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When all seems to be said and done, there is still more to handle, respond to, and integrate, always and forever! We are never said and done. We are never completely finished, not in death, not in life, not in work, not in love.

There is always more awaiting us when we are ready to receive it, into our knowing. We are ETERNAL. We are eternally presented with more of something or another. Even in the most severely extreme actions taken to end a life, one is never said and done. It is impossible to finish or end ourselves. We are always with our being whatever dimension we are living in. This is an absolute truth for all beings, everywhere.

Eventually, sometime, somewhere we will begin to hear the small voice of All That Is which is always with us whether we attend to that voice or not. Even at the end of deeply destructive action, we come face-to-face with ourselves and we are IT. There is no getting away from us, from our thoughts, words, deeds and actions. We are IT.

Being Eternal is a forever process.

Our beings repeatedly move from one dimension to another and pick up where we left off. We still have to face the same heartache, the same sadness, the same misperceptions, the same feeling of disconnection from God and Divine Love. As above, so below. As below, so above. We are the creators of our own lives. We are the ones who make choices with what we are given. We are the ones who give meaning and power to the things which happen to us. We can do the clearing work now or do the clearing work later, the choice is ours but the blocked energy NEVER simply goes away on its own.

We are inextricably part of All That Is, in mind, body and soul regardless of what we have done, what we are thinking, what we are presently doing or not doing or what we will chose to do in the future. We create our own lives, the good and the bad, for the sole purpose of healing our souls from the separateness we feel from the Greater Whole. Why do bad things happen to us? Why do good things happen to us? We are on a journey and each of us will have the precise and exact situations we need to heal our souls.

Upon my return from India three years ago, I experienced 10 days of amoebic dysentery and 4 weeks of a serious, painful knee infection which had me in bed for over 2 weeks and on crutches for another 2 weeks beyond that, affecting all my systems because of the bacteria.

I had been on a spiritual journey to an ashram while in India. You can imagine my outrage, anger and ranting about having such a thing happen to me when I had “put out” so much to make that trip! What had I done “to deserve that reaction” in my life? I was not at this level of outrage on the first day of the dysentery nor even during the first week of the infection but as it wore on and on, I wore out, more and more. I felt exhaustion, weakness, pain, pain, pain and then anger, fear, rage, blame and finally release. Ah, the sweet energy of surrender!

I finally saw that the entire experience was for me to GET THE SPIRITUAL MESSAGES of the trip and to integrate that knowing into every aspect of my being, including deep and serious illness. I am not a super “swifty” in this type of learning! However, with enough pain and discomfort, I did have to stop railing, begin meditating and praying, and eventually, let go.

I was supported in this odyssey by a book I had gotten in India written about a spiritual mystic, entitled Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness* by Satprem. During the endless days of my debilitating imbalance, I read this book. My strong emotions were raging around and then I got to chapter 14. Here was something that struck to the very core of my being:

We cannot heal unless we heal all the way down and we cannot go all the way down unless we go all the way up. The deeper we want to descend, the more powerful the light we need, otherwise we are eaten alive. … Ultimately, progress is not so much a matter of ascending as of clearing all that obstructs — when we are clear, everything is THERE. …..When the seeker has had a first decisive opening above, when he has seen the Light, he almost simultaneously feels a battering below, as if something in him were aching. …And he will have learned his first lesson: we cannot take one step above without taking one step below… As soon as we have touched a certain intensity of consciousness or light, it automatically exerts a pressure on the rest of our nature and brings out the corresponding obscurities or resistances. *Institut de Recherches Evolutives, Paris, 1996-2003, pgs 235-239.

This extended pain finally made sense. My confinement and pain was not a punishment, not a “bad thing”, not cooked up for me to suffer. It was a necessary experience if I was going to really escape all the emotions I had of blaming and raging against the Universe when my body was deeply hurting. Having spent 18 years earlier in my life with debilitating back pain, I was deeply familiar with pain. However this time, I could see that my body was speaking to me LOUDLY about letting go all blame, anger, outrage and pain.

Resist not evil came hurling into my mind and saturated the pores of my body. The message was to simply allow and this would pass as well. It did pass and I had a talk with the Universe to arrange for other means to get my attention if and when I needed such a clearing in the future! I envision an email from God with a clear message, “clean up your act, you need to move on! ” I would hope I would get such a message now and not need more weeks in bed.

Have you gotten any emails from God recently? I had probably gotten lots of messages which I had not recognized or ignored before my knee episode. The “big guns” were brought in so that I had to attend to the messages. May we each attend to the areas of our lives which are bringing us imbalance. They don’t go away, ever, they just retreat and wait for another occasion to get us to pay attention to what needs clearing and balance in our lives. As we are eternal through and through, we have all the time we need to learn the lessons before us.

Prayer and Clearing Suggestion

Open a Sacred Healing Circle as you envision that for yourself.

