healing

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.
 

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June 22, 2014 – Location, Location, Location!

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Sheila Gautreaux, L.U.T.
Location, Location, Location! 

After rapidly outgrowing their old location a highly successful business celebrated opening day at their new location. A large floral bouquet arrived with a card that read, “Rest in Peace.” The owner immediately called the florist who apologized profusely. Hoping to shift the business owner’s attention, the florist pointed out, “Imagine how the mourners at the funeral home on the other side of town are feeling about the card on the bouquet they got that says, ‘Congratulations on your new location!’”

The parable about the farmer sowing seed is all about hearing and listening. The four locations where the seeds fell represent the four types of listening (hearers) and the reception we give the seeds (words of Truth). Hearing is automatic, and for those without any impairment it requires no effort. However, listening is a conscious choice, a process that requires focus, concentration, and intention to open and receive. From those that listen to words without “getting it” (location 1) to those that have done their inner work and are ready to listen to the words of Truth, guidance, and direction (location 4), God’s Guidance/Truth will either be inconsequential or powerful and life-transforming. The fourth place where the seeds fell—the fertile ground—represents the people that have begun to heal the inner challenges within before applying the principles to their outer lives. We give it to ourselves first before we seek an outer effect. It requires that we listen with authenticity—beyond the chaos and noise. The still small voice within continues to speak, and give us all the tools we need to deal with the world and our lives. It is a key to the Kingdom. Bring out the Kingdom in your life. Take the Words of Truth into your heart, and then to the outer. Affirm, “I listen with my heart and the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed for me.” “I listen with my heart and the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed for me.” “I listen with my heart and the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed for me.”

June 22, 2014 – Location, Location, Location!

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6/22/14 Sheila Gautreaux, L.U.T.
Location, Location, Location! 

After rapidly outgrowing their old location a highly successful business celebrated opening day at their new location. A large floral bouquet arrived with a card that read, “Rest in Peace.” The owner immediately called the florist who apologized profusely. Hoping to shift the business owner’s attention, the florist pointed out, “Imagine how the mourners at the funeral home on the other side of town are feeling about the card on the bouquet they got that says, ‘Congratulations on your new location!’”

The parable about the farmer sowing seed is all about hearing and listening. The four locations where the seeds fell represent the four types of listening (hearers) and the reception we give the seeds (words of Truth). Hearing is automatic, and for those without any impairment it requires no effort. However, listening is a conscious choice, a process that requires focus, concentration, and intention to open and receive. From those that listen to words without “getting it” (location 1) to those that have done their inner work and are ready to listen to the words of Truth, guidance, and direction (location 4), God’s Guidance/Truth will either be inconsequential or powerful and life-transforming. The fourth place where the seeds fell—the fertile ground—represents the people that have begun to heal the inner challenges within before applying the principles to their outer lives. We give it to ourselves first before we seek an outer effect. It requires that we listen with authenticity—beyond the chaos and noise. The still small voice within continues to speak, and give us all the tools we need to deal with the world and our lives. It is a key to the Kingdom. Bring out the Kingdom in your life. Take the Words of Truth into your heart, and then to the outer. Affirm, “I listen with my heart and the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed for me.” “I listen with my heart and the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed for me.” “I listen with my heart and the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed for me.”

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May 25, 2014 – I Pray YES!

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NOTE: Owing to technical difficulties, there are audio drop outs during the first 5 minutes of this message.

5/25/14 Sheila Gautreaux, L.U.T.
I Pray YES! 

In Unity, we use affirmative prayer. In fact, Unity was co-founded by Myrtle Fillmore, who healed her tuberculosis with affirmative prayer. She had heard that “God is never sick.” That as children of God, we are made in the image and likeness of God, and inherit the characteristics of God. Therefore we can never be sick.

“Affirmative prayer is a form of prayer or metaphysical technique that is focused on a positive outcome rather than a negative situation.” (Wikipedia) It is understanding the nature of God and our relationship to God.

