle down and learn the symbols so one can understand a new tongue.

And with Science and Health, it’s well worth the effort to buckle down and learn the symbols to reap understanding of the message. The book can bring tremendous healing into one’s life. Its ideas are powerful. They are what Jesus Christ taught.

So, if you’re having a hard time figuring out the book, try a different perspective, a more enlightened spiritual perspective. Think out from Spirit. Accept Spirit’s allness. Accept the goodness of God and the nothingness of evil. Sit down, read again, and see what appears on those pages that you didn’t notice before. I hope you have a much better experience!

Happy reading…

It was enough

Do you have regrets about your past? Do you wish things could have been different, better, more inspired and wisely acted out?

I imagine we all have our lists of “I wish things had been different.” But what is done is done. Today is today. Yesterday is yesterday. The next step is to find a spiritual peace about where we go from here.

A good friend on mine blogged a post titled, “The surprise Christmas Gift,” that eloquently tells of his release from deep regrets per his past. It’s a precious piece.

Here’s the link:

“The surprise Christmas Gift”

The ultimate science

What science explains the origin, operation and activity of the whole universe?

Not physics. It may explain why rain falls to the earth, the speed of light, and how to put a satellite into space, but it can’t explain the enduring love of a mother for her child.

Not chemistry. It may explain why fire burns wax, how to make plastic, and why baking powder makes biscuits rise. But it can’t explain the height and breadth of inspiration Beethoven felt while writing his grandest symphonies.

Not genetics. It may explain DNA but it can’t explain how prayer can restore health to a man born blind as Jesus Christ did.

Not evolution. It may trace how monkeys evolved into humans, but it can’t explain the origin of mind and intelligence to begin with.

Not the Big Bang. What caused the Bang?

No physical, material, biological or other atom-centered science can explain the wholeness of the universe from its own in-house limited matter-based perspective. A higher science is required, a divine Science.

Divine Science is knowledge of God and how God created and evolved the cosmos. It explains that we live in a universe of Mind, where cause and effect are mental, not physical. This Mind, or God, is omnipresent intelligence. It is self-existent, eternal, and infinite. It is the power that holds the universe together, is responsible for its origin, and inspires, supports and sustains all the expressions of love and life that happen within it.

Divine Science is the ultimate science. It is bigger than physics. Bigger than chemistry. Bigger that biology. It explains everything all at once, on the basis of omnipotent Mind, not elusive matter.

Divine Mind existed long before a Big Bang, if there ever was one. Mind is the source and creator of all.

Studied from a basis of Mind, rather than inert mindless matter, the universe begins to make sense. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, tells us all about it.

“Spirit is the life, substance, and continuity of all things. We tread on forces. Withdraw them, and creation must collapse. Human knowledge calls them forces of matter; but divine Science declares that they belong wholly to divine Mind, are inherent in this Mind, and so restores them to their rightful home and classification.” Mary Baker Eddy

Forgiveness and hope

How does one spend 35 years wrongfully in prison, and come out with no bitterness? Watch an inspiring video of James Bain briefly telling his story.

Bain spent 35 years in a metal and concrete prison and shouldn't have.

Prisons take many different forms for different people. Some spend even longer time in health prisons, relationship prisons, and fear prisons. Bain's example, tenacity, and enduring hope and faith are examples for all to learn from. He came out of his ordeal in a right state of mind that will serve him well. He is not going to let the past weigh down his future. He truly is a free man, and was all along in many ways that others in similar situations are not. He never lost hope.

James Bain video

Expect progress in the New Year

A New Year is upon us. Welcome 2010!

I love January 1st. It symbolizes a new start, a fresh beginning, a new set of possibilities and opportunities on the immediate horizon. It’s a day to acknowledge accomplishments of the past year and a moment to consider progressive steps to take in the year to come.

Many of the editorial cartoons of recent days do not portray the last year as having anything good to remember. They depict devastating effects from the recession, joblessness, political failures, on-going war and more. The last year has been tough on millions of families around the world and continues to exact patience and perseverance and tax faith. But we must look ahead. We must not let the past dictate the future. We can find hope in knowing that solutions to troubles are forthcoming. Jobs will appear. Economies will strengthen. Credit markets will loosen. Hope and positive expectancy will flow once again. We can overcome, as the popular rally cry states.

There is a divine law of progress at work underneath the chaos and clamor of it all moving humanity toward sounder ideals and stronger moral underpinnings that serve to bless future political, social and economic decision-making. We will end up in a better place than we began.

This law of progress is at work in your life right now! Expect it to cause wonderful things to happen for you this year!

One never knows how answers may appear and what form supply may take.

A woman called me recently for spiritual help to find a new job, or another career that would lead to a new job. Her funds were running low. Her hope was too.

We talked about how God supplies all needs spiritually through ideas, inspiration, spontaneous appearances of blessing, and direction from the voice of wisdom directing one’s activities and other’s around that contribute to the surfacing of good. Supply doesn’t always come in the form of cash or a paycheck. But it does come one way or the other.

After our talk, she soon reported that she had been inspired to attend a conference for professionals in a field she wanted to pursue as a new career. During the conference there was a door prize drawing. She was the grand prize winner of a $2000 training package for getting started in this new career. Her mouth dropped when she heard her name called from the podium, she told me. It seemed unbelievable. An answered prayer in a most unexpected form! (She said I could share this story).

So, don’t materially outline what form you expect blessings to take over the next twelve months. Stay open on how God is going to supply your needs. That way, you’ll be most receptive to what God is sending to you.

The New Year is God’s year. It belongs to God, not to hopelessness, despair or discouragement. Claim your NEW year. Let go of the old—any heaviness, burden or fear hanging on from yesterday. It's unnecessary baggage you don't need to carry into the grand new adventure of 2010. The next 365 days are going to be fun, productive, profitable and very progressive under God’s guidance and direction. Claim this for yourself. Know it, and live it.

Happy New Year!