Say from your heart : I forgive myself completely and ask forgiveness from all others, where I have tried to hurt or punish myself or another knowingly or unknowingly including the following specific incidents ( _____) through all space and time. I want to walk more fully in the Light, in Balance and In Harmony with myself and with others. Thanks be to All That Is.

Illness is caused at its core by an imbalance in the flow of unseen energy in our bodies. If there is stuck energy, various imbalances manifest in our physical body to get our attention. I work with unseen energies such as thoughts, feelings and sense of connection with the Greater Whole. When these unseen energies are blocked, our health is affected even though we can’t see this energy. Illness, in many cases, is a warning system about blocked energy.

We live in a world filled with germs, bacteria, viruses, spirochetes, parasites, worms, etc. Why can two people encounter the same virus and one person develops a full blown set of symptoms while the other manifests no symptoms at all? We might claim a strong immune system or general resistance to viruses and leave it to a vague sense of heredity. However, I have experienced that we manifest strong immune systems when we are in balance with our thoughts, feelings and sense of connectedness to the Greater Whole. Our body reflects the nature of our unseen internal balance or imbalance as the case may be.

We can more readily sense this in our relationships. If we have a recurring argument with our spouse, child or parent, there is very likely blocked energy in our thoughts, emotions, or connection with the Greater Whole which keeps coming up to fuel these recurring arguments. We often even know what that blocked energy is.

Again and again, in working with people manifesting persistent mis-alignments, infections, fever, fungus, viruses, rashes, etc. there is some blocked unseen energy which must be cleared first, before the body can heal. Clear the energetic imbalance and the body heals in nearly all cases. Systemic imbalance in the energy field does not allow the body to fully heal and manifest balance.

There are levels of imbalance. An allergy to mold can often be effectively treated with homeopathic medicine or acupressure and the body comes into balance. When a person has extensive allergies with little improvement over time, systemic blocked energy is clearly present.

Louisa had suffered with allergies, year around, for many years by the time I saw her. She had taken dozens of medicines, tried various treatments including acupuncture, been to numerous doctors and still suffered severely with allergies. She found that if the medicines worked for the allergies, she felt sluggish and “off” energetically.

She was increasingly spending her time in a drugged daze. She was depressed by the constancy of the attacks. They were deeply affecting her ability to be outside and enjoy nature. The question we asked of Divine Knowing was, what is the blocked energy manifesting now as allergies? Louisa was carrying blocked spiritual energy manifesting as allergies.

We have four energetic bodies each with a unique type of energy. The only one we see is our physical body. Right next to our physical body, though unseen, is our emotional body. Next out is our mental body and furthest from our physical body is the spiritual body. The spiritual body is made up of our sense of connectedness with the Greater Whole/God/All That Is. Each of these bodies vibrate at different levels of megahertz. The physical body is the densest body and therefore vibrates at the slowest rate. The spiritual body is the least dense body and vibrates at the fastest rate. In fact, we need to be very quiet and still to even perceive our spiritual bodies at all. Meditation, therefore, can be very helpful in helping us become more aware of our spiritual bodies.

Louisa carried disconnected energy from the Greater Whole, though she was not conscious of this. She would not have been able to recognize this unless those allergies demanded her attention in the way they did. As she began to release blocked spiritual and fear energy from her life experiences, she came increasingly into physical balance. Her allergies diminished and eventually her whole body came into balance.

What were some of the specific blocked energies she was dealing with? Actually, we don’t have to know what those specific energies are for them to clear from our field. It is possible to open a sacred space with Divine Presence, call out the blocked spiritual energy manifesting as allergies and have that blocked energy clear from our field. You may need to repeat this several times if you have hesitations about this working or if you have fear that you will never be free of allergies. However, every time you call for such clearing, some of the blocked energy leaves. Blocked energy first leaves from the unseen areas of our being and eventually the shift in energy shows up as greater balance in the body.

Spiritual healing is not a magical fix. It is about coming into greater and greater connection with Divine Peace, Love and Balance.

If we have had a condition for a long time, it is rare that that condition is healed with one call for clearing. However, it is equally true that with one call for the clearing of blocked energy, some of the stuck energy will leave, every time. This is so because we are One with All That Is even if we don’t know it to be so. We are One and therefore we can use our Oneness to clear our own field of blocked energy. Try it. You will experience blocked energy clearing, the more you use it. Share your experiences with us!

ENERGY CLEARING PROCESS

• I open a sacred healing circle with my highest I AM energy (the part of us which is eternal), the Ascended Masters, the Angelic Host, (any others, your choice).

• I call forth the blocked emotional, mental and spiritual energy I am carrying which is currently manifesting as allergies to tree pollen ( state your own imbalance).

• I call for the Sacred Flame ( God’s Presence in flame form) to consume this blocked energy at its very source in the specific year, month and day of its inception in my field. I release all of this blocked energy and call for Divine Presence in the place of this stagnant energy.

