Tag Archives: Release

NO-FAULT RESOLUTIONS: THE RE-MIX

December 30, 2017 #lovingfactor Leave a comment

I’m glad to be in 2017, meditating, dancing, creating, establishing, loving, laughing, eating, exercising, giving, and growing into 2018.
I feel blessed to have an opportunity to resolve yet again that I’m going to do something to make my life and the lives of others better. I choose to use the energy of this season to recognize the infinite power in me to demonstrate the awesome presence, wisdom and grace of love.
This is my dance: one of absolute good, expressing itself as the most loving person I can be. In this infinite light of love, I resolve to be worry-free, debt-free, guilt-free, shame-free, blame-free, doubt-free – living a life of moments rather than mere days, but moments that are mindful about breathing in nothing but the pure power of possibility. Like Joseph in the ancient, sacred text (Genesis 50:20), I like that even what somebody else intends for evil, God simply blesses me with, without ceasing. I, like Jesus Christ, can call it all good (John 7:24): the appearances bless me, bless us, restore us.
Here and now, I am liberated to love the power of Spirit like nothing else: to love it morning, noon and night and in that well-spring of love to be the best that I am called to be. I am liberated from any requirement as to what form or shape my “best” will take. The blessing is in the divine idea of simply being.
How liberating it is to walk into the New Year unencumbered by mistakes or regret. How great it is to know that the truth that sets us free is being one with now. The truth is that we are one with absolute good right now – good that is always expressing in, as and through us. The truth is that the pure consciousness of God radiates through every cell of our body, awareness of our mind and expansion of our soul. The truth is that God really does do the work that we are appointed to do. The truth is that Spirit opens new doors, creates new circumstances, and gives us what we need before we even ask. In this consciousness of grace, we can release needing, wanting or desiring and instead accept the infinite blessings that the universe is breathing through each one of us.
I resolve to forgive myself for everything I started to do but didn’t, wanted to do but forgot, or did do but failed to appreciate. If I can’t do it, I won’t. If I must do it, I’ll try. If I don’t do it – well, there’s always next time. The good thing about forgiveness is that we can do it right now, and it’s done. I release all obligations, all debts and all concerns of myself and others. Yes, I forgive seventy times seven, and in the energy of the seven of completion, I let go and move forward to do the greater things that I must do, can do, and will do.
I leap into the awareness that I am free in the fluid stream of absolute good and marvelous in the manifestation that my goals are accomplished the moment that I claim them: the rest of the time is merely the process that I must grow through to accept their completion. Here is to perfect health, wholeness and mindful acceptance of beauty, movement, lifting, energy and grace.

I resolve to love, and this resolution to be the pure power of love everywhere present expresses itself right now. This is a no-brainer: a simple truth that can be used to harmonize any situation. I am love right now, and I love unconditionally. The bible can be summed up in this one resolution: love. As John said, God is love. I allow the loving energy of God to express in, as and through me right now.
I resolve to laugh. We can’t take ourselves too seriously. Otherwise, we will stop the endless flow of God’s good due to our own rigidity. When we take ourselves too seriously, we do not keep our consciousness open to receive the blessings that are always calling us. We place boundaries before blessings. But with laughter, we are blessed to not hold grudges, to wear the world as a lose garment, to refuse to worry about what others think of us.
I resolve to dream. Dreaming of endless possibilities and inexhaustible supply is the gift of being alive. This is another resolution that is not confined by 365 days; we can dream right now and be done with it. Or we can continue to be anointed by the grace of God’s favor dreaming through us. It’s our choice: to be given the gift of dreaming Spirit’s divine call whenever we desire. I resolve to dream as often as I desire, stepping well beyond the conventionality of the box in which I thought I was limited. Spirit gives shape to divine intention through our dreams.
I resolve to give. This is the answer to the question that is always asked: what is my purpose in life? The truth is that I am here to give. When we are consciously aware that we are here to bless, we stop holding back our good and instead give. Give smiles. Give hellos. Give thank yous and you’re welcomes. Give encouragement, handwritten notes, high fives, subway fare, spare change. Give secretly, for nothing in return – not even the right to say, “I gave.” We don’t even have to keep track of when we have to give. Giving feels so good that the universe will provide so many opportunities that we don’t even have to be aware of them.
I resolve to listen. We are all one with the pure consciousness of God speaking everywhere present. We just haven’t taken the time to listen. Listening hears the whole being of God emanating as us. We listen every day to www.mindfulnessgroup.blog. We listen to the eternal breath of Spirit move through us as the completion of all good. This resolution can be accomplished right now, in a single breath. Breathing in, I listen. Breathing out, I hear. Listening has no agenda: we just are.
I resolve to create. The truth is the “I” that creates is the “I AM” of God energizing, igniting and enjoying life in endless shapes, forms and dimensions. No need to worry about the old ideas; the universe is filled with new ones. By resolving to create, we open our consciousness to allow Spirit to co-create through us. No need to judge our creations. Creativity is bigger than us. Whether we witness it or not, God’s good is always using us to bless others. In the power of this resolution, we allow ourselves – here and now – to be the conduit of change and transformation.
I resolve to heal. This resolution only requires the acceptance of grace. In grace, we are whole. In grace, we are lifted from our mats of affliction and realize that there is no sickness, illness, frailty or infirmity in the kingdom of God. Right here and now, we accomplish the wholeness of Spirit and know that we are well. We can look in the mirror of Christ consciousness and see ourselves as we really are.
I resolve to grow. The humility of not knowing is a constant blessing. I study the truth that sets me free. The teachers that I need reveal themselves to me. The books that I must read fall from wisdom’s shelves and open without prodding. My eyes fall on the perfect words. The students who bless me with guidance appear. The journeys that I must take provide new paths. The questions that I must raise ask themselves. The epiphany of realization always blesses us.
I resolve to harvest. We take advantage of so much that we have not worked for. This is the season – right where we are – to reap what we have not sown. We are enjoying so much for little that we take it for granted. This season, I will open my eyes and experience each blessing: the beautiful apples, the smell of butternut squash soup, the rising of the sun, the solitude of the darkness, the tapestry of autumn leaves, the sound of waves at the shore. Every day of the year, we can celebrate the harvest of the kingdom in whatever form or shape it takes.
I resolve to praise. In fact, I praise and give thanks right now. I give praise and thanks for health of mind, body and soul. I give praise and thanks for my family – my marital, biological, spiritual, and work family and friends. I give praise and thanks for the daily manna that God gives me to take care of every need. I give praise and thanks for this country and this world and for the ability to keep everyone in the universe raised in perfect success.
I resolve to enjoy. This is not going to be a month where I look back with regret or criticism because I enjoyed life a little too much. I saved a little less, spent a bit more or just chilled out. I resolve here and now that I will enjoy life – every tree, every manger, every carol, every taste of pleasure created for our benefit. This, too, will I resolve to do each month and at every opportunity. I will visit, celebrate, cook, dance, sing, swim, hike, run, drive, write, draw, paint, participate, preach, lift, work, walk, shop, and play by enjoying life.
In 2015, I declared that no-fault resolutions can’t go wrong because we are relieved from the responsibility of doing any more than what we will. This re-mix recognizes that nothing is required except to lift up the awareness of Spirit moving through our lives each and every moment except to be still, and know. In this awareness: I resolve to be one with each moment, and I let go of everyone and everything.