Affirmative prayer is a combination of affirmations and denials. Denials are a positive way to address the situation; a disavowal that the negative situation has any power to diminish or weaken us, that it has no power over us. The negative situation is true, but it is not the Truth of our being. Affirmations are statements of Truth of the life we want to live into.

Suppose I got fired. Denial doesn’t mean I can go back to work tomorrow. It means that being fired doesn’t diminish me or keep me down. Affirm your Truth and move from your head to your heart.

If you are so low that all you’ve got is begging and pleading with God, go for it until you get to a place of healing and you can go forward, until you can affirm the Truth and the possibilities. Then, disavow the possibility that it can bring you down, and affirm your Truth and power. But what about when you do it and it isn’t working? If it is not working, go back and see what’s within you that might be holding this up. Is it fear or doubt, or even old beliefs learned in childhood?

The steps are:

1.  Affirm your Truth! Write your affirmation. Make copies and post them on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, in your car, and at the office. Each day you will see these positive truths and they will sink in. Or you can say an affirmation 7 times a day for 21 continuous days. You are bringing the negative from the head to the heart, and “God hears the prayers of the heart.”  

2. Believe your affirmative prayer! Say, “I no longer believe (that); I believe (this)!”

3. And remember, gratitude is the most powerful prayer!

4. Release it to God. You don’t have to tell God over and over and over!

Now look around—see what we have created! Everything you see was at one time a divine idea that then appeared in the mind of man.

Affirmative prayer is to say, “Yes!” to the Truth of God and your being. Declare, I say YES! I say YES! I say YES! And I promise you, beloved, that “goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life!” God bless you!

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May 25, 2014 – I Pray YES!

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5/25/14 Sheila Gautreaux, L.U.T.
I Pray YES! 

In Unity, we use affirmative prayer. In fact, Unity was co-founded by Myrtle Fillmore, who healed her tuberculosis with affirmative prayer. She had heard that “God is never sick.” That as children of God, we are made in the image and likeness of God, and inherit the characteristics of God. Therefore we can never be sick.

“Affirmative prayer is a form of prayer or metaphysical technique that is focused on a positive outcome rather than a negative situation.” (Wikipedia) It is understanding the nature of God and our relationship to God.

Affirmative prayer is a combination of affirmations and denials. Denials are a positive way to address the situation; a disavowal that the negative situation has any power to diminish or weaken us, that it has no power over us. The negative situation is true, but it is not the Truth of our being. Affirmations are statements of Truth of the life we want to live into.

Suppose I got fired. Denial doesn’t mean I can go back to work tomorrow. It means that being fired doesn’t diminish me or keep me down. Affirm your Truth and move from your head to your heart.

If you are so low that all you’ve got is begging and pleading with God, go for it until you get to a place of healing and you can go forward, until you can affirm the Truth and the possibilities. Then, disavow the possibility that it can bring you down, and affirm your Truth and power. But what about when you do it and it isn’t working? If it is not working, go back and see what’s within you that might be holding this up. Is it fear or doubt, or even old beliefs learned in childhood?

The steps are:

1.  Affirm your Truth! Write your affirmation. Make copies and post them on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, in your car, and at the office. Each day you will see these positive truths and they will sink in. Or you can say an affirmation 7 times a day for 21 continuous days. You are bringing the negative from the head to the heart, and “God hears the prayers of the heart.”  

2. Believe your affirmative prayer! Say, “I no longer believe (that); I believe (this)!”

3. And remember, gratitude is the most powerful prayer!

4. Release it to God. You don’t have to tell God over and over and over!

Now look around—see what we have created! Everything you see was at one time a divine idea that then appeared in the mind of man.

Affirmative prayer is to say, “Yes!” to the Truth of God and your being. Declare, I say YES! I say YES! I say YES! And I promise you, beloved, that “goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life!” God bless you!