• Thanks Be to God/All That Is/Great Oneness/ Allah.

Reminder: After clearing of blocked energy, you may experience detox. You can feel worse before you feel better. When clearing takes place, your body vibrates at a higher frequency and toxins are sloughed off from the body. Tiredness and bowel changes are frequent detox symptoms. Drink lots of water and eat lightly to reduce the symptoms.

* See Editor’s Note Below

All people make the only choice they can make, at the time their choice is made. If a person could make a different choice, a better more loving choice, (s)he would make that choice. We make choices from within ourselves based on what is whole and what is not whole. It does no good to judge another, no good at all.

What about situations in the public, where we come upon practices which we know are unjust but are generally accepted, all the same, by our government? The same principle applies. Government officials have greater or lesser degrees of conscious knowing, as do all people. Separate the behavior from the person or set of persons. Make the comments about the injustices, not about those supporting or endorsing those injustices. It is a tricky line. It is however a most critical line to understand, if we are to remain in integrity when faced with injustice or the unloving choices of others. This is one way to do no harm and stay in integrity.

Do not resist evil. When we resist that which is dark, unbalanced, evil or horrific, it grows. It grows because we are giving our power to it by our resistance. When we put our power on the Greater Balance, the Greater Good connected with the situation, that is what grows. The photo of the young woman in green, in our last post read, “My eyes are set on freedom”. She was focused on the Greater Good. Here is another way to focus on a positive action regarding war, “Awaken”.

Iraq War Fifth Anniversary by pictoscribe

Speak the Truth as you know it and let it go. Your speaking the Truth from your own integrity is very powerful and should not be underestimated. If you have a spouse, friend or colleague whose behaviors you find troubling, speaking one’s Truth can be transforming especially if done in a non-judgmental way. There is inherent power in the Truth. It stands alone because it comes from our Higher Selves. After speaking one’s truth, let it go. Time is needed to take it in, after Truth shows up.

Greg (name changed) had been noticing his wife’s steady increased spending on clothing for herself, for months. When we talked, she was regularly spending a minimum of $500 a month on clothing.

Greg was reticent to say anything to her because he did not want to criticize his wife and make the situation worse. However, he was worried about what was behind these behaviors which they were not speaking about.

He first asked for Divine Help in clearing his fear, anger and judgment around his wife’s spending pattern. He worked on his fear about what her behavior might mean for her, for their marriage, for their family and he worked to let all that fear go. When he finally did say something, he asked for Divine Presence to be with him and speak through him in a loving manner.

Greg first told his wife that he loved her. Secondly, he told her what the actual pattern of spending looked like over time, with facts and figures. He said that he felt this pattern was something other than the need for new clothes and that he was concerned about why she was making these choices for herself. This opened up several weeks of dialogue which eventually led to their mutually uncovering issues she was masking over, by buying clothes and overspending.

Greg spent some early months “not resisting evil” regarding his wife’s spending. He chose not to rant, criticize, condemn or judge. He began by seeking help and then cleared his own judgment about his wife’s actions, his fears about what this might mean. Greg figured out what his own Truth was, without confusing his Truth with his own fears. He also separated his wife’s behaviors from his wife, herself. People are not their behaviors, no matter what those behaviors are. If we can separate others behaviors from the individuals themselves, we have some hope of having Love help solve the issue rather than devolving into attack, blame and shame.

• Do no harm
• Do not resist evil
• Speak your Truth
• Face darkness with the power of Divine Knowing

Above all, remember to lovingly separate a person’s behavior from the person him/herself.

* Editor’s note: If you have not seen the previous piece on Judge Not, you might like to read it as well or before this one. Click here to link to it, Judge-not.

Who is to judge what is right and wrong? When is speaking out called for? When is accepting the point of view of another, called for? Most of us are not heads of government but each of us is influential somewhere, at work, at home, in communities, in our spiritual groups, etc. When we do feel called to speak out, how might we do this in our highest integrity?

In the end, these questions can only be answered individually. We may connect with others answering as we are, but ultimately, we are called to keep our own counsel and keep it with Divine Presence, the best way we can.

• First and foremost, do no harm.
• Secondly, do not resist evil.
• Thirdly, speak the Truth as you know it.
• Fourthly, face all human darkness with the power of the Divine Knowing.

These are principles which are in alignment with All That Is for all peoples. However our interpretation of what this looks like can be wildly different from one to another.

The most challenging stance when deciding to speak out or not is, can one speak out in a non-judgmental way? Judge not, lest you also be judged is one of the fundamental spiritual principles in alignment with do no harm. Why is this so important?

We are each and every one on our own spiritual path. Some of us are highly conscious, some of us are barely conscious and some of us are not conscious, at all. Being conscious in this situation refers to being connected with Divine Presence and aware of that connection. We can not know another’s level of consciousness. Therefore, we are in no position to judge even about those who are the closest to us.

