Going on Hiatus

 Dear Unity friends, I have decided to take a break from posting to Unity's Touchstone. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season. With love, Jean

Mindfulness Exercise 4 - Appreciate the Imperfect

Fall is my favorite season. Whether it's sunny, breezy and cool or rainy, gray and cold, it's not perfect and yet, for me, it is. Looking around in the fall is one of my greatest pleasures. With that in mind, I revisited my copy of "see your way to mindfulness. Ideas and Inspiration to Open Your I" by David Schiller.

I wrote about Exercise 1: sit still and look until the you disappears in my June 10th post. I wrote about Exercise 3: look up in my July 22 post.

Today I'm loving Exercise 4: appreciate the imperfect. Sometimes I notice that the produce section in grocery stores looks like a work of art - each section of fruit and vegetables perfectly aligned and stacked. Off season we have to buy produce from grocery stores and I'm grateful for that - but every spring and summer I look forward to garden vegetables. The fruits, vegetables, and plants at a farmer's market or plucked from the garden look natural but not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Oh, but the taste! I love the taste of farmer's market tomatoes and and local orchard apples.

Farmer's market tomatoes: not perfect but yummy!

These are the four pots outside our front door.
We have to surround them with wire fencing
or the deer will eat them to the nubs.
They might look better without the fence
but we love the opportunity to plant
morning glory vines.

Then I looked at my recent pictures on my phone. Not perfect either but they tell my story and I love them.

Have a great fall everyone. With love,

~ Jean

Great Definition of Self Esteem

Esther Perel is a Belgian psychotherapist.

This definition was posted on Facebook recently by Sharon Martin LCSW.

Blessed with Free Will

Unity's Daily Word for yesterday was Blessed. Here's a quote from the meditation: "My very life is a blessing that I receive anew every day. Today I count my many blessings and feel grateful for all the good in my life... I am blessed with free will to choose how I respond to events, what I wish to learn, how I choose to serve, and what I choose to give."

Yesterday my husband and I each had our Pfizer Covid-19 booster shots. I'm not feeling any side effects this time; unfortunately he is - still we're both grateful for the shots.

This old dogwood tree
is one of the early changers.
I made it my phone's
lock screen picture.

Last night my mom told me a couple residents in her continuing care living community asked her about assisted living and how she decided to move. She has come to feel like she was the one to decide to move and she's very content. Plus she tells anyone who asks her now that it is good for her. This is a wonderful turn of events.

It's fall - since September 22 - and I'm so happy. I love the fall in all it's looks. Some of our days are bright and sunny and the leaves are (barely) beginning to change colors. Some of our days are gray and rainy and foggy. I love both kinds of days. When I step outside to walk my dog in the morning
I breathe in, look around, and feel the blessings of the early days of fall.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we take our doggie Maddi to doggie day care at The Puppy Patch in Lebanon, NJ. She loves going there and my husband and I appreciate having 5 hours of time each of those days to run our separate errands or work around the house and yard without needing to pay attention to our needy doggie. She doesn't like when I sit in my office working on my computer. A couple days ago while Maddi was playing with her buds at the Patch, I completed the first chapter of the family photobook I've been procrastinating over for at least two years. I'm thrilled and looking forward to getting on to the second chapter the next time Maddi is at day care.

Each day I make choices about how I will live my life. I love my free will and use it as wisely as I can. I am blessed. Thank you, God.

~ Jean

Underlined Excerpts - August and September 2021

I love going back over the last month or two of Unity's Daily Word to see what I underlined . Many of these excerpts remind me to pay attention - again. Here are some that I haven't written about in any of my other posts.

Starting on August 15 I was living with my mom in Illinois. My siblings and I had been trying to decide when and how to move my mom into an assisted living apartment with some "buy-in" from her. She regularly said, "No decision yet." "I'm going to stay here." She had a minor fall a week before I arrived and, thankfully, was not hurt (I wrote about it in my Through the Lens of Gratitude post.) Throughout my four weeks with her I was challenged to remain centered myself while also answering her doubts and questions and complaints and insecurities. The Unity Daily Word messages were my rock.

