Bre'r Rabbit—Curing The “Mopes”

From Rev. David McArthur (edited by Mike McGuire, not reviewed by the speaker)

Journey into the heart  Bre'r Rabbit had the mopes—he had lost the race to the tortoise and other things were going wrong. So Mrs. Rabbit sent him to the Witch Rabbit deep in the swamp, and it was getting dark. This represents the journey into the heart—a difficult journey. Not everyone gets there. We usually let our brains list all the ways we are not better, not good enough, or not strong enough. Doesn't fear come right in?

First, Witch Rabbit sends Bre'r Rabbit to catch a squirrel. That's your first step—grab your squirrelly thoughts and “tie them up in a bag”.

2nd, Bre'r Rabbit has to get a snake hiding in the grass. It looks menacing. It embodies fear. When we run into the experience of fear it stops us and our knowledge of the beautiful power within shuts down. Bre'r Rabbit sweet-talks the snake and when it relaxes, he snares it, holds it up, and goes. If our attention is solely on the fearful thing, that's all we see. Do we put our attention on the threat of the snake or on the wisdom in our hearts? When our attention is on the heart and what it's telling us, we open and the knowledge comes. It doesn't mean the challenges won't cause pain. But we go into overcare, which is when we focus so much on the hurt or danger, especially for the people we care for, that we don't go to the guidance in the heart. We let fear of what could occur stop the unfoldment of the greater good. It is not that you fear something that is not really possible, but turn from the fear to the heart. Grab the snake and go.

Lastly, take that fear to the heart and follow the guidance within, even if the path is not fully seen. Bre'r Rabbit's final task was to get a tusk from the elephant in the forest. He has no idea how he'll do it, but he goes to get it anyway. The elephant runs into a tree and the tusk just falls off. Sometimes we just have to take on the fear of power we see “out there” over us. But the power (and fear) is in us. Part of the gift of taking on the fear and finding the wisdom is that the fear falls away. It no longer has power over you. That's when it's fun!

Living The Charmed Life, The Power of Three, part II

From Sheila Gautreaux (edited by Mike McGuire, not reviewed by the speaker)

Bring forth your power. Align with each level of the trinity of your being—MIND, BODY and SPIRIT. Live the “charmed” life of a spiritual being in a physical body. We are created by the goodness of the universe, so all the power of the universe is in us.

Grasp the Divine MIND Truth and align with it, bring it into your MIND. Chant it, affirm it, speak it throughout the day every day until you KNOW it. Then bring it into your physical BODY. FEEL it in every cell in your BODY, displacing belief in tiredness and illness. “I feel I am whole!” No feeling; no healing. Once you feel it, Spirit takes it out into the BODY of your affairs.

The Holy SPIRIT is our liaison with the mind of God, and is always available. Sit in quiet. Write your question at the top of a sheet of paper. Start by praying 3 times, “Come, Holy SPIRIT”. The response is actually palpable. You will feel it. Then ask. You will be guided as to “What is mine to do?”

We are afraid of our power because we don't understand. God is not powerful, but power. God is not loving, but love. God is not peaceful, God is peace. Live life as if you ARE blessed, charmed, powerful.

Steps to “Living the Charmed Life”: Accept your power. It's yours. Affirm it. “I accept the divine power that flows through me, as me!” Learn. Discover what you're capable of. Apply the powers in the laboratory of your life. Apply; apply. Practice; practice; practice. Face and vanquish your demons of fear, judgment, hurt, anger, etc. They prevent you from standing in your power. Don't run from your doubts and fears. They are illusions and are not as powerful as you believe. Once you shine the light they disappear. Don't let them and their relatives move in. Bar the door. Lastly, protect the innocent—the innocent that you are. We have not lost our innocence. We are still the pure, innocent beings we were with God before the world was made.

Be the Christ in the world. When you walk out all suited up in your power you will begin to bring transformation into the world! Your light will shine so brilliantly! People will feel it.

Pray the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi as “Lord, make me an instrument of your POWER. Where there is hatred, let me so love...” and so on. You are the beloved of God. It is God's good pleasure to support you in living the charmed life!

Love In Action: Commitment to Love

From Rev. David McArthur (edited by Mike McGuire, not reviewed by the speaker)

The divine presence within.  In a monastery in a beautiful valley, the monks were growing older. The abbot was concerned about the monastery surviving. His friend the rabbi couldn't think of any way to help, but told the abbot, “I dreamt one of your monks was the messiah.” The abbot shared this with the monks. Silently, each wondered which brother it might be, or even if it might not be himself. So each one resolved to do better. As if a special wind had blown through the monastery, activity increased. The monks' efforts to serve others and the surrounding community increased. Once again men from the community became interested in joining the order.