The “right” behavior or choice for one may not be “right” for another due to his or her conscious knowing. Take for example a person who steals or smuggles. Immediately we might say, that is always wrong, regardless of the circumstances.

If we are in a situation where all ways of making money have been closed to us as we see it, and the only way to survive day to day seems to be to steal or smuggle, we may be in integrity because we are trying to provide for ourselves and our family. This might well apply to the children, for example, forced to smuggle along the Afghanistan and Pakistan border. The judging of this is only for Divine Knowing to determine. We are not that Knowing, generally.

What we can do is speak out about the injustices we see without condemning the people doing these things we have issues with. The same thing goes for our children and family members. We may have a very rebellious child who is pushing all our buttons by trying to express him or herself in ways we find offensive and dangerous. There is a huge difference in speaking out about one’s behaviors or choices and becoming angry and critical of the person who is making these decisions regardless of their age. Separate the behaviors from the person and love can still remain while we are speaking out about the choices we find troublesome. Confuse the person with the actions in a condemning way and we have crossed a line which is extremely damaging to most people. ( to be continued)

Loving Self is the fastest way to create a stronger connection with Spirit. However, most of us are not proficient in doing this. We may think we know all about Loving Self but it is the last area we master, as spiritually developing beings, in body. This can take several lifetimes to fully master. However, we are given all the chances we need to make decisions for ourselves which are loving and in integrity with our spiritual, True Selves.

1. One step to Loving Self is embracing that God and I Are One. We are not separate from God/Spirit. We may feel disconnected but in truth we cannot be separate no mater what we do, feel, don’t do, think or imagine. We are One with All That Is and that’s the Truth. Most of us do not know this however because we give our power to human fears, emotions and thoughts every day. This results in making us feel we are separate from Divine Presence.

Many of us do not gift ourselves with the experience of meditation and authentic prayer,

so we do not have the daily opportunity to learn from Spirit that we and God/Great Spirit are One. Even if we do meditate, we may not be actively releasing our human fears, thoughts and emotions. Therefore, we may be peaceful in Silence and then go right out and have an argument with our co-worker because we are not releasing our fears and concerns proactively, clearing our energy field and making more space for Divine Presence in our lives.

At the very least, affirm out loud and daily,

• There is One Power, One Source, One Life Force.
• I Am One with All That Is.
• I Am an Individualized Expression of God.

This brings Divine Knowing more readily into our energy fields as we affirm these truths regularly.

2. Loving Self has nothing to do with personal indulgence and everything to do with living in integrity. Loving Self is going out with friends and NOT over drinking, over eating, over smoking, over spending, over gambling or over sexing with others. Anything prefaced by “over” is not living in integrity. We usually know when we have “over” done something though frequently, not at the time. Perhaps for a time it feels easier to pretend to ignore this information we have about ourselves. This pretense is costly to us. When we “over do” we are by definition, out of balance. This absolutely affects us mentally, emotionally, spiritual and physically. Living in integrity is Loving of Self and by the way, benefits not only ourselves but all whom we meet.

The energy of being with friends, can be a very self loving experience if we are able to be our authentic selves in their company and receive affirmation for our own True Selves. This looks like being able to say I’m sorry for something we have done which was unkind or unthoughtful and being forgiven. This looks like being able to say, “this was great but now I need to get some rest to function tomorrow”. This looks like being able to set good boundaries for ourselves and have our friends or partners respect this in us.

3. Other acts of integrity include saying “no” to requests of us which are not good for us, helpful for others or respectful of our own inner knowing for ourselves.

Robert (name changed) is a management consultant in his late thirties, in international management. When just setting out, he felt he had to take all work that came his way for financial reasons. He loved the bi-play around negotiating new work, agreeing on the rates, specifying deliverables and getting the contract. However, time and again, he experienced a sense of deflation when it was time to actually do the work.

Robert did notice repeatedly, that if a contract was good for him, it was almost without exception, good for the clients as well. He began to try to determine while negotiating contracts, if he would enjoy the actual work. He made some spectacularly bad choices during this time. His fear of having enough money continued to play heavily into his judgment about clients. After 3 years of working with this rather directly, he turned away a very large contract for 6 months of nearly full salary, because it felt really wrong for him.

After that time, he had appreciably fewer bad contracts show up in his life, because his learning was complete. His soul was at peace with regard to these learnings and therefore he no longer attracted these situations to himself. He had learned to live in integrity with himself and not to “prostitute himself” for the sake of prestige, money, recognition, or safety. In Loving Self enough to only accepting work situations which were good for him, Robert radically transformed his life for the good, in all areas, not just with work.

In facing these situations for yourself ask the following:

• Is this a loving choice for me?
• Am I being honest with myself, about whether this is good for me ?
• What is making me consider working (or staying) in this setting which I know is crummy for me?