August 11 Unity Daily Word: Prepare. I make space in my world for God...decluttering my mind of busy thoughts.

August 14 DW: Possible. With God, I can truly do anything. When I believe in the divine power within me, all things are not only reasonable
but achievable! With God, all things are possible.

From Mark 10:27 - Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."

August 17 DW: Tender. I am tender with myself and all others. Consideration and kindness are at the heart of tender living. I soften my words, those I speak to others as well as my self-talk. I look for ways to ease another's way and extend patience and grace to those who may be struggling. With a full and gentle heart, I am tender.

From 1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

I was so grateful for this message which spoke especially to me about how to interact with my mom and with myself. The next day (Wednesday) she and I toured the assisted living facility, the day after that we chose an apartment and picked a move-in date of September 1st and the ball was rolling. Actually the roller coaster of emotions was rolling with ups and downs multiple times each day for several weeks.

August 18 DW: Thoughts. My positive thoughts create my world. When faced with chaos, I affirm: The peace of God is mine.

Through much of my time in Illinois I couldn't sleep very well, waking up in the middle of the night and unable to fall back asleep, my thoughts roiling around and around in my mind. I often used the above affirmation to help quiet my mind.

The peace of God is mine.

August 28 DW: Let Go, Let God. From Psalm 56:3 - When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

I wrote this Bible verse on a Post-it Note and put it on my mom's bathroom mirror. Moving day was approaching and her fear was growing. This verse helped us both. Our family hired a moving coordinator company to help with the packing, floor plan design and unpacking. Two members of the staff of this company who came to pack independently commented on the verse to me; they each said that their company wasn't just a business, it was also a ministry to help people make big changes in their living situations as smoothly as possible. The woman who packed my mom's bathroom, packed the Post-it too and when she unpacked and arranged mom's bathroom, placed it on the mirror in her new bathroom. It is there still.

September 5 DW: Balance. With God I live a life of balance.

This was the necessary message I needed to hear. Throughout my stay in Illinois, I attempted to have some balance in how I spent my time. I walked for an hour every morning (God bless audiobooks!) before my mom got out of bed. I interspersed activities like watching soccer on tv with time with my mom. On various days I went my sisters to musical, a local hawk watch, an outdoor art show, and an outdoor evening concert. On my mom's moving day, while she was having her first dinner in her new place, one of my sisters and I had dinner at a favorite restaurant on the patio. It was delicious and pleasant and a wonderful break. Then I spent that evening with mom in her new apartment for her first night there. The following evening I had dinner with my other sister at another outdoor restaurant, had a strawberry margarita and another delicious and pleasant dinner. Afterwards I spent that evening at my mom's for her second night in her new apartment. During the last week of my visit I went to one of my sister's to watch U.S. Open Tennis matches. That was fun and a nice break too. I honestly think that having that balance of time with my mom and time doing other things kept me sane.

This is all for now. I will finish September and October next month.

~ Jean

 

Protected!

How do I greet this day? Protected! And so are all my loved ones. To paraphrase the last sentence of today's Unity Daily Word meditation: The presence of God within them (and me) guides our steps today and will be with us through all our tomorrows.

The Protection Prayer that follows was written by James Freeman for all soldiers during World War II. It is a powerful today as it was then. I had not seen this longer version and I LOVE it.

Protection Prayer

The Light of God surrounds me. 
The Love of God enfolds me.
The Power of God protects me.
The Presence of God watches over me.
The Mind of God guides me.
The Life of God flows through me.
The Laws of God direct me.
The Power of God abides within me.
The Joy of God uplifts me.
The Strength of God renews me.
The Beauty of God inspires me.
Wherever I am, God is!

I had not seen this longer version before today and I LOVE it.