April 13, 2014 – The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 6. Ask & Appreciate

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4/13/14 Rev. David McArthur
The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 6. Ask & Appreciate

We have been hurt. We feel we’re not ok, not good enough. We have loss by death, and the death of dreams. It hurts. We’ve hurt others. We carry that pain too. And when we say “There is only one presence and one power, the all-loving goodness of God”, a part of us says, “I doubt it”.This part says God isn’t good all the time. But we say it not because at that point we believe it to be true, we say it to take and move our attention away from what’s too difficult, too draining, too hurtful for us to live in, and start heading in a different direction. I wanted it to be true when I first experienced deep pain; I asked to know. I saw the presence of a God of infinite love, that the pain I carried was immersed in love. And it healed. Now it took me a while to understand that there was present a love that could heal me and free me, and that what I had experienced was only the goodness of God.

Over the past weeks I have shared with you the steps of the HeartMath tool called CutThru. The steps are a cascade of heart feelings and energies, a single flow to a point of wholeness. Each step is a powerful spiritual tool in it’s own right, but they lead us to where we soak the pain in the love that is within us. It brings the healing. The first step: embrace your pain. What love it is to look at that part of us that is so hurt and say yes, you are there. Next, turn on the power of your spiritual being through your heart: breathe love. It opens us to this flow, this infinite power and transformative energy within the universe. Once you are in that powerful spiritual place, step up to the eagle view and see what is there. Tremendous wisdom within brings clarity. It is the descent of light into darkness. From there pull the feelings into the heart and hold them there in neutral. Not finding them good or bad, not needing to suppress them nor empower them. Then soak them in love through compassion for yourself. An amazing thing happens—the self, in its pain for so long, begins to experience peace. It heals. Sometimes it’s the first time you do it; sometimes the tenth. Then you ask for the wisdom and guidance that is there. This isn’t a guidance technique, it is a healing focus. But sometimes when I go there and I ask, Spirit begins to show me how to make changes.

To complete it, to let it move deep into the cells and anchor within, use the power of appreciation. Say yes, this is now my reality. I am whole. I am no longer the instrument of pain. I am the instrument of love. Receive it with open-hearted gratitude and appreciation. I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful. Let it move deep deep into your consciousness.

Picture the whale that was so entangled in fishing nets it was surely going to drown. For hours divers cut each rope with great care until finally the whale was free. In it’s freedom, it circled the divers many times, then went to each one and touched him, “I am grateful.” And the next, “I am grateful.” To each one, “I am grateful.” And it went away, free. We’re going away free, acknowledging the deep deep deep gratitude on our hearts for this love, this power that brings us to whole. I don’t begin to understand, but I know it’s there, and I know it’s real, and I am grateful. Join me, I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful. Whatever it is, there is a power and presence in you that is pure radiant love. It is wholeness, and it brings forth its wholeness within us. And for that, in my life, and in yours, I am grateful!

April 13, 2014 – The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 6. Ask & Appreciate

by

4/13/14 Rev. David McArthur
The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 6. Ask & Appreciate

We have been hurt. We feel we’re not ok, not good enough. We have loss by death, and the death of dreams. It hurts. We’ve hurt others. We carry that pain too. And when we say “There is only one presence and one power, the all-loving goodness of God”, a part of us says, “I doubt it”.This part says God isn’t good all the time. But we say it not because at that point we believe it to be true, we say it to take and move our attention away from what’s too difficult, too draining, too hurtful for us to live in, and start heading in a different direction. I wanted it to be true when I first experienced deep pain; I asked to know. I saw the presence of a God of infinite love, that the pain I carried was immersed in love. And it healed. Now it took me a while to understand that there was present a love that could heal me and free me, and that what I had experienced was only the goodness of God.