4. Loving Self requires proactive attention to our deepest needs. If we are not getting enough exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep, or spending endless hours before a computer or TV, we need to attend to this. It is a loving act to pay attention to these things. If we are deeply lonely, we need to take steps to be with others even if it feels like a big risk. If we are in a bad relationship, we need to ask for Divine Help to come forth within us, release all that is our part of the bad relationship, and bless the other person regardless of the past. If we are bored, we need to name the fear behind this and face it squarely so that we can move on from the languishing energy.

Loving Self is creating more compassion with ourselves in all areas of our lives. Love heals all things, no matter the size or complexity of what we might be facing. Clear the fear you carry connected with the situation, call in Love even though you may not know what next steps to take because such acts create a stronger connection with All That Is, which leads to Inner Peace.

Sermon for May 24, 2009
Comm-Unity On the Hill, Washington, D.C.
Rev. Robbins S. Hopkins, Ed.D.

Editor’s Note:

I recently began attending a Sunday service at a Unity Church in Washington, D.C. I found this group after several people independently recommended this spiritual group to me. I am very happy with this group’s inclusiveness, openness and joyful singing. This post is an excerpt of the sermon I offered when asked to speak one Sunday. You can read the full sermon here. If you are looking for a place of worship, do consider coming one Sunday to visit. Specifics about the congregation are offered at the end of the full sermon.

Opening Prayer

Spirit of the Living God, we open to the Presence of Love within us and among us, as we gather here today. Our thanks for the blessings of our lives and for this time of worship and reflection together. And So It Is. Amen.

Sermon

I am so happy to be here with you, today. I have been earnestly looking for a spiritual congregation for three years where I might worship and share my talents. I fortunately have had a lot of signposts and help along the way. At the Sacred Circles Conference in February of this year at the National Cathedral, four different people told me of this congregation. In fact, the workshop for that conference which I gave was held in this very room.

After those four different conversations, I imagined a loud voice saying rather pointedly to me, “Robbins, are you getting this? This is the place you have been looking for.” I just laughed. I rarely get messages which are that emphatic and pointed. It would have been most unwise for me to ignore that. So, I have been happily coming here since the end of February.

I am also so pleased to have been asked to speak with you. I am a minister of spiritual healing. Among other things, this may be the very first place in years perhaps ever, really, that I could say this out loud, from the pulpit and not wonder if a significant number from the congregation might actually get up and leave. This is the absolute truth.

As a minister of spiritual healing, I work with unseen energies. I work with energies in our mind, in our hearts, in our bodies, in our relationships, in our spirit, and in our Universe. Unseen energy includes feelings like fear, anger, love or appreciation. Unseen energy also includes the energy of my passed mother, my relationship with my brothers, a client’s depression, loss or cancer, the energy of Ascended Masters like Jesus and Buddha, the nature spirits, energy of our ancestors and the presence of the Angelic Host, to name a few.

Editor’s Note: Read the full sermon here: Intentional Partnering With God.

Every single person regardless of his or her circumstances surrounding death is exactly where he or she needs to be. Even those who leave us through cruel or tragic circumstances, I have come to understand, are exactly on the path they need to be upon. Sri Sathya Sai Baba, an avatar and mystic from India said, regarding the death of young girl, ” Oh yes, wonderful child. Her karma was all finished, why hold her back?” In other words, some of us need to only come here a short while to accomplish our purpose. Why would we want a young child to remain here if he or she could be with God and Divine Energy in the great beyond? Love is eternal, that can never die. Our links with these early departed children, partners or spouses are as strong as ever whether they are in body or not. This type of love is eternal, it cannot die.

There is also spiritual evidence that those who are taken from life as a result of violence, where they were innocent victims, often play critical roles in taking enormous amounts of dark, negative energies with them to be transformed by the Light. These energies are humanly created and when an innocent person is killed tragically, they can through their innocence, take darkness right out of this dimension for purification. I have had the privilege of working with a person where this was her role as she was leaving this life.

We have a very small lens on what really happens beyond the here and now. If you don’t spend time in Silence, your mind is likely to be the part of you that tries to make sense out of death. The mind cannot do that effectively. The heart needs instruction in the energies surrounding death for us to know ourselves what is what. The next best thing, perhaps is listening to someone you trust who is spending time with Divine Knowing. The ways of death have been with us since time began. I take a cue from the Bible which has 365 “fear not” passages throughout the books, one for every day. Death is one of those states of becoming and being which we are not to fear.

If you feel you are nearing death or know someone who is , endeavor as much as possible to stay in the present. Resist the temptation to look at the past or worry about the future. Rejoice in the love around you, trust that all will be provided for you and for all those who will miss you or your loved one. There is only the present and therefore, call forth the Divine Knowing about death for yourself or your loved one. This helps with the fear which we as humans tend to hold onto as we face changes in our life circumstances. You might say, “ I call forth Divine Knowing about death and dying” for myself , or for the person you love who is passing.

