Returning the thank you

September 9 Affirmation - My heart is filled with gratitude, knowing there is always more coming my way.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more." ~Melody Beattie

"Life has enough of everything to spare." ~Ernest Holmes

Rev. Norm wrote "The fact is, it doesn't make any difference to God whether you give thanks or not, but it makes a lot of difference to you...gratitude is not for God. Giving thanks is an important state of your consciousness that keeps you in an awareness of oneness with the divine flow. The grateful heart actually opens the way to the flow and becomes an attractive force to draw even greater things to itself."

This morning I sat for 10 minutes in the quiet, and simply started scrolling through my mind of all the things I am grateful for. I found myself land on the "easy" gratitudes, my parents, my fiancée, the food in my fridge, my job, my co-workers, those I manage and support with my work, friends, teachers, leaders et cetera...and then I found myself turning to the areas, people and organizations that I find personally challenging...I didn't necessarily know why or what I was grateful for initially, but I just kept going. "I am grateful for XXX, I am grateful for YYY" and things softened inside me. I didn't hold them so tightly, I didn't hold myself so tightly. I actually in that loosening and space received some guidance from within on some words I could share to foster connection again with a colleague where there has been some challenge. Gratitude as Melody Beattie wrote, unlocks the fullness of life. Even in the midst of an area of challenge for me, in the process of saying thank you and I am grateful, something opened up.

Let us follow the words of Meister Eckhart (a medieval monk) today. "If the only prayer you say in your entire life (today) is thank you, it will be enough."

Let us thank ALL of life today and open ourselves to a life that thrives!

Day 31 - December Meditations - Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. ~Proverbs 29:18, Hebrew Scriptures

Affirmation: Today I keep my highest vision, my highest possibility fresh before me.  I welcome its guidance into possibilities beyond my knowing.

What is your highest vision for 2015?  What must you embrace and release to support it?  Are there any specific actions to take right now?

Explore the answer to these questions in todays meditation.  Download it here!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Keep fresh before me the moments of my high resolve.

Despite the dullness and barrenness of the days that pass, if I search with due diligence, I can always find a deposit left by some former radiance. But I had forgotten. At the time it was full-orbed, glorious, and resplendent. I was sure that I would never forget. In the moment of its fullness, I was sure that it would illumine my path for all the rest of my journey. I had forgotten how easy it is to forget.

There was no intent to betray what seemed so sure at the time. My response was whole, clean, authentic. But little by little, there crept into my life the dust and grit of the journey. Details, lower-level demands, all kinds of cross currents -- nothing momentous, nothing overwhelming, nothing flagrant -- just wear and tear. If there had been some direct challenge --a clear-cut issue -- I would have fought it to the end, and beyond.

In the quietness of this place, surrounded by the all-pervading Presence of God, my heart whispers: Keep fresh before me the moments of my High Resolve, that in fair weather or in foul, in good times or in tempests, in the days when the darkness and the foe are nameless or familiar, I may not forget that to which my life is committed.

Keep fresh before me the moments of my high resolve.
 

For The Inward Journey
by Howard Thurman 

Day 27 - December Meditations - Stillness

Yesterday, I found myself simply over stimulated.  I went to see a movie, walked around in a store and just found the need to tap into some inner tranquility in the midst of my day.  This morning I welcome a simple practice of becoming still in our meditation.  

Download this morning's meditation here as we ponder the quotes below in the stillness.

As spiritual searchers we need to become freer and freer of the attachment to our own smallness in which we get occupied with me-me-me. Pondering on large ideas or standing in front of things which remind us of a vast scale can free us from acquisitiveness and competitiveness and from our likes and dislikes. If we sit with an increasing stillness of the body, and attune our mind to the sky or to the ocean or to the myriad stars at night, or any other indicators of vastness, the mind gradually stills and the heart is filled with quiet joy. ~Ravi Ravindra

"Be still.  Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity” ~Lao Tzu

“The inner is foundation of the outer

The still is master of the restless

The Sage travels all day

yet never leaves his inner treasure”  ~Lao Tzu

“Being still does not mean don't move. It means move in peace.”  E'yen A. Gardner

Affirmation:  I welcome stillness in the midst of my living.

Day 25 - December Meditations - The Greatest Gift

"Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self."  

~ Francsis of Assisi

Ernest Holmes wrote the greatest gift life could have given us is our self....A bit of a paradox, but in between these two statements, I believe, dwells the greatest wisdom gift that can set us free into the fullness of life.  We have been given the great of our lives AND the ability to overcome or transcend it, to remember our Self that is greater than any situation, yet if we pause and listen we can discover in every situation.

In the Christian tradition today is the celebration of Jesus the Christ.  The physical or human embodiment of the Christ Consciousness or God Consciousness.  Let today be a celebration less of a a particular person or religion, but a celebration of the consciousness and teaching that come out of it, "I and the father are one."

Let us meditate together then on this simple yet powerful affirmation.....download a guided meditation here.

Affirmation:  I am one with all that is.

