Sacred Heart Ministries

Divine Heritage of Freedom

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:50:00 -0800

Prayer for My Country

by Ernest Holmes

Believing in the Divine destiny of the United States of America and in the

preservation of liberty, security, and self-expression for all, I offer this, my

prayer for my country:

I know that Divine Intelligence governs the destiny of the United States of

America, directing the thought and the activity of all who guide its affairs.

I know that success, prosperity, and happiness are the gifts of Freedom

and are the Divine heritage of everyone in this country.

I know that success, prosperity, and happiness are now operating in the

affairs of every individual in this country.

I know that Divine guidance enlightens the collective mind of the people of

this country, causing it to know that economic security may come to all

without the loss of either personal freedom or individual self-expression.

I know that no one can believe or be led to believe that freedom must be

surrendered in order to insure economic security for all.

The All-Knowing Mind contains the answer to every problem which

confronts this country. I know that every leader in this country is now

directed by this All-Knowing Mind and has the knowledge of a complete

solution to every problem. Each is compelled to act upon this knowledge to

the end that abundance, security, and peace shall come to all.

And I know that this spiritual democracy shall endure, guaranteeing to

everyone in this country personal liberty, happiness, and self-expression.

Amen.

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Stepping into the Void

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:05:59 -0800

I was speaking to a group recently and I was asked about the process to develop faith. I wish there was a five-step technique. Or a ten-week practice. Or a three-tiered approach. There is no such thing. I have such a clear image of the Indiana Jones movie where Harrison Ford’s character stands at edge of the bottomless chasm while the bad guys are chasing him and coming close. The chalice he is searching for is on the other side of the chasm, as is his freedom. He is at risk whether he stays or goes. Or so it seems. When he finally takes a step into the void, there magically appears a solid step to support him. And another and another until he makes it to the other side.

And so it is with the practice of faith. We move forward each day not knowing how or what will support every step that we take, but trusting that what we need will show up. It is an individual process of growth, patience and willingness. The practice yields ever deepening faith and trust.

In Scientific Christian Mental Practice, Emma Curtis Hopkins speaks so eloquently about faith, “Faith stands near. You know she can do anything. She can raise your hopes to highest heaven. You can choose faith, or you can choose doubt. Both are near. One is the reality of life, the other is unreality. One or the other is chosen by what you say most vehemently.”

Faith is the freedom in knowing that whatever I need will be provided; whether it’s having the strength to face the day, the courage to speak my truth, or help for a loved one. Faith is appreciating every day as a treasure and every experience as a gift.

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Missing my Beloved

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:37:00 -0800

Missing my beloved husband today. There seems to be reminders everywhere I look. Be sure to hug and kiss your loved ones and tell them that you love them. Life is fragile and unpredictable.

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Comparison can be hazardous to your health

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:31:00 -0800

As women we are trained to compare ourselves to magazines, advertising, friends, co-workers, family members. We feel inadequate and insecure as we measure ourselves against the accomplishments and goals of others.

It seems that there is a new place of comparison for us. According to Daniel Gulati's recent post, Facebook and social media are causing anxiety, jealousy and even depression. It is so easy to avoid things we need to be doing and spend time reading what everyone else is doing. It then creates a downward spiral as we compare ourselves to others and neglect our families, business, exercise. We feel bad about ourselves, have little energy to take action, so we avoid pain by logging into fb. Only to feel bad about ourselves.... do you see the pattern?

He suggests in his article to limit time on Facebook and strength our real-world relationships. I suggest going for a walk, calling a friend, take some steps of action, however small they may seem. Making a list of accomplishments and having a list of goals nearby keep us on track and out of trouble.