Death is a part of life, it is simply a different state. We, of course, still have to go through our own adjustment time to the loss of a loved one. When my father died, I knew he was safe and free. He had lived a long life and had not been sick when he passed on. However, I still felt his loss and remember thinking at the time, I would have liked to wear black so as not to have to appear “normal” while I was in mourning. My mourning time was characterized by feeling that the colors, the food, the music, and all the emotions around me were slightly muted, not exactly normal. One day after a few months, that mourning time lifted and I felt my own energy take up its place within me, once again. Whatever our response to death is, we need to give ourselves time and space to grieve, to remember, to honor and to let it go.

Joel Goldsmith, a twentieth century American mystic and spiritual teacher, speaks of death this way. He says that as long as we see ourselves separated from the One Power, the One Source, we fear death. He suggests that we awake every morning affirming that there is One Power, One Source, One Wholeness, One Divine Oneness and claim that we are wholly part of that One Power. There is no other power, of any kind. However to get our minds to grasp this, we must practice such affirmations, frequently because we are all so deeply affected by the mass energy which fears death. Joel says, “…death itself is not a power, … death cannot separate you from the life of God, the soul of God, the consciousness of God. …. Take the fear of death out of disease and disease would have no sting; it would have no power whatsoever. ” (The Art of Spiritual Living, 1976)

If reading this pricks unpleasantness, pain, strong rejection energy or anything upsetting at all, take it as a sign that more work is needed. It is likely that more release of blocked energy around issues of death, people who have died, or those who are dying, or for yourself is still needed. These steps may be helpful to you in your exploration.

• Enter into Silence with All That Is with the intention to lighten your energy around issues of death.

• Ask what you need to release. Listen to the stillness. That may be enough.

• If more is needed, search your feelings about a specific situation or aspect of dying as a place to begin.

• Name the emotion or emotions you are feeling.

• Ask yourself what is the fear behind these feelings I am carrying??

• Call the Sacred Flame from within yourself ( a form of Divine Presence) to release the blocked spiritual energy manifesting as the fear or fears you have identified.

• Give thanks.

You may wonder if this process works or why it works? It works because the fears we hold about death have no power as Joel Goldsmith and many other mystics have asserted. If we release them, they are gone. They have no life other than the life we are giving them in our own energy field and mind. We can affect that by rooting them out. These fears are all of our own creation and therefore, we can command them out so that we will be lighter and more peaceful. This work is the intentional expansion of consciousness, coming to a greater and greater awareness of the One Power, the One Source of All That Is.

Peace to all who may be nearing death, who are accompanying one who is dying or mourning one who has passed. May the Infinite Presence of the Great I AM, be known to you in the most perfect of ways as you walk with death. May you know the One Power which is always with us, always constant, all knowing and all powerful. Peace to you in all states of your being. Receive now the Blessings of the Light.

Anger has a life of its own. How does that happen? We might be having a very fine day and then that old argument about making plans for the weekend comes up or age old wounds about spending money to celebrate a special occasion appear and suddenly, real nastiness sets in. We can be in the car and make a seemingly mild comment about going another way to the store and every other issue ever discussed about driving comes crashing into the car between you and your companion. Suddenly Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde are present in full regalia. Who are those folks erupting into yelling, posturing, accusing and defending?

Anger is like temporary insanity. The emotions take on such presence that we begin to feel they are real, powerful and overwhelming.

They aren’t actually any of those things. Anger is neither real, powerful nor overwhelming though our reaction to it can well be overwhelming especially when we are in the thick of the interaction. Anger is not real in the sense that it is a passing emotion, not eternal and it is certainly not powerful as it is not of the Great Oneness. Erupting and repeating anger is a repeatedly debilitating experience which most of us would love to be free of. How do we unpack anger from our energy field, especially when we are, of course, right?

The very first step to unpacking anger is to want it unpacked, more than you want to be right. If you are really ready to stop giving your power to anger, you have to put it first on your list before all other feelings as the one you are going to get rid of. It takes a great deal of determination and commitment but it can be done. It takes honesty with oneself and before Divine Presence.

The next step to unpacking anger is to pick one recent anger encounter and take it into meditation and reflection with Divine Presence. Here is a story of how one partner worked on her anger until it dissipated.

Kevin and Mary repeat versions of anger every time they begin to plan Thanksgiving for their family gathering.

Kevin comes from a formal family and Mary from an informal family and therefore their approach to entertaining is very different. Though the specific incidents differ each year, the anger and angst for each of them by self-report, feel exactly the same. Mary began to be more and more determined to clear her anger response to Kevin because she was increasingly bothered by having those arguments taint the entire family gathering.

Mary began to work on smaller issues around entertaining in an effort to clear the air leading up to family gatherings. She found that she got angry when she felt that the menu, buying of the food and getting the house ready was all ending up on her plate. Every time it seemed that this was happening, she would get defensive and anger would erupt. She recognized and named the fear as “it is all up to me to make the event successful”. As this fear “ran her” in most conversations about entertaining, she would begin early to keep herself from making any commitments which could pile up and result in her feeling “it is all up to me”. This would drive Kevin crazy because he simply wanted the responsibilities clear. Mary would steadfastly not participate in clarifying the responsibilities so that she would not have it “end up being all on her” . Needless to say, entertaining was stressful.

