Children’s Stories

July 27, 2014 – Sleeping Beauty, Part IV: True Love’s Kiss

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7/27/14 Rev. David McArthur
Sleeping Beauty, Part IV: True Love’s Kiss

Central to both “Sleeping Beauty” and “Maleficent” is the point of transition, the point of healing the pain caused by the spinning wheel. It changes at True Love’s Kiss when we awaken and can then walk free.

In “Sleeping Beauty” the Prince (us, knowing we are children of God) heads into the forest to bring awakening to Sleeping Beauty, an unaware peasant. It’s a noble response of the soul to the understanding that we are all one. It’s an opportunity to be in service. It requires giving, facing pain (the fire of the dragons). But there is no heaven in the forest; they have to go to the castle.

In Maleficent the Prince goes through the challenges to get up to the Princess in the castle and he kisses her, but she sleeps on. There was no response to the nature of the divine (we see ourselves as separate). But the Princess awakens from “the mother’s kiss” by Maleficent (as the nurturer). Care and service flowed through Maleficent. We awaken to the change of the flow of spiritual energy.

It’s about giving it away! In the beautiful twelve step path it is not done until the twelfth step is done, which is to take it to another alcoholic. It is not done until it is given away. We step into that presence of divine love through service. Krishna tells Arjuna, “I am the super soul seated in the heart of each of us.” So when you give you are serving the one that lives in each of us. Jesus said, “what ever you did for one of the least … you did for me.”

Jasmina, in Mirror of My Soul, Sanctum of My Heart, recounts that in the state of appreciation she could see her heart energy grow. In a disturbed or traumatic state she would go into seizures. She was keenly aware of her “heart work”, and that she could work with others healing from brain trauma. She gave what she had away to others. And when she gave it away, she healed too. When we touch the true love we step into the divine.

It’s not just “doing”, it’s not just “showing up”. It is the giving of love through what you do. That is the service. Ask, “How can I serve today?” If you are not ready and willing, though, do not ask! Are you one who says,”I have to do everything for everybody all the time”? Ask anyway. You might get, “Leave them alone today. They’ll be ok.”

“How can I serve today?” “How can I serve today?” “How can I serve today?” Just feel yourself opening! Feel what you are calling forth. When you are ready It will say, “I have exactly what you can do today!” And you might just enter into the state known as “Happily Ever After”!

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July 20, 2014 – Sleeping Beauty, Part III: Maleficent

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7/20/14 Rev. David McArthur
Sleeping Beauty, Part III: Maleficent

“Maleficent” is the next chapter which shows our world, that appears to be dualistic, is in the end a kingdom free of pain, where we see only the Presence of the Divine. So where does pain come from?

Maleficent, when a young girl, was a winged beauty who flew to the highest levels of nature’s beauty (the spiritual realm) and displayed the “male” roles of power and protector (the soul). From the human realm came a boy, Stefan, who could still experience the spiritual world (as when we were young). They become best friends. About the age of sixteen, Stefan leaves the spiritual world behind for the “adult” world. The King could never conquer Maleficent’s realm (the spiritual) so had offered to leave his throne to who ever reeks revenge for him upon it. So in a symbol of power over another, Stefan steals Maleficent’s wings for the King—a horrible betrayal of his friendship with her.
Thus the curse from the “evil fairy” Maleficent when Sleeping Beauty is born. Our souls feel betrayed by the high level of pain and difficulty in the human experience. Without the wings, the soul is limited, unable to rise to the highest level of understanding. Maleficent must walk in the world. Yet, like our soul guides us, she watches over Sleeping Beauty as she grows, revealing to her the beauty and care of the spiritual realm. Grateful, Sleeping Beauty calls Maleficent her “fairy god-mother”—the symbol of our caring and protective Divine Mother.
Like the the King, we continue to express our desire for control and power over others. That brings the violence and pain. When we meet the pain and evil that we have created (touch the needle) we fall into the deep sleep, the experience of betrayal the King had given the spiritual world.