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Christmas Joy

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:31:00 -0800

I learned so much from spending time with Laurence's grandchildren a few years ago. It brings me joy to remember how much fun we had playing in the park. Their unlimited energy, joy and enthusiasm for life are infectious. Some insights I learned from them:

Be Here Now. There is no tomorrow or later. There is only NOW. Try it for yourself. Spend the next 30 minutes being in the moment. It's not as easy as it looks.
The Universe is abundant. There is no lack in a child's world. They see the unlimited view. They will ask for what they want. If they get a 'no' answer, they'll ask again. And again. And again.
Imagination is everything. We adults live inside the box. We see what we expect to see. Using the imagination expands our reality into unlimited possibilities.
Rules are meant to be changed. If you don't like the outcome of your game, then change the rules. Change your mind. Change your thinking. Just change.
Love heals everything. A hug, a kiss or a smile can transform tears into laughter, discord into peace, separation into harmony.

We discover the real joy of Christmas when we take time to slow down, be in the moment, give thanks for our blessings, share a hug or a smile. Perhaps if we take a moment to see Christmas from the eyes of a child, we can be in awe of the miracle of the season.

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?" "It came without ribbons. It came without tags." "It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, til his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." "Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!" How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

May the Light of the Season guide your journey with Grace, fill your heart with Love and your life with Joy.

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Gracious Giving

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:21:21 -0800

For many, gift giving has become conditional and compensatory in our society. Should I give one, how much should it cost, what if I receive a gift and didn't give one in return, what is someone else's gift is better than mine!! Yikes!

We begin by looking at intention in giving. From The Principles of Financial Freedom workbook, "We graciously give to others because we can perceive the divinity within them, simply, because we love them." Practice learning to give gifts out of love and not lack. Practice not making the gift conditional by saying “I didn’t have enough so this is what you get.”

Your gift is a gift of love whether it is a card, something homemade or something purchased, whether it came from the Dollar Store or from Macy’s.

The difference is the attitude of how you give it. Give it as a treasure from your heart. Go within and see the person’s beauty and divinity. But first go within and see your own beauty and divinity and proclaim “I am enough. I am love.” The reason for the season is love.

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Stepping into Love

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 04:59:18 -0800

I recently returned from a walking pilgrimage on the Camino de Compostela in northern Spain. It was a journey of faith, release and renewal. Most of all it was a journey of love. Five things I learned about life while walking the Camino: Follow the signs- We walked the Camino by following the yellow arrows and markers that show the way. There are always signs along the journey of life if we pay attention on the path. Yes I can – Our longest day was walking 17 miles. I worried and often doubted if I would be able to finish. On the trail we just kept walking. It’s the same in life. Wherever we are headed we can get there if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Be Here Now – On the Camino I wasn’t thinking about the project I was working on at home, or what was I going to do when I returned. I was in the moment following the yellow arrows. In doing that I saw the beautiful scenery, visited inspirational churches, chatted with fellow pilgrims. Being in the moment allowed me to truly experience the richness of the culture and countryside and appreciate the blessings of the moment. Prayer works – we were blessed to have so many friends and family praying for us. Prayers were answered as we safely finished our journey and joyously arrived in Santiago. We had warm, sunny weather, amazing food, wonderful hotels. Thank you God! Love is the way – I was grateful for the compassion and love of our fellow pilgrims. We shared our snacks, band aids, ointment and ibuprofen. We looked out for each other and cared for each other. We met other inspired pilgrims along the way. Every day is a walk in love. Every day is an opportunity to experience God’s blessings and gifts on our journey of life.

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Practicing Forgiveness

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:52:13 -0800

I've been working with forgiveness for the past few weeks. Mother Theresa said, “If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive.” I noticed how limited I am when I have separation with another in my life. It is easier to forgive when I learn to reflect and not react. Reacting to behavior of others causes stress and pain. Dr. Wayne Dyer stated it best, "How do you get world peace? You get world peace through inner peace. If you've got a world full of people who have inner peace, then you have a peaceful world." I'm practicing.

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Gratitude

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:51:00 -0800

Laura Ling was the speaker at Voices last Wednesday. I can't get her talk out of my brain. She shares how she was captured in North Korea and held prisoner for 5 months. She shares the details of her interrogation and imprisonment in her book, Somewhere Inside . What fascinated me the most was how she committed to daily exercise (which consisted of yoga stretches and walking around her cell), meditation and practicing gratitude. She says the practice of finding something each day that she could be grateful for was so helpful in maintaining her sanity and keeping her grounded. We are all faced with stressful situations. The power of gratitude is extraordinary.