In letting go, I welcome each moment as a new me.

Happy New You!!!

Center in Power

WHEN THE SERVANT BECOMES THE MASTER – Part 8 – Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself

April 29, 2017 #lovingfactor Leave a comment

TO LISTEN TO PART 8 OF THE STUDY GROUP, CLICK HERE

This audio tape is the studied chapter from the book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, by Joe Dispenza, which you can purchase on Amazon. We are also excerpting the music of Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai: “Service” and “Call to Enchantment,” which can be purchased on i-Tunes.

We will continue next Monday calls at 8 PM, by calling 218-936-4986, pass code 48201.

We also discussed The Ultimate Secret to Getting Absolutely Everything You Want by Michael Hernacki, which says in order to accomplish something, you must be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish it. When you form an intention and keep fast to it, you will eventually achieve the results you want. An open mind is receptive to the possible, the untried, the unproven. It doesn’t make judgments. It doesn’t make excuses for why things cannot be. It doesn’t refuse what is asked of it, no matter how illogical the request may seem. You only two things: 1. A clear idea of what you want (an objective). It’s helpful to write down what you want in words that are as specific as you can make them. 2. Commitment. This, like willingness, is an attitude, a feeling of confidence that you’ll continue to pursue what you want, no matter what happens, a firm belief that what you want is so desirable and so important to you that, in the end, it will be worth doing whatever you must do to get it.
Enjoy our other websites uplifting a consciousness of grace at http://www.spiritmuvmeditation.com (we are on over 1000 days of a meditation challenge); http://www.spiritmuvvideo.com (we post videos for our Miracle Minute Meditation, as well as our Metaphysical Bible Journey); http://www.spiritmuvblog.com (where we continue to uplift our community of growth in consciousness); http://www.myrtletreepress.webs.com (our publishing website); and http://www.spiritmuv.com (our main website).

Center in Power

IT IS TIME FOR A SPIRITUAL RENEWAL INVENTORY

February 6, 2016 #lovingfactor Leave a comment

2 – WHAT AM I?

6 – WHAT DO I WANT TO BE?

USE THIS TIME FOR SPIRITUAL RENEWAL TO CHANGE AND KEEP REVITALIZING YOUR LIFE.

REV. LOVING ALSO OFFERS FOR SALE ON AMAZON A NEW JOURNAL TO HELP REFLECT AS YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS: SEEING MYSELF AS GOD SEES ME.

Spirit

SEE WITH A NEW LIGHT By Cecilia Loving

June 7, 2011 #lovingfactor Leave a comment

This is an excerpt from the book GOD IS A BROWN GIRL TOO, available on the God is a Brown Girl Too website, Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Here God speaks as a black woman — Listen!

She sings melodies from psalms
only she can hum,
Galilee on her tongue.
speaking from that city on a hill,
singing “this ‘lil light of mine —
I’m gon’ let it shine.”