Where’s the evil? There is none. It’s a change of consciousness. As Charles Fillmore said, “God, or good, is omnipresent.” The apparent evil is not real. There is no devil, no Satan. There is only power for the good. It is spiritual law. How magnificent that you have made the decision to heal, and so have stepped into the path of the pain you brought! It is one of the highest levels of what we do.

Look at what we accomplish with love. John’s gospel says, “…the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” And in Matthew, “…until heaven and earth pass away, not … one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until the law is fulfilled.” This does not mean we have to go through all the pain and suffering we have given. What comes to us is for us to meet with love. Love is the fulfillment. The kiss of true love awakens Sleeping Beauty. But it is not the Prince’s, it is Maleficent’s (our Divine Mother). Divine Love heals our pain. We awaken. It’s a new world.

The King still attacks Maleficent. Although she does not engage, he falls from the tower and dies. Duality cannot sustain itself. This is what happens when we meet it with non-resistance. Let it go; give it no more power and energy. That which presents against you has no real power over you. You are a child of the most high. All that power is within you. Nothing can stand in the way of your good. There is only one power. Again in Matthew, Jesus said, “Do not resist an evil person; turn the other cheek.” But how? Non resistance is a challenge. Repeat: I am a spiritual being living in a spiritual world governed by spiritual law. I am a spiritual being living in a spiritual world governed by spiritual law. I am a spiritual being living in a spiritual world governed by spiritual law.

Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent both become the queens of their realms (the human and the spiritual), but the barriers between are gone. It is all one kingdom. God is good all the time! God is good all the time! All the time God is good!
 

July 20, 2014 – Sleeping Beauty, Part III: Maleficent

by

7/20/14 Rev. David McArthur
Sleeping Beauty, Part III: Maleficent

“Maleficent” is the next chapter which shows our world, that appears to be dualistic, is in the end a kingdom free of pain, where we see only the Presence of the Divine. So where does pain come from?

Maleficent, when a young girl, was a winged beauty who flew to the highest levels of nature’s beauty (the spiritual realm) and displayed the “male” roles of power and protector (the soul). From the human realm came a boy, Stefan, who could still experience the spiritual world (as when we were young). They become best friends. About the age of sixteen, Stefan leaves the spiritual world behind for the “adult” world. The King could never conquer Maleficent’s realm (the spiritual) so had offered to leave his throne to who ever reeks revenge for him upon it. So in a symbol of power over another, Stefan steals Maleficent’s wings for the King—a horrible betrayal of his friendship with her.
Thus the curse from the “evil fairy” Maleficent when Sleeping Beauty is born. Our souls feel betrayed by the high level of pain and difficulty in the human experience. Without the wings, the soul is limited, unable to rise to the highest level of understanding. Maleficent must walk in the world. Yet, like our soul guides us, she watches over Sleeping Beauty as she grows, revealing to her the beauty and care of the spiritual realm. Grateful, Sleeping Beauty calls Maleficent her “fairy god-mother”—the symbol of our caring and protective Divine Mother.
Like the the King, we continue to express our desire for control and power over others. That brings the violence and pain. When we meet the pain and evil that we have created (touch the needle) we fall into the deep sleep, the experience of betrayal the King had given the spiritual world.

Where’s the evil? There is none. It’s a change of consciousness. As Charles Fillmore said, “God, or good, is omnipresent.” The apparent evil is not real. There is no devil, no Satan. There is only power for the good. It is spiritual law. How magnificent that you have made the decision to heal, and so have stepped into the path of the pain you brought! It is one of the highest levels of what we do.

Look at what we accomplish with love. John’s gospel says, “…the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” And in Matthew, “…until heaven and earth pass away, not … one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until the law is fulfilled.” This does not mean we have to go through all the pain and suffering we have given. What comes to us is for us to meet with love. Love is the fulfillment. The kiss of true love awakens Sleeping Beauty. But it is not the Prince’s, it is Maleficent’s (our Divine Mother). Divine Love heals our pain. We awaken. It’s a new world.