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Virus Protection Plan

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:37:46 -0700

I’ve had the sniffles on and off. I became more diligent in washing my hands and taking my vitamins. I just upgraded my computer with the latest antivirus software with a firewall and spyware. Then it occurred to me, how am I protecting my thinking? It’s the most vulnerable. News of shaky job market and a faltering economy feeds into any beliefs of lack and limitation. Comparing myself to others inflames my self-judgment. Worrying about the future feeds into doubt and despair. Fortunately, I remembered I have my own virus protection plan: Prayer, speaking my covenant, giving thanks for my blessings, meeting with my spiritual mentor, praying with my prayer partners, reading inspired spiritual authors, forgiving hurts and blessing my life. I have a virus protection plan. I just need to activate it daily.

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Conscious Abundance

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:21:56 -0700

"Your personal welfare begins with your consciousness. It is not what happens on Wall Street. It is not the "state of the economy." It has its inception in the state of your mind. You can be prosperous when business is poor, and you can experience financial difficulties even when business is booming." Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth It is so easy to get sidetracked by what is on the news or what our neighbor said or what our family thinks of us. It takes practice to stay centered on spiritual truth, knowing that God is the only source of our supply. All good comes from God. It may come to us through a company, person, opportunity. But the source is God. Knowing that frees us from being victim of the world around us. Practicing makes it reality in our lives.

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Ask Without the Guilt

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:23:58 -0700

Is it ok to ask for what you want without feeling guilty? Yes, if you understand the Law of Receptivity: Whatever I give out graciously, comes back to me multiplied. Usually guilt crops up if we've been afraid to give because we believe there's not enough. Then we are hesitant to ask or even receive our good because we've already been stingy and fearful and holding back with our giving. Practice giving a compliment, a card, an email, a phone call. Then work your way up to taking someone to coffee or practicing an act of kindness. Stretch your giving genes and open the space to receive. God has plenty to give when you are ready to receive. Praise God!

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Imagine

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:25:47 -0700

Imagination is an incredible gift from God. The astonishing progress we've seen in our world over the last century came about because people imagined great things and took action. Imagination has a down side. It's called fear. The body doesn't know the difference between what is imagined and what is real. So when we allow our imagination to focus on negative thoughts, our emotions activate fear, often derailing our goals and sending us into a downward spiral. I observed this when I was back east a few weeks ago visiting my family. My Dad was completely distraught after watching the news. Even though the distressing events had not occurred, he was feeling fear for the future. My attempt to explain that the news people were projecting what might happen were futile. My proposal to watch a movie instead of the news was scoffed at. My suggestion to pray instead of worry, well, that just wasn't practical at all. It's really a shame. My Dad's not alone. We all get caught up in the cycle of replaying negative projections over and over again. It can be hazardous to our health, both individually and collectively. Instead of focusing on the fear of the future we can take personal actions to lift us out of the fear. Instead of allowing the imagination to dwell on all the catastrophic things that could happen, we can visualize postive outcomes. Instead of repeating all the doom and gloom we hear on the news, we could say a prayer. God gave us an incredible gift by giving us imaginations. As we use our imaginations for good, amazing results show up in our lives. Question is, what are you imagining?

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Today

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:18:05 -0700

Today brings back so many memories. Especially this year with the loss of my husband Laurence. We were married on September 1st ten years ago. My prayer is for compassion, peace and love. For our country and all humanity.