What a difference it makes when we see the beautiful divine presence in each other and within ourselves!

The real source of abundance.  Another community saw how their old buildings no longer served them. After seeking guidance they decided to renew their place. There had just been enough money to meet existing needs, but different members pledged to do more. Then in their country a great recession hit, and fear gripped everyone. Some in the community lost their jobs, some lost their houses. They again prayed. “Should we go forward?” A curious answer came back that yes, they should go forward. They knew the real source of their abundance. In the face of the fear, they each committed to give from their resources. They built a beautiful center for themselves and all who hear of it. And the times got better for all. It had to start somewhere.

The change came from how they began to see each other—how they saw the divine in each other—and, what's even harder, seeing the divine within themselves. It is easy to see who that was, as today we are celebrating our second year in our new buildings. The commitment we made was to honor the divine love that we are. Say to each other, “I commit to honor the love you are.” “I commit to being Divine Love in action.”

Power. Wholeness. Wisdom. Abundance.  You cannot choose to be divine love—it is what you are! You cannot get away from it. But you can commit to putting divine love into action. That is what is the power! The wholeness! The wisdom! The abundance! You are!

Ho'o pono pono: I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.

From Rev. David McArthur (edited by Mike McGuire, not reviewed by the speaker)

You have the power.  Dr. Hew Len, in Hawaii, healed so many patients that the ward was closed in just three years. He did this without therapy. He did it by working on himself, using Ho'o pono pono.  We believe what is out there is a reflection of what we have within. If it is in your world it is a part of you. If you don't like what you see, you can clean it out. You have the power to change it.

To transform.  The divine always expresses to us in wholeness and harmony. You cannot hold back the divine wholeness within you, the perfection which is you. So when something shows up, use these four steps. However, while thinking them might make a difference, it will not transform you. To transform, instead of saying “I love you”, feel it. Thinking is nice, but doing the loving is transformative.

1^st is “I love you.” FEEL it, if you want transformation. Your love goes to that part of yourself that is out-picturing the disharmony. The part of you which is divine love goes to it, too, and has all the power. It is waiting for you to ask.

2^nd is “I'm sorry.” FEEL free to let go. If you remain in your head, your head will give you all the reasons “they” were wrong. Reasons don't matter here. Have the willingness to let go. “I didn't mean to create disharmony.” This is repentance.

3^rd is “Please forgive me.” FEEL the deep desire for freedom. The disharmony has no place in your life anymore. Ask the divine presence to remove it, to free you fully.

4^th is “Thank you” and it is easy. We FEEL fully the appreciation for, and complete acceptance of, what is given.

God will heal anything in your heart. She will remove any limits, if you want to feel better.

A NASA rocket was hopelessly off course. It had no self guidance system, and one of the scientists knew they had no control. She went to prayer. She had done some Ho'o pono pono work before, so she called Dr. Len in Hawaii who does the “unseen” work. With his guidance, she told the rocket, “I love you”. They worked the four steps of Ho'o pono pono, and the rocket self-corrected!

What are you one with? Ask yourself. —That amazing power!

“Thank you!”

Spirit In Healing

from Rev. David McArthur, with Dr. Len Saputo

(edited by Mike McGuire, not reviewed by the speakers)

The most effective bio-feedback instrument ever created tells us when it's time to do some spiritual work. It's called the body. Spiritual Life comes into the world, and into our experience, as the body.  Dr. Len Saputo supports us via the medical profession. “My work and your work, [David], is the same work.” Body attune-ment can be medical or spiritual. The body is not just different parts, but one thing—integrated mind, body, and spirit. We are spiritual beings on a physical path.

A life-threatening case.  Two years ago Dr. Saputo had a hip replacement but developed a life-threatening case of cobalt poisoning. “I made peace with God because I was totally convinced I would die.” Dr. Saputo's colleagues were convinced he had an infection, as the cobalt poisoning in this kind of situation was relatively unknown. But Dr. Saputo's insight and guidance from within said it was something different. “God and I had a chat. I became humble; I knew dying was not my decision. But I had family and friends; I had knowledge to share. So I let go and told God, 'Whatever it is You want, it's ok.'” Where ever you go there are always advisers, but the decider is always within. “It was frightening to go against my colleagues. But my heart was telling me something different.” After the second hip replacement surgery, Dr.Saputo was told there was no infection. It had been the cobalt poisoning.