***

Many of you have been telling the same stories for so long that you no longer know truth from fiction. By that I mean, you have no idea who you really are versus the you were in the past. The “you” who has been hurt, abused, neglected, rejected, or condemned has been given a starring role in your life story, while you have taken a back seat. You will never be able to see me, if you keep holding up the past to impair your vision of all who you are. The only way you are going to see me reflected in your image and likeness is to tell a new story. Throw away the mess you’ve been wading in forever and start looking at yourself with a new light.

You are not who you were yesterday. Let me say that again, the you who just opened this book is not the “you” who did all of the things that you believe held you back from accomplishing your goals. You are different; you are reborn; you are free. Begin to see yourself with a new light.

Read the Book of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 22. It says that “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” It is providing you with a new vision for seeing all of the circumstances and people that I have placed before you in this life. The things in the flesh are around you but they are not of you. I am the only thing that matters. Look only to me. Seek first my kingdom. Wait upon me.

If you see with a new light, you will know that I am in the midst of everything and everyone, and you will be able to discern my presence. But you can’t have it both ways. You can’t see me half the time and get stuck in a rut the other time. Your eye must be single and focused on me. Otherwise, you will multiply your errors, lose your perspective, and do foolish things. You will say what you later regret. You will waste time that could have been well spent in a more focused, productive, enjoyable fashion. You will act out of negative emotions rather than with confidence and purpose.

When you fail to keep your focus on Spirit, you will find yourselves like that beggar on the roadside — blinded by your lack of faith. Remember what Jesus told the blind man? Jesus said your faith has made you whole. The blind man’s faith in me had made him see. If your eye is single, your whole body shall be full of light. But if you are not centered in my light, your direction, your intuition, our divine compass will be off, and you will find yourselves stumbling in the darkness. Without my light, it’s difficult to recreate a new story for yourself because you cannot see who you really are.

Spirit is the light that unifies you in consciousness and centers you in peace, clarity, creativity, joy and abundance. Only when you are centered in me do you realize your oneness with the entire universe. If you achieve this going forward, you will not be limited the way that you were in the past. You will realize that the heartache or the pain that you experienced can be released and you can stop re-living it again and begin to recreate who you want to be rather than who you used to be.

One way of centering in my presence is through the third eye, which can be accessed by focusing on the center of your forehead. The pineal gland — located in the brain behind the eyes — is said to be the physical entry of spiritual enlightenment, and through that illumination, it is also known as the gateway to faith. It is the home of higher consciousness, healing power, and psychic perception. Some say that this is the place where you see God face-to-face. When you practice looking deeply into your third eye, you will behold my light emanating from infinite source, what many of you call a cosmic vibration. When you are centered in this divine light, you can be even more open to my presence — beyond words and thoughts. When you focus your spiritual eye, your inner eye, your third eye on my presence, your entire being — mind, body and soul — will be filled with light. This is the energy and the concentration that will also build and develop your faith — so that you don’t have to spend a long period in tapping in or tuning in to me.

In our connection, you will feel the super-consciousness of absolute good and trust that whatever you ask for has already manifested. With a single eye directed to divine source, you will be catapulted beyond asking to believing that whatever you ask for, you receive. You will be able to walk by faith in me, which is more important than mere physical sight.

Copyrighted 2011 by Cecilia B. Loving
All Rights Reserved.
Nothing on this blog can be used without the author’s written permission.

Spirit

NOT AGAIN By Cecilia Loving

January 27, 2011 #lovingfactor Leave a comment

Okay, I admit it. Just before Christmas, I prayed for snow. It wasn’t a long or involved prayer — just a mantra that I kept on the edge of my tongue, a vision that lingered at the forefront of my thoughts. And perhaps just once, I actually said: “I wish it would snow.” Or maybe I said it twice. At this point, I can’t remember because now I just wish it would stop. Yes, I am actually knee-deep in the answer to my prayers sighing — “not again.”

Prayer opens a spigot of God’s good that can’t be turned off at whim. The Universe wants to give us what we want — especially if there is no harm to anyone else. Why shouldn’t we want snow? Agriculturalists tell us that it is an excellent insulator for gardens, protecting natural landscape and animal inhabitants against low temperatures.

We may get tired of putting on our UGGS, but the wintery white stuff provides the necessary moisture to plants that would be at a risk of injury without it.

My favorite drink is water, which is also what I use in my showers and baths — not to mention for cleaning dishes and doing laundry. While some may think that 10 inches of snow equals 1 inch of rain, it can actually contain as much as 5 inches, depending on the snowflake’s crystal structure. Slow snow melts cause trickles that seep into the earth to purify water for drinking.

Calm winter snows wrap God’s grace around us, reminding us to go within. Beneath the snow, we transform. We wait. We learn to ask for what we want and to be courageous enough to receive it. We remember that we are no more than tiny specks in the cosmic flow of spiritual breath. We slow down, like each unique crystal dancing from heaven to the ground, realizing that we need to enjoy the process before we melt in the crack of someone’s boot. Our journey shows us the presence of God in everything: laughter at falls when we know we can get up again; releasing the past when we trust that we just move forward; brushing ourselves off when we discover patience with each step that we take.

Proverbs doesn’t say “not again”; it says “[s]he is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed.” When we are clothed in the Spirit, we have all of the protection that we need. I was outside yesterday when the first flake fell. I saw the Holy Ghost pull the good out of souls, saw them help each other push cars, balance over piles and navigate subway stairways.