~ Jean

Source: Pinterest

A Gentle Look at Divine Order

On Wednesday September 15 I received the kind of text from a friend that one never wants. A friend of ours has a brain tumor and was undergoing surgery at Sloan in NYC. Two days later, it was confirmed  that the diagnosis is glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord.

I wrote in my journal that night: "2 yr to live max - John McCain, Beau Biden and Ted Kennedy all died from it - It's a devastating diagnosis." Even though I wrote that about 2 years, I don't know that to be true. But writing it and what follows shows the evolution of my thinking in the last week.

Friday's Unity Daily Word was Divine Order. The affirmation was

Divine order gives structure and purpose to life.

Over the weekend some of my journaling was about how I would feel and what I would do if I received that diagnosis. "Betrayed by my own body. Get it out of me." And some was about what I could do, if anything, for this friend. I also wrote: "What on earth do I say to this friend if she even wants to talk? I've been thinking of you - how are you? God will give me the words to say. Talk to her husband first? So sorry ... Dear God. Divine order ain't so great for everyone - in this human's opinion."

On Monday evening I wrote: "Woke up to DW Pray for Others - 'Instead of fretting or wishing I could do something, I turn within and pray ... Holding each dear one in my heart, I envision each enfolded in serenity ... comforted and guided with each step.'"

Later tonight I realized that divine order is for me to do what I can, it's me being present to my friend and her husband in any way that I can here and now. I also realized that my intention will be to focus on her serenity not her situation.

On Tuesday morning I called both my friend - no answer or voice mail - and her husband - voice mail but I didn't feel comfortable leaving a message. I put a card in the mail that day and will call again.

I don't know how the days ahead will be. If anyone has suggestions for gentle ways to interact with this friend, share in the Comments section.

With gratitude and humility,

~ Jean

Image: grammartop.com

Watch and Listen

Living is not just to live a long life, it's to contribute something, my unique contribution. How do I know what that is? A series of recent Unity Daily Words lead the way for me:

• September 7th Daily Word: Begin!
• September 8th DW: Claim my wholeness.
• September 9th DW: All is well with my soul.
• September 10th DW: Live life abundantly.
• September 11th DW: Remember and honor those who came before.
• September 12th DW: Open my mind and heart to receive my guidance. This higher wisdom is not outside myself. It is a still small voice, mine to call upon at any time. I am always able to ask for guidance to show the way forward. Then watch and listen.

When I write in my journal, answers come to me. I used to say they came unexpectedly but after many years of answers, they are no longer unexpected. As I write, wisdom and understanding appear on my pages and I am in awe. My recent watching and listening has once again given me some answers - a short, simple list that fits this time and place. And I am taken back to Begin! And so I shall.

Thank you God!

~ Jean

Image: dreamstime.com

Breathe

I recently inherited a Series 4 Apple Watch from my brother, who had just upgraded to the latest version.  Prior to owning one, I had had no real desire to use an Apple Watch, but I thought it might be helpful for keeping track of my fitness goals so I took the time to set it up and watched a few tutorial videos on YouTube.  It turns out that the watch IS quite helpful for tracking fitness goals and for other things, but my absolute favorite feature of the Apple Watch is an app called “Breathe.”  The Breathe app notifies me every so often (by causing my watch to vibrate) that I should take a moment to stop and pay attention to my breath, and then it leads me through a very brief, very effective exercise to help me do so.  

You wouldn’t think that I would need an app to remind me to breathe, but after using this tool for the past few weeks I realize that I sure DO need to be reminded.  With work and home and family responsibilities vying endlessly for my attention, I find myself flitting from one “to do” to the other, rarely taking a moment to just be - and to just breathe.  Add on top of that a relentless drip of not-so-great news filling up the screens of my days of late, and I have plenty of excuses to focus on anything but my own peace of mind.

If there is one thing I have learned from Unity in my 20+ years of attendance, it is that the key to life, the universe, and everything is my ability to stay grounded in the present moment.  I know this, and yet I am inconsistent with my practice of mindfulness and meditation.  I can relate to Paul’s struggle in Romans 7:15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

This is why I am grateful for the simple, helpful tools which are at our fingertips these days, thanks to technology, and I do my best to allow them to support me in my intention to be more mindful in my everyday life.

