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!

Reveal The Beauty

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

A Mystical Experience.  The accomplished pianist Komiko tells that when she was 13, she went snorkeling, and a trio of dolphins came and played all around her. Imagine the joy, the beauty, the very quality of life in that moment! Thereafter she awakened nightly to music. She could see the notes and would write them down. It was a mystical experience. She could see more clearly the amazing beauty of life itself. She saw the experience of the presence of God as beauty, and was transformed.

The only thing to see.  You know the only thing that is there is the presence of God, so the only thing to see is the beauty. Like Harry Potter, use your magic wand to direct the intention of both your mind (which focuses) and the power of your heart (which transforms). Focus your intention. Then, when you are ready, use the very special incantation “Reveal the Beauty. Reveal the Beauty. Reveal the Beauty”. It isn't often instantaneous. Sometimes you have to try pretty hard, but it is always there. It transforms barriers.

The Navajo pray

In beauty may I walk; All day long may I walk
Through the returning seasons may I walk...
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk
With dew about my feet may I walk; With beauty may I walk.
With beauty before me may I walk; With beauty behind me may I walk
With beauty above me may I walk; With beauty all around me may I walk
In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk...
It is finished in beauty; It is finished in beauty

Use the spell.  It is the heart of the mystical experience. You experience the touch of the divine. Your homework this week is to use the spell, the intention to transform, to reach through and see that beauty. And treasure the result! Then turn that wand inward upon yourself and “Reveal the Beauty” there, for you are the presence of that beauty, the presence of the divine!

Journey Into Oneness

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

We are one.  We really are one. It doesn't look that way. It appears that you are separate from me. Emilie Cady said, “Man, who is at first living in the selfish animal part of himself, will grow up ...to the divine or spiritual understanding wherein he knows that he is one with the Father...” The Father is the part of the divine that loves and cares for us, and is within us, yet is infinite.

You are one with that other political candidate, and more troubling, all those people you just don't get who support that candidate. When watching the debate, I first felt condescension for them. It was an experience of separation, viewing them as less than. It was uncomfortable. I thought maybe I should try something different. I stepped back and I saw that all the people really cared. A sense of connection took place. I stepped farther back and saw all the country experiencing a polarization which hurt, and I felt compassion. How difficult it is to work with those hugely complex issues! And I saw that the polarity blocks clarity, and our fears are surfacing. When we fail to see that the One Power cares for us all, we instead empower our fears. We see ourselves as separate and different. We fail to see our oneness unfolding in the most important vote, which is for care.

All you see you are.  This world can't see beyond its opposites, or see our oneness. That comes from within us. Jean Houston: “I was no longer just Jean Houston, age 6. I had awakened to a consciousness that spanned centuries. Everything was important. It was as if I knew everything, was connected to everything. I was an infinite being.” She said, “It's your true self.” Alfred Lord Tennyson told that from boyhood he frequently had a “waking trance” in which it was as if individuality was gone and he was part of the “boundless pure being”. Vedanta teaches “Thou art that. All you see you are. Thou art one with the Universal Being. Every soul is your soul. Every body is your body. The Universe is my body.” We journey to consciously touch and know that.

This beautiful connection teaches us our oneness. We sense the presence, the power, the oneness. We touch that beautiful wisdom moving through life, and see that God is good all the time! God is good all the time! All the time God is good! Practice this chance to vote for love!