The King still attacks Maleficent. Although she does not engage, he falls from the tower and dies. Duality cannot sustain itself. This is what happens when we meet it with non-resistance. Let it go; give it no more power and energy. That which presents against you has no real power over you. You are a child of the most high. All that power is within you. Nothing can stand in the way of your good. There is only one power. Again in Matthew, Jesus said, “Do not resist an evil person; turn the other cheek.” But how? Non resistance is a challenge. Repeat: I am a spiritual being living in a spiritual world governed by spiritual law. I am a spiritual being living in a spiritual world governed by spiritual law. I am a spiritual being living in a spiritual world governed by spiritual law.

Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent both become the queens of their realms (the human and the spiritual), but the barriers between are gone. It is all one kingdom. God is good all the time! God is good all the time! All the time God is good!
 

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July 13, 2014 – Sleeping Beauty, Part II: One Power

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7/13/14 Rev. David McArthur
Sleeping Beauty, Part II: One Power

The “folk scripture” Sleeping Beauty is our story. We have forgotten we are children of God. Like Sleeping Beauty, everyone of us has touched that “spinning wheel” and felt pain, lack, hurt, rejection, and we have fallen asleep to the greater presence and goodness because the pain has numbed us. We need the Prince (our seeking mind) to bring the true love kiss moment. It is the acceptance of our union with the pattern of God within.

But the Prince is captured and put in chains, as we are bound by the chains of our experiences. However, his chains fall away, as do ours, when the focus is put on the truth, the Presence, through the feelings of love. The Prince picks up the Shield of Virtue, which is our capacity of choice to focus on the greater goodness, and heads into the field of thorns and cuts through them. Thorns are all the things we “have” to do, the things that are not true. Our perception makes the difference. The choice is to focus on the good.

But the mind is good at finding why we can’t. Enter the dragon, the great old God-thought of the “fear of God”. Or you feel you have to be a cynic—that’s your dragon. It is only fear.

We also looked at Jasmina Agrillo and her struggle with a brain tumor. From the brain surgery she lost all control of her body. She did discover she could see “…my heart and my brain. I could see my brain go into seizure with emotional stress. And I’d see my heart light up with the song of a bird. I could then see that energy go from my heart up to my brain. What I could see was the power of my healing heart.”

She chose to journey through the thorns up into the tower, the “secret place of the Most high,” according to Emily Cady, that “… is the point of mystical union between man and Spirit (or God in us), wherein we …feel our oneness with the Father, and we manifest this oneness.” Jasmina said, “I learned it is one thing to experience the presence of God. It is the other part of the journey to become love.” She had to reconstruct her life one small step at a time. She had to choose to bring the “true love kiss” to every thing she tried to do. She built a great new life.

Then the tumor returned. This time she chose spiritual healing. But let me be clear, surgery and medicine are equally manifestations of the Presence in healing. She chose to rebuild her goodness one choice at a time. That’s the way it is done. What ever comes up, just choose the goodness, because God is good all the time! God is good all the time! All the time God is good!

If it’s all good, then why the pain and suffering? The story tellers have brought out “Maleficent” to tell us. What is the pain and suffering for? We’ll answer that next week.
 

July 13, 2014 – Sleeping Beauty, Part II: One Power

by

7/13/14 Rev. David McArthur
Sleeping Beauty, Part II: One Power

The “folk scripture” Sleeping Beauty is our story. We have forgotten we are children of God. Like Sleeping Beauty, everyone of us has touched that “spinning wheel” and felt pain, lack, hurt, rejection, and we have fallen asleep to the greater presence and goodness because the pain has numbed us. We need the Prince (our seeking mind) to bring the true love kiss moment. It is the acceptance of our union with the pattern of God within.

But the Prince is captured and put in chains, as we are bound by the chains of our experiences. However, his chains fall away, as do ours, when the focus is put on the truth, the Presence, through the feelings of love. The Prince picks up the Shield of Virtue, which is our capacity of choice to focus on the greater goodness, and heads into the field of thorns and cuts through them. Thorns are all the things we “have” to do, the things that are not true. Our perception makes the difference. The choice is to focus on the good.

But the mind is good at finding why we can’t. Enter the dragon, the great old God-thought of the “fear of God”. Or you feel you have to be a cynic—that’s your dragon. It is only fear.