~Rebecca

The Gift of Grace

 Grace gives me room to roam and a welcoming place to return.

"My progress along my spiritual journey has not always been smooth and predictable. There are times when busyness and distraction have pulled me away from my spiritual practices... And yet, I return to my path, resume my practices, and regain my faith through the gift of grace... Through grace, I am free to question and explore, knowing I am always at home in the heart of God."

From 1 Corinthians 15:10 - By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.

The above is all from August 10 when the Unity Daily Word was Grace. I especially LOVE the idea that "I am always at home in the heart of God."

And so it is.

~ Jean

Through the Lens of Gratitude

I begin and end each day in gratitude.

At the end of July, here it was again: a Unity Daily Word Grateful: a way to greet the day when I get up in the morning and a way to release the day when I get ready to go to sleep at night. (See previous posts.) Quoting from the meditation: "Today I view the world through a lens of gratitude, and I practice it every chance I get."

More recently there have been two DW from August 7 and 8: Prosperity and Protected. Here are excerpts:

I carry a spirit of gratitude for everything the day will bring.

Through my oneness with God, I feel protected.

Part of the meditation from Protected is: "The sun always rises after the longest, darkest night. I remind myself of this truth and feel grateful as I allow the light of spiritual understanding to release and reclaim whatever power I may have unwittingly given to a fear-based thought."

I am visiting my mom in Illinois for two weeks. Part of my purpose while with her is to prepare her to move to assisted living. Yesterday she had a fall - very minor and she wasn't hurt but she couldn't get herself back up off the floor. She wears a call bracelet and pushed the button for help. The staff at her Life Care facility came right over to her townhouse and called immediately called paramedics who helped her get up and ascertained she didn't need the hospital. THE SYSTEM WORKED. I am so grateful.

When we began looking into assisted living for my mom, the primary reason for moving her was if she was not safe any more living independently. I don't know what other people have experienced with elderly parents but my siblings and I think it's time but our mother doesn't - at least she didn't 3 weeks ago before her fall. She and my dad purposely chose to move into a life care facility 25 years ago specifically so they had all the levels of care when they needed them.

And so I release my fears and feel such gratitude that the safety system put in place by the Life Care facility worked - We frequently reminded my mom: if you fall or have any other problem, push the button first - only after that call one of us kids. And she did. I'm so grateful she remembered and was able to push the button. And I am grateful that she can move to a nice place with nearby professional medical assistance, as much or as little as she needs.

Thank you God.

~ Jean

Image: innervoicepc.com  

A Prayer of Wonder

I was in such a bad mood yesterday. I don't know why but there it was. When my dog wanted to just be outside and sniff around our yard which isn't fenced in, I was with her on leash. (I actually consider the leash constraining me as much as her so I love when she can be off leash and we both travel safely at our own paces.) I wandered with her, grousing that she was so boring, that I was bored. Actually I knew in that moment that she was nowhere near bored. She was loving being outside, fascinated by every smell and every little twig she could chew on and watching that bird fly by and that bee buzz by and jumping to try to catch a butterfly flitting by. She was happy, I was not.

This morning I read a chapter called Knowing the Heart from My Grandfather's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. That chapter ends with this Jewish Prayer How Filled With Awe from Gates of Prayer, A Jewish Prayerbook:

Days pass and the years vanish and we walk sightless among miracles.
Lord, fill our eyes with seeing and our minds with knowing.
Let there be moments when your Presence, like lightning, illumines the darkness in which we walk.
Help us to see, wherever we gaze, that the bush burns, unconsumed.
And we, clay touched by God, will reach out for holiness and exclaim in wonder,
“How filled with awe is this place and we did not know it.”

