Opportunities to practice regardless of where you live!

• Click here to download guided meditations

June
What:  Community Prayer Call
When:  Thursdays 8:30 - 9:00 p.m. June 5, 12, 19 & 26
Where:  Conference Call, Call Number: 530-881-1200 Access Code: 431735#

What:  Saturday Morning Wake Up Call
When: June 21st, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Call Number: 530-881-1200 Access Code: 431735#

July
What:  Wednesday Evening Connections
When: Wednesdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Darrell's backyard weather permitting.  Rain alternative will be a conference call

August
What:  Sunrise Meditation (Save the date, details to come!)
When: Sunday, August 17th, 5:45 a.m.
Where: Foster Street Beach


Speaking Engagments

• June 15th, Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Raleigh, NC

Finding Heaven Within...AKA Meditation

I am continuously humbled by the practice of meditation, how easy it is really to do, yet how hard I make it for myself.  I am grateful for conference call numbers.  I have started offering meditation conference calls and it is so wonderful once a week to meditate with others.  It holds me accountable to my practice and allows me to experience these words of Joel S. Goldsmith from Practicing the Presence .

"God is not found up in heaven--not in pilgrimages, places, or persons.  God is to be found within us.  The very moment that we can agree inwardly that this is true, we have accomplished half of our life's journey toward the experience of heaven on earth; the other half remains.  Now we know where the kingdom of God is, but how do we attain the realization of it?....Hundreds of books have been written on this subject, but those that have been written out of the depths of experience all agree that the presence of God can only be realized when the senses are stilled, when we have settled down into an atmosphere of expectancy, of hope, and faith.  In this state of relaxation and peace, we wait.  That is all we can do, just wait.  We cannot bring God to us for God is already here, in the inner stillness, in the quietness of confidence."

I hope you take a moment to sit and still your senses this week and listen and experience, the kingdom of God, heaven, the inner sanctuary of peace, hope and expectancy.

Love, Light & Laughter ~ Darrell

Here is the link to meditation call if you are interested in downloading it. (Click this sentence)

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!