We also looked at Jasmina Agrillo and her struggle with a brain tumor. From the brain surgery she lost all control of her body. She did discover she could see “…my heart and my brain. I could see my brain go into seizure with emotional stress. And I’d see my heart light up with the song of a bird. I could then see that energy go from my heart up to my brain. What I could see was the power of my healing heart.”

She chose to journey through the thorns up into the tower, the “secret place of the Most high,” according to Emily Cady, that “… is the point of mystical union between man and Spirit (or God in us), wherein we …feel our oneness with the Father, and we manifest this oneness.” Jasmina said, “I learned it is one thing to experience the presence of God. It is the other part of the journey to become love.” She had to reconstruct her life one small step at a time. She had to choose to bring the “true love kiss” to every thing she tried to do. She built a great new life.

Then the tumor returned. This time she chose spiritual healing. But let me be clear, surgery and medicine are equally manifestations of the Presence in healing. She chose to rebuild her goodness one choice at a time. That’s the way it is done. What ever comes up, just choose the goodness, because God is good all the time! God is good all the time! All the time God is good!

If it’s all good, then why the pain and suffering? The story tellers have brought out “Maleficent” to tell us. What is the pain and suffering for? —We’ll answer that next week.
 

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July 6, 2014 – Sleeping Beauty, Part I: Soul Awakening

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7/6/14 Rev. David McArthur
Sleeping Beauty, Part I: Soul Awakening

“Sleeping Beauty” is about the awakening of our soul. In a time long ago the King and Queen celebrated the birth of their princess, but the royal baby was cursed that, on her 16th birthday, she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep. She would only be awakened by the kiss of true love. The King and Queen burned all the spinning wheels and sent Sleeping Beauty into the woods to be raised without knowing who she was. Many fairy tail characters don’t know who their parents are. We, too, lose awareness that we really are children of God. When we were children we were still in touch with the feeling of something beyond our understanding, of connection with the divine. But we were taught that that is not ok. We feel that everything belongs to God and we have no right to any of it.
 
Jasmina says in her book Mirror of My Soul, Sanctum of My Heart that she saw many parallels between herself and Sleeping Beauty. She wasn’t feeling valued or worthy. Her sense of self was quite limited. Raised by someone whose turmoil was so very hurtful, Jasmina was even afraid of being a mother to her little boy. As in the Sleeping Beauty story, a point of change comes. Sleeping Beauty meets the young Prince, and her feeling world opens to the field of knowledge. The Prince is our “knowing” side, and he knows he is a child of the King and Queen (it’s the awareness that we are heir to the divine). He’s the part of us that seeks guidance, that wants to learn.
 
Even if we don’t understand it, there’s a point where we open to changes that must take place in the soul’s growth. For Jasmina, this came with the growth of a large tumor in her brain. While in surgery, she says, “I entered a tunnel and kept falling, with illuminated hands guiding my fall to a great light. I entered it to meet an assembly of divine light beings whose grace enveloped me. I learned I had to love more. From the highest source of soul discernment, I felt joy at the great opportunity to become more love.” She experienced the knowledge of who she really is (the Prince side). The Prince also has a journey. Our thinking part seeks learning and has to experience the world of feeling (the princess side, Sleeping Beauty). Jasmina continued, “There was an explosion in my heart..I was aware of my soul as a great vibrational wave in the sea of love.”
 
Take in this knowledge so deeply that you really FEEL it. Say, “I am a beloved child of God.” “I am a beloved child of God.” “I am a beloved child of God.” Feel it so deeply that you KNOW it!

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March 2, 2014 – The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 1. Embrace

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3/2/14 Rev. David McArthur
The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 1. Embrace

Going further on our journey into the heart means admitting there are things within us we have to heal. To exist without feelings of limitation brings freedom. It’s “being in the world but not of it.” Feelings come up to protect us from pain, but there is this divine presence that will heal us. “He will heal the breasts of folk who are believers. And He will remove the anger of their hearts.” —the Qur’an 9:14-15. “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” —John, 4:16,18.