The last line of this prayer reminds me of the lyrics "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place" from the hymn Surely the Presence, composed by Lanny Wolfe in 1977, portions of which we have sung at Unity for years. All I needed to do was substitute "the Lord" with "awe." Here are all the lyrics:

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

In the midst of His children the Lord said He would be
It doesn’t take very many
It can be just two or three
And I feel that same sweet spirit that I’ve felt so many times before
Surely I can say I’ve been with the Lord

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

There’s a holy hush around us as His glory fills this place
I’ve touch the hem of His garment
I can almost see His face
And my heart is overflowing with the fullness of His joy
I know without a doubt I’ve been with the Lord

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

Oh surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

For the last week or so we have been having a wonderful respite from the heat and humidity we often experience in New Jersey in the summer. Yesterday was one of those days. I missed an opportunity to be mindful, to be grateful and to be present.

This morning was another one of those days. I woke up renewed, the fans spinning in my open window bringing into my bedroom cool, refreshing air. I woke early and opened Remen's book to read a couple chapters. I'm so glad I did. I call this a "wake up call." I pray: “How filled with awe is this place and I did not know it.” I will know it and I will not waste this day!

Note: I wrote this several weeks ago but didn't post it until today. It still speaks to me and maybe to you too.

~ Jean

Underlined Excerpts - July 2021

I had some great underlining thoughts this month (of course I do every month). Here are a few that I haven't already mentioned in my other posts.

July 3 - Ease. "Through the gentle stillness of indwelling Spirit, I know ease. I remember at this very moment (and every moment), I can access the kingdom and every divine blessing through my connection with Spirit. From Matthew 11:30 - For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

July 10 - Rest. "In the stillness of God's peace, I rest. Far from a luxury or indulgence, rest is an integral part of my life. My soul responds to my restful interludes by sinking deeply into the awareness of my oneness with God."

July 14 - Focus. "I keep my thoughts focused on God. From Jeremiah 29:13 - When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart."

This is The Golden Key by Emmet Fox in a nutshell. I just want to remember this sooner rather than later when I'm dwelling on a situation or stuck on what to do next.

The Golden Key ... contains just one central thought: “Stop thinking about the difficulty, whatever it is, and think about God instead.” First printed in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression, its message is clear, its language simple. Fox called it “a practical guide for getting out of trouble,” and thousands of people have found it to be just that. from Unity.org

July 15 - Awake. "Upon awakening, I face a day filled with infinite possibilities."

Here is just one of the many ways for me to greet each day.

July 19 - Inner Peace. "The peace of God is in my mind and heart. The news of the world has no power over me. From Psalm 34:14 - See peace, and pursue it."

My spiritual path has taken me to many different physical churches over the years. I suppose I have learned life lessons along the way. But and this is a big but: I never felt that I was given ways to live. Unity's tag line is "a positive path for spiritual living." Nowhere else have I gained so much insight and practical guidelines for living my life in a centered, healthy way. The excerpts I have included here are some of them. I am so grateful.

~ Jean

Image: Amazon.com

Moving Through Life Gently

Today I wanted to write again about how I want to greet the day. Last Friday's Unity Daily Word was Gentle. I love this concept in many ways. The affirmation was

I move through life gently.

This follows so nicely after my wonderful mindfulness walk last week. "Like a warm breeze that softly touches the skin, I interact with the world gently. I respond to all people and situations in a calm, loving manner. I listen with an open mind and give with an open heart. Today I choose to extend gentleness to everyone I encounter, including myself."

These are the first sentences of the meditation. I choose gentleness (and peace) each day. I choose gentleness because I want to be treated with gentleness. Life has plenty of harsh and hard lessons for us. I have an aging mother who more and more each day seems to be losing contact with reality. It's hard for her and for me and my siblings. I also have a friend, a young mother with two grade school-aged children and a loving husband who was diagnosed over 2 years ago with inoperable cancer, given 1-3 years to live. She writes that treating cancer is her job. This is a harsh diagnosis and hard for her, her family and everyone who loves her. There are many ways life and we can be hard:

• hard and fast (rigid, unchangeable, unalterable)
• hardened (unbending, deadened)
• hard going (tough, laborious)
• hardheaded (willful, stubborn or sensible, rational, shrewd)
• hardhearted (brutish, unfeeling, heartless)
• hardnosed (stubborn, unyielding)

The best way to meet these challenges is with God's love and gentleness. Gently is how I want to greet each day and each person I meet during the day. (See May 27 post - How will I greet this day? By the simple act of asking this question, I remind myself that I have a choice.)

