Lent 2016 – Day Nine – Love

Yesterday’s 2016 Lenten theme was Love. The Rev. Evelyn Foreman writes, “Like the sun, love’s joy is pure, nourishing, and continually giving.”

Susannah Conway challenged me to find heart-shaped objects or just hearts.  Love is a theme for the month of February.  Hearts, flowers, Valentine cards, and chocolate candy all have a common thread – love.

Finding the hearts has not been easy.  I have a beautiful book by Connie Smith, a cancer survivor, entitled “Never Lose Heart; hope for the journey.”  It is filled with photographs of hearts and inspiring poetry.  Slightly intimidated, I have begun my search.

 

I found: a cut paper lamp shade that has been a bedside table lamp for years, a Pennsylvania Dutch print wedding announcement, a gift from my parents;  a Pirkenhammer tea cup, originally from Czechoslovakia in the 1800’s that belonged to Mark’s grandmother;  a drawing by my granddaughter Lexi; a signed and dated poster of the Canton (MS) annual Flea Market showing hearts on the clown’s face; and a heart-shaped frame of my precious dog, Speck who shared 16 years of his life with our family.  All these heart shapes are symbols of the love that lives in my heart. (Excerpt taken from my Facebook Musing.)

 

“Love in Divine Mind, is the idea of Universal unity.  In expression, it is the power that joins and binds together the universe and everything in it.  Love is a harmonizing, constructive power.  When it is made active in consciousness, it conserves substance and reconstructs, rebuilds, and restores mankind and its world.” – Charles Fillmore

When we know the Truth we know that we are all one, that there is no separation whatsoever.  We learn by experience that love must be directed by wisdom.  God is kindness; God is love.  Loving-kindness is a word of rare compound.  Our greatest good comes in the welfare of all.  Divine love sees no distinction among persons.  When we even faintly realize the love of God, we begin to love our fellow man.

Love is more than gifts one time a year, it has no boundaries and knows no limits—it soars beyond strife or struggle.  And remember through love all things are possible.

“I am blessed by the overcoming power of love.”

~ Rev. Toni Stephens Coleman, Unity

First Day of Lent 2016

 Ash Wednesday - Denial

Negative thoughts have no power over me.  I am centered and peaceful.

Just as spring is the season for new and expanded life, Lent is a time of spiritual rebirth and renewal. It is a time for realigning ourselves with the Christ Mind and allowing ourselves to be transformed at depth.  Lent is a time for rising in consciousness to higher ground. As we ascend to the mountaintop of spiritual perspective, we see the patterns of our lives—what we want to continue and what we want to release. We call upon the Christ within to make positive changes and help us know our Oneness with God every day. ~ Unity



The challenge for me this Lenten season is to find a way to combine a spiritual rebirth and renewal as I explore my senses and look for RADIANT beams shining in and through me.  

The days are getting longer and my free time seems to be extended as well.  This seems the perfect time to challenge myself to be the person I am called to be.   Rev. Toni Stephens Coleman writes, “I have learned to put my trust not in material things, but in spiritual principle. Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore defines principle as ‘Fundamental Truth … the underlying plan by which Spirit (God) moves in expressing itself.’ ”

I cannot deny that I already know what that fundamental truth is: that I am called to live from the Divine in me.  Today I am turning to God within to guide me into my best life.

When we give no power to any thought or action that does not serve us, we are free to manifest what we truly desire in our lives.  When training a puppy, we don’t say “stop jumping up on Johnny” or “no chewing on that slipper.”  Instead, a simple “Stop” or “No” is all that is required.  The same is true for stopping thoughts or actions that don’t serve us. Whether I’m making a conscious decision to lose weight, eat healthier, meditate longer, walk farther, sing louder, or shout to the world my joy, I know deep in my heart what is right for me.  I turn away from a belief of negative thoughts to the spirit of Divine love where anything is possible.

“The Divine Light within is infusing all my surroundings with a delightful spirit of

wisdom, dignity, and peace.” ~ Charles Fillmore