After Mary specifically named her fear, she began to see this fear morphing and showing up in many other areas of her life, including at work and with her friends as well. Though she remained determined to release this fear, it simply did not seem to be able to go. She took this into Silence and got a clear sense that there was a deeper more gripping fear that she had not even known was there. Mary realized that she really feared “that she would make a major effort and fail or be embarrassed”. This felt solid and intensely honest as it had been with her for many years.

Mary said this was exactly how she felt performing as a young dancer. She would practice for months at a time and had been really embarrassed numerous times about her performances.

This fear was still in her energy field though it had morphed into issues of entertaining in her home. By focusing on one specific situation, she began to be able to let it go and unpack part of her wall of anger. As long as the anger seemed to be one overwhelming, huge, repeating network of arguments, she was unable to do anything but protect herself with all her might against the possibility of impending failure.

This may sound like a psychological assessment of the situation Mary faced but all her insight and clarity came as a result of taking this into Silence and reflecting on these issues through her journaling. Here are the steps she took to come to this clarity herself and to release the core fear running her efforts around entertaining with her husband.

1. Open a sacred healing space in whatever way you feel comfortable. ( Call in your Highest I Am Energy, Divine Presence and Angelic Energy, for example.
2. Focus on one specific argument in the recent past.
3. Ask, “What am I afraid of, What is the fear which is fueling this repeating argument?”
4. What am I getting from holding onto this argument? What is this argument costing me?
5. Ask yourself, “Where else is this fear working in my life?
6. Take all these situations into Silence and ask, “What is the core, root fear behind all this behavior?”
7. Name the core fear.
8. Call forth the Sacred Flame from within yourself and command the fear be completely consumed by this Divine Energy. (Even if you feel you don’t know how this works, do it, it does work. )

How can we pray for others who are sick, afraid or in pain?

The first thing to remember is that All That Is, is already here. God is Constant, One Source, One Power. So asking for the healing of another is frequently not helpful to the other person, though it is not harmful either. All that is needed is already here. We are all made in the image of God and therefore we have all that is needed already. The fact that someone is manifesting illness means they are simply not demonstrating their full power at this time. Their Divine spark , if you will, is somehow diminished by the person giving his or her power to something other than Divine Knowing.

The most powerful prayers we can offer are those which call forth the Divine Oneness within others for their own healing and re-balancing. When we know of that power within a person, our calling it forth is one very powerful prayer for that person. Divine Power resides within every person but often it is not fully actualized because it is covered over with old emotions, thoughts, memories or a sense of separateness from God. When others recognize this in us and call it forth, it allows us to connected with our own sense of spiritual consciousness , power and knowing. The calling forth of Divine Presence in another is similar to Namaste. The God/Christ/Light in me recognizes The God/Christ/Light in you and the response is wholeness and healing vibration. See also: Praying with Power.

What would you recommend if I am repeatedly having unsuccessful relationships with guys I am dating? How can this type of issue be helped spiritually?

Begin by settling into Sacred Space and Stillness. The question you might ask yourself is, what patterns are your repeating in each relationship? What experiences are you having over and over again? Pick one, such as repeatedly going along with a guy, getting more and more serious and then realizing he is not into making a lasting commitment. Take this repeating pattern into Silence. Ask Divine Presence/ God/ The Oneness, what you need to learn from these relationships. Ask to be shown where you are separated from Divine Wholeness in these repeating patterns in your relationships. Then wait knowing you will learn what you need to know. Wait in the Silence and wait out of the Silence, knowing you will be shown in many ways, in the fullness of time, all that you have not seen until now. This will come in a time frame that is perfect for you, though it may not necessarily be within the time frame you have in your mind.

Your part is to bring the pattern into Sacred Silence and ask to be shown where you are separated from Divine Wholeness around this issue. The waiting upon the answer is also your part. Simply remain open and attentive to input and it will begin flowing towards you. The more you obsess over the issue, the harder it will be to receive guidance about it. Simply wait in attentive expectation. It is possible that the answers may be difficult to hear. You may be attracting these relationships because of some fear, mistrust, doubt or concerns you are carrying about being in a committed relationship yourself. In other words, the insights almost always lead us to the identification of our own fears and blocked energy. When you have a sense of what that looks like and feels like, simply command the release of this fear, mistrust, or doubt from your own energy field. Imagine this dark, heavy energy leaving your energy field and give thanks. http://robbinshopkins.com/2009/02/full-partners-with-the-divine-healing-service-excerpt/

Questions and Answers is a new feature of this blog. If you have a questions you would like answered, send them along in the comments section below. Some of the questions asked will appear in upcoming posts. I encourage you to take my answers to questions with you into meditative Silence and discern for yourself what your own answers are for the various questions presented here. Happy seeking.