Scripture tells us what to do, but seldom how to do it. In “alternative wisdom writings” like “Winnie the Pooh”, Pooh is the part of us that wants to journey out and see what is there. Piglet is the part of us that gets frightened as we journey further into the soul, and wants to run back home. Christopher Robin is the Christ Self that, with knowledge and love, makes our Hundred Acre Woods safe. One day Pooh and Piglet are following a growing number of tracks in the snow and become afraid that there are fearsome beasts gathering. Piglet wants to run home, but then Christopher Robin calls from up above. Pooh looks up into the branches of an old oak tree. From up there Christopher Robin had seen they were following their own tracks! He admonishes Pooh for trying then to apologize for his silliness, telling Pooh he “is the best bear in all the world!”

Both scripture and Pooh are telling us that there is a presence and power within us; we can explore the tracks before us without fear. We can overcome the pain of loss, great hurt, abuse, and rejection.

I have experienced violent, sudden loss, and many of you have told me you have too. In those times nothing can distract you from your pain. Some sleepless nights I wanted to scream, but was afraid if I gave in, I might not return to sanity. At some point I asked for help and I found an understanding. I then knew the pain was great because the love was great. The pain was part of the loving, and was sacred because it brought the gift of understanding. That understanding did not feel painful, but let me see. That greater wisdom in you helps you see. I invite you to embrace your feelings. You might not give up the deepest feelings, but they will pass when the time is right. Embrace every feeling. If you suffered a great or small physical wound, you would use the tools available to you to heal. So there is an obligation to embrace all feelings. Embrace them with God’s tender love.

I embrace my feelings with God’s tender love! I embrace my feelings with God’s tender love! I embrace my feelings with God’s tender love!

That power in your heart is love. Look up into that great oak tree of God’s tender love!

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March 2, 2014 – The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 1. Embrace

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3/2/14 Rev. David McArthur

The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 1. Embrace

Going further on our journey into the heart means admitting there are things within us we have to heal. To exist without feelings of limitation brings freedom. It’s “being in the world but not of it.” Feelings come up to protect us from pain, but there is this divine presence that will heal us. “He will heal the breasts of folk who are believers. And He will remove the anger of their hearts.” —the Qur’an 9:14-15. “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” —John, 4:16,18.

Scripture tells us what to do, but seldom how to do it. In “alternative wisdom writings” like “Winnie the Pooh”, Pooh is the part of us that wants to journey out and see what is there. Piglet is the part of us that gets frightened as we journey further into the soul, and wants to run back home. Christopher Robin is the Christ Self that, with knowledge and love, makes our Hundred Acre Woods safe. One day Pooh and Piglet are following a growing number of tracks in the snow and become afraid that there are fearsome beasts gathering. Piglet wants to run home, but then Christopher Robin calls from up above. Pooh looks up into the branches of an old oak tree. From up there Christopher Robin had seen they were following their own tracks! He admonishes Pooh for trying then to apologize for his silliness, telling Pooh he “is the best bear in all the world!”

Both scripture and Pooh are telling us that there is a presence and power within us; we can explore the tracks before us without fear. We can overcome the pain of loss, great hurt, abuse, and rejection.

I have experienced violent, sudden loss, and many of you have told me you have too. In those times nothing can distract you from your pain. Some sleepless nights I wanted to scream, but was afraid if I gave in, I might not return to sanity. At some point I asked for help and I found an understanding. I then knew the pain was great because the love was great. The pain was part of the loving, and was sacred because it brought the gift of understanding. That understanding did not feel painful, but let me see. That greater wisdom in you helps you see. I invite you to embrace your feelings. You might not give up the deepest feelings, but they will pass when the time is right. Embrace every feeling. If you suffered a great or small physical wound, you would use the tools available to you to heal. So there is an obligation to embrace all feelings. Embrace them with God’s tender love.

I embrace my feelings with God’s tender love! I embrace my feelings with God’s tender love! I embrace my feelings with God’s tender love!

That power in your heart is love. Look up into that great oak tree of God’s tender love!