Isaiah doesn’t say “not again”; he says “[m]y word . . . is like . . . snow. It will not come back to me without results, but it will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do.” When we speak God’s word, it always returns a blessing. When we give of ourselves, God throws “open the floodgates of heaven and pour[s] out so much good that there is not room enough to receive it.”

How are you embracing this extraordinary manna of God? Are you ready for living water to fall into your life? Do you stop long enough to grin at the spectacular show of new life unfolding in the air around you? Watch what you say and what you wish for: words always have a way of returning. The universal ethers are full of your hopeful longings, just waiting for the right nudge into manifestation.

So when you see the snowflakes cover every shape and form, say with assurance “in God we live and move and have our being.” When you feel the first flakes melt on your tongue, say “be still and know that I am God.” When you realize that you are knee-deep in Absolute Good, refrain from mumbling “not again” — just spin an angel out of flapping arms, fashion white balls of cold slush, or step gracefully through the abundance of this season, and say “glory, glory, hallelujah.”

Namaste,

Reverend Cecilia Loving

About SPIRITMUV: Spiritmuv® is a trans-denominational church, which means that it transcends the confines of religion and teaches unconditional love for one another regardless of race, creed, culture, or religion. At the heart of its teachings is what Jesus taught — that we love one another, as well as the community that Mahatma Ghandi inspired when he said, “I am a Christian and a Muslim and a Hindu and a Jew.” Reverend Cecilia Loving is the founder and creator of Spiritmuv, which was formed in 2007. Services are held for an hour every Sunday, from 2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. at the Unity Center of NYC, located at 213 West 58th Street.

Rev. Loving, author of Prayers for Those Standing in the Edge of Greatness, is the sole owner, creator and administrator of God is a Brown Girl Too®, which holds annual retreats and workshops. The next God is a Brown Girl Too Retreat will be held April 1-3, 2011, at the Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center.

None of the content herein may be copied or otherwise used except with Reverend Loving’s written permission.

Join the Spiritmuv Community at www.Spiritmuv.ning.com for special postings by Rev. Loving.

GOD IS A BROWN GIRL TOO® “CREATING BEYOND THE BOX OF CONVENTIONALITY ” RETREAT
will take place in the Spring of 2011
from April 1 at 5:00 P.M. through April 3 at 1:00 P.M.

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy the peace, serenity and creative consciousness of a like-minded group of women of color at the Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center, located at 299 North Highland Avenue, in Ossining, New York. All rooms are single and surrounded by the loving prayers of the Dominican Sisters who own the facility.

The cost of the entire weekend, including rooms, workshops and three delicious meals per day, is only $450.00. There is a $100 discount for senior citizens, so seniors pay $350.00.

Registration has already begun at http://www.godisabrowngirltoo.com/or you can mail payment directly to God is a Brown Girl Too, 376 President Street Unit 2H, Brooklyn, New York 11231. But act fast because rooms are sellling and there are now only 13 rooms left.

Release the Old

YOUR RESURRECTION IS HERE By Cecilia Loving

October 8, 2010 #lovingfactor 1 Comment

We are in the season of shaking off the old, shedding the past, and releasing our baggage. We are in the season of the power that we call renunciation. The poet Rainer Maria Rilke said, “Lord, it is time. The summer was very big. [But] lay thy shadow on the sundials, and on the meadows let the winds go loose. Command the last fruits that they shall be full; give them another two more southerly days, press them on to fulfillment and drive the last sweetiness into the heavenly wine.”

When we let go, we discover that we don’t lose anything at all. When we let the chips fall as they may, we realize that the truth will be revealed. We learn that our good comes from amazing new channels, from far corners and places that we could not have even anticipated. And when the dust finally settles, we see that the resurrection that we needed was just waiting. Poet John Muir says “The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

Valentin wrote that “Summer is already better, but the best is autumn. It is mature, reasonable and serious, it glows moderately and not frivolously … It cools down, clears up, makes you reasonable …” A season of reasonableness gives us the clarity to see past the things that we have been struggling with, to press beyond whatever held us back, to let go so that we can gather our harvest, and turn over new leaves that will heal our souls. A season of reasonableness if not simply for moving forward, but for slowing down, and listening.

The story of Noah is about listening. If he was not listening, he would have been wiped out with every other living thing on the face of the earth. Noah means release — rest in spiritual consciousness — letting go — so that God can bless us. Genesis 7 teaches us that when the season of cleansing was upon Noah, he let go of whatever was not essential and loaded everything else on an ark.

The ideas that were important to keep — every aspect of them — the male and the female — they took with them — the whole idea with its ability to co-create. The Bible says “Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.” And after they gathered the essential ideas around them — the pure ideas of being — and went within — they centered in the Spirit as the cleansing took place. Physically, we see destruction; metaphysically, we see the cleansing energy of God. When we are cleansed in the outer, we have to be girded in strength on the inner.