Over the past weeks I have shared with you the steps of the HeartMath tool called CutThru. The steps are a cascade of heart feelings and energies, a single flow to a point of wholeness. Each step is a powerful spiritual tool in it’s own right, but they lead us to where we soak the pain in the love that is within us. It brings the healing. The first step: embrace your pain. What love it is to look at that part of us that is so hurt and say yes, you are there. Next, turn on the power of your spiritual being through your heart: breathe love. It opens us to this flow, this infinite power and transformative energy within the universe. Once you are in that powerful spiritual place, step up to the eagle view and see what is there. Tremendous wisdom within brings clarity. It is the descent of light into darkness. From there pull the feelings into the heart and hold them there in neutral. Not finding them good or bad, not needing to suppress them nor empower them. Then soak them in love through compassion for yourself. An amazing thing happens—the self, in its pain for so long, begins to experience peace. It heals. Sometimes it’s the first time you do it; sometimes the tenth. Then you ask for the wisdom and guidance that is there. This isn’t a guidance technique, it is a healing focus. But sometimes when I go there and I ask, Spirit begins to show me how to make changes.

To complete it, to let it move deep into the cells and anchor within, use the power of appreciation. Say yes, this is now my reality. I am whole. I am no longer the instrument of pain. I am the instrument of love. Receive it with open-hearted gratitude and appreciation. I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful. Let it move deep deep into your consciousness.

Picture the whale that was so entangled in fishing nets it was surely going to drown. For hours divers cut each rope with great care until finally the whale was free. In it’s freedom, it circled the divers many times, then went to each one and touched him, “I am grateful.” And the next, “I am grateful.” To each one, “I am grateful.” And it went away, free. We’re going away free, acknowledging the deep deep deep gratitude on our hearts for this love, this power that brings us to whole. I don’t begin to understand, but I know it’s there, and I know it’s real, and I am grateful. Join me, I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful. Whatever it is, there is a power and presence in you that is pure radiant love. It is wholeness, and it brings forth its wholeness within us. And for that, in my life, and in yours, I am grateful!

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March 23, 2014 – The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 3. Understanding

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Tsu3/23/14 Rev. David McArthur
The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 3. Understanding

On our journey to be free the first step is Embrace your feelings, especially the ones not in harmony, identified by that reactive pain. When they come up, there is healing to do. Then turn on the power of the heart by Breathing Love. Today step three, Spiritual Understanding. It’s divine objectivity. It’s in the heart because love is there, God is there, and there is intelligence and light.

I found myself filled with anxiety and a very strong feeling to get away from a conference that I really wanted to attend. Feelings are something we experience, but are not our nature. It was time I healed my feelings. So I took time to be alone. I turned on the power of my heart and spent five beautiful minutes breathing love. Then I asked for understanding. Within that love is the wisdom to truly see. When we look at ourselves through the head it is judgmental. The brain loves right and wrong. We feel guilt, fear, blame. That’s why we don’t like to look at ourselves. But I was in my heart, breathing love, opening to Spirit, to the heart’s deep understanding. It is enlightening, compassionate. Wholeness is it’s nature because Divine Presence is wholeness.

We know a secret: God is good all the time —even when it doesn’t feel like it. There are those who are healed just by the spiritual power when they open to compassion. A young missionary found she was increasingly unhappy, even depressed. She didn’t know she could just go in and turn on the power by breathing love. But she prayed, asking for help, a beautiful expression of self love. She opened to that until she could the feel love. She asked for understanding. She then understood it wasn’t her dream, but her parents’. She needed to go home and attend to her own needs. She was freed of her unhappiness.

The medicine wheel is a wonderful part of the Native American teaching. One of its four directions is Eagle. This young lady had the experience of Eagle, seeing from above. Emily Cady put it this way: “Understanding is a spiritual birth, a revelation of God within the heart of man.” It’s a greater vision from God through the power of the heart. The Taoist, Lao Tzu, said, “The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision…His heart is open as the sky.”

Affirm Breathing love, I open to understanding. In a quiet moment in your day, ask, “Were there recent times when pain or emotions not in harmony came up?” Then Breathe Love. That openness is the opening to the beautiful, powerful individual you are. It brings understanding to everything in our lives!

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March 23, 2014 – The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 3. Understanding

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3/23/14 Rev. David McArthur
The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 3. Understanding

On our journey to be free the first step is Embrace your feelings, especially the ones not in harmony, identified by that reactive pain. When they come up, there is healing to do. Then turn on the power of the heart by Breathing Love. Today step three, Spiritual Understanding. It’s divine objectivity. It’s in the heart because love is there, God is there, and there is intelligence and light.

