Spiritual But Not Religious….

…I have checked this box on surveys for years.  I am now a minister, but there is still a part of me that identifies with this "classification".

A colleague sent me this article, I pass it on to you, good read.

How do you identify yourself, your spirituality or religion?

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/22/good-news-about-the-spiritual-but-not-religious/

Don't Worry About A Thing...

Is worrying good or bad for us?  In psychology it is said worrying is healthy when it causes us to take action or make decisions that promote our well-being, however, when worrying turns into an obsessive, paralyzing habit that is when it is toxic.

I am preparing for a talk in a few weeks titled "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", taken from the title of the Stevie Wonder classic.  Worrying is an age old pattern in our human experience, it  has been expressing for millennia.  As long as we can dream, wonder and create we can worry.  However as with most things I continue to explore in this life, everything is about relationship and communication.  To think we may end worrying in our lives we set ourselves up for failure, however, to admit that we have a worrying mind could set us free.  The challenge is in the next step, just because we worry about something doesn't make it so, however, if we worry about something long enough, we CAN definitely make it so.The creative tendency and faculty of this universe follows and creates in the direction of our attention, so where is your attention?  Worrying is giving attention, and powerful emotional attention to areas in our life.  Is worrying channeling your attention, focus and energy into action or immobilization?

I look forward to expand on this question in a few weeks and hope you can join me if you are in the Chicagoland area @ Abundant Life Spiritual Center on Sunday March 23rd 10:30 a.m. 375 Elm St, Deerfield, IL 60015

Two beautiful writings can inspire us in times of worry.  One from our brother Bob Marley "Don't worry, 'bout a thing, 'cause every little thing's gonna be alright" the other from Matthew 6 verses 25 - 34 in the Christian Bible, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear....can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin...So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own."It goes on to basically say, focus on today, today is more than enough living for right now.  I invite you to focus on today, where you actually are, take a moment to close your eyes a few times today and breath in and out slowly and become aware of where your attention is on your life.  Is your attention on what is before today or worrying about what may or may not happen tomorrow, or the next day.  Affirm to yourself, tomorrow will meet me then, right now I embrace today and live in this moment!I hope to see or hear from you soon!Love, Light & Laughter ~ Darrell 

Social Media and Spirituality......

Sitting at a conference on Social Media and Websiste at the #cslwow convention in Florida...getting my mind blown about the vision of spiritual community that lives in me.  I really want to have an online and offline community, but they don't need to be separate.  We are all one.

I would love any and all feedback on what you would like from an online community....digital spiritual practice, classes, counseling et cetera.  Can't wait to hear from you!

Love, Light & Laughter ~ Darrell

'Tis the Season of Love!

So I had a great realization today,  I like Valentine's Day.  I really do, yes it can be a little hokey, awkward and forced, but once you get through all that (admittedly sometimes we can't) the essence of the day is pretty great.  It is a day a good percentage of our culture agrees to talk about love, share love and receive love.  How amazing is that!

I am presenting at two events honoring love this weekend and next.  The first is Love Fest at the Bodhi Spiritual Center on February 8th, here's the link for tickets and info http://lovefest2014.eventbrite.com/?aff=LoveFest&afu=46123468943

Love Fest is an all day event from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., the first keynote speaker is Rev. Mark Anthony Lord (9 a.m.), one of my dearest friends and teachers, he's the one that helped awaken the counselor and minister in me!  The next keynote is Byron Katie (11 a.m.).  If you aren't familiar here is her website http://www.thework.com/index.php.  You must check her out.  Her simple yet powerful teaching aims to free us from anything that isn't love.

After her presentation my beloved partner Cari Jacobson and I will be presenting on Gary Chapman's book the 5 Love Languages (1:30 - 3:00p.m.).  We will be offering an introduction to his work and teaching and share how it has deepened our ability to give and receive love.  And we will support all of the attendees in practicing the philosophy of the 5 Love Languages in their lives.

The next event is The Love Summit 2014:  Igniting Passion, Connection & Fun
http://lovesummit2014.com/
This is a 4 day Tele-summit that I will be a part of a panel discussion and there will be over 15 people presenting on how to activate greater love for yourself and the life you live!

Celebrate Love this season, I hope you join me at one of the events above, but if nothing else, take these words of Marianne Williamson into your heart as she summarizes teachings from the book A Course in Miracles.
"...everything that someone does, says the Course is either love or a call for love.  If someone treats us with love, then of course love is the appropriate response.  If they treat us with fear, we are to see their behavior as a call for love."

There is only Love or a call for Love!

Much Love to you! ~ Darrell

Happiness Today!

Wow, it has been some time since I have written on my blog or posted anywhere for that matter.  Sometimes in my life, I need to step away form things to create space, I guess I needed some space from this blog, but have found a new found excitement for it.  I have re-ignited my excitement for a lot of things, but most importantly, I have re-ignited excitement for life...period.  Ups, downs, excitement and fear, I am excited and interested in it all.

I have started reading again, something that feeds be greatly, I had stepped away from it for awhile.  One of the books I have started is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, I am literally only a few pages in but have felt a release and shift.  How often do I really look for opportunities to be happy as opposed to frustrated or disappointed by life...far too often.

I have also started writing music again, the latest song is called "I'm Ready".  I can't wait to finish it and share it, but in the title, I think you get the gist of the message.

Are you ready to be happy in the midst of your very life today?  I am...join me in engaging on a happiness project known as our lives!

Amen an So it is!