We grow through our autumns, our shedding of the past — our cleansing of the unnecessary — the things and the people and the situations that were not in accordance with our individual soul’s purpose. The Bible says that rain fell upon the earth 40 days and 40 nights. Metaphysically, 40 means as long as it takes. Healing and releasing is a process. Sometimes, we have to go through a process of release for years. But regardless of how long it takes us to learn what we need to know, when we are ready, we are ready. You see, it’s not the end result that matters as much as what we learn in the process. A lot of times we think that we are learning one thing and when we look back, we were really learning another. The Universe will give us the trials and the tribulations that are essential for our growth.

It’s kinda like the bed bug epidemic. Undoubtedly, those pests are going to force millions of us to clean up our lives and get rid of the things that no longer served us. Apparently, the imports from factories abroad have helped cause the infestation. Hmmmmm. What if Americans actually used Americans as labor? That would drastically reduce our importation of bed bugs, as well as help the country’s unemployment statistics. Hmmmmm. If I get bedbugs as a bonus from the malls, it also makes me even more reluctant to buy what I don’t need. Hmmmmm. Maybe I need to clean up underneath the bed and in every crack and crevice anyway.

This is the season to surround ourselves with only what is essential. The stuff that is not worthy of us needs to be cleansed by the flood. This may not even be other people, it may be our thoughts. Our own thoughts are harder to release than what we see in the flesh. We don’t want to admit that there is some stuff in us that shouldn’t be allowed on the ark. There’s some stuff in us that we need to give up. Renunciation is our starting place.

In John 8:21, Jesus told the Pharisees “Where I go, you cannot come.” There is a time in our lives when we have to tell those things and those thoughts and those people who no longer serve God’s good for us — NO, I don’t want you to come with me. I’m really good doing this alone. I’m going to a higher place. Jesus told them: “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.”

I am going to a higher place.

What you intended for evil — God meant for good.

There’s something better ahead. I thought we were going to do this together but God has something better in store. And I can do whatever it takes to get there — I can ride out the storm. I can be blessed by the changes in the seasons. I can be honored by a me that is fresh and empowered and prophetic with the cleansing energy of God.

I can release as many times as it takes — 77 times 7 — for as many days as it takes through as many rains as it takes — through as many leaves that have to fall and keep falling until my tree is bare and my heart has surrendered.

I can take my power back, and rise again — like a phoenix from the ashes because there is something good in store for me.

Namaste,

Reverend Cecilia Loving

Reverend Cecilia Loving is the spiritual leader of SPIRITMUV®, a trans-denominational church. Spiritmuv transcends the confines of religion and teaches unconditional love for one another regardless of race, creed, culture, or religion. At the heart of its teachings is what Jesus taught — that we love one another, as well as the community that Mahatma Ghandi inspired when he said, “I am a Christian and a Muslim and a Hindu and a Jew.” Reverend Cecilia Loving is the founder and creator of Spiritmuv, which was formed in 2007. Services are held for an hour every Sunday, from 2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. at the Unity Center of NYC, located at 213 West 58th Street.

None of the content herein may be copied or otherwise used except with Reverend Loving’s written permission.

Join the Spiritmuv Community at www.Spiritmuv.ning.com for special postings by Rev. Loving.

GOD IS A BROWN GIRL TOO®

“CREATING BEYOND THE BOX OF CONVENTIONALITY ” RETREAT
will take place in the Spring of 2011
from April 1 at 5:00 P.M. through April 3 at 1:00 P.M.

The cost of the entire weekend, including rooms, workshops and three delicious meals per day, is only $450.00. There is a $100 discount for senior citizens, so seniors pay $350.00.

Spiritual Fitness

SPIRITUAL FITNESS: Move Out of Your Way By Cecilia Loving

September 16, 2010 #lovingfactor Leave a comment

When we first awaken, when our mind is free and clear of distractions, when we remember that we are one with the universal source of all there is, the first thing that we should do is pray. We should give honor to the air that we breathe and the space that we take up. We should remember the “AUM” and the “I AM” and the “Amen”. We should remember that we are greater than the appearances, that we can move forward with the divine guidance that the Holy Spirit gives us, that we can allow — really allow God to bless us. But what do we do? We sit on the toilet — in la la la land. We get a cup of coffee and watch the news. We run to the gym and work out like a maniac. We pick up the cell phone and text. We rush off to work late because we decided to stay in bed for a little while longer. But all we need to do is enter that secret place, and remember that God is in charge.

When we are spiritually fit — all the rest of our good follows. Excess fat begins to disappear. Circulation improves. Complexions clear up. Blood sugar returns to a healthy level. Bloating stops completely. Strangely enough, we stop tending to everybody else’s business. We don’t have time to talk about how they don’t have their acts together. We stop focusing on their shortcomings so that we can ignore our own. We stop second-guessing ourselves.

When we second-guess ourselves, it’s because we don’t really want to believe that God is an on-time, everywhere present God. It’s easier to believe that we can’t rather than we can. It’s easier to hold onto to who we used to be — rather than surrendering our olds ways so that we can allow a new self to emerge.

Spiritual fitness is a blessing that requires us to live by new standards. We have to let go of the thoughts, hesitations and fears that prevent us from seizing new opportunities. We cannot keep telling the same stories. We cannot keep repeating the same mistakes. We cannot keep hiding behind bad habits. We cannot keep believing that we are poor, that we are sick, that we are sad, that we are depressed, that we are anything less than the image and likeness of God that we were made in.