Day 10 - December Meditations - I return to peace

Concern, worry, fear and anxiousness are all natural experiences for us, and happen most likely on a daily basis, however, in the midst of that concern, worry and anxiety peace may be realized.  The peace I speak of is not a transient peace we attain based on the state of conditions of our outer lives, rather this is a peace that always sits within us that we must practice returning to.

Affirmation:  Today I am willing to return to my peace within.

"A smile is the beginning of peace." ~ Mother Theresa

Return to peace with me in this brief meditation.

Day 6 - December Meditations - Moving from the invisible to the visible...

Ernest Holmes wrote, "All manifestation of life is from an invisible to a visible plane, through a silent, effortless process of spiritual realization."  Embracing this statement then...Let life stir from within us.  Although life around us at work, home, in the country and world will continue to stir around us, let us connect to and welcome the invisible power within each of us to be the real cause of our good.  Let us let the world off the hook today and embrace our responsibility to make ourselves available to the loving power of life that simply seeks to move through us and out into the world.  Join me in today's meditation and practice of acknowledging the invisible power that stirs within seeking to move through you and out into the world.

Affirmation:  I am a unique space where the power of the universe becomes manifest.  Today the divine effortlessly expresses as my living.

Meditation Marathon Day 7 - What is this? and a specific way to meditate

So it has been a week since the meditation marathon has started and what a great week it has been!  I am truly inspired by all of the yes' on Facebook to practicing meditation and the face to face conversations that have taken place in the last 7 days.  Some of you have had questions on how to meditate and when or for how long.  There has been some discussion as to why call it a marathon.  Some want to know how I "plan" what I write and so on. 

I put a short explanation of the meditation marathon on the Facebook event page, but maybe I will expand more here.  Basically, earlier this year I did my own meditation marathon as I came to the realization that for the last 3 - 4 months of my schooling and ministerial licensing that I needed a constant, steady and focused spiritual practice to keep me grounded as I approached the end of schooling and moved closer to the question "Now what?".  I finished school successfully and passed my panels for licensing with ease and grace.  I have landed a wonderful new job and continue to explore how my life as a minister, spiritual counselor and teacher can continue to expand.  However in the past month, I noticed myself feeling a bit unsettled, anxious and grumpy.  I then came to the realization that I needed another constant, steady and focused spiritual practice full of intention to ground me again.  So I decided to do another meditation marathon.  I intentionally call it a marathon because I am committing to this practice not for a week or a month even but until the end of the year.  The practice will for sure go on longer than that, but when I got the idea to ask friends and family to join me in this I thought it would be a good idea to give it some sort of book end and the end of the year felt right.  I like the word marathon because it implies distance and endurance. 

I don't think meditation needs to be hard, however, to continue to meditate everyday regardless of what is going on in our lives, to me, mimics the focus and determination required in training and the actual running of a race (no I haven't done a full marathon, but I did run a half marathon and trust me...it is no joke! grin).  So I don't want to scare or intimidate anyone from joining this practice, but I also want folks to know that this is a powerful journey to commit to.  There is no wrong way to do it, there is no one watching and counting how many days you do or don't meditate.  The reason I invited folks to do this with me, was it is always easier to do things in groups I have found.  AND one of the things I absolutely love is community and I thought "you know there really is a powerful community of folks on Facebook, wouldn't it be fun to see how many people would want to do this and share this experience?"  And low and behold there is a resounding yes, literally friends all over the country and world are meditating and joining in this collective meditation marathon...so wherever you are know you aren't alone, if you feel alone simply post something on the event page and I guarantee you will feel the connection.

As for "how" to meditate or for how long, that is strictly up to you.  Obviously there is no actual place for us to meet and do this together, so the practice is on your own, at work, home, on the bus wherever, however I highly recommend a space that is special to you.  You can meditate for 5 minutes or 50 minutes, the length right now is not important, rather the daily practice is.  So as for length, do what feels comfortable and that which allows you to be successful everyday.  As for how, I will sprinkle different techniques throughout the marathon, for now simply sit in the silence or with some light music. 

The "type" of meditation I suggest for this week is called contemplative meditation.  This generally means taking some sort of short inspirational/thought provoking reading and sitting with it, reading it over a few times and then closing your eyes and asking yourself, "what does this reading have to say to me today?" and let your heart, mind and soul take it from there.

Let this quote from Joel S. Goldsmith's Practicing the Presence inspire what you might read:  "Every person who has known dissatisfaction, incompleteness, and frustration will some day learn that there is only on missing link in his entire plan of harmonious living.  That is the practice of the presence of God(use another word if God pushes a button, try Spirit, Love, Wisdom, Wholeness or Grace)--consciously, daily and hourly, abiding in some great spiritual truth of scripture, and it makes no difference which scripture: Christian, Hebrew, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist or Muslim.  The Word of God, given to man through inspired saints, sages, seers, or revelators--this is what we need, in any language, from any country, just as long as it is a universal truth".

Have a great week all.  Meditate and contemplate well!

Love, Light & Laughter,

Darrell
darrelljonesspirit@gmail.com
773-450-3865