The Importance of New Ideas

"Man's chief delusion is his conviction that there are causes other than his own state of consciousness.  All that befalls a man--all that is done by him--all that comes from him--happens as a result of his state of consciousness.  A man's consciousness is all that he thinks and desires and loves, all that he believes is true and consents to.  That is why a change of consciousness is necessary before you can change your outer world.  Rain falls as a result of a change in the temperature in the higher regions of the atmosphere, so, in like manner, a change of circumstance happens as a result of a change in your state of consciousness. ----Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans12:2)---- To be transformed, the whole basis of your thoughts must change.  But your thoughts cannot change unless you have new ideas, for you think from your ideas.  All transformation begins with an intense, burning desire to be transformed." - The Power of Awareness by Neville Goddard (you can actually download this book for free, its in the public domain! http://archive.org/details/ThePowerOfAwareness)

I love reconnecting with some of the basic principles of consciousness studies.  What jumped out immediately in this reading was the fragment "...your thoughts cannot change unless you have new ideas..."  Some may ask, "why would I want to change what I think" (or believe).  It is easy to go to an extreme with a statement like this and think "Does this mean I don't know anything?"  which can then result in complete self doubt or defensiveness, "I'm not stupid, I know plenty, I have been making it just fine."  What this reading and this statement reminds me of and invites us all to remember is that our thoughts and beliefs create our lives.  Here is an example, two people could be going to the same meeting at work about planning for the upcoming employee summer picnic, person #1 is excited about the meeting and looking forward to collaborating with members from other areas in the company to create a fun outing for the entire company, person #2 walks into the meeting thinking "here we go, another opportunity for the company to tell me how to live my life, not only do they tell me how to do my work, now they are going to tell us how to have fun!"  The thing is both of these individuals will sit in the same planning meeting and have completely different experiences of Life!  What is the difference?  Consciousness and belief.

There are times in my life when I am like person #1 and there are for sure times when I am like #2.  What's usually an indicator that my ideas, thoughts and beliefs aren't serving me in a given moment is how I feel.  So I pay attention to my feelings and in a moment when I feel angry, confused, scared or some other feeling that I associate with not feeling "good", I have the opportunity to pause and ask "what am I believing about myself or someone/thing else right now?"

In those instances, if I do not choose to believe or think a new idea, or at least open myself to a new idea, guess what....I will get more of the same experience.  This is what I believe Neville Goddard was referring to in the quote above, "...a change of consciousness is necessary before you can change your outer world."  The next time you wish to change someone or something else, take a moment and see if there is a new idea you can open up to. By simply asking that question we open ourselves to new possibilities in life.

This may all sound great on the screen, but you find yourself asking well how in the world do I "DO" this?  It all begins with practice, for me meditation and prayer.  I meditate everyday and pray everyday.  In prayer I affirm the new ideas and in meditation I sit allowing the new ideas to percolate and reveal well...something new.

I also get counseling, mentoring, coaching and other support on a regular monthly basis.  If you are seeking support, I would love to be that support for you or point you in the direction of someone that can support you in discovering some new ideas about yourself and how life works.

Feel free to contact me if you are seeking support in discovering new ideas for your life.

Love, Light & Laughter!

Darrell

Practice the Core of My Life!

The philosophies and principles of what I have been studying for the past 10 plus years ultimately all point to one thing...prove it!  We/I can read about all kind of great ideas, philosophy techniques and doctrines, but if we never practice them we will truly never, ever "know" its truth and wisdom.  Thus, practice has become the the core of my life.  I love to read up on things and have an intellectual understanding of it all, but if I don't practice what I am reading about, it really doesn't mean anything.  Often times in classes and workshops I teach, or counseling sessions I offer, a participant will ask "okay, but how do I know this stuff will work?"  Well really, you won't?...you won't know unless you try it out and practice it for yourself. 

That is why I have invited so many people to meditate during this meditation marathon.  I write, try to come up with inspirational thoughts, and quote great minds of old, but my goal with all of this is to guide myself and others into a greater practice of experiencing and knowing the greatness of Love in our lives.  One of the greatest ways to begin practicing is in meditation, talking to no one but the self for a few minutes everyday.

One of my greatest teachers Ernest Holmes wrote, "...what the world needs is spiritual conviction, followed by spiritual experience.  I would rather see a student of this Science prove its Principle than to have him repeat all the words of wisdom that have ever been uttered.  It is far easier to teach the Truth than it is to practice it.  But the practice of Truth is personal to each, and in the long run no once can live our life for us.  To each is given what he needs and the gifts of heaven come alike to all.  How we shall use these gifts is all that matters! To hold one's thought steadfastly to the constructive, to that which endures, and to the Truth, may not be easy in a rapidly changing world, but to the one who makes the attempt much is guaranteed.  The essence of spiritual mind healing -- and of all true religious philosophy -- is an inner realization of the Presence of Perfection within and around about.  It is the hope of heaven, the Voice of God proclaiming: "I am that which thou art; thou art that which I am."

As a musician, I can read about theory, but until I practice and experience that theory it is simply a bunch of words and notes on a page.  As a minister, a counselor, and regardless of title, as a person desiring to experience and know Love, God, Spirit as and in my life, I can read all I want, but until I practice and experience that theory it is simply a bunch of words on a page.  I reach out again and invite whomever is reading this to join me in better understanding Love through practicing it!

Looking for support, counseling, classes or workshops to support you in your practice?
Contact me at darrelljonesspirit@gmail.com or call 773-450-3865.

Love, Light & Practice,

Darrell