Matthew 19:26 says “with God, all things are possible.” But for some reason, we prefer to make our lives difficult. We could just let go and let God — but instead, we try to be in control.

God — the will of Spirit that is everywhere present, the will of universal intelligence that goes before us, the will of inexhaustible supply that opens endless channels of blessings for us, the will of divine ideas shaping and molding and forming the ethers into the creative manifestation of our desires, the will that is willing to be our counselor and our teacher and our guide — knows more than we do. God knows that there is a balm in Gilead. God knows there is a river that never stops flowing. God knows that manna rains, in fact it pours down from heaven. God knows that when we leap the net will appear. But we first have to surrender. We have to stop fighting in the flesh what God has commanded us to do in the Spirit.

When we first try to walk the water of infinite possibilities, we may feel like we are drowning. We may think that we are losing control — but only because we’ve never been in control in the first place. In the physical, we see nothing but chaos, confusion and strife, but ultimately we will find ourselves safe — protected — secure — and right where we should be. All we have to do is be willing.

The Psalmist says “Create in me a pure heart, O’ God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalms 51:10-12) He is saying, I am tired of wandering in my own misery. I am tired of not being willing to let go and let God. I am tired of being tossed — to and fro in the waters. So give me a willing spirit. Help me stop blocking my good. When I’m willful, when I’m resentful, when I’m selfish, when I’m jealous, when I’m controlling — I create the toxic energy that closes all of the channels of my blessings. So move me out of my way!

We have heard about what Jesus called “good news.” He says right in the scripture — that our good doesn’t end with his story, his prophecy, or his miracles. He taught us that we don’t have to get it right in the flesh because He has sent us a helper — the Holy Spirit — to teach us all things. It’s not a Spirit that we need to seek because in John 14, Jesus teaches that this is a Spirit that lives in us. It’s not a Spirit that needs our guidance because John 16 teaches that the Spirit of Truth will guide us in all things. All we have to do is move out of its way.

Jesus said tear this temple down, and in three days, he would raise it up. He wasn’t talking about the church, he was talking about his body. He said let not my will — but your will be done. He gave his life to demonstrate that greatness doesn’t stop with Him, because Spirit gives us the opportunity to do even greater things than Jesus — when we surrender to its will and not our own.

Spiritual fitness is when we can trust the universe because we know that God can do no more for us than God can do through us. We have to be willing to accept that it’s not what we ask God for that really matters. What is most important is realizing that we are One with God’s source. We are One with the will that never stops teaching us to be Absolute Good. We are One with the vortex that never stops opening channels of divine ideas. We are One with every miracle, every poem, every possibility, every rhythm, every divine vibration ever imagined.

Spiritual fitness is when we are simply centered in saying “yes,” knowing that God will take care of the rest.

Namaste,

Reverend Cecilia Loving

None of the content herein may be copied or otherwise used except with Reverend Loving’s written permission.

Join the Spiritmuv Community at www.Spiritmuv.ning.com for special postings by Rev. Loving.

GOD IS A BROWN GIRL TOO®

“CREATING BEYOND THE BOX OF CONVENTIONALITY ” RETREAT
will take place in the Spring of 2011
from April 1 at 5:00 P.M. through April 3 at 1:00 P.M.

The cost of the entire weekend, including rooms, workshops and three delicious meals per day, is only $450.00. There is a $100 discount for senior citizens, so seniors pay $350.00.

Spiritual Fitness

SPIRITUAL FITNESS: BACK TO BASICS By Cecilia Loving

September 11, 2010 #lovingfactor Leave a comment

Every now and then, I have to listen to the song by Ginuwine, when he sings “I’m going back to the basics, yeah. I’m going back to the basics.” It’s a definite reminder to take a step back to see the big picture — what we are doing, why we are doing it, what we need to improve upon — to do, and more importantly — to be the people we were called to be in the first place.

Back to basics doesn’t mean returning to the past, it means using the trajectory of what we’ve experienced to catapult into fullness of now. It means back to school, back to work, back to church, back to work-outs, back to goals that we had so clearly intended to accomplish somewhere along the path — in the beginning of the year, last year, the year before last, when we were younger, or before we got too old. Back to basics requires us to dust off our dreams — so that we can move forward with the fullness of all of God’s gifts to accomplish them.

September 11 is a reminder not to take life frivolously. It is a reminder to honor what we are here to do. In January, we take the requisite steps toward the completion of our goals. In the spring, we dive into them wholeheartedly. But when we have nearly accomplished them — summer arrives like a thief in the night. Many of us surrender to the holidays and barbeques — until the coolness of the air, the sun-kissed leaves and the back-to-school sales remind us that we need to take care of business. September reminds us to roll up our sleeves with renewed dedication. Only when we fail to attend to our goals does winter find us in remorse, scrambling at the last minute.

If we would get back to basics — especially when the first leaves fall, we could tap into the vortex of inexhaustible supply and open our consciousness to the Kingdom of all of God’s good. We would realize that we can do all things through the power of God, and that these and greater things shall we do. Oh, if we could just go back to the basics, we would remember to say “I can” rather than “I wish.” We would know to listen to the breath of God within, that is our counselor, and teacher, and guide.