From James 1:19-20 - You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.

Go gently today and every day. With love,

~ Jean

Image: 123rf.com

Look Up

What beauty looking up into a tree!

The cliffs overlooking the D&R Canal

Coneflowers with guest

Sweet corn over my head
(or as high as an elephant's eye)

The Hunterdon Hiking Club has resumed their Mindfulness Hikes on Thursday mornings. I joined the group this morning at 10 a.m. We began walking from the Frenchtown River Parking lot, crossed the Delaware River bridge, and joined the Delaware and Raritan Canal Path on the Pennsylvania side.

The Unity Daily Word for today is Awe. The affirmation is:

I am in awe when I behold God in all things.

Part of the meditation is: "God is the source of all the beauty and goodness that surround me." As I think about that I know it to be true both in my physical world and in my spiritual world. When I look around me I see people doing kind things for others. When I look around my physical world I see beauty in the trees, flowers, and butterflies. "I am simply in awe," as the meditation says in the last sentence.

Before I left my house I looked up the next Mindfulness Exercise from see your way to mindfulness by David Schiller. Exercise 3 is "Look Up." This is what I intended to do today.

The pictures are from my walk. Enjoy! I did.

~ Jean

Peace for a Friend

I received a text from a friend early this morning (7:12 A.M.). She wasn't able to attend a planned meeting this morning because ... This is her text:

Our son is having a breakdown and we have to fly out to Seattle ASAP. I don't know when we will return. I'm sorry for any inconveniences. (two emojis of praying hands)

Although I know their son is an adult, my immediate response was "Just take care of your boy."

A little later I read the Unity Daily Word. How fitting that it is Comfort. The affirmation is

Journeying to Jerusalem within, I arrive at perfect peace.

And a bit of the mediation:

Whenever I find myself feeling in need of comfort, my pilgrimage begins. As I relax, I envision each inhalation bringing me closer to the Christ presence within my heart. Exhaling, I feel my burdens lift, lightening my load a little at a time. Step by step, breath by breath, I release my earthly concerns.

This message is to me but I also take it as a message about my friend and her family. I hold the thought of peace for her even if she cannot right now. 

~ Jean

Image: emojipedia.com

Harmony Within

The affirmation for a recent Unity Daily Word was

The harmony I seek begins with me.

The first couple sentences of the meditation are:

It's natural to want to live in harmony with other people and the world around me, but I cannot expect to find harmony around me if there is inharmony within. I search myself for anything that may be keeping me from living harmoniously.

It's easy to find inharmony within me when I am anxious about the present and the future. What's ahead today? What's going to happen tomorrow?  

I am grateful that I can get myself out of that merry-go-round by simply reminding myself that I am going to greet this day with the affirmation for today:

My life is in divine order.

The last two sentences of the meditation are:

Remembering divine order helps me realize my highest good is always on its way, even if I see no evidence of it yet. I trust this orderly process of manifestation and feel grateful for it.

I love writing these posts because they always remind me to notice what is good in my life. Thank you God!

~ Jean

Image: livingfullywellness.com

Incomparable

There are so many reminders outside of ourselves that we are ordinary, imperfect, flawed human beings. We compare ourselves to siblings, coworkers, even total strangers, and find ourselves lacking. We are not smart enough, pretty or handsome enough, not rich enough, not something enough (we all can fill in that blank easily). But we need not do this comparing.