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Ask

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:22:47 -0700

When out to dinner recently, a friend asked if she could have the chicken heated on her BBQ chicken salad. "No" replied the employee. Not "Sorry, but no" "Not usually, but let me look into that" or the correct answer "Of course we can do that for you." Just no. So she asked the question again but still no. She rephrased the question and asked again. Finally, seeing that my friend was not going to take no for an answer, he called over to another employee who said, "Sure, I can do that." What fascinated me more than the amazing lack of customer service, was my friend's persistence in asking for what she wanted. Three times. She was never rude or arrogant, but politely continued asking. Simple but powerful reminder of what is available to us every day. "Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you." Matthew 7:7

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Heaven

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:03:14 -0700

As a child in Catholic school, I often imagined the opulence and mystery of heaven. It seemed to be a magical place where there was peace, love and all the ice cream I could eat. However, there seemed to be a lot of stuff to do (or not do) before I could be good enough to live there. I now understand that the blessings of heaven are available to me now. When I align myself with spiritual principles to find my own peace of mind, it feels heavenly. I can experience heaven when I live in the consciousness of love, releasing resentment, anger and separation. With enough attention, discipline and persistence, I can live in a heavenly state of awareness. However, unlimited ice cream is another lesson for another time. “Heaven within is one perfect harmonious life, substance and intelligence and I rejoice.” Keep a True Lent by Charles Fillmore

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If Only

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:03:19 -0700

I judged someone recently. I thought she wasn't doing what she agreed to do and so I emailed and told her what I thought. She called and graciously thanked me for checking in on her. She told me her grandfather became very ill and she had to take him to the hospital. Needless to say, I felt petty and embarrassed. Instead of truly checking in to see how she was, I judged her.

If only I had taken a moment to stop and check in with my feelings, I would have realized my hidden agenda of making her wrong. I would then have the opportunity to find a loving way to check in without blaming her. If only I had remembered my spiritual purpose which is to reveal the joy of divinity, I would have contacted her out of compassion instead of blame. If only I recognized my righteousness. Righteousness can be an ugly thing. It creates separation and division. It blocks the flow of love. By stopping the flow of love, it stops the flow of Good for everyone. If only I saw God in her, I would have treated her differently and would be contributing to a world of love. If only... Thank you God for second chances.

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We have the Power

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:28:53 -0700

Each of us is a walking field of energy made up of our thoughts, feelings and ideas. We have the power to shift the energy in our lives. Instead of worrying and stressing and paying attention to the news, take the time to refocus your energy with these three Universal Laws: Universal Law: Whatever I give out with love comes back to me multiplied. Reach out and help someone else in need. A sense of expansion happens when we stop thinking about ourselves and extend a helping hand to another. The good deeds and efforts that you share with others will come back to you multiplied. Universal Law: Whatever I am grateful for increases. You may have already experienced some financial hardship and had to make some serious lifestyle changes. Don't despair. Begin right where you are and put your attention on the things you are grateful for. Be grateful for new ideas, new opportunities, new relationships. Even the smallest seed of gratitude will grow and expand into possibilities you could never have imagined. Golden Key: Focus on God and away from the problem. Dr Emmett Fox, author, teacher and healer in the early 1900s, developed the concept of The Golden Key. He taught that you turn the Golden Key by taking attention away from the problem and putting it on God instead. In other words, stop worrying about the problem and put your thoughts on God or your highest idea of Good in your life. When you do this, you will be amazed at how your mind clears and things begin working out more easily and better than you thought possible. We each make an impact on the collective energy field and on the results in our lives. Try this out for yourself and see the difference. “In God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27

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Love is Victorious

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 05:44:43 -0700

It's so easy to focus on not

being enough. If we were a little bit smarter, worked a little harder, extended ourselves a little farther, then we would be enough. Not true. As long as we think there is something more to do or be or have, we live in lack. When we accept right where we are, at this moment, right now, we open ourselves for more to flow to us and through us. When we live in the moment we live in love. Emmet Fox wrote, "There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer." An affirmation from Catherine Ponder: "Divine Love is doing its perfect work here and now. Divine Love harmonizes, Divine Love adjusts, Divine Love prospers and foresees everything and richly provides every good thing right here and now. Divine Love is now victorious."

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Purpose

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:16:17 -0700

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&feature=player_embedded] Watch this! A great synopsis of Dan Pink's latest book, Drive. The reality of motivation according to science. Spiritual leaders have been teaching this all along. As we develop our spiritual purpose, we open to enormous possibilities in the world. We live out of inspiration instead of desperation. Praise God!

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