The breath of God speaks in basic terms, in simple words, in straightforward cadence. It does not take an advanced degree in theology to hear the Spirit. We are neither saints nor sinners, we are the “good news” that Jesus preached to every kingdom. We are, as the African proverb says, the wise aiming at boundaries beyond the appearances. We are the anointed — blessed with new visions. We are the faithful — transcending the circle of our beginnings. We are bigger and wiser and stronger in the Spirit than we could ever imagine in the flesh. We are not here to await the return of Christ, but as Rev. Dr. Dale Irvin, President of New York Theological Seminary puts it — we are here to “provoke resurrection.” When we listen, we know that the most important resurrection is within. Christ rises again and again, when we consistently practice the presence of God in everything we do.

We can lift the heavy weights. We can use proper form. We can simplify our tasks. We can walk — without getting weary. We can move out of the way of our own victory. Back to basics is remembering that what is good for us is good for the entire universe.

We can make better choices. We can choose to eat all of the divine vibrations of earth — its green leaves, its red and blue berries, its sweet orange potatoes, its yellow squash, its brown oats. Back to basics is simple science: if we eat well, we become what we eat. We can choose to drink fresh water, get plenty of sunshine and sufficient sleep — all of which will allow us to do the work that we must do in this lifetime.

We can be patient. The work that we need to do will not be done in one day or one week or one year. In fact, it may take forty days, or forty weeks or forty years, or forty lifetimes — or as long as it takes. So we have to regenerate and rejuvenate our body with cycles of rest and work, rest and work. We have to slow down long enough to learn from the Kingdom within. We have to tap in and turn on the messages from the universe through our dreams, awaken fresh to be attentive to Spirit, and listen with our hearts.

Back to basics requires that we remember that we are not made in the image and likeness of man. We are made in the image and likeness of love. Love is the Kingdom that lives in us. We are in love and love is in us. If we remember each day to awaken with love as our teacher, our counselor and our guide, we won’t make as many mistakes, and if we do — we will be loving enough to accept their guidance and their lessons. Back to basics reminds us that love isn’t a religion. Religion may confuse people into believing that they can burn other folk’s sacred books; but love is receptive to all. Religion may wrongly seek to exclude those of different faiths; but love transcends boundaries. Religion may err by turning to hatred; but love is unconditional goodness.

When we begin our day by centering in love — through prayer, silence, meditation, affirmations, journaling, or visualizing — whatever works for you, we open our hearts to the constant connection that God is simply being our most basic self.

Back to basics simply requires that we breathe. Just take a moment, when you first awaken in the morning — and just breeeaaaaatttttthhhhhhheeeeeee. Breath slowly and exhale with your mouth open. Breathe deeply 5-10 times and remember that you are a child of God. You are good news. You are the light that will shine forever. You are the truth and the way.

When Langston Hughes wrote “I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers,” he had gone back to basics. He was blessing us with the truth that we are as young as fresh seeds but as old as the eternal soil of endless possibilities that we plant them in.

What we have come here to do here is not our own will but is part of Spirit’s divine plan. The universe will insist that we accomplish each and every one of our desires. If we don’t follow our heart’s desire when we are young, it will find us when we are older. Either then or now, we will have to return to the source of Absolute Good — and put our noses to eternal grindstone of life, and press our ears to the pulsation of our beating hearts or our aching guts — pushing us back in the direction that we must move in.

Going back to basics requires us to be honest with ourselves and with others. Are we being the best that we can be, or are we simply going through the motions? Have we been obedient to God’s plan, or have we strayed off course? Do we know what our vision is or has our true dream been concealed by someone else’s opinion? Do we really believe that God’s channels of good are infinite, and have we taken the time to open them? Can we be brave enough to start again — wherever we are — and trust that the basics are always enough?

Namaste,

Reverend Cecilia Loving

None of the content herein may be copied or otherwise used except with Reverend Loving’s written permission.

Join the Spiritmuv Community at www.Spiritmuv.ning.com for special postings by Rev. Loving.

GOD IS A BROWN GIRL TOO®
“CREATING BEYOND THE BOX OF CONVENTIONALITY ” RETREAT
will take place in the Spring of 2011
from April 1 at 5:00 P.M. through April 3 at 1:00 P.M.

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy the peace, serenity and creative consciousness of a like-minded group of women of color at the Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center, located at 299 North Highland Avenue, in Ossining, New York. All rooms are single and surrounded by the loving prayers of the Dominican Sisters who own the facility. The cost of the entire weekend, including rooms, workshops and three delicious meals per day, is only $450.00. There is a $100 discount for senior citizens, so seniors pay $350.00.

Keep the Faith

ON WHOSE SHOULDERS DO YOU STAND?

August 7, 2010 #lovingfactor 1 Comment

Neddy, a childhood friend, caught up with me through Facebook. Even though I could not remember her presence, I felt her loving spirit. We laughed like old friends for hours about the memories that we shared about our life in the Jefferies Housing Project in Detroit — forty years ago. Friendship is good that way, and lasting. It made me remember the hope that carried us through the appearance of lack. Back then, we didn’t need as much in the external to know inside that God was always lifting us up the rough side of the mountain. Spirit was always calling us to demonstrate Absolute Good. All we had to do was stand on the shoulders of God and peer out over the freeway at the vibrant colors of golden rays turning indigo skies magical colors in the Detroit sky — just glowing with the rising sun of a new day.