I found myself filled with anxiety and a very strong feeling to get away from a conference that I really wanted to attend. Feelings are something we experience, but are not our nature. It was time I healed my feelings. So I took time to be alone. I turned on the power of my heart and spent five beautiful minutes breathing love. Then I asked for understanding. Within that love is the wisdom to truly see. When we look at ourselves through the head it is judgmental. The brain loves right and wrong. We feel guilt, fear, blame. That’s why we don’t like to look at ourselves. But I was in my heart, breathing love, opening to Spirit, to the heart’s deep understanding. It is enlightening, compassionate. Wholeness is it’s nature because Divine Presence is wholeness.

We know a secret: God is good all the time —even when it doesn’t feel like it. There are those who are healed just by the spiritual power when they open to compassion. A young missionary found she was increasingly unhappy, even depressed. She didn’t know she could just go in and turn on the power by breathing love. But she prayed, asking for help, a beautiful expression of self love. She opened to that until she could the feel love. She asked for understanding. She then understood it wasn’t her dream, but her parents’. She needed to go home and attend to her own needs. She was freed of her unhappiness.

The medicine wheel is a wonderful part of the Native American teaching. One of its four directions is Eagle. This young lady had the experience of Eagle, seeing from above. Emily Cady put it this way: “Understanding is a spiritual birth, a revelation of God within the heart of man.” It’s a greater vision from God through the power of the heart. The Taoist, Lau Tsu, said, “The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision…His heart is open as the sky.”

Affirm Breathing love, I open to understanding. In a quiet moment in your day, ask, “Were there recent times when pain or emotions not in harmony came up?” Then Breathe Love. That openness is the opening to the beautiful, powerful individual you are. It brings understanding to everything in our lives!

March 16, 2014 – The Most Powerful Partnership

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3/16/14 Rev. Rita Marie Johnson
The Most Powerful Partnership

Have you ever gotten stuck on your spiritual path? Did some old stuff come up, or maybe you just got bored? Me too. I wanted inspiration and growth! So I started searching. I found a partnership within, a two-step process.

The first part is Empathy. It is respectful understanding of what others are feeling. When we name our feelings and needs, we empathize with ourselves. When we guess what others are feeling, we are empathizing with them.

The second part of the equation is Insight, which comes from being in Coherence. A few years ago I could not breathe through the left side of my nose. It was quite uncomfortable. The doctors only gave me slight, temporary relief. Then I remembered my two steps. I named my feelings and needs in this regard, and I went into coherence in my heart and asked. I got a surprising insight—that I should stand on my head! But I acted on my insight, and went to the corner of the room and stood on my head for as long as I could. I actually could breathe a bit better. I did it again, and then again, and I got total relief! It is answered prayer. It is Spirit speaking through your heart.

Insight needs empathy to keep it humble. Otherwise, we could get really arrogant. And empathy needs insight to lift us out of misery, or we would be overloaded with the feelings of others. When the two are put together, the synergy propels our spiritual growth forward. It’s growth with joy.

Myrtle Fillmore got stuck at one point in healing herself. She used this process in her way, and got an insight: “Look among your virtues.” She had felt it was a virtue keeping her feelings to herself. With this insight, however, she determined to deal with a feeling “before I swallowed it and it made me ill.” She used this method that has now been proven by science, and her healing was complete.

That’s how life gets better. Jesus also taught this two step process. In Mark 20, verse 30, Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” Feel the deep connection in your heart with God. Coherence leads to insight. In verse 31, He said, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is guessing the feelings and needs of your neighbor, empathy. “There is no commandment greater than these.” There is no greater way to live than this. It accelerates our spiritual growth joyfully because we have our two partners within us all the time.

Before directing the lightening in the sky we must first harness the storms in our own hearts. We can bring ourselves out of unnecessary suffering. We can make it so! Amen.