On June 10, 2021, the Unity Daily Word was Shine. Here is an excerpt:

From a great distance, the stars at night shine brightly … If I were able to see the stars from a closer distance, I would see each star as an individual light, no two alike … if even one were missing the sky would not be as bright. I am a star shining my divine light as only I can. No one else has my exact gifts and abilities…

When I read that Daily Word I immediately thought of the following. It's been on my magnet board for a very long time: Over 11 years since Sunday January 31, 2010. From time to time I re-notice and re-read it. It too reminds me that I am special and unique – the only me in the world. My calendar of the day* back in 2010 said this:

“Since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of time, you are incomparable.” — Brenda Ueland

When I read Brenda Ueland’s words, I take a deep breath and let it out very slowly. I am incomparable. Just letting myself truly know that elicits a feeling of awe and reverence — reverence for myself.

Then on June 24, the Daily Word was Belong. Here is an excerpt:

Among the billions of people on this planet, there is only one me. There is not another soul on earth who can make the unique contributions I am here to make….Embracing and celebrating all that sets me apart helps me to see how each of us is here to do what no other can. Each one of us is a part of the full spectrum of creation, and we all belong.

I know that I am imperfect; I also know that I am perfect in God’s eyes. I hold in my heart and soul that I am unique and incomparable. It feels great!

~ Jean

* I cannot attribute this to the original calendar because I did not record which calendar it came from. My apologies to the original source.

Image: earthsky

Hold This to Your Heart

From the Unity Daily Word for Friday, July 7: Protected:

There is nowhere I can be that is outside of God.

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Hold this to your heart.

From today's Daily Word: Freedom

... I am always free at the level of spirit. No situation or circumstance has power over me.

~ Jean

Heart Image: alegitimatejourney.com
Freedom Image: ascensioncos.com

Underlined Excerpts - June 2021

On the very first day of June (Unity Daily Word: Adventurous) I put a big star by this affirmation:

I live my life as a continuous adventure.

"Life is meant to be lived fully even if it means taking some risks. With an adventurous spirit, I open my mind to the possibilities around me."

This is such a great way to greet each day (see my post of May 27, 2021).

June 2 - Wisdom. From 1 Kings 3:12 - I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. (This fits into next week's post on Incomparable - a teaser!) 

Several decades ago I took a workshop on spiritual gifts. Mine turned out to be discernment. This gift has helped me to understand many things over the years since then; it appears in several of my underlinings this month and I am grateful.

June 3 - Silence. "In the stillness, my soul is enfolded in peace. True silence is a destination, a place of deep, abiding peace and tranquility."

As I study Mindfulness with my book group, I turn to silence more and more often for peace and understanding.

June 4 - Prosperity. "When I open my mind and heart to the world around me, I become ever aware of how I abound in prosperity."

June 9 - Rest. "I find my deepest rest in God, where I am closest to Spirit in my mind and heart. I release what is and what will be in faith that the divine presence within is the source of my good." From Matthew 11:28 - Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

This is exercise 2: look for what is changing
(p.s. everything changes)

June 11 - Guidance. "To receive my inner knowing clearly, I quiet my mind to better tune in to the still, small voice, my link to my divine nature...I also can access my guidance, which I may discern as a persistent feeling or a nudge to do something. If my guidance is unclear or difficult to discern, I wait with patience until I can determine how to proceed." From Proverbs 16:9 - The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.

June 22 - Forgive. "Who I am is greater than what I have done. The same is true for all others."

This is the forgiveness quote of the month!

June 25 - Trust. "When I keep my thoughts centered on God, deep peace encircles my heart and blissful clarity permeates my mind. As I live my life from this place, my trust in my ability to discern my inner guidance becomes increasingly strong." From Psalm 143:8 - Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

My theme of this month is Mindfulness. Mindfulness comes to me from wisdom, silence, rest, forgiveness, and trust. When I am mindful I am open to what is everywhere around me: adventure, prosperity, and guidance. The illustration is from the book a friend gave me entitled "see your way to mindfulness" by David Schiller.

~ Jean