We could see past appearances and feel the dawning of divine ideas and dreams awakening so well back then — that it makes me wonder what ever happened to hope. Have all the trappings of good times and the parties of plenty made it even more difficult to trust that we are not controlled by appearances — good or bad? Some will tell you that the stock market has plunged; 401(k) pension plans have diminished; old jobs have been lost and new jobs are hard to find; merchandise isn’t moving; and the real estate market is in a slump. But those are the appearances of things. The Psalmist asks, “if the Lord is the Strength of my life, of whom [and what] shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27)

There is nothing to fear when we realize that God gives us all of the Strength that we need. When we stand in the Spirit, we stand on the shoulders of the universe, realizing that our spiritual roots reach down to the belly of the earth but do not stop there. We realize that the earth, like the rest of the universe, girds us with a strength and a power that never loses its connection. We “stand on our own two feet.” We “stand up for ourselves.” We “stand up for what we believe in.” We “stand our ground” with purpose, power and vision.

We see this in the story of David and Goliath. Goliath represents physical strength and prowess. Goliath is what we see in the flesh — the circumstances that appear so much greater than us. In the physical realm, if we judge by appearances, we believe that we cannot overcome what is bigger than us. But when we dig deep, we find the spiritual strength that gives us the ability to fight the good fight.

Strength is really a conscious decision to be One with Absolute Good — no matter what the outer circumstances are, the present is where Absolute Good is. Our helmets and armor and javelins and swords are how we stand in consciousness.

It is important that David, a boy, came forward. We have to contrast David — the small and seemingly insignificant aspects of our own lives — with the Goliath of lack, the Goliath of loss, the Goliath of fear — and use the power of the “little” that we have. David was saying, I don’t have a spear and I don’t have a helmet. I don’t even have a shield. But I’ve got my raggedly shepherd’s cloth. I’ve got my staff. I’ve got my slingshot — that I have fashioned from a tree branch. I have the earth under my feet — and all that the earth is made of. But most importantly I stand on the strength of God — a love that is invincible, a power that never leaves me, a protector that can never be defeated.

William Stafford says, “I have woven a parachute out of everything broken.” Patrick Overton says: “When you come to the edge of all the light that you have, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen to you: either there will be something solid for you to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” The Bible says put on the whole armor of God. Stand on victory. Stand on faith. Stand on power. Stand on strength.

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Without hesitation, David ran to face his adversary head on! He didn’t have to be as big or as tall as Goliath because he stood on the shoulders of God. Reaching into his bag for one of the stones that he had gathered, David took it out and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into Goliath’s forehead, and Goliath fell facedown on the ground. The fear, the doubt, the lack, the limitation were defeated in a single shot — by a kid and a slingshot.

Metaphysically, we can say that David — spiritual strength — struck the center of those blockages on our path that seem so insurmountable. The biblical witness is firm that Goliath was struck in the center of his head — that part of our body connected to the pineal gland where the third eye of spiritual discernment gives us vision beyond flesh. It is easy to think of David and Goliath as separate beings, but in our Oneness, we know that we are all parts of a whole. If there is anything that needs conquering in our consciousness, we have the ability to conquer it — to stop standing in our own way and defeat the monsters of our own making.

The story of David and Goliath reminds us that we stand on something greater than what is in this world — a power that is greater than religion. As One, we are greater than our differences. We are greater than a name or a group that defines itself as Christian or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist or Jew. When we see with Spirit, we know that we stand on the power of Spirit. Spirit is not locked in a steeple or a bell or pew or a pulpit. Spirit is infinite, inexhaustible source and endless potential. Spirit is divine ideas and unceasing love. Spirit is always blessing us — despite the way things appear in the external.

Spirit gives us the strength to ask the universe for whatever it is that we desire. We just have to be strong enough to trust that there is nothing that God cannot do through us. Nothing is too big for God to bless us with. Nothing is too big for God to remove. Nothing is powerful enough to block us from the attainment of our good. All we have to do is stand on the shoulders of the omnipotence of God. When we do, we can look above the row houses and the high rises and the by-ways and the bridges — and see that there is a vast expanse of Kingdom that awaits our gifts and talents. There is a Universe calling us past the battleground of our fears to re-connect with its inexhaustible supply.

Namaste,

Reverend Cecilia Loving

None of the content herein may be copied or otherwise used except with Reverend Loving’s written permission.

Join the Spiritmuv Community at www.Spiritmuv.ning.com for special postings by Rev. Loving.

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This is an excerpt from the book GOD IS A BROWN GIRL TOO, available on the God is a Brown Girl Too website, Amazon and wherever books are sold.

She sings melodies from psalms only she can hum, Galilee on her tongue. speaking from that city on a hill, singing “this ‘lil light of mine — I’m gon’ let it shine.”

***

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The Divine is Within Each and Everyone of Us

She sings melodies from psalms
only she can hum,
Galilee on her tongue.
speaking from that city on a hill,
singing “this ‘lil light of mine —
I’m gon’ let it shine.”