There are infinite ways to enter Silence. Success with intentional Silence is accessible to all human beings, with practice. Silence is the space beyond conscious thought. It is the space beyond lists, questions, concerns and fears. It is the space of Infinite Possibility. When first exploring time in Silence, many of us think we will find some direction, get clarity on an issue or feel safe and supported. These things can and do occur in Silence but usually meditators have to overcome feelings of discomfort, insufficiency and sometimes even boredom when first entering intentional Silence. Early experiences with Silence can be filled with self-doubt, fears of what we will find in Silence, and even a sense of unworthiness about communicating with The Great I AM. Others feel afraid of the unknown or of dark spirits which may be “out there”. Additionally, because we come from a culture with a healthy focus on doing and accomplishing things in the outer world, we can feel guilty, disconnected from “real life” and antsy to have something concrete take place in the Silence. The key is to keep at it, repeat the process over and over again. It is worth any discomfort, frustration or angst you may encounter in the process.

So how can one intentionally enter into Silence and have a positive experience? Begin by asking Divine Source for help in entering Silence in a way that will be good for you. Call to yourself a positive meditation experience and wait until you get a sense of how to proceed. In other words, prepare for success.

Or if that is not your style, jump right in one day and see what happens. You will learn a great deal from that experience of Silence for yourself. If you do go this route, you might first consider why you want to enter into Silence. Then let that all go as you actually begin to enter Silence. Leave all the thoughts, fears, judgments and uncertainties at the doorway to Silence. Zip off the roles, the responsibilities, the shoulds, the demands, the worries and enter as freely as you are able. “Become as a child, to enter the kingdom of God”.

There are many reasons to enter Silence. I work with those interested in seeking a deeper, personal relationship with All That Is. All That Is or Divine Presence is within our own being, so we end up coming to a deeper knowing of our own True Power, Creativity, and Knowing along the way. This is the full course menu for entering Silence. There are a number of other menus available as well. Knowing why you are seeking Silence is a really good place to begin.

Steps I take when entering Silence

1. I prepare for quiet time by turning off the phone, telling family members I am not available and retreating to a place where I will not be disturbed. I select some material to read and possibly something to listen to, in my space. I set aside a specific amount of time for being in Silence.

2. I open the space I am in to the Highest Divine Energy of the Universe. I invite my Highest Self, Ascended Masters, The Angelic Host, Divine Nature Spirits, Highest Divine Cosmic Light Beings and any other forms of Divine Light who can help me hold the space of Silence that day. Alternatively, you can call in the Holy Spirit or Spirit of the Living God.

I do this because my intention is to connect specifically with Divine Energy rather than with all the other energies in Silent space. I also like the idea of being in the presence of Evolved Spirits who know how to navigate the Silence. Their conscious knowing of All That Is helps me find my own source of Knowing within. I like the idea of inviting knowledgeable company to join me in this process.

3. I call for the Divine Presence of the Great I AM to lead me into the experience of Silence.

4. I can sometimes settle right into a place of stillness and quiet. If this is the case, I sit with my back upright, legs crossed beneath me and breathe in and out, focusing on my breath until I drift into a place beyond thinking.

5. Sometimes I can’t be still. Then I most frequently read a spiritual passage until I feel settled enough to be still. If that does not work, I may sing, chant, om, recite a psalm, listen to a beautiful piece of music or recite an affirmation to calm my mind. If that is the sum of my meditation time that day, I have simply connected with All That Is in a different way, from entering Silence. We have still connected.

6. In using affirmations, I select one and repeat it over and over again from my heart, until I drift into stillness. Some of the affirmations I use are:

I AM God’s Beloved Child.

I AM One with All That Is.

I AM lovable and capable.

Upon Me God’s favor rests.

All is well and that’s the truth.

I AM safe and at peace.

I AM God breathed.

7. When I end, I give thanks for the experience, regardless of how my judging self might be seeing the experience I have just had.

Entering Silence is like learning to play the piano. In the beginning, even the simplest learned pieces bring us pleasure. However in learning the piano pieces, we may have struggles with ourselves over setting aside time, breaking down the piece to learn it, and mastering it to our satisfaction. This can be exactly what we face with beginning to meditate. We are learning something which we do not know how to do. We are entering into unknown territory, that of Silence. So, patience and seeking is called for. However, the greatest counselor of all is the Great I AM, Infinite Knowing and Boundless Love. If you continue to seek in meditation, in the Silence, all that is needed is provided. The pathway for each person will be revealed in just perfect ways. Our part in this is to keep seeking and trying things until we have the success we envision.

If you are trying to meditate, go deeper in your meditation or have slacked off for a while and would like to start again, send along any questions you may have and the responses can be shared on-line for the reading community. If you have a personal suggestion of what is working for you, please share those as well.