Evolve to a higher level of consciousness.  Ask, “How can I be of service; what can I give or share?” It's a matter of Trust. Let go and let God do the work. He knows what he's doing. All the worry in the world won't solve anything. And when we accept our inner guidance there comes a feeling of peace. It's part of knowing we are really connected—the overwhelming feeling of peace.

Come forward into the next level of service and purpose of life. Say, “yes”. You can revolve around all that's going wrong in our world, or you can stop and evolve. Just do the first foot of your “1000 mile journey”. Without you doing it, it won't happen. That will change the world, little by little. You might evolve a few friends, or a city! Do it together and we will have a better world!

That spiritual flow is you—you are the wisdom and power that is here to uplift the world. Say yes!

Your Heart's Desire

This is a beautiful new year when Spirit is focused on supporting you in being what you came here to be – your purpose, your growth, that desire in your heart, your “heart's desire”. What is in your heart? You might say, “Give me a hint!” Jesus said it's not your duty or station – “What is that to you? Follow me.” He said “me” as the Christ self rather than as “Jesus”. As humankind has awakened to the divine within, we are called by the higher self, the Divine Presence, the Buddha Nature. We experience it in ourselves as our purpose at this point in life. We experience it as our heart's desire.

Look at your heart's desire. Take a hold of what you want to put your energy into. As it unfolds it empowers you. Meet the needs in life without struggle. When you touch your heart's desire you touch Oneness. One mind, one heart – which beats in all of us! When you're at a point of choice and you find it's time to take a step, touch your heart's desire. At this point, maybe it's just to heal. Whatever it is, every experience of your heart's desire calls you into something greater. Thank goodness we don't know the full extent of our choices. Say yes. It will show you oneness. It will remove the illusion of separation.

Take the time and go to your heart. “What has meaning to me?” “What has value?” “What is important to me? What do I really want to say “yes” to?” Ask your heart. It will take you far beyond your mind. When you say “yes”, you don't know ­where it will eventually lead. Say “yes” anyway! This is a beautiful new year when our “yes” is part of many yesses. That is what we all will step into this year.

from Mike McGuire, Prayer Team
Summary of Rev. David's sermon

Be an Instrument

The angels of the Christmas story show God communicates with us directly, that we are connected with God and that it is a two way street. And the message in the Christmas story calls us each to be an instrument for bringing forth that which is greater. With our willingness and commitment to do so, and our moving on it, we need not know for what end. We might be an instrument of healing of body or heart. Or maybe we'll bring peace into a family. We likely will never know, but the world will change because of our faithful action.

So with each Christmas carol you hear this season, with every gift you choose and every cookie you bake, celebrate. Celebrate because you got the message, God is talking to you. If you listen, if you reply, "What is mine to do?", and open up to it, then, just as on that first Christmas night, the angels will sing “Glory to God in the highest; peace to all of good will”.

from Mike McGuire, Prayer Team
Summary of Rev. David's sermon

Embracing Change

One of the great gifts of knowing that all is God, is that we do not need to fear change. Embracing change opens us to finding God’s gifts in what is taking place in our lives. It means we are attuning ourselves to a higher pattern that is unfolding. It does not mean that all change is easy or without pain. However, it does mean that we have Divine guidance through those changes to bring ease in difficulty and Divine healing to restore us to wholeness. Change involves the art of letting go, the activation of our faith, our attunement to guidance, and the awakening of our Spirit.

I invite you to look at the changes taking place in your life and embrace them, knowing that God is there, God is with you and God is loving you. Know that God is at the center of all change, and you are centered in God.

From my heart,

-- Rev. David McArthur

Greater Goodness is Calling

A greater goodness is calling all of us. The caterpillar that is in the transformation process does not know that it will emerge from the cocoon as the beautiful butterfly. Yet within it is the divine pattern that guides it through the process because the result, the greater expression of its true self, is calling it into the process of change. The divine pattern within each of us is calling us to a new state of consciousness. Change is happening in our personal lives and in the world. This change is not caused by the failure of old systems; rather it is because the greater expression of our true selves is being called into being.

How do we attune to that greater presence and wisdom that is calling us to our next level of living? We attune by turning to that indwelling light, love and goodness that is who we really are. Prayer and love are the timeless tools of transformation. Let them open each of us to the greater expression of God’s goodness that is calling us forth.

--Rev. David McArthur